3.1 Types of Programs
3.2 School Calendar, Closures and Professional Development Days
3.3 Staggered Entry
3.4 Arrivals and Departures
3.5 Early Drop-Off/Late Pick-Up
3.6 Lunch Option
3.7 Authorization To Pick Up Child
3.8 Illnesses and Absences
3.9 Clothing
3.10 Sunscreeen
3.11 Toys from Home
3.12 Birthdays
3.13 Information to Parents
3.14 Drinking Cups
3.15 Fire Drills
3.16 Duty Parent Schedule
3.17 Community Resources
3.18 Co-operative Education Program
3.19 Complaint Procedures

AVCNS has several types of programs:

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General

The school year for the Alta Vista Co-operative School will follow generally that of the Ottawa School Boards. As soon as possible in September a calendar of dates on which AVCNS will be closed in conjunction with the public schools will be provided to parents in their child’s communication folders at the school. Parents will be notified in advance of any exceptions to this general rule.

Closures before school opens

From time to time, it may be necessary to close the school due to inclement weather or some other unforeseen issue. In the case of poor weather conditions prior to school opening in the morning, a message will be recorded on the AVCNS telephone answering machine by the Director of AVCNS by 7:30 a.m. advising whether or not the school is open or closed. Parents must call the school to be sure it is opened before bringing children to AVCNS.

Closures once children are at the school

Should the Preschool need to be closed due to worsening weather conditions, or some other situation, after children have arrived at school, parents will be telephoned and advised of the need to pick their child[ren] up and of the necessity to make alternative arrangements for their care during the time they normally would be at AVCNS. Therefore it is important that all parents provide AVCNS with their current contact numbers, business extensions, cell phones, or alternate care giver telephone numbers, so that children are picked up from the Preschool in a timely and safe manner.

Closures due to Church Events

On the rare occasions the school may have to be closed due to a church event (such as a funeral) parents will be notified ahead of time.

Professional Development Days

It is vital that our teachers be given the opportunity to improve their skills and to be aware of important developments in the field of early childhood education. Consequently, AVCNS has a policy of allowing each teacher two professional development days per school year. Parents will be notified in advance of the date of Professional Development Days..

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In September, the children will be phased into the program in small groups. This is to ensure that each child is given the individual attention required in a new school experience. We expect you to remain with your child on the first day of school unless your child is returning to AVCNS. The necessity of remaining with your child depends on his/her adjustment to the environment.

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We require that the teachers’ preparation time be respected before and after programs. Expectations for morning program drop-off and pick-up are 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., respectively. Afternoon program drop-off and pick-up expectations are 1:00 and 3:30, respectively. JK-SK Program pick-up is not later than 5:00 p.m. A child should not be left at school until a staff member has been made aware of their presence. The child will be returned to the parent or parent designate at the end of class.

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Early drop-off and late pick-up is available by pre-authorized arrangement. It will require a $2.50 fee for each 15-minute occurrence, with fees billed at end of month.

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Supervised lunch is available from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, by pre-authorized arrangement. Fees will be billed at the end of the month. Parents must provide the child’s lunch. Please see the registration package for current lunch option fees.

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Verbal and written authorization is to be given to the Director if a child is to be picked up by persons other than the parents.

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The school should be notified if a child is absent due to illness or vacation. Children should remain away from AVCNS for 48 hours after the illness has passed.

A child should remain at home if he/she is displaying any of the following symptoms: 1) is feverish, 2) has an upset stomach, 3) vomiting, 4) diarrhea, 5) heavy nasal discharge, 6) expressive or uncontrollable cough 7) thick or crusty eye discharge 8) fatigue / lethargy, 9) rash and / or 10) sore eyes/ears.

Children who become ill during school hours will be kept separate from other children and a parent or an alternate representative will be contacted regarding the child’s illness. The expectation is that the child be brought home as soon as possible.

Children who become ill outside of school hours (eg become symptomatic while at home or at another JK/SK program) should not be brought to AVCNS for nursery school programming. Information about communicable diseases is on file at the school and is available for parental review.

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Please dress your child in comfortable easy-care clothing. Rubber-soled shoes are safest. Children in the process of toilet-training are required to have extra diapers and wipes. All children should have a change of clothing in a back pack or tote in the event of an accident.

Outdoor play is enjoyed when weather permits. Please ensure weather-suitable clothing is available for your child (e.g. snow pants, boots and mitts). Labeling these items would be helpful. A tote bag is suggested for personal belongings and artwork.

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Sunscreen is an important item to be included in your child's tote bag. Before school application would be desirable, with an additional top-up of their personal brand before outdoor play. Sunhats are also recommended.

