The following announcements, along with permission slips, will be on your cubbies to collect tonight. For everyone’s convenience, I thought I’d post them on the blog too:)
Please take a minute to read the following WF/WWF announcements, policy clarifications & changes, and general information!
SIBLINGS IN OUR ENVIRONMENT AND CHILDREN IN HOUSE WITH PARENTS:
I do not like to set policies without a reason, but I feel that it is necessary to communicate that we have been experiencing difficulties in a few areas:
- If the group is outside, parents and children need to be outdoors. In other words, it is NOT ok for parents to be inside eating/playing with their child while the everyone else is outside.
- Siblings are not included in our ratios and when they are “added” in for even 5-10 minutes while parents socialize at drop off/pick up times, it can be difficult for teachers. It is especially tricky for teachers in directing the siblings to the expectations of our classroom (cleaning up/ proper use of materials/etc) when they are not part of our class and it is assumed that their parents are in charge of their behavior.
That being said, we will continue to welcome siblings into our family atmosphere classroom, but please keep visits with siblings present brief, keep the siblings in the same play space as the WF/WWF kids, and monitor their behavior.
- AT NO TIME ARE WF/WWF CHILDREN/SIBLINGS TO BE UNSUPERVISED PLAYING INSIDE WF/WWF WHILE PARENTS ARE TALKING TO TEACHERS WHO ARE SUPERVISING OUTSIDE. This has been happening a lot!
OUTSIDE FOOD & SPECIAL SNACKS
Please do not bring in any foods for your child to “finish” at WF/WWF, unless it is a whole fruit or vegetable (or any special diet foods). If your child has the remainder of a whole fruit or vegetable, they may sit in the kitchen to finish their car snack. Other foods (crackers, granola, sweetened yogurts, fast food, donuts) need to be consumed outside of our classroom.
If you are bringing in a birthday snack, please choose one that complements our nutritional guidelines. Some healthy treats might be: frozen blueberries with frozen yogurt, frozen bananas dipped in yogurt, fresh fruit kebobs, fresh vegetable kebobs, quick breads (zuch, carrot,etc) or muffins, special home made trail mixes of any kind, all fruit (usually organic) unsweetened fruit leathers, whole grain tortillas cut into shapes with a dip or spread & granola.
DROP OFF TIMES:
WF/WWF opens at 7:45. Please do not enter the building until 7:45. While there are teachers in the buildings prior to that time, they have arrived early to attend to other things and are not ready for children until our opening time.
PICK UP TIMES:
Wee Friends closes AT 5:30. The expectation is that parents are in the building and working on exiting BY 5:30. If parents would like to talk with the teacher or spend some time with their child at school (potty/drink of water etc), please arrive earlier to allow time for this. Please note that 5:30 is the line in the sand where we start charging by the minute if a parent has yet to arrive. Teachers have been instructed to consistently document for late fees all who arrive past 5:30.
We have experienced regular lateness from a variety of people. It really is a snowball effect that those arriving at 5:25 don’t feel compelled to leave by 5:30 if there are still children unclaimed for the day. So please be considerate of your teachers that are ready to finish their day at WF/WWF and move smoothly into their personal time.
PARKING:
I believe everyone is clear on where WF/WWF parents are supposed to park (East side of street only, parked legally/right direction, staying briefly for on street, use church lot for lengthy p/u). Please be courteous to our neighbors by following our parking policies. TEACHERS HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO ASK YOU TO MOVE YOUR CAR IF YOU ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THIS POLICY. This makes them very uncomfortable to have to ask you to do this so please park well!
FEES FOR SPECIALS:
A $5/week late fee will now be applied to late payments for our extracurricular programs (ymca classes, tumbling bus, and farm fees). (Sorry. It is one of my biggest struggles to keep track of these because I am tracking people down literally months later for payments for specials. I am lucky to get 33% back on any given due dateL)
Farm cost this year is $5.00 per child per trip, which will be billed in November
Tumbling bus is $80.00 for 10 weeks of class, beginning on September 10th
IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO TUMBLING BUS, PLEASE WRITE NO ON THE FORM WITH YOUR CHILD’S NAME TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR US TO TRACK!*-
NO TUITION INCREASE THIS YEAR:
We will not increase our tuition rates for this school year.
VACATION TIMES:
Our vacation times for the 2012-2013 school year can always be referenced on the blog under Vacation Times.
Please note that our summer 2013 vacation time is one week later than it has been in prior years (closed July 4th to July 12th. Additionally, we will be closed one day longer for that vacation.
2012-2013 Calendar
Monday, 9/3 Labor Day
Thursday/Friday 11/22 & 11/23 Thanksgiving (2 days)
Monday-Friday, 12/24-1/4 Winter Vacation (2 weeks)
Friday, 3/29 Good Friday
Monday, 5/27 Memorial Day
Friday 7/4 to Friday 7/12 Independence Day & Summer Vacation (7 days)
PERMISSION SLIPS:
I asking all WF families to fill out a consolidated field trip permission slip, even if your child is not involved in one of the programs listed on the form. It is meant to consolidate paper and your time in filling out multiple forms. It is also meant to give us some freedom with the older preschoolers to take a “spontaneous” trip to the farmers market or library if we need materials for something we are in the moment doing.
Any trips not on the form will require another perm slip.
DONATIONS:
Ornamental grasses: I would like to add more ornamental grasses if anyone has any they would like to split at home!
Wee Sprouts: We always enjoy donations for our Wee Sprouts bowls. Especially odd harvests from your own garden that are unusual tastes or textures for the kids!
SESAME STREET UPDATE WF:
We are still slated to be filmed for several of the 30 sec to 2 minute segments. However, even though I just attended a WNIT meeting last week, I still have no idea of the time frame! WNIT is working on itJ
CLOTHES
The season is changing; please bring 2-3 sets of LABELED clothing items.
Please note that if you label your child’s personal items, we have a better shot of getting their underwear, socks, mittens, shirts, etc returned to their cubby. We really do try!
Thanks!
Tami