Primary Parent Handbook

Contents

Simple Everyday Procedures

 Forms

 Communicating with the Staff

 - Concerns About Your Child

- Changes in Schedule/Driver

Health         

 - Illness

- Medications and/or Allergies

Being at School

- Beginning School

- Phasing In

- What to Bring         

- Clothing

- Arrival

- Lunch

- Sharing

- Discipline

- Holiday Celebrations

- What to Ask Your Child

 Parent Nights

Conferences

Observations

School Closures

Withdrawal

Simple Everyday Procedures

 Please call and notify the school any day your child is absent.

 The school must be notified of all car pool arrangements and must be notified in writing if anyone other than yourself or those on your Transportation Authorization form is to pick up your child from school.

 We ask that all drivers exercise extreme caution in our parking lot. Do not park in the fire lane and never allow children in your charge to cross the parking lot unattended.

 Please make every effort to be on time when dropping off or picking up your child. Tardiness is disruptive to the group, can be embarrassing to your child, and may cause him to miss an important part of the beginning of his day. Unless you have car trouble or are otherwise unavoidably detained, you should be punctual in picking up your child as well. A late pick-up is unsettling to your child and puts an unacceptable burden on staffing.

 Please do not allow your child to bring toys, blankets, gum, candy, cosmetics or money to school.

 Each class has its own way of recognizing a child’s birthday. Please contact your child’s teacher a week or so before the event to find out about it. A simple and nutritious special snack can be provided for the class on a child’s birthday but please do not send cake, cupcakes, birthday hats, napkins or favors. We also ask that you do not send birthday presents to school or ask us to distribute party invitations.

 Please do not ask us to keep your child inside during play periods. If your child is well enough to attend school and is appropriately dressed, he should be well enough to go outside as well.

 Forms

In addition to the application form filled out before a child is accepted into the program, we need to have on file

 a signed contract,

 an emergency treatment form (EMT),

 an immunization form,

 and a transportation authorization form

before a child begins. The law requires that each child have a current-year medical form on file at school and conform to Oregon immunization standards. Please notify the school’s office whenever your child is given additional vaccinations or if insurance or contact infor- mation changes, so that the forms can be kept up to date.

Communicating with the Staff

    Concerns About Your Child

It is difficult for staff to remember verbal messages when several individuals are involved. If you have a specific request regarding your child, please hand us a written message or call a teacher’s voice mail.

You should know that we make it a policy never to discuss your child in front of her. If you have a concern you would like to discuss with someone on the staff, please call the office and leave a message and the appropriate person will get back to you.

Your child should never be left unattended in the classroom or outside while you are having a discussion with the staff. Therefore, please do not engage us in informal discussions about your child after school, or bring him to the parent/teacher conference.

    Changes in Schedule/Driver

Please send a written note to the office when there will be a change in your child’s arrival or departure time, or a planned absence/vacation. The office will relay the information to your child’s teacher.

If your child will be picked up by someone whom you have not authorized to do so on the Transportation Authorization form, please send a note to the office. Include:

• date of the pick-up change,

• your signature,

• the driver’s name,

• driver’s phone number,

• & car description.

If you would like to add a new driver to your Transportation Authorization form, please notify the office.

Health

           Illness

A healthy environment involves prevention, early recognition of illness symptoms, prompt diagnosis and treatment. If you notice any sign of illness, please do not send your child to school. Students who are not feeling well have a difficult time concentrating and therefore do not benefit from the instruction they receive during that time. If your child should become ill at school, we will do our best to make him comfortable until you can pick him up. Home is the best place for a sick child.

Consider keeping your child home with the following symptoms:

• Severe chest congestion (deep, heavy cough) with or without runny nose

• Nausea

• Redness of either eye

• Extreme fatigue

• Rash

Do not send your child to school with the following symptoms:

• Fever of 100 degrees or more

• Vomiting

• Severe diarrhea

• Redness of either eye with discharge

• Sore throat with elevated temperature

• Jaundice-yellow skin

Report any communicable disease to our office as soon as possible and ask your doctor for guidelines on when you can safely return your child to school without infecting others. Some children have medical conditions, which can become life threatening when exposed to: measles, chicken-pox/shingles, fifth’s disease, rubella and hepatitis.

          Medications and/or Allergies

Inform our office and your child’s teacher of any special health problems such as allergies or dietary restrictions.

