What are your enrollment options?
Harvey Browne Preschool is a nine-month school starting in August and continuing into May. School hours are from 8:50 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Children entering our Kindergarten program attend school five days a week. We also offer a five, four, or three-day program option for four-year-olds; a five, three, or two-day option for three year olds and a two-day option for two-year-olds. We have an “Early Bird” program that begins at 8:00 a.m. and Lunch Bunch, our after school program, meets until 3:00 p.m.
Harvey Browne Memorial Presbyterian Church operates a separate Parents’ Day Out program on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. You may contact the director, Julie Rousseau, for more information at 502 896-1791.
How much is tuition and do you offer scholarships or discounts?
Tuition and registration fees are adjusted yearly and varies depending on whether your child is enrolled in Kindergarten or enrolled for five, three or two days. We do offer a discounted tuition for members of the Harvey Browne Memorial Presbyterian Church. Tuition is payable monthly or in three installments, on May 1, October 1, and February 15.
There is a financial assistance program. Applications for financial assistance must be received before March 1 for the following school year. Financial assistance is based on need.
The Harvey Browne Preschool Board of Directors is dedicated to keeping tuition reasonably priced for families while keeping the quality of the educational experience for the children high.
What are the teacher qualifications?
Our teachers meet the rigorous standards required by NAEYC. All teachers have a college degree and hours from an accredited university in Early Childhood Education. In addition teachers complete a minimum of 15 hours of professional development each year. Assistant teachers have a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential.
Do you have a lot of faculty turnover?
We have very little faculty turnover. We are blessed to have teachers who have many years of experience at Harvey Browne Preschool and are committed to the education of young children.
How will I know how my child is doing at Preschool?
We will communicate with you in writing on a regular basis keeping you updated on all the activities in the class. Additionally, you will receive an informal checklist assessment about your child’s progress along with work samples and written notes to help you know exactly how your child is doing at school. Anytime you have concerns or questions, we also encourage you to email or call the teacher or write a note. There are parent teacher conferences scheduled in the fall and spring to share information about your child but additional conferences can be scheduled at any time at the request of a parent or teacher.
How do I contact my child’s teacher?
You may contact teachers through phone calls, email, conferences, and written notes sent in on the backpacks. We will return all calls and notes promptly. Your child’s teachers will give your their best contact information.
Why do you have a carpool?
Approximately 170 children attend Harvey Browne Preschool — and nearly as many cars entering and leaving the parking lot in a short time frame. The carpool allows us to ensure all children arrive at and depart from school safely.
How does carpool work?
Arrival time is 8:50 a.m. to 9 a.m. If you need to drop your children off earlier we provide an Early Bird program where you may drop off your child between 8:00am – 8:40 a.m. for $5.00 per use. You must walk your child in if they are participating in the Early Bird program. During carpool, Harvey Browne faculty members will be at the doors to supervise the arrivals.
We encourage you to drop children off through the carpool line. A Harvey Browne faculty member will help your child get out of your car and walk your child safely into the school, where they will be escorted to their classroom.
If you are late, you must park and walk your child to the side office doors that face the parking lot. Please buzz up to the preschool office and Mrs. Squires or Mrs. Hughes will meet you at the door to escort your child to class.
Dismissal time is 12 noon. At the end of the day, we use your carpool number to ensure your child is waiting at the door when you pull up. After all the cars have turned off their engines, a faculty member will walk your child out and help your child get into the car safely. Harvey Browne faculty members will bring your children and place them in the car. We ask that you wait to fasten seat belts until you’ve pulled out of the drop off / pick-up area to facilitate an efficient dismissal.
Please note if your child is in Kindergarten or stays for the Great Minds after school program until 3 o’clock, the pick-up procedure is different.
Children will only be allowed to leave with their parents or someone the parent has authorized in writing to pick up their child. Your child will not be released to anyone but you or someone you have authorized in writing.
How should I prepare my preschooler for the first day of school?
We know that all children will go through a period of adjustment as school begins. We will work closely with you to make the transition as smooth as possible. Here are a few things you can do to help:
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Share in your child’s happy anticipation of going to Harvey Browne Preschool.
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Encourage your child to manage his / her own clothing and make sure all outer clothing is clearly labeled.
