the discovery center

policies and guidelines


Arrival and Departure

Child Security

Peanut/Nut-Free Policy

Outdoor Play

Illnesses

Medications

Hand Washing Procedures

Diapering and Toilet Training

Discipline

Discovery Center Closures

Inclusiveness

Payment and Fees

Parent and Teacher Communication

Birthday Celebrations

Parent Reference Library


Arrival and Departure Back to Top

Children must be accompanied into The Discovery Center building through the front entrance and be brought directly into the classroom by an adult. Departures must also take place through the main entrance. Children may not depart through the outside playground gates or be lifted over the fence at the end of their day. We ask that only adults open and close the classroom doors within the building for safety and security reasons.

Child Security Back to Top

All children who are enrolled at The Discovery Center will be released only according to the parent(s) instructions on the child information card completed at the time of enrollment or through prior arrangements made with the classroom teachers, either orally or, preferably, in written form. In the event the center is notified that someone other than the parent or usual pick-up person will be arriving to pick up the child, the classroom teachers will check a picture identification if they are unfamiliar with the designated departure person. It is very important to inform your child's classroom teachers of a change in routine. If we have not received permission to release a child to someone other than yourself or the usual departure person, it will be necessary to contact you by phone prior to the child's release and departure. Picture identification will also be required of parents who pick their child up after the 5:30 pm departure deadline. This is because a teacher other than your child's regular classroom teacher may be scheduled as the "closer" and may not know you. Showing picture ID will allow the closing teacher to correctly identify you. We greatly appreciate your support as we continue to provide a safe and secure environment at The Discovery Center.

Peanut/Nut-Free Policy Back to Top

The number of children who have severe allergies to nuts and peanut products has greatly increased over the past few years. Several children, in fact, have life-threatening allergies involving nuts or peanuts. For this reason, The Discovery Center strives to maintain a peanut/nut-free program. We greatly appreciate your continued help and support in our effort to provide a safe environment for the children in our program by adhering to the following guidelines:

Outdoor Play Back to Top

Outdoor play is considered to be an important part of the day at The Discovery Center, just as all of the indoor components of the day are considered essential to a well-rounded program. School policy states that every child goes outside every day, with only three exceptions:

Illnesses Back to Top

The following are conditions under which a child must stay home or will be required to leave the classroom environment if the conditions develop while the child is at the center:

The staff notifies parents of any change in a child's health during the day, or any accidents that may have occurred, by telephoning the parent(s) or talking directly to the parent(s) at the child's departure time. We notify all parents (via the center bulletin board or classroom door) if your child has been exposed to a contagious illness.

If your child becomes sick while at The Discovery Center, we will:

Parents are encouraged to help us promote a healthy environment by keeping a child home if s/he is experiencing any of the symptoms described above. It is extremely important that parents notify us immediately if their child has contracted a contagious illness so that we may notify other parents and staff. It is also important for us to know if the child has either a bacterial or viral infection. This helps staff to be aware of similar symptoms in other children.

There are other ways in which we strive to maintain a healthy classroom, including laundering cot sheets and blankets regularly, promoting frequent hand washing by both children and adults, sanitizing common use areas (the bathrooms, gym, etc.) daily and as needed, and using a professional cleaning service three times a week. A bleach-and-water solution is used to clean and sanitize tables, dishes, furniture, toys, bathroom areas, etc. After a surface has been wiped down, it is left to air dry until ready for use.

All key teachers at The Discovery Center are trained in first aid and CPR and receive refresher training on a yearly basis.

Medications Back to Top

Key teachers and administrative staff are permitted to administer medications if, and only if, all of the following criteria are met:

Parents should not administer over-the-counter medications to mask symptoms prior to bringing a child to the center (nor request the staff to do so while the child is in attendance), but rather to provide comfort along with a prescription medication or in cases of allergies, teething pain, immunizations, or other minor ailments.

Medication forms are available from classroom teachers or the front desk, and they must be completed and signed before any medications can be administered by center personnel. This policy also applies to sunscreen, lip balm, and other similar products to be used by a child at school. We also recommend that a child receive the first dose of any medication under the parent's supervision, not at the center, in the event of any unexpected reactions or allergies.

In order to keep medications and similar items out of the reach of all children, such items are kept in the classroom office, above the refrigerator, or in another specified area within each classroom.

Hand Washing Procedures Back to Top

All staff and children wash their hands with liquid soap and water at appropriate times, for example, before preparing, serving, and/or eating snacks and meals, after diapering or assisting others with toileting or nose wiping, after handling pets or other animals, or after contact with any potentially infectious materials, including bodily fluids. Proper hand washing procedures include washing with liquid soap and warm, running water for at least 10 seconds, and using a single use or disposable towel. Frequent hand washing is an important part of keeping germs and illness from spreading.

Diapering and Toilet Training Back to Top

For children who are still in diapers when they enter The Discovery Center program, parents must provide disposable diapers and wipes as needed for their child. Diapering is done in a designated diapering area located just off the office/observation space of each classroom using a mat that is sanitized after each diaper change. Often, those children who are in the process of toilet training are changed in the bathroom area using a standing position that is more comfortable for them. Teachers and children will wash their hands after each diapering. Each classroom has a routine for diapering and toilet training that fits naturally with the schedule, the child, and routine of the day. Toilet training is planned cooperatively between classroom teachers and parent(s) so that the toilet routine established is consistent between the center and the child's home. Toilet training begins when the child demonstrates both the desire and ability to proceed.

