Director
As owner and director of Learning Star Preschool, Michelle Cox Lally’s background supports her developmental beliefs, goals, and program. She has 17 years of experience owning and providing care in family childcare setting and a childcare center setting. Michelle has extensive knowledge and understanding of the value of a high-quality childcare environment due to being raised in a home where her mother provided family childcare. She has experience as an Emergency Medical Technician and maintains her knowledge and CPR certification for the safety of both the children and staff.
Business
Learning Star Preschool is a childcare center licensed by the State of Missouri. Daycare is defined by the state as a voluntary supplement to parental responsibility for the child’s protection, development, and supervision. A child daycare center, whether known or incorporated under another title or name, is a childcare program conducted in a location other than the provider’s permanent residence, or separate from the provider’s living quarters, where care is provided for children not related to the childcare provider for any part of the 24-hour day.
Statement of Non-Discrimination
Learning Star Preschool admits children of any racial, national, religious, ethnic origin, or ability level from all backgrounds, belief systems, family dynamics and orientations. In short, we recognize and invite the participation of all people, not discriminating on any basis in the administration of our programs.
Mutual Performance Expectations Statement
Parents are asked to provide the following supplies, which will be kept in your child’s private container:
- 2 weather-appropriate changes of clothes (including socks)
- Paint smock or over-shirt for messy activities
- If toilet trained, 2 change of underwear (4 for those in training)
Parents will provide the following items for children using them:
- Disposable diapers
- Special-needs food
- Any diaper rash ointments, powder, or lotions needed
All items must be labeled with your child’s name or initials.
Blankets and other security items are welcome; however, if children bring toys they need to be willing to share with classmates.
Finally, each family will need to bring a bottle of sunscreen that will be used during outside play.
In addition to supplies, parents are asked to be involved in their child’s care in the following ways:
- Treat each other and your child with mutual respect
- Communicate regularly about your child’s nutrition, skills, accomplishments, struggles, and general health
- Show your child that parents and teachers work as a team in his or her best interest
- Talk through any differences to decide what is best for everyone concerned
Hours of Operation
Learning Star Preschool business hours are Monday through Friday, 7:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. No exceptions or extensions to these regular hours are allowed. Any child picked up after 5:45 p.m. without prior approval will be charged $1 per additional minute.
Scheduled closings for the August 2024 – July 2025 school year
Learning Star Preschool will be closed on the following holidays:
- Fri, Aug. 16: Teacher Workday
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving and the following day
- Dec. 24, 2024 – Jan. 1, 2025 (Winter holidays)
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Presidents’ Day
- Spring Break: March 24-28, 2025
- no tuition paid for this week
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth
- Independence Day
If the holiday falls on a weekend, then we will be closed the Friday before or the following Monday, we will communicate this information in advance. Tuition is paid on holidays and scheduled closings. Tuition is not paid for the week of Spring Break.
Vacation
Tuition is due for all days your child is enrolled. No discount is given if your child is absent.
Teachers & Teacher's Aides
Lead teachers, assistant teachers and part-time teachers will be present in the day care facility. All teachers are meticulously screened and approved by the Missouri Bureau of Child Care. They must pass background checks, be CPR certified, have experience with children and possess a fun and positive attitude. It is permissible for families to hire teachers for personal childcare outside of our business hours. However, it is prohibited to hire teachers during normal day care hours, unless the day care is closed or the director grants prior approval for any specific day and time of service. If a teacher is hired during LSP hours, a nanny placement fee will be charged.
Discipline
One of the goals of Learning Star is to help children learn appropriate behavior applicable both in the classroom and at home. We teach our students to act with:
- Self-control
- Respect for others
- Cooperation
- The ability to follow directions
To help children reinforce these actions, we:
- Give praise for appropriate behavior with high-fives, hugs, encouraging words, and clapping
- Model the behaviors we want to see in the children
- Establish clear, consistent and simple limits
- Explain the reasons for rules
- Remain positive and calm in our approach
In some cases, discipline is necessary. Before discipline of any kind is administered, however, a review of child’s temperament, age and other possible causes of misbehavior will be considered (e.g. is the child sick, tired or hungry?).
When discipline is necessary, we will:
- Redirect the child’s attention to an acceptable action
- Explain the negative behavior and the help child identify solutions
- Give a "miss out” —a lost privilege
- If dangerous or aggressive behavior occurs, a report will be given to parents explaining what happened, and the possibility of forming a joint plan of action might be addressed
All discipline is followed with a big hug and smile to let children know that they are still wonderful, cared-for and respected people. At no time will children be disciplined with demeaning talk, yelling or any form of corporal punishment.
