Hope Rising Preschool is licensed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services–Tax ID #27-1751656. To attend this program, the following requirements must be met, without exception. Enrollment forms must be completed, and properly signed by the parent and physician prior to the date of admission. A current immunization record and doctor’s statement must be attached to the enrollment form for each child, along with a hearing and vision screening for children entering a 4 or 5 year old class.

Hope Rising Preschool follows the WISD age requirements for classes. The child must be class age on or before September 1. Any changes to your child’s enrollment paperwork will need to be initialed by the parent or guardian. Hope Rising Preschool will notify parents through written notice, in person and through emails of any changes in the enrollment process.

YOUR CHILD WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND HR IF THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT MET. ALL PAPERWORK IS DUE PRIOR TO ADMISSION.

See Financial Agreement tabs for current tuition and prices.

The registration fee is a non-refundable fee that is due at the time of registration. This is a separate fee and does not go toward the first month’s tuition.

Tuition is due by the 10th day of each month and is considered late after 2 pm on the 15th day of the month, regardless of school holidays. Fees are based on the total number of days scheduled for the year, then divided by 9 months, so monthly tuition fees are consistent. Tuition is not pro-rated based on the number of school days.

A returned check fee of $35 will be assessed on any checks returned for insufficient funds. A late fee of $25 will be assessed after the 10th of each month and is due when that month’s tuition is paid. If the late fee is not paid prior to the end of the month, the account is considered delinquent.

Two supply fees will be charged on July 10 and January 10, and can be paid in advance. Failure to pay supply fees on time will result in your child losing their enrollment.

If an account is in arrears for three weeks after the due date, they will not be allowed to attend class unless arrangements have been made with the director of Hope Rising Preschool.

Enrolled students may drop in for a full day of preschool on non-scheduled days for AM extended care or  for AM/PM extended care. Enrolled students may drop in for AM extended care or AM/PM extended care on their regularly scheduled days. All drop-ins must have prior approval from the director.

To withdraw a student from the program, you will provide a 30-day written notification to the director. If notice is not given, you will be responsible for the next month’s tuition payment.

Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 2:00 pm 

Preschool hours are from 8:45 am to 1:45 pm 

AM Extended care is from 8:00 am to 9:00 am

AM/PM Extended care is from 8:00 am to 9:00 am + 2 pm to 4:45 pm

The doors will open for early drop-off at 8:00 a.m. Drop off for preschool hours begins at 8:45 am and dismissal begins at 1:45 pm. Please be considerate of the teachers and students by bringing your child on time. Extra fees apply for extended care hours. (Please see financial agreement.) In the event of a Wylie ISD early dismissal due to bad weather, Hope Rising will dismiss one hour prior to Wylie ISD. 

In the event of a WISD late opening due to bad weather, Hope Rising will not hold classes for that day. Hope Rising will not observe WISD Bad Weather Make-up Days. When hazardous weather conditions exist, parents are asked to tune into one of the local radio or television stations for official school closing announcements. 

In the event of a “lock down” by WISD or Wylie Police Department, Hope Rising will also lock down our facilities. For the safety of your child, parents will be unable to pick their child up until the “all clear” is given by the Wylie Police Department.

The safety of your child is paramount to our school. Therefore, we follow strict guidelines that are required by the State of Texas to ensure their safety. When a child is being picked up by someone other than the parent, these steps will be taken to protect your child: 

• An emergency information/registration sheet is to be filled out upon registration, indicating whom you have authorized to pick up your child. These forms are kept in the office and a copy is given to your child’s teacher. 
• The person picking up your child will be required to show his/her driver’s license. Children will only be released when the driver license information matches the emergency contact form. 
• If you will be routinely carpooling or having someone other than the parent picking up your child, you will need to let the Director or teacher know by phone call or in writing that morning. A note with a parents signature stating who will be picking up their child, the relation to the child and the date of pick up can be given to the teacher prior to or on the morning of this change. Children will be released ONLY when the information matches (Emergency information sheet and driver license.) A phone call is all that is necessary to add a person to your child’s emergency form. 

The doors open promptly at 1:45 pm for dismissal.

All children must bring a full-size backpack with the child’s name clearly written on it. The backpack should be able to hold a lunch box, spill proof water bottle filled with water only, a change of clothing in a gallon Ziploc bag, a coat, a receiving size blanket, diapers/pull-ups (if necessary), wipes, artwork, and a folder.

