Handbook
Holidays & Training Days
Listed below are the days we will observe as holidays or training days
for 2025.
Monday, January 20th, MLK, Jr. Day
Monday, February 17th, President’s Day
Friday, March 21st, Staff Training Day
Friday, April 18th, Good Friday
Friday, May 23rd & Monday May 26th, Memorial Day Weekend
Thursday, June 19th, Juneteenth
June 30th-July 4th, July 4th and staff vacation
Friday, August 15th, Staff Training Day
Friday, August 29th & Monday, September 1st, Labor Day Weekend
Monday, October 13th, Columbus Day
Wednesday, November 26th close @ 12, Thanksgiving Holiday
Thursday, November 27th & Friday, November 28th, Thanksgiving Holidays
Monday, December 22nd - Friday, December 26th, Christmas Holidays
Wednesday, December 31st, close @ 12, New Year’s Eve
Thursday, January 1, 2026, New Year’s Day
We have a couple of amendments to our policy that will become effective February 10, 2025.
Drop-Off Time Change
Our new “cut-off” time will be 9:00 a.m. While it was previously 10, it sometimes drifted into our teacher’s breaks and interfered with that schedule. Moving the cut-off to 9:00 will allow us to better prepare for the attendance of the day.
Signing Children In/Out
It is imperative that any adult dropping children off and picking them up sign their child(ren) in and out every time. First, it is a requirement from Bright from the Start that we have an accurate record of attendance. This is recorded by using the computer system to sign your children in and out. It will not allow you to sign your child in the next day if you did not sign them out the previous day. Also, it’s difficult for office staff to keep up with the correct time of arrival and departure of each child’s attendance. Procare also records the number of hours your child is in attendance. If we are signing your child in/out, we could input the incorrect time causing you to have an additional charge on your account. Please help us by signing your children in and out each day.
Closing time is 5:30
Our childcare fees cover care for 9.5 - 10 hours a day. Any time outside the scheduled hours (including half days or early closures) will be assessed an additional fee. The fee is $10.00 for every 15 minutes or part thereof you go over the 9.5 - 10 hours or past 5:30. Staff clock out at 5:30 each day, so anytime over this requires an extended day. Late fees will be due upon your arrival at the center to pick up your child.
Exclusion Due to Illness
The Academy does not administer any medication or give breathing treatments. Children will be excluded from the Academy due to illness when:
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The child’s illness prevents the child from participating in routine activities.
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The illness requires more care than the childcare staff is able to provide without compromising the needs of the other children in the group.
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Keeping the child in childcare poses an increased risk to the child or to other children or adults with whom the child will come in contact as defined in items above under illness.
If the staff is uncertain about whether the child’s illness poses increased risk to others, the child will be excluded until a physician notifies the Academy that the child may attend.As a VERY IMPORTANT safety and infection control measure, we caution you that older siblings may NOT be taken into the infant and toddler rooms.Certain types of illness may necessitate the temporary removal and/or exclusion of your child from the Academy for a period of time. They are as follows:
Diarrhea
When diarrhea is noted; your child’s temperature will be taken. If there is a fever, you will be notified to come for your child right away. If your child does not have a fever, but has a second liquid stool, you will be notified to come for your child. Your child may not return to the Academy until he or she is symptom free for twenty-four (24) hours, unless you present a doctor’s statement that your child is not contagious.
Temperature Elevations
When a temperature elevation is suspected, your child’s temperature will be taken. Children with temperatures of 101 degrees orally to be present in the Academy. If your child’s temperature is elevated to the degree listed above, you will be contacted to come for your child immediately. Your child may return to the Academy when he/she has been fever free for twenty-four (24) hours; i.e. free of fever without the benefit of a fever reducing medication for 24 hours.Fever is often a symptom of a contagious condition. Administering fever reducing medication just serves to mask the fever so that a continuing contagious condition could go untreated. As a result, other children might be needlessly infected.