Preschool attendance is essential for the growth and development of the whole child. In the event your child is unable to attend preschool, please report your child’s absence to the school office by calling 317-544-6700. If you are calling outside of school hours, please leave a message including your child’s name, teacher, and reason for absence.
If your child qualifies for special transportation, please contact the transportation department to notify them of your child’s absence. Their phone number is (317) 544-6140.
Full-day students attend 185 school days and follow the district staff calendar. Before school care is from 7:00 am until 8:35 am. The school day is from 8:35 am to 3:35 pm. After-school care is from 3:35-4:45 pm. All full day students must be picked up by 4:45.
Half-day students follow the district student calendar. Five day-a-week students will attend 180 school days. Our three-day developmental preschool students will attend on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Our two-day developmental preschool students will attend Thursday and Friday.
For your convenience, attendance calendars will be posted on our website prior to the start of the school year.
We LOVE celebrating birthdays in preschool and each child will be recognized in class. Due to food allergies, outside food and snacks are not permissible. If you’d like to send in a small item for each child in the class to celebrate, this is allowed at the Early Learning Center. (Possible ideas are stickers, pencils, or a small trinket.) We are not permitted to pass out invitations at school.
We are unable to release student addresses or phone numbers. Your child’s teacher may elect to create a classroom directory, but your information will only be included with your consent.
All families pay a snack fee at the start of the school year, which includes a daily snack and milk. Morning or afternoon students receive one snack and one milk, while our full day students receive both a morning and afternoon snack and milk.
Children who attend our full day program eat lunch at school. (Breakfast is not served in preschool.) Current lunch and milk prices may be found on the Food Service webpage.
If your child has a food allergy, it is expected that the family provide this health information at registration (via the health portal). It is also good practice for the family to notify the nurse and the child’s classroom teacher.
Indiana state law defines bulling as “overt, repeated acts or gestures (verbal or physical) committed by a student or group against another student with the intent to harass or harm the student.” How does ACSC define bullying? An incident is considered bulling if all of the following apply to the behavior: it was negative or malicious; it happened more than once; it targets a specific individual; it is intended to harass, ridicule, humiliate, intimidate or harm; and the incident created a hostile environment. For more information, please visit our district safety webpage.
We are fortunate to have a campus that supports more than just our earliest learners. OASIS “Orioles Alternative Setting in Schools” is an alternative program for students with disabilities that will be temporarily housed at White Oak for the 2022-2023 school year. We also house the Avon Community School Corp Professional Development Center, which is a state-of-the-art center for staff professional learning. All three areas function as independent centers/areas on our campus and are completely secured from one another.
Children should come dressed appropriately for changeable weather. Shoes must fit securely on their feet to ensure safety during inside or outside play.
Please ensure that all phone numbers and emails on file with the school office are correct and kept up to date. This is how we will reach you in the event of an emergency. When a child is sick or injured, the parent will be contacted first and given the responsibility of arranging transportation home or to a hospital (if applicable). In cases of extreme emergencies, emergency services will be called. Please visit the ACSC School Safety webpage to learn how parents can remain informed in all types of delays or closures.
Current program deposits and fees are available on our website or in Appendix A (at the end of the handbook).
The supply and snack fees are due to the school office when bills are distributed. (At the start of the school year, bills will be due by September 1, 2022.) Tuition payments may be paid annually (due August 1) or monthly (the first of each month). We accept cash, check, money order, credit card, or parents can sign up for automatic electronic payments (which triggers a bi-monthly option). All families who pay tuition will be asked to designate their preferred payment schedule when making the first payment. ACSC employees can opt for bi-weekly payments deducted from their payroll after filling out the requested paperwork. All checks returned NSF will be subject to a $25 service fee. The NSF check amount, plus the $25 service fee must be paid in cash within 10 busines days.
If a tuition payment is not received within two business days of the established and agreed-upon due date, a past-due notification will be submitted via Parent Square. Payments not received by 3:30 pm on the fifth busines day of the established and agreed-upon due date will be considered late and may be subject to a collection fee.
Failure to pay fees or tuition within two weeks of the due date will result in your child’s removal from the program.
Deposits and supply fees are non-refundable. A portion of tuition or snack fees may be refundable if your child is withdrawn from our Early Learning Center.
Detailed information about payments can be found on our website or by calling our treasurer at 317-544-6700.
