Registration

A registration period is held in late winter in order to plan for the following school year. A non-refundable registration fee for current members children must be paid for each child for the following year by the specified date or for new members upon notification of an opening. The following information must be on file prior to the start of school: a current immunization record, physicians statement, emergency numbers and names, and a signed copy of the Parents Guide to Day Care signature page. When filling out the student record form to register your child or children in school, there is a section relating to authorized pick-up. CMS assumes all biological parents are able to pick up their child or children from the school regardless of names listed on the form. If there is a legal document stating otherwise, CMS must have this document on file. This includes divorce decrees stating the child is in the custody of one parent or court restraining orders. CMS can not refuse the right of a parent to pick up their child without this documentation.

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Arrival Time

Arrival time is between 8:15 and 8:30 for the toddler and primary communities and 8:00 to 8:15 for the elementary classroom. If a parent has a child in the elementary classroom and a sibling in the primary classroom, both children may be dropped off at 8:00. Toddler and primary children are met at the car by a staff member or a parent volunteer. Sometimes it is difficult for children to make this transition. Please say a friendly goodbye once, and leave. Be assured that the arrival team is experienced in helping a child make this transition. Your confidence in their ability will make your childs adjustment much easier. When a child is late (after 8:30) the parent must walk the child to the office. The office staff will then escort the child to the classroom.

Please observe safety considerations when approaching or leaving the school. Pleasant Valley Drive is a residential street with a speed limit of 30 miles per hour. The driveway into the school has a speed limit of 20 miles per hour.

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Pick-up Times

Pick-up times for toddlers and for half-day primary children is 11:30. Pick-up time for extended day primary children is 2:45 and for elementary children 3:00 p.m. Promptness in pick-up and arrival is requested. Do not park your car and walk to the pavilion to pick up your child. If your child stays participates in all day programs they are picked up in those classrooms. Late fees begin at 6:15 p.m.

If someone whose name is not on the childs authorized pick-up list is to pick up your child, please contact the school in writing or by telephone in advance. Identification will be required when that person arrives at the school. The parent or authorized individual must sign the child out each day, noting the time of departure.

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Illness

If a child has a contagious illness or will be absent from school, please notify the school. An ill child must not attend if one or more of the following exists:

1. The illness prevents the child from participating comfortably in school activities. Please do not request for your child to stay indoors. If a child is not well enough to go outside, they should not be in school.
2. The illness results in a greater need for care than staff can provide without compromising the health, safety, and supervision of the other children.
3. The child has any of the following:

1. Oral temperature 100.4 degrees or greater. Armpit temperature 99.4 degrees or greater; accompanied by behavior changes or other signs or symptoms of illness until medical evaluation indicates that the child can be included in CMS activities. Please keep the child home for 24 hours after the fever has subsided.
2. Symptoms and signs of possible severe illness such as lethargy, uncontrolled breathing, uncontrolled diarrhea, vomiting, rash with fever, mouth sores with drooling, wheezing, behavior change, or other unusual signs until medical evaluation indicates that the child can be included in school activities.
3. The child has been diagnosed with a communicable disease, until medical evaluation determines that the child is no longer communicable and is able to participate in school activities.
   
   

1. Prescription medication must be in the original container labeled with the childs name, a date, directions, and the physicians name. You can ask the pharmacist to provide an extra bottle for just this purpose.
2. Non-prescriptive medication must be in the original container, labeled with the childs name, and the date the medication was brought to school.
3. The staff must be requested in writing to administer the medication. Parents should bring the medication to the office and record dosage information on the medicine chart. If your child arrives before the office staff, you can complete this chart in the classroom.
   
   

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Injury

If your child has an injury that requires a special treatment during the school day, please check with your childs guide regarding the availability of special care. Should a minor accident occur at the school, a staff member completes an incident report, one copy of which will be given to the parents. Sometimes a minor incident can occur out of vision of the staff. Should you notice something, or your child reports an incident to you, please let us know so that corrective action may be taken immediately.

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Accidents and Emergency Treatment

Each staff member has received training in First Aid and CPR. If a non-life-threatening accident should occur, the staff will render aid and attempt to contact the parent. If the parents cannot be reached, the instructions on each childs emergency sheet will be followed. The child will be accompanied by a staff member to the Georgetown Hospital Emergency Room if such action is required. In the event of a life-threatening accident, the staff will render aid and take the child to the emergency room the quickest way possible.

