Parent Handbook
Table of Contents
Introduction
Program Description
Structure
California Licensing
Hours of Operation
General Program Information
Birthdays
Clothing
Cubbies
Transition Times
Child Assessments
Ages and Stages Questionnaire
Kindergarten Readiness
Health, Safety and Nutrition
Illness & Medication
Vision & Hearing Screening
Allergies
Daily Sign In
Child Release
Emergency Procedures
Child Abuse
Nutrition
Enrollment Policies
Admission
Immunizations
Attendance
Late Pick Up
Discipline Policies
General
Biting
Family Involvement
Communication
Family and Child Information
Family Participation
Special Programs
Parent Disputes
Parent Library
Forms
Admission Agreement (Copy)
Medication Authorization Form (Copy)
Parent Handbook Agreement
Signature Page
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Introduction
Program Description
The Rosebud Preschool of the Presbyterian Church of the Roses welcomes all children regardless of race, creed or national origin. Our purpose is to provide a caring, nurturing and safe place for children between the ages of two years until kindergarten. Our multi-age classroom provides your child with unique learning opportunities. Emphasis is on enjoying the environment, indoors and outdoors, by exploring a variety of activities within the limits established by the teaching staff. Planned experiences enable the children to grow emotionally, socially, intellectually, physically and spiritually using their natural abilities, interests and temperaments to develop positive feelings about themselves and their world.
Structure
We are a privately owned outreach program of the Presbyterian Church of the Roses (PCOR). The PCOR School Board oversees the operation of Rosebud Preschool.
California Licensing
The preschool is licensed for children ages two years until kindergarten. Rosebud Preschool has been licensed by the State California since September 2004. We are in compliance with the Regulations of Title 22. Please feel free to contact Community Care Licensing, Social Services Dept., 101 Golf Course Drive, Suite A230, Rohnert Park, CA 94928-1718, (707) 588-5026, if you have any questions about our school. You can also obtain more information about childcare licensing at http://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/Child-Care-Licensing.
Hours of Operation
The preschool is open year-round, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. There are three program options. There is a morning enrichment program from 9:00 AM to 12 Noon and extended morning program from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. In addition, there is a full day program from 8 AM until 4:30 PM.
General Program Information
Birthdays
These are special days at Rosebud. Parents may bring a special treat to celebrate the occasion. Please talk to a teacher in advance so we can give you an accurate child count for the day. We celebrate by reading a special Rosebud birthday card to the child and the whole class gathers to sing.
Clothing
We encourage you to send your child in sturdy, washable clothes because we will be painting, enjoying messy projects and playing hard outside. Please label all clothes with your child’s name. Between the number of children attending and similar looking clothing, it can be difficult to determine ownership.
Cubbies
Your child will have a cubby to keep their belongings in during the day. Please check the cubby at the end of each day. We use the cubbies as a means of communication with families and you will find newsletters and other notes as well as your child’s work. A small plastic container holds an extra change of clothes including socks, underwear, pants and a shirt. Please exchange these clothes as the weather changes and your child changes size. If your child is in diapers or toilet training, they will have additional storage in the bathroom to hold diapers and pull-ups.
Transition Times
Some children (and all children on some days) may feel insecure about coming to preschool. A positive, matter-of-fact attitude from the parents can help ease fears. The teachers are available to help with the transition into the classroom. Please talk with one of them if you need assistance at any time or want to talk about a plan to help with your child’s transitions. We have a lot of experience and ideas about what might help.
At the end of the day, please allow your child a few minutes to finish what they are doing and separate from friends. Establishing a routine for departure is as important as the morning routine.
Child Assessments
Ages and Stages Questionnaire
At the beginning of each year, we send home a questionnaire that helps us obtain information about your child’s skills in communication, physical ability, problem-solving and social areas. The ASQ-3 helps identify your child’s strengths as well as any areas where your child may need support. If the score is above the cutoff point for their age, we will take no further action. If the score is close to cutoff, we will send home learning activities in that area for your child’s developmental age and rescreen in six months. If the score is below cutoff or you have indicated you have developmental concerns, we will contact you to set up a conference.