Incident and Injury Reporting Policy
When a serious incident involves a child at LSP, an incident report is made. This information is provided to the parent/guardian, licensing agency and kept on file at the facility.
Under federal and state laws, care providers of family childcare are required to report any reasonable suspicion of child abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse. If the director or staff have a reasonable suspicion of abuse or neglect, we are required to call the state child abuse hotline.
Health Policies
Young children do not possess a fully developed immune system and are more vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. For the sake of your child and all children in the classroom, please respect mandated health policies. This is the policy for this care center, part of being a responsible parent, and also set forth and required by the State of Missouri:
- Children with a body temperature above 100.2° internally (oral) or 99.2° axillary (armpit) will not be accepted until their temperature has returned to normal and remained there for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication. Children who are vomiting, have diarrhea, a rash, green/yellow mucous (first two days) or show other signs of potentially contagious diseases will not be accepted for care until a doctor’s note stating that the child is not contagious is presented.
- If your child becomes ill during the time he or she is at daycare, you will be notified immediately and expected to pick up your child as soon as possible
- Tuition is paid for all days when care is canceled due to the illness of your child
Immunization Policies:
- We require all students to be up-to-date on their immunizations according to the current Immunization Practices Schedule.
- Medical exemptions (Imm.P. 12) signed by a medical professional are allowed.
- To remain in school, students "in progress" must have an Immunization In Progress form (Imm.P.14) on file. In progress means that a child has begun the vaccine series and has an appointment for the next dose. This appointment must be kept and an updated record provided to the school. If the appointment is not kept, the child is no longer in progress and is noncompliant.
Medication Policies
If possible please try to administer medications at home. In the event that your child needs to take medication while at LSP, the medications must be in their original containers and labeled with storage instructions, specific directions for administration, the appropriate dosage for your child and the contact information of the prescribing physician in case of an allergic reaction. Please give medications directly to a staff member to ensure it is placed out of reach of all children.
Environmental Emergency Response Policies
Fire:
- To reduce the threat of fire, smoke detectors are installed in each room and checked regularly to ensure they are in working order. In case of a fire, the children will evacuate from one of two doors: play room or nap room. Parents will be called immediately.
Storm or Tornado:
- In case of severe storms or tornados, the children and staff will gather in the interior hallway between the Infant/Toddler Room and Junior Preschool.
Safety Policies
The following measures are frequently monitored and administered to ensure a safe learning environment for the children at Bright Star:
- Children are continually supervised and the center maintains the proper staff/child ratio as required by licensing regulations
- Community service telephone numbers are posted by the telephone (police, fire, ambulance, poison control)
- Play area is fenced and free of dangerous objects
- Cribs, high chairs, furniture and other equipment are safe, maintained, and in working order
- All cooking is performed out of reach of children
- First aid kits are adequately stocked and available
- No poisonous plants are in the center or outside play areas
- Cleaning supplies, medicines, all toxic substances and dangerous objects are out of reach of children
Parents and guardians are welcome to inspect LSP for safety at any time. We welcome and encourage any suggestions or recommendations that would make the environment even safer for the children.
Inclement Weather Policy
In the event of severe weather that prevents families from safely entering or exiting the childcare facility, Learning Star Preschool will be closed, with as much possible notice given. Please be assured that every effort will be made to avoid these situations. In this event, tuition will not be reimbursed.
Appropriate Dress
Children should wear casual and comfortable play clothes that are appropriate to the season. Closed-toe shoes need to be worn by walking children, flip-flops are not permitted. Be sure your child is dressed appropriately for outside play (i.e. coat, hat and mittens in the winter). Please avoid sending children who are in toilet training in clothes they cannot remove themselves (such as onesies with snaps or overalls with buckles).
Meals & Nutrition
Learning Star believes in providing nutritious meals for children. We follow the Child and Adult Care Food Program established to improve the health of children in child care facilities by improving the nutritional quality of meals and promoting healthy eating. In order to qualify, meals will include the following nutritional components:
Breakfast:
- Milk
- Fruit/vegetable/100% juice
- Bread/cereal/bread alternative
Lunch:
- Milk
- Meat/meat alternative
- Fruit/vegetable (two servings)
- Bread/bread alternative
Snack (at least two of the following three components):
- Meat/alternative
- Fruit/vegetable
- Bread/alternative
- (We serve water during snack)
We will communicate to you what the children ate each day with individual reports or posted as a weekly menu.
Child Assessment Policy
We will observe children as they participate in the activities of the daily schedule. The staff and I will communicate with the parents on a regular basis. Biannually, we will provide you with a copy of a developmental checklist, showing observed skills and knowledge specific to your child.