Outside wear is hung up on hooks at the entrance of the Pre-K.
Boots or outside shoes are removed and placed under the bench.
Please buy shoes with Velcro or properly fitted slip on shoes
There is no need to buy expensive runners. Children MUST change their
shoes daily, even if the weather is nice. This establishes a routine as well as
protects our mats.
[Top]
It is very important that your child comes prepared to go outside, no matter
what the weather. It only takes one child without a raincoat or boots for the
entire class to miss the first snowfall or the great mud puddle search. NO
UMBRELLAS please. It is too easy to poke a friend's eye and difficult to hold on
to our walking rope safely when umbrellas are used. Hats are important on those
hot, sunny June days. Smocks are provided by the Pre-K and used when doing messy
art but that doesn't guarantee that your child will remain clean. Please dress
your child in clothes that will tolerate our messier activities.
[Top]
Children sometimes have toileting accidents, are sick or spill on themselves.
Please send a change of clothes that can remain at the pre-school in your
child's cubby. This includes socks, pants, a top and underwear. Please send
these items in a plastic bag that has been labelled with your child's name.
[Top]
Our goal is to have field trips that complement our themes. These field trips
are geared to the age group and we attempt to stay local. To ensure maximum care
for our children when we are off the school grounds, we ask that volunteers do
not bring siblings. We want all our attention focused on the pre-schoolers.
Drivers need to refer to the Field Trip Transportation information in Section
I of this handbook.
We have a set of vests that the children wear that ensures quick
identification as part of our group and makes it easy to spot a child who may
try to wander away. Field trips require permission slips and fees. One annual
Fee is required and a general permission slip signed by the parents. The fees
cover the cost of entry to some fieldtrips that require a fee.
The four year fieldtrips are more elaborate and therefore require a higher
fee. Examples of this is the cost of a bus at year end, in class visit by
Cinemazoo and entertainment for the Year End Farewell Party for four year old
children going into kindergarten.
Only the legal parent or legal guardian can sign permission slips.
(See definition of legal parent and/or legal guardian in Section III)
[Top]
Birthdays
Please send one cupcake or muffin (with a candle) on the day which is closest to
your child's birthday. The children are quite accepting of the fact that it's
the birthday child's special day but some parents prefer to send something for
all the children. Please see Mme. Viola before doing so, as we must make
provisions for allergies.
Parents who have children with allergies please come and check the Birthday cake
on the door for dates in your child's class. Parents who bring food in, please
let Mme Viola know ahead of time so she can warn parents who have children with
allergies. They would like to bring a substitute on that day for their child so
they are not left out.
Special days
Please note the days when your child needs to bring something from home, wear a
particular colour or bring something for a cooking project. The days will be
marked on your calendars.
Show and Tell
We ask that children bring items from home only when we request them to. We
provide many opportunities for each child to express their thoughts and
interests during circle. Bringing in toys from home often turns into a bragging
session rather than an exchange of information. An exception is if your child
has something unique that ties in with our monthly theme. In this case we will
pre-arrange a showing time with you. Please see Mme Viola.
Special Person
Each day, a different child is selected to be the "special person". He or she
gets to wear a special vest and is given jobs and privileges for the session. We
follow a class list to ensure that each child gets a turn. A special note is
sent home that day. This allows the teachers to focus on your child, make
observations about progress as well as to give your child recognition and one on
one time. The children seem to especially love this part of pre-school.
[Top]
Please have your children leave their toys at home or in the car. Bringing
their toys in discourages them from developing positive social skills at Pre-K.
Often they either play in their own little space by themselves or use the toy as
a control item to direct play. Children are very disappointed when their toy has
been lost or broken.
[Top]
All children entering Fatima Pre-K must be toilet trained. Accidents do
happen occasionally, so please be sure that your child has a spare set of
clothes to change into and to return a replacement set the next day.
Please note that for Public Health reasons, children experiencing diarrhea
must miss class until they have completely recuperated. Although we disinfect
when an accident occurs, germs from diarrhea are easily transmitted.
[Top]
Illness
A list of communicable diseases (including colds and diarrhea) is posted on the
wall by the sign in desk. It includes information on symptoms and length of
confinements from Pre-K. It is important for the health of the class that you
keep your child home for the first few days of a cold when the greatest amount
of sneezing, coughing and mucous discharge occurs.
Safety
We set up our play environment with safety in mind. The children are expected to
use their 'walking feet' inside. Please help us to enforce this rule especially
when you come to pick them up after class. They are often so excited to see you
that they forget to walk to you.
