Clothing

Parents are responsible for keeping an extra pair of indoor shoes to remain at Roblin School Age Program at all times. These items should be labelled and stored in a cloth bag or knapsack.

Weather permitting; the children will play outdoors daily. Please ensure children are dressed properly.

• Winter – hat, mittens, scarf, ski pants, jacket, boots, etc.

• Fall/Spring – hat, jacket, splash pants, rubber boots, mittens if required, etc.

• Summer – hat, shorts, t-shirt, etc.

Families will provide sunscreen (SPF 45 or higher), which will be applied whenever needed with written consent from parents. Please communicate with staff if your child requires a special kind of sunscreen.

Winter outdoor play will occur unless the temperature is colder than -27 celsius with the windchill.

Summer outdoor play will occur unless the temperature is warmer than +27 celcius with the humidex.

Personal Belongings

Parents are asked to encourage their child(ren) to leave any favourite toy or other belongings at home. These items may not be shared willingly with other children or may be lost or stolen. The safest place for these items is at home.

Roblin School Age Program is not responsible for any lost or stolen items that are brought from home.

Guardianship/Separation

If for any reason, you have legal documentation regarding a restraining order, custody, guardianship, etc. the center requires a copy of such documentation. The documentation is required to protect the child.

If the provider is not aware of the situation existing in your home, the provider is bound legally to let your child go with either parent.

Suspected Intoxication/Drug Abuse

If a parent is suspected of intoxication or drug abuse, in such a case we will call an emergency contact person.

In such a case, staff must phone an emergency contact person with whom they may release the child to.

The center and staff are bound to protect the children in such matters and will not release the child into the custody of a suspected intoxicated parent.

If the parent is not willing to cooperate with their staff, the RCMP or Child & Family Services will be contacted.

Confidentiality

Information regarding children and families attending the center will be held in complete confidentiality. Under no circumstances will any information be released to any party other than the legal guardian of the child.

In the case of an emergency, information will be released to medical staff and the RCMP.

As well, if you as a parent become aware of any other information about children in care, please keep these details for yourself. We encourage parents to keep our center and families in complete confidentiality.

Our staff and Board of Directors are expected to keep all written and verbal information regarding the school age and its users strictly confidential. Confidentiality laws bind staff that does not allow them to discuss children in the program with anyone other than their own parents.

Gossip about other parents and children can be very destructive and tends to create larger problems. We ask parents/guardians to respect this request and not to put staff in an awkward position by asking about other children in the program

Fire Drills

Regular monthly fire drills are conducted and recorded so the children are aware of what to do in case of an emergency. We will also evacuate the building when the school has its regular fire drills. A staff member leads the children from the room and the senior staff checks the room and follows the children from the room. For school drills, we are to close the door and turn out the lights, so this is practiced in our monthly drills. An evacuation route is enclosed in this parent policy manual.

Transportation Policy

Parents and guardians are responsible for transporting their child to and from the center. No child is allowed to enter the center without a parent or guardian signing them in and no child is allowed to leave the center without a person (parent, sibling or guardian) over the age of 12.

Under no circumstances will staff of Roblin School Age Program be providing any vehicular transportation, this includes any outings or special events.

Use of Technology

Children are allowed to use the computer as needed for school projects and some games. Facebook and other chat sites are not permitted.

Hand held games are permitted as an earned reward. Children and parents are responsible for their safe keeping. Use of cell phones by children is not permitted. The only cell phone use will be staff use for emergencies. Roblin School Age Program is not responsible for any lost or stolen game systems.

Children or staff using the computer or other electronic devices must:

• Protect and respect the privacy of information found or searched

• Respect the use of all electronic devices

• Respect all ideas, creations and copyrights of information found or searched

• Copying word for word is illegal

• While communicating with others, be respectful

• Always report any inappropriate materials and threatening behaviour

Any staff member or child found accessing, transmitting, copying or creating material which violates center confidentiality of families will be held accountable.

Staff will monitor children on the computer. Any misuse of used technology such as obscenities, messages meant to harass, pornography, threatening behaviour and stolen materials will be reported to the police.

Accidents

In the event of an accident occurring, the provider will fill out an accident form and inform the parent of the accident. This accident form will be signed by the parent and staff who witnessed the accident and when will be placed in the child’s personal folder.

If in the case, there is a serious accident, the parent will be contacted immediately and the child will be transported to the hospital to receive medical treatment.

If an ambulance is needed, it is the responsibility of the parent for any cost incurred.

Crisis Response/Safety Plan

Roblin School Age Program will adhere to the Emergency Procedures of Roblin Elementary School.

