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.

• We are certified exempt by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL)

Please email the Director at preschool@graysonumc.org to inquire about hiring opportunities or if you would like to receive a substitute packet and be added to our sub list.

Tours may be scheduled in advance and are typically given Tuesday-Thursday between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

If your child has been wait-listed there is not a guarantee that a spot will open or when it may 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 9/1/2024 and is entering our 3-year-old program they should be well on the way to being potty independent. Help them in the summer by using underwear, 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). 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 possible for us to constantly be changing diapers/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.

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. 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.

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 over 100

• Diarrhea

• Vommiting

• Unexplained or contagious rash.

• OR 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 for any online payment at the time of payment. This is not a fee assessed by the preschool and is non-negotiable.

• 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. Receipts are automatically emailed to you via the app as they 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 last day of each month, beginning in July. 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 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 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 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 a calendar of these dates at the beginning of school.

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.