Parent Handbook - Heritage Montessori School

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Parent Handbook
Parent Handbook
3501 W Westcott Dr.
Glendale AZ 85308
3501 W Westcott Dr.
Glendale AZ 85308
Tel: (623) 582-4700
heritagemontessorischool.org
Tel: (623) 582-4700
heritagemontessorischool.org
Heritage Montessori School Mission Statement
Table of Contents
Page
Mission Statement/ Goals
1
Program /Montessori Method
2
Hours of Operation/Admission & Enrollment
3
Tuition/Fees/Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
4
Visits and Observation
5
Conferences/Parent Involvement/Dress Code
6
Dress Code
7
Discipline/Birthdays/ Sharing Objects
8
Snacks/Lunch/Medications & Illness
9
Special Needs/Transportation/ School License
10
Emergency Procedures /Liability Insurance
10
Pest Control, Alcohol and Tobacco
11
Our mission is to provide a nurturing, safe and supportive
small school community with an environment rich in hands-on
learning activities promoting independence, self-confidence,
respect, and joyful acquisition of knowledge about our world
and its diversity, that form the foundation for a life-long love of
learning.
Heritage Montessori School – GOALS
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To promote the highest standards of academic achievement
for all students;
To assist all students in the development of their full
potential;
To guide all children in the development of positive
communication and social skills;
To nurture the growth of self-discipline, self-control, selfconfidence and positive self-esteem within each child;
To direct each child toward constructive decision-making and
behavioral choices that demonstrate respect for self, others
and the environment;
To foster the joy of life-long learning within each child.
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Program
Heritage Montessori School is a private school for 3 to 6 year old children. We
offer high quality school experience based on the Montessori philosophy and
method of education. In our carefully prepared environment students are
working in the following areas: Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics,
Language, Geography, Botany, Zoology, Art, and Outdoor Environment
(gardening courtyard area). During the course of study the children are
developing concentration, independence, initiative, problem solving and lifelong
study skills. Through social interaction they are able to practice grace and
courtesy and respect in a loving and peaceful atmosphere.
Hours of Operation
Academic Hours
Morning Class
8:30 – 12:30 PM
Full Day Class
8:30 - 3:00 PM
Extended Hours
Early Bird
8:00 – 8:30 AM
Extended Day
3:00 – 5:30 PM
Extended day children will bring a lunch and eat at 11:30. School holidays
will be based on Deer Valley School District’s calendar, with some
variation. School is in session August – May. Summer programs will be
available if required.
Montessori Method
Admission Requirements & Enrollment Procedures
The Montessori philosophy and method is an approach to education developed
by an Italian physician Maria Montessori in the 1900’s. She believed children
learned by interacting with the environment rather than passively having the
teacher “teach” them. They learn through discovery using their five senses and
develop confidence by mastering the many hands-on activities that gradually
increase in difficulty throughout the classroom. Students are respected as
individuals and are allowed to select their work and progress at their pace, with
encouragement and guidance. Our aim is for a child to enjoy learning, be kind to
one another, develop self-discipline and independence, as well as be exposed to
a broad range of academic activities.
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Enrollment at Heritage Montessori School is open to children without regard to
race, religion, or national origin.
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Enrollment for a new academic year of current students and siblings –
February;
Enrollment of new students – March;
We also accept applications for new students during the academic year
whenever the child turns three years of age and/or is toilet trained.
School must receive completed enrollment packets with any fees due in order to
retain spot.
3
Tuition & Fees
There is a non-refundable annual registration and activity fee. May’s tuition (last
month of school year) is due by July 15 in order to remain enrolled. It is
refundable on mandatory 30 days notice and applied towards last month of the
child’s attendance. Tuition will be due on the first of each month, with no tuition
due the last month (May’s prepaid). A late charge of $30 will be added to the
tuition if paid after the 5th of the month. After the 8th of the month, a child may
not return to school unless tuition has been paid or alternate arrangements have
been worked out with the director. No refunds or allowances for absences or
scheduled vacation will be made. Full tuition is still due during months with
school holidays. There is a 5% sibling discount on a second child enrolled at the
same time.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
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Arrival
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Sign In and Out
All parents must sign-in at drop off and sign-out again at pick up in
the appropriate forms provided using their complete signatures,
not initials, as per state regulations.
