August 2024 Newsletter
August 20, 2024
Jack & Jill Families,
We hope you are enjoying the last days of summer!
Fall School Year Placement
We are excited for the 2024-2025 school year, which begins on Tuesday, September 3rd!
The staff have begun working on preparing for the new school year! You may have noticed the fall bulletin board themes and classroom changes.
Each year our children start the school year in a new classroom setting. Most infant families who have recently joined our program in August will remain in the classroom they are in.
Today, you will be receiving an email telling you the classroom your child will be in for the start of the school year, which begins on Tuesday, September 3rd. The letter informs you of your child’s teachers and their background. We will have staff available on the morning of September 3rd to direct you to your new classroom and the location of your child’s locker.
You may find out more information about your child’s classroom by following the link and selecting your child’s program.
http://jackandjilledu.com/programs/
Staff Development Training
Our program will be closed on Thursday, August 29th and Friday, August 30th to allow for staff preparation and to provide continuing education materials needed for licensure. We appreciate your understanding in our investment in quality hardworking teachers and desire to support their needs.
Empty Your Child's Locker by 08/28 Please!
All items should be out of your child’s locker by 8/28 in preparation of the new school year beginning on Tuesday, 9/3. Your child will have a new locker near their new classroom. Infants that started in our program in August are not changing classrooms and lockers and do not need to remove their items.
On Tuesday, September 3rd, please plan to send your child’s weekly nap item and extra clothing in your child’s backpack or bag. These items will get stored in your child’s new locker. Please plan on the change of seasons for extra clothing and if your child has outgrown the items currently in their locker.
School Release Days Update
JJ's Jam offers full day programming throughout the school year.
School release programming & registration for October 3rd and 4th has been sent out.
October and November school release registration will be sent out in the coming weeks.
If you have any questions on school release days, please email info@jjsjam.com.
Center Hours
Our center is only licensed for children during our hours of operation, which are listed below.
St Anthony Center: 7:00am-6:00pm
Blaine Center: 6:30 am-6:00pm
We are unable to have children in the building before and after these times. Please do not drop off your child until opening time and be prepared to pick up your child from their classroom no later than 6:00pm. While staff may be in the classroom before or after these times, they are preparing their classroom for the day. Late fees will be charged for pick up after 6:00pm at a rate of $15 for every 15 minutes you are late.
Upcoming Closed Center Dates:
Thursday, August 29, 2024
Staff Professional Development Day
Friday, August 30, 2024
Staff Professional Development Day
Monday, September 2, 2024
Labor Day Holiday
The 2024-2025 School Calendars are posted on our website and are linked below:
Tuition & Payment via Credit Card
We accept VISA, Mastercard, Discover and American Express. A 3.5% non-cash adjustment will be applied to any card transaction.
If you want to change your card on file, please complete the attached form and return to us. Otherwise, you may call Owen directly with updated card information at 612-455-8955 (ext. 203).
Credit Card Form
Tuition, Billing, and Vacation Requests
Invoices are sent via email to the addresses we have within our system. Please direct all questions regarding billing via email to accountsreceivable@jackandjilledu.com.
Tuition is due the week of attendance prior to your child’s care beginning. Checks may be dropped in the locked black mailbox in the entry way. Flex plan forms may be placed in the box or emailed and will be returned to your child’s folder or sent electronically. Thank you!
Each family may use one week of their normal schedule per calendar year as vacation time. Eligibility is effective after six consistent months of attendance. We appreciate receiving notice 30 days in advance of your vacation. You may submit your vacation request via email to: info@jackandjilledu.com or by completing this form.
Phone, Email, and ChildPilot Messaging Communication
Our offices are synced with our phone and email systems at both locations to better serve your needs. Attendance related messages, such as late start, early pick-up, or absences can be relayed through the ChildPilot messaging feature. To keep Jack & Jill informed of other questions or concerns, please email us at info@jackandjilledu.com. For immediate questions or concerns, please give us a call at 612-455-8955. The phone systems are synchronized between sites to provide better coverage and calls will be transferred to your child’s site as needed.
