The Tree House Child Care Program - at Catherine Kolnaski & Mary Morrisson
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The Tree House Child Care Program
at Catherine Kolnaski & Mary Morrisson
(formerly KSACC)
Parent Handbook
2013-2014 School Year
Catherine Kolnaski Magnet Mary Morrisson Elementary
Open to CK and CC families Open to MM, PV & CB families
500 Poquonnock Road 154 Tollgate Road
Groton, CT 06340 Groton, CT 06340
(860) 449-5612 (860) 449-5655The Tree House Child Care Program (formerly KSACC) 500 Poquonnock Road ∙ Groton, CT 06340 860.449.5612 x6 Dear Parents and Guardians, Thank you for your interest in the Tree House School Age Child Care Program (formerly KSACC). The program provides quality developmental activities before and after school and during selected out-of- school time periods for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Activities are designed to encourage children’s social, cognitive, physical, and emotional growth under the watchful eye of qualified staff members. Our staff consists of professionals with experience in child development through academic and recreational activities. Staff members are employed by the Groton Public Schools and have undergone fingerprinting and a law enforcement background check. In addition, staff members are CPR certified. We are all committed to providing high quality child care, enrichment and recreational activities, as well as promoting child development through individual and group activities. In addition to reinforcing the core academic concepts through homework help, reading assistance, and hands-on activities, the program curriculum incorporates health and wellness, technology, and the arts. We aim to support our community and working families by providing this low-cost service before school starting at 6:30 AM at the Catherine Kolnaski site and starting at 7:00 AM at the Mary Morrisson site. We remain open after school until 6:00 PM at both sites. The program also accepts Care for Kids as available to qualifying families. We aim for continual improvement of the program, and I urge you to provide feedback on how we are doing at any time. Welcome to the Tree House! Regards, Alisha N. Stripling Program Director astripling@groton.k12.ct.us 860.449.5612 X6
Contents Statement of Purpose ................................................................................................................................... 4 Who Do I Contact? ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Communication ............................................................................................................................................. 4 Admission ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 Drop-In’s........................................................................................................................................................ 5 Enrollment Requirements ............................................................................................................................. 5 Terms of Enrollment ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Hours of Operation ....................................................................................................................................... 7 Homework Club ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Calendar ........................................................................................................................................................ 8 Sign-In/Out .................................................................................................................................................... 8 Alternate Pick-Ups ........................................................................................................................................ 8 Registration Fee and Tuition ......................................................................................................................... 9 Tuition Fees ............................................................................................................................................... 9 Tuition Assistance ................................................................................................................................... 10 Temporary/Permanent Changes in Attendance ......................................................................................... 10 Emergency School Cancellations ................................................................................................................ 10 Withdrawal from Program .......................................................................................................................... 11 Current Address & Phone Numbers............................................................................................................ 11 Food ............................................................................................................................................................ 11 Illness/Injury................................................................................................................................................ 11 Suspected Child Abuse/Neglect .................................................................................................................. 11 Medication .................................................................................................................................................. 11
Statement of Purpose
The Tree House Child Care Program will provide quality developmental activities before and after school
and during selected out-of-school times for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. It is a program
designed to encourage children’s social, cognitive, physical, and emotional growth under the watchful
eye of qualified staff.
Who Do I Contact?
One program director oversees both the Catherine Kolnaski and Mary Morrisson sites. Each site has a
designated site coordinator who is responsible for overseeing the daily operations at their building. We
will all work together to provide support for your child though, and you may reach out to any staff
member for day-to-day questions. Any questions that require research or administrative input will be
referred to the appropriate person and you will be responded to in a timely manner.
Please contact the program director with all billing and staff related questions and concerns.
Communication
Communication between Tree House staff members, school staff members, parents, and administration
is a very important element to the program’s success. As appropriate, the program director will be in
contact with your child’s teacher to learn about homework expectations, curriculum, and helpful
methods to assist students in the program. Parental involvement is desired and encouraged and
feedback is always welcome. We will also use various methods to communicate information to you,
including:
1. Student Folders – We ask that you check your folder each day for information about billing,
upcoming events, etc.
2. Parent Notebook – A notebook is provided next to the sign-in/out sheet for notes to the
program director. This is not intended to replace direct communication, but allows families to
ensure that a note or request is quickly read and responded to should the director not be
available when you drop off/pick up your child.
