10A NCAC 09 .3909 · Violation

Name of Operation: NAGS HEAD ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 28000233 Consultant: MARJORIE WHITE Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 2/3/2025 Number Present: 32 Completed Date: 2/3/2025 Age: From 4 To 5 Total Minutes: 375 Time In: 08:45 AM Time Out: 03:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced * The purpose of today’s Annual Compliance visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements. Monitoring included NC Pre-K requirements in the NC Child Care Rules Section .3000 which are applicable to Rooms 151 and 153. Room 152 is approved primary space but is not currently being used for Pre-K. Last Annual Compliance visit – 3/12/24 18-month compliance history from 8/1/23 – 1/31/25 = 99% Last Sanitation Inspection – 12/6/24 - Superior Last Fire Inspection – 5/16/24 – Passed *Sanitation and fire inspections are required at least annually by the date of the previous inspection. Send fire inspections to me within seven (7) days of the inspection. Required Water, Lead Paint, and Asbestos Testing - The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids website reflects the following information about your center’s required three-year water testing and one-time lead paint testing, and asbestos testing: Three-year Water Testing – completed 8/15/24; due again 8/15/27 Lead Paint Testing – Enrollment started; due 5/31/25 Asbestos Testing – Enrollment started; due 5/31/25 Maintain any paperwork received by mail or email in your Program Records file. *Because program is part of a larger DPI school, water testing for the school may count as testing for the licensed Pre-K; however, the Pre-K program should enroll separately for the lead paint testing and asbestos testing to take advantage of the 100% reimbursement for mitigation if lead paint or asbestos is found. *For more information check out the FAQ page at https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/. K. Flora, Administrator, was present, but the NCPre-K staff assisted me with the visit. The facility currently operates with a Five-Star Center License, issued 8/1/2023, earning points in the following components: Program (7 PTS) + Education (7 PTS) + Quality Point (1 PT) = 15 Points = 5 Stars *Quality Point met and remains in effect: The child care administrator has 10 years of documented administrative work experience in a licensed child care center that can be verified by the Division. The next rated license assessment is due by 4/7/25, but new legislation (Senate Bill 425) has extended the “hold harmless” period until the new Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) is implemented. At this time, you may choose to complete a rated license assessment using the current rated license process or you may wait until the new QRIS is implemented. Note that the current program assessment tool is changing from the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R) to the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – 3 (ECERS-3). Information and training on the new program assessment tool is available on the NC Rating License Assessment Project website at https://ncrlap.org/. See Additional Comments for updates on the modernized QRIS. This facility is owned by Dare County Schools. Please contact me prior to any information change regarding the ownership of this facility. License information was current. Contact me to make any changes to address, phone, or email or to request changes to the license. I monitored the classrooms and spaces used for child care and outdoor play area for applicable child care center requirements using the Child Care Center Requirements, effective 1/1/2024 and Item Numbers Listing, effective 3/2024. I monitored three staff records, four children’s records and all program records. The facility meets DPI requirements for transportation. The NCPre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the child care rules were monitored for compliance in Rooms 151 and 152. I reviewed the NCPre-K Site Monitoring Tool. Staff-child ratios were 1:9 or 2:18 or better, as required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3909. The current NCPre-K staff are NCPK Teachers: J. Schlachte and J. Wilson and NCPK Teacher Assistants: L. Biggs and S. Sirle. I monitored two children’s files for completed health assessments (dental, hearing, and vision), developmental screenings, and on-going instructional assessments. The facility uses the Dial-4 developmental screening which was completed for children in June 2024 or as they entered the program throughout the year. The NCPreK program uses Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies Gold as the approved curriculum and on-going instructional assessment tool to document evidence of each child’s progress at three checkpoints throughout the school year. The NCPre-K operates daily from 9/3/24 – 5/23/25 from Monday – Friday, 7:20am – 2pm. Parent conferences are held twice a year. You stated that you use the Ready Rosie for family engagement and Class DoJo app to communicate with families, along with daily notes that go back and forth with reminders, and information for families and from families. The program completed an Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R) in the NCPreK Room 153 on 4/7/22 and scored 6.16. Center Observations: Thirty-two children, four and five years of age, were present in the two NCPre-K classrooms. The children in Room 151 were studying outer space and rockets. The dramatic play center encouraged them to dress up as astronauts and wear jet packs made of 2-liter bottles. The teacher was trying out a different schedule that gave them a longer indoor free play period with more time to remain focused on their chosen activities and projects. The children in Room 153 were taking care of animals in their vet clinic set up in the dramatic play area. A scale was available for weighing the different types of animals that needed to check seen at the vet’s office. Both groups had indoor and outdoor free play with short circle times. Challenging behaviors were handled with dignity and respect. Lunch was hot dog corn nuggets, sweet potato fries, peaches, and milk. Children who brought their lunches had Nutrition Opt-out forms available. Children ate lunch in their classrooms and enjoyed a pleasant, social dining experience. They went outside again after lunch and engaged in more free play before napping on linen-covered mats. I observed and documented the following violation during today’s visit. Violation Number Comment Rule 721 All equipment and furnishings were not in good repair. On the swing set, the swing hangers at the top, connecting the chains to the pivot point are severely rusted and flaking, impacting the integrity of the structure. In two of the three swings, the rust has become “bound” preventing the free to and fro motion of the swing, putting more pressure on the horizontal bar which is showing rust behind the connectors. G.S. 110-91(6); .0601(b) * Child care programs are expected to achieve and always maintain compliance and are required by NC GS 110-90(4)(d) to achieve and maintain an 18-month compliance history score of at least 75%. Any violations documented may impact the compliance history score. I completed an electronic copy of the visit summary and provided a printed copy of it to you, J. Schlachte, NCPre-K Teacher and Legal Designee. I will send an electronic copy to C. Spruill, Authorized Individual; K. Flora, Administrator; and T. Nicewonger, NCPre-K Coordinator. We reviewed the visit summary and violation(s) documented during today’s visit. Correct these immediately. Send evidence of correction to me so that I receive it no later than 2/17/25. Your compliance verification letter needs to state your facility name and license number and list each violation by Item # and describe in detail when and how each violation has been corrected. Also include the following documents/pictures to verify compliance: picture of repaired swing set or how you made swings inaccessible. Send compliance verification letter in an email from your fcch’s official email address, nicewongertr@daretolearn.org to my email address, Marjorie.White@dhhs.nc.gov. You may include the compliance verification as an attachment or in the body of the email. I will email a sample compliance verification letter to you. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be conducted. Please be aware that any information submitted by you is legal documentation. If it is determined the information provided in the compliance letter is not true, this may be considered falsification of information. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at (252) 373-9385, by e-mail at Marjorie.White@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also call Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, at (252) 373-4199. Technical Assistance With Documented Violation: Outdoor Play Equipment – Outdoor play equipment takes a beating from the sun and elements, especially with the salt air in a coastal environment. Inspecting play equipment and maintaining it keeps children safe. Rust corrodes metal and impacts the integrity of playground equipment. The swing hangers at the top of the swing set, connecting the chains to the pivot point, are severely rusted and flaking, impacting the integrity of the structure. One of the four swings has been removed, but on two of the three remaining swing hangers, the rust has become “bound” preventing the free to and fro motion of the swing and putting more pressure on the horizontal bar which is showing rust behind the connectors. You stated that maintenance has removed the fourth swing to fix it but has not returned to fix or remove the other three swings. Maintenance needs to determine if the two swings that are not swinging freely (2nd and 3rd swing) can be repaired or need to be replaced. Until then, make swings 2 and 3 inaccessible for use by the children. You also have a work order in to replace the plexiglass window on the climber. You currently are using duct tape for a temporary fix. For your compliance letter, state the date you have made the swings inaccessible to children until the swings can be repaired or replaced General Visit Information: As a licensed child care facility, it is your responsibility to be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and to teach your staff the rules to ensure your center remains in compliance. The most recent versions of laws and rules regarding child care facilities in North Carolina are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. You can also review the “What’s New” section and download a copy of the Items Number Listing which you can use as a checklist for your program. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. Your local and regional Smart Start Partnerships and Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies and Child Care Health Consultants provide general training to meet on-going training hours, health and safety training requirements, Environment Rating Scale training and training specific to your center’s needs. They can also work with you to provide on-site technical assistance. *Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County: Phone - (252) 441-0614; website - www.darekids.org. *Child Care Health Consultant – S. Rosser - Office: (252) 557-4208 or stacy_rosser@unc.edu Reminders: ABCMS Portal – T. Nicewonger completed ABCMS Provider Portal Training and has set up the staff roster. Help K. Flora and L. Biggs complete a connecting application so you can add them to the roster also. Staff Worksheets – We reviewed your staff worksheet. I highlighted items that are coming due in the next year. *CPR/First Aid due for the following: J. Wilson (exp 8/2025); S. Sirles (exp 9/2025) *Initial H&S Training – L. Biggs needs medication administration by 9/4/25 On-going Training Hours – Review Row 18 (# hours to carry over) on the Staff Worksheets to determine how many on-going training hours returning staff will need by 2/3/26 (anniversary to today’s Annual Compliance visit). *ECE college coursework or coursework leading to an ECE degree counts towards on-going training hours. Each semester credit counts as 16 hours so a 3-credit classes also earns 48 hours of on-going training. Teacher Assistant Education – Both teacher assistants are enrolled in college coursework and will have completed at least six hours towards an AAS-ECE or higher by the end of the school year. Fire and Emergency Drills – completed; due for an emergency drill in February 2025 and May 2025 Medication – One medication is needed. The medication is maintained in the nurse’s office. It was accompanied by a medical action plan and medication permission form. A copy of the medical action plan was also maintained with the child’s application. Menu – Current menu was posted. Stand-up Pull-up Change Poster – Both classrooms have a few children that require pull-ups and now have the stand-up change poster posted in each bathroom. Additional Comments: I shared information on the following topics and emailed the information to you after the visit: 1. Free Training – Logical Consequences – 2/18/25 2. NCID Tips 3. Health & Safety Resource Center – E New- Winter, Water and Safety 4. QRIS Modernization Update 5. Environment Rating Scales – Get Ready for the 3’s! 6. NCID – Keep it active! Thank you for your time and assistance today. Refer to this visit summary for a refresher of our discussions today, and I encourage you to share with staff and use the information as a teaching tool. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call or email me at the contact information listed above. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

G.S. 110-91 · Violation