• Hope Rising provides a morning snack for all children Please notify the teacher of any food allergies in addition to listing food allergies on the registration form.
• Each child should bring a nutritious lunch. Nutritious lunch foods might include a sandwich consisting of meat and cheese or peanut butter, bite size fruit and /or bite size vegetables, and fruit juice, water or milk. NO CANDY! H.R. is not responsible for the nutritional content of your child’s lunch. Include a drink box or thermos.
• Do not send any food requiring heating and always include an ice pack, as necessary.
• Please keep in mind when packing your child’s lunch that the teachers have to assist many students in setting up lunches; therefore do not send something that will take excessive preparation.
• All lunch contents are to be disposable. For example plastic forks and spoons.
• Hope Rising allows special treats from home for holidays or birthdays. Please notify the teacher in advance. 
• Parents may send cookies, cupcakes, drinks, etc. for a class treat for birthdays. There will be no “birthday parties” held in classrooms.

Each parent is responsible for applying sunscreen and bug repellant to their child before each class day. Hope Rising will not keep sunscreen or bug repellant at the center due to allergies. 

• Any children in the 2 year old classes that are not potty trained should be brought to school in disposable diapers or side Velcro pull-ups. Parents need to provide a weekly supply of diapers or pull-ups, and will be notified as the supply gets low.
• Children should wear washable play clothes, free from complicated fastenings.
• Dress your child in seasonally and outdoor appropriate clothing.
• Seasonal appropriate change of clothing inside a gallon size Ziploc bag should be included in your child’s backpack, labeled with the child’s name for all ages.

• Each child in the 18 month classroom through the younger 3’s classroom will have a daily rest period.
• Each child is required to have a thin, tri-fold vinyl rest mat. The preschool will provide these for the children although you may bring your own rest mat. One small receiving size blanket is optional. No pillows will be allowed.

• Toys should not be brought to school except on special days when the teachers request Show-N-Share items.
• Hope Rising is not responsible for personal items lost or stolen from the classroom. Please put your child’s name on all belongings. New Hope Christian Church is not responsible for injuries sustained by any child while participating in the program. 

Communication between parents, teachers and the Hope Rising Preschool office is vital to the success of your child’s school experience and our program.

• Daily class schedules are posted outside each classroom.
• Each child will be provided with a folder, containing classroom calendars, take home notes detailing class and preschool activities and any completed work.
• Please remember to send the folder each day in your child’s backpack.
• Check on the easels outside the classroom daily for any posted parental notifications.
• The Director will communicate to parents through letters sent home in child’s folder, emails and verbally.

There will be no harsh, cruel, or unusual treatment of any child. The following types of discipline are prohibited:

• Corporal punishment or threats of corporal punishment.
• Punishment associated with food, naps, or toilet training.
• Pinching, shaking or biting a child.
• Hitting a child with a hand or instrument.
• Putting anything in or on a child’s mouth.
• Humiliating, ridiculing, rejecting or yelling at a child.
• Subjecting a child to harsh, abusive or profane language.
• Placing a child in a locked or dark room, bathroom or closet with the door closed.
• Requiring a child to remain silent or inactive for an inappropriately long period of time for the child’s age. 

Hope Rising Preschool will use only positive methods of discipline and guidance that encourages self-esteem, self-control and self-direction, which include at least the following:

• Using praise and encouragement of good behavior instead of focusing only upon unacceptable behavior.
• Reminding a child of behavior expectations daily by using clear, positive statements.
• Using brief supervised separation of time-out from the group, when appropriate for the child’s age and development, which is limited to no more than one minute per year of the child’s age. 

Discipline will be individualized and consistent for each child, appropriate to the child’s level of understanding, and directed toward teaching the child acceptable behavior and self-control. Discipline procedure is as follows:

• Verbal warning/Redirection
• Removal from the group (time-out)
• Removal from the room to the Director’s office
• Continued discipline problems will result in a conference with parents
• In case of violent behavior (biting, hitting or scratching), the child will be taken to the Director, and the parents will be called
• If the situation doesn’t improve, the child will be asked to leave the program (length of time to be determined by the Director) If there is an ongoing behavior concern, classroom teachers, director, and parent will be in communication and discuss strategies to promote appropriate behavior and develop a plan for change. If the behavior concern continues after the implementation of the plan, the teachers, director, and parents will then decide on what is the best for the child and their success. If a parent chooses to leave the program, we recognize and understand that Hope Rising may not be equipped to deal with all circumstances underlying certain behavioral issues.

