Welcome to ACE Montessori Enriched Home Preschool

 

Thank you for choosing to learn more about ACE Montessori Enriched Home Preschool, an enriched Montessori care program run by Tracy deCarufel, a trained and experienced OCT and Montessori teacher. 

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I am very proud to have opened this enriched program that caters to children ages 18 months to five years old. It is a calm, thoughtful learning environment that caters to the children’s interests and builds upon their enthusiasm and love of learning. 

 

In addition to following the Montessori curriculum, the enriched program also offers children exposure to French, arts and crafts, socials skills, mindUP, circle time, nature walks and gardening. 

 

The preschool is run out of the lower floor of my home, which features windows and a large walk-out. 

 

Please note: 

• This child care program is not licensed by the Government of Ontario.

• A maximum of five children will be present at one time.

• No more than three children under the age of two will be present at one time. 

• Receipts will be issued for tax purposes for tax season.  

    

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Fees and Schedules:

 

The cost of enrolling is $50.00 for each day your child is registered. 

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Payment is to be made two weeks in advance, based on the agreed upon schedule your child is registered to attend. Payments are due every second Monday of each month, as per the payment calendar, and must be received before the program hours start at 8am. A late charge of $20, per day, will occur if payment is not received on time. 

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Fees are expected and not refundable for absenteeism of any kind, including sick days, possible quarantines, and family holidays. When a statutory holiday falls on your child’s regularly registered day of attendance, full fees are due for that day.

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Enrolment Fee: An enrolment fee, not deposit, equalling two week's fees (daily rate x number of days registered) will be added to the first payment due/ or upon signing the contract. The enrolment fee will be forfeited if at least one month's (30 days) , at a minimum, termination notice is not received. If a month's notice is given, the fee will serve as a credit for the last two weeks of care, of the child's current schedule. The enrolment fee is non-refundable.

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* For families starting prior to our Winter break or Summer break or with large gap of time prior to their child's enrolment, the enrolment fee, plus the first bi-weekly payment should be paid to secure their child's spot, along with the signed contract and additional paperwork. The next-bi-weekly payment will follow the payment calendar.

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Change of Schedule: A notice of at least one month should be given if a family wishes to make a change ( dropping days, switching days or adding days) to the agreed upon registered days their child attends ACE. If wanting to add days, that enrolled family will be given priority over waitlist families, if space becomes available. If wanting to drop or switch a registered day/ s that can not be easily filled from within the preschool families or the waitlist,  the enrolment fee will be forfeited.

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One month’s notice or change of schedule should be given while the preschool is considered open and the month should not fall over days when ACE is closed (ie: two week Christmas break and four week August break), in order for the enrolment fee not to be forfeited.

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*If both parties agree to continue with enrolment for the next year, the enrolment fee will roll over to the next contract year. If tuition fees have increased or number of days attending increased, the difference from the previous enrolment fee to the current one will be due for the number of days the child is registered, via e-transfer, when returning the new contract.

 

Payments are to be made by e-transfer. 

 

Hours of Operation:

 

The program is open from 8am to 4pm.

* If you want to request a slightly earlier start or end time, please ask. Extra charges will apply.

 

Absent or Late Child:

 

Out of courtesy, notification of your child not attending the program on their registered day or being late, via WhatsApp, would be appreciated. If I don’t hear from the family in question, I will contact them for clarification. Payment of full fees are still due for an absent or late day. 

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Drop-off and Pick-up:

 

If someone other than a parent or guardian, who I have not met, is picking up or dropping off your child, please notify me of their name and their relationship to your child. For added security, please send a photo of the new pick-up person. 

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Children are dropped off at the preschool entrance. Pick-up is from the backyard, weather permitting. With the exception of certain weather conditions in the Winter, in which case, the front door will be used. Families will be notified, via WhatsApp, if pick-up/drop off is upstairs on those rare occasions.

