- Guidelines for keeping a child home from school
- School Cancellation
- Forms
- Montessori Birthday Celebrations
- Supporting Montessori at Home
- Snack Program
- What to Bring
Required Forms
The State of Massachusetts requires that the following information be kept on file for each child enrolled in the program:
- Enrollment Form
- Application Form
- Parent/School Agreement 2015-2016 Academic Year
- Parent Communication Form
- Emergency Form
- Authorization & Consent Form
- Massachusetts Health Record Form
- Oral Health Non-Participation Form
- Transportation Authorization Form
- Authorization for Administering Non-Prescription Medication
- Day Care Registration Form
- Medical Report/Immunization Documentation/Lead Screening Test
- Emergency Medical Treatment Consent Form
- Emergency Transportation Release Form
- List of Authorized People to Pick Child Up From School
- Topical Ointment Permission
- Photography Permission and Release
- Napping Policy
Guidelines for keeping a child home from school
It is our duty to provide your child with a clean, bright and stimulating environment.
The school is cleaned daily. Each rug is vacuumed, floors are swept and washed, counters and tables are washed with bleach and water. Toys or activities that have been soiled during the day will be disinfected with a solution of bleach and water. Bathrooms are routinely cleaned and monitored during the day and are thoroughly scrubbed at the end of the day. However, unfortunately, germs and bacteria occasionally manage to thrive. We, the staff, do our utmost to prevent the spread of colds, flu bugs, etc. but we need your help. Please follow the guidelines below.
Please do not send your child to school on a day when any of the following symptoms are present:
A. A temperature of 99/100 degrees or any fever accompanied by:
- deep cough
- earache or draining ear
- spasms of cough
- sore throat
B. A rash of any kind until diagnosed, treated or declared harmless by a physician
C. Early colds (coughing and sneezing), very bad colds with purulent discharge
D. Diarrhea or vomiting the previous evening or before morning. Child needs to be free from vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours before returning to school.
E. Red, runny or matting eyes – may be pink eye (conjunctivitis) – please call your doctor
F. Bronchitis – if your child is coughing frequently
If your child has the sniffles (i.e. clear, runny nose) this is a sign of the beginning of a cold. When the cold is in the early stage, it is contagious. Please keep your child at home for a couple of days with plenty of rest, juice and Tylenol. Usually, this action will prevent a more severe cold from setting in and help protect the other children at school.
We are a school for “healthy” children. A child who is not well does not benefit from our program and can adversely affect the health of our other children. If you have any doubts about your child’s health, please keep your child home and contact your family doctor. In the event your child becomes sick while at school, you will be promptly notified. We expect that you will come to the school as quickly as possible to take your child home.
ILLNESS CHART MAY RETURN
Chicken Pox 24 hours after lesions have crusted
Conjunctivitis (pink eye) 24 hours after start of treatment
*if specifically drainage and excessive tearing have stopped
Croup after illness has subsided
Diarrhea-Gastro Enteritis 24 hours after last loose stool/after 1 normal bowel movement
Rubella at least 8 days after symptoms end
Hepatitis A at least 7 days after onset of jaundice
Impetigo 24 hours after treatment has started
Fever 24 hours after temperature is normal
Influenza 24 hours after symptoms have subsided
Measles at least 4 days after onset of rash
Lice 24 hours after treatment has begun
Whopping Cough at least 7 days after therapy has started
Pin Worms after treatment is completed
Roseola after illness has subsided
Scabies 24 hours after start of treatment
Strep throat 48 hours after start of treatment
Poison Ivy after lesions have dried up
Pneumonia or Epiglottis written note from physician
*if due to H-Flu, Health Dept. must give order)
Bacterial (Spinal) Meningitis when Health Dept. gives OK
Mumps 14 days after swelling begins
* Source: US Dept. of Health & Human Services
Health Procedures
Your child’s health form must be filled out by your physician and must be returned before the first day of school. Children enrolled in the Tara Montessori School must have a complete physical examination each year. Required inoculations must be up to date, and a lead-screening test is mandatory as well.
No medication, prescription or non-prescription, may be administered to a child without specific written permission from the parent and the physician. The prescription must be specific for the child in care and in the original bottle with the written order of the physician not more than one year old. The physician’s instructions for dosage must be followed exactly as prescribed on the label of the medication. All unused medications will be returned to the parent or disposed of in a way that is completely safe and out of reach of children at any time. Topical medications such as lotions, petroleum jelly or sun screens require written permission which is valid for one year.
