Playschool Announcements

Purpose and Philosophy
The Bellefonte Playschool exists for the purpose of enriching the lives of children. The school provides a supervised environment for the development of socialization skills through play, and for the teaching of basic kindergarten readiness skills. Children are encouraged to express themselves within the bounds of traditional moral standards, practice social interaction skills, develop a sense of belonging to a group, and recognize and accept the individual differences of other children.

The Bellefonte Playschool, functioning as an educational ministry of the Faith United Methodist Church, is accountable to the Church Council. As such, the Playschool seeks to present a curriculum that reflects the purposes of the Faith United Methodist Church. The curriculum and the teaching methods promote Christian standards and values consistent with the beliefs of the Faith United Methodist Church.

Licensure and Partnerships
The Bellefonte Playschool is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, State Board of Private Academic Schools. (visit http://www.pde.state.pa.us/) Our license, renewed yearly, mandates that our Educational Director and teachers be certified by the Department of Education in Early Childhood Education and that our curriculum meets certain standards. The Bellefonte Playschool has been licensed since 1972.

The Bellefonte Playschool has a contractual partnership with the Central Intermediate Unit #10 and thus is able to provide screening and instruction for developmental and speech delays at no additional cost (visit http://www.ableacedemy.org/ciu10).

The Bellefonte Playschool is also connected with Smart Start-Centre County, a network of business and organizational leaders, educators, service providers, and parents dedicated to the principle that a successful childhood leads to a healthy, happy, and productive adulthood (visit http://www.smartstartcc.org/).

Advisory Board
As a component of the education program of Faith Church, The Bellefonte Playschool is governed by an Advisory Board. The Board is composed of the Playschool directors, parent representatives, church representatives, a financial secretary, the church treasurer and the pastor of Faith Church. The Board meets quarterly to review the operations, curriculum and needs of the Playschool, its students, staff and parents. Parents are welcome to attend the meeting to express concerns, or they may contact the parent representatives, the administrative director, or the Advisory Board chairperson.

Class Routine
The routines of our program are flexible. However, each class session usually operates as follows:
- Arrival, free play, dramatic play
- Fine motor skills practice, art projects, simple games
- Group time, calendar, weather, songs
- Snack time
- Story time, teacher directed activities, lesson of the day
- Gross motor play, discovery

Curriculum
The Bellefonte Playschool complies with the state guidelines and regulations developed by the State Board of Private Academic Schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Learning activities include:
- Socialization through play
- Manipulative materials
- Dramatic play and creative arts
- Gross and fine motor play
- Simple games and discussions
- Literature, music and science
- Center time and discovery
- Fieldtrips and presentations

The Bellefonte Playschool does not follow any single curriculum guide, but the Educational Director and teachers design lessons based upon a variety of resources. Our child-centered curriculum focuses on topics that are of interest to the children and also addresses the different developmental needs of individuals. Our staff believes that learning at the pre-school level is best when the lessons are engaging, active and fun!

Staff
Our staff provides children with more than 50 years of combined teaching experience. All of our teachers hold valid certifications from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Administration
Carol-Beth Book has participated in the operations of The Bellefonte Playschool since 1999, and has been its Administrative Director since 2003. She has a BS degree from Bucknell University, as well as graduate degrees from Penn State University. Mrs. Book is in charge of enrollments and the day-to-day operations of the Bellefonte Playschool. She is available to meet with parents and also assists teachers and aides in various classrooms.

Teachers
Ruth Rodgers has been with the Bellefonte Playschool since 1986, and currently serves as our Head Teacher and Educational Director. Prior to joining the Playschool staff, she worked ten years as a first grade teacher. Mrs. Rodgers holds two degrees from Penn State University -- a BS degree in Elementary Education and a MS degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Early Childhood Education. Mrs. Rodgers supervises the Playschool’s curriculum and lesson plans and teaches both 3-year-old and Pre-K classes. She regularly attends seminars and programs to keep informed of new teaching ideas and methods.
Theresa Vaughn has been a Teacher at The Bellefonte Playschool since 2000. She has a BS degree in Early Childhood Education from Lock Haven University and keeps current on the latest trends in the education of young children. Mrs. Vaughn teaches both 3-year-old and Pre-K classes at the Playschool and also directs Growing in Faith Daycare, another children’s ministry at Faith Church
Heather Roberts started teaching at The Bellefonte Playschool in 2003. She has a BS degree in Elementary Education from Lock Haven University, with a minor in Reading. Mrs. Roberts teaches a Pre-K class. She supplements her teaching skills with experiences from her internship as a kindergarten teacher, and from various educational resources and seminars.

