Preschool Enrollment Update

Whether you are a new or returning family, we are thrilled you will be a part of our St. Michael Preschool community during this upcoming school year! We are proud that we have been able to offer families a faith-filled quality early childhood education for over 39 years!

As an important ministry of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, spiritual enrichment is recognized as an essential part of learning. Here, children can discover the inherent goodness in all that they are and how God is a part of their everyday lives. Participation in our preschool offers families many opportunities to build and strengthen ties with each other and the parish community.

Here at St. Michael Preschool, our wonderful preschool teachers nurture the joy of learning through socialization and play as we grow in our love of Jesus. We look forward to praying, playing, and learning together in the new school year.

In this Summer Update, you will find important information and reminders to support a seamless transition. Please note, that you will receive a class-specific newsletter in early August with your child's assigned teachers and dates/times for parent and student orientations. If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to reach out to us. May you and your family enjoy a safe, happy, and healthy summer! God bless!

Joyfully in Christ,

Lisa Ciesla

Preschool Director

lciesla@stmcary.org

Kate Bench

Admissions Coordinator

preschool@stmcary.org

A limited number of seats remain. Please tell your family, friends, neighbors, or any new families in the area to contact us! Thank you for spreading the word!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Tuition is a yearly fee, paid in ten equal monthly payments. Your first tuition payment was made at the time of enrollment. 2023-2024 Tuition Rates

You will not owe another tuition payment until September 5th. Tuition is then due on the 5th of each month through May.

Your tuition balance is always available for your review in your Realm account. Please see below for more information about Realm.

Tuition is also payable in the following intervals:

• Payment in full by September 5, or
• One-half payment by September 5, and one-half by January 5.

Methods of Paying:

• Setting up auto draft through Vanco Click to set up Auto Draft Payments
• Paying each month in Realm Click to log in and pay through Realm
• Personal check delivered to the preschool office

PLEASE NOTE: Students who enroll in Discovery Day or Extended-Day Programs, will see a change in the account balance which will reflect these additional programs. Please direct any questions about payments to preschool@stmcary.org.

Student records are required to be on file with the Preschool Office before the first day of school. WE REQUEST THEY BE SUBMITTED BY AUGUST 14, TO ALLOW TIME FOR OUR OFFICE STAFF TO PROCESS. The documents required are listed below. Please email these documents to preschool@stmcary.org.

Birth Certificate: NEW STUDENTS are required to submit a copy of their birth certificate. Birth Certificates can be submitted hardcopy to the preschool office or emailed (photograph or scan) to preschool@stmcary.org.

Health and Immunization Information: NEW AND RETURNING STUDENTS MUST SUBMIT an up-to-date HEALTH & IMMUNIZATION RECORD with a physician's signature. This must be on file in the preschool office before your child can attend preschool. These health documents may be submitted hardcopy to the preschool office, or preferably, emailed to preschool@stmcary.org.

Allergy / Medical (if applicable)

Please be prepared to submit an Emergency Action Plan (Food Allergy/Anaphylaxis) and/or Doctor Orders for Medication Administration, if medications/medical devices will come to school with your child. For the safety of your child, documentation and/or medical devices must be submitted to the preschool office before your child may begin school.

Preview our 3-minute Introduction to Realm Video for more information regarding your Login, Family Profile, Member Groups, Event Registration, and Tuition Payments.

Engage with our St. Michael community digitally through Realm in the following ways:

An account for your family has been created in our St. Michael Parish Database. Many of you have activated your account by accepting our email invitation to activate your parish account. To Access your Account, simply log into Realm .

If you are unable to login due to an invalid/unknown email, this means your account has not been activated. If this is the case, check spam for an invite from “St. Michael The Archangel <notifications@onrealmmail.com>" or email preschool@stmcary.org to request a new activation invitation.

Once you have logged into Realm, take a few moments to review your family's profile. A link to your profile is found in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

Please take a moment to review the following:

• Your families privacy and notification settings
• Approve text messaging feature
• Parent contact information (address, phone, email)
• Each child’s emergency contact
• Child's allergy/medical needs, if applicable.

Please take a moment to review your Realm Profile Security / Privacy Settings and edit as you see fit. To adjust your Realm Profile Privacy Settings, Log into Realm, select Your Profile in the upper right corner, then select Manage Privacy. Click for more details on Realm Security and Privacy.