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Dress your child with easy to manage clothing — elastic waists and loose-fitting clothing.
- For safety reasons children must wear shoes with rubber soles that either Velcro or
tie. Sandals, flip-flops, crocs, cowboy boots, dress shoes, etc., make participating in play activities difficult and unsafe. - Arrange for your child to have a number of experiences with and without parents.
- Give your child lots of opportunities to do simple tasks.
- Provide a place which your child can independently hang jackets and coats without your help.
- Encourage your child to be independent.
- Encourage good health habits, such as covering the nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing; starting each day with breakfast, as well as healthy eating throughout the day; washing hands before eating; playing outdoors; and establishing a regular bedtime routine that ensures your child gets plenty of sleep.
- Give your child opportunities for experiences with children his / her own age.
In the rare case when a child is unable to make the adjustment in a reasonable amount of time, we reserve the right to terminate the child’s enrollment at Harvey Browne Preschool.
How do you handle discipline?
We use positive guidance techniques. No physical discipline or emotionally shaming or hurtful methods are used. We see discipline issues as an opportunity to teach children in a proactive way. If there should be a behavioral issues that cannot be managed at school, we will contact you confidentially and work with you to resolve the issue.
What’s your weather cancellation policy?
Harvey Browne Preschool will be closed due to inclement weather whenever the Jefferson County Public School Elementary schools announce their closing. If JCPS has a delayed schedule, a decision will be made about Harvey Browne Preschool based on safety and staffing. If Jefferson County Public Elementary schools close early, Harvey Browne Preschool, and all after school activities will close at the noon dismissal time. You may pick your child up earlier if you wish. You will be notified of early dismissal and closures via One Call Now Text Alert and email.
What extra-curricular activities do you offer?
All children attend music class each week. Depending upon the age of the child, Creative Movement is also part of the curriculum. For 4 year old children a literacy enrichment program called Literacy 4 Fun is offered on Wednesday afternoon. The kindergarten children can participate in the Literacy Above and Beyond (LAB) program on Wednesday afternoons. We also incorporate art, math and science concepts, and language into our Circle Time, plus many other various activities during the day.
We enrich and extend classroom learning by bringing the community into Harvey Browne. This allows children to enjoy safe and happy cultural experiences at school. The St. Matthews Fire Department visits our classrooms every October during Fire Prevention month. Santa visits in December and Dentists come each February during Dental Health Month. The children’s librarian from the St. Matthews branch of the Louisville Free Public Library visits monthly and we will invite the kindergarten parents to join us for a walking field trip to Eline Library from time to time. A group of parents volunteer to plan other varied activities for children throughout the year such as the Squallis Puppeteers, Blue Apple Players and Magic Shows.
Do you offer extended care?
We offer a before school program known as Early Birds from 8:00 a.m. until 8:50 p.m. The cost of the Early Bird program is $5.00 per day.
We offer a very flexible after school program called Lunch Bunch, Monday through Friday, from 12:00 p.m. until 3 p.m. It begins the second week of school. You may sign up for certain day or days each week for the whole year, on a monthly basis or you may sign up as you need it. We do offer a discount for regular use and to families with more than one child enrolled in the Lunch Bunch program. Please contact us for current rates.
Because the Lunch Bunch program is very popular, it is advisable to call as soon as you know that you need the program. Children enrolled at Harvey Browne Preschool can attend extended day in the afternoon even if it is not one of their regularly scheduled school days. Children who attend Lunch Bunch must be potty trained.
Children must bring their own lunch and drink.
You may click the links below to read more about the Lunch Bunch Program and download the registration form.
Lunch Bunch REGISTRATION FORM 23-24
Do you require uniforms?
No. We want children to be as independent as possible at preschool, so we do ask that children wear clothes they can manage easily. For instance, please choose clothes with large buttons or elastic bands, rather than zippers, snaps, or belts, so your child can dress and take care of bathroom needs without assistance. We do lots of fun, messy things at school, so please make sure your child wears clothes appropriate for playing, running, and exploring. For safety, children must wear tennis shoes that either Velcro or tie. Sandals, cowboy boots, flip flops, dress shoes, and other types of footwear make participating in play activities difficult and unsafe.