operating procedures
1. Admissions & Enrollment:
Enrollment is open to all children without regard to race, color, creed, sex or national origin. All children need to meet the following criteria to be considered for enrollment:
a. Children need to be between the ages of 2.5 and 5 years old by September 15 of the school year for which you are applying.
b. Children need to be physically, emotionally and socially developed to the extent that he or she is not a hazard to himself or herself and does not endanger the wellbeing of other children at the Preschool.
c. Children must be toilet trained and be able to use the restroom facilities independently.
d. Children must be ready for the type of group and program offered by Bel Air Presbyterian Preschool and have the ability to benefit from the program.
Children with special needs, such as emotional, physical or cognitive different abilities, will be accepted if it is determined that he or she will benefit from the program, and the staff is able to meet their needs in addition to the needs of the other children. Professional support/intervention such as an inclusion specialist or “shadow teacher” may need to be provided by the parent, or other resources (IEP services) in order to provide the least-restrictive environment possible for all children. Please refer to the section on inclusion policies for special needs children and arrange for individual consultation.
2. Admissions Procedures:
We want the opportunity to become acquainted with all parents so that we may know you on a more personal level. The Director will want to set aside time prior to enrollment to discuss the philosophy, curriculum and policies of Bel Air Presbyterian Preschool. It is also a time to answer any questions that you may have. Parents are invited to make an appointment to tour the Preschool and explore the environment. This process begins the fall prior to when the child would begin Preschool. During the initial conversation, materials and an application packet will be given to parents and our Parent Handbook is always available online at www.belairpres.org/preschool.
Parent tours and a general overview will be held from September through February. Our Admissions Team (which consists of a Pastor and/or Executive Staff member, Elder and the Director) will meet in February to admit children into the Preschool for the next fall or to place children on the waiting list. In maintaining good practice with other schools in our area, our Admissions Team will give admission priority to children of siblings that have attended Bel Air Presbyterian Preschool first before considering new children (if space allows). Families should have confidence that their sibling children will be accepted if they are in good financial and ethical standing with the Preschool and if all deadlines are appropriately met.
To be eligible for admissions the following criteria must be met by February 15:
• The Preschool must have the following information on file:
• Complete Bel Air Presbyterian Preschool Application
• $50.00 Non-Refundable Application Fee
• The Preschool must have record of one parent or authorized representative having taken a group tour with our staff or director the year prior to enrollment
• Children must be between the ages of 2.5 and 5 years old by September 15 of the school year for which you are applying
All families are encouraged to apply. In maintaining good practice with other preschools in our area, the following factors will be considered when admitting children. These factors are subject to change or review at our discretion.
• Demographic needs of our Preschool
• Full- (three or four full days) or part-time (half days only) status
• Current students who plan to return
• Siblings of current students and siblings of alumni (families must be in good financial and ethical standing and all deadlines must be
appropriately met)
• Bel Air Presbyterian Church membership
• Community members
• Date of application
Participation in Mommy & Me is considered for Preschool admissions but is not necessarily a determining factor for.
Waiting List
The waiting list begins every March after the original acceptance letters are sent out. It has been our past experience that many changes occur in our enrollment from the months of March (when original letters go out) to September (when Preschool begins). If space in the Preschool becomes available, the families who submitted an application by the February 15 deadline will have their applications reviewed for the space(s) available. If you are extremely interested in Bel Air Presbyterian Preschool and you receive a waiting list letter, please let us know! Feel free to phone our office and check in on the status of your application. We love to accept families who believe in our program and desire their child to be enrolled. Additionally, Summer in the Son students who are also on the waiting list for fall admission will be given waiting list priority should space become available.
Interest List
The interest list is kept in our office and contains information on families that desire information about the preschool, those that would like to take a Preschool tour, or those who missed the application deadline of February 15. For families eligible for the following fall’s enrollment, you will be called once our tour dates are set for a meeting with our Director or a staff member. In some cases, space in our Preschool does become available and our waiting list applicants (those meeting the original February 15 application deadline) do not have the matching criteria for the space available. In these cases, we would reference the interest list.
Once Enrolled
Once accepted and enrolled, several forms and an annual non-refundable registration fee will be due to retain the space for your child. The Department of Social Services and Bel Air Presbyterian Preschool require that the following forms be completed and kept current throughout each child’s enrollment in the Preschool. A delay in completing and returning these forms may cause a delay or change in your child’s enrollment.
Forms for new and returning students:
• Identification and Emergency Information Form
• Child Pre-Admission Health Report
• Physician Report—including updated immunizations and Physician Signature
• Permission to Participate in School Activities and to Receive Emergency Medical Care Form
• Acknowledgement of Personal Rights
• Acknowledgement of Parent Rights
• Child Abuse Prevention Pamphlet Receipt
• Parent Handbook Acknowledgement
• Tuition Agreement
• Parent Pledge
• Sunscreen Permission Form
• Allergy Form
• Admissions Form
• Tuition and Schedule Agreement
3. The Schedule:
Hours, Holidays and Vacations
Schedule For New Students: upon acceptance to the Preschool, your child’s schedule will be assigned based the preference indicated on the original application. If you wish to make changes to your schedule preference, please inform our office prior to February 15.
Returning Students must submit a re-application form by February 15 and for every subsequent school year. Families are asked to give a first and second choice for a schedule in the morning program and, if applicable, a schedule in the Afternoon Enrichment schedule.
