School Policies
Center Policies
Smoke-Free Environment
Future Scholars maintains a smoke-free environment. We ask that you do not smoke in the Center or on Future Scholars property. We are sorry for any inconvenience.
Non-Discrimination Policy
Future Scholars accepts all children on a first-come, first-served basis. Future Scholars does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, or national origin.
Student Confidentiality
Information pertaining to a child is kept confidential at all times. Records may occasionally be reviewed by regulatory agencies. Student files are otherwise kept confidential and are only monitored by the administrative staff. If your child is involved in an incident with another child, Future Scholars will not reveal the other child’s identity without written permission from the other child’s parent or guardian.
Medical Home Policy
According to the US Department of Health & Human Services, the "Medical Home" is a concept defined as the center of a child's medical records. The Medical Home is a cultivated partnership between the patient, family, and primary provider in cooperation with specialists and support from the community. A Medical Home is an important mechanism for uniting the many segments of a child's care, including behavioral and oral health.
At Future Scholars we recognize the importance of the Medical Home concept and aim to ensure that each of our students has a Medical Home as a way to ensure that they receive the proper medical attention they need. In keeping with this policy, and due to state regulations, Future Scholars requires each student to have a completed Universal Health Record on file, updated proof of vaccine history, and evidence of a flu shot received each year for students aged 6-59 months. We also ask parents to provide us with updated health care information including your child's primary doctor, dentist, and health insurance information.
Television/Computers/Video
Children over 2 years old will be given instruction in our computer lab for approximately 30 minutes per week. Children under 2 years old will not be given screen time or computer use. Television and videos will occasionally be used for planned events, i.e. Movie Day and Parent’s Night Out. We will not use movies or television as a substitute for educational activities. All television, computer use and videos will be age appropriate.
Outdoor Play
Fresh air and outdoor play contributes to your child’s health and overall development. Please make sure your child(ren) have weather appropriate clothing such as mittens, hats, coats and boots. In extreme inclement weather (rain, snow, icy conditions, extreme cold or heat) the children will be kept indoors.
Positive Discipline Policy
At Future Scholars our staff uses positive discipline as a process of teaching children how to behave appropriately. Positive discipline respects the rights of a child, the group, and the adult. Positive discipline is different from punishment. Punishment tells children what they should not do. Positive discipline tells children what they should do. Punishment teaches fear. Positive discipline teaches self-esteem. For more information on positive discipline, see our Guidelines for Positive Discipline.
Attendance and Absenteeism
We encourage you to send your child to school on all of their scheduled days, except in the case of illness. Consistent attendance is important to your child's early education and will help ensure that they fain the most from our program.--helping tour child meet their educational goals and develop attendance habits that will carry on throughout their school years. Supporting a child's daily attendance allows parents to convey a message to their child that they value education and that school is an important priority.
If your child will not be in school, please notify the staff as soon as possible. For safety's sake, if a student is absent without notification, a member of staff will attempt to contact the family to verify the student's absence from school. If your child will not be attending school, please call us at 609-518-1333 with the reason for absence no later than 9:30AM.
Home Language
Future Scholars Early Learning Center is responsive to serving culturally and linguistically diverse populations to ensure a high quality program for all children and families, including those whose home language is one other than English. We are supportive of other languages through labeling of classroom centers and by providing access to classroom materials in the home language when necessary. Picture labels are used around the classroom and basic sign language is utilized to aid in any language barrier.
Community Resources
Future Scholars provides families with a Community Resource Guide available in our Parent Resource Center located in our lobby near the Parent Coffee Station and can also be found online at https://www.co.burlington.nj.us. This guide includes community programs, agencies, and services available to aide in proper health, safety, and stability.
Communication Policy
We believe that regular communication with parents is essential to maintaining high quality of care. Our staff is better able to meet the needs of each individual child if parents provide relevant information about important happenings at home, updates on the child's health, and information regarding other matters of particular interest to the child. Likewise, our staff will communicate with parents daily about the events of the day and any important information specific to the child. Parents are encouraged to discuss any issues or problems concerning their child with the child's teacher or with a member of management. Any information given to the center will be treated in confidence.
Future Scholars Early Learning Center aims to:
- Ensure that positive relationships exist between parents and the center
- Ensure parents are provided with useful and relevant information about the center
- Encourage participation of all families and members of the community in the activities of the center and in the development of our programs, policies, etc.
