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Parent Handbook2-50 Elizabeth GroveKing City, ONL7B 1H7

905.833.0378Email: [email protected]: http://kcns.pcpcontario.org/

Version 1.5 -- Nov '16

mailto:[email protected]

King City Co-op Nursery School – Parent Handbook

Table of Contents1 Introduction...........................................................................................................................

1.1 Welcome......................................................................................................................1.2 What is a Co-Operative Nursery School?....................................................................1.3 KCNS Philosophy........................................................................................................1.4 Program Development.................................................................................................1.5 Staff Training & Development......................................................................................1.6 Centre Management..................................................................................................1.7 Parent/Guardian Involvement....................................................................................1.8 Volunteer and Students.............................................................................................

1.8.1 Purpose...........................................................................................................1.8.2 Policy...............................................................................................................1.8.3 Procedures......................................................................................................1.8.4 Criminal Reference Checks.............................................................................1.8.5 Mandatory Orientation & Training....................................................................1.8.6 Record Retention.............................................................................................1.8.7 Discipline.........................................................................................................

1.9 Behaviour Management.............................................................................................1.10 Prohibitive Practices..................................................................................................1.11 Individualized support Plans & Inclusive programming..............................................1.12 Individualized Plan for Children with Special Needs..................................................

2 Program Overview & Registration......................................................................................2.1 Admission Requirements & Regulations....................................................................2.2 Enrolment Options.....................................................................................................2.3 Class Size..................................................................................................................2.4 Tuition, Fee Schedule & Collection of Payment.........................................................

2.4.1 Discounts.........................................................................................................2.5 Registration Forms.....................................................................................................2.6 Late Pick Up Fees......................................................................................................2.7 Withdrawal From the Program & Refunds.................................................................2.8 School Term & Hours of Operation............................................................................2.9 Wait List.....................................................................................................................2.10 Parent Participation & Co-Op Family Responsibilities...............................................2.11 Fundraising................................................................................................................

3 Daily Routines, Policies & Procedures...............................................................................3.1 First Days at School...................................................................................................3.2 School Parking...........................................................................................................3.3 In & Out Procedures “Coming & Going from School”.................................................3.4 Security Control System............................................................................................3.5 Absences, Sick Days, Vacation.................................................................................

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3.6 Change of Address / Phone Number / Employment..................................................3.7 Communication..........................................................................................................3.8 Parent Teacher Interviews.........................................................................................3.9 Snack Responsibilities...............................................................................................3.10 Birthdays....................................................................................................................3.11 Toys...........................................................................................................................3.12 Clothing......................................................................................................................3.13 Toilet Training & Diapering........................................................................................3.14 Materials to Save.......................................................................................................3.15 End of Year Clean Up................................................................................................3.16 Fines..........................................................................................................................3.17 Petitioning a Fine.......................................................................................................3.18 How to Play & Speak with Children...........................................................................

3.18.1Implementation & Review of Policies & Individual Plans.................................3.19 Compliance & Contraventions...................................................................................

3.19.1Non-Compliance by an Adult Volunteer...........................................................3.19.2Non-Compliance by a Staff Member................................................................

4 Health & Safety Policies.....................................................................................................4.1 Emergency Management Policy & Procedures.........................................................

4.1.1 Purpose...........................................................................................................4.1.2 Definitions........................................................................................................4.1.3 Policy...............................................................................................................4.1.4 Procedures......................................................................................................4.1.5 Phase 1: Immediate Emergency Response.....................................................4.1.6 Phase 2: Next Steps During the Emergency...................................................4.1.7 Additional Procedures for Next Steps During an Emergency..........................4.1.8 Phase 3: Recovery (After an Emergency Situation Has Ended)......................

4.2 Allergy & Anaphylaxis................................................................................................4.3 Anaphylaxis...............................................................................................................4.4 Illness & Immunization...............................................................................................4.5 Medication.................................................................................................................4.6 Cleanliness & Sanitary Practices...............................................................................4.7 Handwashing Techniques..........................................................................................4.8 Emergencies..............................................................................................................4.9 Health Care Precautions............................................................................................

4.9.1 Blood & Body Fluid Handling Precautions.......................................................4.9.2 Treating Bites...................................................................................................

4.10 Playground Safety......................................................................................................4.10.1Supervisory Responsibilities............................................................................4.10.2Maintenance Responsibilities..........................................................................

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4.10.3Playground Safety Checks...............................................................................4.11 Safe Drinking Water Policy........................................................................................4.12 School Lockdown Procedures...................................................................................

4.12.1Danger in the School.......................................................................................4.12.2Danger Outside the School..............................................................................

4.13 Fire Drills & Safety Plan.............................................................................................4.13.1Emergency Shelter..........................................................................................

4.14 Smoke Free Act.........................................................................................................4.15 Serious Occurrences.................................................................................................

4.15.1Definition of a Serious Occurrence..................................................................4.16 Lost Child Procedure.................................................................................................4.17 Safety of the Building.................................................................................................4.18 Accident or Medical Emergency at School................................................................4.19 Lost Child Off-Site......................................................................................................4.20 Safety & Well-Being...................................................................................................4.21 Sun Safety.................................................................................................................4.22 Smog & Heat Alert.....................................................................................................4.23 First Aid......................................................................................................................

4.23.1How KCNS Is Prepared Before Injuries Occur….............................................4.23.2First Aid Kit Supplies for Field Trips.................................................................

4.24 First Aid General Principles…....................................................................................4.24.1If an Injury Occurs............................................................................................

5 General Procedures & Policies...........................................................................................5.1 Anti-Racism & Diversity.............................................................................................5.2 Child Abuse & Neglect...............................................................................................5.3 The Child & Family Services Act (Section 72)...........................................................

5.3.1 Duty to Report..................................................................................................5.3.2 Failure to Report..............................................................................................5.3.3 Confidentiality..................................................................................................5.3.4 Protection from Liability....................................................................................5.3.5 Reporting Procedures......................................................................................5.3.6 Making a Report of Suspected Child Abuse....................................................5.3.7 Discussing the Situation with a Parent/Caregiver............................................5.3.8 Documentation.................................................................................................5.3.9 What to Report to a Children's Aid Society?....................................................5.3.10If a Staff, Student or Volunteer is Suspected of Child Abuse...........................5.3.11When the Children's Aid Society/Police Conduct an Investigation...................5.3.12Confidentiality & Disclosure of Information......................................................5.3.13Students on Placement....................................................................................5.3.14Policy Implementation......................................................................................

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5.3.15Policy Review..................................................................................................5.4 Evacuation Plan.........................................................................................................5.5 Field Trips..................................................................................................................5.6 Parent Issues and Concerns Policy & Procedures....................................................

5.6.1 Purpose...........................................................................................................5.6.2 Definitions........................................................................................................5.6.3 General............................................................................................................5.6.4 Confidentiality..................................................................................................5.6.5 Conduct...........................................................................................................5.6.6 Concerns about the Suspected Abuse or Neglect of a child............................5.6.7 Procedures......................................................................................................5.6.8 Inclusion...........................................................................................................5.6.9 Documentation.................................................................................................5.6.10Parental Notification.........................................................................................5.6.11Development of a Long-Term Behaviour Management Plan...........................5.6.12Assessment of Results....................................................................................5.6.13Re-Entry Meeting.............................................................................................

5.7 Income Tax Statements.............................................................................................5.8 Insurance Coverage...................................................................................................5.9 Protection of Confidential Information: Privacy Policy................................................

5.9.1 Defining Personal Information..........................................................................5.9.2 Privacy Practices.............................................................................................5.9.3 Updating of Privacy Policy...............................................................................

5.10 Emergency Closures / Storm Policy..........................................................................5.11 Students as Volunteers..............................................................................................5.12 Parents as Volunteers................................................................................................5.13 Valuing Diversity........................................................................................................5.14 Vulnerable Sector Screen Program – Police Reference Check.................................

5.14.1Purpose...........................................................................................................5.14.2Positions Affected............................................................................................5.14.3Positions Exempt.............................................................................................5.14.4Procedures......................................................................................................5.14.5Vulnerable Sector Checks for other Persons at Child Care Centre.................5.14.6Procedure for a Positive Criminal Reference Check........................................5.14.7Documentation.................................................................................................

5.15 Provincial License & Other Inspections.....................................................................5.16 King City Co-Op Nursery School Bylaws...................................................................

6 School Organization & Co-Operative Commitment............................................................6.1 Governance...............................................................................................................6.2 Parents Co-Operative Pre-School Corporation (PCPC)............................................

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6.3 Annual General Meetings (AGM)...............................................................................6.4 Board of Directors......................................................................................................6.5 Committees................................................................................................................6.6 Election Policy & Procedures.....................................................................................6.7 Orientation.................................................................................................................

7 Description of Volunteer Positions......................................................................................7.1 Board of Directors......................................................................................................

7.1.1 President..........................................................................................................7.1.2 Vice President / HR Committee Chair..............................................................7.1.3 Treasurer.........................................................................................................7.1.4 Secretary.........................................................................................................7.1.5 Registrar..........................................................................................................7.1.6 Fundraiser Committee Director........................................................................7.1.7 Marketing / Communication Committee Director.............................................7.1.8 Website Administrator......................................................................................

7.2 Parent Duty Role Descriptions...................................................................................7.2.1 Excursion Organizer (EO)................................................................................7.2.2 Fridge Cleaner.................................................................................................7.2.3 Laundry Person...............................................................................................7.2.4 Phone & Email Communicator.........................................................................7.2.5 Play Dough Maker...........................................................................................7.2.6 Sand Table Provider........................................................................................7.2.7 Supplier of Supplies.........................................................................................7.2.8 Teacher Helper................................................................................................7.2.9 Toy Washer.....................................................................................................7.2.10Other................................................................................................................

8 Conclusion..........................................................................................................................8.1 Amendments..............................................................................................................

9 Forms.................................................................................................................................9.1 Application for Childcare Services.............................................................................9.2 Application for Childcare Services.............................................................................9.3 Parent Volunteer Participant Waiver..........................................................................9.4 Medical Consent Form...............................................................................................

9.4.1 Board of Directors Nomination Form...............................................................9.5 Parent Contract..........................................................................................................

9.5.1 Agreement.......................................................................................................9.6 Release and Indemnity Agreement Form..................................................................9.7 Offence Declaration Form..........................................................................................

10 KCNS Program Statement.................................................................................................10.1 How Does Learning Happen?....................................................................................

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10.2 Think, Feel & Act Lessons.........................................................................................10.3 King City Co-Op Nursery School is a….....................................................................10.4 Early Learning for Every Child Today (ELECT).........................................................10.5 Documentation & Reviewing......................................................................................10.6 Program Assessment & Reflective Practices.............................................................

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1 Introduction1.1 WelcomeWelcome to King City Co-Operative Nursery School!

King City Co-Op Nursery School (KCNS) is a co-operative/not-for-profit nursery school located in King City and was established in 1964, by a group of concerned parents who recognized the need for a special place for their children to learn and play with other children.

We are happy that you and your family will be a part of our school! Our co-operative nursery school takes a great deal of planning and dedication by its staff, Executive board members and parents. It is hard work that creates an enriched, joyful learning environment for our children.

We are committed to providing a safe and stimulating environment where each child can strive socially, physically, emotionally and intellectually. The KCNS program is designed to meet the needs of each child in an atmosphere which fosters co-operation, responsibility and order.

First, and most importantly, our school is run as a co-operative school – one where families and teachers work together to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for the children. We stress the word “co-operative” it is vital for the successful operation of the school. For our school to function properly and equitably please read this handbook thoroughly to understand your responsibilities, which include:

• Attending and participating in fundraisers• Attending all general meetings• Volunteering for a committee or Executive Board position and• Taking part in school activities such as Year-end clean up and maintenance, social events and

volunteering for snack and field trips

We encourage you to contribute your ideas and talents to the school program.

Those parents committed, sign the co-operative contract. The children are not the only ones who benefit from the high degree of your involvement. Hopefully you will get the opportunity to meet and work with other families in our community, make new friends, and participate in your child’s first school experience.

We look forward to working together with you this year to provide a stimulating and joyful environment for our children.

1.2 What is a Co-Operative Nursery School?Co-operative nursery school presents a unique opportunity for a mutual learning experience- teacher, parents and child, learn together. The school is governed and run by the parents of the children attending the school.

What is a good nursery school experience? Nursery school is not intended to push a child ahead in his school experience but rather:

• To give him/her social experience with others his age.• To help him/her relate to and trust adults outside his own family• To allow motor skills developmentally appropriate to his/her stage of physical & emotional

development.

Why a Co-Operative School?

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The child takes his/her first steps into a larger group assured by his parents’ interest and support. He sees the teacher, his parents and other parents working together harmoniously. He has a good preschool program enriched by the personal skills and material resources of all the families at the school. A situation is provided involving child/teacher, child/peer, and child/parent relationship in a meaningful way.

A co-operative nursery school encourages the full development of the two-to-four year old child. It provides a structured environment where the parent actively participates in fulfilling the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive needs of the pre-kindergarten child.

It is only through a clear understanding of the parent co-operatives that together we will be able to provide a rich learning environment for our children.

1.3 KCNS PhilosophyAt KCNS we believe in a play-based philosophy. Children are full of natural curiosity and they explore this curiosity through play and when children are playing, it is the perfect time to learn.

Play teaches children how to problem solve, how to make friends, how to express themselves, how to enjoy the world around them, and how to recognize letters, colours, shapes and numbers. All of these skills form the foundation of a love of learning and it is our goal at KCNS to promote this love of learning in a safe, warm and loving environment.

While the children are playing, the teacher actively provides guidance for a child if he/she needs help or asks them questions in order to challenge the child in their play and enhance his or her learning. It is up to the teacher to provide the tools and set the environment in which they play that is rich in materials and potential experiences where the child can continue to explore, investigate and ask questions. Play activities take up a major part of a child's waking hours and so we build on this element to promote whole-child development. Although the children may seem to be "merely" playing, they are, in fact, learning many of the skills needed to help them grow towards kindergarten readiness. These include: hand-eye coordination, awareness of shapes, creativity, patience, perseverance, balance, symmetry, listening skills, imagination, sharing and cooperation, and most importantly, developing their self-confidence, and self-awareness. So, whether it is through role play in the dramatic centre, or playing with blocks or mixing paint colours, a child will naturally develop fundamental cognitive and motor skills at his or her own pace, all the while feeling comfortable in his/her surroundings by having control of choosing what they want to play with and as a result, being much more motivated to learn while being relaxed and having fun.

Group participation and co-operative play is an important part of our program as it encourages self-confidence and helps children develop mutual respect and a sense of sharing and caring.

Our goal is to promote physical, social, emotional and cognitive growth by offering a wide range of stimulating activities in a nurturing, family friendly environment. We strive to foster a positive attitude towards learning and life.

1.4 Program DevelopmentKCNS Supervisors and Teachers are qualified Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECE) or has equivalent experience. Staff members are committed to on-going professional development and take part in varied professional activities including courses, workshops, networking meetings and visiting other childcare centres.

1.5 Staff Training & DevelopmentRegistered Early Childhood Educators pursue, on an ongoing basis the knowledge, skills and self-awareness needed to be professionally competent.

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Early childhood professional practice is based on an expanding body of literature and research. Continuing education is essential. In-service skills training and self-awareness work prepare child care practitioners to fulfil their responsibilities more effectively.

In following this principle, a child care practitioner:

• recognizes the need for continuous learning;• pursues professional development opportunities;• incorporates into practice current knowledge in the field of early childhood care and

education and related disciplines;• assesses personal and professional strengths and limitations and undertakes self-

improvement;• articulates a personal philosophy of practice and justifies practices on the basis of theoretical

perspectives; and• shares knowledge to support the development of the field.

Clause 46(3)(j) of Ontario Regulation 137/15 requires that licensees support staff in relation to continuous professional learning. Resources that are beneficial to look at are the Early Years Portal website, and The Ministry of Education’s “How Does Learning Happen?” provides many resources for professional learning for individuals.

KCNS is a quality early childhood program and is dependent on the knowledge and skills of the staff. Ongoing staff development ensures that staff continues to develop knowledge and skills that reflect current research and best practices in early childhood education.

KCNS supports Professional Development for their staff and has monies allocated on the budget for suggested courses. Staff are to contact the HR Chair with suggestions for Professional Development at which time the decisions will be made based on cost and time away from the job. If payment is to be made to staff it will be at the KCNS hourly rate of pay. The board will approve any workshops as needed.

KCNS will keep records of staff development participation in each staff person’s personnel file. Workshops, conferences and other staff development opportunities are always available.

The College of Early Childhood Educators framework for Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) is another resource available to licensees and RECEs. The CPL program is designed to help RECEs reflect on, plan for and document their professional learning in a meaningful way. CPL will become mandatory for registered early childhood educators in September 2016 as prescribed in Ontario Regulation 359/15: Continuous Professional Learning.

Staff must always have up to date First Aid, read the Policy Manual on a yearly basis and discuss what opportunities there for engaging in individual reflection about pedagogy and daily practice; for discussion and collaborative inquiry among staff teams and with others in the community.

Staff training and development policy must be reviewed with staff, volunteers and students, implemented and monitored for compliance and contraventions in accordance with subsection 6.1. See Manual Subsection 1.2 for these requirements.

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1.6 Centre ManagementKCNS is a community-based, co-operative/not-for-profit school run by an elected volunteer Board of Directors. The Board of Directors consists of parent-volunteers and meets once each month during the school year. The Board of Directors may delegate the day to day management of the school to an appointed manager/Supervisor. The Supervisor may be asked to attend these meetings from time to time. This process allows the Board members and the Supervisor to monitor whether the objectives of the program are being achieved, resolve any matters of concern and make changes to the program, where appropriate. All families are encouraged and welcome to participate in Board meetings.

Board members serve one-year terms. Parents and community members are eligible to stand for positions on the Board. Only parents in good standing with the nursery school will be active on the Board. Board members are elected at an Annual General Meeting. Current Board members and parents MUST attend. (Childcare Staff may be requested to attend by the Current Board members).

• Family Etiquette

Parents/guardians and caregivers are vital to the successful operation of the school. We ask that you read all materials given and share important information with those who are involved with your children and their daily routines at school (i.e. nannies, grandparents). Parents/guardians are requested to:

• Return any forms by the date requested• Treat the staff with respect• Discuss any concerns privately with the Supervisor or staff, or if necessary, the Board of

Directors• Make appointments at a mutually convenient time for themselves and the School• Actively participate on the Board of Directors or as a Committee member• Sign a contract acknowledging they understand their responsibilities to the School staff

1.7 Parent/Guardian Involvement KCNS is committed to effective communication with families. To this end, we encourage parents to:

• Actively communicate with the staff, at any time, about their child to build a positive relationship

• Take a few minutes at the beginning of the day to let the staff know about any event that could affect their child’s day

• Bring in supplies (e.g., yarn, gift wrap rolls) for creative activities • Share their talents or interests with the school • Participate in field trips • Read the weekly Program Plan posted on the Parent board. It explains the weekly program

activities.

1.8 Volunteer and StudentsKCNS is committed to providing a high quality, safe and secure environment for all children enrolled in our programs. The safety and well-being of children who are being supervised on our premises is one of KCNS highest priorities.

1.8.1 PurposeEffective September 6. 2011, all day nursery and private home day care agency operators will be required to develop and implement a policy for the supervision of volunteer and placement students in child care programs.

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Reg.262 under the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA) provides that every owner/operator shall ensure every child who is in attendance in a day nursery or in a private home day care location is supervised by an adult at all times.

KCNS has developed the following policy and programs in order to comply with the direction of the Ministry and Regulation 262.

This policy sets the framework and the program which applies to all agency volunteers and placement students who have been approved or accepted by KCNS.

1.8.2 PolicyKCNS may have volunteers and/or Early Childhood Education students working within the organization along with staff throughout the year. At all times, volunteers and placement students must be under the direction and supervision of KCNS staff.

No child or children will be supervised by a person who is less than 18 years of age.

No child or children will be supervised by someone who is not an employee of KCNS.

Only KCNS employees will have direct unsupervised access to children.

OR

Co-operative Nursery Schools where Ministry Director Approval has been given; the policy will allow for two (2) participating parent to take place of an unqualified staff for the purposes of staff ratios.

No child or children will be supervised by any person less than 18 years of age.

No child will be supervised by someone who is not an agency approved participating parent of KCNS.

1.8.3 ProceduresAll staff are required to review the organization’s policies, procedures and practices regarding the supervision of volunteers, participating parents, and students at KCNS.

All staff will review their roles and responsibilities when directly supervising and working with volunteers, participating parents and/or placement students in their classrooms annually.

The Executive Director/Manager of the child care is responsible for ensuring that volunteers, participating parents, and students are provided an orientation to the organization, appropriately trained, and supervised.

Volunteers, participating parents, and students have a responsibility to contribute to their orientation by seeking information, asking questions and assistance as required.

All volunteers, participating parents, and placement students must agree to follow all KCNS policies and procedures.

All volunteers, participating parents, and placement students must agree to follow the directions and guidelines provided by KCNS staff and management.

In the case of a disagreement over the direction provided by a staff member the volunteer participant parent or placement student may address this issue in writing with the Assistant Director or Executive Director/Manager.

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1.8.4 Criminal Reference ChecksAll volunteers including participating parents having direct contact with children in the child care must have a satisfactory criminal check.

Students Placements – Students, prior to their placement in the child care must verify they have satisfactory criminal reference check.

1.8.5 Mandatory Orientation & TrainingPrior to starting in the classroom at KCNS, all volunteers, participating parents, and placements students will have a detailed orientation which will include:

• Coverage of the King City Nursery School philosophy• Child Care and Early Years Act requirements• Information regarding roles and responsibilities within the organization• Review of Code of Ethical Behavior (College of ECE Code of Ethics and Standards of

Practice)

prior to working with children in the classroom.

All volunteers, participating parents, and placement students are required to review and sign off on all policies and procedures prior to working with children for the first time and at least annually thereafter.

All volunteers, participating parents, and placement students will have ongoing training through impromptu daily meetings and scheduled monthly staff meetings.

All volunteers, participating parents, and placement students are required to read all applicable memos and organizational updates.

Volunteers, participating parents, and placement students will be made aware of all applicable policies and procedures in the organization including but not limited to:

• The Behavior Management Policy• Occupational Health and Safety• Emergency policies and procedures• Anaphylaxis Policy and Procedures• Workplace Violence and Harassment Policies• Serious Occurrences Policy• Client/Parent Policies• Confidentiality Policies• Volunteer or Placement Student Job description• Code of Conduct.

All accidents, injuries and hazards must be reported immediately to any staff member supervisor, or Executive Director. Incidents include violence, theft, threatening behavior, abuse, or any (potentially) unsafe situation.

1.8.6 Record RetentionAll records documenting that the volunteer, participating parent and/or placement student has reviewed and signed off on all applicable policies and procedures will be kept on file at the centre for two years.

Confidentiality – All volunteers, participating parents and placement students must sign a confidentiality agreement.

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All volunteers, participating parent, and placement students are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of all propriety or privileged information to which they are exposed while at KCNS, involving staff, clients, or other volunteers and students.

1.8.7 DisciplineAll volunteers, participating parents, and placement students who fail to adhere to KCNS policies and procedures may face disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.

King City Nursery School believes in fairness and openness and where volunteers, participating parents, and placement students can expect a commitment to resolving conflict and receiving supportive and constructive criticism. If disciplinary action is required, the organization follows the same steps as its staff practices:

• Performance Review• Verbal Warning• Written Warning• Suspension• Dismissal

1.9 Behaviour ManagementExpectations placed on a child are of an individual nature and appropriate for the child’s stage of development. Children develop confidence, curiosity and self-discipline through positive speech, direction and encouragement. Co-operative play is encouraged and the child’s development is aided by exposure to a variety of individual and group experiences.