St Anthony:
612-455-8955
Blaine
763-784-1451
Fax:
763-757-2942
For specific requests or inquiries, please contact the following people:
For child absence, vacation, general inquiries, daily communication: info@jackandjilledu.com or ChildPilot messaging
For invoice questions, email our office team: accountsreceivable@jackandjilledu.com
For credit card payments and updated card information, email Owen: owenm@jackandjilledu.com
For any school age inquiries, email Giles: gilesk@jackandjilledu.com
All family newsletters and updates will be sent via Mail Chimp using the info@jackandjilledu.com email. Please be sure to add this email to your contact list so that you consistently see emails in your inbox.
Upcoming Curriculum Themes, Letters, and Items from Home
Each week, the children in the program learn about a specific theme from the world around them. Many weeks we encourage children to bring in an item associated with the theme to aid in home to school connection. Preschool aged children will also be asked to bring in an items weekly that starts with the letter of the week (Please see info about the Letter Tray below). Here is a list of our upcoming curriculum themes, items to bring from home, and the letter of the week.
For a full calendar of our curriculum please follow the links below:
Preschool Curriculum Calendar
Pre-K Curriculum Calendar
Enhanced Learning Areas for Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten:
We will enhance our curriculum this year with STEAM activities. STEAM uses elements of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math to introduce new ideas and solve problems. STEAM learning is all about asking questions and encouraging independent thinking. STEAM encourages problem solving and hands on experiences and creativity.
Creative Art: Preschool art is much more than making a mess! Young children benefit greatly from the free use of materials in a less restrictive environment. This year we will grow as artists as we paint, design murals, and learn new skills. We will present an art show for our families to view our artwork and accomplishments.
Makerspace:
Few things are as exciting or rewarding as creating something yourself! Children will build, design, and engineer creations before putting them to the test! We will explore the science behind levers, pulleys, and other simple machines. We will co-create experiences and cultivate curiosity.
Get Moving:
We will bring added sports and fitness into our program and add enjoyable activities that enhance motor development and school readiness skills in children ages 3-5. We will discuss nutrition and healthy eating habits.
We encourage you to visit our website https://www.jackandjilledu.com/programs/pre-kindergarten to explore your child’s daily activities, depending on their level of development.
Friendly Program Reminders
Repetition and consistency allow our children to grow. We want to keep our children safe in during drop off and pick up and throughout the day. Some friendly reminders are as follows:
Children must be with an adult at all times
Please keep your child close at all times while in the building and parking lot.Parents are responsible for their child’s care and safety until they are dropped off directly in the classroom with their teacher. Please do not allow children to run ahead to enter/leave the building, to lockers, or to classrooms as it may put them out of sight and arm’s reach and it increases the chance of accidents.
Doors are teacher touch or teacher work
You may have noticed these little stop signs by the door handles that says Teacher Touch. We teach the children that doors are a teacher touch or teacher work to help them understand that only teachers and parents open doors.Please do not allow your child, no matter what their age, to open and close doors in the program.This helps to protect from pinched fingers and head bumps.
Outside food is not allowed in the building or classrooms
Jack & Jill has a catering contract with our onsite kitchen, Premier Catering who holds a food license with Hennepin and Anoka counties respectively. With a licensed food program, we need to prepare all food on site by our catering company to be served to the children in the program. Substitute food may not be brought in from outside of the program for food service. If your child has a current Allergy plan for substitute milk, it may be brought in unopened, properly dated, and labeled with your child’s first and last name.
We have several children with severe allergies, and we are unable to control their exposure to allergens when outside food is brought into the classroom. Please finish snacks in the car so that drop-offs can run smoothly.
Family Handbook Review
Absent Children and Late Arrivals: All children over the age of 16 months must be dropped off by 9:00 am on each day the child attends the program. Jack & Jill Early Childhood Learning must preapprove all later drop-offs. For any drop-off that will occur later than 9:00 am, parents/guardians must email a request for late drop-off to info@jackandjilledu.com. Failure to obtain preapproval for a late drop-off may result in the child being denied attendance for that day. Parent/guardians must notify program staff if their child will be absent for any reason prior to 9:00 am on the day of the child’s expected attendance. If the child does not arrive as expected for the day, staff will make all necessary attempts to find out where the child is. Tuition fees are not waived for sick days or other absences.
