Handbook
We want to make sure all of our students and their families are informed and have the latest information about the school. Our handbook is a great resource for policies, rules, and procedures.
Spark Philosophy
The purpose of Spark Preschool is to provide a multifaceted learning experience, where a child’s educational goals and spiritual growth is creatively developed; where a parent’s hopes and goals for a student are thoroughly honored; where our staff’s commitment to love God and love people is authentic and evident.
License
At the end of this handbook you will find an attachment about licensing, licensing rules, and other important information.
Operating Hours
Spark operates from MondayFriday from late August through May. Our yearly calendar detailing Holiday breaks and days off is available on our website. Morning preschool classes run from 912, and full-day classes from 9-3:00 p.m., our extended day Stay and Play program runs from 11:30-3. Dismissal will take place in person from each classroom teacher. If you happen to be running late, a phone call, email or text would be appreciated. We reserve the right to implement a late fee if late pickup becomes a chronic problem.
Child Staff Ratios
The State of Ohio requires the following staff/child ratios:
3 year olds 1 adult/12 children
45 year olds 1 adult/14 children
Because we believe lower ratios are more beneficial for children, our ratios:
3 year olds 1 adult/7 children, maximum group of 13
4 year olds 1 adult/8 children, maximum group of 16
5 year olds 1 adult/12 children, maximum group of 24
Daily Schedule
Sample Daily Schedule A.M. Classes
9:00 a.m. Arrival and free choice activities
9:40 a.m. Clean up
9:50 a.m. Group time
10:15 a.m. Centers: language arts, math, science, fine motor, art
11 a.m. Snack
11:15 a.m. Group literacy activity
11:30 a.m. Gross motor/music in the Arena or outside
12 Dismissal
Sample Daily Schedule Full-Day Classes
9-9:30 Arrival
9:30 Group time
9:45 Arena (p.e. or music)
10:10 Centers
11:20 Central Park
11:50 Lunch
12:25 Group time
12:45 Art
1:30 Free choice
2:15 Outside
3 Dismissal
What to Bring to Preschool
Each child will need to bring a bookbag (typically a tote bag or backpack) which should be marked on the outside with his/her name to school each day. Please make sure your child has a change of clothing, appropriate for the season, in case of spills or accidents. Each child also needs to bring a labeled, filled water bottle each day.
Snack and Lunch
Snack will be provided by parents on a rotating basis and must be pre-packaged/factory sealed. We are a nut free facility. Lunches are also parent provided for extended day children and should follow the guidelines below.
Parent Participation
During the school year, there will be opportunities for parent involvement such as orientation, beginning and end of the year family events, parentteacher conferences (we conduct assessments but do not share assessment data with licensing), on and off-site field trips, Holiday events, and programs. Daily information sheets will be posted each day detailing classroom activities and parents will have the opportunity to speak with teachers briefly at drop off and pick up. If a longer conversation is desired, your teacher will work with you to find a time to talk. At Spark, we know that you are your child’s first and most important teacher. It is important to us to develop and maintain a positive relationship with you and your child. If you have concerns, please address them with your teacher. If you or your teacher feels there are unresolved concerns, please contact the office to work toward a solution. It is our desire to work with you and your family as your child begins his/her educational journey.
Tuition Fees and Payment Policies
Tuition is due on the 5th of the month in 10 equal installments, with the first payment made at enrollment, and the remaining 9 payments due monthly from September 5th through May 5th. A nonrefundable $60 registration fee is required to reserve your child’s spot in our program. Tuition for the 2 day/week program is $195 per payment, 3 day/week program is $288 per payment, 5’s half day program (4 days/week) is $345 per payment, and 4s or 5s full day is $675 per payment. Tuition is divided into 10 payments as a budgeting tool and is not based on the number of days attended in any given month. Tuition payments are made through the Brightwheel tuition payment system. Any payment received after the 5th will be charged a $40 late fee, unless prior arrangements have been made with a director. Our tax ID number is available upon request. There will be a $45 fee for payment returned for any reason and Spark reserves the right to disenroll a student in the event that tuition obligations are not met. If a family chooses to withdraw a child for any reason, we require 30 days written notice. Any tuition due in that time frame must be paid. Spark reserves the right to implement a late pick up fee of $1/minute in the case of chronic lateness.