Discipline Back to Top

Staff shall consistently use only positive methods of discipline. A short discussion of alternate, appropriate behaviors, with or without time away from the situation, is a common element in encouraging children to assume responsibility for their actions. All classroom staff follow guidelines stated in Katherine Read's The Nursery School. She states:

"The ultimate goal of discipline is self-control making it possible to direct one's own behavior in the end, realistically and with integrity. As we work with young children, we try to help them take steps toward responsible self-direction, as they are ready. Most important for this goal is the child's feeling about himself. No child will try to control and direct his behavior if he sees himself as a worthless, unimportant person. He must respect himself if he is to make the effort to control his behavior and respect the rights of others. In disciplining we need to be careful that we do nothing that will shake a child's respect for himself. We will not depend on methods that humiliate him or make him feel ashamed or lower his self-esteem. We do not label him "bad" or use threats. We will try to show him that we have confidence that he can behave acceptably, whatever he may have done earlier. We will expect only what we think he is capable of doing, so that he can be successful most of the time. We want him to feel himself to be an acceptable, successful person."

Through the program at The Discovery Center, we encourage children to cultivate an inner sense of control, a healthy self-concept, and increased self-direction. We strive to create an atmosphere that encourages children to express their feelings appropriately, to carry out effective problem solving, and to receive positive attention from adults and other children. In order to create this atmosphere, we work consistently to:

Discovery Center Closures Back to Top

It is always The Discovery Center's intention to remain open on its regular schedule. However, if The Discovery Center must close for reasons beyond its control, including but not limited to inclement weather, natural or man-made circumstances, intentional or unintentional acts of any governmental agency and/or police authorities, etc., no refund will be issued for all or part of any day or days during which The Discovery Center remains closed due to the circumstances described above. Those families wishing to use their available vacation credit for these circumstances may do so through arrangements with The Discovery Center's administrative staff.

In an effort to notify families affected by the closure of the center, The Discovery Center administrative team will make every attempt to notify local radio stations (WAAM - 1600 AM, KOOL (WQKL) - 107.1 FM), post notices on the front door of the center, and change the center's main telephone greeting (voicemail message) to reflect the necessary information.

Inclusiveness Back to Top

The Discovery Center's process for enrolling and monitoring children with special needs reflects the center's philosophy. It is a process by which we can communicate, evaluate, and assess the ability of our program to meet and accommodate the individual special needs of the child. In applying the process, we are evaluating how our program can provide an ideal growth experience for the child within the framework of the program's overall goals, curriculum, and environment.

The following procedures will be followed when enrollment of a child with special needs has been requested:

The Discovery Center reserves the right to request the withdrawal of a child if the head teacher and center director conclude that the center can no longer provide an opportunity for growth and development of the child within the framework of the center's philosophy and the guidelines listed above.

Payment and Fees Back to Top

Prompt payment of tuition enables The Discovery Center to maintain its high-quality program and smooth operations. We greatly appreciate families' adherence to our tuition payment policies as outlined below.

If you have any questions about the above payment policies, please see the center director or bookkeeper for further explanation.

Parent and Teacher Communication Back to Top

Parents are welcome to visit at any time. For the purpose of observation, each classroom has a separate office area equipped with a separate entrance for easy access and a one-way glass observation window. Bulletin boards, your child's cubicle (cubbie), and notes on the classroom door are places where information is frequently shared between the classroom and the families. Each classroom distributes its own monthly newsletter, and the administrative staff distributes a general newsletter as well. These newsletters help to further inform families of upcoming events, activities, and policies. Formal parent/teacher conferences are held twice per year (late fall and spring) between one of the classroom key teachers and the family. Additional meetings can also be arranged to discuss concerns, issues, or developmental progress of the child. Arrival and departure times of the day also lend themselves to quick conversation and input between parent and teacher. A voicemail system is also available after hours, and parents are always free to contact the center via phone (734-663-7496), email, or fax (734-663-5725).

Birthday Celebrations Back to Top

In keeping with our policy of serving nutritious snacks and meals, we request that fruit or anything else we would serve as snack items (bagels, vegetables, cheese, crackers, yogurt, fruit Popsicles, etc.) be the food of choice for birthday celebrations. Please be mindful of our Peanut/Nut-Free Policy. Each classroom has a birthday basket for the child to take home before the event. The family returns it filled with the birthday treat. By de-emphasizing special snacks, we hope to focus on the child on this special day, rather than on the treat or other birthday trappings. This also helps to avoid an unpleasant situation when a child with a special diet or food allergy cannot have certain treats with the rest of the class.

If parents prefer not to send a birthday snack from home, we will arrange to have the child prepare a basket from our snack choices at school. Each classroom may have additional birthday traditions unique to the room. The above guidelines are also helpful when families wish to provide a treat for a child's last day or other special celebration.

Parent Reference Library Back to Top

The parent reference library is located in the lobby, on the oak bookshelf directly to the left of the front desk. It provides the opportunity for parents to borrow books or videos and to take home other materials related to a variety of parenting and early childhood topics. There are also monthly recipes and activity sheets for parents to take to try at home. Materials are updated every three to four weeks.