Our clinic is available for students who become ill or injured during the school day. Our clinic is staffed by a Hendricks Regional Health RN. Only minor first aid is available in the clinic. If a student is injured at school and the nurse assesses the condition and feels additional medical treatment is required, the school nurse will notify the parent/guardian. For life threatening emergencies, 911 will be called and the parents/guardians will be notified.
The nurse may exclude a student who is believed to have a communicable disease that is transmissible through normal school contacts and poses a threat to the health and safety of the school community. The following guidelines will be used in determining when to send a child home:
A fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Children should be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication before returning to school
Vomiting or diarrhea (defined as two or more liquid stools in a 24-hour period). Children should be free from vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours before returning to school
Suspicion of untreated conjunctivitis or pink eye. If pink eye is diagnosed, drops need to be used for 24 hours before returning to school
Suspicious rashes that may be contagious
Injury that may require further evaluation or treatment
Untreated head lice or presence of live lice
A condition or illness that is causing such severe symptoms that the student is unable to function in class
Communicable diseases are contagious and should be reported to the school office or clinic even if they are not cause for exclusion. The child may return to school after receiving proper treatment and clearance by his/her primary care provider.
Prescription Medications: Only those medications that are medically necessary during school hours or written in an IEP will be administered during the school day. Prescription medications must be sent in the original container with the original prescription label intact and be accompanied by a complete Prescription Medication and Hold Harmless Release Form. All medications listed as controlled substances must be directly delivered to our nurse by a parent/guardian.
Over the Counter Medications: Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, and Tums are available in the clinic. These can be given at the discretion of the school nurse to any student who has permission. Any additional over-the-counter medication, including cough drops, will be kept in the clinic and need to be supplied by the parent. All medication must be in the original container and will be given according to the directions on the bottle and dosage needs that are appropriate for the age and weight of the student. All medications administered at school must be approved by the FDA; no homeopathic or herbal medications will be administered. The Over the Counter Medication Hold Harmless Release Form can be found here on our School Nursing webpage.
Immunizations: ACSC requires the parent of a student who has enrolled to furnish a written statement of the student’s immunization record. Students with incomplete immunization records or who do not meet immunization requirements set forth by the Indiana State Department of Health will be subject to exclusion. Questions regarding immunizations should be directed to the school nurse.
Need more information regarding health services or access to forms? Visit our School Nursing webpage.
It is the policy of ACSC not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its educational programs. For more information about this policy or to read the Notice of Non-Discrimination, please our Parents webpage.
Preschool students are not permitted to bring personal communication devices to school, unless it is a technology tool designed for communication and is written into the child’s IEP.
Periodically throughout the year, it may be necessary that a pesticide be applied to external or internal areas of the school building and grounds. Parents will be notified via Parent Square prior to any application.
Our Early Learning Center offers a community (paid) program of full or half day preschool. Our developmental preschool program consists of a two, three, or five half-day option in an inclusion or self-contained classroom. The initial developmental preschool program recommendation is based on the evaluation results. Any additional recommendations are based on the child’s goal progress, as well as overall growth.
We have two play spaces: an indoor gross motor space and an early learning playground. The children will go outside, except during inclement weather and should dress appropriately. We will follow the K-4 recess weather guidelines to determine outdoor play. If the temperature with wind chill is at or above 20 degrees, children will have outdoor recess. If the temperature or heat index rises to 100 degrees or above, there will be no outdoor play.
Procedures have been established to provide for the safekeeping of students and staff regarding various emergency situations. The children are instructed in these procedures and procedures are posted in each room. Drills are routinely conducted and documented. ACSC will work with state and local agencies in the event of any state or national emergency.
While the Early Learning Center Handbook covers various procedures for our school, School Board Policy includes policies which govern the entire Avon Community School Corporation. Should you desire to review these policies, please visit the Avon Board of School Trustees webpage.
It is the policy of ACSC to limit or prohibit the use of seclusion, physical, mechanical, or chemical restraint in the education and discipline of students. It will only be used in circumstances in which the strategy can be used safely in a manner that is in the best interest of the student and as defined in policy. For more information on seclusion and restraints, please visit the School Board website.
Special programs and/or services are available for ACSC students. If you believe that your child may have a delay and would like to speak to someone at the Early Learning Center, please contact our office and ask to speak with the Special Education Preschool Coordinator.
