Month: October 2018

Three-Year-Old Program

Posted on by Devon Zuleger

Our program focuses on self-help skills, playing and communicating with peers, dramatic play, process art, science and math activities.  The daily schedule includes free choice, group time, outside play/large motor time, snack time, and music & movement.

Details & Curriculum

  • Small class sizes:  1:8 teacher/child ratio
  • Child focused, play-based curriculum encourages children to explore their environment and develop a love for learning, while building confidence and relationships
  • Activities and materials are chosen specifically to help build a child’s confidence and encourage exploring and learning
  • Teachers assemble a portfolio for each student demonstrating their learning and growth throughout the year

Options

  • You may enroll your child in a three hour morning session (8:45 a.m. -11:45 a.m.) or a three hour afternoon session (1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.).
  • You may enroll your child for three days a week (Tuesday/Thursday), three days a week (Monday/Wednesday/Friday), or five days a week (Monday-Friday).
  • You may also enroll your child in any of our Extended Care programs.

Requirements

  • Your child must be three (3) on or before September 1 to be eligible for enrollment
  • Your child does not need to be toilet-trained

Weather Policy

Posted on by Devon Zuleger

 Inclement Weather—Children will not play outside when:

  1. The temperature is below zero
  2. The temperature exceeds 90 degrees
  3. Conditions are hazardous, as determined by the Executive Director

*Boots, mittens, snow pants, and hats should be worn in winter weather, as we try to go outside each day. Boots are also encouraged in wet weather.*

Meeting House Nursery School will close when the Madison Metropolitan School District closes its public school programs or its 4K programs due to snow or weather-related causes.

In the event of a school closing the following will occur:

The Executive Director will make the decision to close and will notify all Staff.
If the decision is made to close when MMSD remains open parents will be notified by 7:30 a.m.
Local television station (Channel 15 WMTV) will also be notified and it will be added to the school closures at the bottom of the screen.
If the decision to close school is made after the school day has begun school families will be notified by phone and email.

Illness Policy

Posted on by Devon Zuleger

Illness
In accordance with State Licensing regulations, a child may not attend school if he/she shows any symptoms of illness such as sore throat, inflammation of the eyes, fever of 100 degrees or more, lice, cough, skin rash, diarrhea, vomiting, or other illness or condition having the potential to affect the health of others.

A child should be symptom-free for 24 hours and on the required prescription medication, if applicable, for the proper time to assure no communicability.

We will follow State Licensing guidelines and the guidelines of the Dane County Public Health Department with regard to illness and communicable disease.

  • A child who has been ill with infectious hepatitis, infectious mononucleosis, or tuberculosis must have a doctor’s permission to return to school.
  • A child who has head lice must be nit-free before returning to school.
  • If a child becomes ill at school, he/she will be isolated within sight and sound of a staff member. The parent/guardian or other authorized person will be notified to pick up the child immediately.
  • Families will be notified in writing if their child has been exposed to a communicable disease.

Health Form
All children and staff will have a health form on file in the school office.

Medication
Medication of any kind will not be administered to a child except on written order of the physician and/or written permission of the parent/guardian. This medication must be in the original container and bear the child’s name, dosage, and directions for administering. Medication also includes sunscreen, insect repellent and diapering cream. “Authorization to Administer Medication” forms are available in the office.

Emergency Treatment
Written permission from the parent/guardian to call the family physician or to refer the child for emergency medical care must be on file at school (Emergency Card and Enrollment Form). This permission will be used only when the child’s parent/guardian cannot be reached.

 

MHNS Traditions

Posted on by Devon Zuleger

Parent Orientation Night: At the beginning of each school year a general orientation meeting for parents/guardians is held at the school to introduce the families to the Board and Staff. Parents/guardians also meet in the classrooms with the classroom teachers. Teachers explain the classroom program, give examples of the learning that takes place through out the year, and answer questions. It is highly recommended that parents attend this very important meeting.

Family Night: Each fall the school has an Open House in the early evening for families, friends and relatives. Families visit classrooms, the playground, and have the opportunity to enjoy refreshments.

