OLYMPIC COLLEGE SOPHIA BREMER CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER Head Start & Child Care and Early Learning Classrooms PARENT HANDBOOK 1600 CHESTER AVE BREMERTON, WA (360) 475-7191 TABLE OF CONTENTS Mission Statement 3 Program & Curriculum Goals 3 Program Description 4 Children's Program Philosophy 4 Staff Description 5 Volunteers, Practicum Students and Observers 5 Admissions 6 Daily Schedule/Hours of Operation 7 Arrival and Departure 8 Access to Children and Classrooms 8 Food, Nutrition, and Snacks 9 Clothing 9 Nap and Rest Times 11 Diaper Changing Procedures 11 Toilet Learning 12 Field Trips 12 Transportation 12 Sharing Items From Home 13 Guidance and Discipline 13 Special Activities/Family Events 15 Holidays 15 Written Communication 16 Parent Conferences 16 Parent Education 16 Pet Policy 17 Procedure for Pesticide Notification 17 Health 19 Disaster Plan Emergency Care Plan 22 Emergency Information 22 Fire Drill Routine and Rules Updating Your Child’s File 27 Campus and Community Resources 27 Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting 27 Non Discrimination/Harassment Policy 27 Complaint Policy 28 Facility Licensing Status 28 Contract 29 2 MISSION STATEMENT The Olympic College Sophia Bremer Child Development Center is committed to providing quality early childhood programs and family services to the Olympic College Community. The Center is committed to fostering collaborative partnerships with other Olympic College programs and community and state agencies. PROGRAM GOALS 1. To provide high quality childcare services to Olympic College families that are affordable for student parents. 2. To provide a safe and nurturing environment in accordance with the National Association for the Education of Young Children accreditation guidelines that promote the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of young children. 3. To support parents and add to family resources. 4. To provide a wide range and variety of parent involvement opportunities for families. 5. To nurture existing partnerships and to develop new ones that help to expand services to OC children and families. 6. To provide a model training site for early childhood students, demonstrating the most up to date and developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood. CURRICULUM GOALS The teaching staff of the SBCDC have the following learning goals for each child on entering kindergarten. Teachers will meet regularly with parents to discuss these curriculum goals, strategies they will employ in the classroom to help children achieve these goals and progress towards achievement of these goals as manifested in each child’s school experience. 1. Social and Emotional Development A. Competence in a variety of play situations (individual parallel, associative, and cooperative). B. Clear use of appropriate words to express feelings, desires, needs, and to resolve problems. C. Recognition and respect for rules of behavior. 2. Cognitive Development A. Identifies and can solve most basic needs independently within the classroom/playground environment. B. Can distinguish between fantasy and reality. C. Recognizes and uses symbols to convey meaning (eg numbers, letters, etc). 3. Physical Development A. Can use large muscles in a variety of ways (eg climbing, ”pumping” legs, pedaling, jumping, throwing etc). 3 B. Can use small muscles in a variety of ways (eg manipulating puzzle pieces, closing zippers, buttoning, using a pencil, building with Legos, cutting with scissors). C. Receives good nutrition while at school. D. Is not unnecessarily exposed to illness while at school; is sent home when sick; receives appropriate treatment to recover from illness while attending school. E. Is not unnecessarily exposed to unsafe situations at school. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Olympic College Sophia Bremer Child Development Center is a developmental program, designed primarily for use by Olympic College students. Staff, and faculty with children can also enroll children as space permits. Under exceptional circumstances services may be offered to community based families. The program provides service for pregnant women and children through age three in its Early Head Start Classrooms. Some income eligible families with three and four year old children are served in the SBCDC’s Head Start classroom. Other toddlers, twos, and preschoolers, are served during the day in the Early Care and Learning classrooms at the SBCDC. The childcare center serves as a laboratory setting for students who are enrolled in Early Childhood Education. The students learn about child observation, growth, development, discipline and guidance, and educational planning and pedagogy. The Olympic College Sophia Bremer Child Development Center is funded in part by the Associated Students of Olympic College and parent fees. The Head Start and Early HeadStart classrooms are partially funded through a contract with the Olympic Educational Services District #114, one of two Head Start grantees serving Bremerton. CHILDREN’S PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY The developmental philosophy of the Center embraces the concept of the “whole” child. We believe that any curriculum devoted to young children must focus on assisting the development of the “whole” child. To support that philosophy, we provide the children with a variety of experiences and participation in activities such as creative art, music, science, language, play, health and safety, math, social studies, etc. Children are offered a broad array of self-selected activities and materials. When planning the curriculum, the staff will take into consideration individual differences among children, such as personality and learning styles, in preparing a childcare environment that is developmentally appropriate for each child. Attention is also given to deliver care that is culturally appropriate whenever possible. The Center provides an enriched environment by utilizing activities and materials, which enhance the ability of children to learn and discover on their own. The Olympic College Sophia Bremer Child Development Center believes that parents are each child’s first and most important teachers and as such, parent participation is encouraged to the extent possible for each individual family. 4 STAFF DESCRIPTION The SBCDC employs a wide variety of early childhood professionals and paraprofessionals. Rhodes Lockwood is the Director. He has an MSW and been an administrator of campus-affiliated childcare programs since 1987. He has also worked as an early childhood teacher, family and child therapist, and the Director of a Welfare Reform program. Rhodes is assisted by an administrative assistant and a billing specialist. The lead teachers in the classrooms have earned Bachelor’s or Associate’s degrees in Child Development/Early Childhood Education (ECE/CD). Each has several years of experience as teachers of young children in center-based care. Each lead teacher has a Classified assistant. These assistant teachers must have a minimum of 12 credits of ECE/CD, many have already completed an Associate’s degree. Few have many years of experience. We employ several different kinds of OC students. Many are Early Childhood Education Program students, but some have other professional goals. We also employ some young people through the Pathways and Community Jobs Programs. These folks are not yet college students and for some we are their first employer. All staff goes through a criminal records check, which screens out anyone with a history of violence or crimes against children. All are screened for Tuberculosis. All receive training in 1st Aid and CPR, HIV/AIDS and Blood Bourne Pathogens. No employee is left alone with a child for a considerable length of time principally as a guard against groundless accusations. All staff is provided with ongoing supervision and professional development activities. VOLUNTEERS, PRACTICUM STUDENTS, AND OBSERVERS Many adults may be working within the Center while your child is in attendance. The adult may be parents, other volunteers, practicum/observation students and visitors from the community. Each adult who is present for more than twenty minutes is asked to wear an identifying badge. Practicum students and volunteers need to provide the teacher with a quarterly schedule as soon as possible. Parent volunteers are welcome at any time in their child’s classroom as long as the focus of their participation is their child. No other volunteer or student will be allowed access to children in their classrooms without having first submitted a Criminal Records Background Check and passing a TB screening. 5 ADMISSIONS Eligibility requirements for child care/early learning classrooms: The program is available based on the following priorities: 1. Children of students currently enrolled at Olympic College 2. Children of Olympic College faculty and staff, and students enrolled in OC partner institutions of higher education. 3. Children of community members Space is made available each quarter; first to children who will be continuously enrolled; second, to families returning from a Leave of Absence; and third, to children on the Waiting List. Waiting List children will be accepted into the program in order of the date of application and as vacancies open that meet their scheduling needs. Eligibility requirements for the Head Start classroom: Head Start is designed to serve the neediest families in communities. Consequently, the program is available based on the following priorities: 1. Children must come from families living at or below the federal poverty level. 2. Enrollment