LS_DigitalOrientationPacket_All_VirginiaBeach

Parent Orientation Packet The following information should be helpful as your child transitions to either a new classroom or our after school program. More specific information from your child’s teachers and counselors will be available during orientation. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your school’s director.

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Table of Contents The LeafSpring School Philosophy Tips for Transitioning Your Child Parent Advisory Board Notes on Discipline Tips for Biting Potty Training Birthday Parties Kindergarten Readiness Transportation for School Age Children

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The LeafSpring School Philosophy

WE BELIEVE THAT ALL CHILDREN NEED: A SCHOOL designed to promote the success of each child based on their developmental level and diverse needs.

A CURRICULUM that provides a balance of child directed and teacher guided activities—one which provides a diversity of experiences designed to initiate d i s c o v e r y a n d a love for learning in our ever-changing world.

QUALIFIED TEACHERS capable of preparing a rich learning environment and developing close teacher/child relationships based on the child’s age, need and situation.

PRIMARY CARE GROUPS to ensure consistent, quality, meaningful interactions and relationships.

A school that involves and communicates regularly with PARENTS -one that supports families in parenting and in enhancing understanding of their child’s growth and development, in an effort to promote positive work-life harmony.

An environment that exemplifies WELLNESS through intentional lessons and activities which promote sound health and safety practices, good nutrition and active lifestyles.

Opportunities to develop their natural LEADERSHIP skills and talents, to assist them in becoming capable, self-actualized individuals and responsible citizens.

A carefully designed setting with a NURTURING ATMOSPHERE—one that fosters acceptance and security.

ENVIRONMENT in which to move about with ample age appropriate play equipment and materials.

Ongoing AUTHENTIC DEVELOPMENTAL EVALUATION and parent conferences that emphasize progress, accomplishments and areas for continued growth, and guide the appropriate scaffolding of the curriculum to target individual needs.

Freedom and guidance to EXPLORE and learn without the fear of failure—a process necessary for the development of self-confidence and pleasure in learning.

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Tips for Transitioning your Child Talk about your child’s “new school” in family conversations.

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Be sure to talk to your child about their new classroom and LeafSpring School. It will build familiarity with his/her new school and create the opportunity for questions and discussion.

Refer to the teacher(s) by name, as well as anything you know about them. Teacher bios are posted in the classrooms and will be available at orientation.

Drive by LeafSpring School and point it out to your child when in the area.

Visit your child’s “new school” before the first day of school.

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Children will feel more comfortable if they have had a chance to see and explore their new classroom and school prior to drop-off time on the first day of school.

More than one visit may be required for the child who eases into new situations with reluctance. Talk to the teacher to discuss this need, and to help her learn more about your child.

Remember that when your child visits, it is necessary for you to remain in the building since your child is not yet an enrolled child. Some parents find it helpful to “duck out” of the room and sit in the lobby for a few minutes to allow their child play and socialization opportunities with them “out of sight”. Please let the teacher know if that is your plan, so she can facilitate the situation.

Many of our schools arrange specific visit days and times. Predetermined visitation times are offered in August as the new school year approaches; for mid-year enrollments, please arrange your visitation with the Director.

Create comfortable routines.

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Establishing routines and procedures is extremely helpful for easing transitions. Remember that children do not understand timelines as much as they understand ordinal markers in their day, i.e. “mommy will be picking you up sometime after you go outside to play this afternoon.”

Children enjoy drop off time “rituals”, including silly things like “pushing daddy or mommy out the door”, a kiss on both cheeks and on the nose, etc.

It is important to allow enough time for transitions, but also critical to not prolong good-byes. Parents who leave, or say they are leaving, who come back to (indiscreetly) keep checking on things only prolong their child’s adjustment.

Sometimes a child likes to retain something of moms or dads to keep in their cubby such as an earring, a watch, or a scarf. They may keep this in their cubby, glance at it at points in the day, and run to retrieve it for you when you arrive at pick up time.

