Frequently Asked Questions

We are open daily from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. We operate on a traditional calendar schedule from September through mid-May.

No. We are a half-day program. Many of our families employ nannies or have family members care for their children before and after preschool. Children must be picked up at 1:30 pm. There is a grace period until 1:35 pm. After 1:35 there is a $25 late pick up fee.

Our tuition rates are established based upon the projected expenses for the school year. The major factors affecting tuition rates are salaries for staff and supply costs. Our current tuition rates are:

• Two Days: $285

• Three Days: $345

• Four Days (Pre-K Only): $430

• Five Days: $505

Placement is based upon the following factors:

• The child’s date of birth. To be in a particular class, your child must be the age of that class before school starts. For example, they must be two years old by 8/31 of the current year school to be in a two-year-old class. There is no testing available for promoting a student to an older class if they do not meet the date of birth requirement.

• The number of days a parent chooses for their child to attend.

• Class makeup.

• Teacher requests are accepted but not guaranteed.

Staff-to-student ratios:

• Infants: 2:6

• Ones: 2:8

• Twos: 2:10

• Threes: 2:11

• Pre-K (Fours): 2:12

• Transitional Kindergarten: 2:10

Each day, parents provide a peanut-free snack and lunch along with a water bottle for their child. For infants, parents provide formula and/or any food items needed. Infants will be fed when hungry.

Due to the number of severe peanut allergies, Little Lambs is a peanut-free school. If a student in your child’s classroom has a severe allergy of another type, we may restrict that item from being brought into the classroom.

• 9:25 – 9:30 drop off at classroom door

• 9:30 – 9:45 welcoming activities (tabletop and carpet)

• 9:50 – 10:05 circle time

• 10:10 – 10:35 specials (music or discovery)

• 10:40 – 11:10 centers

• 11:15 – 11:45 lunch

• 11:50 – 12:05 Bible time

• 12:15 – 12:45 playground or gym

• 12:50 – 1:00 wash hands and prep for snack

• 1:00 – 1:15 snack

• 1:15 – 1:30 dismissal activity

• 1:30 – 1:35 pick up at classroom door

Little Lambs is a half-day program. Only children in the infant class will take naps during the school day. If a child should fall asleep while at school, we will make the parents aware and allow the child to rest an appropriate amount of time after consulting with the parents.

Tuition is billed approximately five days prior to the first day of each month through our Brightwheel app and is due on the first day of the month. The tuition may be paid online through the app. Payment options include online autopay with a debit card, credit card, or bank account, check made payable to Bay Leaf Baptist Church, or cash. Checks or cash should be submitted to the Little Lambs office. Tuition is considered late if not received by the 5th of the month and a late fee of $25 will be added on the 6th of the month.

We communicate through our Brightwheel app which has a feature similar to texting. We ask that you turn on notifications, so you are aware when we are trying to communicate with you. If there is an emergency, you will be contacted by phone at the number you provided during registration.

Our Brightwheel communication and billing app allows us to communicate with you throughout the day (this includes sending you pictures of how your child’s day is going). Messages and pictures are updated when possible.

After the first two weeks of school, there will be opportunities to help with classroom needs including planning and facilitating special events, mystery readers, and other needs your child’s teacher will share with you.

An experienced security organization has given us a thorough evaluation and provided us with guidance for setting up our school security and safety policies. These are re-evaluated on a yearly and as-needed basis.

The security drills are not practiced with the children, but staff are trained yearly and are prepared to handle these types of emergencies.

Exterior doors remained locked except during drop-off and pick-up times. Parents drop off and pick up at the classroom door.

Should a parent/guardian designate someone else to pick up their child, they must be listed as an approved pickup in their child’s Brightwheel account and their driver’s license will be checked to ensure the child’s safety. We do periodically practice fire and tornado drills with the children.

It is expected that children are sent to school healthy, well-rested, fed, and ready for school. A child who has any symptoms of illness should be kept home. Please keep children home for at least 24 hours after the following symptoms have ended without the aid of medication:

• Acute cold/upper respiratory infection

• Fever of 100.4 or higher (axillary temperature of 99.4 or higher)

• Diarrhea

• Vomiting

• Sore throat that has not been cleared by a physician

• Red or discharging eyes that have not been cleared by a physician

• Skin rash that has not been cleared by a physician

For those illnesses that are more contagious (ex. flu, strep throat, COVID-19, etc.) please follow the guidance of your healthcare provider before returning your child to school and notify us.

Children who become sick at school will be taken to the program office and families or their designated contacts will be called to pick up their child as soon as possible.

Each applicant goes through an interview process including a background check and reference checks. Our most important requirements when looking for staff are that the person is a follower of Jesus Christ and loves to work with young children. We also look for early education training/certifications, education degrees, and prior teaching experience.

• Infant, one-, two- and three-year-old classes use Frogstreet and ACSI Purpose Driven Life Bible Curriculum.

• Pre-K (fours) use Letter Land and ACSI Purpose Driven Life Bible Curriculum.

• Transitional kindergarten uses Abeka and ACSI Purpose Driven Life Bible Curriculum.

Our staff is trained yearly on CPR and First Aid, and we offer additional training periodically during the school year.

While we do not require COVID vaccinations, the following immunizations are required:

• DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis),

• HBV (hepatitis B),

• Hib (haemophilus B),

• IPV (inactivated polio vaccine),

• PCV (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine)

• MMR (measles, mumps, rubella),

• Var (chickenpox)

We do not accept religious exemptions. Medical exemptions are reviewed for acceptance on a case-by-case basis.

As soon as we are aware a space will be available, we will begin to call people on the waiting list beginning with the first person and moving down the list until the opening is filled.

We use a hospital-grade disinfectant that is safe for young children. In addition, we use our Zono machine to clean toys used in the classroom throughout the school day.

You are able to choose this on your child’s registration form. You may also send a note to the director to have your child’s picture excluded from social media.

We have no potty-training requirements and work with the children where they are developmentally.

No child will be subjected to any form of physical punishment or verbal abuse. We direct and redirect children by giving examples of appropriate behavior. We use positive reinforcement techniques and pray regularly with the children.

Hebrews 12:5-6 suggests that discipline takes place when a loving relationship exists. We, as leaders at Little Lambs, believe praise and positive reinforcement are effective methods for the behavior management of children. In an effort to encourage good self-concepts, problem-solving abilities, and self-discipline, we will practice the following policies:

We:

• Praise, reward, and encourage the children.

• Reason with and set limits for the children.

• Model appropriate behavior for the children.

• Modify the classroom environment to attempt to prevent problems before they occur.

• Listen to the children.

• Provide alternatives for inappropriate behavior to the children.

• Provide the children with natural and logical consequences of their behaviors.

• Treat the children as people and respect their needs, desires and feelings.

• Ignore minor misbehavior.

• Explain things to the children on their level.

• Allot time away from activities or peers in order to engage in reflection or calming activities.

• Stay consistent in our behavior management program.

• Pray with the children regularly.

“Take a Minute” is when the child is removed from a class activity for a few minutes. This may be separation within the class, or the child may be taken to the office. During this time the child is given time to calm down, think about his/her choices, and given a chance to regroup so he/she can rejoin the class activities. When the child returns to the group, the incident is over, and the child is treated with the same affection and respect shown to the other children. A child will always have supervision during this time, whether in the classroom or in the office.

We believe that children learn best and are better prepared for future educational experiences if involved in age and developmentally appropriate activities in a child-initiated and teacher-directed environment.

The curriculums we use are developed based on brain research focusing on the different developmental domains and how children learn at a young age. Lessons are implemented in an engaging and fun way to encourage learning.