CONTENTS: | |||
| Tuition & Payment Information | ||
Absences | |||
| Please notify the school before 8:45 a.m. if your child will be absent. For multiple day absences due to illness, a daily courtesy call from a parent is also appreciated. » Back to top of page | ||
Annual Tuition - School Year | |||
| Jonathan Montessori offers a 173 day school year from September 8, 2009 through June 10 2010; covering only those days delineated on the school's annual calendar. Families that are new to the school will have the option of their tuition divided into ten installments as mentioned above, but the first half of the first installment must be made by July 15th and the second half of that installment by August 15th. The remaining installments will be paid from September to May. | ||
Arrivals & Departures | |||
| Program arrival time is 8:45 a.m. So that all children may receive the maximum program benefit, children must arrive at school on time. After your child has put on his/her inside shoes be sure to deliver your child to a staff member at the door of the classroom. That person will assist your child in entering the classroom independently. When comfortable, your child may be dropped off or picked up at the regular arrival and departure times (8:45, 12:00 and 3:00) at the front entrance where a staff member will meet them at the car. Parents are always welcome to bring their child into school. To do so you must park your car in one of the spaces provided. No cars may be left unattended at the curb unless prior to 8:30 am or after 4:00 pm. Our parking lot is “One Way” only and is strictly enforced for everyone’s safety. Parents of children in the All-Day or Extended Day class will need to bring their child(ren) in and pick them up at the classroom door. Your child will be dismissed only when a parent or other pre-authorized adult is at the door to take responsibility for the child. A note signed by a child's parent is necessary in order for someone other than the parent or pre-authorized adult to pick up the child. Identification or a (picture ID) will be checked of a pre-authorized adult or other individual picking up your child! » Back to top of page | ||
Birthdays | |||
| Children wishing to celebrate their birthday at school should contact their child’s teacher a few weeks ahead of time. Each class has a special birthday ritual. Since we have children in the school with severe food allergies, only non-food items such as stickers or pencils are permitted to be shared with friends. A book or gift to the classroom would also be very welcome gesture. Please talk with your child’s teacher to learn what rituals they observe to celebrate birthdays. Invitations to children’s parties should be mailed to the child’s home and driving arrangements to parties should not originate or end at the school. This procedure will avoid any children feeling left out. » Back to top of page | ||
| Board of Directors | |||
| | The Board of Directors for the 2009-2010 school year are: Trisha Leck: 952-361-3786 | ||
Breakfast | |||
| Children who need to eat breakfast at school must be enrolled in the All or Extended Day Program. They must arrive prior to 8:30 a.m. to insure ample time to finish breakfast. The State of Minnesota requires that all meals be of high nutritional value. Therefore, JMS has devised a plan that will insure the nutrition of the breakfast at school. Parents will assist on a rotation basis in providing cereal of the school’s choice. Parents will be notified when it is their turn and will be given a list of approximately four cereal choices to purchase. If you child does not like these choices we ask that you provide them with breakfast at home. » Back to top of page | ||
Busing | |||
| Children who are in the Kindergarten Program and reside in District 112 are eligible for busing services. The services are provided through Positive Connections, which transports children at the appropriate program times. Parents must make arrangements through the director and bus company coordinator. It is the parent’s responsibility to contact the bus company if their child will not be riding the bus that day. Positive Connections: 952-361-0899 » Back to top of page | ||
Clothing | |||
| Each child should be equipped with outdoor clothing suitable to the season. We will attempt to be outdoors daily unless the temperature or wind chill factor is zero or below. We will not be outside during extreme heat for the safety of the children, as well as staff. Provide a full set of labeled clothing including socks, underwear, pants/shorts, and shirt in the basket provided in your child's cubby. For children who are in transition of mastering their bathroom habits, please provide several changes of clothing. If clothing is not available for your child he/she will be sent home. Children may not borrow clothing from others. Please keep a pair of indoor tennis shoes at school. Tennis shoes work best and can be used in the multipurpose room as well. Be sure to check the lost and found box in the coatroom near the office periodically. » Back to top of page | ||
Communicable Diseases | |||
| If a child in the center has a contagious disease, a sign is posted notifying parents of the illness, symptoms, and number of days to exclude from school. Parents are requested to report any cases of contagious diseases to the school as soon as possible. Please take this responsibility very seriously. Listed below are rules to guide you when your child becomes infected with any one of the following diseases. Chicken Pox - DO NOT USE ASPIRIN. Exclude child from school until pox are dry and scabbed. Incubation period 13-17 days. Measles - Can occur in immunized children. Rash is preceded by a runny nose and pinkeye. Exclude from school until five days after appearance of rash. Watch for complications - ear infections and pneumonia are most common. Incubation period is 14-21 days. German Measles - Can occur in immunized children. Exclude from school three days after rash appears. Incubation period is 14-21 days. Mumps - Can occur in immunized children. Isolate until fever and swelling have disappeared