Aides
Linda Yarnell has been working as an aide at The Bellefonte Playschool since 1993. She currently uses her talents to assist Mrs. Rodgers with 3-year-old and Pre-K classes.
Molly Corl has been an aide at The Bellefonte Playschool since 1998. She has worked with many of our teachers and now enjoys helping Mrs. Roberts with her Pre-K class.
Heather White started working as an aide in 2002. She provides valuable assistance to Mrs. Vaughn in her 3-year-old and Pre-K classes.
Laurie Wion has been volunteering her time at The Bellefonte Playschool for many years. Each week she rotates through all the classrooms and assists the teachers and aides with their lessons.

Calendar
The Bellefonte Playschool follows essentially the same calendar as that of the Bellefonte Area School District, (see http://www.basd.net/) observing the same holidays and vacation periods, except for starting a week later in September and ending before Memorial Day in May.

Starting Dates
For the 2005-2006 school year, The Bellefonte Playschool will hold an Orientation Night on Thursday, September 8th, 2005. This informal evening will allow parents and children to see their child’s classroom, meet the teachers and aides, and introduce themselves to classmates and parents. Classes will start September 12th and 13th, 2005 at 9:00 am.

Class Size
Each class is limited to 12 or 14 students, depending on the classroom. A certified teacher and an aide expertly lead each class. The Administrative Director and qualified volunteers are available, as needed, to assist with special projects.

Class Availability
Three-year-old classes are available.
- Tuesday and Thursday mornings, 9:00 am to 11:30 am.
These classes are for children who will be age three (3) by September 1st and who are completely toilet-trained.

Pre-K classes for 4-year-olds are available.
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (3 days), 9:00 am to 11:30 am
- Monday through Friday mornings (5 days), 9:00 am to 11:30 am
These classes are offered for children who will be age four (4) by September 1st. To enroll in the 5-day Pre-K class, students should have completed the 3-year-old program at The Bellefonte Playschool.

Registration and Tuition
For the 2005-2006 school year, the registration fees* are as follows:
- $45 for a child who will be attending a 2-day 3-year-old class.
- $60 for a child who will be attending a 3-day Pre-K class.
- $75 for a child who will be attending the 5-day Pre-K class.
*A $5 discount is given for children who are registered before May 1st ($40, $55 or $70 respectively).
Registration fees are necessary to ensure a child’s space in a particular class.

For the 2005-2006 school year, the tuition fees are:
- Three-year-old classes (Tuesday & Thursday mornings) $70/month
- 3-day Pre-K (Monday, Wednesday & Friday mornings) $90/month
- 5-day Pre-K (Monday through Friday mornings) $150/month
Tuition fees are based on the 9-month school year, from September until May.
For your convenience, smaller payments may be arranged on a 12-month schedule.

Parental Involvement
The Bellefonte Playschool relies on parents and guardians to help with the early education of our young students. Here is a summary of guidelines from our Parent’s Handbook:
- Parents need to provide emergency contact information as well as a copy of their child’s immunization record. State regulations require proof of the MMR vaccine before the start of the school year.
- Parents are asked to provide snack, for the entire class, approximately once a month. Nutritious snacks low in sugar and fat are required.
- Parents or caregivers are responsible for bringing their child to class on time, but no earlier than 8:55 am, to allow the teachers ample preparation time.
- Parents or caregivers are responsible for picking up their children at 11:30 am. Children look forward to being picked-up on time. Fees are imposed for children who are picked up more than 10 minutes late.
- Parents are encouraged to meet with teachers for a conference in March, but may speak privately to a teacher about their child at any time throughout the school year.
- Parents are encouraged to participate in school fundraisers, Christmas programs, Advisory Board meetings, and other educational activities such as field trips and special projects.
- Parents or caregivers need to make monthly tuition payments by the 5th of each month, starting in September.

Information
Please contact the Administrative Director, Carol-Beth Book, if you are interested in more information. She will be happy to arrange a time for you to observe a Playschool class and tour our facility.

Phone: 814-357-9086 (Please leave a message if no answer.)
E-mail: playschool@faithworking.com
Fax: 814-355-7875

Registration
Click here to download and print a copy of our Registration Packet. Please mail the completed Registration Form, Enrollment Agreement Form and Registration Fee to:
The Bellefonte Playschool
Faith United Methodist Church
512 Hughes Street
Bellefonte, PA 16823