Some frequently asked questions about Bright Start…
What is Bright Start's tuition?
Your child's tuition will vary based on your scheduling needs. At Bright Start, we don't require students to be signed up full-time, like at many other schools. You may choose from a variety of set-ups, including half-day, school-day, or extended hours. We also allow a customized combination of these set-ups. Additionally, we offer discounts for multiple children, which will also affect your tuition rate.
What are Bright Start’s hours of operation?
We currently operate from 7:30 AM until 5:30 PM. You also have the option of 7:15 AM for an additional fee if you require it.
Where is Bright Start’s front door?
When you come up the Church's driveway, drive toward the building and make a left, traveling along the length of the building opposite of the Church. At the end, you'll see where our cars park. Look back from the parking lot toward the building, and you'll notice two red doors with our white sign. That's us! Come ring our doorbell (for security purposes) and listen for the click. We can't wait to meet you!
Do I have to sign up for full-time hours at Bright Start?
There are several scheduling options available to you. First, you have a choice of two, three, four, or five days a week. Second, you may choose between a half-day, "school day", or extended day program. Additionally, you can "make your own hours" by mixing and matching the above options. (For instance, you may choose to do five mornings a week, plus two extended afternoons.)
Does Bright Start have a lunch program?
Bright Start has a contract with Pizza Oven Di Mamma Mia Restaurant in East Hanover. Each day, they deliver restaurant-caliber meals for our students to eat. Each month, you will receive a menu with a variety of options for your child, including entrees like chicken and cheese quesadillas, mini pancakes, homemade chicken nuggets, french toast sticks, and pizza. Every day, there are two entrees to choose from Monday through Thursday, and Pizza Day is every Friday.
If that day’s choice isn’t appealing to your child, you can substitute pasta (with sauce or butter), grilled cheese, or chicken nuggets. You can pick and choose the number of lunches each month to purchase for your child based on what works best for your family.
Each hot meal also comes with a drink (juice or milk).
Is Bright Start's lunch program included in the cost of tuition?
Bright Start would like to be as flexible as possible to meet every family's needs. Therefore, we provide lower tuition with the added option of hot lunch.
Does Bright Start charge extra for their weekly gym and dance classes?
We do not charge more for our gym and dance classes. If your child attends school on Tuesdays, they will get gym class with Coach Rick. On Thursday, Mrs. Megan teaches dance to all our students in school that day. These specials are a great way to fit in a gym or dance class into your child’s schedule without taking away from your precious time outside of school with your child. We fund these programs through periodic fundraisers throughout the school year.
How are Bright Start’s teachers certified?
We have several state-certified teachers at our school, including the head teachers in our three- and four-year-old classes. All of our teachers are certified in First Aid/CPR/Defibrillator by the American Heart Association.
What safety procedures are in place at Bright Start?
We use one set of doors to gain entry to our building. Each parent buzzes in, and we use a computer screen to verify your identity before granting you access to our building.
All our teachers are first-aid, CPR, and defibrillator certified. We have easy access to a defibrillator on our property.
Additionally, we work closely with the Roseland Police and Fire departments to create emergency plans (including evacuations for fires, active shooters, and other emergencies) for our school. We practice these plans throughout the school year with the children to increase our preparedness.
Is Bright Start affiliated with the church?
Bright Start is a non-denominational preschool program. We are not under the diocese’s jurisdiction. We do not offer specific religious study.
How will I know if Bright Start is closed for inclement weather?
In case of bad weather, there are three ways you can find out if we will have a delayed opening or closing:
You can access our Facebook page through Facebook itself.
You can click the Facebook link on our website. (If you don’t have Facebook, you can see what is on our Facebook page without joining the service by doing this.)
You can call the school's phone number, 973-226-2886, and listen to the answering machine’s message.
Decisions will be made prior to 6 AM. If something is not posted by that time, assume we are operating on a normal schedule.
The moment a decision is made, we will update these three areas of communication. If nothing is posted, a decision is still being worked on.
Unfortunately, we are unable to answer direct messages sent through Facebook or our e-mail address.
What time does Bright Start open for a delayed opening?
School will open at 9:30 AM.
How does Bright Start communicate with parents?
Bright Start prides itself on our ability to have face-to-face interaction with our parents. Each day, teachers are able to physically speak with parents to tell them how their child's day went.
Progress reports are sent out twice a year to keep parents abreast of their child's progress. We are open to conferences on an as needed basis.
Our owners are on-site for the majority of the day to field any parent concerns. There's no corporate bureaucracy to muddle through when you have a concern at Bright Start! You can talk to someone at any time with the power to take care of your concern.
Does Bright Start have high teacher turnover?
Our teachers are career preschool educators who have been part of the Bright Start family for many years.
What are the benefits of Bright Start’s curriculum?
While the nation-wide curriculums some schools offer are great, they neglect to prepare children for the Kindergarten curriculums specific to our local school districts.
For instance, our Pre-K program uses a combination of Handwriting Without Tears and Wilson's Fundations to teach handwriting, a common practice in our area. We also use the "alphabet drill cards” from the Fundations’ program because nearly every district in our area uses them to teach beginning phonics. We are lucky to have the ability to prepare our children for our unique area!
Bright Start has researched the expectations of our area by speaking directly with the Kindergarten teachers and continuously adjust our curriculum to best prepare our little ones for "big kid school"!
How do I enroll my child at Bright Start?
Please call the front office at 973-226-2886 or email us at info@brightstart-elc.com.