Enrollment Policy
Enrollment is on a first come, first served basis. A child is considered enrolled when the registration fee and first tuition payment is received, availability is confirmed, and required paperwork is received, including the Child Enrollment form which can be found under the “Parent Info” tab on the Spark website. Please remember to communicate any change in contact information (such as a new phone number) to the office as soon as possible so that information is always current in our files. This is for the safety of your child. The State of Ohio also requires an up to date copy of immunizations to be submitted within the first 30 days of school and updated every 13 months. We require children to be immunized and require permission to transport by EMS in an emergency.
Arrival and Departure
At arrival time, each preschooler must be escorted to either their classroom door or to their meeting space where they will be greeted by their teacher one at a time. Parents should stay with their child until the teacher has verbally acknowledged their arrival. Children should never be dropped off or left unattended inside or outside of the building. Families arriving after 9:15 should use the callbox button at the door to be let in. Children will be released from their teacher at the door of their classroom or from their group dismissal site one at a time. If your child is going to be picked up by someone other than those authorized on your Enrollment Form, we must have written permission. In the event of an emergency, you may call the preschool and give verbal permission. People not recognized by the staff will be asked for identification.
If there are custody issues involved with your child, you must provide Spark with court papers indicating who has permission to pick up the child. Spark may not deny a parent access to their child without proper documentation.
Absences
When your child will be absent from preschool, please let us know the reason, either by phone, email or text to your child’s teacher, the class Band site, or the preschool office.
Safety and Supervision
Our first responsibility is always to keep children safe. Teachers are required to keep children within sight and hearing and no child will ever be left unsupervised while at preschool and will never be exposed to inappropriate behavior, media, or language.
Guidance and Discipline Policy
Spark staff believes that helping children to learn selfcontrol is very important. Our hope is that each child will learn selfdiscipline through careful guidance. Your child will always be treated with love and respect. If children are treated with respect, they in turn learn to respect others. Our expectations will be kept within the child’s capabilities and the child will be made aware of these expectations. Positive reinforcement and positive redirection will be used. Staff will never impose punishments for failure to eat, sleep or toileting accidents. This discipline policy applies to all staff and to parents while they are at the preschool.
Suspension and Expulsion
If a situation arises where a child is consistently endangering himself, peers or staff, it may become necessary to disenroll the child. Every attempt will be made to work together with the parents and the child to modify the behavior. However, the safety of children is always our primary concern. The teachers and administrators would be in communication with the parents prior to this occurring.
If the child demonstrates behavior that requires frequent “extra attention” from the staff member, we may choose to develop and implement a behavior management plan. This plan would be developed in consultation with the parents.
Americans with Disabilities Act
Children with disabilities are assessed on an individual basis to determine if our program is a good fit for their needs. A trial period may be implemented. Our program administers medications needed in medical emergencies, including rescue inhalers and epinephrine autoinjectors. If these medications are required they will be administered in accordance with the child’s documented Health Care Plan.
What to Wear to Spark
Please dress your child in comfortable play clothes. Our program is very handson. In other words, we get messy! Tennis shoes or other softsoled, closetoed shoes are preferred, and socks are required for our time in Central Park. Clothing that your child can handle independently helps to foster a sense of competence. Please leave appropriate outerwear each day as we may choose to go outside, weather permitting. We also need to have outerwear available in the unlikely event of an emergency evacuation. We will not go outside to play if the temperature/wind chill is below 25 degrees or above 90 degrees, or if there is threat of lightning, ice, or air-quality warnings.
Illness Policies
Spark provides children with a clean and healthy environment. However, we realize that children become ill from time to time. If this is your child’s first preschool experience, it is possible that they may experience more frequent illnesses. If your child is sick, or does not feel well enough to participate in preschool activities please keep them home. A child who becomes ill exhibiting any of the following symptoms while at school will be isolated and made comfortable on a cot in the preschool office, supervised by a Spark staff member and the parent will be contacted to pick them up immediately.
*diarrhea (three or more abnormally loose stools within a 24 hour period)
*severe coughing, causing a child to become red or blue in the face or to make a whooping sound.
