April 2011

Tuition

Remember that for most of our families the last tuition payment for the school year will be due on April 1. A few families that enrolled after school began will owe their last payment in May. Please check your electronic receipt which will show if you have any balance due in May.

Summer Camp

Summer Camp registration will cap at 48. A few openings remain if you are interested.

Fall 2011

A few openings remain in our MWF 9-1 class. We have a number of openings for 3 year olds in our TTH 9-12 class so spread the word!!

Lunch Bunch

Lunch Bunch has become very, very popular. Please try to sign up at least 24 hours in advance to ensure a spot. The sign up envelopes are outside of the office. Sometimes we can accommodate last minute enrollment. Please call or email the office and we will let you know if space is available.

Dismissal

With warmer weather upon us we know the children like to have a run and the families to visit after school dismisses. Please keep you children in sight and sound supervision. Please discourage them from banging on windows. Classes are sometimes still in session and staff members are often in planning meetings after school.

Late Pick Up

Sad to say some families are beginning to make a habit of picking the children up late. The children and staff become concerned when pick up is delayed. We understand that emergencies do happen and we do appreciate a call to let us know what is up.

Fund Raising

We hope you plan to be at Chik-Fil-A on April 6 for our fundraiser. The flyer may be downloaded and shared with family and friends. It is necessary to take the flyer with you to the restaurant.

Thank you also for your participation in the Original Works spring fundraiser

Funds will be used for additional playground mats and to help pay for the preschool portion of an AccuCut die cutting machine.

Thank you

Thank you for your patience the past six weeks while my husband has been ill.

Since Mike will be home from work until at least the beginning of May and will probably not be allowed to drive until then, I am endeavoring to make his dr. appointments so that they will not interfere with my scheduled work hours. Regrettably I was unable to achieve that goal with one appointment in late April.  Once he begins cardio rehab I will be arranging for drivers to take him to and from those appointments.

March 2011

Check Out Creative Movement

We would love for you to have a chance to see what the children do in their 20 minute movement class with Mrs. Wilcox.   There is a sign up sheet posted outside of your child’s classroom and if you would like to visit the happenings in Room 1, please sign up.  We are limiting the visitors each of the 3 scheduled weeks to 3 or 4 due to space limitations.

Original Works

Keep a look out for our spring Original Works Fundraising. Information will be coming home in about a week. Fundraising monies this year have been earmarked for major equipment purchases such as new rugs, playground mats, and new tables.

Chick-fil-A Spirit Night

Join us on April 6 between 4 and 8 at the Chick-fil-A located at 9509 Fairfax Blvd. Bring along the flyer you will be receiving in a few weeks so that the preschool can earn 20% of your order. Watch for more information soon.

Summer Camp

Openings still remain for the summer camp. To help plan staffing we ask that you register by April 1. The registration sheets are located on the “pencil” book shelf.

Registration 2011-12

Openings remain in both our TTH 9-12 and TTH 9-1 programs. In addition a few openings remain in our MWF 9-1 program. You are our best advertisement so please spread the word!!

Personal Note

My husband will be having heart surgery on Friday, March 11. For the two weeks after that I will not have regular office hours but will continue to work on “pesky paperwork” from home and will be in contact via phone and email with my staff. I will be in the office when the schedule allows. If your children ask where I am, just tell them that Mr. DeLoose is sick and I am taking care of him. Thank you all for your understanding.

February

2011-12 Registration

It is wonderful to know that so many of our families will be returning to us in the fall. We will bid a sad farewell to those who are moving on (to Kindergarten) as well as to those who are moving from the area.

We still have plenty of openings in our TTH program as well as a few openings in our MWF 9-1 program.

You are our best advertisers, so please spread the word!!

Big Hugs

The overwhelming outpouring of support for our latest Shoeboxes for the Troops project has been a blessing.  This year, project coordinator and staff member, Kareen Lawson, reports that 75 boxes were collected.  32 boxes will go to a forward supply company of Marines currently serving in Afghanistan.  43 of the boxes will go to the Army 49th EOD also serving in Afghanistan.  Ryan Miller, a member of Lord of Life Church and an alumnus of Lord of Life Preschool, is serving with that unit.

Box Tops for Education

Thank you to all who are contributing to our Box Tops for Education. Our walls were covered with the Valentine sheets proudly presented by many of your children. Much appreciation goes to Micaela Williamson for counting, mailing and most of all for her marvelous collection ideas. Please keep helping to fill up the Box Tops jar. Our next submission will be at the beginning of March.

Fund Raising Money

The funds you have helped to raise this year for the preschool have gone for replacement of an area rug and for the purchase of new construction equipment for the Big Room. After consulting with our VDSS licensing specialist, it was decided to purchase playground mats for under the web climber and monkey bars. Fundraising monies will be used to for this project.

