General Information & Policies

The ungraded primary class for children from 2-1/2 to 5-1/2 years old is limited to 21 students. Class meets five days a week from August through May. Hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. for the half-day and 8:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. for the full-day program. The children who stay for the full-day program bring complete lunch with them.

The Montessori Fountainhead School is licensed by the Department of Social Services and observes Charleston public school holidays and follows Charleston public schools regarding delays/cancellation due to weather or other county wide situations.

ADMISSION, WITHDRAWAL, AND ABSENCE

Enrollment is limited; a waiting list is established after capacity is reached. All students must be potty-trained, prior to admission.

One month's notice is required if parents plan to withdraw their child from school. No reduction in tuition is given if the child is kept at home because of illness, family vacation, or other reasons.

The Montessori Fountainhead School reserves the right to request the withdrawal of a child, if parents refuse to cooperate with the teachers to solve problems that arise. In such instances, the reasons for this action will be clearly defined and presented to parents.

PARENT COOPERATION

Parent-teacher cooperation is extremely important for the development of a child. Frequent conferences with parents, in person and by telephone or e-mail, strengthens the necessary involvement in teacher-child relationships. You have cubby-holes with your names on them inside the classroom for messages.

The school has an "open door" policy. Parents may come in the classroom at any time during the day, unless court order stipulates otherwise. DSS Regulation No: 114-503 F (1)

There are two conferences during each school year, at which parents have the opportunity to discuss their child's work with his/her teachers. Written reports are given for children 4-5 years old. Children's files, including name, address, and other information, are kept strictly confidential. DSS Regulation No: 114-503

NOURISHMENT

The parents of each child bring snacks of raw and/or dried fruits, vegetables, nuts, peanut butter, or cheese once a semester (i.e., twice during the school year). Please do not bring anything that contains refined sugar, white flour, or chemicals; chewing gum and candy are not permitted in school. Please let us know if your child has any food allergies.

ILLNESS POLICY / MEDICAL EMERGENCY

If your child is ill (which includes coughing, sneezing, fever, vomiting, or other symptoms of sickness), he/she must be kept at home until he/she has been free of fever or acute symptoms for at least 24 hours.

If a child is brought to school with fever or obvious symptoms of illness, we will telephone you to take your child home immediately. Until you arrive, your child will be separated from the other children in order to avoid potential contagion. DSS Regulation No: 114-509B

Our staff receives annual CPR and First Aid training. If there is an incident in which the staff assess that the student can wait for the parents to arrive, the parents will be called to take their child to the hospital. If a medical emergency arises in which the staff feels that an ambulance must be call, 911 will first be called, followed by a call to the parents. Our closest hospital is MUSC and the senior staff member will accompany the child to the hospital, with the child's records, and stay with the child until the parent/ guardian arrives. Any incident in which a student is taken to the hospital requires an incident report to be completed by all present staff and kept on file. DSS Regulation No: 114-505 H(3)

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

We celebrate each child's birthday on the actual date of his/her birth, if possible. There is a special ceremony that the children enjoy very much, and the parents of the birthday child are invited to attend. You need to bring a photo timeline of the child's life, and a healthy snack (no cakes or candy, please). It is a tradition in our school to bring a hardcover book to present to the class on your child's birthday.

PROCEDURES FOR ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE

Children arrive between 8:00-8:45 a.m. Please walk your child into the classroom. Parking is limited to the right hand side of the drive. If you choose to park in the driveway, please pull all the way forward and be considerate of the amount of time you take dropping off your child. Ample street parking is available, if you would like to park, walk your child in and stay for a moment. Please be patient and considerate.

The half-day school session ends at 11:45 a.m. One of the teachers will be outside on the porch from 11:45 to 12:00 noon. You may drive into the driveway as far as you can when you are picking up your child at this time. The full-day students are dismissed at 2:45 p.m. The teachers will be on the porch with the students. Parents are asking to come up onto the porch to get their children. Again, parking is limited to the right hand side of the drive, please pull all the way forward, and gather your child quickly. Ample street parking is available if you would like to walk over to pick up your child.

The staff tracks each child's arrival and departure, movement between classroom and playground, as well as field trips. DSS Regulation: 114-504 A (3)

DISCIPLINE

The staff of the Montessori Fountainhead School does not use corporal punishment at any time or under any circumstances. When a child does not cooperate, then the so-called “time out” is used. In that instance, the child is physically separated from his/ her classmates. He/ she is allowed to be occupied at a table or on the floor. He/ she is not permitted to partici-pate in the group activity or to play on the playground if the incident occurs there. The child is told that when he/ she is ready to apologize and promise not to repeat whatever offensive behavior he/ she exhibited, he/ she may rejoin the other children. DSS Regulation No: 114-503 F(3)(f) / DSS Regulation No: 114-506 B(2)

RELEASE OF CHILDREN

A child may be picked up from the school only by his/ her parent(s) or a person designated by the parent(s). When someone else needs to pick up a child from school, there shall be prior notification by the parent(s), with the name and identification of the person or verification of a personal family code word. DSS Regulation No: 114-503 F(2)

MEDICATION

Medication shall be administered to a child only when there is a written, signed, and dated request from his/ her parents. Prescription drugs shall be in the original container and labeled with the dosage schedule. The administration of medication shall be recorded by the staff, with a copy given to the parents. DSS Regulation No: 114-503 F(3)(e)

FIELD TRIPS

Transportation to and from the field trip destination is provided by parents. A permission form must be signed by a parent granting another parent permission to transport their child. It is also the parent's responsibility to provide a labeled carseat or booster seat for their child. Parents of children under the age of three are required to accompany their child on field trips. Before leaving the school each child will be counted by a teacher and tracked to which car they are riding. Upon arrival, each child will check in with the teacher. They will then be counted and tracked to which car they are riding to return to school. Upon returning to school, each child will be counted and checked in by a teacher. DSS Regulation No: 114-505 I

PROVISIONAL HIRING

Montessori Fountainhead School does not provisionally hire staff. All staff undergo background checks and verification of hiring eligibility. SC Statute 631345A