Mission
Our mission at Ascension Day School is to provide a safe, loving, learning environment in which all children are encouraged to grow academically, socially, and spiritually.
Ascension Day School offers excellent educational programs and opportunities for development to children ages 12 weeks through K5. We strive to provide a nurturing Christian environment that gives our
children the finest preparation for life and further education by fostering self-confidence, an enthusiasm for creativity and learning, and a clear sense that they are children of a living, loving God.
We recognize that some children have special educational and/or physical challenges that make assimilation into a group educational environment difficult. We address such situations on a case by case basis. We work with parents/guardians of such children to make reasonable accommodations so that these children can enjoy the services we offer. There are times, however, when such challenges exceed our ability to accommodate or our expertise to educate. There are also situations when such challenges impact the classroom and the education of other children or present a safety concern. When we deem an accommodation cannot be made or an existing accommodation is no longer effective in accordance with our mission, we reserve the right to prevent or end admission.
Statement of Curriculum
Ascension Day School’s curriculum is based on the Whole Child philosophy of age appropriate practice. As such, each child is nurtured physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. The National Association for the Education of Young Children endorses the Whole Child Curriculum as the most effective program for preschool years.
According to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, all preschools should “ develop students who are academically proficient and physically and emotionally healthy, respectful, responsible and caring.” The Ascension Day School forms its curriculum around these principles. Additionally, we are also dedicated to the spiritual needs of your child. Ascension Day School provides developmentally appropriate activities in
many areas such as:
Physical Development (gross and fine motor development)
- Outdoor playtime – sliding, climbing, digging, etc.
- Movement activities – dancing, finger-plays, music
- Cutting, painting, drawing, coloring, writing, playing with play dough
Emotional and Social Development
- Sharing
- Taking turns
- Following directions
- Participating in a group
- Learning manners
- Becoming aware of the needs and wants of self and others
Intellectual Development
- Recognition of letters and numbers 1-20
- Association of letters with sounds
- Reading comprehension (ability to listen to stories and recall events)
- Small group activities (calendar, circle time)
- Recognition of shapes and colors
- Sequencing and sorting objects
Spiritual Development
- Chapel once a week using a children’s liturgy which encourages response and participation
- Bible stories about God’s love
- Monthly Bible verses
- Teaching manners, kindness, and awareness of self and others
Tuition and Fees
Tuition is due on the first of every month and is considered late after the fifteenth of the month. Please make your checks payable to Ascension Day School. Please place tuition payments in the box in the school office. Please do not hand payments to teachers.
If an emergency situation arises which affects your ability to pay your tuition, please see the director so that arrangements can be made. Any tuition received after the 15th should include a $25.00 late fee. This
policy will be enforced. If you are withdrawing your child from the program, please give the Ascension Day School 30 days notice. If you do not give notice of at least 30 days, you will still be responsible for that month’s tuition and any fees due that month.
Families with an outstanding balance before a registration cannot register until tuition is paid in full. Families with an outstanding balance at the end of a session cannot begin the next session until the tuition is paid in full. Drop-ins are accepted only after talking to the Director and are permitted only when there is space available to children already in the program. The cost is $35 for Day School.
Once school starts, there will be no changes to your child’s schedule unless there is extenuating circumstances.
Day School Tuition Schedule
Monday-Friday (all ages) $260 Monthly
Monday, Wednesday, Friday (all ages) $195 Monthly
Tuition will not be prorated under any circumstances.
A discount of 50% off Day School tuition will be given for a family’s third child enrolled or the least expensive child enrolled.
Drop in fee: $35.00 per day. We will bill drop-ins and late room on the next month’s statement.
Early Room/Late Room
When you sign up for regular use of the early room or late room these monthly fees are added to your tuition.
Early Room, 7:30-8:50 a.m.
M-F $65.00 Monthly
M-W-F $45.00 Monthly
Late Room, 1:00-4:30 p.m.