- Promote effective communication between management, educators, families, children, and all those that are associated with the center.
Toilet Training
Toilet training is a growth period and progression of independence. All efforts made by the child will be acknowledged with praise and encouragement. Future Scholars has child-size toilets to help children during this development phase. When using the bathroom, children will be supervised and assisted as needed. Children will be taught to flush the toilet and wash hands with soap and water. In the event of an accident, soiled clothing will be placed in a plastic bag, sealed, and returned to the parents at the end of the day. When possible, we will launder the soiled clothing before returning them to you. We encourage parents to communicate with the Center Director and staff so we can work together as your child strives for independence. We will make every effort to follow your direction to ensure consistency between the Center and home.
Student Observation & Assessment
We implement the award-winning, nationally recognized, Creative Curriculum. Creative Curriculum is a play-based curriculum where teachers set the stage for learning, while children interact with and learn in various interest areas, including Blocks, Dramatic Play, Manipulatives, Science & Discovery, Music, and Art. We focus on using exploration and discovery as a way of learning, enabling children to develop confidence, creativity, and critical thinking skills. Every child learns differently, so our teachers are constantly observing their students in order to provide individualized instruction to each child. In addition to the Creative Curriculum, we implement Handwriting Without Tears program to strengthen fine motor skills and develop pre-printing and printing skills, as well as letter and number recognition. Teachers observe and document each child's progress and assess the children using the Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Tool. Assessments will be provided to parents three times per year.
Developmental Screening
All students will be screened within 45 days of enrollment using the ASQ-3 developmental screening tool (Ages & Stages Questionnaire). Students will be re-screened if necessary. Information will be shared with the parents and Future Scholars will help families connect with local school districts if you are in need of additional services.
Behavioral Support
Future Scholars will support parents by sharing behavioral plans with the school districts upon completion of our pre-k and kindergarten programs.
Workshops
Families are provided health and safety workshops and/or resources annually in topics that include preventative health, mental/behavioral health, nutrition, medication administration policies and procedures, oral health practices, and communicable disease prevention.
Info to Parents
Under provisions of the Manual of Requirements for Child Care Centers (N.J.A.C. 3A:52), every licensed child care center in New Jersey must provide to parents of enrolled children written information on parent visitation rights, State licensing requirements, child abuse/neglect reporting requirements and other child care matters. The center must comply with this requirement by reproducing and distributing to parents and staff this written statement, prepared by the Office of Licensing, Child Care & Youth Residential Licensing, in the Department of Children and Families. In keeping with this requirement, the center must secure every parent and staff member’s signature attesting to his/her receipt of the information.
Tuition & Scheduling
Paying Tuition
Tuition is due weekly on the first scheduled day of attendance for the current week. Tuition fees are not subject to pro-ration for illness, holidays, vacations or emergency closure of the center. Your full contracted weekly tuition is due regardless of absences or school closings. All payments can be made using the Smartcare parent app. Payments can be set up for weekly auto payment or manually paid using a credit card, ACH bank payment, or cash payment. Please note Smartcare charges a 2.85% processing fee for all card payments and there is no additional charge for ACH payments.
If there are any circumstances that prevent you from paying tuition on a timely basis, please discuss this with the Center Director.
Registration Fees
An annual non-refundable registration fee of $65.00 must be paid in advance to enroll your child and will be due by the first day of September each year.
Change of Schedule
Part time children are not permitted to switch their scheduled days. If a permanent change needs to be made to your schedule, please see administration so appropriate staffing may be arranged. You may add additional days when needed with prior approval from administration.
Late Charges
Future Scholars reserves the right to charge late fees for the following reasons:
Tuition Discounts
For each additional child in your immediate family that enrolls full time, you will be entitled to a 10% discount applied to the lowest tuition rate.
Withdrawing Enrollment
Please give two weeks written notice if you plan to withdraw your child from Future Scholars for any reason. There will be no refunds on registration or tuition if you withdraw.
Paying Tuition
Tuition is due weekly on the first scheduled day of attendance for the current week. Tuition fees are not subject to pro-ration for illness, holidays, vacations or emergency closure of the center. Your full contracted weekly tuition is due regardless of absences or school closings. All payments can be made using the Smartcare parent app. Payments can be set up for weekly auto payment or manually paid using a credit card, ACH bank payment, or cash payment. Please note Smartcare charges a 2.85% processing fee for all card payments and there is no additional charge for ACH payments.
