Policies & Procedures

All students enrolling in our 3/4 year old program and our 4/5 year old program must be fully potty trained by June 1st of the enrolling school year. Students must wear underwear and be able to use the bathroom independently from start to finish. Students wearing Pull-ups or having accidents daily would not be considered fully potty trained.  

Why do children have to be fully potty trained before they begin preschool? 

• Our classrooms and bathrooms are not set up to support the strict standards necessary for changing and disposing of wet or soiled clothing.
• When a teacher is pulled from direct instruction to assist a student with a potty training accident, such as changing soiled clothing, learning time is disrupted and/or taken away from all students. 

We do understand that even potty trained students will occasionally have accidents. By definition, accidents are unintentional or unexpected incidents that happen infrequently. In these instances, teachers will direct students to change their clothes independently as much as possible.

When considering the progress of your child’s potty training, ask yourself the following questions. If you are able to answer yes to all, your child is ready to attend preschool. Can your child:

• Communicate to a teacher that he/she needs to go to the bathroom before it becomes an emergency 
• Actively stops what he/she is doing to go and use the bathroom 
• Understands and is willing to use the bathroom when instructed during whole-group bathroom breaks or when a teacher recognizes the student displays signs that he/she might need to use the bathroom
• Pulls down and pulls up his/her clothes without assistance (wearing easy-up clothing such as elastic waist pants)
• Wipes him/herself after using the potty (with the understanding of directions and/or minimal assistance for 3 year olds) 
• Gets on/off the potty independently
• Washes and dries hands when prompted
• Able to postpone going to the bathroom if waiting for his/her turn or if the class is away from the classroom 

Throughout the preschool day, students will be offered many opportunities to use the bathroom as a group, during transitional times as a class, and initiated individually by a teacher for a specific student if necessary. Because students are to be able to complete all potty training steps independently, teachers will first offer verbal instructions and only offer hands-on assistance when absolutely necessary. Parents will be notified if a student is directly assisted by the teacher. Following these steps protects all parties concerned.  

We understand that attending preschool is a transition - some students who are fully potty trained may experience setbacks when in a new environment. Our preschool teachers are aware of this and will look to assist students as well as partner with parents in the event of such setbacks. We ask that you consider dressing your child in easy on/easy off clothing that he/she can easily manage independently. If you have an accident concern, we also recommend keeping a complete change of clothes appropriate for the season in your child’s bucket. Parents will be notified in the event of a bathroom accident.    

We desire for this policy to clearly communicate Growing Tree’s expectations for your child in order to facilitate daily classroom learning as well as ensure the safety and happiness of our students and teachers of Growing Tree Preschool. 

All students enrolling in our programs must be old enough and fully potty trained by Growing Tree Preschool standards before June 1 of the enrolling school year you are applying for: 

• Age for 3/4 year old program - must turn 3 by September 1
• Age for 4/5 year old program - must turn 4 by September 1

(*Fully potty trained means students must wear underwear and be able to use the bathroom independently from start to finish. Students wearing Pull-ups or having accidents daily would NOT be considered potty trained. Please see the Fully Potty Trained Policy above for detailed information and guidelines.)

Tuition payments are paid through FACTS are due one month in advance of attendance. Tuition rates are $123.00 for the Tuesday/Thursday class, $182.00 for the Monday/Wednesday/Friday morning class, $218 for the Monday/Extended Wednesday/Friday class and $332.00 for the Monday/Wednesday/Friday all day Explorers. 

Tuition payment are collected by FACTs with the payment plan and payment method you select: 1 Pay, 3 Pay or Monthly. The first payment is due either August 1st or August 5th. You can elect to pay tuition with a credit/debit card (with a service fee) or link you bank account. 

Once you have selected a Growing Tree Preschool Only payment plan, if you need any assistance, i.e., change the withdrawal date on your account for a payment, or change your bank account information please contact Alyssa Barnett at least 3 business days prior to your withdrawal date. There is a fee for a returned payment that will be assessed at the 1st attempt. 

At any time, you can see your financial account by logging into the FACTs Family Portal, going to the Financial tab, and then clicking on Financial home.

If the student is withdrawn prior to the end of the school year, the month paid ahead will be forfeited. If a student is enrolled for the school year and is withdrawn prior to August 1, no penalty will be incurred.

