terms and conditions

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PRÄAMBEL

DRAGONFLY is a private, English-language kindergarten in Klagenfurt, which with its variety, warmth and exceptional well-being ethos aims in a manner of speaking to “lend wings” to the children aged 3 to 6. This is the idea behind the educational concept of the kindergarten founder Mirjam Orasch. The kindergarten teacher Laura Kach is responsible for the educational management of the Kindergarten. The DRAGONFLY English Kindergarten is located on three floors at Villacher Straße 93 with a garden and plenty of space for exercise. The historic building was completely renovated in 2020/2021, and has been refurbished and equipped with affectionate details to make it child-friendly. All the furnishings and equipment are state-of-the-art and of the highest standard.

 

A maximum of three groups are offered, with up to 25 children per group. The educational team consists of native speakers and English-speaking personnel. Depending on the childcare package selected, the children receive a healthy snack up to three times a day, and a freshly-cooked and low-meat lunch prepared from regional organic products. This also means the parents no longer have to worry about providing their children with healthy snacks. For example, the bread is home-made, and the garden of the Kindergarten will contain not only play equipment, but also a chicken coop. Raised flowerbeds which the children can plant are also planned. The Kindergarten’s culinary concept also aims to familiarise the children with a wide variety of different flavours, so that they learn that healthy cooking can taste good.

 

At the DRAGONFLY English Kindergarten we convey Christian social values. Festivals such as St Nicholas, Christmas, Easter, birthdays and a summer festival are celebrated with a small performance by the children. At Christmas and the summer festival parents are invited to a joint celebration. Due to the international focus, we also look at Christmas from the perspectives of different countries and cultures.

 

The DRAGONFLY English Kindergarten features extended opening times from 6:30am to 5:30pm. If required, additional childcare hours from 5:30pm to 8:00pm are offered to parents, who will be able to book these separately.

 

An extensive range of activities is offered, involving music, experimenting and exploring, learning about different jobs, and a wide variety of sports and exercise. The DRAGONFLY children’s talents and potential will be encouraged, and we want to awaken their curiosity for many different subjects by means of different projects. As well as the varied activities, the educational concept of DRAGONFLY focuses on looking after the children with warmth and affection.

A | ADMISSION

  1. Admission to the DRAGONFLY English Kindergarten (also referred to below as simply “the Kindergarten”) takes place by means of written confirmation from the DRAGONFLY English Kindergarten and after the registration fee has been paid. Expressions of interest are accepted at any time. Admission takes place according to the availability of free places, and following a face-to-face conversation between the Kindergarten management and the child and their parents or legal guardians (also referred to below as “the parents”).
  1. The conditions of admission to the DRAGONFLY English Kindergarten are:
    • The child must be aged 3 or over.
    • The child’s physical and mental aptitude; if there are concerns about the child’s physical or mental aptitude for attending the Kindergarten, a professional assessment by a doctor or psychologist can be requested;
    • Written registration by the parent(s) or legal guardian(s);
    • The written undertaking by the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) to comply with the Kindergarten Rules;
    • Payment of the registration fee, by which the monthly fees according to the childcare package selected and the respective tariff in force are acknowledged.
  2. In a normal kindergarten year, the decision on admission to the DRAGONFLY English Kindergarten is taken in March; places which become free during the year can also be taken up, and DRAGONFLY English Kindergarten maintains a waiting list for this.
  3. Registration applies for the respective kindergarten year, which starts on 1 September and ends on 31 August the following year. Registrations for the current kindergarten year 2020/21 automatically also apply for the kindergarten year 2021/22. Otherwise the childcare contract is limited to the respective kindergarten year. However, children who already attend the DRAGONFLY English Kindergarten can continue to attend in accordance with the Kindergarten Rules in force and the applicable tariff until they reach compulsory school age. There is no legal entitlement to this. The requirement for written registration for the respective following kindergarten year remains unaffected by this.

B | OPENING TIMES

The DRAGONFLY English Kindergarten is normally open as follows, excluding public holidays:

Monday – Friday from 6:30am to 5:30pm

 

The DRAGONFLY English Kindergarten is closed:

  • on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays;
  • during the Christmas holidays from 24 December up to and including 6 January;
  • for one week during the summer holidays (last week of August).

The exact dates for each year will be announced in good time beforehand.

 

Parents must collect their child punctually within the time specified according to their chosen childcare package. The selected collection time can be exceeded in return for an additional charge and by advance notice in accordance with Point C 3.