Before you know it, your child will greet you at day end with the statement that they are not ready to go home yet--a statement that creates mixed emotions for parents!

Let your child know when routines will change.

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Flexible work schedules, however a blessing to the working parent, sometimes wreak havoc for children in transition.

Find ways to let your child know what to expect on any given day, again bearing in mind that they don’t understand timelines.

If you will be picking up for a doctor’s appointment or stopping by for lunch with your child, it is best to make them aware of that ahead of time, especially if they are returning to school after the doctor’s appointment or staying at school after your “lunch date.”

Be sure to inform your child’s teachers if there is going to be a change in your typical daily routine. The teachers can help prepare your child for any changes to their day.

Talk to us often.

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Good communications between home and school are essential. We want to be partners with you in sharing the day with your child.

Feel free to call and talk to your child’s teacher during the day. Your child’s teacher may not be able to come to the phone each time you call, but he/she will gladly return your call at a time that is convenient to the classroom schedule.

Please know that phone calls or emails to check on your child are always welcome. If available to leave the front desk area, our administrative staff will be glad to peek in the room and check on your child at your request.

Parent Advisory Board

LeafSpring School’s Parent Advisory Board is comprised of parent representatives from the various age groups served at the school. Although membership on the Parent Advisory Board is by invitation, anyone interested in serving on the school’s board should discuss their interest with the Director.

What It Is: The Mission of the Board is to: •

Assist the Director(s) in the planning of school wide events.

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Assist the classroom and teacher in planning classroom events.

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Identify and execute ongoing projects that support the school.

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Solicit the help of other parents as needed for special projects.

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Develop faculty/staff appreciation initiatives.

What It Isn’t: The Parent Board:

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Does not assist in making school policy or procedure.

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Does not field parent complaints.

Notes on Discipline

Discipline and guidance are based on an understanding of each child’s individual needs and his/her current developmental stage. The purpose of all discipline is to teach the child acceptable behavior and to guide him/her toward appropriate self-management. Depending on your child’s age and the situation, one or more of the following discipline methods may be used: 1.

Positive reinforcement of desirable behaviors

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Positively focused communication, appropriate to child’s age level

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Proactive and preventative classroom management that promotes desirable behaviors

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Encouraging “Use of Words” in problem solving

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Discussion of natural and logical consequences

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Distraction/repeated redirection

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Time away from the group (to be used as last resort ONLY)

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In more challenging discipline situations, a collaborative plan will be developed between the parents and the Director and/or teacher for behavior modification.

Children are never subjected to harsh and cruel treatment, humiliation, abusive language, physical punishment, or any discipline associated with food, napping, or toilet training.

Children are never subjected to verbal abuse that would include, but not be limited to, threats, belittling remarks about any child, his family, his race, his religion, or his cultural background, or other statements that are frightening or humiliating to the child.

LeafSpring School adheres to a ZERO tolerance stance on breaches to our discipline policy.

We request that parents abide by these same provisions while in the school or at school events.

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Tips for Biting

Although developmentally appropriate in early childhood, biting can often become a social and behavioral nightmare for parents, children and even teachers. Older infants, toddlers, twos, and sometimes even preschoolers use their teeth for things other than chewing food. While this stage is developmentally predictable, it is not a behavior that is condoned.

Because biting is a developmental phase, parents and teachers alike can take comfort in the fact that it will pass as the child grows and matures. Patience can make a difference.

The optimal strategy to decrease or halt biting behavior is to determine the precipitating triggers. Biting can be a child’s attempt to express a myriad of emotions including affection, frustration, anger, boredom, and teething pain. Obviously, this is a socially unacceptable way to express one’s feelings. Teachers and parents must work together to understand this behavior and implement strategies and tactics to decrease the behavior, including: •

Communicate calm and firm messages to the biter, “We don’t bite our friends.”

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Shadow the biter and interrupt the potential bite before it occurs.

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Identify and interrupt the biting sequence.

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Offer teething rings and other sensory stimulation.

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Review the child’s day to identify and eliminate trigger events as possible.