*difficult or rapid breathing
*yellowish skin or eyes
*redness of the eye or eyelid, pus discharge, matted eyelashes, burning, itching or eye pain
*temperature of 100 degrees taken by the axillary (armpit) method with a digital thermometer
*untreated infected skin patches
*unusually dark urine and/or gray or white stool
*stiff neck with an elevated temperature
*evidence of untreated lice, scabies or other parasitic infestation
*unusual spots or rashes
*sore throat or difficulty in swallowing
*vomiting more than one time or when accompanied by any other sign or symptom of illness
Children may return to preschool when they have been fever free without medication for 36 hours and when symptoms are diminishing.
In the event that a communicable disease is confirmed, a notice will be posted outside the door of the classroom to notify families of the illness
Spark does not provide care for sick children.
Accidents/ Emergencies
Spark has developed several procedures to follow in the event that an emergency would occur while a child is at preschool. In the event of a fire or tornado, staff will follow the written instructions posted in each classroom, describing emergency evacuation routes, and the procedures to be followed to assure that children have arrived at the designated spot. In order to prepare children for the unlikely need to evacuate, the center conducts monthly fire drills, and tornado drills (September, March, April, and May). Should we need to evacuate due to fire or weather conditions, or the loss of power, heat, or water to the center, our emergency destination is the soccer field at the east side of the church parking lot. If we need to move a greater distance from the church building, we will take shelter at the American Legion Hall, 389 E. College Ave. A sign will be posted in front of the Spark entrances indicating that we have been evacuated and the location where you can pick up your child. Parents will also be contacted as soon as possible to come to pick up your child. If a parent cannot be reached, we will contact the emergency contacts listed on your child’s enrollment information.
In the unlikely event there would be an environmental threat or a threat of violence, the staff is trained to secure the children in the safest location possible, contact and follow the directions given by the proper authorities and contact the parents as soon as the situation allows. An incident report would also be provided to the parents.
Every staff member is trained in First Aid, CPR and Child Abuse recognition. Multiple staff members have training in Communicable Disease recognition. CPR training and certification includes training on an Automated External Defibrillators (AED) which is located in the lobby of the building. In the case of a minor accident/injury staff will administer basic first aid and TLC. If the injury/illness would be more serious, first aid would be administered and the parents would be contacted immediately to assist in deciding an appropriate course of action. If any injury/illness is life threatening, EMS will be contacted, parents will be notified, and a staff member will accompany the child to the hospital with all available health records. Staff may not transport children in their vehicles. Only parents or EMS will transport. We require permission to transport for every child in our program.
An incident/injury report will be completed, and given to the person picking up the child, on the day of the incident/injury, if any of the following occur: the child has an illness, accident, or injury which requires first aid; the child receives a bump or blow to the head; the child has to be transported by emergency squad; or an unusual or unexpected event occurs which jeopardizes the safety of the child. If a child requires emergency transportation, the report shall be available within 24 hours after the incident occurs. The preschool shall contact licensing within 24 hours when a serious incident, injury or illness occurs and will complete an incident report.
Medications
The preschool will administer medications for asthma (rescue inhaler) or life threatening allergic reactions (epinephrine autoinjector) to a child only after the parent completes a Health Care Plan form. Preschool staff will be trained by the parent on medications and medical devices. Medication should be handed directly to a teacher or director and must be stored at school in designated areas inaccessible to children and may not be stored in a child’s bookbag. Medications other than Epipens and rescue inhalers will be considered on a case by case basis. Prescription medications must be in their unexpired original container with label attached and administered in accordance to instructions on the label. Signed permission is required for topical products such as sunscreen (no signature is required for hand sanitizer) and the product should be handed directly to a teacher. If your child requires the administration of medical foods, a Health Care Plan must be completed and the food must be labeled with the child’s name in its original container and handed directly to a teacher. Medical food will be stored according to package directions. If your child requires a modified diet that requires the elimination of one of the four food groups, a Health Care Plan must be completed and signed by your doctor’s office. Children with food allergies will provide their own snacks for preschool. If your child requires a modified diet for cultural or religious reasons you must provide written, signed, dated instructions, and provide snack for your child.