For drop off and pick up of the children before and after regular school hours
please enter and leave through main school entrance.
Please, for safety of all the children, do not use cell phones during the time
of arrival and dismissal.
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Separation
Separation anxiety is natural in young children when they are saying good-bye
for the first time. Usually, children adapt quickly (in only a few days). You can
trust that the teachers will notify you if your child is over stressed from
separation. We suggest that you say good-bye to your child instead of
slipping away without any form of closure. Usually stressed behavior subsides
once parents are out of their child’s sight range.
At arrival time parents are required to enter the school through the main
entrance and sign in their children on the forms provided by the office.
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Dismissal
Visits and Observations
At dismissal time (12:30 PM or 3:00 PM) all parents are required to park their
vehicles in the parking lot and enter through the playground gate to the outdoor
environment. Please wait in the front of the classrooms until the children are
dismissed. After you sign out your child all parents are required to hold their
children hands while escorting them to the car.
Please keep both gates closed at all times while entering and leaving school
property.
Parents are welcome to come and visit their child in all areas of Heritage
Montessori School at any time. All parents will be granted access to all areas of
the facility where their child receives child care services. In addition parents are
welcome to come and observe the classroom after the children have had time to
adjust to the routines and the environment. Therefore, the first in-class
observations of the school year will begin after two months of school. When
new children are added to a class, observations will stop until the child has had
time for adjustment. Please contact school office for observation appointments
to avoid having too many observers in the same room. Observations are for
adults only.
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Parent – Teacher Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences are conducted two times during the school year –
November and March. Please make every effort to attend and discuss your
child’s progress. Sign-up sheets will be available prior to these conferences.
Parents Involvement
If you have a special talent you would like to share with our children such as
playing an instrument, etc. – we would welcome it. Such visits should be
scheduled in advance. We will occasionally need volunteers to help with parties,
playground duties, gardening etc.
Dress Code
Children's clothing should not be an obstacle to their enjoyment of the activities
at school. Their clothes should allow them to work and play freely. Certain
accessories are a distraction to children at school i.e. jewelry, purses, toys, and
money. These items are better left at home. Knee-length dresses are acceptable
for girls or knee-length shorts and long pants. Blouses and shirts should have
sleeves. Boys should wear knee-length shorts or long pants, shirts with sleeves
and avoid T-shirts with fad based pictures (monsters, pokemon, batman, etc.).
We strongly recommend that soft-soled shoes be worn to enable the children to
effectively participate in activities which will develop coordination. Hard
leather-soled shoes, lighting shoes, cowboy boots and flip-flops can be
hazardous as well as defeat the purpose of these activities. Shoes with closed
toes are acceptable. Socks should be worn with shoes.
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Extra Clothes
Although we do wear aprons for some of our work involving water, paint, food,
etc., accidents still happen and we would encourage you to not have your child
wear some of his/her most expensive or favorite "good" clothes. We ask that all
children bring an extra set of clothes (socks, too) with his name marked on it.
This way, if your child ever needs a change of clothing, it is available. Our
program stresses independence and clothes that allow a child to dress and
undress himself without help, are preferred and of great benefit in that regard.
Avoid difficult snaps, belts, shoulder straps, or anything that your child cannot
undo himself. Elastic waist band shorts and pants are more easily managed and
help with toilet independence.
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T-Shirt Day
A school T-shirt is given to each child as part of the registration or activity fee.
Friday is our T-shirt day at Heritage Montessori School. If your child chooses
to, have him/her wear the school T-shirt every Friday for our show of school
spirit. It is fun for the children (and teachers) to be dressed alike for a day!
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Sun Protection
We advise that the children wear hats and apply sunscreen before school on
sunny days. Children are also encouraged to stay in shaded areas of our
playground and outdoor environment.
Excessive hairstyles i.e. mohawks, long spikes, unnatural color, tattoos
(temporary or permanent), nail polish, body piercings and markings that call
attention to the individual and distract from the educational process will not be
permitted.
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Discipline
Redirection and refocusing will be used to help young children learn acceptable
behavior in school. We use positive redirection as our main means of discipline.