Building Safety, Arrival, and Dismissal: We work hard to ensure that the building is safe at all times. Our secured entry allows us to know who is in the building and greet visitors upon their arrival. Thank you in advance for being mindful of who may be entering/exiting the building as you come and go. Help us to watch for visitors by simply stating that this is a secure building, and they should use the intercom system and a member of our team will assist them.
Birthday Treats: All outside treats brought into the program need to be peanut and tree nut free due to child allergies. This includes any product made in a setting where peanuts are processed or handled. Our kitchen provides birthday treats made on site and should be ordered 24 hours in advance. You can submit Birthday Treat requests through the ChildPilot form section. Otherwise, you can print and submit this form. A separate invoice from the kitchen, Premier Catering, will be sent to you as prepared food requires sales tax to be applied. Remit payment to Premier Catering. If you pay tuition via credit card, your card on file will be automatically charged for the birthday treats unless advised otherwise.
Medications: Only medicine prescribed by a medical provider will be dispensed in our center. Non-prescription medicine will be dispensed with written medical provider approval. All medicine must be properly signed into the office and the medicine will then be stored in a locked appropriate storage area. All medication must be in its original container with the child’s full name and dosage written on it. Parents must provide a medicine cup or syringe for dispensing medicine. A member of the office or another designated staff member will dispense the medicine once a day at approximately 11:00 am. Medicine that is to be dispensed only twice a day will not be dispensed at the center. This does not include the emergency administration of necessary medications. If your child needs a medication administered at Jack & Jill please complete a prescription medication form or a non-prescription medication form.
Alternate Pick Ups: If you have an alternate person picking up your child, you must notify Jack and Jill Administration in advance. An alternate pick-up form can be found here to notify Jack & Jill that someone else will be picking up your child. Please DO NOT give out your family code to enter the building. We will meet all visitors at the door, check their ID, and escort them to the classroom.
Attendance & Daily Communication: Staff will sign your child in/out daily. Classrooms will be converting to an iPad system later in the fall. Daily communication sheets and your child’s school projects will be in file folders at each classroom.
Parking Lots: Parents and staff are asked to take precautions when in parking lots, including but not limited to:
Drive slowly and stop for pedestrians.
Park only in designated parking spots.
Follow guidelines set by the MN Department of Transportation for safe driving practices, including stopping at all marked stop signs and before exiting parking lots.
Lock your cars and please keep valuables with you at all times (THIS INCLUDES YOUR CHILDREN). Jack and Jill is not responsible for any thefts that may occur.
Parent & Child Morning Routines for Preschool & Pre-Kindergarten
One of our goals is that parents feel more connected with what is happening in their child’s classroom and for morning drop-offs to be smooth each day. We appreciate your participation with the following each day at drop-off:
Family Greeting Message:
Each day you will see a family greeting message just inside of your child’s classroom door. This message is for you to read to your child and tells what is happening in the classroom each day. Please help by reading this message to your child! It is a great way for them to become excited about what they are learning and a talking point in case drop off is difficult.
Child Sign in Boards:
Each preschool child will be responsible for signing in each day before they play. Children will have their own sign in board where they can work on tracing, copying, or independently writing their name. We know that some children may just be able to write one or two letters, and that’s okay! We look forward to seeing growth throughout the school year.
Letter of the Week and Letter Trays:
Every week we focus on a different letter of the alphabet, and we use our letter trays to highlight items that start with that letter. On Monday morning, the tray will be by the sign-in boards with the letter of the week laying on it. We encourage you to talk with your child about what the letter is, and then brainstorm about what they could bring from home that starts with that letter. The children can bring an item later in the week to share with the class. Typically these will stay for the week and go home on their last day of attendance.
We are excited for the new school year! Your children will continue to grow, learn, and mature throughout the school year! Please reach out with any questions regarding this newsletter. Your new teachers are excited to greet you on September 5th!
Warm Regards,
Carol L. Arens,
Owner/Administrator