Hillsborough County Public Schools’ Voluntary ...

1 Hillsborough County Public Schools Voluntary prekindergarten Program (VPK) Parent handbook Welcome! Thank you for choosing a Hillsborough County Public School for your child s VPK experience. Our mission is to work collaboratively with parents to ensure that the children we serve are ready for kindergarten. All of our VPK teachers are certified to teach in Florida. They are trained to provide your child with a curriculum that meets all of the Florida Standards for Four-Year-Olds. If you have any questions at all, please ask your child s teacher, a school administrator or you may call the District VPK Office at 272-4840. Class Enrollment Guidelines Waiting lists shall be started at each VPK site as soon as there are parents requesting space for the following year. The school will take names and telephone numbers for families interested in a VPK seat. The parent will be provided with a Waiting List Confirmation Receipt. By the end of the School Choice window (late January mid-February) seats will be assigned with priority given to: 1.

2 Children of school staff 2. children of District staff 3. children who live in the school attendance area 4. everyone else. Once a seat has been assigned, the parent will be provided with a Seat Confirmation Receipt and a VPK informational Packet. parents will need to provide the school with a VPK Certificate of Eligibility* as soon as possible but NO LATER THAN by April 1st in order to keep the seat. After that date, the school will begin contacting other families on the WAIT LIST. *The VPK Certificate Eligibility can be obtained by applying online at the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County s website at or by visiting one of their offices. Attendance Policy Please read carefully! The purpose of the Voluntary prekindergarten Program (VPK) is to prepare your child for a successful transition into Kindergarten. A large part of this preparation is developing a consistent daily schedule. Children need to learn the importance of attendance and punctuality.

3 These skills will continue to be important as your child progresses through the educational system and out into the workforce. Research shows that children who attend school regularly, arrive on time and stay the whole day experience the most benefit from this educational opportunity. It is the parent s responsibility to ensure the child s participation in the program and to communicate with the school regarding extended absences. If a child will miss 4 consecutive days, it is required that the parent notify the school/teacher in advance of the absence. A child may not miss more than 20% of the program (4 days per month) without written documentation from a physician. Exceeding the permitted number of absences may result in the child s dismissal from the program. Tuition for Extended Hours (NON VPK Time) (This section does not apply to summer programs.) During the school year, VPK hours are from 8-11AM. Extended hours, beyond VPK, are available at many of our school year VPK locations.

4 A fee is charged for the hours after VPK ends through the end of the regular school day (11:00 AM - 2:15 PM.) parents are asked to pay $70 per week to cover the expenses for this additional time. The $70 per week fee is constant throughout the year, regardless of the number days in the week that school is in session, but no fees are collected during the last two weeks of school to help offset this payment schedule. For families that qualify for Free/Reduced Lunch (FRL), the above mentioned fee is waived. Fees will be collected from all families until the district has determined if the family qualifies for the FRL program. Once the family qualifies, they will no longer be required to pay the fee but the money paid at the start of the year cannot be reimbursed. Families that need childcare beyond the regular school day may take advantage of the Program which operates until 6:00 PM. Some sites also provide before-school care from 6:30 AM 7:30 AM. There are additional fees for this service.

5 Information regarding the program can be found on the district website (type HOST into the SEARCH window.) Discipline Plan For many children, VPK is the child s first opportunity to be away from home. It can be difficult for some children to be away from home and to get along in a large group setting. This is all a part of growing up and our VPK teachers are experienced in helping your child make this transition. For a very small number of children, the transition is more difficult and the child s reaction to the new environment can result in behaviors that are threatening to other students. Every effort will be made to help a child through these challenging times and it is the expectation that parents and teachers will work together to develop a discipline plan for managing the situation. However, if a discipline problem does threaten others in the classroom or continues to disrupt the educational opportunities of the other students, the child may be dismissed from the program.

6 Personal Care and Toileting It is understood that young children have occasional accidents. However, it is the expectation that your child will come to school potty-trained and able to handle his/her toileting needs. Please be sure that you provide the teacher with a change of clothes that can be kept at school for these situations. Parent Agreement Checklist Upon registration you will be provided with the Parent Agreement Form. You will be asked to check off each item on the list below and sign that you understand the statements as written. The parent or guardian will: _____ walk their child to the classroom and sign the child in and out each day. _____ notify the teacher if the child is being signed out but will be returning that same day. _____ make sure the child is picked up on time each day. _____ sign the Verification of Student Attendance report MONTHLY. The parent or guardian understands: _____ children should arrive at school on time and attend school daily.

7 _____ children who miss more than 20% of the program risk losing their seat _____ the hours of operation are: Summer: 7:30AM - 6:00PM School Year: M-F 8:00 AM 2:15 PM (Reddick only: 8AM -11 AM or 12PM 3PM) _____ parents may be charged a fee if the child is not picked up on time. _____ parents may be charged a fee for EXTENDED hours beyond the VPK program _____ transportation will not be provided. _____ parents must communicate with the school if there is to be an extended absence. If a child is absent more than 4 consecutive days without written or verbal communication with the school, the child MAY be released from the program. _____ VPK may not be available at this site if student enrollment does not support the operating costs of the program. If the site is closed, a list of open sites will be provided. _____ enrollment for VPK is separate from enrollment in kindergarten. _____ the VPK site may not be the site the child will attend for kindergarten.

8 _____ continued disruptive behavior may result in the child being released from the program. _____ the parent/legal guardian may access their child s VPK student records. _____ children must be potty trained continual accidents could result in the child being released from the program (medical conditions will be reviewed). _____ ESE services will not be available through the VPK Program. VPK is not considered part of Free and Appropriate Public Education. The Americans with Disabilities Act and section 504 do apply.