Parent Handbook

I want to take this opportunity to welcome you to Earthplace Nursery School. Our Nursery School, which is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, provides a unique blend of appropriate developmental activities and experiences along with exposure to the environment on our trails and in our natural science museum. Our staff will do everything possible to insure that your child has a happy, stimulating, and rewarding time.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call upon your child’s teacher.

Sincerely,

John D. Horkel, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Mrs. Linton's Welcome

Dear Parents:

Welcome to our nursery school! A nursery school has been part of this wonderful nature and environmental learning center since 1967. We have always been working towards forming a supportive, nurturing community among our students, teachers and parents.

There are many opportunities for parent involvement here at Earthplace. They range from collecting wood for the Seniors’ woodworking experiences to being a Room Parent. We invite you to become a part of the Parent Organization. This will be explained on later pages of this Handbook and throughout the year.

We begin the year with evening Parent Orientations. The Twos, Juniors (three-year-olds) and the Seniors (four-year-olds) have their orientation on a Thursday, the first week in September at 7:30 p.m. At that time, we introduce the staff, discuss upcoming events, and visit the classrooms. On the next day, Friday, we have an Open House for you and your children to attend together. School then begins the next week.

We will continue to have our special music, gym, and animal programs for all Junior and Senior classes. For the Twos we will continue with the music and animal programs.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

Nursery School Information & Teachers: (203) 227-7253 ext. 119

Nursery School Director: ext. 114

Director’s E-mail: director@earthplacenurseryschool.org

Nursery School website: www.earthplacenurseryschool.org

Sincerely,

Laurie Linton

Nursery School Director

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MISSION and EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

The purpose of our school is to nurture the overall development of each child physically, emotionally, socially, cognitively and creatively in a developmentally appropriate environment.

We believe that children learn through exploration and discovery. Children are active learners. They need to explore, create, and be involved in concrete, hands-on, multi-sensory child- and teacher- directed activities in order to develop and learn to an optimum level.

Children need nurturing, empathetic teachers who work towards creating individual relationships with each child.

The positive interaction of teachers and parents working together creates a climate in which children learn and grow best.

The special role of Earthplace Nursery School id making the connection for children that we are all an important part of the world of nature.

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CURRICULUM

TWOS

To help us in planning for your child’s experience at Earthplace, we wanted to choose a curriculum that included physical, emotional, social, language, cognitive, creative and cultural development. We also wanted to be sure that the curriculum’s fundamental beliefs were in line with our educational philosophy. We found that the Creative Curriculum is the most supportive in helping the teachers plan a developmentally appropriate classroom for the Twos.

The fundamental beliefs of The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers & Twos coincide with our educational philosophy and are as follows:

Building a trusting relationship with each child

Providing responsive, individualized care

Creating environments that support and encourage exploration

Ensuring children’s safety and health

Developing partnerships with families

Observing and documenting children’s development in order to plan for each child and the group

Recognizing the importance of social/emotional development

Appreciating cultural, family and individual differences

Taking advantage of every opportunity to build a foundation for lifelong learning

Supporting dual language learners, and

Including children with disabilities in all aspects of the program.

As its introduction states, “A curriculum is like a roadmap; it helps you get where you want to go. A developmentally appropriate curriculum … includes goals and objectives for children’s learning in all areas of development.”

GOALS for the TWOS

The Creative Curriculum has a series of goals that are broken down into objectives.

1. To learn about self and others - emotional, social, good health practices

2. To learn about moving - physical

3. To learn about the world - cognitive, creative, cultural

4. To learn about communicating - language, creative

To Learn About Self and Others

Emotional Development: Emotional development is nurtured through the supportive interaction between teachers, parents and the children. Teachers take into consideration each child’s individual differences and needs. Cultural, language and developmental differences are addressed. For example, books, puzzles, pictures, songs and dolls that reflect the children’s cultures are a part of the classroom environment. Songs, holidays, family traditions and words in the children’s languages are included in the curriculum. Teachers plan experiences that encourage the development of self-esteem and promote self-reliance. Children are encouraged to express their own ideas and feelings through creative experiences in all parts of the program.

Social Development: Teachers plan the day and the room to support positive social development among the children. In the housekeeping area, children can role-play using dress-up clothes and other accessories. Children are encouraged and supported in the use of language to solve social problems.

To Learn About Moving

Physical Development: Each day the class spends time on our playground where the children can swing, climb, dig, run, ride on foot powered toys, and play with balls. In addition, the class learns to take walks on our trails. On inclement weather days, indoor large motor activities are planned for circle time and free choice time. These activities include creative movement, beanbag toss, or ball play. For the development of fine motor skills, writing utensils, paint, paint brushes, paper, play dough, puzzles and manipulatives are made available on a rotating basis. (See Juniors and Seniors sections on Physical Goals for a description of the standards adhered to for the indoor large motor activities.)

To Learn About the World

Cognitive Development: Children are encouraged to explore and make their own discoveries. The outdoor environment, block area, writing table, manipulatives, creative art and sensory table all help to promote learning through problem solving. These activities help to formulate language development, sensory discrimination and cognitive functioning.

Creative Development: Creative development is encouraged in the areas of music, movement and art. The children sing, use instruments, dance to music and use a variety of art materials.

Cultural Development: Each child’s cultural background is taken into consideration when planning for the books, puzzles, dolls, themes, and songs that are selected as a part of the curriculum.

To Learn About Communicating

Language Development: Language learning experiences that include singing, reading books, dictating stories, sharing words in the children’s languages, labeling the room with words and pictures, taking part in group discussions, and playing word and rhyming games are a part of the curriculum.

We have added the area of Good Health Practices

Good Health Practices: Teachers model and teach good health practices, showing children how to blow their noses, wash hands, dress appropriately for weather and eat healthy snacks.

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ASSESSMENT and PLANNING for the TWOS

We have designed the assessment process after the structure of the Connecticut Framework, but we have used the goals and the objectives from the Creative Curriculum. The teachers have been trained in the Connecticut Framework.

Each of these goals has several objectives that the teachers use to choose and plan activities throughout the year. A Developmental Continuum that includes these goals and objectives is used as a guide in assessing the children. The teachers observe the child at play in the classroom and on the playground and record these observations. The form is then used to help to indicate where each child is on the continuum. The teachers use this information to plan for the children individually and for the class as a whole in order to support growth and learning. The Developmental Continuum represents the desired outcomes towards which the planning of the curriculum, including the choice of activities, materials, equipment and furnishings are geared.

In planning the curriculum, the teachers take into consideration each child’s background, developmental abilities, culture, community, approach to learning, language, family structure, religion, and interests. Getting to know the children and their families is therefore integral to creating an optimal learning environment and experience for all of the children.

The teachers choose one or two of these objectives a week and then plan activities to help the children grow and develop in that area. This form is then posted on the Twos door in the classroom. We post them online on the Planning Forms page of our website.

During the fall the lead teacher shares the purpose, procedure, values and uses of the Creative Curriculum Assessment. Handouts are given out at this time, including the developmental continuum. A copy of the Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers & Twos to borrow, is available by asking the lead teacher.

At the first of three conferences during the year in the fall, the teacher will talk with you about these goals and objectives so that we can work together to support the development of your child. We utilize the Family Conference Form from the Connecticut Preschool Assessment Framework for the initial conference. We will also encourage you to share with us family customs, language spoken at home and preferred child-rearing practices. This will help in planning for your child each day at school. We are also interested in learning more about your child’s interests, approaches to learning and developmental needs. During the second conference in the winter we use a Language Sample Form that is also from this framework. In the final conference the teachers use a form that we designed to be similar the one that we use with the Juniors and Seniors. It is based on the Creative Curriculum Goals and Objectives.

When we meet with the families we are purposefully sensitive to any issues which may involve family values, culture, identity and home language. Staff select materials, equipment and furnishings to support the curriculum, the program goals and the desired outcomes for the children.

If the assessment seems to indicate that a child may need further screening to help understand and support his or her development, then the families and the teachers work together to choose the next step, whether it be Birth to Three, the Early Childhood Consultation Partnership or a private referral. We have established relationships with both Birth to Three and the Early Childhood Consultation Partnership and have information on both agencies to share with parents. We also utilize our Social Worker, Karen Salzarulo L.C.S.W. to help the parents and find the appropriate referral.

The teachers communicate this information in a supportive, confidential manner. They provide documentation and an explanation for the concern. This process would be indicated if the teachers thought that the child had a possible developmental delay or other special need. Parents are supported to choose the services their children may need. The teachers also encourage them to advocate for needed services.

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JUNIORS and SENIORS

We use the Connecticut’s Preschool Curriculum Framework, which was developed by the Connecticut State Department of Education, to guide us in our work with the Juniors and Seniors. The handbook can be accessed at www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/DEPS/Early/Preschool_framework.pdf The Guiding Principles from the Preschool Curriculum Framework and Benchmarks for Children in Preschool Programs go hand in hand with our Educational Philosophy.