Keep a look out for our Original Art Works Fundraiser coming in the Spring.

Summer Camp

Information on our Summer Camp to be held in June will be coming your way by March 1.

January

Communication is very important to Lord of Life Preschool. Office and classroom newsletters and announcements are sent home electronically. Office and class newsletters are posted on the website and also posted outside of room 1. Announcements are also posted on our Facebook page. If you prefer paper copies, let the office know.

All school Pajama Days are January 11 and 12. Your children may wear jammies to school but need to bring in outdoor shoes since we will go out to the playground.

Chapel Days are January 12 and 13 and January 26 and 27. Please join us in the sanctuary at 9:30.

There is no school on January 17, January 31, and February 1.

The preschool is in the midst of its annual Shoeboxes for the Troops project. Please consider filling a box. Information was sent home the week of January 3. The boxes are due to the preschool by January 28. Donations are also being accepted to offset postal costs.

Information on 2011-12 classes and registration was sent home in late December. The same information as well as the 2011-12 registration form is located on the preschool website. Registration for currently enrolled students and their siblings begins February 2 at 9 a.m. in Room 1. Please bring in your completed registration form and registration fee.

Should the 5 day class not fill by 2:30 p.m. on the first day registration is open in house to currently enrolled families who meet the criteria, then the class will open to currently enrolled students who are entering their second year at the preschool and who turn 5 before March 15, 2012. There will be a clip board containing a waitlist form for that class available on Feb. 2. Families are advised to enroll their children in a MWF class and not wait to see if there will be availability in the 5 day class.

If your child is going to go to Kindergarten in the fall of 2011, you should check with the school your child will attend to see when registration begins and when their orientation is going to be. For those of you going to Oakview, the orientation is Monday, March 28 at 1:00.

December

Registration for Fall 2011

As difficult as it is to believe, registration for the September 2011-May 2012 School Year will begin in February.

January conference time will offer you an opportunity to explore ideas for next school year with your child’s teachers. The class offerings are on the back of this form.

• Registration for currently enrolled students and their younger siblings begins February 2 at 9 a.m.

• Registration for former preschool families, children of former preschool students and church members begins February 4 at 9 a.m.

• Registration opens to the public February 7 at 9 a.m.

• No registrations will be accepted before February 2. Any registration arriving by mail before February 2 will be returned to you unopened.

Registration Steps

1. Fill out the registration form and sign the back. A registration form must be filled out for each student in a family. The 2011-12 form will be on line in January. If you are interested in Awesome Authors, write that on the top of the registration form.

2. Staple a check for the $120 registration fee to the form. The $120 non-refundable registration fee is required for each student in a family each school year.

3. Bring the check and form to room one and put in the appropriate bin.

4. The office must see the birth certificate or passport for new students by March 1 for the registration to be complete.

Late November Office Update

Newsletter
Misplaced your class newsletter?  Remember it is posted on the website (www.lordoflifepreschool.org) and also posted outside of Room 1.   The preschool is on Facebook.  Become a fan today.

Sing a Long
Families are invited to join us for our annual Sing a Long.  Please remember this is a Sing a Long and not a performance by the children.  The event is held in the Sanctuary.

Wednesday,  December 15 at 11:40 - Lawson, Hogan, Rozsa
Wednesday,  December 15 at 12:40 - Jones, Gray
Thursday,   December 16  at 11:40 - Sanders, Hogan, Jones, Rozsa

Breakfast with Santa
Come and join the preschool for Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 4 from 8:30 a.m.-11 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall, Fairfax.  It is a wonderful opportunity for families to take their children’s picture with Santa as well as sample some tasty breakfast offerings.

Donations of non-perishable food will collected at the event for Food For Others.

Unable to attend the Breakfast but interested in donating?  There will be a container for donations located by the office.  A listing of needed items follows at the end of the update.

Lunch Bunch
Lunch Bunch fills up quickly during the Holiday Season.  Please sign up early!!

School Break
The last of school in December will be the 17th.  There is no school the weeks of December 20 and 27th.

2011-12
Hard as it is to believe since we are just 3 months into the school year that it is time to begin thinking about next school year.  Program offerings for 2011-12 are being discussed and information on classes, tuition, and registration will be available after the Christmas break.  Registration will be in early February.

Food for Others is in need of the following items:
Canned tuna
Canned meats – ham, turkey, chicken, and beef
Peanut butter and jelly
Soups
Cereal
Vegetables – canned
Fruit - canned
Beans – dried or canned
Macaroni and Cheese
Boxed Meals
Pasta and Pasta Sauce
Rice
Fruit Juice
Sugar and Flour
Coffee, Tea or Drink Mix

November

Thank you all for sharing your delightful children with us and for being part of the Lord of Life family.

