Bayside Montessori School, September 2023
Hello!
Welcome to a new school year! We hope you have enjoyed a wonderful summer. You may have received a new version of our handbook either in January or within the last few weeks. The version included with this email is the most recent version. Please ensure that you refer to it. Please read it over and sign off on all forms included with the handbook and attached to the newsletter.
Please read, sign, and return our anaphylaxis statement included with the newsletter. We have a new student with an allergy to walnuts. It is of great importance that we are all diligent in ensuring our new friend is always safe. We aske that if your child is eating during your trip to school, that you ensure his or her hands and face are cleaned up with a sanitary wipe before you enter our classroom. It is also imperative that you are diligent in ensuring that your child’s backpack contains no type of food or candy, not toys and no lip balms or skin care products. We ask that you review your child’s backpack everyday before leaving home.
School begins at 8 am and ends at 4 pm this year. These were our regular hours pre-covid. All children must be picked up no later than 4 pm unless you are signed up and have paid for aftercare. There is no grace period for being late. You will be charged a late fee and placed on a warning list. While this may seem harsh, this rule has been put into place to ensure that we are always in ratio for aftercareand because our staff have obligations outside of school and need to be able to leave at their allotted times. When staffmust wait for a late parent, the school must keep them on-the-clock and pay for their overtime. When someone is late by even a minute, that is an hour’s worth of overtime the school must pay to the staff member. The same rules apply with regards to aftercare. Please ensure you read the arrival and departure policy in the handbook. Late ick-up fees apply to all pick-up times including morning and lunch and aftercare.
We will be implementing field trips back into our program this year. If you are interested in volunteering to help on a field trip you must obtain a criminal background check for vulnerable sector, to be kept on file at Bayside. To acquire the background check, you can go to the City of Kingston police website. If you reside outside of Kingston, you must apply, in person, at your local OPP detachment. When applying in person, you must provide two forms of ID, such as a driver’s license and a passport.
Children who have a fever are expected to remain home for 24 hours after free of symptoms. Children who experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhea are expected to remain home 48 hours after free of symptoms. Our illness and exclusion policy is suggested by the KFL&A Health Unit. We know that illness can be tough to judge, and that is why we have such precautions in place.Please respect and follow this policy for the well-being of all the children and staff.
Please apply sunscreen before your children arrive at school. We will re-apply the school’s sunscreen for the afternoon. Please use unscented sunscreen.
Items to be kept at school are as follows.
A change of seasonal clothing
A pair of rubber-soled, indoor shoes for running and playing in the gym. (please label all clothing. We are not responsible for lost items). Running shoes are also require for outdoor play and can be worn to and from school. Crocks and opened-toed sandals are prohibited , as they tend to be a safety risk. Rainboots are clumsy and can cause falls and therefore are not appropriate for outdoor play.
Two boxes of facial tissues to be used I the classroom by all students.
A small backpack that fits properly in your child’s cubby. Backpacks that are too big will not leave room for you child’s other belongings.
Plastic bags that are large enough for soiled clothing.
Please provide all items that are listed by September 5th, which is our first day back.
We are going to begin a new procedure to promote grace and courtesy during arrival and departure. We hope that you will support us as we greet and say goodbye to each child with verbal confirmation and a handshake. We understand that for some students, this will prove difficult. Our hope is, that over time, they will choose to participate. This practice also allows us to keep track of the children as they enter and depart the premises.
We are looking forward to a wonderful school year!
Kindly,
Melissa, Jan, Susan, Paula, and Nicole
