Policies and Procedures
Starz' Academy will provide continuity of care between your child and their caregiver as they progress through the classrooms, whenever possible.
Tuition:
Registration Fee- Starz' Academy cares for children year round. A registration fee of $50 is required for each child that enrolls. This payment guarantees a spot for a 2 week period and is non-refundable. This registration fee is renewed every September 1st, Summer camp children that are not enrolled year round also pay a $50 registration fee.
All tuition fees are due and payable on Monday of each week by 6pm. If payment is not received by this time, a late charge of $20 will be added to your account. If an account is 2 weeks past due, Starz' Academy reserves the right to terminate a child's enrollment. If payments are made by personal check, you must complete the social security portion of the enrollment form. Starz' Academy reserves the right to revise any fees and/or policies with the proper notification.
You will receive a monthly bill for the following:
Breakfast: $1 per meal, per child. Scheduled time for breakfast is 7:30-8:00am. Health Department Regulations state we are not allowed to accept food items that are not provided by Starz' Academy. (Except South Bend & Mishawaka)
Late nights: $10 per day, per child (if the child is picked up after 6pm)
Diapers: Parents are responsible. If your child has no diapers/ pull-ups, a charge of $1 per diaper will be added to your account.
Gymnastics (Optional): The fee is $35 charged on the 1st of every month; 1 class per week.
Vacation: Depending on your child's enrollment date, two weeks per calendar year is allotted for vacation days. Families must be enrolled for one month before using any vacation day, and your account must be current. The Vacation schedule runs as follows for the first year of enrollment:
If your child enrolls January- March = 2 weeks vacation, April - September =1 week vacation, October - December = 0 weeks vacation
If a single vacation day is needed, a deduction of $20 per day is offered. If a vacation week is used (Monday-Friday), your child's weekly tuition will be taken off your balance, provided you fill out the Vacation Slip and the vacation days to use. Summer Camp students are not allotted vacation time.
Leave of Absence: If you were to go on a leave of absence, in order to guarantee and reserve a spot for your child, 1 weeks full-time tuition must be paid every 4 weeks.
Parents will be notified in cases of illness, injury or death of their child's caregiver. In case such emergency, Starz' Academy has sufficient staff to cover their absence.
Confidentiality: All information pertaining to the admission, health, family or discharge of a child is confidential. Starz' Academy may release the child's records to the parents and any other authorized by law.
Hours of Operation: We are open from 6am-6pm Monday through Friday. Parents are welcome to visit the school any time the center is open for operation. The center is staffed until 7pm for those nights when parents need a little extra time to get to the center. Late nights (between 6-7pm) will be billed to your account at the end of each month at the amounts described under the Tuition sub-heading
After Hours: It is a policy of Starz' Academy that staff may not care for enrolled children after business hours. When staff members become to familiar with students in a after school situation, it can affect the student-teacher relationship within the school.
Part Time Schedules: Starz' Academy will try to be as flexible as possible for those families that are scheduled for fewer than 5 full-time days. If you find that you need to add a day to your schedule, we ask that you fill out a Flex-Day form, which will allow an extra day, if enrollment permits. You will be billed separately for these days. When changing from full-time to part-time a written 2-week notice is required. If you plan to permanently add on to your schedule, please let the office know as soon as possible and we will do our best to accommodate your family needs.
Holidays: We are closed for the following holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Day After Thanksgiving & Christmas. The center may schedule early closings on special occasions with advance notice, especially Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.
School Closings: If Starz' Academy must close due to hazardous weather, or if conditions arise that make the building unsafe, Starz' Academy will take immediate action to provide for the safety of the children and staff. If the center must close, announcements will be made on television and radio stations. Parent may also be called. If the center does close due to weather conditions, tuition's for the week will not be prorated.
School Communication: Every month each family receives a newsletter notifying the families of various upcoming events, special days, and activities. We also highlight child and staff birthdays, classrooms, teachers, and topics of interest.
In each room, a Daily Schedule is posted on the Parent Bulletin Board. This is to give parents an idea of your child's daily routine. For preschool and younger, a Daily Report is placed in your child's file. It includes favorite activities, lunch menu, nap schedule, items needed and class teachers.
In order to assure your child a quality education, a weekly lesson plan will be posted in each classroom. The curriculum is themebased with developmentally appropriate activities to enrich your child's' learning experience. To track your child's educational progress, we utilize multiple tools. Monthly assessment pages will supplement a progress report done twice yearly. A collection of your child's work will also be stored in a portfolio and given to parents at the year's end or departure.
All accidents and incidents will be documented regarding your child. You will receive report stating the incident and the treatment that was given. You may receive a courtesy call from the Director if needed.
Health: Starz' Academy shall make every effort to prevent and control the spread of communicable diseases and has established written health policies and precautions directed to this end.
Students should not be exposed to any communicable disease within 4 weeks prior to admission. Starz' Academy must notify all families of any significant occurrences or problems which may affect the child, including to exposure to communicable diseases.
Children who are ill must not be brought to Starz' Academy. Keep children home with the following: Fever, Diarrhea or Vomiting within the previous 24 hours. If your child is sick, please call the office by 9am that day.
When any child or staff is known to have an infectious disease, they shall be excluded from attendance for such time as prescribed by the person's physician. Starz' Academy may recommend a physical examination of your child at any time needed to ensure the health of that child until they are able to participate in the daily program.
In the event that your child becomes ill at school, we will contact a parent. If a parent cannot be reached, a responsible member from the child's Pick-Up list will be contacted. We will call and your child must be picked up if he/she vomits, has diarrhea or a fever of 101 degrees or more. If you child is sent home with any of these reasons, they may not return until they are symptom free for 24 hour of being picked up or accompanied by a doctor's note.
If your child is believed to have an infectious disease, they will be isolated and parent/guardian will be contacted to pick up. The isolation area will be sanitized as well as any area used by the ill child. A notice will be posted to notify all parents of the children and staff that have been exposed.
Children unable to participate in the full program, including outside play, need to be kept home.
Medication: State law mandates that no medications shall be given without written permission from a physician. All over the counter medications, including diaper creams require a physician's signature. The Director has Medication Permission Forms available for parents to have filled out by their physician, or parents may have their physician fax permission to Starz' Academy. Approved prescription medications may be administrated by the center if they are in the original container bearing the original pharmacy label. Please note: Sunscreen and Bug Repellents require written parent authorization.
Food: A nutritious and State approved child friendly lunch will be served daily as well as morning and afternoon snacks. Children arriving before 8am are offered breakfast at an additional cost as described under the Tuition sub-heading. A 5 week menu is posted in each class.
State lay mandates that any food served to your child that is not included in our approved menu, must be accompanied by a doctor's note. Your child may bring a treat to share with the entire class on his/her birthday. During classroom parties, birthday parties, and special events your child may bring or donate a store bought item with the ingredient label attached.
Classroom Participation:
Show & Share: Each week there is 1 day that your child is allowed to bring something special from home to share with their class. Your child's item may follow the weekly theme; however please bring non-violent toys and only on your special day.
Movie Day: Each week children ages 3 through Pre-K are allowed on e day to watch a movie that is "G" rated for up to 1 hour. Kindergarten and Summer Camp kids will be given a list of "PG" rated movies; please return with parent permission/specifications.