Child of the Week: This is a popular tradition in our older classes (Room 2 & 4). It is designed to enhance each child’s self-esteem by giving them an opportunity for special attention. During their child’s week, parents/guardians are encouraged to send in photos, share some time at school, bring in a special snack or share a family tradition. Parents should consult with the teachers for ideas.

Scholastic Book Club: Each month a paper flyer is placed in student mail tubes. There is an option to turn money and order form into the office or order online yourself using the Meeting House code. Each purchase in this optional program provides bonus points for Meeting House. The school uses the points to purchase books and equipment.

Birthdays: Families are welcome to send in a special snack or visit the classroom to celebrate a child’s birthday. Please be sure snacks are free of all peanut/nut products and have not been processed in a facility that uses nuts/peanuts. Some families purchase a gift for the school to commemorate the day and all such donations are always welcome! A “Wish List” is posted for each classroom.

School Photographs: In Spring school photos are taken. Class pictures and individual photos are available for purchase. A portion of the sales is given to the school by the photographer.

Week of the Young Child: Each Spring a week is designated as the Week of the Young Child. This is a national event sponsored by NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children). Fun events are planned all week that may include Pajama Day, Beach Day or an all-school sing along.

Special Person Night: On an evening during Week of the Young Child each child is asked to invite one special adult to attend an open house at school. This casual evening provides an opportunity to meet the teachers, explore the classroom and playground all at your own pace! Children typically invite a grandparent, mom or dad, close adult friend or a child care provider.

Fall/Spring Spruce-up Day: This is our annual playground clean up day which includes gardening, weeding, painting and repairing our building and playgrounds. It is a great way to socialize with other Meeting House families.

“Parents Night Out” Silent Auction: Local businesses (and families) are solicited for items beginning in January. We open an online auction format about a week before the event. The “Parent’s Night Out”, adult-only evening in April, is our live and silent auction event. This is a casual, fun filled of community building with other parents. The Fundraising Committee plans this event and strives to create a fun, pressure free and casual atmosphere for all families to attend!

End of the Year Picnic: This is an opportunity for families to bring a picnic supper and enjoy the company of other families and Staff members at a local park.

Registration Information

Posted on by Devon Zuleger

 

Our Registration for the 2024-2025 school year is OPEN.

Our current openings include:

  • 2 year old: Tuesday/Thursday AM
  • 3 year old: All PM programs
  • 4 year old: Full Day 

Register Here

All registration is done online. When you submit the online registration, you will receive an email of confirmation. If you do not receive the confirmation email, please reach out to Office@MeetingHouseNurserySchool.org. If you are not yet on our communication list, you will first need to start by submitting your information here. 

2024-2025 Schedule Options, Tuition and Fees

 

General Information

Registration is for the 9.5 month academic year and parents/guardians sign a contract for enrollment.

Children are placed in classes based on chronological age.

Children must be two (2) years of age by September 1st of the enrolling year to be eligible for enrollment.

A non-refundable $110 registration fee is due at the time registration materials are submitted for consideration. Families will receive a confirmation letter when the registration process is completed and a space has been secured for the child.

A non-refundable, one-month tuition deposit is due within 5 days of receipt of the confirmation to secure child’s placement. Tuition installments are paid on the first of the month, September through May, there are nine in total.

Enrollment Priorities

Priority for registration shall be given as follows:
  • Children/grandchildren of staff members
  • Currently enrolled children and their siblings
  • Children of University of Wisconsin employees or students
  • Families on the communication list prioritized by date of contact

Waitlists will be composed of children who were not offered a place in the program or their choice of placement in a particular class.  The waitlist will follow the priority schedule. Parents of children on the waitlist will be notified if a space becomes available (even if their child is already placed in a different class).

Madison Metropolitan School District 4K

Meeting House Nursery School is a contracted 4K site for the Madison Metro School District (MMSD). Families must register with Meeting House Nursery School (January) and MMSD (March) in order to be registered in 4K. When registering with MMSD you will need to choose Meeting House as your site preference.

Extended programs are available for 4K children and are charged accordingly.

Additional information about MMSD can be found here.

