In order to ensure that staff has the opportunity to set up for class and receive a break at lunch, please arrive no sooner than 5 minutes in advance of and/or after class. There wil be a fee for any time children are left in the care of Kaleidoscope that is not their preschool time, at the provider's discretion.
Please send your child with a small healthy snack; they do not require a drink, I will provide a water cooler for the children's use. This will reduce waste of juice, messy spills and encourage water as an alternative drink. Candies will be sent back home for your child's enjoyment. Treats for birthdays and special occassions are welcome.
Children showing signs of illness (i.e. colored nasal discharge, fever, cough, open/weeping sores and/or diarrhea) must stay at home and/or parents will be called and the child will be returned home. If a child is having difficulty keeping up with the program and is showing distress due to illness, parents will be called so the child can rest in the comfort of his/her home. If a parent is unavailable the alternate person on the registration form will be called. Kaleidoscope will follow the Nanaimo Public Schools' decision on "Snow Days", please listen to a local radio station for advisories. Closures due to snow will not be refunded. Should the preschool close due to Staff emergencies, the days will be made up at the end of the school year or during Professional Development days.
Kaleidoscope Preschol will follow the school calendar for holidays including Christmast, Spring Break and Summer. The center will also be closed during the two day Pro-D's in May (tba). The center will remain open on all other Pro D days. This has already been calculated in your fees.
Children must be accompanied by an adult to and from the center. Please sign your child in and out each day. Preschool will open 5 minutes before your child's start time and is expected that children depart at the closing time of their class. There is a $10.00 late pick-up fee after 5 minutes.
Children will be released only to the adults on the application form; a phone call is not acceptable to licensing. If there are specific restrictions for access or conditions made in a custody order for your child, we must have a copy of such order before we can enforce it. If no one arrives to pick up a child, we will attempt to contact you and all the emergency/alternative contacts as listed on the child's registration form. If we still do not recieve a phone call from you and cannot reach other contacts, we are required to contact the Ministry of Children and Families, and will do so, 60 minutes after the closing time of preschool. Your child will be released into their care.
According to licensing regulations, if an authorized person arrives to pick up a child and, in center's staff opinion, is not able to provide appropriate care, the child will be detained and an alternate contact from the child's file will be contacted, or the Ministry of Children and Families or the RCMP will be contacted, as required.
If your child is going to be away due to illness, holiday, etc., please call and let the center know.
As part of the preschool experience, children will be exploring, creating and playing, perhaps not always the cleanest experience. Please dress your child so they are not fearful of getting dirty. We will attempt to go outsides most days, please dress your child accordingly. If needed, please send an extra set of clothing and pull-ups or underwear.
We will, on occasion, use my vehicle and parents' vechicles to transport children to and from fieltrips, please ensure permission form is filled out. Without it, I cannot transport your child. Other times we will use City of Nanaimo Transit and again, require the permission form completed. All children require a booster/car seat to be transported.
Fees are due in the form of post-dated cheques, first month's cheques are due upon registration, dated for July 1/20XX. There is a $10 registration fee which will go towards fieldtrips and special events.
Returned cheques: There will be a $20.00 service charge and payment for that month must be made in cash. Fees that require postponement or are late will have a $20 service charge after 3 days.
The staff ratio to children is 1 ECE staff to 8 children in a home-based preschool. Positive social interaction will be encouraged at the preschool. Children will be guided to use their words instead of their hands to express their feelings. Modeling and role-playing will be used to help children learn how to express their feelings and needs. Redirection, hurdle help, explanation and choices will be offered to help children through these
situations. Discipline is guiding children to interact with their peers and the community in a safe and respectful manner. I will use the strategies from the Ministry of Health's "Guiding Children's Behaviour" booklet*, using the strategy that best fits the child and situation, while maintaining respect for the child, the child's needs and the safety of the other children and staff.
*Booklet is available at the preschool.
According to licensing regulations, any indications of abuse must be reported to the Ministry of Children and Families. The is a serious decision; however the needs of the child must always take precedence over any other need.
You are an important part of your child's life and Kaleidoscope Preschool welcomes you at any time during your child's participation. We all have special skills, knowledge and/or talents; please let me know yours and we can arrange a time for you to share with us (art, cooking, special clothing, job, customs, hobbies etc.) For special events such as Valentines, Halloween etc, each family is asked to volunteer on one occasion to provide a special treat for all the children in your child's class. This will help reduce excessive amounts of treats at one time and hopefully elp each family out by reducing their baking commitments.