Whenever possible, please administer any medication outside of school hours. If your child must take medicine during the school day, please give it directly to one of the office staff, along with a note signed by you that includes:

• the date,

• the name of the medication,

• the dosage,

• and exact instructions regarding how and when it is to be administered.

All medicine must be in the original packaging.

If your child is at risk for a severe reaction (such as with allergies to bee stings or peanuts) or has acute asthmatic episodes for which an epipen or inhaler has been prescribed, we will need to have one to keep at school. In addition to providing complete instructions, you must meet with your child’s teacher, the classroom assistant, and one of the office staff to describe and demonstrate the procedures for use.

In cases of extreme medical emergency, every effort will be made to reach the parents. However, when the parents cannot be reached, the child will be taken to the nearest medical facility for treatment. Parents are therefore required to fill out and sign the Emergency Treatment Authorization form.

If your child should be injured at a school function, our student accident insurance can be used to supplement your own medical insurance up to $10,000.00 per occurrence. In this event you should request the necessary forms without delay since there is a deadline for submission

Being at School

          Beginning School

Young children live in the present moment and concepts of future time are foreign and confusing to them. Therefore, counting down the days until school starts only builds unnecessary excitement and anxiety in them. How, then, can you prepare your child to begin school?

In Montessori, with any major step in a child’s development such as writing, we begin by analyzing the larger skill into its many smaller component skills. The child progresses through the acquisition of each of these smaller steps arriving at a point where he finds himself prepared to write, putting these skills together himself with the joy of discovery and accomplishment. Of course, he never knew that all of this time he had been preparing himself to write; only that now, he is ready for a new and exciting step in learning. In the same way, we suggest that you begin by analyzing the component skills and prerequisites for successfully starting school and begin at least a week ahead to help him prepare for this major step.

A first important preparation is to get her used to this new schedule. Gradually, each night, make bedtime a little earlier and, consequently, the next mornings wake up a little earlier, as well, until the child is getting up naturally and refreshed at the time appropriate for a school morning.

Next, consider the skills the child will need in choosing clothes, dressing himself, brushing his hair and teeth, helping prepare his breakfast and lunchbox. Gradually eliminate the morning television viewing and invite him to become more involved in the daily life of the family. Work toward being up, fed, dressed and ready to leave the house at the same time as you will when you actually begin school. Then simply go out on a pleasant errand together. When the “big day” finally arrives, your child will be all dressed and ready to go at the right time without stress or difficulty.

We always provide an opportunity before a child starts, for her to come in and see her classroom and meet her teacher. In this way, she will already be familiar with the environment and have the security of knowing the person she’ll turn to for help and reassurance on her first day. With all of this wonderful preparation, any child can be ready on that first day to step out of the car and into this new world with confidence

          What To Bring         

In addition to the required immunization and emergency treatment form, each child should bring a complete change of clothes on the first day. Each item of clothing should be clearly marked with the child’s name and should include pants, shirt, underpants and socks.

          Phasing In

Students who are returning for their second or third year in the class will begin on the first day of school in the fall. After they have had a chance to re-establish relationships with each other, the teacher and classroom procedures, we can begin to introduce new students. This phasing in begins during the second week, and continues throughout the month. This provides each new student the opportunity to join an ongoing group and model on adaptive behavior. It also allows the teacher to focus more attention toward each individual new student on his/her first day.

          Clothing

In helping your child select clothing for the school day, please keep three things in mind: is it appropriate for weather conditions, is it conducive to graceful movement, and can it be used with independence?

Children may have an opportunity to go outside even on a cold or rainy day, and should be dressed accordingly.

In the classroom, we assist each child in learning to refine his movement and conduct himself in a naturally graceful and courteous manner. Clothing with cartoon character logos and decorations, by encouraging the child to act “in character,” runs counter to the atmosphere we’re trying to create. Some kinds of footwear, such as cowboy boots, can be an actual physical obstacle to graceful movement and should not be worn in class. If you wish your child to have boots for outdoor wear, please send appropriate indoor shoes as well.

Children are proud of their ability to function in the school without unnecessary adult assistance. Some dresses and overalls with difficult over-the-shoulder fasteners and some pants with zippers and snaps may be too difficult for a young child to manage by himself.

Please label all sweaters, coats, gloves, boots and lunchboxes with your child’s name.