When speaking with children

• Suggestions and directions should be in a positive form.• A choice is given only when the teacher intends to leave the choice up to the child.• The tone of voice is one to instill confidence in the child.• Shaming behaviour of “labeling” is not used.• Comparisons between children are avoided.• A child is directed towards areas of interest and never forced to participate in an activity.

The staff shall:

• Encourage the children to be creative in art and play and avoid making models for them to copy.

• Give a minimum of help so that the child has the maximum opportunity to grow in independence and self-confidence.

• Make suggestions effective by reinforcing when necessary.• Clearly define limits when they are necessary and be consistent.• Be alert to the total situation in the room and supervise appropriately.• Make play situations safe, and encourage the child to be aware of safe and unsafe situations.

KCNS believes that the behaviour management strategies selected must always respect children’s rights and enhance their self-esteem. All of our interventions are guided by the following principles:

• Respect for each other – children and adults• The need to maintain an atmosphere of trust and acceptance• Prevention through appropriate programming, and• Age appropriate expectations

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1.10 Prohibitive PracticesIn accordance with the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA) (Bill 45), the following list of Prohibitive practices (Section 48) is never permitted at King City Co-Op Nursery School:

• Corporal punishment of the child; • Physical restraint of the child, such as confining the child to a high chair, car seat, stroller or

other device for the purposes of discipline or in lieu of supervision, unless the physical restraint is for the purpose of preventing a child from hurting himself, herself or someone else, and is used only as a last resort and only until the risk of injury is no longer imminent;

• Locking the exits of the child care centre or home child care premises for the purpose of confining the child, or confining the child in an area or room without adult supervision, unless such confinement occurs during an emergency and is required as part of the licensee’s emergency management policies and procedures;

• Use of harsh or degrading measures or threats or use of derogatory language directed at or used in the presence of a child that would humiliate, shame or frighten the child or undermine his or her self-respect, dignity or self-worth;

• Depriving the child of basic needs including food, drink, shelter, sleep, toilet use, clothing or bedding; or

• Inflicting any bodily harm on children including making children eat or drink against their will.

We strive to support each child, manage their behaviour in the best manner possible, while ensuring that health and safety considerations are met. The School provides care to all children who come to us with varying needs. Incidents, however rare, may occur as a result of these different needs. Physical restraint is only used in situations where a child is in imminent danger of compromising safety to themselves or other children in the program.

If any staff member/Parent Volunteer at King City Co-Op Nursery School uses any physical guidance, the following steps will be taken:

• There will always be two staff members present in the same room as the child, one staff using the physical guidance and the second staff as an observer and relief

• The Supervisor will meet with the child’s parents/guardian and staff members and discuss the incident and determine strategies which will be utilized should the child encounter a similar situation; parents/guardian will sign off on both the incident report and the strategies

• The Supervisor will contact the Children’s Services Serious Occurrence line to report the incident

• The Supervisor and staff will keep the parent up-to-date on the child’s progress• If the child continues to experience challenging behaviour, then the School should call in a

specialized consultation service and with the consultant, family and staff devise specific strategies and interventions, including a regular communication plan with the parents to review the child’s progress, which will assist in making the child’s placement a successful one

Staff, parents and volunteers are expected to comply with the program’s stated policies and procedures and are required to act according to the behaviour policy. Failure to comply could result in a verbal warning initially. Repeat offenses will receive a written warning and finally dismissal. The executive and staff will be informed of every contravention of behaviour management practices.

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The primary objective of our school is to provide an opportunity for your child to socialize with other children – a first step in preparing the child for primary school. Early on there will likely be minor incidents of hitting, grabbing and potentially biting. If, in the opinion of the staff and Board of Directors, a child’s behaviour is beyond the resources of the school to correct inappropriate behaviour, the parents will receive a verbal warning, and then a written letter asking them to withdraw their child from the school. A refund will be provided for the full months not attended.

1.11 Individualized support Plans & Inclusive programmingEvery child with special needs who receives individualized support plans from an outside agency or from our school will be supported to function and participate in a meaningful and purposeful manner while the child is in the care of King City Nursery School.

For each child with special needs, there is an up-to-date individualized support plan that describes:

• How the child care centre will support the child to function and participate while in the care of the centre; and

• Any supports or aids, or adaptations or other modifications to the physical, social and learning environment that are necessary to achieve being part of the school.

• There will also be instructions relating to the use of the supports or aids that the child needs to be adapted within the environment.

Individuals who have participated in the development of the Individualized Support plans are listed in the document or have signed it. This includes a parent of a child with special needs.

The program reflects the individualized support plans of each child with special needs and all children are observed to have the opportunity to participate in the program.

The Individualized support plan will be reviewed annually to ensure they are current.

Individualized support plans will be reviewed with employees, students and volunteers before they begin their employment, educational placement or volunteering; and annually thereafter and any other time when changes are made.

The Individualized program plan will be recorded with the date of each review conducted.

This policy emphasizes the “How Does Learning Happen” Document which states that every child is competent and capable. Every child is different and every child has their own individual needs that will be met in our program.

1.12 Individualized Plan for Children with Special NeedsAt King City Nursery School, any child with medical needs must have an individualized plan in place.

The individualized plan shall be developed in consultation with a parent of the child and with any regulated health professional who is involved in the child’s health care and who, in the parent’s opinion, should be included in the consultation.

A child with medical needs is defined as a child who has one or more chronic or acute medical conditions and he or she requires additional supports or accommodations. For example, a child with diabetes may require that a staff check the child’s blood sugar levels with a glucose monitor several times a day.

The plan shall include,

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a) Steps to be followed to reduce the risk of the child being exposed to any causative agents or situations that may exacerbate a medical condition or cause an allergic reaction or other medical emergency;

b) A description of any medical devices used by the child and any instructions related to its use;

c) A description of the procedures to be followed in the event of an allergic reaction or other medical emergency;

d) A description of the supports that will be made available to the child in the child care centre or premises where the licensee oversees the provision of home child care or in-home services; and

e) Any additional procedures to be followed when a child with a medical condition is part of an evacuation or participating in an off-site field trip.

The review of each individualized plan (by employees, students and volunteers) supports the child(ren)’s ability to participate in the child care program, and provides staff with all necessary information to deal with any medical situation pertaining to the child.

An individualized medical plan must be developed in consultation with the parent of the child and any regulated professional involved in the child’s care who the parent believes should be consulted.

Licensees are required to maintain the confidentiality of a child’s medical history including diagnosis. Sensitive or confidential medical information and detailed reports from medical professionals should not be included in the plan unless consent, in writing, has been given by the parent.

Where a child has an anaphylaxis allergy, licensees are only required to develop an individualized plan as outlined in section 39. An individual medical plan is not required.

The individualized plans must be reviewed with staff, volunteers and students, and implemented and monitored for compliance and contraventions in accordance with subsection 6.1. See Manual Subsection 1.2 for these requirements.

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2 Program Overview & Registration2.1 Admission Requirements & Regulations

• Current King City Co-operative Nursery School (KCNS) is licensed to enroll children from the ages of 2 to 4 years of age, up to a maximum of 24 children per day under the supervision ratio of two teachers and two registered early childhood educators or two participating parents, is governed by the school's Day Nursery License.

• Enrolments are taken on a first- come, first-serve basis. Current KCNS executive members are given the first opportunity to enroll their children for the upcoming year. Families returning to the school are entitled to register their children prior to alumni, and then registration is open to the public and is on a first come basis.

• There is limited enrolment for children between the ages of 2 – 2.5 years of age. (Note: We are restricted to three children per day). Children in diapers are welcome.

• At a co-operative nursery school parent participation is required. Subject to the approval of the executive committee and teachers/supervisor, exceptions may be allowed whereby grandparents, etc., might serve as your substitute.

• Children will be eligible for enrolment all year long, at the discretion of the executive committee and teachers/supervisor.

• Medical forms must be submitted upon registration. • Applications for admission made after December 31 will require an observation by the

teachers/supervisor. The final acceptance of your child shall be at the discretion of the teachers/supervisor, based on the child's ability to adjust to the school's program, as per the Parent- School Agreement.

• Space is limited and in order to secure your child’s spot at our school, we require first month’s (September’s tuition) according to the fees schedule plus a small registration fee of $50 for new comers and a $20 registration fee for those students/families returning (based on consecutive year), to be submitted upon registration.

** It is important to understand that, according to our license, a child cannot start at KCNS until all forms and tuition/registration fees have been received and processed. Families will be contacted if there are forms outstanding prior to the start of school. **

All of the following forms must be returned by August 31:

• Registration Form • Parent Consent Forms • Protection of Confidential Information Form • Acceptance of Parent-School Agreement and Behaviour Management Form • Child's Medical Information Form(s) • Emergency Telephone Numbers • Child’s Immunization: York Region Form with 2 copies of child’s Immunization record • Emergency Card• Membership fees made up of ten (10) post-dated cheques payable to King City Co-Operative

Nursery School, dated the 1st of each month, from September 1st to June 1st inclusive.• Parents must attend Orientation Night.

NOTE: If all registration forms are not completed and received by the Registrar by August 31st, you may lose your spot in the school. YOUR CHILD CANNOT START SCHOOL UNTIL ALL REGISTRATION FORMS, IMMUNIZATION RECORDS AND FEES ARE RECEIVED AND COMPLETED IN FULL, PROVIDING A SPOT IS STILL AVAILBLE

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2.2 Enrolment OptionsKCNS offers programs that are designed with the age and abilities, as well as the needs of the individual child in mind. We offer the following programs to our families:

• Red Kangaroos: Ages 2 – 3, /Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday• Blue Bears: Ages 3 – 4, Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday

2.3 Class Size Red Kangaroos: The Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA) (Bill 45) regulates the acceptable ratio of adults to preschool children. This allows the School a 8:1 ratio of children to teacher, and a 2:1 ratio of teacher to family member.

Pre-School/Blue Bears: The CCEYA regulates the acceptable ratio of adults to preschool children. This allows the School an 8:1 ratio of children to teacher, and a 2:1 ratio of teacher to family member,

2.4 Tuition, Fee Schedule & Collection of Payment King City Co-Op Nursery School (KCNS) is a co-operative/non-profit School so childcare fees are based on the actual cost of operation. These costs are reviewed annually and fees are set accordingly.

Fees are due on a monthly basis. 10 post-dated cheques dated for the first of the month are to be submitted and payable to KCNS before the school start date; September 1st to June 1st inclusive. If payment is not received within 2 weeks after enrolment, the Executive Board members have the authority to terminate the enrolment of the child.

A non-refundable fee is to be paid with each application form submitted ($50.00 for new students/family and $20.00 for returning families). This application fee typically applies to the school year for which the application is made. The Registrar will notify the families in writing of their acceptance. To secure a space, a $50.00 deposit and post-dated cheques for the remaining school tuition are required. Space will not be held if the post-dated cheques are not submitted with the deposit. All fees and cheques must be received by the due date specified by the Registrar, or upon enrolment for late registrations.

If one cheque is returned (N.S.F) parents will be charged $40 to cover the NSF charges and fees will be requested in cash, certified cheques or money order. Any outstanding fees will be charged 1% every fifteen (15) days after the due date. Those with delinquent accounts of thirty days may be asked to remove their child from the program. The tuition fees may be paid in full for the school year in September.

As our operational costs do not change, fees will not be refunded nor pro-rated should your child be absent for any reason (including illness, vacations or for statutory holidays.) Extended vacations do not necessitate a tuition reduction or refund, should you wish to withdraw and re-enroll (space permitting) during the school year, the $50 or $20 registration fee will be charged.

The fee schedule per child for the 2016-2017 year is as follows:

• Three (3) mornings — $335.00/month

2.4.1 DiscountsA 10% discount is offered when a second sibling is registered. This discount is applied against the lower tuition fee for each additional sibling, excluding the Registration Fee. Registration fee is on per family basis.

New families:

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• Completed registration package• $50 registration fee (non-refundable). This will reserve your child’s place in the program.• All monthly tuition fees are due at the time of registration, no later than August 31st • Ten post-dated cheques dated September1, 2016 through to June 1, 2017 inclusive are to be

submitted and will be deposited on the first of each month. • Families joining mid-year will be required to pay the registration fee and all remaining month

tuition fees before the first day of attendance.

Returning families:

• Completed registration package• $20 registration fee (non-refundable). This will reserve your child’s place in the program.• All monthly tuition fees are due at the time of registration, no later than August 31st • Ten post-dated cheques dated September1, 2016 through to June 1, 2017inclusive are to be

submitted and will be deposited on the first of each month.

2.5 Registration FormsA complete registration package is available on the website at http://kcns.pcpcontario.org/page5.html. Follow the Registration link on the navigation panel.

All registration forms must be completed in full and all fees must be submitted at the time of registration to guarantee your spot. According to our license, a child cannot start school until all forms have been received and processed. Families will be contacted if there are forms outstanding prior to the start of school.

2.6 Late Pick Up Fees KCNS is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until 1:00 pm. In consideration of the staff’s time, a late pick up fee will be levied for those picking up their child(ren) after 11:45 a.m. / 1:00 p.m. according to the program time their child(ren) is registered for. The fee is payable directly to the staff and is $10.00 for the first 5 minutes late and $1.00 per minute thereafter. Parents are responsible for informing family members and friends of the late fee charge that is in effect regardless of last minute pickup arrangements. The late fee is not charged during snow storms.

A written record will be kept of the late pick up and must be signed by both the family and the staff member. The late fee must be paid within 24 hours. The School clock will be considered to be the correct time. We thank you in advance for your consideration and punctuality.

NOTE: KCNS is required to call the Children’s Aid Society and/or Police if a child has not been picked up by 3:00 pm.

2.7 Withdrawal From the Program & RefundsParents must give a minimum of 1 month’s written notice prior to withdrawing their child from King City Co-Op Nursery School (KCNS). Parents are responsible for payment of fees during this 1-month period, regardless of whether or not their child continues to attend the school. There are no refunds for the month of June. No refunds or reductions in fees are given for absence of a student due to illness or extenuating circumstances, unless authorized by the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors reserves the right to suspend or withdraw services if the rules of KCNS are not followed or if the behaviour of the child or the family interferes with the School’s programs and hours.

When problems are observed, the following steps will ensue:

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http://kcns.pcpcontario.org/page5.html


• Minor infractions of the rules or behavioural problems will result in a verbal warning from the Supervisor and/or the staff and clarification of the School’s policies; all verbal warnings will be documented and placed in the child’s file

• A report of the behaviour or a serious incident will result in the Board of Directors being notified while ensuring the confidentiality of the family, as well, a written warning will be sent to the family

• The family and/or the Board of Directors may request a meeting to follow up on the written warning

• In the case of a serious incident, a plan that is mutually agreeable to the School and the family may be required before the child is re-admitted to the School.

• three written warnings within a 6-month period will result in withdrawal of services by the School.

• In the case of serious incidents, the Board of Directors reserves the right to withdraw services; if there are further violations of the School’s policies during this period, the child will be withdrawn immediately

• The Supervisor or the Board of Directors will follow up with the Children’s Services consultant, as required

2.8 School Term & Hours of Operation School begins the 2nd week of September and will continue to the 2nd or 3rd week of June. Actual dates vary from year to year, dependent on the calendar and are chosen at the discretion of the Executive Committee and the Teachers/Supervisor.

KCNS offers a three (3) mornings per week program, however will ONLY operate on the days on which majority of children are enrolled.

The daily program runs from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Regular school holidays will be observed including York Region P.A. days which include:

• New Year’s Day• Family Day• March Break• Victoria Day• Canada Day• Civic Holiday• Good Friday• Easter Monday• Christmas Day• Boxing Day

Should it be necessary to close on any other day (for example: due to a loss of power, loss of water, flood, fire or any other unforeseen circumstance), families will be notified as soon as possible. If you are uncertain whether or not the school will be operating, please contact the Email/Phone Duty Parent.

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2.9 Wait ListApplications over and above this number shall be placed on a waiting list and shall be considered in the order received. The registrar will contact these families when a spot becomes available. Fees and or deposits are not charged for the placement of the Child’s name on the waiting list. The waiting list will be made available in a manner that maintains the privacy and confidentiality of the children listed on it, but allows the position of a child on the list to be ascertained by the affected persons or families.

2.10 Parent Participation & Co-Op Family Responsibilities The co-operative aspect of our school is stressed in everything we do. Without the parents, the school would not exist. Therefore, as an active member of this co-op, you have commitments to keep.

• Participating families will be expected to serve on one committee throughout the entire school year. Families with two children in the school will have to serve on two committees.

• Your attendance at general meetings (which deal with school operations) is mandatory. • Attendance on Orientation night, AGM & Election night (October)• Your support of all school fundraising endeavors is essential. • By being an active, fully participating member of King City Co-Operative Nursery School,

both you and your child will reap the benefits of this unique and valuable experience.

Each family that joins King City Co-op Nursery School joins with the full understanding that all commitments under the school membership agreement will be fulfilled. If for any reason, other than significant illness or emergencies, the family cannot fulfill their responsibilities, the school will adopt the following procedure:

• The Board of Directors will notify the family by formal letter and a fee may be levied. • The family will sign and return the letter to the Board of Directors to be kept on file. • In view of a second occurrence, the Board reserves the right to withdraw the family from the

school without further consultation and/or notice.

NOTE: a child is still considered to be enrolled in the school while 30-day advance written notice is in effect. This extra month gives the school an opportunity to rearrange duties and reassign responsibilities in a fair manner. Parents will be responsible for all schools' duties/responsibilities while 30-day written notice is in effect.

2.11 Fundraising The King City Co-Op Nursery School is a non-profit school. We seek to provide the children of our community an enriched learning environment. We strive to keep our fees low to keep our school accessible to all. Our enrolment fees do not cover all the school’s operating costs and so we need to fundraise. To cover this operating deficit we raise approximately $10,000 minimum per year and is divided by number of families enrolled. We hold fundraisers throughout the year- usually selling cookie dough, perennials or other items, hosting Halloween, Christmas and other parties as well as. These fundraisers are hard work- particularly for those coordinating the events. Fundraising activities are an opportunity for you as a parent to become involved and a chance for your neighbours and friends to contribute to our community-based school. The school requires that all parents participate in the Fundraisers to maintain our low tuition fees.

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3 Daily Routines, Policies & Procedures 3.1 First Days at SchoolFor many children, nursery school will be the first time that they will be left without their parents/caregivers in a new and unfamiliar environment. Subsequently, we suggest you make yourself (or another trusted adult) available to stay with your child for a couple of days, if necessary, at the start of the school year. This gives your child the opportunity to explore their new surroundings and get to know the teacher, while having a loved one close at hand for safety and comfort. Some more tips:

• Give your child the experience of being separated from you (i.e., baby-sitter). If you have other children, it is easy to forget that they become dependent on each other and when left among strangers your child may feel lost.

• Try and acquaint yourself with someone who lives nearby who will be going to the nursery school at the same time and have them over.

• Talk about the school. Tell him what he can expect to find when he goes there, what he can do, who will be there and your responsibilities to the school.

• You must be sure of your own feelings. Your child will pick up attitudes of apprehension, fear, or a desire to keep him with you a little longer.

• Check the public library for books on starting school (e.g. The Berenstain Bears Go to School).

Never leave your child without saying goodbye. When it is time to go, explain that you are leaving and will be back soon to pick them up. Your child may cry and want you to stay. The staff understands how hard it is to leave a crying child, but they will recommend you leave anyway. The teacher is there to comfort your child while you are gone. Gradually, the separation time will increase and your child will begin to feel secure in this new setting, understanding that you will always come back at the end of the day. If your child is experiencing separation difficulties, plan to arrive at the school 10 to 20 minutes before the dismissal time.

Please discuss any concerns with your child’s teacher. To make the adjustment easier, there is staggered enrolment. New children begin school on different days, two or three at a time. This enables both the teacher and your child to get to know each other in a more relaxed setting. Your teacher will advise you of your child's starting date before school begins.

Tips for Letting Go

• Let your child linger near you• Allow time for your child to show interest in an activity; let them know when you leave • Remember that watching is a form of participation• Remember that each child has their own individual reaction to other children and adults• Let children be themselves

What to prepare for your fist day…

• Extra pants, underwear, socks, sweaters/sweatshirt• Indoor Shoes to be kept at the school • Suitable outdoor winter clothing, such as boots, hat, two pairs of mittens/gloves, scarf, snow

pants, jackets or snowsuit• Suitable outdoor summer clothing, such as comfortable footwear, hat, light jacket or sweater • Wide brimmed hat and sunscreen are recommended during summer months• Rubber boots are recommended for Spring• Diapers and wipes

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• Please make sure to label everything!

3.2 School Parking When you drop off and/or pick up your child, please think safely and obey the traffic laws. There are several designated parking spots for KCNS by the overflow parking lot for the King City United Church. Limited parking spots are available in the front. We ask you to have consideration for our long-time Landlords of the King City United Church and please DO NOT park in the following two designated parking spots assigned to:

• The Reverend • The Organist

Please do not double park or leave your car running during drop off and/or pick up times.

3.3 In & Out Procedures “Coming & Going from School” Daily Arrival: Classes get underway promptly at 9 am. Children can arrive at the school at 8:50 am to get ready for the school day by hanging up their coats and putting on their indoor shoes, however they must arrive in the classroom by an adult who must not leave them there before 9:00 am or until the teacher and classroom are ready.

Daily Departure: The children are ready for pick up at 1:00 pm. Family members are required to come into the School to pick up their child(ren). It is our expectation that children will be picked up on time. Please tell your teacher if your child will be leaving class before the end of the day.

Many families have arrangements with other family members, neighbours or other parents whose children attend KCNS in the case that they are unavoidably delayed. The School cannot release your child(ren) to an unauthorized person. Please notify the School in advance when someone else is picking up your child(ren), and this person will be required to provide identification, even those individuals’ noted as “authorized” on your child’s registration form.

Note: Please check your child(ren)’s artwork before leaving the School to ensure that it is their work and not another child’s.

3.4 Security Control System Your child’s safety in our school is our number one priority. Doors will be locked and remain locked from 9:15 am to 12:45 pm. Please notify staff if you are going to be late for morning routine (after 9:15 am) or early picking up your child (before 12:45 pm)

In keeping with the Ministry of Education, all teaching staff, student teachers and volunteers (including parents) must undergo a Police Record Check and have their medical completed. All employees are expected to have their current 16-hour Standard First Aid & Infant/Child CPR certification training in place.

All children are supervised at all times. Anytime they need to leave their classroom, including washroom visits, an adult accompanies them.

3.5 Absences, Sick Days, VacationIf your child will be late or absent from school, please call the school number 905-833-0378 before 8:30 am and leave a message for the child’s teacher. This will facilitate planning for the program.

If your child is not coming in because of illness, it is important when you contact the School to notify the Supervisor about the sort of illness that your child has contracted. This will help the staff to identify symptoms in other children with whom your child has come into contact.

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If a child misses a day due to illness or is away on vacation, the day unfortunately cannot be made up, nor will the fees be refunded. KCNS does not give credit for absence due to illness or vacation. If a family would like an additional day of service, arrangements must be made in advance and payment made on the day the service is rendered.

Arrangements to make up missed days are not permitted.

Our teachers are in attendance every day the school is open, regardless if the children are in attendance.

3.6 Change of Address / Phone Number / Employment It is imperative that KCNS be notified immediately of any change in the family home address, the parent’s place of employment, or the telephone numbers at home and/or work. It is also necessary to maintain the KCNS emergency telephone numbers for each parent or family member.

3.7 CommunicationAlways check for important notices, updates and events for the School on the Parent board located on the main exit door of the school, or by email.

3.8 Parent Teacher InterviewsThe school’s teachers are a great resource for information and suggestions. The Teachers are always willing to discuss any problems of adjustments with you and they provide a program that will stimulate and develop your child. If you should wish to discuss your child(ren)’s progress or development you may arrange an interview with his/her Teacher. The best way to do this is to email your child’s teacher and set up a meeting at a mutually agreed time.

