619 Preschool Parent Handbook

The goal of our program is to provide three-and four-year-olds with opportunities to develop socially, emotionally, and academically.  Our program will also help establish good habits and routines that will be important for kindergarten and the rest of your child’s academic career.  The program is designed for students with disabilities (students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)) as a part of federal and state funding.  Our program is unique since we invite peer models (children who have passed a developmental screening process) to participate in order to provide our students with special needs some examples of appropriate developmental skills as well as allow us to maintain a general education setting for our students. We strive to challenge both our students with special needs and our peer models to help them reach (if not exceed) their academic and social-emotional potential.

Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) will be used to encourage appropriate behavior/modify inappropriate behavior.  PBS is well-researched and highly effective.  We do not use corporal punishment in our program, and expulsion is a last resort.  If your child requires discipline above and beyond positive reinforcement, then the teacher will contact you as soon as possible to inform you of the incident. If behavior is a consistent issue, our district behavior specialist may provide expertise on behavior management.

Our program will provide hands-on activities through learning centers which include art, science, music, reading, math, dramatic play, and blocks.  The classroom is led by a dual certified (certified to teach Special Education and General Education) early-childhood teacher and two education assistants. Support services are included based on the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Speech-language Therapists, Board Certified Behavior Analysts, Occupational Therapists, and Physical Therapists work with our learners as needed.

We will go outside every day, weather permitting.  All outside clothing such as hats and coats should be marked with a permanent marker.  Please dress your child accordingly based on outside weather conditions. Send your child in comfortable clothing suitable for play.  Your child’s safety is our top priority in the classroom and on the playground. Please do not send your child in flip-flops, crocs, cowboy boots, or any backless shoes.  An extra change of clothing should be left at the school at all times.

Students must meet eligibility requirements.  Children who meet these criteria will need to provide the following:

• completed TCS registration form, 
• immunization record with physician’s signature (or an immunization exemption form), 
• social security card (or a state-approved alternative), 
• birth certificate (or a state-approved alternative), 
• and current (within the last two months) proof of residency within the school district (e.g., utility bill, lease with parent’s name on it, etc.).

Disenrollment

Disenrollment means that a child is no longer enrolled with our 619 Preschool program. Since this is a last case scenario, frequent communication attempts and meeting(s) will be held to discuss strategies and create a plan that allows the student to be successful and thrive in our program.

The length of your child’s school day is based on your child’s individual needs.  

It is imperative that parents are on time and follow these procedures for drop off and pick up.

Peer Models

 Peer models may have an extended day beyond that of the other students in the program since this is a separate part of the preschool instructional day.  The peer model schedule is 7:15 am - 3:30 pm. 

• Students are dropped off at the front entrance of the building near the large wrestling poster.  You will need to walk your child to the door at drop off time (between 7:15am-7:50am). 
• For Pick up time (between 3:00-3:30 pm), parents should come to the door to pick up their child. A staff member will bring the child to the door to meet you.

Students who attend the MORNING session only:

Drop off begins at 7:45 a.m.  We cannot permit entrance prior to this time in order to stay within our state-mandated ratios. If you arrive prior to 7:45am, please pull into a parking spot and wait for the 7:45am arrival time so that you are not blocking traffic. If you bring your child to school later than 7:55 a.m., please report to the CSS Main Office to sign your child in for 619 PreK.  

Pick up is at 10:30 a.m.  Please be prompt as our teachers are preparing for the afternoon session.

Students who attend the AFTERNOON session only:

Drop off begins at 10:45 a.m.  If you bring your child to school later than 10:55 a.m., please report to the CSS Main Office to sign your child in for 619 PreK.

Pick up is at 1:30 p.m. Please be prompt as the teachers need to hold meetings, prepare for the next day, and oversee the peer models who are napping. 

Drop off/Pick Up Location and Procedures for Morning and Afternoon Sessions:

• Students are dropped off at the front entrance of the Community School Services Building near the large wrestling poster. You will need to walk your child to the door (7:45 am or 10:45 am). 
• For Pick up time (10:30am and 1:30pm), parents should walk to the door to pick up their child. 
• All persons picking up your child must be listed on the contact card completed at registration. If someone arrives who is not on the card, they will not be allowed to pick up the child. It is the parents’ responsibility to add or remove a person’s name from the list. 
• A state-issued ID may be required if staff are unfamiliar with the adult picking up any child.

