Preschool provides an educational program for children 3 – 5 years old. The child has to turn three before December 31 to enter preschool in September. To enter preschool in January a child has to turn three by June 30 of the same school year. The number of young three years old must not exceed 20% of the class enrollment.
Non-enrolled children may not be present in the preschool. However during the year there may be social or educational events, such as Christmas concerts and field trips, when any siblings and other non-enrolled children are welcome as long the adults stay with them.
Parents have to submit all required forms before the first day of preschool.
In our preschool children learn:
- to express self-confidence and independence
- to respect others
- to satisfy their curiosity
- to cope with their feelings
- to solve problems
- to express themselves
- to feel good about themselves
- to develop excellent social skills
Burke Mountain Preschool offers a 4 hour morning program from 9:15 am – 1:15 pm, either M/W/F or T/H. We also offer before and after school care for Smiling Creek Elementary attendee’s only.
Preschool is open from September until June. We are closed for statutory holidays and all public school holidays (Christmas, Easter, Spring Break, and Summer). We are open during Pro-D days unless there is a workshop available that we canʼt attend any other time (maximum 2 times per year).
There is $80 registration fee for our program which is non-refundable.
We will require ten post-dated cheques dated the 1st day of each month (September-June) at the beginning of each school year. Our fees include a daily snack of fruit and vegetables and cheese and crackers, or yogurt.
Behavioral Guidance
Discipline is something adults do With and For children, rather than To children, to stop them from behaving in undesirable ways. Guiding childrenʼs behavior is intended to help children become self-disciplined as they learn appropriate and acceptable behavior patterns. Discipline or guiding childrenʼs behavior is done while appropriate behavior is occurring, as well as before, during, and after socially unacceptable behavior is displayed.
We have to take into consideration that childrenʼs behavior is influenced by their overall development, their environment, and the adults who care for them. Knowing childrenʼs families will help us respond sensitively to differences in value systems.
How we organize the space is very important, as well as toy supplies. We have to keep in mind that children learn by observation, so modeling behavior for them is how we can influence them.
Guidance Strategies
Prevention:
By establishing clear, consistent, and simple limits we ensure that children know what is expected (walking inside, washing our hands before eating).
Children need to know why we have rules, and they need to know that rules prevent injuries, and keep them safe.
- We phrase limits in a positive way.
- We always focus on the behavior, not on the child.
- We rather state what is expected than ask the question.
- Choices are provided in areas where we will not run into power struggles.
- Children have to have enough time to respond.
- Appropriate behavior will be acknowledged.
- Minor incidents will be ignored.
- We will encourage children to ask us for help.
- Adults are always close by and alert.
Intervention:
- We gain childʼs attention in a respectful way.
- In situations where child may loose self-control, we use proximity and touch.
- We alway remind children what is expected.
- We will always acknowledge feeling before setting limits.
- Redirection will be used.
- Limiting time for using special toys will be used.
- Adults will model problem solving.
- We offer appropriate choices.
- We use natural and logical consequences.
- We set limits for using for example park equipment.
- We will provide opportunities for children to make amends.
Challenging Behaviors intervention:
Redirection.
Break from the group. If the child is loosing self-control, we will ask the child to sit on the couch with a book, stuffed animal, or a pillow to help him or her feel better. They will decide when they are ready to join the group activity.
Prohibited discipline in our preschool:
CCL Regulation Sec 52 (1) November 8, 2007
Children will never be subjected to, including as a form of punishment:
Shoving, hitting, shaking, spanking or any other form of corporal punishment
Harsh, belittling or degrading treatment, whether verbal, emotional or physical that
would humiliate the child or undermine the childʼs self respect.
Confined, physically restrained, without adult supervision, apart from other children.
Deprived of meals, snacks, rest or necessary use of the toilet.
Parents of the children will be informed if any challenging behavior occurs. In case of the escalation of challenging behavior, a plan for behavior management will be created in collaboration with parents and if needed, other professionals.
In case that challenging behavior escalates we:
- Stay a safe distance to deal with the situation
- Move the other children to a safe distance
- Talk softly to the child, focusing on the behavior
- Provide space for children to calm down
- When the child is ready, we will initiate problem solving
- Bring child back to the group
- Document incident in the log book
- Inform parents
- Document parents response in log book.
Documentation of escalating behavior:
- We document any escalating behavior
- We record level of intervention used.
- Record observation in a professional manner
- We identify any reportable Incidents
- If we have any behavioral management plans, we will review them
Nutrition.