We would state what the child should do in a positive way such as “we walk in
the classroom” instead of “don’t run”. If a child becomes a disruption he may be
asked to sit apart from the rest of the children and observe the rules of the
classroom. Any problems would be discussed with parents. In cases of extreme
misbehavior parents would be required to pick their child up from school.
Birthdays
On your child’s birthday, we will try to make sure they are the “snack person”
so they can bring in a birthday snack if they choose to. We will give them a
paper crown, sing to them and try to make it a special day for them. It’s fun to
bring in pictures of them as a baby, a one year old, two year old, three year old,
etc. for the children to share with friends. A healthy snack would still be
preferred. For example, muffins (from a commercial bakery), fruit and birthday
napkins. Please, no iced cakes or cupcakes. Children who have summer
birthdays will be given the opportunity to celebrate during our annual “unbirthday” day in May.
Sharing objects of educational value
or broken. Cowboy boots, guns, holsters, gum and candy also fall into this
category. Please talk to the teacher before you decide to share any item with the
class.
Snack
During the first week of school, we will provide snack. After that, we will send
a “snack list” for each class home monthly and each child will have turn
bringing snack. This list will have the child’s name and two items the child is to
bring for snack (example: graham crackers & bananas). Please also bring plates,
cups and napkins.
(Important Note: All baked goods must be purchased from a commercial baker,
not homemade. Sorry! Also, we are a PEANUT AND ANY OTHER KIND
OF NUTS FREE school due to extreme food allergies. Please help us check
all labels and LEAVE ITEMS WITH PEANUTS AT HOME! Thanks.)
Lunch
Children bring their lunches and place in refrigerator. Lunches should be ready
to eat without teacher/microwave preparation. Again, we are a PEANUT FREE
school in order to protect other children who have severe allergic reactions.
Thank you for your help and understanding.
Medications & Illness
We encourage children to bring objects of educational value such as plants,
flowers, shells, nature and science objects, books, etc. to school at any time. It
should be understood, however, that these will have to be worked into the
teacher's classroom plans and may not be able to be presented that day. We do
not have a regular show and tell day but usually take some time to share these
items. We ask you to cooperate, however, in seeing that toys, treasures, money,
play jewelry, etc., be left at home. We also do not want dolls, Disney items, or
other such fads brought to school. These items only cause trouble since the
children cannot play with them during the school period and they are easily lost
We do not administer medications at school. If a child becomes ill he will be
sent home. If your child is not feeling well (fever or stomach upsets during the
past 24 hours, bad cough, very runny nose, any unexplained rash, or eye redness,
etc.) please keep him/her home to let him rest and to protect his/her classmates.
If your child has been diagnosed with a contagious disease such as chicken pox,
strep throat, pink eye, etc., please let us know so that we may notify other
parents to be on the lookout for symptoms in their child.
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Special Needs
Special needs children are evaluated individually to determine if our program is
a proper fit.
Transportation
We do not provide transportation service for students of Heritage Montessori
School.
School License
We are licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services. They are
located at 150 N. 18th Ave., Ste. 400, Phoenix, AZ. Their phone number is 602364-2539. Our records are open to the public.
Pest Control
In the event of any pesticide being applied in any area of Heritage Montessori
School pesticide information will be available to all parents, upon a parent’s
request, at least 48 hours before a pesticide application occurs on facility
premises. This information will include the following:
1. The brand, concentration, rate of application, and any use restrictions required
by the label of the herbicide or specific pesticide;
2. The date and time of the pesticide application;
3. The pesticide label and the material safety data sheet; and
4. The name and telephone number of the pesticide business licensee and the
name of the licensed applicator.
Alcohol, Drugs and Tobacco
The Heritage Montessori School campus is an alcohol, drugs and tobacco
free environment. By State Law there cannot be any smoking on our
property and alcohol cannot be served while children are present.
Emergency Procedures
In the event of an emergency or disaster, children would follow our fire
evacuation procedures. Staff would take children to a safe location and call
parents by cell phone to notify them.
Liability Insurance
Heritage Montessori School carries an insurance policy that complies
with the requirements of the State of Arizona.
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