Welcome to Preschool...

       Our Preschool program at Tender Years is licensed by the PA Department of Education and taught by a certified teacher. It is designed to accommodate up to 20 students, ages 3 to 4. We offer a full-day program as well as a half-day program (morning or afternoon).

Daily Information & Communication…

       Information for parents is posted in a designated area of the classroom. Lesson plans, schedules, newsletters and menus will be found here. The teacher will also write about your child’s daily activities and post them in this area. We ask that you check your child’s cubby daily for other items such as permission slips and letters from the director.

Needed Items…

• Toileting items such as wet wipes and pull-ups may be necessary if your child is newly potty trained. We encourage our Preschoolers to wear underpants, however, at naptime, or at times that we may be out of the building, a pull-up may prevent accidents. We can also keep a box of wipes available if your child needs them to help with wiping.
• Extra clothing should be kept in your child’s cubby. We suggest keeping a long sleeved shirt, a short sleeved shirt, two pair of pants, two pair of socks, and several pairs of underpants. When your child’s clothes have been changed, we will send the soiled items home to be washed. Please remember to replace the extra clothing items that were used as soon as possible. Children grow quickly! Please check periodically to make sure that the clothing is the right size, and weather appropriate.
• Bedding for naptime use should include a crib sheet and a blanket, or a small sleeping bag. Large pillows are not needed and are difficult to store according to health guidelines; please do not send them in. All bedding will be sent home weekly to be laundered. If you accidentally forget to bring in your child’s bedding, Tender Years does have clean sheets and blankets for your child to borrow. Naptime “friends” are welcome, as long as they are “soft and small”. If a toy used at naptime becomes disruptive, the child will be asked to put it in his/her cubby.

Meals & Snacks…

       Tender Years provides a morning snack. A general menu is posted to give you an idea of the types of snack items that we will serve. The afternoon snacks are provided by the parents for the class on a rotating basis. Bought snacks need to be unopened and in their original wrapping. No glass bottles, please. Homemade goodies are welcome; however, uneaten portions must be sent home or thrown away. For lunch, you may choose to pack a lunch, or purchase a hot lunch for an additional cost from our catering service. Menus are available to help you make your choices. When packing lunch, please note that we are not permitted to microwave food for the children. You may pack hot foods in a thermos, or pack items that are ready to eat. All items that require refrigeration must be labeled before putting them in the refrigerator.

Curriculum…

       At Tender Years, our curriculum is based on the PA State Early Learning Standards that are in line with the standards that are required in the public school system. In addition, our lessons are constructed around a theme. These themes usually reflect the seasons, holidays, or concepts of interest from the world around us. Some examples of themes that you may see are:

Lesson plans are posted weekly for your review. Please feel free to ask your child’s teacher any questions that you may have about the activities that are planned.

Observations and Evaluations…

       Our teachers make regular observations to track developmental progress. Several times a year we will do a formal evaluation of your child’s progress here at school. At this time, you will be given the opportunity to schedule a parent/teacher conference to review the evaluation and discuss your child’s Preschool education with the teacher.

Discipline and Guidance…

       The following methods are used in the Preschool classroom to encourage and help the children to do the right thing and make good choices:

• Modeling appropriate behavior
• Praise and compliment good behavior
• Redirect to another activity
• Explain why an action is inappropriate
• Consequences for actions

      Time out may primarily be used as a means of separating the child from others while the child regains control of himself/herself. We teach the children to express themselves non-violently as well as encouraging self-control, self-direction, responsibility, and cooperation. Practical, safe, and logical consequences will be presented in discipline situations. Parents will be informed if a major discipline problem develops. While it is important for parents to know about any problems, it is not our intention for further action to be taken at home. Open communication is the best key to successful discipline. In addition, each teacher may implement other discipline or guidance methods on an individual basis such as: sticker reward systems, or red light/green light.