August 10, 2020

School Age K-8 Extended Care Information 2020-2021

We are now accepting registration for the upcoming school year for our Extended Care Program!

If your child is a K-8 student in need of Extended Care, please complete the link below so we may reach out to you with registration paperwork. Due to regulations from licensing agencies and CDC, space in our programs is limited. All registration for Extended Care MUST be facilitated through the Extended Care Director at your campus.

Please submit registration forms and fees as soon as possible, as we do anticipate moving to a wait list for care.

Please note that there are forms that must be notarized. We do require a new completed packet for each student each year for enrollment into the Extended Care program.

PLEASE NOTE THAT IF THERE IS A BALANCE DUE ON YOUR ACCOUNT, YOU WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO ENROLL UNTIL IT IS PAID IN FULL.

(ANY DECISION TO OPEN OR CLOSE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON INFORMATION OR RECOMMENDATIONS RECEIVED FROM CDC/GOVERNOR/PRESIDENT/OUTSIDE AGENCIES)

Hours of Operation:

Before Care opens at 7:00am
After Care closes at 5:45pm

WEEKLY TUITION RATES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

$30.00 Non-refundable Registration Fee per child
$30.00 Before Care Only
$65.00 After Care Only
$75.00 Both Before and After Care

Drop Care is no longer an option at this time.

Care may be offered during Non-Instructional Days, holiday breaks, and some early release days. Campus availability may vary, and will be determined based on enrollment. These dates will be available at no additional cost if you are a registered participant in full-time After Care Program.

Non-Registered participants may attend care on Non-Instructional Days based on availability and with prior notification at a cost of $25.00 per day.

Should you need anything further please contact the Director of Extended Care at your child’s campus.

Tampa Director: prektampa@platoacademy.net

Trinity Director: prektrinity@platoacademy.net
Tarpon Springs Director: prektarponsprings@platoacademy.net
Palm Harbor Director: prekpalmharbor@platoacademy.net
Clearwater Director: prekclearwater@platoacademy.net

Largo Director: preklargo@platoacademy.net

Seminole Director: prekseminole@platoacademy.net
Pinellas Park Director: prekpinellaspark@platoacademy.net
St. Petersburg Director: prekstpete@platoacademy.net

Sincerely,
Emily Ralston
Executive Director of Early Learning and Extended Care Programs

July 23, 2020

Important Care Survey for Weeks of August 10-August 21, K-8

Dear Families,
As you know, Pinellas and Hillsborough County Schools have announced the proposal to delay the start of the school year to Monday, August 24th. Pasco County Schools has confirmed that the school year will begin Monday, August 24th.

At this time, we are taking a survey to establish the need for care during August 10-August 21 for children in Grades K-8. This information will aid us in our decision making process moving forward into the coming weeks. This is not a guarantee of care as there are many factors to consider; we are simply trying to be proactive and plan ahead. We want to ensure everyone is safe and we appreciate your patience as we await further updates and information. Please fill out individually for each child. For Preschool and VPK children, an update will be coming regarding care shortly. We will continue to adhere to guidelines from our local licensing agencies and the CDC in order to keep health and safety at a priority and maintain quality care.

We will continue to adhere to guidelines from our local licensing agencies and the CDC in order to keep health and safety at a priority and maintain quality care.

Information regarding Before and After Care Programs for the 2020-2021 school year will be coming soon.

Please note that all of our Preschool and School Age Programs will remain CLOSED August 3rd-7th.

ANY DECISION TO OPEN OR CLOSE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON INFORMATION OR RECOMMENDATIONS RECEIVED FROM CDC/GOVERNOR/PRESIDENT/OUTSIDE AGENCIES.

Sincerely,
Emily Ralston
Executive Director of Early Learning and Extended Care Programs

May 19, 2020

Notice from Superior Schools Regarding Early Learning

At this time, we have received more requests for care than seats currently available. Moving forward we are going to require a non-refundable, non-transferable deposit of $25 per week per child. This deposit will be applied toward the total cost of tuition each week. A $25 per child registration fee will also be processed at the same time as the deposits. If you enroll and choose not to attend, half tuition will be due regardless of attendance. Because we must adhere to strict CDC guidelines for group sizes and ratios, accurate attendance must be confirmed for each week to ensure that adequate staffing is available. Please note that if you choose to not commit to the weeks you have requested, your space cannot be held and availability is not guaranteed for later in the summer. We appreciate your understanding as we currently do have a waitlist of families seeking care for June and July.

