Rice Kids Club

• Students will be offered a healthy snack item each afternoon. They may bring their own snack if desired (please do not send candy or caffeinated beverages).
• Students are able to participate in choice-based activities. They may choose to take part in a variety of age-appropriate activities based on their interests. These activities include visual and performing arts, science, technology time, cooking, clubs, homework and reading, social recreations, physical challenges and activities, outdoor play and team-building activities.

Register online

Rice Kids Club is open on some non-school days depending on enrollment numbers. If you would like your child to have childcare on any of the non-school days, you will need to register them through your online account. The School Age Child Care Coordinator will reach out to families if we will be adding or omitting any non-school programming days to the calendar for the school year.

• Fees: $31 per day, No registration fee
• What to bring: LUNCH, appropriate clothing for weather, water bottle and  extra snacks. 

Register Here

See Hillside Early Childhood Preschool page

Summer Adventure Camp 2023

REGISTRATION IS OPEN! 

Preschool–grade 5
Hours: 6:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
OPEN: June 6–August 25 
CLOSED: July 3, 4 & 5; August 28–September 1

Location: Rice Elementary School
200 NE 3rd Avenue, Rice

Contact Info: Amy Dierks
School-Age Child Care Coordinator
amy.dierks@isd47.org
Office phone: 320-258-1577      
Rice Site Phone: 320-267-7768

Registration: Your child must be registered prior to their first date of attendance.

Register online

Fee: $31.00 per day and $20.00 registration fee*

*$10.00 additional fee add to daily rate for onsite and offsite field trips.

What To Bring: Appropriate clothes for the weather, reusable water bottle, extra snacks, LUNCH, tennis shoes, spare outfit, sunscreen, bug repellant, swim gear if needed.
 

Rice Kids Club staff have a passion for engaging students in fun and educational activities.  Our program standards have been adapted from the guidelines developed by the Minnesota Department of Education. We have a commitment to high quality and continuous improvement. Staff must have passed a criminal and child protection background check and receive ongoing professional development on behavior guidance, activity planning, social development as well as CPR and First Aid Training. We strive to maintain a staff/child ratio at the site of 1:15 Kindergarten–Fifth Grade students and 1:10 for preschool students.

Email is the most effective form of family communication. Families will be emailed our general programming information, upcoming events, or important notices from the Child Care Coordinator. Families will be emailed in advance if they are to bring items for their child, for example a softball glove. There will also be information on the whiteboard located near the sign in table and in your family mailbox at site. 

To contact Rice Kids Club by email, to amy.dierks@isd47.org or call 320-258-1577. Parent comments, concerns, or suggestions may be emailed or called in. There will also be an anonymous survey that parents will have the opportunity to fill out at the end of the academic year. 

• Read the Parent Handbook and understand the program policies.
• Sign your child in and out daily.
• Notify the site if your child will be absent for any reason.
• Model respectful behavior when dealing with staff and students.
• Pay all costs incurred for your contracted days, whether your child attends or not, by the due date.
• Provide written notice of change of contract, vacation, a new authorized pick-up or withdrawal from the program.
• Label all personal belongings.

Sauk Rapids-Rice Community Education and its staff reserve the right to reject registration or discontinue participation in the Rice Kids Club or Preschool Kids Club programs. Dismissal from the program could result from any of the following:

• The staff and/or parent determines that the program cannot meet the needs of the child.
• The child and/or parent refuses to follow program policies, ongoing discipline or three behavior concerns, violations of school policies or state laws
• Invoices/fees are not paid.
• If the child attends Rice Kids Club after their termination date, you will have 30 minutes to pick-up and will be charged for a day of care.

In order to address your needs at the most appropriate and effective level, we suggest the following steps:

1. Speak with staff member involved or the Site Lead.
2. If concerns persist, or discussion with the Site Lead are insufficient, contact the Child Care Coordinator.
3. The Community Education Director can then be contacted if the issue persists.

