Severe Allergies: For the safety of your child, parents are required to provide a signed copy of the “Authorization for Emergency Care for Children with Severe Allergies” form, detailing any allergies, food or otherwise, form which their child suffers, at the time of enrollment or when the allergy is discovered. This form must be completed by the child’s physician and parents/ legal guardians, and must be updated every 6 months, or more frequently as needed. In addition to this form, parents must provide a copy of any additional physician’s orders and procedural guidelines relating to the prevention and treatment of the child’s allergy. Parents must also execute a “Release and Waiver of Liability for Administering Emergency Treatment to Children with Severe Allergies” form. This form releases St. Mary’s Preschool from liability for administering treatment to children with severe allergies and taking other necessary actions set forth in the “Authorization for Emergency Care for Children with Severe Allergies” form, provided St. Mary’s Preschool exercises reasonable care in taking such actions. Any medication required to treat an allergic reaction must be provided in accordance with the Medication Policy.

Communicable Diseases: St. Mary’s Preschool follows all health/ communicable disease policies as outlined by the Department of Children and Families. Parents are required to pick up an ill child within 30 minutes of notification by phone. If a parent is reached, but cannot pick their child up within 30 minutes, it becomes the parent’s responsibility to arrange for alternate pick up with someone listed on the child’s emergency contact form. The staff will not continue to call those listed on the emergency contact list once a parent is reached. If a parent cannot be reached, the staff will begin to call the people listed on the emergency contact form, until arrangements can be made for the child to be picked up.

Children will be excluded from participation in the program if they exhibit symptoms of any communicable disease. They will not be permitted to return to the program until they are no longer contagious. Guidelines for determining the contagious period for a specific illness are based on the recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children must present a doctor’s note state they are no longer contagious and can return to the program if they miss 3 or more days. St. Mary’s Preschool reserves the right to refuse to allow a child to return in the preschool director or designee believes the child to be too ill to participate in the program.

Children excluded from the program due to a fever may not return to the program until they are fever free, without fever reducing medication, for a full 24 hours. If your child is sent home due to a fever, he/she is not permitted to return to the program the following day at a minimum. A fever is defined as a temperature reading on a thermometer of at least 101 degrees Fahrenheit or more taken under the arm.

Children are required to be excluded from the program for lose bowels, diarrhea, and vomiting. Children may return to school once the child is symptom free for a full 24 hours.

Fire/ Emergency Drills: St. Mary’s conducts monthly fire/ emergency drills. Parents, staff and children will not be made aware of the drill dates or times, as this is the most effective way to assess the effectiveness of fire and emergency/ evacuation plans. In the event of a real fire/ emergency situation, the director or designee will inform each classroom teacher that the school will be closing. Parents or emergency contact persons will be notified by telephone of the situation.

Alternate Safe Location: Should the administration of St. Mary’s Preschool or any emergency personnel determine the building to be dangerous to be occupied, the staff and children will be taken to Cornerstone Charter Academy located on Orange Ave. Once the children are assembled there, the staff will begin contacting parents or emergency contact persons for pick up.

Safety: The safety of our students and families is very important to us.
* All of our classroom doors remain locked throughout the day
* We have two gates in the front of the church/ preschool blocking sidewalks
* The back and sides of the property are fenced off
* Our campus is not visible from the street; therefore most people do not know there is a school associated with the church unless they are on campus for school business
* All of our teachers are CPR and First Aid certified, receiving recertification every 2 years
* Staff to child ratios are kept low so there is adequate supervision provided
* Our teachers are continually training on the latest early childhood research. Attending a minimum of 10 hours per year.
* All teachers have been trained on the use of a Fire Extinguisher. Extinguishers are serviced annually.
* All teachers go through an extensive level 2 background check before starting work and rescreened every 5 years this includes local and federal screenings.