We love to celebrate your child’s full or half-birthday (see classroom calendar for specific date). Birthday snacks can be a store purchased sweet treat but balancing it with something healthy (like milk or fruit) is appreciated.

Trinity participates in Scholastic Book Club Orders.  Throughout the year, your family can build your home library as well as help us build our school and classroom libraries. Plus, your child will receive a free book when they celebrate their birthday!

Trinity Lutheran Church Preschool values your privacy. We will:

• not sell or lease membership names to third parties unless there is a strategic alliance and the purpose of the message is in alignment with that of the mission of Trinity Lutheran Church
• provide a Class Directory each fall for the use of our families with prior parent approval
• ask that you use face-to-face communication when planning play dates, forming sports teams, handing out birthday invitations, etc.. since these items affect a small percentage of the school and can cause hurt feelings
• not post full names with pictures, whether inside the building or via electronic communication (see Photography)

Our preschool curriculum is theme based and recognizes that children learn through play. Our curriculum promotes learning and development in each of the following areas: social, emotional, physical, cognitive and spiritual. Our curriculum is aligned with the Kansas Early Learning Standards and is reviewed annually by the staff.

Trinity provides each student with a Daily Folder. At the beginning of the school day, students place their folder in a bin. Office staff will check the folders for home communication, place classroom activities inside, and/or fill with school fliers. We encourage you to look at the Daily Folder DAILY. If your child’s folder is lost, a replacement may be purchased for a nominal fee.

Emergency plans are posted in each classroom and all common areas. Per state regulations, fire, tornado/storm and crisis drills will be conducted throughout the school year.

Fire: students and staff will exit building and meet at the far light pole

Tornado/Storm: students and staff will proceed to the restrooms and assume the “turtle” position

Shelter-in-Place:          

If the preschool needs to be evacuated, students and staff will exit and meet at the far light pole in the lower parking lot. A head count will be conducted. If a safer location is needed, students and staff will be moved to Earl May Gardening Center and parents/guardians will be notified.

Each class will have a snack rotation printed on the monthly calendar. Students are asked to provide nutritious snacks for the class per KDHE regulations. In order to meet accreditation standards, and for the safety of all, we ask that all snacks be purchased from a store (i.e. no homemade items). Refer to the Snack List you were provided at enrollment or ask if you have questions.

Students enrolled in a full day or extended day class need to bring a lunch in a labeled lunch box. Lunches will NOT be refrigerated due to space limitations. Remember – we are a nut-free facility. No peanut butter, nuts, or products containing nuts, please. Send items ready to eat unless your child can manage it (i.e., whole apple vs sliced apples, whole orange vs peeled orange slices). Trinity provides tableware, water and milk daily.

According to state regulations, your child’s lunch should include each of the following:

• Protein – meat, poultry, fish, egg, cheese, cooked or dried peas or beans
• Two vegetables, two fruits or one of each
• Bread, bread product or cereal
• Milk (2% white milk will be provided by Trinity)

Students enrolled in a full-day class or extended day will brush teeth following lunch. Toothbrushes and toothpaste are provided by Trinity. Each child will have a labeled toothbrush that is stored in a container with separate compartments. Toothbrushes will be sanitized every two weeks and replaced as needed.

In the rare case there should be a complaint or concern involving a staff member or the program, please follow these steps to resolve the issue:

1. Talk with the person(s) directly involved. If not resolved, go to Step 2.
2. Talk with the Director, Jo Ann Emerson (913-563-5280). If the complaint involves the Director, or if the grievance is not resolved, go to Step 3.
3. Talk with Shawnee Campus Lead Pastor. If the grievance is still not resolved, go to Step 4.
4. Talk with the Senior Pastor, Luke Jacob (913-432-5202).

Did you know that we are required by the State of Kansas to keep updated health records? If changes need to be made during the school year (including immunization updates) please contact the office staff.

Trinity Lutheran Church Preschool is a nut-free facility. For the safety of ALL students and staff, only nut-free snacks will be passed out. If your child has a severe allergy (nuts, dairy, etc…) we ask that you provide a container of acceptable snacks for your child. (Note: Please discuss this with us at August Visit Day.)

Students must be symptom free for 24 hours after experiencing any of the following:

Note: We are a private preschool and have our own exclusion/re-admittance policies.

For all communicable diseases, including COVID-19, influenza, measles and pertussis, please notify the director. The disease will be reported to Johnson County and Kansas Department of Health & Environment. A case manager will advise us of the correct protocol.

