|
|
|
|
It is the central belief of Cedar Lane Nursery School that parent involvement is good for both the child and the parent. By assisting in the classroom, our parents play a significant role in the children’s experience. Working under the guidance of the teacher, parents will have the opportunity to learn a great deal about child development, play, interactions between children, problem-solving, and fostering a sense of wonder in children. In addition, the Parent-Teacher partnership is essential for the healthy development of each child--together we're better!
On your co-oping day, please arrive to the classroom fifteen minutes early (9:00 a.m.) and plan to stay until the classrooms and outdoor space are ready for the next day. This is essential for ensuring a smooth transition for the children and other adults in the classroom. When possible, please do not drive a carpool on your co-oping day or schedule appointments close to that time; this is essential for the safety of the children and allows the parent to fully participate in the preparations and closing of the day. If another parent is watching other siblings on your co-op day, please try to make arrangements to drop your child off before coming into the classroom at 8:45 a.m. if at all possible. Familiarize yourself with the room and review the teacher's plans for the day. When you are finished with your assignment, please ask the teacher what else you can do. Your presence in the classroom and attention to the children is required at all times. Please do not make or receive personal or work-related phone calls during your scheduled co-oping day unless it is an emergency. This leaves the phone free for incoming calls that may be important for other families and emergencies. Do not leave children unattended, including your own child. The church building is open for other purposes at all times, and people not associated with the nursery school come and go frequently.
Our State accreditation license does not permit extra children in the classroom during school hours, nor are they covered by our insurance policy. Please leave your other children in the company of another adult on your co-oping day.
In order to ensure an equitable and smooth running program, all parents are responsible for remembering their own co-oping days. To ensure the safety of all children, our ratio is 1 adult to every five children. Therefore, your presence is extremely important. If a parent is unable to co-op due to illness of him/herself or a child or for any other reason, that parent is responsible for finding a substitute by exchanging days with another parent. This should be done as far in advance as possible to avoid last-minute confusion and changes. When a change is made, the teacher and newsletter coordinator should be notified. In addition, the posted schedule in the classroom should be changed and initialed by the parties involved. In an emergency, the co-oper should contact the emergency parent as listed on the schedule. Caregivers or members of the extended family may not be used as substitutes.
Every school day one co-oping parent is designated to bring snack for the class. On your snack day, bring enough snacks for the children and adults in the classroom. On Mondays, the snack parent for the 3/4 program is also responsible for bringing a half gallon of milk. Please see the Parent Handbook for guidelines; home-baked items may be served for birthdays and other special occasions but are generally restricted due to licensing regulations. Filtered water is provided at school to drink.
As a general rule, the teacher will take responsibility for maintaining discipline in the classroom. Being with the children on a day-to-day basis in the classroom may make her better able to judge the situation based on individual needs. Then she can support you in helping the children resolve their own conflict. Try to get a child who has been excluded by others interacting with a group. If this isn't working, try to find something else for him/her to do. Give the children enough room to work in. If too many want the same thing, try to accommodate or get them interested in other things. Recognize and appreciate adult standards of politeness and fairness, but don't expect or demand them from children. In the classroom, the teacher must set standards which reflect the individual differences of all children. When you are co-oping, give your child as much attention and love as he/she needs while he/she is learning to share you with other children. Allow him/her to do things independently without interfering in his/her activities with others. Avoid disciplining your child in front of peers. Help your child understand that though you are here, school rules and routines must be observed.
Maryland law requires that all school employees, including parents, report suspected abuse and neglect to the proper authorities in order that children may be protected from harm and the family may be helped. If you suspect, through observing a child's appearance and behavior, that a child may be either abused or neglected, you must first notify the Teacher-Director of your suspicion and second, report your suspicions directly to the Montgomery County Department of Protective Service, at (240) 777-4417. In an emergency, you should inform the local police.
Participating parents should maintain a high standard of hygiene in the classroom, following the hand washing, bleaching, and diapering procedures posted. Parents are expected to assist with the daily hygiene routine.
Fire drills are conducted once a month. Evacuation procedures are posted in each room; please familiarize yourself with them. Emergency telephone numbers (police, fire, rescue, poison control, and social services) are posted near the phone in the classroom. The Teacher/Director is certified in American Red Cross CPR and First Aid. All co-oping parents must also be certified in CPR and First Aid.
Conversations between adults should be brief and pertinent to the situation at hand. Avoid talking about a child in his or her presence and don't make comparisons between children. Learn the children's names and make sure they know yours. Once you have the child's attention, speak to him/her at eye level in a quiet, natural manner. Make sure your facial expression and tone is friendly and reassuring. Be positive. Avoid power struggles and ask the teacher for help if you are having trouble dealing with a situation. Encourage respect for the rights and property of others and the materials and equipment in the classroom. Remember that you are the child's best example. Encourage independence and self reliance. Give children only as much help as they need instead of doing it for them. Let children determine how much parent involvement they'd like; certainly interact and play with children, but be mindful of following their lead. Except in real emergencies, give brief explanations for your requests, such as "Please get off the ladder so that we can fix it." Give a child a choice only if you are prepared to accept his/her decision. Otherwise, offer no choice but simply make a statement of need: "It's clean up time now" rather than "Do you want to clean up?" Remember, you are the teacher's assistant; she is relying heavily on you! Be alert to her needs. Find a way to engage a child's attention if he or she is distracting others during a story or circle time. A trip to another part of the room for quiet play may help. Make sure the child has enough time to finish an activity.
Remember that the finished product is not as important as the process of creating it. For example, painting is how it feels to apply color to things, how colors mix, how paint drips, how people react when it drips! When we ask a child what their finished product is, we are setting an arbitrary standard that makes children feel that they have failed if they can't call it something, and they may never return to that activity again. PROCESS, PROCESS, PROCESS! How does it feel, what will happen if, how does it smell, what happens next, are all paramount to the child. Children should be asked where they would like their work to go--on a wall, in a cubby? The same can be said for other activities in the program. All children have different learning styles which dictate how they are able to process information at this age. Not all children can sit still, understand our verbal directions, or see what we mean. Don't be afraid to discover how each child learns best, and use that to everyone's advantage! The teacher may have a pretty good idea of what style works best for each child, so...WHEN IN DOUBT, ASK, ASK, ASK!!!
If you need more information about how to perform your duties in the classroom or in understanding the school philosophy, please discuss this with the Teacher-Director. Parents will be treated as professional co-workers in the classroom and are expected to respect the privacy of all individuals in the classroom, children and adults. If you have concerns, please address them directly to the Teacher-Director. It is her responsibility to report necessary information directly to the parties concerned.