Sincerely,
Emily Ralston
Executive Director of Early Learning and Extended Care Programs

May 15, 2020

Important Summer Camp Update

We have received an overwhelming response for registration in both our Preschool and Summer Camp programs. Beginning Monday, May 18th we are requiring a one week notification if you are in need of care. Any requests for care must be submitted by the Tuesday prior to the week that care is needed and space is not guaranteed. We are currently operating under strict CDC guidelines that limit the number of individuals that can be in a group. In order to ensure that adequate staffing is in place, all registration must be confirmed based on current enrollment and availability. Moving forward, we may not be able to accommodate drop care requests. Should the guidelines change, additional space for camp registration may become available. If you are in need of care, please email summercamp@superiorschools.com to be placed on the wait list for care.

May 1, 2020

Week of May 4- Care Update

The Governor has deemed FL in Phase 1 and restrictions will start to lift Monday. Please be mindful that we are still caring for children of families that serve an essential role in the fight against COVID. When making decisions to go out, be safe and be smart. We will continue to follow guidelines from the CDC and licensing agencies. In addition, we will continue to put the safety and health of the children and staff first, which may mean we will continue to enforce strict guidelines to ensure we can remain open for those who need it most.

Care will be available May 4- 8, 2020 at the Trinity, Clearwater, Pinellas Park and Seminole Campuses.

It is Teacher Appreciation Week next week. Let’s celebrate them by showing love as they are working so hard to care for the children in such uncertain times.

For all school age children, we are continuing to work with their teachers to ensure they are staying on pace with their on-line learning and providing time for them to complete their live sessions as well as course work. If there is additional information you have for your child to be working on, please let the director know.

Any Decision to open or close is subject to change at any time based on information or recommendations received from CDC/Governor/ President/Outside Agencies.

April 30, 2020

School Age Summer Camp & Care

Summer Camp will be available at Trinity, Clearwater, Seminole and Pinellas Park locations. We are assessing new information as it becomes available. It is our priority to provide care for families that are in need in the safest way possible. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this fluid and ever-changing situation. Our thoughts are with you, and we are doing all that we can to support our families during this unsettling time. We remain hopeful, and we look forward to seeing all of our students and families soon.

Summer Camp registration is currently open for School Age families. We are closely monitoring and adhering to CDC guidelines and local licensing agency emergency regulations that have been set forth due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, we are not planning to take any off site field trips, however, our summer camp team is already hard at work preparing a variety of fun and creative activities and experiences to bring to our campers on site. We will continue to provide activity updates throughout the summer. Should regulations change, we will determine what is safest for campers in regards to field trips as we must adhere to stricter guidelines and ensure the safety for all.

**Please note that our Summer Camps are open to anyone in the community. You do not have to be a currently enrolled Plato Academy family to attend. If you know someone in the community who may be interested in attending, please reach out to summercamp@superiorschools.com

Hours of operation will be 7:00am-5:45pm. School Age Summer Camp weekly tuition will be $125. The standard registration fee moving forward will be $25 due at the time of registration. No deposit will be required at the time of registration, but the full $125 will be due each Monday of attendance for families that have not already paid a deposit.

For families who have already registered and/or paid a deposit for summer camp: The Summer Camp Administrative Team will be reaching out to you directly with further details regarding payment.

If you have NOT yet registered, and wish to attend Summer Camp, you may do so by clicking one of the links below.

Trinity School Age: https://forms.gle/gCyKPJjHPX2cdJSm6

Clearwater School Age: https://forms.gle/zPYCDuZViNDU57PT9

Seminole School Age: https://forms.gle/QecwNqEu8nZnwE1D7

Pinellas Park School Age: https://forms.gle/QeRDVr2owJ7fizmZ7

If you have any questions regarding Summer Camp registration, please email

Any Decision to open or close is subject to change at any time based on information or recommendations received from CDC/Governor/ President/Outside Agencies.

April 24, 2020

Extended Care Update

Care will be available April 27-May 1, 2020 at the Trinity, Clearwater, Pinellas Park and Seminole Campuses.

Many families have asked about Summer Camp, an email regarding Summer Camp information will be sent out next week.

For all school age children, we are continuing to work with their teachers to ensure they are staying on pace with their on-line learning and providing time for them to complete their live sessions as well as course work. If there is additional information you have for your child to be working on, please let the director know.

Any Decision to open or close is subject to change at any time based on information or recommendations received from CDC/Governor/ President/Outside Agencies.

April 21, 2020

Extended Care Update

Care will be available at the Trinity, Clearwater, Pinellas Park and Seminole Campuses for both preschool and school age children.

We are continuing to adhere to the CDC guidelines as well as our local licensing emergency regulations that have been set forth. For all school age children, we are continuing to work with their teachers to ensure they are staying on pace with their on-line learning and providing time for them to complete their live sessions as well as course work. If there is additional information you have for your child regarding their distance learning, please let the director know. We appreciate everyone’s understanding and cooperation with us during these difficult times. We will continue to provide you with a weekly update for the coming week of care.

