Programs & Policies
Regular Programs and Hours
Each of our three classrooms offer children opportunities for social and emotional growth as well as academic success. The Red Room is for our youngest learners, ages 2.9 to 4 years old. The Green and Blue Rooms are for our 4- and 5-year-old students. Class room schedules are designed for each group's needs.
Our preschool programs run from September – June (36 weeks) from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon.
Program Choices:
2 Day | Tuesday/Thursday
3 Day | Monday/Wednesday/Friday
3 Day | Tuesday/Thursday/Friday
4 Day | Monday through Thursday
5 Day | Monday through Friday
RED ROOM SCHEDULE | |
8:45 – 10:00 | Open Play/Small Group Activities/Art |
10:00 – 10:30 | Circle Time/Read Aloud Storytime |
10:30 – 11:00 | Bathroom/Handwashing/Snack |
11:00 – 11:30 | Table Top Activities/Music & Movement |
11:30 – 12:00 | Outdoor Play/Gross Motor/Dismissal(From playground**) |
** Dismissal will be from the gymnasium on days with inclement weather | |
Times/activites are a general guide, but are subject to change. | |
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BLUE ROOM SCHEDULE | |
8:45 – 9:00 | Arrival and Handwashing |
9:00 – 9:30 | Bathroom/Small Group Activities |
9:30 – 10:15 | Outdoor Play/Gross Motor |
10:15 – 10:30 | Snack |
10:30 – 11:00 | Morning Meeting |
11:00 – 11:40 | Art/Table Top Activities |
11:40 – 12:00 | Music & Movement/Storytime/Dismissal |
Times/activites are a general guide, but are subject to change. | |
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GREEN ROOM SCHEDULE | |
8:45 – 9:50 | Arrival/Free Play/Art/Table Activities |
9:50 – 10:00 | Bathroom |
10:00 – 10:30 | Clean up/Circle Time |
10:30 – 11:15 | Outdoor Play/Gross Motor |
11:15 – 11:30 | Wash Hands/Snack |
11:30 – 12:00 | Music & Movement/Storytime/ Dismissal |
Times/activites are a general guide, but are subject to change. |
Extended Care Program
The Extended Care Program is a fun before-and after-school environment that includes mindful lessons, outdoor play and group games. Extended Care provides a flexible and convenient option for parents while also including a time of fun, physical activity and additional social time for our students. Extended Care may be used on an as-needed basis and is available to students, as space allows, on the days they attend school. Parents can pay a drop-in rate or save 10% and prepay the month in advance. (No refunds for sick days, snow days, etc.)
Morning Hours: 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Afternoon Hours: 12:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Rate: $15 per/hour for Drop-in/$13.50 per/hour Pre-pay Plan
Morning Extended Care students are dropped off downstairs in the Blue Room. Lunch is held in the Blue Room. Rest time is held downstairs in the Green Room.
Morning Schedule | |
7:30 – 8:50 | Manipulative Play / Arts and Crafts / Stories (Drop off in Blue Room) |
8:50 | The children transition to their respective classrooms, assisted by teachers. |
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Afternoon Guidelines and Schedule | |
12:00 – 12:30 | Lunch in Blue Room |
12:30 – 12:45 | Free play/table activities/bathroom |
12:45 – 1:30 | Outside gross motor or gymnasium games/activities |
1:30 – 2:15 | Rest is offered/Story time/Bathroom/Quiet activities offered in the Green Room |
2:15 – 2:45 | Bathroom, handwashing, snack time |
2:45 – 3:45 | Story/circle/lessons/activities |
3:45 – 4:30 | Gross motor play (outdoor or in the gymnasium) |
Children bring their own snacks and lunches. Please provide an ice pack to keep food cold, if needed.
The rest time is tailored to the child’s individual needs, and no child will be expected to rest for an inappropriate amount of time. Alternative quiet activities will be available for children who finish resting while waiting for others to wake.
Policies & Procedures
Rate and Payment Policies
2024-2025 Nursery School Program
The family enrollment fee for new families is $75.00 and is non-refundable. There is a non-refundable registration fee of $75.00. If more than one child in a family registers in the same year, the registration fee for the second child is $50.00.
