Updated Policies

Parent Contract for Services

Beginning _______________ (date) child care services will be paid each Friday for the following week of care.  A $15.00 will be added to the account if balance is not paid in full by Tuesday at 5:30pm.  If balance is not paid by Friday the child will not be permitted to attend school the following Monday.  Monthly payments will be accepted on the 1st of each month.  Refunds are not given for school holidays or days the child is absent.

A two week notice to the director is required to withdraw a child from our program.  Parents are responsible for the contracted rate for these 2 weeks, whether our services are used or not.

Probationary Period: Your child will be given 4 weeks to adjust to our center.  He or she will participate in a classroom screening by their teacher during this time period if necessary.  Our number one goal here at Discovery Island Learning Center is to make sure each child is in a safe and secure learning environment.

Late Pick-up Policy: Parents arriving after 5:40 pm will be charged a $5.00 late fee and $5.00 for each additional minute.  You will need to pay the late charge when you arrive or the following day.  Please call to let a director know about late pick-up as soon as possible.

There is a registration fee. It equals to one week of tuition.  REGISTRATION FEE IS NON-REFUNDABLE. Each year on the month of enrollment there will be an annual supply fee.  This fee helps pay for the curriculum and supplies for each classroom.

Behavior Management Policy

At Discovery Island Learning Center we recognize that positive discipline teaches and encourages the healthy development of a child's self-esteem.  Discovery Island does not allow corporal or physical punishment by our staff.  Instead, our teachers employ positivie discipline techniques which include praising and calling attention to appropriate behavior.  We also incorporate social emotional learning in our daily curriculum.  By using visual aids, stories, games and songs, we teach children to identify and understand their feelings.  Our students learn calming techniques and problem solving skills.  With these lessons, children learn how to better communicate and handle frustrating, angry, or fearful situations.

The method of behavior management used as a last resort is called "Time Out".  This method offers a child a few moments (not to exceed one minute per age) to think about his or her actions befroe joining group activities.  "Time Out" is never used until the child has turned 2 years of age.  A child who is younger than  two years of age.  A child who is younger than two will be redirected to another activity or place in the room.  Teacher/Parent communication is vital in maintaining good child behavior. If more serious events occurs an Accident/Incident report will be filled out and will be placed in the child's folder.  A parent signature is required on this form.

If negative behavior persists, we will use the following guedelines:  The student will be given warnings in the classroom.  We will make sure each child on each age level understands the clear and simple instructions given.  We will implement any other ideas parents may give us to help out in certain situations. ***Office visit will be the next step.  A child may visit the office and speak to a director if the following occurs:

***If the positive reinforcement and redirecting technique is not making an affect   ***If a student's behavior has or may result in self/others being harmed  ***If a student is jeopardizing the welfare of the other children  *** If a student received more than 3 time outs in the classroom

If a student has made two(2) office visits within one day, a parent will be notified.  The third visit will result in the child being suspended for the rest of the day.  We will keep a log sheet in each child's folder in the office. (You can come by the office to see this form) If a child continually visit's the office, a conference with the director, parents, and teacher will be held.

After the conference, parents are given a time limit of 2 weeks for their child to show signs of improvement. After the completed time limit, any more behavior problems will result in suspension or dismissal.

All new students are on a four week probationary period to adjust to our center.  If any reason within that time period the child has several discipline issues, dismissal will take place.

Discovery Island reserves the right to dismiss a child immediately if the welfare of the children, staff, facility, or program are in jeopardy as a result of child or parent behavior.  A positive classroom atmosphere will not be jeopardized by one student.

Biting Policy

Biting is a common occurrence in programs that serve children under three years of age.  Since biting is a common concern to parents of toddlers, Discovery Island Learning Center has placed a separate policy in our handbook.  The safety of the children at the center is our primary concern.  Our policy addresses the actions the staff will take if a biting incident occurs. 

Toddlers bite other toddlers for many different reasons. A child might be teething, or overly tired and frustrated.  He or she might be experimenting or trying to get the attention of the teacher or other classmates.  Toddlers have poor verbal skills and are impulsive without a lot of self-control.  Sometimes biting occurs for no apparent reason.  We encourage children to "use their words" if they become angry or frustrated.  The staff members will maintain a close and constant supervision of the children at all times.

The following steps will be taken if a biting incident occurs:

*The biting will be interrupted with a firm "No...we don't bite our friends."  * Staff will stay calm and will not overreact.  *The bitten child will be comforted.  * The teacher will remove the biter from the situation. *The victim will be assessed and cleansed with soap and water. If the bite has broken the skin a parent will be called immediately with additional medical treatment.  *The parents of both children will be notified of the biting incident by an incident report fill out by the witness of the bite.  Parents are required to sign it at pick up time.  *Confidential of all children involved will be maintained.

Discovery Island works closely with the parents of a child who bites repeatedly.  If a child bites 3 times a parent conference will be called.  We want to be sure the child is being dealt with in a consistent way. Parents will be asked for ideas on how to handle the situation and may be asked to come and address their child after an incident occurs.

If a child bites 2 more times and is proposing a threat or danger to the other children or staff, the child will be suspended for one week.  Parents will not be charged for the week of suspension.  If the child bites 1 more time after returning, he/she will be dismissed.