EC Handbook
Preschool Handbook
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY STATEMENT
There will be physical activities that are athletic in nature taking place both indoors and outdoors. They include but are not limited to running, jumping, bike riding and riding cars in the playground. Children will participate in gross motor activities for at least 40 minutes twice a day.
HOURS OF OPERATION
School is open from 8:00AM to 3:45PM Monday through Thursday and 8:00AM to 1:45PM on Friday.
DISCIPLINE POLICY
Child(ren) shall not be subjected to discipline which is severe, humiliating, or frightening.
• Discipline shall not be associated with food, rest, or toileting.
• Spanking or any other form of physical punishment is prohibited.
SECURITY
For your child’s safety, all doors to the preschool will be locked during school hours. There will be a security guard on site screening all visitors and patrolling the property.
HEALTH
Our primary consideration is for the well-being of all students and staff. In order to keep everyone safe and healthy, please: Keep your child home if he or she has: • acute diarrhea, characterized as twice the child's usual frequency of bowel movements with a change to a looser consistency within a period of 24 hours • more than one episode of vomiting within a period of 24 hours • elevated temperature over 100.5 F within 24 hours • red eyes with a discharge –often a sign of conjunctivitis (“pink eye”), and highly contagious. When these symptoms accompany a non-contagious condition, we must have a doctor’s note. • skin rash, excluding diaper rash, lasting more than one day • runny nose with green mucus • began an antibiotic for a contagious condition less than 24 hours ago Please call school when your child is absent due to illness. If your child becomes ill in school, we will call you. The school reserves the right to determine if a child is well enough to be in school.
CHILD GUIDANCE POLICY
A positive interaction between staff and child is the guiding philosophy at The Jewish Academy Preschool. The staff at The Jewish Academy will always treat each child with courtesy and respect. The staff will provide children with opportunities to develop age-appropriate social competence skills, develop ways of expression of emotions, and self-help skills. Staff will encourage children’s efforts, work and accomplishments, offering opportunities to make choices and decisions. At no time will children be reprimanded through any type of negative punishment, confinement or restraint, such as: threats, humiliation, physical or verbal abuse, neglect, spanking, confining to an object (a swing, high chair, crib, play area, or any other piece of equipment) in lieu of supervision. There will be no type of physical punishment. The Jewish Academy does not suspend children from program as a form of punishment. Children at The Jewish Academy will never be deprived of outdoor time, or denied food as a method of punishment. There will be no forced feeding, and there will also be no punishment for problems regarding soiling, wetting or not using the toilet.
MEDICAL FORMS
Please help us keep your child’s emergency form up to date by informing us in writing of any changes, including emergency contact information, medical vaccine exemptions, and especially telephone numbers. Some children in care might not have complete immunizations due to medical or religious exemptions. It is TJA policy that no child be allowed to attend preschool without first bringing in all medical forms (blue & yellow). There will be no exceptions to this policy. Should a child be brought in without the proper forms he or she will be sent home immediately until the forms are submitted.
REPORTING SUSPECTED ABUSE OR NEGLECT
All staff members are required by law to report suspected incidents of child abuse and neglect. Abuse and neglect allegations are reported to the Central Abuse Hotline at 1 800 962 2873. If a parent suspects child abuse or neglect by a staff member, please notify the director immediately. Parents may also contact the child abuse hotline directly.
EC 3 REQUIREMENT
All students in Early Childhood 3 class must be potty-trained in order to enter the class. Children who are not yet potty-trained may be asked to de-enroll or stay home until trained.
NON DISCRIMINATION/ INCLUSION POLICY
The Jewish Academy Preschool values and supports the rights of all children, regardless of ethnicity, religion, national origin, and diverse abilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that programs make reasonable accommodations for children with disabilities and/ or chronic illness. The Jewish Academy will consider each case individually and comply with the requirements of the ADA.
EMERGENCY POLICIES
Evacuation drills are performed and recorded monthly, following ELC regulations. In the event of an emergency the following measures will be taken:
➢ 911 will be called;
➢ Attendance will be taken before evacuation and immediately after evacuation;
➢ Under no circumstances will any child be left without a caregiver’s presence;
➢ In the event of a medical emergency, an authorized staff person will call 911 before contacting the parents;
➢ Parents are required to provide us with cellular phone numbers;
➢ Every effort will be made to reach parents before emergency contacts are activated;
➢ In case of evacuation parents will be notified of the location of the children.
➢ Please read the following Emergency Evacuation Contingencies Plan carefully