ILLNESS Mary had a little cold, but wouldn’t stay at home,
And everywhere that Mary went, the cold was sure to roam
It wandered into Molly’s eyes & filled them full of tears-
It jumped from there to Bobby’s nose and thence to Michael’s ears-
It painted Anna’s throat bright red, & swelled poor Jennie’s head
Dora had a fever and cough put Jack to bed.
The moral of the little tale is very quickly said,
She could have saved a lot of pain with just one day in bed!
Back To Basics is a “well-child” preschool facility. At no time do we provide sick childcare. The following illness policies will be strictly enforced, for the health, well-being and safety of all concerned.
Sick Child Policy: Under no circumstances may a parent bring a sick child to day care, if the child shows any signs of illness (see SYMPTOMS REQUIRING REMOVAL OF CHILD FROM CHILD CARE), or is unable to participate in the normal routine and regular day care program. Sick children expose other children, as well as staff, to the spread of their illness and require additional care and attention that we are unable to give. Moreover, sick children want care from their parents in the comfort of their own homes. If other children become ill due to exposure to your sick child, either because he/she was returned to day care before full recovery or because he/she was not picked up promptly upon notice of becoming ill, other parents will be unnecessarily inconvenienced and exposed. Because this is disruptive to other children and their families, as well as our own, your cooperation on this issue is extremely important.
Every effort is taken to reduce the spread of illness by encouraging hand washing and other sanitary practices (see Cleanliness and Hygiene).
If your child is unable to participate in the normal activities of the day care (including being able to play outside), then your child MUST stay home.
Children will be visually screened when they arrive in the morning. In the event a child becomes ill and needs to be picked up, the parent(s) will be called and expected to come pick the child up within one hour (60 minutes). If the parent(s) cannot be reached, or have not arrived within an hour, the emergency contact person will be called and asked to come and pick the child up.
A sick child will not be permitted to return to care for 24 hours after condition has returned to normal. The child may return 24 – 48 hours (depending upon the illness) after they have received the first dose of an antibiotic. If a child receives an antibiotic for an ear infection, (s)he may return to day care immediately if he has been free of other symptoms mentioned for at least 24 hours. If you aren’t sure about whether or not to bring your child to care, please call to discuss it. Allergy related symptoms, and non-communicable illnesses do not require exclusion.
Symptoms requiring removal of child from day care:
Fever: Fever is defined as having a temperature of 101°F taken orally; (a child needs to be fever free for a minimum of 24 hours before returning to preschool, that means the child is fever free without the aid of Tylenol®, or any other fever reducing substance.)
Fever AND sore throat, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, earache, irritability, or confusion.
Diarrhea: runny, watery, bloody stools, or 2 or more loose stools within last 4 hours.
Vomiting: 2 or more times in a 24-hour period.
Frequent scratching of body or scalp, lice, rash, or any other spots that resemble childhood diseases, including ringworm and pink-eye.
RATES
Tuition fees include: Breakfast, afternoon snacks and a nutritious lunch.Consumable/supply feesRegistration Fee: N/ASecurity Deposit: A deposit of one week’s tuition is required when your child registers, which will be applied to the child’s last enrollment period. This deposit will be forfeited if care is terminated with less than two weeks notice.TUITION: Tuition is payable in advance and is due no later than drop off time the first contracted care day of each week. Payment may be made in the form of cash, check or credit card (visa or MasterCard). All checks should be made payable to Back To Basics.ABSENSES: Tuition must be paid in full without deduction for absences of any duration or for any cause, and without substitution of other days of attendance as “make-up” days. This is necessary due to staffing, and operational costs that are incurred on the basis of fixed levels of enrollment.WITHDRAWAL: The obligation for full payment of tuition continues until the date indicated by parent or guardian as the date of withdrawal. The parent or guardian agrees to furnish Back To Basics with at least two (2) weeks written notice of such date of withdrawal, and failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the security deposit for the weeks of withdrawal. RATE INCREASES: Once contracted with Back To Basics Preschool, your rates will remain the same through the duration of your family’s attendance to our school.
T.G.I.F at BTB
Fridays are a special day and should always be celebrated! Here at Back to Basics, we do our own version of T.G.I.F. with Show & Tell and an afternoon movie and popcorn.
Your child is allowed to bring any toy from home that they choose to speak about to the class. This gives your child a first glimpse at group speaking in front of his/her peers, and feel special and important, both key elements to high self-esteem. The afternoon movie will be G rated only, and decided by a majority class vote. We have a huge selection, but your child may also bring his/her favorite movie to share as well.
Friday is also a time when your child gets to choose a Special Treat for not striking out the entire week (please see Rewards/Consequences). We have a wide assortment of prizes for your child to pick from our special treasure chest. It may be a small toy, but your child will take such pride in knowing that he/she earned it for making great choices all week. Our reward ceremony singles out each child and recognizes them for their hard work and accomplishment. This is what makes this system so effective. A child does not want to lose their Special Treat and, by doing so, it has a powerful impact upon the child, making them rethink the choices they will make in the upcoming weeks. It is human nature to crave positive affirmation, and this system creates that environment for your child.
REWARDS/CONSEQUENCES
Three Strikes, You’re Out
DISCIPLINE – STRIKE ZONE We believe that children behave according to what is expected of them. As long as children know what rules are in place, they naturally will begin to follow the boundaries set forth.
While they are in process of learning those boundaries, we use a strike system to help guide them. This system uses the basic idea that children will make mistakes and should not always be punished for them. Strike one simply is a reminder of the rule that they are breaking and a warning to change the negative behavior. Strike two causes the child to be removed from the area he/she is continuing to make the bad choices in and must choose a new center. If the child receives a third strike, the child will lose freedom of choice, for a small amount of time, and be told where to play and what to play with to help him or her better understand the rules of the classroom.
