Pre-K Program Policies 2022-2023
Irvington Extended Day 1320 NE Brazee St ∙ Portland OR 97212 971-379-0331 ∙ iedprogram2@gmail.com
Center Licensing:
The IED program is licensed by the State Employment Department/Child Care Division. We are inspected by the Child Care Division as well as the Health Department and Fire Marshall. All documents are posted on the parent information board in each classroom.
Director’s Office Hours:
7am – 6pm. You may leave her a voicemail at 971-379-0331 or e-mail at iedprogram2@gmail.com. You also have the option of dropping him a note into the box attached to the door of room 108-A, or at the front office.
Registration:
A one-time registration fee (equal to one month’s tuition) is charged to reserve your child’s space in the program. The fee is non-refundable and is applied toward June’s tuition.
Enrollment:
The packet of forms you received for enrollment must be completed and returned to IED before your child starts the program. The information is kept confidential at IED and must be maintained accounting to the county, state, and federal guidelines. Please keep the information up to date by notifying us in writing of any change. Parents will be charged for the days pre-k is in operation regardless of whether the child has attended class or not. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Commitment to Irvington School:
Since IED is intended to be a feeder program for Irvington School, no written or oral recommendations will be provided for children wanting to attend different elementary schools. If you have a special circumstance, please contact the Director.
Class Time:
Monday – Friday: 8:45-3:00
IED generally pre-k follows the same calendar as Portland Public Schools. Therefore, pre-k does not have class winter and spring break. We may be open on most conference days & teacher planning days. Occasionally, the Portland Public School District changes the calendar with little notice. While we try to avoid such confusion, we reserve the right to change our calendar when necessary.
Please drop off and pick up via the playground. When waiting to pick up children, please be respectful to the other teachers at Irvington by being quiet. Please do not visit with other parents in the hallway while school is in session. Do not bring dogs into the building or tie them up outside near the building. These relate to Irvington School’s safety policies.
Staff Qualifications:
IED staff are professionals, who have been chosen for their expertise, as well as their love of children. Our teachers have extensive knowledge and experience in early childhood education, and are dedicated to providing a safe, stimulating, and nurturing environment for children. Ongoing study and training keep staff up to date in Early Childhood Education, CPR, first aid, and job related skills.
IED always welcomes an exchange of information. We care about your opinions and realize it is important to have a bond of trust in working with your child. On a daily basis, your child’s IED teacher will be able to talk and share information with you. However, this is usually fairly brief because of the fact that she/he must simultaneously be available for other children and parents. If you want to have an extended, uninterrupted talk about your child, please make an appointment with the Director.
*Please do not ask IED staff to babysit, housesit or dog-sit. IED’s policy is that the staff cannot work privately for IED families while employed at IED.
Guidance and Discipline:
Our staff demonstrates ways to use words instead of force. Social behaviors such as cooperating, helping, teamwork, and taking turns are encouraged. Positive approaches are used in guiding children. These include redirection and encouragement. The staff use consistent, clear rules, and talk to the children in terms of choices. This means you may hear a teacher say, “Since you did not listen to my words, this shows me that I will need to make your choices until I feel you’re ready to try again.” No physical punishment or negative discipline methods that hurt, frighten, or humiliate children are used.
Parents are consulted if a child’s behavior is frequently inappropriate or disruptive, and is not responsive to our approaches. Exceptions of children’s behavior are appropriate for the development level of the children. Violent words and actions are simply not tolerated at IED. Depending on the circumstances, a child may be sent home as a consequence of violence.
In addition to appropriate behavior by IED students, caretakers are expected to be considerate of others to guaranty the safety of IED children. Rude, threatening and/or abusive behavior will not be tolerated. Any child or adult who behaves in such a manner risks dismissal from the program at the sole discretion of the director.
Curriculum:
The classroom schedule is carefully planned to meet the developmental goals and needs of children. Each classroom offers a wide range of activities and materials that are appropriate and challenging for the children in the room. Physical activity is an important part of our daily curriculum. Please refer to the IED Curriculum Guide for more details.
Communication:
It is very important that IED be informed of any changes in the following areas:
*Phone numbers and emergency contacts. IED must be able to reach you in case of an emergency.
*Whenever someone other than an authorized person is to pick up your child. You will be charged $10 if IED has to call to verify that someone is allowed to pick up your child.
Information on reporting a concern/complaint:
- You can email or call.
- Let the classroom/group teacher know.
