Frequently Asked Questions

General
Schedule
Curriculum
Parent Involvement
Financial
Adult:Child Ratio
Facility

General
	What is the age of the children who can enroll in the developmental preschool?
		Children should be at least 3 years old by September 30th of the school year.
	Does my child have to be potty-trained before enrolling at Tiny Tim?
		Due to the wide diversity of children we serve, we can help children who are working on potty-training.
	Why should I send my typical chil to your school?
		The curriculum that is used as part of the preschool program is designed to meet the needs of ALL children. Children without special needs will receive the foundational skills needed to be assessed and together with the parent goals for the year are established during the first successful in kindergarten. Each child's strengths and needs are home visit. Ongoing observations are made throughout the year and recorded as part of the "Creative Curriculum" observation and assessment tools that we use. Most importantly having ALL children participate in a developmentally appropriate learning environment teaches the children about diversity, empathy, respect and friendship - qualities that will last a lifetime.
	Do older children need to bring their own school supplies/back packs to school daily?
		All children are asked to contribute to the program supply needs of the classrooms (eg. Markers, glue, scissors, Kleenex, etc.) at the beginning of the year. Items are pooled together by class. Children are asked to bring a back pack on a dialy basis so that notes and parent information materials can be sent home as needed.
	Do any speakers come to the school or are there presentations by community memers?
		At the beginning of each school year, families are asked of they would like to share a family tradition and/or cultural event with their child's class (or preschool classes). This opportunity is available throughout the year. For the past few years, we have had the fire department come and speak to the children in the 3 year-old classes. (Four year-olds take a trip to the Fire Station).
	Can I observe how my child is doing or stay with my child all day?
		Each class and therapy room has one way mirrors that parents can observe their children. If a parent wants to remain with their child for an entire day, we make that decision on a case by case basis. Sometimes children are reluctant to participate fully in their class when their parents are in the room. We encourage parents to volunteer in other class rooms or help out with office duties if they wish to remain on site.
	Is snack brought in by parents or provided by the school?
		Snack is provided by the school through our Snackin' Up Program. This program strives to include healthy snack items for the children. However, if a child is on a very restricted diet, we try and work with the families to ensure that they are getting the proper nutrients (either through the school and/or having the snack sent from home). We have a NO NUT policy at Tiny Tim. If a parent sends in a snack to an entire class, the snack must be labeled with ingredients.
	Are ther any peanuts in the school or are all snacks vegetarian?
		We have a NO NUT policy for snacks. Snacks are rotated on a daily basis but typically include at least 2 of the food groups (eg. Dairy, fruits/vegetables, whole grains, protein).

Schedule
	What is the weekly schedule?
		Children enroll either 2 or 4 half days per week, (Monday/Wednesday; Tuesday/Thursday; or Monday - Thursday)
	Can children attend both morning and afternoon sessions?
		We do not have the capacity for a full day programming.
	What is the typical daily schedule?
		Children experience a combination of the following activities each day: exploration and free play, small group time, table top activity time, music, snack, outside and interest areas (center) which are set up in the Big Room. Each activity lasts from 15-30 minutes.
	Are summer sessions offered?
		At this time we only offer a therapeutic summer session to children with special needs.

Curriculum
	Do children receive individual attention at Tiny Tim?
		Each of our children receives individual attention from the staff during the day. We also encourage the building of friendships with peers in the classroom.
	What is a typical lesson plan?
		Lesson plans are based on our "story book journey" approach to learning. Each week the staff plan activities that address motor, language, thinking/cognitive, social-emotional and self-help skill development.
	Is there a Spanish curriculum at the school? How often is Spanish taught/spoken?
		Approximately 10% of the children attending our developmental preschool come from mono-lingual Spanish speaking homes. These children are immersed into our English speaking instruction. We have 2 bi-lingual teaching assistants to help support their learning. All children are exposed to a small vocabulary of Spanish words (colors, numbers, etc.) We do not have a formal curriculum to address Spanish speakers.
	Is sign language taught at the school?
		A small percentage of our children with special needs are using sign language as their primary means of communication. We know that sign language is a great 'bridge' for children with limited communication skills. We use basic sign language (vocabulary determined by the book of the week) every day with the children.

Parent Involvement
	Is parent volunteering mandatory?
		Due to the fact that we are not-for-profit center and student fees represent less than 50% of our actual costs per child, each family is asked to give 25 hours per year in volunteer times to the Center. We have lots of different opportunities including writing thank you notes, helpingon field trips, sending in a snack, and serving on fundraising committees.

Financial Information
	Is financial assistance available?
		There are a limited number of slots available for children to receive financial assistance. Families qualify if their income matches the free and reduced lunch federal guidelines. Families indicate their need for financial aid on the registration form and must include 2 recent pay checks and/or previous year's income tax form and/or letter from Department of Human Service indication the family is receiving assistance.

Adult:Child Ratio
	What is the ratio of children with special needs to "typically" developing children?
		We try and maintain a 50/50 ratio between children with and without special needs.
	What is the staff to student ratio?
		We maintain a 1:4 ratio in our 3 year-old classes and a 1:5 ratio in our 4 year-old classes. This does not include the therapists who work with the children with special needs either in the classroom or in a therapy room.

Facility Information
	Are there bathrooms attached to each classroom?
		The three year-old classrooms have bathrooms attached and the four year-old classrooms access a larger bathroom that is not attached. Children are supervised by an adult during bathroom times.
	Are there step stools for the toilets and sinks or are they small (child) sized?
		The children's bathrooms are designed with child sized toilets, urinals and sinks.
	Do the 3 and 4 year-olds play outside at the same time, or are they on separate schedules?
		The 3 and 4 year-old classes follow different schedules. 1-2 times per week they may join together for group music.

Terms Defined

Children with identified disabilities face multiple challenges in communication, social interactions, motor skills development, learning, and parent-child relationships. These disabilities may include Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and chromosomal abnormalities.

'At-risk' children demonstrate a variety of conditions including low social-economic home environments, sensory system delays, attention deficit disorders, weak family and community support systems, teen parents, abuse experiences, neglect, and domestic violence.

'Typically' developing children are those that are developing within standard developmental milestones. These children benefit from the enriched individualized curricula and the opportunity to develop lasting friendships with children with special needs, thus enhancing understanding, compassion, and an appreciation of diversity.