If an issue or concern arises, please discuss your concern with the child’s teacher as soon as possible so that events are current and an accurate explanation can be given and issues may be resolved quickly. If you feel your concerns have not been addressed to your satisfaction, please discuss them with the Vice-President who fulfills the position of parent liaison.

3.9 Snack Responsibilities Providing snack is mandatory and we ask that, in the spirit of our co-operative, all parents sign up for bringing one or two snacks a month. We would like our children to have a variety of nutritious foods for snack time. Government regulations require that the snacks be store bought rather than homemade and snack must be prepared in the school kitchen. Please check the classroom numbers for the day you have volunteered to bring in snack. Due to Ministry Regulations, there is a premade snack list that is posted on the information board that the parents need to follow. Please inform staff if there are any changes in the snack that day so it can be recorded.

Any snack left over will be set aside for you to take home at the end of the school day. Please check all ingredient lists before serving foods- the allergy list is posted in the kitchen.

Don’t panic if you have forgotten to bring the snack on your day. There is an emergency supply at the school, which you will need to replace if you use it. Please remember, it is for emergency use only.

• Snack must be prepared before 9:45 a.m.• Set out a tray for the class. There should be enough plates, napkins, cups, and snack for the

class. Serving dishes and trays are found in the cupboard to the right of the sink.• Set up tables and chairs

Reminder: we are not allowed to bring homemade baking for snack. Snack should be nutritious and contain a variety of foods, ideally a combination of:

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• Carbohydrates• Proteins• Fruits• Veggies

When planning snacks, some foods may be prohibited as some children have life-threatening allergies. Extreme caution is used, and all teachers and families are made aware of all allergies that any of the children may have.

3.10 BirthdaysYour child’s birthday is special to all of us at KCNS and it will be celebrated with all the children at the school. We want to make this occasion unforgettable and so the staff will recognize your child’s birthday by singing Happy Birthday, and by putting his/her name on the monthly Birthday bulletin in the classroom.

You are welcome to bring in a one additional special treat at snack time that day.

This special treat must be store-bought and nut free as well as free of any other allergy item that we may have listed for the school year. Home-baked goods are not allowed to be shared for allergy and health reasons. We ask that you keep it simple, for example, Rice Krispy squares or special cookies are the preferred choices to offer. Please save items such as Birthday cakes, cupcakes or ice cream for celebrations at home.

Please do not bring balloons or hats. If you wish to provide loot bags, it is up to you, the parent to distribute them among all the students in the school

3.11 Toys Children are not permitted to bring toys from home to the School, unless asked to do so in order to participate in a particular activity. Toys may get lost or broken and often create feelings of jealousy between children.

3.12 Clothing Each child requires washable, practical comfortable play clothes. Outdoor clothing should be appropriate for the weather and easy enough for your child to manage independently. Two pairs of mittens are required during the winter.

For your child’s comfort and on your first day, please bring and keep at the school an extra set of play clothing- a shirt, underpants, socks and pants – and a pair of rubber-soled shoes for indoor play. Please see that each shoe is named. Shoes with Velcro closures are easy for even young children to put on independently. Please avoid indoor shoes that have laces. The extra clothes should be kept in the child’s bag or backpack on their hook at school. Indoor shoes will be left underneath the child’s hook. Children still in diapers must also have diapers, wet wipes in their bag.

Please name tag or mark with indelible pen all removable clothing. Please ensure the labels has your child’s name on it even if it is a “hand me down”. As they learn to recognize their name they will refuse to wear an article of clothing that has a different name on it other than their own, even if it’s hanging on their hook.

The school has a “Lost and Found” box in the front hall. Please check this if clothing goes missing. Please avoid bringing to school expensive or cherished clothing.

Dress your child in appropriate clothing so that they will feel free to participate fully in any and all activities (some may be quite messy). Staff members provide protective smocks whenever possible, but they cannot be held responsible for damaged clothing.

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Ensure that their clothing is such that it will be easy for them to go to the restroom on their own. Belts, buttons and zippers can be overwhelming for duty parents as well when there are 20 of them. Outdoor clothing should be adequate for prevailing weather. Two-piece snowsuits are preferable to one-piece snowsuits, as they are easier for the children to put on themselves. In warm weather, please make sure your child wears a wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen.

Remember – Easy clothing means independence!

3.13 Toilet Training & Diapering Parents of children in diapers are responsible for ensuring adequate supplies of wipes and diapers (clearly labeled with your child’s name) are at the school at all times.

Parents are encouraged to discuss their child’s toilet training with the staff so that a cooperative and consistent effort can be achieved. Children receive positive reinforcement for their successes in using the toilet; similarly, we are accepting when accidents occur. Learning to use the toilet takes time and it is also usual for a child to regress. Please send in ample changes of clothing throughout this time.

In order to permit morning programming to start on time, parents must check and change their child’s diaper if necessary upon arrival at the school. Children in training should be taken to the washroom by their parent/caregiver before the start of the program.

The diaper changing area and anything else that comes in contact with a child’s feces or urine will always be cleaned and disinfected with a bleach sanitizing solution after every diaper change. The diapering area is also located near a source of warm running water, and has a sink, within arm’s reach for convenient hand washing with soap. The changing area is separate from the food storage and preparation area.

With the use of disposable diapers, the basic steps in reducing the spread of illness are the same:

• Proper hand washing after diaper changing (written instructions regarding proper hand washing are posted at the diaper changing area, as this is the single most important method of preventing spread of illness)

• Sanitizing of diaper changing surface; after each use, a squirt bottle of sanitizing solution is used

• Proper diaper disposal and minimizing the handling of diaper wastes

Any diarrhea discovered when changing a diaper is evaluated to determine if the child should be isolated from the other children and/or sent home.

Storing soiled diapers:

• Soiled diapers are stored in containers separate from other waste• Fecal material and urine are not mixed with regular trash and garbage• Where possible, soiled disposable diapers are disposed as biological waste rather than in the

local landfill

Containers for soiled diapers:

• Washable, plastic-lined, tightly covered, hands-free operated receptacles with firmly fitting covers (e.g., Step cans) are used

Separate containers are used for:

• Disposable diapers• Soiled clothes and linens• Soiled clothing that are to be sent home with a parent, are individually bagged.

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3.14 Materials to SaveThroughout the year, many materials are required for artwork. Please, if you use these products at home, bring them to the nursery school:

- Yarn - Wrapping paper rolls- Baby food jars - Thread spools- Old cards - Pastas (all shapes) - Fabric remnants - Paper bags- Packing tape rolls - Wall paper leftovers

3.15 End of Year Clean Up In addition to the regular co-op duties, all families must participate in the end of the year clean up. Dates will be posted during the month of May and each family is required to sign up for a cleanup duty. To accommodate working parents, there will be an evening and a morning clean-up date offered. If you cannot make it on the date you signed up for, it is up to you to find another parent to switch with. Let the Teachers know of any changes so that they may record this on their end.

3.16 Fines FINEABLE ITEM FINE AMOUNTFailure to fulfill Committee responsibilities $50

Non-attendance at Orientation $15NSF Cheque (bank charge and repayment of cheque must be paid within 10 days) $40

Withdrawal from school Without 1 Month written notice One Month Tuition payment

Late pick up of a child One Warning will be issued

$10 for first 5 minutes late $1 per minute thereafter.

Non-attendance of a mandatory meeting $15

Failure to partake in End of Year Clean Up $50

All fines must be paid within thirty (30) days of the date the fine letter was issued or your child will not be permitted to return to school until payment is received. Every effort will be made to e-mail the fine letters within ten (10) business days, excluding weekends, statutory holidays and Christmas and March Break holidays.

3.17 Petitioning a FineIn the event a fine is issued that you disagree with, you may petition the fine in one of the following manners:

• You may petition your fine in person at the first monthly executive meeting after your fine is issued. If you choose to represent yourself in person, you must notify the President and Vice-President of this request and the reason(s) for the petition in writing.

• You would attend the executive meeting, state the grounds of your appeal and the executive would, later in the meeting, vote on your appeal.

• You may have the President or Vice-President petition your fine at the executive meeting that follows your fine being issued. The President or Vice-President will state your case on the grounds you feel your case is worthy. This will be done anonymously.

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After this petition takes place, the Executive will vote on your individual request, taking into account all aspects of the handbook and sections of fineable issues. A majority vote of the Executive will determine the outcome of your specific petition.

Either the President or Vice-President will notify you of the outcome of the vote. A fine is to be paid, ten (10) days after notification of petition outcome, or by the due date on the original fine letter, whichever is earliest. Failure to pay your fine will result in your child not being able to attend school until the fine is paid.

You are allowed to petition a fine one (1) time only. At the time of your petition all aspects of your fine must be brought up.

The majority vote of the executive will determine the outcome of your fine, and that decision is final.

If you do not notify the Vice-President before your thirty (30) days, or date the fine is to be paid on, your fine will be considered due. After this date, you may no longer petition that fine.

3.18 How to Play & Speak with Children It can be challenging to interact with a group of young children. However, with a little practice, and some helpful tips, it can be a lot of fun for everyone.

• Give Directions: make sure you have the child’s attention; get down to their level and have them look into your eyes; directions should be concise and specific, to avoid confusing the child

• Guide Behaviour: use a positive approach, e.g., commend desirable behaviour and disregard minor unacceptable behaviour; make positive statements and avoid saying, ‘no’ and ‘don’t’, instead try, ‘Chairs are for sitting on’ or ‘The playdough belongs on the table’; be alert to the children’s activities to avoid problems, e.g., redirect the child who is obviously going to knock down the blocks of another

• Encourage Independence: encourage the child to do as much as possible for themselves; however, do not insist on complete self-help if they are clearly tired at the end of the morning or afternoon or becoming increasingly frustrated; let children develop their own problem-solving skills; offer suggestions when they cannot do it alone; allow the child to choose their own activities; avoid interrupting any activity in which the child is absorbed; offer suggestions only if they seem to be wandering aimlessly

• Encourage Creativity: help the child discover their own sense of creativity rather than conforming to adult standards; refrain from participating in the arts and crafts program - a child cannot attain the level of skill of an adult and seeing a sample of an adult’s work may cause a child to feel inadequate (if a child asks you to draw something, try saying, ‘If I show you my way, it will be my horse, not yours’, or ‘You can think of so many things I can’t’; ask questions to clarify the child’s own ideas – ‘What are the important parts of a horse?’ ‘What colour do you want to make it?’ - if a child asks you what to make, direct their thinking in a general way - e.g., avoid ‘Paint a tree with apples’ and try, ‘Did you see anything interesting to you?’ or ‘Let’s see how many different things the brush can do’

• Stimulate Curiosity and Learning: when possible, ask leading questions to help the children discover answers for themselves - e.g., ‘What will happen if...’; encourage the children to become aware of their surroundings and explore the senses - touch, smell, hearing and sight; draw attention to the little details

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• Accept Each Child as an Individual: accept each child for what they are and what they can do rather than what you think they should be or should be able to do; avoid making comparisons between one child and another; help each child feel they have something to contribute to others; take the time to get to know and understand each child; show genuine interest in what they do

• Speaking with the Children: shaming behaviour such as labeling a child as selfish or naughty should not be used; it does not add to the child’s self-respect; children should be directed towards areas that interest them and should never be forced to participate in an activity that has little or no interest for them

3.18.1 Implementation & Review of Policies & Individual PlansAt King City Nursery School (KCNS) all staff, volunteers and students who will be interacting with children at the centre are required to review the policies and procedures and all individual plans at least annually to ensure they are current and thereafter and any time when changes are made.

At KCNS, the policies, procedures and individual plans are reviewed as follows:

• With employees, before they begin their employment• With volunteers or students who will be interacting with children at the nursery school or

before they begin their educational placement• With each person, at least annually after the first review and at any other time when changes

are made to a policy, procedure or individualized plan• KCNS is required to keep a record with the date of each reviews conducted of the policies,

procedures and individualized plans• This provision requires the licensee, employees, volunteers, and students review policies and

procedures that support the delivery of the program, so that they are more aware of their roles and responsibilities and are better equipped to provide for the health, safety, and well-being of children receiving care.

An ongoing tracking tool has been developed to demonstrate that all staff, volunteers and students have completed the required reviews of each policy, procedure and individualized plan and have signed and dated the reviews. Included in the record are:

• The policies, procedures and individualized plans are observed to be implemented at the nursery school. And/or staff verbally confirm that they follow the policies, procedures and individualized plans at the nursery school

• The date on the records have been reviewed before they began their employment and at least annually.

• The date on the records of review indicates that the policies, procedures and individualized plans have been reviewed by all volunteers and students before they began to volunteer or began their educational placemat.

• The date on the records of review indicates that the policies, procedures and individualized plans have been reviewed by all staff, volunteers and students annually thereafter.

• The date on the records of review indicates that the policies, procedures and individualized plans have been reviewed by all staff, volunteers and students whenever changes were made.

• There is a record kept with the date of each review conducted of the policies, procedures and individualized plans

• Each record is signed by the person who conducted and participated in the review.

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3.19 Compliance & Contraventions The staff, volunteers and Board of Directors are bound to follow and uphold the policies and procedures of KCNS outlined in this handbook. These have been designed to ensure a safe and productive environment that satisfies our licensing requirements and exemplifies the integrity of the school.

The Licensing Specialist from the Ministry Education reviews the School’s policies and procedures annually. In addition, policies like the Behaviour Management Policy are an integral part of the fabric of the School, its philosophy and the program. Accordingly, the Supervisor and President reassess all policies and procedures annually and present any proposed changes to the Board of Directors for discussion and approval. The Supervisor also reviews the School’s policies and procedures with new staff and volunteers to ensure they are understood and followed. Each year, the staff, volunteers and Board must read and formally sign-off on the policy and procedures, to acknowledge their full understanding and commitment to implement them. Also, adherence to these policies is part of the staff’s annual review.

Finally, the School is governed by a set of by-laws. The Board of Directors also reviews these annually. The membership votes on any proposed changes at the Annual General Meeting.

• Written Process for Monitoring compliance and Contraventions• KCNS will be monitoring compliances and contraventions on policies, procedures and

individualized plans on an ongoing basis. With employees, students and volunteers. • These policies include: Playground Safety Policy, Sanitary Practices Policy, Serious

Occurrence Policy, Supervision of Volunteers and Students Policy, Program Statement Implementation Policy, Staff and Development Policy, Criminal Reference Check/Vulnerable Sector Check Policy and Fire Safety/Evacuation Procedures and Children’s individualized plans.

• A tracking system with comments will be used to record compliances or contraventions. Addition evaluations are used to monitor the Program Statement.

The Supervisor and President monitor staff and volunteers’ compliance with the policies and procedures.

In the event of non-compliance with any of the policies and procedures, the Supervisor and President notify the contravening person. The procedures for responding to non-compliance are as follows:

3.19.1 Non-Compliance by an Adult Volunteer• The Supervisor and/or President provides a written or verbal warning advising the individual

either to comply with policies and procedures, or temporarily cease participation at the school; a replacement would have to be used at the possible expense of the participating family

• If compliance is still not possible, the Supervisor and President discuss the case with the Board of Directors

• The Board votes on whether the violating volunteer must permanently cease participation at the School until compliance with policies and procedures is possible

• For serious allegations, the participating individual may be asked to leave the premises immediately.

3.19.2 Non-Compliance by a Staff MemberThe School will take the following steps for staff that have difficulty or refuse to practice the School’s policies and procedures:

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• The Supervisor discusses the non-compliance issue with the staff member to identify the difficulty and reasons for it; discussing the implications with respect to the child; specifying ways to employ positive methods of behaviour management; and putting the results of the discussions in a written report that is signed by both parties

• Impose a two-week trial period, which takes place under the close observation of the supervisor, to comply with the policies and procedures and improve their methods

• Review the performance after the two-week trial period; if there is no notable improvement and the staff member fails to comply or clearly disagrees with the philosophy, the supervisor and Vice-President advise the Board of Directors and initiate termination procedures

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4 Health & Safety Policies 4.1 Emergency Management Policy & Procedures4.1.1 PurposeThe purpose of this policy is to provide clear direction for staff and licensees to follow to deal with emergency situations. The procedures set out steps for staff to follow to support the safety and well-being of everyone involved.

Clear policies and procedures will support all individuals to manage responses and responsibilities during an emergency, resulting in the safest outcomes possible.

4.1.2 DefinitionsAll-Clear: A notification from an authority that a threat and/or disaster no longer pose a danger and it is deemed safe to return to the child care premises and/or resume normal operations.

Authority: A person or entity responsible for providing direction during an emergency situation (e.g. emergency services personnel, the licensee).

Emergency: An urgent or pressing situation where immediate action is required to ensure the safety of children and adults in attendance. These include situations that may not affect the whole child care centre (e.g. child-specific incidents) and where 911 is called.

Emergency Services Personnel: persons responsible for ensuring public safety and mitigating activities in an emergency (e.g. law enforcement, fire departments, emergency medical services, rescue services).

Evacuation Site: the designated off-site location where shelter is obtained during an emergency. The evacuation site is used when it is deemed unsafe to be at or return to the child care centre.

Licensee: The individual or agency licensed by the Ministry of Education responsible for the operation and management of each child care centre it operates (i.e. the operator).

Meeting Place: the designated safe place near the child care centre where everyone is to initially gather before proceeding to the evacuation site, or returning to the child care centre if evacuation is not necessary.

Staff: Individual employed by the licensee (e.g. program staff, supervisor).

Unsafe to Return: A notification from an authority that a threat and/or disaster continue to pose a danger and it is unsafe to return to the child care premises.

4.1.3 PolicyStaff will follow the emergency response procedures outlined in this document by following these three phases:

1. Immediate Emergency Response;

2. Next Steps during an Emergency; and

3. Recovery.

Staff will ensure that children are kept safe, are accounted for and are supervised at all times during an emergency situation.

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For situations that require evacuation of the child care centre, the meeting place to gather immediately will be located at: The bleachers at the park on the east side of the church well away from the building.

If it is deemed ‘unsafe to return’ to the child care centre, the evacuation site to proceed to is located at: 25 Doctors Lane

Note: all directions given by emergency services personnel will be followed under all circumstances, including directions to evacuate to locations different than those listed above.

For any emergency situations involving a child with an individualized plan in place, the procedures in the child’s individualized plan will be followed.

If any emergency situations happen that are not described in this document, the supervisor, will provide direction to staff for the immediate response and next steps. Staff will follow the direction given.

If any emergency situations result in a serious occurrence, the serious occurrence policy and procedures will also be followed.

All emergency situations will be documented in detail by King City Nursery School in the daily written record.

Regular drills with staff for training/practice, emergency bag preparation, etc. will be followed.

4.1.4 Procedures4.1.5 Phase 1: Immediate Emergency Response

Emergency Situation

Roles and Responsibilities

LockdownWhen a threat is on, very near, or inside the child care centre. E.g. a suspicious individual in the building who is posing a threat.

1) The staff member who becomes aware of the threat must inform all other staff of the threat as quickly and safely as possible.

2) Staff members who are outdoors must ensure everyone who is outdoors proceeds to a safe location.

3) Staff inside the child care centre must:• remain calm;• gather all children and move them away from doors and windows;• take children’s attendance to confirm all children are accounted for;• take shelter in closets and/or under furniture with the children, if

appropriate;• keep children calm; • ensure children remain in the sheltered space;• turn off/mute all cellular phones; and• wait for further instructions.

4) If possible, staff inside the program room(s) should also:• close all window coverings and doors;• barricade the room door;• gather emergency medication; and• join the rest of the group for shelter.

5) King City Nursery School will immediately:• close and lock all child care centre entrance/exit doors, if possible; and• take shelter.

Note: only emergency service personnel are allowed to enter or exit the child

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care centre during a lockdown.

Hold & SecureWhen a threat is in the general vicinity of the child care centre, but not on or inside the child care premises. E.g. a shooting at a nearby building.

1) The staff member who becomes aware of the external threat must inform all other staff of the threat as quickly and safely as possible.

2) Staff members who are outdoors must ensure everyone returns to their program room(s) immediately.

3) Staff in the program room must immediately:

• remain calm;• take children’s attendance to confirm all children are accounted for;• close all window coverings and windows in the program room;• continue normal operations of the program; and• wait for further instructions.

4) King City Nursery School staff person or volunteers must immediately:

• close and lock all entrances/exits of the child care centre;• close all blinds and windows outside of the program rooms; and• place a note on the external doors with instructions that no one may enter

or exit the child care centre.

Note: only emergency services personnel are allowed to enter or exit the centre during a hold and secure.

Bomb ThreatA threat to detonate an explosive device to cause property damage, death, or injuries E.g. phone call bomb threat, receipt of a suspicious package.

1) The staff member who becomes aware of the threat must:• remain calm;• call 911 if emergency services is not yet aware of the situation;• follow the directions of emergency services personnel; and• take children’s attendance to confirm all children are accounted for.A. Where the threat is received by telephone, the person on the phone

should try to keep the suspect on the line as long as possible while another individual calls 911 and communicates with emergency services personnel.

B. Where the threat is received in the form of a suspicious package, staff must ensure that no one approaches or touches the package at any time.

Disaster Requiring EvacuationA serious incident that affects the physical building and requires everyone to leave the premises. E.g. fire, flood, power failure.

1) The staff member who becomes aware of the disaster must inform all other staff of the incident and that the centre must be evacuated, as quickly and safely as possible. If the disaster is a fire, the fire alarm pull station must be used and staff must follow the centre’s fire evacuation procedures.

2) Staff must immediately:

• remain calm;• gather all children, the attendance record, children’s emergency contact

information any emergency medication;• exit the building with the children using the nearest safe exit, bringing

children’s outdoor clothing (if possible) according to weather conditions; • escort children to the meeting place; and • take children’s attendance to confirm all children are accounted for; • keep children calm; and• wait for further instructions.

3) If possible, staff should also:

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• take a first aid kit; and• gather all non-emergency medications.

4) Designated staff will:

• help any individuals with medical and/or special needs who need assistance to go to the meeting place (in accordance with the procedure in a child’s individualized plan, if the individual is a child); and

• in doing so, follow the instructions posted on special needs equipment or assistive devices during the evacuation.

• If individuals cannot be safely assisted to exit the building, the designated staff will assist them to the big hall and ensure their required medication is accessible, if applicable; and

• wait for further instructions.

5) If possible, the site designate must conduct a walk-through of the child care centre to verify that everyone has exited the building and secure any windows or doors, unless otherwise directed by emergency services personnel.

Disaster – External Environmental ThreatAn incident outside of the building that may have adverse effects on persons in the child care centre. E.g. gas leak, oil spill, chemical release, forest fire, nuclear emergency.

1) The staff member who becomes aware of the external environmental threat must inform all other staff of the threat as quickly and safely as possible and, according to directions from emergency services personnel, advise whether to remain on site or evacuate the premises.

If remaining on site:

1) Staff members who are outdoors with children must ensure everyone who is outdoors returns to their program room immediately.

2) Staff must immediately:• remain calm;• take children’s attendance to confirm all children are accounted for;• close all program room windows and all doors that lead outside (where

applicable);• seal off external air entryways located in the program rooms (where

applicable);• continue with normal operations of the program; and • wait for further instructions.

3) The supervisor must:• seal off external air entryways not located in program rooms (where

applicable);• place a note on all external doors with instructions that no one may enter

or exit the child care centre until further notice; and• turn off all air handling equipment (i.e. heating, ventilation and/or air

conditioning, where applicable).

If emergency services personnel otherwise direct the child care centre to evacuate, follow the procedures outlined in the “Disaster Requiring Evacuation” section of this policy.

Natural Disaster:Tornado / Tornado Warning

1) The staff member who becomes aware of the tornado or tornado warning must inform all other staff as quickly and safely as possible.

2) Staff members who are outdoors with children must ensure everyone who is outdoors returns to their program room(s) immediately.

3) Staff must immediately:

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• remain calm;• gather all children;• go to the basement or take shelter in small interior ground floor rooms

such as washrooms, closets or hallways;• take children’s attendance to confirm all children are accounted for; • remain and keep children away from windows, doors and exterior walls;• keep children calm;• conduct ongoing visual checks of the children; and• wait for further instructions.

