Program Information

Program Information

Transportation

Transportation to and from the center is the responsibility of the parent. Transportation for school excursions will be via a professional bus or van service. These special outings will be planned as much in advance as possible.

Insurance

Seagull Schools Inc. maintains a general liability insurance policy. Special risk insurance is provided to all children hurt on the property during school hours of operation.

Emotional Assurance

An orientation and gradual transition into the classroom strengthens the child's emotional security. This is especially true and recommended for very young children and children who have experienced recent changes in their lives (new sibling, new home, new school, parents return to work, divorce, etc.).

At a minimum we require two half-days of orientation (9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.). If more orientation days are necessary, you may work it out with your child’s teacher or the Center Director. After the orientation period, the child may feel comfortable enough to stay for a full day.

We recommend lots of physical and verbal assurances as well as positively sharing the day's events during this transition.

Transition and Promotion

The teaching staff will discuss promotions and advancements with parents when there is an opening at the next level. A notice from the school will officially inform parents of the promotion date and new classroom/teacher.

When a child moves into a new classroom, staff and parents cooperate together to inform and orient the child to the new location.

With written consent from the parent, evaluation forms and records are made available when the child leaves the center.

A graduation ceremony is held for children moving on to kindergarten.

Program Statement

Seagull Commitment to Quality: To maintain a quality environment for children, those who work directly with the children (Teachers, Assistant Teachers, Aides, Volunteers, Substitute Teachers) and follow standards that are based on the best available advanced knowledge and practices. The staff is completely committed to maintaining professional standards according to State Department of Human Services licensing rules and NAEYC national accreditation standards

This is "Our Commitment to Children":

We will know about, abide by, and advocate for laws and regulations that enhance the quality of life for young children.

We will support the rights of children to live and learn in environments that are responsive to their developmental needs.

We will enhance each child's uniqueness, thereby enhancing the child's self-respect.

We will improve our competencies in providing for children's needs.

Statement of Professional Ethics and Standards

To the best of our ability, we:

Ensure that our programs for young children are based on current knowledge of child development, early childhood development and school age care.

Respect and support families in their task of nurturing children.

Respect colleagues in early childhood education and maintaining the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct.

Serve as an advocate for children, their families, and their teachers in community and society.

Maintain high standards of professional conduct.

Recognize how personal values, opinions, and biases can affect professional judgment.

Are open to new ideas and be willing to learn from the suggestions of others.

Continue to learn, grow, and contribute as a professional.

The Statement of Commitment expresses those basic personal commitments that individuals must make in order to align themselves with the profession’s responsibilities as set forth in the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct.

Health, Safety and Nutrition

Sick Children

The centers cannot accommodate "ill" or "mildly ill" children. We lack the facilities and staff necessary for such a program.

If a child becomes ill during the day, care will be provided until a parent or responsible adult arrives. Parents will be asked to make arrangements for the child to be picked up by a responsible adult as soon as possible . All emergency and other information must be kept current in the event we must contact someone if your child is sick or injured.

Safety/Security

We require parents to accompany their children to the classroom and be released to the classroom teachers. Children must be signed in and out . Those who are authorized and not familiar to the teaching staff must present photo identification.

U.S.D.A. Child Care Feeding Program

The centers provide meals to all enrolled children at no extra cost. To insure we receive a maximum reimbursement rate under a U.S.D.A. contract, it is important that parents, complete the U.S.D.A. Income Eligibility form required for maximum government reimbursement. Forms are distributed, updated and filed annually.

Volunteers

Volunteers are highly valued and appreciated for their support and enrichment of our programs. If you would like to volunteer with Seagull Schools, please call the Center Director at the location you are interested in serving. It is fun and rewarding.

Parent Involvement

Parents are an important part of our programs; their time, suggestions and contributions help to enrich our activities. Throughout the year, parents are involved in a variety of activities, meetings, workshops, potlucks and fundraisers. Parent/Teacher conferences are scheduled twice a year.

Parents may also phone the classroom and talk with their child's teacher. Contact and re-assurance can be positively maintained in this way. Lunch hour parent-teacher meetings may also be arranged at parent's convenience. Parents are encouraged to visit and observe the program and to contribute in any way.

Parent Conferences

Parent/Teacher conferences are scheduled twice during the school year. These conferences are a special opportunity for the parents and teachers to share:

What teachers know and would like to know about your child
What teachers view as their strengths and areas of needed growth
What teachers do for them
What works and what does not work.

The conferences will be an information sharing opportunity to support each other in growing and learning about each specific child. The staff strives to provide experiences which will encourage children's growth and learning as an individual.

To maximize parent's time and allow teachers to maintain the day's schedule for the children, conferences are limited to 30 minutes. If parents require additional time to share information, concerns, problems, etc. additional time may be scheduled to meet another day. Conferences may be scheduled whenever it is felt necessary.

Consultation/Referrals

Seagull Schools has made prior arrangements with the State Dept. of Health Nursing Office -Public Nurse R.N., State Dept. of Health -Epidemiologist, and a Pediatrician to consult on health issues. Speech and behavior referrals will be provided with parent's written request. A child's special needs will be determined through the parent's questionnaire, doctor's comments and conferences held with the parent.

Behavior Management

In the early years, your child is learning about the world around them and how they fit into it. Children need adults to help them develop self-control and empathy. The ultimate goal is for every child to be able to control their own behavior and to understand how their behavior impacts others.

It is a natural process for children to test limits that adults set for them. Staff will use positive guidance techniques including re-direction, anticipation of and elimination of problems, positive reinforcement, natural and logical consequences and encouragement rather than competition, comparison or criticism. An important part of this process is providing children with the support they need to learn to express their feelings and needs in acceptable ways. We abstain from corporal punishment or other humiliating or frightening disciplinary techniques.

Young children occasionally bite, hit, kick, scratch or throw a toy at others out of anger or frustration. In normal situations, staff will use positive guidance techniques to address the behavior. Ongoing incidences of toddler biting are addressed as a separate issue within the context of the developmental stages of the child.

Children causing consistent harm to others (hitting, biting or exhibiting consistently disruptive behavior) will be isolated. The teacher will notify the parents of the children directly involved on the same day the incident occurs. Parents may be called to remove the child from the center for these actions. It is our policy to meet with parents of children with challenging behaviors to work together to support the child’s development of self-regulation. We may require the family to seek counseling to consider continued enrollment.

Field trips, extra-curricular activities, in-house programs and events are part of the curriculum as enrichment activities. We make every effort to have children participate successfully. However, we will not compromise the safety of the child or the group. Children who display disruptive or inappropriate behavior as assessed by the classroom teacher will not be allowed to participate without a parent chaperone or will need to stay home or stay back with another class (if possible) during the activity.

Seagull administration reserves the right to suspend or disenroll any child that poses an on-going threat to others. We believe everyone has a right to feel safe at school.

We foster quality care for all children, by doing the following:

We assist children to be comfortable, relaxed, happy and involved in play and other activities.
We encourage children to verbalize, expressing their emotions and ideas.
We recognize developmental differences in children and adjust our expectations accordingly.
We use positive reinforcement and redirect children towards more appropriate actions.
We arrange the environment so there is a maximum amount of "yes" and a minimum amount of "no".
We abstain from corporal punishment (spanking) and other discipline techniques (shaming, teasing, "bossing", etc.) that humiliates, frightens, or damages the child's self-esteem and dignity. (Criteria for High Quality Early Childhood Programs National Association for the Education of Young Children.)

Child Abuse and/or Neglect

We shall adhere to the State Child Welfare Services child abuse reporting laws. We are legally and ethically required to report all suspected cases of child abuse and/or neglect. The Center Director will be informed and shall contact the State Child Welfare Services (CWS) office. The parent shall also be contacted, unless this appears to endanger the child.

Seagull is required to report the death of a child or any illness/injury that results in a child’s hospitalization (including emergency room admittance) to the Department of Human Services within one day of the occurrence.

Disclosure of Information

All information regarding individual children, parents and/or guardians will remain confidential. Disclosure of any information to cooperating agencies will be granted only with written parental consent.

Complaint Procedure

All formal complaints or concerns regarding policy and/or program operations must be submitted in writing to the appropriate staff member as outlined below.

Seagull recognizes the principle that complaints or concerns should be expeditiously settled at the lowest level possible. To implement this principle, complaints or concerns should be submitted/appealed to staff in the following order:

First - Classroom Teacher (submittals only)

Second - Director (submittals and appeals)

Third – Regional Director (submittals and appeals)

Fourth- Chief Operations Officer (appeals only)

Fifth– Chief Executive Officer (appeals only)

Sixth- Seagull Board of Directors (appeals only)

Seagull Schools is a private, not-for-profit organization that reserves the right to admission.

Enrollment Procedure, Health Requirements and Required Forms, Special Needs and Children With Disabilities

Enrollment Procedure

Children on the waiting list will be admitted by the earliest date of the application based on availability. Enrollment is complete when the registration, consent, emergency information, and medical forms are on file.

Health Requirements and Required Forms

Health regulations require current TB clearances, physical examinations and immunizations. (see School Health Policy). Please report any allergies, health concerns or questions to the Teacher.

The State of Hawaii Form 14 (Student Health Record) medical card and Form 908 (Early Childhood Pre-K Health Record Supplement) is to be submitted upon enrollment of all children. The Form 14 is obtained through your child's pediatrician.

State licensing regulations require that the following forms for each child be completed and filed at the center upon enrollment. They are to be submitted as accurately and completely as possible.

Form 14
Form 908
Application Form
Release of All Claims
Authorization to Consent to Treatment to a Minor
Emergency Referral Card
Attachment to Child's Emergency Referral Card
Health Data Form
Photo and Video Release Form

Special Needs

Children with special needs are considered on an individual basis. Assessments may be provided through the use of various resource persons such as a psychologist or a speech therapist. Special needs children may be admitted if staff are adequately trained to support the child's needs. Staff must be able to continue to carry out their regular duties.

Children With Disabilities

It is the school's policy to comply with all local, state and federal laws and in particular, the A.D.A. Civil Rights Law for persons with disabilities. Children are accepted with disabilities within reasonable boundaries if it does not result in undue hardship for the staff and other children of the center.

Childcare Resources and Referral

Patch

Patch is Hawaii's statewide childcare resource and referral agency. Childcare resource and referral (R&R) agencies are located throughout the country. R&R services have evolved from grassroots efforts to help parents find childcare, to well-developed systems that support parents, providers, and local communities in finding, planning for, and providing quality childcare. (808) 839-1988

www.patchhawaii.org