Withdrawal

If a parent or legal guardian wishes to withdraw his/her child after July 1st and the Executive Director is able to find a child to fill the vacancy, the family will be financially responsible for only as much of the school year as has passed until the vacancy is filled.  If another child is not found to fill the vacancy, the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) will be financially responsible for the tuition charge for the remainder of the year.  The registration fee and tuition deposit is nonrefundable in either case.

If a family withdraws before July 1st, the registration fee and last month’s tuition deposit will be nonrefundable. The family will not, however, be financially responsible for any further school tuition.  The tuition deposit for the Extended Programs and/or the Lunch Bunch Program is non-refundable and will not be applied to other tuition fees.

In the event that the school asks to have a child withdrawn, any unused portion of tuition will be reimbursed to the family.  The registration fee is nonrefundable.

 If a child is withdrawn for medical reasons, physician’s statement provided and board approval granted, the parent or legal guardian will be liable for only the fees already incurred.  The registration fee is nonrefundable.

Enrollment To Do

Posted on by Devon Zuleger

 

If you have received a confirmation of placement for the upcoming school year, the following items will need to be completed for attendance in the fall. Reminders and any additional needs will be sent throughout the summer.

 

Enrollment Forms:

Enrollment and Health History_ Emergency Care Plan (This form is only for children who are new to MHNS)

Student Immunization record (or you can get a copy from WIR)

Health Report (signed by Doctor) You can request a health report in one of two ways:
1) By logging into MyChart (or similar app) and requesting an electronic copy. Once the report is emailed to you, you can forward to Office@MeetingHouseNurserySchool.org
2) Call your doctor’s office and request one to be mailed to the school (MHNS does not have a fax line) at 900 University Bay Dr. 53705.

Auto-pay: Signing up for auto-pay means you have one less thing to remember each month! You can sign up for free using a checking or savings account. You can also use a credit card, but there is a 2.7% processing fee for each transaction. You can sign up by completing the form linked above and sending it to Office@MeetingHouseNurserySchool.org or mailing it to the school at 900 University Bay Dr. 53705.

Resources:

COVID-19

Posted on by Devon Zuleger

Meeting House Nursery School board passed new COVID-19 Policies and Procedures to help keep our children, families, and staff safe this school year.

Here are just a few programmatic changes we implemented to stay safe while learning through play:

  • Small class sizes that stay together throughout the day
  • Staggered drop off and pick up
  • Extra rotation of materials and equipment to be cleaned and sanitized
  • Limited interaction with staff and other classrooms
  • Masks are required for anyone 5 or older and highly encouraged for the rest of our children. We have had great success with our younger children wearing masks while inside and outside when in close contact with others.
  • HEPA air filtration units in every classroom (December 2020)
  • Health checks for our staff and children
  • Contactless sign in and out
  • Outdoor classrooms that provide play based learning for fine and gross motor development, social and emotional growth, sensory, art, language, literature, adventure, exploration , science and math.
  • Our programs are spending at least half of our time outside exploring over 4 acres of trails, orchards and play space on the First Unitarian Society (FUS) site.

To learn more, please read our complete COVID-19 policies and procedures here.

Accreditation

Posted on by Devon Zuleger

Licensing
Meeting House Nursery School is licensed by the State Department of Children and Families. Periodic visits are made by a State Licensing Specialist, which includes an inspection of the school’s records and facility. The school is re-licensed every two years. The purpose of licensing is to protect and promote the health, safety, and welfare of children in child care centers.

City Accreditation
Meeting House Nursery School is accredited by the City of Madison through the Child Care Unit of the Office of Community Services. Accreditation specialists make annual visits to the school, focusing on program content and staff/child interactions.

Young Star
Meeting House Nursery School has received the highest rating for a program (5-stars) in the Young Star Quality Rating Scale. You can find out more about YoungStar at www.youngstar.wi.gov

 

UW-Madison Child Care Network
Meeting House Nursery School is a member of the UW-Madison Child Care Network.
Families with connection to UW-Madison (students and employees) can receive discounts/reimbursements on tuition from the UW-Madison upon qualification.