If there are any circumstances that prevent you from paying tuition on a timely basis, please discuss this with the Center Director.
Registration Fees
An annual non-refundable registration fee of $65.00 must be paid in advance to enroll your child and will be due by the first day of September each year.
Change of Schedule
Part time children are not permitted to switch their scheduled days. If a permanent change needs to be made to your schedule, please see administration so appropriate staffing may be arranged. You may add additional days when needed with prior approval from administration.
Late Charges
Future Scholars reserves the right to charge late fees for the following reasons:
- A late fee of $25.00 will be assessed if tuition is not paid on time.
- If a personal check is returned due to insufficient funds, a $25.00 fee will be assessed for each returned check.
- If a child is picked up after closing time, an additional fee of $1.00 per minute will charged. This late fee must be paid at the time of pickup.
Tuition Discounts
For each additional child in your immediate family that enrolls full time, you will be entitled to a 10% discount applied to the lowest tuition rate.
Withdrawing Enrollment
Please give two weeks written notice if you plan to withdraw your child from Future Scholars for any reason. There will be no refunds on registration or tuition if you withdraw.
Sickness & Medications
Future Scholars will make every effort in keeping a healthy environment for your child. Our illness and medication policies are mandated by licensing agencies and are committed to minimize illness through prevention. We ask that parents please help in providing a healthy facility for our children and our teachers.
Sickness Policy
If a child becomes ill at the Center:
Children will be sent home with the occurrence of any of the following:
Returning After Illness
If a child is sent home sick, he/she much be symptom free and fever free without fever-reducer for 24 hours before returning to the center. In the event that an antibiotic treatment is required, the child must have received the treatment for 24 hours before returning to the center.
Children who have contracted an excludable communicable disease may not return to the center without a health care provider's note stating that the child presents no risk to himself or others. These diseases include respiratory, gastrointestinal, and contact illnesses such as Impetigo, Lice, Scabies, and Shingles. If a child is exposed to any excludable communicable disease while at the center, parents will be notified.
Medication Policy
All medication must be in the original container. Medication may be administered by designated staff only. Please give all medications to the Center Director who will ensure proper storage and administration. No medication will be dispensed contrary to directions on label without a doctor’s written instructions. An Individual Permission for Medication form must be completed.
Future Scholars will make every effort in keeping a healthy environment for your child. Our illness and medication policies are mandated by licensing agencies and are committed to minimize illness through prevention. We ask that parents please help in providing a healthy facility for our children and our teachers.
Sickness Policy
If a child becomes ill at the Center:
- Parents will be contacted first. If unable to reach the parent, the emergency contact(s) will be notified. Pick-up must occur within one hour of initial contact.
- He/she will be isolated from the group, if possible, and kept comfortable until parents arrive.
Children will be sent home with the occurrence of any of the following:
- Fever of 101.5 F or higher
- More than one episode of vomiting
- Two or more diarrhea stools
- Mouth sores with drooling
- Yellow eyes or jaundice skin
- Red eyes with discharge
- Skin rashes and/or infected, untreated skin patches, and/or weeping or bleeding lesions
- Difficult or rapid breathing or severe coughing
- Swollen joints
- Sore throat
- Stiff neck
- Blood in urine or stool
- Severe pain or discomfort
Returning After Illness
If a child is sent home sick, he/she much be symptom free and fever free without fever-reducer for 24 hours before returning to the center. In the event that an antibiotic treatment is required, the child must have received the treatment for 24 hours before returning to the center.
Children who have contracted an excludable communicable disease may not return to the center without a health care provider's note stating that the child presents no risk to himself or others. These diseases include respiratory, gastrointestinal, and contact illnesses such as Impetigo, Lice, Scabies, and Shingles. If a child is exposed to any excludable communicable disease while at the center, parents will be notified.
Medication Policy
All medication must be in the original container. Medication may be administered by designated staff only. Please give all medications to the Center Director who will ensure proper storage and administration. No medication will be dispensed contrary to directions on label without a doctor’s written instructions. An Individual Permission for Medication form must be completed.
