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5671 Western Ave., NW Washington, DC 20015 (202) 966-3299 / ccbc@verizon.net |
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Parents' Handbook
The purpose of this Parents' Handbook is to give you a clear understanding of the operating procedures and policies of the Children's Center. During the small group visits at the beginning of the year, the teachers will review details with you that are important to their respective classes. We know that you will read the handbook for yourself, though, and that it will help to make your child's year at the Children's Center a time of fun and growth. Each year we review and revise the handbook, so we do welcome your suggestions for clarity, additional information, and deletions. Remember that you are always welcome at school; we feel strongly that the Children's Center has become the school that it is because of the spirit and support of our families. The contents of this handbook are for informational purposes only and should not be used for other organizations, solicitations, or commercial use. Please respect the privacy of our families. The handbook is not and shall not be construed as a contract. The policies and procedures contained herein are subject to change without notice.
You may click any of the links below to jump to the corresponding section of the handbook, or scroll past these links to browse it.
Mission Statement
Parental Involvement and Communication
Other Program Policies and Information:
MISSION STATEMENTThe CCBC mission is to provide a happy, stimulating, and safe community that respects the energy, curiosity and creativity of young children as they grow in mind and body. PHILOSOPHY AND GOALSThe philosophy of CCBC Children's Center is learning through play. Teachers act as facilitators, guiding the children using developmentally appropriate practice. Learning through play encourages children to be curious and flexible, to handle differences, to think and solve problems creatively, and to make choices and accept responsibility. Our goal is to help children discover their emotional, intellectual, physical, and social strengths so that they will develop a healthy sense of identity and self-esteem. At the same time, we wish to provide a service to the parents of the community, complementing the family's function as the main source of security and identity for their young children. We believe that by offering quality part-time child care, we enable parents to pursue other endeavors with the assurance that their children will benefit from an enriching experience. ORGANIZATIONChevy Chase Baptist Church Children's Center was organized in 1971 by community parents with the support of the Chevy Chase Baptist Church. It operates as an agency of the church and is governed by a Steering Committee composed of parents, the school director, a teacher representative, an alumni representative, a community representative, a church representative, and the minister. The Steering Committee meets the second Thursday of every month and determines the policies of the Center, hires the director, and approves the budget. The current year's members are named in this handbook. Parents are invited and encouraged to become members of the Steering Committee; new members are chosen in May of each year for the following school year. All Steering Committee meetings are open to everyone. CCBC Children's Center is licensed as a tax-exempt institution under the government of the District of Columbia. It serves the needs of the local community and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national and/or ethnic origin, or creed in the admission of students, the hiring of faculty and staff, or the administration of its educational policies. CCBC Children's Center is funded exclusively through tuition, parent fundraisers, and gifts to the Center. The Children's Center is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am until 2:45 pm. We offer a toddler program for one and two year olds, two or three mornings a week. Three year olds may attend two, three, or five mornings a week (eligibility determined by birthday and space availability). Four and five year olds attend five mornings a week. ENROLLMENT POLICYPre-registration for the following year for children currently in school and their siblings occurs in mid-January. Applications for new children are due in early February. Notices of acceptance are mailed in March. Progression through the school is at the discretion of the director. The order of consideration for acceptance, at the discretion of the director, is: 1) siblings of present students, 2) children of current CCBC staff and teachers, 3) children of church members, 4) siblings of former students, and 5) the community at large. A balance of boys and girls is sought in each class. Children are admitted to the Children's Center with the expectation that they will benefit from the program. However, the director may determine that the needs of a child can not be met in this setting, and that it is not in the child's best interest to remain at CCBC. In this case, a pro-rated portion of the tuition will be refunded. CHILDREN'S CENTER PROGRAMSMORNING PROGRAMSEARLY MORNING DROP-OFF is 8:00 am to 8:55 am -- available for any child by prior arrangement with a participating teacher. The cost is $15 per drop-in. Parents pay the teacher directly.
MORNING NURSERY CLASSES meet 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. Children may arrive in the classroom or on the play yard at 8:55 am (not earlier). Dismissal is at 12:30 pm. There is a late charge for pick-up after 12:30 pm. AFTERNOON PROGRAMSAfternoon classes may vary from year to year.