Natural Disaster:Major Earthquake

1) Staff in the program room must immediately:• remain calm;• instruct children to find shelter under a sturdy desk or table and away from

unstable structures;• ensure that everyone is away from windows and outer walls;• help children who require assistance to find shelter;• for individuals in wheelchairs, lock the wheels and instruct the individual to

duck as low as possible, and use a strong article (e.g. shelf, hard book, etc.) to protect their head and neck;

• find safe shelter for themselves;• visually assess the safety of all children.; and• wait for the shaking to stop.

2) Staff members who are outdoors with children must immediately ensure that everyone outdoors stays away from buildings, power lines, trees, and other tall structures that may collapse, and wait for the shaking to stop.

3) Once the shaking stops, staff must:

• gather the children, their emergency cards and emergency medication; and• exit the building through the nearest safe exit, where possible, in case of

aftershock or damage to the building.

4) If possible, prior to exiting the building, staff should also:

• take a first aid kit; and• gather all non-emergency medications.

5) Individuals who have exited the building must gather at the meeting place and wait for further instructions.

6) Designated staff will:• help any individuals with medical and/or special needs who need

assistance to go to the meeting place (in accordance with the procedure in a child’s individualized plan, if the individual is a child); and

• in doing so, follow the instructions posted on special needs equipment or assistive devices during the evacuation.

• If individuals cannot be safely assisted to exit the building, the designated staff will assist them to the big hall and ensure their required medication is accessible, if applicable; and

• wait for further instructions.

7) The site designate must conduct a walkthrough of the child care centre to ensure all individuals have evacuated, where possible.

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4.1.6 Phase 2: Next Steps During the Emergency1) Where emergency services personnel are not already aware of the situation, the supervisor or staff

member must notify emergency services personnel (911) of the emergency as soon as possible.

2) Where the child care centre has been evacuated, emergency services must be notified of individuals remaining inside the building, where applicable.

3) If the licensee is not already on site, the site designate must contact the licensee to inform them of the emergency situation and the current status, once it is possible and safe to do so.

List of Emergency Contact Persons:

Local Police Department: 911

Ambulance: 911

Local Fire Services: 911

Site Supervisor: Michelle Karmiol

Licensee Contact(s): Shannon Daggett

Child Care Centre Site Designate: Michelle Karmiol

4) Where any staff, students and/or volunteers are not on site, the supervisor must notify these individuals of the situation, and instruct them to proceed directly to the evacuation site if it is not safe or practical for them return to the child care centre.

5) The staff students and volunteers must wait for further instructions from emergency services personnel. Once instructions are received, they must communicate the instructions to staff and ensure they are followed.

6) Throughout the emergency, staff will:• help keep children calm;• take attendance to ensure that all children are accounted for;• conduct ongoing visual checks and head counts of children;• maintain constant supervision of the children; and• engage children in activities, where possible.

7) In situations where injuries have been sustained, staff with first aid training will assist with administering first aid. Staff must inform emergency personnel of severe injuries requiring immediate attention and assistance.

8a) Procedures to Follow When “All-Clear” Notification is Given

Procedures 1) The individual who receives the ‘all-clear’ from an authority must inform all staff that the ‘all-clear’ has been given and that it is safe to return to the child care centre.

2) Designated staff who have assisted individuals with medical and/or special needs with exiting the building will assist and accompany these individuals with returning to the child care centre.

3) Staff must:• take attendance to ensure all children are accounted for;• escort children back to their program room(s), where applicable;

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• take attendance upon returning to the program room(s) to ensure that all children are accounted for; where applicable; and

• re-open closed/sealed blinds, windows and doors.4) The supervisor and board will determine if operations will resume and

communicate this decision to staff.Communication with parents/ guardians

1) As soon as possible, the Supervisor must notify parents/guardians of the emergency situation and that the all-clear has been given.

2) Where disasters have occurred that did not require evacuation of the child care centre, the Supervisor must provide a notice of the incident to parents/guardians by email.

3) If normal operations do not resume the same day that an emergency situation has taken place, the board and/or Supervisor must provide parents/guardians with information as to when and how normal operations will resume as soon as this is determined.

8b) Procedures to Follow When “Unsafe to Return” Notification is Given

Procedures 1) The individual who receives the ‘unsafe to return’ notification from an authority must inform all staff of this direction and instruct them to proceed from the meeting place to the evacuation site, or the site determined by emergency services personnel.

2) Staff must take attendance to confirm that all children are accounted for, and escort children to the evacuation site.

3) Designated staff who have assisted individuals with medical and/or special needs with exiting the building will assist and accompany these individuals to the evacuation site.

4) The Supervisor will post a note for parents/guardians on the child care centre entrance with information on the evacuation site, where it is possible and safe to do so.

5) Upon arrival at the evacuation site, staff must:• remain calm;• take attendance to ensure all children are accounted for;• help keep children calm; • engage children in activities, where possible;• conduct ongoing visual checks and head counts of children;• maintain constant supervision of the children; • keep attendance as children are picked up by their parents, guardians or

authorized pick-up persons; and• remain at the evacuation site until all children have been picked up.

Communication with parents/ guardians

1) Upon arrival at the emergency evacuation site, the Supervisor or board member will notify parents/guardians of the emergency situation, evacuation and the location to pick up their children.

2) Where possible, an email will update the child care centre’s voicemail box as soon as possible to inform parents/guardians that the child care centre has been evacuated, and include the details of the evacuation site location and contact information in the message.

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4.1.7 Additional Procedures for Next Steps During an EmergencyDocumentation of the emergency will be written up to assess injuries, relocation, and serious occurrence reports.

4.1.8 Phase 3: Recovery (After an Emergency Situation Has Ended)Procedures for Resuming Normal Operations

Supervisor or Board will contact staff and parents to inform them when the Nursery School will re-open after an emergency. Staff will be informed through phone or email. Supervisor or Board will update Parents by placing a note on the front doors. Once normal operations at eh Nursery school have resumed, the supervisor will inform all appropriate entities ie: Program Advisor, Insurance Company.

Procedures for Providing Support to Children and Staff who Experience Distress

Children and staff who are experiencing distress after the emergency has subsided will be assessed and supported on an individual basis. Assessment will be done by program staff or parents for children and by Supervisor for staff. Support may include addition explanation of emergency, quiet space and time.

Procedures for Debriefing Staff, Children and Parents/ Guardians

The Supervisor. must debrief staff, children and parents/guardians after the emergency. If staff and/or parents require more information than can be included in a letter or on the white board in the main hallway, the Supervisor will arrange for a staff meeting or a parent consultation time. The time of this meeting will be set up by the Board and Supervisor and communicate the information to parents through a letter, email or on the white board in the main hallway.

4.2 Allergy & AnaphylaxisAs per the Licensing requirements, KCNS must follow “Sabrina’s Law” and have an Anaphylaxis Policy in place to ensure the safety of our children who have anaphylactic allergies. Individuals at risk of life threatening allergies must learn to avoid specific triggers. While the key responsibility lies with the children at risk and their families, it is the parent’s responsibility to inform the teachers of any allergies and what reactions to expect. Although we cannot change the entire environment of the School because of allergies, every possible effort will be made to minimize contact with offending substances. We endeavor to provide a NUT FREE environment, Air born allergies to other substances will be considered on an individual basis.

All staff shall be aware of any child(ren) with allergies. A list of all children with allergies along with an Anaphylaxis Emergency Plan Form which includes the Child’s photo is posted in each room of the School as well as the kitchen and eating area.

An “allergy alert” form as well as consent to administer allergy medication must be completed by the parent. A copy will be kept in the school’s Emergency Contact Book. This form must be reviewed and updated annually.

If a child is Anaphylactic, parents must provide 2 EpiPens (please check expiry date), a child who is Anaphylactic WILL NOT be permitted on school grounds without an EpiPen until the parent has provided the EpiPens.

Given that anaphylaxis allergies can be triggered by small amounts of an allergen when ingested or touched, children will be encouraged to follow certain guidelines to help prevent reactions. They include:

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• Washing hands before and after eating• Do not share food, utensils or containers• Place food on a napkin rather than in direct contact with a table

Staff, and volunteers will review the policy annually, and all staff must receive a demonstration on the use of the EPI pen by the anaphylactic child’s physician or family (it is the responsibility of the family to ensure that this demonstration is carried out to their satisfaction).

Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:

• Trouble breathing, speaking or swallowing• A drop in blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, loss of consciousness• Flushed face, hives or a rash, red and itchy skin• Swelling of the eyes, face, lips, throat and tongue• Anxiousness, distress, faintness, paleness, sense of doom and weakness• Cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting

Children who are no longer allergic or no longer require an EpiPen must present a letter of explanation from their doctor or allergist.

4.3 AnaphylaxisThe preschool environment is allergy-safe:

• The preschool is a nut-free environment• The children will not trade or share food or eating utensils• Children with food allergies will not eat food that has been brought in by someone else other

than their parent/guardian• Good hand washing with soap and water will occur before and after every meal and snack• Clean surfaces with soap and water or classroom disinfectant where food has been eaten,

including chairs• Look for hidden allergens in playdough, pet food or stuffed animals. Craft supplies that

contain the child’s allergen should be avoided• Avoid areas where insects congregate• Remove nests and hives from playground area• Provide non-latex gloves for use by staff• Do not use balloons in the building if a child has a latex allergy (rubber bands, pink erasers,

rubber balls (inflate and deflate outdoors and away from children. Balls that contain latex will send particles into the air)

The communication plan is as follows.

• Information will be provided on life threatening allergies to staff, volunteers, students and parents through the Policies and Procedures Manual and the Parent Handbook.

• Information will be obtained from parents regarding the details of their child’s medical condition provided through the registration packages

• Any allergy list will be added to the classroom/kitchen, bathroom, hall, entrance and attendance binder allergy list with child’s name, allergy and classroom

• Let all families and staff know when a child is in attendance with a severe allergy

A child who is anaphylactic has an individual plan and emergency procedure that contains the following:

• A detailed description of the child’s allergy• A photograph of that child

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• Precautionary measures (monitoring and avoidance)• Signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction• Emergency response (in case of accidental exposure)• Parent/guardian consent to administer prescribed medication• Emergency contact information• Medication location• Staff training including volunteers and students

Employee training will occur yearly

• An overview of anaphylaxis• Signs and symptoms of an anaphylactic reaction• A demonstration on the use of epinephrine• The Director will be trained by a medical professional or a parent with a child who has an

EpiPen on how to administer an auto-injector• The Director will train all employees, volunteers and students on how to administer an auto-

injector• Upon registration, the parent will review the procedure with Director and classroom

teacher(s)

Medication will be stored:

• In classroom, above child’s reach, in a fanny pack• In fanny pack when off premises or on the playground• The 2nd auto-injector is provided by parent, it may be stored in the child’s backpack

To respond effectively during an emergency, a routine has been established and practiced, similar to a fire drill.

During an emergency:

• One person stays with the child at all times.• One person goes for help or calls for help.• Trained staff will administer epinephrine at the first sign of reaction. Note time of

administration.• Call 911. Symptoms may recur hours after exposure to an allergen.• Contact the child’s parents.• One staff (familiar to child) will remain with the child until parent arrives. The child’s

emergency information should be taken to hospital.

4.4 Illness & ImmunizationWe should all work together to help keep children at the school healthy, and avoid the spread of illness by keeping sick contagious children and staff home.

If a child becomes ill during school hours, a parent or an alternate caregiver must be able to pick up their children at the school.

Children excluded for illness cannot return to the school until they have been symptom free for a full 24 hours. For example, if a child vomits at night he/she cannot come to school the following morning.

Children with signs of physical illness will be treated as infectious. Signs of physical illness may include but are not limited to:

• Diarrhea

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• Vomiting• Fever• Seizure• Severe coughing• Difficult or rapid breathing• lethargy• Unusual spots or rashes• Yellowish skin or eyes• Redness of eyelid lining• Headache and stiff neck• Unusual behaviour• Severe itching• Pain• Sore throat or trouble swallowing

It is as at the discretion of the staff to determine when and if a child should be sent home or denied access due to illness.

In the best interest of your child and the other children at KCNS he/she must be kept home when they exhibit any of the following symptoms:

• Severe runny nose or cough, wheezing or difficulty breathing, excessive lethargy• An oral fever of 38°c (100.4°f); contact your physician immediately if the fever is at or above

39°c (102°f)• Undetermined rash; your child must be seen by a physician to determine the nature of the

rash before returning to the school • Vomiting, diarrhea or fever within the last 24 hours

If a child appears to be ill upon arrival to the School, the staff reserves the right to send the child home. We strongly recommend that parents prepare and arrange for emergency back-up childcare in anticipation of these situations. If your child is not well enough to participate fully in the program, he/she is probably not well enough to be at school.

If a child becomes ill during the day, the family or alternate adult will be contacted to pick up the child. We ask parents to keep staff informed of all communicable diseases and any other signs and symptoms of illness their children experience. This information may need to be reported to the City’s Health Department.

In order for medication or drugs to be administrated to a child a Medication Permission Form must be filled out. This will allow the staff to administer medications such as an EpiPen, Benadryl, asthma puffer, etc.

Children must be immunized according to the Health Department’s Immunization Schedule (contained in the Registration Package). Tuberculosis testing will be required for participants who have spent three months (90 days) or more during the past 5 years in countries specified by the Health Department. We follow the recommendations of the Health Department for childcare facilities regarding the prevention of Hepatitis B and HIV infection. (see online)

The parent must provide a copy of the child’s immunization form from the District Health Office BEFORE the child’s first visit to the school takes place, indicating the date that each vaccination was given. This is a regulation of the Ontario Child Care And Early Years Act (CCEYA) (Bill 45) and the City Health Department. Children who have not had the necessary vaccinations can be withdrawn from the School until the vaccinations are up-to-date.

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The school requires to keep on file completed immunization forms, emergency health forms and a current medical certificate for the child. All children must be immunized against the following diseases before admission to school unless an exemption affidavit is provided:

• Diphtheria• Pertussis • Tetanus• Polio• Measles• Meningococcal• Mumps• Rubella• Varicella (chickenpox)

If a child catches a contagious disease during the school year, the parents must immediately notify the school and information will be posted in the front hall. This information is particularly important to other mothers who are pregnant.

The supervisor will promptly report to the Ministry of Health any suspected outbreaks of communicable diseases. Each teacher will conduct a daily visual health appraisal of the children in her class and report to the supervisor any concerns. An up to date first aid kit is available in the Hall.

Parents will be asked to read, sign and comply with our Sick Children Procedure.

4.5 MedicationPrecise regulations exist pertaining to the dispensation of medication in a childcare program. These regulations are written to protect your child and the staff and must be adhered to without exception.

Medication will not be administered at the school with the exception of EpiPens, Inhalers and Benedryl.

These regulations require that:

• A drug or medication is administered to a child only from the original container as supplied by a pharmacist or the original package and that the container or package is clearly labelled with the child’s name, the name of the drug or medication, the dosage of the drug or medication, the date of purchase and expiration, if applicable, and instructions for storage and administration.

• The medication must have been prescribed for the child and not for any other family member; if you have two children enrolled at the School who are taking the same medication, you must have two separate prescriptions

• The prescription must be current• A “Medication Treatment Record for Emergencies and Special Circumstances” form must be

filled out for each day the medicine is to be given; the form must be filled out completely; ditto marks are not acceptable

Over the counter medication must be accompanied with a doctor’s letter and clearly labeled with the child’s name on it.

Ice packs and bandages will be administered as required by the staff without the need of a physician’s order.

Over the counter drugs (e.g. cough medication, aspirin, decongestants, etc.) will not be administered at KCNS. Should your physician recommend these medications, ask him/ her to write a prescription for use in the School.

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4.6 Cleanliness & Sanitary Practices KCNS maintains the highest standards of cleanliness and sanitation. There are detailed checklists that must be completed to ensure that these high standards are being met. In addition to daily cleaning routines, the classrooms are kept clean by:

• Staying free of smoke — KCNS is a smoke-free facility• Washing and disinfecting toys weekly (if a toy is put into a mouth, it is set aside and cleaned

thoroughly)• Mopping floors and vacuuming daily• Sterilizing sinks daily• Washing towels and dishcloths weekly• Emptying, sanitizing the water table and water toys after use (the water table is not used

during an outbreak of a contagious disease)

Hand washing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of viruses. KCNS enforces strict hand washing for adults and children. Therefore, staff and adults should wash hands:

Before: reporting for work (especially important to remove traces of peanuts or other allergenic foods), feeding a child, applying first aid, preparing food, changing diapers, applying ointment

After: changing diapers, caring for an ill child, removing all gloves, wiping a child’s nose, taking children to the toilet and cleaning blood or feces, removing soiled clothes, touching or scratching the body

All staff and parents shall practice good personal hygiene and help to teach children the basics; Hand washing before eating and after using the toilet; covering one’s mouth when coughing; and avoiding others body fluids. Please ensure all cuts and sores are adequately covered with bandages. All toys and play equipment are washed and disinfected periodically or as required.

4.7 Handwashing Techniques Proper hand hygiene is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of germs and reduce your chances of becoming ill. Hands spread an estimated 80% of common infectious diseases like the common flu and cold. Hand hygiene refers to removing or killing germs on the hands. There are two ways to do this.

• Wash your hands with soap and water• Use hand sanitizer

KCNS enforces the following hand hygiene techniques…

Proper hand-washing procedures:

• Wet hands with water• Use soap• Lather for 15 seconds• Rinse with water• Towel dry hands• Turn taps off with towel

When to wash your hands:

• After blowing your nose or coughing and sneezing into your hands• After going to the washroom• Before and after visiting someone who is sick• After playing outside

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• After playing with animals• Before eating and drinking• Before and after handling food• If hands look or feel dirty• After handling garbage

4.8 EmergenciesIt is very important that the staff of KCNS be able to get in touch with a parent or alternate in case of emergency. An emergency knapsack containing First Aid material, the class list and emergency contact information is carried by the Supervisor at all times when outside the school building. Any changes in emergency contact information should be given to the Supervisor and Registrar immediately. To ensure that parents are immediately accessible in the case of an emergency, it is imperative that the school be notified of any change in home address, employment address, phone numbers etc.

A child needing emergency medical care will be taken to the nearest available hospital as required. Parents will be notified immediately. If parents have special requirements regarding hospital treatment of their child, they must communicate these requirements to the school in writing

In an emergency, the safety and care of the children is the prime concern of KCNS. Emergency and fire procedures are posted in the School. Parents should read these procedures and be familiar with them. It should be noted that if the School requires temporary emergency shelter, staff and children will be housed at the EMS station at the corner of Keele & Elizabeth Grove.

If travel to this location is not possible, or if the entire school is relocated, the School will follow directions given by the landlord. The School will contact the families from this location.

4.9 Health Care Precautions 4.9.1 Blood & Body Fluid Handling PrecautionsThe following precautions must be followed to minimize the risk of transmitting blood-borne diseases when handling bodily fluids:

• Wash hands and put on rubber gloves• Wipe up or absorb the spill while minimizing contact with the spill• Wash contaminated area with detergent and hot water, rinse and dry• Disinfect the area with bleach solution (one-part bleach to nine parts water)• Dispose of the contaminated articles in a sealed plastic bag, which is placed in a second

sealed plastic bag• Wash hands thoroughly• Soiled clothes are removed and the child changed into fresh clothes from their bag; soiled

clothes should be cleaned at home

4.9.2 Treating BitesA bite from a child can be harmful. Fatal diseases can be transmitted through mucus and blood resulting from a bite. After biting occurs the following procedures must take place:

• Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water• If skin has been punctured report the wound to the Public Health Communicable Disease

Department• Contact the family of the bitten child; parents should consult with their physician• Contact the family of the child who did the biting

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• The teacher and the family will decide the appropriate response; KCNS may suspend the child after three incidences; staff will work closely with families to assess the cause of the behaviour and address the problem

• An accident report is written up explaining what happened during the bite incident.

4.10 Playground SafetyAll students play outside for 15 minutes each day, weather permitting. A request that a child be kept inside during the day contravenes our philosophy as well as the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA) (Bill 45). If it is raining outside or the temperature is below -10°C (including the wind chill), playtime will take place inside. The teacher and Supervisor check the weather forecast daily and make the decision to play outside accordingly.

Free play and co-operation are encouraged in the outdoor playground, as well as caring for the garden. During outdoor play, the staff and any volunteer Parents follow strict procedures to always supervise and maintain all of the playground areas.

It is imperative that all areas of the playground be supervised at all times and that the adults enforce the following KCNS playground policies. The following are core supervisory and maintenance activities that are required of the staff and Volunteer Parent participants:

4.10.1 Supervisory ResponsibilitiesAll adults must facilitate safety by:

• Ensuring that all loose scarves and ties are tucked into jackets• Ensuring that the gate is always closed and no children leave unsupervised• Ensuring that the children are always visible

All play must be orderly and safe. Accordingly, the following behaviour is strictly prohibited:

• Using sticks or other objects as weapons• Hitting or pushing• Throwing leaves, sticks or snow at another child (aiming at a tree or the fence is acceptable)• Throwing sand• Climbing of trees or picnic tables or fences• Excluding others when playing

To ensure all children are comfortable and meet any minor first aid needs tissues, Band-Aids, disinfectant, towels, wipes, and spare mittens and hats are available.

Note: If one child needs to use the washroom, please try to remember and ask if there are others who need to join you with a maximum of four children per adult. Reduced ratios are not used in outdoor play.

4.10.2 Maintenance ResponsibilitiesMaintaining the grounds, equipment and toys is crucial to keeping the playground free of hazards and fostering safe play. The following must be done on a daily basis (some tasks are seasonal):

• Cover/uncover the sandbox with cover to keep unsafe material out when not in use• In the fall, rake the leaves from the path and key play areas• In the winter, shovel the snow from the path; if the path is slippery, put down anti-ice

material• Children often like to help with these tasks

Remember, during these tasks always keep an eye on the children, as their safety is your first priority.

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4.10.3 Playground Safety Checks The playground equipment is maintained to meet the Canadian Standards Association and Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA) (Bill 45) stringent standards and requirements. A qualified playground inspector performs a safety audit annually and recommends changes to comply with safety standards and legislation.

On a daily basis, the staff ensures that the playground equipment and surfaces are functioning and safe. A thorough check takes place daily, monthly and annually to identify any repair work needed on the equipment and property in accordance to CAS standard. A plan will be developed regarding issues or problems identified in a playground inspection. Staff records the findings on safety checks forms, which are filed by KCNS.

• When in the backyard playground, all the Teachers and any Parent Volunteers are responsible for watching and supervising any and all the children.

• Teachers will work together to maintain safe playing in the playhouse, the Pipe Tunnel and Sandboxes. If one Teacher is occupied with a parent at the gate or occupied with a child, the other teachers will be sure to Supervise the other children.

• No teacher may leave the backyard until ratios permit - these ratios being the same inside and outside.

• A child needing to go to the bathroom must be given to a staff member to take inside. • No new equipment will be installed without consulting the Health & Safety Department of

the Ministry of Education. • All Staff should be familiar with the Playground Log. This log documents daily, monthly and

yearly inspections. The daily log is written on a calendar on the bulletin board by the small desk. All inspections are done by the Supervisor excepting daily inspections. Do not leave blanks.

• The Daily inspection will be done by the first teacher to go outside that day. She will check that all equipment is safe. Check for broken glass, litter and check the perimeter fence and gates.

• All staff will review this policy monthly and annually and document that they have done so. • Each Spring the Supervisor will contact the King Township to determine if the Town

Playground that is occasionally used by KCNS meets CSA Standards. Then, before using it, the Staff will do an inspection to make a written record.

4.11 Safe Drinking Water Policy KCNS, in co-operation with the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS), is committed and responsible to deliver services which promote health, safety, and welfare of the clients being served. The School is responsible to be accountable to the MCSS, and specifically to demonstrate that service delivery is consistent with relevant legislation, regulations and Ministry policy.