and temperature is normal, usually 9 days after onset of facial swelling. Careful treatment of mumps is important, particularly as the child reaches adolescence, as the disease could affect the reproductive organs. Incubation period is 12-26 days. Impetigo - Crusted, weepy patches on skin usually require oral antibiotic treatment if more than a small area is involved. Very contagious. Exclude from school until lesions have been check by a doctor and are under treatment or until lesions are healed. Scarlet Fever & Scarlatina - Both are caused by strep infection. Medical care is important. Early medication will help prevent complication such as rheumatic fever. Keep at home until fever is down and for at least 24 hours after starting antibiotics. Incubation period is 2-5 days. Pinkeye - Very contagious. Child must be medicated for at least 24 hours before returning to school. Symptoms are redness, burning, watering or crusting in the eye. Diarrhea - Usually caused by viruses, but can be caused by bacteria or parasites (such as giardia). Exclude from school until stools have decreased in frequency and if a normal diet is tolerated. Seek medical care if persists for more that 2-3 days. Head Lice - Symptoms include itchy scalp. Highly contagious. Head lice are tiny insects which lay eggs in human hair at base of hair shafts. Notify school immediately if your child is diagnosed with head lice. Scabies - A contagious skin disease caused by a mite. Symptoms occur 2-6 weeks after exposure. Whole family should be treated. Disinfect clothing and bedding as for lice. Ringworm - Symptoms include redness and scaling of scalp or body in circular pattern. Oral medication is required for scalp infection. Lotion is required for body infection. Streptococcus/Strep Throat - Symptoms include sore throat, general weakness, fever and is highly contagious. Oral medication is required for 24 hours before the child returns to the school. » Back to top of page | ||
Drop-in Services | |||
| Drop in services are limited and are based on the program your child is enrolled in. Anytime a child is in attendance any hours other than their regular program schedule, there will be a service charge of $10.00 per hour, billed in half hour increments. These hours will be billed on your regular tuition invoice. Half Day and Full Day Programs are only open from 8:45 to 3:00. If you are enrolled in Half Day, you may make reservations for your child to stay for lunch and the remainder of the day (until 3:00). All reservations for additional hours must be reserved through the office at least one day in advance so that we may be properly staffed. Reservations are accepted on a space available basis. » Back to top of page | ||
Enrollment Policy | |||
| Jonathon Montessori is open to all children and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion or national origin. Upon the Director's recommendations, the Board of Directors may approve removal of a child from the school if the child presents an unusual and serious problem, which is not corrected in a reasonable time and after consultation with the child's parents. The school will assist in recommending alternate placement. » Back to top of page | ||
| Failure to Report | |||
| | A mandated reporter who knows or has reason to believe a child is or has been neglected or physically or sexually abused and fails to report is guilty of a misdemeanor. In addition, a mandated reporter who fails to report maltreatment that is found to be serious or recurring maltreatment may be disqualified from employment in positions allowing direct contact with persons receiving services from programs licensed by the Department of Human Services and by the Minnesota Department of Health, and unlicensed Personal Care Provider Organizations. The reporting policies and procedures must be provided to parents of all children at the time of enrollment in the child care program and must be made available upon request. Jonathan Montessori follows The Division of Licensing recommendation that parents with children currently enrolled are informed of the reporting policies and procedures, and provide them with an opportunity to request the information. » Back to top of page | ||
Field Trips | |||
| A permission slip will be given to parents for each scheduled outing. Permission slips will be provided for acceptance or rejection of your child's participation. Please promptly decide, sign, and return permission slips to facilitate any needed adjustments in travel arrangements. Permission denied and slips returned after the posted deadline may necessitate excluding your child from the trip or school that day. » Back to top of page | ||
Fire and Severe Weather | |||
| Children practice safety procedures for fire and severe weather monthly. During fire drills an alarm sounds and children leave the building. We encourage families to practice these safety measures at home as well. Jonathan Montessori follows State Minnesota regulations for fire and severe weather conditions. » Back to top of page | ||
Graduation | |||
| All children will participate in a special ceremony honoring those children who are graduating from Kindergarten on the last day of school. This ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. and all families of graduates are invited to attend. Please note that school will close for all children at 12:00 noon that day and there is no afternoon program available. » Back to top of page | ||
Grievance Policy | |||
| Communication between parents and their child’s teacher is very important. Should you have a classroom concern, please contact your child’s teacher to discuss it. If your concerns are not satisfactorily resolved, please contact the school Director immediately. The Director will than facilitate any necessary meetings to reach resolution of any grievances. For concerns regarding specific policies or procedures, please contact the Director who can answer your questions and bring issues directly to the Board of Directors. Parents are welcome to contact board members and attend board meetings at any time. » Back to top of page | ||
