2024-2025 Preschool Handbook

The early years are learning years! You don’t need research to tell you that children’s early years are a crucial period of learning and development. You see it every day in your own young child. In the Madison School District Early Childhood Program (ECP), we support each child’s growth through developmentally appropriate practices and activities - helping them obtain a strong foundation for lifelong learning. ECP serves ages 3-5.

**Children must be 3 before September 1st in order to enroll in our program and cannot attend until their 3rd birthday if it falls between the August 8th and August 31st deadline. Depending on enrollment, you may be required to pay the half day rate to hold the space for the child until they can begin.

Half Day Hours

• Monday-Friday
• 7:00 am – 12:30 pm
• Fee: $693.00/month

Full Day Hours

• Monday-Friday
• 7:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Fee: $1,138.50/month

Program Locations

Madison Camelview

• 2002 E. Campbell Ave.,
  Phoenix, AZ 85016
• Phone: 602-664-7226

Madison Simis

• 7302 N. 10th Street,
  Phoenix, AZ 85020
• Phone: 602-664-7370

Madison Rose Lane

• 1155 E. Rose Lane,
  Phoenix, AZ 85014
• Phone: 602-664-7470

Madison Heights

• 7150 N. 22nd Street,
  Phoenix, AZ 85020
• Phone: 602-664-7870

Madison Traditional Academy

• 1431 E. Campbell Ave.
  Phoenix, AZ 85014
• MTA Preschool is located on the Madison Park campus.
• Phone: 602-664-7570

Quality First Scholarships can be submitted via email or completed in the District Office. Scholarship applications are available as early as June 2024.  
Review Quality First requirements here: https://qualityfirstaz.com/providers/qf-scholarships/

We currently accept DES child care subsidies at Madison Camelview and Rose Lane. Learn more and apply here: https://des.az.gov/services/child-and-family/child-care/how-apply-for-child-care-assistance

Salt River Schools Tribe Scholarships available at all of our campuses. Contact SRS at 480-362-2251 or www.SaltRiverSchools.org

For more information, call Madison Community Education at: 602-664-7580 or ceinfo@madisoned.org

All registration is done online through the Community Education Parent Portal. If you do not have online access you may visit our District Office. Computers are available for public use.

Complete all required information for your child; at the end of the process you will have the opportunity to add additional children if necessary. There is a non-refundable $65 registration fee, per child and per program that will be required by credit card (Visa/MC). For families with multiple children in the same program, the registration fee will be $110 per family for that program. For parents/guardians who require separate accounts for shared children, separate registration fees will apply to both accounts. Registration fees are charged to cover the cost of transaction fees. Your registration is only submitted if you pay the registration fees. DES and Quality First Scholarships do not cover the registration fee.

When registering on the website you will need to provide 2 Emergency contacts, Physicians’ name and number, and a code word (a word you set to confirm your identity over the phone). You will receive a confirmation email informing you that your registration and fee was successfully transmitted.

You will receive a follow up email with a second registration step where you will need to upload current immunizations and a birth certificate. Once we download and print all of your completed registration paperwork, you will be sent a notification email to come in to the District Office or to a scheduled signing event and sign your paperwork. Due to Arizona’s Department of Health Services (DHS) regulations, all ECP paperwork is required to have an original legal guardian signature on it before students can be accepted into the program. Every year, DHS requires a current copy of immunizations and your child’s birth certificate.

In order for your child to attend Preschool, all contracts and emergency cards must be signed at the District Office, and PowerSchool registration must be completed with current immunizations and birth certificate. Your child may begin the following Monday after paperwork has been completed. Normal registration processing time is 2-3 business days. During peak registration, it may take longer. Your patience is greatly appreciated.

Madison’s Early Childhood Program focuses on providing your child with a safe and effective learning environment. As such, we will not restrict or limit involvement of either parent or legal guardian unless authorized by law. Should issues pertaining to or involving divorce, separation, or custody agreements become disruptive to our program, or impede the education of the child or any child on district premises, we reserve the right to immediately withdraw your child from the program. It is your responsibility to provide the most updated documentation to the program detailing any custody arrangements. 

