Castle Rock Early Childhood Learning Center - WSD Community Preschool Program Preschool Handbook
Address: 112 South Elliott
Phone: 663-7117
Child Medication at School:
Preschool staff are not allowed to administer ANY medications, lotions, etc., without written doctors orders. If your child needs medications, it is best to try and have him/her on a schedule that does not include school hours.
For children who have special health needs, such as severe allergies or seizures, the preschool nurse will meet with the parents and have a health protocol in place outlining care specific to that child BEFORE that child can start school. This protocol is required to be updated as often as needed and at least yearly.
Illness and when to keep my child home: please refer to district policy on this website.
If your child becomes ill at school, you will be contacted to come and pick him up as soon as possible. Children that have been sent home must be symptom free for 24 hours before they return to preschool.
*It is important that we have current phone numbers for parents and an additional back-up person to call in case of any kind of school emergency. Please keep your teacher informed when you have a change in phone numbers.
What children should wear to preschool?
Preschool is a time for exploring and learning. Children will experience a variety of different activities at school that may be messy. Children paint, play outside, use glue, play in sensory tables filled with mediums such as water, dirt, flour, play dough, and on and on. Please dress your child in play clothes appropriate for school.
Children will also be outside on a daily basis. They should always have clothing appropriate for the weather, including coats, hats, boots when needed and gloves/mittens. All items should be well labeled.
An extra set of clothes that can remain in the child's backpack is also a good idea. These should also be well labeled.
If your child comes home in a set of school clothes, please wash and return them the next day your child has school.
What does my child need to bring to preschool?
A preschool supply list will be provided to each family when they register for preschool. This list changes yearly.
Parents do need to send a backpack to school with their preschooler that is large enough to hold an extra set of clothes and a typical sized folder. Please make sure the backpack is labeled in large letters that are easy to find.
Parents that wish to send snack items that can be stored at school are encouraged to do so. Items such as crackers, pretzels, fruit snacks are great. We cannot accept any items that have been opened or that are home made. WE WANT TO MAINTAIN A NUT FREE ENVIRONMENT. PLEASE DO NOT SEND FOOD TO SCHOOL WITH NUTS.
Environment in each classroom:
Peers must be toilet-trained before beginning preschool. If your special needs child is in pull-ups, we ask that you send enough diapers and wipes each day for him or her. You can send a supply of each if you mark them well and watch for notes home to inform you of when they are running low.
Bringing toys to school:
The preschool teachers make sure that their classrooms have appropriate developmental toys available for the students. Teachers ask that personal toys are kept at home. The teachers cannot be responsible for broken or lost toys. Toys brought from home may also create sharing problems at school.
Teachers also may not have the time to determine if the toy is safe to be in the classroom for all of the children.
Bus drivers do not allow "loose" items on the school bus.
If your child has a separation problem with a personal item, please talk with your classroom teacher. The parent and the teacher may need to develop an appropriate plan to help support the child and their unique need.
Snow days (Hazardous weather):
SNOW DAYS OR SEVERE WEATHER
As you know, winter can hit Wenatchee hard. It is rare that school is cancelled or runs on a delayed schedule, but it does happen occasionally.
Wenatchee School District will send out an automated call to inform families of any school delays.
The Wenatchee School District typically advises radio stations of any school closures or delays. If you do not receive the automated phone call or hear an announcement on the radio you can assume school is running on a regular schedule. If there is a snow day then there are no school activities (including breakfast for children who are grade school age and above).
When there is a school closure that means there is no school for any child.
When there is a one or two hour late start, that means there is NO morning preschool at either preschool site. Afternoon preschool should be on schedule at both preschool sites.
Transportation:
School district transportation is only available to students who have special education needs. Each preschool bus has carseats or harness systems for those children who require them based on bus regulations.
Transportation is only available within the Wenatchee School District boundaries.
Transportation is arranged at the beginning of the year. There will not be transportation changes during the first 3 weeks of school, so please be sure you provide the correct home or daycare information to the Special Education Secretary.
If a change needs to occur during the year, please contact the Special Education office at 509-663-7117. DO NOT call transportation and make the changes yourself. The district transportation department may need up to 48 hours to make the change. Each change made impacts the entire route and all of the students on the routes pick-up and drop-off times.
If you need to cancel transportation (extended illness, vacation, etc.) please call transportation at 662-6168.
Children are not allowed to carry loose items onto the school bus.
An adult must walk children to the bus when picked up and be there to greet their child at the bus for drop-off.
We will not drop off children to unfamiliar adults.
Most importantly, if no one is home when a child is to be dropped off the bus driver will keep that child on the bus through the end of the route. After either another run by the house or a phone call home from the bus and no one answers, children are taken to the Special Education office located at 112 South Elliott (Castle Rock preschool site). If more than one occurrence happens, the parent can expect a phone call from the Early Childhood Coordinator. Repeated occurrences may constitute a Child Protective Service referral.