*Please submit all grievances in writing as well as verbally.

Child Abuse 

Under Minnesota State Law, all professional staff who work with children are required to report all suspected physical, emotional, sexual abuse or neglect of children to the authorities. 

District Policies

Rice Kids' Club follows Sauk Rapids-Rice School District policies. For other policy information, please refer to the Storm Elementary Student-Parent Handbook. 

Personal Property

Children are allowed to bring toys and personal items from home with parent permission. If these items become an issue, staff will hold them and return when a parent arrives. Please note, Rice Kids' Club is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged goods. Due to the large volume of lost items, it is important to clearly label coats, boots, bags, etc. Items not claimed by the end of the month will be donated to charity. 

Rice Kids Club utilizes the playground and gym for several activities. Students should be dressed appropriately for active indoor and outdoor play. Tennis shoes are required for the gym. Pack extra clothes if needed and sandals are acceptable as long as they have a back strap.  An additional morning and/or afternoon healthy snack and/or drink can be sent with your child, if desired.

Occasionally, videos will be shown at Rice Kids Club and Preschool Kids Club. If you do not want your child to view the videos, please notify the Child Care Coordinator. All videos will be developmentally and age appropriate.  

A healthy snack will be provided in the afternoon each day for students in Rice Kids Club. On non-school days, a healthy morning and afternoon snack will be provided to students.  Lunch will not be available on non-school days. Attending students are required to pack their own healthy lunch on non-school days.

*If your child has special dietary restrictions, please notify staff, by filling out that section on the registration form. 

• Rice Kids Club and Preschool Kids Club is available for children enrolled at Rice Elementary School.  The student must be completely toilet trained and able to use the bathroom on their own to attend.
• The registration fee must be paid at the time of registration for every child.
• Outstanding accounts with unpaid balances will not be able to register for the next session.  For a child to start on their first day of a new session, all fees associated with their account must be paid in full.  
• If you indicate that your child has special needs, a meeting may be required before your child’s start date to determine the appropriate level of support needed.
• Information regarding a child’s special needs will not be used to prohibit their enrollment in our program, unless it is determined they will need significant assistance beyond our program capabilities.  

We need written notification if your contact information changes. Written and verbal notification if your child has allergies, medical concerns or receives special education services.

Both Rice Kids Club and Preschool Kids Club will have adaptable monthly child care contract options. Families will be able to go onto their online account to add or drop dates of care for their child up to one week before the current date.

We are required to have students signed in and out daily by parent for Rice Kids Club and Preschool Kids Club when dropping-off and picking-up your child. Adults will sign their children in and out on an iPad. Children are not allowed to sign themselves in and out. Please come with identification available as staff may ask to check to verify the adult picking-up is an authorized pick-up. Authorized pick-ups can be added to your child’s authorized pick-up list by either emailing or writing a note to the School Age Child Care Coordinator with the person’s full name and contact information.

Changes to your contracted days of care can be made by emailing or calling the Child Care Coordinator one week seven day notice in order to not be billed.  You are responsible for tuition based on the current contract until the change goes into effect.  Verbal notification of childcare schedule changes is not sufficient.  If you wish to withdraw your child from programming, you may do so at any time and can be done on your online account or by contacting the Child Care Coordinator via email. 

Preschool Kids Club will have child care contract options. We require a minimum of a two day contract for each child registered. Contracts will remain in effect for the duration of the school year unless a contract change request is submitted and approved. Changes to contracts require a seven day notice. To request a contract change, email or call the Child Care Coordinator. You are responsible for tuition based on the current contract until the change goes into effect. 
    
When to Submit a Contract Change Request

• Need to switch days attended each week
• Need to move to different type of contract
• Need to withdraw from the program 
   

Notify the childcare site by phone or email if your child will be absent at any time for any reason.  School offices do not always provide Rice Kids Club with absence information.  If your child does not arrive after school as expected, program staff will investigate immediately by attempting to contact you or your child’s emergency contacts.  It is important to notify Kids Club immediately if you pick your child up early from school for any reason on a day that he/she is scheduled for attending. 

