The Kiddie Lodge
Early ChildhoodEducationCenter
Voted #1 Daycare & Preschool Framingham and MetroWest Region/ 2014-2015
Parent/Student Handbook
2015/2016
Mary Ellen Wyman, M.Ed., C.A.E.S.
Director
27 Cherry Street
Framingham, MA01701
Tel. 508-875-4215
E-mail:
The Kiddie Lodge, Established in 1955
Table of Contents
The Kiddie Lodge
27 Cherry St.
Framingham, MA01701
(Revised 7/1/2014)
Page
Mission Statement4
Vision Statement4
Non-Discrimination Policy4
Department of Early Education and Care5
Philosophy5
Goals6
QRIS6
History7
Faculty8
Program Policies8
Discipline Policy8
Positive Steps to Discipline9
Tuition Policy9
Registration10
Orientation10
Transportation Policy11
Arrival and Departure
Birthday parties (policy regarding treats)12
Cubbies12
Holidays and Snow Days12
Snacks13
Choking Prevention13
Food to Avoid Preventing Choking13
Admission Requirements14
Absentee Policy14
Individual Health Care Plans (Policy)15
Health Policy15/16
Toilet and Diapering Policies17
Diapering Policy17
Toilet Training Policy17
Medications18
Injuries at School19
Emergency Procedure/Contingency Plan 19
Fire Drill Policy20
Suspension Policy20
Termination Policy21
Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect22
Referral Services Policy22
Parental Involvement and Communication22
Progress Reports22
Confidentiality and Distribution of Records23
Transition to Another Classroom23
Year in Review Questionnaire24
Right to Amend Handbook24
MISSION STATEMENT
The Kiddie Lodge is an early childhood education center dedicated to the enrichment of children ages 15 months to Kindergarten. The mission of the Kiddie Lodge is to provide a warm, nurturing “home away from home” that is student centered, family friendly while at the same time giving individual attention to the development of the whole child in an environment that is loving, respectful, accepting, tolerant, yet, challenges all children to realize their fullest potential.
Vision Statement
At the Kiddie Lodge our vision is to be the best early childhood care and education center in the Metro West area. We provide the best educational practices by our excellent staff, constant communication with our parents, and a child centered program that will provide Kiddie Lodge graduates with a strong foundation for healthy and productive lives.
Non-Discrimination Policy
The Kiddie Lodge shall not discriminate in providing services (including toilet training) to children or families based on race, religion, culture, political beliefs, marital status, ethnic origin, natural heritage, sexual orientation or disability of any kinds. We adhere to all of The Department of Early Education and care of the State of Massachusetts policies, rules and regulations in order to provide professional, nurturing and loving care for your child.
Department of Early Education and Care
The Kiddie Lodge is a program that is licensed by the EEC, Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. The office is located at 10 Austin Street, Worcester, MA. The telephone number is
508-879-5180 x 216.
Parents should feel free to contact EEC for information regarding the program’s regulatory compliance history.
Philosophy
The Kiddie Lodge is devoted to the total child. We view each student as a unique growing person with unlimited potential.
The early childhood years are a very significant period of rapid physical growth and personality development. Therefore, we make every effort to provide an environment designated to stimulate and enhance the natural development of intellectual curiosity, creativity, social stability and physical agility.
The classes provide a warm, cheerful and caring atmosphere in which the child may explore and grow. We pride ourselves on our family-like environment of encouraging support, generosity, friendliness and sincere concern for others.
Our curriculum is designed to teach the whole child by providing a balanced program of structured and informal learning. The program at the Kiddie Lodge is based on established theories of child development. The following list of key emphasis points will clearly illustrate the depth of our early childhood experiences as a solid foundation for future learning.
Language Development
Math Skills
Social and Emotional Development
Science Enrichment
Music and Movement
Social Studies
Physical Development
STEM
Goals
It is our goal to provide rich, meaningful, balanced and developmentally appropriate programs for our students. Our curriculum is designed to stimulate cognitive, social, creative and emotional growth in an interactive environment. We will expose your child to many learning activities, which allow for hands-on exploration, experimentation and cooperative experiences allowing our teachers (Educators) to observe your child as they interact with their surroundings. We realize that children acquire knowledge about the physical and social world in which they live through life experience and a genuine interest in making sense of their world. We also realize that as their child’s first teacher, parents have the greatest impact on their children’s lives.
For this reason, the Kiddie Lodge firmly believes the more meaningful learning surroundings on a day to day basis the better he/she will be equipped to fully understand it. In addition, our goal is also to encourage families to participate in the early education and care setting. We try to provide the opportunity to engage in a partnering relationship with educators who can complement your knowledge of your own child with an understanding of how children of the same age learn.