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Toys that are needed in the early days of adjusting to school or toys that are treasures for a special occasion are acceptable. Otherwise, please encourage your child to keep home toys at home.

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Birthdays are celebrated at snack time. Please feel free to participate and send a special snack. Special snacks should be sent in addition to the regular snack. A “Special Birthday Day” will occur once during the year for all children whose birthdays do not fall during the school term. Please speak to the head teacher for more information and direction.

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Parents will receive regular newsletters with program information and special school activities schedules.

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Please provide a labeled plastic drink cup for your child to use during snack. The cups are only rinsed after use so they must be taken home each day, washed thoroughly and returned the next school day for use. Drop off the cup on the tray at the front door marked for your child’s group. Please pick up the cup here at the end of the program as well.

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Fire drills are conducted monthly once the children have settled into school and are familiar with the routine.

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As a co-operative, the parents of each child enrolled commit to assist in the classroom as a “duty-parent” on a rotation basis (see below, “4.0 Parent Involvement – Duty Parent Responsibility”). A “duty-day” schedule will be provided to parents on a month-by-month basis. The number of duty days asked of each family will depend on the number of children in the class and the frequency of class days. If you are unable to participate in your “duty-day”, you can find a substitute “duty-parent” from the school’s “duty-day” substitution list. The substitute duty person is responsible for providing snack for your child’s class.

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Walks and field trips encourage awareness of the community. People of the community are encouraged to share their special skills or interests in the program.

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We welcome students from the Co-operative Education Program of the Boards of Education to observe, assist and learn quality childcare. Algonquin College, La Cite Collegiale, Heritage College and Mothercraft students are also accommodated on occasion.

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As a parent co-operative member, should you have any concerns regarding the program, the following complaint procedures have been established to assist and guide effective and straightforward complaint resolution for the AVCNS program.

Definition of a complaint

AVCNS has defined a complaint as follows: “A complaint is considered to be any communication received by a parent/caregiver either in writing, or by telephone, or in person, which expresses dissatisfaction about any aspect of the school program, the standard of service or action or lack of action by the school”. Each complaint(s) wheter legitimate or not is to be recorded in a log book as it is received. All follow-up action including lessons learned related to the complaint(s) will also be recorded in the log book in a timely manner.

The AVCNS four (4) stage procedure

The four stage procedure is intended to guide the school in handling parent/caregiver complaints. The main aim at all stages of this procedure will be to ensure that the complaint is fully considered and is resolved, in so far as it is possible to do so, to the satisfaction of the complainant. It is not intended that these guidelines should replace the normal discussion which takes place in the school on day-to-day problems and concerns as they arise. It is only where the complainants remain dissatisfied with the outcome of such discussion that further steps may need to be taken.

Stage 1 - Informal Stage

The informal stage is the first complaint stage. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to settle the matter with your child’s particular teacher. Most straightforward complaints and problems are likely to be resolved at this point, this avoiding unnecessary disruption to the school program and staff. It is recommended that this discussion be conducted outside of teaching hours.

Stage 2 – Letter to the Director

The second stage (and first formal stage) is where the parent/caregiver is not satisfied with the nformal response from your child’s particular teacher. At this stage, the parent must notify the school Director in writing (not email) within 5 working days of the incident. The Director is responsible for investigating the complaint(s) before providing a formal response in writing back to the complainant within 5 working days of receipt of the parent/caregiver’s letter.

Stage 3 – Letter to the Parent Board

The third stage will be where the parent/caregiver is not satisfied with the outcome of the first formal stage. They should be adviced to put their concerns in writing to the parent Board for consideration. The parent Board is responsible for investigateing the complaint before providing a formal response in writing back to the complainant within 10 working days of reciept of the parent/caregiver’s letter to the director of the school.

Stage 4 – The Ministry of Community and Social Services

The fourth stage will be where the parent/caregiver is not satisfied with the outcome of the parent Board. At this junction the parent/caregiver is responbile for notifying the Ministry of Community and Social Services who will be responsible for investigating the complaint before providing a formal response in writing back to the complainant and the school.

The AVCNS Program Authority

The Director is ultimately responsible for the oversight and delivery of the AVCNS program. The teachers, teaching assistants and paret Board also play a role to ensure the overall well-being of the co-operative. Therefore, as a co-operative, it is the duty and responsibility of all parent/caregivers/helpers to follow the teachers’ direction, providde support, and actively promote a positive learning environment.

Responsibility and Duties of Parents/Caregivers

The fulfillment of the responsibilities of the parent/caregiver/helps is essential to the efficient and successful functioning of the school. Failure to assume these duties and responsibilities will result in the parent/guardian being asked to withdraw their child from the school.

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