Tuition is not refunded for sick days in Rice Kids Club.  If an illness extends beyond one week, contact the Coordinator.  Credit will be given if a medical certificate can be provided from a physician indicating the extended absence was due to illness.  Parents are responsible for paying for time reserved, not time used.  If you choose for your child to not attend on a day that you have scheduled, we require one week prior notice of the change or charges remain for the day.  All unexpected school closure days will be refunded.

Notify the childcare site by phone or email if your child will be absent at any time for any reason.  

In case of family emergency, please contact the coordinator so the tuition may be forgiven. This is determined on a case by case basis for approval and you may be asked for the appropriate documentation.

Please keep your child’s emergency contact information current. When adding authorized pickup contacts to your account, a daytime phone number and the relationship to the child must be included. This can be done on your online account, by emailing or calling the childcare coordinator, or given in writing at the site to a staff member.

Rice Kids Club has two payment options, Auto Pay and Pay-As-You- Go . All payers are encouraged to sign up for Auto Pay.  Invoices will be emailed to parents every two weeks for the previous two weeks of childcare. Parents will have until Thursday after invoices are sent out to communicate any billing discrepancies. Payments are due Friday after invoices are sent. A late payment fee of $5.00 may be added to accounts. 

There is a Pay-As-You-Go option that allows you to make payments either online on your account or drop checks (made out to Rice Kids Club) off at the site.  A processing fee may be applied if a check submitted to Kids Club is returned from the bank.  If you fall behind on payments, your child may not be permitted to attend Rice Kids Club until your payments are up to date. A failure to keep updated card information on file or a declined charge may lead to a $5.00 convenience fee for each occurence. You can track your childcare charges and payments online. Contact the Child Care Coordinator if you would like to change payment options at any time.

Forms must be brought to the Community Education office or sent directly to the coordinator for verification and signature. (Site staff cannot sign them.) Reach out to the childcare coordinator for information on how to access information on total childcare tuition paid at the end of the year for tax purposes.

Rice Kids Club and Preschool Kids Club utilize the playground and gym for several activities. Students should be dressed appropriately for active indoor and outdoor play. Tennis shoes are required for the gym. Pack extra clothes if needed and sandals are acceptable as long as they have a back strap. An additional morning and/or afternoon healthy snack and/or drink can be sent with your child, if desired. All toys from home are to stay at home unless told otherwise from the site lead or school-age child care  coordinator.

LABEL ALL ITEMS WITH YOUR CHILD’S NAME! Lost and found items will be donated to charity at the end of every month. Several items to send with your student on non-school days are sunscreen, bug spray, swimming items (if needed), a water bottle and lunch.

Rice Kids Club and Preschool Kids Club utilizes the same PATH standards that the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District adheres to. We have the same expectations of the students to ensure their success and safety. Key techniques include: positive reinforcement, positive role modeling, intervention techniques and redirection.  The students are expected to be safe, responsible, and respectful.

• Respect self, others and property.
• Use appropriate and acceptable language.
• Use appropriate physical contact.
• Follow the direction of the staff.
• Participate in group activities.
• Ask permission to leave an area.
• Be responsible and accountable for their actions.
• Abide by all district policies.

Working with groups of children, we are often faced with the task of managing behaviors that may occur when children are together. Children are encouraged to verbally express their feelings in an acceptable way. The staff is trained to focus on positive behavior reinforcement. 

Any violation of the district and program policies are not tolerated. Unacceptable behavior includes fighting verbally or physically, carrying weapons (real or pretend), the destruction of property, unsafe activities (such as leaving the grounds without permission, outbursts that endanger others, etc. ) or any disruptive behavior.

