Parent Information
Parent Involvement-
We welcome visits from parents at any time. Parents are always encouraged to bring goodies or fun ideas and suggestions for our parties that we have throughout the year: Harvest (Halloween), Christmas, Valentine Day, St Patrick’s Day, Easter, and our end-of-the-year-bash. Please let us know if you do not want your child participating in any of these holidays. We do a big Christmas program and need lots of help for that, as well as our Pre-K graduation. Birthdays are special at Tender Heart. The child is the Star of the day. We sing the birthday song and parents can bring a special snack (please no candles). We need parents to help with our, cutting projects and field trips. Any other help that we might need throughout the year we put in the newsletters. We have fall and spring parent teacher conference that you will need to attend. We also have a mandatory parent orientation meeting at the beginning of the year.
News Letter/Calendar-
There will be a monthly newsletter and calendar informing parents of the monthly activities and curriculum (songs, cooking, science, field trips, special events, birthdays etc.). Also in the calendar is the rotating snack schedule and our alphabet show-and- tell.
Snacks-
We do a rotating snack schedule for one month at a time. Your child will have a turn once a month. Please bring a snack including individual beverage for 12 children. Snacks need to be healthy (fruit, vegetables, cheese & crackers, cookies with a healthy twist etc.) Please limit sweet snacks, like cup cakes, to birthday snacks only. We also would prefer no Kool-Aid to be brought in for snacks. We ask that the snacks come individually ready to eat and drink. If your child has a birthday during the school year we will schedule their snack day on their birthday or a date close to it so they can bring in a special birthday snack. We also say a little prayer before we eat together. If it is your child’s turn and they are not in school, you do not need to bring in their snacks, we always have back ups.
Lunch for pre-k full day-
Full day pre-k will need to bring in their own healthy lunch. Please send a lunch that does not need to be refrigerated or heated in the microwave, and that your child can manage on their own. Please remember to make it healthy (this gives them brain food and energy for the afternoon)!!
Allergies-
Please bring to our attention any allergy your child might have and be sure to note it on registration papers.
Backpack-
Please have your child bring a backpack to and from school daily. Always keep a complete change of clothes in the backpack. Pre-k students need a full size back pack.
Illness/Health-
We strive to keep a happy healthy learning environment for your child and the teachers. Please help us in doing this by keeping your child home if they are or have displayed the following symptoms in the past 24 hours: temperature of 100 or higher, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, coughing, runny nose, skin rash of any kind, headache, redness or discharge from the eyes, or any other signs of illness. We also ask that if we notify you to come get your child due to illness, you please pick them up as soon as possible. If your child has chicken pox, lice, or any other communicable disease please contact us IMMEDIATELY so we can inform other families that their child may have been exposed.
Literacy Bags -
These bags will be available for your child to check once a month. The literacy take home bag comes with a book, activity card, and stuffed animal. Our desire in getting these bags is to promote parent/child interaction for the purpose of having a strong foundation in literacy.
Field Trips-
We have scheduled field trips each year. The purpose of the field trips are to enhance your child's early education, and just to have fun! We will need permission slips signed and dated, and we also need parent involvement for these events. Parents or other trusted adult must accompany their child on all field trips. Details of any upcoming field trips will be in the newsletter.
Parent / Teacher Conferences-
We hold parent teacher conferences in the fall and spring to discuss any goals, progress, or concerns that we or you might have.
School closures-
Most of our holidays are the same as the Rio Rancho Public School (RRPS): Labor Day, Fall break, Thanksgiving break (Wed–Fri). Christmas/Winter break, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Easter break (Good Friday - Monday), and Spring break. We are also closed for parent/teacher conferences both spring and fall. Any other dates not listed here will be posted in the newsletters. Our complete school year closers and calendar will be given at the parent orientation.
Discipline-
We have clear-cut limits to help the children foster their own ability to become self-disciplined. The way we do this is, while being closely supervised, we encourage the children to make wise choices and respect each other’s personal space, and to respect all toys and surroundings of Tender Heart Preschool. As problems arise we encourage the children to learn to communicate to the other children they are having a problem with and try to resolve it. If they are unable to resolve the problem a teacher will assist. There is absolutely no hitting, biting, or any other aggressive behavior permitted. If it is done, a teacher will get involved immediately, and a time out will be given. The way we address unacceptable behavior is, we stop the behavior, explain why it is wrong (the consequences of the behavior) and we redirect the behavior in a positive way. We encourage them to apologize and to play in a more positive way. Time outs are given to enable the child to regain self-control. If we continue to have a problem we will inform the parent of the situation, and loss of certain privileges or play areas may occur as well as a meeting with parents may be set up.
One-on-One Time-
One-on-one time is special for each child where they receive individual time with a well-trained preschool teacher. This is done daily at different times throughout the school day. We go over the children’s needs based on our observations, assessments, and goals we have set for them. Some basic academics we go over with the children are letter recognition, their sounds and how to write them, number recognition and counting, as well as simple math, colors, shapes, phone numbers, plus much more. We enable the child to recognize their first and last name and how to print it. This is all done at the child’s pace. We are excited for the children to learn but more than anything we want them to have fun while they are learning and do lots of exploring!
Child Abuse Reporting-
State regulations state that if in any way, shape, or form, a child comes to us appearing neglected or abused we lawfully have to call child youth and family department to notify them immediately.
