What To Expect At Raindrop
Plan For Your First Day
Welcome! Congratulations on taking this important step in your child’s education and development. Now let’s get started!
Below you’ll find general information to help you through your child’s fist day:
- What should my child wear?
- Comfortable, seasonally appropriate clothes that can get dirty.
- For your child’s safety, only closed toed shoes with a skid resistant sole are allowed.
- Necklaces, hoop or dangling earrings are not permitted since jewelry can get accidentally pulled or caught during play.
- What should I bring for my child?
- At least one change of seasonal clothing, labeled with your child’s name.
- A family photo we can display.
- Do not bring food. If your child has medically necessary dietary restrictions, please contact your Director.
- Please do not send money, valuables, or toys with your child.
- How do I drop off my child?
- Enter the building using the front door.
- Sign-in using the lobby iPad. Your Director will provide you with log-in instructions.
- A teacher will greet you and your child in the lobby. She will escort the child to the classroom. Please ensure that a teacher is aware of your arrival.
- Your child’s reaction to his/her first day will vary. Some children run right into the classroom while others will cry. Both of these reactions – and any in between – are completely normal.
- What should I know about my child’s classroom?
- A staff member will place any belongings or extra clothing in your child’s classroom cubby. This space is also used for letters or progress reports to take home, so please check this space regularly.
- Check your classroom’s Brightwheel portal for lesson plans, calendars, and other information.
- What is the process for picking up my child?
- Please pick up your child from the lobby area.
- Sign-out using the iPad in our lobby.
- Because of our extended hours, our teachers have varying shifts. For this reason, you may see different teachers in your classroom in the afternoon.
- How do I log onto the Parent Portal or pay tuition online?
- Visit our Brightwheel Portal. Your director will provide you with your login and password.
- Once registered, you’ll receive emails from our school. You can also make online payments, set up autopay, update your contact information, add authorized pick-ups, and more.
- Tuition is due monthly. A late fee is assessed if payment is received after 5 days.
WELCOME to the Raindrop Family! If you have a question not addressed here, please contact us.
Nutrition
Good nutrition is a key part of our Healthy Bodies program that promotes healthy eating and an active lifestyle. Each day your child is served a healthy breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack. We know that the right food at the right time not only boosts energy but can elevate a child’s mood and thinking skills during a crucial development stage. We limit foods high in sugar and fat and provide a good balance of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Our menus are planned by a licensed nutritionist company that follow recommendations provided by the USDA’s Choose My Plate program in addition to specific state requirements. Our Center has partnered with Gourmet Gorilla a company that follows a balanced menu plan. They provide fresh meals and healthy snacks to our Center daily. Vegan, Nut free and Gluten free options are available. So, you can rest assured that your little one is eating well throughout the day. Your child’s monthly meal plan menu is posted in advance, so you always know what is being served.
If your child has an allergy, please include this information on your enrollment paperwork so we can make appropriate food substitutions.
Daily Affirmations
- I am a Kind Person
- I am Smart
- I am Brave
- I am Strong
- I am Confident
- I am Beautiful
- I am Grateful
- I am Loved
- I am Enough
- I am Gifted
- I matter
- I can do amazing things
- I dream big
- I never give up
- I believe in myself
COVID-19 Precautions
We follow all State Department of Health guidelines for preventing spread of the coronavirus including, but not limited to:
- We check the health of all the children and our staff that come each day and we have the ability to do “hands free” temperature checks upon arrival and throughout the day
- Frequent washing of hands – both children and providers during the day.
- Access to hand sanitizer throughout the day.
- Good ventilation throughout our building.
- Adhering to a strict “Sick Policy” that does not allow children or staff with major symptoms of sickness to remain at the daycare until we are certain they are not contagious.
Our Philosophy: Your Child Means Everything to Us
Raindrop Early Learning Center takes a holistic approach to early childhood education. At the core of our philosophy, we believe that each child is unique and therefore deserves individual attention and care. Because of their innate curiosity, it is up to us at Raindrop Early Learning Center to develop suitable activities based on our observations of each child’s individual needs.
Our curriculum reflects this comprehensive and highly individualized approach. Kids are divided into different groups during one part of the day in an effort to provide them with developmentally appropriate activities. At other times, children of all ages play together in order to learn from one another – the younger ones as learners, the older kids as role models.
In addition to the basic skills required for a lifetime of learning, Raindrop Early Learning Center imparts values such as creativity, self-reliance, compassion and respect for diversity. In order to achieve this goal, it is essential for us to work closely with you, the parents, to provide the best possible situation for your children.
school hours
M-F: 7am - 5:30pm
address
2050 E. 93rd Street
Chicago, IL 60617
