Mountain View Preschool Policies and Procedures

Adopted 1980
Revised 1986/87/98/02/04

STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

Mt. View Preschool philosophy is predicated on the belief that children


in an atmosphere of free play, with emphasis on freedom with responsibility, and under the guidance of caring adults who help children learn to make decisions and accept consequences for their actions, as they explore and find joy in learning about the world around them.

THE PRESCHOOL COMMITTEE
Mt. View Preschool operates as a community outreach program of Mt. View United Methodist Church. A Preschool Committee, appointed yearly, functions as the governing body of the school and is charged with the responsibility of determining the policies, budget, staffing and enrollment of the preschool. The Committee is composed of parents and church members who volunteer their time. Each class in the Preschool is represented by at least one Committee member. New Committee positions are filled yearly to maintain a balanced representation. Committee meetings are held monthly and are open to all parents and church members.

PRESCHOOL CAPACITY/CLASS SIZE
 The maximum capacity of Mt. View Preschool, as determined by the Licensing Unit of the Colorado Department of Social Services, is 24 children per class with 2 teachers. We feel, however, it is in the best interests of children to limit class size and to reduce the child/teacher ratio. Our 3-4 year old classes have 19 children and 3 teachers. The 4-5 year old classes have 23 children and 3 teachers. The Mixed age class (3 and 4 year olds) have 22-24 children with 3 teachers. The PreK/Enrichment class has a maximum of 32 children with 4 teachers (or 24 children with 3 or 4 teachers, or 16 children with 2 teachers, depending on yearly demand for this class). The Committee has the option of increasing the class size upon the recommendation of the Director and staff.

PROGRAM/AGE REQUIREMENTS
Our program is designed to meet the developmental needs of young children three thru five years old. Classes are available in morning or afternoon sessions of 2½ hours duration. The morning classes run from 9:00-11:30 am and the afternoon classes from 1:00-3:30 pm. To enter the 3-4 year old Tuesday-Thursday (TTH) program, children must be 3 by November 30th. To enter the 4-5 year old Monday-Wednesday-Friday (MWF) program, children must be 4 by November 30th. To enter the PreK/Enrichment (PreK/ENR) program, children must be age eligible for Kindergarten (5 years old by September 30th) or if room is available, children 5 by December 31st may be considered for enrollment. The minimum age to enter the Multi-Age (MA) afternoon program is 3 years old by November 30th. All children attending Mt. View Preschool must be in the process of being toilet trained.

PRESCHOOL CALENDAR
The Mt. View Preschool calendar is planned to coincide with that of the Boulder Valley Public Schools (BVPS) whenever possible. School opens, however, the week following the opening of BVPS and generally closes by Memorial Day. The TTH program is based on a minimum of 65 and a maximum of 69 days per year. The MWF program is based on a minimum of 96 and a maximum of 100 days. The PreK/ENR class is based on a minimum of 130 and a maximum of 135 days. The MA class is based on 65 to 100 days for 3 years old and 96 to 135 days for 4 year olds. PLEASE NOTE: One release day for parent/teacher conferences and one release day for all staff “In-Service”is included in the count of total days for each class.

The following holidays and vacations are observed: Thanksgiving week, Winter Break Vacation, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents’ Weekend, Spring Vacation (coinciding the BVPS) and certain scheduled BVPS In-Service days and holidays.

CANCELLATION OF CLASSES
Preschool classes may be canceled due to severe weather. Classes are automatically canceled whenever BVPS close. In addition, classes may be cancelled by the Preschool Chairperson and Director when severe weather makes carpooling dangerous. Parents will be notified by phone. Closure decisions are made by 7:30 am. Additional class days are added at the end of the year if the minimum number of guaranteed Preschool days is not met due to closures. After considerable study, the Committee believes this policy on weather closures is in the best interest of children and, therefore the policy will not be reviewed on a yearly basis.

OPEN ADMISSIONS POLICY
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, it is the policy of Mt. View Preschool to admit and to treat all children without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. The same requirements for admission are applied to all, and children are assigned within the center without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. There is no distinction in eligibility for, nor in the manner of providing for any child, the services provided by or through the auspices of this center other than that children of Church members are given first priority in this church-sponsored preschool. All persons and organizations having occasion either to refer children for admission or to recommend Mt. View Preschool are advised to do so without regard to the child’s race, color, religion or national origin. If you have a question concerning compliance, talk first to the director of the center or the Preschool Chairperson. If you have further concerns, please contact the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Social Services, 1575 Sherman St., Denver, Co. 80203 – or – the Regional Director of the Office Of Civil Rights, Department of HEW, 1961 Stout St., Federal Building, Room 9017, Denver, Co. 80203.

