CALENDAR
Jan. 5th – Staff Development Day – NO SCHOOL
Jan. 6th – Students return to school
Jan. 19th – Martin Luther King Day – NO SCHOOL
Feb. 16th – Staff Development Day – NO SCHOOL
WEATHER CHANGES
With colder weather here, please double check your child’s cubby for cold weather appropriate extra clothing. Please label all hats, coats, mittens, extra clothes, backpacks and lunch boxes (and tupperware/utensils etc within them) to ensure that your child receives their items. Also, if the wind chill is above 32 degrees, we do go outside for at least 30 minutes, so please make sure your child is dressed appropriately and has appropriate outside apparel. Thank you!
In case of inclement weather, we follow the OAK RIDGE SCHOOLS not Anderson County. As soon as I get notifications from the district, I will send them out on Brightwheel. If Oak Ridge Schools are closed, we are closed. If Oak Ridge Schools are on a 1-hour delay, we will be too so we will open at 10:00 am. If Oak Ridge Schools are on a 2-hour delay, we will be closed for the day. If you have any questions, please contact Shona.
NO NUTS PLEASE
We are still a nut free facility due to nut allergies (tree nuts and peanuts). Please do not send nuts or nut butters in your child’s lunch box. Thanks
PARENT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
We love having our parents and families being involved in the classroom. Please check with your child’s teacher for any volunteer opportunities in their class such as reading stories, doing holiday art, or sharing a special talent. Also, if you have any old towels that you are no longer using and need to find a home for, please consider bringing them to the school.
PARKING LOT SAFETY
PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY in the parking lot. Because we share a parking lot with Alexander Guest House and those residents like to get out and walk, please SLOW DOWN when you enter our parking lot. Nothing is more important than the safety of those residents as well as the children. Even if you are running late, slowing down as you approach the parking lot is essential. Please hold your child’s hand as you are walking to and from your car.
DHS RULES AND REGULATIONS
On January 5th, all staff attended a training course on the importance of active supervision, led by a Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) Coach. After some discussion with the coach, we realized that we needed to reinforce some of the rules that are not always followed 100%. These are things we get evaluated and scored on, and we always strive for the BEST quality of care. We appreciate your support in keeping us compliant with these stringent standards. If you would like to have more information about the following, please contact Shona.
1. Once your child is signed in, they are legally in our care. So, if for example, you sign your child in, and then they say they need to go to the bathroom – the teachers need to be the ones to do it. (So, please – ask your child if they need to go potty before signing them in.)
2. The same thing applies at pick-up time. If you sign your child out – legally, they are in your care. You may not sign your child out and then leave them on the playground/in the classroom.
3. This one pertains to siblings/carpool parents. Please sign EACH child in/out at their classroom (instead of signing in/out both children at one room and then bringing/getting the other child.
According to the DHS rules and regulations, children may not be left unattended in the school or on the playground. If you enter the school and your child turns the corner at the water fountain to where you can’t see them, it puts us into non-compliance. Please keep your child within view, which includes not letting them enter the classroom or bathroom without you. This can be tricky with siblings, please reach out to any staff member for assistance. Thanks!
Parents may discuss any concerns with the director. At any time during the year, parents and teachers may request a conference.