Happy April! This month, we are looking forward to discovering all the changes spring brings forth. This season provides a great opportunity for children to learn and grow as they discover new things in their environment. Our teachers are planning lots of fun outdoor adventures, lessons, picnics, and more! We are also excited to celebrate Week of the Young Child in a Magical way and Earth Day as we take a look into the lifecycle of ladybugs and have a school wide ladybug release!
Important Updates:
– Tuition payments are due every Monday of the week. When our school is closed on Mondays for a holiday, tuition is due on Tuesday. You can also log into your Alma account and pay through your parent portal. Overall, it is the parents’ responsibility to make sure tuition is paid each week.
-Automatic late fees have begun being applied on Wednesdays. Late fees are applied PER CHILD. As stated in your fee schedule, ALL tuition is due Mondays by end of day. If you are not on automatic payments, please stop by the front office to receive information on how to sign up.
-Our school hours are from 6:30am- 6:00pm. Parents arriving any time after 6:00 to pick up their child will be charged a $1 per minute late fee PER CHILD. We cannot make any exceptions to this school policy.
-There has been an update to our menu. You will notice the format is different as well as more specific meal options. We provide vegetarians options, but we do not provide substitutions for food preferences. Please check the menu and provide your child with food if there is an item you do not want them to have.
Important Dates to remember:
22-23 School Year
April 5th- Parent Survey’s End
April 6th-12th- Week of the Young Child
April 22nd- Earth Day
April 27th- Open House
May 27th- School closed in honor of Memorial Day
June 19th- School closed in honor of Juneteenth
News From our Education Department
Blog Article April
Keep in Mind
Home-Based Symptom Screening:
All children MUST be pre-screened at home for cold symptoms prior to attending school. The colder weather has arrived so please be sure you are screening your child each day.
Sheet and Blanket Requirement
It is a Licensing requirement that each full-time student brings in a fitted sheet and blanket for nap time. If your child comes to school without these items, we will give you a call to let you know we need those items brought in right away.
Extra Clothing Reminder
If you’ve not already done so, please send in an extra set of weather appropriate clothes for your child. Extra clothing must be brought to school in a Ziplock bag. No loose items can be stored in your child’s cubby.
Links 2 Home
If you’re not currently receiving photos and daily reports for your child, you can easily change this by downloading the Links 2 Home app on your phone. Just type ‘Links 2 Home’ in the search bar for the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. After downloading, you can register with the same email address that you used to enroll your child in our school.
Online Parent Communication
In addition to our newsletter, the ‘For Parents’ section of our website also includes links to our menu, monthly calendar and school year calendar. We update these items frequently to ensure you’re always informed. Though we send information through Links 2 Home, our calendar can be printed or even downloaded directly to your device. Our menu and school year calendar can be printed or saved for easy reference as well.
Updating your Information in Alma
Do you have a different email address or phone number? Need to add or remove an emergency contact? You can do this at any time in Alma. If you need help logging in or accessing the system, please let us know.
A few friendly reminders
Illness Policy Reminder:
Our parents are vital partners in helping us to maintain a safe and healthy environment for the students in our school. The most important thing you can do to assist us in creating a healthy environment is to keep your child home if they are ill. This reduces the spread of illness and allows your child to fully recuperate. Children may not attend school until they have been symptom free for 72 hours if they display any of the following:
Please refer to our Merryhill Family Handbook for details about our Illness and Medication Policy
Parking Lot Safety
Because the safety of our children is of paramount concern to us, we require all parents to adhere to the following rules of the road while on campus:
- There is a 5 miles per hour speed limit at all times while on school property.
- Park in designated loading zone with space allowed for other vehicles to exit.
- While on school grounds, pedestrians always have the right of way.
- Vehicle ignitions MUST be turned off, and the keys removed, while parked on school grounds.
- Children may NOT be left unattended in a vehicle at any time or for any reason.
- Do not leave any valuables in your car when entering our building or any other location.
Tuition Policy Reminder:
Tuition is due no later than Friday prior to the week of attendance. Tuition is considered delinquent at 12:00 PM on Monday. A $25 late fee charge will be assessed per child and should be included in your payment. Tuition is continuous throughout the year. There are no deductions in tuition for absences, illness, or the holidays that are observed throughout the year. Each child is entitled to one week of vacation credit for each school year after attending school for six months. Requests for vacation credit must be presented in writing to the office at least two weeks in advance.
- A charge of $1 per minute will be assessed for children picked-up after 12:00 PM for half-day students, and 6:00 PM for full-day students.
- Sign up for our Automatic Payment Program and avoid late fee charges via your parent portal, ALMA! You can also use this portal to submit payments via credit card.
- We encourage you all parents to sign into your parent portal, ALMA, to view your account, print statements, make payments, and update contact information. ALMA is an online platform that can be reached from this website from the “For Parents” tab. Please see an administrative staff member if you need help setting up your account or a password reset.
Additional Reminders:
- Please make sure that your child has a crib-sized fitted sheet to cover his/her mat, a blanket, and at least two spare set of clothing in his/her cubby. On Fridays, you must take blankets and sheets home to be laundered and return them on Mondays. Please check your child’s cubby every day for soiled clothing or other items that may need to be taken home. Please also make sure all items are clearly marked with your child’s name (clothing, sheets, blankets, sweaters and jackets, towels and bathing suits, etc.).
