Policies

Transitions

Classroom placement is based on chronological ages of children enrolled. We typically transition children in late August and early June. An exception can be based on the child’s social, physical, and emotional development and interest in curriculum and activities, as long as there is a slot available. Your child’s teacher will assist you in gradually transitioning in the most positive way we can.

Behavior Management Procedures

Adventure Academy Early Learning Center has a no yelling policy, and prohibits corporal punishment of any kind, verbal abuse, or humiliation. Our staff is trained to problem solve, redirect, and set clear limits when a behavior problem occurs. We encourage positive reinforcement, redirected activities, and moving the child to a quiet place in the room to calm down. If behavior problems occur such as harming others/property, or disruptive manners, parents will be notified and encouraged to discuss an action plan to help the child behave in a more positive manner. If the problem occurs a second time, parents will be required to sign a written warning. The written warning will state that if the problem continues for a third offense, harms safety of staff and other children, child care will be suspended until a proper action plan takes place.

Assessment

Adventure Academy Early Learning Center will use three different methods of assessment. Each age group will have a designated log. The infant/toddler log is daily and includes information on potty training, mood, nap, and meals. The preschool log is weekly and is a great tool to learn more about specific content your child is learning and their classroom behavior. At the end of each week, you will receive your child’s log which is a personalized weekly synopsis and contains information on what skills your child mastered and what play centers they enjoyed the most. The 6 month service report is on your child’s total development, and is based upon observation and performance in all classroom and natural settings. Our Preschool aged children will also complete a formal Pre-K evaluation twice a year (September and May) to ensure the curriculum goals adhere to the classroom needs, and for ongoing program improvement. These methods of assessment also help the parents and teachers communicate effectively on the child’s development and milestones.

Individualized Education Program

A copy of your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or written behavioral plan is required in order to assist your child appropriately. We consider the individual needs of all children, and will integrate individual accommodations or strategies that therapists, special educators, and other professionals see fit. We will permit an adult individual who provides specialized services in the facility for the child in need, with appropriate documentation.

Family Involvement

Our program is designed to keep you knowledgeable about your child’s milestones, day to day activities, and school events. Parents are encouraged to read any newsletters, daily/weekly logs, take home notes, and calendars that we send home. Parents can also communicate via email, Facebook page, and telephone calls. Families are welcome to participate in classroom activities, school events, fundraising, and field trips. We encourage you to make things for the program and contribute to the curriculum in any way you see fit. Teachers will be sure to communicate with their classroom parents when any volunteer opportunities are available. Any person, including parents, with felony convictions, sex offender convictions, and/or open investigations to any criminal activities will not be permitted to volunteer in the classroom, or on field trips. Parents with court orders detailing custodial agreements will only be permitted to volunteer on days in which they are afforded custody.

Field Trips

Our program incorporates guest speakers and off-premise field trips. In order for children to attend these events, parents are required to sign a permission slip. Parents will receive a note with all trip information including day, time, location, cost, supplies needed, and mode of transportation. If your child is not permitted to attend on off-premise field trip, please discuss alternate care with your child’s teacher/director. There will be a slot available for the day if the required ratios can be maintained.

Birthday Events/Holiday Parties

If you choose to send in treats for your child’s birthday, you must check with child’s teacher/director on classroom allergies. We will celebrate your child’s birthday during afternoon snack. Parents are also encouraged to bring in a treat for classroom holiday parties; teachers will post a sign-up sheet in the classroom, as well as a notification of classroom allergies.

Below is a list of Parties we will plan throughout the year:

• Christmas

• Thanksgiving

• Halloween

• Valentine’s Day

• Year End Party

• Mother’s Day

• Father’s Day

• Easter

Food and Allergies

Food allergies are becoming more common in infants and children. To reduce the likelihood of exposure, our facility will be a peanut/tree nut free facility. Parents are required to provide a signed copy of the “Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan” form and include information on food or other allergies at time of enrollment or when allergy occurs. This form is to be updated every 6 months, or as frequently as needed. Parents must also inform facility on treatment and prevention of the child’s allergy. All staff that are in contact will be made aware of the child’s allergy. The facility provides breakfast, and two snacks, each are served at a specific, consistent time. All meals will consist of a fruit and a grain. Fruits will be available for meals as long as they are in season and available. Parents are to provide a lunch each day, lunchboxes must be stored in the classroom refrigerator. Per state regulations, ice packs are not permitted in your children’s lunch. Parents must store warm food in a thermos, which must be kept inside the lunchbox. In the event you forget your child’s lunch, we will provide them with a meal for a $5 charge. Children and staff will be required to wash their hands before and after all meals. The teachers will encourage table manners, socialization, and good eating habits during meal time. If a special diet is prescribed for a child, and if the diet is administered during care, written instructions and the parents written consent shall be retained in the child’s file.