Kindergarten Readiness
The Pre-K teacher does an assessment of the four-year old’s at the beginning of the year. This helps guide our pre-K curriculum choices. The children are reassessed in the spring to help determine the effectiveness of curriculum and to look for areas to focus on for the remainder of the child’s time at Rosebud. We share these results as part of a portfolio given to the parents at the end of the year.
Health, Safety and Nutrition
Illness and Medication
The staff will dispense medication only with written consent by the parent. All medications must be clearly labeled with the child’s name and, if a prescribed medication, have use instructions from the doctor. This includes diaper cream and sunscreen. It is the parent’s responsibility to apply sunscreen in the morning and we can reapply in the afternoon.
Parents are responsible for keeping a child home when there is any doubt about a child’s health. A child that does not feel well enough to participate comfortably in the day’s activities needs to remain at home. Please keep children at home if they have: a contagious infection, a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, heavy continuous nasal discharge or a constant cough. A child must be free from all symptoms for 24 hours before returning to the program.
Every child must have a current Consent for Medical/Dental Treatment form (LIC 627) on file in case of emergencies.
Vision and Hearing Screening
The Sonoma County Assistance League will come to the center and offer vision and hearing screenings to all four- and five-year-old’s.
Allergies
Please make sure that the staff knows of any allergies that your child may have including food, insect, medication and animal allergies. We accommodate food allergies but may request that a family provide their child’s snack if we feel we cannot adequately protect the child.
Daily Sign in
Parents are required by law to sign their children in and out each day. We use an electronic check in system. Each person who drops off or picks up will need either an individual pin or access to a QR code App. If for some reason the electronic system is not working, we will revert to a paper sign in/out log. A full legal signature is required on the paper document. If a person from the authorization list picks up the child, photo identification may be required. If an alternate not on the authorization list needs to pick up the child, written notice will be given to the center at drop off.
Child Release
In addition to the normal sign in and out procedures, the director or staff member in charge may deny access to an adult whose behavior presents a risk to the children present in the facility and may deny access to noncustodial parents or guardians if so requested by the responsible parent.
If the parent or person authorized by the parent appears to be physically and/or emotionally impaired to the extent that, in the judgment of the director and/or staff member, the child would be placed at risk of harm if released to such an individual, the center will ensure that:
• The child is not released to such an impaired individual.
• Staff members attempt to contact the child’s other parent, or an alternative person authorized by the parent.
• Staff members offer alternatives that will ensure the child goes home safely.
• If alternative arrangements are not possible, a staff member will contact the police or other authorities to ensure the safety of the child, staff and other persons involved.
Emergency Procedures
Rosebud has an emergency plan that will go into effect in the event of an emergency or disaster. Your child will be cared for until you are able to pick him/her up.
If the building must be evacuated, you will be notified of the new location. The Church of the Roses main building and the Boys and Girls Club are our designated alternative sites. If these locations are not available because of a widespread emergency, we will proceed to a county designated emergency site and notify you of our location.
Child Abuse
As early childhood professionals, we are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse.
Nutrition
The preschool provides the mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. A snack calendar is posted monthly. Any changes are added to the calendar. Children who participate in the extended morning and full day programs bring lunches from home. Please keep lunches simple so that the children can help themselves. Food needs to be ready to eat. We work with the children to ensure they eat a balanced selection of foods and ask them to eat their healthy choices before any treats.
We include health and nutrition as part of our curriculum. We garden with the children and eat the food we grow as well as the apples from our trees. We also use materials from choosemyplate.gov as a resource to introduce the concepts of food groups and proportions.
Enrollment Policies
Admission Policies
Students may enroll at any time through the year, provided space is available. When an opening becomes available, families on the wait list will be notified according to the date of application with priority given to current children and their siblings and then alumni families. We reserve the right to offer available spaces based on the needs of the school including morning only versus full day spots, balance between boys and girls, balance between older and younger children, and/or to maintain diversity in our classrooms.