Name of Operation: NAGS HEAD ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 28000233 Consultant: MARJORIE WHITE Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 2/3/2025 Number Present: 32 Completed Date: 2/3/2025 Age: From 4 To 5 Total Minutes: 375 Time In: 08:45 AM Time Out: 03:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced * The purpose of today’s Annual Compliance visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements. Monitoring included NC Pre-K requirements in the NC Child Care Rules Section .3000 which are applicable to Rooms 151 and 153. Room 152 is approved primary space but is not currently being used for Pre-K. Last Annual Compliance visit – 3/12/24 18-month compliance history from 8/1/23 – 1/31/25 = 99% Last Sanitation Inspection – 12/6/24 - Superior Last Fire Inspection – 5/16/24 – Passed *Sanitation and fire inspections are required at least annually by the date of the previous inspection. Send fire inspections to me within seven (7) days of the inspection. Required Water, Lead Paint, and Asbestos Testing - The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids website reflects the following information about your center’s required three-year water testing and one-time lead paint testing, and asbestos testing: Three-year Water Testing – completed 8/15/24; due again 8/15/27 Lead Paint Testing – Enrollment started; due 5/31/25 Asbestos Testing – Enrollment started; due 5/31/25 Maintain any paperwork received by mail or email in your Program Records file. *Because program is part of a larger DPI school, water testing for the school may count as testing for the licensed Pre-K; however, the Pre-K program should enroll separately for the lead paint testing and asbestos testing to take advantage of the 100% reimbursement for mitigation if lead paint or asbestos is found. *For more information check out the FAQ page at https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/. K. Flora, Administrator, was present, but the NCPre-K staff assisted me with the visit. The facility currently operates with a Five-Star Center License, issued 8/1/2023, earning points in the following components: Program (7 PTS) + Education (7 PTS) + Quality Point (1 PT) = 15 Points = 5 Stars *Quality Point met and remains in effect: The child care administrator has 10 years of documented administrative work experience in a licensed child care center that can be verified by the Division. The next rated license assessment is due by 4/7/25, but new legislation (Senate Bill 425) has extended the “hold harmless” period until the new Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) is implemented. At this time, you may choose to complete a rated license assessment using the current rated license process or you may wait until the new QRIS is implemented. Note that the current program assessment tool is changing from the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R) to the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – 3 (ECERS-3). Information and training on the new program assessment tool is available on the NC Rating License Assessment Project website at https://ncrlap.org/. See Additional Comments for updates on the modernized QRIS. This facility is owned by Dare County Schools. Please contact me prior to any information change regarding the ownership of this facility. License information was current. Contact me to make any changes to address, phone, or email or to request changes to the license. I monitored the classrooms and spaces used for child care and outdoor play area for applicable child care center requirements using the Child Care Center Requirements, effective 1/1/2024 and Item Numbers Listing, effective 3/2024. I monitored three staff records, four children’s records and all program records. The facility meets DPI requirements for transportation. The NCPre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the child care rules were monitored for compliance in Rooms 151 and 152. I reviewed the NCPre-K Site Monitoring Tool. Staff-child ratios were 1:9 or 2:18 or better, as required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3909. The current NCPre-K staff are NCPK Teachers: J. Schlachte and J. Wilson and NCPK Teacher Assistants: L. Biggs and S. Sirle. I monitored two children’s files for completed health assessments (dental, hearing, and vision), developmental screenings, and on-going instructional assessments. The facility uses the Dial-4 developmental screening which was completed for children in June 2024 or as they entered the program throughout the year. The NCPreK program uses Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies Gold as the approved curriculum and on-going instructional assessment tool to document evidence of each child’s progress at three checkpoints throughout the school year. The NCPre-K operates daily from 9/3/24 – 5/23/25 from Monday – Friday, 7:20am – 2pm. Parent conferences are held twice a year. You stated that you use the Ready Rosie for family engagement and Class DoJo app to communicate with families, along with daily notes that go back and forth with reminders, and information for families and from families. The program completed an Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R) in the NCPreK Room 153 on 4/7/22 and scored 6.16. Center Observations: Thirty-two children, four and five years of age, were present in the two NCPre-K classrooms. The children in Room 151 were studying outer space and rockets. The dramatic play center encouraged them to dress up as astronauts and wear jet packs made of 2-liter bottles. The teacher was trying out a different schedule that gave them a longer indoor free play period with more time to remain focused on their chosen activities and projects. The children in Room 153 were taking care of animals in their vet clinic set up in the dramatic play area. A scale was available for weighing the different types of animals that needed to check seen at the vet’s office. Both groups had indoor and outdoor free play with short circle times. Challenging behaviors were handled with dignity and respect. Lunch was hot dog corn nuggets, sweet potato fries, peaches, and milk. Children who brought their lunches had Nutrition Opt-out forms available. Children ate lunch in their classrooms and enjoyed a pleasant, social dining experience. They went outside again after lunch and engaged in more free play before napping on linen-covered mats. I observed and documented the following violation during today’s visit. Violation Number Comment Rule 721 All equipment and furnishings were not in good repair. On the swing set, the swing hangers at the top, connecting the chains to the pivot point are severely rusted and flaking, impacting the integrity of the structure. In two of the three swings, the rust has become “bound” preventing the free to and fro motion of the swing, putting more pressure on the horizontal bar which is showing rust behind the connectors. G.S. 110-91(6); .0601(b) * Child care programs are expected to achieve and always maintain compliance and are required by NC GS 110-90(4)(d) to achieve and maintain an 18-month compliance history score of at least 75%. Any violations documented may impact the compliance history score. I completed an electronic copy of the visit summary and provided a printed copy of it to you, J. Schlachte, NCPre-K Teacher and Legal Designee. I will send an electronic copy to C. Spruill, Authorized Individual; K. Flora, Administrator; and T. Nicewonger, NCPre-K Coordinator. We reviewed the visit summary and violation(s) documented during today’s visit. Correct these immediately. Send evidence of correction to me so that I receive it no later than 2/17/25. Your compliance verification letter needs to state your facility name and license number and list each violation by Item # and describe in detail when and how each violation has been corrected. Also include the following documents/pictures to verify compliance: picture of repaired swing set or how you made swings inaccessible. Send compliance verification letter in an email from your fcch’s official email address, nicewongertr@daretolearn.org to my email address, Marjorie.White@dhhs.nc.gov. You may include the compliance verification as an attachment or in the body of the email. I will email a sample compliance verification letter to you. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be conducted. Please be aware that any information submitted by you is legal documentation. If it is determined the information provided in the compliance letter is not true, this may be considered falsification of information. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at (252) 373-9385, by e-mail at Marjorie.White@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also call Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, at (252) 373-4199. Technical Assistance With Documented Violation: Outdoor Play Equipment – Outdoor play equipment takes a beating from the sun and elements, especially with the salt air in a coastal environment. Inspecting play equipment and maintaining it keeps children safe. Rust corrodes metal and impacts the integrity of playground equipment. The swing hangers at the top of the swing set, connecting the chains to the pivot point, are severely rusted and flaking, impacting the integrity of the structure. One of the four swings has been removed, but on two of the three remaining swing hangers, the rust has become “bound” preventing the free to and fro motion of the swing and putting more pressure on the horizontal bar which is showing rust behind the connectors. You stated that maintenance has removed the fourth swing to fix it but has not returned to fix or remove the other three swings. Maintenance needs to determine if the two swings that are not swinging freely (2nd and 3rd swing) can be repaired or need to be replaced. Until then, make swings 2 and 3 inaccessible for use by the children. You also have a work order in to replace the plexiglass window on the climber. You currently are using duct tape for a temporary fix. For your compliance letter, state the date you have made the swings inaccessible to children until the swings can be repaired or replaced General Visit Information: As a licensed child care facility, it is your responsibility to be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and to teach your staff the rules to ensure your center remains in compliance. The most recent versions of laws and rules regarding child care facilities in North Carolina are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. You can also review the “What’s New” section and download a copy of the Items Number Listing which you can use as a checklist for your program. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. Your local and regional Smart Start Partnerships and Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies and Child Care Health Consultants provide general training to meet on-going training hours, health and safety training requirements, Environment Rating Scale training and training specific to your center’s needs. They can also work with you to provide on-site technical assistance. *Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County: Phone - (252) 441-0614; website - www.darekids.org. *Child Care Health Consultant – S. Rosser - Office: (252) 557-4208 or stacy_rosser@unc.edu Reminders: ABCMS Portal – T. Nicewonger completed ABCMS Provider Portal Training and has set up the staff roster. Help K. Flora and L. Biggs complete a connecting application so you can add them to the roster also. Staff Worksheets – We reviewed your staff worksheet. I highlighted items that are coming due in the next year. *CPR/First Aid due for the following: J. Wilson (exp 8/2025); S. Sirles (exp 9/2025) *Initial H&S Training – L. Biggs needs medication administration by 9/4/25 On-going Training Hours – Review Row 18 (# hours to carry over) on the Staff Worksheets to determine how many on-going training hours returning staff will need by 2/3/26 (anniversary to today’s Annual Compliance visit). *ECE college coursework or coursework leading to an ECE degree counts towards on-going training hours. Each semester credit counts as 16 hours so a 3-credit classes also earns 48 hours of on-going training. Teacher Assistant Education – Both teacher assistants are enrolled in college coursework and will have completed at least six hours towards an AAS-ECE or higher by the end of the school year. Fire and Emergency Drills – completed; due for an emergency drill in February 2025 and May 2025 Medication – One medication is needed. The medication is maintained in the nurse’s office. It was accompanied by a medical action plan and medication permission form. A copy of the medical action plan was also maintained with the child’s application. Menu – Current menu was posted. Stand-up Pull-up Change Poster – Both classrooms have a few children that require pull-ups and now have the stand-up change poster posted in each bathroom. Additional Comments: I shared information on the following topics and emailed the information to you after the visit: 1. Free Training – Logical Consequences – 2/18/25 2. NCID Tips 3. Health & Safety Resource Center – E New- Winter, Water and Safety 4. QRIS Modernization Update 5. Environment Rating Scales – Get Ready for the 3’s! 6. NCID – Keep it active! Thank you for your time and assistance today. Refer to this visit summary for a refresher of our discussions today, and I encourage you to share with staff and use the information as a teaching tool. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call or email me at the contact information listed above. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

