Frequently Asked Questions

Whoever brings and picks up your child must sign in using the computer at the front desk or sign the attendance sheet with their full legal signature – no initials or nicknames, please – and their name and signature must appear on the emergency release information in your child’s file. If they are not the child’s parent, then a picture I.D. that matches the emergency release information is required.

Each child is required to have an official copy of his or her immunization record on file in the Preschool office. Georgia State law requires that all children enrolling in a licensed care program show proof of immunizations (form 3231) for DPT, Polio, MMR, HiB, and Hepatitis B.

Please call our office at (770) 720-2333 to schedule a tour. You can take a virtual tour by clicking here!

Please come to the Main Entrance and someone will buzz you in.

The Carpenter’s Shop is open year round and accepts applications year round. In order to secure a space in a classroom, or to be offered a space when one becomes available, you need to pay the registration fee in full. If space is not available for your desired start date, you will be placed on the waiting list.

Parents are welcome to visit anytime during the day.

According to the Georgia Department of Education’s New Student Requirements, a child must be five years old on or before September 1 to enter a public Kindergarten. The child must be six years old on or before September 1 to enter first grade. School systems must verify age before enrollment.
A child who was a legal resident of one or more states for a period of two years immediately prior to moving to Georgia and who was legally enrolled in either a public Kindergarten or first grade, or a private Kindergarten or first grade accredited by a state or regional association, would be eligible to enroll in Georgia schools, provided that the Kindergartner is five years old by December 31 or the first grader is six by that date.

To enter the 2’s, 3’s, or 4’s Program, students must be 2 years old prior to September 1.
Occasional exceptions are made at the discretion of the Admissions Committee.

The Carpenter’s Shop Christian Preschool does not have a dress code, per se; however, the children will need to wear comfortable clothes which are suitable for sitting on the floor and playing outdoors, and allow plenty of room for movement activities. Paint shirts or smocks are provided for art time and water play, but our best supervision is not always sufficient to keep children spotless. We believe that the children’s comfort and fun are much more important than their tidiness and we hope that parents will keep this in mind and dress them accordingly.

Every effort is made to protect the health and safety of each child. For the protection of each child and others at The Carpenter’s Shop, the child will be excluded from school for the following illnesses:

• Symptoms of Inflammation Fever (Temperature of 100 F by oral thermometer, and 101 F by rectal thermometer. The child should be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school)
• Rash
• Diarrhea, nausea or vomiting
• Pinworm
• Lice or Severe itching of body or scalp
• Severe coughing
• Difficult or rapid breathing
• Grey or white stool
• Yellowish skin or eyes
• Pink eye or purulent discharge from eyes until approved by a physician for entrance back into a group care environment
• Unusual spots or rashes
• Running (yellow or green) nose
• Strep throat, until 24 hours after treatment has been started and until the child has been fever free for 24 hours
• TB, unless the child’s physician or local health department states that the child is noninfectious
• Headache and stiff neck
• Sore throat or trouble swallowing. Mouth sores associated with an inability of child to control his/her saliva
• Impetigo or open draining sores on the skin, until 24 hours after medical treatment has been started.
• Chicken Pox (a child may return to school upon a doctor’s release)

Any children suspected of the above conditions must be excluded from class. Any communicable diseases among the class will be listed on the attendance sheet the day following the reported occurrence. If a child becomes ill at school, a member of the staff will notify the parents by phone.

If your child is diagnosed with any of the following illnesses, please contact the preschool office immediately. We are required to notify the Georgia State Health Department of any occurrence of the following reportable illnesses:

• AIDS
• Botulism
• Chicken Pox (Varicella)
• Cholera
• Diptheria
• Encephalitis
• Food Poisoning
• Giardiasis (a type of diarrhea)
• Haemophilius influenza, Type B (HiB)
• Hepatitis, all forms
• HIV
• Lead Poisoning
• Lice
• Malaria
• Measles
• Meningitis
• Mumps
• Pink Eye (conjunctivitis)
• Rabies in Humans
• Reye Syndrome
• Rubella
• Salmonellosis
• Scabies
• Shigellosis
• Smallpox
• Staphylococcal Infections (Staph)
• Streptococcal Infections (Strep)
• Tetanus
• Trichinosis
• Tuberculosis
• Typhoid Fever
• Typhus Fever
• Whooping Cough (Pertussis)
• Yellow Fever

Other Infectious Problems Colds, Coughs, and Ear Infections:

Consideration for others is paramount in controlling the spread of colds and flu at school. Please do not bring children who have runny noses with thick, whitish or greenish discharge or those who have frequent or heavy coughs – even if these symptoms appear to be caused by allergies.