 

To guarantee the orderly running of the Kindergarten, parents must bring their child to the Kindergarten by 9:00am at the latest. Later arrival can only take place in well-founded exceptional cases. If the child is going to be entirely absent, parents should notify the Kindergarten by 8:30am at the latest.

 

For children attending the Kindergarten in the obligatory final kindergarten year, there is legal compulsory attendance of 20 hours a week between 8:00am and 12:00 midday, Monday to Friday. The parents are responsible for meeting this legal requirement to attend the Kindergarten.

C | FEES & PAYMENT TERMS

    1. Childcare packages

The following childcare packages are offered at the respective applicable tariffs. They comprise the childcare times and meals below:

    • Childcare package “WITH LUNCH”

6:30am – 12:30pm

      • Includes healthy morning snack and lunch (organic, regional and low-meat)
      • The food is cooked specially for the Kindergarten. The children are offered still water and unsweetened tea to drink.
    • Childcare package “WITH SLEEP/REST”

6:30am – 3:00pm

      • Includes healthy morning snack, one afternoon snack and lunch (organic, regional and low-meat)
      • The food is cooked specially for the Kindergarten. The children are offered still water and unsweetened tea to drink.
    • Childcare package “FULL DAY”

6:30am – 5:30pm

      • Includes healthy morning snack, two afternoon snacks and lunch (organic, regional and low-meat)
      • The food is cooked specially for the Kindergarten. The children are offered still water and unsweetened tea to drink.

The selected childcare package applies for the whole of the kindergarten year. Switching between the individual childcare packages is only possible as an exception, and by agreement with the Kindergarten management. There is no legal entitlement to switch packages.

The monthly Kindergarten fee is payable 12 times a year, and must be settled by direct debit by the 5th of each month in advance (Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien AG, IBAN AT70 3200 0000 1325 2515, BIC RLNWATWW). The child’s absence does not affect the payment of the fee.

If the Kindergarten fee is not paid on time, the claim will be passed on to the collection service. Please note that arrears of payment can lead to the child being dismissed from the Kindergarten (see Point D 3.).

  1. Registration fee (one-off)

At the initial registration, a registration fee is payable in accordance with the respective applicable tariff. If the Kindergarten place is not taken up for reasons beyond the control of the Kindergarten operator, the registration fee will not be reimbursed.

  1. Additional hours/contribution to costs
    • If the child is collected later than 15 minutes after the agreed end of the childcare (according to the selected childcare package), an additional fee will be due in accordance with the respective applicable tariff.
    • Additional childcare hours not otherwise covered by the selected childcare package are possible between 12:30pm and 5:30pm by advance notification (at least 3 days in advance). The additional fee due will be in accordance with the respective applicable tariff.
    • Childcare is offered after 5:30pm to 8:00pm at the latest in the form of a childcare service, in return for an additional charge in accordance with the respective applicable tariff. This childcare service must be booked at least one week before being used; the booking is binding.
  1. Creativity fee

At the beginning of each kindergarten year, the parents or legal guardians are required to pay a creativity fee for the whole of the kindergarten year. This serves for flat-rate coverage of the following costs:

    • Craft materials for gifts the children take home (e.g. Christmas, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day)
    • Outings and events (e.g. bus costs, entry fees, etc.)
  1. Bank details

All payments should be made free of charges to the Kindergarten’s bank account at Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien AG, IBAN AT70 3200 0000 1325 2515, BIC RLNWATWW.

  1. Additional options

In consultation with the parents, voluntary additional options such as swimming lessons, skiing lessons, dancing lessons, etc. are offered by external providers. Participation in these options is voluntary, and the costs of these lessons are not included in the Kindergarten fee. If these options are used, they are payable separately on the basis of the contract concluded with the respective external provider. The options are offered and selected in consultation with the Kindergarten management and the parents.

  1. Funding

The parents are responsible for applying for individual funding. While being under no legal obligation to do so, the Kindergarten will provide parents with information about sources of funding and assist them in obtaining such funding. The Carinthian childcare benefit (Kärntner Kinderstipendium) will be requested by the Kindergarten. After approval, the approved amount will be deducted from the monthly kindergarten fee.

