Preschool Handbook 2026-2027
Information and policies listed in this handbook are in addition to the materials covered in the General Parent Student Handbook. It is the responsibility of all Mount Paran Christian School parents and students to review both handbooks and familiarize themselves with the policies and guidelines outlined. Download a copy of the PDF version here: https://www.mtparanschool.com/fs/resource-manager/view/680e90ea-560f-4635-9cc3-43980e6cec19
- SECTION ONE – ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCE POLICIES
- General Guidelines
- Chapel
- Dress Code
- Bible
- Snacks and Lunch
- Recess
- Bathroom Accidents
- Change of Clothes
- Money
- Star Student
- Birthdays and Celebrations
- Visitors and Classroom Visits
- Lost and Found
- Field Trips
- Speech Services
- Student Placement
- Parties
- The Pledges
- SECTION TWO - COMMUNICATION
- Bookbags and Folders
- Conferences
- School Evaluations
- Preschool Behavior Plan
- Behavior Management
- Playground Safety Rules
- SECTION THREE - THE ZONE EXTENDED-DAY PROGRAM
SECTION ONE – ATTENDANCE AND ABSENCE POLICIES
School Hours
School Day Start Times
• All grades: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays at 7:50 a.m. (morning drop-off begins at 7:20 a.m.)
• All grades: Wednesdays at 8:35 a.m. (morning drop-off begins at 8:15 a.m.)
School Day End Times
Preschool dismisses based on enrollment type and carline assignment.
• Half-day dismissal: 11:45-12:00 noon
• Full-day with no older siblings: 2:35-2:50 p.m.
• Full-day with older sibings in K-2nd: 3:00-3:10 p.m.
• Full-day with older siblings in 3rd-8th: 3:10-3:20 p.m.
Late-Start Wednesdays
Wednesday classes for all students begin later to allow our faculty time for professional development. Morning drop-off on Wednesdays is from 8:15 to 8:35 a.m. The official school day begins with the morning devotion and announcements at 8:35 a.m. Students are considered tardy at 8:36 a.m.
Arrival Time
Attendance is taken promptly at 7:50 a.m. All students should be in their classroom by 7:50 a.m. to ensure accurate attendance can be taken. Students not in their classroom at 7:50 a.m. will be marked absent. Students arriving after 7:50 a.m. are considered tardy and must report to the preschool front desk to sign-in and receive an admission slip for class. Any student arriving after or leaving before 10:00 a.m. is considered absent.
Students entering school late or leaving school before the end of the day must have written parental permission and must also sign in/sign out at the preschool front desk. Parents and guardians are discouraged from checking out students early and should arrange doctor, dental, and orthodontist appointments for after-school hours.
Early Care
A complimentary early care supervision option is available to preschool and lower school students whose parents must report to work early. Parents who need to utilize early care for their child may drop off at 7:00 a.m. at Sewell Cottage. This session is provided on all regular school days but does not include breakfast. This service is not an option for families without a need for early drop-off.
Late Arrivals and Early Check-outs
Preschool students arriving after 7:50 a.m. are considered tardy and must report to the preschool front desk to sign-in. If a student leaves before or arrives after 10:00 a.m., he/she is considered absent. Students entering school late or leaving school before the end of the day must have written parental permission and must sign in/sign out at the preschool front desk. Parents/guardians are discouraged from checking out students early and are requested to arrange doctor, dental, and orthodontist appointments for after-school hours when possible. A preschool student should bring a written note to his/her teacher on the day of an appointment, specifying the time the child will be checked out. The parent or guardian should report to the preschool front desk to sign out the child from school.
General Guidelines
Chapel
Chapel is held on Wednesdays at 8:50 a.m. for Pre-K4 and TK. Chapel is held on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. for Pre-K3. All chapels for are in Sewell Cottage. Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend chapel.
Dress Code
Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 students are expected to dress comfortably for activities both inside the building and outside. Clothing must not display any offensive slogans, photos, or writing, and must not advertise tobacco or alcoholic beverages. Shorts are required to be worn under dresses. Please no overalls. Due to the mulch covering on the playground, your child should wear closed-toe shoes. Students in TK will wear approved MPCS uniforms Monday through Thursday and may wear appropriate play clothes on Friday.