On the other hand, though, children should also be rewarded for following the rules as well. Every Friday, your child either gains or loses the Special Treat, depending on whether or not he/she struck out during the week. This system, based upon the baseball tradition of “three strikes, you’re out,” allows your child to develop a sense of responsibility and control over his or her actions. If your child makes good choices, he/she will be rewarded for this. But if he or she chooses to make inappropriate choices, then there are consequences for these actions as well. The system allows the child the independence to make their own choices and to learn, grow and be responsible for them.
As well as the Strike System, we understand children strive on positive affirmations. To promote an encouraging environment within our classroom, we use a sticker chart reward system. They can earn a sticker by demonstrating good choices with cleaning up, manners, sharing and any other behavior we believe to be good. It is human nature to want attention and we try to bestow positive words and rewards as much as possible within our classroom so that positive attention is what is strived for, and not negative.
Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES will there be any spanking, physical abuse, verbal abuse, name-calling or isolation used. Neither food nor sleep will ever be withheld from children as a means of punishment.
We understand that abusive treatment of children is prohibited by law and by the licensing regulations with which a child care provider or authorized agent is required by law 26-6-102, C.R. S 1973. To report evidence or knowledge of suspected child abuse or child neglect, call the State Department of Human Services at 303-866-5958.
KINDERGARTEN READINESS
Call us crazy, but we love math and reading!
We’ve encountered so many parents who fail to realize their child’s potential. It’s not because they don’t love their child, but it’s hard to see their baby as anything other than just that, their baby. That’s where we come in
We believe every child has a right to learn at his/her own pace, and should not be categorized solely by their age. In our unique class setting, we are able to teach and challenge your child according to his/her abilities. If by two-and-one-quarter, she knows her letters, then by three-and-one-half, she can probably grasp most of the phonetic sounds as well. If by three-and-three-quarters, your child can count and recognize numbers from 1-20, he/she should also be able to start doing simple addition and subtraction. Age does not dictate your child’s capabilities.Our children are able to learn and acquire so many skills through strategically planned curriculum and repetition. Your child grows within the same classroom, with the same teachers, so we really get to know your child and his/her best learning method. Never is your child forced to do something boring like sitting at a desk and memorize flashcards. We make learning fun and you’ll be surprised what your child can accomplish and enjoy doing. We are all born innately with a desire to explore and learn, and it is only when we have failures, struggles and boredom within a classroom that we begin to dislike education. Our students look forward to our programs and will miss school on days off. Please note: the following is a list of skills our students acquire before entering kindergarten from our school and are not requirements for kindergarten.
Recognizes, states, and can write all 26 letters (lower & uppercase) of the alphabet.
Phonetically sounds out all 26 letters of the alphabet.
Recognizes, states, spells and writes his/her first & last name (using lower & uppercase letters).
Completed first level of Hooked On Phonics® reader program.
Recognizes and can state phone number and address.
Recognizes, states and can count and write numbers from 1-20, forwards and backwards.
Can do simple addition and subtraction.
Can recite the days of the week & months of the year.
Can say the Pledge of Allegiance.
Is independently able to dress himself/herself (with the exception of tying shoes).
Is potty trained.
Is socially able to interact in a group setting.
Feels confidant when speaking in front of a small group.
Able to jump, hop, skip, climb, & walk backwards.
Knows how to count to ten in Spanish, and may have a small vocabulary of other Spanish words.
Can cut, glue, and color independently.
Able to follow 3 sentence instructions.
Is able to sit quietly during story/group time.
Knows how to stand in a line.
Knows a large assortment of animal sounds.
Can categorize where an object belongs
Every day you will receive a Daily Letter; a basic a synopsis of your child’s day. We encourage you to discuss with your child what things he or she learned during the day. This not only opens communication between you and your child, but will also help your child recall activities, a valuable skill needed in formal schooling. Children learn through repetition and the additional enforcement they get from home, the more beneficial our program will be to them.
SERVICES OVERVIEW
We know that in most cases, we are your child’s first experience away from home. Home is a safe, fun place where mom and dad tell us what we can and can’t do. School should just be an extension of this.
If it is not fun, safe, and nurturing, your child will associate with school negatively, and fail to thrive and grow to their potential. At Back To Basics, we make learning fun. If your child wants to color, why not color an Elmo page for E? If your child wants to play on the computer, why not play a Hooked On Phonics® games, or Reader Rabbit? When playing tag, why can’t we call out letter sounds to unfreeze? Strategically planned curriculum creates easy avenues for your child to learn without a negative association. We set the foundation for positive school experience that they will take with them through the rest of their education.
LOVE
Our school is unique in the fact that we are licensed for a maximum of 12 students, with a ratio of 6:1 per teacher. No center day care can make this claim. As such, we form an extremely close-knit classroom where we not only get to know our students, but their families as well. When you are accepted to our school, you join a special group of families who all share in the common goal and values of raising respectful, educated, loving children.
Back To Basics Family Preschool is a unique environment that combines the loving, intimate feel of a home, with the core values of education and school preparedness like a center. Our home-center offers the best of both worlds for you and your child.
LEARNING
We lay this foundation through repetition and practice. Learning should be fun and not all children learn the same. It is essential our program reflects this. We practice the sounds and names of letters through games, worksheets, tapes, computer games, and discussions giving your child a variety of ways in which to learn. Our program encompasses the youngest student, just learning to recognize letters, to our kindergarten readiness program, where our students learn to read.
Due to our small class size and low student: teacher ratio, our students get a stronger knowledge foundation and gain confidence and independence. When our students enter kindergarten, they are prepared and excited to learn, as their initial experiences have already established the love for learning and school.