          Arrival

We want to make the arrival at school as smooth as possible for both drivers and students, and help ease the discomfort of separation from parents and family. To this end, we have established a drop-off procedure with staff members to meet cars starting ten minutes before school begins and continuing for up to five minutes thereafter.

While you are waiting in line, you and your child have time to gather any coat, lunchbox or other items he is taking to school and to say your good-byes. When it’s your turn, the staff person will open the door and safely escort your child into the school. Prolonged good-byes at this time only make it harder for the child, whereas a positive, non-worried attitude and a short good-bye help alleviate a child’s concern.

It is important, of course, to arrive on time in the morning. Late arriving children could miss an important beginning lesson or group activity, feel awkward or embarrassed, or cause the whole group to wait unnecessarily to begin.

Sometimes, when a child first begins the school year, and occasionally thereafter, she may indicate some reluctance to go to school on a particular day. This does not usually indicate a problem in the child’s adaptation to the classroom, since they will usually settle in and seem quite happy after they’ve been in the classroom for a few minutes. They may be a little tired that morning or under stress from some event that seems insignificant to you. They may be undergoing a more challenging period in their social, physical or intellectual growth at that time, or anticipating an event to take place after school (such as grandparents arriving or Dad returning from a business trip) and be a little anxious about it, or they may be a little ill. What you should know is this kind of occurrence is not necessarily abnormal or unusual and that if, on any day your child does not adjust and feel comfortable within a reasonable time, you will be called.

Children do enjoy bringing a special snack or fresh cut flowers to school for everyone’s enjoyment. This could just do the trick on that occasional difficult morning.

          Lunch

Children who stay for lunch should bring a lunch box packed with a nutritious, well-balance lunch. We provide milk, juice, and water at lunch time, so please do not include a beverage. Any uneaten food will be returned home in the lunch box so that you know what and how much food your child ate. Please do not send candy or other “junk” food. Fruit such as apples, oranges and pears should be peeled or sliced so that the child can eat lunch without assistance.

We encourage you to involve your child, as much as possible, in choosing and preparing lunch. Help them to make a balanced lunch by offering them limited choices, such as, “What protein would you like today? Peanut butter, cheese or ham?” rather than, “What do you want for lunch?” Our hope is that children will come to a natural and satisfying completion of any activity undertaken in the classroom, and lunch is no exception. By working with your child in the selection and preparation, and by monitoring what is returned uneaten, together you can provide a nutritious and enjoyable lunch that your child can comfortably finish. We have helped your child refine his coordination and develop practical skill. You may be surprised at how much of the lunch preparation he can do for himself!

          Sharing

In order to foster spontaneous self-expression and discovery, we don’t schedule a formal “show and tell” each day, but often are able to allow time for children to share objects or experiences important to them. At these times we value verbal self-expression every bit as much as the sharing of an object. Often, this takes the form of telling a true story of one of life’s little adventures, such as a visit to the dentist, a flat tire on the way to school or a bird or other animal seen in the backyard the night before. We encourage you to discuss with your child any interesting experiences that he or she might want to share with the class. Give him practice in telling the story by politely questioning him about the how’s, what’s, when’s, where’s, and why’s of the story.

If, on occasion, she wishes to bring an important object to share, discuss the object and its terminology with her ahead of time, so that she can more fully and easily communicate its significance to the class. Objects should be things of interest and benefit to the class, such as natural specimens, items from trips or things the child has made. Toys, jewelry, U.S. money, costumes, etc. are not appropriate. Prepare your child for the fact that there might not be an opportunity to share on this particular day, but, if necessary, you could send it again.

          Discipline

We see discipline as an ability to direct oneself in a way that meets one’s own needs for growth and care while respecting the rights of others, and the harmony of one’s surroundings. As such, discipline is not something which is enforced, but rather a state of inner balance at which children arrive through their own effort, guided by the teacher.

The teacher demonstrates these ways of being, moving and behaving through her own example as well as through carefully prepared lessons. These lessons are repeated as often as necessary to assist the children in the exercise of their own natural desire to perfect movement and achieve social harmony. Freedom of choice within reasonable limits allows children gradually to get in touch with their inner abilities to guide their own exploration and evaluate their own performance.