Its Guiding Principles are as follows:

Early learning and development are multidimensional; developmental domains are highly interrelated.

Young children are capable and competent.

There are individual differences in rates of development among children.

Children will exhibit a range of skills and competencies in any domain of development.

Knowledge of child growth and development and consistent expectations are essential to maximizing educational experiences for children and to developing and implementing growth.

Families are the primary caregivers and educators of their young children.

Young children learn through active exploration of their environment through child-initiated and teacher-selected activities.

In planning the curriculum, setting up the environment and choosing teaching methods, the teachers take into consideration each child’s background and developmental abilities. This means that we think about the child’s culture, community, approach to learning, language, family structure, religion, interests, other important factors affecting the child and we observe the child to discover the child’s developmental abilities.

Staff selects materials, equipment and furnishings to support the curriculum, the program goals and the desired outcomes for the children. In the following section, examples of these links are discussed.

GOALS

The Connecticut Preschool Curriculum Framework is divided into four domains of development: physical development, personal and social development, cognitive development and creative expression/aesthetic development. For each of the domains there are program goals that state that by the end of nursery school the children will be able to accomplish certain skills and abilities. To meet these goals the framework then lists what opportunities the nursery school program will provide for the children. These are the objectives by which the teachers can help the children to grow and develop. The desired outcomes for the children are the benchmarks that are a part of the assessment process that will be individually explained at the first Parent Conferences.

Physical

In the Physical Standards of the Connecticut Curricular Goals and Benchmarks, the three areas that we will be focusing on are: demonstrates control, balance, strength and coordination in gross motor tasks; demonstrates coordination and strength in fine-motor tasks; participates in healthy physical activity and practices appropriate eating habits, hygiene and self-help skills.

We encourage the children's large motor abilities through outdoor play including running, jumping, riding, throwing, balancing and climbing. We also take trail walks, use indoor obstacle courses and have a scheduled gym time with tunnels, scooters, bowling, hula hoops, bean bag toss, Frisbees and large motor games. When outdoor opportunities for large motor activities are not possible because of weather conditions, air quality or unsafe environmental conditions, we are able to set up activities in the Lunch Club Room, Malloy Room or the auditorium. We can use the same items as we use for the scheduled gym time. We supervise these activities at the same high standard with which we supervise outdoor play. We adhere to the standards set forth in the books Active Start: A Statement of Physical Activity Guidelines For Children From Birth to Five Years and Appropriate Practices in Movement Programs for Children Ages 3-5. These are published by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education in alignment with the National Standards for Physical Education. These could include the same activities as used in our scheduled gym time. We do not set up any activities that would need mats for protection.

We set up activities that assist in developing eye-hand coordination and fine motor control. Our writing tables, peg boards, manipulatives, puzzles, art experiences and easels all help to further these skills. In the classroom we encourage the children to care for themselves independently. They learn and practice the skills involved in getting in and out of their own coats, pouring their own water and eating on their own.

Personal and Social Development

In the Personal and Social Performance Standards of the Connecticut Curricular Goals and Benchmarks we will encourage ten areas of development. These areas are: shows self-direction with range of materials; sustains attention to task; participates in teacher-led group activities; manages transitions; follows routines and rules; uses words to express emotions or feelings; shows empathy and caring for others; interacts cooperatively with peers; works to resolve conflicts; and recognizes similarities and appreciates differences between themselves and their peers.

Group times are set up so that all of the children can be successful. This means that they are fun, active and of an appropriate length for the age group. Teachers plan cooperative art projects and group games and model kind, empathetic behavior towards all of the children. In order for children to develop positive play skills, the teachers keep the classroom and the outdoor space full of novel, challenging activities. As situations arise, teachers help the children to use words with their friends to make play a positive experience. We nurture the children to increase their feelings of self-worth and self-confidence. We want them to become more adept at expressing their feelings in a constructive manner. The teachers set up the room to be accepting of each child's developmental level, learning style, language, race, religion, gender and physical and mental ability. There are activities available for expressing feelings through play and art. The teachers encourage the children to learn that they are an integral part of the class through meaningful conversations, empathetic mirroring of children's feelings and encouraging independence at each child's own level.

Children are encouraged to become independent in caring for themselves and their possessions. For example, children are taught to wash their hands upon arrival and at other appropriate times during the day. The Seniors are then capable of remembering on their own to wash their hands before snack, which is set up as a center. Children are taught to hang up their own coats and to eventually get in and out of their coats, hats, etc. on their own. Toileting is also handled in a progressive manner with the Twos being helped with the beginnings of toileting, to the Juniors who are asked to try the bathroom, and then ending with the Seniors, who can generally use the bathroom as needed.

Cognitive

In the Cognitive Performance Standards of the Connecticut Curricular Goals and Benchmarks, there are fourteen areas that we work on in the classroom. These are as follows: engages in scientific inquiry, uses a variety of strategies to solve problems, sorts objects, recognizes and makes patterns, compares and orders objects and events, relates number and quantity, demonstrates spatial awareness, uses complex sentences and vocabulary to describe ideas and experiences, understands and participates in conversations, shows understanding of stories, displays knowledge of books and print, recognizes similar sounds in speech, identifies printed words and uses writing to convey meaning (scribble writing and invented spelling).

The basis for cognitive learning is scientific learning which includes observing, exploring, noticing, experimenting, commenting, describing, predicting and planning. We encourage the children to develop these skills through teacher directed activities and materials available in the classrooms.

To promote mathematical thinking we offer open-ended problem solving experiences with water, sand, paint, blocks, number puzzles and manipulatives to enable the children to sort, make patterns and compare and order objects. These skills will enable children to make a connection between number and quantity, to use number related vocabulary, to count from 5 to 10 objects, and to understand 1 to 1 correspondence.

In the area of language learning experiences we encourage children to build words into phrases and to build phrases into sentences. We encourage them to become more adept at using words to communicate with friends and teachers. Teachers involve the children in conversations, help them to use words with one another to solve problems and introduce vocabulary building experiences, such as cooking, trail walks or animal encounters. Teachers work with children to notice rhymes in songs, stories and finger plays and to create their own rhymes and poems.

In the area of literacy we want the children to learn to love books and to understand how they work and come to understand that written print is oral language written down. Literacy is encouraged with activities involving books, such as reading at group and individual time, establishing a cozy reading area, writing at the writing table, taking dictation, making charts, cooking from recipes, name recognition experiences, identifying familiar signs such as Stop and Exit, and making their own books and games such as alphabet bingo. In the area of understanding what written print is, we work on recognizing letters and their sounds in the context that written print always has meaning. Prewriting skills are also an important part of literacy. Children experience writing tools such as crayons, markers, and pencils. They come to understand that writing is different from drawing. Children develop from scribble writing to using letter-like shapes and some conventional letters. Clip-boards, different kinds of paper and writing tools are available in all learning centers.

Creative Expression

Our program is designed to foster the development of children’s dramatic, musical, creative movement, creative language and artistic interests and abilities. In accordance with the Creative Expression Performance Standards of the Connecticut Curricular Goals and Benchmarks, we are encouraging the children to build, construct, draw, use language and paint to represent their own ideas and feelings, represent experiences and fantasies in pretend play, and sing and respond to music.

In the classroom, we set up a variety of dramatic play opportunities in our housekeeping area so that children can represent their experiences and fantasies in pretend play. At different times, we may pretend it is a store, a veterinary office, a hospital, a spaceship, a post office or other location that allows the children to role-play in a variety of situations. Likewise, on the playground, we encourage construction, fishing, gardening, boating and other active scenarios.

To engage the children in musical and creative movement activities, we use musical instruments, scarves, singing, dancing, CDs and a scheduled music class. Children are encouraged to use their language creatively in making up songs and singing spontaneously.

Teachers provide the children with quality materials with which to experiment with painting, drawing, pouring, mixing and molding. Mindful and accepting of different approaches to the same subject matter, the teachers promote artistic exploration with thoughtful, non-judgmental support. The children are given opportunities to build, construct, draw and paint to represent their own ideas.

The children are encouraged to dictate, write and illustrate their own stories.

In the block area children are able to experience building, designing and decorating with pictures and words and then using their creations for dramatic play.

Good Health Practices

We have added the area of Good Health Practices: Teachers model and teach good health practices, showing children how to blow their noses, wash hands, dress appropriately for weather and eat healthy snacks.

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ASSESSMENT and PLANNING

The Connecticut Preschool Curriculum Framework lists performance standards in each of the domains. These performance standards have then been broken down into a continuum of developmental steps. At Earthplace we plan the activities in the classroom based on these standards. One or two standards a week are chosen, activities for each area of the room are planned, the children are observed engaging in these activities and a record of where each child is developmentally is made on the continuum. The teachers then plan activities in order to encourage and motivate the children to continue developing the skills and abilities in each domain. In the Appendix we have included a copy of the list of the standards that are in the assessment.