Pre-Admission Requirements:
* Signed and dated copy of the Admissions Agreement
* Signed and dated Parent Handbook and addendums
* Completed registration form
* Additional Contact Information form
* Completed Family and Child Information questionnaire
State forms:
In addition, the following state licensing forms must be completed and on file:
* Notification of Parent’s Rights (LIC 995)
* Personal Rights (LIC 613A)
* Identification and Emergency Information (LIC 700)
* Consent for Emergency Medical Treatment (LIC 627)
* Child’s Preadmission Health History (LIC 702)
* Physician’s Report (LIC 701)
* Up to date immunization record
Immunizations
California School Immunization Law requires that children receive a series of immunizations before entry to schools, childcare centers, or family childcare homes. The following immunizations are required for preschool age children:
• 3 Polio
• 4 DTaP
• 3 Hep B
• 1 MMR, on or after the first birthday
• 1 Hib, on or after the first birthday
• 1 Varicella (chickenpox)
The law no longer allows parents/guardians to choose exemption from immunization requirements based on personal beliefs.
Only a licensed Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) may provide a medical exemption. Please see the director with any questions.
Attendance
Children may attend only on those days and for those hours that they are enrolled. Rescheduling and exceptions may be arranged with the director in advance.
Late Pick Up
The morning enrichment program ends promptly at 12:00 pm. The extended morning program ends promptly at 1:00PM. Children must be picked up by these times or a late fee will be charged. There is an additional late charge if pick up is more than 15 minutes beyond the scheduled time. Full day children need to be picked up promptly by 4:30 p.m. After 4:30, you will owe $1.00 per minute per child. You will be billed, and the money will go directly to the closing staff. This policy must be enforced to allow the teachers to complete their closing responsibilities before they leave.
Discipline Policies
General Policies
Limits are established to assure the safety and well-being of all children and inappropriate behaviors are redirected in a positive way.
Disruptive behavior is normal at certain stages of development. Teachers understand this and will take responsibility for stopping unacceptable behavior until children are able to do so for themselves.
It is clearly understood that corporal punishment is a violation of personal rights and will not be administered under any circumstances.
Biting Policy
We want to insure that each child is safe while in our care. While it is upsetting, biting is not unexpected when children are in groups. Toddlers, in particular, are prone to bite for many reasons. They may bite out of frustration, when they are teething or when they are not feeling well. Sometimes they bite when experiencing strong emotions – even happy ones. No one can predict which children will bite, but we are ready to help those who do learn other behavior.
Rosebud’s biting policy addresses the way we work to prevent biting and how we respond to it when it does happen.
First, we try to offer a calm and cheerful environment that offers a variety of activities (both stimulating and soothing). We provide multiples of toys so that favorites are readily available. We model appropriate behavior and work with the children to teach them to use words to express their feelings. We foster conflict resolution skills and help the children learn to communicate their needs.
Second, if a bite does occur, we help the child who was bitten. The wound is washed and ice is applied if the child agrees. We help the child calm down and reenter play when they are ready. If your child is bitten, you will receive an incident report and a teacher will talk with you when you come to pick up your child. We also respond to the child who did the biting. We tell the children that biting is not acceptable. Our exact response will vary based on circumstances including the age of the child, but message will always be that biting is not okay. We help the child learn appropriate behaviors. The parents of the child that bit will also receive an incident report. Confidentiality of all children will be maintained. If your child is biting at home, please let us know so that we can be consistent in dealing with it.
Third, the teachers and director will look closely at the context of the biting incident for patterns to prevent further biting behavior. If the child bites again, the teachers will develop an action plan designed to address the possible causes. The plan will focus on keeping all the children safe. The details of the plan will be shared with the parents of the child who is biting. The plan may include “shadowing” the child who is biting, creating smaller groups to decrease noise or activity levels or having additional staff present during transition times.
We will make every effort to make the program work for the biting child. We will try to end the behavior quickly while balancing our commitment to both family of the biting child and the other families. Toddler action plans will generally last longer than for preschool age children. If the action plan does not resolve the problem, the parents will be asked to withdraw their child from the program.