DISCOVERY CLUB: Children enrolled in the Explorers and Adventurers classes are eligible for Discovery Club. This class meets on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 12:30 pm to 2:45 pm. The Discoverers will explore new curriculum in science, woodworking, art, math, writing and more.
STAY AND PLAY: All CCBC children are eligible for Stay and Play. This program is offered five days a week, from 12:30 pm to 2:45 pm, and is available on a drop-in basis. The Stay and Play Program provides children with fun activities in art, music, drama, cooking, woodworking, and science. The children will also go on walking field trips. OTHER PROGRAMSSUMMER CAMP: Is offered to two, three, four and five year olds. Sessions are available in June, July, and August and the hours are 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Applications are available about mid-February
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONParents are the child's first and primary teachers, and they are always welcome to observe or participate in the Center's programs. Even though the Center is not a co-op in the fullest sense of the word, it is a parent-run school and very much a co-op in spirit. In order to give your child the very best possible environment, we appreciate your thoughtful help in such areas as sharing cooking, music, or crafts activities with the children; implementing special projects; participating on class trips; and, of course, volunteering for various fundraisers. The Center has one major fundraiser a year; your room parents will provide details about this event.
Each classroom has a bulletin board outside the door. Posted there will be notices about the Center's activities and items of interest in your child's class, including a summary of daily class activities. Teachers will periodically send notes with class news home in your child's lunch box. Notes of general interest -- help wanted, events for children, etc. -- are posted on the bulletin board outside the school office.
The CCBCCC email list will be used for sending out all announcements, such as emergency closings, school events, fundraising information, etc. We strongly encourage you to sign up now. To subscribe to the list, visit www.ccbccc.org. The Children's Center Newsletter comes out about every six weeks and contains general announcements as well as descriptions of individual class activities. The newsletter editor welcomes articles and announcements of community activities, concerns of parenting, birth announcements, etc. Articles or notices should be left at or emailed (ccbc@verizon.net) to the school office for the editor.
The New Parent Coffee, scheduled in September before school begins, is an opportunity for parents new to CCBC to have questions answered and to learn about what to expect during the first few weeks of school. Topics include information about parent workdays, volunteering, the role of the Steering Committee, separation anxiety, and much, much more. All families are invited to an all-school picnic in October. Back-to-School Night, which is held in October, is your chance to have an inside view of your child’s day at school. It is also an opportunity to learn about the goals and strategies behind the daily activities. Back-to-School Night includes a meeting with your child’s classroom teachers and a slide show of CCBC’s children. CCBC’s workday program is designed to reflect our philosophy and our goal of developing partnerships with parents. The program offers parents the opportunity to explore the inner dynamics of the classroom, to work with our talented staff, and to become acquainted with children at all developmental stages. It also affords you the opportunity to understand “developmentally appropriate practice” in early childhood education and how we meet the needs of children. Having parents in the classroom increases the child/adult ratio, allowing for more one-on-one attention and focus on individual needs. These are only a few of the valuable goals of our parent participation program. Parents and teachers, working together, will provide the highest quality early childhood experiences. Last but not least, it’s a lot of fun. If you are unable to join us during school hours, Saturday workdays are also available. Repair, painting, and classroom maintenance projects are done by parents who work together on Saturdays during the school year.
The Children's Center wants your involvement, and we much prefer that you do workdays. Each participating family is responsible for four workdays. Workdays are during school hours or on Saturdays or a combination of both (i.e.: 2 weekdays and 2 Saturdays or 3 weekdays and 1 Saturday). Parents who cannot work on scheduled days will be billed $125 for each missed workday. Parents also have the option of working on alternative projects, such as organizing Truck Day, taking pictures for our Back-to-School-Night slide show, and other jobs. On Small Group Visit days in the fall, you can schedule your workdays for the school year or sign up for the alternative jobs offered. The guidelines for workdays are:
CALENDAR -- The CCBC Children's Center sets its own calendar. Since we have children from the District of Columbia and Montgomery County, we try to coordinate our holidays with both jurisdictions as much as we can. The current year's calendar is in the front of this handbook. We suggest that you mark your home calendar with the school's holidays.