During the fall Parent Chat the lead teacher explains the purposes, values and uses of the assessment. Parents are given a hand-out that addresses these topics, including a copy of the developmental benchmarks. The teachers have been trained in the Connecticut Assessment Framework by participating in workshops sponsored by the State of Connecticut and the designers of the tot© system. The assessment manual can be accessed by going to www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/DEPS/Early/Preschool_Assessment_Framework.pdf

At the first conference, the Seniors and Juniors teachers use the Family Conference Form. This is designed to help the families and teachers plan together. Just as in the Twos program, the teachers will be discussing with you any information that you would like to share about your child’s interests, language spoken at home, family cultural traditions, preferred child-rearing practices and other information that you feel would be important for us to know about your child and family. We will be using this information to help plan the curriculum. In the winter the Seniors and Juniors use the Preschool Form that is linked to the Connecticut Preschool Curriculum Framework. This form is used to summarize the ongoing observations that are linked with the developmental benchmarks. This is a tool used for discussing with the families the ongoing progress of each child’s growth and learning. We also include the Narrative portion which lists the Child’s Strengths and Growth, Areas that Need Strengthening and the Child’s Interests and Passions In the spring the Juniors again use the Preschool Form, taking a look at how the children have developed over time. The Seniors use the kindergarten form that is designed by their town. Westport, Fairfield, and Weston use the same form and it is linked to the Connecticut Curriculum Framework. Norwalk uses a different form.

In the fall of 2009 we began using the Teacher Organizational Tool, tot©, to help us to organize the observations of each child, the class profile, and the planning that is then done to support the growth and development of the children.

If the assessment seems to indicate that further screening to help understand and support his or her development then the parents are provided with documentation and an explanation for the concern. This would be indicated if the teachers felt that the child had a developmental delay or other special need. This is done in a sensitive, supportive, confidential manner. Then the families and the teachers work together to choose the next step, whether it be referral to the public school, to the Early Childhood Consultation Partnership, to another agency or to a private referral. We have established relationships with the public school and the Early Childhood Consultation Partnership. The teachers provide information about these resources for further screening and assessment. We will also work with families if they choose another agency or a private referral. Parents are supported in choosing the services that may be needed and encouraged to advocate for these service.

When we meet with families we are purposefully sensitive to any issues which may involve family values, culture, identity and home language.

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BECOMING COMFORTABLE at SCHOOL

For many of the children, this marks the big step away from parents and home. Some children need to separate by initially developing a relationship with the teacher. Others may need to find other children or materials that they are comfortable playing with before you leave. Then there are those children who will really not get started until their parents have left the room. We will work with all of these different separating styles. Saying good-bye once is a good technique for a parent. This communicates to the children that you, the parents, trust the teachers to take good care of your children. In some cases the teacher will ring the bell and say that it is time to have a meeting. She will have everyone say good-bye to all of the parents. These are your child’s first steps towards becoming an independent, happy individual, and we will work very hard to make this a successful, positive experience.

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FAMILY COMMUNICATION and INVOLVEMENT

Family-Teacher Partnership

The desired outcome, our main goal with our students' families, is the creation of a community in which each family feels that through everyday communication, our newsletter, the parent organization, our three conferences a year, special activities in the classroom, and family events, they are included in the process of meeting the needs of their child developmentally. As listed in our guiding principles, families are the primary caregivers and educators of their young children. We use this principle to guide us in our relationship with our families here at Earthplace. In planning our conferences, activities in the classroom, and family events we also base our decisions on our ethical responsibilities to families as stated in the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct which says, “Families are of primary importance in children’s development. Because the family and the early childhood practitioner have a common interest in the child’s well-being, we acknowledge a primary responsibility to bring about communication, cooperation and collaboration between the home and early childhood program in ways that will enhance the child’s development.” We assess this area through at least one e-mail survey and one paper survey a year.

In addition to the three conferences a year and the three Parent Chats a year, parents are encouraged to regularly contribute information that would guide the teachers in making decisions about the child’s goals, plans for activities and services. This communication can take place via e-mail, at extra conferences and phone calls. At drop off and pick up time there is not always time for these conversations. We ask that if you would like to converse with the lead teacher that you indicate this on the sign in sheet and then the teacher would make the time to later call or e-mail. In working with families we encourage the raising of concerns and working collaboratively to find mutually satisfying solutions that the staff then incorporates into classroom practice.

If you have any questions concerning your child, policies of the school, etc., please be in touch with your child’s teacher: Terry Myler, the Seniors lead teacher, Mary Ann Hood, the Juniors lead teacher, or Barbara Pisarro, the Twos lead teacher. During school hours, you may contact the nursery school or leave a message for your child’s teacher at (203) 227-7253, ext. 2. Before or after school hours, at night or on the weekend, you may leave a message at ext. 119. Your call will be returned as soon as possible. We are always interested in knowing about things your child is doing at home, and we want to hear from you if there is something we should know about your child. However, some of these discussions do need to take place away from the children. You may reach us by e-mail at director@earthplacenurseryschool.org, twos@earthplacenurseryschool.org, juniors@earthplacenurseryschool.org and seniors@earthplacenurseryschool.org.

Communication

Announcements Each Day

At dismissal, we let you know what some of our fun activities were for the day. Mailboxes

The Twos mail is placed with their backpacks at dismissal time. The Juniors have mailboxes in their room for notes to parents. The Seniors use the top part of their cubbies for their mail.

Child’s Portfolio

The child’s portfolio contains photos of the child taken at school, Benchmark information, and work done by the child. This will be used at conferences to illustrate your child’s experiences at school and developmental progress throughout the year.

Community Bulletin Board

In the Lunch Club hallway we post upcoming community events. We also include some of these in our weekly newsletter. These may include museum exhibits, concerts, storytelling and theatre for children.

Confidentiality of Child File

At Earthplace Nursery School we make sure that information about your child and his or her progress is kept confidential. Our child files are locked in the main office and can be opened by the lead teachers, the Health Care Consultant, the director and assistant to the director and regulatory authorities. Teachers and Parents can be given access to the files by the preceding staff. The child file contains the Child Record Form, the medical, Illness and Injury reports and plans of action.

Information about who can look at the Child File is on the form parnets fill out before school begins.

Parents and those who have been designated as the people who are legally responsible for the care and well-being of the child may have immediate access to the file.

Grievances and Suggestions

If you have a concern related to your child in the classroom setting, please speak with the lead teacher. If this approach is not satisfactory to you, then please contact the director, Mrs. Linton. By working together we find that solutions to issues can be positively resolved. When speaking with the lead teacher and the director has not worked, please contact Dr. John Horkel, the Executive Director of Earthplace. If your issue is not resolved you may file a complaint with the Department of Public Health by calling 1-800-282-6063.

Newsletter; Check Your E-mail!

We e-mail a weekly newsletter. The Twos newsletter is sent out on Thursdays and is posted on their classroom door. The Juniors and Seniors newsletter is sent out on Tuesdays. We also post a copy on the parent bulletin board.

Online Snack and Activity Calendar

To find out about our school's current activities and snack visit the Calendar page of our website. This calendar includes the schedule of the days on which the classes will have their weekly animal program and their gym and music classes. The snack is usually not posted until a week before the month begins. The Twos snack is somewhat different and is posted on their classroom door.

Parent Bulletin Board

The bulletin board for all parents is outside of the nursery school office. Here we post the snack for the day and month, upcoming events, and sign up sheets for classroom and school events. The Twos have an additional bulletin board on their classroom door.

Parent Resource Book

We maintain a book that includes information about services for children and families such as health, mental health, oral health, nutrition, parenting and children’s programs, assessment and educational services for toddlers and preschoolers. It also includes brochures for other private schools in the area. It is kept on the table in the Lunch Club area. This resource can be accessed by the family or in conjunction with planning with the child’s teacher. The teachers help to locate, contact and use these community resources to support the needs and interests of the children and the families at Earthplace Nursery School.

Facilitating the Child’s Transitioning to Juniors, Seniors, Kindergarten or Other Programs

If a child is transitioning to a different classroom during a school year, this is done on a trial basis and with the help of the previous teacher. If the child is staying in the same age group, the Twos, Juniors or Seniors, then the teachers will be the same.

When your child is staying at Earthplace for another year, the Lead Teachers share the Child Profile with the incoming teachers. This helps to orient the teachers to the needs and interests of each child.

We provide families with the information about each town’s kindergarten process. In most cases the towns send us a flyer with the dates and other information in regard to registration, enrollment procedures, visiting opportunities and program options. In addition the Seniors teacher fills out the appropriate Kindergarten Transition Form and meets with each family to discuss the form.

We have also worked with families when their child has moved on to other programs to help make the transition work well.

Sharing Information with Family and Others

Program staff provides support and information to family members who have been designated as legally responsible for the care and well-being of the child as indicated on the Student Record Form.

Before sharing information about a child with other providers, agencies or programs, or allowing the child to be observed, teachers obtain written consent from the family.