3. Website – Our website, www.groton.k12.ct.us/ksacc, offers regular program updates, full details
on upcoming spring and summer programs, and all forms and handbooks for your reference.
4. One-on-One Interaction – As needed, we may request to speak with you for a few minutes when
you drop off or pick up your child. Please arrive a few moments early when possible to make
this possible.
Admission
A child’s continued enrollment in the program is effective only for the current school year and is
dependent upon meeting the criteria described in the Terms of Enrollment section below.Students will be permitted to enroll on a first come, first served basis. If the program meets capacity,
families will be added to a waiting list in the order that their complete registration packets are received.
Families on the waiting list will be contacted when a spot in the program is open. Upon notification,
families will have 48 hours (2 business days) to accept enrollment and provide the necessary documents
and tuition payments.
If contact cannot be made or acceptance is not received within 48 hours, the next family on the list will
be offered the spot. To avoid missing the opportunity, please ensure that your contact information on
the waiting list is current.
Drop-In’s
Drop-ins will be accepted on early dismissal and professional development days, as well as during school
vacations. An early admission period will be available during which only families enrolled in the
before/after school program can sign up. At the close of this period, any spots that remain vacant will
then be filled on a first come, first serve basis.
We do expect to run at capacity and drop-ins to the before and after school program will only be
accepted if space permits.
Enrollment Requirements
In order to be accepted into the program, your child must be fully toilet trained. Additionally, the
following is required:
1. Registration Packet (completed in full)
2. Plans for Special Health Care Needs (as applicable)
3. First Week Tuition and Registration Fee
Terms of Enrollment
The Tree House must ensure sufficient staffing and supplies and plan for activities based on the number
of students enrolled in the program. To be successful, it is imperative for students and parents to meet
certain responsibilities in order to sustain enrollment in the program. The following guidelines are terms
of enrollment and violation of the terms are grounds for dismissal from the program.
1. Attendance
Attendance will be taken each day to confirm that all students expected to be in the program
have arrived. To help us ensure the safety of all of the children, please notify the school when
your child is not going to be attending the program for any reason. Should the program reach
maximum capacity, and your child is regularly absent without notification, the program director
may ask that your child begin attending consistently or withdraw from the program to ensure
adequate availability for students who need care.2. Timely Pick-Up
It is imperative that your child be picked up from the program on time. Whenever possible,
please try to arrive a few minutes early to give us time to speak with you about any concerns
that you or our staff members may have.
A fee of $5 per child will be charged for each 5 minutes that your child remains in the program
past closing time. Upon a third late arrival, your child will be suspended from the program. The
child can be added to the waitlist or return after 30 days if no waiting list exists. All outstanding
fees must be paid before a child can return to the program.
3. Failure to Pay/Insufficient Funds
The fees and payments guidelines are outlined in the Registration Fee and Tuition section of this
handbook. Payments are due by the Monday of the week that child care will be provided.
Failure to pay tuition on a timely basis will result in suspension from the program and/or the
application of late fees to your account. Once the account is paid in full, including late fees, your
child may return to the program if no waiting list exists.
Checks returned for insufficient funds are subject to a $25 fee. If two checks are returned in one
school year, payment in the form of a bank check or money order will be required going
forward.
4. Student Behavior
Acceptable behavior is expected at all times. Consequences for violations of such behavior are
imperative to maintaining a safe and secure environment for all children. Aligned with the
school rules, the rules of the Tree House Program include but are not limited to:
Being a RESPONSIBLE person
Being a RESPECTFUL person
Doing the RIGHT thing every day
Violations of these rules will result in positive discipline from the program staff. More serious
violations (i.e. foul language, bullying, hitting, refusing request of adult, etc.) will result in a
written behavior incident report. Behavior incident reports will be written by the staff
witnessing the behavior. All incidents resulting in a write-up will be fully investigated by the
director and then signed by the parent.
Upon three incident reports, a child will be suspended from the program for a period of 30
school days. Any suspended child can be added to the waiting list or return to the program after
30 days if no waiting list exists.
If a child fails to improve inappropriate behavior after three incidents in one day, the program
director will contact the parent for immediate pick-up for the remainder of that day.If a child demonstrates serious or dangerous behavior, the parent will be notified immediately
and the student will be suspended from the program. The school administration and program
director reserve the right to remove any child from the program based on consistently
inappropriate behavior.
