WEEKDAY PRESCHOOL

• Email preschool@graysonumc.org or call 770-682-7411 to check on availability

• We are proud to be recognized as a Preschool of Excellence by the N. Ga Conference Preschool Association.

• As a half day, faith based, school we are exempt from certificaiton through DECAL.

We are currently interviewing for several positions for the 2025-2026 school year.

Please email the Director at preschool@graysonumc.org to inquire about teaching opportunities or to request a substitute packet.

Tours can be scheduled in advance and are typically offered on Tuesday through Thursday, between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

If your child has been placed on a waitlist, there is no guarantee that a spot will open or when it will happen. You will be called in the order you were placed on the list IF a spot opens..

We closely follow the Gwinnett County calendar. Our start date each year will always fall during the week after Gwinnett starts school.

We end our year typically the Thursday before Gwinnett's last day..

Students hours are 9:30-1:30.

• Drop off begins at 9:25 and pickup begins at 1:25

Preschool office hours are 8:00-3:00 Monday - Friday during the school year.. During the summer please call ahead to make an appointment.

If your child will be 3 by 9/1/2025 and is entering our 3-year-old program they should be potty independent. Help them this summer by using underwear,at home and dressing them in clothing that is easy for them to pull up and down (avoid dresses or pants with buttons, and please, NO overalls). Be sure they know to wash hands after using the bathroom. Encourage children to use their words and tell you, and teachers, if they need to use the bathroom. We understand that starting school is a new experience for some and that accidents may happen in the beginning, even for children who are potty trained, due to nerves or just the new routine. We are happy to work with you and them during the first month of school so they will be successful and comfortable. We do not have changing facilities in our 3’s classrooms and it is not ideal for us be changing pull-ups at this age, so if there is still little success in September, we will meet with parents to discuss readiness. We ask that you communicate with the teachers at Open House if your child is still not 100% bathroom independent so we are all on the same page and we can support what you are doing at home. to help your child become more comfortable with using the bathroom at preschool.

Each class will send out a monthly calendar that includes all upcoming information. Each class will also have a private Facebook page where they will post reminders, information, and lots of pictures or videos that will allow you to see all the amazing things your child is doing in and out of the classroom. Reminders will also be sent via our Brightwheel app.

All of our students bring snacks and lunch from home to ensure they are eating what their parents want them to. We have birthday celebrations and occasional special treats, but you will be notified when these days occur. If your child has a food allergy or intolerance, or you do not want them to eat certain things there is a place for that information to be conveyed on the student information form at Open House in August. If it is an allergy it will be noted on the classroom wall and flagged on emergency cards and in the app. We suggest you watch the calendar for birthdays, special days, or parties, and send in an alternative “special snack” for them when you want to be safe. It is also suggested that you send prepacked special treats for the teacher to keep in the class just in case a treat comes in that your child can’t have.. If your child has asthma and needs a rescue inhaler or an Epi-pen to be kept at school for any reason we will need an Action Plan to keep on file. This is obtained from your pediatrician or specialist, they have a form they will give you.

It is our policy to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all students. We ask that our families assist us by being available to pick up a sick child when contacted and by keeping your students home for at least 24 hours after they have had:

• Fever of 100 or higher

• Diarrhea

• Vommiting

• Unexplained or contagious rash.

• OR if they just generally look or feel unwell

Enrolled families will be invited to join the brightwheel app. This is how we will message, invoice, and where you can pay online, if you choose.

• You will have the option of setting up online payments.

  • There will be an additional fee charged at time of payment for any online payment.

• You are NOT required to pay online. You are always welcome to drop off, or send in, a check, money order, or pay in cash in the preschool office. Receipts are automatically generated to you via the app as payments are entered.

  • You may also set up Bill Pay through your bank, if you prefer. Any checks should be mailed to GRAYSON UMC PRESCHOOL 555 Grayson Parkway, Grayson Georgia 30017.

• All invoices are posted through brightwheel on the first day of each month, beginning with July invoices We allow for a generous 15-day grace period. Any account past due on the 16th will have a $25.00 late fee added.

There are many opportunities for you to volunteer or help out in your child's class. Teachers will let you know about signing up for class parties, mystery readers, special snacks, and many other opportunities.

You will also hear from one of our Support Staff members about Teachers Appreciation, birthdays, and other ways you could volunteer or donate.

We believe it is just as important for us to have a relationship with you as with your child. We want to know you, support you, and offer you ways to meet people and learn more about God's love for all of us.

The first opportunity for fellowship will be during the first two days of school at our annual Boo Hoo Yahoo event. Drop off your littles and meet us for a light breakfast, some laughter, some tears (maybe), and the beginning of a great adventure with new friends.

We will have monthly parent engagement opportunities after morning drop-off or at lunch time before pick-up. There will be some special guests throughout the year to offer us support and then some months we may talk about whatever is making raising preschoolers the most difficult at that moment. We share successes, fails, and all the in-betweens. You will get invitations each month to RSVP via a Google form.

Our littles are AWESOME and we love them, but they can be A LOT too, and we all need a support system to help us be the best parents, guardians, etc.

We believe in play-based learning.  Our thematically based curriculum includes, but is not limited to, components from Get Set for School, Learning Without Tears, and Zoo Phonics.  Our talented staff use their individual gifts and styles of teaching to incorporate reading, math, science, and social studies, using hands-on lessons, large and small group activities, and allow ample time for children to be creative and explore new interests.  Students enjoy time outside of the classroom for playground, Learning Lab, Chapel, and Nature Walks.  Through everything they do they are playing, praying, and learning every day.

Our Chapel curriculum is developed by our Children’s Ministry Director each year and includes a monthly bible verse and bible stories for each chapel seesion. Chapel take a way notes will come home each time for families so you can share in their excitement about what they learn at home. You are always welcome to join your child during their chapel time too.