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It is each families responsibility to pick-up/drop off their child on time.  If early drop off or late pick-up becomes an ongoing issue, families will be charged $1.00 per minute, according to the provider’s clock. A grace period of five minutes may be occasionally built in, as long as parents/guardians give the provider sufficient notice. After that, the late fee at $1 a minute would apply. If no notice is given, late charges immediately apply from program start and end times.

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Appropriate clothing, including footwear:

 

Kindly ensure your child is sent to the preschool with appropriately sized and labelled clothing. Accidents often occur when a child is walking in shoes too large or tripping in pants too big. An extra set of clothes should be kept at the preschool in case of accidents or messes. 

 

Please ensure your child is sent to the preschool with appropriate clothing for outside play. 

Winter— gloves or mitts, snow pants or onesie snowsuit, hat, scarf. 

Rain-boots and a waterproof onesie / slush pants for our nature walks and muddy play in the Spring, Summer and Fall are a must! 

 

Diapers and Toilet Training:

 

Families are responsible for providing diapers/ pull-ups and wipes. I will let you know when supplies need to be replenished. 

 

If your child is in the process of toilet training at home, kindly let me know so that I can help support your efforts at the preschool, if you would like. When families and I work together consistently, it's always best for the child. 

 

It's important to note that while some children are 'potty trained' at home or progress faster in their potty training at home, they might not show the same readiness for it at the preschool due to the increased stimulation of friends and activities at ACE. 

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Some of the key steps to know when your child is more interested or potentially ready for potty training is often when they've woken up from night-time sleep with a clean diaper, start to become uncomfortable with having a messy diaper, and become more interested in the 'potty'. At ACE, children also have to be able to listen to their body when it tells them it's time to go potty, verbalize it to myself and then make it to the potty, without going to the bathroom in their diaper or pull-up. It can be a challenging process for parents and children that are not ready so let your child be the guide and build upon their interest.

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Our general routine at ACE is: The child noticing that feeling in their body that they need to pee or poo, telling me, independently walking to the bathroom  and setting up the stool and potty seat. Friends here are taught to take their pull-up/ underwear and pants all the way off so they are safer stepping up and off the stool. After they are done on the potty, then they flush the toilet, get dressed and wash hands.

 

At transition times during the day, such as first thing when arriving, getting ready for outside play, getting ready for lunch and/or nap and then after indoor play, children, who are potty training, are asked to sit on the potty to help establish a potty routine and lessen potential accidents. 

 

I also recommend reading potty books to help stimulate interests and vocabulary, if your child shows signs of readiness.  

 

Additional clothing/ pull-ups/ potty training toilet seat or little potty (for hygienic reasons) will need to be sent, for each child.

 

Children who are completely potty trained at ACE, with no accidents at during the day, are welcome to come in their underwear, instead of diapers/ pull-ups. Children will continue to sleep in pull-ups or diapers at the preschool, regardless of if they have transitioned out of  pulls-ups during the day, for sanitation and health reasons, as based on my experience,  pee or bowel movement accidents do often happen during nap time, while the children are fast asleep.

 

If clothing gets dirty from bathroom messes, I will send it home in a plastic bag. Please note: I will not be laundering dirty clothes. 

 

Health and Safety:

 

If your child has an allergy or health concern, please make sure that you've clearly stated it in the Health and Medical Information part of the contract, as well as verbally told me. 

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Sick Child Policy: If your child comes to preschool sick, they will be sent home immediately at the drop off door.  If your child becomes sick during the day, please expect a call/ WhatsApp message to pick them up as soon as possible to avoid the spread of illness/ infection to the other children and myself. Children must be 24 hours symptom and contagious free, without the aid of medication, in order to return to the preschool so illness is not spread and to keep our community healthy. 

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While it is ACE Montessori's policy that all children are up to date with immunizations (and must provide proof before enrolment), it is important to remember that all the people have different immune systems, and for the health and safety of all the children and myself, children who present with the following symptoms or other, should stay home and rest to ensure that illness is not spread within our small preschool community. 