Any child suspended from school (either in-school or out-of-school suspension) will not be
allowed to attend the program at any time during said suspension.
5. Parent/Guardian Behavior
We have an open door policy to all parents of children attending the program. You are welcome
and encouraged to take a few minutes to visit with your child to see what we have been doing.
It is important that we ensure the confidentiality of all of our students, however, so any
extended visits must be requested in advance and will be approved at the discretion of the
director. For the safety of all of our students, we cannot allow any adult to approach someone
else’s child. All parent concerns must be addressed with the program director. Any violations of
this will be viewed as a violation of the student’s rights and may result in the immediate
termination of your child from the program.
We must all work together to make the Tree House a safe, happy, and healthy place for all
children!
Hours of Operation
The Tree House at Catherine Kolnaski will open on school days from 6:30 a.m. to 8:50 a.m. and from
3:10 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Tree House at Mary Morrisson will open on school days from 7:00 a.m. to
8:50 a.m. and from 3:10 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Both sites will remain open from dismissal time until 6:00
p.m. on scheduled early dismissal days. Full day care will be offered at the Catherine Kolnaski site from
6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on professional development days and during school holidays.
Please understand that the employee schedule is done two weeks prior to any given week. In order to
ensure adequate staffing for extended days, your child must be signed up two weeks in advance and
payment is due upon sign-up. Should your plans change after the deadline provided on the sign-up
sheet, you will still be responsible for any additional fees applied for extended care. See the Registration
Fee and Tuition section of this handbook for program prices.
Homework Club
We offer daily homework club following a break for snack. Staff members oversee and help students to
complete their homework during this time. To create a quiet environment in which students with
homework can concentrate, any child without homework on a particular day will be offered the option
of another quiet activity to do during this time. Though completing homework is ultimately the
responsibility of each student, our staff members are committed to helping them to succeed each day.Calendar
The Tree House will be open on all days during the regular school year and throughout the summer
vacation with the following exceptions:
New Year’s Eve Labor Day
New Year’s Day Columbus Day
Martin Luther King Day Veterans Day
President’s Day Thanksgiving & Day After
Good Friday December Vacation (tuition due)
Memorial Day The last full week in the month of August (no
Independence Day + 1 Day tuition due)
We will be closed during times deemed essential by school administration. In this event,
parents/guardians will be notified via the district’s autodialer with as much notice as possible.
We will be closed during inclement weather in accordance with the Groton Public School Policy.
In the event of a school delay, the Tree House will be delayed for the same amount of time. In
the event of an early dismissal or cancellation of after school activities, we will be closed for the
PM session. Parents/guardians will be notified of closings via the district’s autodialer.
We will be closed during the December break. Tuition is due for this week.
We will be closed during the last week of summer vacation to allow for cleaning of the school.
Parents are not responsible for tuition during this week.
Sign-In/Out
An authorized adult (18 years or older) must sign each child into the program if attending the morning
session and sign each child out if attending the afternoon session. These lists will be used to take
attendance in the event of a building evacuation, and are therefore critical to the safety of the students.
For this reason, this procedure will be strictly enforced.
If a child is unaccompanied into the program, the parent will be immediately notified and must return to
sign the child in. Repeated offenses will result in the suspension/expulsion of the child from the
program. No child will be permitted to leave with a person not on the authorized pick-up list or with a
person under the age of 18.
Alternate Pick-Ups
Those who are not on the authorized pick-up list will not be allowed to pick up your child without prior
notice and a picture ID. If there is any concern about unauthorized persons picking up your child
without permission, please notify the program director immediately.Registration Fee and Tuition
There will be a registration fee of $10.00 per child per academic year. Should a family leave the
program, the fee will be assessed again upon re-registering.
Tuition fees are due on or before the Monday of the current week. Payments should be made by check
or money order. Please make checks out to KSACC and include the student name(s) and week beginning
date in the memo section.
Please note that tuition is due regardless of absence and is not pro-rated for reasons such as holidays
(including the December break), inclement weather, etc. If your child will be absent for an extended
period of time, please see the Temporary/Permanent Changes in Attendance section of this handbook.
Late fees will be applied for consistently late tuition payments. The first late fee is $5; subsequent late
fees increase to $15. Continually neglecting to pay in a timely manner will result in the suspension of
your child from the program. Families with an outstanding balance will not be allowed to re-enroll in
the program until the balance is paid. If you are experiencing financial difficulties and need to arrange a
payment plan, please contact the program director without delay. After three unanswered attempts to
collect a debt, a collection agency will be contacted.