Special Needs

If together we find that your child has individual and/or special needs, the staff will help the family to identify and contact the necessary resources in the community. This would include further screening and assessment and contact with public and private special education programs. As indicated in the assessment this is handled in a sensitive, supportive, confidential manner. Documentation will be provided with an explanation for the concern and suggested next steps with information for resources will be included. Teachers will meet with and work with whomever the parent picks to guide them in working with their child. This could include the public school or private agencies. If an IEP (Individual Education Plan) is developed through the public school system, the teachers will work with the specialists to provide the plan in the classroom.

Strategies for negotiating differences

If we do find that there are routines, practices or values that may differ from family routines, practices or values, we will work with the family to find a common ground and attempt a resolution. It is our intention to be respectful of all of our family’s practices, values and cultures. This is why we do not celebrate holidays, but do learn about those that our families celebrate. Different views of toilet training, eating or drinking habits, could also be areas that might need to be discussed. We will always be guided by what is developmentally appropriate and what is a part of our ethical standards when attempting to resolve these differences.

Translator

The school will contact a translator to help communicate about a child’s progress or any other information such as the Parent Handbook, that the parent wishes to be explained in their language. This will be done with the help of the International Institute of Connecticut at 203-336-0141. 670 Clinton Avenue, Bridgeport, 06605 iiconn@aol.com In addition we can use the website freetranslation.com to instantly translate a conversation, a flyer, or a letter

Website

The Earthplace Nursery School website, earthplacenurseryschool.org has information about weekly changes on the Home Page. Check the Planning Forms every week to see what will be happening in your child's class. You can also link to the Acitvity and Snack Calendar on the Calendar Page to see when your child has Music, Gym and Animal Program. This Calendar also lists the snack for each month.

Wipe-Off Boards

On a daily basis, teachers will use wipe-off boards to communicate with the parents of each class. These are located outside your child’s classroom.

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Family Participation

Access to Program and Facility

Parents are always welcome at Earthplace. Although the aim is to move your child towards participating in the program independently, we honor your right to visit the program at any time.

Home Visits for Twos

Mrs. Barbara Pisarro offers a “getting to know you” activity for the Twos class. She will contact parents to see if they would be interested in a Home Visit to help your child acclimate to school.

Parent Conferences

We have three parent conferences during the year, one each in the fall, winter and spring. At the first conference, we like to hear about your child so that we have a wider frame of reference for making his/her experience at Earthplace a positive one. The teacher will ask about things that are important to your family in order to help your child grow and learn. The teacher will share a short written form in the fall. In the winter and the spring, we will discuss your child's experience at nursery school and share your child’s development in relationship to the Connecticut Preschool Benchmarks using a Child Profile Form from the tot© organizational tool. The Twos will be using the Family Form at the first conference and then a form based on the Creative Curriculum.

Parent-Teacher Chats

For parents of Juniors and Seniors, we will have three Parent-Teacher Chats during the year. Our Chats provide an opportunity for the teachers to get together with the parents as a group during the day. Teachers and parents will discuss what is going on in the classroom, as well as child development issues. In the Twos, the lead teacher will come into the parenting group at least two times a year to talk about the class as a whole.

Parent Organization

In order to continue building an Earthplace community we are continuing our Parent Organization. We will have monthly meetings to which everyone will be invited, and babysitting will be provided. As always each class will need a room parent. The room parents will represent their class at the monthly meetings. We will be asking for parents to chair the individual committees, such as Fundraising, Bookfair with Main Street Books, Original Art Works, and the Silent Auction. We will also need parents to chair the Ice Cream Social, Community Events, E-mail, Mini-Fair Day, Special Events, Teacher Appreciation Luncheon, Woodworking, Accreditation, Songfest and Garden Committees.

As the parents and teachers work together for the benefit of the children and the school, our goals can be achieved. We need your input and leadership! If you would like to volunteer please contact the head of the parent oganization.

Parent Volunteers

In addition to the volunteer opportunities mentioned in the previous paragraph, we encourage parents to participate in a variety of other ways. Teachers design different ways to involve parents in the classrooms. For example parents may be invited to read to the children, or asked to come to help in the classroom. Volunteer sign-up sheets for school-wide events are posted on the Parent Board on the window outside the office. Teachers or room parents contact parents to volunteer for classroom events.

Parent Workshops

We plan workshops that are of interest to our parents. We often utilize our Early Childhood Consultant to conduct these workshops. Some of the themes have been; Building Self-Esteem, Transitioning to Kindergarten and Setting Limits. We have also co-sponsored speakers with other schools in the area.

Parenting Group for Twos

Every week on Tuesday, Mrs Linton facilitates a parenting group at Earthplace. Parents bring up areas of concern and she then leads the group in the ensuing discussion. Mrs. Linton lends her expertise to the groups by sharing articles, books and other informative sources.

Program Evaluation

The annual evaluation process includes the use of the NAEYC Family and Staff Surveys. An additional evaluation that targets specific areas of the program including policies and procedures, program quality, children’s progress and learning, family involvement and satisfaction, and community awareness and satisfaction is designed and handed out towards the end of each year. An evaluation of the director is done by the staff. This, plus results of licensing visits, recommendations by our early childhood, nurse, and social service consultant form the basis for a yearly evaluation that points out the strengths of the program and the areas that are in need of attention for the next year.

A parent-teacher committee will be in charge of disseminating the surveys, collating the results and then communicating the results. Goals for continuous improvement in the needed areas will be set and monitored by the next year’s committee. Together the parents and the staff will meet to work together for the positive growth of the school. This will be organized by the Parent Organization.

The information is used to plan professional development for the teachers, quality improvement activities in the program and the improvement of operations and policies of the school.

Room Parents and Phone or E-mail Chain

Each class will have room parents who are part of a telephone and e-mail chain. During the year, this will be used by the teachers and the director to communicate for various reasons.

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DAILY SCHEDULE

Each class has the following elements in the schedule of its day: free-choice time, clean-up, group time, snack, outdoor time and dismissal. The order of the schedule is different for each class and changes with the weather. Children participate in either weekly or bi-weekly music, gym, and animal or nature related programs. We also hike on the trails, visit Natureplace and the Animal Hall, and use the auditorium on rainy days.

The children follow a flexible daily schedule that meets and enhances the individual needs of the diverse population served by our program. The schedule of the day was created to include active and quiet play, individual and small group activities. During the day the teachers create routines, set up centers, plan activities and take advantage of teachable moments to promote problem solving, self-reliance, self-esteem, language learning experiences, expression of each child’s own ideas and feelings, health education awareness, and fine and large motor skills.

Arrival:

Twos

Children enter their classroom through the Lunch Club Room at 8:45 a.m. or 10:45 a.m.

Juniors and Seniors

All morning classes arrive at 8:45 a.m.

All afternoon class arrive at 12:15p.m.

All Junior and Senior classes enter through the playground doors.

This is a wonderful time for you to share important information with the teachers. Parents will sign the children in as they arrive and collecting any special information, medicals, etc. Any dismissal notes need to be handed in to the Nursery School office. Children wash their hands before starting their day. This helps to keep our rooms peanut safe and reduces the number of germs coming into the classroom. Some classes start with free choice time, others have a meeting and some go directly outdoors. With your child’s help, please check his or her mailbox for letters and art work that are to go home that day.

At arrival and dismissal time, if there are any accommodations that need to be made to help children with disabilities have a smoother, safer, more appropriate transition, this will be included in a plan documented in the Child’s File.

Encouraging Independence: We ask that you help us to teach your children to take off and hang up their coats. We then will help them to wash their hands. In the beginning of the year you will be helping them to feel comfortable washing hands and then eventually they will be able to do this all on their own.

Free Choice Time: Children may choose to become involved in the following centers: blocks, easel, housekeeping, art, writing, science, manipulatives, library, or puzzles. The teachers set up these centers with developmentally appropriate materials to engage children in the learning process. The teachers plan with the goals for the class and the individual children in mind. Themes are used as a way to tie the centers in the room together. For example, during the fall, the children might read books about apples, take a leaf walk, create their own leaf collage, paint with fall colors at the easel and eat apples at snack. It is the interactive process of engaging in all of these concrete, hands-on, multi-sensory, exploratory and child-directed activities that contribute to the child's optimal growth and development.

Transitions: Transitions during the day are designed to be developmentally appropriate for the children. We announce to the children when it is almost time to finish playing. This can be done in different ways in the classrooms. For example, in the Seniors the teacher may ring the bell and show the children on the clock when it will be clean-up time. In the Juniors a song may be sung and the picture schedule is discussed. The Twos may also use the picture schedule and a song. Telling the children that they have a few more minutes to play helps them to realize that we value their play. In addition, if we do ask children to look at a book or do a puzzle or table toy as a part of a transition, we then need to build in time for the child to finish. Again, we are communicating that we care about what the child is working on.

At other transitions during the day, such as washing up for snack or getting coats on to go outside, the teachers are aware that each phase needs to be supervised and encouraged. We want waiting time to be minimal. For example, when children have finished washing up for snack or lunch, the policy is for children to eat as each child sits down at the table.