Family Involvement
Communication
We believe that a good working relationship between the teachers and parents is an important part of each child’s experience at Rosebud. Parents are invited to visit the Center any time during its operation. Please let us know if you have questions about your child’s day or would like more information about what is happening in the classrooms. If it is during a transition time, we can give a short answer right then or schedule a time when we can sit down and talk in depth. A parent – teacher conference can be requested at any time during the year by the parent or teacher. We also schedule conferences with the parents of any child who is part of our DRDP assessments. Parents are encouraged to read the current newsletters (emailed and available on the Rosebud website) and the class bulletin boards. Lesson plans for both the Pre-K class and the main classroom are posted bi-weekly with information about each day’s activities. A monthly snack schedule is also posted. A parent bulletin board is available for parents to post information they want to share with other families.
Family and Child Information
When your child starts in our program, we send home a form to gather information about your child and family. This is one way to make sure your child feels comfortable at school. If anything changes throughout the year, please let us know so that we can support your child and family during their time at Rosebud.
Family Participation
While we do not have a formal volunteer program, families are welcome to help in the classroom and at events. The children enjoy having a parent spend time reading to them even if just at drop off. We encourage parents to share special skills or knowledge with the children. If you are interested in regularly volunteering, please talk to the director as we have state regulations that we must follow.
Special Programs
We have several annual events. The Fall Festival is held the Saturday prior to Halloween and an Easter Egg Hunt the Saturday prior to Easter. These are open to family and friends. In addition, we hold other community building events throughout the year such as a Holiday Craft night, Parent Education nights, and a Pre-K End of Year Celebration for families moving on to TK/Kindergarten. In conjunction with the Presbyterian Church of the Roses, we offer free Parent’s Night Out events to our families where the preschool children and siblings are cared for by school staff and church members.
Parent Disputes
Resolution may be pursued first through the Director, the School Board, and finally, the Community Care Licensing Agency.
Parent Library
A selection of books is available for check out in the entrance area bookcase. The subjects range from child development and parenting to arts and crafts. If you know of a book you would like added to our library, please let the director know.
Introduction
Program Description
Structure
California Licensing
Hours of Operation
General Program Information
Birthdays
Clothing
Cubbies
Transition Times
Child Assessments
Ages and Stages Questionnaire
Kindergarten Readiness
Health, Safety and Nutrition
Illness & Medication
Vision & Hearing Screening
Allergies
Daily Sign In
Child Release
Emergency Procedures
Child Abuse
Nutrition
Enrollment Policies
Admission
Immunizations
Attendance
Late Pick Up
Discipline Policies
General
Biting
Family Involvement
Communication
Family and Child Information
Family Participation
Special Programs
Parent Disputes
Parent Library
Forms
Admission Agreement (Copy)
Medication Authorization Form (Copy)
Parent Handbook Agreement
Signature Page
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Introduction
Program Description
The Rosebud Preschool of the Presbyterian Church of the Roses welcomes all children regardless of race, creed or national origin. Our purpose is to provide a caring, nurturing and safe place for children between the ages of two years until kindergarten. Our multi-age classroom provides your child with unique learning opportunities. Emphasis is on enjoying the environment, indoors and outdoors, by exploring a variety of activities within the limits established by the teaching staff. Planned experiences enable the children to grow emotionally, socially, intellectually, physically and spiritually using their natural abilities, interests and temperaments to develop positive feelings about themselves and their world.
Structure
We are a privately owned outreach program of the Presbyterian Church of the Roses (PCOR). The PCOR School Board oversees the operation of Rosebud Preschool.
California Licensing
The preschool is licensed for children ages two years until kindergarten. Rosebud Preschool has been licensed by the State California since September 2004. We are in compliance with the Regulations of Title 22. Please feel free to contact Community Care Licensing, Social Services Dept., 101 Golf Course Drive, Suite A230, Rohnert Park, CA 94928-1718, (707) 588-5026, if you have any questions about our school. You can also obtain more information about childcare licensing at http://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/Child-Care-Licensing.