ENROLLMENT PROCEDURE
The Enrollment Secretary has responsibility for enrollment in the Preschool and maintains a waiting list for each class. Returning children, children of Church members and qualified siblings are given enrollment priority in the classes for which they are age eligible. See Program/Age Requirements.

Interested parents are encouraged to visit the Preschool (if they are unfamiliar with the philosophy and program of Mt. View Preschool) when their child is placed on any class waiting list. A spring pre-enrollment orientation meeting is held to familiarize “new to the Mt. View” parents with the philosophy and policies of Mt. View Preschool. Prior to the spring meeting, parents receive a copy of the Policy Statement, an Enrollment Application Form and a Tuition Payment Schedule Form. Parents are asked to read the program and policy information, to return the Application Form and tuition deposit by a designated date. If the application and fees are not returned as of a specified date, the Enrollment Secretary will proceed to fill the position. The deposit is applied to the year’s total tuition cost. Tuition deposits are not guaranteed refundable at more than 50% after May 1st. No refunds will be made after August 1st.

At the meeting, parents receive the additional forms and information necessary to enroll their child in the program. An applicant may be denied admission to the program or removed from a class at the discretion of the Preschool Executive Committee if deemed necessary.

MEDICAL FORMS
State regulations require that all children entering preschool must have a health examination by a physician prior to their enrollment. The preschool must also be provided with verification of such an examination along with a Colorado State Certificate of Immunization. No child may be admitted without compliance with these requirements, unless religious or personal beliefs exemption forms are provided to the Preschool. Medical forms are provided by the Preschool or a physician’s form is acceptable. Medical forms signed by a physician are valid for one year following the date of the examination and must be renewed yearly. It is desirable to have the exam done during the summer, if at all possible, so that it will be valid through the entire school year. Those forms which expire during the preschool year must be updated by the parent.

AUTHORIZATION/CONSENT FORM
It is the parents’ responsibility to provide written authorization or verbal permission for their child to be picked up from Preschool by anyone other than themselves. An Authorization/Consent Form will be provided to authorize carpool drivers, the “emergency person” and others who may pick up your child. In an unforeseen event a phone call to the Preschool office (303-494-3557), to the Lead Teacher’s home, or in an emergency, to the Church office (303-494-5025) would be acceptable notification.

TRANSPORTATION
The Preschool assumes no responsibility for the transportation of children to or from preschool. Carpools may be formed, but these are totally the responsibility of the parents involved.

TUITION PAYMENT POLICY
Mt. View Preschool operates as a non-profit, church related organization and is funded entirely by the income generated through tuition. Tuition rates are based on the estimated yearly operating costs of the preschool program and are divided among the classes on a proportional basis. A deposit, paid in the spring, is part of the year’s total tuition and is required to hold a class position for fall enrollment. Deposit refunds requested after May 1st, regardless of the reason, will be refunded at no more than 50% of the total deposit. No refunds will be made after August 1st.

Several payment options are available to parents with payments per year varying from one to eleven installments. Tuition envelopes are sent home the last class session of the month. Tuition payments are due by the 10th of the month. A late charge of $5.00 is assessed for payments received after the payment due date.

With enrollment in Mt, View Preschool, parents assume the responsibility for the full year’s tuition. If a child is withdrawn from the program, refunds for a payment are made on a prorated basis if a new child is enrolled to fill the vacancy. If the position is not filled, parents are responsible for the balance of the tuition due.

TUITION ASSISTANCE FUND
Realizing that special financial circumstances may exist, the Preschool has available a limited amount of funds, completely separate from tuition, which may be used in cases of financial need.

The Preschool Committee may sponsor fund raising projects for the purpose of generating tuition assistance monies. Parents, interested church members and friends of the Preschool participate on a voluntary basis.

Requests for financial assistance are reviewed by the Preschool Executive Committee. All information is treated confidentially. For further information, contact the Administrative Assistant.