Enrollment
Enrollment for Holy Rosary Totten Hall is open to all children regardless of race and religion.

Payments
When you write checks to Totten Hall, please write separate check for everything. You will be given a manila envelope each month to put your tuition payment in. Checks for field trips, t-shirts, day care, etc. all need to be a separate check. Please put the check in an envelope with your child's name, teacher's name, and contents of the envelope. There is a mailbox in the stairway to Mrs. Unfried's office for you to drop your payments. This would help us out tremendously. Please make all checks payable to Holy Rosary Totten Hall.

Labeling All Items
It is recommended that all items of clothing, art boxes, glue, scissors, and any other personal items brought to school be labeled with the child's name. This will help the teachers immensely. We do have a Lost and Found container in the basement for items that have lost their owner.

Illness Policy
If your child will be absent from pre-school, please call us at 471-7228. Check your child in the morning for signs of illness. If your child has a temperature, diarrhea, vomiting, a rash, nasal discharge or discharge from the eyes, please keep them at home. We cannot accept any child with these symptoms. A child must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school or after school daycare. If your child becomes ill during the school day, the parent will be contacted. If your child has a temperature, is vomiting, or has diarrhea they cannot remain at the after school daycare program.

Show and Tell
We have Show and Tell at Totten Hall, but you will need to check with your child's teacher to see when she has Show and Tell scheduled. Each teacher does it differently. For the older children it is usually weekly, and usually corresponds with the letter of the week. For the younger children, it's usually monthly and corresponds with what they are learning about in the classroom. We have found that the younger children do better with Show and Tell less often than the older children because of their smaller attention spans. Also, the smaller children do not attend school five days a week like the older children do. Occasionally, a teacher will ask their class to bring a special toy from home. Children love showing and telling about their favorite toys. *The only time children are permitted to bring toys from home is when a teacher permits it for a special Show and Tell.

Backpacks
We would like for all the children to have a backpack. It is mandatory if your child stays for daycare. There are many days when we have several pieces of artwork, notices, etc. and it's very difficult to keep it from going home with the wrong child. The first thing the children want to do when they see a pile of paper is to look through it, and ultimately it ends up getting mixed in with another child's papers. We want to make sure you get all important notices so you or your child won't miss out on anything. The backpacks need to be big enough for an 8-1/2" X 11" piece of paper. You won't want your child's darling artwork destroyed by trying to cram it into a tiny backpack.

Crying Children
If you happen to be one of the unfortunate parents whose child decides to cry, scream, kick, etc. when you drop them off, please give them a big kiss and a big hug, tell them you love them, and tell them you will be back very soon to pick them up....and then leave! We know it breaks your heart, but every year there are a couple of children who cry the first week or two. By the time mom or dad sobs their way home and calls to check on their child, their child has long forgotten about them. The longer you stay, the longer it's drawn out. Many times we've had chain reactions because it scares the other children. It makes them think maybe they should be upset or scared too! We always have an extra person on hand to take the child and lovingly calm them down. Usually, after the first couple of weeks, the children are accustomed to their new surroundings and the crying stops. Please feel free to call the school at 471-7228 anytime you have concerns or just want to check on your child.

Snacks
We will have a snack list posted outside each classroom. Each child will sign up for a certain date to bring in their special snack for their classmates. This will be once or twice a month depending on class size! (Check with your teacher, some teachers assign the child a day). Totten Hall's Pre-school program is planned to give special recognition to the children on their birthdays. If you would like to bring a special treat on that day for your child to share with classmates, please let your child's teacher know the date. We suggest simple treats, and if you wish, safe and inexpensive party favors. If your child does not have a birthday during the school year, we can celebrate a summer birthday by having a Friendship Party! We are promoting a wellness program. Snack suggestions: Fruit, cheese, crackers, pretzels, cookies, carrots, etc. Also, please bring bottled fruit juice or a quart of milk on your snack day.

Parties
Totten Hall Pre-School knows how to party! We have 7 parties a year! The good thing for you is you're only responsible for one of them! Each class is assigned a party. The room mothers for that class will be in charge of planning the party, and providing everything needed for the party, for all the classrooms. The Totten Hall School Board has a Party Chairperson, and she has a LOT of experience with planning parties, and she will assist you. Below, you will find which classroom is in charge of which party. So, party moms, you'll have a lot of time to think up some awesome party ideas!

Several weeks before your assigned party, the party chairperson will call and schedule a meeting. Be prepared to share your ideas, and also let the chairperson know how you can help. At the beginning of the school year, everyone pays a party fee. This fee is used to help fund these parties. The party chairperson will let you know how much money you have to plan your party! We're looking forward to celebrating all the holidays as one big, happy family!

Field Trips
Totten Hall goes on several field trips a year. You will get information several weeks before the field trip noting the field trip destination and the cost for the field trip. At the beginning of the school year, you pay a bus fee which covers the bus expense. However, there is usually an additional expense depending on the nature of the field trip. We encourage parents to come along to help the teachers with their class, but please check with the teacher before each field trip because (a) sometimes parental help isn't needed, and/or (b) cannot accommodate parents and/or siblings. We ask that if you do sign up to help, that you give two helping hands. If you need to bring a younger sibling along, please let the teacher know so she can arrange to have enough helping hands for her class. We ask that you dress your child in their Totten Hall t-shirt or sweatshirt. Each class has its own color, and it's much easier for the teacher's to keep track of their children. It's also easier for the children to look for the "red" or "green" shirts, so they don't get separated from their classmates. You will need to sign a permission slip for each field trip, which will be sent home with your child some time before the field trip. The two-day classes normally do not attend field trips. However, if a parent can transport the child, and accompany the child on a field trip, they are more than welcome to come. Occasionally, there is a field trip which they will be able to participate, in this case, you will get a note and a permission slip.