FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What type of communication will I have with my child's teacher(s)?
We are all part of a team that is working with you to assist your child in growing and learning. Communication is essential for success. Our teachers have personal PCC e-mail accounts and lead teachers will periodically send out e-mails/newsletters to keep you updated on class activities. We also host an annual Back to School Night to provide an overview of our program and afford you an opportunity to ask questions. Each morning you will be able to chat a few minutes with your child’s teacher when you drop off and pick up your child. You can also arrange for a time to converse with your child's teacher via telephone or to conference in person. The threes and fours class teachers hold a formal parent/teacher conference in the late winter/early spring.
My child has an allergy, can you accommodate him/her?
PCC is a nut-free facility. We ask that parents keep us up-to-date with their child's allergy health plan by completing a medical form each year your child is enrolled. We establish and maintain communication with you before school starts to individualize the care for your child. Our staff members are all trained in the use of an EpiPen. If your child has other allergies or special medical concerns, we can discuss appropriate and safe accommodations prior to enrollment.
What are ways I can get involved in school activities?
PCC wouldn’t exist without parent involvement! This involvement in our school is one reason that PCC is so special. Our school is managed by a Board of Directors composed of parents (information on joining the Board is provided early in the school year). The Board meets monthly to discuss business aspects including program development, finances and community/school activities. The Board hosts a number of PCC community activities each year. These activities, including a Halloween Party, Fall and Spring Park Picnics, a Pancake Breakfast, Parents Night Out, and others are all great ways for families to spend time together outside of the school hours and create long lasting friendships.
Do the children participate in any enriching activities?
Of course! Besides all of the exciting enriching aspects of our curriculum, the school partners with specialists who come in once a month for targeted events. Children enjoy visits from the Critter Caravan, a musician and from a yoga/movement specialist. In addition, we offer a science enrichment class for children in the three-year-old group. This optional class meets one day per week in the spring on an afternoon the threes are not in session (either Tuesday or Thursday). All of these activities help to contribute to our well-rounded curriculum!
How will I drop off and pick up my child?
Parents or caregivers bring their children to the classroom door (or the playground, if the class is starting their day outside) and your child's teacher will warmly welcome and help him/her enter the school to start the day. Parking is available in the lot in front of the school. Parents or caregivers are required to come to the door to retrieve their child at the end of the school day.
Can someone else drop off/pick up my child from school?
Your child’s safety is VERY important to us. Your child may be dropped off or picked up by anyone you authorize provided you give us prior notification. As a further level of protection, each year our families complete a Release Form which authorizes individuals to pick up their child and requires parents to create a safety code (PIN). Children are not released unless the person is in possession of the safety code.
What happens if my child has a difficult time being left at school?
Separation is difficult for some children, particularly those in our Terrific Twos. Each class has an orientation period that gradually builds your child's confidence and comfort-ability. We work with the parents, no matter the age of the child, to gradually ease the transition from home to school. Each child is unique and their needs are unique so it is important for us to address each child’s situation individually.
Will you help toilet train my toddler? How do you handle accidents?
Of course we can help! When you feel your child is ready to be trained we ask that you keep us informed. We will follow at school whatever practices you have created with your child at home. Our goal is for training to be a low stress process that transitions smoothly from home to school. During the training process (and even for a time after training), accidents can happen. We ask all parents to supply a change of clothes in their child's backpack each day. Children are always treated with compassion and patience and, after a swift clean-up and change, they happily return to their activity.
What makes PCC different from other preschools?
PCC is more than just a preschool that you send your child to each week. It is a community committed to making connections. PCC is managed by the parents that send their children to the school. They have a vested interest in the happenings of the school. Their love of the school is evident in all of the activities that they organize. The events, such as the Halloween Party and the Pajama Party, provide opportunities for parents and students to socialize outside of the classroom. Lifelong friendships are developed with the children and families. PCC has been in Pleasantville for almost 50 years! Parents who attended PCC themselves are now sending their own children to the school. Parents who once sat on the Board of Directors are now teachers. It is a place that truly feels like home away from home.
Are all of your students from Pleasantville?
We welcome students from any community! Our families typically reside in Pleasantville, Thornwood, Chappaqua, Hawthorne, Valhalla and Briarcliff Manor.
Does PCC offer a lunch program or extended hours?
No. In New York State, programs providing more than three hours of daily care to the same group of children must be a licensed daycare program and register with the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). PCC is not a licensed child care center. Please contact the Child Care Council of Westchester, Inc. if you are searching for a quality, licensed, full-day program.
What programs are offered in the summer?
We currently offer a summer session for children entering the Threes class. This three-day program (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) runs for five weeks and begins in late June. Details about the summer session are distributed in the spring. A summer program for four-year-olds is dependent upon interest.
How do you keep children safe and healthy?
Providing a healthy and safe place to be each day is our top priority. PCC implements the regulations, requirements and guidance issued by the Westchester County Department of Health pertaining to COVID-19. We maintain a required New York State Health and Safety Plan to be implemented in the event of an infectious disease State of Emergency that meets or exceeds the requirements set by the State. In addition, we rely on the guidance of other agencies such as the CDC, the Office of Children and Family Services, the Child Care Council of Westchester and the AAP to guide our Health and Safety Plan and policies.