- Please discuss your concern with the program director.
- If you continue to have concerns; you do not feel your concerns are being addressed; or you are uncomfortable discussing the issue with the center staff, contact the state certifier Willie Davis at 503-669-7112 x 312
Conferences:
Parent/teacher conferences are held in the fall—usually November. Parents with questions or concerns are invited to make an appointment with the Director or Teachers to discuss the needs of their child.
Sign In Time:
Please accompany your child into the classroom and sign in. IED will not take responsibility for any child who is not signed in by an adult. Morning planning and preparation time is essential for our teachers. Please do not leave your child in the care of pre-k teachers before 8:45 AM. The teachers are often in and out of the classroom prior to this time to make copies and get supplies for the day.
The IED pre-k program drop off begins at 8:45 for full day students. This time in the classroom is for teachers, parents, staff, and students. Parent to parent conversations should be held outside, away from the building so that the classes are not disturbed.
*Please mute your cell phone while at IED.
Sign Out Time:
If you have arranged to have your child picked up by someone other than the people authorized on your enrollment paperwork, please inform the IED staff ahead of time. You should also make a note on the sign-in sheet or in the parent log. The designated person must bring identification in order to pick up the child in question. If you want to add someone to your list, just tell the Director, or the Assistant Director. People on your authorized list do not need to be announced ahead of time, but do need to have ID.
It is very important that your child is picked up on time. She/he must be picked up by 3:00 pm.
If your child is picked up after 3:00, there is an automatic late charge of $10.00. In addition, for each minute past 3:05, there is a $2/minute charge. This is because the teachers and classrooms are needed for other activities and need to be free when the pre-k classes end. After a parent is late three times, the fees double.
***All pick-ups for students will be from the playground door of room 111/100. Please enter from the playground to eliminate any noise in the hallways.
Volunteering:
While parents are welcome to visit the classrooms; for example, to have lunch with your child, we find that it is not necessary to have volunteers in the classroom. If you would like to be more involved, please talk to the Director about opportunities to help. We need parents to organize special events, like family potlucks, helping with our garden plots, cleaning the classrooms, and making copies for the teachers.
Holidays:
IED does not celebrate ANY holidays (this includes Halloween and Valentine’s Day.) We do acknowledge most holidays by reading books and occasionally making crafts, but we do not celebrate them.
Birthdays:
Birthdays will be acknowledged in class with a birthday crown and singing. Parents are welcome to send to school favorite photos of the birthday child, which they can share during circle time. If your child’s birthday does not fall on a school day, the teachers will make sure it is celebrated a day before or after. Please do not send any cookies or cupcakes to school.
Please arrange birthday parties and play dates outside of IED. Please use your IED directory to invite classmates to parties, rather than using the IED parent folders, which should be used only for official IED business.
Unless you are inviting all twenty pre-k children, please do not bring any invitations to school. If you do plan on inviting the entire pre-k class, please allow the Director to distribute the invitations. We thank you for your understanding and cooperativeness.
Lunch and Snacks:
**IED IS A PEANUT FREE PROGRAM**
When your child brings a lunch from home, please send healthy choices. No soda or candy of any kind should be included. Please do not send fast food in with your child. We cannot microwave or refrigerate foods, as we do not have the facilities to do so.
Each family will be asked to provide a weeks fruit & vegetable 2x year for the children to share. This can be a bag of apples or carrots, pears peaches etc. When bringing a special snack for the class, the state and county regulations require that it must be purchased and brought to IED in the original, sealed packaging. It should not contain nuts or seeds, and unfortunately, no homemade snacks will be accepted. Please bring enough to serve all the children (20). The guidelines following state regulations will be posted on the sign in sheet.
Allergies:
**IED IS A PEANUT PRODUCTS FREE PROGRAM**
In the event that a child with severe food allergies is enrolled in IED pre-k, we reserve the right to ban outright any foods that could cause any health complications for the child. While it may be inconvenient, we are confident that you would ask the same if your child had the allergy. **This includes granola bars, breakfast bars etc.
Rest Time:
After lunch, the children have a brief rest period. Please provide a sheet for your child for rest time.
Health Policy:
Keeping your child healthy is important to us. For this reason we must exclude children with contagious or infectious conditions. When your child becomes ill or is unable to participate in group activities, you will be asked to remove your child from the center.