We believe that major learning advances should come through first hand
Experiences with more exposure to content than mastery of content.
QRIS/ Quality Rating and Improvement
The Kiddie Lodge is proud to report that it is an active participant in the QRIS, a quality rating and improvement method to assess, improve and communicate the level of quality in early care and education. The standards for Center Based Programs are Curriculum, Safe, Healthy indoor and outdoor environments, family and community Engagement and Leadership Management and Administration. The Kiddie Lodge is currently working on completing its Program Improvement Plan for level 3 acquisition. QRIS is In addition to ECC the state mandated licensing program for Early Childhood Education.
History
Welcome to the Kiddie Lodge! We are very happy you have entrusted your child to our care. The Kiddie Lodge, established in 1955, was formerly a large homestead. Our home-like environment and natural setting offers a warm, loving atmosphere with bright airy rooms, safe off street parking and spacious protected play yards on 2 ½ acres of land conveniently accessible to major highways, including Route 9 and the Mass Pike. The Kiddie Lodge provides continuity in the curricula of four grade levels: Young toddlers 15 months to approximately 2.9, Pre-school 2.9 to 3+ yrs. and 4 and 5 years. The Kiddie Lodge was voted “Best of the BestChildCareCenter” for eleven consecutive years. The Kiddie Lodge is licensed for an enrollment of 58 children and certified as a private school by the Massachusetts Dept. of Early Education and Care.
Faculty
Our staff includes one director, seven teachers, several assistant teachers and one nurse consultant. All are dedicated individuals committed to providing a safe, nurturing environment where learning is fun. All believe in providing opportunities that allow for a child’s individual growth at his/hers own ability. We believe the role of our teachers (Educators) is that as a facilitator of children’s learning, promoting and guiding the development of the whole child. All staff members have annual CORI checks by the State of Massachusetts Dept of Early Childhood. They are listed on the PQ Registry and have annual reviews of their IPDP (Individual Professional Development Plans). All staff members are required to complete 20 hours of Professional Development courses or ECC training annually. Masters, Bachelors and Associate degrees are recommended along with state mandated requirements. All staff are mandated to attend monthly staff meetings and are “formally” evaluated once a year with daily supervised unannounced “Drop-ins.” All new staff meet with the Director for an Orientation session and have the full mentoring support of the Director and other experienced Kiddie Lodge Educators.
Student Interns are invited and encouraged to work at the Kiddie Lodge in partnership with the Early Childhood Education Program at KeefeTechnicalSchool in Framingham, Massachusetts or FraminghamStateUniversity . In addition the Kiddie Lodge does partner with area colleges such as Mt.Ida to allow people the opportunity to do their student teaching
semester working with the children at the Kiddie Lodge under the supervision of our staff with Bachelors and or Masters Degrees. In such cases the Administration of the Kiddie Lodge and the partnering school enter into an agreement clearing describing the student responsibilities and supervision of the students by the Kiddie Lodge and partnering school.
Staff Supervision: There is regular and ongoing supervision of all educators at the Kiddie Lodge. Observation of educators while working with children is conducted every month by the Director as mandated by the QRIS level 3 directives, documented and initialed by the staff member upon review of the classroom visit.
In addition the Director is constantly in and out of the classroom doing informal visits daily at all times.
Program Policies
Discipline Policy
All of our staff members believe in positive reinforcement. In each classroom, there are clear and consistent limits for behavior. Children count on the wisdom of adults to set reasonable limits. Limits are necessary to maintain safety and protect the health and rights of others. If a child makes mistakes, it is valued as a learning tool, not as a failure. All teachers (Educators) comply with the regulations which are written within the Kiddie Lodge policies are followed on a daily basis. If a parent/parents need to be notified of a problem, they are notified by phone first then a written note is sent home. If we or parents feel a meeting is needed, then one will be set up. This is a policy that the Kiddie Lodge and the Department of Early Education and Care which licenses all childcare centers recommend.
Positive Steps to Discipline
Following are the guidelines for maintaining discipline that the staff at the Kiddie Lodge practices. Our staff members will do the following with a calm voice:
- Give directions positively.
- Redirect the children away from trouble and substitute your direction.
- Never shame child/children.
- If child/children must be removed from a group, make sure it is done quietly and gently but, firmly and talk the situation over with the child/children.
- Make sure that he/she understands the reason for the discipline. Let the child/children know that you are counting on them for their help if this happens again. Good discipline is helpful, not hurtful, loving not punitive. Good discipline increases a child’s understanding and diminishes bad feelings. Good discipline remembers that a child needs love most when he/she is unlovable.