Hours of Operation
The preschool is open year-round, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. There are three program options. There is a morning enrichment program from 9:00 AM to 12 Noon and extended morning program from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. In addition, there is a full day program from 8 AM until 4:30 PM.
General Program Information
Birthdays
These are special days at Rosebud. Parents may bring a special treat to celebrate the occasion. Please talk to a teacher in advance so we can give you an accurate child count for the day. We celebrate by reading a special Rosebud birthday card to the child and the whole class gathers to sing.
Clothing
We encourage you to send your child in sturdy, washable clothes because we will be painting, enjoying messy projects and playing hard outside. Please label all clothes with your child’s name. Between the number of children attending and similar looking clothing, it can be difficult to determine ownership.
Cubbies
Your child will have a cubby to keep their belongings in during the day. Please check the cubby at the end of each day. We use the cubbies as a means of communication with families and you will find newsletters and other notes as well as your child’s work. A small plastic container holds an extra change of clothes including socks, underwear, pants and a shirt. Please exchange these clothes as the weather changes and your child changes size. If your child is in diapers or toilet training, they will have additional storage in the bathroom to hold diapers and pull-ups.
Transition Times
Some children (and all children on some days) may feel insecure about coming to preschool. A positive, matter-of-fact attitude from the parents can help ease fears. The teachers are available to help with the transition into the classroom. Please talk with one of them if you need assistance at any time or want to talk about a plan to help with your child’s transitions. We have a lot of experience and ideas about what might help.
At the end of the day, please allow your child a few minutes to finish what they are doing and separate from friends. Establishing a routine for departure is as important as the morning routine.
Child Assessments
Ages and Stages Questionnaire
At the beginning of each year, we send home a questionnaire that helps us obtain information about your child’s skills in communication, physical ability, problem-solving and social areas. The ASQ-3 helps identify your child’s strengths as well as any areas where your child may need support. If the score is above the cutoff point for their age, we will take no further action. If the score is close to cutoff, we will send home learning activities in that area for your child’s developmental age and rescreen in six months. If the score is below cutoff or you have indicated you have developmental concerns, we will contact you to set up a conference.
Kindergarten Readiness
The Pre-K teacher does an assessment of the four-year old’s at the beginning of the year. This helps guide our pre-K curriculum choices. The children are reassessed in the spring to help determine the effectiveness of curriculum and to look for areas to focus on for the remainder of the child’s time at Rosebud. We share these results as part of a portfolio given to the parents at the end of the year.
Health, Safety and Nutrition
Illness and Medication
The staff will dispense medication only with written consent by the parent. All medications must be clearly labeled with the child’s name and, if a prescribed medication, have use instructions from the doctor. This includes diaper cream and sunscreen. It is the parent’s responsibility to apply sunscreen in the morning and we can reapply in the afternoon.
Parents are responsible for keeping a child home when there is any doubt about a child’s health. A child that does not feel well enough to participate comfortably in the day’s activities needs to remain at home. Please keep children at home if they have: a contagious infection, a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, heavy continuous nasal discharge or a constant cough. A child must be free from all symptoms for 24 hours before returning to the program.
Every child must have a current Consent for Medical/Dental Treatment form (LIC 627) on file in case of emergencies.
Vision and Hearing Screening
The Sonoma County Assistance League will come to the center and offer vision and hearing screenings to all four- and five-year-old’s.
Allergies
Please make sure that the staff knows of any allergies that your child may have including food, insect, medication and animal allergies. We accommodate food allergies but may request that a family provide their child’s snack if we feel we cannot adequately protect the child.
Daily Sign in
Parents are required by law to sign their children in and out each day. We use an electronic check in system. Each person who drops off or picks up will need either an individual pin or access to a QR code App. If for some reason the electronic system is not working, we will revert to a paper sign in/out log. A full legal signature is required on the paper document. If a person from the authorization list picks up the child, photo identification may be required. If an alternate not on the authorization list needs to pick up the child, written notice will be given to the center at drop off.
Child Release
In addition to the normal sign in and out procedures, the director or staff member in charge may deny access to an adult whose behavior presents a risk to the children present in the facility and may deny access to noncustodial parents or guardians if so requested by the responsible parent.
