FAQS
Parent/Teacher Conferences
It is hoped that all guardians will take advantage of the opportunity to attend Parent/Teacher conferences. These meetings are important opportunities to discuss your child's activities and behavior and help form an educational plan for your child. Reports will include information on observations and documentation of your child's progress in a range of activities such as, developmental domains of Cognitive, Social/Emotional, Language and Fine and Gross Motor and Life Skills. Conference times will be offered mid-year, although guardians may initiate a meeting at any time they feel it is necessary. Teachers are responsible for writing progress reports every six months and these will be discussed with you at these conferences and kept on file with your child's records.
What Your Child Needs
Each child should arrive on their first day with: a water bottle/ sippy cup, a lunchbox with a morning snack & lunch (and if needed, a thermos and/or ice pack to keep items the proper temp.), diapers/pull-ups and wipes (if needed), extra clothing (please supply at least one extra full outfit including socks and plenty of extra underwear for potty-training children), and a pair of ‘indoor shoes’ for your child to change into once wetter/ snowier weather comes.
For full-day children please also pack: an afternoon snack, a crib sheet & blanket or roll-out sleeping bag, a pacifier in a small bag or container (optional), and a special blanket/ stuffed animal/ soother for rest time (optional).
Lunch
All families must provide a lunch with beverage for their child. Please pack items in a thermos or with an icepack (if necessary) to keep food at the desired temperature. If lunches are accidentally forgotten or not adequate the Coop will have supplemental food available. A suggested list of suitable proteins, fruits, vegetables, dairy and grain products follows:
Protein: ham, tuna, turkey, chicken, beans, meat loaf, egg, etc.
Fruit: apple, pear, peach, grapes(cut up), orange, clementine, banana, avocado, strawberries, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, etc.
Vegetables: celery, green/red pepper, green beans, peas, snap peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, potato salad etc.
Dairy: milk, yogurt, cheese stick, cottage cheese, etc.
Grains: whole wheat bread, raisin bread, oatmeal bread, muffin, crackers, cereal, etc.
Snack
On Monday- Thursday, all families must provide a morning and afternoon snack (if in full-day care) for their child. On Fridays, the Coop does a ‘Shared Snack’ which is provided by families on a rotating basis. Popcorn and whole (pit-in) cherries are not allowed in either the toddler or preschool program. Please make sure that lunches and snacks do not include any potential choking hazards (even if they can successfully eat these foods at home). In our toddler room the following foods are banned and will not be served to any child:
whole grapes/ cherry tomatoes (can bring cut)
large chunks of raw fruits or vegetables o raw carrots (can bring shredded)
whole nuts/ seeds
scoops/chunks of nut butters
round slices of hot dog/ sausage
large chunks of meat
candy