- No corporal punishment
- No cruel or severe punishment, humiliation or verbal abuse
- No denial of food as punishment
- No punishment for soiling, wetting or not using the toilet
10. All staff members must comply with the above policy at all times
11.”Time out” may not exceed one minute for each year of child’s
age and must take place within an educator’s view.
- No child is ever confined in any manner in lieu of supervision
- The Kiddie Lodge encourages the use of “words” and verbal communication when dealing with our children.
- The Staff encourage the children to use the “Cozy” area in each classroom when necessary. This is a space that allows the children to use self help tools in quieting themselves when they feel anxious or “Out of Sorts.”
Tuition Policy
(Rates are given as a hard copy at the time of the initial visit and also listed on the website…
The Kiddie Lodge has a monthly payment plan, depending on your child’s enrollment schedule. No abatement is made for absences, holidays or snow days. A two-week written notice is required before granting vacation time in accordance with existing policy. This is granted to twelve month students only and they must be full time students to get this credit for a vacation. If your child/children do not attend the school, fails to give a two week written notice to withdraw, and leaves from the Kiddie Lodge within a three month period of the start date or with an outstanding balance owed to the school, all registration, supply and two weeks security deposits are kept. These monies are non-refundable to you. Schedule changes must be in writing. TUITION IS DUE ON THE FIRST DAY OF EACH MONTH OR MONDAY IF PAYING WEEKLY. THERE IS A $25.00 LATE FEE (TUITION THAT IS NOT PAID BY THE 15TH OF THE MONTH. THIS FEE WILL BE
ADDED TO YOUR BILL EVERY MONTH AND WILL ACCUMULATE. Any unpaid balance at the end of any given month will require a meeting with the owner.) Returned checks are charged a fee of $25.00 for bank processing. Payments are made payable to the Kiddie Lodge and are due the first Monday of each month. Notice to withdraw must be given in writing two weeks in advance of the planned withdrawal date, except in June when full tuition is due regardless of notice to withdraw.
Registration
Parents interested in enrolling their child or children at the Kiddie Lodge are given a tour of our center and invited to observe the program(s) while they are in operation. At that time a packet of information is given to each perspective parent containing a copy of the Vision and Mission Statement, calendar for the year, tuition information including vacation policy, fees, tuition and late fees, etc…
Once a family registers a child into the Kiddie Lodge a second packet of information is given and must be returned prior to the child attending including the most recent physical exam.
We also recommend that each child come in and visis their classroom prior to their first day. All essential documents, including a non-refundable registration fee and a two-week security deposit (based on your child’s schedule) must be submitted prior to your child’s first day of school. If there are any changes of phone numbers, emergency contacts or any other vital information, please inform us immediately.
Orientation
Entering a new school can be overwhelming for children. It can also be a very exciting experience. We hope the following list will help you and your child have a smooth transition:
- Visit the center, mention names of their teacher(s) or other classmates frequently
- Present a positive outlook, assure your child they are safe, secure and will be cared for
- Explore the classroom with your child
- Always say good-bye, leaving without a good-bye can break the trust between you and your child
- Separation anxiety may not occur immediately due to the newness of the situation, constant reassurance by both you and their teacher will help reduce this anxiety.
- Parents are welcomed and encouraged to visit the school unannounced at any time once the child gets settled into his routine.
- The Kiddie Lodge invites parents to come at least once a month to a planned “special” event in the morning from 9 to 10 to spend time with their children having snack and doing projects to celebrate special events such as “Snowflake Day” in December, “Share the Love” in February, etc…
- The Kiddie Lodge also invites and encourages parents to share their expertise with our classes, e.g. fire man, police man,construction worker, doctor, dentist, crossing guard, etc…
We want to make this transition as easily as possible, feel free to contact us if you have any concerns or questions.
Transportation Policy
The Kiddie Lodge does not personally transport children to and from the Kiddie Lodge. The Kiddie Lodge does require every family to note how children will be transported to and from school and this document will be attached to the child’s folder.
Arrival and Departure
We request that no children arrive any later than 9:00 A.M. Arrival time is a good time to confer with your child’s teacher about any information that may affect his/her day or special activities. When picking up your child, please make contact with their teacher, find out about your child’s day, etc.
Children will be released only to those persons whose names are listed on the Authorization and Consent form or if there is a written authorization from the parent advising the center of another person not listed on the form. Teachers will ask for identification before releasing the child.
If a person other than the ones listed on the authorization card is picking up your child the parent must call in and tell the Director or Teacher who will be picking up the child and the individual will be required to show his/her license.
In addition the Kiddie Lodge is required to release a child to a parent unless there is a formal restraining order by a judge or other documentation listed in the child’s folder. One parent telling a teacher not to release a child to another parent/guardian is not legal. The appropriate legal paperwork must accompany the request.
Birthdays and Birthday Parties in and out of Class time