Allergies

The Director and teachers should be made aware of any allergies your child may have. Please prepare a list of allergies, restrictions and remedies prior to the start of school. This will be posted as necessary.

Birthdays

Special recognition is given to the birthday child during group and snack time. Please arrange with the teacher when you would like to celebrate your child’s birthday. You might want to work in the classroom that day and bring snack. A sweet treat is completely acceptable for birthday celebrations and special parties. Be aware of special dietary restrictions in class/ at school.

If you are planning to invite children to a birthday party, please be sensitive to the feelings of both the uninvited children and parents. Please do not discuss the party at school. Do not pass out invitations unless the whole class is invited. We understand and appreciate that not everyone can be invited, but hurt feelings related to birthday parties are a real issue.

Emergency Action Plan

PRCP follows all State and Local guidelines for emergency procedure and evacuation in contact with emergency and/or disaster agencies as soon as possible. Located in each classroom and the Director’s office are copies of the detailed Safety Program followed by all staff and parent volunteers at PRCP.

Below are the guidelines set forth by PRCP for Parents in the event of an emergency situation:

DO

• Keep your phone lines open. If your lines are not down, use the phone only to get medical aid if you need it. We will contact you as soon as possible.
• Trust us. We have an emergency plan and staff trained in First Aid and CPR. We will stay and do everything we can until we reunite you and your child.
• Be patient. As much as can be done, will be done for each child. Schools will have a priority on emergency medical help and children will be taken to hospitals when necessary.

DON’T

• Try to get to school to pick up your child. You will be in more danger on the street than your child will be here, and emergency equipment will not be able to get through. You would probably be stopped by roadblocks and may not be able to get here or back home.
• Call the school. If you and others are jamming communication lines, no one will get through and more important, we will not be able to get a call out for emergency help we might need.
• Panic. We know you may have a couple of anxious hours to face before you are sure your child OK, but panicking usually leads to mistakes.
• Send strangers to pick up your child. When all is clear, please don’t expect us to release a child to someone not authorized on your form to pick up your child.

Field Trips

A field trip permission slip must be signed upon entering preschool in order for the child to attend field trips. Families will always be notified in advance of all field trips. Any parent/ guardian or designated party may accompany our preschool on field trips. Siblings may also accompany our students on field trips. All children will need to be in a restrained car seat in accordance with State Law. If you will not be accompanying your child on the field trip, please leave a DOT approved child restraint seat.
All parents who wish to accompany us must provide a copy of their car insurance and a valid CA driver’s license prior to the first field trip.

Giving Tree

The Giving Tree is a list of supplies and craft items that we could use at PRCP. These might include egg cartons, hand sanitizer, shoe boxes, paper towels, jars, dish soap, hand wipes, band-aids, bleach, vinegar and trash bags. We appreciate any donation to PRCP and remind members that all donations are tax deductible (we have a Tax-Deductible Donation form and our Tax I.D. # is readily available. Please check in the office.)

Grievances

If parents have any problems or concerns we ask that the following procedures be followed:

1. If of a student/ classroom nature: Discuss with your child’s teacher first. If the parent feels that the issue was not properly addressed, or it was dismissed, then:
2. Discuss with the Executive Director. The Director will then work with the teacher &/ or parents in an attempt to resolve the problem.
3. If a financial matter, the Director will bring in the Board President for discussion, who will follow By-Law set procedure.
4. Once exhausted, the above steps are final.

Illness

DO NOT bring sick children to the school. Daily health inspections will be performed and children who are not well enough to participate in all preschool activities will be sent home. If your child has any of the following symptoms, please keep them home:

• Fever
• Persistent cough
• Runny nose that is not clear
• Unexplained rash
• Untreated Lice

In the event that the teachers or the Director identify symptoms, the following plan of action will immediately go into effect:

1. Isolate the child in the Director’s office resting comfortably on a mat/with blanket until parent or guardian arrives. Call the child’s parents or adults listed on the ID sheet kept in his/her file in order to have the child removed from the school.
2. Disinfect the classroom if necessary.
3. Only allow readmission of child if symptoms have subsided for 24 hours or upon receiving a doctor’s note.
4. Post a sign on the sign in sheet notifying all parents when communicable disease or illness is documented or send a school wide e-mail containing notification.

Lost and Found

There will be a Lost and Found bin inside the office. Please check this bin regularly. If items are not claimed, PRCP will donate the items to a charitable organization.

Parent Information Center

On the front porch of PRCP is the Parent Information Center. There is a bulletin board, monthly calendar, family folders, and occasional requests for the Giving Tree. Please check your folder daily and review the bulletin board and calendar regularly.

Announcements outside of PRCP business may be posted on the bulletin board, with the Director’s approval.

Sign In/ Out

Everyday at drop-off and pick-up parents or parent designated party MUST legibly sign their child in and out on the daily rosters provided. This is a Legal Document and part of State Licensing. Please help to keep this requirement accurate.

Privacy Policy

PRCP does not sell or disclose any of your personal information to any other organization and PRCP will not transmit personal information to third parties without first obtaining your consent to do so. PRCP will never sell member information. Phone number & email address directories are handed out to active parent members with the understanding that this information is to be used for school business only.

Snacks

It is your responsibility to have your child bring their own snack to school each day. We encourage nutritious snacks with small portions. Sharing of snacks is discouraged. Special celebrations or parties requiring families to bring snacks for the whole class will have specific sign up sheets posted in advance. We maintain a school ban on all peanut, tree nut, and sesame products. Read labels and do not send these to school at any time. Be aware of special dietary restrictions in class/ at school.

Smoking/ Hot drinks

No smoking or chewing tobacco is allowed on the school premises or at school activities. Hot drinks must be kept out of children’s reach & contained in spill proof containers.

Staff/Child Ratios

The school’s desired staff:child ratio is 1:4, which  includes two working parents required for a classroom of 12 students.

Termination

PRCP reserves the right to refuse service if:

1. PRCP is unable to meet child’s needs (Ex: lack of specialized training or lack of consistent classroom staff)
2. There are safety issues for child’s self or others.
3. There is non- payment of tuition.
4. Parents do not demonstrate/ fulfill compatible interest in school community.

Toileting Policy

We encourage all children to be toilet trained at the start of preschool. Please be aware that we do not have any diaper changing facility. In the event your child has an accident we will need to work with you to develop a plan that you and your child will be comfortable with.

Each class will set aside time to go as a group to the restrooms. Children, after using the facility, must wash their hands with soap and running water. Each child will be allowed to use the facility when necessary. Supervising adults must also wash their hands with soap and running water after using the adult restroom facility, after wiping noses and before snack.

Withdrawal

A two week written notice is required prior to your child’s removal from the preschool program. If we do not receive two weeks notice of termination you will be responsible for two weeks tuition after your child leaves the preschool.

Classroom Aides

According to State requirements, children not enrolled in the Preschool’s program may not accompany a parent to school on the parent’s workday.

Our Cooperative preschool strives to maintain a ratio of 1 adult to every 4 children or less, therefore it is imperative that parents do not fail to show up for their scheduled workday.  A fine will be imposed on parents who either fail to show up on their workday or fail to find a substitute parent or other authorized worker.

For adults who work in the classroom with the children; proof of a negative or not at risk TB test is required. These tests can be obtained for a small fee at the Health Department or through your General Practitioner. In addition; vaccination proof against pertussis (in DTaP) also known as “whooping cough”, measles (in MMR).