Our Redeemer Lutheran
Preschool
Handbook
A ministry of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church
“Serving God’s young children through an enjoyable, high-quality, Christ-centered, preschool experience.”
Table of Contents
Welcome/Purpose…………….… Page 3 Enrollment Policy…………………..Page 4 Goals and Objectives…………….Page 4 Staff……………………………………….Page 5 Curriculum……………………………….Page 5 Arrival and Departures ……..Page 5 Supplies………………………………….Page 6 Communication……………….……..Page 6 Share Time……………………………..Page 6 Parent Participation………………Page 6 Clothing……………………………………Page 7 Snacks………………………………………Page 7 Snow Days……………………….………Page 7 Field Trips………………………..…….Page 7 Finances……………………..……………Page 8 Discipline……………………….…………Page 8 Enrollment/Withdrawal………..Page 8 Health…………………………………….Page 9 Necessary Forms………………...Page 9 Important Information………Page 9
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Welcome to Our Redeemer Preschool
Thank you for requesting this handbook and for showing interest in the Christian education at Our Redeemer Lutheran School. We hope this handbook will help answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to contact either the principal or the preschool teacher at 274-2830 if you have additional questions, if you would like to visit a class, or if you would like to see the facilities. If you are enrolling your child in our preschool program, we welcome you in Jesus’ name! Our Redeemer operates two separate preschool programs. The 3-year-old program (PS3) is offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays mornings. The 4-year-old program (PS4) meets on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with the choice of mornings or afternoons. Both programs are supervised by the School Board of Our Redeemer Lutheran School.
Purpose
The purpose of the preschool program at Our Redeemer Lutheran School (ORLS) is to assist parents of the congregation and in the surrounding community in carrying out their God-given responsibilities regarding the spiritual training of their children. The Bible sets forth this responsibility with the following words: Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. [Ephesians 6:4] Furthermore, Christ has placed a responsibility upon His church to care for the “lambs” of the flock. Jesus said to Peter, “Feed my lambs.” [John 21:15] And again Christ commanded His Church, “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” [Matthew 28:20] With continual changes in our society and many other factors affecting the role of parents in providing adequate training for their children, a further purpose of the preschool program at Our Redeemer Lutheran School is to enrich the Christian family life. The preschool program serves to help the child grow from a self-centered world to a Christcentered world of social interaction. An additional purpose of the ORLS preschool program is to prepare children for the Kindergarten experience. It serves as a “feeder” for our Kindergarten program and gives an opportunity to preview a Christ-centered elementary school experience. The preschool program not only benefits the children who attend, but it also serves as a mission arm for the congregation. Not only can parents provide a Christ-centered preschool experience for their children, but they can also have the opportunity to hear God’s Word as they review their child’s lessons, partake in Christian fellowship events, and have opportunities to worship with members.
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Enrollment Policy
Children who are three years of age by September 1 are eligible for enrollment in PS3. Children who are four years of age by September 1 are eligible for enrollment in PS4. All children must be toilet trained. Our class size for each program is limited: PS3 – 12 students PS4 – 14 students
Your child is officially enrolled when the registration form is completed and accompanied by the $50 non-refundable registration fee. In the event that class size reaches its limited number of students, members of Our Redeemer are given first priority to enroll their children.
Goals and Objectives
Although parents have been given the primary responsibility for the training of their children, the church is to assist the parents in their God-given directive to train their children in the knowledge and instruction of the Lord. Complete cooperation between the home and church is absolutely necessary for the welfare of the children. Therefore, it shall be the objective of this preschool program to: A. Provide a vehicle by which the family unit can be strengthened; B. Provide for growth in Christian knowledge; and C. Prepare the child for entrance into Kindergarten. More specific objectives relating to the above general objectives would be the following: 1. To lead the children to appreciate the wonders of God’s creation and His great love in sending Jesus Christ as the Savior from sin; 2. To lead the child, through the work of the Holy Spirit, to trust and believe in Jesus Christ as his/her personal Savior from sin; 3. To teach the child to speak to God in prayer and to put his/her faith into action; 4. To help the child become aware of and have an interest in the world around him; 5. To give each child many opportunities to work and play cooperatively in a group; 6. To provide opportunities to work with all kinds of materials to foster creative expression; 7. To teach each child how to live happily and how to show concern for others; 8. To help each child develop love and tolerance for all people; 9. To help each child develop coordination and motor control; 10. To help each child feel a sense of security, belonging, and full acceptance; 11. To help each child manifest some degree of self-control and self-discipline 12. To develop in each child a sense of pride in his/her school, home, community, country, and flag; 13. To teach each child to observe simple health and safety rules. 4
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Staff
The preschool teacher is called by Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. In the interest of offering the best Christian education possible for our preschoolers, the teacher will attend the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) teacher conferences throughout the year and will be involved in additional early childhood education courses.
