LCC School Year Welcome

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Welcome to Little Chargers Childcare (LCC)!

Please take some time to become familiar with the

CHARGER CHILDCARE PARENT HANDBOOK.
If you prefer, you can download a PDF copy below.

Questions? I am happy to help! Jennifer.Todnem@dc.k12.mn.us

COKATO ELEMENTARY

Cokato Ages 4/5 Preschool Classes

Address: 200 5th St, Cokato • Room 125

Parking: Street parking is available on both the north and south sides of the school. Note: Parking is not allowed in the bus zone from 7:30-8:00 am and 3:15-3:30 pm.

Entrance: Door E, located on the east side of the school building by the playground blacktop.

Door E is unlocked from 6:30-8:00 am and again from 3:15-5:30 pm.

If arriving between 8:00 and 3:15, please ring the doorbell to the left of the door, and a staff member will let you in.

EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER

Early Childhood Center Ages 3/5 and 4/5 Preschool Classes

Address: 4852 Reardon Ave SW, Cokato

Parking: West parking lot by fenced playground

Entrance: Door B is UNLOCKED daily 6:30–8:00 am and 3:15–5:30 pm. If arriving between 8:00 and 3:15, please ring the video doorbell to the right of the second set of doors, and a staff member will buzz you into the building.

Drop-Off Procedure

• Help your child put their belongings in their locker.
• Sign your child in using the iPad (adults only, please).
• Connect with a staff member before leaving so we know your child has arrived.

Pick-Up Procedure

• As a courtesy to staff and your child - Please finish phone calls before pick-up.
• Sign your child out using the iPad (adults only, please).
• Let a staff member know that your child is leaving.
• Check your child's locker for items to bring home.

• ⏰LATE PICK-UP POLICY

  • Late pick-up starts at 5:31 PM
  • Families will be charged $1 per minute beginning at 5:31 PM
  • This policy also applies if a child is not signed out at pick-up.

🔐 Authorized Pick-Up

If someone new is picking up your child:

• Add them to your authorized pick-up list in Arux
• Ask them to bring a valid ID (required).

Tuition payments are due weekly. Families will be emailed an invoice on Tuesday with payment due by Friday 6:00 pm.
Payments can be made:

• Online in your Arux Parent Dashboard
• Auto-Pay (set up in your Arux Parent Dashboard). Auto-pay run each Friday at 4:00 am.
• Cash or Check payments.

Late Payments: A $5 late fee will be added to any unpaid balance after 6:00 p.m. Friday.

🍳 BREAKFAST

Center Location:
Breakfast is served daily from 7:15–8:00 AM.

We will make three trips to the cafeteria to get school breakfast:

• 7:15 AM

• 7:30 AM

• 7:45 AM

If your child arrives after a staff member has already taken a group to breakfast, they’ll need to wait until the next group goes. If they arrive after the 7:45 AM group, they won’t be able to get breakfast.

Please have your child arrive before 7:45 AM if they need breakfast.

Cokato Location:
Breakfast is served daily from 7:30–8:00 AM.

• We’ll go to the cafeteria as one group at 7:30 AM. Preschool students will bring their breakfast back to the classroom to eat.
• Our mornings are very busy with school-age children. If parents drop off between 7:40–8:00 AM, they’ll need to help their child get breakfast and bring it back to the classroom for them to eat.

• Breakfast ends at 8:00 AM SHARP. If your child attends AM Preschool, they’ll need enough time to finish eating before preschool begins. Please have them get breakfast no later than 7:45 AM

• Children arriving after 8:00 am should eat breakfast before arriving.

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SCHOOL LUNCH:

Provided daily on all K-12 school days

➤ You can find a lunch calendar HERE (Center look at High School Lunch Menu)

➤ Note: School lunch is NOT provided on K-12 Non-School days (such as MEA, staff development, winter break...). All Little Chargers should bring a packed lunch on these dates.

Packed Cold Lunch:

If you prefer, your child may bring a packed lunch.

• Use an insulated container with an ice pack, if needed
• Try to include a healthy meal: grain/protein, fruit, vegetable, and beverage. No candy.

SNACK - A small morning and afternoon snack is provided daily.

You are welcome to send a healthy snack from home, if you prefer.

As you pack lunches and snacks, please keep in mind that we have children with food allergies in our classrooms. Allergies may include, but are not limited to, peanuts, tree nuts (such as cashews), peanut butter, foods made with peanut flour or oil, milk, and gluten.