Upcoming dates

Nov. 1, 2 - No school
Nov. 10, 11 - Chapel
Nov. 17, 18 - Chapel
Nov. 24-26 - No school

Food-Marvelous Food

For  PEANUT FREE rooms please remember to check the snack label. The snack may have been made on a machine also used to make items containing peanuts. Also remember that Lunch Bunch is to always be Peanut Free.

Please check with the classroom teacher before sending in birthday treats.  Cookies and brownies work the best. 

Don’t forget to give the lunch boxes a quick wipe once in awhile.  Spills do happen.

Communication

Thank you for letting us know in writing or by phone when someone other than the usual person is picking up your child.

Photos

Photos will be in before Thanksgiving.  They will not be sent home for viewing.  There will times during the school day as well as on evening to view and purchase photos.  The money earned from this fundraiser will be used to purchase a variety of blocks for the big room.

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY

If Fairfax County Schools are closed all day, there will be no school and no Lunch Bunch. If there is a delay, classes will meet 10-12 and 10-1.  Lunch Bunch will meet on time. If Fairfax County Schools close early, classes will meet as scheduled but there will be no Lunch Bunch.

Late Pick Up

Your child must be picked up promptly at his/her classroom door at the end of the session. If you are late in picking up your child, there will be a $20 fee assessed for every 15 minutes that you are late. This goes into effect ten minutes after dismissal time. 

Boxtops4 Education

We collect these all year round and submit them to the company twice a year.  We just made a submission at the end of October.  Thank you all for contributing. Special thanks to Micaela Williamson for counting, sorting and mailing.

October

Thank you all for sharing your delightful children with us and for being part of the Lord of Life family. We are off to what looks to be a fun and exciting year.

Upcoming dates

Discovery Toy “Raiser” September 28, 29
Chapel September 29, 30
T-shirt orders due October 1
No school October 11
Chapel October 13, 14
Back to School nights October 18, 20
Class photos October 21, 22
Chapel October 27, 28
Halloween celebration October 28, 29

Food-Marvelous Food

We are seeing some good snacks and lunches coming in. Plus most are child friendly—the children can open and serve themselves. What a great way to encourage independence.

Thank you for trying to abide by the VDSS regulations regarding two part snacks and nutritious lunches. We do serve water, so drinks and drink boxes are not necessary. Also please do not send candy in the lunches.

Thank you for sending and labeling snack and Lunch Bunch food separately. It helps immensely. The office staff is looking forward to the day when we do not have to label any boxes when we do our morning check of lunches and snacks.

For PEANUT FREE rooms please remember to check the snack label. Also remember that Lunch Bunch is to always be Peanut Free.

We have increased our Lunch Bunch limit to 12. It is crucial that you sign up 24 hours early. We know emergencies do happen and you may need to sign up the day of but please try to avoid that as much as possible.

Traffic

Kiss and Ride, arrival and dismissal times in the parking lot have had only a few issues. Please remember to drive slowly in the parking lot. 15 miles per hour or better yet, no faster than a 3 year old can walk, is advisable. Our goal is to end Kiss and Ride at 9:10.

If you are not using Kiss and Ride, please remember to back out carefully and go out the way you came in. Do not drive around and pass the Kiss and Ride line.

Communication

Thank you for letting us know when your child is going to be absent. It saves us from worrying.

Class newsletters and other important information are posted on the website and will be archived.

In addition you can follow us on Facebook. Lord of Life Preschool-Fairfax.

Chapel

Families are invited to join us for chapel in the sanctuary at 9:30 a.m.

Back to School Nights

These are for the entire family including your child. Specific times for your Back to School Night will come from your child’s teachers.

Arrival and Dismissal

Things do happen sometimes that delay your arrival to school. We encourage you to arrive as close to 9 as possible. It is tough on some of the little ones to enter the classroom when activities are already underway.

Also please be here at dismissal time. We understand that traffic sometimes causes issues and we thank you for calling us when you are stuck. That way we can give the children reassurance.

Last year some families were chronically late and so the board is going to reexamine the current late policy and late fee structure.

Also remember that due to liability issues children and families cannot be on the playground after dismissal if there is a class on the playground.

Halloween

We celebrate Halloween at Lord of Life. Each teacher will give you specific info about their celebrations. Here are some general guidelines:

• Children’s costumes should not be hot. Some of the fleece costumes are cute but the children overheat at school when they wear them.
• No weapons and no masks.
• Children need to be able to get in and out of their costumes with a minimum of help so that they can go to the bathroom

August

We are looking forward to seeing all of you soon.

All of you should have received an email regarding important dates for your class. In addition you should have received the family manual electronically. The updated emergency policy manual is attached. A few paper copies will be available in the office.

Thank you so to all who have made your August payment on time.  We have decided to not send out August receipts, however you will be sent a receipt after you make your September payment. This will be done electronically.