If the parent or person authorized by the parent appears to be physically and/or emotionally impaired to the extent that, in the judgment of the director and/or staff member, the child would be placed at risk of harm if released to such an individual, the center will ensure that:
• The child is not released to such an impaired individual.
• Staff members attempt to contact the child’s other parent, or an alternative person authorized by the parent.
• Staff members offer alternatives that will ensure the child goes home safely.
• If alternative arrangements are not possible, a staff member will contact the police or other authorities to ensure the safety of the child, staff and other persons involved.
Emergency Procedures
Rosebud has an emergency plan that will go into effect in the event of an emergency or disaster. Your child will be cared for until you are able to pick him/her up.
If the building must be evacuated, you will be notified of the new location. The Church of the Roses main building and the Boys and Girls Club are our designated alternative sites. If these locations are not available because of a widespread emergency, we will proceed to a county designated emergency site and notify you of our location.
Child Abuse
As early childhood professionals, we are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse.
Nutrition
The preschool provides the mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. A snack calendar is posted monthly. Any changes are added to the calendar. Children who participate in the extended morning and full day programs bring lunches from home. Please keep lunches simple so that the children can help themselves. Food needs to be ready to eat. We work with the children to ensure they eat a balanced selection of foods and ask them to eat their healthy choices before any treats.
We include health and nutrition as part of our curriculum. We garden with the children and eat the food we grow as well as the apples from our trees. We also use materials from choosemyplate.gov as a resource to introduce the concepts of food groups and proportions.
Enrollment Policies
Admission Policies
Students may enroll at any time through the year, provided space is available. When an opening becomes available, families on the wait list will be notified according to the date of application with priority given to current children and their siblings and then alumni families. We reserve the right to offer available spaces based on the needs of the school including morning only versus full day spots, balance between boys and girls, balance between older and younger children, and/or to maintain diversity in our classrooms.
Pre-Admission Requirements:
* Signed and dated copy of the Admissions Agreement
* Signed and dated Parent Handbook and addendums
* Completed registration form
* Additional Contact Information form
* Completed Family and Child Information questionnaire
State forms:
In addition, the following state licensing forms must be completed and on file:
* Notification of Parent’s Rights (LIC 995)
* Personal Rights (LIC 613A)
* Identification and Emergency Information (LIC 700)
* Consent for Emergency Medical Treatment (LIC 627)
* Child’s Preadmission Health History (LIC 702)
* Physician’s Report (LIC 701)
* Up to date immunization record
Immunizations
California School Immunization Law requires that children receive a series of immunizations before entry to schools, childcare centers, or family childcare homes. The following immunizations are required for preschool age children:
• 3 Polio
• 4 DTaP
• 3 Hep B
• 1 MMR, on or after the first birthday
• 1 Hib, on or after the first birthday
• 1 Varicella (chickenpox)
The law no longer allows parents/guardians to choose exemption from immunization requirements based on personal beliefs.
Only a licensed Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) may provide a medical exemption. Please see the director with any questions.
Attendance
Children may attend only on those days and for those hours that they are enrolled. Rescheduling and exceptions may be arranged with the director in advance.
Late Pick Up
The morning enrichment program ends promptly at 12:00 pm. The extended morning program ends promptly at 1:00PM. Children must be picked up by these times or a late fee will be charged. There is an additional late charge if pick up is more than 15 minutes beyond the scheduled time. Full day children need to be picked up promptly by 4:30 p.m. After 4:30, you will owe $1.00 per minute per child. You will be billed, and the money will go directly to the closing staff. This policy must be enforced to allow the teachers to complete their closing responsibilities before they leave.
Discipline Policies
General Policies
Limits are established to assure the safety and well-being of all children and inappropriate behaviors are redirected in a positive way.
Disruptive behavior is normal at certain stages of development. Teachers understand this and will take responsibility for stopping unacceptable behavior until children are able to do so for themselves.
It is clearly understood that corporal punishment is a violation of personal rights and will not be administered under any circumstances.