Clean-up time: The teachers let the children know that it is almost time to clean up so that they realize that their play is valued. The transition to clean-up varies in each class and changes throughout the year to keep the process novel. A bell or a song are often used. The teachers emphasize that it is the children's room and that it is their responsibility to help keep it neat, safe and playable. The teachers use a variety of techniques to motivate the children and see this transition as part of the growth and learning process. Sorting, self-motivation, cooperation, and problem solving are just some of the goals involved in clean-up.

Toileting and Diaper Changing: Our classrooms have toilets in the room. In the Twos we work with the parents to help the children become toilet trained. We would like you to bring a backpack each day that your child attends. Please label the outside of the backpack with your child’s name. Please include diapers, wipes and a change of clothing. Soiled clothing will be sealed in a zip lock bag and handed to you at dismissal time.

In the Juniors we make sure that we invite each child to use the toilet at some time during the day.

In the Seniors we encourage independent use of the bathroom, but work with those who still need a reminder to use the toilet.

Group time: The teachers plan for this time to be successful for everyone. For the Twos we work towards all of the children coming to join in as the year progresses. The teacher begins with appropriate length board books and songs.

In the Juniors and Seniors the class may gather as a group more than once in a day. This is an interactive time that includes both teacher- and child-directed activities. Discussing the weather, the days of the week and birthdays, participating in a flannel board activity, creative movement, active games and singing to charts are some of the activities. A book is read or a story is told to the class every day during a group time. There are many goals the class could be working on at this time, from learning that the written word is oral language written down (charts) to creative expression of feelings to learning how to be part of a group activity.

Snack: We provide the snack for each class. It consists of two food groups. Snack provides the opportunity for a variety of learning experiences. In the Twos the children are working on learning the routine of washing up before snack, sitting with friends to eat, drinking from a cup and having conversations at the table. In the Twos the children have crackers and apple juice each day. Two of the teachers sit with the children in order to model healthy eating habits and to engage children in conversation. At snack time we work with the children to use small cups for the juice. We do not use sippy cups because the speech therapists that we have consulted with over the years have recommended that we help children transition to using cups. They have found that children do not develop the muscles needed for speech if they continue to use sippy cups in the two-year-old year.

In the Juniors and the Seniors the children have crackers and either a fruit, vegetable, or piece of cheese. These groups have water to drink. The children are involved in counting the number of crackers, spreading their own butter and pouring their own water. In the Juniors a teacher sits at each table. The teacher engages the children in conversation and models healthy eating habits. In the Seniors the children have snack as a center. In the beginning of the year a teacher does sit with the children to help the children learn the process of washing hands, pouring their own water and serving themselves. The teachers also model snack as a time for conversing with friends. As the year progresses and the children are able to independently handle snack there is not always a teacher at the Seniors snack table.

The Snack Calendar is posted on the board by the office and on our calendar website page We will also be making our own snacks. If you wish to bring a special snack to share with the class, please let the teachers know beforehand. This helps us in class planning and avoiding conflicts with allergies and birthday celebrations. If your child does have food allergies or intolerances, we require that you send snacks for each day, including other children’s birthdays. You can check the Snack Calendar to bring something similar to the foods we will be serving.

Food Policy: Together with the parent organization of Earthplace Nursery School we have adopted a Food Policy which helps guide our choices of food for snacks and other events. “As an educational institution and as part of a nature center, when we serve our children food at Earthplace, we strive to model and to support our highest values. In all area of our program, we serve food that contributes to healthy, well-nourished students and is environmentally sustainable. The food our children eat at school is nutritionally rich, organic when possible, and not high in fat, sugar or salt. Care is taken to make sure food is tasty and child-friendly. Children are encouraged to try new foods at school, as well as to enjoy their more comfortable healthy favorites. Food is also used in our curriculum to teach children about healthy living and protecting the environment, including growing some food in the school’s garden.”

Birthday Snacks: Please check with your teacher before planning a birthday snack. In accordance with our new food policy we are encouraging all families to pick healthy alternatives to traditional large cupcakes. Since we are seeing more and more children with food allergies, we ask you NOT to send birthday snacks and/or holiday party snacks containing either PEANUT BUTTER or NUTS. Also, please do not send POPCORN. We can also inform parents of those children with food allergies or intolerances so that they can bring a special snack for their child to your child’s birthday celebration.

Outdoor Time: There are many opportunities for large motor development, fine motor development and dramatic play as the children experience the playground that includes climbers, slides, swings, a play car, two interactive sand areas, an area for tricycles and other riding toys, a bridge, a rubber spider web and a basketball hoop. Children practice safe riding procedures by wearing helmets while riding the tricycles. These are wiped off by the teachers in between use by each child. The Juniors and Seniors help in the garden, planting, weeding and helping to harvest the vegetables and pick some of the flowers. We also bring out balls, soft Frisbees, trucks, wheelbarrows and a variety of sand toys. The trails are a favorite area for hiking and experiencing nature. We are always on the lookout for deer, turkeys, turtles, chipmunks, snakes and salamanders. Children wash their hands when coming in from the outdoors.

Dismissal: At this time we work on self-help skills, helping the children to find their own coats and collecting art work, writings, and lunch boxes to bring home. Any artwork that is still wet will be sent home the next school day.

Twos

The TTh 8:45 class dismisses at 10:30 a.m. and the 10:45 class dismisses at 12:30 p.m. from

their classroom or playground. The MWF 8:45 class dismisses at 11:30 in the classroom.

Juniors and Seniors

Dismiss from the front of the building

The morning classes dismiss at 11:30 AM

The afternoon classes dismiss at 3:00 PM

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SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Using the stairs when going to a program in the auditorium, the children are taught to hold onto the railing and to have just one child on a stair at a time.

Gym Program: Laurajean Conklin, with help from Nancy Wagner, will be designing large motor activities – using equipment such as scooters, hula hoops, and the parachute, and a variety of games – for all classes in the auditorium, Lunch Club room and outdoors. We will include what the activity was in our weekly newsletter. The Twos class does not participate in the gym program.

Visiting Animals: One of our teachers will be sharing Earthplace’s snakes, cockroaches, bunnies, toads and other animals and insects with all classes. On a weekly basis, the teacher holds the animal as she teaches the children about one of Earthplace’s animal ambassadors. If the children touch the animal, then they wash their hands immediately. In the Twos classroom the teacher will be visiting every other week.

Music Program: Debra Ross and Mary Squiccarino of Creative Music for Children will provide music and movement in all classes. The children have access to a variety of percussion instruments as Miss Debbie plays her guitar. We will include what the children did in music in our weekly newsletter. In the Twos classroom the music teacher will be visiting every other week.

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DISMISSAL POLICY

In order to make dismissal easier for everyone, please review our dismissal procedures below.

The Twos classes dismiss either from the classroom or from the playground at either 10:15 a.m. or 12:00 p.m.

We dismiss all of the Junior and Senior classes from the front of the building. Parents wait outside of the building at 11:30 a.m., 1:15 p.m. (from Lunch Club), or 3:00 p.m.

A teacher will have you sign your child out on our sign out sheet. This means that one child at a time, from each class, will be called and dismissed to an authorized person. This is a regulation that the State Department of Health has asked us to follow.

The Juniors will be dismissed from the foyer immediately inside the front door.

The Seniors will be dismissed from the benches on the front walk.

If you wish to pick up your child at an earlier time, please come to the nursery school office and we will walkie talkie the class, in case they are out on a trail or the playground. Please let us know at the beginning of the day if you know that you will be picking up early and we can plan accordingly.

Anyone who comes to our school to pick up a child, including the child’s mother, father, grandparent, other relatives, baby-sitter, nanny, or family friend, MUST have their photo identification with them. If we have not met this person before we will be checking the information to verity that it is consistent with the information that you gave us authorizing someone other then yourself to pick up your child.

After parking your car in the lot, please walk to the building and meet your child on the sidewalk at the entrance.

These procedures are for the safety of the children and for a smooth dismissal. Please remember that traffic safety is a priority on Earthplace grounds. Speed limits into and out of our parking lot must be observed (15 mph).

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DISMISSAL FORMS

Emergency Authorization Release Form

This information is required by the State of Connecticut and is now a part of the registration form that you filled out to enroll your child in Earthplace. At least two names must be listed on the emergency form. These are people we could call if your child became ill and we were unable to contact you. This is why we need these two contacts to be local individuals.

Some children may be picked up regularly by other adults. Please include these names on the Emergency Authorization Form if your child will be picked up regularly by someone other than you, such as a nanny or grandparent. Please introduce your family’s nanny to the teachers on your child’s first day. If any of the authorized people should change during the school year, you must inform us in writing on a new form that your classroom will have available.

Updating the Emergency Authorization Release Form

If your want your child to go home with a classmate’s parent, or anyone else other than the people on the original emergency form, we need authorization in writing. Please fill out the Earthplace Authorized Release Form. It must be signed by a parent in ink, and dated. Please indicate the specific person who is going to pick up your child.

These authorization forms may be used to designate someone to pick up your child on a specific day or as a change or addition to the original form. These forms are available from your child’s teacher and on the bulletin board by the nursery school office.