Bible
Learning about the Bible is a vital part of our learning experience. Each month, a Bible verse will be assigned. We will go over the verse every day during class. Please listen to your child say the verse at home. It is very important for God’s Word to be instilled in children’s hearts.
Snacks and Lunch
Parents of preschool students will provide a healthy snack daily and lunch (for full-day students). Please send in an appropriate portion that can be consumed in about 15 minutes for snack and 25 minutes for lunch and include any needed utensils. Children should bring a refillable non-spill water bottle to school each day; both water and milk are provided for lunch.
Lunch is part of the schedule for full-day students. Children may not purchase lunch. Parents will be responsible to pack a nutritious lunch that should include a protein, fruit, and vegetable. Do not send in any type of candy or candy bars. Microwavable lunches must come in the container in which they can be heated. In the event that a lunch is forgotten or an “unapproved” lunch was sent in, we will serve the child a lunch from the dining area, and the parent will be charged.
Please make sure you clearly label your child’s lunch each day. The following is a list of suggested snack and lunch options; however, please do not let this list inhibit your creativity:
• Fruits (grapes must be cut)
• Sandwiches
• Bread
• Vegetables (with or without dip)
• Muffins
• Bagels
• Cereal
• Crackers
• Yogurt
• Cheese
• Pretzels
• Cereal bars
Recess
Recess is a vital part of a preschooler’s day. Children will go outside for recess daily, weather permitting (unless it is raining, below freezing, or is a smog alert day). We ask that you dress your child appropriately for the weather. Your child should wear closed-toe shoes.
Bathroom Accidents
Complete toilet training is required for admittance. This includes a child’s awareness of their own need to use the restroom and the ability to get in and out of their clothes easily by themselves. Please no overalls, jumpers, or jumpsuits. Students with multiple bathroom accidents will receive a break in attendance in order to achieve complete potty training. Re-entry will be at the administrator’s discretion once potty goals are maintained. Please see the potty-training portion of your Pre-K/TK child's Little Eagles folder for the full policy, including an explanation of potty training breaks.
Change of Clothes
Please send in a full change of clothes in a resealable, Ziploc-style bag (shirt, pants, underwear, shoes, and socks). Whether it is something like a spilled drink or a potty accident, we may need to use these clothes. Should we send your child home in his or her extra change of clothes, please send a replacement set of extra clothes the following day. As the seasons change, we will send the clothes home for you to change them out (i.e. long pants instead of shorts or vice versa).
Money
Any time you send money with your child, please put it in an envelope with your child’s name, the amount of money, and its purpose listed on the outside. Please put the envelope inside your child's daily folder.
Star Student
Each child will have a special week during the school year for recognition. On Monday of his/her week, please send in an “All About Me” poster (provided by your child's teacher), which will be displayed in the classroom.
Birthdays and Celebrations
If you would like to bring a special treat on (or close to) your child’s birthday, please contact your child's teacher at least one week in advance. We ask that class treats are limited to small cookies, doughnut holes, or muffins. No party favors, balloons, gifts, or the like may be included as part of the birthday celebration. If you are having a private party and would like to have invitations passed out in class, we will be happy to do so as long as everyone in the class receives an invitation.
Visitors and Classroom Visits
Parents/guardians or community resource visitors are welcome to visit the school, as are those who may be interested in possible enrollment at MPCS. Upon arrival, guests are asked to sign-in at the preschool front desk. Attendance at special events, plays, athletic events, and musical programs is encouraged and appreciated. Any parents/guardians who wish to visit the classroom are asked to clear such visitation, in advance, with the teachers. Visitors or parents must follow all visitor guidelines listed in the Parent and Student Handbook.
Lost and Found
Any lost articles found should be brought to the preschool front desk. At the end of the day, the items will be taken to the teachers’ workroom. The school does not accept responsibility for students’ personal belongings. Parents of small children should check the lost and found from time to time. Proper labeling of all belongings with child’s first and last name will help decrease the number of items lost.
Field Trips
To enrich the educational program, in-house field trips are planned. Due to new regulations of car seat use on the buses and safety precautions, preschoolers will not be taken off MPCS property but will enjoy all field trips on campus.
Speech Services
Speech services are offered on-site for an additional fee. They may be made upon recommendation or as an admission requirement. If a student is approved to withdraw from speech services, the fees are assessed based on the annual rate, with a monthly proration for the time of enrollment in services.