Please dress your child in play clothes as they will be actively engaged. Close-toed shoes are preferred. The children will be learning and playing outside, weather permitting. Please mark sweaters, jackets, hats, mittens, etc., with your child’s name. Student attire should not distract from the classroom learning environment and children should dress in conformance with their biological sex. Also, if your child is prone to bathroom accidents, you may send in an extra set of clothing in a Ziploc bag in the bottom of your child’s bucket. Children are routinely taken to the restrooms shortly after arrival and before snack. 
 
Buckets, instead of book bags, will be used to carry things back and forth from home to school. The buckets have proved to be a timesaver because of the ease of putting things in and taking things out. They are a tremendous help in getting the children ready to go home at the end of preschool. Please take note that the bucket system is for teacher use only. Parents may not use it to communicate with other parents.

Toys, stuffed animals, etc. from home should not be brought into the preschool center except for Show-N-Tell.

School hours are from 9:00am to 11:30am for morning classes and 9:00 am to 2:45 pm for Explorers’ classes. Please respect the time prior to class as it is set aside for teacher planning, room prep, and a prayer time.

At approx. 8:55 am, one of the preschool or church staff will be at the door for 10 minutes to allow families to enter. Please be prompt in dropping your child off at the Growing Tree Preschool entrance. At dismissal time, a staff member will be at the door at 11:25 am and 2:40 pm to allow entrance. Please be prompt in picking your child up by the designated dismissal time. Please notify a teacher if someone else will be picking up your child. If the teacher is not notified, the pick-up person will be asked for identification.

Please do not allow children to walk through the parking lot unattended.

To safeguard the children, the doors are locked during school hours. There is a doorbell/intercom system to the left side of the doors if you would like to speak to the staff or need to enter the building. As you exit, please be sure the door latches behind you.

Each child should bring a labeled water bottle and a healthy snack for themselves each day. Please make the snack nutritious.

We are a “peanut sensitive” center. Please avoid snacks containing these items:

• ALL nuts - peanuts, cashews, walnuts, pecans, almonds, tree nuts of any kind
• AND any foods made with peanut butter or peanut oil

Some suggestions: veggies, fruit (washed and ready to eat; grapes must be cut in half lengthwise), cheese, crackers, pretzels, yogurt, etc. Each class will be celebrating children’s birthdays by special recognition on or around the child’s birthday. Your child’s teacher will have more information on how birthdays will be celebrated in your child’s classroom. 

Due to state law, ALL regular volunteers or volunteers who are responsible for the welfare of children must have required background checks. Volunteers are not permitted to take children to the restroom. Clearances must be on file at the Growing Tree Preschool office.

The required clearances include:

• PA Child Abuse History Clearance
• PA Criminal Record Check
• FBI Fingerprinting OR fingerprinting waiver (if one has lived in PA for 10 consecutive years and has not committed listed crimes)
• Volunteers at Growing Tree Preschool will also need to read our Volunteer Guidelines and sign/return the Volunteer Letter of Understanding.

We do not allow younger siblings to accompany volunteers in the classroom.

No weapons, concealed or open, are permitted in the preschool facility or at school sponsored events/activities.

Classes at Growing Tree may participate in 1-2 field trips per year. Siblings may or may not be invited to join the class on field trip days, depending on the trip. More information will be communicated by your child’s teacher.

Each day explorers need to bring to school a healthy lunch that follows our snack guidelines. Please send lunch in kid friendly containers/packaging. Keep in mind that lunches will not be refrigerated and the classroom does not have access to a microwave.

For rest time each day, students will be provided with a 1-inch foam sleeping mat. We ask that each student bring a small blanket and/or small stuffed animal that fits into a small cinch bag provided by Growing Tree. Additional information will be provided for you at Mini Session. This bag with your child’s blanket/and or stuffed animal will remain in the classroom and be sent home periodically to be cleaned.

Our schedule is closely related to Shalom’s school calendar. In inclement weather, if Shalom is closed, Growing Tree Preschool will also be closed. If Shalom is operating on a two hour delay because of weather, Growing Tree Preschool will operate on a modified schedule, holding morning classes from
10:30 am to 12:00 pm and Explorers from 10:30 am to 2:45 pm. If Shalom dismisses early due to inclement weather, families of the Explorer class will be contacted for an early pick up time. Keep in mind that you may choose NOT to bring your child in bad weather. Use your own discretion on whether the roads you travel are safe or not.