Curriculum
The preschool curriculum at Our Redeemer Lutheran School uses God’s Word as its focus throughout daily activity. We want to reaffirm to the children that Jesus is their Savior and friend, not just during our Bible lesson time but throughout the entire day. Bible concepts flow naturally in the structure of the preschool session as students develop important skills such as sharing, cooperation, problem solving, reasoning, independent and group play, listening, language development and more. Each preschool session will include prayers, Bible time, art or craft projects, story time, physical activity, snack time, free choice play, conversation and music. Also included on a regular basis will be skills to promote math and reading readiness, field trips, nature studies, health and safety, social studies, language arts and dramatization. Very often we will use a “thematic curriculum” – weekly themes chosen for their relevance and interest to the preschool child. This method helps children understand and retain discovered information.
Arrival and Departure
All classes will meet on their respective days and times. Doors open for morning classes at 7:45 a.m. with instruction beginning at 8:15 a.m. The children are ready for pickup at 11:15 a.m. Arrival time for afternoon classes begins at 11:45 a.m. with instruction beginning at12:00 p.m. The children are ready for pick up at 3:00 p.m. Parents are asked to bring their children into the classroom every day. In this way the teacher has one-onone contact with parents each preschool day. Parents may use this time to share important information concerning their children. The children are to be picked up at 11:15 a.m. for morning sessions or 3:00 p.m. for afternoon sessions outside the front church doors in the roundabout area of the school parking lot. If someone other than the child’s parent/guardian is to pick him/her up after school, the teacher must have written notification. Our Redeemer preschool classes will meet for nine months beginning on the Tuesday following Labor Day and ending during the last full week before Memorial Day. All vacations will coincide with the Our Redeemer Lutheran School calendar of which all parents will receive a copy. 5
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Supplies
Your child’s teacher will list any needed items that your child should bring to school.
Communication
A classroom calendar will be sent home monthly to keep you informed about activities and functions. You will also receive a school newsletter weekly with information pertaining to grades Preschool-8. This can provide insight into what’s going on at Our Redeemer Lutheran School. Please check your child’s bags after every session and read all notes and newsletters carefully. Please hand any envelopes containing field trip forms, weekly library books, book order forms, etc., directly to the teacher. They may be forgotten if placed in the child’s school bag.
Parent Participation
Parents are invited to participate on field trips, assist with classroom parties, read a story to the class, or help with special projects. Parents may also assist by sharing a talent or special information with the class, talking about their jobs, etc. Parents are welcome to visit the preschool classroom. For good order and as a matter of courtesy, we ask that parents make prior arrangements with the teacher. We look forward to having parents visit!
Clothing
Your child will be most comfortable in washable play clothes, since children will be sitting on the floor, climbing, jumping, sliding, painting, pasting, and playing with clay. Tennis shoes or other types of play shoes are recommended. Occasionally, we will take the children outdoors to play. Your child will need a jacket and hat when the weather requires it.
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Snacks
Parents are asked to take turns providing snacks for the classroom. A schedule will be set up and sent home to inform parents when it is their turn to bring the snack. Milk will be provided each day for those who sign up and pay the annual milk fee. Parents are also welcome to send along their own milk or fruit drinks with their children. Snack time provides students with the opportunity to try new foods, learn basic concepts of good nutrition and enjoy a social time with their teacher and classmates. Whenever possible, please include your child in the choice and preparation of the snack. When it is your child’s day to bring a snack, he/she will be able to pass the snack out to classmates.