Guest Appearances | |||
| A variety of animals may visit the school. Please notify the school immediately of any animal related allergies. Guest persons of many professions will attend the school on various days, i.e. police, firefighters, doctors, veterinarians. Some prior or follow-up discussion may be helpful. » Back to top of page | ||
Health of Child | |||
| Physical examination forms will be sent to all parents. Parents are required to return the physicians statement form signed by the physician certifying the following: The child has passed a physical examination within three months prior to initial and Kindergarten admission. This should contain an evaluative statement about the child’s special medical needs or problems. The child must have current immunizations against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, measles, and any others the law may require. Health reports and immunizations are required to be on file prior to enrollment. This is a State Licensing requirement for all students and failure to comply in cause to exclude the child from the school. The presence of a child in school signifies that he or she is able to play outdoors. » Back to top of page | ||
Holiday Celebrations | |||
| Children will be learning about many different cultures and may observe some celebrations. This may include art projects, cooking, reading, music, etc. Jonathan Montessori is a non-sectarian school and though we will help children acknowledge religious holidays that take place; the school will not observe any particular religious holiday in order to respect the diversity of our population. » Back to top of page | ||
| Hours | |||
| Full and Half Day Programs: Montessori program arrival is between 8:45 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Children should arrive and be picked up at the appropriately scheduled time or at the parent’s contracted time. Please arrive and depart promptly as late arrivals and pickups are very disruptive to the children and staff. All and Extended Day Programs: The school closes at 6:00 p.m. We ask that all parents respect the end of the workday for our staff, and please arrive in time to pick up their child(ren) and depart by 6:00 p.m. Should the school need to be kept open after 6:00 p.m., each family will be charged a late fee of $10.00 for every 15 minutes or portion thereof, based on the time the family departs the building. The late fee will be added to your bill. » Back to top of page | ||
| Illness | |||
| | Parents or other pre-designated adults will be called in an emergency if a child is found to be sick while attending school. The school requests that parents provide two alternate telephone numbers to call so that an adult can be reached who will be responsible for the child should he/she need to be released from the school for the protection of the child and others from illness. The teacher has the authority to send any child home if he/she believes a child is too sick to be in the classroom or that a child’s illness may jeopardize the health of other children in the class. If a child has any signs of illness, such as pinkeye, skin rash, fever, sore throat, vomiting, or any contagious disease, please keep the child home. The child’s temperature needs to be normal and they should not have vomited for 24 hours before the child returns to school. » Back to top of page | ||
Insurance | |||
| Jonathan Montessori is covered by the appropriate insurance required by the State of Minnesota. » Back to top of page | ||
Late Policy | |||
| There is a $25.00 late fee for any bill not paid by the first business day following the due date. If payment has not been made after five business days, there will be an additional $25.00 fee assessed and for every five days thereafter, a $25.00 fee will continue to be assessed. If delinquency continues for 30 days the child will be excluded from the school and will be considered withdrawn. Parents will remain responsible for the past due balances. If a hardship occurs in the family, written alternative payment arrangements that are acceptable to Jonathan Montessori may be made. If the agreed upon arrangements are not adhered to, the normal late policy and fees will apply. » Back to top of page | ||
Licensing | |||
| As part of the State of Minnesota's childcare licensing procedures, Jonathan Montessori is in compliance and is regularly inspected by state officials as appropriate. Jonathan Montessori is currently licensed to hold 75 children. » Back to top of page | ||
Lunch | |||
| Children staying beyond 12:00 p.m. need to bring a cold bag lunch to school daily. Hot items may be placed in a thermos for your child’s lunch. Please note that we do not have any way to heat lunches for children. Please remember to include choices from all food groups. State law requires that fruits and vegetables be included. Fruit snacks do not qualify as a fruit. Milk, eating utensils, and napkins will be provided. Lunchtime is an extension of the children’s learning experience. Along with a complete set of dishes, name cards and table cloths, intimate groups of children along with a staff member promote conversation and practice table manners. Jonathan Montessori has a Peanut Free Policy in order to provide a learning environment that is safe for all children. No peanut, tree nut products or their oils will be permitted in the school. (see policy below) » Back to top of page | ||
| Medication | |||
| | Medication may be brought to school with a doctor’s prescription. Parents must fill out a medication permission form. Forms are located in each classroom and in the office waiting area. Licensing requires written authorization by a physician before any over the counter medications can be given. If a medical emergency occurs, we will call the Chaska rescue squad (911) immediately. There is always a staff person on duty that is trained and certified in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). » Back to top of page | ||
| Naps | |||