Madison’s Early Childhood Program uses an evidence-based curriculum, World of Wonders for Early Learners. World of Wonders for Early Learners builds a strong foundation for early literacy and provides developmentally appropriate instruction for early learners, ages three to five, including cross-curricular activities, a focus on social-emotional development, and preparation for kindergarten and beyond. Our preschool experiences are aligned with the Arizona Early Learning Standards. 

Our intent is to provide a quality education for all students. One important factor in achieving excellence for all of our families is regular attendance. The curriculum is designed to scaffold skills for children throughout the week and school year. Daily attendance is necessary to allow students to build skills and grow; following a routine builds good work habits and reduces behavior occurrences. Our preschools only operate a five day a week program, with both half day and full day attendance options. We require an 85% attendance rate per month, in order to remain in the program. Regular absences not only prevent the child from benefiting from our program, but also disrupt the overall classroom environment.

Structured small group and whole group activities follow a regular schedule each morning. Because of this, it is important that your child attend regularly and arrive each day before curriculum time begins. Bringing your child at the same time/on time every day means they get to greet their teacher and friends, fully participate in the morning meeting, and learn what the lesson/topic of the day will be. Please review the daily schedule with your child’s instructor. All students must be in class no later than 8:15am.

The first five years of life are so important, and we want to help provide the best start for your child. As part of this effort, we will be partnering with families in collecting important developmental information at the start of the school year. At Preschool Orientation Night, caregivers will receive an Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-2-SE) that they are required to fill 2 out and return to teachers. Come August and September, preschool teams will engage your children in a range of fun, developmental activities as part of the ASQ-3 assessment, as well as other additional assessment tools. During fall conferences in late September, families and teachers will review this data together. 

Young children may have difficulty with new routines, thus resulting in possible potty accidents. In consideration of this, Community Education has established guidelines for the definition of “toilet trained”. We are not licensed for students using diapers, pull-ups or having routine accidents, including during nap time hours. Accidents create a health issue for the classroom, as such, reoccurring potty accidents may result in program withdrawal. The following chart represents expectations and consequences so that parents can assess whether their child is toilet trained and ready for our Early Childhood Program. No credit of fees will be given for suspended days.

Nap time will take place in the afternoon. You may send a small pillow and blanket with your child for use during the week (items need to be able to fit into a backpack to be sent home at the end of the week for washing). Children will be required to wear their shoes during nap time in the event of a sudden emergency. In alignment with pediatric guidelines on young children's sleep needs, our preschool students are expected to lie down quietly initially, relax their bodies, and try to nap. If, after a period of time, some students remain awake, teachers will provide books or quiet activities at their discretion. These will be materials the child can use independently and that will not disturb others who are resting. Partnering with your teacher to make sure your child is rested and ready to learn is an important component of the parent-teacher relationship - so be sure to let your teacher know if anything at home is impacting your child's sleep schedule or if you have questions about the classroom's naptime routines.

Each Preschool follows the dress code of the affiliated school. The dress code packet is available on the parent portal, on the Madison website, and in the District Office. Athletic shoes (closed heel, closed toe) must be worn at all times. Sandals, flip-flops, Crocs, cowboy boots, ballet slippers, etc. are not allowed as we have found they contribute to slips and falls, resulting in injury.

Breakfast and/or lunch can be prepaid directly at your child’s school cafeteria or through https://linqconnect.com/main. Each Preschool has their own breakfast schedule - please contact them directly about their timeframe. Parents may also provide lunch for their child. Parents are encouraged to provide their child with a water bottle. Snacks are provided by the Preschool. For more information about Food Service, please visit our Food & Nutrition Services page.

In order to remain compliant with our Quality First Accreditation, we respectfully request parents not send these items in lunchboxes, as they are considered choking hazards:

• Hotdogs and other meat sticks
• Chunks of meat larger than can be swallowed
• Raw carrots, whole grapes or raw peas
• Nuts, seeds or spoonfuls of peanut butter
• Hard pretzels, chips, popcorn or rice cakes
• Hard candy or marshmallows

Food allergies, diet restrictions, and health department guidelines prevent us from serving food outside of our listed menu items. Any outside food/treats for classroom celebrations will be sent home for children to enjoy at their parent/guardians discretion. ‘Birthday in a Box’ is available for purchase from the school cafeteria and can be enjoyed during lunch as it meets the ADE nutritional guidelines.