We are all part of a team that is working with you to assist your child in growing and learning. Communication is essential for success. Our teachers have personal PCC e-mail accounts and lead teachers will periodically send out e-mails/newsletters to keep you updated on class activities. We also host an annual Back to School Night to provide an overview of our program and afford you an opportunity to ask questions. Each morning you will be able to chat a few minutes with your child’s teacher when you drop off and pick up your child. You can also arrange for a time to converse with your child's teacher via telephone or to conference in person. The threes and fours class teachers hold a formal parent/teacher conference in the late winter/early spring.
My child has an allergy, can you accommodate him/her?
PCC is a nut-free facility. We ask that parents keep us up-to-date with their child's allergy health plan by completing a medical form each year your child is enrolled. We establish and maintain communication with you before school starts to individualize the care for your child. Our staff members are all trained in the use of an EpiPen. If your child has other allergies or special medical concerns, we can discuss appropriate and safe accommodations prior to enrollment.
What are ways I can get involved in school activities?
PCC wouldn’t exist without parent involvement! This involvement in our school is one reason that PCC is so special. Our school is managed by a Board of Directors composed of parents (information on joining the Board is provided early in the school year). The Board meets monthly to discuss business aspects including program development, finances and community/school activities. The Board hosts a number of PCC community activities each year. These activities, including a Halloween Party, Fall and Spring Park Picnics, a Pancake Breakfast, Parents Night Out, and others are all great ways for families to spend time together outside of the school hours and create long lasting friendships.
Do the children participate in any enriching activities?
Of course! Besides all of the exciting enriching aspects of our curriculum, the school partners with specialists who come in once a month for targeted events. Children enjoy visits from the Critter Caravan, a musician and from a yoga/movement specialist. In addition, we offer a science enrichment class for children in the three-year-old group. This optional class meets one day per week in the spring on an afternoon the threes are not in session (either Tuesday or Thursday). All of these activities help to contribute to our well-rounded curriculum!
How will I drop off and pick up my child?
Parents or caregivers bring their children to the classroom door (or the playground, if the class is starting their day outside) and your child's teacher will warmly welcome and help him/her enter the school to start the day. Parking is available in the lot in front of the school. Parents or caregivers are required to come to the door to retrieve their child at the end of the school day.
Can someone else drop off/pick up my child from school?
Your child’s safety is VERY important to us. Your child may be dropped off or picked up by anyone you authorize provided you give us prior notification. As a further level of protection, each year our families complete a Release Form which authorizes individuals to pick up their child and requires parents to create a safety code (PIN). Children are not released unless the person is in possession of the safety code.
What happens if my child has a difficult time being left at school?
Separation is difficult for some children, particularly those in our Terrific Twos. Each class has an orientation period that gradually builds your child's confidence and comfort-ability. We work with the parents, no matter the age of the child, to gradually ease the transition from home to school. Each child is unique and their needs are unique so it is important for us to address each child’s situation individually.
Will you help toilet train my toddler? How do you handle accidents?
Of course we can help! When you feel your child is ready to be trained we ask that you keep us informed. We will follow at school whatever practices you have created with your child at home. Our goal is for training to be a low stress process that transitions smoothly from home to school. During the training process (and even for a time after training), accidents can happen. We ask all parents to supply a change of clothes in their child's backpack each day. Children are always treated with compassion and patience and, after a swift clean-up and change, they happily return to their activity.
What makes PCC different from other preschools?
PCC is more than just a preschool that you send your child to each week. It is a community committed to making connections. PCC is managed by the parents that send their children to the school. They have a vested interest in the happenings of the school. Their love of the school is evident in all of the activities that they organize. The events, such as the Halloween Party and the Pajama Party, provide opportunities for parents and students to socialize outside of the classroom. Lifelong friendships are developed with the children and families. PCC has been in Pleasantville for almost 50 years! Parents who attended PCC themselves are now sending their own children to the school. Parents who once sat on the Board of Directors are now teachers. It is a place that truly feels like home away from home.
Are all of your students from Pleasantville?
We welcome students from any community! Our families typically reside in Pleasantville, Thornwood, Chappaqua, Hawthorne, Valhalla and Briarcliff Manor.
Does PCC offer a lunch program or extended hours?
No. In New York State, programs providing more than three hours of daily care to the same group of children must be a licensed daycare program and register with the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). PCC is not a licensed child care center. Please contact the Child Care Council of Westchester, Inc. if you are searching for a quality, licensed, full-day program.
What programs are offered in the summer?
We currently offer a summer session for children entering the Threes class. This three-day program (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) runs for five weeks and begins in late June. Details about the summer session are distributed in the spring. A summer program for four-year-olds is dependent upon interest.
How do you keep children safe and healthy?
Providing a healthy and safe place to be each day is our top priority. PCC implements the regulations, requirements and guidance issued by the Westchester County Department of Health pertaining to COVID-19. We maintain a required New York State Health and Safety Plan to be implemented in the event of an infectious disease State of Emergency that meets or exceeds the requirements set by the State. In addition, we rely on the guidance of other agencies such as the CDC, the Office of Children and Family Services, the Child Care Council of Westchester and the AAP to guide our Health and Safety Plan and policies.
We welcome all questions- please do not hesitate to reach out.