NC GS 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: NAGS HEAD ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 28000233 Consultant: MARJORIE WHITE Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 2/3/2025 Number Present: 32 Completed Date: 2/3/2025 Age: From 4 To 5 Total Minutes: 375 Time In: 08:45 AM Time Out: 03:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced * The purpose of today’s Annual Compliance visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements. Monitoring included NC Pre-K requirements in the NC Child Care Rules Section .3000 which are applicable to Rooms 151 and 153. Room 152 is approved primary space but is not currently being used for Pre-K. Last Annual Compliance visit – 3/12/24 18-month compliance history from 8/1/23 – 1/31/25 = 99% Last Sanitation Inspection – 12/6/24 - Superior Last Fire Inspection – 5/16/24 – Passed *Sanitation and fire inspections are required at least annually by the date of the previous inspection. Send fire inspections to me within seven (7) days of the inspection. Required Water, Lead Paint, and Asbestos Testing - The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids website reflects the following information about your center’s required three-year water testing and one-time lead paint testing, and asbestos testing: Three-year Water Testing – completed 8/15/24; due again 8/15/27 Lead Paint Testing – Enrollment started; due 5/31/25 Asbestos Testing – Enrollment started; due 5/31/25 Maintain any paperwork received by mail or email in your Program Records file. *Because program is part of a larger DPI school, water testing for the school may count as testing for the licensed Pre-K; however, the Pre-K program should enroll separately for the lead paint testing and asbestos testing to take advantage of the 100% reimbursement for mitigation if lead paint or asbestos is found. *For more information check out the FAQ page at https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/. K. Flora, Administrator, was present, but the NCPre-K staff assisted me with the visit. The facility currently operates with a Five-Star Center License, issued 8/1/2023, earning points in the following components: Program (7 PTS) + Education (7 PTS) + Quality Point (1 PT) = 15 Points = 5 Stars *Quality Point met and remains in effect: The child care administrator has 10 years of documented administrative work experience in a licensed child care center that can be verified by the Division. The next rated license assessment is due by 4/7/25, but new legislation (Senate Bill 425) has extended the “hold harmless” period until the new Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) is implemented. At this time, you may choose to complete a rated license assessment using the current rated license process or you may wait until the new QRIS is implemented. Note that the current program assessment tool is changing from the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R) to the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – 3 (ECERS-3). Information and training on the new program assessment tool is available on the NC Rating License Assessment Project website at https://ncrlap.org/. See Additional Comments for updates on the modernized QRIS. This facility is owned by Dare County Schools. Please contact me prior to any information change regarding the ownership of this facility. License information was current. Contact me to make any changes to address, phone, or email or to request changes to the license. I monitored the classrooms and spaces used for child care and outdoor play area for applicable child care center requirements using the Child Care Center Requirements, effective 1/1/2024 and Item Numbers Listing, effective 3/2024. I monitored three staff records, four children’s records and all program records. The facility meets DPI requirements for transportation. The NCPre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the child care rules were monitored for compliance in Rooms 151 and 152. I reviewed the NCPre-K Site Monitoring Tool. Staff-child ratios were 1:9 or 2:18 or better, as required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3909. The current NCPre-K staff are NCPK Teachers: J. Schlachte and J. Wilson and NCPK Teacher Assistants: L. Biggs and S. Sirle. I monitored two children’s files for completed health assessments (dental, hearing, and vision), developmental screenings, and on-going instructional assessments. The facility uses the Dial-4 developmental screening which was completed for children in June 2024 or as they entered the program throughout the year. The NCPreK program uses Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies Gold as the approved curriculum and on-going instructional assessment tool to document evidence of each child’s progress at three checkpoints throughout the school year. The NCPre-K operates daily from 9/3/24 – 5/23/25 from Monday – Friday, 7:20am – 2pm. Parent conferences are held twice a year. You stated that you use the Ready Rosie for family engagement and Class DoJo app to communicate with families, along with daily notes that go back and forth with reminders, and information for families and from families. The program completed an Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R) in the NCPreK Room 153 on 4/7/22 and scored 6.16. Center Observations: Thirty-two children, four and five years of age, were present in the two NCPre-K classrooms. The children in Room 151 were studying outer space and rockets. The dramatic play center encouraged them to dress up as astronauts and wear jet packs made of 2-liter bottles. The teacher was trying out a different schedule that gave them a longer indoor free play period with more time to remain focused on their chosen activities and projects. The children in Room 153 were taking care of animals in their vet clinic set up in the dramatic play area. A scale was available for weighing the different types of animals that needed to check seen at the vet’s office. Both groups had indoor and outdoor free play with short circle times. Challenging behaviors were handled with dignity and respect. Lunch was hot dog corn nuggets, sweet potato fries, peaches, and milk. Children who brought their lunches had Nutrition Opt-out forms available. Children ate lunch in their classrooms and enjoyed a pleasant, social dining experience. They went outside again after lunch and engaged in more free play before napping on linen-covered mats. I observed and documented the following violation during today’s visit. Violation Number Comment Rule 721 All equipment and furnishings were not in good repair. On the swing set, the swing hangers at the top, connecting the chains to the pivot point are severely rusted and flaking, impacting the integrity of the structure. In two of the three swings, the rust has become “bound” preventing the free to and fro motion of the swing, putting more pressure on the horizontal bar which is showing rust behind the connectors. G.S. 110-91(6); .0601(b) * Child care programs are expected to achieve and always maintain compliance and are required by NC GS 110-90(4)(d) to achieve and maintain an 18-month compliance history score of at least 75%. Any violations documented may impact the compliance history score. I completed an electronic copy of the visit summary and provided a printed copy of it to you, J. Schlachte, NCPre-K Teacher and Legal Designee. I will send an electronic copy to C. Spruill, Authorized Individual; K. Flora, Administrator; and T. Nicewonger, NCPre-K Coordinator. We reviewed the visit summary and violation(s) documented during today’s visit. Correct these immediately. Send evidence of correction to me so that I receive it no later than 2/17/25. Your compliance verification letter needs to state your facility name and license number and list each violation by Item # and describe in detail when and how each violation has been corrected. Also include the following documents/pictures to verify compliance: picture of repaired swing set or how you made swings inaccessible. Send compliance verification letter in an email from your fcch’s official email address, nicewongertr@daretolearn.org to my email address, Marjorie.White@dhhs.nc.gov. You may include the compliance verification as an attachment or in the body of the email. I will email a sample compliance verification letter to you. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be conducted. Please be aware that any information submitted by you is legal documentation. If it is determined the information provided in the compliance letter is not true, this may be considered falsification of information. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at (252) 373-9385, by e-mail at Marjorie.White@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also call Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, at (252) 373-4199. Technical Assistance With Documented Violation: Outdoor Play Equipment – Outdoor play equipment takes a beating from the sun and elements, especially with the salt air in a coastal environment. Inspecting play equipment and maintaining it keeps children safe. Rust corrodes metal and impacts the integrity of playground equipment. The swing hangers at the top of the swing set, connecting the chains to the pivot point, are severely rusted and flaking, impacting the integrity of the structure. One of the four swings has been removed, but on two of the three remaining swing hangers, the rust has become “bound” preventing the free to and fro motion of the swing and putting more pressure on the horizontal bar which is showing rust behind the connectors. You stated that maintenance has removed the fourth swing to fix it but has not returned to fix or remove the other three swings. Maintenance needs to determine if the two swings that are not swinging freely (2nd and 3rd swing) can be repaired or need to be replaced. Until then, make swings 2 and 3 inaccessible for use by the children. You also have a work order in to replace the plexiglass window on the climber. You currently are using duct tape for a temporary fix. For your compliance letter, state the date you have made the swings inaccessible to children until the swings can be repaired or replaced General Visit Information: As a licensed child care facility, it is your responsibility to be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and to teach your staff the rules to ensure your center remains in compliance. The most recent versions of laws and rules regarding child care facilities in North Carolina are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. You can also review the “What’s New” section and download a copy of the Items Number Listing which you can use as a checklist for your program. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. Your local and regional Smart Start Partnerships and Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies and Child Care Health Consultants provide general training to meet on-going training hours, health and safety training requirements, Environment Rating Scale training and training specific to your center’s needs. They can also work with you to provide on-site technical assistance. *Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County: Phone - (252) 441-0614; website - www.darekids.org. *Child Care Health Consultant – S. Rosser - Office: (252) 557-4208 or stacy_rosser@unc.edu Reminders: ABCMS Portal – T. Nicewonger completed ABCMS Provider Portal Training and has set up the staff roster. Help K. Flora and L. Biggs complete a connecting application so you can add them to the roster also. Staff Worksheets – We reviewed your staff worksheet. I highlighted items that are coming due in the next year. *CPR/First Aid due for the following: J. Wilson (exp 8/2025); S. Sirles (exp 9/2025) *Initial H&S Training – L. Biggs needs medication administration by 9/4/25 On-going Training Hours – Review Row 18 (# hours to carry over) on the Staff Worksheets to determine how many on-going training hours returning staff will need by 2/3/26 (anniversary to today’s Annual Compliance visit). *ECE college coursework or coursework leading to an ECE degree counts towards on-going training hours. Each semester credit counts as 16 hours so a 3-credit classes also earns 48 hours of on-going training. Teacher Assistant Education – Both teacher assistants are enrolled in college coursework and will have completed at least six hours towards an AAS-ECE or higher by the end of the school year. Fire and Emergency Drills – completed; due for an emergency drill in February 2025 and May 2025 Medication – One medication is needed. The medication is maintained in the nurse’s office. It was accompanied by a medical action plan and medication permission form. A copy of the medical action plan was also maintained with the child’s application. Menu – Current menu was posted. Stand-up Pull-up Change Poster – Both classrooms have a few children that require pull-ups and now have the stand-up change poster posted in each bathroom. Additional Comments: I shared information on the following topics and emailed the information to you after the visit: 1. Free Training – Logical Consequences – 2/18/25 2. NCID Tips 3. Health & Safety Resource Center – E New- Winter, Water and Safety 4. QRIS Modernization Update 5. Environment Rating Scales – Get Ready for the 3’s! 6. NCID – Keep it active! Thank you for your time and assistance today. Refer to this visit summary for a refresher of our discussions today, and I encourage you to share with staff and use the information as a teaching tool. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call or email me at the contact information listed above. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

10A NCAC 09 .0304 · Violation