For those attending, tuition rates will be as follows:
Early Learning tuition will remain the same.

School Age tuition will be $125.00 per week – the reason for this increase is that we are offering care from 7:00am-5:45pm and we must staff for the full-time hours of the program.

Drop Care Rates: $25.00 per day, per child (all drop care must be pre-arranged with the onsite Director to ensure that proper ratios are being maintained).

Sibling discounts will continue to be applied to accounts.

All directors are working regardless of the campus being closed. They are available and responding to all emails. Should you need anything, feel free to contact them directly.

Director Contact Information:
Trinity: prektrinity@platoacademy.net
Tampa: prektampa@platoacademy.net
Tarpon Springs: prektarponsprings@platoacademy.net
Palm Harbor: prekpalmharbor@plaotacademy.net
Clearwater: prekclearwater@platoacademy.net
Largo: preklargo@platoacademy.net
Seminole: prekseminole@platoacademy.net
St. Pete: prekstpete@platoacademy.net
Pinellas Park: prekpinellaspark@platoacademy.net

Any Decision to open or close is subject to change at any time based on information or recommendations received from CDC/Governor/ President/Outside Agencies.

April 17, 2020

Extended Care Update

Care will be available April 20-24, 2020 at the Trinity, Clearwater, Pinellas Park and Seminole Campuses.

For all school age children, we are continuing to work with their teachers to ensure they are staying on pace with their on-line learning and providing time for them to complete their live sessions as well as course work. If there is additional information you have for your child to be working on, please let the director know. 

Any Decision to open or close is subject to change at any time based on information or recommendations received from CDC/Governor/ President/Outside Agencies.

April 9, 2020

Extended Care Update

Dear Families,

For all of our families who must work outside of the home in the coming weeks, you are in our thoughts. We know how difficult this is in such an unsettling time. I can assure you we are still working around the clock to provide continuity of care, and a loving, safe environment for your children. The trust you have in us is appreciated. Thank you for your continued support of our programs and our teachers.

Care will be available April 13-17, 2020 at the Trinity, Clearwater, Pinellas Park and Seminole Campuses.

We are continuing to adhere to the CDC guidelines as well as our local licensing emergency regulations that have been set forth. We appreciate everyone’s understanding and cooperation with us during these difficult times. There is no care Friday, April 10 as we are closed in observance of Good Friday. For those who celebrate either Passover or Easter, we wish you a safe and happy holiday. Have a restful weekend and stay safe. See you all Monday.

Any Decision to open or close is subject to change at any time based on information or recommendations received from CDC/Governor/ President/Outside Agencies.

April 2, 2020

Extended Care Update

Dear Families,

Child Care Programs continue to serve a critical need in our community. While schools remain closed, we are still providing care for children of essential workers at some of our locations. If you are in need of care (drop care is available with advanced notice), please contact the on-site Director of the location you wish to attend. If your campus is closed, you are welcome to attend at any of our open locations. For those families already registered, please disregard.

Trinity: prektrinity@platoacademy.net
Clearwater: prekclearwater@platoacademy.net
Seminole: prekseminole@platoacademy.net
Pinellas Park: prekpinellaspark@platoacademy.net

Tuition Rates for Care:
Early Learning tuition will remain the same.

School Age tuition will be $125.00 per week – the reason for this increase is that we are offering care from 7:00am-5:45pm and we must staff for the full-time hours of the program.

School Age Drop Care will be $25 per day, per child.
Sibling discounts will continue to be applied to accounts

Any Decision to open or close is subject to change at any time based on information or recommendations received from CDC/Governor/ President/Outside Agencies.

March 27, 2020

Extended Care Updates for the Week of March 30 through April 3

For all of our families who must work outside of the home in the coming weeks, you are in our thoughts. We know how difficult this is in such an unsettling time. I can assure you we are still working around the clock to provide continuity of care, and a loving, safe environment for your children. The trust you have in us is appreciated. Thank you for your continued support of our programs and our teachers.

At this time our programs will be open for care Monday, March 30-April 15, 2020. (No care will be available on Friday, April 10, 2020 in observance of Good Friday)

Please know all previous drop off and pick up procedures are still in place. As the news is changing by the hour, we are ensuring we stay updated on the most recent changes, recommendation and guidelines from the CDC. Below are additional health and safety measures we will be implementing next week:

What extra precautions are being taken to minimize the possibility of exposure?

