During inclement weather, we will follow Henrico County Schools' closing schedule. 

If they close or have a delayed opening, we will do the same.

LPS will be CLOSED on Monday, September 6th for Labor Day.  This is NOT a pro-rated holiday.  Regular tuition rates will apply.

Below are links to the 2010-2011 Parent Handbook:
Our Mission
Our Goals
Discipline Policy
Disruptive Behavior Policy
Child Abuse Policy
Sick Policy
Weapon-Free Facility
Operation Hours
Child Release/Security Policy
Payment Schedule
Holidays
Snow/Emergency Weather Days
Curriculum
Children's Cubbies
Meals
Special Programs
Public Disclosure Statement



Our Mission
It is the mission of Little People’s School to provide a quality childcare program based on the values put forth by the Gospel. We are committed to designing a preschool program that promotes school readiness by nurturing children’s spiritual, physical, mental well being, growth and development. It is our desire to serve the families of this community, therefore serving God.


Our Goals

1. To develop an appreciation of work, play, learning, truth, the love of God, others, and him/herself.
2. To enrich the child’s background and thereby create a basic readiness for school experiences and cultural activities.
3. To give children the opportunity for creative expression.
4. To help children make a satisfactory social adjustment to school life by learning to live and get along with others in an enjoyable way.
5. To guide children in forming habits of respect, safety, courtesy, self confidence, responsibility, independence, and cooperation.

Discipline Policy
*This policy is applicable to employees at ALL times and to parents when your child is on our campus. If you wish to punish your child using any of the following methods, please take them off of the school grounds first.

A. Physical punishment of children is prohibited. The use of physical punishment of a child will result in dismissal!
B. The withholding of food, rest, or toileting is not an acceptable means of discipline.
C. Children must be under direct supervision at all times, therefore, placing them outside of the classrooms or in the bathrooms is not permitted. Taking a child to another classroom (ex: “You are acting like a baby, so I am taking you to the baby classroom.”) is not acceptable either.
D. The use of threats or any punishment that tends to degrade or ridicule a child is not an acceptable means of discipline.
E. Good discipline is maintained with praise and kindness. Try to intervene to prevent problems, redirect situations, be loving and positive but firm, be consistent, go to a child instead of yelling across the room, etc. Get down on a child’s eye level when disciplining, lower your voice, model acceptable behavior for children.

Disruptive Behavior Policy
Disruptive behavior is behavior such as speech or action which 1) is disrespectful, offensive, and/or threatening, 2) interferes with the learning activities of other students, and;or 3) has a negative impact in any learning environment. Disruptive behavior includes physically, verbally or psychologically harassing, threatening, or acting abusively toward a teacher, staff member, or toward other students.

We understand that toddlers and 3-4 year olds sometimes have difficulty expressing themselves verbally. At these times, the children who are frustrated will occasionally express themselves physically instead (ex; biting, scratching, hitting, pushing, throwing objects, etc.). While we understand that your children are not necessarily being “mean” to their friends, we cannot allow such behavior to continue because the physical safety of your children is our first priority. If your child purposefully causes physical harm to another student &/or a teacher more than once in a given day, you will be called to pick up your child for the remainder of the day. If the harmful acts of behavior continue on a regular basis, we may be forced to suspend or expel the child from our program. We hope this will never be necessary. We are here to serve you and your family. Please use us as a resource for helping you develop a discipline plan at home that is consistent with the discipline we implement here at school. We are always willing to do all that we can to help you and your child.


Child Abuse Policy
Our policy on Child Abuse at Little People’s School is NO TOLERANCE. As a child care institution, we are required by law to report any suspected abuse. If our staff has any reason to believe that your child is being abused in any of the following ways, the incident WILL be reported to the Department of Social Services.

Section 63.2-100 of the Code defines an “abused or neglected child” as “any child less than eighteen years of age:

1. Whose parents or other person responsible for his care creates or inflicts, threatens to create or inflict, or allows to be created or inflicted upon such child a physical or mental injury by other than accidental means, or creates substantial risk of death, disfigurement, or impairment of bodily or mental functions;
2. Whose parents or other person responsible for his care neglects or refuses to provide care necessary for his health. However, no child who in good faith is under treatment solely by spiritual means through prayer in accordance with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination shall for that reason alone be considered an abused or neglected child;
3. Whose parents or other person responsible for his care abandons such child;
4. Whose parents or other person responsible for his care commits or allows to be committed any act of sexual exploitation or any sexual act upon a child in violation of the law; or
5. Who is without parental care or guardianship caused by the unreasonable absence or mental or physical incapacity of the child’s parent, guardian, legal custodian or other person standing in loco parentis.”

Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all times while in/on the LPS premises. This includes inside the building, as well as in the parking lot. It only takes seconds for a child to be abducted from an unattended vehicle. In severe temperatures (hot or cold), a child can suffer severe injuries (even death) if left in a vehicle. If you are caught taking this risk in/on our premises, the authorities will be contacted.
Health Requirements

Before your child may begin attending Little People’s School, we must have the following items in your child’s file:

1. An updated Physical Exam (to be updated every year)
2. An updated shot record (to be updated every year or as needed)
If your child is already enrolled, and their physical exam or shot record becomes out-dated, you will be given 2 weeks to comply. After 2 weeks, your child may not return to school until their records are updated.
3. Photo IDs of every person that is permitted to pick your child up from school. Children will not be allowed to leave with anyone unless we have their photo ID in the child’s file. (see page 6 for “Child Release Policy”)
4. A copy of your child’s Birth Certificate.
5. A registration form.
6. A signed/dated MAT authorization form.

Sick Policy
If your child is sick with a contagious illness, or fever above 100 degrees, they will not be allowed to come to school until the fever is under 100 degrees (without medication) for more than 24 hours. If you take your child to visit their pediatrician, and the pediatrician states that your child has a fever, but is not contagious (ex: ear infection), you must bring a note from your pediatrician stating such and that they may return to school. We will take into consideration children under the age of 2, who might be teething and have a low-grade fever. If your child becomes ill while at school, you will be notified immediately. In order to help us prevent spreading illness in our school, your child will be quarantined in the office, and you will be required to pick up your child immediately.
Please do not send your child to school with a fever.

Children who have more than 2 episodes of diarrhea or 1 episode of vomiting while they are at school, will be sent home immediately. These children may not return to school unless they have been free from diarrhea and vomiting for 24 hours. Thank you for understanding.

For uncommon illnesses, we will use the American Academy of Pediatrics handbook for guidance in regards to proper procedures.


Weapon-Free Facility
Little People’s School is a weapon-free facility. We do not allow weapons of any type on our premises, unless there is a life-threatening emergency which requires the assistance of a law enforcement officer, or if a parent or visitor is a law enforcement officer who has sworn an oath to protect citizens.


Operation Hours
Little People’s School is open during the hours from 7:00am-6:00pm Monday-Friday. Children may not be dropped off until 7:00am, and they must be picked up no later than 6:00pm. If you are late picking up your child, you will receive three warnings. After the third warning, you will be charged $1.00 per minute for every minute after 6:00pm. We understand that emergencies come up, but on a regular basis, please be courteous to our staff. They have families to go home to as well.


Child Release/Security Policy
At Little People’s School, your child’s safety is our priority. As a result of this, we have a very strict release policy. We require the names and picture IDs of all persons who have permission to pick up your child. If we do not have a name and/or picture ID of a person in your child’s file, they will NOT be allowed to leave with that person. This includes other parents of children in the program, staff members, and visiting relatives. Telephone calls, or faxed forms giving permission are not permissable either. You may add new people to your child’s release information at any time, but you must do so IN PERSON. Please see one of the Directors when you wish to do this. Staff members are required to request picture ID if they are unfamiliar with a person who picks up a child from their class. Please be courteous to our staff on this matter. They have been informed that disobedience of this policy will result in immediate dismissal. There will be absolutely no exceptions to this policy. We apologize in advance if this causes you any inconvenience in the future.

For further security measures, every parent/guardian is required to sign their child in when they arrive at school, and sign their child out when they leave. A notebook for each classroom is conveniently located at our front desk. When signing your children in/out, please provide your name (not ‘Mom’ or ‘Dad’). If you send someone from your authorized pick-up list, please remind them to sign your child in/out as well.


Payment Schedule
Tuition is due each Monday (Tuesday if that Monday falls on a holiday), or the first day that your child attends each week. Tuition is considered late if it has not been paid by Friday of that week. The following Monday, there will be a $5.00 late fee added to the total amount due for the previous week. If the payment is not made on Tuesday, another $5.00 fee will be added, and another $5.00 each day, etc. until the tuition has been paid in full. This late fee will be added to your tuition, and you will receive a tuition statement in your box if you have incurred a late fee.

If you are more than one week late paying your tuition, your child may not return to school until the tuition has been paid. Considerations will be made in regards to special circumstances, or a family crisis. Please talk with Director(s) if this ever applies to you. After the second week, the Director(s) reserves the right to accept the next child on the waiting list into the program.

Every calendar year, each child receives a free (vacation) week of tuition. If it works better for you, you can opt to use it as 2 half price weeks instead. Please do NOT include tuition payment with any other LPS payments.

*There is a $10 fee for all returned checks.

The following is a price chart for the 2010-2011 school year. (Updated in August 2008)
Age                                    5 days          3 days          2 days          Child:Staff Ratio
Infants up to 2 yrs       $200             N/A              N/A               4:1
2 yrs to 3 yrs                  $184             $120             $95                8:1
3 yrs to 5 yrs                  $163             $110             $90               10:1
All costs are calculated on a weekly basis.


Holidays
The following is a calendar of days Little People’s School will be closed from September 2010 - August 2011:

September 6th (Labor Day)
November 25th & 26th* (Thanksgiving)
December  24th (Christmas)
December 27th*, 28th*, 29th*, 30th*   We will be closed this entire week. Please see below for more details.
December 31st  (New Years)
April 22nd* (Good Friday/Easter)
May 30th (Memorial Day)
July 4th (Independence Day)

Tuition will be pro-rated for the days with *, therefore employees will have the day off without pay. Employees will have off all other days listed (without *) as paid holidays.