WEATHER EMERGENCIES AND UNEXPECTED CLOSINGS The snow policy of CCBC Children's Center is:
Important:The Director will let parents know of her decision by leaving a phone message on the CCBC machine by 7:00 am (whenever possible), sending an email notification, and posting a notice on our website, www.ccbccc.org . Room parents will also make every effort to contact you. Parents are free to pick their children up early during bad weather. We do not make up missed snow days.
Parents (especially those in 5-day classes) are encouraged to take advantage of our drop-off service at the Belt Road entrance. Aides are available from 8:55 am to 9:15 am to escort the children to their classrooms. Parents are asked to get their children out of car seats and to have lunch boxes, jackets, etc., ready to go. Children may be brought to the classroom at 8:55 am, but not before.
The ban on parking on the east side of Belt Road is strictly enforced. Parking is available on neighboring streets and after 9:30 am on Western Avenue. Please do not park in the parking area on Oliver Street reserved for members of the church staff or in front of our neighbors’ driveways.
Both the school entrances at Western Avenue and Belt Road are available for your use, but the doors are locked for security reasons. Use the buzzer/intercom system connected with the school office for entry.
The morning program is dismissed at 12:30 pm, and the afternoon programs at 2:45 pm. Please pick up your child promptly. WE WILL ENFORCE A LATE FEE OF $1.00 PER MINUTE FOR LATE PICK-UP AFTER ANY CCBC PROGRAM. This fee is due immediately at the time of pick-up and must be paid in the office. Your child may not participate further in CCBC programs until the late fee is paid.
When any change is to be made in the hour or method of a child's departure from the Children's Center, please notify the office and/or the teacher by written note. Verbal messages at the car or on the phone are unacceptable. Unidentified persons will not be permitted to take children away from the Center.
CARPOOLS -- Because parking is extremely difficult before 9:30 am, we encourage you to form carpools when your child has become adjusted to preschool. If you become a participant in a carpool, you should provide proper seat restraints for the age and weight of each child. The suggested liability insurance is $300,000/$100,000. Consult your insurance agent for the proper amount for your situation. CARPOOLS -- Because parking is extremely difficult before 9:30 am, we encourage you to form carpools when your child has become adjusted to preschool. If you become a participant in a carpool, you should provide proper seat restraints for the age and weight of each child. The suggested liability insurance is $300,000/$100,000. Consult your insurance agent for the proper amount for your situation. HEALTH AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND POLICIESPEANUT POLICY -- Due to an increasing number of life-threatening allergies to peanuts, CCBC is a peanut-free school. This means that peanuts, peanut butter, foods cooked in peanut oil, or any processed foods that contain even a trace amount of peanut product must not be brought into the school. Peanuts do not have to be ingested to cause a reaction. Swift and severe anaphylactic shock can occur if a child with a peanut allergy touches another child’s fingers or a table with traces of peanut oil. ALLERGIES -- Please report all of your child’s known allergies to the school. For each allergy, we also require information about the signs of the allergic reaction and the prescribed method of treatment. Allergy treatment forms are available in the office and must be completed prior to your child’s first day of school. Medication used to treat allergies should also be given to the office, along with specific instructions and information on dosage, route and effects. We require two prescriptions of each medication and instructions. One will be kept in the classroom with your child; the other in the office. The Center does not and cannot administer any medication, including cough drops, aspirin, or decongestants, unless we have written consent from the child's parent or guardian. Also, the Center may administer nonprescription topical ointments, in the original container, with the child’s name with written permission from the parent. Topical ointments include, but are not limited to, sun block, petroleum jelly or diaper ointment. Appropriate forms are available in the school office for you to sign. Prescription medication must be in the original container and must be clearly labeled with the child’s name, the name of the medication, dosage, and times to be given. Parents may come to the Center at any time to give their children necessary medication. INSURANCE -- Children and staff are covered by CCBC’s general liability insurance. In addition, a Special Risk Accident policy (included in tuition) is carried to provide coverage for children while on the premises and on field trips. Inquiries about coverage should be made in the office. MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS -- Prior to entering the Center, each child must have had a recent medical examination, to be repeated annually. Children will not be permitted to attend