Biting is very serious and is unacceptable. If your child bites, Hope Rising will work with you to develop a plan to correct the problem. However, if the problem is aggressive, breaks skin, does not lessen within a reasonable amount of time or diverts an inordinate amount of staff time away from other children and program implementation, Hope Rising Preschool will review the situation and plan for an alternate modification for your child’s care. Unresolved biting may indicate that suspension from the program is a consideration for the safety of other children.

At Hope Rising, a child will be sent home from school if live lice or nits are found in their hair. They will be allowed to return to school after one medicated treatment has been given or they bring a note from a physician saying they have been cleared to return to school. Hope Rising has established a NO NIT policy for the best interest of the other children attending the same classroom.

A child who has repeatedly returned to school with live lice will be asked, after the third episode to remain home for a period of two weeks. The period of time allows the parents to continue to treat their child’s scalp and eliminate all evidence of eggs. The child will be admitted back into their classroom after two weeks with evidence of no live/nits found at arrival time. Each student at Hope Rising Preschool is subject to suspension or dismissal from preschool for the willful violation of policies and procedures by the child or parent, as set out by Hope Rising Preschool, and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

Please notify the Hope Rising office if your child has been exposed to or contracted a communicable disease such as pink eye or strep throat. If signs of approaching illness are discovered at school, parents will be contacted to pick up their child. Hope Rising will fill out an illness form and notify child care licensing and the health department if child is diagnosed with communicable diseases as defined by the Texas Department of Health. If a child is ill, he/she must be kept at home. Children should not return to school with signs of illness, such as fever, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, bad cough, sore throat, excessive nasal discharge, and green or yellow nasal discharge. Let us respect all health needs of all children enrolled in our preschool. A child must be fever free without medication for at least 24 hours before returning to class! 

If your child has a medical condition that needs medication, the Director or Assistant will administer the medication only with a signed permission note from the parent (available in the office). We do ask that all antibiotics or other prescribed medications be given to your child before coming to school.

Any medications brought by the parent for their child must:

• Be in the original container
• Be labeled with the child’s name
• Be labeled with the date, if a prescription medication
• Include directions for administration
• Include name of physician, if a prescription medication Upon enrollment, a notarized release form for emergency treatment must be on file with the office. It is to your child’s benefit that you keep the director current with telephone numbers, emergency contacts and other pertinent information. If none of your emergency contacts can be reached, the parent agrees to give the director the authority to seek emergency care. In the event of a medical emergency, Wylie EMS will be summoned. If they deem your child needs to be transported to a medical facility, the choice of the facility is up to the discretion of the Wylie EMS team responding to our call. 

An emergency allergic reaction protocol form MUST be filled out with the registration packet.

Mandated Reporting – As annually trained professionals in contact with young children and their families, we at Hope Rising Preschool are required by law to help the Department of Health Services become aware of children who may be abused or neglected. According to the law, public or private school teachers, educational administrators, guidance or family counselors; as well as day care/child care workers, are mandated reporters.

Thus, it is policy of Hope Rising Preschool to report any and all suspected cases of child abuse and/or neglect to DHS immediately by telephone and to follow up in writing within 24 hours the same information as reported by telephone. Our school will offer full cooperation of its staff during the investigation of the reported incident. Child abuse hotline 1-800-252-5400. Parents may contact the local licensing office at (800)582-6036 or by visiting the website at www.dfps.state.tx.us See Appendix A for more information on reporting suspected abuse and/or neglect.

Parents are very much valued and considered a vital part of Hope Rising Preschool. We welcome all parents to join in Hope Rising FUN! Hope Rising Preschool is committed to the safety, welfare, and protection of all children and youth participating in the activities and programs from abuse and harassment in any form: physical, mental or sexual. Programs such as these are a normal part of our school system. Teachers and volunteers are screened prior to working with children.