Information regarding closings and delays may be accessed on Growing Tree Preschool’s website: www.growingtreepreschool.org and on your Homeroom app class page. Any closings due to
snow will not be made up.

We need to provide a healthy environment in our classrooms, so please keep your child at home when any of the following have occurred within the last 24 hours:

• Fever or chills
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Excessive Cough
• Congestion or runny nose
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea
• Questionable rash
• Sore throat
• Discharging ear/ear ache
• Muscle or body aches
• Discharge in or around the eyes
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Any communicable disease

Parents/guardians are responsible for screening their child before coming to school. If your child becomes ill while at school, we will notify you to pick up your child promptly.

If your child is going to be absent, please notify the teacher so that proper adjustments can be made. Parents may call the preschool at (717) 375-4309 opt 4, between 8:30am-8:55 am.

It is our desire to develop qualities of cooperation, compliance, self-control, and consideration of others. Clear and consistent rules will be followed, using positive reinforcement rather than criticism. Growing Tree Preschool will be implementing 1, 2, 3 Magic. This program organizes the classroom discipline strategy into three steps: controlling undesirable behavior, encouraging good behavior, and strengthening relationships with students. Teachers will “count” behavior that needs stopped. “1” is a warning. If a child continues the behavior, they are warned again with a “2”. If a child gets to “3”, a three to five minute “time-out” or TOA (time out alternative) will be used as a disciplinary measure. For serious offenses and repeated misbehavior, parents will be contacted. Corporal punishment will NOT be used by the staff at Growing Tree Preschool.

Growing Tree Preschool has several copies of the 1, 2, 3 Magic materials (book/videos) which families may borrow. Please contact the GTP office if you are interested.

We will be conducting a Growing Tree T-Shirt sale in November. We invite you to show your school spirit in and around your community by wearing a GTP t-shirt. T-shirts will be made available at cost to families.  

We will be conducting a "Race for Education" in October. We anticipate 100% participation as this is the ONLY fundraiser we do as a preschool. New for this year, the race will take place for all preschool classes on the campus of our Antrim BIC Church location during the school day. Students from each Tu/Th or M/W/F classes will compete in one race. We are looking forward to participating in the race together!

Students who participate in the fundraiser by requesting race sponsorships will qualify for prizes and be individually entered into raffle drawings. Teachers and students will celebrate their class participation in the race in the weeks following the completion of the fundraiser. All funds raised will be used to purchase special classroom supplies, materials, additional furniture/equipment, and professional development for GTP teachers.

You have the opportunity to order books through Scholastic Book Clubs. The content of the books is secular in nature. Please use discretion when ordering. Your order helps us earn free books and materials for your child’s classroom. Online ordering is convenient for you and makes it easier for teachers. More information regarding the ordering process may be discussed by the teacher.

Communication between families and teachers is vital in a child’s education. If you have specific concerns relating to your child, we would be happy to arrange a day and time to meet with you. We want to be available to you, but also desire to avoid talking in the entrance area and all-purpose room to maintain confidentiality.  

In this age of technology, we find that many families use the internet for social networking (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.). We strongly encourage parents to respect the rights of other families and to NOT post pictures of preschool activities that include other preschool children. There are some families who have not given a photo release and we would like to respect their wishes. You may see pictures of GTP children (of whom we have a photo release) on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/everygoodtree). We will not post names with any picture. 

Additionally, our teachers will use a private, educational app called Homeroom. There, you will receive class reminders, announcements, school delays and closings as well as, a newsletter and calendar each month informing you of unit themes, special days, memory verses, days off, special activities, etc. which relate to our unit theme or schedule.  Following your class Homeroom page and newsletter will keep you up-to-date on what your child is learning throughout the year.      

Occasionally, you will receive emails from the director and/or secretary. To ensure proper delivery, please be sure the following email addresses are in your address/contact list:

• ladams@growingtreepreschool.org
• abarnett@growingtreepreschool.org
• email@renweb.com

Parent/Teacher conferences will be held early spring during the school year and/or on an “as needed” basis. This will be a time where teachers and parents can discuss children’s strengths and areas of need, and how they can both be addressed at home and at school.  We look forward to this time of sharing together.