Please read our drop off and pick up policies handed to you either with your
newsletter or June designation letter.
Because of crowding at the door at drop-off and pick-up time please keep the
door closed at all times. Watch that your child stays with you and doesn't run
off without you. Please keep the number of caregivers picking up your child to a
minimal. We have 78 to 80 families enrolled in our program. It becomes difficult
to memorize all those faces and names. Think of the safety of your child and
help us ensure the ultimate security of our children.
There is always teacher supervision wherever the children are. Children are
accompanied to the bathroom either individually or when we go as a group. Both
teachers accompany the children when we play outside. We use a walking rope with
handles when we go for a walk and identification vests when we are on field
trips.
Playground rules are strictly enforced.
Both teachers have current first aid certification. If an accident does
occur, the parent is informed immediately or at pick up time, depending on the
severity.
Playground safety Policy:
The children’s designated play area has been outlined and approved by the
licensing officer to ensure the optimum safety of the children.
The designated play area includes have the playground area closest to the fire
lane. This area is defined with orange codes to help the children know their
play boundary.
The medical bag includes epipens and cell phone accompany at all times the
teachers and children when engaging any activity beyond the facility
Nutrition
Lunch kits or bags are placed on the shelf above the individual
cubbies. PLEASE do not use backpacks. They are clumsy for your child to handle
and take up a lot of space. They need to put their lunch kit under their chair
at snack time so they do not trip over them. Please label the lunch kit.
A plastic drinking cup (no lids/straws please) should be sent to school every
day unless otherwise specified on the calendar/newsletter. The cup is sent home
each day for washing. Some people prefer to send bottled water from home. If
this is the case, please send it in a drinking container with a built in straw.
Children tend to spill it if they have to open a container with a lid. Please
label the cup.
Snack Time
We have approximately 15 minutes to be seated, get our snacks out and eat. Part
of the goal at snack time is to foster independence, so please send a snack in a
container that your child can open easily by him/herself.
Besides socializing, snack time is an important opportunity to teach
nutrition. Please send foods that are healthy. We have many other occasions for
treats and sweets.
Some suggestions for
snacks
 | Bread Sticks Raw fruit |
| Cheese Rice cakes |
| Cheese and crackers Sandwich |
| Dried fruit Spreads and crackers |
| Muffins Veggies and dip |
[Top]
Very Important!
Peanuts, peanut butter or any foods containing peanut derivatives though very
nutritious are forbidden in children's snacks at pre-school. We always seem to
have at least one child who has air born anaphylactic reactions to peanuts and
its derivatives. To ensure that invisible peanut residue from your child's
breakfast is not coming into the Pre-K,please wash your child's hands before
coming to school even if they may seem clean.
Thank-you for your co-operation!!
Restricted Products
Please do not send the following:
| Cookies or pastries of any kind (including animal crackers, arrowroot/baby
cookies). To the children, if they look like a cookie - they are a cookie! |
| Pudding or jello cups |
| Granola bars with chocolate chips, marshmallows, dipped in chocolate |
| Candy/chocolate bars |
| Fruit roll ups, fun fruit, wrinkles, etc. |
| Potato chips, cheesies and all other snacks containing MSG and/or salt |
Please, no nuts of any kind, peanut butter or any products that may
contain nuts in their ingredients.
[Top]
All authorization and consent forms need to be signed by a parent or legal
guardian.
Definition Of
Legal Guardianship
The biological parents are usually the legal guardians. A legal guardian also
can be someone who has legal custody of the child such as a social worker, and
adoptive parent etc. The legal guardians can give another person the permission
to make educational, medical and other decisions for their child. Any other
unauthorized signatures will invalidate the consent and Our Lady of Fatima Pre-K
will not be held responsible for any of the consequences.
The legal guardian(s) need to fill in the consent forms available at Our Lady
of Fatima Pre-K. No other types of forms will be accepted. The consent forms
will stay in the child's file at the Pre-K.
[Top]
It is important that your child arrives on time.
The first 25 minutes of the session is free play. This is when your child will
be practicing his/her social skills (making friends, entering group situations),
decision making (where will I go, what activity will I choose) Your child will
continue to have these opportunities in the rest of the program, but his/her
choices will be more limited as the rest of the session is more structured. So,
please come on time so your child doesn't miss any of the fun.
[Top]
Signing In and Out
Parents must sign in their child when they drop them off and inform a teacher if
there are any changes to the pick up routine for their child. Please inform your
babysitter, grandparent, or a friend how to sign out.
The Sign In and Sign Out sheets provides us with a written record of daily
attendance and a list to take role call should there be an emergency. It is a
good time to check out the lost and found, bulletin board and volunteer sign up
sheets, as this is all located in the same area.