Often the most contagious state of a child’s illness is just before symptoms appear. Signals such as change of
behavior, pulling at ears, drowsiness, loss of appetite, or inability to participate in room activities, might indicate that your child is at the beginning stage of an illness. Staying home to get extra rest may ward off the illness and will also prevent spreading it to other children in the program.
The criteria used to determine when a child needs to be excluded from the program are based on the State and County regulations. Please keep your child home for a minimum of 24 hours if he/she experiences: sore throat, runny nose, blisters/skin rash, diarrhea, inflamed eye, fever, nausea, vomiting, coughing, head lice, or ear ache.
As an added consideration, please call to alert us when you keep your child home because of the more serious and contagious symptoms listed above. Though we wash hands many times a day, viruses and pink eye spread quickly through a group of twenty children.
Children have not fully developed their immunity to diseases, so they are ill more frequently than most adults. Often this happens when you are most needed at work. However, since IED does not have nursing facilities for sick children, it is important that each parent makes alternatives arrangements for back up care.
When your child becomes ill or is unable to participate in group activities, you will be asked to remove your child from the center within a maximum of 30 minutes.”
Also, a child cannot stay at school with blood on his/her clothes. If your child frequently gets bloody noses or anything of the sort, please be sure there’s a change of clothes at IED.
Medication:
A medication form must be completed to authorize administration of any medicine. Please bring the medicine in its original container. Dosage and the child’s name must be clearly visible. We do not have sunscreen for the children to wear on hot days. If you want your child to wear sunscreen, please bring a bottle labeled with your child’s name, and let the teachers know it is in your child’s locker.
Accidents:
Our staff is trained in CPR and pediatric first aid. In the event of an accident or acute medical situation, we will assess the situation and keep you informed. If medical treatment is necessary, we will get your child to the nearest emergency facility. We will use the information you provide on the IED forms for any treatment releases.
Emergency Plans:
Fire:
In case of Fire, the children will be escorted from the building as previously arranged through fire drills. If IED is damaged, the children will be taken to another part of the building when safety permits.
Lock Down:
Unfortunately, lock-down drills are now standard in schools. During a drill, children are gathered together away from the door, which is locked, and the lights are turned out. All entrances and exits are locked so that nobody can enter or leave the building. The drills usually last about five minutes and the children spend that time listening to their teachers read a story. Few children are frightened by the experience, but you will be informed when there’s a drill so that you can discuss it at home if you’d like.
Through these drills, your child will learn how to behave in case we have an actual lock down. In the event of a lock down, nobody will be allowed in the school, including parents. As soon as it is safe, we will contact you about pick up.
Emergency Evacuation:
In the event that an emergency causes us to evacuate the building, the staff will take the children out of the school until the school is safe for re-entry. The primary evacuation route is posted in each classroom. We will bring the children to Augustana Lutheran Church (on the corner of NE 15th and Knott), and then call you to make pick up arrangements.
School Closures:
Whenever Portland Public Schools close because of snowy or icy conditions, IED will also close. Likewise, when classes are delayed, IED will be delayed; when school closes during the day, IED will also close. If we have to close our facility, IED staff will call to ask you to pick up your child or make arrangements to have him/her picked up. IED will also close if the power is out for a prolonged period of time. For this reason we must exclude children with contagious or infectious conditions. When your child becomes ill or is unable to participate in group activities, you will be asked to remove your child from the center within a maximum of 30 minutes.
Unfortunately, IED tuition will not change because of closures. Our expenses (such as room rental and insurance) will not change during such a time, and we count on tuition to cover these expenses.
Clothing:
Children should wear clothes that are suitable both for the season and the activities which take place in pre-k. In our experience, when children wear clothes depicting super heroes, they type of play in which they engage changes. These characters often involve “good guys” versus “bad guys” and the children tend to play more wildly and violently than at other times. Therefore, we encourage you to keep this type of clothing at home.
Remember that children spend a lot of time each day outside and in the gym, so shoes should be comfortable running shoes rather than clogs, cowboy boots, Crocs or sandals. It is a good idea to label coats, sweaters, rain boots, and gloves, etc.
Please pack an extra change of clothes (including socks and underwear) to be kept at IED. Children
often need to change during the day whether it is because of an “accident” or because they enjoy playing in
the mud. If a change of clothes is not available when needed, you will be called and asked to bring one
immediately. When your child wears the extra clothes home, please be sure to replace them right away.
Toys:
No toys from home are allowed. Occasionally, a special sharing time will be arranged by the teachers. On these days, teachers will be specific regarding what is appropriate to bring. War toys, guns, and Barbies, will not be welcome.
Rough-Housing:
IED provides a safe, supportive environment for all children. Rough housing does not work toward that goal and therefore is not allowed at IED. Parents are asked not to rough house with their children or others at IED.
Mandatory Reporting:
The State of Oregon requires that all members of childcare institutions be on the lookout for and report to the State any and all cases of child abuse. IED is, therefore, obligated to report ANY suspected cases of child abuse and/or neglect.
Financial Information
Payments:
IED uses the Brightwheel program for all payments/billing etc. It is essential that all parents remember IED is a non-profit program. We have several major expenses (rent, insurance, and payroll to name a few), and our only income is tuition received from families. Late payments have a serious effect on our program. For this reason alone, we charge fees for late payments. The finder fees and late pick up fees are charged because looking for children at check in time, and waiting with children after closing time are not within the normal bounds of the job description. Families should be aware that we use fees as reminders to follow the policies that parents agree to follow, upon enrollment.
IED does not bill families each month. Tuition must be paid by the 25th day of the previous month. For example, February’s tuition, as well as any fees charged in January, must be paid by January 25th. Any tuition received on or after the 25th of the month will be considered late and late fees will be charged. (All fees are explained later in this policies packet.). If the 25th of the month falls on a weekend or a day that school is not in session, the tuition and fees must be paid before that weekend. **If the payment is not made within 5 IED business days (Sunday-Saturday), the child’s attendance at IED will be suspended until the account is brought up to-date.
**Please direct any billing questions to Ingrid at iedprogram2@gmail.com.
Tuition:
The tuition for the school year 2022-2023:
Full day, 8:45 am to 3:00pm — $850.00 (Registration fee covers June).
Fees:
IED has a policy of charging fees as a reminder for parents to follow our policies regarding payment and pickups. If your family has difficulty picking up your child on time, for example, or paying tuition in a timely manner, you will be asked to meet with the Director. Chronic charges could result in dismissal from the program.
∙An automatic $10 late fee will be charged for children who are not picked up by 3:00 pm. In addition, after 3:05, there is a $2/minute charge. After three late pick up fees, the parents in question will be required to meet with the Director. After a parent is late three times, the fees double. Chronic late pick-ups could result in dismissal from the program.
∙A $10 fee will be charged if we have to call about an unauthorized person picking up your child.
∙A $10 fee will be charged if tuition is not in by the 25th day of the month, plus $2 every school day after the 1st until it is paid. After three late tuition fees, the parents in question will be required to meet with the Director. Chronic financial trouble could result in dismissal from the program.
∙A $25 fee will be charged if your check is returned by the bank for any reason. After the second NSF, you must pay your monthly tuition by money order or cash.
If you send a lunch with peanuts it will be put away. The children sit down to eat around 11:00 AM. If you are
planning to pick up your child before lunchtime, or planning to bring a lunch before 11, please let us know
when you sign in. If your child does not have a lunch at 11 AM, we will call to remind you of the necessity of providing a lunch. If we have to call, you will be charged $10.00.
If the tuition is being split between two or more parties, the checks must be turned in together. It is the job of the parents/guardians, not the IED staff, to keep track of who owes what. Turning in the money together on the same day will avoid any confusion.
Third Party Payments:
Parents/guardians are welcome to use assistance from DHS/ERDC/AFS and other organizations to pay IED tuition. It is a parent’s responsibility to get the caseworker or other contact person in touch with IED. Furthermore, we require that parents pay the first month in full. This way, the family will be credited when the agency’s check arrives, and the credit will carry over each month so that IED never has to wait for tuition.
Financial aid:
Income based financial aid is available. Please ask for an application if interested. Financial aid forms are due at three specific times of year, along with the necessary proof of income and expenses. Families are responsible for reapplying at each due date.
Receipts:
Please check Brightwheel if you need a receipt for your payment or contact the director. Each receipt includes our State and Federal Tax ID numbers.
Withdrawal from the Program:
We require 60 days’ written notice for withdrawing from the program.
If your child is in attendance for the month of May, you will be responsible for June’s tuition.
Questions?
Please contact IED’s Director at 971-379-0331 Email Ingrid at iedprogram2@gmail.org.
**Please remember it is your responsibility to inform other people involved in picking-up, tuition payments etc. of our policies to avoid any confusion.
