LITTLE BLESSINGS PRESCHOOL

Frequently asked questions:

About registration:

What are the chances of my child getting into your program?

The best chances for getting into our program is to register on time. Our registration process begins in early February for the fall. We select students by first sorting registrations by the date they were mailed or dropped off and then we use a lottery system. Registrations may not be dropped off before the established registration dates. (See the bottom of the Registration form for more details.) In addition, when possible it is suggested that you select a first and second choice for classes.

My child just misses the cut-off date; do you ever make exceptions?

It is the policy of our preschool that students must be the required age by September 30th of the upcoming school year to be placed in our classes.

If my child is placed on the wait list, is my registration fee deposited?

The registration fee is only deposited when your child is placed in a class. Registration fee checks are attached to the Registration form for students placed on a wait list.

Why is the registration fee non-refundable?

The registration fee is used to reserve a spot for your child in our program and to cover administrative costs should you decide to withdraw your child from our program.

About our program:

Is your program Christian-based?

Little Blessings Preschool is a Christian-based learning center. As a ministry of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, we are designed to meet the early spiritual, social, physical and intellectual needs of our children. As a Christian preschool, Little Blessings Preschool will promote the spiritual development of children by conducting weekly Chapel Times and praying before snack.

Why must a child be 4 1/2 to enter your Pre-K 5s program?

The Pre-K 5s class is geared to meet the needs of children who just miss the kindergarten cut-off or are waiting a year before starting kindergarten. In order to ensure that the age difference of this class does not go beyond 12 months, we have set this age requirement.

Is your program academic-based or play-based?

Our programs are designed to meet the early spiritual, social, physical and intellectual needs of children. Our goal is to foster growth in these four areas by providing a safe, nurturing, child-centered environment. Our three-year-old programs are initially more play-based and social with increasing structure and academics being introduced in the second half of the school year. Our Pre-K 5s and Pre-K 4s programs provide for opportunities for play and socialization while placing more emphasis on structure and basic kindergarten readiness skills.

Does your program require parents to volunteer in the classroom (Co-op)?

Little Blessings Preschool is open for parents to visit and to observe their children at any time. Teachers are encouraged to invite parents to visit the classroom and to participate in appropriate activities to enrich the school, but there is no requirement for mandatory volunteer time.

When does your program begin and end?

Early September - Late May. Classes begin with Open Houses scheduled the week of Labor Day and run through to the Friday before Memorial Day.

Do you follow the Loudoun County Public School calendar?

Little Blessings Preschool follows, as closely as possible, the Loudoun County Public School calendar pertaining to teacher workdays, vacations and holidays. In addition, Easter Monday will be a holiday if it does not fall on a scheduled public school holiday.

About Lunch Bunch:

Can my child come early and stay late?

Our Lunch Bunch option is for after class time for morning programs only. Since space is limited it is not possible to offer before school care.

Why is space limited to 10 students?

Lunch Bunch is supervised by one staff member with a second staff member available in the building for emergencies. The Code of Virginia limits the number of children age 3-5 that can be supervised by one adult to 10 children.

What will my child do in during Lunch Bunch?

Lunch Bunch is designed as supervised lunchtime and playtime. Children will first be asked to sit and eat their packed lunch before toys and other activities are started. Children typically enjoy the freedom of this program after the structure of their class day.

If my child is sick or on vacation, can Lunch Bunch be made up?

As with monthly tuition, the preschool depends upon Lunch Bunch fees to maintain our budget and pay staff salaries. Full payment is expected regardless of Lunch Bunch sessions missed due to illness, vacation, or inclement weather. We are not able to accommodate make-up days.

About other policies and procedures:

Why must children be potty trained?

Our program, facilities, and staff are not equipped to change soiled diapers and Pull-ups. We do however ask that each student have a change of clothes at the preschool for those occasional accidents.

My child has food allergies. How do you handle snack?

If there is a food allergy, which can cause extreme reaction or requires special medication, the parent must supply a snack from home each day for their child or bring a small shoe-boxed sized container stocked with a variety of snacks for their child to select from. Preschool staff members may not give students with a life-threatening allergy any food item not provided by the parent.

My child has food allergies. How do you handle emergency medications?

Any child with a diagnosed severe allergy will need to have the diagnosis documented and a care plan identified in the event they should have an inadvertent contact with an allergen. Most life-threatening allergies require the patient to carry an Epi-Pen(tm) and/or an antihistamine (e.g. Benadryl(tm)). Parents are required to provide a Written Medication Consent Form that is filled out and signed by the child's physician and parent along with any medications.

Little Blessings Preschool is not a Peanut-free school, but staff members will avoid the use of peanut products in crafts and cooking projects. In the event that a student in a classroom has a life-threatening food allergy, parents for that class will be notified and asked not to send in snack items containing the allergen. Preschool staff members may not give students with a life-threatening food allergy any food.

How do I handle picking my preschool child up if I have an older child that gets out of school at the same time?

This is a frequent problem each year as the public school often does not set schedules for buses until late August. We now offer a Lunch Bunch option to assist parents with Kindergarten scheduling conflicts. Another solution is to find another parent to carpool with or a neighbor that may be willing to get your older child from the bus stop. Depending on an older child's dismissal time, some parents pick-up their older children first or pick-up their preschool child a few minutes early.

Is it all right to pick-up my child a few minutes late?

It is the policy of the preschool that children must be picked up at their dismissal time. Please remember that being late can be upsetting to your child and might prevent our staff from getting home on time for their own children.

What is your policy regarding inclement weather?

If Loudoun County Public Schools are closed, Little Blessings Preschool will be closed. If Loudoun County Public Schools are delayed one hour, the morning preschool classes will start one hour late, but dismiss on time. One-hour delays do not affect afternoon class schedule. A two-hour delay will result in the cancellation of all morning classes and afternoon classes will meet as scheduled. Early dismissals due to weather by the Loudoun County Public Schools will result in the preschool dismissing as well. If an early dismissal occurs before the start or within one hour of the start of afternoon classes, afternoon classes will be cancelled. Cancellation of classes and Lunch Bunch is also at the Director’s discretion. If the Director finds it necessary to cancel or dismiss classes/Lunch Bunch, parents will be notified by phone. Children will be supervised until a parent or guardian arrives. Missed class or Lunch Bunch sessions will not be rescheduled.