Roblin School Age Program has established a safety play and code of conduct to provide guidance and direction to staff and the board of directors. This will ensure

the safety of the children, families and visitors to our center. The Safety Plan outlines what to do if emergencies ever arise. We also ask parents to stay and participate in practicing these drills such as strangers in the building and shelter in place.

This safety plan manual can be found outside the Nursery School room door in a folder on the wall or another copy is kept in the Nursery School room for easy parent access.

If in the case where staff and children must evacuate from the building, there is a safe house in place for these events. Parents will be notified if children need to be picked up.

Fire drills are practiced on a monthly basis as to prepare the children for such an event.

Roblin School Age safe house is Goose Lake High located at 225 Hospital Street.

Arrival and Departure

Please make arrivals and departures as unhurried as possible for your child. You are required to dress and undress your own child. It is the responsibility of the parent or caregiver to dress their child in indoor shoes. One caregiver must be made aware of your child’s arrival.

Children will be signed in and out by the parent or caregiver on an attendance sheet daily. Upon departure, after the child is signed out, the parent is responsible to receive, dress and depart with the child.

The center must be notified, in writing or by phone, by the parent and/or legal guardian if anyone other than the parent is picking up the child (No one under the age of 12 years may pick up a child from the center). Identification will have to be shown to a staff member, prior the child being released to anyone other than a parent or guardian. This person must be listed on the enrollment form.

School Arrival and Departure

Roblin School Age Program is located within the Roblin Elementary School.

Children will walk from their appropriate classes to the School Age Room located in Room 22.

Responsibility for Children

Staff are responsible for all children while in care during the day. Parents are responsible for ensuring that a staff member knows when they depart.

Supervision

Supervision is based on the Manitoba Early Learning and Child Care Licensing Manual where ratio is based on 1:15. It is the responsibility of staff to maintain that ratio for proper supervision.

Children are counted every time a child enters or leaves the program or playground. If a child is leaving for the day, staff members will communicate the number of children still in attendance. This must always match the number of children written on the attendance record as each child is signed in and signed out.

Direct/Indirect Supervision Policy

Children may be supervised in one of two ways. Directly or indirectly.

Direct supervision refers to when staff are directly in the same room/area and able to see and/or hear your child. Children are always directly supervised while outdoors.

Indirect supervision refers to when the staff is not in the same room/area and may not be able to see or hear your child directly but is still monitoring your child’s safety. Staff will take into account the age, developmental level and individual needs of each child as they determine the level of supervision required for each situation. As each child grows and develops, they need opportunities to practice independence and build self-confidence.

Roblin School Age ProgramGuiding Children’s Behaviour

The Manitoba Child Care Licensing Manual, regulation 11(1) states, “A licensee shall not permit, practice, or inflict any form of physical punishment or verbal or emotional abuse upon, or the denial of any physical necessities to any child in attendance at the day care center”.

This regulation is defined as:

• Any physical punishment including striking a child, with an object or directly grabbing, shaking, shoving and/or spanking.

• This also includes forcing a child to repeat any physical movements, feeding by force, and/or any other action that may be carried out which results in any injury to the child.

• Any denial or physical necessities included shelter, clothing, food, bedding or toileting.

• All staff, Board of Directors as well as Parents WILL adhere and follow these regulations when they are within the center or on center property.

Roblin School Age Program believes that children are individual and each child has a unique personality. We provide a supportive environment that encourages positive interactions among staff and children, as well as realistic expectations of children’s capabilities and natural consequences for behavior is intended to enable a child to learn independence, self-esteem and appropriate and/or acceptable behavior throughout the day.

Center staff:

• Allow children to settle disputes themselves. Staff will facilitate communication between children and ask the children to come up with their own solution. Staff are there to offer options, support and listen.

• Use positive guidance techniques that consider the child’s age and their developmental level. Staff help children understand limits and encourage problem solving.

• Allow children to make their own choices.

• Exercise positive redirection as a form of guidance. By being provided with simple concrete consequences, children better understand what may happen if an action continues. When providing course of action, we are helping them develop self-control.

• When interacting with children or giving direction, staff will be at eye level with the children using a quiet voice and short sentences.

• Consistent guidance, choices, encouragement and patience from staff, facilitates children in becoming more independent and self-directed individuals.

The Parent’s Role

We believe we are a small part of your child’s support system. We believe that sometimes there can be a great deal of pressure put on children and their families.

We encourage parents to consider us a support system and approach any staff member with any problems.

Parents are encouraged to visit their children at any time and play with the equipment and supplies offered at the center. We believe this promotes parent-child interactions throughout the year.

Parents are asked to escort their children from the center and to sign their child out daily. No child is allowed to depart from the center without parents or caregivers signing the attendance sheet.

