Download a copy of our current policies - Click Here
- Admission Procedure
- School Hours
- Tuition
- Registration/Deposit
- Leaving and Picking Up Children
- Discipline
- Parent/Teacher Communication
- Clothes for Children
- Holidays
- Health Regulations
- Medications
- Birthdays
- Field Trips
- Family Get-Togethers
- Sharing
- Lunches
- Foods
- Television, Videos
- Emergency Information
- Before and After Hours
- Parking
Admission Procedure
Tree House Hollow Community School and Play Garden accepts applications throughout the year. To be considered for the Fall of the year, applications must be received by March 31st. Applications may be emailed, snail mailed or personally brought to the school.
After carefully considering each application for the purpose of balancing age, gender, siblings, children of those who work at Apple Blossom, needs of the families and children, a group of children is selected.
Within two weeks of receiving your letter of acceptance, a $100.00 non-refundable registration fee is required.
School Hours
9:00am-1:00pm
Monday through Friday, 4 or 5 day option
Optional day care from 8:00-9:00 a.m. & 1:00-4:30 p.m.
Mid-August through First week of June
Summer Program available with enough Interest
Tuition
$480.00 per month for 4 days per week
$580.00 per month for 5 days per week
This is considered your base pay. Your base pay is the same each month regardless of the number of days actually in attendance. Tuition is calculated by dividing the number of days in school by ten months.
This amount is due by the 5th of each month.
A $15.00 late fee will be charged unless a prior arrangement is made.
A returned check will be charged an insufficient funds fee.
Four day a week children may drop in on Mondays or Fridays for an additional fee of $30.00 with a 24 hour notice.
Any extra hours can be paid at the end of the month at the rate of $6.50 per hour (see Before and After Hours).
Please leave the tuition check in the tuition basket on the shelf.
Rate changes will be made only when a 30 day written notice is given.
No refunds will be given. A thirty day written notice is required when leaving the program.
Registration/Deposit
A non-refundable $100 deposit/registration fee is required to hold a space for your child.
An additional $480.00 for last month's tuition is required. A thirty-day notice must be given when leaving in order to apply the last's month deposit.
Leaving and Picking Up Children
All children must be accompanied by an adult when entering and leaving the school.
Arriving on time in the morning is important, not only for your child’s happiness, but also for the well being of the entire group. A child who comes in late misses activities, instructions and a smooth, unhurried start of the day.
Please be respectful of your child’s special time away from home. Take your leave as quickly as is comfortable for your child and visit with your friends outside.
Only authorized people may pick up your child from Tree House Hollow. Authorization may be given in writing or orally.
Children must be signed in and out each day. The sign in book lives on the shelf by the door. Please sign your full name when signing children in and out.
Please come and go through the gate. And please be sure to lock the gate, even if you think you will just be a minute. Little children move quickly.
Please be prompt when collecting your children. There is a $10.00 late fee for each ten minutes you are late. Please do not call us if you are late. Call someone who will come and pick up your child.
Discipline
The concepts of Positive Discipline are used here. There are books on the parent shelf for you to borrow. We do not humiliate or punish children. No Corporal punishment or violation of Personal Rights will be permitted: Children are accorded dignity in her/his personal relationships with staff and other person; Children are accorded safe, healthful and comfortable accommodations, furnishings and equipment to meet his or her needs; children will be free from corporal or unusual punishment, infliction of pain, humiliation, intimidation, ridicule, coercion, threat, mental abuse, or other actions of a punitive nature, including but not limited to: interference with daily living functions, including eating, sleeping, or toileting; or withholding of shelter, clothing, medication or aids to physical functioning.
Sometimes children need a space to calm down and be apart from the group. If this is necessary, a child will be asked to leave in a kind and firm manner and may return to the group when she/he is ready to be a part of the group again. We spend a lot of time teaching children to negotiate and ask for what they need. By modeling communication styles which are respectful, children learn to get along with each other. Our family meetings are invaluable in solving on-going problems in the group.
If we have an ongoing problem with a child, the responsible adult will be called in for a conference and a plan will be developed. Dismissal will occur only after all possible avenues of intervention are discussed and we feel your child is not compatible with our program.
If you or your child is a threat to others, this may be grounds for termination.