Expulsion
In keeping with the New Jersey Department of Licensing Requirements, we are required to have in place a policy on expulsion from our center. Unfortunately, there are sometimes reasons we have to expel a child from our program either on a short term or permanent basis. We want you to know that we will do everything possible to work with the family of the child(ren) in order to prevent this policy from being enforced.
Reasons for Expulsion:
IMMEDIATE CAUSES FOR EXPULSION
Schedule of Expulsion:
Proactive Actions To Prevent Expulsion:
In keeping with the New Jersey Department of Licensing Requirements, we are required to have in place a policy on expulsion from our center. Unfortunately, there are sometimes reasons we have to expel a child from our program either on a short term or permanent basis. We want you to know that we will do everything possible to work with the family of the child(ren) in order to prevent this policy from being enforced.
Reasons for Expulsion:
IMMEDIATE CAUSES FOR EXPULSION
- The child is at risk of causing serious injury to other children or himself/herself.
- Parent threatens physical or intimidating actions toward staff members.
- Parent exhibits verbal abuse to staff in front of enrolled children.
- Failure to pay/habitual lateness in payments.
- Failure to complete required forms including the child’s immunization records.
- Habitual tardiness when picking up your child.
- Verbal abuse to staff.
- Failure of child to adjust after a reasonable amount of time.
- Uncontrollable tantrums/angry outbursts.
- Ongoing physical or verbal abuse to staff or other children.
- Excessive biting.
Schedule of Expulsion:
- The child’s parent/guardian will be advised verbally and in writing about the child’s or parent’s behavior warranting an expulsion. An expulsion action is meant to be a period of time so that the parent/guardian may work on the child’s behavior or to come to an agreement with the center.
- The parent/guardian will be informed regarding the length of the expulsion period.
- The parent/guardian will be informed about the expected behavioral changes required in order for the child or parent to return to the center.
- The parent/guardian will be given a specific expulsion date that allows the parent sufficient time to seek alternate child care (approximately one to two weeks notice depending on risk to other children’s welfare or safety). Failure of the child/parent to satisfy the terms of the plan may result in permanent expulsion from the center.
Proactive Actions To Prevent Expulsion:
- Staff will try to redirect child from negative behavior.
- Staff will reassess classroom environment, appropriateness of activities, supervision.
- Staff will always use positive methods and language while disciplining children.
- Staff will praise appropriate behaviors.
- Staff will consistently apply consequences for rules.
- Child will be given verbal warnings.
- Child will be given time to regain control.
- Child’s disruptive behavior will be documented and maintained in confidentiality.
- Parent/guardian will be notified verbally.
- Parent/guardian will be given written copies of disruptive behaviors that might lead to expulsion.
- The director, classroom staff and parent/guardian will have a conference(s) to discuss how to promote positive behaviors.
- The parent will be given literature or other resources regarding methods of improving behavior.
- Recommendation of evaluation by professional consultation on premises.
- Recommendation of evaluation by local school district child study team.
School Closings
Scheduled Closings for the 2023-2024 Academic Year
Weather Emergencies
In the event of an emergency school closing for weather related reasons, please look for our school closing on 6ABC. We will also post closing information on our website and Facebook page.
Scheduled Closings for the 2023-2024 Academic Year
- September 4th: Labor Day
- November 23rd: Thanksgiving Day
- November 24th: Day after Thanksgiving
- December 25th: Christmas Day
- January 1st: New Years Day
- March 29th: Good Friday
- May 27th: Memorial Day
- July 4th: Independence Day
- July 5th: Independence Day
- August 30th: Teacher In-Service
Weather Emergencies
In the event of an emergency school closing for weather related reasons, please look for our school closing on 6ABC. We will also post closing information on our website and Facebook page.
Safety Recall Information
Did you know that consumer products are constantly recalled for a variety of reasons? A recall demonstrates a company’s commitment to making safe products and taking the necessary steps to ensure the safety of those who use them, and it is especially important to be aware of recalls for products that children use. Visit the US Consumer Product Safety Commission for up-to-date safety recalls. You can also call the US CPSC's hotline for information at (800) 638-2772.
Did you know that consumer products are constantly recalled for a variety of reasons? A recall demonstrates a company’s commitment to making safe products and taking the necessary steps to ensure the safety of those who use them, and it is especially important to be aware of recalls for products that children use. Visit the US Consumer Product Safety Commission for up-to-date safety recalls. You can also call the US CPSC's hotline for information at (800) 638-2772.