Table 0f Contents

Letter from the Little Creations Director                                Page 2

Little Creations Mission Statement                                       Page 3

Letter from our Pastor                                                        Page 4

Little Creations School Calendar                                          Page 5

Enrollment Policy and Fee Schedule                                     Page 6

Tuition Payment Policies                                                    Page 7

School Hours and Drop Off/Pick Up                                      Page 8                                                                  

Health Policies                                                                  Page 9

Security Procedures                                                           Page 10

What Children Need for School                                            Page 11

Snacks, Clothing and Potty Training                                     Page 12

Labeling, Toys, Calendars and Chapel Time                         Page 13

Discipline and Open Door Policy                                          Page 14 

Curriculum, Outside Time and

Parent Involvement                                                           Page 15

Special Events, Parties and

Licensing Information                                                        Page 16

Fairview Baptist Church                                                       Page 17

Fairview Church and Little Creation

Contact Information                                                           Page 18

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Little Creations Pre-School! I am so excited that you have chosen us to be a part of your child's educational experience.  This is such an important time in their lives. We work hard to live up to our Mission Statement and values. I want everyone to know that they are always welcome at our program and at Fairview Baptist Church. We will work closely with each family to assure that all the children have a successful experience. With close cooperation and understanding between the parents and staff this will be wonderful year.

When the policies and guidelines in this handbook are followed it makes Little Creations Pre-School a positive place for everyone.  

My door is always open to you and I want everyone to feel comfortable with coming to talk with me.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to come by my office, call me at 903-892-3233 or email me at mailto:mgraham@fairview-church.org. 

Thank you again for choosing us. I am looking forward to a great year.

Meg Graham

Little Creations Director

Fairview Baptist Church

903.892.3233

mgraham@fairview-church.org

Mission Statement

Little Creations Pre-School will be a "loving" environment where children can grow and develop spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially. The staff will accomplish this by providing the children with educational and developmental experiences that are consistent with the Christian principles of Fairview Baptist Church, based on the authority of the Bible.

Little Creations Values:

A Child Targeted Atmosphere: Creating a fun and welcoming place to learn.

A Safe Place: Physically, emotionally and spiritually for everyone involved with Little Creations.

Relevant Teaching: To teach academically and age appropriate material in a creative way.

Intentional Shepherding: To minister to the children by listening to them, showing them God's       love and our love for them, setting good examples and meeting their needs.

Creative Bible Teaching: Letting the children have fun while learning from and about the Bible.

Dear Little Creations Families,

What a privilege it is to have you and your little one to be a part of this awesome opportunity. We say "opportunity" because we truly believe that we have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to your life and your child's life, and we know that you have the opportunity to be significant to the success of your child's experience at Little Creations. It really is a joint venture. We regard highly the responsibility of partnering together with you in the spiritual, mental, physical, emotional and social growth of your child.

If there is ever any way that we here at Fairview can serve your family, please do not hesitate to ask. We value being a part of this community, and we look forward to establishing a great relationship with you.  Thank you for letting your family be a part of our family in this special way. Our Little Creations leaders and teachers are committed to loving and leading your child toward a wonderful growth experience. 

Thanks again.  We expect a great year!

Pastor Patrick Mead

Senior Pastor

Fairview Baptist Church

903.892.3543

mailto:pmead@fairview-church.org

Little Creations Calendar for 2006 - 2007

First Day of School:  August 15^th

Open House:                   August 24^th

                                         January 11^th

Holidays and Breaks

Monday, September 4^th - Labor Day

Friday, October 6^th - Staff Development

Wednesday, Nov. 22^nd - Friday, Nov. 24^th - Thanksgiving

Monday, Dec. 25^th - Monday, Jan. 8^th - Christmas

Monday, Jan. 15^th - MLK Day

Monday, Mar. 12^th - Friday, Mar. 16^th - Spring Break

Monday, May 28^th - Memorial

Last day of school will be Wednesday, May 23^rd

In case of bad weather we will go by the Sherman Schools decision whether to close or not.  You will need to watch the local news stations or listen to the local radio stations to find out if we are closed or not.  If the Sherman Schools begin at a later time we will not be open that day.

(IT MIGHT NOT REPORT "LITTLE CREATIONS" CLOSING GO BY THE SHERMAN ISD CLOSING)

Enrollment Policy

What is required for my child to be enrolled at Little Creations?