Parent/Teacher Communications
Each month a newsletter appears in your email. A separate email with the bill for that month will be sent. If you need a hard copy of either please let us know. Look on the bulletin board outside and/or on the door for other sign-up sheets, notices of special activities or other news of interest.
Also check the gate and Family bulletin board on the deck for notices and sign-up sheets.
We keep a notebook by the sign-in book for any special instructions from you such as: Aunt Tillie is picking up Fred today or Susie had a rough night’s sleep last night.
Another notebook on the shelf contains notes and observations of children’s play that day. Take a moment to read about your child’s day so that you have something to ask them about later.
Documenting children’s theories and play is an important part of Tree House Hollow’s philosophy. By using photos and words, you can become familiar with the life of our classroom and add to it when you can. Documentation is also used to notice where the children’s interests lie. It is also helpful as an assessment tool. Please take the time to review our walls, stand-up boards and shelves.
A community bulletin board for events of pertinent nature to the families is on the ramp near the front door and an Apple Blossom Community Board is there as well. Please feel free to add to these boards.
Parent meetings are held when needed. We try to do a monthly potluck or event.
Back to School Night is in September. Conferences are held November and April, if needed. But please feel free to call anytime with questions or concerns. A conference can be scheduled anytime.
We also have a small library of parenting resources. Please use these books and remember to sign the card and leave it in the box provided.
Parent Education classes are offered once or twice a year. We read the book Positive Discipline by Jane Nelsen. This is a great way to get to know the other families.
Clothes for Children
So the children feel free to participate in all of our activities, comfortable clothes that can get dirty are encouraged. Please have an extra set of clothes here. Label each with your child’s name. A set includes: socks, shoes or boots, underwear, shirt, pants or shorts or skirt.
It's fun to walk in the rain, so be sure to provide boots and rain gear on rainy days. We are outside often in all kinds of weather. Please make sure your child has the proper "gear."
Holidays
We will follow the Twin Hills Union Public School calendar most of the time.(click
here for current calendar) We celebrate International Women's day on March 8th.
A summer program will be available if enough families request it.
Health Regulations
If your child is ill or will not be attending our program please call and let us know by 9:00 a.m. Please do not send your child to school if she/he had any of the following symptoms in the last 24 hours: vomiting, diarrhea, fever/without Tylenol, heavy green nasal discharge. Colds are okay as long as your child has energy.
You will be called if any of these symptoms are observed.
Children will be checked upon entering to ensure no one is coming to school too ill to have a fun day. Please sign your child in after she/he is admitted to school.
Medications
Tree House Hollow will not be responsible for handling prescription drugs except those related to emergency allergic reactions and accompanied by a physician's form.
We cannot administer any other medications or aspirins, etc.
If an emergency medical or dental situation arises you will be called immediately. If you or another family member cannot be reached, depending on the seriousness of the emergency, we will call the doctor or dentist on your forms and/or call 911 or take your child to the emergency room or dentist. Any costs incurred by calling 911 will be your responsibility
Birthdays
A birthday celebration at school can be fun. If you want to bring in muffins (no gooey frostings or candy, please), we'll supply the candles and crown. Please do not give out invitations at school unless everyone is invited. Children notice these things!
Field Trips
We usually take one field trip per month, sometimes two. Some field trips may require an extra fee. Each family needs to volunteer for a trip twice a year. This entails driving and/or chaperoning. Please review field trip policies before coming with us. Proof of insurance is necessary and all children will have appropriate seat restraints. Parents must sign a field trip permission slip. We really appreciate the support.
Family Get Togethers
At our Back-to-School Work party we clean up the school for the new year from 9:00 to 12:00. We provide lunch and it’s a great chance to meet each other.
November/December Holiday Party-the children may sing songs or act out a simple drama. May Party- Sometimes it's a May Day Celebration or a Mother’s Day Gathering or a Cinco De Mayo Fiesta. It’s always a Multicultural Pot Luck.
There are other times when you may be invited to share lunch with us.
Have another idea? We're open to including others.
Sharing
Sometimes children need to bring transitional objects from home. That’s fine. But we discourage any commercial toys. A book, doll, truck etc. can help make the transitions from home to school easier. Children have the choice of sharing these with the other children or not. But if the toy is shared by one it must be shared by all of the children. Otherwise the item may be stored in the cubby. Any toys brought to school will be kept in cubbies.
