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Parent Handbook
Revised November 2023
State Licensing
The nursery school is licensed by the State of Wisconsin. A representative from the State Department of Early Childhood Education visits the school at random to ensure compliance with State laws and regulations concerning the facility, teachers, and programming. The results of the visit can be found on the bulletin board in the lobby of the nursery school.
Communication
At the beginning of the nursery school day, the teachers are focused on welcoming the children and helping them transition into the classroom. Please refrain from asking the teachers questions that require a detailed response at this time.
If you need to speak to a teacher in person please wait until after school. You can always email or call your child’s teacher with questions.
Parents will receive a weekly newsletter from their child’s teacher summarizing the previous week’s activities and highlighting what is to come for the following week. The teachers do their best to alert parents to any schedule changes or important information as soon as possible; however, it would be a good idea to make a habit of checking your email in the morning before taking your child to school. This is especially important during the winter months when weather may cause schedule changes, or impact parking, etc.
Parent Involvement
Our school is not a co-op and parents are not required to participate in the classroom. That being said, we welcome visitors and you can observe our classrooms at any time. If you have a hobby or special interest that would be of interest to the nursery school class, please consider scheduling a day to visit the classroom. To set up a visit please contact your child’s teacher via email, or leave a message on the school answering machine. Throughout the year parents who signed up to help in the classroom will be asked to help prepare materials for special art projects, make play dough, bake with the children, help move classroom furniture, or help out during Lunch Bunch.
Nursery School Daily Schedule
9:00-915 attendance and greeting
9:15-9:35 group time and calendar
9:35-10:10 free play and art
10:10-10:20 clean up
10:20-10:40 story time and bathroom
10:40-10:50 snack
10:50-dismissal outdoor play or music and rhythms
Maintaining a Peaceful Classroom Environment
Whitefish Bay-Shorewood Nursery School students are encouraged to treat each other with respect and compassion. The program will emphasize each child’s ability to actively participate in his/her own learning.
Nursery school staff members strive to foster cooperation and acceptance by modeling patience, tolerance, and kindness.
Nursery school staff will:
1. Make classroom rules clear and simple.
2. Remain consistent in their enforcement of the rules.
3. Make children aware of how their behavior affects the classroom environment.
Specific techniques to be used by all staff members for maintaining a peaceful classroom:
· Redirection: This is typically very successful in resolving classroom conflict.
· Reminding: When it is not successful the teacher will remove the child from the situation and remind the child of the classroom rules.
Children who are having a difficult time remembering the rules are asked to spend the remainder of free playtime playing next to their teacher to help the child remember how to be a kind and cooperative member of the classroom.
Aggressive behavior will not be tolerated, and parents will be informed immediately. Every effort will be made to correct the offensive behaviors by working and conferencing with parents, child, and teacher(s). If the behavior continues, WFBSNS reserves the right to expel any child who continuously disrupts the classroom environment to the detriment of nursery school staff and his or her peers.
Hygiene
Hand Washing
1. Children will wash hands before entering the classroom at the start of every school day.
2. Children’s hands will be washed with soap and running water before eating and after toileting.
Toileting
If a child has a bowel accident parents will be called to assist and change the child into clean clothing. In case of an accident, wet or soiled clothing will be changed promptly from an available supply of clean clothing.
Clothing
Children will have a basket above their cubby to hold an extra change of clothing. Don’t forget to replace your child’s spare set of clothes as the seasons change or if your child has a growth spurt. Many children have similar-looking items so label coats, mittens, hats, and boots with your child’s name.
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures
For our children’s safety and security the building doors are locked during school hours and only current families are admitted without prior notification.
Arrival and Drop-off
Doors are opened at 8:55 am. For families who have opted for an early drop-off, doors will open at 8:45 am. One of the teachers will be there to greet you at the door. Doors are locked at 9:10 am. For safety reasons, only doorbell access is available during school hours.
**If you will be dropping off or picking up your child outside of the regular times please let your child’s teacher know ahead of time. You can leave a message on the school’s answering machine if the change in schedule is for the same day. **
Pick-Up
If someone else will be picking up your child from school, and they are not listed as an alternate on your child’s enrollment form, please let your child’s teacher know in advance. At pick-up the person will be asked to show ID.
Snacks
We are a nut-free school. If your child has special dietary needs please make sure they are listed on the enrollment form and you have made your child’s teacher aware of the situation.
Families will provide a labeled, nut free snack and water bottle daily.
Birthday Celebrations
Every effort is made to assign snack on or around your child’s birthday. To celebrate, children may bring a special treat for snack, and sweets are allowed. Many students donate a book to the school library in honor of their birthday. If you choose to do so, either ask teachers for a preferred title, or donate your child’s favorite book. Please make an inscription with your child’s name, and the date.
When Your Child Is Ill
If your child will not be attending school because of illness or for any other reasons, please email your child’s teacher. For preventative measures, it is helpful for our staff to know your child’s symptoms or diagnosis.
