Heritage Preschool is a church related, early childhood development program for ages 2, 3, and 4.  We offer a two-day/week program and a three-day/week program. The preschool is licensed by the state of Mississippi and is a ministry of heritage United Methodist Church. It is operated by an independent Board of Directors that is responsible to the Church Council of Heritage UMC.

Times of Operation:
Monday—Friday
9:00 a.m.—12:00 noon

Optional lunch program
Monday—Friday
12:00—1:00 p.m.

Our staff has many combined years of experience in children's ministry. Each staff member brings individual talents and skills to our program. Together, our teachers work to meet each child at his/her level and to help them grow to their fullest potential.

CURRICULUM

We use a unit-based curriculum that is created largely by our teachers. A wonderful book, the Wee Learn curriculum, is integrated with different resource materials. We try to provide guidance and  activities in each unit to help each child develop large and fine motor, language, pre-reading, pre-writing, math, social, emotional, and spiritual skills appropriate to his/her stage of development. We feel that children learn best by experiencing hands-on activities. Music and art are incorporated on a daily basis.

One of our main goals is to help build good self-image among the children. Research shows that when children feel good about themselves they are more likely to make good decisions. The foundation of healthy self-esteem must be started in the early years. With that in mind, all activities are centered around being sure that the children feel  that they are loved unconditionally.

SAMPLE DAILY PRESCHOOL SCHEDULE

9:00 to 10:00 a.m.  Learning Centers 10:00 to 10:20 a.m. Clean-up/Bathroom 10:20 to 10:40 a.m. Snacks/Story time 10:40 to 11:00 a.m.  Outside Play   11:00 to 11:30 a.m. Small Group Time  11:30 to 11:45 a.m.   Large Group/Music and Movement   11:45 to 11:55 a.m.   Wrap-up/Collect things to be taken home

ADMISSION POLICY

Priority admissions is given as follows: (1) returning students, if applicable; (2) *church member/**preschool families (same priority); (3) those children on a rotating waiting list that do not fall into priority 1 or 2. If too few spots are available to church members and preschool families of any given age group, priority is given to the student with the earliest date and time of placement on the rotating waiting list.

  *Church member is defined as a person on the active membership roll of Heritage United Methodist Church at the time of registration.
  **Preschool family is defined as being a family that has a child currently enrolled at the time of registration.

 FINANCIAL POLICIES

A registration fee is due on enrollment($75 per family for three days/week; $50 for two days/week). It is non-refundable. Tuition is paid monthly by the 10th of each month ($105 for three days/week; $70 for two days/week). There is no reduction for those months that include a scheduled holiday. There is a supply fee for the fall semester that is due by September 30th (40$ for three days/week; $25 for two days/week). Another supply fee for the spring semester is due by February 28th.

PHILOSOPHY

Heritage United Methodist Church will provide a preschool for children and their families for the following reasons:

• The church believes that each child is a child of God and should have every opportunity to develop physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially, and spiritually to the fullest potential.
• The church is called to ministry, caring for children, showing concern for families, and providing support and nurture for its own congregation and the surrounding community.
• Children and parents in the congregation and in the community need these programs and need support in their lives.
• A preschool is one way for the church to present the message of God’s love expressed through Jesus Christ.
• Members of the congregation see this ministry a way to live out the gospel in the community.

Heritage United Methodist Church will provide learning experiences for children of the church membership and the community in an environment which encourages the children to do the following:

• Ask questions, explore and experiment
• Help develop a new security and independence in the world outside the home
• Make friends and learn to get along with children and adults
• Find that he or she is a person to be valued for his or her own unique being—a child of God

Co-Directors: Deanna Brent and Cara Buffington
Preschool Telephone: 601-261-3358

Welcome to Heritage Preschool

www.heritage-umc.org