Fevers – A child is not to return to school until they have been free of fever for at least 24 hours. A child with an evening temperature above normal may NOT come to school the next day, even if he or she wakes up with a normal temperature – fevers often rise as the day progresses.

Impetigo – This is a highly contagious bacterial skin infection, which presents itself as pus-filled sores. Because the bacteria involved may be either “staph” or “strep”, a doctor’s care is required, and any suspected cases will be sent home from school. Oral antibiotics are the best treatment, and 24 hours after beginning antibiotics a child may return to school as long as all sores are covered and there is a marked improvement in the rash – no new sores and those present begin drying up. Topical ointments are not as effective a treatment as oral antibiotics. If this method of treatment is used, children must remain at home until all sores have dried.

Ringworm – This is a highly contagious fungal skin infection, which presents itself as itchy, scaly, red patches that grow into red round or oval “rings” surrounding a smooth center. It is transmitted by direct contact with infected people or animals, or items handled by infected individuals. A doctor’s care is required for treatment and children may return to school, with the sores covered, after being on medication for at least 48 hours.

Medications:

A child may not return to school for a full 48 hours after beginning any antibiotic treatment.

We cannot administer any over-the-counter medications to your child without a written statement from your child’s physician – this includes aspirin, Tylenol, and cough syrup.

Only the Preschool Director, or her designee, may administer doctor-prescribed medications and a special form (available in the Preschool office) must be completed in order for this to be done. All medications must be kept locked in the Preschool office.

Written communication is sent home daily.

Parent-Teacher Conferences
We welcome opportunities to confer with you regarding your child. These conferences will be made by appointment. Progress reports will be sent home mid-year and end of the year for all students. The teacher will post a schedule of available times and ask the parents to sign up for an appointment. If at any other time during the school year, you wish to speak privately with the teacher, please contact the teacher to arrange a mutually convenient time for an appointment or phone call. If something is concerning you about your child, our program, or a specific incident that has occurred, please let us know so that we can reach a solution together. We do ask that you not engage the teacher or the associate teacher in lengthy conversations during the times they are with the children. It is important that the children receive the teachers’ undivided attention during school hours.

An Emergency Response packet has been developed for The Carpenter’s Shop. All teachers are trained on how to respond; should an emergency occur. A copy of the packet is available for viewing at the front office.
Parents shall inform the preschool of any special procedures that should be followed when caring for the child while in the preschool’s care. It is the parent’s responsibility to notify the preschool office of any significant changes such as: telephone numbers, work location, emergency contacts, child’s physician, child’s health status, infant feeding plan, immunization records, etc. A designated contact must always be available in the event of emergency.

All closings and delays will be posted on our website, Facebook page, and WSBTV. If time allows, we will send out an email notification. Should inclement weather occur during the school day and school is cancelled, you will receive a phone call or email to pick your child up from school early.

When the Cherokee County School System is closed, TCS will operate as a daycare for our infants through Transitional Kindergarten. This option is for our full time (full day) students only and NO curriculum will be used.

The Kindergarten class will follow Cherokee County School’s schedule.

Monthly Tuition:Payments are due on the 1st of every month and are considered past due after the 10th day of the month. A late fee of $50 will be charged if payment is made after the 10th. There is no fee reduction if the student is absent for vacation or illness. Tuition for our half-day program includes a nutritious lunch. Full-day program includes a nutritious lunch and a snack.

Progress reports are sent home with each child in December and May. Written communication is sent home daily.

The Carpenter’s Shop Christian Preschool is a state-licensed program open to children of all races, nationalities, and faiths. Our inspection records are available upon request for public viewing. We are licensed through the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. They are located at 10 Park Place South, Suite 600, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Their phone number is (404) 657-5580.