D | TERMINATION OF CONTRACT

  1. The child can be withdrawn from the Kindergarten (termination of the childcare contract) at the end of any month, giving two months’ notice. Notification of withdrawal must take place in writing and must be signed by the parent(s) or legal guardian(s), and sent to the Kindergarten management by post or by email to info@mydragonfly.at. Terminations which are not in accordance with the required notice period or date will become effective on the next proper termination date.
  1. Termination does not affect the monthly Kindergarten fee, even if attendance at the Kindergarten is discontinued before the expiry of the notice period.
  1. The Kindergarten can terminate the childcare contract for important reasons that are beyond its control. If immediate termination is not required for educational reasons or to ensure the orderly running of the Kindergarten, termination shall take place on the last day of the month. The following count as important reasons which entitle the Kindergarten to terminate the contract:
    • A mental or physical disability/impairment which raises the fear of a hazard for the other children, or if the child exhibits a mental or physical disability/impairment which raises the fear of a serious disruption to the educational work; this applies irrespective of the child’s aptitude for attending the Kindergarten being demonstrated during the initial registration;
    • Longer absences of more than one week or repeated absences three times without providing the reasons or without informing the Kindergarten management;
    • Arrears in making the payments resulting from the childcare contract despite a grace period of two weeks having been set;
    • Non-presentation of the professional assessment requested by the Kindergarten management in connection with the child’s aptitude for attending the Kindergarten;
    • Repeated, not merely minor, breaches of the provisions of these Kindergarten Rules by the parent(s) or legal guardian(s).

E | RULES OF ATTENDANCE

    1. The child must attend the Kindergarten regularly. The parent(s) or legal guardian(s) must ensure that the child is handed over punctually and collected again by authorised persons at the specified times and according to the selected childcare package. The child must always be handed over personally to a member of the childcare staff, and must be collected by the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) or by at most three other persons named by the parent(s) or legal guardian(s). The Kindergarten must be informed of these at the start of each kindergarten year in writing, stating their name, address and relationship to the child or function (e.g. au pair).
    1. The management of the Kindergarten must be notified of any illness of the child or other absence as soon as possible. The child must not attend the Kindergarten if they are ill. After infectious diseases, a medical certificate stating that the child can attend the Kindergarten again must be presented before the child may resume attendance at the Kindergarten.
    1. If there are concerns about the child’s physical or mental aptitude for attending the Kindergarten, the presentation of medical certificates can be requested; this applies irrespective of the child’s aptitude for attending the Kindergarten being demonstrated during the initial registration.
    2. The parents or legal guardians issue their consent to the data they have provided being used, stored and otherwise processed free of charge in accordance with the legal data protection regulations. They further issue their consent to the DRAGONFLY English Kindergarten publishing photos of children on its website, in its annual report and during any media reporting. The consent to the publication of photos can be revoked at any time without stating the reasons.
    1. For attending the Kindergarten the child requires:
    2. A pair of slippers with non-slip soles. Each slipper must be marked with the child’s name in a clearly legible form.
    3. Spare clothes (underpants/knickers, tights, T-shirt, jumper and trousers) labelled with the child’s name.
    4. Clothing suitable for the time of year, in particular
      1. in winter a ski suit including a hood, scarf and gloves
      2. in summer a towel, sun cream and swimming trunks/swimsuit
      3. in spring and autumn waterproof trousers or a waterproof all-in-one, including wellingtons
    5. A pillow, duvet and cuddly toy for their midday rest

    All personal items and clothes must be clearly provided with the child’s name.

    1. A child’s birthday is celebrated at the Kindergarten in consultation with the parents. The DRAGONFLY English Kindergarten will provide a birthday cake free of charge. Further details can be agreed between the parents and the group manager in good time before the child’s birthday.
    1. Up-to-date information and important communications are sent by email to the email addresses the parents or legal guardians provided during the initial registration. The parents or legal guardians are responsible for monitoring their email inbox. Changes to the contact details/email address must be notified immediately to the Kindergarten management at info@mydragonfly.at.
    1. Changes to the personal details of the child or of the parents or legal guardians must be notified to the Kindergarten immediately in writing.
    2. In general, no medication is administered at the Kindergarten. However, if a child requires vital medication, this can be administered if the Kindergarten is provided with their prescription medication including the dosage instructions. Completion of a declaration of consent is necessary for this. Forms are available in the office. The parents or legal guardians must inform the respective group of any allergies, illnesses, etc. as soon as possible after they become aware of them.

    The parents or legal guardians agree to the administration of iodine tablets in the event of a nuclear accident; and to the administration of NUREFLEX as needed if the child develops an acute fever.