Snow Days
If preschool needs to be closed due to inclement weather or for other reasons, an announcement will be made on the following TV/radio stations: WIBA-AM 1310 WMGN-FM 98.1 WNWC-FM 102.5 WISC-TV Channel 3 WKOW-TV Channel 27 WMTV Channel 15 Any announcements pertaining to ORLS automatically include the preschool program. The preschool generally follows the same calendar as the Our Redeemer Lutheran School K-8 program. Therefore, there will be no school on the days that K-8 does not have school.
Field Trips
We feel that field trips are an important learning experience. For the children in the fouryear-old preschool classes field trips are scheduled out of the classroom at various times of the year. Safety plays a crucial part of the field trip and we require that all preschool children use a car seat or booster seat when traveling. Parents are asked to volunteer to drive and chaperone for these trips. Notes explaining the field trip, along with a permission slip, will be sent home prior to every field trip. Permission slips must be returned to the teacher prior to the field trip or the child may not participate.
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Field Trips Cont. Children in PS3 will have in-house field trips or trips they can walk to (i.e., firehouse, police station or park). They also may include visits from Buckle Bear, Dentist, Nurse, Firemen, Clifford, etc. There may be nominal fees charged for some of the field trips.
Finances
There is a $50 non-refundable registration fee for the preschool program. This fee is due when the child is registered for school, and it is paid by all parents using the preschool program. Registrations are made on a yearly basis for all children. Members and non-members of Our Redeemer will be charged a monthly tuition. PS3 has a monthly tuition of $134. PS4 has a monthly tuition of $202. The monthly payments are due September through May. Monthly tuition payments will be made through an automatic withdrawal from a savings or checking account. These payments will be withdrawn on your choice of the 1st or the 15th of each month, September through May. A form for this can be found in the registration packet. It must be filled out and handed into the school office by the first day of school. If desired, tuition may be paid in full by the first day of school. For those who wish to order milk through the school, there is a separate milk fee. Parents may make other arrangements with the teacher if other liquids are needed in place of milk.
Discipline
At Our Redeemer’s preschool the children will receive Christian love, support and forgiveness. Positive methods of discipline will be used thus developing in each child self-control, self-esteem, self-direction, self-confidence and respect for the right of others. The teacher will maintain classroom conditions which facilitate a sense of safety and well-being, and an atmosphere which is favorable for instruction. The teacher will not use any form of corporal punishment or verbal abuse.
Enrollment/Withdrawal
It is our understanding that when a child is registered, he/she is enrolled for the entire school year. If withdrawal is necessary, a 30-day notice is to be given and the tuition paid for that period. In the event that a child is not having a beneficial preschool experience, the parents and teacher will meet to discuss the situation.
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Health
You may be called to pick up your child if he/she appears to have symptoms of illness during the school day. In such cases, the child is isolated from the others and a parent is contacted. In case the parent cannot be located, we will call the number listed on the child’s emergency card. Paramedics will be called in case of emergency. We will not dispense medications. When children are ill, please keep them at home; we do not have facilities or staff available for the care and comfort of sick students. In the case that your child is sick at home, please contact the school office at 274-2830 of his/her absence. The varicella (chicken pox) vaccine is required for preschool children ages 2-4. Parents of vaccinated children must provide the date of the vaccination. If a child had the chicken pox disease, the parent need only check the appropriate box on the Student Immunization Record and provide the year, if known.
Necessary Forms for Registration
You will be contacted by mail at the time of registration in August. Parents will need to complete and return the following:
Enrollment Form Emergency Contact Card Immunization Card
Important Information
Instructor Principal Pastor School Board Chairman School Secretary Mary Beth Knippel David Retzlaff Robert Knippel Randy Huebner Sharyn Behnke 838-8616 288-0365 274-6608 833-7768 274-2830
School Office: 274-2830 Fax: 608-274-7606 E-mail: marybethknippel@ourredeemermadison.org davidretzlaff@ourredeemermadison.org info@ourredeemermadison.org
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