Biting Policy
We want to insure that each child is safe while in our care. While it is upsetting, biting is not unexpected when children are in groups. Toddlers, in particular, are prone to bite for many reasons. They may bite out of frustration, when they are teething or when they are not feeling well. Sometimes they bite when experiencing strong emotions – even happy ones. No one can predict which children will bite, but we are ready to help those who do learn other behavior.
Rosebud’s biting policy addresses the way we work to prevent biting and how we respond to it when it does happen.
First, we try to offer a calm and cheerful environment that offers a variety of activities (both stimulating and soothing). We provide multiples of toys so that favorites are readily available. We model appropriate behavior and work with the children to teach them to use words to express their feelings. We foster conflict resolution skills and help the children learn to communicate their needs.
Second, if a bite does occur, we help the child who was bitten. The wound is washed and ice is applied if the child agrees. We help the child calm down and reenter play when they are ready. If your child is bitten, you will receive an incident report and a teacher will talk with you when you come to pick up your child. We also respond to the child who did the biting. We tell the children that biting is not acceptable. Our exact response will vary based on circumstances including the age of the child, but message will always be that biting is not okay. We help the child learn appropriate behaviors. The parents of the child that bit will also receive an incident report. Confidentiality of all children will be maintained. If your child is biting at home, please let us know so that we can be consistent in dealing with it.
Third, the teachers and director will look closely at the context of the biting incident for patterns to prevent further biting behavior. If the child bites again, the teachers will develop an action plan designed to address the possible causes. The plan will focus on keeping all the children safe. The details of the plan will be shared with the parents of the child who is biting. The plan may include “shadowing” the child who is biting, creating smaller groups to decrease noise or activity levels or having additional staff present during transition times.
We will make every effort to make the program work for the biting child. We will try to end the behavior quickly while balancing our commitment to both family of the biting child and the other families. Toddler action plans will generally last longer than for preschool age children. If the action plan does not resolve the problem, the parents will be asked to withdraw their child from the program.
Family Involvement
Communication
We believe that a good working relationship between the teachers and parents is an important part of each child’s experience at Rosebud. Parents are invited to visit the Center any time during its operation. Please let us know if you have questions about your child’s day or would like more information about what is happening in the classrooms. If it is during a transition time, we can give a short answer right then or schedule a time when we can sit down and talk in depth. A parent – teacher conference can be requested at any time during the year by the parent or teacher. We also schedule conferences with the parents of any child who is part of our DRDP assessments. Parents are encouraged to read the current newsletters (emailed and available on the Rosebud website) and the class bulletin boards. Lesson plans for both the Pre-K class and the main classroom are posted bi-weekly with information about each day’s activities. A monthly snack schedule is also posted. A parent bulletin board is available for parents to post information they want to share with other families.
Family and Child Information
When your child starts in our program, we send home a form to gather information about your child and family. This is one way to make sure your child feels comfortable at school. If anything changes throughout the year, please let us know so that we can support your child and family during their time at Rosebud.
Family Participation
While we do not have a formal volunteer program, families are welcome to help in the classroom and at events. The children enjoy having a parent spend time reading to them even if just at drop off. We encourage parents to share special skills or knowledge with the children. If you are interested in regularly volunteering, please talk to the director as we have state regulations that we must follow.
Special Programs
We have several annual events. The Fall Festival is held the Saturday prior to Halloween and an Easter Egg Hunt the Saturday prior to Easter. These are open to family and friends. In addition, we hold other community building events throughout the year such as a Holiday Craft night, Parent Education nights, and a Pre-K End of Year Celebration for families moving on to TK/Kindergarten. In conjunction with the Presbyterian Church of the Roses, we offer free Parent’s Night Out events to our families where the preschool children and siblings are cared for by school staff and church members.
Parent Disputes
Resolution may be pursued first through the Director, the School Board, and finally, the Community Care Licensing Agency.
Parent Library
A selection of books is available for check out in the entrance area bookcase. The subjects range from child development and parenting to arts and crafts. If you know of a book you would like added to our library, please let the director know.
| parent__handbook_2021.docx |