Rather than being rewarded or punished for behavior, children often experience the natural consequences of their actions. Careless movements may cause a lovely and treasured object to break; consistent misuse of a material may result in the loss of the privilege to use that material for a time; antisocial behavior may result in removal from the group for a period of time. Our aim is to be gentle but firm; to share our objective observations of the child’s behavior and its consequences without moralizations; to constantly teach, showing the way to more appropriate behavior so that the child gradually grows into both the ability to direct himself and the willingness to be responsible for what he does.

When a child begins to concentrate on work, which is suited to his abilities and interests, his inner needs are satisfied in a way that contributes to his confidence and well-being and allows him to let go of counter-productive and destructive behavior. In this way, children are gradually brought to a state of inner discipline, and a sense of belonging to a harmonious community.

          Holiday Celebrations

Basically, we leave the celebration of holidays to be enjoyed at home according to each family’s particular tradition. We do recognize the holiday at school, discussing it from an historical perspective, including its seasonal themes in our art work and song, and often have a short and pleasant celebration for the last hour or so before a vacation. We are somewhat low key about holidays because they tend to be overemphasized in their commercial aspects in our culture, and it can be nice for the children to enjoy some relief from the over stimulation when they come to school.

          What to Ask Your Child

Because young children live in the present and have a different point of view than adults, your child is not likely to be able to recall and recount those daily events that could be of most interest and importance to you. The most likely answers to the question, “What did you do at school today?” are “I don’t know,” “Nothing,” or I ate cheese and crackers.” It is often the most important and the most deeply satisfying events of her day that the child has difficulty in recalling. It is not until a child is seven or eight that she can consistently and accurately recall and recount the day’s events.

If you really want to know what he’s doing at school, leave a message for his teacher to call you with an informal progress report. Or, more carefully observe your child’s activities at home, looking for “clues” to inner growth and development. Or, start a conversation by recounting what you did today. In the course of the conversation, something may jog your child’s memory, stimulating lively and spontaneous recollections about the day at school.

 Parent Nights

Several times during the year the school will provide parent evenings. These are intended as an opportunity to discuss child development and Montessori principles, and to get to know the staff and each other better. We encourage parents to attend and to give us suggestions on topics and formats.

Conferences

We invite each family to participate in two parent/teacher conferences during the school year. To that end, we have set aside two days in the fall and again in the spring as conference days.

The conference provides an opportunity for you to compare your observations of your child at home with ours at school, to be introduced to the activities with which your child is involved and to preview some of the lessons he will have in the months ahead, and to ask questions about policies and philosophies of the school. From time to time, either the parent or the teacher may request the administrator to attend the parent/teacher conference.

We do hope that you will share with us both your joys and your concerns at other times during the year either in a note, letter, or over the phone. If there is a particular problem or concern that merits an additional parent/teacher conference, it also can be arranged. We ask you to remember, though, that teaching demands a great deal of our staff’s time already and that they have their own families and interests outside of the school that need their attention, so their time is precious, as is yours. Please be sensitive to this and make sure that your requests for time fall within the reasonable limits.

Observations

Parents are most welcome to visit the class. We do ask that you make an appointment and that you wait until after the first six weeks of school so that the children have a chance to become secure in their new environment. To reduce the impact that an observer has on the children’s activities, we ask that you limit your stay to about half an hour, remain seated in the designated “observer’s chair,” and refrain from engaging children in conversation.

Your own child will be the most aware of your presence in the classroom and will probably not behave as he or she normally does. This means that you probably can’t expect to see a typical day for your own child, but can still enjoy observing his or her school environment and classmates. Please allow a few minutes after your observation to visit with the administrator and set aside some time later during the day to discuss your observation with the teacher, as well. To preserve each child’s right to make mistakes and grow from that experience within the secure privacy of the classroom, we ask that you do not discuss with others your observation of children other than your own.

School Closures

You will be provided with a school calendar that loosely conforms to that of the Beaverton School District. If snow, ice, or other conditions warrant, the school may close, delay opening, or dismiss early. Announcements regarding any closures or delays can be found at www.pdxinfo.net under ‘private schools’ and on local TV and radio stations under Washington County

Withdrawal

Our contract requires a written notification 30 days prior to withdrawal from school. There is a 30 day tuition charge if no notice is given. Yearly tuition can be prorated for withdrawal during the year unless the withdrawal occurs after April 15, at which time tuition for the entire remainder of the year is due

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Last modified: 02/10/04