Please remember that tuition payments are to be made August 1 through April 1. A late payment charge will be added to any account that is not paid by the tenth of the month.

We encourage you to utilize our on line payment option. If you have problems setting it up, please contact Gary James our church administrator at 703-323-9500. We do not take credit cards.

Most of you have turned in your paperwork including permission form, data form, emergency form, and medical form (new students). Please bring in any remaining forms when you come by for your classroom “meet and greet.” I will be mailing a few forms back that are missing items. Blank forms may be downloaded from the preschool website www.lordoflifepreschool.org.

The medical form for new students only must be filled out by the doctor’s office. If your child has had a physical within the past 11 months, then that physical can be the one recorded on the form.

If your child has a food or medication allergy, please let the office know. Most of you noted this information on the data form, but please double check that we have noted it. If your child will be bringing medication to leave at school such as an epipen, please let the office know so that we can get you the form that needs to be completed by the doctor. Please note that a number of staff members have Medication Administration Training, however the training covered Epipens and did not cover Twinjets. Staff will have to seek further training if your child uses a Twinjet.

Between now and the beginning of school there will generally be someone in the office M-F from 9-2. So give a call or drop by if you have questions or just to say hi.

Late July

Website: Check the website often. The annual calendar is on line. Plus all the needed forms and the updated family manual are right there. Class newsletters will be posted on the website after they are sent to you electronically.

Tuition is due August 1.

A late fee of $25 will be charged for tuition not received by the close of school on the 10th of the month. This fee will be reflected on your tuition ledger sheet.

Forms: Both new and returning families have received forms to complete. The office would love to have them in as soon as possible. If the preschool office is closed, the forms may be left with the church office.

• Data form
• Permission form
• Emergency form/pick up authorization
• Physical form (for new students only)

August playground play dates: We encourage you and your child to visit the preschool playground for an informal play date with other members of your class. If your schedule allows, please consider dropping by the playground at around 10 for a fun time.

August 23       WF class
August 24       5 day class and MWF 9-12 class
August 25       TTH 9-12 classes
August 26       MWF 9-1 classes
August 27       MTTH and TTH 9-1 classes

Check the calendar on the website for the dates for Dessert with the Director and classroom orientation.

Meet and greet

Your child’s teaching team will be in contact with you regarding a time in late August or early September to come by and meet the teachers.

Office Hours

The office will be closed August 2-August 14. It will reopen August 16.

Late June Preschool Update

Although the halls are quiet now, work continues at the preschool in anticipation of an exciting 2010-11 school year.

You have received a number of forms that will be due to the school by August 1 (preferably) or no later than your child’s orientation day in September. Both new and returning families need to fill out and return these forms. If you are enrolling multiple children, please fill out forms for each child.

• Data form
• Permission form
• Emergency form/pick up authorization
• Physical form (for new students only)

The first scheduled tuition payment is due August 1. If you will be on vacation at that time, please make arrangements for your August payment before you leave. The school’s financial policy is attached. We encourage you to consider on line payments. You will be receiving a copy of your payments to date later in the month.

Office hours during the summer are generally 9-12 for any questions that you may have. Please do not hesitate to call 703-323-5581. The office will be closed June 30-July7.

Dates of importance for August and September are on the website, www.lordoflifepreschool.org.

We look forward to a wonderful year together.

May

Openings

Openings still remain in the TTH 9-1 class. Your recommendation to neighbors and friends is our best advertisement.

Next School Year

Returning families will receive a packet before the end of school that will contain a number of forms that will be due to the school on Orientation Day.

The first scheduled tuition payment is due August 1. If you will be on vacation at that time, please make arrangements for your August payment before you leave.

Summer Camp

A few openings remain for our eight day summer camp in June. Registration forms are available in the office.

Race for the Cure

Lord of Life Preschool is fielding a team for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure to be held in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, June 5. Our team captain is again staff member Kareen Lawson. If you would like to run or walk with us, you can register at www.nationalraceforthecure.org/. We are Team Lord of Life. Donation forms are available at the office.

Special Thank You

Thank you to all who contributed to our Box Tops for Education. The latest check received was for $91. Much appreciation to Debbie Davis for counting and mailing. Please keep helping to fill up the Box Tops jar. Our next submission will be at the end of May.

Original Art Works was again a great success. We only “lost” a bit of money from a few magnets that were not returned or not paid for. The over $600 made has gone toward new housekeeping furniture in Room 6 and towards a new digital camera for the school.

Parking Lot Safety

Your children’s safety is our major concern. Please keep your child in their car seat while driving in the parking lot and while waiting in the Kiss and Ride line.

Because of the recent safety concerns we are reevaluating whether to continue Kiss and Ride for next year.

No School May 31. The last days of school are May 3 and 4th.