The MCSS requires that providers of services for children under the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA) (Bill 45) (DNA) ensure that plumbing (every tap) is flushed:

• Daily in premises built prior to 1990, and• Weekly (on the first day of each week) in premises built on or after 1990. If any part of the

construction of the building was completed before 1990, then daily flushing would be required.

Flushing Method:

• Flushing must be completed before the premise opens for the day

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• Cold water must be turned on for 5 minutes at the last tap on each branch/run of pipe (do not remove aerator if present)

• Filters or other treatment devices installed on or near the tap must be bypassed during the flushing if it is practical to do so

• After the 5-minute flushing is complete, all drinking fountains and other taps used for drinking purposes must be flushed for 10 seconds (do not remove aerator is present)

Flushing is recorded (includes date, time, and signature of person flushing the system) and the record is kept for six (6) years.

All Centres must carry out annual sampling and testing for lead; the laboratory that is conducting the sample analysis is required to report test reports that exceed the drinking water lead standard to the operator of the Centre, the Medical Officer of Health, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment Spills Action Centre and Interested Authorities. If a sample indicates elevated lead levels, the operator of the Centre hall undertakes corrective action as per the direction of the local Medical Officer of Health.

As of 2010, KCNS has been passed to go to a schedule of sampling once per three years as the School’s building is eligible and confirmed to go on this reduced frequency as per the requirements stipulated under O. Reg. 243/07 under the Ministry of Environment.

4.12 School Lockdown Procedures 4.12.1 Danger in the SchoolInitiate the full lockdown internal procedures:

• Upon hearing three (3) sets of three (3) whistles – lock all doors• All students and staff in the room are to lie on the floor away from doors and windows• Lights must be on, and ground floor curtains/blinds open• Students in transition should go to the closest classroom or portable and lock the door• Staff and students outside the building should move away from the school and go to the

designated safe area

4.12.2 Danger Outside the SchoolInitiate the full lockdown external procedures:

• Upon hearing three (3) sets of three (3) Whistles – lock all doors• All students and staff in the room are to lie on the floor away from doors and window• Lights must be off, and ground floor curtains/blinds closed• Students in transition should go to the closest classroom and lock the door• Staff and students offsite shall go to the designated safe area

4.13 Fire Drills & Safety PlanRegulations under the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA) (Bill 45) of Ontario specify that fire drills must be carried out regularly in any licensed nursery school. KCNS has a Fire Safety Plan that all staff and Parent Volunteers have read and will follow in the event of a fire. Fire drills will be practiced throughout the school year. It is important that you familiarize yourself with the procedures if the fire alarm or smoke detectors sound. These instructions are also posted on the corridor bulletin board. All families should note the following procedures:

If you discover a fire or other life-threatening emergency in the facility:

• Immediately alert all occupants by shouting…Fire! Fire! Fire! (Or sounding the fire system if one exists).

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• Immediately evacuate the children and staff from the building by the nearest exit, shutting all doors behind you.

Gather at your predetermined meeting location which is the bleachers in the park at the east side of the church, well away from the building and conduct a roll call. For emergency shelter (i.e. it is winter or raining, or if the area is not safe), children proceed to a designated safe location at the King City Arena, Tel: (905) 833-5822

• Notify the Fire Department from this safe location. Telephone 9-1-1• IF YOU ARE QUALIFIED – you may attempt to control this fire with a fire extinguisher,

but only after initiating evacuation procedures and calling the fire department. If you cannot control the fire try to isolate it by closing all doors.

• Do not go back into the building for any reason until the “all-clear” has been given by the Fire Department

• Provide information to the fire department on their arrival.

4.13.1 Emergency ShelterKing City Arena25 Doctors Lane, King City, ONL7B 1G2(905) 833-5822

At the designated place of shelter:

Contact parents by telephone, email or text to them their children are safe, where to pick them up and whether they need to come earlier than the regular pick-up-time.

If all the parents (or emergency contacts) cannot be reached directly:

• Record an outgoing message on the home’s voice mail system.• Post the name, location, and contact number of the designated place of shelter on the schools

outside door, if possible

After the event:

• Distribute a short letter telling parents about the event and any follow up steps that will be taken.

• Tell the child care coordinator about the event within 24 hours.• If necessary, call the Regional Health Authority to access the community crisis/trauma

response team within 24 hours of the event for advice, resources or in-person support.

If the Fire is blocking the Exits…

• Staff will close the door, leaving it unlocked, and place a wet towel under the door• Staff call 911 or Emergency Services• Staff crouch low with the children and move to the most protected area with a window; Staff

will seal all cracks where smoke can enter and partially open the window for air; close the window if smoke comes in

• Remain calm and wait for the fire department

Please inform your child’s teacher if your child has any concerns about fire drill and safety.

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4.14 Smoke Free Act KCNS is a smoke free environment. Smoking or handling a cigarette is prohibited in our premise or on the grounds of our premise at all times whether there are children in the building or not. Parents, visitors and students are required not to smoke or hold lighted tobacco in the building, playground, on field trips, whether there are children present or not.

4.15 Serious OccurrencesThe staff at KCNS delivers services that promote the health, safety and welfare of the children in their care. This policy is also to ensure that the environment of the School is as safe as possible for the children, staff and other persons using it, that in the event of a serious occurrence, appropriate support reporting procedures are followed and the appropriate support services are contacted in accordance with the above legislation.

As outlined in the Child Care Early Years Licensing Act, it is the School’s responsibility to document and call the Children’s Services within 24 hours of any serious occurrence when the licensee or delegate or supervisor becomes aware of the incident.

In addition, a written Serious Occurrence Inquiry Report must be submitted to the Children’s Services within 7 business days. An annual summary and analysis report of all serious occurrences is to be provided by the service provider to the Children Services.

4.15.1 Definition of a Serious OccurrenceOntario regulation 137/15

The definition of serious occurrence includes:

The death of a child who received child care at a home child care premises or child care centre, whether it occurs on or off the premises,

Abuse, neglect or allegation of abuse or neglect of a child while receiving child care at a home child care premises or child care centre.

A life- threatening injury to a life-threatening illness of a child who receives child care at a home child care centre.

An incident where a child who is receiving child care at a home child care premises or child care centre goes missing or is temporarily unsupervised, or

An unplanned disruption of the normal operations of a home child care premises or child care centre that poses a risk to the health, safety or well-being of children receiving child care at the home child care premises or child care centre.

Procedure:

1. All children, staff and other persons who regularly use this Child Care Centre must have complete and updated emergency information in the supervisor’s emergency file/data base.

2. Staff must have a current first aid certificate if employed in a position working directly with children.

3. Staff/Care Providers must supervise every child at all times.

4. Staff/Care Providers are required to count the number of children in their care regularly throughout the day and especially; before and after the movement of children from within the centre/home, when outside, when moving children to and from areas, and at any time that the children are taken off premises.

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5. There must be a complete first aid kit and manual in the centre. It should be out of reach of children.

6. Reportable Types of Serious Occurrences

• Death• Serious injury• Caused by service provider, b) Accidental, c) Self-inflicted/unexplained• Alleged abuse/Mistreatment• Missing Child (note: Ministry must be notified of final outcome)• Disaster on premises• Complaint about service standard (including adverse water quality)• Other (Complaint made by or about a child or any other Serious Occurrences)

1. In the case of a major injury such as death, unconsciousness, or a very serious injury, immediately:

1. Call an ambulance2. Give the appropriate first aid3. If it is a child:

1. Contact parent/guardian person2. If parent/guardian is not able to be reached, call emergency contacts3. If none of the above can be reached, call family doctor

4. If it is an adult:

1. Call contact person2. If contact person cannot be reached, call emergency contacts3. If none of the above can be reached, call family doctor

1. In the case of an injury that does not require an ambulance, but the person is unable to participate in the program:

a) If it is a child:

1. Contact parent/guardian to pick up the child2. If parents/guardian cannot be reached, call emergency contacts3. When the parent/guardian picks up the child they review and sign the Accident/Incident

Report Form

b) If it is an adult:

1. The emergency contact person must be notified2. Another adult must accompany them home or to the doctor3. The injured person or emergency contact person reviews and signs the Accident/Incident

Report Form

2. Reporting a Serious Occurrence:

1. Serious Occurrence Report must be completed by an adult who witnessed the situation or participated in the treatment of person/s involved within 24 hours of occurrence. The window starts when the licensee or delegate or supervisor becomes aware of the incident.

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2. The Child Care Serious Occurrence Report is to be sent to the Ministry of Education (MEDU) via the CCLS website.

3. If the Serious Occurrence is related to a child on fee assistance, the supervisor contacts the Region of York, Children’s Services Division within 24 hours and a copy of the Serious Occurrence form sent to them.

4. The operator will complete and post; in a conspicuous place for parents, a Serious Occurrence Notification Form to communicate information to parents about the serious occurrence that has occurred in their child care centre or home care location. No identifying information is included in the Form, e.g. child name, staff name, initials, age, birth date, age group, room etc. Post within 24 hrs. For 10 days.

5. The Serious Occurrence Notification Form is updated as the operator takes additional actions or investigations are completed. The form Remains posted for 10 days from the date of the update.

6. Child care centre and home care providers operators retain the Serious Occurrence Notification Form for at least two years from the date of the occurrence and make the forms available for current and prospective parents, licensing and municipal children’s services staff upon request.

3. For serious occurrences that are deemed to be a Critical Serious Occurrence (when emergency services i.e. police, fire and/or ambulance are used in response to a significant incident involving a child and/or incident that is likely to result in significant public or media attention):

1. Submit the Child Care Critical Serious Occurrence Report through CCLS within 3 hours of the occurrence. (The Designated Authority should contact their program advisor by phone and email to inform them of incident.)

2. Statements to the public or media will only be made by the Police.

4. Serious Occurrence Notification Forms pertaining to allegations of abuse are posted when the following have been concluded:

• The Children’s Aid Society (CAS) has concluded its investigation and the allegation is either verified or not verified; or

• CAS has determined that an investigation will not be conducted; and • The Ministry has investigated any associated licensing non-compliances.

Once investigations are completed, the form should provide clear, concise information for the parent.

• The Description section will include information about whether CAS conducted an investigation into the report, and identify that the Ministry conducted an investigation into compliance with related licensing requirements.

• The form will identify whether:• CAS verified the allegation;• CAS has not verified the allegation;• The operator has taken action on any other directions given by CAS, if applicable;• The operator has addressed any associated licensing non-compliances identified by the

ministry, if applicable.

5. Serious Occurrence Notification Forms pertaining to complaints are posted when the operator has filed a serious occurrence report about a complaint, verified the complaint and has taken actions to address the issue; the Serious Occurrence Notification Form is posted within 24 hours.

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• When an operator has filed a serious occurrence report to the ministry about a complaint, but has not taken action because the complaint has not yet been verified, the serious occurrence will not be posted within 24 hours.

• Once the complaint has been verified or not verified, the Serious Occurrence Notification Form is posted.

6. If there are numerous Serious Occurrences in one area of the Child Care centre, this area must be carefully examined by the operator for hazards, and these hazards removed as quickly as possible.

7. If one area of the centre is found to be unsafe, the children, staff, and other persons must not be allowed in that area until appropriate repairs have been done to make it safe.

8. Serious Occurrence Policy must be reviewed by Supervisor with all staff at least annually.

9. If there is a complaint about the physical set up, safety, or operation of the daycare centre, then a written document indicating details of the complaint must be submitted to the board by the complainant.

10. All Serious Occurrences must be reviewed by the board annually.

11. In cases involving death, the coroner is notified immediately.

12. Service Provider will submit a Summary & Analysis Report to their regional office upon request, summarizing all Serious Occurrence reporting activity for the previous year, noting emerging issues and / or trends and action taken to address any issues.

4.16 Lost Child ProcedureIf a staff member discovers a child missing they must:

• inform the Supervisor, or in the case of their absence, their delegate, immediately• provide a description of the child and how the child is dressed

The Supervisor or delegate will:

• take charge of the situation• direct staff/other adults available to search the Centre, playground and surrounding areas• inform the Director• contact the family• if the child is not found within a reasonable amount of time, call the local Police• record all actions taken and the times they occurred• notify Board of Directors• report according to the serious occurrence procedure.

To follow up, the Supervisor should review with staff the reasons for the child’s disappearance, this should then be reviewed with the Board and recommendations made to prevent further incidents from occurring.

4.17 Safety of the BuildingIn the event of an emergency in which the building has to be evacuated (fire, flood, bomb threat, etc.) the following steps will be taken:

• keep calm control of the children• use methods outlined in the fire drill procedure to evacuate the building, meeting at the

designated safe area main• count children and adults; ensure everyone is evacuated safely

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• report to the Supervisor or their delegate if anyone is missing• do not re-enter the building yourself• if the building is not safe to re-enter, walk calmly to emergency shelter, call location if

possible before arriving• the emergency file must be taken• upon arrival at the emergency shelter, families should be called and advised of the situation• the Board of Directors should be notified as soon as possible• report according to the serious occurrence procedure

4.18 Accident or Medical Emergency at School• Assess the situation and the environment• Apply appropriate first aid; do not move child/adult if unsure of injury; clear the area around

the unwell/injured person• Keep the injured/unwell person calm; reassure and comfort; other staff should comfort and

support the other children; call for additional staff help if needed• inform Supervisor or delegate• Call appropriate emergency service (i.e. Ambulance) if required• The staff who witnessed the incident should go to the hospital with the injured/unwell

person; the emergency treatment consent form and emergency card must be taken to the hospital; children should never be transported in a staff’s vehicle, a taxi must be called, if an ambulance is not needed

• Contact the family and advise them of the situation; notify families as to where the child is being taken, and arrange for them to meet at this location

• Staff at the hospital will call the school periodically to give updates of situation• Staff will stay at the hospital until the parent or contact person arrives, and may need to stay

longer if this person needs support• Inform the President of Board of Directors as soon as possible• Report according to the serious occurrence procedure

Two copies will be kept on file at the School , one in the appropriate child or staff members file, and one in the Serious Occurrence file.

• Provide follow up information as necessary

All accidents to children, no matter how minor they appear, must be reported immediately to the Supervisor. An accident form must be filled in and signed by the family and the Supervisor. One form should be kept in the child’s file, and one in the completed accident form file. Playground accidents are kept in separate file. Accident forms are filed in child’s files at the end of the school year.

A deep bite that draws blood must be reported to the Public Health Department.

4.19 Lost Child Off-SiteBefore leaving the School, staff should know the number of children in the group, complete frequent head checks throughout the trip, especially during transitions, i.e. when getting on and off of transport, arrival at destination and departure.

On trips staff should ensure they have with them at all times: first aid kit, attendance form, emergency cards, quarters and at least $10.00 in cash, as well as EPI- pens and asthma medication if applicable.

If a child is discovered to be missing the following steps should be followed:

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• The Supervisor or Senior Staff Member will take charge immediately• Children should be gathered in a group and supervision maintained in a secure and calm

manner• A staff member will be assigned to check the immediate area• Inform any official in the area, i.e. park official: give description and ask for assistance• The Supervisor will call for Emergency Assistance – 911; the Supervisor will send additional

staff if necessary, and arrange for safe return of all children to the Centre; the Supervisor will also call the family and advise them of the situation; set up a communication number with trip site if possible

• The Supervisor or Senior staff will continue to take charge of the situation, and the search will continue to broaden with all staff available directed by Supervisor or emergency officials

• Clear communication is essential• The Supervisor should notify Board of Directors as soon as possible• Report according to the serious occurrence procedure

We encourage you to speak to the operator of your child care program for more information about serious occurrence and the new Serious Occurrence Notification form posting policy.

4.20 Safety & Well-BeingThe safety and well-being of our children in a licensed child care program is the highest priority. Operators of licensed child care centres and private-home day care agencies work diligently to provide a safe, creative and nurturing environment for each child. In spite of all the best precautions, serious occurrences can sometimes take place.

The Ontario government has introduced a new policy that requires licensed child care centres and private-home day care agencies to post information about serious occurrences that happen at a centre or home location effective November 1, 2011. To support increased transparency and access to information, a “Serious Occurrence Notification Form” must be posted at the centre or home location in a visible area for 10 days.

A serious occurrence could include:

• Serious injury to a child• Fire or other disaster on site• Complaint about service standard

Licensed child care centres and private home day care agencies are already required to report serious occurrences to the Ministry of Education, which is responsible for child care licensing. This new policy requires child care operators to post information in their facilities so that parents also have access to it.

This positing will give parents information about the incident and outline the follow-up actions taken and the outcomes, while respecting the privacy of the individuals involved. Longer-term actions taken by the operator will also be included to help prevent similar incidents in the future, where applicable.

Many factors may lead to a serious occurrence report. A serious occurrence does not necessarily mean that an operator is out of compliance with licensing requirements or that children are at risk in the child care program.

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This new policy supports the government’s efforts to increase access to information about licensed child care programs in Ontario. This includes the recent launch of child care licensing inspection findings on the Licensed Child Care Website which is available at: http://www.earlyyears.edu.gov.on.ca/EYPortal/en/ChildCareLicensing/ChildCareLicensingResources/

There is an analysis of all serious occurrences that occurred in the previous calendar year and any actions taken in response the analysis are recorded

4.21 Sun SafetyKCNS educators are conscious and aware of the strong sun rays. The educators of the School will take appropriate action to protect the children from skin damage. The following steps will be taken in accordance with our current policies:

• Limit the time spent outside between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm unless it is spent in a shaded area

• Spend the outdoor play in shaded areas• We recommend that all children wear a hat to protect the face and the neck• Parents are also asked to ensure that their children have sunscreen with UVA & UVB

protection labeled at the School. (factor 35 or higher)

4.22 Smog & Heat AlertKCNS educators are conscious and aware of smog and heat alerts. The educators of the School will take appropriate action to protect the children from skin damage when a smog and/or heat alert has been received. The following steps will be taken:

• Outdoor play is canceled until the alert is over; the gym will be used to keep physically active

• Children will spend time in environments where it is cooler• Children will be provided with plenty of water

4.23 First AidKCNS posts emergency telephone number lists near all telephones that includes the numbers of local fire and police departments, the nearest hospital and ambulance service, the nearest Poison Control Centre and a local taxi service.

KCNS has ensured that the address of the Centre can be seen from the street, day or night to help in the event of an emergency at the Centre.

Staff and volunteers are trained and up-to-date valid certification in standard first aid, including infant and child CPR, issued by a training agency recognized by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board:

Every supervisor of a child care center. Every employee of a child care center who may be counted for the purposes of meeting the

ratios required under section 8. Every provider of home child care or in-home services.

Where a person is not able to obtain the standard first aid certification with infant and child CPR retain the due to a disability, the licensee must request an exemption letter from the Ministry director and letter on file for review.

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http://www.earlyyears.edu.gov.on.ca/EYPortal/en/ChildCareLicensing/ChildCareLicensingResources/



4.23.1 How KCNS Is Prepared Before Injuries Occur…1. Signed parental consent forms are kept on file to enable the staff and volunteers to provide

emergency treatment or transportation is necessary; complete and up-to-date emergency contact information is also available for each child in their file

2. A list of each child’s medical history is available in each child’s file, which includes immunizations, allergies, medications and serious illnesses; family’s update the forms once per year or whenever a change in information occurs; when away from the Centre, each child’s emergency contact information and medical consent forms are brought with the caregiver

3. A back-up caregiver is available if medical transportation of a child is necessary

4. Stocked first aid kits are available in convenient locations, and these locations are known to all staff and volunteers; the first aid kit is out of reach of children, but is easily accessible to staff; staff and volunteers are familiar with and know how to use the contents of the kit; first aid kits are regularly checked and restocked as necessary

5. A portable first aid kit is available for field trips and playground use

6. Any special procedures individual children require are considered and supplies made available by the family (i.e., EpiPen, insulin, anti-seizure medication, etc.)

4.23.2 First Aid Kit Supplies for Field Trips• Safety pins• Scissors• Alcohol swabs or wet-wipes for cleansing• Triangular bandages• Gauze pads and stretchy gauze roll• Adhesive tape and non-allergic tape• Tensor bandage• Thick dressing• Band-Aids (assorted sizes)• Instant ice pack• Disposable gloves• Plastic bag to collect soiled gloves and used supplies• List of children’s allergies• Emergency cards

4.24 First Aid General Principles…4.24.1 If an Injury Occurs

• Stay calm and call for another adult• Check for life-threatening situations or conditions• Unconsciousness• Not breathing or having trouble breathing• No pulse• Severe bleeding• Call 911 if needed; if possible, stay with the child and send another person to call• Give CPR or first aid if necessary• Treat the child for shock if indicated• Do no further harm; do not move the child, unless the child is in danger of more injury

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• Comfort the child• Notify the parent or guardian, or another emergency contact• After the incident is over, complete the injury report form• Review and determine ways to prevent a reoccurrence

NOTE: The new CCEYA has a stipulation that all staff must have the Standard First Aid Child/Infant CPR course certificate in order to work in licensed centres.

In co-ops this means that every participating parent who is acting as a staff member must also have this 16-hour training.

If you have two parents who replace a paid staff in the classroom, as before, the participating parents are considered staff and therefore must have the 2-Day Standard First Aid & CPR-C (adult/child/infant CPR) Time required: 16 Hours.

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5 General Procedures & Policies 5.1 Anti-Racism & Diversity As a community-based, not-for-profit/co-operative childcare school, we are committed to the principles of racial and cultural equality. KCNS firmly believes that ethnic diversity strengthens and enriches our School socially, culturally, and economically and that racism creates barriers for children and their families and contravenes the fundamental principles of the School.

To ensure a steadfast commitment to these principles, KCNS believes that constant and continuing efforts must be made to develop and enforce anti-racism policies.

Specifically, the School is committed to:

• Developing an environment and creating programs that promote and respect the beliefs, values, and practices of all, encourage diversity, knowledge, and understanding, and actively promote anti-racism

• Encouraging open discussion with staff and volunteers about issues as they arise• Reviewing the philosophy with all staff and participating individuals to ensure they

understand and adhere to it

5.2 Child Abuse & NeglectKCNS recognizes that each of us has a responsibility for the welfare of children. The Ontario’s Child and Family Services Act (CFSA) states clearly that members of the public, including professionals, such as Registered Early Childhood Educators and those working with children, have an obligation to report suspected abuse promptly. If they suspect a child is or may be in need of protection from physical, sexual and emotional abuse and/or neglect by the person in charge of the child by failure to adequately care for, provide for, supervise or protect the child, they should report to:

• Children’s Aid Society• Ministry of Education, Serious Occurrence line at: http://www.earlyyears.edu.gov.on.ca

Staff members of KCNS who, in the course of their duties, have reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is or may be suffering or may have suffered abuse shall report the suspicion to the appropriate Children’s Aid Society.

A child is in need of protection where:

• A child has suffered physical harm or is at risk of suffering physical harm• The child has been or is at risk of being sexually molested or sexually exploited• The child requires medical treatment or suffers from a mental, emotional or developmental

condition and the child’s family does not provide or refuses to consent to the treatment• The child has been abandoned or not provided basic necessities (e.g., food, shelter, clothing

etc.)• The child has suffered emotional harm demonstrated by serious anxiety, depression,

withdrawal, self-destructive or aggressive behaviour and the child’s family does not provide or refuse to consent to treatment to remedy the harm

The duty to report is an ongoing obligation. If a person has made a previous report about a child, and has additional reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is or may be in need of protection, that person must make a further report to a Children’s Aid Society.

KCNS is committed to taking a pro-active position regarding the prevention of child abuse through;

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• Ongoing observation of the children in our care;• Professional education with respect to early identification, effective response and adherence

to legal obligations, including reporting;• keeping abreast of developments in legislation and relevant issues;• communication and support of the child and family; and• working with other community service providers

The following policies and procedures are designed to make staff, students, and volunteers aware of their responsibilities for the recognition, documentation and reporting of suspicions of child abuse.