Release of your
child to an alternate sign out person
Please read the drop off and pick up policies usually attached to the June
designation letter or September newsletter. Come and see the supervisor if you
did not receive a copy.
Missing classes
If your child is sick please telephone the school and leave a message. This is
especially important if we are going on a field trip and are waiting for you. If
you will be away on a holiday, please send a note or tell us so that we can mark
our attendance sheets accordingly.
Pick up
The entrance doors to the Pre-K remained locked at all times and opened when
class is finished. If you need to pick up your child early, please let us know.
Please make sure you are on time. Children become anxious when they see their
peers all gone except them. We make every effort to end class on time. Sometimes
we can be about five minutes late especially with the 4-year olds who are
learning to dress up on their own. Please be patient with us.
If you have not arrived by 11:40 am, it is possible we will have left to go
to the school staff room for lunch. Your child will be seated in the sitting
area by the office with a book and will be checked on every few minutes by the
teachers. The 45 minutes between classes is used for lunch, evaluation,
parent/teacher conferences and prep time.
[Top]
Parking lot regulations are included at the back of this handbook. To ensure
the safety of the children, it is important that parents do not remove the chain
that blocks the lane by the pre-school. If the chain is down, please put it up
to prevent parents using this area.
We are aware that parking is very difficult, especially for parents with
babies. Unfortunately we have to work with what we have. There is also parking
available in the north parking lot of the church.
[Top]
Control of communicable diseases
Control of communicable diseases among the children is a prime concern. In order
to protect all children, we ask that parents assist us by keeping sick children
at home if they have experienced any of the following symptoms within the past
24 hours:
| Fever over 37.8C or 100F |
| Signs of newly developing cold or severe coughing |
| Diarrhea, vomiting or an upset stomach |
| Unusual or unexplained loss of appetite, fatigue, irritability or headache |
| Any discharge or drainage from eyes, ears, nose (excessive) or open sores. |
Children who become ill with any of these symptoms will be returned home. We
appreciate your co-operation with this policy.
Notice of
Communicable Disease
Should a child come down with chicken pox, measles or other
communicable diseases a note will be posted at the sign up desk wall. On the
bulletin board there is also a list of communicable diseases with its symptoms
and processes.
For cases of head-lice parents will be warned by a note sent home and
information about head-lice or a pamphlet will be pinned on the bulletin board in
the "Parent's Corner". Please let a teacher know as soon as possible if
your child comes down with something, so that we may pass on the information as
quickly as possible.
Doctor's Note
If your child has had a communicable disease or illness, a doctor's note may be
required before the child can return to class. Please phone Mme Viola if you
have questions.
[Top]
Emergency Procedures
We practice fire and earthquake drills with the children at various
times during the year. The children's earthquake kits and emergency numbers are
placed in a large container with wheels close to an exit. Your child will remain
at the school in an emergency until a parent or designated alternate pick up
person arrives. Emergency information forms will be sent home at the beginning
of the year for you to complete and return promptly.
Observers,
Visitors, Students and Volunteers in the Centre
All volunteers and students other than parents will be required to have a
Criminal Record check completed before they begin their services, practicums and
observations in the Pre-K. Observers and visitors will not be left in charge of
children at any time.
Changes or Modification
of Personal Information
Very important! Keep all information current.
Please be sure to send any changes of address, phone numbers, doctors, alternate
contacts, etc., in writing to the Pre-K.
Withdrawal
of Children from the Centre
Our centre is a non-profit organization that receives no funding other than
through tuition fees. We need advance notice of withdrawal so that we can fill
in the space. Parents must give Fatima Pre-K one (1) month's notice if a child
is to be withdrawn from the program. Such notice must be provided during the
last week of the month preceding the child's last full month of attendance. In
lieu of one month's notice, one month's fees must be paid. This may be
negotiable if we are able to fill your child's space immediately. Tuition fees
will not be refunded after the last day of April, as it is usually not possible
to fill in the vacated spot at this late date.
Forms are available from Mme Viola.
[Top]
The supervisor of Fatima Pre-K keeps care of all application and registration
forms for children entering the program. Any future transactions such as
bringing in school fees and other monetary transactions are dealt with the
secretary at the Our Lady of Fatima School office.
If you are withdrawing your child(ren) out of Fatima School please let the
Pre-K supervisor know if you are also withdrawing your child from the Pre-K. Our
Lady of Fatima School and Fatima Pre-K are two separate systems and are to be
treated as such.
[Top]
|