If your child has head lice, please remain at home until nits and live lice are no longer present. This helps our facility control the spread of lice.

You will be notified if your child is exposed to a contagious disease at school. The Director will also notify the health department of any reportable diseases per Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s (KDHE) guidelines. Confidentiality of student(s) involved will be maintained.

If your child is injured at school, you will be notified via an Incident Report. The Director will determine the severity of the injury and course of action. All staff have CPR and First Aid training.

Weather permitting, we will go outside every day. Please make sure you send a jacket/coat in cool and cold weather along with hats and mittens. We do keep a few extra jackets on hand, but most children prefer to wear their own.

Teachers are often unable to read email or check text messages during the day. By contacting the office, your information will be relayed in a timely manner.

Please notify us if your child will be absent. If you are having a difficult morning, let us assist! Grandpa picking up your child? We’ll make sure he is on your authorization list. If your family is experiencing life changes like moving or death, please let us know. Also, please contact the Director if you need a children’s book that addresses sensitive issues in a developmentally appropriate and Christian way.

You are part of the Trinity family, and we want you to know that we are here to celebrate your joys and support you during your sorrows.

At Trinity Lutheran Church Preschool, we expect children (and staff!) to:

• have an attitude of mutual respect
• use edifying language
• keep self and others safe
• show Jesus’s love

Trinity Lutheran Church Preschool embraces the discipline philosophy of Love & Logic. We believe children have meaningful learning experiences when allowed to make their own choices. Our staff guides students to own and solve their problems, and we provide empathy and redirection as necessary. In addition, we utilize Conscious Discipline – a social emotional classroom management program – to give teachers the skills they need to address the social and emotional issues of children.

We believe rules in early childhood should be simple, easy to understand, and stated positively. Our school rules are combined into a one-sentence expectation: We take care of ourselves, each other, our school, and our world.

If medication is necessary for a child while at school, the parent/guardian must fill out an Authorization for Dispensing Medication consent form. The medicine – whether OTC or prescription – must be accompanied by a prescribing health professional’s authorization. Medications brought to school should:

• Be labeled with child’s name in original container
• Include date prescription filled
• Have prescribing health professionals’ name
• Provide pharmacy number and phone number
• State dosage instruction and relevant side effect warnings

Student medication will be kept in the Director’s office in the First Aid cabinet. The Office Staff is trained in dispensing medication.

Trinity Lutheran Church Preschool informs you in a variety of ways:

Join TLCPreschool Private Facebook Group

• Weekly email from the office
• Weekly email from you teacher(s)
• Daily Folders that travel to and from school
• Classroom Calendars located in Daily Folder
• Lesson Plans posted on classroom window
• Face to Face Communication when you pick up your child
• Phone Calls when there are celebrations or concerns
• Private Facebook group with pictures of our daily activities

It is essential for young children to have time to develop large motor skills. Students will go outside for regularly scheduled Large Motor Activities following guidance from the Child Care Weather Watch Chart. On days when students cannot go outside, indoor activities will be provided. Indoor activities could include obstacle courses, the bouncy house, movement games or exercises. Please make sure your child is always prepared for outside weather!

Throughout the year, children will be photographed.  Photographs may be displayed on bulletin boards, inside publications of Trinity, on-screen for events and worship, posted on our website and posted on our private Facebook account. Only first names will be used if necessary. If you take pictures of your child during a school event, please do not post them on Facebook if they include children other than your own.  We value the privacy of our families and want to keep our children safe.

An enrollment requirement is that each child “wears underwear and knows when/how to use the toilet independently.” However, the preschool has seen an increase in the number of potty accidents. While we understand that potty accidents happen, repetitive accidents take away from learning time. If your child has multiple potty accidents, you may be charged a $20 cleaning fee. Also, if soiled clothes come home, please return an extra set of clean clothes on the next school day.

Students at preschool for more than four hours will be encouraged to rest during a state-mandated Quiet Time. Trinity will provide a mat, fitted sheet, and blanket. During Quiet Time, lights will be dimmed and soft music will play. Rest time will last no longer than 25 minutes. If your child falls asleep, we will let him/her continue to sleep while class activities resume.

Routines give us a sense of stability and structure. Help your child establish a school routine:

1. Lay out clothes the night before
2. Have a consistent bedtime
3. Develop a “Leaving our House” routine
4. Arrive at preschool with a smile 😊
5. Say goodbye and trust that your child will have a great day!

Trinity Lutheran Church Preschool is a smoke-free facility, inside and outside.