Student Placement
It is our desire that classes be heterogeneous in nature. The responsibility for class placement rests solely with staff; therefore, it is our policy not to accept requests for placement of a student with a preferred teacher. We seek to have the appropriate balance in our classes and attempt to ensure that students are placed in an environment that is beneficial to both the individual student and the group as a whole. Any grade-level adjustments must be made within the first twenty days of school, providing that the student also meets the MPCS age requirements for the considered grade level. Per new Georgia legislation, all incoming preschool three-year-old applicants must have his/her three-year birthday by September 1.
Parties
Preschool classes may have parties to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day (special snack only), Easter, and the end of the year. All parties are to be held on campus, including the end-of-the-year party. These parties should be limited to approximately one hour.
The Pledges
Pledge of Allegiance
I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the republic for which it stands;
one nation, under God, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.
Pledge to the Christian Flag
I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag
and to the Savior, for whose Kingdom it stands;
one Savior, crucified, risen, and coming again
with life and liberty to all who believe.
Pledge to the Bible
I pledge allegiance to the Bible,
God’s Holy Word.
I will make it a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path.
I will hide its words in my heart
that I might not sin against Thee.
SECTION TWO - COMMUNICATION
Bookbags and Folders
Please make sure that your child has a school bag every day. We will send home a folder each day with a behavior update and any necessary papers. Parents are asked to check their child's bookbag and folder each day.
Conferences
Parents/guardians are encouraged to confer with teachers. One date in the fall and one in the spring is set aside for a parent-teacher conference; however, parents/guardians are urged to contact the teacher or head of preschool for an appointment when a change in the student’s behavior occurs or when a concern about an academic, emotional, social, or disciplinary matter arises. If desired, the student may be invited to attend this appointed meeting.
School Evaluations
In the preschool, report cards are issued at the end of each nine-week period. However, evaluation of students is a continuing process and is reflected in the papers that are sent home daily. Ongoing assessments enable teachers to identify strengths on which to build, as well as weaknesses for remediation.
Preschool Behavior Plan
Students at MPCS are expected to treat others kindly. Hitting, punching, kicking, biting, spitting, etc. are not allowed. Harassment of others will not be tolerated. MPCS will not tolerate bullying. Cases of bullying will be dealt with in a manner appropriate for the age of the student and the incidents that have occurred.
Please refer to the Behavior Expectations portion of the preschool "Little Eagles" folder for the full policy for your classroom.
Behavior Management
Our basic rules are as follows: we use loving touches, kind words, listening ears, quiet voices, and walking feet. We will go over these rules daily. The rewards for positive behavior will be praise, stickers, and small treats. The consequences for negative behavior will be discussion with the teacher, review of the rule broken, and, if needed, a time-out.
Good behavior will be noted each day in the child’s folder unless he/she has some problem following a rule that day, of which you will be notified. Together, we want to help your child grow and develop positively in every way. The following are expectations for students:
• Guns, knives, or weapons of any kind are prohibited on school property and must not be brought on to the school grounds or to any school event. MPCS reserves the right to search the personal possessions of students suspected of violating this rule. This includes toy or look-a-like guns or weapons.
• Students whose conduct is continuously disrespectful may be suspended, and ultimately expelled, if behavior does not improve.
• Students should not leave class without permission.
• When the class pledges the American and Christian flags, students are expected to participate.
Playground Safety Rules
During regularly scheduled recess time, teachers and paraprofessionals supervise children. In order to remain safe while having fun, students are taught the following:
• to use crosswalks when going to the playground area
• to play safely on the playground equipment (no climbing on top of equipment)
• to swing safely and avoid
o twisting or swinging sideways
o flipping the seat of the swing over the bar to raise the swing’s level
o jumping off the swings
o standing on the swing seat
• to use slides safely and avoid
o climbing up the slides
o sliding more than one student at a time
o going down the slide headfirst on stomach
• to leave rocks, sticks, dirt, etc. where they belong
• to refrain from throwing items at others
• to abstain from physical contact with other students
• to stay away from the fence (there should not be any climbing or playing on the fence)
• to stay inside the fenced playground or in the area designated by the teacher
• to stay and play in an age-appropriate area
• somersaulting over side bars
A review of these rules at home is advisable and appreciated. The consequences for playground misconduct may consist of, but is not limited to, the following:
• all or part of recess may be missed
• parents may be notified either by note or phone
• a conference with the preschool head may be called
• suspension may be invoked (in-school or out-of-school
SECTION THREE - THE ZONE EXTENDED-DAY PROGRAM
MPCS offers an extended-day program for all MPCS full-day preschool and lower school students called The Zone After-School Care Program. The Zone hours are 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Students who are registered, with a confirmed reservation, will be taken to The Zone After-School Care program as school is being dismissed. While in The Zone, children will participate in playground time, snack, homework time (as needed), arts and crafts activities, structured games, and other campus activities. For your child to be able to attend the extended-day program, they must be present at school until 3:00 p.m. Your child cannot be checked out earlier in the day and then returned for the extended-day program. The Zone is only offered on days when school is in session, except for half-days leading into extended breaks.