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Provide the child more autonomy in his environment.

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Reinforce the unacceptable nature of this behavior at home.

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Actively comfort the victim in the presence of the child who bit to help them understand that they have hurt their friend.

Health risks associated with biting are of obvious concern for the parents of both the child who was bitten and the biter. Research has shown that the risk of infection or transmission of blood borne pathogens from biting incidents in early childhood settings is very rare. The Get Well Place nurse will assess the children and carefully clean the bite with soap and water and use antibiotic ointment, as appropriate. Both sets of parents will receive communication regarding the incident.

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Potty Training How will I know when my child is ready for potty training?

The age at which a child becomes ready for potty training is highly individual. NOBODY can give a specific month or time when a child will be ready. If the demands are too early or too strong, the child will react negatively to the whole experience. He or she may feel helpless, inadequate and frustrated. Usually a child will display a natural interest in using the potty at about two years of age. He/she will also give you some physical clues/symptoms that will tell you that his/her body is developed and ready: 1.

The child’s diaper will be dry for long periods. This means that the bladder is filling and emptying. Prior to this developmental milestone, the bladder empties as soon as urine becomes present.

2. The child’s diaper will be dry when he awakens.

3. The child will tell you when he/she is wet. This means that the child is beginning to understand when urination has occurred. The sensation must be recognized before it can be controlled.

4. The child will ask to be changed. Once a child experiences periods of dryness, quite frankly, he learns to prefer this. This fact can be used to enhance the potty training process.

5. The child will seek a private place to have bowel movement. He is identifying urges prior to elimination—A GOOD SIGN! At this point, the process should be introduced in a casual manner.

What should parents do to get ready?

First, talk with your child’s teacher about signs of readiness that have been observed at home. Be aware that the first signs of readiness may occur at LeafSpring School, where they are observing other children in the potty training process.

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Invest in some books about going potty for your child (there are several good ones in the bookstores). Books are a great way for a child to visualize what he/she needs to do and encourage further exploration.

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Provide a child sized toilet several weeks to months before he/she tries to use it properly. Your son or daughter should have time to get comfortable with this new object and display a natural interest.

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Remember to get down on the child’s eye level when the child is sitting on this special seat. Talk to your child and describe everything that is happening and what will occur next.

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Be sure to regularly share any progress with the teacher in your child’s classroom so we can support your efforts.

When do I start?

When parents wish to begin training their child, it is suggested that they pick a weekend that will be relaxed and spent close to home. To get off to a good start, it is important to create a calm and consistent environment. Flexibility and the ability to meet the child’s toileting demands as soon as possible is particularly important.

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Potty Training How do I go about this?

To adults, toilet training a child should be a simple, short procedure. In the eyes of a child, it is a very complex learning task. There are several steps that must be mastered in the process. We suggest the following method to make the transition from diapers to underwear.

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While still in diapers, offer the child the opportunity to sit on the potty during diaper changes.

2. Once the child begins to remain dry between changes and uses the toilet well, encourage the child to tell you when he/she feels the urge to go. Remember you are trying to have the child identify the need to go potty. Constantly asking the child or checking their diaper will not promote this independence.

3. After your child can consistently use the toilet, you may be tempted to invest in “Pull-ups.”

Pull ups, although more convenient, often delay potty training because of their strong absorbency. On the other hand, underpants or cloth training pants allow the child to feel slightly uncomfortable after an accident. It is this discomfort that is the motivation to use the potty regularly.

4. When your child can go accident free for the entire day, it is time to make the transition to “big girl” or “big boy” underpants. However, your child may continue to have problems staying dry overnight until four or five years of age.

5. Your child may occasionally have an accident. This may occur at times of great excitement or when the child is very involved in an activity and forgets to go to the bathroom. Accidents may also take place when the child is under any physical or emotional stress. Punishment should NEVER become associated with potty training.

How can LeafSpring School help potty train my child?