Some allergies can cause a reaction through eating the food, while others may cause a reaction through contact. Please help us keep all of our students safe by being mindful of the foods you send with your child.

🥪 LUNCH & SNACK GUIDELINES

To help reduce the risk of exposure for students with food allergies:

• Please try to avoid sending peanuts or peanut products whenever possible. We understand that some picky eaters may rely on foods such as peanut butter and jelly. If peanut products are necessary, students may still bring them but will need to sit away from the allergy-aware table.
• Allergy-Safe Seating: A peanut- and milk-free table will be available for students who need it. Students sitting at this table may invite one friend to join them, as long as their friend’s lunch is also peanut- and milk-free.
• Milk Alternatives for Lactose Sensitivity: If your child has a lactose sensitivity and you’d like them to receive an alternate milk, a written request from the parent/guardian is required. School meal programs can provide an approved alternative, such as lactose-reduced milk or lactase-treated milk.

HAND WASHING MATTERS! All children will wash their hands upon entering the classroom

🎂 BIRTHDAY TREAT GUIDELINES

• Birthday treats are welcome
• Please be allergy-conscious when selecting treats
• All treats must be commercially prepared, per school guidelines.
• All treats must be INDIVIDUALLY packaged to be sent home.
• Unsure? Please check with a staff member.

Keep your child home if they have:

• A fever of 100°F or higher (without fever-reducing meds)
• Vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours
• A severe headache
• A severe cold or sore throat
• An undiagnosed rash (if they have a rash, we will need a doctor's note)
• Any other known contagious illness

Please notify us as soon as possible of an absence using one of the following:

Email:

CENTER Location: LCC@dc.k12.mn.us (include child's full name and date of absence)

COKATO Location: CKC@dc.k12.mn.us (include child's full name and date of absence)

Online: Google Absence Form

Call:

CENTER Location: 320-286-4100 ext. 1028 (include child's full name and date of absence)

COKATO Location: 320-286-4100 ext. 1356 (include child's full name and date of absence)

NOTE:

• School staff are not responsible for informing Little Chargers Childcare of your child's absence.
• A $10 Finder’s Fee will be charged for unreported absences.
• Tuition is based on your child's contracted schedule, not the days they are actually in attendance. Rates are not refunded or adjusted for sick days or other absences.
• Planned Absences: Please notify us in advance when possible. This is always appreciated.

What is a Non-School Day?

A Non-School Day is any day when no preschool classes are in session. This includes holidays, teacher workshops, conferences, and other school-related events. Non-School Days also include the days before preschool begins (Sept. 8-11) and after preschool ends, but before Summer Childcare begins (June 1 & 2) .

NOTE: If you would like your child to attend care on a non-school day you must register for Non-School Day Care.

Where Is Care Offered?

Care is typically offered at the Early Childhood Center. However, there are a few exceptions:

• The week before preschool begins
• The week after preschool ends
• Thursdays during preschool conferences

During these times, care will be offered at your child’s regular childcare location.

If enrollment is low, preschool-aged care may be combined at the Cokato Elementary. We’ll notify families in advance if there is a change in location.

What Happens on Non-School Days?
We keep the days fun with themed activities, games, crafts, and sometimes even a field trip!

What Does My Child Need?

• Cold lunch
• Weather-appropriate clothing—we go outside 2–3 times each day!
• Rest items

HOW TO REGISTER:

1. Log into your Arux account.
2. Select “Enroll In” → “ Play and Learn Preschool (+ Little Chargers Childcare) ”
3. Select “Non-School Days.”

Need to Cancel? For a full refund, cancellations must be made at least two weeks in advance by emailing us.

How Do I Know Which Days to Register For?
Check the Charger Childcare Calendar for Non-School Day dates and registration deadlines.

We’ve had several families ask if there’s anything they can donate to help our classrooms, so we’ve put together a Classroom Donation Wish List!

Donations are completely optional, but if you’d like to contribute, we’d greatly appreciate any of the following items:

Preschool Classroom Donation List

• Lysol/Clorox disinfecting wipes and spray
• Kleenex/tissues
• Baby/diaper wipes (to help clean up accidents)
• Grocery bags
• Markers
• Colored pencils
• Crayons
• Glue sticks
• Kool-Aid pouches (for making homemade Play-Doh)
• Towels (to help wipe down the playground when wet)
• Cotton balls
• Cotton swabs
• Pipe cleaners
• Pom-poms
• Stickers
• Vinyl Tape
• Magazines for crafts
• Sidewalk chalk