In the event that an adult exhibiting behavior that may place the children at immediate risk arrives to pick up a child, CSS staff will attempt to call the child’s parent/caregiver.  If the parent/caregiver cannot be reached OR is the person exhibiting this behavior, CSS staff will immediately call the City of Tullahoma Police Department. 

We encourage visits and volunteering from parents and family as long as protocols permit. Notify the teacher at least one week in advance if  you would like to come in and read a book or volunteer for special events.  Parent volunteers will be asked to complete a Parent Volunteer Form and a Confidentiality Form before the visit, and this must be approved one week prior to the visit. Upon arrival, you will need to bring a photo ID and check in through Raptor at our Main Office.

Tullahoma City Schools, as licensed by the Tennessee State Department, has a new lice policy as of March 2020.  If your child is sent home with live head lice, a parent or guardian must accompany them upon their return to school.  The student’s head will be checked.  If no live lice are found, your child will be allowed to stay at school.  If their head is not clear, they must go home for another treatment. See TCS Board Policy 6.4031.

To ensure the well being of our children, each child must have a complete immunization record.  Children in the program may not attend school if they have had a fever, have been vomiting, or have had diarrhea within 24 hours. The CSS Building is a smoke-free environment.

We will provide updated information relative to additional health concerns as we receive that guidance.

Depending upon the length of your child’s day, our program will provide breakfast and/or lunch, and one to two snacks.  You may send a breakfast or lunch for your child if you prefer.  Be sure to note any food allergies on the student information forms as a part of registration.  For picky eaters, we encourage new food trials as a part of our program as long as parents desire for us to do that.  Our meals are prepared at Jack T. Farrar Elementary School (and then delivered to us within 15 minutes of meal time) since we do not have a working cafeteria in our building.  A menu will be sent home monthly and can be found online at the TCS website.

State Law requires medication to be in its original container with the child’s name and prescription on it. All instructions should be included. A request for medication to be administered must be on file with a parent and/or physician’s signature (required for prescriptions). Please reach out to Nikki Harris if you need this form. All medication will be kept in a locked cabinet.  All doses will be kept on record.

Currently, there are no fees associated with this program (updated 25-26).

2 boxes of tissues

1 box of Ziploc Bags (Quart, half gallon, or gallon size)

2 packs of baby wipes

2 boxes of individually packaged snacks-NO NUTS (more may be requested as the year progresses)

1 large bag of skittles, MMs (plain), or gummies (used for students at check-in/rewards)

1 pack of crayola washable markers

1 box of 24 count Crayola crayons

1 bottle of Elmer’s white liquid glue

1 package of Georgia Pacific Premium Cardstock Paper- White

Complete change of clothing including socks and underwear (labeled in a gallon Ziplock bag)

Diapers (if applicable)

Reusable water bottle to keep at school all week.

All videos that are not tied to the preschool Creative Curriculum must be approved by the Preschool Coordinator or Building Principal at least 5 days prior to being shown to students.

Inclement Weather and Emergencies

Drills and practices are completed regularly as required by Tennessee Department of Education for emergencies and inclement weather such as tornadoes, earthquakes, and fire. We teach about these often at the beginning of the school year to help children understand.  All weather safety and intruder drills are discussed and completed in very calm ways, as we are aware of the vulnerability of our young students and don’t want to scare them. If our school is having an emergency/safety drill, parents will not be permitted to check their children out of school while such a drill is in progress.

In the event that school is closed due to weather, you will be notified on the phone number on file.  You can also find information on school closings through social media and local news stations. Watch for TULLAHOMA CITY SCHOOLS.

Peer Models

Our program is unique since we invite peer models to participate in order to provide our students with special needs some examples of appropriate developmental skills. All of the peer models have passed a developmental screening process.Typically, the peer models participate in this program as a child-care benefit of TCS employees. Since open spots were available for the 2025-2026 school year, we get to have children participate whose parents are not TCS employees!