Transportation and Fieldtrips
Parents will be asked to transport their child to off-site field trips and will be required to be responsible for their child for the duration of the field trip. Our program in unable to accept children whose parents do not permit transportation by EMS to an emergency medical facility.
Napping and Resting
Since we are a part-time program, we do not require a formal rest time, however each classroom is equipped with a “quiet area” in case a child needs a little down time during our day.
Weather Closure
Spark follows Westerville Schools regarding weather closures. If Westerville closes for bad weather, we will also be closed. We may occasionally close on our own if our parking lot is icy and hazardous. In the case of a 2hour delay, morning classes will be cancelled. If Westerville closes for afternoon Kindergarten, Spark afternoon classes will not meet and full-day students will be sent home. Weather closures will be posted on the Spark website, Spark Facebook page, and sent out by each teacher.
Parent/Child Separation
Separation anxiety is a normal behavior and can occur anytime at any age. Parents can encourage the child’s first school experience by:
- Telling your child that you are happy that they attend preschool.
- Telling your child that you are sure they will have fun.
- Telling your child that you will be back to get them when school is over.
- Encouraging your child to put his/her belongings in his/her cubby, saying goodbye, and leaving. Prolonging departure raises anxiety in children because the child may feel the parent is afraid to leave them.
- Demonstrating trust in teachers.
Additional Policies
Abuse Reporting Requirement: Staff are trained to recognize abuse and neglect and are required by law to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the Franklin County Children’s Services hotline at (614) 229 7000.
Complaint Number: To report abuse or neglect, parents can call the Children’s Protective Service at (614) 220 7000. For further information about the quality of children’s programs or concerns about the operations of this preschool, call the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family at (614) 466 7765.
If you are in need of a place to breastfeed an infant, there is space available in the women’s restroom across from the Worship Center.
Spark does not provide swimming or water activities.
No child’s image will be used on Spark social media without written permission from the child’s parent.
Center Parent Information
The child care center is licensed to operate legally by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY). This iicense is posted in a noticeable place for review.
A toll-free phone number is listed on the license and may be used to report a suspected violation of the licensing law or administrative rules. The licensing rules governing child care are available for review online at https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/chapter-5180:2-12.
Administrators and each employee of the center are required, under Section 2151.421 of the Ohio Revised Code, to report their suspicions of child abuse or child neglect to the local public children’s services agency.
Any parent of a child enrolled in the center is permitted unlimited access to the center during all hours of operation for the purpose of contacting their children, evaluating the care provided by the center, or evaluating the premises. Upon entering the premises, the parent or guardian shall is to notify the Administrator of their presence.
Licensing records, including licensing inspection reports, complaint investigation reports, and evaluation forms from the building and fire departments, are available for review upon written request from DCY. Early care and education program information and inspections are also online using the Child Care Search Tool on the DCY website at https://childrenandyouth.ohio.gov/for-families/early-care-education/child-care-search.
It is unlawful for the center to discriminate in the enrollment of children upon the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin or disability in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 104 Stat. 32, 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq. To file a discrimination complaint, write or call Health and Human Services (HHS) or DCY. HHS and DCY are equal opportunity providers and employers.
Write or Call:
OCC/ACF/HHS
Southwest Region
1301 Young Street, Suite 958
Dallas, TX 75202
214-767-3849
Write or Call:
ODJFS
Bureau of Civil Rights
30 E Broad St, 30th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-3414
(614)644-2703 (voice)
1-866-277-6353 (toll free)
(614) 752-6381 (fax)
1-866-221-6700 (TTY) or (614) 995-9961
bcr-fax@jfs.ohio.gov (e-fax)
Civil_Rights@jfs.ohio.gov (e-mail)
For more information about child care licensing requirements as well as how to apply for child care assistance, please visit https://childrenandyouth.ohio.gov/for-families.For more information on Medicaid health screenings and early intervention services for your child, please visit ttps://medicaid.ohio.gov/families-and-individuals/citizen-programs-and-initiatives/healthchek/ and https://ohioearlyintervention.org.
For information on cash food assistance, please visit https://jfs.ohio.gov/cash-food-assistance.