Name of Operation: NAGS HEAD ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 28000233 Consultant: MARJORIE WHITE Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 10/4/2023 Number Present: 32 Completed Date: 10/4/2023 Age: From 4 To 5 Total Minutes: 210 Time In: 09:15 AM Time Out: 12:45 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced * The purpose of today’s Routine Unannounced visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements. Monitoring included NC Pre-K requirements in the NC Child Care Rules Section .3000 which are applicable to Rooms 151 and 153. Last Annual Compliance visit – 4/25/23 Last Sanitation Inspection – 4/24/23 with a Superior Rating; expires 4/24/24 Last Fire Inspection – 5/21/23 with Passed with Comments rating (not received until 7/5/23); expires 5/21/24 *Sanitation and fire inspections are required at least annually by the date of the previous inspection. Send fire inspections to me within seven (7) days of the inspection. 18-month compliance history from 3/29/2022 – 9/28/2023 = 99% K. Flora, Administrator, was present, but T. Nicewonger, NCPre-K Coordinator and the NCPre-K assisted me with the visit. The facility currently operates with a Five-Star Center License, issued 8/1/2023, earning points in the following components: Program (7 PTS) + Education (7 PTS) + Quality Point (1 PT) = 15 Points = 5 Stars *Quality Point met and remains in effect: The child care administrator has 10 years of documented administrative work experience in a licensed child care center that can be verified by the Division. See below for more information about the Division’s plan to return to rated license assessments. This facility is owned by Dare County Schools. Please contact me prior to any information change regarding the ownership of this facility. Facility contact information was updated to name T. Nicewonger, NCPre-K Coordinator, as facility contact. The Legal Designee form was updated to list the Administrator, Assistant Administrator, NCPre-K Coordinator, and NCPre-K Teacher as legal designees to sign visit summaries and other paperwork. License information was current. Contact me to make any changes to address, phone, or email or to request changes to the license. I monitored the classrooms and spaces used for child care, and outdoor play area for applicable child care center requirements using the Child Care Center Requirements, effective 7/1/2023 and Item Number Listing, effective 8/2023. I monitored one staff record and all program records. The facility meets DPI requirements for transportation. The NCPre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the child care rules were monitored for compliance in Rooms 151 and 153. The NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Tool is not due until November. Staff-child ratios were 1:9 or 2:18 or better, as required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3909. The current NCPre-K staff are NCPK Teachers: J. Schlachte and J. Wilson and NCPK Teacher Assistants: C. Carr and J. Noell-Wooten. I will monitor children’s files for completed health assessments (dental, hearing, and vision), developmental screenings, and on-going instructional assessments at the next Annual Compliance visits. The facility uses the Dial-4 developmental screening which were completed for children in June 2023 or as they entered the program throughout the year. The NCPreK program uses Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies Gold as the on-going instructional assessment tool to document evidence of each child’s progress three times throughout the school year: Fall, Mid-Winter, Spring and was in the process of initial assessments. The NCPre-K operates daily from 9/5/2023 – 5/24/2024 from 7:30am – 2:20pm. Parent conferences are held twice a year. You stated that you use the Ready Rosie and Class DoJo app to communicate with families, along with daily notes that goes back and forth with reminders, and information for families and from families. The NCPreK program completed a modified Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R) on 4/7/22 and scored 6.16. Center Observations: Parent information for both classrooms was posted outside the classrooms. Activity plans were posted. The children in Room 151 are learning about fall and leaves. The children in Room 153 are studying fire fighters. Both groups were busy with indoor free play but also had two sessions of outdoor time. Centers were labeled and organized in each classroom, and children had easy access to materials. Teachers worked in small groups at the tables but maintained supervision. Outdoors a complex climber, swing set and teeter totter spring rocker provided opportunities for gross motor play. Centers were set up on the covered porch area for children to build, draw, play with sand, and play make believe. Lunch was hot dog on bun, green beans, peaches, and milk. Teachers reported that children who brought their lunches had Nutrition Opt-out forms in their files. Children ate in the classrooms. Lunch was social and relaxing. Teachers sat with children and modeled healthy eating habits and pleasant conversation. After lunch had more indoor and outdoor free play. Group times were short and included singing. Interactions were nurturing. Children’s individual needs were met. I observed and documented the following violation during today’s visit. Violation Number Comment Rule 106 Operator has not scheduled and obtained a fire inspection within 12 months of the previous inspection. Operator did not submit the original approved report to DCDEE within one week of the inspection visit on a form provided by the Division. The fire inspection completed on May 21, 2023 was not sent to the child care consultant within seven days of the inspection. The fire inspection was received on July 5, 2023. 10A NCAC 09 .0304(a) * Child care programs are expected to achieve and always maintain compliance and are required by NC GS 110-90(4)(d) to achieve and maintain an 18-month compliance history score of at least 75%. Any violations documented may impact the compliance history score. I completed an electronic copy of the visit summary and provided a printed copy of it to T. Nicewonger, NCPre-K Coordinator. We reviewed the visit summary and violation documented during today’s visit. It has been corrected so no further action is required except to ensure that fire inspections are completed and forwarded as required. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at (252) 373-9385, by e-mail at Marjorie.White@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also call Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, at (252) 373-4199 or Jennifer.Linhardt@dhhs.nc.gov. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH DOCUMENTED VIOLATION: Annual Fire Inspections – Annual fire inspections ensure that the building follows fire codes and that your fire detection and alarm systems are operating correctly in the event of a fire. The fire inspector completed a fire inspection on 5/21/2023; however, the fire inspection was not sent to me until 7/5/2023. Because the fire inspection is completed during the day, you stated you are not always aware when it occurs. Speak with the Assistant Principal who maintains school fire inspections and request that she put a copy in your box or forward the email with the attached fire inspection after they are completed. While fire inspections are only required annually, typically schools receive a fire inspection twice a year. *The assistant principal stated that a fire inspection is scheduled for Friday, 10/6/2023. She will forward it to T. Nicewonger when received. GENERAL VISIT INFORMATION: Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules (updated 7/1/23) and environmental health rules (updated 7/1/23) in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. Your local and regional Smart Start Partnerships and Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies are available to assist you with technical assistance and training on a multitude of topics including but not limited to: Environment Rating Scales, healthy behaviors and classroom management, developmentally appropriate practice, EPR plans, activity plans, NC Foundations for Early Learning (developmental domains), etc. *Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County: Phone - (252) 441-0614; website - www.darekids.org. CONSULTATION: Outdoor Play Equipment – Outdoor play equipment takes a beating from the sun and elements, especially with the salt air in a coastal environment. Inspecting play equipment and maintaining it keeps children safe. Rust corrodes metal and impacts the integrity of playground equipment. If a child is swinging on a swing set with rusty chains or swing hangers connecting at the top, these areas could break and cause children to injure themselves. The chains and swing hangers connecting the chains to the top of the swing set are rusted and need to be replaced. The chains have more of a smooth rust discoloration. A suggestion from Environmental Health is to sand and seal them. However, the swing hangers at the top, connecting the chains to the pivot point are severely rusted and flaking, impacting the integrity of the structure. The rust has become “bound” preventing the free to and fro motion of the swing and putting more pressure on the horizontal bar which is showing rust behind the connectors. Request maintenance to look at these connections and either repair or replace them. *Runoff from the roof impacts the mulch in front of the swings. Teachers stated that mulch was recently added but has washed away due to heavy rains last month. Look at the run-off and drainage issues to maintain mulch in the fall zones. Either fluff the mulch in front of the swings or replace it. REMINDERS: Staff Worksheets – We reviewed your staff worksheet. I highlighted items that were delinquent and items that are coming due in the next year. Criminal Background Checks (CBC) – Federal requirements require all staff who work in licensed afterschool or pre-k programs operated by public schools complete a DCDEE Criminal Background Check (CBC) before hire and then every five years. This includes administrators, teachers, teacher assistants, program coordinators, group leaders, assistant group leaders, substitutes, one-on-one assistants, therapists if therapy does not take place in the classroom, and bus drivers. Health and Safety Training and Five (5) Year Cycle Tracking Requirements – New NCPreK Teacher has almost completed H&S Training – needs Medication Administration and Transportation. New Rules on Teacher Assistant Education - All teacher assistants shall have a high school diploma or its equivalent and a CDA or AAS-ECE. All teacher assistants shall complete a minimum of 15 hours of annual in-service professional development. A combination of college coursework, Continuing Education Units (CEUs), or clock hours may be used to complete the requirements of this Rule. School Critical Incident Plan and Emergency Medical Care Plan (EMCP) - • Licensed DPI programs are not required to complete a separate Emergency Preparedness Plan if they follow the school’s Critical Incident Plan (or similar type of plan for emergency responses). They are expected to have documentation of monthly fire drills and quarterly emergency drills – shelter-in-place or lock-down). Fire drills must be completed for any month or partial month the Pre-K or ASEP is operating. A quarterly emergency drill must be completed each quarter (July – September; October – December, January – March; April – June). Activity Plans – Activity plans are essential to planning and preparing for children’s activities throughout the week and can make or break the flow of the classroom. Well-planned, intentional activities keep children engaged with less time for challenging behaviors. Date weekly activity plans and post where they are visible to parents. Include both free choice and teacher-directed activities, that allow children to choose to participate with the whole group, in a small group or independently. Listed activities must stimulate the following 5 developmental domains each day, as listed in the NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development book: social & emotional development (ESD), health & physical development (HPD), approaches to play and learning (APL), language development & communication (LDC), and cognitive development (CD). Plan for at least 4 activities daily, one of which must be a planned gross motor activity which may occur indoors or outdoors. The remaining 3 activities should occur in the following areas (art, books, blocks, manipulatives and dramatic play). In addition, plan for these 3 enrichment activities on at least a weekly basis: sand or water play; science and nature; and music and rhythm. Many teachers include these items daily also. To smoothly implement the daily activity plan, have materials and equipment available both inside and outside to support the activities listed. For more information on Activity Schedules and Plans, check out the NC Child Care Requirements 10A NCAC 09 .0508. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I shared information on the following topics and emailed the information to you after the visit: 1. Child Care Immunization Report – due 11/1/23 2. Mental Health First Aid Training for Administrators 3. Environmental Health Rules Update 4. Moodle Support Email and Phone Contact 5. New Challenging Behaviors Helpline! 