without a current health record on file. Immunizations must be current for the child's age. Each year the three-, four-, and five- year-old children are diagnostically screened for vision and hearing. There is a nominal charge for the vision and hearing screenings (included in the tuition). EMERGENCY MEDICAL FORMS --Before a child enters the program, it is necessary to complete the Emergency Medical Form, so that you or your assigned agent can be notified in case of illness or injury. The "Emergency Medical Treatment" section on the form authorizes a staff member to transport a child to the hospital emergency room in case of emergency. This allows you to meet us there, thus minimizing delay. Please notify the office any time during the year when there is any change in your emergency telephone numbers, work numbers, addresses, or emergency contacts. ILLNESSES OR ABSENCES -- The Center's program is an active one. Children will not be able to participate fully in the program if ill. Please keep sick children home! All children go outside to play daily, weather permitting. If your child is unable to participate in active outdoor play, please keep him/her home. You are strongly encouraged to notify the Children's Center if your child will be absent for any reason. We especially would like to be notified about potentially contagious conditions so that staff and parents of other children in the class can be alerted. Allergies or allergic reactions that children have must be made known to the school office and the child’s teachers. Use the teacher record or a note to tell us at the beginning of the school year or at any time a condition appears. Children who become ill during school hours will be isolated, and the school will notify their parents, who must make arrangements for the child to be picked up. In the event of an emergency at the Center, proper first aid will be administered by a qualified adult, and parents will be contacted immediately. You will be called if your child:
If necessary, we will contact your doctor and/or transport your child to the hospital. (See "Emergency Medical Forms" section.) Please do not send your child to school if he or she has had a fever or vomited within the past 24 hours. We urge you to inform your child’s teacher or the director whenever your family is in the midst of an emergency or unusual change in routine. Changes affect your children in many ways. We can help a child cope with these changes if you tell us about them. OTHER PROGRAM POLICIES AND INFORMATIONYour child should have a complete change of clothes at school; please send old clothes only and check periodically to update for size and/or appropriate season. Children will and do get dirty, so please dress your child appropriately for active play.
Diapers and wipes for those children who need them should be provided by their parents. The classroom teachers will let you know when and what quantity to bring initially. This supply should be replenished when the teachers request it. Cloth diapers cannot be used to replace disposable diapers. Studies done in child care centers show that disposable diapers minimize fecal contamination better than other types of diapers. Coliform bacteria are abundant in feces and can cause bouts of diarrhea.
Children in diapers should be dressed in gripper-snap overalls or elastic-waist pants so that they do not have to be completely undressed to be changed. Children do not have to be toilet trained by a certain age or class grouping. The teachers are available for support and ideas about toilet training.
Please send your child to school in comfortable play clothing and rubber-soled shoes, such as sneakers, or some other form of non-skid sole for indoor and outdoor safety. All clothing must be clearly marked with the child's name. Colder weather will require warm jackets, pants, mittens, and hats. SNACKS -- Nutritionally balanced snacks and bottled water are provided daily. Parents may send in snacks for children with restricted diets. Be sure to notify the school and your child’s teachers of all food allergies and restrictions. (See “Allergies” section.) LUNCH -- Lunch can be finger foods such as cheese, fruit, vegetables, cut-up meat, yogurt, and/or sandwiches. No beverage is provided at lunch, so please send one. Lunch boxes and thermoses must be clearly marked with your child's name. Please keep lunch boxes clean and odor free. Milk or juice bottles must also be labeled. Box drinks are convenient but wasteful. Many are thrown away only half used. Consult your child's teachers for details. FIELD TRIPS -- The programs for three, four, and five year olds, and occasionally older two year olds, include neighborhood walks as well as field trips as part of their curriculum. Transportation of children is in vehicles owned and operated by parents and sometimes staff, or by public transportation. All children must be in car seats or booster seats in cars. Parents must sign a field trip permission form (which covers the entire year) before the child can take part in field trips. We also need from any parent who might drive on field trips a copy of the cover page of the auto insurance policy indicating the liability coverage. Our insurer recommends $300,000/$100,000 for liability