Enrollment fee (NON-Refundable)

Forms (complete with all signatures)

Immunization record - Children must be current on their immunizations. 

Children entering pre-k must have received all required immunizations for starting school.

Medical form signed by a doctor

Vision and Hearing Screening for three and four year olds

1^st months tuition is due on or before the child's first day at school.

Enrollment fees and 1^st months tuition will be applied to any outstanding balances at the end of the school year and your child would lose their place for the following school year.  Please keep all accounts current.

Fee Schedule

Enrollment Fee - $80.00 per child

                                                            Yearly                      Monthly  

Schedule                                               Tuition                     Payment

                                                             Rate                    (Aug. - May)

Monday - Friday                                   $1800.00                     $180.00

(Five days per week)

Mon., Wed. and Fri.                              $1200.00                     $120.00

(Three days per week)

Tues. and Thurs.                                  $900.00                       $90.00 

(Two days per week)

There is a 10% discount for more than one child enrolled in Little Creations from the same family.  They must be siblings.

Tuition Payment Policies

Tuition is due by the 20^th of the previous month.  An example is September tuition will be due by August 20^th.  

Tuition payments may be made by check, money order, or cash.

Please make checks and money order out to Fairview Baptist Church.

Payments should brought to the school office, mailed to the church or by give your payment to your child's teacher.

(If you send your payment in your child's backpack, please put it in a sealed envelope addressed to the school.)

If there is a problem, please contact the director so we can work out a special billing for you. Each need will be addressed individually.

Late Tuition Procedures

Tuition is due on the 20^th of each month (ex. August 20^th for September) If payment is not received by the last day of the month your child will not be allowed to attend until the tuition is current. Any other arrangements will have to be addressed by the Director.

Returned Check Policy

We understand that there will be an incident of checks being returned to the school for various reasons. We will notify you of any check being returned and make arrangements for it to be correct. We do not re-deposit checks once they have been returned to us.

Little Creations Pre-School Hours

The Little Creations program is from 9:00 - 12:00 Monday through Friday.

Classes begin promptly at 9:00. The doors will be open at 8:55.  Please try to have your children here by 9:10 so they don't miss out on the activities that are planned for each day.  At 9:15 we lock all entrance doors for security.  To enter the program after this time you will need to ring the door bell that is located on the right side of the double glass doors at the covered drive thru. Classes will dismiss at 12:00. 

Again the doors are unlocked from 8:55 - 9:10 and again at 11:50.

Drop Off and Pick Up Guidelines

We offer drive thru for our children. 

If you use the drive thru please do not get out of your car, it is the aides job to get your child out of the car at drop off and the teacher's job to get them buckled into their seat when you pick them up. 

We want you to be able to see your child's teacher on a daily basis, but drop off and pick up is a time for quick exchanges.  If your child's teacher needs to talk with you they will call to arrange a time to meet together or have a phone "in" meeting. 

For the safety of the children please drive slowly and friendly in the parking lots.

Children must be buckled into their seat before you leave the drive thru or parking lot.  IT'S THE LAW!

Health Policies

Please keep your child at home if they show any sign of illness.  This is for the protection of all the children attending.

A child will not be allowed to attend Little Creations when any of the following exist:

1.     Fever (should be free of fever for 24 hours before returning to school).

2.     Vomiting and/or diarrhea (free for 24 hours).

3.     Any symptom of the usual childhood diseases:  Scarlet Fever, German Measles, Mumps, Chicken Pox, and Whooping Cough.

4.     Common Cold symptoms - onset until clear.

5.     Thick colored mucus discharge from nose.

6.     Sore Throat

7.     Croup

8.     Any unexplained rash

9.     Any skin infection:  Boils, Ringworms, Impetigo

10. Pink eye and other eye infections

A child should not return to class unless free of these symptoms. If a child becomes ill or injured at school, the school will call the parents to pick up the child.  If the parents cannot be reached the school will call one of the emergency numbers on the child's enrollment papers.

The school will administer first-aid including antiseptics and wound cleansing unless otherwise advised by the parents. 

The staff of Little Creations will not administer medication to children while they are at school. 

DO NOT PUT MEDICATION IN BOTTLE OR SIPPY CUPS!

DO NOT PUT MEDICATION IN CHILD'S BACKPACK!