Program Days: Monthly Fee / Annual Fee
2 days T/TH: $265.00 / $2650.00
3 days M/W/F: $397.50 / $3975.00
3 days T/TH/F: $397.50 / $3975.00
4 days M-TH: $530.00 / $5300.00
5 days M-F: $662.50 / $6625.00
The school requires the first tuition payment in August. This payment will be applied to September’s tuition. It will be non-refundable. You may choose to pay either monthly or in total for the year. Whichever option you choose, the first payment will be for one month, due in August.
Monthly Payment Option
10 equal payments due by the 9th of each month beginning in August through June. Payments can be paid by cash, check or electronically through your bank account.
Annual Payment Option
One annual payment may be made at the beginning of the school year to cover the entire cost of care.
Please note:
There will be no adjustments for children’s absences or when school is not in session because of storm days, holidays or other emergency closings.
All parents are asked to sign a tuition agreement.
If payments become two weeks in arrears, you will be contacted. If payments are not met, regrettably, your child will be suspended until obligations are met.
Should you decide to withdraw your child from the program, a four-week notice with appropriate tuition payment through the date of withdrawal is required.
Please make all checks payable to Harborlight Nursery School, Inc.
Place your child’s name and tuition month on all checks in the subject line to assure proper credit.
Payments may be paid electronically, mailed, or brought by parents/caregivers to the classroom or Director’s office.
All returned checks will carry a $15.00 fee added to the amount due. We regret that after two returned checks, personal checks will not be accepted and payments must be made by cash, money order or certified check.
Extended Care Rate & Payment Policies
Daily 7:30-9:00am and 12:00-4:30pm ~ $15.00 per hour for Drop-in or $13.50 per hour for Pre-Pay plan.
The Extended Care Program is offered as an additional service to assist parents with childcare. This program may be used on days your child is at school in the Nursery Program and is offered on a space-available basis. Though our extended care program is very flexible, please let us know approximately when you will be picking up your child each day. This will ensure adequate staffing. If a child is not picked up by the close of the school at 4:30 pm, the fee for any additional time will be a minimum of $15.00, the charge for a full hour. If your child is not picked up by 4:30 pm, we will attempt to contact you or other authorized caregivers. If we have not heard from you and can make no other contacts and your child is not picked up within a half hour of closing time, it will be necessary for us to contact authorities.
The basic program limit is a group of 20, therefore, if not a regular user, a call must be made to ascertain if space is available. We are able to accommodate more children by setting up a second grouping if given advance notice.
All users of Extended Care are billed monthly. When billed, payment is due upon receipt. If payments become two weeks in arrears, regrettably, your child will be ineligible to continue until a payment is made. Other payment schedules can be set up through mutual agreement between the parent and the Director.
Checks are to be made payable to Harborlight Nursery School, Inc. Please place your child’s name on all checks to assure proper credit. Payments may also be made electronically through your bank account (plus bank fees), mailed or brought to the classroom or the Director’s office.
All returned checks will carry a $15.00 fee added to the amount due.
Health Requirements
A complete, dated and signed health form, listing general health status and immunizations, is required from each child entering school. As part of this health care report, proof that the child has had a physical within the last 12 months must be included. The health form must be dated and signed by the physician. Note: A medical exemption is allowed if a health care provider submits documentation that an immunization is medically contraindicated; or, a religious exemption is allowed if a parent submits a signed statement that immunizations are contrary to their religious beliefs.
The following health form regulations apply to all children entering the program:
Required Immunizations For Day Care/Preschool
Hepatitis B 3 doses
DTaP/DTP/DT/Td at least 4 doses
DTaP/DTP – Polio at least 3 doses
Hib 3 or 4 doses
MMR 1 dose
Varicella 1 dose or physician certified history of the chicken pox disease
Lead test required at age 2 and 3
As required by state regulations (102 CMR 7.07 and 105 CMR 220.00), the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has established the following requirements for attendance at day care, preschool, kindergarten, school and college. These requirements are the minimally acceptable number of immunizations for day care centers and schools.
We thank all of our parents/guardians for their cooperation as we strive to comply with these state requirements!
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NUT-FREE SNACK IDEAS
• Applesauce
• Fruit
• Corn chips and dip
• Vegetables and hummus
• Cheese and Crackers
• Rice Cakes
• Pretzels
• Cheez-its
• Pirate’s Booty
• Dry cereal with a thermos of milk
• Crackers with WOW butter
NUT-FREE LUNCH IDEAS
• Bagel with cream cheese
• Crackers and cheese with a fruit cup
• WOW butter and jelly sandwich
• Thermos of pasta, macaroni and cheese or soup
• Pizza