Health & Safety Policies
Clothing
Please provide a comfortable pair of slippers for your child to use at the Children’s House. Please dress your child in weather appropriate clothing, which is comfortable and easy to manage. If your child is not completely potty trained please provide pull-ups/diapers.
Illness
Please do not send your child to the Children’s House if he is sick. Parents will be notified and asked to come pick-up their child should he show any of the following symptoms or conditions:
- Fever of 101 F (38.5 C), difficult or rapid breathing,
- Persistent diarrhea, severe coughing, vomiting,
- Head lice or scabies, unusual spots or rashes, or Conjunctivitis.
For a complete list of communicable diseases see school staff. If your child is too sick to participate in part of the program he/she is too sick to come. Should your child become ill with a communicable disease please inform the Children’s House. If necessary the Children’s House may need to inform the Health Authorities.
Medications
It is best to administer your child’s medication at times when she is not at the Children’s House. Should the situation arise, only prescription drugs with the correct labels and directions on the bottle will be given to your child. A parent is required to sign a consent form before the medication will be administered. A consent form must be filled out for each time a child needs to be given medication. If there is more than one medication, a separate consent form for each is required.
Skin care and Food
Parents are asked to apply sunscreen to your child before coming as determined by weather.
Due to allergies we ask that you please do not bring snacks that have nuts in them. We are a NUT-FREE environment.
Releasing from the Children’s House
Children will not be released to anyone other than their parent(s), or the people on the alternate emergency pick-up list. Should an intoxicated person or one who appears unable to care for the child comes to pick-up a child, the appropriate authorities will be contacted, and an alternate person will be called. If a parent or alternate doesn’t come to pick up their child, by one hour after the end of class, and attempts to contact parents and an appropriate alternate have been unsuccessful, the Ministry for children and families will be contacted.
Smoking
There is no smoking permitted on premise. No parent or staff member are to be smoking around the children.
Pets
There is a dog on premise. She is very friendly, but will not be in contact with the children. All children and parents are asked to meet her before starting at the Children’s house. Due to allergies, animals will not be around the children.
Child Abuse
The Abbotsford Montessori Children’s House shall ensure that no child enrolled in the facility subjected to emotional, physical or sexual abuse to physical or emotional neglect. If the staff at the Children’s House believes or suspects that a child is subjected to abuse or neglect in his/her home, it is our duty to inform the proper authorities.
Discipline and Guidance
Montessori classrooms are commonly referred to as a ‘prepared environment’. This name reflects the care and attention that is given to creating a learning environment that will reinforce the children’s independence and intellectual development. The rooms are set up to facilitate student discussion and stimulate collaborative learning. The children should feel comfortable and safe. They tend to become so involved in their work, resulting in a peaceful atmosphere. Guidance or redirection is usually the only required discipline (E.g. Finding ways to be properly assertive rather than aggressive.).
The Abbotsford Montessori Children’s House will ensure that no child is subject to shoving, hitting, shaking, or any other form of corporal punishment by staff or fellow students. No child will be subject to harsh, belittling or degrading treatment, whether verbal, emotional or physical that would humiliate the child or undermine the child’s self respect. No child will as a form of punishment, be confined, physically restrained or kept, without adult supervision, apart from other children. No child as a form of punishment, will be deprived of meals, snacks, rest or necessary use of a toilet. Should the case arise that a staff member is accused of abusing a child in care he or she will be suspended until an investigation is complete.
Missing Child
In the event that a child should go missing while at the facility or on a field trip, the safety of the remaining children will be ensured by contacting a responsible adult to supervise and/or aid with the search of the lost child. If the child can not be located, the RCMP and parents will be contacted. A serious incident report will be filled with the Public Health Unit and an evaluation of the staff will be done. Implementation of appropriate changes to reduce the likelihood of reoccurrence and education of children may also be necessary.
Field Trips
To prevent problems on a field trip parents may be asked to accompany their child.
Cancellations
If you choose to withdraw your child, you must inform Abbotsford Montessori by the 1st of the month or forfeit your following month’s payment. No refunds will be given after March 1st. Unpaid balances will incur an interest charge determined by multiplying the outstanding balance by the monthly interest rate (5.0%), until the balance is paid. Accounts overdue for longer than six months may be referred to a collection agency.
Preschool Closures
The preschool may be closed to provide Out-of-School care for children in higher grades. These include Pro-D days, holidays and other unforseen closures.