| A cot will be provided for children who desire to take naps during the afternoon hours. A pillow, blanket, and one “special friend” should be left on the designated cot in the nap room of your child’s casa. Please launder these items weekly. Personal sleeping schedules should be discussed with your child’s teacher. » Back to top of page | ||
| On-going Fundraisers | |||
| | These are easy fundraising opportunities you can participate in year-round:
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Parent Volunteering | |||
| Jonathan Montessori School is your school. It is governed by a cooperating group of parents and teachers who serve on a board of directors elected each year at the school’s Annual Meeting in April. The members elected represent the parent body. The strength of our school is the involvement of parents, staff and children. Ensuring the high quality of our school, while keeping tuition at very competitive levels, necessitates additional time, talent and/or funds shared by parents. The opportunities available to accomplish this are determined by the board of directors and may be fulfilled by family participation in our Parent Volunteer Program. If you haven’t already done so, please take time to complete the Volunteer Opportunities form. If you need another form, please contact the office and we’d be happy to give you one. » Back to top of page | ||
Payments | |||
| Payments may be placed in the "In Basket" in the office at any time of the day or may be mailed prior to the due date to the JMS office. Office staff will collect the payments daily. » Back to top of page | ||
| Peanut-Free Policy | |||
| | Jonathan Montessori has a peanut free policy to ensure a safe educational environment for all children. Parents will be given lists of acceptable foods that may be brought to the school. Products containing peanuts, tree nuts and their oils will not be permitted. The school’s health policies are developed and implemented under the guidance of a nurse and our consulting physician, Dr. Katherine Hackett from Lakeview Clinic. Parents are encouraged to contact the school with questions. » Back to top of page | ||
Photo Release | |||
| Written parental permission will be obtained before using any child's photograph or work in brochures or any other marketing materials. » Back to top of page | ||
| Retaliation Prohibited | |||
| | An employer of any mandated reporter shall not retaliate against the mandated reporter for reports made in good faith or against a child with respect to whom the report is made. The Reporting of Maltreatment of Minors Act contains specific provisions regarding civil actions that can be initiated by mandated reporters who believe that retaliation has occurred. » Back to top of page | ||
| Safety Doors
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School Closing | |||
| Jonathan Montessori will close due to severe weather conditions if District 112 closes. A one-hour late start means that our school will open at 9:45 a.m. rather than 8:45 a.m.: a two hour late start means that our school will be open at 10:45 a.m. rather than 8:45 a.m. On these days, there will be no early morning program available. Closings will be announced on WCCO 830 AM radio and television stations as soon as possible. » Back to top of page | ||
School/Parent Communication | |||
| Be aware of weekly postings and sign-up sheets in the commons area. Personal mail is left in the tube provided in your child’s cubby. Newsletters from the office are very important and should be read to keep parents in the know. These are delivered via email or through your child’s cubby depending on your specification. Classroom newsletters are sent home several times per month. Please use the mailbox near the office to leave monthly payments and/or messages for the office or director. Messages for other staff members may be left on the bulletin boards near the entry of their classrooms. Parent Education meetings are held throughout the school year and will be noted on the school calendar. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend. You will learn more about the Montessori Philosophy and your child's development in the classroom in addition to sharing your new experiences with other parents. Parent observations and conferences are scheduled during late Fall and Spring. However, feel free to contact your child’s teacher or the director for any additional meetings. Please limit discussions to your own child’s progress during the teacher’s school day. Parents are welcome to visit the school at any time. Please share ideas, concerns, or school suggestions with the director who will delegate follow-up to the appropriate staff or board members as needed. | ||
Snack | |||
| Each year we ask the parents of the school to help provide a snack for the children. This snack is set out each morning and afternoon to give the children an opportunity to take time out from their activities to have a bite to eat. We ask each family to sign up for two/three weeks for each child enrolled. You will be provided with a detailed list of snack items prior to the week you are signed up for. We ask that you bring all of the items on the list on Monday. Try to involve your child in the planning and preparation as they really look forward to their week. Please be sure the snacks are high in nutrition, low in sugar and peanut free. » Back to top of page | ||
Supply Checklist | |||
| ____ Complete set of extra clothing ____ Indoor Shoes ____ Peanut Free Lunch (if staying past 12:00 p.m.) ____ Fresh bedding (if taking a nap) ____ Comb or brush to be left in your child's work drawer ____ 1 box of tissues for the classroom ____ 1 large package of 3 oz. paper cups for the classroom (cartoon free please) | ||
Visitors | |||
| All visitors are required to sign in at the office and receive a visitor's badge. » Back to top of page | ||
| Maltreatment of Minors Act | |||
| | Minnesota Deptartment of Health Services requires all parents have a copy of the Maltreatment of Minors Act
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| Where to Report | |||
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| Who Should Report Child Abuse and Neglect | |||
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