New Drop off and Pick Up procedures still remain in place

Before allowing entry into the operation, screen all individuals listed above and deny entry to any person who meets any of the following criteria through verbal survey:
– Do you have a fever of 100.4 or higher?
– Have you had any respiratory infection, or have had a cough, shortness of breath, and low-grade fever?
– In the previous 14 days, have you had any contact with someone with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19; is under investigation for COVID-19; or is ill with a respiratory illness?
– In the previous 14 days, have you traveled on a cruise or internationally to countries with widespread, sustained community transmission?
– Maximum ratio is 9 children:1staff (if staffing and space allows, it may go lower)
– Groups shall remain in the same classroom with the same teacher
– Bikes and other shared equipment to be stored away
– One set of outside toys/balls per group
– Sanitizing play equipment after each use
– Hand-washing, hand-washing, hand-washing
– Sanitizing, sanitizing, sanitizing

What does on-line learning look like for my school age child?

Our staff is committed to provide a safe place for your child while you are working. We will be doing our best to assist your child with their on-line learning. Any information you can provide to the director that will be beneficial to your child’s learning, it will be appreciated.

Please note that our Extended Care staff are not certified teachers. We will be able to give access and time for children on their devices, but this is not school.

Children can bring their own devices from home or the school-issued device that they are borrowing. School issued devices will need to be taken home daily in the event that you choose to keep your child home for a day or make alternative arrangements for care. If you are still in need of a device, contact your school principal.
We have requested your child’s live session schedules from the principals. If you have any information that has been given to you in regard to required times they need to log-in, we can create a schedule to ensure we get them logged on.

Any Decision to open or close is subject to change at any time based on information or recommendations received from CDC/Governor/ President/Outside Agencies.

March 20, 2020

Extended Care or Early Learning during school closures

This email is intended for families enrolled in care. If you are not utilizing care, you may disregard.

For all of our families who must work outside of the home in the coming weeks, you are in our thoughts. We know how difficult this is in such an unsettling time. I can assure you we are working around the clock to provide continuity of care, and a loving, safe environment for your children. The trust you have in us is appreciated. Thank you for your continued support of our programs and our teachers.

At this time our programs will be open for care Monday, March 23-April 15, 2020. For those of you attending our programs in the coming weeks, please be advised that drop-off and pick-up procedures will be different. A separate email will be coming from your director in regard to their new procedures. Parents will not be allowed to enter the buildings or classrooms. Each campus will be different, and we are asking for patience and flexibility as this is one of the new safety precautions we are implementing.

March 20, 2020

Questions & Answers Regarding EL & EC during school closures

This email is intended for families enrolled in care. If you are not utilizing care, you may disregard.

Why are Preschool and Extended Care open if All Florida Schools are closed?

Child Care Programs serve a critical need in our community. We recognize that many of our families are first responders, work in the healthcare field or are still being required to come to work by their employers. Our goal is to continue to provide consistent care for children in an unsettling time.

What extra precautions are being taken to minimize the possibility of exposure?

– Lowering ratios so that group sizes remain limited in number
– Minimizing the amount of rooms and common areas utilized and deep cleaning them at the end of each day.
– Sanitizing classroom furniture and materials
– Requiring hand washing upon arrival
– Administering temperature checks upon arrival
– Administering hand sanitizer
– Encouraging FREQUENT handwashing
– Drop-off procedures will be altered to limit the number of people entering the buildings (this will vary from campus to campus)
– Limiting the number of toys in the classroom
– All sensory activities and food projects are suspended
– We are requesting that cot sheets and blankets stay at home
– Adhering to CDC guidelines
– Should families and/or staff decide to travel (in state, out of state, by plane, by driving, etc.) you must notify the on-site director. We may require staff and/or children to self-quarantine for a minimum of 14 days before being able to return to work or care.

Will I still be charged if my child does not attend?

No. Tuition will be billed on a weekly “as attended” basis. You will only be charged if your child attends. Weekly billing will not occur for families that do not attend. Normal tuition rates and policies may resume once it is determined if schools will reopen during this school year.

Why is tuition being increased for school age tuition?

As we are a privately run program, our staff is compensated through weekly tuition. Our staff will now be working and compensated for full time hours, as opposed to their typical part-time morning/afternoon hours only.

Online schooling begins March 30th, will my child have access to technology that is needed to complete their assignments?

We are currently working with Plato administration teams to ensure that students will have access to technology and their online learning platforms.

What about drop care?

Right now we are scheduling staff based on the need for full-time care. At this time drop care will be handled on a case by case basis. Please contact your on-site Director if you are in need of drop care.

What does this mean for Kindergarten 2020-21?

If you have already been offered and accepted a Kindergarten space for the 2020-21 school year, your enrollment status is not affected regardless of continued school closures.

Any Decision to open or close is subject to change at any time based on information or recommendations received from CDC/Governor/ President/Outside Agencies.