M-F $150.00 Monthly
M-W-F $100.00 Monthly
The drop-in rate for early room is $10.00 per day. Please notify the director the day prior to your use of the early room. Space in the early room is on a “first come first serve” basis.
The drop-in rate for late room is $30 per day. Please notify the director the day prior to your use of the late room. Space in the late room is on a first come first serve basis. We will bill drop-ins and late room on the next month’s statement.
Registration Fee
Registration is held in March for the following Fall school year. Siblings of day school children will be given first priority in registration. Members of The Church of the Ascension will be the next priority. After registering siblings and members of the church, the day school will then use information from a waiting list to fill remaining spots. If there is still space available after utilizing the waiting list, registration will open to the public and remaining openings will be filled on a first come first serve basis.
At the time of registration, a non-refundable registration fee is due. Registration for the summer session is held in January. Families must be current on tuition payments in order to register. The Registration Fee for the Fall Session is $85.00. The Registration Fee for the Summer Session is $70.00.
Supply Fee
A $125.00 supply fee is due in August. A $50.00 supply fee is due in
June for the Summer Session. This helps to provide your child’s classroom with art supplies, paper products, snacks, lemonade and other necessary items.
Consumable Item
In an effort to keep the supply fee low, each child is asked to bring in a consumable item in August and January. Each child will receive a note in their folder letting them know which consumable item to bring.
2018-2019 class assignments:
Ladybugs & Centipedes: 1 case of baby wipes
Caterpillars & Fireflies: 3 pack Clorox wipes
Bumblebees & Butterflies: 4 pack of Lysol
Grasshoppers/Dragonflies: 3 reams of copy paper
Note: Summer School may require a small consumable item as well.
Class Ratios
Ascension Day School will meet the ratios advised by the Alabama Department of Human Resources. We also make every effort to keep our ratios even lower so your child is provided with more individual attention.
| 0-18 months | 1 teacher to 5 children |
| 18 months – 2 1/2 years | 1 teacher to 7 children |
| 24-36 months | 1 teacher to 8 children |
| 2 1/2 years – 4 years | 1 teacher to 11 children |
| 4 and 5 years | 1 teacher to 18 children |
General Information
2 Months – 2 Years
- There are no make-up days when your child misses his or her regular
day. - Mark ALL of your child’s things. This includes: cups, pacifiers,
bottles, spoons, clothing, bags, etc. Make sure the name is easily seen
on the bag. We do our best to send everything home that comes in with
your child.
3 Years – K5
- We ask that children not bring toys to school. It makes your child’s
day go smoother if this decision is made at home, rather than at school.
If your child has their toy from home, it causes a disruption when others
may want it. - Children MUST wear shoes to school.
- Arriving at school on time helps the day go much smoother. We
- follow a schedule and arriving late can cause a disruption to your
- child’s learning as well as their classmates.
- If you think your child should not go outside during playtime for
- health reasons, please keep him/her at home that day.
- All children must be independently potty trained to be in the Butterfly class. They must be in regular underwear and must have no
- more than one to two accidents per week. Your child must have been
- successfully potty trained for two (2) weeks, at home, with no accidents
- to enter the Butterfly class. Your child needs to possess the verbal
- ability to let the teacher know he or she needs to go to the bathroom and
- the physical ability to undress and dress him or herself.
Snacks and Lunch
You will need to send your child’s lunch everyday unless your child’s teacher notifies you otherwise. A simple healthy lunch is always best. When sending finger foods, please cut them into bite-size pieces. If
necessary for the meal, send plastic utensils and an icepack. Please do not send canned drinks.
Ladybugs, Caterpillars and Centipedes have a microwave in the classroom and will be able to heat food.
If your child is in the Fireflies, Bumblebee, Butterfly, Grasshopper or Dragonfly class, please send food that does not need to be heated. These classes will not be able to heat food.
ADS will provide snacks for the late room children daily. Typical snacks include Goldfish, vanilla wafers, Ritz crackers and pretzels.