6. Two New Lead Teacher Options - NC Early Childhood Credential (NCECC) Equivalency Exam and Child Development Associate (CDA) 7. NC Rated License Assessment Project (NCRLAP) Resources 8. NCID – Keep it active! TRANSITION BACK TO RATED LICENSE ASSESSMENTS AND COHORTS To transition back to rated license assessments, the Division has created a two-year Cohort Model. All facilities are assigned to one of three cohorts based on their current rated license assessment due date. Each cohort will have a year for preparation and a year for assessment. (However, you are encouraged to begin preparations now so that you are ready when your cohort group is due!) Your pre-k program out-of-school program is due for a three-year rated license reassessment by 4/7/25 and has been assigned to Cohort 3. The Cohort 3 Rated License Preparation Year is from 7/1/2025 – 6/30/2026. During your preparation year, if you are interested in having the Environment Rating Scales completed, review the ECERS-R by obtaining the manuals for each classroom and looking for assessment related resources at ncrlap.org. Request technical assistance and training for your staff from Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County. You can request and complete an ECERS-R during your preparation year. If your scores help you meet or exceed your current star rating and you are ready to move forward with your rated license assessment, you may choose to do so during your preparation year. Your preparation year is also the time to continue to work on staff education and ensure that Works accounts are completed and up to date for staff members. The Cohort 3 Rated License Assessment Year is from 7/1/2026 – 6/30/2027. During your assessment year you may choose to complete the ECERS-R again at no cost even if you completed them during your preparation year. Use the feedback from your preparation year scores to create a plan to improve your scores. During this year, all education needs to be posted in Works. At some point during that year, you will have your rated license assessed. Technical Assistance to Improve ECERS-R Scores – The website for the NC Rated License Assessment Project (NCRLAP), www.ncrlap.org , has a wealth of resources and training opportunities to help you intentionally prepare for your upcoming ECERS-R assessment. From the main webpage, you can access self-assessment tools to review each subscale in detail and determine how you can make improvements in each area. See “Thinking More About Space and Furnishing,” “Thinking More About Personal Care Routines,” “Thinking More About Language and Interactions,” “Thinking More About Activities,” and “Thinking More About Program Structure.” Taking the time to work through these activities with your staff and using that self-reflection to purchase materials, rearrange your classrooms, work on interactions, improve daily routines, etc. will help you improve your environment and your scores. Also check out the training options under the training tab. Trainings are both self-guided and live (virtual). You and your staff can earn training credit for participating in these trainings. In 2022, you completed a modified ECERS-R and scored lowest on Subscale 1 of the ECERS:R: Space and Furnishings. Look at the following and consider ways to improve your scores: Item #4 – Room arrangement for play – Centers considered to be “quiet” centers are art, books, and cozy area. These are centers where children tend to play quietly or relax. Blocks, dramatic play, and music encourage more conversation, even singing, and noise and are considered to be “active” centers. Even though space is always limited in a preschool classroom, do your best to place quiet centers away from active centers so children in quiet centers can play or relax undisturbed. Thank you for your time and assistance today. Refer to this visit summary for a refresher of our discussions today, and I encourage you to share with staff and use the information as a teaching tool. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call or email me at the contact information listed above. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

10A NCAC 09 .0508 · Violation

Name of Operation: NAGS HEAD ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 28000233 Consultant: MARJORIE WHITE Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 10/4/2023 Number Present: 32 Completed Date: 10/4/2023 Age: From 4 To 5 Total Minutes: 210 Time In: 09:15 AM Time Out: 12:45 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced * The purpose of today’s Routine Unannounced visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements. Monitoring included NC Pre-K requirements in the NC Child Care Rules Section .3000 which are applicable to Rooms 151 and 153. Last Annual Compliance visit – 4/25/23 Last Sanitation Inspection – 4/24/23 with a Superior Rating; expires 4/24/24 Last Fire Inspection – 5/21/23 with Passed with Comments rating (not received until 7/5/23); expires 5/21/24 *Sanitation and fire inspections are required at least annually by the date of the previous inspection. Send fire inspections to me within seven (7) days of the inspection. 18-month compliance history from 3/29/2022 – 9/28/2023 = 99% K. Flora, Administrator, was present, but T. Nicewonger, NCPre-K Coordinator and the NCPre-K assisted me with the visit. The facility currently operates with a Five-Star Center License, issued 8/1/2023, earning points in the following components: Program (7 PTS) + Education (7 PTS) + Quality Point (1 PT) = 15 Points = 5 Stars *Quality Point met and remains in effect: The child care administrator has 10 years of documented administrative work experience in a licensed child care center that can be verified by the Division. See below for more information about the Division’s plan to return to rated license assessments. This facility is owned by Dare County Schools. Please contact me prior to any information change regarding the ownership of this facility. Facility contact information was updated to name T. Nicewonger, NCPre-K Coordinator, as facility contact. The Legal Designee form was updated to list the Administrator, Assistant Administrator, NCPre-K Coordinator, and NCPre-K Teacher as legal designees to sign visit summaries and other paperwork. License information was current. Contact me to make any changes to address, phone, or email or to request changes to the license. I monitored the classrooms and spaces used for child care, and outdoor play area for applicable child care center requirements using the Child Care Center Requirements, effective 7/1/2023 and Item Number Listing, effective 8/2023. I monitored one staff record and all program records. The facility meets DPI requirements for transportation. The NCPre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the child care rules were monitored for compliance in Rooms 151 and 153. The NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Tool is not due until November. Staff-child ratios were 1:9 or 2:18 or better, as required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3909. The current NCPre-K staff are NCPK Teachers: J. Schlachte and J. Wilson and NCPK Teacher Assistants: C. Carr and J. Noell-Wooten. I will monitor children’s files for completed health assessments (dental, hearing, and vision), developmental screenings, and on-going instructional assessments at the next Annual Compliance visits. The facility uses the Dial-4 developmental screening which were completed for children in June 2023 or as they entered the program throughout the year. The NCPreK program uses Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies Gold as the on-going instructional assessment tool to document evidence of each child’s progress three times throughout the school year: Fall, Mid-Winter, Spring and was in the process of initial assessments. The NCPre-K operates daily from 9/5/2023 – 5/24/2024 from 7:30am – 2:20pm. Parent conferences are held twice a year. You stated that you use the Ready Rosie and Class DoJo app to communicate with families, along with daily notes that goes back and forth with reminders, and information for families and from families. The NCPreK program completed a modified Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R) on 4/7/22 and scored 6.16. Center Observations: Parent information for both classrooms was posted outside the classrooms. Activity plans were posted. The children in Room 151 are learning about fall and leaves. The children in Room 153 are studying fire fighters. Both groups were busy with indoor free play but also had two sessions of outdoor time. Centers were labeled and organized in each classroom, and children had easy access to materials. Teachers worked in small groups at the tables but maintained supervision. Outdoors a complex climber, swing set and teeter totter spring rocker provided opportunities for gross motor play. Centers were set up on the covered porch area for children to build, draw, play with sand, and play make believe. Lunch was hot dog on bun, green beans, peaches, and milk. Teachers reported that children who brought their lunches had Nutrition Opt-out forms in their files. Children ate in the classrooms. Lunch was social and relaxing. Teachers sat with children and modeled healthy eating habits and pleasant conversation. After lunch had more indoor and outdoor free play. Group times were short and included singing. Interactions were nurturing. Children’s individual needs were met. I observed and documented the following violation during today’s visit. Violation Number Comment Rule 106 Operator has not scheduled and obtained a fire inspection within 12 months of the previous inspection. Operator did not submit the original approved report to DCDEE within one week of the inspection visit on a form provided by the Division. The fire inspection completed on May 21, 2023 was not sent to the child care consultant within seven days of the inspection. The fire inspection was received on July 5, 2023. 10A NCAC 09 .0304(a) * Child care programs are expected to achieve and always maintain compliance and are required by NC GS 110-90(4)(d) to achieve and maintain an 18-month compliance history score of at least 75%. Any violations documented may impact the compliance history score. I completed an electronic copy of the visit summary and provided a printed copy of it to T. Nicewonger, NCPre-K Coordinator. We reviewed the visit summary and violation documented during today’s visit. It has been corrected so no further action is required except to ensure that fire inspections are completed and forwarded as required. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at (252) 373-9385, by e-mail at Marjorie.White@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also call Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, at (252) 373-4199 or Jennifer.Linhardt@dhhs.nc.gov. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH DOCUMENTED VIOLATION: Annual Fire Inspections – Annual fire inspections ensure that the building follows fire codes and that your fire detection and alarm systems are operating correctly in the event of a fire. The fire inspector completed a fire inspection on 5/21/2023; however, the fire inspection was not sent to me until 7/5/2023. Because the fire inspection is completed during the day, you stated you are not always aware when it occurs. Speak with the Assistant Principal who maintains school fire inspections and request that she put a copy in your box or forward the email with the attached fire inspection after they are completed. While fire inspections are only required annually, typically schools receive a fire inspection twice a year. *The assistant principal stated that a fire inspection is scheduled for Friday, 10/6/2023. She will forward it to T. Nicewonger when received. GENERAL VISIT INFORMATION: Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules (updated 7/1/23) and environmental health rules (updated 7/1/23) in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. Your local and regional Smart Start Partnerships and Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies are available to assist you with technical assistance and training on a multitude of topics including but not limited to: Environment Rating Scales, healthy behaviors and classroom management, developmentally appropriate practice, EPR plans, activity plans, NC Foundations for Early Learning (developmental domains), etc. *Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County: Phone - (252) 441-0614; website - www.darekids.org. CONSULTATION: Outdoor Play Equipment – Outdoor play equipment takes a beating from the sun and elements, especially with the salt air in a coastal environment. Inspecting play equipment and maintaining it keeps children safe. Rust corrodes metal and impacts the integrity of playground equipment. If a child is swinging on a swing set with rusty chains or swing hangers connecting at the top, these areas could break and cause children to injure themselves. The chains and swing hangers connecting the chains to the top of the swing set are rusted and need to be replaced. The chains have more of a smooth rust discoloration. A suggestion from Environmental Health is to sand and seal them. However, the swing hangers at the top, connecting the chains to the pivot point are severely rusted and flaking, impacting the integrity of the structure. The rust has become “bound” preventing the free to and fro motion of the swing and putting more pressure on the horizontal bar which is showing rust behind the connectors. Request maintenance to look at these connections and either repair or replace them. *Runoff from the roof impacts the mulch in front of the swings. Teachers stated that mulch was recently added but has washed away due to heavy rains last month. Look at the run-off and drainage issues to maintain mulch in the fall zones. Either fluff the mulch in front of the swings or replace it. REMINDERS: Staff Worksheets – We reviewed your staff worksheet. I highlighted items that were delinquent and items that are coming due in the next year. Criminal Background Checks (CBC) – Federal requirements require all staff who work in licensed afterschool or pre-k programs operated by public schools complete a DCDEE Criminal Background Check (CBC) before hire and then every five years. This includes administrators, teachers, teacher assistants, program coordinators, group leaders, assistant group leaders, substitutes, one-on-one assistants, therapists if therapy does not take place in the classroom, and bus drivers. Health and Safety Training and Five (5) Year Cycle Tracking Requirements – New NCPreK Teacher has almost completed H&S Training – needs Medication Administration and Transportation. New Rules on Teacher Assistant Education - All teacher assistants shall have a high school diploma or its equivalent and a CDA or AAS-ECE. All teacher assistants shall complete a minimum of 15 hours of annual in-service professional development. A combination of college coursework, Continuing Education Units (CEUs), or clock hours may be used to complete the requirements of this Rule. School Critical Incident Plan and Emergency