The teachers at LeafSpring School have extensive experience in potty training children! When your child is ready to begin potty training, you and your child’s teacher will partner together to develop a plan to achieve consistency between home and school. Communication between you and your child’s teacher is critical to your child’s success. Patience and encouragement in the potty training process is essential.

While we have many potty training techniques, we know that each child is different, and we will strategize with you to develop an individualized approach designed to maximize your child’s potty training success.

What if my child is not toilet trained by three?

Reinforcement of toileting independence continues in the preschool. By the age of three, children are often potty trained except for sleeping hours and an occasional accident. If your child is not toilet trained, but is developmentally ready for promotion, he/she will be promoted to the next classroom with emphasis placed on this milestone. If your child has special needs that delay this process, reasonable accommodations will be made for diaper changing in consultation with the Director.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask your teacher or your director.

We are happy to provide you additional information.

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Birthday Parties At LeafSpring School, we try to keep birthdays “special but simple”. Children need to enjoy their special day without the pressure of having a party more spectacular than the last. To that end, we have chosen to celebrate your children in a healthy way.

We will honor the birthday boy or girl with treats other than food, such as allowing them to choose a game or special activity or letting them wear a special crown, sash, or badge on their birthday. They will choose a favorite book to read to the class or a favorite physical activity.

During the last full week of each month, each class will have a designated celebration day for all children who had a birthday in that specific month. The teachers in the classroom will post a flyer for the date and time of the group birthday celebration. It will include a signup sheet for parents to bring in healthy food choices. All items must be store-bought and must have a label of the ingredients.

If you choose, you may (in an effort to keep it “special”): •

Bring a Birthday Book: Feel free to donate a copy of your child’s favorite book to the classroom library. This can include a special inscription on the inside cover to honor your child!

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Become a Parent Reader: Many times parents will choose to come and read the donated book to the class, a custom we welcome and encourage!

In an effort to keep it “simple”: •

No special entertainers

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No goody bags

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No helium balloons, as these are a choking hazard

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No special decorations

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No birthday presents for the birthday child while at the preschool

If you would like to plan a special party that might involve some of the things we cannot allow in the preschool, we encourage you to plan a party during the evening or on the weekend. We will gladly allow you to distribute your party invitations by dropping them off at the front desk and we will be sure to put them in parent communication files in your child’s classroom. Handing out invitations in the classroom is discouraged in an effort to avoid lost invitations (if children get into their cubbies) or hurt feelings (if the entire class is not invited).

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Kindergarten Readiness At LeafSpring School, we know and appreciate how very important the Pre-Kindergarten year is for both you and your child. While a strong foundation has been built at LeafSpring throughout the preschool years, during the Pre-Kindergarten year the curriculum and the classroom “grow up with the child”, and are specially designed to enhance your child’s school readiness. Having lockers instead of cubbies enhances selfmanagement and independence. Elevated lofts provide an additional cool curriculum area, providing them a glimpse of what a larger learning environment will feel like. Bathroom stalls have doors to provide the appropriate privacy for this age, strengthening self-help skills. The curriculum is served in larger bites, building from day to day and week to week, helping children understand that learning does not occur as one event, but that learning is longitudinal, an essential perspective for life-long learners. The curriculum activities are more collaborative with numerous opportunities for teamwork and problem solving.

At LeafSpring School we believe in the development of the whole child. Both academic and emotional readiness determine a child’s likelihood of doing well in school. All areas of growth and development: physical, fine motor, language/communication, emotional/social, and cognitive, are important and interdependent in determining readiness for kindergarten. Consider the child who knows every letter in the alphabet and all the colors and numbers but struggles to sit quietly and listen during instruction. It is likely that his ability to comprehend concepts or complete assignments may be limited by his inability to attend to the task at hand.

Preparing Your Child for Kindergarten To assist your child in the journey toward kindergarten success, our Pre-Kindergarten program will continue to focus on all areas of growth and development with special emphasis on readiness factors. For example: • • • • • • • • • •

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In addition to recognizing letters, the curriculum will focus on letter sounds and how they are used in words.

Early handwriting techniques are practiced using multisensory, developmentally appropriate strategies to increase success with early writing skills.