Arrival and Departure
Classrooms will not open until 9:00 a.m. Please do not drop off your child to his/her classroom before this time. Teachers are using this time to prepare the day’s activities. If you need an earlier drop off time,
please make arrangements to use the early room.
All children must be walked to their classroom and signed in by a parent. All children must be picked up from their classroom and signed out by a parent. If children are to be picked up by someone other than a parent, please notify the director and the teacher in writing when you drop off your child indicating who will pick them up. If an emergency arises, please call the school and notify the director as soon as you know that a parent will not be able to pick up your child and identify the person who will be picking up your child. If someone not on your child’s pick-up list arrives for your child, they will be asked to
wait in the office until we can contact a parent.
If your child does not stay for Late Room, they should be picked up by 1:00 p.m. Please be considerate of your child’s teacher and be prompt. All children who are still in their classroom at 1:10 p.m. will go to the Late Room. You will be charged $5.00 for the first 10 minutes you are late and an additional $10.00 for each additional 10 minutes thereafter. If you are not on time, your child’s teacher will fill out a form and turn it into the office and any necessary charges will be reflected on your next tuition billing cycle.
If your child stays until 4:30 p.m., please offer the same courtesy by picking up promptly at 4:30 p.m. If you are not on time, your child’s teacher will fill out a form and turn it into the office and any necessary charges will be reflected on your next tuition billing cycle. The same rates apply as above. You will be charged $5.00 for the first 10 minutes you are late and an additional $10.00 for each additional 10 minutes thereafter.
If you do incur a late fee, please indicate in the memo section on your check that it is for a late fee and the date the child was picked up late. If something unexpected arises and you need to make arrangements for your child to stay in the late room, please call the school office as soon
as possible.
Hazardous Weather
Ascension Day School will follow the weather closings of the Montgomery Public Schools, unless notified otherwise.
School Holidays
Ascension Day School will follow the calendar for holidays and breaks of the Montgomery Public Schools.
Health Standards
Your child’s health is a major concern for Ascension Day School. All children attending our school should be free of contagious diseases. Also, your child’s immunizations are to be in good standing, and a blue
card will need to be submitted. The school will remind you when the current card is about to expire.
Children who have a fever, severe cough, green runny nose, or any other indications of infection should not be brought to school. The staff will take the temperature of any child who seems ill during the day. If your child is running a low-grade fever, you will be notified to pick up your child. If your child has three (3) or more diarrhea diapers, you will be notified to pick them up. If your child tests positive for a communicable illness, please let us know so that we can disinfect properly and notify the other parents in your child’s class to be on the look-out for symptoms. Children must be free of the following to come to school: severe colds, undetermined rashes or spots, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or other
indications of infection.
A CHILD MUST BE FREE OF FEVER WITHOUT ASPIRIN OR TYLENOL FOR 24 HOURS BEFORE RETURNING TO SCHOOL.
Parents will be called if a child becomes ill while at school. If we are unable to reach a parent, we will use the emergency names on file.
GUIDELINES FOR RETURNING TO SCHOOL AFTER ILLNESS
| Conjunctivitis (pink eye) | 24 Hours following initial use of medication |
| Chicken Pox/Hand, Foot Mouth | 5-7 days after first break out, and/or when all have scabbed over |
| Strep Throat | 24 Hours after antibiotic has been started |
| Severe Diarrhea or Vomiting | 24 Hours after last episode Head Lice Children with head lice are required to remain at home during treatment. Parents are to immediately notify the school of the infestation. Students will be readmitted to school upon presentation of a statement from the child’s physician/Health Department verifying the child is lice free, as well as nit free. |
| Ringworm | 48 hours after beginning medication |
| Impetigo | Must have doctor’s note and after on antibiotic for 3 days. All areas must be covered. Must report if staph or strep. |
Teacher Qualifications
First and foremost we look for teachers who not only excel academically, but are loving, kind and caring. Because we are a ministry as well as an academic environment, we hire teachers who reflect Christian ministry in their teaching, attitude and actions. We prefer teachers with college educations or a great deal of teaching experience, but we will not turn away a high school graduate who demonstrates the ability to fulfill the requirements as a teacher in the day school. Butterfly, Grasshopper and Dragonfly classes are led by certified teachers, or teachers with a college degree and teaching experience.