5.3 The Child & Family Services Act (Section 72) 5.3.1 Duty to ReportIn accordance with the Child and Family Services Act, it is the responsibility of every person in Ontario, including a person who performs professional or official duties with respect to children, to immediately report to a Children's Aid Society if s/he suspects that child abuse has occurred or if a child is at risk of abuse. This includes any operator or employee of a day nursery. An individual's responsibility to report cannot be delegated to anyone else.

5.3.2 Failure to ReportIt is an offence under the Child and Family Services Act for a professional to contravene one’s reporting responsibilities. The penalty imposed (a fine of up to $1,000) emphasizes that a child's safety must take precedence over all other concerns.

5.3.3 ConfidentialityThe duty to report suspicions of child abuse overrides the provisions of confidentiality in any other statute, specifically those provisions that would otherwise prohibit disclosure by a professional or official. The only exception to this is solicitation and client privilege.

5.3.4 Protection from LiabilityAll persons making a report of suspected child abuse are protected against civil action, unless that person is proven to have acted "...maliciously or without reasonable grounds for the belief or suspicion..."

5.3.5 Reporting Procedures1. Any staff/student/volunteer who suspects that a child has been abused or is at risk for abuse

should inform the supervisor of the intention to immediately call a Children's Aid Society (CAS). The person who suspects the abuse must call him/herself — do not ask anyone else to help you decide if a report should be made or to make the report for you. Do not discuss your suspicions with anyone else until you have spoken with a Children's Aid Worker.

2. If necessary, access immediate medical attention if a child has sustained injuries. Where injuries have been suspected to have been caused by child abuse, do not inform the parent of the intention to access medical care for the child, until you have spoken with a Children's Aid worker and have been directed to do so.

3. If there are any concerns or doubts regarding making a report of suspected abuse, the staff/ student/volunteer will be encouraged by the supervisor to consult with a worker from a Children's Aid Society. If the allegation is against another child in the centre, the supervisor will consult with a Children's Aid worker as to how to best protect, supervise and support both the alleged victim and abuser, and other children.

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4. It is the responsibility of the person who suspects child abuse to follow through on the report to a Children's Aid Society, and the supervisor will provide support and direction. When making the report, give your name, the centre name, your position and phone number to the Children's Aid worker.

5. No staff/student/volunteer or member(s) of the Board of Directors will advise someone not' to report suspicions of child abuse, or to try to stop the person from reporting or consulting with a Children's Aid Society. There will be no sanctions or reprimands for anyone who consults/reports suspicions of child abuse. However, disciplinary action will result if there is an attempt to stop someone from following through on the legal duty to report.

6. If a staff/student/volunteer has any further suspicions of abuse or new information with respect to a child, s/he must immediately make another report to the appropriate Children's Aid Society, regardless of any previous reports.

7. Information considered confidential cannot be kept in confidence if it is related to a suspicion of child abuse - all staff/students/volunteers must follow through on the legal duty to report.

5.3.6 Making a Report of Suspected Child AbuseSuspicions of child abuse must be reported "forthwith" (i.e., immediately) to a Children's Aid Society. If the child's religious affiliation is known, the report can be made directly to the society of the appropriate religious affiliation.

• Children's Aid Society• Jewish Family and Child Service• Catholic Children's Aid Society• Native Child and Family Services

If the child's religious or cultural affiliation is not known, or is not Catholic, Jewish or Native, the report can be made to a Children's Aid Society.

The telephone numbers of each Children's Aid Society and local police service are posted on the bulletin board in the supervisor's office and in the staff room.

A report to all Children's Aid Societies can be made any day, at any hour. However, if reporting after regular business hours, you will likely be required to leave a message, your name and return telephone number with an answering service. Indicate if your call is urgent. You will then need to wait for a return call from an after-hours protection worker. Leaving a message with an answering service is not considered a report - you must speak directly to a Children's Aid worker. If the staff/student/volunteer thinks the child is in immediate danger, do not wait to be called back - phone the police.

5.3.7 Discussing the Situation with a Parent/CaregiverA staff/student/volunteer who suspects abuse will not tell a parent/caregiver or child about the suspicion, the intention to report or that a report has been made until after consultation with a Children's Aid Society and confirmation that it would be appropriate to tell. Discussing any suspicions of child abuse with a parent/caregiver/child before consulting with a Children's Aid worker could jeopardize the child and/or contaminate the investigation.

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In situations where the cause of the child's injuries, the nature of the child's disclosure, or the behaviours observed are not clear, consult with a Children's Aid worker before speaking to a child/parent, to discuss the appropriateness of clarifying a situation and to obtain direction. If it is appropriate to clarify any information this should be done in a non-threatening casual way. For example, asking a child "How did you get that bruise?", or asking a parent "Sharon said that you and she are going on a trip. Where are you going?"

• Use an interested and concerned tone of voice.• Avoid accusatory questions or statements.• Ask what happened, and how it happened, rather than why.• Ask open-ended questions.

If someone other than the parent/caregiver is the suspected abuser, consult with the Children's Aid Society as to who should notify the child's parent/caregiver. If it is decided that it is appropriate for the staff person to inform a parent(s) of the report, emphasize to the parent both the concern for the child and the legal obligation to report suspicions of child abuse.

5.3.8 DocumentationIn the event that a staff/student/volunteer suspects child abuse, a "Suspected Child Abuse Reporting Form" will be completed as soon as possible in the individual's handwriting, using pen only. If applicable, this includes circling bruises/injuries on the body chart attached to the reporting form. Document only the facts - do not include how you are feeling about the incident or personal thoughts about what might have happened.

• Include the name(s) and phone number (s) of the individual(s) you spoke with at a Children's Aid Society and/or police service and any direction you were given.

• Do not make a rough copy and then rewrite in good - the original recording of the facts is your documentation. If you make a mistake, do not use white-out - cross out and initial any errors, and then continue on.

• Sign and date the form. • This form is to be completed every time a staff/student/volunteer has reason to suspect that

child abuse has occurred.• All documentation is to be forwarded to the supervisor to be kept in a secure and fireproof

cabinet, separate from the child's general file.

5.3.9 What to Report to a Children's Aid Society?The staff/student/volunteer making a report of suspected child abuse to a Children's Aid Society may not have access to all the information listed below. If this is the case, do not conduct an investigation to search it out. Remember, it is imperative that the staff/student/volunteer report the information to a Children's Aid Society as soon as possible. The following is a list of information, if known, that the staff should be prepared to provide to the Children's Aid Society in making a report of child abuse.

5.3.10 If a Staff, Student or Volunteer is Suspected of Child AbuseIf a staff/student/volunteer/parent suspects another caregiver in the centre of abusing a child(ren) in care, s/he should inform the supervisor of the intention to call a Children's Aid Society. If the allegations are made by a parent, inform the parent of his/her duty to report to a Children's Aid Society, and the supervisor's obligation to also speak with a child protection worker. The staff person with whom the parent spoke will immediately inform the supervisor of the parent's allegation. If the staff person suspected of abuse is the supervisor, then the President of the Board should be informed.

• The staff/student/volunteer making the allegation will follow the reporting procedure outlined above and will complete the necessary documentation.

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• The person suspected of abuse will not be told by anyone about the suspicion, the intention to report or that a report has been made until after the supervisor has consulted with a Children's Aid worker for direction.

• The supervisor will consult with a child protection worker as to what, if anything should be done to protect a child(ren) at the centre from further contact from the alleged abuser.

• The supervisor will notify a program adviser at Ministry of Education – Children Services within 24 hours of the occurrence, and submit a serious occurrence through CCLS.

• The supervisor will immediately notify the President of the Board of Directors, who in consultation with the supervisor, Children's Aid Society and legal counsel will determine what action, if any, will be taken with respect to the suspected person's job responsibilities.

• The supervisor will meet with the suspected person to discuss any procedures for a change in duties, responsibilities, etc. The supervisor will follow-up with a written confirmation of any decisions and the reasons for such, a copy of which is to be given to the suspected person, and a copy retained on file.

5.3.11 When the Children's Aid Society/Police Conduct an InvestigationWhen child abuse has been reported, the investigative team may request permission from KCNS to interview a child on the premises. All efforts will be made by staff to cooperate with the police/child protection worker in order for the investigation to be completed in such a way as to provide the least disruption to the day-to-day operations of the centre. Should the investigative team's request to interview the child at the centre be refused by the supervisor/Board of Director for any reason, the child may be apprehended (with or without a warrant) and removed from the centre.

• If the authorities have told any staff/student/volunteer of the intention to come to the centre, the supervisor is to be notified immediately.

• The supervisor will arrange for an appropriate private location for the interview to be conducted. When the authorities arrive, the supervisor will ask for identification upon their arrival.

• If a Children's Aid worker/police officer arrives unannounced, the supervisor will ask for identification and call his/her respective offices to confirm that s/he is a representative of a child protection/police service.

• The police/child protection worker may determine that it would be in the best interests of the child to conduct an interview without the prior knowledge of, and without the child's parent(s) present. All staff involved must respect this decision, and not speak to the parent(s) until further notice.

• The supervisor will prearrange with the investigative team, if a support person from the centre can be present when the child is being interviewed. Any support person who agrees to attend the interview will be reminded by the supervisor, that s/he may be required to attend and testify in court proceedings related to the case.

• If, after interviewing a child, the investigative team feels it is necessary to apprehend the child, the supervisor/staff/students/volunteers will cooperate. The supervisor will clarify with the investigative team who will be responsible for contacting the parent(s).

• The supervisor will document the names of the investigative team, the date, time, how long the authorities were at the centre, and any relevant outcome. The documentation will be kept in a secure and fireproof cabinet, separate from the child's general file.

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5.3.12 Confidentiality & Disclosure of InformationAny information related to a suspicion or report of child abuse is confidential between the person directly involved, the person making the report and a Children's Aid Society. The supervisor, in consultation with a Children's Aid Society, will give direction regarding the appropriate sharing of information with staff/students/volunteers/the operator and/or a member(s) of the Board of Directors. Discussing any information with others related to a situation of suspected child abuse outside the designated individuals is a breach of confidentiality, and may leave you liable for slander.

In a case where a child has been apprehended by a Children's Aid Society, the supervisor will speak to a worker to determine whether or not the child will return to the centre as scheduled. The supervisor will advise the staff, and determine the best way to explain the child's situation to the other children. This will be done in such a way as to balance the child's/family's right to confidentiality with the concerns of others in the centre.

5.3.13 Students on PlacementWhen a student is on placement at KCNS, s/he is expected to follow the centre's Policies and Procedures Regarding Child Abuse.

5.3.14 Policy ImplementationBefore commencing employment/placement/volunteering, staff/students/volunteers will be asked to sign a form stating that all the policies and procedures with respect to child abuse have been read, understood and will be followed. Updated policies and procedures will be brought to the attention of all staff/students/volunteers for their advisement and signature.

5.3.15 Policy ReviewThe policies and procedures with respect to child abuse will be reviewed annually by the supervisor, and updated accordingly.

5.4 Evacuation Plan In case of an evacuation, the educators of KCNS will take the children to EMS at the corner of Keele & Elizabeth Grove.

• All of the families will be contacted using the children’s emergency list.• Posters will be placed on the School’s doors• The supervisor will carry the emergency kit• The emergency kit will contain: updated emergency contact lists, etc.

5.5 Field TripsTrips and activities have always been an integral and fun-filled part of the program at the school. We believe that reinforcing what is discussed in the classroom with hands on experience is important and helps the children learn and better appreciate the world around them.

All trips, including occasional walks in the KCNS community, must be approved by parents. A consent form is attached to each registration package to allow your child(ren) to participate in these walks.

All trips off of school property must be approved by the Board and Supervisor, and will require the written permission of the parents. A permission form will be sent to all parents outlining the date, time and location of the trip. These permission forms must be signed and returned to the school in order for your child to participate.

All parents who are volunteering on their child’s field trip must have a valid police screening check.

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Field trips and outings are always open to all member families, regardless of the scheduled day of a child’s attendance. However, to ensure that the appropriate adult to child ratio is maintained, we ask that children who are not scheduled to attend on the day of the field trip are supervised by a parent/guardian. All parents are volunteering on their child’s field trip must have a valid police screening check. Whenever possible, field trips are open to siblings as well. KCNS always welcomes and encourages parents to attend field trips – it’s a lot of fun and makes for great memories with your child!

All transportation to and from field trips is the responsibility of the parents.

5.6 Parent Issues and Concerns Policy & Procedures5.6.1 PurposeThe purpose of this policy is to provide a transparent process for parents/guardians, the child care licensee and staff to use when parents/guardians bring forward issues/concerns.

5.6.2 DefinitionsLicensee: The individual or agency licensed by the Ministry of Education responsible for the operation and management of each child care centre it operates (i.e. the operator).

Staff: Individual employed by the licensee (e.g. program room staff).

5.6.3 GeneralParents/guardians are encouraged to take an active role in our child care centre and regularly discuss what their children are experiencing with our program. As supported by our program statement, we support positive and responsive interactions among the children, parents/guardians, child care providers and staff, and foster the engagement of and ongoing communication with parents/guardians about the program and their children. Our staff are available to engage parents/guardians in conversations and support a positive experience during every interaction.

All issues and concerns raised by parents/guardians are taken seriously by King City Nursery School and will be addressed. Every effort will be made to address and resolve issues and concerns to the satisfaction of all parties and as quickly as possible.

Issues/concerns may be brought forward verbally or in writing. Responses and outcomes will be provided verbally, or in writing upon request. The level of detail provided to the parent/guardian will respect and maintain the confidentiality of all parties involved.

An initial response to an issue or concern will be provided to parents/guardians within 3 business day(s). The person who raised the issue/concern will be kept informed throughout the resolution process.

Investigations of issues and concerns will be fair, impartial and respectful to parties involved.

5.6.4 ConfidentialityEvery issue and concern will be treated confidentially and every effort will be made to protect the privacy of parents/guardians, children, staff, students and volunteers, except when information must be disclosed for legal reasons (e.g. to the Ministry of Education, College of Early Childhood Educators, law enforcement authorities or a Children’s Aid Society).

5.6.5 ConductOur centre maintains high standards for positive interaction, communication and role-modeling for children. Harassment and discrimination will therefore not be tolerated from any party.

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If at any point a parent/guardian, provider or staff feels uncomfortable, threatened, abused or belittled, they may immediately end the conversation and report the situation to the supervisor and/or licensee.

5.6.6 Concerns about the Suspected Abuse or Neglect of a childEveryone, including members of the public and professionals who work closely with children, is required by law to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect.

If a parent/guardian expresses concerns that a child is being abused or neglected, the parent will be advised to contact the local Children’s Aid Society (CAS) directly.

Persons who become aware of such concerns are also responsible for reporting this information to CAS as per the “Duty to Report” requirement under the Child and Family Services Act.

For more information, visit http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/childrensaid/reportingabuse/index.aspx

5.6.7 ProceduresNature of Issue

or ConcernSteps for Parent and/or

Guardian to Report Issue/Concern:

Steps for Staff and/or Licensee in responding to issue/concern:

Program Room-Related

Raise the issue or concern to:

- the classroom staff directlyor

- the supervisor or licensee.

- Address the issue/concern at the time it is raised

or

- arrange for a meeting with the parent/guardian within 3 business days.

Document the issues/concerns in detail. Documentation should include:

- the date and time the issue/concern was received;

- the name of the person who received the issue/concern;

- the name of the person reporting the issue/concern;

- the details of the issue/concern; and- any steps taken to resolve the

issue/concern and/or information given to the parent/guardian regarding next steps or referral.

Provide contact information for the appropriate person if the person being notified is unable to address the matter.

Ensure the investigation of the issue/concern is initiated by the appropriate party within 3 business days or as soon as reasonably possible thereafter. Document reasons for delays in writing.

Provide a resolution or outcome to the

General, Centre or Operations-Related

Raise the issue or concern to

- the board or licensee.

Staff, Duty parent, Supervisor, and/or Licensee-Related


- the individual directlyor

- the supervisor or licensee.

All issues or concerns about the conduct of staff, duty parents, etc. that puts a child’s health, safety and well-being at risk should be reported to the supervisor as soon as parents/guardians become aware of the situation.

Student/ Volunteer-Related


- the staff responsible for supervising the volunteer or student

or

- The supervisor and/or licensee.

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http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/childrensaid/reportingabuse/index.aspx

http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/childrensaid/reportingabuse/index.aspx

http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/childrensaid/reportingabuse/CASLocations.aspx


All issues or concerns about the conduct of students and/or volunteers that puts a child’s health, safety and well-being at risk should be reported to the supervisor as soon as parents/guardians become aware of the situation.

parent(s)/guardian(s) who raised the issue/concern.

Escalation of Issues or Concerns: Where parents/guardians are not satisfied with the response or outcome of an issue or concern, they may escalate the issue or concern verbally or in writing to the board at King City Nursery School.

Issues/concerns related to compliance with requirements set out in the Child Care and Early Years Act., 2014 and Ontario Regulation 137/15 should be reported to the Ministry of Education’s Child Care Quality Assurance and Licensing Branch.

Issues/concerns may also be reported to other relevant regulatory bodies (e.g. local public health department, police department, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Labour, fire department, College of Early Childhood Educators, Ontario College of Teachers, College of Social Workers etc.) where appropriate.

5.6.8 InclusionThe mandate of the program offered by KCNS is to provide a warm, loving and secure environment for all children who come with varying needs of development; social, emotional, physical, behaviour and cognitive, where they can flourish.

Group interaction plays a key role by encouraging self-confidence and developing mutual respect and a sense of sharing. A part of this involves coming to terms with what is socially acceptable to both learning and life.

The School makes every effort to serve all children in this capacity. Occasionally, an unusual situation may arise where the regular program cannot meet the needs of an exceptional child. In this case (in consultation with the Supervisor over a reasonable amount of time) the Board of Directors reserves the right to determine that this child be withdrawn. This action will be taken as a last resort and is driven by the interests of the child and the safety of others at the School. For the benefit of all concerned, we will follow these steps:

5.6.9 Documentation• At the onset of the problem, any staff directly involved with the child will record the

behaviour in question; specific incidents, as well as responsive actions taken by the staff to manage the improper behaviour, will be included

• The Supervisor and the staff will meet to develop a common strategy to help assist with the child

5.6.10 Parental Notification• Families will be immediately apprised of any behaviour in question and informed of the

actions that the staff has taken to date• Parental insight into any specific behavioural issues will be sought

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5.6.11 Development of a Long-Term Behaviour Management Plan• A meeting will be held between the family, staff, the Supervisor and a Special Needs

Childcare Consultant to identify and agree upon key issues• A Behaviour Management Plan will be developed; clearly measurable goals accompanied by

specific timelines for these goals will be established; responsibility for carrying out the various components of the plan will be assigned

• The child’s Teacher and/or School Supervisor will decide if a more appropriate goal for the child would be possible with part-time placement or a reduction of time spent at the School

• Parents unwilling to co-operate with the adoption of a Long-Term Behaviour Management Plan may be at risk of having to withdraw their child from the School after a reasonable amount of time, if the child’s behaviour does not improve

5.6.12 Assessment of ResultsIf the Behaviour Management Plan is unsuccessful, and it is determined that the child requires a different or more specialized placement, the Board of Directors has the authority to conclude that the child should be withdrawn. Families will be informed of this decision in writing and assisted by professionals to make alternate arrangements. An appropriate time period will be established in order to secure the best possible placement for the child. Advisors for Children’s Services, from the province and, if appropriate, the District School Board, must be informed if a child is withdrawn.

It should be noted that in extreme circumstances, a child may be, at the discretion of the Board and Supervisor, immediately withdrawn from the program if the child poses a clear and present danger to the safety of anyone at the School.

5.6.13 Re-Entry MeetingIn the case of a temporary withdrawal, a meeting will be scheduled on the day the child returns to the School. It will involve parents/guardians and the Teachers and/or School Supervisor. The meeting will establish responsibility for development of a long-term plan of action and monitoring of future behaviour.

5.7 Income Tax Statements If requested, in writing, a record of the previous year’s fees and other monies paid to KCNS will be provided to each family by the Treasurer/Bookkeeper. Tax receipts are emailed to each family. Fee receipts will not be issued until all outstanding fees and penalties are paid. Tax receipts are issued in February and again in June (for non-returning families).

5.8 Insurance CoverageKCNS has insurance coverage indemnifying the School for accidents or natural disaster. The policy also provides Directors’ liability.

The school is not responsible for loss of property or clothing of its students.

5.9 Protection of Confidential Information: Privacy Policy Privacy of personal information is an important principle to KCNS. We are committed to collecting, using and disclosing personal information responsibly and only to the extent necessary for the services we provide. We also try to be open and transparent as to how we handle personal information. Information is never sold to a third party.

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5.9.1 Defining Personal InformationPersonal information is any information that can be used to distinguish, identify or contact a specific individual. This information can include an individual’s opinions or beliefs, as well as facts about, or related to, the individual. Exceptions: business contact information and certain publicly available information, such as names, addresses and telephone numbers as published in telephone directories, are not considered personal information.

5.9.2 Privacy PracticesPersonal information gathered by KCNS is kept in confidence. The teachers and executive members are authorized to access personal information based only on their need to deal with the information for the reason(s) for which it was obtained. Families should know that information is shared with Region of York, the Ministry of Education. Safeguards are in place to ensure that the information is not disclosed or shared more widely than is necessary to achieve the purpose for which it was gathered. Measures are also taken to prevent information from being lost or destroyed.

5.9.3 Updating of Privacy PolicyWe will regularly review our privacy practices and update our policy.

5.10 Emergency Closures / Storm Policy While we realize that the closing of the school at any time other than the normal closing time will cause some inconvenience to parents, there may be times when such action is necessary because of bad weather conditions. KCNS follows the York Region District School Board and York Region Catholic School Board bus cancellation policies. In the event of inclement weather, due to snow storms, KCNS will be closed should the buses be canceled for either of these aforementioned school boards. That is to say, if you hear on the radio or television that buses have been canceled, but the schools are otherwise open, the Nursery school will be CLOSED that day. This, however, is only due to poor driving conditions and not due to extreme cold weather conditions. If you are uncertain about the weather in the morning, please consult either the radio or television as school closures and school bus cancellations are always mentioned.

The Board and the Supervisor has both the authority and responsibility to act in the interests of the school and the children in their care. If weather conditions warrant an early closing time, the school will contact all parents and ask for their cooperation in picking up their children. If overnight weather conditions warrant a school closure, the Email/Phone Duty Parent will diligently make all efforts to inform the families via email and/or phone messages.

If the Supervisor or the Board of Directors feel that traveling to and from school presents a hazard, or if an unforeseen situation arises at the school (e.g., broken furnace, blackout), they may decide to close the school until it is no longer deemed hazardous. Licensing requirements include mandatory functioning phone lines, heat and electricity and running water. Because these cases are beyond the school’s control, no reimbursement of funds will be provided for cancellation of regular programming.

5.11 Students as VolunteersKCNS participates in a number of programs involving students. Under the supervision of our staff, the students gain practical experience while bringing new ideas to the School. Notice of R.E.C.E. and high school student placements will be posted. Please make an effort to get to know these people. They contribute a lot to the program.

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5.12 Parents as VolunteersAny parent wishing to volunteer in the classroom must complete a criminal reference check and submit a current immunization record and a TB test. In addition, volunteers must review and sign all relevant policies and procedures.

5.13 Valuing DiversityKCNS is committed to the principle of equal opportunity for all its children, families, employees, and applicants for either program admission or employment. For that reason, we intend to create an environment which offers families equitable access to sensitive and appropriate services that do not discriminate on the basis of visible or perceived differences such as race, colour, religion, sex, age, family status, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, national origin or disability.

KCNS recognizes and values the diverse backgrounds of the children we care for. We as a School will, through our programming, provide the children with a non-discriminatory, racially sensitive and culturally appropriate childcare program. We will ensure that the rights of the children in our care are not compromised and that each child is treated with respect, dignity, acceptance and understanding.