Consequences for Unacceptable Behavior:

1. Verbal reprimand.
2. Loss of privileges.
3. A meeting with staff, parents and the students involved.
4. Dismissal from Kids' Club.

If Rice Elementary is closed due to an emergency (building maintenance, weather-related emergency, etc.) Rice Kids Club and Preschool Kids' Club will be closed. Parents will be emailed. Parents are responsible for making alternative child care plans. Please discuss the emergency plan with your student ahead of time.

If your child becomes ill, we ask that you not send them to Kids Club. Should they become ill while they are at Kids Club, you will be notified and asked to pick him/her up as soon as possible. 
If your child has a temperature of 99.5 degrees or above, or, if your child has had diarrhea or vomiting in the last 24 hours, please do not send them to Kids Club. If we discover that your child has had one of these in the past 24 hours, parents will be called and asked to pick up their child within one hour in the spirit of preventing the spread of an illness. *Due to COVID-19,  if a child is experiencing other health symptoms we will contact parents for immediate pick up and staff will notify you when your child will be able to return to childcare programming based on CDC, MDE and MDH health standards. Other COVID-19 health standards and practices will be communicated to parents.
 
Please contact us if your child has been diagnosed with a communicable disease or virus so we can alert all families that their child may have been exposed. If your child was absent from school during the school day, they cannot attend “After School” programming unless arrangements have been made with the Child Care Coordinator.

In the event of a minor injury during Rice Kids Club, students will be given first aid treatments and families will be informed of the incident when they pick-up their student. By signing the registration form, families are giving Rice Kids Club and/or Community Education staff authorization to take necessary medical measures in the event of an emergency.

If a serious accident occurs, which may need medical attention, staff will attempt to contact the parent immediately to transport their child to a medical professional. If immediate attention is needed, the staff will call 911 and then the parent. After 911 has been called, it is up to the paramedics to decide appropriate action. If the child needs emergency treatment, paramedics will transport your child to the nearest medical facility. The parent will be responsible for all medical charges. Rice Kids Club does not carry accident or health insurance for students. Parents are responsible for insurance and health coverage for their students.

District policy regarding the dispensing of medication must be followed. A Medication Administration Form must be completed each school year before any medication (over the counter and prescription) can be stored or dispensed. Prescription medication requires a written physician order. All medication must be in its original container. Expired medication such as Epi Pens will not be accepted or kept. Medication forms are available at the child care location or from district health services. Return completed forms to the Community Education office or Rice Kids Club location. Students are required to be up to date on their immunizations in order to attend school in Minnesota. If your child is not up to date, cannot provide up-to-date records or prove that they are exempt from immunizations, we reserve the right to refuse care for your child(ren).

In the event of school closings and cancellations, the following is Rice Kids Club and Preschool Kids Club policy:

• Two-hour late start due to weather/emergency A.M. Rice Kids Club is CLOSED and Preschool Kids Club will open at 10:30 a.m.
• School Closed due to a Weather Emergency Both Rice Kids Club and Preschool Kids Club are CLOSED.
• Early School Closing Due to Weather Emergency Both Rice Kids Club and Preschool Kids Club are CLOSED. However, staff will be onsite until 4:00 p.m. to ensure all students are picked-up. Any students at site after 4:00 p.m. will be billed for a day of care.
• After School Activities Canceled Due to Weather Emergency Both Rice Kids Club and Preschool Kids Club are CLOSED.
• School Closed Due to Extreme Cold Weather Both Rice Kids Club and Preschool Kids Club are OPEN 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. A sign-up form is emailed to families to sign-up for child care in the case that school is closed due to extremely cold temperatures.

If the incident should happen that a student is missing, all staff thoroughly look for that student. If staff are unable to locate the student, family and the police are contacted. Rice Kids' Club and Preschool Kids' Club staff follow school procedures in the case of a lockdown, tornado warning and fire. Students and staff will practice these emergency procedures.