We believe that not all children are hungry at the same time, so we will provide an open snack for children, which will contain fresh fruits and vegetables, and crackers and cheese. During play time, children will be given a warning when it is the last time to go and have a snack. In case of allergies, we will tailor our snack options. We will have a table just for snacks, and children will be washing their hands before eating. Open snack, in our opinion, is a good solution for avoiding line ups in the washroom, reducing number of transitions, and also children are not interrupted in their play, because it is snack time. By providing snack in preschool we will teach children to eat healthy.
Safe Release of children
A child will be only released to:
- an authorized person
- person who is able to care for the child
- person who is named on registration form
A child WILL NOT be released from care when:
- An unauthorized person is picking up. In this case, the parent will be contacted and asked to pick up the child.
- The person appears incapable of providing safe care, such as being intoxicated.
- Person will be given the option to contact someone from the emergency contacts, or a person of their choice. If situation escalates, the police will be called and we will follow their orders.
- One of the parents has restricted access to the child by court order, which we will keep in the childʼs file. In this case, the police will be contacted and we will document the situation.
If child is not picked up on time without notice:
- We will contact parents of the child.
- We contact all emergency contact numbers from the registration form.
- If no one responds within two hours after closing time, we will contact the Ministry of Children and Family Development, and/or the police.
Emergency Plan
In case of an emergency, like a fire or an earthquake, we will follow our emergency procedures, which we will be practicing with children on a regular basis.
Meeting place incase of an emergency is the back lane of the house or the front of the house, depending on the emergency situation.
If main entrance to the preschool is safe, we exit to the backyard, walk through the backyard, and stop in the back lane. We will have a first aid kid, emergency release cards, attendance sheet, and important phone numbers always with us.
Parents will be contacted by cell phone as soon as possible. In case phone lines are not working, we will contact out of province contact and leave a message for the parents. The contact phone number out of the area is Habib and Parissa Shahsavar, 613-736-7863, 143 Hunters Field Drive Ottawa, Ont. K1T 3M2.
We will have emergency supplies for 72 hours in the garage which is detached from the house. We check our emergency supplies on a regular basis, and replace things that are expired. Our emergency policies will be part of the parent book.
In case of a real disaster, we will assess the safety of the building. We will get information from a battery powered radio, and we will follow evacuation instruction.
Fire drills will be practiced once a month.
Earthquake Drill:
Will be practice once a year and practice will be recorded.
We will ring the bell and shout Earthquake drill. Everyone will find a spot under the table or close to the inside wall. We count together slowly until 60.
Health and Illness Policy
If child is not well enough to participate in a preschool program including outdoor play, child is not well enough to attend the preschool.
Parents should keep their child at home if they have any of the following
conditions:
- common cold and flu
- difficulty breathing – wheezing or a persistent cough
- any complains of undiagnosed pain
- fever of 38.3 degrees C or 100 degrees F
- sore throat or trouble swallowing
- infected skin, eye or undiagnosed rash
- diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or stomach craps
- Headache and stiff neck
- child with known or suspected communicable disease, like chicken pox as well as others
Parents can bring child back to preschool when the child has no symptoms for a
minimum of 24 hours.
Immunization record has to be part of the file.
Emergency consent for contacting doctor, or ambulance must be part of the file.
Hygiene is good prevention, It is our policy that children have to wash their hands after arrival to the preschool. They wash their hands before eating and after using the washroom, or after they sneeze into their hands. We teach children to sneeze into their sleeve.
Regular cleaning of toys and equipment is part of prevention. In the Cold and Flu season, in addition to regular toy cleaning, we wipe toys with Lysol wipes every day.
Managing Illness
In case that the child becomes sick while in the preschool, parents will be called and asked to pick up the child as soon as possible. While waiting for parents arrival, the child will be given a place in a quiet area, away from other children, but still in the teacherʼs view.
Before child who was sick returns to the preschool, he or she must be clear of
symptoms, and must be able to participate in the program.
Parents must inform preschool of any serious illness or communicable disease.
We will report any Communicable Diseases.
Medication Administration
Medication will be administrated to children only when absolutely necessary.
Written consent of parent, including a record of the medication to be administrated, will be completed. The caregiver will record the date, time, dosage, by whom, and when the medication was administered.
Medication must be in original container and include directions for use, or physicians instructions.
Medications are locked (except puffers and epipens) and inaccessible to children.