5.14 Vulnerable Sector Screen Program – Police Reference Check In the interest of hiring staff and recruiting volunteers with the personal and professional qualifications essential to ensuring quality child care, KCNS will include criminal record checking as part of the recruiting and hiring process for all positions within the Centre. This information will be acquired only for candidates to whom a conditional offer of employment or volunteering has been made.

At the commencement of each school year, all returning staff and volunteers whose CRC is less than five (5) years old will be required to execute a Offence Declaration (OD) certifying the absence or presence of convictions under the Criminal Code since their last CRC was conducted. A new CRC must be completed by every employee and applicable volunteer every 5 years.

Current employees and volunteers of KCNS will be required to submit to a new CRC when offered a new position within the school (e.g., an Early Childhood Education (ECE) teacher who is offered a position as a Supervisor), unless a CRC was completed within the preceding twelve (12) months. If an employee or volunteer has terminated their relationship with KCNS for longer than 6 months, a new CRC or OD is required. If the termination of the relationship with KCNS has been for less than 6 months, the pre-existing CRC or OD would be valid. If a new CRC or OD came due during the time of separation, that information must be updated upon the return of the employee or volunteer.

Licensees must obtain a new vulnerable sector check (VSC) or offence declaration (OD) as required under the Regulation no later than 15 days after the anniversary date of the previous VSC or OD

5.14.1 PurposeThe Ministry of Educations’ guidelines state:

‘…criminal reference checking is a precautionary measure designed to ascertain whether certain groups of employees…have a record of criminal convictions which would make them unsuitable for positions of trust (i.e. sexual assault, drug trafficking). Such checks assist the Ministry in attempting to ensure the safety and well-being of those for whom it has the responsibility to provide or ensure proper care.’

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A Criminal Reference Check must be a condition for all new employees and volunteers, prior to their appointment. A new criminal reference check must be obtained every 5 years.

5.14.2 Positions Affected• All full-time and part-time staff;• Volunteers who might be left alone with the children at any time

5.14.3 Positions ExemptThe following positions will not be left alone with children at any time, and cannot accompany children to the washroom without a staff member in attendance.

• Volunteers and staff under 18 years of age, who must provide two positive reference letters from people over 18 years of age

• Students from a college or local high school, who must provide a letter of introduction from their school

• Volunteers for day/field trips and special events

5.14.4 ProceduresAll candidates will be advised of the requirement of the Criminal Reference Check (CRC) during the interview. If a conditional offer is made, the successful candidate will provide KCNS with an original copy of the candidates valid CRC, and KCNS will retain a copy of the candidates CRC.

Any information obtained from the candidate or the police shall be restricted to the Hiring Committee (the Vice-President and the Supervisor, not the staff member).

Positions at KCNS that require a CRC before commencement of duties include:

• Supervisors• Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers and supply teachers• Full and Part Time Staff

Positions at KCNS who may start to work before a CRC is received are:

• Volunteers -- The candidates may start to work before a CRC is received, but it will be made clear that their position is conditional on a negative CRC, and that they must provide a CRC no more than 30 days after commencing work. If 30 days pass and the CRC has still not been received, the candidate will be relieved of their responsibilities. The candidate will not be left alone with the children until there has been a satisfactory outcome of the CRC process.

5.14.5 Vulnerable Sector Checks for other Persons at Child Care CentreLicensees must obtain an offence declaration or attestation for any person who provides child care or other services to a child who receives who receives child care at the child care centre, other than an employee volunteer or student.

Offence declarations must be obtained from the person’s employer or from the person or entity who retained the person’s services that indicates that:

The employer, person or entity has retained and reviewed a vulnerable sector check from that person;

The vulnerable sector check was performed within the last five years; and

The vulnerable sector check did not list any convictions for any offences under the Criminal Code (Canada) listed in subparagraph 1 ii of subsection 9 (1) of the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014

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The offence declaration or attestation must be obtained:

Before the person began interacting with children at the child care centre; and

Every year thereafter, no later than 15 days after the anniversary date of the most recent offence declaration or attestations, if the person continues to provide such child car or other services.

5.14.6 Procedure for a Positive Criminal Reference CheckIn the event of a positive Criminal Reference Check (CRC), the candidate must immediately submit the original to KCNS.

Upon receipt of the findings, the candidate will be given an opportunity to meet with the Hiring Committee to discuss the results of the check.

In the case of a positive CRC, the position may be withdrawn, and the employee or volunteer may be required to cease work, if applicable, until a final decision of the Hiring Committee has been made.

The Hiring Committee will review the offences, taking into consideration:

• The nature of the offences• Sentencing received• The length of time since the offences were committed• The candidate’s employment record, qualifications and references• Any rehabilitative efforts made• Whether a pardon has been requested• If the finding concerns an apprehension under the Mental Health Act, the circumstances

surrounding and following the apprehension, and the length of time since the apprehension• The specific duties and responsibilities associated with the position applied for and the

relevance of the particular conviction to the position• The risk posed to the Centre and the children if the candidate were hired

A decision will be made based on the Committee’s assessment. The Committee will document its discussion and the reasons for its decision. The candidate will be advised verbally and in writing of the Committee’s decision.

5.14.7 DocumentationAll information obtained through a Criminal Reference Check (CRC) is confidential. Only the Hiring Committee (Supervisor and Vice-President, not the staff member) will have access to this information.

The Supervisor will note in the employee’s or volunteer’s file the date of the CRC and the date the check was accepted by the Hiring Committee. Any other documentation, including that of the CRC, summaries of findings, and records of the Committee’s discussion, will be kept in a secured file.

5.15 Provincial License & Other Inspections KCNS is licensed under Ministry of Education. Every year, a licensing specialist from the Community and Social Services performs a full inspection of the School for the license renewal. The inspection includes spending all day at the School to review the program, policies and procedures, health and safety practices and all the requirements of the Child Care Early Years Act. Each school has a consultant who performs surprise visits to the School at least twice a year for a complete and full inspection. After the inspection, a detailed report signed by the licensing specialist is presented to the Supervisor. A copy is reviewed with the Board of Directors and is posted in the school for your review.

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Other inspections include a yearly visit by a Public Health Inspector, “Food Safety Inspector”. The Public Health Inspector performs surprise visits to the School twice a year. The main objective of the visit is to check all food related safety guidelines such as menu, food temperature, employee hygiene, storage, health hazard and general food handling.

5.16 King City Co-Op Nursery School BylawsThe bylaws explain the general operation of the school including parents’ responsibilities as well as the Board of Directors. Personal copies of the school’s constitution and bylaws are available from the Secretary.

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6 School Organization & Co-Operative Commitment 6.1 Governance The successful operation of King City Co-Op Nursery School depends on the volunteered time and effort the parents put into its governance and operation. Although many decisions regarding the children’s day are made by the teachers, general policy decisions are made by the Board of Directors. Any parent may make a written submission on any matter pertaining to the school for consideration from the board.

There are up to 8 positions on the Board of Directors: up to 5 elected positions plus the past President, the landlord, and one non-voting member (the Centre Supervisor).

General meetings may be called as needed. Board of Directors’ meetings will take place once a month or as need dictates. Any parent may make a written submission on any matter pertaining to the Centre at any time for consideration by and reply from the Board. Any parent wishing to meet with the Board is to make arrangements for a meeting through the Secretary.

The following are, in general, the areas of responsibility of the Board of Directors.

• Decisions concerning the philosophy of the School• Periodic evaluations of the program• Decisions concerning the hiring, disciplining and dismissal of staff• Decisions concerning staff salaries and terms and conditions of employment• Decisions concerning registration and fee structure• Establishment and monitoring of the budget• Management of revenue• Decisions concerning operating procedures• Policy development (all School policies are available upon request)• Resolution of conflict with staff or families which have not been resolved by the Supervisor

The Supervisor works closely with the Board of Directors with respect to all aspects of the School’s management and attends all Board meetings. Should parents have any questions or concerns about their child, please do not hesitate to speak to the Supervisor.

May we respectfully remind you that positions held on the Board of Directors are voluntary and, at times, very time-consuming. We would appreciate compliance with the regulations in order to make their jobs easier and more pleasant!

6.2 Parents Co-Operative Pre-School Corporation (PCPC)King City Co-op Nursery School is a member of the Parents Co-operative Pre-school Corporation (PCPC), the local association of co-operative nursery schools. Members of the school automatically become members of PCPC and may attend their workshops and meetings held throughout the year.

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6.3 Annual General Meetings (AGM)Parents should always keep in mind that by enrolling their child(ren) with KCNS, they become members of this co-operative school. One of the many advantages of this structure is that each parent has a say in how the school is run, decisions that are made and the directions for the future. In order to maintain our high standards as a co-operative school, all parents are expected to attend the two general meetings during the school year. Families with children currently registered at KCNS are voting members (one vote per child registered) of the School and, therefore, have a say in the direction of the School. All members are asked to attend the Annual General Meeting, which is held in October. During the meeting, we review the Parent Handbook, welcome new families, provide an overview of the School, review our accomplishments, approve the next school year’s budget, assign school positions, elect the new Board of Directors, and address any other issues that require a vote of the membership i.e. by-law changes (According to Article V of the by-laws, 25% of the membership constitutes quorum and a majority vote prevails).

In addition, parents are welcome to attend any of the monthly Board Meetings. Confidential matters will be discussed in a separate in camera meeting. Dates of meetings are posted on the website and meeting minutes are available to member parents upon request.

As per the Parent-School Agreement, it is mandatory that a representative from each family attend the AGM. Failure to do so will result in a $15.00 fine. They are held in October and June for the purpose of administration of school business. A General Meeting may also be called in December if the executive and teachers deem it necessary. At this time such items as school policies are discussed and voted upon by everyone. General meetings are also an opportunity to communicate your feelings, ideas or concerns to the membership. These general meetings are not necessarily strictly for business purposes. They can also include parent awareness discussions or guest speakers, making the evening both interesting and informative

6.4 Board of Directors The legally constituted Board of Directors administers the School on behalf of the families. Without it, the School would not be able to operate. Board meetings are held once a month during the school year. The following list outlines the positions of the Board of Directors.

• President• Vice-President / Human Resource• Treasurer• Secretary• Registrar• Fundraiser Committee Director• Marketing/Communications Committee Director

6.5 Committees In addition to the Board of Directors, the School needs the work of committees in order to function. Each of these committees has one Chairperson and several members. The role of the chairperson of each committee is to direct and co-ordinate the work of the committee members and reports to the Vice-President, who acts as committee administrator. In accordance with the Parent-School Agreement, each family must sign up for one committee position for each child enrolled. Parents must actively participate on the committee they sign up for. The fine for failure to fulfill committee responsibilities is $50.00. Each position on the Board of Directors will fulfill a family's committee responsibility to the school, regardless of how many children they have enrolled.

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6.6 Election Policy & Procedures• The executive committee positions and sensitive committee positions must be filled before

any general committee positions are filled. During the general meeting in October, all executive members will discuss their committee positions with the general membership and the sensitive committee positions will be explained by the president/vice-president.

• Upon registration, anyone interested in a Board of Directors position, can complete a form. This form will be submitted to the President in their file at the school and will be kept confidential between only the person who has expressed interest in the position and the president and executive committee for the current school year.

• The president will then contact all persons interested in each position and discuss with them their qualifications and interest in the position indicated. In a situation where there is more than one parent expressing interest in an executive position, the president will contact all interested. The president, in conjunction with the executive committee, will then decide which parent would be best suited for the position and wherever possible, offer another well-suited executive committee position to the other parents. The goal of this process is to fill the executive committee positions before the October annual general meeting with members who are best suited to the positions.

• During the general election in October, the new executive committee and sensitive committee members will be introduced to the general membership.

• If there are any outstanding positions from either of these committees, they will need to be filled by a parent before the rest of the committees can be filled. Parents from the general membership will be asked to volunteer for these positions by nominating themselves. The president will call for nominations three times. If there is only one nominee for any given position after the president has called for nominations three times the chair will state that the nominee has been elected by acclamation.

• If there is more than one person interested, the president will briefly meet privately and individually with all interested parties. The General Meeting will take a brief adjournment for these meetings. Once the president has spoken with the interested parties and they and the executive committee have come to a decision the meeting will resume.

• Next, the fundraiser committee will be filled by asking for volunteers. As this committee is of vital importance to the running of the school no other positions will be filled until this committee has a chair person who is an executive member, a co-chair and ideally 7 members.

• Finally, any families who have not yet joined a committee will choose a random number on a piece of paper and the chair will call the numbers in order. When your number is called you may then select which committee you would like to work on for the upcoming school year.

6.7 OrientationThis begins when inquiries are first made about enrolment in the school and continues throughout the school year. The goals for effective orientation are: better informed parents, open communication between parents and teachers, and a smooth-running school with happy, relaxed children, parents and teachers. When parents first participate in the school program, their primary concern is to be in the right place at the right time and to learn the location of equipment and supplies. Since we function best when we know what is expected of us, it is extremely important that we are well prepared for this role as participating members of a co-operative nursery school. As stated, due to the importance of orientation, it is mandatory to attend your scheduled orientation session for your program. A $15.00 fine will be assessed for failure to attend orientation.

As part of your orientation:

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• The teachers/supervisor will show you the facilities, the location of the equipment and supplies, fire drill procedure, emergency information and explain duty parent responsibilities.

• The Vice-President (committee administrator) will provide orientations and procedures for all members regarding their chosen committee(s).

Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

It is the parent's role to assist in the management of the pre-school, as well as to assist the teachers/supervisor with the children's program. This is best achieved through your attendance at the required October AGM (Annual general meeting), which are scheduled in the evenings. A December general meeting may be called if deemed necessary

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7 Description of Volunteer Positions 7.1 Board of Directors The Board of Directors is comprised of six (6) Directors who are responsible above all else, for maintaining the interests of the parents and as such be accountable to the membership. The Board’s mandate is to oversee the operational aspects of the school. The board meetings are once a month for approximately 90 minutes. Below are brief descriptions of each position, and their areas of responsibility. In some cases, due to enrollment the board will operate with five (5) Directors, in which case the Committee/Fundraiser/Marketing position will be eliminated and the tasks will be divided among the remaining board members. The Board of Directors is elected at the Annual General Meeting. Board of Director Positions at King City Co-Op Nursery School and their primary responsibilities are as follows:

7.1.1 President• Presides over and plans all Board meetings; maintains regular contact with the supervisor

between meetings; arranges special meetings if necessary• Plans the activities for the year ahead for the Board and involves the Board in planning for

the future• Co-ordinates the Board’s basic responsibilities and delegates tasks and functions accordingly• Ensures all licensing requirements are met• Acts as the official liaison between the school and the landlord• Submits an annual report• Has signing authority for all school documents and cheques• Renews all school licences, grants, contracts and insurance• The most important task assigned to the President is to ensure harmony, co-operation and

contentment at every level of the School• Acts as a public relations officer for the school • Establishes and maintains logbook noting calendar requirements (i.e., licensing, rental

agreement, staff contracts etc.)

7.1.2 Vice President / HR Committee Chair Aids the President, assumes the role of President during his/her absence

Handles the Human Resources portfolio

• Develops and revises staff job descriptions, Interviews and hires staff with the Hiring Committee

• Evaluates the job performance of staff annually• Negotiates and recommends employment contracts for staff• Assists in the resolution of conflict between staff and the Board/assists the President with

teacher relations and other tasks required and/or requested by the President • Learns about the President’s role in anticipating for a smooth transition from VP to President

in the following year. • Maintains the school files, history, archives and philosophy• Assumes the role of chairperson for any special projects for the year (i.e., new playground,

program expansion etc.)

7.1.3 Treasurer • Responsible for all moneys, incoming/outgoing including: banking, salaries, taxes, receipts,

etc.

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• Co-signs all cheques and other documents (if required) • Responsible for obtaining adequate property and liability insurance and Worker’s

Compensation (if applicable)• Prepares a financial statement at fiscal year• Prepares a financial report for each meeting • Arranges auditing procedures at fiscal year-end (if necessary)• Preparing bi-monthly pay cheques for staff as well as source deductions• Preparing school budget• Maintains accurate and organized accounting records for the bookkeeper. (i.e., bank, audit,

salaries, benefits, taxes etc.)• Co-ordinates with the bookkeeper Tax Receipts for families and T4s for teachers.• Co-ordinates with the bookkeeper to prepare a financial report for each meeting and a

financial statement at fiscal year-end for membership review.

Note: Accounting experience is an asset but is not required. The Treasurer must possess excellent organization skills and be detail oriented.

7.1.4 Secretary • Keeps accurate minutes of proceedings, decisions and unfinished business at both the Board

and General meetings• Publishing the notices and agendas for the Board and General meetings• Sends notice of all meetings (both Board and General)• Records and reads minutes of all meetings • Establishes and maintains minutes of all meetings• Co-signs all documents and cheques (if required)• Keeps an updated copy of the minute book and bylaws at all meetings• Establishes and maintains a book of motions • Updating documentation and policies• Fills out and sends in Form 1 after every election • Retains and corporate seal

7.1.5 Registrar • Provides members with information and tours of the school & distributes orientation

materials• Ensuring all required registration forms are submitted and up-to-date • Maintains a wait list and ensures that all inquiries are dealt with in a timely fashion• Maintains & distributes registration and orientation materials (forms, packages and

handbooks)• Informs the Supervisor of any enrolment changes (new families and families leaving the

school) • Responsible for all completed registration and membership forms.• Ensures confidentiality of all information by adhering to ethical standards.• Maintains accurate membership lists and waiting lists.• Handles enquiries and describes school policies to interested parents• Provides tours / visits of the school to prospective families• Plans and implements ideas for promoting school enrolment.

7.1.6 Fundraiser Committee Director• Work with the Board, Supervisor and staff to determine the School’s annual fundraising

goals

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• Organize fundraiser efforts for the School; work with the Fundraiser Committee to generate new ideas for fundraising and delegate responsibilities; report ideas and progress to the Board

• Chair Fundraiser Committee meetings to ensure preparation and distribution of timely information and order forms to parents; verify amounts, send orders to suppliers, and confirm receipt of fundraising items; arrange distribution of fundraising items.

• Work with the Marketing/Communications Director and Fundraising Committees to ensure the timely and effective fundraising promotional materials; all materials must include the School’s logo, available from the Marketing/Communications Director

• Liaise with the Treasurer about fundraising receipts and donations • Maintain up-to-date fundraising files including inventory, orders made, expenses and surplus;

report to the Board on a monthly basis in relation to budget• Perform other responsibilities as assigned by the Board

7.1.7 Marketing / Communication Committee Director • co-ordinate the external and internal messages for the School• liaise between KCNS and the community to market and promote the School• work with the Registrar on admission-related activities and efforts• oversee and provide assistance (i.e., proof-reading) with the Supervisor, Board of Directors

and Secretary, the production of printed materials of internal documents such as the handbook, brochure, flyers School signage, and the like

• oversee and assist the Marketing/Communications Committees and their sub-committees• arrange advertising as necessary, with approval and input from the Board; organize signage

and timely distribution of information• develop marketing plans for new initiatives• assist with the strategic planning for the School• performs other responsibilities as assigned by the Board

7.1.8 Website Administrator • Updating the school website to reflect any changes, important dates, photos and Open house • details. • Tracking site stats and tracking keywords that help identify KCNS on the web through search

sites. • Develop ways to increase traffic to the website.

7.2 Parent Duty Role Descriptions7.2.1 Excursion Organizer (EO)The Person who holds this time-sensitive position arranges for the children to visit places of interest in the community as well as invites special visitors to the school upon consultation with the teachers/supervisor.

At the request of the Supervisor/Teachers, the EO will call the location/visitor to book the excursion and confirm the following information:

• Location or Address• Services they provide• A group rate or each individual child cost• Time & Date Availability

The EO will:

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• Post on the bulletin board, a sign-up sheet for the parents to complete and return to the EO. • Send an email to all parents describing the outing and provide any related links. • Collect all monies for the excursion or advise parents they can drop into the school’s “Money

Box” in an envelope labeled “Excursion Money” with their name on it.

On the day of the excursion:

• The EO will accompany the class and pay the entrance fee with the money collected. • The parent who performs this duty needs to be at the school to collect money from the

parents for the trip or devise a procedure to make it easy for the parents to pay for the trip provides a written record of the year's schedule for next year's co-ordinator (to be given to the Vice-President at the end of the year)

7.2.2 Fridge CleanerParent is in charge of sanitizing fridge on a monthly basis, this is only a couple of shelves. The fridge will be cleaned out and wiped down at the following intervals:

• October• November• January• March• May• End of year clean-up

All the items will be removed from the fridge, then the fridge will be wiped down and sanitized with the supplies provided. All the items in the fridge will be put back.

The parent will put the date on the form on the fridge to show that this has been completed.

*This duty is recommended to those parents who are not taking care of younger children.

7.2.3 Laundry Person • Parent takes home and launder cleans clothes and towels on a weekly basis.• On the last day of each school week, at pick up, the Laundry Person will pick up the laundry.

Everything will be brought back to the school the next week in the morning, at drop off, on the first day of school.

• The clothes and towels need to be laundered, dried and folded .and then put away in their appropriate spots

• If the parent cannot fulfill their laundry duties, it is their responsibility to contact another parent for support.

• Laundry will be placed in a specific spot so the parent can check each week if there is any laundry to wash.

• This duty is great for parents that drop off and pick up their child on a daily basis.

7.2.4 Phone & Email Communicator• The Phone & Email Communicator updates the contact list and prints or emails a copy for

each parent. They also phone and email parents in case of school closure due to weather (e.g., snow storms).

• When York Region Public School Board (YRDSB) announces the cancellation of buses, the school will be closed that day.

• The Phone & Email Communicator will send out an email to all parents, messaging that the school is closed

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• However, if it’s a really bad storm and the internet is down, chances are that the school is closed.

• This position is good for any parent.

7.2.5 Play Dough MakerPlay dough is made at the school and changed weekly. Parent can make 4 batches at a time and keep it refrigerated. Ingredients used are basic baking ingredients.

• Play dough is changed weekly at the school• The Play Dough Maker makes the play dough at the school.• The parent buys the supplies and ingredients

The Play Dough Maker can make up to 4 batches at a time and keep it refrigerated. This will be good for one (1) month. Wrap in saran wrap and store in the fridge.

The recipe for play dough is:

• 3 cups of boiled water• 1 ½ cup of salt• 6 tsp cream of tartar• 3 tbsp oil• Food colouring• 3 cups of flour• Add more flour as needed• Roll into balls and cover with Saran Wrap

This duty is great for a parent who is able to spend time at the school in the morning and who don’t have any other children to take care of.

7.2.6 Sand Table Provider • Parent is in charge of supplying up to bags of sand during the school year for outside and

inside • sandbox. Sand needs to be replaced every two weeks or as the Ministry requests.• Provide up to 10 to 15 bags of sand per year or as Ministry suggests• It is recommended to buy “King Play Sand”. It seems to stay the moist the longest. You can

get it at Home Depot.• The parent is responsible for filling and emptying the sand table every two weeks or as

needed.

This job is great for someone who is very strong because the bags can be quite heavy.

7.2.7 Supplier of Supplies Parent buys / provides supplies for school as needed (mostly paper towels and cleaning agents) and puts them in their designated spots.

Supplies currently needed:

• *Brita Filters (The cost of Brita Filters will be reimbursed by KCNS)• Large refill hand soap• Dish soap bottles• Paper towels• bleach• The list of supplies needed is on the white board in the kitchen.• It is up to the parent to check the white board on a daily basis.

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• This is great for a parent who loves to shop.

7.2.8 Teacher HelperThe duties of the teacher helper are to assist teachers in preparing crafts and other minor day to day activities.

Possible Duties include:

• Cutting and preparing planned crafts• Putting handouts in children’s baskets• Helping for special days such as posting signs • Repairing or updating children’s names on coat hooks or baskets

This job can be done at home or at the school.