• Daily Meal Schedule provided by facility
  o 7:30-8:00 AM Breakfast (milk, whole grain, fruit)

  o 10:15-10:30 AM Snack (water, whole grain, fruit)

  o 3:00-3:15 PM Snack (water, whole grain, fruit)

Health and Illness

If your child has a temperature of 100 degrees or higher, or is experiencing symptoms such as pink eye, vomiting, sore throat, ear ache, mouth sores, severe nose drainage that is yellow or green, diarrhea, or unusual skin rash while in care, you will be contacted by staff to come get your child. You will receive an illness report, and be permitted to return to school only after 24 hours of your child being symptom/fever free. In some cases, a doctor’s note may be required to return to school. Please keep your child home if they are experiencing any of the above symptoms prior to care. Staff are required by the Department of Health to conduct a health check upon arrival. In some cases, your child may not be accepted into care if he/she is showing signs of illness upon observation. Parents are required to call or email the school to inform staff if their child will be late or absent. A note will be given to the whole facility in the event a child has a serious contagious illness.

Medication Policy

The staff will only give medication to a child that is over-the-counter and/or prescription that is in original labeled bottle. Any prescriptions must have a written doctor’s note with administration instructions including the child’s name, the medication name, dosage, special precautionary measures, and the dates the medication is to be given. Parents and staff are required to fill out a Medication Form, which can be obtained from teacher or director.

Injury/Accident

If weather appropriate, we are required to take children outside for at least one hour a day. Please keep this in mind when dressing your child for school. If your child becomes injured, other than that of a minor incident such as a scrape or bruise, the parent will be notified immediately via telephone. All incidents will be assessed and documented on an “Incident Report” signed and dated by the staff who reported the incident. The parent will also need to sign the report, and copies of the report shall be kept in a file at the facility. The staff is required to have a first-aid kit with them, inside of the classroom, and outside of the care space at all times.

Pick up and Drop off

Our facility will have a secure access door. All Staff will be clearly identifiable by a photo ID badge and lanyard. The reception area located in the facility lobby will have a sign-in/sign- out sheets, and parents are responsible to write on their child’s sheet the time of drop and pick up, with a signature. We ask that parents make this a daily habit as it is important for attendance records, and emergency situations, if needed. Each morning a staff member will greet parents and children in a friendly, positive matter. Parents are required to escort their children to their designated classroom at arrival. Parents will help children put away their belongings (backpack, lunchbox, and outerwear) and get settled.

Once a parent arrives to pick up their child, they are solely responsible for supervising their child in the facility. The parent may not allow their child to wander around any part of the facility alone. Children are required, by law, to be supervised at all times while at the facility.

In the event of an emergency, a child may be released to an individual upon oral designation of the parent, if the identity can be proven by staff. Please note the individual picking up must have a valid form of identification.

Please note, early drop off/late pick up must be approved by the staff first, as we are required to follow teacher to child ratio. We will only accept pick up/drop off outside of contracted times if there is a slot available. Parents will be allowed a 15 min grace period for early pick-ups and late fees.

• $5.00 upon pick-up: 16-30 minutes

• $10.00 upon pick-up: 31-60 minutes

• $20.00 upon pick-up: 61 minutes or more

• $15.00 for every 15 minutes after facility closing

Key Fob Access

The facility has secured doors to ensure that entry is only permitted to authorized staff and families. In order to enter the building, families will need to use their magnetic swipe card (key fob). Limit 2 per family. The first key fob is free, the second must be purchased at a $5.00 cost. Replacement of a key fob will be granted at a $5.00 cost. Key fobs must be returned at the end of services with Adventure Academy.

Adverse Weather/Holidays

In the event of inclement weather, we will try our best to stay open, however for the safety of the staff and children we will close based upon severe conditions of ice, snow, extremely cold temperatures, and road conditions. Families will be notified of delays or closures through email and/or Facebook. In some cases, an early dismissal may be called for severe weather conditions, in this event, families will be notified via call/text.

The center will be closed for the following observed Holidays:

• New Year’s Eve: December 31

• New Year’s Day: January 1

• Good Friday: Friday before Easter

• Memorial Day: Last Monday in May

• Independence Day: July 4th

• Teacher In-Service: The day before the first day of the new academic school year

• Labor Day: First Monday in September

• Thanksgiving: Third Thursday in November

• Black Friday: Friday after Thanksgiving

• Christmas Eve: December 24

• The business days between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day

Emergency Procedures

The facility practices fire drills and evacuation monthly.

• In case of a fire, staff will assist children in evacuating to the nearest, safest fire safety exit. The staff will assemble the children outside in the safest location, and conduct roll call and count. Staff is required to take emergency contact sheets with them, and Director is required to contact the fire department, as well as, report any missing children.

• In case of a threat, parents will be notified of a threat to the facility, child, or employee. In some cases, the facility may close.

• In the case of a missing child, the teacher will immediately check with all other teachers in the building and notify the Director on duty. The Director will call 911 immediately, if after the quick search, the child is not found, The Director will notify the parents. When the child is found, all parties will be notified, and the event will be reported to the Department of Children and Families. A mandatory staff meeting will also take place to discuss preventive measures.

• In case of a building service loss, these include, but are not limited to, heat, water, air conditioning, electricity, and plumbing problems, all lasting more than an hour, the parents will be notified to come pick up their child. If it will be a prearranged loss of service for repairs, the parents will receive prior notification, so they are able to find alternate care for that time.

VACCINATIONS

We do require all children are vaccinated except for flu and covid-19 vaccines.