The teachers will ask you to bring the form to the nursery school office. Here we make a copy of the form if it is a permanent change. We then add this to the child’s permanent file and we put a copy in the class notebook and the lunch club notebook.

If we do not know the person who is picking up your child, we will ask to see his or her photo identification (driver’s license).

Also, we ask that parents let the teachers know in advance when your child will be in the care of another adult, should both parents be going out of town or out of the country. We will need a note that explains who you have designated to be your child’s caretaker.

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SNOW and INCLEMENT WEATHER PROCEDURES

If there is inclement weather, PLEASE listen to your local radio stations, WNLK-1350 AM, WSTC-1400 AM, WICC-600 AM, WEFX-95.9 FM, WKAL-FM 96.7 or watch Channel 12 Cablevision. Any decision to be made will be done so with the safety of all in mind. There could be delayed openings or early closings. Please listen continuously because changes can be made during the early morning hours. You may call Earthplace to hear a recording regarding nursery school closings and delays. You will also receive an e-mail informing you of a closing or delayed opening.

If a storm occurs during the time your child is in school, PLEASE stay tuned to the above stations and listen for announcements regarding Earthplace Nursery School. In the case of an early dismissal, we would also have either the room parents or one of our staff try to call you.

Our school calendar lists school closings and special events. It is advisable for you to place it in a convenient location. Please refer to this calendar for holiday and vacation closings.

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SCHOOL INFORMATION

Birthdays at School - Donate a Book!

Please talk with your child’s teacher before bringing in a birthday snack. Instead of bringing in goodie bags we ask that you choose a book from our Book Wish List to donate to the class. You may also come in to read the book to the class.

Building Security and Safety

Earthplace Nursery School is located in Earthplace, The Nature Discovery Center. The Center is open to members and the paying public on a daily basis. The playground is not open to members or the paying public when school is in session. Members or the paying public may visit Natureplace, the indoor and/or outdoor animals, and walk on the trails when the Center is open.

Because of the public nature of the Center, the entrance doors to the nursery school classrooms from the playground and the Lunch Club hallway are kept locked at all times. The teachers have access to the rooms by key. Please come to the nursery school office or the main information desk when you wish to pick up early or visit your child’s classroom.

Teachers have walkie talkies in their classrooms and can communicate with each other, the nursery school office and main office at all times. The walkie talkies also go with the teachers when they are on the playground and on a trail walk.

Earthplace Consultants

Nurse Consultant: Donna Jones R.N.

Educational Consultant: Cindy R. Bess Ph.D.

Social Worker Consultant: Karen Salzarulo L.C.S.W.

Nutritional Consultant: Peter McKnight MS R.D. C.D.N.

Dental Consultant: Dr. Michael Wolfman D.M.D.

At Earthplace we utilize the above consultants to help us work with the children and their families. In cases of children with disabilities, behavior challenges or other special needs we will partner with you and either the above consultants or ones that you may choose to help guide us in our relationship with your child here at Earthplace.

Fire Drills

We practice our evacuation procedures on a monthly basis. In the beginning of the year, the Twos practice with their teachers but not with the fire alarm. By the end of the year all classes will have practiced evacuating their room and going to their assigned place on the playground. Here the children stay together in their designated spot and wait until the all clear is given. We have found that practicing this helps the children to be better able to respond in a quick and more comfortable manner.

Gifts and Party Invitations - Please Mail!

Please mail all invitations to a party, unless the entire class is invited. We also ask that you exchange gifts outside of Earthplace. Our goal is to have all children feel that Earthplace is a safe, nurturing place, where they are included in all events.

No Smoking and No Weapons

Our school is a sanctuary for animals, children and adults. Please do not smoke in our school and please do not bring weapons, either real or toy, into our building.

Nursing Mothers

Earthplace is supportive of nursing moms. There are many comfortable places in Earthplace for a mom to breastfeed such as Natureplace, in the Eco Room and in our outside gardens.

Parking Lot and Natureplace Supervision

Please park in a parking space and walk your children to their classroom in the morning and from their place of dismissal at the end of their day. Please be advised that we cannot park in the circular driveway. This is a fire lane and the Fire Marshal will ticket cars left in this area.

Please be aware that Public Act no.97-298 states that “It is a class A misdemeanor to knowingly leave children under the age of twelve unsupervised in a public accommodation or in a motor vehicle.” This means that children cannot be left alone in a car. This also applies to Natureplace. Please supervise your children in Natureplace.

Pets

Pets are not allowed on the grounds of Earthplace.

Sunglasses

Although we recognize the value of sunglasses for helping prevent the development of eye problems, we have found that wearing them while running, swinging and climbing on the playground can be hazardous to your child’s eyesight. Therefore, unless your child has a prescription for glasses or sunglasses, they may not be worn at school.

Toys from Home – Comfy Toys Welcome!

We ask that children keep their personal toys at home. We find that some toys are not appropriate for group play. Children’s comfy security toys are welcome. During the year, some classes may have Show & Tell. The teacher will let you know your child's scheduled day. There may be a variety of themes, such as something from nature or a favorite book.

Umbrellas

Children may come to school with umbrellas, but we ask that you take them back to your car until dismissal time.

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CLOTHING

Change of Clothes for Twos and Juniors

The Twos are asked to bring a change of clothes in a backpack everyday that they attend school. Please also include diapers and wipes. The Juniors will require a complete change of clothing (labeled with name) to be left in school. Please include socks. Place in a clear "Zip-Lock" type plastic bag clearly labeled with your child's name. If your child is still in diapers or pull-ups, please provide extras along with wipes. Please let your child’s teachers know if your child is in transition from diapers to pull-ups or to underpants.

Outdoor Play Clothes

Since we try to get outdoors whenever we can, this means play clothes are the order of the day. Any clothing that the children can handle on their own promotes independence and a sense of accomplishment.

In the winter, parents are responsible for providing appropriate clothing for outdoor play, including snow pants, boots, warm jacket, hat and mittens. Please label all of your child’s clothing. The children do not always recognize their hats, mittens, jackets, boots, etc. when the seasons have just changed. We prefer that children wear mittens because they are easier for them to manage than gloves. And please remember, if your child does not come dressed in his/ her snowsuit, please bring it in a canvas, mesh or vinyl bag. The state of Connecticut mandates that NO grocery type plastic bags are to be in or around areas where children are present.

We do have some extra clothes such as jackets, mittens, socks, and pants at school so that we can help the children if they need to either get warmer in the winter or dress a bit cooler in the summer.

Play Clothes

We will be working with paint and other messy materials. Even with smocks (which we provide) children still get paint and glue on them. Please send children in clothing that is appropriate for active play and learning.

Footwear

STURDY SHOES or SNEAKERS WITH SOCKS are the most appropriate footwear for nursery school. There will be opportunities for dress up clothes. Children may not come to school in crocs, sandals, clogs, jellies, cowboy or cowgirl boots, platform shoes or water shoes.

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HEALTH POLICIES

Outdoor Play Safety

Children have the daily opportunity for outdoor play when weather, air quality, or environmental safety conditions do not pose a health risk. Based on the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Public Health Association as printed in the book Caring for Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards: Guidelines for Out-of-Home Child Care Programs, weather poses a significant health risk at 15° or below, including wind chill factor, and at a heat index at or above 90°. Therefore, as long as the temperature falls within those parameters, and in the winter months, the ground is not dangerously icy, our students play outdoors.

As previously mentioned in the curriculum area, when outdoor opportunities for large-motor activities are not possible because of the conditions then we are able to set up activities in the Lunch Club Room, Malloy Room or the Auditorium.

Toilet Training

Although we encourage your children to be trained, this is not a requirement for attendance at Earthplace, with the exception of the optional Lunch Club program. This is in accordance with our interpretation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. We believe that we need to work with children at their level of development in all areas, including toilet training.

Illness and Injury

Illness or Injury at School

Staff members are knowledgeable about the signs and symptoms of childhood illnesses and they are responsible for the initial observation of each child upon arrival and continued observation throughout the day.

If an illness prevents the child from participating comfortably in activities or creates a greater need for care than the staff can provide without compromising the health and safety of other children, or if a child’s condition is suspected to be contagious and requires exclusion as identified by public health authorities, then the child is made comfortable in the nursery school office, where new individuals will not be exposed, on a cot where she or he is supervised by a familiar caregiver.

The program immediately attempts to notify the parent or legal guardian or other person authorized by the parent when a child has any sign or symptom that requires exclusion from the program. If the parent or legal guardian cannot be reached then a person authorized by the parent or legal guardian to pick up the child is contacted.

Some of the symptoms that would indicate to us that a child was contagious or did not feel well enough to stay in school would be: a fever of 99 degrees or greater, diarrhea, severe and persistent cough, vomiting, unexplained rash or a cold that seems to be keeping the child from benefiting from school. Parents are asked to keep children home when they have these symptoms.