Please keep your child at home if he/she shows any of the following symptoms which may be early signs of respiratory infections or contagious disease: unusual crankiness or fatigue, fever (above 99 degrees) within the past 24 hours, loss of appetite, unexplained rash or vomiting. If your child becomes ill during the school day, such as vomiting, diarrhea, or generally not feeling well, you will be required to pick up your child immediately. If your child has a contagious disease, please notify us immediately so that we may determine whether our nursery school families need to be notified of possible exposure. Children must be fever free, vomit free, diarrhea free for 24 hours prior to the return of school.
Inclement Weather
When the temperature (wind chill) is above 20 degrees the children will have outdoor playtime.
The nursery school follows the same inclement weather schedule as the Shorewood School System. School closing announcements are made over the following radio stations: WTMJ-620, WISN-1130 and WOKY-920, and on the local news channels. If Shorewood School System is not closed, but the nursery school is, you will be notified via email by 7:30 am.
Immunization Policy
An immunization record must be on file for each child within 30 school days (six weeks) of the child’s first day of attendance at the program. This immunization history must indicate that the child has received at least DtaP, Polio, MMR, Varicella (if the child has not had chicken pox), and Hepatitis B, or that the immunization requirement is to be waived for that child by a compliance alternative. Immunization requirements are waived upon signature of the parent that the child should not be immunized for personal or religious reasons. Immunization requirements may also be waived upon signature of a physician that the child should not be immunized for health reasons.
Children who have not received subsequent doses of vaccine appropriate to their age must receive such subsequent doses within one year of the first day of attendance and must notify the Nursery School staff in writing, as each dose is received.
When children are in the process of being immunized (i.e., the child has received some DtaP and Polio doses but not all that are required for the child’s age), the program will request a note from the child’s health care provider that the child is on schedule for immunizations and the date for the next schedule dose. The note will be attached to the child’s immunization record. The Nursery School staff will follow up on this schedule.
The child who fails to comply with immunization requirements may be excluded from the program until such time as immunization requirements are met. There will be no refund or prorating of registration fees if this should occur.
Special Needs
If your child has any type of special needs, please make sure that you provide us with information regarding these needs on the enrollment form. Every effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations.
Injuries
All of our teachers are CPR certified. Minor injuries will be cleaned with soap and water and protected with a band-aid. All serious injuries will be entered in a medical log and an incident report completed and filed. Standard first-aid practices will be followed and teachers are required to wear disposable gloves when dealing with body fluids.
Parents will be advised of all injuries no matter how minor.
Conferences
There will be 2 parent-teacher conferences scheduled for the school year toward the end of each semester. They are typically scheduled in 15-minute increments over a 2-day period during school hours. School is cancelled on those days to accommodate the meetings. The first conference occurs at the end of the first term and focuses on your child’s social adjustment to nursery school. The second conference during the second term focuses on your child’s academic progress and if applicable, K4 readiness. Parents are always welcome and encouraged to contact teachers outside of conference time with any special concerns or questions.
What to Do if You Have a Problem to Report
If there is a problem in the classroom and you don’t feel comfortable speaking with the teacher, contact the Board president. Contact info for the entire School Board is located on the school’s bulletin board near the entrance to the classrooms. WFBSNS values continuous improvement. If you have questions, suggestions, comments, or complaints, please contact one of the teachers or a Board member.
Legal Custody
If you are experiencing custody difficulties, we require you to keep our staff fully advised of circumstances which might affect your child. Unless legal documentation is submitted to the contrary, we will assume that parents share equal rights to drop off or pick up a child.
Child Abuse and Neglect
We are required by law to report any suspected abuse or neglect to Protective Services. Please tell your child’s teacher if you have any concerns regarding your child’s well being.
Withdrawals and changes to enrollment
If you withdraw your child from preschool, send a letter to the Enrollment Coordinator stating the reason for the withdrawal, wfbshorewoodnurseryschool@gmail.com. There is no guarantee of a tuition refund. If you are planning to change your child’s enrollment, (i.e., you want to move your child from the T/TH class to M/W/F), the deadlines to do so are as follows:
· Changes to Fall Semester Enrollment must take place by the first Monday in November.
· Changes to Spring Semester Enrollment must take place by the first Monday in March.
Tuition
Tuition is due on the first day of the fall and spring semesters and can be paid via cash, check or credit card or Venmo. All credit card transactions will be charged an additional 3% fee. Please refer to the School Calendar under Calendars on the school website for specific dates.
Relationship with Kingo Lutheran Church
Although the nursery school classrooms are located on the lower level of the Kingo Lutheran Church, the school is not religiously affiliated. However, as good tenants of the building, we strive to maintain a positive working relationship with the church administration. At times we may be asked to move furniture, supplies, and toys to make space for evening activities. When the church is hosting a funeral, the parking lot off the entrance of the school is reserved for the funeral attendees and church staff. Parking is available street side on Olive and Wilson. School families will be notified via email on days when a funeral is to take place. On these days we ask school families to respect the solemnity of the situation and enter and exit the school as quietly as possible.