All students are expected to follow Madison school rules while off site on a field trip. Students must be able to obey the instructions of Madison staff. For the safety of all students in our program, students that fail to properly respond to adult direction may be prohibited to attend future field trips.

All students must attend scheduled field trips. We do not leave staff behind for students that do not wish to participate. If you do not wish for your child to attend a specific field trip, please make alternative plans for them that day.

Transportation will be provided by the Madison School District Transportation Department. Children MUST ride the bus with their group. Children are NOT to be picked up or dropped off at any field trip location.

Daily Activities Include (but are not limited to):

• Morning Meeting
• Small Group Learning
• Learning Centers
• Snack and Lunch
• Outside Learning

• Our program provides a wide variety of toys and games for the children; we discourage bringing these items from home. If such items from home are brought to the program, staff cannot be responsible for their safe return.
•  It is very important that all clothing, jackets and lunch pails be clearly labeled with your child’s name. Program staff are not responsible for their safe return.
•  All children need a complete set of clothing to be left at the program in case the child needs a change of clothing during the day.
•  We suggest your child come dressed for comfort. Your child should wear practical, washable clothes.
•  Children must be completely toilet trained. NO Pull-Ups. This includes being able to nap without any accidents. (See definition).
•  ECP aligns with the district discipline matrix that can be found in the Madison School District Student & Parent Handbook on the District website.

Parents play a crucial role in every stage of childhood and can play a positive role in getting the best in education. Please don’t hesitate to contact the Community Education Staff at your child’s school to share questions, comments or concerns regarding your child’s experience. Together, as team partners, we will assure that your child enjoys a safe, nurturing and successful experience in Community Education Programs in the Madison School District.

Parents are encouraged to keep abreast of information about the program and its operations by regularly checking their email for the weekly newsletter from their teacher, our monthly department newsletter and looking for special notices sent home with the children. Follow Madison Community Education on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about what our program is doing.

Student Success is dependent on parent involvement and collaboration with ECP staff. Fall and Spring Conferences are highly recommended for communication regarding your students’ progress.

Community Education Programs, including the Early Childhood Program, are not licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS) to support children that need to be diapered, Pull-Ups included.

All CE programs follow the same sign in/out procedures. Children enrolled in the Early Childhood Program must be signed in and out each day by the parent/guardian or other responsible person designated by the parent/guardian. Each person authorized to pick up your child will need to have a unique PIN. PIN’s can be updated on your parent portal. Upon drop off or pick up, the parent will input the PIN number on the tablet and choose the child they are dropping off/picking up. Children may only be signed out one at a time. This will automatically record the time and person picking up the child. Checking out a child is taking physical custody and legal responsibility of them. Continued non-compliance of sign in/out procedures may result in removal of your child(ren) from the program.

Children will be released only to those persons listed on the Emergency Blue Card. To add or delete a person on this form you may call in with your code word, or update the blue card in person at the school. Children cannot be called up to the office for pickup. Parents must pick up and drop off children at the location of the group.

You may pre-arrange to visit during class time by contacting your child's teacher or the MAC office. Children who are not enrolled at the school are not permitted on school grounds during the school day without direct parental supervision. Children not enrolled in the school may not be on the playground during the school day. Visitors are not permitted to photograph and/or record any students other than any student(s) of which they are legal guardians of. If you would like to volunteer in your child's classroom please contact the teacher. Additional volunteer information can be found on our Volunteer page. 

All programs are licensed by: 

• Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS)
• 150 N. 18th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85007
• 602-364-2539

Inspection reports are a matter of public record and are available for viewing.

If a student has an accident that includes blood or bodily fluids, including saliva/spitting/biting, urine, feces and/or vomit, staff members will use Universal Precautions to protect students and staff from exposure to diseases spread by blood and certain body fluids. You may be required to pick up your child from school.

Minor accidents (e.g., cuts and scrapes) may be treated by Community Education Staff. The Site Coordinator will contact the parent and/or school nurse as appropriate if the incident is believed to be related to illness or injury. Children who show signs of illness must be picked up.