If your child’s medical information should change during the course of the year (he or she develops an allergy, is put on medication, etc.) you must notify the office in writing.
If your child will not be attending school because he or she is ill, please notify the school before 9 AM.
Children attending Tara Montessori School are expected to be well enough to participate in all activities including outdoor play.
Celebration of Life
There is always a ton of excitement when someone is celebrating a birthday at school. If you choose to, you can send in mini cupcakes or cookies, but please keep frosting to a thin layer. We do not celebrate the birthday until after lunch, so please send in an appropriate snack for mid-morning. This way, they won't fill up on sugar early in the morning.
The birthday child will wear a crown and is usually a class helper for the day if he/she chooses
In past years, we have had a birthday book program. The child who is celebrating the birthday brings a gift of a book to their class. At circle he/she unwraps the book and the teacher reads it. This teaches the child that there is joy in giving as well as receiving. The book is then placed in the class library and the child can enjoy it throughout the year.
What to Bring
Infant
- Box of diapers
- Container of wipes
- Formula or clearly labeled breast milk
- 2 complete changes of clothes
Toddler & Transition Children (still in diapers)
- Lunch box with name on the outside
- 2 bibs
- 2 complete changes of clothes
- Box of diapers
- Container of wipes
- Box of gallon size storage bags
- Nappers may bring a small blanket or a small soft toy to snuggle with
Pre-School & Kindergarten
- Lunch box with name on the outside
- 2 complete changes of clothes
- Underwear
School Closings & Delays
Below are the stations to tune into for any school delays or cancellations during inclement weather.
WCVB TV - BOSTON News Center 5's "Eye Opener"
They run cancellations continuously between 5a.m. and 8:30a.m.
WBZ News Radio AM1030 and News 4 New England.
They will read the list of cancellations twice per hour (:05 past and :35 past).
News 4 New England will air cancellations during News 4 New England at 5a.m.
and during CBS "this Morning".
We will call in cancellations to the TV Stations around 5a.m. We will also place a message on the schools' answering machine at the same time. We will be listed as "Tara Montessori School, Manchester".
Snack Program
Parents will be responsible for the class snack once or twice each month. Your child will bring home the snack basket the day before you are scheduled for snack. The snack schedules will be sent home on the snack calendar at the beginning of each month. If, for any reason, you are unable to bring snack on your particular day, please to find another parent to swap dates with or talk to your teacher.
Snack is as much part of the classroom curriculum and learning experience as any other activity. Preparing the snack with your child can provide a wonderful learning experience as well as a special time of sharing. The decisions for what to serve can be a mutual adventure for both you and your child. Planning and shopping together provides numerous opportunities for discussion about food. You may also want to consider sending ingredients for simple snacks, which allows the children the opportunity to assemble and prepare the snack themselves.
Snack in our classrooms are a time of nourishment of several kinds. It is a time we share in the community of being together. We practice the grace and courtesy of thoughtfulness and hospitality in the preparation and presentation of our food.
The children take great pride on each occasion when it is their turn to “do snack.” It is a time of building self-esteem and empowerment. Each child approaches its role with great delight. In group snack, the child not only passes the snack but chooses their own helpers, is responsible for decisions regarding who is actually “ready” to receive snack, and leads us in our snack verse. For individual snack, the child helps with the presentation and after announcing that it is ready, chooses a friend to begin. Being a part of the “tidying-up” is an important part of the process for the child as well!
A list of suggested snacks will be kept in the snack basket. We suggest that you choose foods from at least two different food groups. Food that us wholesome, relatively sugar-free and non-processed is encouraged so that good nutritional habits can be reinforced. Also, keep in mind that this just a snack—young children eat very small portions.
A word of caution, please do NOT send nuts, popcorn, celery (unless strings are removed) or carrots (unless they have been cut into thin slices). These items are especially hazardous to young children as they are easily aspirated and are a frequent source of choking. Please bring a jug of water also.
Suggestions for Nut and Tree Nut Free Snacks
- Sandwiches – quartered
- Cheese and fresh fruits or vegetables
- Various types of crackers and cheese or spreads
- Rice cakes with spreads
- Vegetables or fruits with dip
- Applesauce, Gogurt, Drinkable Yogurt
- Pretzels, Pirate Booty, Veggie Sticks