During inclement weather, Trinity Lutheran Church Preschool will follow the DeSoto School District’s school closing schedule. If the DeSoto School district announces early dismissal, afternoon classes and extended day will not be held.

On rare occasions, Trinity has closed when the school district has not (ex. ice & snow in parking lot that cannot be removed in a timely manner). If that should happen, you will be notified through email and text via the Trinity Cloud.

If a friend or relative will be picking up your child on a regular basis, please provide their contact information (name, cell #, relationship) on a piece of paper. This will be kept in your child’s file in the office. If you have a last-minute pick-up change, please notify the office via phone/voicemail, note in folder or email. Once again, please provide the name, cell phone number and relationship to the child. For everyone’s safety, we may ask to see the adult’s identification.

Tuition is a fee that is payable in one payment, two semester payments or nine equal monthly payments (August payment followed by October through May). Families will be enrolled in an automatic withdrawal payment program (during August Visit Day) to avoid possible late fees. Unpaid tuition equals termination unless arrangements are made with the Director.

Tuition is expected when your child has an extended absence of two or more weeks. Payment holds your child’s spot. Failure to pay means we have the right to fill your child’s spot with a new student.

If your child has a medical issue that prevents him/her from attending for more than two weeks, please contact the Director. We will work with you to best meet the needs of your family.

If you need to withdraw from our program, please provide a two-week written notice. Tuition for the final month in attendance must be paid in full.

If your family faces unexpected financial changes or needs alternate payment methods, please consult the Director for alternative arrangements. 

I see London, I see France, I see Johnny’s…pull-ups?

We are a school. Students are accepted into our 3-year old preschool class under the assumption that they are potty-trained (see Enrollment Application). When your child is at school, s/he should be wearing underwear. Students may ask to go to the bathroom at any time, and regular bathroom breaks are built into our schedule.

If your child has an accident, we will help him/her change using the extra clothes provided by you at the beginning of the year.  Soiled clothes will be bagged and sent home for laundering. If your child has frequent accidents, the Director will speak with you to develop a plan for success. Any student unable to meet the potty-trained requirement after a plan is developed will be asked to leave the program. Please Note: While we understand that potty accidents happen, repetitive accidents take away from learning time. If your child has multiple potty accidents, you may be charged a $20 cleaning fee. (see P is for Potty Accidents)

Did you know that we collect eyeglasses for Lions Club? There is a donation box located on the entryway table. Each year, a member of Lions Club provides free vision screenings and will pick up our donations.

Volunteers are vital to any school’s success! We request your help at least once during the school year at our scheduled holiday parties – Fall, Christmas, Valentine’s and Easter. In addition, classroom teachers will invite parents to assist with special activities. We hope you can spend time in the classroom with your child and see the amazing learning that occurs!

We have a name for those special parent volunteers who commit to helping Trinity throughout the school year – Parent Team! This year’s Parent Team is headed by Carrington Jansen. If you are interested in being part of this team that organizes fundraisers, provides student & staff support, and selflessly serves contact the Parent Team at: trinityparentteam@gmail.com

Occasionally, church ministry staff and congregants will volunteer their time. Examples of this include reading a favorite book during Dr. Seuss Week, assisting students with art or preparing materials for teachers.

Christian education is a part of who we are at Trinity. All children participate in daily worship held in the classroom or in the sanctuary. Bible stories from the Old and New Testaments are shared, songs are learned, Christ’s love for us is taught, and prayer is modeled. Worship will be led by either the classroom teacher, the Director or one of our Pastors. You will always know the theme of worship – look for the parent letter that comes home weekly in your child’s folder on Wednesday/Thursday.

On party days, we invite all families to join us at 9:05 a.m. for a special themed worship in the Sanctuary.

There are many ways we support our families, including:

• Collaborating with local school districts: We can give you contact information and guide you in the right direction for special services.
• Providing spiritual support: Pastor Luke (262-308-2486) is available to meet with you confidentially.

• Listening: We all have struggles. Sometimes you can clarify your situation or simply feel a little lighter by talking. If you need someone to listen, ask us!

• Referrals: At some point, you may need the services of a professional certified in counseling or play therapy. Once again, we are happy to provide some possible options.

Preschool has been a part of Trinity Lutheran Church’s outreach mission to families with young children since 1957. Trinity does not discriminate based on race, sex, color, religion, physical handicap, ancestry, national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies and other school-administered programs.

We will celebrate Week of the Young Child each April in conjunction with the National Education Association for the Young Child.

We’re finished!