If your child has been diagnosed with a contagious illness, including pink eye and/or strep, please notify your Site Coordinator. A note from a doctor may be required in order for your child to return to the program.

A child may be suspended from the program if we cannot keep them safe, their behavior endangers themselves or others or their actions create a health issue.

• Children will not be accepted into the program until they have been free of fever (and are not on medication to alleviate fever) and/or symptoms for at least 24 hours. Nausea, vomiting, unexplained rash, continuous cough or colored nasal discharges are examples of such symptoms. Parents should arrange for standby caregivers until the sick child is sufficiently recovered.
•  When a child becomes ill, displays a fever (100.4˚F) or is seriously injured at the program, the parent will be notified and expected to pick up their child from the program immediately.
•  In case of an emergency, as determined by the program staff, the paramedics will be called and the parent will be notified immediately. Parents will be responsible for all costs incurred in such emergencies.
•  Only medication in the original container will be administered. The Madison School District does not administer the initial dosage of a new medication. A special consent form for the administration of medication must be completed by the parent or guardian and be kept on file at the program site. Dosage and quantity must match what is listed on the prescription. (i.e. If the prescription is for 30 tablets, we must have 30 tablets at the time of medication form completion to start.
•  All medications must be administered in compliance with the written prescription or directions. If emergency medications (ex. EPI Pens) require two doses, we must have both doses, or a written note from the doctor giving permission to only have one. Over-the-counter medication will not be administered if the child is under the age listed on the instructions and must have a prescription from your Doctor to administer.
• Madison’s Early Childhood Program will focus on helping children learn appropriate behavior. Behavioral guidelines have been established with the goal of both maintaining the physical and emotional well-being of each student and strengthening self-regulation, judgment and empathy. Positive guidance is used to support social and emotional development. Parents and staff are partners in guiding the child’s development. Parents are kept informed of children’s experiences in the classroom and may be asked to follow through at home in certain situations. If program staff determines that a child cannot benefit from the program or if we cannot keep them safe, their behavior endangers themselves or others or their actions create a health issue, the child will be suspended or withdrawn from the program.
• Madison School District does not transport preschool students to or from school. Parents will be notified in advance of any scheduled field trips and will be asked to complete a Field Trip Permission Form. Field trip transportation will be provided by the Madison School District Transportation Department. Children are NOT to be picked up or dropped off at any field trip location.
• Liability insurance coverage is provided as required by AZDHS.
• Parents are asked to provide a change of clothing for the student. If a student is unable to care for themselves appropriately, the parent or guardian listed on the DHS Blue Card may be contacted to take the student home.
• When necessary, posting for pesticide use will be displayed in the school’s main office. Postings will be displayed at least 48 hours before a pesticide is applied on a facility’s premises.

Madison’s ECP works to build the skills of students to help them be successful in our learning environments. We take proactive, preventative steps to implement resources and support and to avoid suspension and expulsion. We will strive to build individual relationships with each student; make individualized adaptations in classroom environments and activities, teaching strategies, and curriculum; and consult with the family so that each student benefits from our program.

We will collaborate with the student’s family and appropriate specialists (such as the Quality First Consultant, Quality First Inclusion Specialist, School Social Worker or Psychologist) to determine additional services needed and/or the placement option(s) most likely to ensure student success.

Madison Elementary School District’s Discipline Matrix will guide interventions and responses for any students enrolled in preschool.
We work to create a welcoming environment for all families and staff. Questionable actions or inactions on the part of a parent or guardian may result in expulsion of a child from the program. These actions may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Inappropriate behavior and/or parent conduct on campus
• property damage or littering
• parental disputes regarding payment plans
• verbal or physical abuse to a staff or other parents
• threats or physical intimidation toward staff or other parents
• failure to pay required co-payments or fees
• any handbook violation.

As per Board Policy JICK-EB, bullying in any form will not be tolerated. Bullying can be physical in form (e.g., pushing, hitting, kicking, spitting, stealing); verbal (e.g., making threats, taunting, teasing, name-calling); or psychological (e.g., social exclusion, spreading rumors, manipulating social relationships).