Enrollment
Only enrolled MPCS students are eligible to participate in The Zone. Students will not be eligible for The Zone After-School Care service until a financial contract is signed, be it an annual Zone agreement or a daily drop-in form. Three-day options are predetermined for staffing and cannot be changed. If a three-day student needs to attend on a day on which they are not scheduled, drop-in procedures and requirements will apply when space is available, and notification must be received by 12:00 p.m. by the after-school care program.
Expectations
The Zone service eligibility is contingent upon adherence to the school handbook. The same health and behavioral expectations as outlined in the parent/student handbook will be followed in The Zone. Students may not attend The Zone sessions unless they have attended school that day. Any behavioral difficulties that are exhibited on a regular basis will be addressed by the head of preschool or head of lower school and may result in removal from the The Zone program.
Financial Terms
The Zone rates and fees are disclosed in this Financial Contract. All other terms and conditions stated on the Tuition Financial Contract will apply to this contract, and the pay plan will default to the same pay plan as elected for tuition.
Injury or Illness
In case of illness or serious injury, parents will be notified right away. In the case of illness, arrangements must be made to pick up your child within 30 minutes.
Lost/Damaged Personal Items
The Zone program cannot take any responsibility for lost or broken personal articles.
Drop-In Service
A drop-in after school care service is an option when space is available and the school receives notification by 12:00 p.m. The drop-in attendance requires the following:
• Completed Zone drop-in registration forms prior to attending
• Payment by the time of pick-up on the day the student attends The Zone
The Zone Use of Campus
The Zone for preschool/TK students operates out of the Sewell Cottage and on connected playgrounds appropriate to the age of the students. Lower school students remain in Mulkey Hall for The Zone. From time to time, students in The Zone may be given the opportunity to participate in additional activities in other parts of the campus (i.e. gymnasium, media center, etc.) as a standard part of The Zone program.
Snacks
The Zone includes a school-provided snack for students who are scheduled to stay until 6:00 p.m.
Picking Up from The Zone
The Zone hours end by 6:00 p.m.
• Pick-up must be prompt by or before the conclusion of the student’s enrolled Zone session only and by the custodial parent/legal guardian or a designated emergency contact on record with the school.
• In case of need for a release of a student to anyone other than the custodial parent/legal guardian or designated emergency contact on record with the school, the after-school care program manager must be notified in writing of the change.
• The after-school care manager must also be notified in writing by the custodial parent/legal guardian of any persons who are specifically barred from picking up the student. Classroom clocks will be utilized as the official time to determine if the student is picked up late. Results of picking up a student late include:
• Students picked up after the conclusion of the student’s enrolled Zone session incur a late fee of $2.00/minute, which will be billed to your student account at the conclusion of the billing period.
• If the student is picked up late five or more times, there will be an additional $10.00 fee charged, and the student may be removed from the program.
• If late fees remain unpaid after five school days, the student may not attend The Zone until payment clears the late fee balance.
• If a child is not picked up by 8:00 p.m., and the program staff have not received communication from the custodial parent/legal guardian or designated emergency contact on record with the school, the student will be turned over to the appropriate Cobb County authorities.
Payments
The Zone contract rates are billed on the student account online and follow the same payment options as are available through that account for tuition and other school fees.
• If drop-in or late fees are not paid to the after-school care program, they will be added to the student account, and a service charge will be added.
• Students enrolling in The Zone after September 1, will receive a proration for prior days not enrolled. This proration will be reflected in the student account. The Zone rates are per student per school year.