Pre-reading activities are integrated such as blending sounds, recognizing rhyming words, pretending to read books through illustrations and describing characters’ actions and feelings in a story.

In addition to recognizing numbers, the curriculum will include pre-math activities that involve sequencing, measuring, graphing, valuating, patterning and estimating.

Children will be introduced to age appropriate technology that includes basic coding, engineering and problem solving.

Science conceptual knowledge is refined through investigation of events observed in the environment and a multitude of outdoor learning opportunities.

By using a wide variety of art mediums and being exposed to instruments and various types of music, children will continue to express and develop an appreciation for the arts.

Physical development is reinforced through a P.E. class that encourages cooperative play and teamwork while introducing gaming and sporting fundamentals.

Social and self-help skills are practiced and refined to focus on increasing self-control, problem solving, regulating emotions, playing cooperatively with peers, practicing good hygiene and appropriate bathroom skills, and using good manners.

Communication and expressive language is encouraged through practice with telling stories about everyday events, using descriptive language, following one and two step verbal directions and expressing needs and wants appropriately.

Reasoning and concept development is enhanced through LeafSpring School’s use of Project Based Learning (PBL).

Kindergarten Readiness About Project Based Learning (PBL) LeafSpring School’s Project Based Learning (PBL) is specially designed to develop children’s reasoning and concept development by tapping into their expressed interests while promoting whole child development.

The Project Based Learning (PBL) focuses on cooperation, teamwork, and problem solving while helping children gain more knowledge in subjects of interest to them. Children as a group identify an area of interest and determine what they want to know about the subject. The teacher serves as the facilitator, helping the children determine and achieve their learning objectives. Project Based Learning (PBL) activities transpire over a series of days, or even weeks, reinforcing to children that learning does not begin and end in one lesson, but rather involves collaboration, problem solving, and team work. Addressing our whole child mindset, children experience knowledge based learning as well as a multitude of social and self management skills. For example, if the children want to learn more about gardening, the first step might be to make lists of vegetables and plants they would like to grow, materials and supplies needed to grow a garden, where they want to plant it, etc. In the following weeks they plant their garden, monitor growth, water, weed, and maybe even take a field trip to a farm. The Project Based Learning (PBL) activities enhance kindergarten readiness skills and promote practical skills needed for lifelong learning and working with others.

Partnering with You Although we enjoy each day of learning with your child, we embrace the partnership that comes from working together with you, our parents! LeafSpring School’s mission statement, that “Teachers and Nurses Partner with Parents to Promote the Success of each Child”, provides the perfect platform for us to address kindergarten readiness together! There are numerous activities that you can use at home to enhance kindergarten readiness. Your child’s teacher will be more than happy to share some of these activities for you to try at home.

We are well equipped to help both you and your child feel confident about that next big step in their education, and look forward to partnering with you during the Pre-Kindergarten journey.

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Transportation for School Age Children

Transportation is provided to and from serviced elementary schools for enrolled school age children.

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To receive transportation services, parents/guardians must grant authorization for transport at the time of enrollment and annually thereafter.

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Please reinforce seatbelt safety with your child. Children are required to wear seatbelts at all times while being transported.

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If your child is being transported to LeafSpring School by a county school bus or other transportation, you must inform the school’s administration so that we can assist in ensuring his/her safe transition to our program.

Transportation is provided to the Get Well Place for school age children who become sick at school.

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To receive transportation services, parents/guardians must grant authorization for transport at the time of enrollment and annually thereafter.

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Parents must call LeafSpring School to arrange for transportation. o Transportation may be delayed if all buses are otherwise in use, as ill children are not transported with well children. If transportation is delayed, the parent and the school will be notified.

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The school must be informed that LeafSpring School is authorized to pick up your sick child.

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Upon arrival at the Get Well Place our nurse will assess your child’s condition and notify you of his/her findings.

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NOTE: Transportation to the Get Well Place for non-enrolled children is also offered with the appropriate prior authorization.