• All changes to the contract can be made by calling the District Office at 602-664-7956 or emailing ceinfo@madisoned.org. The first change is free, subsequent changes are $25. If you withdraw or are withdrawn from a program, there is a $25 reinstatement fee.
• Fees are due the 1st and 15th for ECP (See Billing Process). ECP payments received more than four days after the due date will be considered late and incur a $25 late fee.
• Fees must be paid by check, money order or credit card (Visa and MasterCard only). CASH IS NOT ACCEPTED. Checks returned by the bank for any reason are subject to collection by an outside agency. A $25 charge will be incurred per returned check in addition to the principal amount. After one returned check incident only certified funds or credit cards will be accepted through the end of the program year.
• There are additional fees for the Holiday Camps offered during Fall, Winter and Spring Breaks.
• No credits of fees or make-up times are offered for absences due to illness, vacations or suspensions.
• The district reserves the right to remove any child(ren) that has been placed on the withdraw list more than three (3) times. Payment plans may be set up with the Accounting Coordinator. Parents are responsible for any late charges or legal costs incurred in the collection of their account. The Community Education Department has been authorized by the Governing Board to use the following methods of collecting delinquent accounts: File with small claims court, send to a collection agency, report to major credit bureaus and File a 1099C with the Internal Revenue Service.
• Families enrolled in Madison School District’s Early Childhood Program may qualify for a First Things First Partial Scholarship. Applications are available in the District Office or on the Madison website. Scholarship recipients must have their child at school by 8:15 and attend at least 85% of the time.
• Families with multiple children will receive a discount of 15% off the less expensive program.
• Payments can be made on your parent portal, or in person at the District Office during business hours. As a courtesy, you will receive statements via the email address on the parent portal. Late fees apply to payments received after the 5-day grace period. If you wish to mail in your payments, you may do so by sending and making them payable to:
  Madison School District #38
  Community Education
  5601 N. 16th Street
  Phoenix, AZ 85016
• Community Education does not maintain tax records for individual accounts. The Tax ID # is 86-6000497. Families who utilize flex-spending accounts must provide the Community Ed Receptionist (602-664-7956 or ceinfo@madisoned.org) with the appropriate information from their employer.
• End of the year tax statements are available on the parent portal by the end of January. Tax statements are not emailed or mailed out individually.
• If a child is picked up after closing time, parents will be charged $2 per minute thereafter. The charges will be added to your invoice. Continued late pickups could result in withdrawal from the program.

Program Closing/End Times are as follows:

• Full Day ECP (All Sites): 6:00 PM
• Half Day ECP (All Sites): 12:30 PM

• Full Day Fee $1,138.50 per month 
• Half Day Fee $693.00 per month

*Your payments will not be less in the months October, December and March as the holidays/ school closure days have been removed when setting the fees.

Non-Contracted Care $54.50 Per Day

This option is for families that are registered for half day and may need the use of full day care on an occasional, emergency basis. This is not for a recurring schedule. Unused contracted care days cannot be switched to cover non-contracted days. Please notify your site coordinator and sign the Non-Contracted Care Form. Due to licensing requirements for staffing and space available for napping students, we cannot guarantee that the full day care will be available. Please let us know as soon as possible to make accommodations for these requirements.

Summary of Fees:

• Registration Fee: $65/child or $110/family
• Reinstatement Fee: $25
• Program Change Fee: $25 -1st Change is Free
• Late Payment Fee: $25
• Returned Payment Fee: $25
• Late Pick Up Fee: $2/minute
• Returned Check Fee: $25
• Missing PIN Check in/out: $5/occurrence
• Incorrect PIN Check in/out: $5

Early Release:

The following dates are 11 am early release dates for all preschool students. Extended care is not available. Please refer to our program calendar for more information.

• 10/24/24
• 10/25/24
• 1/30/25
• 1/31/25
• 5/21/25

School Break Camps:

• Fall Break: 10/7-10/11 $54.45 per day
• Winter Break: 12/30, 1/2, 1/3 $54.45 per day
• Spring Break: 3/10-3/14 $54.45 per day

*Camp registration typically occurs one month before camp and is on a first come, first served basis. School year camps are registered by day and space is limited. If available, camp is combined into one campus.

Winter Break camp has limited availability due to how holidays fall on the calendar, as well as available staffing. Please review the program calendar on the following page and plan accordingly to meet your families needs.