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YOUR CHILD MUST BE KEPT AT HOME IF SHE/HE HAS:

• Temperature at or over 37.8C or 100.4F or greater in the morning or previous night;

• Conjunctivitis, which is an eye infection commonly referred to as "pink eye". The eye is generally red with some burning and there is thick yellow drainage being secreted;

• Bronchitis or pneumonia, which can begin with hoarseness, cough and a slight elevation in temperature. The cough may be dry and painful, but it gradually becomes productive;

• Rashes that you cannot identify or that have not been diagnosed by a physician;

• Impetigo of the skin - it shows up as red pimples. These eventually become small vesicles surrounded by a reddened area. When the blister breaks, the surface is raw and weeping. The lesions occur in moist areas of the body such as the crease of the neck, groin and underarm, face, hands or edge of diaper area;

• Diarrhea, which is watery or greenish bowel movements, that look different and are much more frequent than usual;

• Vomiting;

• Headaches;

• Cold/ Flu with one or more of the following symptoms: fever, sneezing, coughs , phlegm, sore throat, and nose drainage/congestion;

• If a child seems really sick without obvious symptoms. In this case a child may look or act differently. There may be unusual paleness, irritability, unusual tiredness or listlessness;

• With contagious diseases, a child must be kept at home and need to be 24 hours symptom free to return, in some cases with a doctor's note. Some of these are, but not limited to: Measles and Mumps, Chicken Pox, Hand, Foot and Mouth disease, Common Colds, Pink Eye, Diarrhea, Hepatitis A and B, Impetigo, Lice, Meningitis (bacterial and viral), Ringworm, Strep Throat, Covid, etc.

• If a doctor diagnoses an ear or throat infection, for example, and places the child on an antibiotic, the child should not be brought in until she/he has been taking medication for 24 hours.

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COVID-19 Updated Protocols:

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Started in March 2020, to keep our small community  as safe and healthy as possible, and to make sure that all ACE families are on the same page due to COVID-19, I created a COVID-19 Health and Safety, Protocol, and Response Plan and a Public Health Daily Home Health Assessment Tool (based on recommendations from Public Health). The document outlined ACE's health and safety plans in relation to COVID-19. The documents must be read and signed by all enrolled families in the program to show their understanding and agreement. All these updated documents will be emailed, along with the contract, at signing.  

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** Updated as of March 2022:  As of March 21st, ACE will be dropping the Public Health COVID screening document that has been in place since March 2020 to align with changing Ontario updates. We still, however, have our strict sick child policy in place, as we did pre-pandemic. Please have a read through it again to re-familiarize yourself, if needed. As a general rule, to keep our small community as healthy as possible, children should be 24 hours symptom free, without the aid of medication, to be healthy enough to join in all aspects of the preschool and not to spread illness unnecessarily. At this time of the year, colds are most common with symptoms such as runny noses, coughing, sneezing, etc. 

 

In relation to COVID specifically, I would ask that you get tested if family members have symptoms, if there is an outbreak of cases at your workplace or a sibling’s school or have had contact with someone who has tested positive and keep me in the loop in cases like these, as there is a run on effect on our preschool community. In relation to adults and masks, please choose what feels best for you for drop off and pick up. Thank you for your ongoing cooperation in this. It’s much appreciated.

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Bumps and Bruises:

 

Young children are active and as a result bumps, bruises, scratches and scrapes are a normal part of childhood as children learn how to take risks safely and master their environment, both indoors and outdoors.  Sometimes, children do not even let us know they are hurt and just get up and go.

 

However, other times first aid will be required. When first aid is visibly required and access to warm running water and soap is available, all minor first aid needs will be treated with running water, soap and/or a bandaid. I will notify you, via WhatsApp, of any major bumps or accidents that happen throughout the day. 

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* Please note: It's important to trim your child's nails on a regular basis to be sure that they don't scratch themselves or others by accident. 