Medical Care Plan (EMCP) - • Licensed DPI programs are not required to complete a separate Emergency Preparedness Plan if they follow the school’s Critical Incident Plan (or similar type of plan for emergency responses). They are expected to have documentation of monthly fire drills and quarterly emergency drills – shelter-in-place or lock-down). Fire drills must be completed for any month or partial month the Pre-K or ASEP is operating. A quarterly emergency drill must be completed each quarter (July – September; October – December, January – March; April – June). Activity Plans – Activity plans are essential to planning and preparing for children’s activities throughout the week and can make or break the flow of the classroom. Well-planned, intentional activities keep children engaged with less time for challenging behaviors. Date weekly activity plans and post where they are visible to parents. Include both free choice and teacher-directed activities, that allow children to choose to participate with the whole group, in a small group or independently. Listed activities must stimulate the following 5 developmental domains each day, as listed in the NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development book: social & emotional development (ESD), health & physical development (HPD), approaches to play and learning (APL), language development & communication (LDC), and cognitive development (CD). Plan for at least 4 activities daily, one of which must be a planned gross motor activity which may occur indoors or outdoors. The remaining 3 activities should occur in the following areas (art, books, blocks, manipulatives and dramatic play). In addition, plan for these 3 enrichment activities on at least a weekly basis: sand or water play; science and nature; and music and rhythm. Many teachers include these items daily also. To smoothly implement the daily activity plan, have materials and equipment available both inside and outside to support the activities listed. For more information on Activity Schedules and Plans, check out the NC Child Care Requirements 10A NCAC 09 .0508. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I shared information on the following topics and emailed the information to you after the visit: 1. Child Care Immunization Report – due 11/1/23 2. Mental Health First Aid Training for Administrators 3. Environmental Health Rules Update 4. Moodle Support Email and Phone Contact 5. New Challenging Behaviors Helpline! 6. Two New Lead Teacher Options - NC Early Childhood Credential (NCECC) Equivalency Exam and Child Development Associate (CDA) 7. NC Rated License Assessment Project (NCRLAP) Resources 8. NCID – Keep it active! TRANSITION BACK TO RATED LICENSE ASSESSMENTS AND COHORTS To transition back to rated license assessments, the Division has created a two-year Cohort Model. All facilities are assigned to one of three cohorts based on their current rated license assessment due date. Each cohort will have a year for preparation and a year for assessment. (However, you are encouraged to begin preparations now so that you are ready when your cohort group is due!) Your pre-k program out-of-school program is due for a three-year rated license reassessment by 4/7/25 and has been assigned to Cohort 3. The Cohort 3 Rated License Preparation Year is from 7/1/2025 – 6/30/2026. During your preparation year, if you are interested in having the Environment Rating Scales completed, review the ECERS-R by obtaining the manuals for each classroom and looking for assessment related resources at ncrlap.org. Request technical assistance and training for your staff from Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County. You can request and complete an ECERS-R during your preparation year. If your scores help you meet or exceed your current star rating and you are ready to move forward with your rated license assessment, you may choose to do so during your preparation year. Your preparation year is also the time to continue to work on staff education and ensure that Works accounts are completed and up to date for staff members. The Cohort 3 Rated License Assessment Year is from 7/1/2026 – 6/30/2027. During your assessment year you may choose to complete the ECERS-R again at no cost even if you completed them during your preparation year. Use the feedback from your preparation year scores to create a plan to improve your scores. During this year, all education needs to be posted in Works. At some point during that year, you will have your rated license assessed. Technical Assistance to Improve ECERS-R Scores – The website for the NC Rated License Assessment Project (NCRLAP), www.ncrlap.org , has a wealth of resources and training opportunities to help you intentionally prepare for your upcoming ECERS-R assessment. From the main webpage, you can access self-assessment tools to review each subscale in detail and determine how you can make improvements in each area. See “Thinking More About Space and Furnishing,” “Thinking More About Personal Care Routines,” “Thinking More About Language and Interactions,” “Thinking More About Activities,” and “Thinking More About Program Structure.” Taking the time to work through these activities with your staff and using that self-reflection to purchase materials, rearrange your classrooms, work on interactions, improve daily routines, etc. will help you improve your environment and your scores. Also check out the training options under the training tab. Trainings are both self-guided and live (virtual). You and your staff can earn training credit for participating in these trainings. In 2022, you completed a modified ECERS-R and scored lowest on Subscale 1 of the ECERS:R: Space and Furnishings. Look at the following and consider ways to improve your scores: Item #4 – Room arrangement for play – Centers considered to be “quiet” centers are art, books, and cozy area. These are centers where children tend to play quietly or relax. Blocks, dramatic play, and music encourage more conversation, even singing, and noise and are considered to be “active” centers. Even though space is always limited in a preschool classroom, do your best to place quiet centers away from active centers so children in quiet centers can play or relax undisturbed. Thank you for your time and assistance today. Refer to this visit summary for a refresher of our discussions today, and I encourage you to share with staff and use the information as a teaching tool. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call or email me at the contact information listed above. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

10A NCAC 09 .3909 · Violation

Name of Operation: NAGS HEAD ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 28000233 Consultant: MARJORIE WHITE Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 10/4/2023 Number Present: 32 Completed Date: 10/4/2023 Age: From 4 To 5 Total Minutes: 210 Time In: 09:15 AM Time Out: 12:45 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced * The purpose of today’s Routine Unannounced visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements. Monitoring included NC Pre-K requirements in the NC Child Care Rules Section .3000 which are applicable to Rooms 151 and 153. Last Annual Compliance visit – 4/25/23 Last Sanitation Inspection – 4/24/23 with a Superior Rating; expires 4/24/24 Last Fire Inspection – 5/21/23 with Passed with Comments rating (not received until 7/5/23); expires 5/21/24 *Sanitation and fire inspections are required at least annually by the date of the previous inspection. Send fire inspections to me within seven (7) days of the inspection. 18-month compliance history from 3/29/2022 – 9/28/2023 = 99% K. Flora, Administrator, was present, but T. Nicewonger, NCPre-K Coordinator and the NCPre-K assisted me with the visit. The facility currently operates with a Five-Star Center License, issued 8/1/2023, earning points in the following components: Program (7 PTS) + Education (7 PTS) + Quality Point (1 PT) = 15 Points = 5 Stars *Quality Point met and remains in effect: The child care administrator has 10 years of documented administrative work experience in a licensed child care center that can be verified by the Division. See below for more information about the Division’s plan to return to rated license assessments. This facility is owned by Dare County Schools. Please contact me prior to any information change regarding the ownership of this facility. Facility contact information was updated to name T. Nicewonger, NCPre-K Coordinator, as facility contact. The Legal Designee form was updated to list the Administrator, Assistant Administrator, NCPre-K Coordinator, and NCPre-K Teacher as legal designees to sign visit summaries and other paperwork. License information was current. Contact me to make any changes to address, phone, or email or to request changes to the license. I monitored the classrooms and spaces used for child care, and outdoor play area for applicable child care center requirements using the Child Care Center Requirements, effective 7/1/2023 and Item Number Listing, effective 8/2023. I monitored one staff record and all program records. The facility meets DPI requirements for transportation. The NCPre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the child care rules were monitored for compliance in Rooms 151 and 153. The NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Tool is not due until November. Staff-child ratios were 1:9 or 2:18 or better, as required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3909. The current NCPre-K staff are NCPK Teachers: J. Schlachte and J. Wilson and NCPK Teacher Assistants: C. Carr and J. Noell-Wooten. I will monitor children’s files for completed health assessments (dental, hearing, and vision), developmental screenings, and on-going instructional assessments at the next Annual Compliance visits. The facility uses the Dial-4 developmental screening which were completed for children in June 2023 or as they entered the program throughout the year. The NCPreK program uses Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies Gold as the on-going instructional assessment tool to document evidence of each child’s progress three times throughout the school year: Fall, Mid-Winter, Spring and was in the process of initial assessments. The NCPre-K operates daily from 9/5/2023 – 5/24/2024 from 7:30am – 2:20pm. Parent conferences are held twice a year. You stated that you use the Ready Rosie and Class DoJo app to communicate with families, along with daily notes that goes back and forth with reminders, and information for families and from families. The NCPreK program completed a modified Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R) on 4/7/22 and scored 6.16. Center Observations: Parent information for both classrooms was posted outside the classrooms. Activity plans were posted. The children in Room 151 are learning about fall and leaves. The children in Room 153 are studying fire fighters. Both groups were busy with indoor free play but also had two sessions of outdoor time. Centers were labeled and organized in each classroom, and children had easy access to materials. Teachers worked in small groups at the tables but maintained supervision. Outdoors a complex climber, swing set and teeter totter spring rocker provided opportunities for gross motor play. Centers were set up on the covered porch area for children to build, draw, play with sand, and play make believe. Lunch was hot dog on bun, green beans, peaches, and milk. Teachers reported that children who brought their lunches had Nutrition Opt-out forms in their files. Children ate in the classrooms. Lunch was social and relaxing. Teachers sat with children and modeled healthy eating habits and pleasant conversation. After lunch had more indoor and outdoor free play. Group times were short and included singing. Interactions were nurturing. Children’s individual needs were met. I observed and documented the following violation during today’s visit. Violation Number Comment Rule 106 Operator has not scheduled and obtained a fire inspection within 12 months of the previous inspection. Operator did not submit the original approved report to DCDEE within one week of the inspection visit on a form provided by the Division. The fire inspection completed on May 21, 2023 was not sent to the child care consultant within seven days of the inspection. The fire inspection was received on July 5, 2023. 10A NCAC 09 .0304(a) * Child care programs are expected to achieve and always maintain compliance and are required by NC GS 110-90(4)(d) to achieve and maintain an 18-month compliance history score of at least 75%. Any violations documented may impact the compliance history score. I completed an electronic copy of the visit summary and provided a printed copy of it to T. Nicewonger, NCPre-K Coordinator. We reviewed the visit summary and violation documented during today’s visit. It has been corrected so no further action is required except to ensure that fire inspections are completed and forwarded as required. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at (252) 373-9385, by e-mail at Marjorie.White@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also call Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, at (252) 373-4199 or Jennifer.Linhardt@dhhs.nc.gov. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH DOCUMENTED VIOLATION: Annual Fire Inspections – Annual fire inspections ensure that the building follows fire codes and that your fire detection and alarm systems are operating correctly in the event of a fire. The fire inspector completed a fire inspection on 5/21/2023; however, the fire inspection was not sent to me until 7/5/2023. Because the fire inspection is completed during the day, you stated you are not always aware when it occurs. Speak with the Assistant Principal who maintains school fire inspections and request that she put a copy in your box or forward the email with the attached fire inspection after they are completed. While fire inspections are only required annually, typically schools receive a fire inspection twice a year. *The assistant principal stated that a fire inspection is scheduled for Friday, 10/6/2023. She will forward it to T. Nicewonger when received. GENERAL VISIT INFORMATION: Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules (updated 7/1/23) and environmental health rules (updated 7/1/23) in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. Your local and regional Smart Start Partnerships and Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies are available to assist you with technical assistance and training on a multitude of topics including but not limited to: Environment Rating Scales, healthy behaviors and classroom management, developmentally appropriate practice, EPR plans, activity plans, NC Foundations for Early Learning (developmental domains), etc. *Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County: Phone - (252) 441-0614; website - www.darekids.org. CONSULTATION: Outdoor Play Equipment – Outdoor play equipment takes a beating from the sun and elements, especially with the salt air in a coastal environment. Inspecting play equipment and maintaining it keeps children safe. Rust corrodes metal and impacts the integrity of playground equipment. If a child is swinging on a swing set with rusty chains or swing hangers connecting at the top, these areas could break and cause children to injure themselves. The chains and swing hangers connecting the chains to the top of the swing set are rusted and need to be replaced. The chains have more of a smooth rust discoloration. A suggestion from Environmental Health is to sand and seal them. However, the swing hangers at the top, connecting the chains to the pivot point are severely rusted and flaking, impacting the integrity of the structure. The rust has become “bound” preventing the free to and fro motion of the swing and putting more pressure on the horizontal bar which is showing rust behind the connectors. Request maintenance to look at these connections and either repair or replace them. *Runoff from the roof impacts the mulch in front of the swings. Teachers stated that mulch was recently added but has washed away due to heavy rains last month. Look at the run-off and drainage issues to maintain mulch in the fall zones. Either fluff the mulch in front of the swings or replace it. REMINDERS: Staff Worksheets – We reviewed your staff worksheet. I highlighted items that were delinquent and items that are coming due in the next year. Criminal Background Checks (CBC) – Federal requirements require all staff who work in licensed afterschool or pre-k programs operated by public schools complete a DCDEE Criminal Background Check (CBC) before hire and then every five years. This includes administrators, teachers, teacher assistants, program coordinators, group leaders, assistant group leaders, substitutes, one-on-one assistants, therapists if therapy does not take place in the classroom, and bus drivers. Health and Safety Training and Five (5) Year Cycle Tracking Requirements – New NCPreK Teacher has almost completed H&S Training – needs Medication Administration and Transportation. New Rules on Teacher Assistant Education - All teacher assistants shall have a high school diploma or its equivalent and a CDA or AAS-ECE. All teacher assistants shall complete a minimum of 15 hours of annual in-service professional development. A combination of college coursework, Continuing Education Units (CEUs), or clock hours may be used to complete the requirements of this Rule. School Critical Incident Plan and Emergency Medical Care Plan (EMCP) - • Licensed DPI programs are not required to complete a separate Emergency Preparedness Plan if they follow the school’s Critical Incident Plan (or similar type of plan for emergency responses). They are expected to have documentation of monthly fire drills and quarterly emergency drills – shelter-in-place or lock-down). Fire drills must be completed for any month or partial month the Pre-K or ASEP is operating. A quarterly emergency drill must be completed each quarter (July – September; October – December, January – March; April – June). Activity Plans – Activity plans are essential to planning and preparing for children’s activities throughout the week and can make or break the flow of the classroom. Well-planned, intentional activities keep children engaged with less time for challenging behaviors. Date weekly activity plans and post where they are visible to parents. Include both free choice and teacher-directed activities, that allow children to choose to participate with the whole group, in a small group or independently. Listed activities must stimulate the following 5 developmental domains each day, as listed in the NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development book: social & emotional development (ESD), health & physical development (HPD), approaches to play and learning (APL), language development & communication (LDC), and cognitive development (CD). Plan for at least 4 activities daily, one of which must be a planned gross motor activity which may occur indoors or outdoors. The remaining 3 activities should occur in the following areas (art, books, blocks, manipulatives and dramatic play). In addition, plan for these 3 enrichment activities on at least a weekly basis: sand or water play; science and nature; and music and rhythm. Many teachers include these items daily also. To smoothly implement the daily activity plan, have materials and equipment available both inside and outside to support the activities listed. For more information on Activity Schedules and Plans, check out the NC Child Care Requirements 10A NCAC 09 .0508. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I shared information on the following topics and emailed the information to you after the visit: 1. Child Care Immunization Report – due 11/1/23 2. Mental Health First Aid Training for Administrators 3. Environmental Health Rules Update 4. Moodle Support Email and Phone Contact 5. New Challenging Behaviors Helpline! 6. Two New Lead Teacher Options - NC Early Childhood Credential (NCECC) Equivalency Exam and Child Development Associate (CDA) 7. NC Rated License Assessment Project (NCRLAP) Resources 8. NCID – Keep it active! TRANSITION BACK TO RATED LICENSE ASSESSMENTS AND COHORTS To transition back to rated license assessments, the Division has created a two-year Cohort Model. All facilities are assigned to one of three cohorts based on their current rated license assessment due date. Each cohort will have a year for preparation and a year for assessment. (However, you are encouraged to begin preparations now so that you are ready when your cohort group is due!) Your pre-k program out-of-school program is due for a three-year rated license reassessment by 4/7/25 and has been assigned to Cohort 3. The Cohort 3 Rated License Preparation Year is from 7/1/2025 – 6/30/2026. During your preparation year, if you are interested in having the Environment Rating Scales completed, review the ECERS-R by obtaining the manuals for each classroom and looking for assessment related resources at ncrlap.org. Request technical assistance and training for your staff from Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County. You can request and complete an ECERS-R during your preparation year. If your scores help you meet or exceed your current star rating and you are ready to move forward with your rated license assessment, you may choose to do so during your preparation year. Your preparation year is also the time to continue to work on staff education and ensure that Works accounts are completed and up to date for staff members. The Cohort 3 Rated License Assessment Year is from 7/1/2026 – 6/30/2027. During your assessment year you may choose to complete the ECERS-R again at no cost even if you completed them during your preparation year. Use the feedback from your preparation year scores to create a plan to improve your scores. During this year, all education needs to be posted in Works. At some point during that year, you will have your rated license assessed. Technical Assistance to Improve ECERS-R Scores – The website for the NC Rated License Assessment Project (NCRLAP), www.ncrlap.org , has a wealth of resources and training opportunities to help you intentionally prepare for your upcoming ECERS-R assessment. From the main webpage, you can access self-assessment tools to review each subscale in detail and determine how you can make improvements in each area. See “Thinking More About Space and Furnishing,” “Thinking More About Personal Care Routines,” “Thinking More About Language and Interactions,” “Thinking More About Activities,” and “Thinking More About Program Structure.” Taking the time to work through these activities with your staff and using that self-reflection to purchase materials, rearrange your classrooms, work on interactions, improve daily routines, etc. will help you improve your environment and your scores. Also check out the training options under the training tab. Trainings are both self-guided and live (virtual). You and your staff can earn training credit for participating in these trainings. In 2022, you completed a modified ECERS-R and scored lowest on Subscale 1 of the ECERS:R: Space and Furnishings. Look at the following and consider ways to improve your scores: Item #4 – Room arrangement for play – Centers considered to be “quiet” centers are art, books, and cozy area. These are centers where children tend to play quietly or relax. Blocks, dramatic play, and music encourage more conversation, even singing, and noise and are considered to be “active” centers. Even though space is always limited in a preschool classroom, do your best to place quiet centers away from active centers so children in quiet centers can play or relax undisturbed. Thank you for your time and assistance today. Refer to this visit summary for a refresher of our discussions today, and I encourage you to share with staff and use the information as a teaching tool. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call or email me at the contact information listed above. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

NC GS 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: NAGS HEAD ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 28000233 Consultant: MARJORIE WHITE Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 10/4/2023 Number Present: 32 Completed Date: 10/4/2023 Age: From 4 To 5 Total Minutes: 210 Time In: 09:15 AM Time Out: 12:45 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced * The purpose of today’s Routine Unannounced visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements. Monitoring included NC Pre-K requirements in the NC Child Care Rules Section .3000 which are applicable to Rooms 151 and 153. Last Annual Compliance visit – 4/25/23 Last Sanitation Inspection – 4/24/23 with a Superior Rating; expires 4/24/24 Last Fire Inspection – 5/21/23 with Passed with Comments rating (not received until 7/5/23); expires 5/21/24 *Sanitation and fire inspections are required at least annually by the date of the previous inspection. Send fire inspections to me within seven (7) days of the inspection. 18-month compliance history from 3/29/2022 – 9/28/2023 = 99% K. Flora, Administrator, was present, but T. Nicewonger, NCPre-K Coordinator and the NCPre-K assisted me with the visit. The facility currently operates with a Five-Star Center License, issued 8/1/2023, earning points in the following components: Program (7 PTS) + Education (7 PTS) + Quality Point (1 PT) = 15 Points = 5 Stars *Quality Point met and remains in effect: The child care administrator has 10 years of documented administrative work experience in a licensed child care center that can be verified by the Division. See below for more information about the Division’s plan to return to rated license assessments. This facility is owned by Dare County Schools. Please contact me prior to any information change regarding the ownership of this facility. Facility contact information was updated to name T. Nicewonger, NCPre-K Coordinator, as facility contact. The Legal Designee form was updated to list the Administrator, Assistant Administrator, NCPre-K Coordinator, and NCPre-K Teacher as legal designees to sign visit summaries and other paperwork. License information was current. Contact me to make any changes to address, phone, or email or to request changes to the license. I monitored the classrooms and spaces used for child care, and outdoor play area for applicable child care center requirements using the Child Care Center Requirements, effective 7/1/2023 and Item Number Listing, effective 8/2023. I monitored one staff record and all program records. The facility meets DPI requirements for transportation. The NCPre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the child care rules were monitored for compliance in Rooms 151 and 153. The NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Tool is not due until November. Staff-child ratios were 1:9 or 2:18 or better, as required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3909. The current NCPre-K staff are NCPK Teachers: J. Schlachte and J. Wilson and NCPK Teacher Assistants: C. Carr and J. Noell-Wooten. I will monitor children’s files for completed health assessments (dental, hearing, and vision), developmental screenings, and on-going instructional assessments at the next Annual Compliance visits. The facility uses the Dial-4 developmental screening which were completed for children in June 2023 or as they entered the program throughout the year. The NCPreK program uses Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies Gold as the on-going instructional assessment tool to document evidence of each child’s progress three times throughout the school year: Fall, Mid-Winter, Spring and was in the process of