Click here to view the 2024-2025 Preschool PDF Calendar

Physical Activity

We encourage all children to participate in a variety of physical activity opportunities that are fun and appropriate for their age.Our facility will follow the guidelines below:

• All children are provided at least 15 minutes of physical activity every 2 hours they are in our program, including both teacher-led and free-play activities.
• Staff will encourage moderate and vigorous levels of physical activity.
• Weather permitting, every child will have the opportunity to participate in outdoor physical activity.
• Screen time is limited to less than three hours per week for children ages 3 and older.
• Physical activity is never used or withheld as punishment.
• Parents will be provided with physical activity and screen time information annually.

Sun Safety

We are committed to protecting the health and safety of students and staff. While we like to provide opportunities for outdoor physical activity, we also want to make it sun-safe. Research shows a multitude of negative health conditions from overexposure to the sun. We follow the precautions below for all outdoor activities:

• Staff will follow the age-specific recommendations when planning outdoor activities.
• Staff is encouraged to protect the children and their own skin with: Sunscreen, lip balm, hats, light clothing and shade; limited exposure during peak UV times; regular checks of the UV index to monitor the intensity of the sun’s rays and plan for outdoor activities accordingly.
• Parents will be provided sun safety information annually.

Breastfeeding-Friendly Environment

Madison provides a breastfeeding-friendly environment for parents and staff. Each school provides a place for breastfeeding or expressing milk. Breastfeeding information is available at each school.

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

The CACFP supports child care facilities by making child care more affordable for many low-income families while promoting good eating habits. Eligibility for CACFP is determined by federal standards based on family income within established geographic boundaries. At this time, Madison Food & Nutrition Services Department does not participate in CACFP.

Fruit Juice

Too much juice may be linked to weight problems and is associated with tooth decay and decreased appetite for other nutritious foods. Our program emphasizes water first plus nutritious beverages such as fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk. To support your child in establishing lifelong healthy eating and drinking habits, our facility will:

• Water shall be used as the first choice for thirst and will be offered throughout the day.
• Limit 100% fruit juice with no added sugar and not more than two times per week for all children.
• Only 6 to 8 ounces shall be served at one time.
• Fruit juice shall only be served with meals and snacks and not continuously throughout the day.

Oral Health

Our facility recognizes that we play an important role in preventing tooth decay and in educating children, their families and staff on tooth decay prevention. We will provide oral health education once per month and guide our staff on steps they can take to prevent tooth decay. Tooth decay information will be shared with families annually.

Staff Training

We regularly train our staff on the Empower Program and at least 3 hours in Empower topic areas, including: physical activity, nutrition, oral health and tobacco. All training is documented and records are readily available.

ASHLine

Arizona Smokers’ Helpline (ASHLine) is to help staff and parents quit tobacco. To protect the health of our children, their families and our staff, our facility will promote the ASHLine information on the dangers of second- and third-hand smoke by placing them in a visible spot.

Smoke Free Campus

We are committed to providing a smoke-free environment for children and staff due to acknowledged hazards arising from exposure to second-hand smoke. Appropriate signage will be posted.

It is the Madison School District’s responsibility to inform the general public and all parents within our boundaries of our responsibility to make available special education services for students with disabilities aged 3 through 15 years and how to access those services. Additionally, we have a responsibility to provide information regarding early intervention services for children birth through 2 years.

We are responsible for identifying, locating, and evaluating all children with disabilities including children aged 3 through 15 and for referring children from birth through 2 years of age to Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP) for evaluation and appropriate services.

We are also responsible for providing a free and appropriate public education (FAPE), which includes special education and related services to children with disabilities at public expense, under public supervision and direction without charge to the parents.

For all new students to the district, the classroom teacher will complete screening activities within 45 days of enrollment. The teacher will look at the child’s ability in the areas of academics, vision, hearing, communication, social/emotional, and motor skills. If any concerns are noted, the child may be referred for additional help.

Children birth through 2 years of age who are receiving early intervention services and will be participating in preschool programs for children with disabilities will be assured of a smooth transition into that program.

If you have any concerns about a child you know, please contact Madison School District’s Special Education Department at (602) 664-7580 or the school district in which you reside.