7.2.9 Toy WasherNote: **Duty to be divided between all families on a rotation basis.

Parent is in charge of sanitizing toys on a weekly basis. This is done on school premises.

• Toys played with by children need to be washed every week.• The toy washing happens during the school day.• A chart placed on the bulletin board will let the parent know which toys are needed to be

washed• Some toys are to be washed in the sink, others like puzzles and foam blocks will need to be

simply wiped down • A description on the procedure on washing the toys is located above the middle island sinks.• The cleaning supplies are provided by KCNS and will be at the school.• Each person who occupies this position will rotate.• The parent is responsible for putting all the toys away at the end of the day

This duty is not recommended for parents who have young children to take care of. The parent may choose their dates to come in and will need to be spending some time at the school.

7.2.10 OtherIf there is something that you can do/provide which you feel will be asset to the school, please inform the teachers and/or a member of the executive committee. A committee position may be created for you, if approved by the executive committee and all other committee positions have sufficient support.

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8 Conclusion This Parent Handbook was compiled to acquaint you with King City Co-Op Nursery School, to explain the administration and day to day functioning of the school and your role as an assistant to the teachers/supervisor.

Enjoy your time in the school and above all, enjoy the children.

8.1 Amendments Amendments may be made to the Parent Handbook at any time by a majority vote of the executive committee.

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9 Forms9.1 Application for Childcare ServicesKing City Co-Op Nursery School2-50 Elizabeth Grove King City, ON, L7B 1H8Tel: 905.833.8378Email: [email protected]

Child’s Name: ___________________________________ Birth/Due Date: ________ (d/m/y)

Approximate Date Care Needed: ____________________ Gender: M__ F__

Care Needed: Full time ___, Part time ___, Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri (circle days needed)

Parent/Guardian #1: ________________________________________

Parent/Guardian #2: ________________________________________

Full Mailing Address of Applicant: _________________________________________

Street Name and Apartment/Unit Number: _________________________________________

City, Province and Postal Code: _________________________________________

Home Phone: ___________________________

Cell Phone: _________________________

Work Phone for Parent/Guardian #1: ___________________________________

Work Phone for Parent/Guardian #2: ___________________________________

Is either Parent or Guardian affiliated with ABC Childcare Centre? Yes _____ No _____

Faculty ___ Staff ___ Student ___ Current Identification Number _________________

Have you applied for a Children’s Services subsidy? Yes ____ No ____

Does your child have any special needs? Yes ____ No ____ Unknown ______

Note: Completion of this application does not imply that a childcare space will be available when needed. To keep the application active you MUST contact the School’s administration every 6 months to confirm your continued need for childcare at King City Co-Op Nursery School.

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9.2 Application for Childcare ServicesI understand that the personal information on this form will be used for the purpose of determining eligibility and suitability for childcare services including communicating with me from time to time about childcare services at King City Co-Op Nursery School. I understand that personal information may be disclosed to Children’s Services for the purpose of verifying eligibility for a childcare subsidy. By signing this form, I consent to the above described treatment of personal information.

___________________________ _____________________________Name of Applicant (Please Print) Signature of Applicant

___________________________Date (day/month/year)

Office Use Only

___________________________ ____________________________Application Received By: Date Received (day/month/year)

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9.3 Parent Volunteer Participant Waiver

I, ________________________________________ (please print) have read the Parent Handbook for King City Co-Op Nursery School that specifies the school policies and procedures, and I agree to comply with these policies and procedures as outlined.

In addition, I understand my responsibilities and what is expected of me as a Parent Volunteer Participant while in the classroom.

I have also completed and returned my forms for the following:

TB Test and Immunization Vulnerable Sector Screening Program — Police Reference Check

Signature _________________________________________

Date ________________________________________

Child’s Name _________________________________________

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9.4 Medical Consent FormThis form enables a doctor to give necessary treatment in case of an emergency when the parents/guardians cannot be contacted. It is understood that every effort will be made to reach the family. If, at any time, due to such circumstances as an accident, sudden illness, or emergency, and medical treatment is necessary, this treatment may be given to the following named child.

Medical consent form for the school year: 2016-2017

Child’s Name: ______________________________

Date of Birth: ______________________________

Parent/Guardian Name: ______________________________

Parent/Guardian Name: ______________________________

Home Telephone: ______________________________

Work Telephone: ______________________________ (parent/guardian)

______________________________ (parent/guardian)

Cell Phone: ______________________________ (parent/guardian)

______________________________ (parent/guardian)

Emergency Contact Name and Relationship: ___________________________________

Emergency Contact Telephone: ___________________________________

Health Card Number: ______________________________________

Allergies – Food, Medication, etc.: _______________________________________________

Medication/ Health Concerns: _______________________________________________

Permission to take _____________________________ (child’s name) to the hospital in case of an emergency.

History of Communicable Diseases:

Chicken Pox Mumps Scarlet Fever

Measles Rheumatic Fever Whooping Cough

German Measless RSV Fifth’s Disease

Frequent Colds Bronchitis Tonsillitis

Middle Ear Infections Pneumonia

___________________________________ ____________________Parent/Guardian Signature Date (day/month/year)

___________________________________ ____________________Parent/Guardian Signature Date (day/month/year)

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9.4.1 Board of Directors Nomination FormFirst Name: Last Name:

Name of Child(Ren) Attending KCNS:

I am a parent/guardian of a child attending King City Co-Op Nursery School. I have a special commitment to our school and wish to stand for election as one of the 7 representatives on our Nursery School Board of Directors

NOMINATION FOR (Please select one or more of the following):

President Fundraising Chair Registrar Fundraising Chair

I commit myself to:

• Work for the benefit of all the students and the entire school community and to maintain a school-wide focus.

• Be and advisor for the school and work in a positive and collaborative manner with all the members to promote excellence in education.

I am interested in becoming a member of the Board of Directors because:

Any additional information or attributes which make you the ideal candidate for this position:

I understand that the Board of Directors are advisory bodies to the members of King City Co-Op Nursery School. I accept the terms and conditions of the following board position description and understand the terms of the nomination process. YES I agree:

Name of Nominee: Date:

PLEASE COMPLETE, SAVE AND FORWARD BACK TO [email protected]

BY TUESDAY September 30, 2016

KCNS ELECTIONS ARE BEING HELD

DATE TO BE CONFIRMED ~ 7:30 PM AT KCNS

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9.5 Parent ContractThis agreement provides protection for our families, as well as our program. In order to assure that we can provide the services that your child(ren) are entitled to, it is essential that the financial status of our program is stable. The program’s salaries and overhead expenses cannot be reduced because of absentee loses. In essence, this agreement is a parental guarantee that you will financially support the enrolment space guaranteed for your child(ren). The agreement also includes other policies that ensure the smooth running of the school.

9.5.1 AgreementI agree to:

• All of the policies, procedures, and conditions outlined in the Parent Handbook.• I have read, understand, and agree to follow the Behaviour Management.• I will ensure that I review the Behaviour Management with my child(ren) and that he/she

understands and agrees to follow all conditions in the Behaviour Management.• I understand that if my child(ren) remains at the School past the closing time, I will be

charged a late fee of $10.00 for the first 5 minutes late and $1.00 per minute thereafter. If the School is unable to reach me by 3:00 PM, the Police and Children’s Aid Society will be contacted.

• I agree to carry out the parent’s responsibilities under the policies and procedures of the program and King City Co-Op Nursery School.

___________________________________ ____________________

Parent/Guardian Signature Date (day/month/year)

___________________________________ ____________________

Child’s Name Program

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9.6 Release and Indemnity Agreement FormPlease read the following very carefully to ensure that you fully understand the legalities before you sign.

I, the legal parent/guardian of ____________________ (child’s name) give my permission for ____________________ (child’s name) to participate in all School’s activities both on and off the premises of King City Co-Op Nursery School (KCNS).

The undersigned hereby waives and releases KCNS, its Directors, Officers, Agents and employees from any and all claims, demands, actions or causes of action which may arise out of accident, injury or damage which may occur to ____________________ (child’s name) while participating in the School’s activities, on and off-site excursions, for the school year of __________.

I also assume and accept all risk, danger and hazards in connection with KCNS.

I have read and understand this release and indemnity agreement prior to signing it and am aware that by signing this document I am affecting the legal rights and liabilities of myself and my child(ren).

Dated this ____________________day of ______________, ________

Signature of Parent/Guardian ____________________________________

Print Name of Parent/Guardian ____________________________________

Signature of Witness ____________________________________

This form will be kept on file at KCNS for the school year of __________ — __________

Print Name of Witness ____________________________________

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9.7 Offence Declaration Form

NAME: __________________________________________ (please print)

I DECLARE, that:

• I have no convictions for offences under the Criminal Code of Canada up to and including the date of this declaration for which a pardon has not been issued or granted under the Criminal Records Act (Canada).

• I have the following convictions for offences under the Criminal Code of Canada for which a pardon under the Criminal Records Act (Canada) has not been issued or granted.

List of Offences:

1. A. Date:

B. Court Location:

C. Conviction:

2. A. Date:

B. Court Location:

C. Conviction:

(Use separate page if necessary)

DATE OF VULNERABLE REFERENCE CHECK: ______________________________

Dated at _____________ this _____ day of ____20____

_____________________________________________Signature of Employee, Volunteer, or Placement Student

***Submission of false information on an Offence Declaration will result in termination of employment or volunteer service.

Please return in a sealed envelope marked:

Offence Declaration — Confidential to _____________________

Information is collected and disclosed according to Section 29 (1) and 32 of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA).

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10 KCNS Program Statement“Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.” ¯ Plato

A policy statement, together with the regulations that guide program development, pedagogy and practice in licensed child care settings, is intended to strengthen the quality of programs and ensure high quality experiences that lead to positive outcomes in relation to children’s learning, development, health and well-being. (Message from the ministry of Education)

King City Co-Op Nursery School encompasses the research and legislation in Ontario’s three major early learning documents: “How Does Learning Happen?”, The Early Learning for Every Child Today (ELECT) and Think, Feel, Act Lessons from Research about Young Children.

10.1 How Does Learning Happen?Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years is a professional learning resource guide about learning through relationships for those working with young children and families. It is intended to support pedagogy and curriculum/program development in early year’s programs.

Pedagogy is ‘the understanding of how learning takes place and the philosophy and practice that support that understanding of learning’.

Curriculum (the content of learning) and pedagogy (how learning happens) in early years settings are shaped by views about children, the role of educators and families, and relationships among them. The pedagogical document, “How Does Learning Happen?”, helps educators focus on these interrelationships in the context of early years environments.

How Does Learning Happen? is organized around four foundational conditions that are important for children to grow and flourish: Belonging, Well-Being, Engagement, and Expression. These foundations are a vision for the future potential of all children and a view of what they should experience each and every day. These four foundations apply regardless of age, ability, culture, language, geography, or setting. They are aligned with the Kindergarten program. They are conditions that children naturally seek for themselves.

Our “learn through play” philosophy works harmoniously with “How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years.” This document, published in 2014, is used for the purpose of guiding licensed childcare programs. Our goal in utilizing this professional learning resource is to support our programming. We are using the “Foundations for Learning” component of the document to inform our practice in four ways:

Foundations Goals for Children Expectations for ProgramsBelonging Every child has a sense of belonging

when he or she is connected to others and contributes to their world.

Early childhood programs cultivate authentic, caring relationships and connections to create a sense of belonging among and between children, adults, and the world around them.

Well-being Every child is developing a sense of self, health, and well-being

Early childhood programs nurture a child’s healthy development and support their growing sense of self, as well as self-regulation skills

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Foundations Goals for Children Expectations for ProgramsEngagement Every child is an active and engaged

learner who explores the world with body, mind and senses

Early childhood programs provide environments and experiences to engage children in active, creative, and meaningful exploration and play to develop skills such as problem solving, creative thinking and innovating

Expression or communication

Every child is a capable communicator who expresses himself or herself in many ways

Early childhood programs foster communication and expression in all forms including creativity, problem solving, mathematical behaviours and language development

Foundations Goals for ChildrenBelonging King City Co-Op Nursery School (KCNS) as a co-op, cultivates relationships and

connections between children, adults and the greater community. It encourages the children to interact and communicate in a positive way and it fosters a child’s sense of belonging among the world around them. Group participation and co-operative play is an important part of our program as it encourages self-confidence and helps children develop mutual respect and a sense of sharing and caring.

Well-being KCNS aims to nurture a sense of wellness within the child. We incorporate indoor and outdoor play, active play and opportunities for quiet time. While the parents provide snack, teachers ensure that each snack is healthy and combines one item from each food group in accordance with Canada’s Food Guide.

The children are able to bring their own labelled+ water bottles and have access to them at all times. Our drinking water is tested every 3 years. Educators will familiarize themselves with all information concerning any medical conditions, exceptionalities, allergies, food restrictions, medication requirements, and parental preferences in respect to diet and exercise.

KCNS promotes the health, safety, nutrition and well-being of all children in its care. All Centre staff, students and volunteers working with the children must have a valid first aid certification, including infant and child CPR

Play is the cornerstone of our curriculum – understood to be essential to the healthy social and cognitive development of children. Our curriculum takes a child initiated, adult-supported approach that focuses on play-based learning, allowing the child to take the lead and then focusing on his or her interests through intentional observation, interaction and engaged communication. When this approach to learning takes place along with staff’s understanding of child development, each child’s learning and individual development is supported and as a result, the child’s competence, capacity and potential are maximized. We know that children flourish in all areas of development when they are in supportive, caring and responsive relationships with adults whose focus is on the health, safety, nutrition and well-being of all children. This is the foundation of our quality childcare.

Engagement While the children are playing, the teacher actively provides guidance for a child if he/she needs help or asks them questions in order to challenge the child in their play and enhance his or her learning. It is up to the teacher to provide the tools and set the environment in which they play that is rich in materials and potential experiences where the child can continue to explore, investigate and ask questions. Play activities take up a major part of a child's waking hours and so we build on this element to

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Foundations Goals for Childrenpromote whole-child development.

Although the children may seem to be "merely" playing, they are, in fact, learning many of the skills needed to help them grow towards “learning how to learn”. These include: hand-eye coordination, awareness of shapes, creativity, patience, perseverance, balance, symmetry, listening skills, imagination, sharing and cooperation and most importantly, developing their self-confidence, and self-awareness. So whether it is through role play in the dramatic centre, or playing with blocks or mixing paint colours, a child will naturally develop fundamental cognitive and motor skills at his or her own pace, all the while feeling comfortable in his/her surroundings by having control of choosing what they want to play with and as a result, being much more motivated to learn while being relaxed and having fun.

Expression orcommunication

KCNS aims to foster communication and expression in all forms by promoting physical, social, emotional and cognitive growth by offering a wide range of stimulating activities in a nurturing, family friendly environment.

The teachers at KCNS are committed to planning and creating a safe, warm nurturing, child-centred environment and experiences in which each child’s individual needs for learning and development will be supported. We encourage children to be creative, active and engaged learners through interaction with and exploration of their daily environment. Children are encouraged to learn by doing and to try new skills; they are never forced to do more than they feel ready to attempt. The role of the teacher is that of facilitator, to provide the kind of experiences that promote active learning on the part of the child through the combination of planned programming and staff commitment to continued training.

10.2 Think, Feel & Act LessonsThink, Feel, Act, are six research briefs for educators working in early years settings which, highlight the latest research in early childhood development, strategies to put the key ideas into practice and reflective questions for educators.

There is a common thread throughout the briefs: a view of the child as competent, capable of complex thinking, curious, and rich in potential.

These briefs are intended to challenge the status quo and encourage critical reflection as we consider our work from different perspectives.

As ‘briefs’, the documents are not intended to provide an in-depth analysis of each topic, but instead, to pique your interest and highlight key ideas that are useful and relevant to your work. Above all, these briefs are intended to get people talking about some of the big ideas that have such a significant impact on the experiences of children across the province.

In order for a child to have academic success they must develop emotional intelligence. This refers to a broad range of positive social skills as well as skills in areas of self-esteem, empathy, emotional awareness, self-regulation and optimistic resilient thinking habits.

Emotionally Intelligent Children not only do better in school, they have high levels of self-esteem and are able to relate to others in a positive healthy manner.

Our learning through play philosophy enables us to work on your child’s emotional intelligence while at the same time your child is able to work on socialization, self-help skills, cognitive skills, gross motor and fine motor skills in a stress free and fun environment.

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Our program reflects the uniqueness of all children. Children are supported and gain confidence by learning at their own pace in the comfort of a family focused environment with nurturing teachers.

By doing so we will be able to promote:

• The health, safety and nutrition and well-being of the children• support possible and responsive interactions among the children, parents and staff• Encourage the children to interact and communicate in a positive way and support their

ability to self-regulate• Foster the children’s exploration, play and inquiry\provide child-initiated and adult-supported

experiences• Plan for and create positive learning environments and experiences in which each child’s

learning and development will be supported.

10.3 King City Co-Op Nursery School is a…A co-operative nursery school setting that presents a unique opportunity for a mutual learning experience whereby the teacher, parent and child, learn together. A child surrounded by caring teachers and engaged families acquires an enriched program made possible by the personal skills and material resources available because of every one's joint efforts.

To tap into a 2-4 year old’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive needs; The King City Co-Op Nursery School (KCNS) program is centered on a play-based philosophy. Children are full of natural curiosity and they explore this curiosity through play. When children are playing, it is the perfect time to learn. Play teaches children how to problem solve, how to make friends, how to express themselves, how to enjoy the world around them, and how to recognize letters, colours, shapes and numbers. All of these skills form

the foundation of a love of learning and it is our goal at KCNS to promote this love of learning in a safe, warm and loving environment.

KCNS strives to deliver stimulating learning experiences in a safe environment that enhances a child’s social, intellectual, physical, and emotional development. This enhancement happens throughout a child’s daily routine, which encompasses a balance of indoor and outdoor play, as well as active play, quiet time, lunch and snack times.

KCNS parents provide only nutritious snacks, meals and beverages to the children in our care. All food and drink provided by the Centre meet or exceed the recommendations set out in the latest version of Health Canada documents, ‘Canada’s Food Guide’, ‘Canada’s Food Guide – First Nations, Inuit and Métis’ or ‘Nutrition for Healthy Term Infants’, as the case may be.

KCNS is a centre of inclusion. We believe that every child deserves to be treated with dignity, respect and equality. It is the duty of the centre to ensure that any child with special needs is given the opportunity to excel and flourish physically, socially, mentally and emotionally.

KCNS is open to all support services and aids in the community to train our staff, contribute to individual program plans or work in the program as additional support in the classroom. Our staff will work cooperatively in a professional partnership with all services in place for the well-being of the child. Service coordination meetings are required to successfully setup goals and discuss what the best interest of the child and their family.

The community such as the librarian, fire fighters and fitness instructor also play a part in our program. We encourage the children to learn about the people in the community and have visitors coming in as well.

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It is important to the success of our program to have positive and responsive interactions among the children, parents and our staff. We encourage engagement and communication with parents about our program and their children at daily drop-off and pick-up times, email interactions, our Himama app. With pictures and documentation that parents are able to see online and Parent/teacher interviews on request plus the occasional newsletter.

Weekly program plans are also posted in the Centre. This plan offers more details about events and activities in the child’s room. Parents can use this tool for involvement by bringing in resources, such as books, pictures, costumes or music, which are relevant to the programming in the room at that time

KCNS supports our staff in continuous professional learning opportunities to develop their knowledge and to stay current in the profession through regular workshops, seminars/webinars and conferences.

10.4 Early Learning for Every Child Today (ELECT)At KCNS, we follow the Early Learning for Every Child Today (ELECT) document.

ELECT is a framework for Ontario Early Childhood Settings. This early learning framework sets out six principles to guide practice in early year’s settings. It also provides a continuum of development for children from birth to age eight.

ELECT is recognized as a foundational document in the early years sector. It provides a shared language and common understanding of a child’s learning and development for early year’s professionals as they work together in various early childhood settings.

The principles of ELECT have informed provincial child care policy, such as the Ontario Early Years Policy Framework, as well as pan-Canadian early learning initiatives such as the Statement on Play of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada.

ELECT principles are also embedded in the program document used in Ontario’s innovative Kindergarten program.

A statement of principles is based on beliefs, values, experience and current research findings.

The deliberations of the panel converged on six overarching principles that orient Early Learning for Every Child Today:

• Early child development sets the foundation for lifelong learning, behaviour and health.• Partnerships with families and communities strengthen the ability of early childhood settings

to meet the needs of young children.• Respect for diversity, equity and inclusion are prerequisites for honouring children’s rights,

optimal development and learning.• A planned curriculum supports early learning.• Play is a means to early learning that capitalizes on children’s natural curiosity and

exuberance.• Knowledgeable, responsive early childhood professionals are essential. Understanding

children’s development begins with an understanding of the sequence

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10.5 Documentation & ReviewingWe understand that pedagogical documentation is a way for our staff to learn about how children think and learn. We make daily observations of the children in the program and use this information to inform our future planning. We have monthly staff meetings to assess what we have observed about the children and try to interpret the meaning of why they are doing what they do. We have started to document using an app called HiMama.

“HiMama provides a quick and easy way for childcare programs and parents to record and share children's activities, everything from silly and fun moments to learning and developmental milestones. The HiMama solution for childcare and early learning programs is based on extensive research and interviews with early childhood educators and enables quick and intuitive recording of observations in the early childhood setting, as well as instant sharing with parents through real-time emails and updates through their mobile apps. In addition to staying informed on their children's activities while in childcare programs, parents can also log their children’s activities so they’ll never forget their favorite stories and can always relive through photos and videos in their child's online journal.”

In addition, we email parents and encourage parents to email us and always make time to talk to them by scheduling a meeting outside class time. However, being a co-op we tend to communicate with the children’s parents often by seeing them arrive and seeing them when they pick up their children that ongoing communication is always there.

10.6 Program Assessment & Reflective PracticesAt KCNS, we assess our program monthly to ensure our program is meeting the needs of the children and the group and that their environment is set up according to the interests of the group.

Monitoring of staff, students, volunteers will be done twice annually in the form of a separate staff monitoring check list of items that adhere to the program statement.

In the event that the Director or designate observes or is made aware of any practice that is not supported they will address the issue with the staff member according to the strategies outlined in the Disciplinary Policy that is outline in the Disciplinary Policy that is outline in the Parent Handbook.

All KCNS staff (Supervisors, Teachers, Assistants and Volunteers) have made a commitment to abide by the standards of practice as described in the Behaviour Management on page 8.

• We want to ensure that your children have safe and positive experiences. The CCEYA legislation asks us to include these prohibited practices in this package for you. The following practices are not supported by our facility and will result in immediate termination of our staff:

• Corporal punishment of the child; • Physical restraint of the child, such as confining the child to a high chair, car seat, stroller or

other device for the purposes of discipline or in lieu of supervision, unless the physical restraint is for the purpose of preventing a child from hurting himself, herself or someone else, and is used only as a last resort and only until the risk of injury is no longer imminent;

• Locking the exits of the child care centre or home child care premises for the purpose of confining the child, or confining the child in an area or room without adult supervision, unless such confinement occurs during an emergency and is required as part of the licensee’s emergency management policies and procedures;

• Use of harsh or degrading measures or threats or use of derogatory language directed at or used in the presence of a child that would humiliate, shame or frighten the child or undermine his or her self-respect, dignity or self-worth;

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• Depriving the child of basic needs including food, drink, shelter, sleep, toilet use, clothing or bedding; or

• Inflicting any bodily harm on children including making children eat or drink against their will.

We keep records pertaining to and monitoring of our Program Statement for 3 years.

KCNS ensures that all new staff, students and volunteers review this program statement prior to interacting with the children; and, that all staff, students and volunteers review this program statement at any time that it is modified or at least annually.

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Documents

kcns.pcpcontario.orgkcns.pcpcontario.org/data/uploads/kcns_parent_handbook_nov_19_201… · Web viewWhile the children are playing, the teacher actively provides guidance for a