If you are unsure about the health policies, please feel free to ask.

Security Procedures

We keep the facility locked during school hours. 

You must sign your child in when you drop them off with the child's name, your name, the time you dropped off and who will be picking up that day. This is the same procedure whether you choose to use the drive thru or walk your child in. 

Your child will only be allowed to be picked up by persons that are authorized to do so in your child's file, unless you have given direct permission for someone else to pick up. We need to see their driver's license to verify who they are. 

If you walk in to drop off or pick up, you will not be allowed to enter your child's classroom. This is for the children's safety.  You will need to let the teacher take them at the door of their classroom. I expect the teacher's to make sure this guideline is strictly followed.

Please bring it to the director's attention if you have concerns about someone trying to pick up your child from Little Creations that is not authorized. If it is a parent then I would need to have a legal document on file stating they may not pick up the child by order of the court.

What does my child need for school?

Infants:

Diapers

Bottles or Sippy Cup

Pacifier if needed

Baby Food if needed during school

Extra set of clothes including socks

Toddlers:

Bag or Backpack

Diapers or Pull Ups

Sippy Cup

Snack if they cannot eat what is being served for snack

Extra set of clothes including socks

Twos:

Backpack (big enough to carry their school folder)

Diapers or Pull Ups

Sippy Cups (they will begin using Dixie cups during the 2^nd semester)

Extra set of clothes including socks

Threes:

Backpack (big enough to carry their folder)

Extra set of clothes including socks

Pre-k

Backpack (big enough to carry their folder)

Extra set of clothes including socks

Each child needs a backpack or diaper bag.  They will need to bring this item with them on a daily basis.

Snacks/Food

It is so important that children eat breakfast before coming to school.  It makes a difference in how they feel if they have something on their tummy. Some classes do not have their snack time until 10:45. If they still have food or drink when they arrive at school it will be put in their cubby or bag.

The children have a mid morning snack which consist of juice and a snack food (such as Goldfish, Nilla Wafers, Graham Crackers, etc.).  We do not allow the children to eat in the classroom except at snack time.  They may bring a snack as long as there is enough to share with the whole class.  The only exception to this is if your child has allergies that prevent them from eating the snacks that we serve, then you may send them their own snack to have at snack time. 

Clothing

Washable play clothes are most appropriate for school.  Please be sure to send a change of clothes for all children including underwear and socks. Children need to wear clothing that is easy for them to use the bathroom with little assistance.

Potty Training

We want all children to be able to attend our program regardless of the potty training "age". The classroom teachers and aids will help the families with the training process.  Your child will need to wear diapers or pull ups for sanitary reasons until they are able to wear underwear/panties. We want you child to be able stay "dry" for several days (without accidents) before coming to school in "big" pants.   The classrooms have carpet and it is difficult to clean if a child has an accident.

Labeling

We will provide you with a tag for your child's backpack or bag.  Everything that your child brings to Little Creations needs to be labeled with their name. If your child brings a cup, bottle or pacifier with them to school that is not labeled we will put their name on the item with a sharpie marker.  We are required to have these items labeled by our licensing guidelines.

Toys

The only time children should bring items to school with them is if it is "Show and Tell" day. If children bring anything to school with them on any other day it will be placed in their backpack.

Calendars

You will receive a calendar for your child's class at the beginning of each month with the planned activities. You will also be given a snack calendar each month. You can also view your child's class calendar online at www.fairview-church.org and then click on Little Creations Pre-School. There are prompts from there.

Chapel Time

Chapel time is led by Lori Longtin and Meg Graham. Chapel Time is focused on Bible based values which will coordinate with the curriculum. The children also join in with singing and story telling. 

Discipline

Discipline will be:

Individualized and consistent for each child;

Appropriate to the child's level of understanding;

Directed toward teaching the child acceptable behavior and self-control.

The teacher will only use positive methods of discipline and guidance that encourage self-esteem, self-control, and self-direction, which include:

1. Using praise and encouragement of good behavior        instead of focusing only on unacceptable behavior;

2. Reminding a child of behavior expectations daily by using clear, positive statements;

3. Redirecting behavior using positive statements;

4. Using brief supervised separation or time out from the group, when appropriate for the child's age and development, which is limited to no more than one minute per year of the child's   age;

5. Notifying the parents if a problem persists.

There will be no harsh, cruel, or unusual treatment of any child.  No physical punishment is allowed.