**The week of December 27th, LPS will be closed due to the church's participation in the Caritas program (housing for homeless people during extreme weather months).

Snow/Emergency Weather Days
Little People’s School may be forced to close on days when the weather does not appear to permit safe travel for parents and children. Unfortunately, we will not be able to pro-rate tuition on those days. In most cases, if Henrico County schools are closed for inclement weather, LPS will be closed too. If Henrico County schools have a delayed opening, LPS will have a delayed opening for the equivalent amount of time. (EX: If Henrico County schools are delayed by 2 hours, LPS will open at 9 a.m. instead of the usual 7 a.m.). There may be circumstances where that may vary, so watch for emails from LPS, call the school answering machine, or contact Susan on her cell phone.  If any further clarification is needed in special circumstances, call Susan at 437-2375.


Curriculum
As mentioned in our mission statement, we are committed to designing a preschool program that promotes school readiness by nurturing children’s spiritual, physical, mental well being, growth and development. Our curriculum is composed of a combination of experiences that will help promote many of your child’s academic, spiritual, and physical needs.

At Little People’s School, we believe that children learn best in an environment that promotes both child directed and teacher directed instruction. Children learn through their play, and the classrooms are designed to encourage children to explore their environment in a fun, safe, and productive manner. There will also be time during the day when the children will be asked to join the teacher in a more structured activity that may involve participation in both large groups and/or small groups.

Teachers are encouraged to communicate with parents, on a regular basis, about their child’s progress towards school readiness. The Pre-K teachers are required to schedule a parent/teacher conference twice each year. These conferences are optional for parents, but we encourage you to participate, in order to learn more about your child’s progress. If you would like to request additional conferences throughout the year, please feel free to do so.


Children’s Cubbies
Each child is assigned a cubbie to keep their personal belongings in it. On ocassion, some part time children will share a cubbie. Please remember to check your child’s cubbie regularly. Daily reports will be left in your child’s cubbie. Also, periodically you will receive news about upcoming events, payment due notices, tuition statements, etc. on/in your child’s cubbie.

The below items are to be supplied by the parents and left in your child’s cubbie. Please be sure to label each item with your child’s name or initials.

Infant/Toddler Cubbies:

Diapers
Wipes
Diaper rash cream
Bibs
3 changes of clothes
1 pair of shoes (if applicable)
Food/formula
Pack-N-Play sheets
Blankets
Nap mat (Toddler)
Sunscreen

Pre-K Cubbies:

3 changes of clothes (especially underwear & pants)
1 pair of shoes
Nap mat
Sunscreen

Meals
Little People’s School does not provide meals. Children will be given two (morning & afternoon) snacks during a full day. Please be sure to feed your child breakfast before they come to school, and pack a nutritious lunch for them to enjoy at lunchtime.

Every Friday is “FUN FRIDAY.” We serve Pizza or Chicken Nuggets (alternating weeks). The cost for this program is $2 per student per week. You will be billed on a quarterly basis (approximately $26/quarter). Please do not include payment with any other LPS payment. Note: Participation in Fun Friday meals is completely optional. If you get billed and do not wish your child to participate, simply drop a note in the tuition box stating so.


Special Programs
Little People’s School offers optional participation in the below special programs designed for children in the PreK classes.

Stretch-N-Grow: Children enjoy 30 minutes of fun exercise to music. The cost for this program is $3 per week. You will be billed on a quarterly basis (approximately $36/quarter). Please do not include payment with any other LPS payment. Note: Participation is completely optional. If you get billed and do not wish your child to participate, simply drop a note in the tuition box stating so.

Kindermusik: Children enjoy 30 minutes of fun music education. The cost for this program is approximately $20 (for class only) to $36.50 (for class and take-home kit) per month (see the office manager). You will be billed on a monthly basis. Please do not include payment with any other LPS payment. Note: Participation is completely optional. If you get billed and do not wish your child to participate, simply drop a note in the tuition box stating so.


PUBLIC DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
The Code of Virginia, Section 63.2-1716, allows child day centers operated by religious institutions the opportunity to file for an exemption from licensure by meeting documentation and other requirements specified within the exemption law. The statements below have been prepared and distributed to meet the requirements of the exemption law.

EXEMPTION

In compliance with the Code of Virginia, Section 63.2-1716, this Center is exempt from licensure and is classified as an “Exempt” child day center.

QUALIFICATIONS OF PERSONNEL
Position descriptions of staff presently employed with the Center will be provided upon request.

DESCRIPTION OF FACITLITIES

The Center is located at: 9500 Three Chopt Road Richmond, VA 23229

The size of the building is: 18,841 sq ft

The number of rooms used for the Center is: 11

The kitchen facilities are only available to the Center for the use of preparing snacks.

Play equipment consists of 1 large play structure, 3 small play structures.

ENROLLMENT CAPACITY
The maximum number of children that the Center will enroll is 60 .
This figure is dictated by the local building inspector.