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Child Care Policy

For some CMS events child care is provided. A minimum of 4 children signed up for child care is required. For school wide events, child care staff are arranged through the office. For classroom meetings, child care is arranged by the room parent. Staff who provide child care are compensated a base fee of $10 through payroll and are compensated for care provided by parents at a rate of $2 per hour per child. Child care must be signed up for in advance so that adequate care givers are assigned. TDPRS standards apply to child care provided. Ratios are maintained. Staff will initial children into the child care at the time of arrival. Parents will note and initial the time that they pick up their child.

Child care is available to students currently attending CMS. Child care will be available to alumni students and to siblings 18 months and older, providing that parents complete a child care enrollment form. Forms are available in the office. The purpose of this form is to provide the caregivers with adequate information in case of emergencies and to insure that the children attending meet the basic requirements of TDPRS. This form must be submitted to the office prior to the scheduled date of attendance.

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Policy on email for parents

At the beginning of each school year, parents will indicate their desire to have communications by email or their desire for all communication to be done by hard copy to the parent boxes. This desire will be made by filling out a form distributed in the parent boxes and placing it in the IN box. It should be understood that there will still be some communication that will be placed in the parent boxes, i.e. invoices, and boxes should be checked on a regular basis (at least once per week).

For those parents who have indicated a desire for email communication, it is their responsibility to notify the office of changes in email addresses. This can be done by completing a change of email form available on the parent table and placing it in the IN box.

The Executive Director will review all emails received for distribution to the parent population.

The office assistant will maintain the distribution list and update the committee head list as necessary. The office assistant will receive reply emails and distribute them appropriately.

If an email bounces back, it will be sent back the following day. On the second bounce back, the family will be telephoned at home to ascertain the nature of the problem.

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Lice Policy

A head lice information sheet is distributed to all families if lice is detected at school. All children will be screened for head lice at the beginning of the school. If a case of head lice is identified or reported, all children will be screened within 24 hours. Children identified with head lice will be examined post treatment prior to return to the classroom and twice weekly for three weeks. Children with an active case of head lice will be excluded from other children until they have been treated with a pediculicide and adult and nymph lice and nits within of the scalp are removed. Parents will be notified immediately and instructed on treatment options, home care to remove head lice and nits, and family treatment.

Children are readmitted following: 1) treatment with a pediculicide, removal of adult nymphs and nits attached within inch of the scalp, 2) examination by a trained employee or trained parent volunteer, 3) receipt of documentation of treatment of child and disinfestation of home signed by a parent. All families should report to the CMS office prior to readmission to the classroom.

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Conflict Resolution

Informal conflict resolution is a commitment to attempt to settle the differences of individuals focusing on basic interests and then developing mutually satisfying options, while acknowledging the respective rights and responsibilities of those involved. This process allows for open discussion of disputes without retaliation. Informal resolution is best achieved when addressed at an early stage, as close as possible to the source of conflict. The first step toward a solution to a problem must be the prompt discussion of the problem between the parties involved. Any problem concerning a child or a problem concerning the teachers responsibilities will be promptly referred to the childs guide for consultation and follow up. The two parties are encouraged to solve the problem privately at this level. If this fails, either party may inform the executive director who can assist in resolution of the problem. If the problem involves the executive director, the board president may assist. Written positions will be requested. If either party believes that this third party mediation has failed, they can request a decision by the board by notifying the board president in writing of their request to address the board. The request must include specific information about the conflict and the resolution sought from the board.

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Abuse and Neglect

If an employee suspects that a child is being abused or neglected, the law requires the employee to report it to the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services or a law enforcement agency. This includes all personnel or volunteers at CMS. To help deter an act of abuse or neglect all employees undergo a criminal history check that includes a search of the TDPRS central registry of reported cases of child abuse and neglect. Staff does not prevent parents from visiting the facility during its hours of operation and interactions between staff and the children are always observable.

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Drug and Alcohol

Community Montessori Schools policy dictates that CMS be free of alcoholic beverages or controlled substances. Alcohol may be served at functions outside of school operating hours.

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Sexual Harassment

CMS seeks to assure that it maintains a workplace free of sexual harassment and intimidation. The school has a zero tolerance policy for vulgar, abusive, humiliating or threatening language, practical jokes, or other inappropriate behavior in the workplace. CMS will not tolerate the harassment of any employee or non-employee by another employee or non-employee or board member for any reason. Non-employee violators of this policy are subject to expulsion from CMSs facilities when harassment occurs on premise. Furthermore, CMS may report violators to the appropriate authority for civil action. Any harassment observed should be reported promptly to the executive director.

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