Illness or Injury Report

We send home a description of any first aid that we give to your child at school. We ask that you sign this form to indicate that you did receive it. A copy of this form is kept in the Child's File. When we send your child home because of an illness we send an Illness/Injury Form along.

Illness at Home

Please call in when your child will miss school

Please let us know the reason for your child’s absence. We are then able to let other parents know to what diseases their children may have been exposed. There may be some health situations such as impetigo and/or lice where a doctor's note is required for the child to return to class. Illnesses on the list with an * require a note from the doctor.

Exposure to a Contagious Disease Information

When your child has been exposed to a contagious disease at school we will send an e-mail to let you know the name of the disease and its signs and symptoms, mode of transmission, period of communicability, control measures that are being implemented at the program and that families should implement at home. We will also announce this information at dismissal time.

Staying Home Until Well Policy

Children who have a fever must remain at home for 24 hours after the child’s temperature returns to normal. Children who have vomited must also remain at home for at least 24 hours after the child has stopped vomiting. Keeping a child at home for this 24-hour period helps to insure that the illness has passed. This is for the protection of all of the children. The exclusion period for children with a communicable disease and the return policy is stated in the following list:

DISEASE and TIME CHILD IS EXCLUDED FROM SCHOOL

Chicken Pox (Varicella): Until all sores have dried and crusted (usually six days)

Conjunctivitis*: Exclude for bacterial conjunctivitis (red eyes, yellow discharge); return after medications for 24 hours and certified by health care provider that child is not infectious

Diphtheria*: Until two negative cultures collected 24 hours after completion of medication

Difficult or rapid breathing*: Until cleared by health care provider

Fever 101 F orally: Excluded when accompanied by behavior changes, signs & symtptoms of illness. May return when fever free (without medication) for 24 hours.

Fungus or ringworm*: Excluded at end of school day. May return when certified by health care provider that patient is under adequate treatment and no longer infectious.

Hepatitis A*: Until 1 week after onset of illness, jaundice, or as directed by health care dept. when passive immunoprophylaxis has been administered to appropriate children and staff.

Impetigo*: Until 24 hours after treatment begun.

Influenza*: Until clinically well and cleared by a health care provider

Measles: Four days after rash appears and child is well

Meningitis* (all forms): Until certified by a physician as cured and not infectious

Mumps: Until 9 days after onset of parotid gland swelling

Pediculosis (Head Lice)*: From the end of the day until after 1st treatment

Pertussis (Whooping Cough): After 5 days of aprropriate antibiotic therapy

Poison Ivy, Oak, Sumac: No exclusion

Poliomyelitis*: Ten days from onset and certified as not infectious by physician

Rash*: Until diagnosed by a physician plus certification that patient is under adequate treatment or is not infectious

Rubella (German Measles): Until 6 days after onset of rash.

Scabies*: Until certified by health care provider that adequate treatment has been given to prevent transmission.

Strep Throat or other strep infections: Until 24 hours after intital antibiotic therapy and cessation of fever without fever suppressant medications for 24 hours

Tuberculosis (active)*: Until health care provider states that child is on appropirate therapy and can attend child care

*These illnesses require a note in order for your child to come back to school.

Return Policy after a Hospital Stay

If your child has been admitted to the hospital for any reason, we require a doctor’s note which states:

that the child may return to school

whether there are any restrictions to the child’s activities.

Medicals and Health Concerns

Medical Forms

Connecticut State Law requires that children who attend our school must have had a physical examination by the family doctor within one year. The results of the current medical exam must be on a completed medical form. We recommend that parents keep a copy of the current, completed medical form at home for their records. As per state licensing regulations, if a current, completed medical form is not in our hands on the first day of school; your child CANNOT be permitted to start school.

Your child’s medical form may expire during the school year. We will contact you a month in advance, so that you will have time to make an appointment for a physical. In accordance with Connecticut State Law you now have a 30 day allowance from the date that it expires. Please help us by scheduling an appointment in advance for the needed physical.

Religious or Medical Exemption

If you have a religious or medical exemption from immunizations your child must still have an annual physical indicated on the medical form, and you must fill out a State exemption form. Please contact us if you need one of these forms. These forms state that “Children with medical (religious) exemptions shall be permitted to attend school except in the case of a vaccine-preventable disease outbreak in the school. All susceptible students will be excluded from school based on public health officials’ determination that the school is a primary site for disease exposure, transmission and spread into the community. Students excluded from school for this reason will not be able to return to school until (1) the danger of the outbreak has passed as determined by the public health officials, (2) the student becomes ill with the disease and completely recovers, or (3) the student is immunized. For example, for measles the complete incubation period is 18 days from the onset of symptoms for the last case in the community. Outbreaks like measles may last for several months.

If after reporting to and consulting with our nurse consultant and the Westport-Weston Health District, it was decided that we did have an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease and that we were a primary site for disease exposure, transmission and spread into the community, the families whose children were not immunized would be contacted. Under the direction of our nurse consultant and the Westport-Weston Health District we would exclude the children who had not been immunized for the appropriate length of time.

Medication Policy

We ask that any lotions, repellents, sunscreens, lip balms, etc., be applied by parents at home. The longest that children can attend school is 4 ½ hours so that these items would not need to be reapplied at school. However, we do administer medications for the treatment of life-threatening situations. These are EpiPens, Benadryl and inhalers. There is a form that the doctor must sign giving us explicit instructions for the administration of these medications. Please check in the Nursery School Office if you need a copy of this form. The EpiPens and the inhalers must have the prescription on the box, and the expiration date of the medicine must be current. If you indicated on the registration form that your child has allergies or food intolerances, we will send you these forms. Our entire Medication Policy is included in the Appendix.

Allergies, Asthma and Food Intolerances

All allergies and food intolerances must be listed on your child’s medical by your child’s healthcare provider (physician). This is a requirement of the State Health Department. We will then provide you with the following forms to be filled out by you and your physician:

Authorization for the Administration of Prescription Medicine: Parents of children who require Benadryl and/or EpiPen and/or inhalers must have this form filled out by the physician who prescribes the medicine.

Allergy/Food Intolerance Care Plan: This form is signed by the parent and the health care provider. It gives us information about the conditions under which the child may have snack, lunch, visit the Animal Hall and use the trails.

Asthma Action Plan: This is for children who need to use inhalers. It is signed by the physician and the parent. It indicates the child’s triggers, signs of asthma episodes and other important information.

Other Emergency Care Plans

For children with known medical or developmental problems or other conditions that might require special care in an emergency such as seizures, orthopedic or sensory problems, and other chronic conditions that require regular medication or technology support, a plan for the individual child will be written by the health consultant. This form needs to be signed by the parent or guardian.

Snacks for Children with Allergies and Food Intolerances

If a child has any food allergies or intolerances, parents are required to provide snacks.

Peanut Policy

Our building cannot be deemed peanut safe because peanut products are used in the Animal Hall. However, we do not serve peanut products in our snack program. We have made this decision becasue of the danger of the children not washing the peanut butter off of their hands, clothes and even the chairs. Children may not bring peanut butter for lunch. All children will wash their hands at the beginning of the school day and before and after eating their snack. At Lunch Club, children will still wash their hands before and after lunch.

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LUNCH CLUB

Lunch Club is an optional program for which there is an additional charge. In order for your child to attend Lunch Club, he/she must be toilet trained and your family’s Earthplace membership must be current. Children in Seniors classes may begin attending Lunch Club as early as the second week of September; children in the Juniors may start in October to allow them adequate time to adjust to school.

The Lunch Club program is an extension of your child's nursery school experience. During the extended day, your children will be using the Animal Hall, Natureplace, Ecology Room, auditorium and our 62-acre sanctuary. Crafts, songs, story time and outdoor time will also be provided.

During the free choice section of Lunch Club the children may use the block area, easel, art center, book area, housekeeping area, puzzle area, sensory table and the activities set up by the teachers. These activities may include art experiences, science experiences, manipulatives, and board games.

The children wash their hands before and after lunch. At lunch time the teachers sit and eat with the children. They help the children to learn to open their lunches and encourage independence. The teachers encourage conversation amongst the children and model healthy eating habits.

The hours for the Lunch Club program are as follows:

Children who attend the morning sessions of Nursery School (8:45 - 11:30 AM) sign up for Lunch Club on the 11:30 a.m. arrival sign up sheet. These children then come to Lunch Club after their regular class and stay until 1:15 p.m.

Children who attend the afternoon sessions of Nursery School (12:15- 3:00 PM for Seniors [and M-W-F Juniors] and 12:20-2:50 p.m. for [T-Th] Juniors) sign up for Lunch Club on the 10:30 a.m. arrival sign up sheet. These children start out in the Lunch Club room and then go to their class at 12:15 p.m.

Children who wish to attend the Lunch Club program on a day they do not come to the nursery school may do so. Sign up should be on the 10:30 arrival sheet. Hours of the lunch school program for non-school days are 10:30 a.m. -1:15 p.m.

