Preparing for the First Day

It is essential that all required paperwork be completed before the first day of school.

New Students
Parents of new students should have already met with Miss Laurie to complete the necessary enrollment forms. If you have not yet met with her, please email l.kruse@pal.school as soon as possible to arrange a time.

Returning Students
Parents of returning students should have received an email with a link to update and submit required forms. If you did not receive this email, please contact Mr. Hoffman at j.hoffman@pal.school promptly.

Miss Laurie will have a new CACFP form for you to update when the children are settled.

Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring that all paperwork is completed and on file so we can have a smooth start to the school year.

As part of our daily routine and safety protocol at Play and Learn, all parents are required to follow the sign-in and sign-out procedure each day.

Upon arrival and dismissal, please:

1. Locate the daily attendance sheet near the classroom or designated area.
2. Find your child’s name on the list.
3. Leave your signature, and
4. Write the time of drop-off or pick-up,
5. Provide the most relevant phone number where you can be reached during the day.

This attendance sheet is not only used to track daily arrivals and departures—it is also the first document we refer to in the event of an emergency. 

At pick-up time, please:

1. Locate the daily attendance sheet,
2. Find your child’s name on the list.
3. Sign next to your child’s name and
4. Write the time of pick-up.

This step is essential for ensuring the safety and accountability of all children in our care. We appreciate your continued cooperation in following this simple but important procedure each day.

For morning care drop off, parents should ring the doorbell at the main entrance. A staff member will buzz you in.  Once inside, please proceed directly to the designated classroom to drop off your child.

Staff will escort morning care children to their proper classrooms at 8:30am.

Arrival for all preschool students takes place on the playground side of the building between 8:30 AM and 8:50 AM.

To ensure a smooth start to the day and to give your child the best possible learning experience, it is important that all children arrive no later than 8:50 AM. Arriving on time allows your child to:

• Settle into the classroom routine
• Participate in morning activities and group time
• Engage fully in the learning experiences planned for the day

Late arrivals can be disruptive to the class and may cause your child to miss important parts of the day’s instruction.

Consistent late arrival will require a meeting with the school's Family Worker.

In order to maintain a safe and smooth dismissal process each day we ask that all parents be patient, especially in September when we are getting to know all of the new faces.  Dismissal will take place from the same door used for morning arrival—on the playground side of the building.

We offer two dismissal times:

• 2:30 PM
• 2:45 PM

To help us prepare and ensure a calm end to the day, parents will be asked their preferred dismissal time at morning drop-off each day. This allows teachers to have the children ready and helps us avoid congestion during pick-up.

All children that are not enrolled in the aftercare program must be picked up by 3:00pm.  Children that remain after 3:00pm will be placed in the aftercare room and a late fee will be assessed.  Consistent lateness will require a meeting with the school's Family Worker.

At the end of the regular school day, children enrolled in aftercare will be escorted by staff to the designated aftercare classroom.  Parents will be notified of the specific classroom location to make pick-up easy and convenient.

For aftercare pick-up, parents should ring the doorbell at the main entrance. A staff member will buzz you in.  Once inside, please proceed directly to the designated classroom to pick up your child.

These steps help us maintain a secure environment while providing a seamless handoff to families at the end of the day. As always, your child’s safety and comfort remain our top priorities.

All children must be picked up prior to 6:00pm.  A late fee will be assessed for pick up after 6:00pm.  Consistent lateness will require a meeting with the school's Family Worker.  Please remember that it is a long day for some of the staff and they have families to care for as well.

Having accurate and up-to-date information is essential to ensure we can reach you in the event of an emergency, illness, or unexpected change in your child's day. It is also critical that only individuals you have listed on your approved pick-up form are permitted to sign your child out of school.

Important!

If you need to make any changes to your child’s records, please visit the main office to update the necessary forms. For the safety and security of all children, we cannot make exceptions to the approved pick-up list without written authorization from a parent or guardian on the emergency form. All individuals picking up children must present valid photo identification.

Play and Learn School partners with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) to provide breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack for all children. Parents will receive a monthly menu listing the meals for each day.  Substitute options are available on days when meat is the main component. Please inform your child’s teacher of any dietary restrictions so meal counts can be placed accurately. All meals must be ordered by 9:00 AM each day; children arriving after 9:00 AM must bring a complete lunch from home.

September's menu is available for download below.

At Play and Learn, outdoor play is an important and active part of our daily routine. To ensure your child can participate safely and comfortably, we require the children to wear sneakers every day.

Sneakers provide the proper support and protection for running, climbing, and active play on our playground. Sandals, Crocs, boots, or open-toed shoes can be unsafe and may prevent your child from fully participating in outdoor activities.

Please help us by making sure your child wears closed-toe sneakers with rubber soles each day. If your child arrives in shoes that are not safe for outdoor play, we will need to limit their activity to keep them safe.

Thank you for your support in helping us provide a fun and safe environment for all of our students. If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out.

At Play and Learn, we are committed to keeping you informed and involved in your child’s preschool experience. To help us stay connected, we use the Kamybu app to share important updates and information about classroom activities, photos, events, reminders, and more.

The Kamybu app allows you to:

• See photos and highlights from your child’s day
• Receive announcements and reminders directly from the classroom
• Stay updated on upcoming events, activities, and important dates
• Communicate with your child’s teacher in a secure and convenient way

Download and install now so that you are ready for the first communications from the classroom.  It is available on both the App Store and Google Play.