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Nap Time and Quiet Time:

 

Nap time usually occurs from noon to two each day. I won’t wake up any sleeping children, except in case of emergency, unless a parent has given me prior consent, as some children like to sleep longer.

 

Nap time is an important part of the day when the brain gets a rest after a morning of stimulation (through Montessori works, socialization, playtime, nature walks, etc)  and when the child consolidates all that they have learned or explored throughout the morning, which helps them make sense of what they've experienced. It is also an important for children to take advantage of their nap time so that they are rejuvenated for the afternoon session.

 

Some children who don't regularly nap at home may show signs of needing a nap (rubbing eyes, sluggish/ change in energy level,  yawning, etc) due to the increased stimulation at ACE. In those cases, ACE's policy is that child needs to and should nap. 

 

If your child has fully transitioned out of nap time, a quiet time will occur, where they will have access to quiet and calming activities such as looking at books, mindful colouring, doing puzzles, and/or continuing with their Montessori pieces of work independently. 

 

During nap time, I do visual check-ins, as well as having the nap room monitored with a video/ audio monitor. There is ambient music playing in the nap room, during nap time, to minimize any disturbances from children who are having their quiet time. 

 

Children sleep on low cots, which ACE provides. However, some children (age and safety dependant) might need to sleep in playpens (provided by families) as a transition period before they move to sleeping in the low cots. Most children find safety and security in their playpens, like they do with their cuddly toys. Children are expected to stay in bed, for safety reasons, and part of their transitions from playpens to the low cots, will be based on each child's listening and readiness ability. 

 

I request that families send two sets of bedding— a top twin sheet and/or pillow and pillowcase. One set will be sent home to be washed at the end of the week. 

 

Play (Indoor and Outdoor):

 

Dependant on the weather, children will have indoor and outdoor playtime. Two hours are set aside for children to free-play, under my supervision, during that time. 

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Play, both indoor and outdoor,  is an important part of the day for young children that helps strengthen their creativity and imagination, socialization, sense of sharing, teamwork and building together, communication and bonding with each other. There is a healthy balance of play and exploring Montessori works at ACE, along with the different enrichment features. Spur of the moment play is also welcomed and sometimes brings about incredible imagination and creativity within the children. Some of our favourite indoor plays are those spontaneous times where the sun is shining and the children really want to make a picnic or tea party with play kitchen toys on the mat by the door in the sun. 

 

Nature walks in the conservation area behind the preschool are a large feature of our outdoor exploration. While there is a creek that runs in the conversation area, we will be sticking to the walking trails that veer away in order for us to explore and see local nature and plants.  

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Outdoor free play in the backyard allows children to play with the outdoor kitchen, trucks and other toys, sensory small world area, water and sand table, explore aspects of gardening and care of the outdoor environment. The backyard features a small and big hill, both of which children love running up and down, sledding down in the Winter (we call the hill 'snow mountain' and most children love being mountaineers in the deep snow). There are lots of opportunities for children to strengthen their leg and hand muscles, increase small and gross motor skills outside while having lots of fun with the various toys and activities. 

 

For the safety of all children, we won’t be leaving the property for outside play (ie: nature walks) until I have the full confidence that the children enrolled in the program are good listeners, fully mobile, and won’t leave our group.

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Family Pets:

 

In case of potential allergies, there is an indoor cat (and two newly added kittens) and two small dogs that live in the home upstairs, all that like to visit the preschool occasionally. I ask that you be careful at the door to not let them out and respect the fact that this is their home. Children, at the preschool, are taught to be gentle and give the animals space. All their vaccinations are kept up to date.

 

Statutory Holidays and Preschool Schedule:

 

The preschool will be closed on the following statutory holidays. If a statutory holiday falls on one of your child's regularly registered attendance days, full fees are due for that day. * Please note that when a statutory holiday falls on a weekend, the next working day is considered a holiday.