- We ask that your child wear appropriate shoes to school in order to protect them for potential injuries. Flip Flops are not permitted at school.
- Merryhill School is a NUT FREE environment, we ask that you not bring any food items into the school that contain nut products.
April Newsletter
Welcome April!
Dear Families,
Happy April! This month, we are looking forward to discovering all the changes spring brings forth. This season provides a great opportunity for children to learn and grow as they discover new things in their environment. Our teachers are planning lots of fun outdoor adventures, lessons, picnics, and more! We are also excited to celebrate Week of the Young Child in a Magical way and Earth Day as we take a look into the lifecycle of ladybugs and have a school wide ladybug release!
Family Survey Reminder- Our enrolled family survey launched in March. If you have not received the email, please let us know so we can request it be resent. The survey provides the opportunity for you to share your positive experiences within our school community and give feedback on our areas of opportunity confidentially. Survey closes April 5th. We can’t wait to share all the wonderful things you have to say with our teachers!
Open House / Family Referral Bonus- Our Next Open House is on April 27th from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm, so don’t forget about our referral bonus! When you refer a friend and they enroll, you’re eligible for a free week of tuition. Ask us for details!
Week of the Young Child- Week of the Young Child, April 6-12, recognizes young students, their teachers, and their families for all their hard work. This annual event, sponsored by The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), allows us to showcase the importance of early childhood education, our Links to Learning curriculum, and everyone who makes it possible. We have many fun activities planned for Music Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday, and Family Friday. More information was sent home from your child’s teacher in a WOYC packet!
Earth Day- Earth Day is Monday, April 22nd! Our classes will be creating fun activities centering around the importance of protecting our planet and the benefits of ladybugs. We can’t wait to share photos with you throughout the week via tadpoles!
Celyna Melendez
Principal
Important Updates:
– Tuition payments are due every Monday of the week. When our school is closed on Mondays for a holiday, tuition is due on Tuesday. You can also log into your Alma account and pay through your parent portal. Overall, it is the parents’ responsibility to make sure tuition is paid each week.
-Automatic late fees have begun being applied on Wednesdays. Late fees are applied PER CHILD. As stated in your fee schedule, ALL tuition is due Mondays by end of day. If you are not on automatic payments, please stop by the front office to receive information on how to sign up.
-Our school hours are from 6:30am- 6:00pm. Parents arriving any time after 6:00 to pick up their child will be charged a $1 per minute late fee PER CHILD. We cannot make any exceptions to this school policy.
-There has been an update to our menu. You will notice the format is different as well as more specific meal options. We provide vegetarians options, but we do not provide substitutions for food preferences. Please check the menu and provide your child with food if there is an item you do not want them to have.
Important Dates to remember:
22-23 School Year
April 5th- Parent Survey’s End
April 6th-12th- Week of the Young Child
April 22nd- Earth Day
April 27th- Open House
May 27th- School closed in honor of Memorial Day
June 19th- School closed in honor of Juneteenth
News From our Education Department
Blog Article April
Keep in Mind
Home-Based Symptom Screening:
All children MUST be pre-screened at home for cold symptoms prior to attending school. The colder weather has arrived so please be sure you are screening your child each day.
Sheet and Blanket Requirement
It is a Licensing requirement that each full-time student brings in a fitted sheet and blanket for nap time. If your child comes to school without these items, we will give you a call to let you know we need those items brought in right away.
Extra Clothing Reminder
If you’ve not already done so, please send in an extra set of weather appropriate clothes for your child. Extra clothing must be brought to school in a Ziplock bag. No loose items can be stored in your child’s cubby.
Links 2 Home
If you’re not currently receiving photos and daily reports for your child, you can easily change this by downloading the Links 2 Home app on your phone. Just type ‘Links 2 Home’ in the search bar for the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. After downloading, you can register with the same email address that you used to enroll your child in our school.
Online Parent Communication
In addition to our newsletter, the ‘For Parents’ section of our website also includes links to our menu, monthly calendar and school year calendar. We update these items frequently to ensure you’re always informed. Though we send information through Links 2 Home, our calendar can be printed or even downloaded directly to your device. Our menu and school year calendar can be printed or saved for easy reference as well.
Updating your Information in Alma
Do you have a different email address or phone number? Need to add or remove an emergency contact? You can do this at any time in Alma. If you need help logging in or accessing the system, please let us know.
A few friendly reminders
Illness Policy Reminder:
Our parents are vital partners in helping us to maintain a safe and healthy environment for the students in our school. The most important thing you can do to assist us in creating a healthy environment is to keep your child home if they are ill. This reduces the spread of illness and allows your child to fully recuperate. Children may not attend school until they have been symptom free for 72 hours if they display any of the following:
Please refer to our Merryhill Family Handbook for details about our Illness and Medication Policy
Parking Lot Safety
Because the safety of our children is of paramount concern to us, we require all parents to adhere to the following rules of the road while on campus:
Tuition Policy Reminder:
Tuition is due no later than Friday prior to the week of attendance. Tuition is considered delinquent at 12:00 PM on Monday. A $25 late fee charge will be assessed per child and should be included in your payment. Tuition is continuous throughout the year. There are no deductions in tuition for absences, illness, or the holidays that are observed throughout the year. Each child is entitled to one week of vacation credit for each school year after attending school for six months. Requests for vacation credit must be presented in writing to the office at least two weeks in advance.
Additional Reminders: