Merit Education, Inc.

Spring 'N' Dale Private School was founded in 1958, by a mother who saw a need for a Christian day learning center for young children of working parents. She did not want it to be simply a playtime for the children, but wanted them to grow, learn, and discover the world around them with other children and caring teachers. The school is owned and operated today by that same family, and they take great pride in the tradition that has made Spring 'N' Dale Private School and Springfield Academy both excellent facilities for care, learning, fun, and friendships.

Spring 'N' Dale Private School is a three-classroom schoolhouse in Alexandria, just off Highway 395 on Edsall Road. The playground is equipped with sturdy and safe playground equipment and has plenty of room to run and play. The preschool program at Spring 'N' Dale is for two, three, and four year-old children. 

Springfield Academy was founded in 1961, and it is located on five beautiful wooded acres at the intersection of Backlick and Edsall Road in Springfield. The preschool program at this facility is for infants (6 weeks old), toddlers, two, three, and four year-old children. Our elementary school program is for Kindergarten, First, Second and Third grades. Springfield Academy is also equipped with a spacious playground for the students to enjoy.

To a working parent or guardian, a child care facility is more than just a baby sitter. It is a part of the input to the child's personality development, early education, and social interactions that can shape his/her future. We feel that the most stable and secure environment can be developed for your child using the basic ingredient of the home - love. That is why we believe that the giving and receiving of love must be a basic function in our schools. 

The students will encounter a variety of innovative activities to help them grow socially, mentally, verbally, and physically.  The day's work includes a balance of active and passive activities, as well as, teacher-directed and child chosen tasks. As a non-denominational Christian school, we feel it is important to instill patriotism and Christian values in our students. Every day in our classrooms, student’s salute the flag sing a patriotic song, and say the Lord's Prayer. 

Both of the schools are fully licensed by the state and county and are staffed with teachers, teaching assistants, administration, dieticians, bus drivers, and a maintenance crew. The state’s required staff to child ratio is dependent upon the age of the class; however, our schools exceed these requirements in most instances.

Our doors are open between the hours between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. We offer a variety of different rates for your child depending upon the class they attend, and if they are in diapers.

To obtain a letter stating your yearly total for child care, please submit a written request to the office which includes the following information: your name, child’s name, and current address. Account must be current and all past due balances paid in order to obtain tax letter. Please allow two weeks for processing. For information regarding tax benefits, please contact the I.RS. or your tax representative.

1. Read Springfield Academy/Spring 'N' Dale School’s Policies and Regulations.
2. Fill out and sign the application/registration form and Proud History form.
3. Pay the registration fee, and first week’s tuition, which is nonrefundable. 
4. If applicable, pay total cost for book/supply fees, and/or Summer Day Camp activity fee. 
5. Turn in a completed Health Record Forms as soon as possible. Forms are available online at www.vahealth.org/childadolescenthealth/schoolhealth/forms.htm or http://www.vdh.state.va.us/Epidemiology/Immunization/requirements.htm. You may download or print, as needed. Forms should be completed within the first 2 weeks.
6. Turn in a copy of your child’s Birth Certificate within 7 days of enrollment.
7. Provide a copy of each parent’s driver’s license for the file. (note: will be required for identification to pick up child)
   

A few items will be needed from the home to be placed in your child's cubicle and kept at the school. Please see a copy of the school’s supply list.

1. Students are required to bring a complete change of clothing to be left at school. Please label all items. Please bring clothes in a large Ziplock plastic bag.
2. One large, unopened box of facial tissues.
3. A small sheet (preferably a fitted crib sheet) and a small, light blanket are to be brought in every Monday and taken home to be washed every Friday. These should be labeled on all four corners.
4. If your child lacks the necessary supplies, (change of clothes, sheets, diapers, etc.) you will be asked to bring those items to the school immediately upon request. Please monitor your supplies daily to ensure an adequate reserve.                 

Infant and children in diapers are required to bring the following in addition to the above:

1. Supply of disposable diapers for use during the day.
2. Baby wipes & two boxes of gallon-sized ziplock bags.
3. Bottles, baby food, and formula or breast milk. Please label everything with the child's first, last name, and date. Unused food will be returned to parents each day or discarded. Each parent must supply the school with a one day emergency supply of disposable bottles, nipples, commercial formula or frozen breast milk and baby food. If your child's formula is lost, inedible or inadequate, the school will use the emergency supply of food provided by the parent.
   

We do administer prescription medicine accompanied by a doctor’s note for up to ten days; however, a non-prescription medicine may be given for one day only. Parents must sign and fill out a medical authorization for all medication (incl. Desitin). Please include the amount and time it should be administered (e.g. 1 tsp. at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.). Parents must also provide a medicine cup or spoon.

All medications must be in their original container and labeled with your child’s name and the dosage amount. The medicine then must be checked in with your child's teacher or a morning staff member. Medications must also be picked up from the school after the authorization form has expired. Three days after the medical authorization has expired, all remaining medications will be thrown out.

Sunscreen, diaper ointment and insect repellent will be treated as nonprescription medicine with a longer term usage permission.

Please do not bring your child when they are running a fever or showing other signs of illness, such as, vomiting or diarrhea. When a child is brought to school ill, they run the risk of becoming more ill and may infect other children. If your child becomes ill, has a temperature of 101.00, or appears to be contagious, you will be expected to pick him/her up in a timely manner, or arrange for someone else to do so. Upon returning to school, your child will be sent home at the first sign of illness.

Parents must notify the school at once if a child or any member of the immediate household has been diagnosed with any communicable disease. A satisfactory proof of health is required before a child having a communicable disease may re-enter the schools. With respect to the common childhood diseases such as measles, mumps, chicken pox, etc., the recommendations for exclusion as contained in the communicable disease chart issued by the Virginia State Department of Health shall be followed. A copy of this chart is posted at the schools.

If your child has an illness/accident requiring immediate medical attention, you will be notified, and we will meet you at the doctor's office or at the hospital noted on the registration form.

Classes begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. Students enrolled in Kindergarten, First, Second, and Third Grades are required to be in their classes at this time. Preschool students are encouraged to be at school at this time.

When delivering children to school they must be personally delivered to the teacher every morning. This is for their safety. 

All children must be picked up by 6:30 p.m. Late fees will be assessed at rates listed below. After 7:00 p.m., our staff will be instructed to notify the Department of Welfare of the situation if no response has been received from the parent.

Late Arrival - For parents arriving any time after 6:30 p.m., a $10.00 late charge will be assessed for every 15 minutes late and $10.00 for every 15 minutes thereafter. All late fees are assessed in 15 minute increments to be paid directly to the attending staff member. (Example: Parents arriving between 6:31 - 6:45 pay $10.00, Parents arriving between 6:46 - 7:00 pay $20.00, etc...) Fees are on a per child basis, regardless of the number of children in the same family. If fees are not paid to attending staff member, your account will be charged the appropriate fees.

Our infant and toddler staff centers their devotion around the needs of each child. The daily program includes fun activities that develop listening, perceptual, and motor skills through finger plays, creative movement exercises, singing, and rhythm activities.

At the time of enrollment for the infant room, you will be asked to fill out a schedule for feeding and nap times. 

Spring 'N' Dale and Springfield Academy schools were not established only for the care of children while their parents worked (day care), but for the emotional and academic needs of their children.

Early learning research shows that we have greatly underestimated what young children can and should be learning. Small children are curious, and they are born with a desire to learn. We have a comprehensive curriculum, ABEKA, that builds both strong character and academic excellence. As you follow your child's progress through the year, you will be thrilled to see your child learn the basics in reading, writing, and numbers. We also teach patriotism and the true meaning of holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.

It is your choice to pay weekly or monthly. The rates are calculated differently. If you wish to change your payment method, please notify the office 30 days in advance to allow adequate time to make the change. Tuition payment amounts may not be changed without prior approval through the administration. 

WEEKLY TUITION - The agreed upon tuition is payable in full every Monday morning, even if your child will not be present that week. Any tuition received after 6:30 p.m. on Monday must be accompanied by a $10.00 late charge. If tuition is not paid by the following Wednesday at 9:00 a.m., your child may be dropped from the roll and not admitted to the school until your payment is received.

MONTHLY TUITION - The agreed upon tuition is payable in full every first day of the month, even if your child will not be present for all or part of that month. A $25.00 late fee must accompany any tuition received after 6:30 p.m. on the 5th of the month. If tuition is not paid by the 10th, your child may be dropped from the roll and not admitted to school until payment is received.

RETURNED CHECKS - In the event that a check is returned for any reason the office must be contacted at once! Your child will not be admitted to school until the check, ISF fee of $30.00, and a late fee of $10.00 (for weekly) or $25.00 (for monthly) has been paid in full with cash or money order. Two or more returned checks may suspend check-writing privileges with Merit Education, Inc.

There will be no deduction from tuition for sickness, severe weather conditions, holidays or other personal reasons. Tuition prices are in effect from August 22, 2022 to July or until further notice. Budgets are analyzed on a yearly basis.

Effective August 22, 2022

Military and Law Enforcement family’s Discount 5 %. Two children within the same family: 5% discount off the oldest child's tuition. Three children within the same family: 10% discount off the oldest child’s tuition and 5% discount off the second to the oldest child.  *All rates are rounded to the nearest dollar.

Standards for licensed child day centers address certain health precautions, adequate play space, a ratio of children per staff member, equipment, program, and record keeping. Criminal record checks and specific qualifications for staff and most volunteers working directly with children are also required. Standards require the facility to meet applicable fire, health, and building codes.

Compliance with standards is determined by announced and unannounced visits to the program by licensing staff within the Department of Social Services. In addition, parents or other individuals may register a complaint about a program, which will be investigated if it violates a standard.

Three types of licenses may be issued to programs. Conditional licenses may be issued to a new program to allow up to six months for the program to demonstrate compliance with the standards. A regular license is issued when the program substantially meets the standards for licensure. A provisional license, which cannot exceed six months, is issued when the program is temporarily unable to comply with the standards. Operating without a license when required constitutes a misdemeanor, which, upon conviction, can be punishable by a fine of up to $100.00 or imprisonment of up to 12 months or both for each day's violation.

If you would like additional information about the licensing of child day programs or would like to register a complaint, please contact the Regional Office of Social Services closest to you.

As a state licensed facility our staff are required by law to report any suspected child abuse to Child Protective Services.

Fairfax Licensing Office

3959 Pender Drive, Suite 320

Fairfax, VA 22030

(703) 934-1505