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New Year's Day:                                       January 1st 2023 (observed on January 2nd)

Family Day:                                               February 20th 2023

Good Friday and Easter Monday:        April 7th and April 10th

Victoria Day:                                             May 22nd 2023

Canada Day:                                             July 1st 2023 (observed July 3rd)

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Labour Day:                                          September 4th 2023

Thanksgiving:                                       October 9th 2023 (likely)

Christmas break:                                  Two weeks in December-TBD

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Please note:

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2023: The preschool will be closed for the month of August 2023 so I can spend time with my family. ACE will re-open the first week of September.

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Emergency Contacts:

 

Kindly ensure that emergency contacts are up-to-date in case of need.

 

Immunization:

 

Your child must be up-to-date- with all immunizations. Immunization records should be submitted and should be updated, as needed. 

 

Medicine: 

 

Please note that I will not give out any medicine without a doctor’s note with clear instructions.

 

Lice Policy:

 

If your child is showing sign of having lice, you will be notified to pick up your child as soon as possible and must ensure that your child is nit/lice free before bringing them back to the preschool to stop the spread of lice. 

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Family Vacations:

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Families will continue to be charged full rates for the regular registered days, as per the contract.

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WhatsApp:

 

Once families sign the contract to join ACE, families and I use WhatsApp as our main form of communication. I send photos, videos and updates about our day and their child each day. I am happy to answer questions as they come up each day so that preschool and home work together co- operatively.

 

I ask that families refrain from contacting me outside of preschool hours ( 8am to 4pm, weekdays), unless it is an emergency or to notify that their sick child won’t be attending the next day. 

 

Likewise, I don’t send out messages outside of the preschool hours, unless it’s an emergency notification. This is to create a separation from my work hours with the children and my personal time. Thank you in advance for co-operating and understanding.

 

With your permission, I will be taking photos and short videos of your child and will share a selection with you via our WhatsApp chat so that you can have an idea of how your child is learning and having fun at the program.  Some of those photos and/or videos will be used to help with the promotion of the preschool, via FB page, instagram, and the ACE Montessori website to showcase skill building and growing independence. Children will not be named in the posts.

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Toys from Home: 

 

They are discouraged, unless they are items for our Show and Tell. The preschool is not responsible for lost or broken personal toys. 

 

ACE Materials and Toys:

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Children are always encouraged and reminded to be gentle with ACE materials and toys. Parents understand that if their child, after reminders to be gentle, is rough with ACE’s learning pieces of work or toys and something is broken due to that roughness that can’t be mended, then that family will be expected to reimburse ACE for that material or toy so it can be re- purchased.

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Food and Water:

 

The preschool places an emphasis on providing healthy food for lunch and snacks. 

 

A typical week of lunches, in a rotating basis: baked chicken, pasta and veggies; homemade English muffin pizzas and homemade fries; quiche with hummus and veggies; shredded chicken with pasta and veggies; and grilled cheese and home-made fries.

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A selection of fresh fruits and vegetables are available each day, for snack and lunch.

Veggies often include : sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. 

Fruits often include: bananas, apples, berries, oranges, peaches, etc.

 

Other snack and lunch options might include: hummus and veggies, cheese and crackers, applesauce, rice cakes and peanut butter, fruit smoothies, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cereal and fruit, yogurt, fruit and cereal parfait, goldfish crackers or veggie sticks and baked goods, from our baking. I have a dehydrator so I also like to make crunchy fruit and vegetable snacks to munch on.

 

Parents are responsible for providing a fresh water bottle for their child each day. No juice, please.

Fill-ups occur at the preschool. 

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Provider’s Sick Days and Appointments:

 

My mother, who is a retired public school teacher, will occasionally fill in for my role of provider, if I am sick or have to attend an appointment. Since the preschool will remain open on those days, full fees will be paid. I will be eligible for taking three paid sick days (without providing coverage) per contract year. If one of these days falls on your child's scheduled day, fees are still expected. I will give as much notice as possible to allow families to find alternative arrangements. 

 

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