Hope Rising has initiated a program to reduce the risk and liability of child abuse. In order to minister to our children, all new volunteers who are paid or unpaid, who are regularly or frequently present at the child-care center but not counted OR are counted in the child/caregiver ratio, must comply with minimum standards that apply to employees and must:

• Complete the application form (found in the office)
• Have references checked
• Complete an interview process
• Volunteer for a criminal background check by the church and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (licensing board)
• Agree to adhere to the Code of Conduct and Policies and Procedures of the Program
• Submit to fingerprinting and pay the required fee which is mandated by the state. All screening will remain confidential and the final decision whether or not you, as an applicant, will be accepted to work with our children shall be based on information from the criminal background history, interview process and reference checks. Parents may visit Hope Rising Preschool at any time during the child-care center’s hours of operation to observe their child, the child-care center’s operation, and program activities by entering through the south doors of New Hope Christian Church. Please check in at the front office and sign in/out before you volunteer in your child’s classroom.

Posted in each classroom are Fire/ Tornado procedures for each classroom to follow if a fire/tornado emergency should occur while the children are present. Fire drills will be conducted on a monthly basis. Teachers have been trained on getting the children out of the building as efficiently as possible and have an arranged meeting place. 

Tornado drills are conducted seasonally. The purpose of these drills is to ensure the smoothness of the procedure and safety of each child. In case of disaster, such as a chemical odor or spill, the Wylie Police Department will be contacted to help assist us with transportation to a safety site. The location will be posted on the bulletin board in the Director’s office. In case of emergency evacuation, the local fire and police department will be contacted immediately. With assistance from both departments, children will be transported to Birmingham Elementary School in case of inclement weather during evacuation.

If for any reason, you feel that communication between you and Hope Rising staff has been broken, the following guidelines are available: 

• Most misunderstandings can be corrected successfully at the level at which they exist. If you are not happy with a staff member, you are to attempt to solve your grievance with the staff member first. 
• If a satisfactory solution is not reached at the level it started, you may address the complaint to the Director. It is our hope that any concern you might have will be settled informally with everyone’s cooperation. 
• A copy of the minimum standards of child care centers is kept in the director’s office and may be reviewed at any time. A copy of the most recent Licensing inspection report is kept on the bulletin board in the director’s office. This information is also available online at hhs.texas.gov or dfps.state.tx.us

Our ultimate goal is for students to know the love of the Lord, Jesus Christ by teaching His word in the way He intended. Teaching His truth through ways the children feel warm and welcomed, valued and loved in creative, relevant and fun ways! It is important to teach biblical truths which are easily understood and applied to everyday life. Our curriculum will be age appropriate and taught on a level in which they understand who they are in Christ.

Everyday children will discover who He is through energetic praise and worship and creative bible storytelling. Children will be introduced to learning bible verses. ALL CHILDREN ARE A GIFT FROM GOD!

According to the licensing guidelines of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, each teacher must receive on-going staff training for professional development each school year. Such programs maintain the education and effectiveness of your child’s teachers.

The policies, as set out in this parent handbook, are subject to revision, as deemed necessary by the Owner/Operator of Hope Rising Preschool, or the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Parents will be notified in writing of any changes made to the policy.

At any time, a parent would like to speak with the Owner/Director of Hope Rising Preschool, a verbal, email or other written request may be given and a time will be set for any questions or concerns to be addressed. Director’s phone number is 214-762-4057 and email address is hoperisingpreschool@gmail.com. The local licensing phone number is 469-229-6900 and the PRS website is dfps.state.tx.us  

All children are required to have a current immunization record signed by the child’s physician and dated. Shot records also need to have the physicians address and name of facility on the shot record. The recommended immunization schedules for persons 0 to 18 years are approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the American Academy of Pediatrics aap.org, and the American Academy of Family Physicians aafp.org. 

See the current vaccine schedule for children up to 6 years. cdc.gov

• A polio and DTP Booster is required on or during the fourth year. We would really appreciate both boosters to be given at the beginning of the year. 
• A Hearing and Vision Screening is required for all four and five year olds in the program. 

“The State of Texas in law grants and acknowledges the right of parents to exempt their children from vaccination requirements for day care, school or college for reasons of conscience including a religious belief or for medical reasons.” 

The school will only accept official affidavit forms developed and issued by the Texas Dept. of State Health Services (DSHS,) Immunization Branch. These forms are valid for two years. According to the Texas Dept. of State Health Services: Online requests must be made through the web submission form posted at: webds.dshs.state.tx.us/immco/affidavit.shtm  

Notice of Non-Discriminatory Policy: Hope Rising Preschool admits children of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to participants in the program. Hope Rising does not discriminate of its educational, admissions or scholarship/loan programs. Hope Rising does not have a preventable vaccination requirement for staff.