The Growing Tree

School Policies

Snacks – Snacks will be provided by the Growing Tree on a daily basis. Our goal is to have healthy foods and drinks for your child to enjoy. Birthday treats are always welcomed from home; also, you may bring in snacks at any time during the year. Please be sure to advise your child’s teacher of any allergies your child may have.

Clothing – Please dress your child in comfortable play clothes that will allow him or her to enjoy activities like painting, playing outside and crawling around on the floor. Tennis shoes are recommended. NO FLIP FLOPS allowed. The child needs to be able to manage their clothing during bathroom times if at all possible. A change of clothes is a necessity for all children and please LABEL all items brought to school including hats, gloves, and coats.

Health & Safety – Every child should have immunization records on file with their current teacher. In order to keep everyone healthy, please do not send your child to school until he or she has been fever free for 24 hours and is able to participate in regular school activities. If your child is injured or becomes ill during the school day, we will make every effort to contact you. Please be sure we have all the current information to reach you. We will provide care for your child until someone is reached, or in an emergency, we will contact the family physician or EMS. If there is any time in the year where certain situations at home may affect your child’s behavior, please inform your child’s teacher or the preschool director. This can only ensure that the child is better understood and the teacher is attuned to their needs.

Communications - It is our goal to make sure the parents of this school are as informed as possible. There are weekly letters sent home by all teachers. PLEASE CHECK BOOK BAGS AND FOLDERS DAILY. In accordance with the First Presbyterian Church’s solicitation policy, absolutely nothing can be placed in cubbies or backpacks without the consent of the Growing Tree Director. You are invited to visit us at any time, remember we are very busy and we may be at Chapel, Music, PE, Library, Spanish, or Computers. Conferences are scheduled in February or can be set up at your convenience any time during the school year. Please do not try to discuss your child in depth at drop off or pick up or DURING school hours. There are other children that the teacher is responsible for during that time, so please schedule a time where you can truly get the information you need.

Drop Off & Pick Up – School begins at 9:00 am each day and ends at noon for the one through fours, Kindergarten ends at 1:00 pm. Children ages 2 – 5 can be dropped off and picked up under the portico at the back of the church. Morning Drop off is SUGGESTED. It makes it easier for other children when there are fewer moms in the halls.

Please do not drop off children before 8:45. Teachers and/or assistants will greet and escort children to their classrooms. Pick up may begin at 11:45. Please remain in your car and proceed through this area as quickly and safely as possible. This area can be extremely dangerous for an unsupervised child so everyone needs to be very cautious during these times. If your child brings a car seat to school to be placed in someone else’s car, it is the parent’s responsibility to place it in that car; teachers cannot be in charge of car seats at drop-off.

If you have more than two children who need to be buckled, please pull forward and assist them. In SUVs and vans, teachers are not able to reach the rear seat so make sure that child is able to securely fasten their own seatbelt.

Under no circumstances will we release any children to someone unknown by your child. Verbal or written authorization is required. Parents of children in the one year old class will need to bring your child inside the building to drop them off in the morning and come inside to pick them up in the afternoon. Please use extreme caution at all times when entering and existing the building.

South Carolina child passenger restraint law states:

·	Children birth to one year old, or who weigh less that 20 pounds must be secured in a rear-facing child safety seat.

·	Children, one through five years old weighing 20–40 pounds must be restrained in a forward facing seat.

·	Children, one through five years old weighing 40-60 pounds must be secured in a belt-positioning booster seat.

·	Children under the age of 6 are not required to be in booster seats if they weigh more than 80 pounds or if they can sit with their backs against the car’s seat and bend their legs over the seat edge without slouching.

·	Children under 6 may not sit in the front passenger seat. However, this restriction does not apply if the vehicle has no rear passenger seats or if all the other rear passenger seats are occupied by children less than 6 years old.

Field Trips - You will receive information concerning them ahead of time and we hope you and your child will participate in as many as possible. You will be asked to fill out forms to stay on file and if you drive on any given trip, insurance information is mandatory. We also require that your child wears a Growing Tree t-shirt or sweatshirt so that they are easily recognizable to their group. This is to help ensure safety for everyone.

Birthdays – These are special days and we would like to help you celebrate. Treats are welcomed, please be sure to notify the teacher ahead of time so she can help prepare for that special day. If you are planning a party and EVERYONE in the class is invited, invitations may be placed in book bags at school. NOTHING CAN BE PLACED IN BOOK BAGS WITHOUT CONSENT OF THE DIRECTOR. Balloons are discouraged at celebrations.

Personal Items - Children are asked not to bring toys to school unless it is on a designated learning day or Show & Tell. At the beginning of school we understand special things may take longer to be put away and we will work with the parent and child in this area.

Discipline At The Growing Tree - We believe discipline should be done with love and in a positive way if at all possible. Each classroom teacher will explain rules for the room, school, and church. If problems arise, parents will be contacted so we can work together to find the best possible solution for all involved.

Attendance - It is important to be in school as often as possible and on time every day so that your child receives all the advantages we have to offer. Attendance will be taken daily for the benefit of your child's progress. The Growing Tree recommends that your child should not miss more than 5 days per semester. This is in accordance with the Horry County Schools attendance policies.

Inclement Weather – In the event of inclement weather, please stay tuned to a local radio station for current information regarding school delays and cancellations. The Growing Tree will follow the Horry County School District for cancellations and is as follows for delays:

·	Delay of public school by 1 hour, The Growing Tree will begin on our regular schedule of 9:00 am.

·	Delay of public school by 2 hours, The Growing Tree will begin at 10:00 am.

·	Delay of public school by 3 hours, The Growing Tree and Lunch Bunch will be canceled for that day.

When weather is extremely cold or it is raining, the Great Hall will be used for inside recess. Therefore, umbrellas are needed at school.

Age Requirements - This is based on those of public schools in South Carolina. A child must be 1 year old by September 1st to be in the one year old class, 2 years old by September 1st to be enrolled in the two year old class and so on. We require children be potty trained before entering the three year old program.

Discrimination - The Growing Tree does not discriminate on the basis of national origin, ancestry, or gender in accordance with sate law. The vision for the Growing Tree as stated by the Board of Directors is that we will serve as a ministry to all children teaching them the love of God. Our curriculum will empower the children to be ready for Kindergarten and other challenges in early childhood.

Special Needs - At the Growing Tree, we feel that children with special needs would be better served in a program specifically designed for their individual needs.

Vision Statement and Goals

The Growing Tree is a school where we hope your child will be very happy. It is our goal to provide the best possible experience for this young child. It is important to be in school as often as possible and on time every day so that your child receives all the advantages we have to offer.

Our vision for the Growing Tree is that it will serve as a ministry to all children, all denominations and all races teaching them the love of God, motivating them spiritually, challenging them academically, instructing them physically, and encouraging them emotionally.

Our goal is over the next 5 years is that not only will the Growing Tree be known for it’s ministry, but will also be considered the leading independent preschool in the Myrtle Beach area.

Our curriculum will empower our children so that they are more than ready for the tests and challenges of first grade and life. Our faculty deserves to benefit from the professional development opportunities and from a compensation package that is competitive with other preschools.