Your child may want to bring in a special sharing. It helps to reinforce what we are doing if this item relates to the season or the theme. We encourage children to bring in something from nature, something that they made, a favorite book, tape or story about a family outing. Sharing is done on a daily basis after the morning circle. Be sure your child is ready to answer questions about what she/he brought in.
Lunches
Each child brings a nutritious lunch.
Please be sure it contains a drink. We strongly suggest a thermos which is easily opened (a flip spout works well) with water or milk. Box juices are not a good idea. Children often waste them and the packaging is not ecological. For this reason, we encourage you to put yogurt in Tupperware that can be closed up again. Our lunches are a great way for the children to learn the concept: Recycle, Reuse, Reduce. (Please see separate lunch policy).
We may go for a walk or a field trip so the lunches must be self-contained (drink, spoon, fork, and napkin).
Teaching the children about good nutrition is part of our job. Please no junk food, candy, squirty yogurts or Lunchables.
Foods
The fruits and vegetables served here are usually organic, sometimes from the garden. We have bottled water for the children to get whenever they are thirsty. Providing your child with a water bottle is a great idea so they can acquire the habit of drinking lots of water. Food is prepared on site.
We try hard to accommodate any special diets. If your child cannot eat wheat or sugar or whatever, we do ask that you provide a suitable snack once a month so that we can have reserve items in the freezer in case of a birthday celebration.
Television, Videos
At Tree House Hollow we believe children this age are just too young to view images in most videos. We strongly suggest that you get rid of your TV (just kidding) or at the very least use videos with discretion. Children this young can not yet differentiate fantasy from reality. Watching shows over and over gives them a "script" to act out so they are using their imaginations less and less. Watching TV or videos is a passive activity of which we have yet to discover all of the side effects. Ask me about my Disney Bias. I could go on and on but you get the "picture," we really want you to try hard to curb the TV/Video/Computer habit.
Emergency Information
In case of an emergency where it is necessary to evacuate the school, we will relocate at Apple Blossom School. The phone number there is 707-823-1041.
We have earthquake drills once a month.
An earthquake kit must be provided for each
child.
Earthquake kits include:
- **A picture of your family
- **A non-salty snack
- **A D cell battery
- **A special toy/blanket/comfort item
All of this must fit inside a baggie. We will eat the snack at the end of the year and celebrate not having an earthquake.
Before and After Hours
For an additional $6.50 per hour your child may come from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. So that we may be finished by 5:00, please come a few minutes early so that you can gather your child’s things and have a chance to check in about the day.
The afternoons begin with a quiet time. Some children may sleep. At about 2:30 other activities may begin such as a walk around the big kid’s playground or down to the creek. We will be back by 3:00. Snack is usually served at 3:15.
Day care hours are paid by the quarter hour. If you arrive at 3:10 please write down 3:15 when you sign out. Our billing system is on the honor system. At the end of the month we will add up all of the hours in the sign out book and present you with a bill.
We can only provide childcare in the afternoons if there are six children willing to stay. If the number goes below that, I will give you two weeks notice so that you may make other arrangements. This hasn’t been a problem in the past.
You may collect your child any time after 3:00 p.m. This gives us a chance to take a walk, go to the park and/or take a nap. We will be home by 3:00. At the minimum you will be billed until 3:00. A snack is served at 3:15.
Afternoon and morning childcare can be used on a drop-in basis provided there is a space. We can take 12 children in the afternoons. For this reason it is important to let me know if your child will not be attending. If we know ahead of time that there is a space then another family may use it. Sign-up is on the French door. Please write on the glass if your child will not be attending or will be getting picked up at a different time.
Every child must have a sleeping bag/blanket/sheet in its own case. This is to prevent the spread of lice or other germs. Even if you don’t plan on having your child stay late, things come up and we want your child to be comfortable. Please take your child’s bedding home on Fridays to launder. Thank you.
Parking
Please drive up to the upper parking lot and park in the designated Tree House Hollow spaces. There's a ramp down to the lower campus.
No running is allowed on the ramp or other paths on the Apple Blossom campus. Please be aware of classes in session and begin to teach your child about soft voices on the "big kids" campus.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and respect for these policies.