initial assessments. The NCPre-K operates daily from 9/5/2023 – 5/24/2024 from 7:30am – 2:20pm. Parent conferences are held twice a year. You stated that you use the Ready Rosie and Class DoJo app to communicate with families, along with daily notes that goes back and forth with reminders, and information for families and from families. The NCPreK program completed a modified Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R) on 4/7/22 and scored 6.16. Center Observations: Parent information for both classrooms was posted outside the classrooms. Activity plans were posted. The children in Room 151 are learning about fall and leaves. The children in Room 153 are studying fire fighters. Both groups were busy with indoor free play but also had two sessions of outdoor time. Centers were labeled and organized in each classroom, and children had easy access to materials. Teachers worked in small groups at the tables but maintained supervision. Outdoors a complex climber, swing set and teeter totter spring rocker provided opportunities for gross motor play. Centers were set up on the covered porch area for children to build, draw, play with sand, and play make believe. Lunch was hot dog on bun, green beans, peaches, and milk. Teachers reported that children who brought their lunches had Nutrition Opt-out forms in their files. Children ate in the classrooms. Lunch was social and relaxing. Teachers sat with children and modeled healthy eating habits and pleasant conversation. After lunch had more indoor and outdoor free play. Group times were short and included singing. Interactions were nurturing. Children’s individual needs were met. I observed and documented the following violation during today’s visit. Violation Number Comment Rule 106 Operator has not scheduled and obtained a fire inspection within 12 months of the previous inspection. Operator did not submit the original approved report to DCDEE within one week of the inspection visit on a form provided by the Division. The fire inspection completed on May 21, 2023 was not sent to the child care consultant within seven days of the inspection. The fire inspection was received on July 5, 2023. 10A NCAC 09 .0304(a) * Child care programs are expected to achieve and always maintain compliance and are required by NC GS 110-90(4)(d) to achieve and maintain an 18-month compliance history score of at least 75%. Any violations documented may impact the compliance history score. I completed an electronic copy of the visit summary and provided a printed copy of it to T. Nicewonger, NCPre-K Coordinator. We reviewed the visit summary and violation documented during today’s visit. It has been corrected so no further action is required except to ensure that fire inspections are completed and forwarded as required. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at (252) 373-9385, by e-mail at Marjorie.White@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also call Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, at (252) 373-4199 or Jennifer.Linhardt@dhhs.nc.gov. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH DOCUMENTED VIOLATION: Annual Fire Inspections – Annual fire inspections ensure that the building follows fire codes and that your fire detection and alarm systems are operating correctly in the event of a fire. The fire inspector completed a fire inspection on 5/21/2023; however, the fire inspection was not sent to me until 7/5/2023. Because the fire inspection is completed during the day, you stated you are not always aware when it occurs. Speak with the Assistant Principal who maintains school fire inspections and request that she put a copy in your box or forward the email with the attached fire inspection after they are completed. While fire inspections are only required annually, typically schools receive a fire inspection twice a year. *The assistant principal stated that a fire inspection is scheduled for Friday, 10/6/2023. She will forward it to T. Nicewonger when received. GENERAL VISIT INFORMATION: Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules (updated 7/1/23) and environmental health rules (updated 7/1/23) in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. Your local and regional Smart Start Partnerships and Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies are available to assist you with technical assistance and training on a multitude of topics including but not limited to: Environment Rating Scales, healthy behaviors and classroom management, developmentally appropriate practice, EPR plans, activity plans, NC Foundations for Early Learning (developmental domains), etc. *Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County: Phone - (252) 441-0614; website - www.darekids.org. CONSULTATION: Outdoor Play Equipment – Outdoor play equipment takes a beating from the sun and elements, especially with the salt air in a coastal environment. Inspecting play equipment and maintaining it keeps children safe. Rust corrodes metal and impacts the integrity of playground equipment. If a child is swinging on a swing set with rusty chains or swing hangers connecting at the top, these areas could break and cause children to injure themselves. The chains and swing hangers connecting the chains to the top of the swing set are rusted and need to be replaced. The chains have more of a smooth rust discoloration. A suggestion from Environmental Health is to sand and seal them. However, the swing hangers at the top, connecting the chains to the pivot point are severely rusted and flaking, impacting the integrity of the structure. The rust has become “bound” preventing the free to and fro motion of the swing and putting more pressure on the horizontal bar which is showing rust behind the connectors. Request maintenance to look at these connections and either repair or replace them. *Runoff from the roof impacts the mulch in front of the swings. Teachers stated that mulch was recently added but has washed away due to heavy rains last month. Look at the run-off and drainage issues to maintain mulch in the fall zones. Either fluff the mulch in front of the swings or replace it. REMINDERS: Staff Worksheets – We reviewed your staff worksheet. I highlighted items that were delinquent and items that are coming due in the next year. Criminal Background Checks (CBC) – Federal requirements require all staff who work in licensed afterschool or pre-k programs operated by public schools complete a DCDEE Criminal Background Check (CBC) before hire and then every five years. This includes administrators, teachers, teacher assistants, program coordinators, group leaders, assistant group leaders, substitutes, one-on-one assistants, therapists if therapy does not take place in the classroom, and bus drivers. Health and Safety Training and Five (5) Year Cycle Tracking Requirements – New NCPreK Teacher has almost completed H&S Training – needs Medication Administration and Transportation. New Rules on Teacher Assistant Education - All teacher assistants shall have a high school diploma or its equivalent and a CDA or AAS-ECE. All teacher assistants shall complete a minimum of 15 hours of annual in-service professional development. A combination of college coursework, Continuing Education Units (CEUs), or clock hours may be used to complete the requirements of this Rule. School Critical Incident Plan and Emergency Medical Care Plan (EMCP) - • Licensed DPI programs are not required to complete a separate Emergency Preparedness Plan if they follow the school’s Critical Incident Plan (or similar type of plan for emergency responses). They are expected to have documentation of monthly fire drills and quarterly emergency drills – shelter-in-place or lock-down). Fire drills must be completed for any month or partial month the Pre-K or ASEP is operating. A quarterly emergency drill must be completed each quarter (July – September; October – December, January – March; April – June). Activity Plans – Activity plans are essential to planning and preparing for children’s activities throughout the week and can make or break the flow of the classroom. Well-planned, intentional activities keep children engaged with less time for challenging behaviors. Date weekly activity plans and post where they are visible to parents. Include both free choice and teacher-directed activities, that allow children to choose to participate with the whole group, in a small group or independently. Listed activities must stimulate the following 5 developmental domains each day, as listed in the NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development book: social & emotional development (ESD), health & physical development (HPD), approaches to play and learning (APL), language development & communication (LDC), and cognitive development (CD). Plan for at least 4 activities daily, one of which must be a planned gross motor activity which may occur indoors or outdoors. The remaining 3 activities should occur in the following areas (art, books, blocks, manipulatives and dramatic play). In addition, plan for these 3 enrichment activities on at least a weekly basis: sand or water play; science and nature; and music and rhythm. Many teachers include these items daily also. To smoothly implement the daily activity plan, have materials and equipment available both inside and outside to support the activities listed. For more information on Activity Schedules and Plans, check out the NC Child Care Requirements 10A NCAC 09 .0508. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I shared information on the following topics and emailed the information to you after the visit: 1. Child Care Immunization Report – due 11/1/23 2. Mental Health First Aid Training for Administrators 3. Environmental Health Rules Update 4. Moodle Support Email and Phone Contact 5. New Challenging Behaviors Helpline! 6. Two New Lead Teacher Options - NC Early Childhood Credential (NCECC) Equivalency Exam and Child Development Associate (CDA) 7. NC Rated License Assessment Project (NCRLAP) Resources 8. NCID – Keep it active! TRANSITION BACK TO RATED LICENSE ASSESSMENTS AND COHORTS To transition back to rated license assessments, the Division has created a two-year Cohort Model. All facilities are assigned to one of three cohorts based on their current rated license assessment due date. Each cohort will have a year for preparation and a year for assessment. (However, you are encouraged to begin preparations now so that you are ready when your cohort group is due!) Your pre-k program out-of-school program is due for a three-year rated license reassessment by 4/7/25 and has been assigned to Cohort 3. The Cohort 3 Rated License Preparation Year is from 7/1/2025 – 6/30/2026. During your preparation year, if you are interested in having the Environment Rating Scales completed, review the ECERS-R by obtaining the manuals for each classroom and looking for assessment related resources at ncrlap.org. Request technical assistance and training for your staff from Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County. You can request and complete an ECERS-R during your preparation year. If your scores help you meet or exceed your current star rating and you are ready to move forward with your rated license assessment, you may choose to do so during your preparation year. Your preparation year is also the time to continue to work on staff education and ensure that Works accounts are completed and up to date for staff members. The Cohort 3 Rated License Assessment Year is from 7/1/2026 – 6/30/2027. During your assessment year you may choose to complete the ECERS-R again at no cost even if you completed them during your preparation year. Use the feedback from your preparation year scores to create a plan to improve your scores. During this year, all education needs to be posted in Works. At some point during that year, you will have your rated license assessed. Technical Assistance to Improve ECERS-R Scores – The website for the NC Rated License Assessment Project (NCRLAP), www.ncrlap.org , has a wealth of resources and training opportunities to help you intentionally prepare for your upcoming ECERS-R assessment. From the main webpage, you can access self-assessment tools to review each subscale in detail and determine how you can make improvements in each area. See “Thinking More About Space and Furnishing,” “Thinking More About Personal Care Routines,” “Thinking More About Language and Interactions,” “Thinking More About Activities,” and “Thinking More About Program Structure.” Taking the time to work through these activities with your staff and using that self-reflection to purchase materials, rearrange your classrooms, work on interactions, improve daily routines, etc. will help you improve your environment and your scores. Also check out the training options under the training tab. Trainings are both self-guided and live (virtual). You and your staff can earn training credit for participating in these trainings. In 2022, you completed a modified ECERS-R and scored lowest on Subscale 1 of the ECERS:R: Space and Furnishings. Look at the following and consider ways to improve your scores: Item #4 – Room arrangement for play – Centers considered to be “quiet” centers are art, books, and cozy area. These are centers where children tend to play quietly or relax. Blocks, dramatic play, and music encourage more conversation, even singing, and noise and are considered to be “active” centers. Even though space is always limited in a preschool classroom, do your best to place quiet centers away from active centers so children in quiet centers can play or relax undisturbed. Thank you for your time and assistance today. Refer to this visit summary for a refresher of our discussions today, and I encourage you to share with staff and use the information as a teaching tool. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call or email me at the contact information listed above. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times