Early Childhood Addendum
Student – Parent Handbook
2017-2018
Arrival:
We want your child to receive the best possible Early Childhood experience. In order for this to happen, each child needs to attend school regularly and be on time each day. Late arrivals are difficult to the child, as s/he is not part of the morning routine. It also causes a disruption to the teacher and the class, interfering with the learning of all.
Arrival each morning for all of the Early Childhood sessions is via the South side door (the door nearest the driveway between the school and the convent).
We invite all parents to walk their child(ren) to the door of the school each morning. That said, we ask you to park in an area that is appropriately designated and NOT a driveway. The Church parking lot to the north of the Church is available. You may park on the side streets and walk along Mayfair Road or on New Hyde Park Road and walk across the school yard. Parking in front of the school and double parking are not permitted. Kindly do not park on the curb facing the wrong way or block a neighbor’s driveway. That is both illegal and a hazard to the children.
We also have valet service for the morning drop-off.
Valet service will be available from 8:35 AM to 8:45 AM for the children enrolled in the Nursery and Pre-K programs. If you opt for this, please be mindful of the following:
Please drive down Mayfair Road in a north to south direction. Enter Mayfair Road from the north end off Durham Road and proceed in line.
Have your child prepared to exit the car as quickly as possible. Have him/her seated on the passenger side of the car.
Your child’s backpack must be at the child’s feet on the passenger side of the car with the lunchbox inside, if possible.
Always put your care in PARK when someone comes to your vehicle.
Please refrain from using the cell phone while in the valet line so you have no distractions as you go through the line to drop off your child.
School staff will be there to open car doors and see that children go to the proper location. Do NOT get out of your car or shut your car off.
There will be no morning conferences at the car.
If you have something that needs to be dropped off to the teacher such as cupcakes or supplies, you may not use the valet line.
Please do not have any pets in the vehicle, even if leashed or in the front seat.
Please do not pass any vehicles in the valet line; wait for the car in front of you to pull away and then follow.
School staff will not forcibly remove an unwilling child from any vehicle. Should this occur, you will have to park beyond the driveways and escort your child to the door.
You will be notified via the Remind 101 system if valet is suspended for any reason.
If you arrive after 8:45 AM, please bring your child to the General Office where you must sign in and walk your child to the class.
If you forget to send something with your child (lunch, snack, jacket, etc.), please drop it off in the office. Please make sure that it is labeled with your child’s name and class.
Unless your child is enrolled in the Early Bird Program (early morning drop off), s/he is not allowed in the classrooms until the doors open at 8:35.
Please be sure your child has a chance to use the bathroom just before coming to school.
The valet service will begin on September 18th. This is an option. For the first few days of school, we are asking that everyone walk his/her child to the appropriate line in the south school yard. This will allow our teachers to get to know the children and associate the parent and child. Please be patient with our staff during the first few days. It will take some time for everyone to get into the routine as there are almost 100 little ones arriving each day. Remember that these procedures have been set up for the safety of the children.
*Valet Service will be suspended in the event of severe or icy weather conditions.
Dismissal:
All classes are dismissed though the south doors.
Half-day Nursery and Pre-K
Children in the half day programs will be dismissed on a line in the south yard. Parents are asked to wait behind the gate. Teachers will dismiss each child individually to the designated pick-up person. If you have arranged for an alternate pick-up, please ask the person to have identification available.
Full-day Nursery and Pre-K
The full day Pre-K and Nursery classes are dismissed into the South School Yard. Parents are asked to come into the yard and wait until your child’s class is led out of the building by the teacher. The classes line up and the children are handed off to their parent or guardian.
It is the responsibility of the parents to notify the school beforehand if there is to be a change in the routine way your child is to be picked up from school or to whom he/she is to be dismissed. You may send a signed, dated note that morning to the teacher.
If there is an emergency causing a change in dismissal please call the school office prior to 2:30 PM (516-354-5618) and we will try to get the information to the teacher on time.
Children will not be permitted to leave school with anyone except those designated on the Emergency Contact Information form maintained in the General Office. Identification will be required.
Please be prompt when picking up your child at dismissal. If for any reason you have an emergency kindly notify the office and your child will be placed in our After-Care program.
PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY AT ALL TIMES ON MAYFAIR ROAD AS WE HAVE PRECIOUS CARGO TO PROTECT!
After-Care:
After-care and Early Bird begin on September 8th for the Early Childhood classes. N and all Pre-K sessions are eligible for the Early Bird program. Students in the full day Pre-K program are eligible for After-Care.
Hot lunch and snack (this applies to full day Pre-K only):
Beginning in October, your child may purchase hot lunch on a daily basis. Please send the exact amount in an envelope labeled with your child’s name and items for purchase inside the child’s folder. Until that time, please send him/her with lunch. This should consist of the lunch, a lunchtime snack and drink. We also have snack each day. Please send this in daily and clearly label it so it is not eaten at lunch time. The lunch menu is on the back of the monthly calendar.
Illness:
If your child shows any signs of illness, please keep him or her at home. Please do not send your child to school if s/he has a fever orhas been vomiting. Please keep him/her home until s/he is symptom free for 24 hours. Notify the medical office in the morning if the child will be absent (354-2731), especially if the absence is due to a communicable disease so we may notify the other parents.
If the absence is planned in advance, please send a note ahead of time.
Please note:
You will be given a “symbol” that will identify your child’s class. Please make sure that it is affixed to his/her schoolbag. This helps us direct your child to the proper classroom.
PAVE:
All parents are invited and encouraged to take part in the many friend and fundraisers that help keep tuition costs down. Please attend to the flyers that are sent home and the notices on the website ( and monthly calendar. There is only one mandatory fundraiser, The Pot of Gold Sweepstakes. However, your support of the others is greatly appreciated.