Open Door Policy

You are welcome to come by or call to check on your child anytime. We just ask that you not let them see you until you ready to take them with you.

You are always welcome to call, come by, or email the director any time you have a question, concern or suggestion, Please do not hesitate if you ever just need someone to talk with or to pray with you. Even if it is not related to Little Creations, we will be glad to do that. We want to be a ministry to your whole family. 

Please see the last page for contact information.

Curriculum

We strive to use a curriculum that allows the children to grow and learn spiritually and academically. It is age appropriate and fun.   

Spiritual:

They have a fun time learning a Bible lesson and sing songs about God's love. We also add learning activities throughout the morning that reemphasize the stories and verses from the Bible.

Academically:

The curriculum is age appropriate and so much fun for all ages.  Each year it adds concepts to build on.  It is our goal that your child is ready for kindergarten when they leave Little Creations.  It will include small and large motor skills and appropriate developmental stages of growth.

Outside Time

We try to go outside any time the weather allows. The temperature must be above 42 degrees and below 95 degrees to go outside. The wind chill and heat index is taken into consideration. When the children are not able to go outside we use large indoor areas to allow for physical activities that emphasize large and fine gross motor skills.

How Can I Be Involved?

We encourage you to be involved at Little Creations.  You can bring special snacks that go with the curriculum, help prepare craft activities, or attend special activities that require extra help, reading to classes, etc. You can sign up to help with these at the open house which is scheduled for Monday, August 24^{th and} January 11^th both from 5:00 to 7:00.  We ask for your help by participating in our fundraisers during the year.

Special Events and Programs

We have Open House in August and January.  This is a time for you and your child to spend time in your child's classroom, get to talk to the teacher(s), learn what is planned for each semester. We have two music programs each year, one in December and the other in May. The program that is held in May also includes our graduation ceremony. Both programs are followed by a reception. 

Class Parties

Class parties will be held for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines, Easter and the end of school. 

Little Creations does not observe Halloween, but instead we learn about fall and community helpers.  We have community helpers dress up days rather than a party for Halloween.

No latex balloons are allowed at school. However, Mylar balloons are acceptable.

Licensing

Little Creations is licensed by the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, Licensing Division.

A copy of the minimum standards is available for parents to review in the school office.  Parents can also request a copy of these standards from the licensing office. All staff has had an annual criminal history background check through state licensing.

Protective and Regulatory Services:     972-633-6618

Protective and Regulatory Website:   http://www.tdprs.state.tx.us/

Child Abuse Hotline:      1-800-252-5400

Fairview Baptist Church

Sunday morning we have two services.  The first one begins at 8:15 and the second one is at 11:00.  The message is the same at both services, the only difference is the music at 8:15 is more of blended type of music and at 11:00 it is a more contemporary style.  It allows you to choose your preference. 

We have small groups for all ages that meet here at the church at 9:30. 

On Wednesday evening we have classes for adults and youth.  There is child care for children birth through 6^th grade. We also have a fellowship meal at 5:15 on Wednesdays in our CFAC. 

We have many special events throughout the year for the whole family.  This gives everyone a chance to come together from the different services. 

In the summer we have Adventure Week (VBS) for children 3 years through 4^th grade.  It is an awesome week for the kids. 

I know there are many other opportunities that I have not mentioned but I do hope that if you do not have a church home, do not currently attend anywhere or just would like to visit another church that you will give Fairview a try.  We would love for you to come and visit with us.

Fairview Baptist Church Staff

Senior Pastor:  Patrick Mead

Associate Pastor:  Danny Cowart

Worship Minister:  Steve Weeks

Youth Minister:  Casey Williams

Children's Minister:  Irma De Leon

Business Administrator:  Johnny Taylor

Phone Number: 903-893-3543

Website: www.fairview-church.org

Address:  Fairview Baptist Church

                  222 W. Taylor

                  Sherman, TX 75092

Little Creations Pre-School Contact Information

Director:  Meg Graham

Phone Number:  903-892-3233

Website:  www.fairview-church.org

Email Address:  mailto:mgraham@fairview-church.org

Fax Number:  903-893-1275

Mailing Address:  Little Creations Pre-School

                               222 W. Taylor

                               Sherman, Texas 75092