Parent Involvement

Parents are encouraged to ask questions about the program or any staff within the center. Please feel free to approach staff members or the director if you have any concerns at all. We proudly encourage open communication between staff and parents at all times.

Sensitive Topics

If a child comes to a staff member with sensitive topics, such as death, religion, or any other sensitive topics, they will be encouraged by the staff member to discuss the matter at home.

Children’s Behavior

We are committed to developing a positive sense of self-worth in all children and encourage self-discipline, self-control, and respect for others and their property.

Children are expected to demonstrate respect towards others and themselves, as well as take responsibility for their own actions.

Children are not permitted to physically hurt another child or staff members. They are not to engage in activities that place themselves or others in danger (eg. climbing on furniture, using sharp or pointed objects, throwing toys, etc.) Children are not allowed to damage or destroy the Centre's property or personal property of others.

Toy weapons are not to be brought to the Centre.

If a child is endangering the safety of himself or others, he/she may be removed to another room, being supervised at all times. It is essential that the child understand why he/she is being removed from the room and that a discussion regarding the child's unacceptable behavior will follow.

The following are examples of positive guidance techniques used by the staff:

• We will listen to what children have to say and reassure them that whatever they say is important ie – Get down to the child’s level; maintain eye contact while the child is talking.

• We will respect each child as an individual and not make comparisons among the children.

• We will be honest with children.

• We will set limits so that each child knows what is expected of him/her.

• We will prepare the children for transitions ie – 5 more minutes before clean-up time.

• We will explain to the children that verbalizing their feelings are more acceptable than physical actions. We will reassure them that it is “okay” to be angry, sad, etc. and to encourage them to use words to express their feelings.

• We will encourage children to solve their disagreements by expressing themselves through language.

• We will speak to a parent about a concern away from their children. We will not talk about children that are in our care, in front of them or others.

• We will be sensitive and responsive to the individual needs of each child, offering quiet time/space, cuddles during difficult times, or more stimulating activities and areas.

• Staff will model appropriate behaviour ie – walk over to a child instead of yelling across the room.

• Should a situation arise where the child’s behaviour is not acceptable, staff will use the following techniques:

i. Explain to the child that his or her behaviour is not acceptable

ii. We will discuss appropriate behaviour

iii. If unacceptable behaviour continues to occur, the child will be redirected to a different play area ie – “You are having a problem cooperating in the block area, let’s go find something else for you to do.”

iv. Staff accompanies the child to a new area of child’s choice.

If the unacceptable behaviour continues, the child will be removed to a quiet area in the room. We will explain to the child that his/her behaviour is unacceptable and give him/her a few minutes with a staff member, to talk about their behaviour. After a period of time, staff will reinforce positive behaviour and invite the child back to the group. In extreme situations, the parent will be contacted.

Persistent unacceptable behavior from a child will result in the following:

Formal warning

Staff will explain to the child why their behavior is unacceptable and the consequences of any further such incidents. Children will be encouraged to discuss their behavior, to explain their actions, and helped to develop strategies to avoiding repeat incidents. Details of all warnings and any other discussions with parents will be recorded and kept on the child's records. Each warning should be discussed with the child concerned and their parents, and wherever possible agreements made between all parties that are fair and reasonable to the situation.

Such agreements can include removal of privileges e.g. participation in certain activities such as outdoor time. Any agreements should reflect the incident and be appropriate to the individual concerned. Roblin Nursery School has the right to ask a parent to pick up their child immediately, or permanently withdraw a child in the event of persistent unacceptable behavior.

Suspension

Only in the event of an extremely serious or dangerous incident will a child be suspended from Roblin Nursery School with immediate effect. In such circumstances, the child's parents will be contacted to pick the child up immediately. After an immediate suspension has taken place, the director will arrange a meeting with the child concerned and their parents to discuss the incident. Help and advice will be sought from professionals in order to plan for the child's return. Every effort will be made in order to support all and strategies necessary to promote a positive outcome.

Suspensions should be consistent, fair and proportionate to the behavior concerned. In setting such a suspension, consideration is given to the child's age and maturity. Any other relevant information about the child and their situation will also be considered. Roblin Nursery School will keep parents informed about behavior management issues relating to their child and attempt to work with them to tackle the causes of disruptive or unacceptable behavior.

When a suspension is over and before a child is allowed to return to Roblin Nursery School, there will be a discussion between the director, the child and their parents, setting out the conditions of their return in written form.

In an extreme situation whereby all strategies and other attempts to address persistent unacceptable behavior have been unsuccessful, Roblin Nursery School has the right to have a child withdrawn. This right will only be exercised where absolutely necessary, but will be done so whereby the duty of care provided to other children and users of Roblin Nursery School is compromised by irresolvable unacceptable behavior.