Schedule Waiting List If you receive an undesired schedule for your child or wish to alter in any way, please inform the Preschool Office and your name will be placed on a schedule wait list. We will consider your request current, unless otherwise noted.
A child is considered part-time if their schedule reflects three, four or five mornings only. A child is considered full-time if their schedule reflects any combination of either three or four full days (mornings and afternoons).
When determining the scheduling needs of our classes, the amount of time spent at school is considered. We will do our very best to accommodate your request for schedule, but no days are guaranteed.
Hours: The hours at Bel Air Presbyterian Preschool are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday.
Holidays and Vacations: School vacations, breaks, and observed holidays are similar to that of a traditional academic calendar. Please refer to the preliminary calendar, given upon enrollment, for specific dates.
4. Late Arrival/Pick-Up:
School hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (9 a.m. to Noon for the Morning Program and 12 to 3 p.m. for Afternoon Enrichment). Because of the nature and design of our program, we value and reserve these times to be preserved for children and their experiences. Late arrival and dismissal makes this value extremely difficult to maintain because of the disruption to the continuity and flow for the children in the classroom. It is difficult for children to be the last child to arrive at school and, in the same manner, it is sometimes worrisome for a child to be the last child picked up from school. Therefore, we strongly advise that families set a pattern of timely drop-off and pick-up.
We ask that you arrive no earlier than 8:55 a.m. and no later than 9:05 a.m. Children may be picked up from Preschool between 11:55 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. (if in the Morning Program only) or 2:55 p.m. and 3:05 p.m. (if in the Afternoon Enrichment Program). Being located in the Los Angeles area, we do realize that this is a short window for drop-off and pick-up and it is inevitable that, at times, you may be running late. In preparation for the times when you have an unscheduled late arrival or pick-up, we ask that you drop off and pick up your child in the least disruptive way possible. Please phone the Preschool ((818) 990-6071) if you think you will be late for either arrival or dismissal so that we can prepare the teacher or your child. Continual late arrival or late pick-up may require for a review in enrollment.
5. Sign-In/Sign-Out:
The Department of Social Services and Bel Air Presbyterian Preschool require a responsible adult to sign each child in and out of Preschool daily, noting the arrival and departure time of the child. It is each responsible adult’s responsibility to be sure that a teacher acknowledges his or her child’s arrival and departure. Please do not leave children unattended in the classroom or on the playground. Please allow enough time to insure smooth transitions for the child at arrival and departure times. Children are released only to parents or other authorized adults listed on the Identification Form. All information on the Identification and Emergency Authorization form must be kept current. If an adult is unknown to the staff on duty, identification will be requested. Verbal authorizations either over the phone or in person will not be accepted; a change to the Identification Form or a signed and dated note must be given to the teacher. Children will not be released to any adult suspected of intoxication from alcohol or drugs. Children will not be released to any adult if it is known by school personnel that proper child safety seats (used in a motor vehicle) are not being used.
6. Traffic and Parking:
For the safety of your children and others, adhering to the parking lot and traffic regulations on our premises and exhibiting caution while driving in the parking lot is necessary. Please do not attempt to park illegally (either blocking other vehicles or emergency curbs). Additional parking is available along the south side Mulholland corridor.
7. Vacation, Illness and Absence Procedure:
In order to meet our budgetary needs, tuition is based on an annual rate broken into equal payments. Therefore, parents are required to pay tuition fees in each increment, regardless of the child’s attendance. Parents are requested to notify their child’s teacher or the office when children are absent from school and two weeks in advance for any planned vacations.
8. Early Morning Drop-Off:
We have one child-care option that you may utilize on a day-to-day basis. Early Morning Drop is offered Monday through Friday from either 8:00 to 8:55 a.m. OR 8:25 to 8:55 a.m. Children are transitioned to their classrooms following this early drop-off time together. Capacity for Early Morning Drop-Off is 10 students per day and is available on a first come, first serve basis. If you would like to reserve a space for your child in an early morning session, please call the preschool office to schedule a session. Sessions that are pre-scheduled will be billed regardless of child’s attendance. Early Morning Drop-Off is available to parents if it is actively and regularly being used. Subject to cancellation based on usage/budgetary restrictions or program changes.
9. Classroom Placement:
We view child placement very seriously. When deciding in which classroom to place a child, we review numerous criteria and evaluate what is best for individual children and for the group as a whole. Criteria include but are not limited to: age, gender, developmental readiness, diversity, schedule, social development and best environmental fit. Parent feedback is welcomed and considered but is not necessarily a determining factor. As advocates for children, our goal is to provide a placement that is best for the individual child in the preschool setting. We appreciate your support in making each placement a positive experience at home and at school.
10. Termination:
If we as a school feel we are unable to meet the specific developmental needs of a particular child, we would ask that the parents of that child seek professional help or remove the child from the school. This could occur if the child is showing dysfunctional behavior that could pose a threat to the safety of the other children in the school or if we as a staff feel as though the staff and environment can not meet the child’s needs. Bel Air Presbyterian Preschool reserves the right to terminate the enrollment contract at any time should the Preschool determine that the child or family is unable to adjust to the school’s schedule, policies or procedures, to cooperate with the staff, or for behavior endangering the children, families or staff.