Two adopted curriculums utilized at our Early Learning Center are Fundations and Second Step. The Fundations® Pre-K Activity Set supports students’ emerging understanding of the alphabetic principles of letter-sound associations and alphabetical order, and the written language skill of manuscript letter formation. Second Step is a program designed to give children “The Power to Grow.” This program helps our littlest learners harness their energy and potential by teaching them to listen, pay attention, manage their behavior, and get along with others.
Progress is reported twice per year: once at the conclusion of the first semester and at the end of the school year. If your child has an IEP, goal progress is reported at the district designated quarter schedule.
In accordance with the guidelines and policies of the ACSC Board of Trustees, and to ensure the safety and success of our school, children will be expected to demonstrate respect and responsibility while in school. Developmental and age-appropriate consequences may be issued to correct or reinforce behavior. If behavior becomes an instructional or safety concern, parents will be formally notified.
Electronic devices and phones are not permitted. In addition, the school is not responsible for any lost, broken, or stolen items.
Although it is rare at the preschool level, grounds for suspension or expulsion are outlined in Board Policy.
School Bus: Special bus transportation is available for special education students whose IEP designates a need for special transportation to and from preschool. The ACSC transportation department coordinates all routes, pick up times, drop off times, and procedures. There is a driver and a bus aide on all special education buses. For more information on our transportation department, please visit their webpage.
Parent Drop-Off and Pick-Up: Specific procedures will be communicated to all families via Parent Square, our website, and at Parent Night prior to the start of school. It is important that you read and follow all procedures to ensure the safety of students, staff, and other families. A few general guidelines to note:
Please follow all signs and staff directives during drop off and pick up
Cell phone usage during drop off and pick up creates an additional and significant safety concern. Please refrain from ALL cell phone use when in line, at the curb, and when departing campus.
All parents who transport will be provided with two name placards. These placards must be in clear view at pickup. A few good ideas we’ve seen from other parents: clip to passenger side visor (and flip the visor down at the curb); place the placard on a “pants hanger” and hang from the rear view mirror when at the curb; place on the passenger window at the curb. DO NOT leave your child’s placard in plain site when leaving campus.
When at the curb:
- MAKE SURE YOUR CAR IS IN PARK OR TURNED OFF.
- Drop-off: Remain in your vehicle until school staff exit the front doors. It is your responsibility to exit your vehicle and safely transfer your child to the sidewalk. Remain with your child until you are able to safely hand-off your child to a staff member.
- Pick-up: When picking up your child, parents must show their placard. This shows school staff you are authorized to pick up. Then stand at the sidewalk with your child’s placard. A staff member will escort your child to you. It is your responsibility to ensure that your child is safely secured in his/her booster seat. If an adult arrives without the placard, he/she will be asked to provide identification to determine authorization for pickup.
For the safety of our school family, visitors are not permitted past the school office during school hours. In the event parents or visitors must attend a parent meeting or conference, parents/visitors will be asked to scan a state-issued driver’s license to exit the office area.
Parent volunteers are encouraged, and all volunteer work must be scheduled through your child’s teacher. Each volunteer will be required to submit a Limited Criminal History Record Check. Information and records obtained from criminal history inquiries under Board Policy are confidential and shall not be released except as necessary to implement this policy or to defend a decision made pursuant to this policy.
All approved volunteers shall agree to abide by all Board policies and corporation guidelines while on duty as a volunteer. Detailed information about volunteering, which includes policy, the confidentiality agreement, and anti-bullying training, can be found at www.avon-schools.org/services/safety/school-volunteers. Additional volunteer information will be provided by your child’s teacher.
Special Notes:
In order for volunteers to remain focused on the task at hand, siblings must remain at home when volunteering at school
Pictures taken by parents during school or on field trips that include other students may NOT be posted on social media
In the event of a delay, early dismissal, or cancellation, families will be notified via ParentSquare. Please make sure you download the Parent Square App or set up notifications via their website. More information regarding weather delays or cancellations may be found on our School Safety webpage. If you need assistance with Parent Square, more information is available on our Parents webpage.
Two Hour Delay Schedule: Full day students can arrive two hours later than normal. (Example: If 7am is the normal drop time, students can arrive at 9am). The half day student schedule (unless notified of changes) is the following: morning students attend 10:35-12:05 and afternoon students attend from 2:05-3:35.
Emergency Early Dismissal: If school is cancelled early, for any reason, parents will be notified via Parent Square with further instructions.
If you must withdraw your child from school, please report this to the office at least one full day before the date of withdraw. Please provide your new address in case the school needs to mail any additional communication or information to you.