Reportable Incidents, Including Abuse and Neglect
The preschool will provide an environment that is safe and free from abuse and neglect, by treating children with respect, and by creating an environment where children are free to express their needs. Physical or emotional changes in a child will be noted and followed up.
Definition of abuse
Childcare Licensing Regulation
Schedule H
“ The licensee shall ensure that a person in care is not, while under the care or
supervision of the licensee, subjected to emotional abuse or neglect as those terms are defined in Schedule F.”
“Emotional Abuse” is defined as “Any act, or lack of actions, which may diminish the sense of well-being of a person in care, perpetrated by a person not in care, (e.g. verbal harassment, yelling, confinement).”
“Physical abuse” is defined as “Any physical force that is excessive for, or is
inappropriate to, a situation involving a person in care and perpetrated by a person not in care.”
“Sexual Abuse” is defined as “Any sexual behavior directed towards a person in the care of an employee of the licensee, volunteer or any other person in a position of trust, power, or authority and includes:
Any sexual exploitation, whether consensual or not, and sexual activity between children, if the difference in age or power between the children is so significant that the older or more powerful child is clearly taking sexual advantage of the younger or less powerful child, but does not include consenting sexual behavior between the adult person in care.”
“Neglect” is defined as “The failure of a child provider to meet the needs of a person in care. (e.g. food, shelter, care, supervision).”
Legal duty to report
If the alleged abuse has occurred when the child is in the preschool The teacher
must report this immediately to the local Licensing Officer. Licensing staff will then conduct an investigation under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act and Child Care Licensing Regulations.
If parents have any concerns about abuse at the preschool, they may also contact the Licensing Officer at the local health unit.
The governing legislation for the reporting of abuse that has allegedly occurred
elsewhere in a childʼs life is the Child, Family and Community Services Act.
If the alleged abuse has occurred when the child is NOT in the preschool, the teacher must report this immediately to an intake Social Worker at the Child Protection Division of the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
As required by law, any suspected or disclosed abuse will be reported to the Ministry of Children and Family Development. The teacher is not permitted to contact the parents or guardians regarding any report. The teacherʼs responsibility is to report any suspicions or disclosures; it is NOT to determine if abuse has occurred.
Any caregiver, staff, parent, or citizen, may report suspected abuse anonymously and individually. They do not need to share their suspicions with any other person, staff, or superiors.
Process for reporting abuse occurring “outside” the facility
Steps 1 and 2 below will be followed to report to an intake Social Worker at the Child Protection Division of the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
Process of Health and Safety Plan for allegation against person “inside” facility.
1. Documentation
a) If a child, or someone else, discloses abuse:
Do not interview the child, listen carefully to person disclosing, do not interrupt, record account clearly.
b) Record the incident itself, including objective observations
c) Record documentations in the bound logbook, (not loose leaf paper) of an allegation or suspicion.
d) Ensure all documentation is signed and dated.
2. Informing appropriate agencies
a) The report is required to be made as soon as possible and preferably by the staff who observed the incident(s).
b) The person reporting must be prepared with the childʼs registration form and the
description of the observation or incident(s), before they call.
c) The report can initially be made by phone to Licensing or the Social Worker and documentation (i.e. Reportable Incident Form, log notes, etc.) can be sent later.
d) Staff should record who they have spoken to, and any directions they are given at the time of the call.
3. Informing parents
a) Parents directly involved will be informed by phone or in person, as soon as possible.
b) If all the parents in the program are to be informed, they will be informed by letter.
The letter will state that Licensing is conducting an investigation into an allegation of (type of abuse) and that Health and Safety Plan has been approved by Licensing and will remain in place until the investigation is completed. Contact information for the facility and Licensing will be included.
4. Plan of actions for a Health and Safety Plan
a) If the alleged offender is an unpaid volunteer, student, etc.:
Alleged Offender will not be present during child care operating hours
b) If the alleged offender is a paid employee:
Alleged offender will work alongside another staff, and will be supervised at all times children are present. Supervising the alleged offender, will be Danica Pavlikova Alleged offender will be suspended with or without pay, until the investigation is concluded.
c) If the alleged offender is the Licensee or Manager:
alleged offender will work alongside another staff, and will be supervised at all times children are present.
Supervising the alleged offender will be done by an appointed staff member.
Alleged offender will be suspended with or without pay, until the investigation is concluded.
5. Informing the alleged offender (if appropriate)
The alleged offender will be informed of the allegation and of the Health and Safety Plan that they will be following.