Sign up for Lunch Club is now at the front desk. PAYMENT MAY BE MADE BY CHECK, CASH OR CREDIT CARD AT THE TIME OF SIGN-UP. Due to accounting regulations, payment must be made before your child attends Lunch Club. If you prefer, you may pay in advance by the month, and our office manager will let you know when an additional payment is due. However, if you pay in advance, you are still required to write your child’s name on the sign up sheet each week.

The fees for the 2011 -2012 lunch program are:

$ 18.00

Regular School Day

$ 23.00

Non-school Day

Pizza Day

We offer Pizza Day at Lunch Club on a different day each week. For an additional fee of $3.00 in cash a child may have one or two slices from Joe's Pizza in Westport. Pizza Day sign-up sheets are located next to the Lunch Club sheets and should be filled out at the same time. Remeber to send your child with something to drink, napkin, fruit, etc.

Lunch Box Suggestions

Because we sponsor a lunch program, the State of Connecticut has asked us to recommend a nutritious lunch for your children. We want to make Lunch Club a happy, successful experience for your child. From our experience over the years we have found that there are a few guidelines that help with this process:

Yes, yes, yes!

Please use an insulated lunch box with ice pack. An ice pack is a State Regulation that must be adhered to. Please do not send a plastic or paper bag. Please send utensils and napkins with your child’s lunch each day.

Suggested Foods:

½ sandwich

Cold cuts

Cheese

Yogurt in a cup with a spoon

Juice boxes & small drinkable yogurts w/ straws, thermos with drink

Small plastic bottled water

Small apples oranges cut in sections

Veggies

Applesauce cups

Dry cereal

A few chips or crackers in a baggy (works better than a whole bag of chips or crackers)

One or two cookies

Please remember to pack all items in ready-to-eat condition. For example, if your child likes to eat oranges in sections, peel the orange and divide it in sections before packing it. If he/she prefers bite-size pieces, please cut it up at home. We are not equipped to peel, cut up, mash, heat up, assemble or divide the foods that you send. Single-serving, ready-to-eat, child-appropriate portions in easy-to-open containers will give your child the opportunity to develop confidence through self-sufficiency.

No-nos!

We have found that the following foods are either not developmentally appropriate for children to handle in a group situation and/or can pose a choking hazard.

Peanut butter, nuts, glass containers, “Sippy” cups (We have found that Lunch Club is a safe place to have children transition to using small cups. Many local speech therapists have advised us to promote using cups at school.) Squeezable yogurt, candy, popcorn, carrots, including “baby” carrots (unless cut lengthwise), hot dogs (unless cut lengthwise), grapes (unless cut in half)

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SPECIAL EVENTS

Here is a chronological list of the special events that we are planning for this year:

Parent Orientation

Juniors and Seniors: the first week of September

Twos: the third week of September

At the orientations we hope to answer any questions that will help to make the first days of school a positive experience. You will meet all of the teachers, visit the classrooms and meet the parents of your child's classmates.

Open House

Juniors and Seniors: the first week of September

Twos: the third week of September

The Open House is the time for you to stay with your child at school before the full day begins. Your positive interaction with your child and with the teachers, other parents, and other students helps to set the tone for the first regular day.

All School Campfire

On the first Friday in October, we will have our annual campfire. We will sing songs and make s’mores. We encourage families to bring dinner beforehand if they wish. The campfire will begin between 6 and 6:30 p.m. depending on the onset of darkness.

Halloween

We do not celebrate Halloween with costumes. We sing songs, read stories and participate in Halloween inspired art experiences.

Book Fair

This year our Book Fair takes place in November. We will be selling books from Main Street Books. Parent volunteers will be needed to help set up and staff this event.

Family Day

Juniors and Seniors: On a Saturday in November, each class will have an hour to visit the classroom and also attend the Book Fair. The teachers will be present and will have activities in the classroom for everyone to participate in.

Twos: On a Saturday in January, each twos class will come to visit and play in their classrooms.

Class Sing-Alongs

Before our break in December, we will invite you to stay a bit at the beginning of the day or to come early before dismissal to sing some of our songs with us. You will be sitting with your children in a big circle on the floor and we will share some of our favorite songs. This will not be a video taking opportunity because we would like everyone to interact with one another.

Silent Auction

In March we will have our 4th annual Silent Auction.

Ice Cream Social

Will be on a Saturday in March. Our Ice Cream Social is a time for us to get together as a school. We enjoy an Animal Program and then make our own sundaes. Volunteers will be needed for this event.

School Photos

In the spring, Dan Rosen will take individual and class photos. Dan is a wonderful photographer. He almost always is able to take the photos outdoors. Dan is an expert at making the photo experience a fun event for the children. And the parents love the photos!

Song Fests

We will let you know in the spring how our final get-together will be scheduled.

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FINANCE POLICY

Bounced Checks

If the bank charges us a fee, we pass the fee along to you.

Family Membership

You must have a one-year family membership at the time of registration. Membership must be maintained while your child is enrolled in our Nursery School.

Late Payment Fee

If you do not pay the tuition by the date indicated on the bill or during the two week grace period, a $50 late fee will be added.

Nonrefundable Registration Fee and Earthplace Membership

At the time of enrollment, a $400 non-refundable registration fee is due. The tuition is divided in half and billed in June and December. Half of the $400 deposit will be deducted from the second tuition payment. Tuition payments are due in June and January. There is a two week grace period for making the payments. The registration fee is refunded only when the child leaves to attend a special needs preschool.

Payment Plans

Please contact the Nursery School office if you would like to arrange a payment plan.

Tuition Refunds

Withdrawal of student: If a child is withdrawn from school before the end of the school year, a pro-rated refund of the tuition is given only when another child takes the withdrawn child's spot. When the withdrawal is for medical reasons or when a child leaves to attend a special services preschool, a pro-rated refund will be given even if the spot has not been filled.

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ENROLLMENT POLICY

In-house registration begins in November.

Interest Forms are sent to all families in the twos and Juniors classes. At that time, the parents let us know what class they are interested in for the fall of the next school year. We ask for first and second choices. This form needs to be returned mid November.

Public Registration

Families from outside the school may visit by appointment and fill out an Interest Form indicating the class that they are interested in attending. We also have an Open House on in early October for the general public from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. After the enrollment is set for the in-house registration, we then begin contacting the new families in order of the dates on their forms. If they have not observed the school, we invite the family to visit a class. Registration forms are then given to or mailed to those who are interested in the class.

Junior Classes

The class choices for the Juniors in the morning are Monday/Wednesday/Friday and in the afternoon, either Tuesday/Thursday, Monday/Wednesday/Friday, or Monday through Friday.

Junior Enrollment

Spots are assigned on the following basis:

Priority is given to those families who have returned the Pre-registration form by the due date.

First choice is given to those children who had or have a sibling in the program and who are currently attending a twos program.

Next, those children who are currently attending a twos program and those children who are siblings and are not presently attending Earthplace twos, are put into a lottery for the remaining morning spots.

Families may request to be put on a waiting list for a morning spot. At the end of November, families are informed of the class to which their child has been assigned. We then ask for a $400 non-refundable deposit to be turned in with the registration form by the first week in December.

Senior Classes

For the Seniors, the choice in the morning is Monday through Friday or in the afternoon, Tuesday/Thursday, Monday/Wednesday/Friday, or Monday through Friday. Once the school year begins, if space permits, parents may add either Tuesday or Thursday afternoon for a child in the M/W/F Seniors.

Senior Enrollment

We guarantee a child’s spot in the Seniors to be the same as their spot in the Juniors. For example, those in the morning Juniors can have a spot in the morning Seniors, if they wish to have that placement. A child in the 5-day afternoon Juniors would be guaranteed a spot in the 5-day afternoon Seniors. This does not mean that families must take that spot. When several afternoon families are interested in a morning spot the following procedure is followed.

Priority is given to those families who have returned the Pre-registration form by the due date.

Next, first choice is given to those children who are currently enrolled and had or have a sibling in the program.

Next, children are given morning classes based on the date at which the Pre-registration Form was turned in.

Children are then listed on a wait list based on the date at which the Pre-registration Form was turned in.

Provisional Enrollment and Expulsion of Student

At Earthplace Nursery School we do not have a specific time for provisional enrollment. Our policy is to work with each family and all children who enroll in our program. We use a variety of techniques and resources to help all children become comfortable at our school. In terms of expulsion, we have never had to ask a child to leave. Again in all cases we work with families as part of a team to figure out what a child needs in order to be an integral part of our program and to benefit from being here at Earthplace. If we mutually come to the decision that the program is not a good fit for the child then we do refund the tuition on a prorated basis.

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CHILD NOT PICKED UP AT CLOSING TIME

When a child is not picked up as planned, two teachers will wait with the child. First we call all of the parents' home, work and cell phone numbers. If we are not able to reach a parent to clarify the situation, we then begin calling the emergency authorization numbers. If we are unable to reach a parent or an authorized emergency person by 5:00 p.m. we then call the Westport Police Department and follow their instructions. We would bring the child to the police station or the child would be picked up by the police.

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