coverage. HOME TOYS -- Please do not send toys from home to school with your child. There is always a risk of the toy being broken or lost. Also, it is often difficult for a child to share his own toy with the whole class. However, a favorite stuffed animal, blanket, pacifier, or bottle may be brought by your child to ease him or her through the home/school transition. Children are encouraged to bring educational items from home to share with the class. These include souvenirs from trips, books, and bits of nature such as special leaves, rocks, or flowers. Please do not send anything that goes in or near a child’s mouth, such as toy musical instruments, because of the possibility of spreading germs. By prior arrangement with the teacher, a child may bring a pet to school. BIRTHDAYS -- Birthdays are celebrated at snack time. Doughnut holes, small cupcakes or cakes without icing, muffins, or small cookies are appropriate treats. You are invited to come help celebrate if you wish. If not, your child's teachers will make this a special time with songs, candles, and a special birthday hat. Please coordinate the date and the details in advance with the teachers. If you are having a birthday party for your child, please invite all of the children in your child's class or less than half in order to minimize hurt feelings. In honor of your child's birthday or another memorable occasion or person, you may give a gift to the school by donating a favorite children's book to the school library. You may inscribe the book. Many of our library’s special titles have been given to the school in this valuable way. HOLIDAYS -- CCBC Children's Center has no religious affiliation and seeks to inspire in children a respect for a wide variety of differences in cultural and religious traditions. Many holidays from various traditions are celebrated in a developmentally appropriate manner. Parents are invited to share family traditions with their child's class. OUTSIDE CONSULTATION -- CCBC Children's Center has a contract with the Center for Outreach in Education (CORE) program of the Ivymount School. Specialists in Speech and Language, Occupational Therapy, and Behavior Modification are available to consult with teachers, administration and parents regarding the development of children enrolled in the Center. After discussing the issue with parents, members of the Center staff may arrange for a child to be observed by one or more of these professionals under staff guidance. The results of such observations will be shared with the child's parents and treated as confidential records of the Center. LATE PAYMENTS POLICY -- A $50.00 late fee is automatically added to the amount of tuition if a payment is 10 days or more overdue. Arrangements must be made with the administrator at the beginning of the school year to request any alternatives to the semester payment plan. If payment checks are returned due to insufficient funds, a $10.00 fee will be charged. WITHDRAWAL AND FEES -- If a child is withdrawn for any reason after the school year begins, the Center will retain the deposit that was paid the previous April. A refund of any remainder of the July tuition payment will be given only if a replacement can be found. However, there will be no refunds for withdrawals after January 15th, since replacements are not sought after this date. For current students and their siblings, the Center has registration in January of each year for the following school year. We require a nonrefundable deposit in April for children accepted for the next year. No refunds will be made for days missed through illness, vacations, or any other reasons. FINANCIAL AID The school’s financial aid program is designed to assist families with financial need to enable them to cover a percentage of the cost of tuition at the school.
The financial aid program is funded from a variety of sources. Those include: the school’s operating budget, special contributions of parents and friends to fundraising activities, the Chris Scanlon Scholarship Fund supporting diversity, and the CCBCCC Scholarship and Enrichment Fund.
To ensure objectivity, CCBC Children's Center subscribes to the School Scholarship Service (SSS) in Princeton, NJ. This service requires that interested parents send to them a Parents’ Financial Statement with a small fee. With this information, SSS considers total income, assets, number of dependents, age of dependents, age of parents, retirement provisions, and extraordinary expenses to calculate how much parents should be expected to pay. Families interested in financial assistance must apply for financial aid each year.
The Steering Committee adopted the following considerations for financial aid funding to families with demonstrated financial need within the amount of money available for distribution in any year.
A Financial Aid Committee composed of the director, Steering Committee chair, and Steering Committee treasurer reviews financial aid requests. How to apply for financial aid (all information is kept confidential):
The tax return, the data from the Parents’ Financial Statement, and all listed criteria are reviewed in awarding grants. Families will be notified of financial aid decisions in March.
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