A $25.00 fee will be charged for insufficient funds. If checks are returned by the bank for insufficient
funds on two occasions in any one school year, payment by bank check or money order will be required
going forward.
Tuition Fees
Regular Program Rates – Rates are per child, per week
Before School Only $30
After School Only $35
Before and After School $60
Late Payment Fees $5/$15
Late Pick-Up Fees $5 per 5 minute period (once the 5 minute increment
has passed, an additional $5 fee will be charged)
Early Dismissal Rates – Rates are per child, per day
Families enrolled in AM session only $10 + regular tuition
Families enrolled in PM or both sessions $2 + regular tuition
District Professional Development Days – Rates are per child, per day
Families enrolled in School Day Program $25 + regular tuition
Families not enrolled in School Day Program $30
Full Week School-Year Vacations
Families enrolled in School Day Program $30/day or $110/week
Families not enrolled in School Day Program $35/day or $135/weekTuition Assistance
Care 4 Kids is accepted. Care 4 Kids helps low to moderate income families in Connecticut to pay for
child care costs. This program is sponsored by the State of Connecticut’s Department of Social Services.
New families need to complete an application and send it to Care 4 Kids to determine whether they are
eligible for assistance. Families that have had Care 4 Kids previously at a different center will need the
program director to fill out a new Parent-Provider Agreement and submit to Care 4 Kids. Families that
attend the summer program are also required to submit a Parent-Provider Agreement prior to the start
of the summer program and again prior to the start of the regular school year. For more information,
visit http://www.ctcare4kids.com/ or call 1-888-214-5437.
Temporary/Permanent Changes in Attendance
Please notify the program staff if your child will be absent from the program. You may notify via email
or telephone.
Please notify the program director in writing of any changes in attendance status or schedule via the
Enrollment Status Change Form. Changes that increase enrollment are subject to approval based upon
availability in the program.
Emergency School Cancellations
We will follow the Groton School District schedule in the event of snow or other unforeseen
emergencies.
Cancellations: If school is canceled for the day, we are closed for the day.
Delayed Openings: If school is delayed, the Tree House is delayed for the same amount of time
(i.e. on a 90 minute delay, the CK site will open at 9:00 a.m. and the MM site will open at 9:30
a.m.)
Early Closures:
If school is closed early, we will close for the afternoon session. You will be notified of
such closures by the superintendent or his/her designee via the district autodialer.
If afterschool activities are canceled by the superindent or his/her designee or driving
conditions are deemed unsafe by the Tree House Director, the program may close for
the afternoon session. You will be notified of such closures by the program director via
the district autodialer with as much notice as possible.
Tree House personnel will not be on site to accept responsibility for your child on early
closure days. Your child will be expected to follow the directions provided by you on the
inclement weather transportation authorization form completed during the registration
process. If you are unsure of how you completed this part of the form, please contact the
program director to confirm.Withdrawal from Program Please complete and return the Enrollment Status Change Form two weeks prior to your child’s withdrawal from the program; upon submitting the form, you will be responsible for tuition for the following two weeks only. When a family withdraws from the program with a balance on their account, payment is expected prior to their child’s last day in the program. When a family withdraws from the program with a credit balance existing on their account, a reimbursement check will be mailed to the family for the credit amount within three weeks. If your address has changed, please notify the program director of the address to which the check should be sent. Current Address & Phone Numbers It is imperative that we have current contact phone numbers for parents, alternates, and authorized pick-ups. Please review your numbers on file periodically to ensure they are up to date. Food The school provides a breakfast program for all students at 8:15 a.m. There is a nominal fee for breakfast; please contact the main office if you would like information. The program also provides a healthy snack and 4 oz. juice each afternoon through state funding. This funding is subject to annual approval and is therefore not guaranteed for future school years. Illness/Injury The guidelines determining illness and treating injuries are consistent with that of the Groton Public School District, which can be found in the student handbook. Suspected Child Abuse/Neglect Education workers are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse or neglect. Suspicions of child abuse or neglect will be reported as per the state guidelines. Medication Some staff members are certified to administer medication to students. This will be offered for full-day programs only. The appropriate paperwork must be provided and approved in advance of the request.
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