Want to connect with other parents in your child's class? In August, the Realm Newsfeed function will be available to all classroom parents. Realm Newsfeed offers an opportunity for families within your class to connect and network, encouraging fellowship among our community. It is important that you review your Realm privacy settings before the Group Chat feature is activated in August. Please view our Parent Introduction to Realm Newsfeeds Video to learn more.

Log into Realm, to get started.

Select “Groups” in the left menu bar

Select the Group you wish view, to see our Newsfeed

(You can also: Select the “Participants” Tab along top menu bar to see all members in your group.)

Not near your computer but want to connect? No problem, we’ve got you covered! Download our Realm App by searching “Connect – Our Church Community” in your App Store for iOS or Android devices. Connecting with other Preschool Parents, Event Registration, and Event Payments are right at your fingertips (An active Realm Login is required).

The current Parent Handbook is also available on our website. Some areas of particular interest in our Parent Handbook include:

• Snack Policy
• Allergy-Sensitive School Information
• What it Means to be Independently Potty Trained
• Illness Policy
• Health and Safety Notes, including COVID-specific policies
• Tuition and Financial Policies
• Inclement Weather

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MONTHLY AT A GLANCE CALENDAR FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.

Please plan for orientation to begin the week of August 28. The following is an overview for your planning purposes.

• Parent Orientation (adults only)
• 1-hour Meet the Teacher (child and parent)
• 1-hour Student Orientation (child only w/small group of classmates)

*Specific classroom, teacher assignments, and detailed orientation schedules will be emailed in early August.

REGISTER FOR NEXT YEAR!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

If your child just can’t get enough preschool fun, and loves to learn, explore, and experience all preschool has to offer, Discovery Day is the program for them!

Discovery Days are thematic-based units designed to reinforce your child’s love of learning. We encourage students to wonder, explore, problem-solve, and most of all, have fun! The thematic activities will focus on literacy, art, religion, music, math, and science. Teachers will provide an outline of each class including concepts, vocabulary, and discussion questions so there can be a carryover from school to home.

The program runs from October through May and is open to children ages 3-5. If seats still remain in January, children in the 2's program may enroll.

YOU ASKED AND WE ANSWERED... THE LUNCH PROGRAM WILL RUN MONDAY - FRIDAY!

Need some extra time to run errands or get to an appointment? We can help! Check out our Extended Day Programs. Your child will enjoy the extra time to socialize and play!

• Early Arrival - available daily; drop off begins at 8:15 am
• Lunch Program - available daily; pick up is at 1:30 pm
• Adventure Camp - available twice monthly Oct-May; pick up is 2:00 pm

Early Arrival/Lunch Program Monthly Rate = $8.00

Early Arrival/Lunch Program Drop-in-Rate = $10.00 (24-hour notice REQUIRED)

Adventure Camp Rate = $15.00

Extended Day activities such as Early Arrival, Lunch Program, and Adventure Camp have a different payment page in Realm. You will be notified in early August when these pages are activated for registration.

· Go outside and explore God’s big beautiful world

· Have a picnic at the park/playground

· Draw chalk murals

· Go for a family bike ride

· Enjoy some water balloon fun

· Blow bubbles

· Play kickball or catch

· Fly a kite

· Have a nature scavenger hunt

· Sit on the ground with your kids and identify the shapes of the clouds

· Family dance party - musical chairs, freeze dance

· Camp out in your backyard

· Roast marshmallows over a campfire

· Catch lightning bugs

· Stargaze with your family

· Read Alouds and Storytime all summer long

Visit these links for more family-friendly fun 😊

Families Exploring Outdoors

NAEYC Summer Learning

Project Enlightenment offers support to parents of young children from birth through kindergarten with topics such as discipline techniques, communication, child development, and more.

Twitter: @stmpreschoolnc

Instagram: @stmpreschoolnc

Facebook: StMichael Cary - please friend this account and find a link to the Closed Group there to view videos of your child’s class and other fun events. Please Tweet and Post with #stmichaelpreschool and #stmichaelcary

We are thrilled to share that St. Michael Preschool has once again been named one of the top 3 preschools in Western Wake County! We thank you for making this possible! CLICK HERE
St. Michael Preschool is an important mission of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church. We provide a safe and loving environment where the development of the whole child and the joy of learning are nurtured through socialization and play as we grow in our love of Jesus and discover how God is a part of our everyday lives.

Email: preschool@stmcary.org
Website: https://stmichaelpreschool.com
Location: 804 High House Road, Cary, NC, USA
Phone: 919-468-6110
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stmichael.preschool.16
Twitter: @stmpreschoolnc