Discipline Procedures
No member of the Ascension Day School will use corporal punishment on any child, even if the parent requests it. Withholding food, drink or educational items will never be used as punishment. We believe the children are our ministry, and we will act accordingly in our discipline procedures. Any behavioral issues will be handled in a positive and patient manner. If a child does not respond to positive reinforcement or redirection, a time out may be implemented.
A repetitive behavior that the staff of the day school has not been successful in correcting may require a meeting of the child’s teacher, parents and director to discuss a positive way of moving forward.
Aggressive Behavior (Biting, Hitting, Pushing)
This policy pertains to the 2, 3, 4 and 5 year old classes.
In the event of biting, the first incident will be assessed and handled by the teacher, the Director, and the parents will be notified. After a fourth and fifth incident, the child will be sent home for the rest of the day and a conference will be scheduled with the parents, teachers, and the Director. Hitting and pushing will be assessed by the teacher and the Director. If the behavior is occurring on a daily basis, the above procedure will be carried out.
In the case there is a child younger than the 3 years old class with a biting issue, a behavior plan will be put into affect with the teacher, the Director, and parents. If the situation continues, the above process will be carried out.
School Pictures
Libby Weatherly Photography will be taking our school pictures this fall. Class and individual pictures are made in the spring. Parents are given the opportunity to purchase these pictures but are not obligated. Payment must be received before photographs are printed.
Birthdays
Each child’s birthday is special and will be recognized by his/her class. Parents may bring cupcakes to share with the class. No in-school parties will be allowed. Birthday invitations may be handed out at
school if every child in the class is invited. Otherwise, please mail them directly to the homes of the invited children.
All children in pre-school (Bumblebees, Butterflies, Grasshoppers & Dragonflies) will receive a special blessing in chapel. Your child’s teacher will let you know the day and time if you would like to attend.
Holiday Parties
There are few things the children look forward to more than our holiday parties! Holiday parties are only possible with the help of our parents. We will have a Halloween party, Christmas party, Valentines party, an Easter Egg Hunt/party and an End-of-the-Year party. We will celebrate Thanksgiving with a special Thanksgiving program. Please be sure to sign up to help with one of the parties for your child’s class.
Fundraisers
GALA – This fundraiser takes place in the spring. There is a committee of parents and teachers that plan this event. Money raised goes towards school projects like the playground and building upkeep and maintenance.
Basket Raffle – This fundraiser is a school favorite, and it gets better every year! We will collect themed items from each class to make goodie baskets and sell tickets for a chance to win a basket. We have
had some really great baskets in the past, and this year will be no different. The baskets are raffled at the Thanksgiving Program.
Helpful Hints
- Please remember to sign up for a party.
- Please be on time. Teachers will start daily lessons at 9:00 a.m.
- Please don’t linger when dropping off your child. It is better to “drop and go” so the teacher can begin the days lessons promptly.
- Please do not let your child bring toys to school unless it is their show-and-tell day.
- Please be on time for pick up. No one likes to be the last child left.
- Please let your child’s teacher and the director know if there are any issues at home we need to be aware of.
2022-2023 Board of Directors
Church of Ascension Rector
Marquita Lennon
President
Charlanna Skaggs
Meagan Rhodes
Nancy Hewston
Drew Brendle
Allen Sheehan
Chris Smith
Church of Ascension Board Member
Polly Williamson
Sr. Warden of Church of Ascension
Ex-Officio Member
Jana Edmundson
Director of Ascension Day School