PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Parent Involvement Policy
As your child's "home away from home," our Center will be a very special place both for you and your child. You are always welcome to visit your child at Hoya Kids.
To foster this attitude, we request that each family commit themselves to contributing ten (10) hours of volunteer time to the Center each year. This will enable the Center to contain some costs and give parents the opportunity to get to know the programs and children in a more intimate environment and promote an atmosphere of "ownership."
We also believe that cooperation and a positive relationship between the home and the Center builds the foundation of quality care. It is important that parents and staff communicate freely with each other. There are many events in the life of your family that may have a positive or negative effect on your child. We can respond and accommodate changes in your child's behavior if we are kept informed about them.
There are many opportunities for parents to participate in the Center's programs. Your time and efforts are appreciated. When you demonstrate your support for the Center, it has very positive effects on your child's attitude and feelings. Activities may include fund-raising, field trips, washing toys, minor toy repair, classroom enrichment projects, or baking. In addition, children love visits and appreciate new voices reading books or new hands to hold on walks.
Communication with Parents
Individual "My Day" reports are prepared for every toddler and placed on the child's clipboard, and as often as the daily schedule allows, the Twos/Threes and Preschool groups will keep you informed about your child's activities via email and/or a parent bulletin board with daily activities and nap information. Individual news items will be placed in your family's mailbox. The Center publishes a newsletter describing Center activities and other information of interest. Bulletin boards should always be checked for information about classroom activities. A more general Parent Bulletin Board is located in the front lobby of the Center.
Parent-Teacher Conferences are held twice a year and are a great opportunity for parents to learn about their child's experiences and developmental progress. Periodic parent meetings will be held to discuss Center-related issues. Workshops on a variety of relevant parenting issues will also be offered.
We understand that, as a parent, you experience new challenges each day. In our resource library there are a variety of books, videos, magazines, and articles available for you to check out and borrow.
Appropriate Channels for Voicing Concerns
Classroom related issues:
1) Classroom teacher
2) Jane Banister, Center Director
3) Parent Advisory Council
4) Mary Anne Mahin, VP and CHRO
Policy or General Center Issues:
1) Jane Banister, Center Director
2) Parent Advisory Council
3) Mary Anne Mahin, VP and CHRO
Listproc
The HKLCparents-L list-proc is used to quickly communicate important Center-wide information from the Hoya Kids administration. It also can be used for parents to share helpful information with one another (i.e. weekend events in the area, advice on children's products, alternate child care resources, etc.).
Upon enrollment, the Georgetown-affiliated parent is automatically subscribed to the list-proc. If you wish to have another (parent, guardian, nanny, etc.) caregiver's email address subscribed at any time, please let the Director or Operations Manager know and we will be glad to take care of that. You will occasionally receive messages from Hoya Kids Learning Center and/or other parents. The volume of email is generally very light.
Parents are asked to be courteous towards others in their communications on the list-proc. As stated in the Georgetown University's technology policies, "The University encourages all members of its community to use electronic communications in a manner that is respectful to others". Additionally, "appropriate language, behavior and style is warranted". Sending harassing, frivolous, or excessive messages, including chain letters and junk mail are inappropriate. This list-proc is moderated, and any material deemed inappropriate by Center administration (the list owner) will not be approved, and the sender will be notified.
Visiting the Center
We encourage you to visit the Center and observe your child or participate in Center activities. Although young infants benefit greatly from drop-in visits during the day, toddlers often have difficulty understanding that when parents come to visit, they must go back to work! Please use good judgment when visiting your child. Children do outgrow this separation difficulty! Our staff is here to assist you with these transitions.
Messages for Staff
If you need to contact your child's teacher during the day, please call the Center office. Teachers may need to wait until their break to return phone calls to parents to minimize the disruption to their class. Staff makes every effort to deliver messages promptly to the teacher's mailbox. As teachers need to devote their time and attention to the children, please save lengthy discussions for a scheduled meeting. Teachers are asked to check their mailboxes midday and before leaving the Center each day.
Birthdays
Hoya Kids Learning Center will celebrate children's birthdays with a special monthly group snack. The snack will consist of 100% fruit juice posicles or another healthy (but special) snack of the Center's choosing. Classroom Teachers will contact families whose children's birthdays fall within the same month to arrange a mutually agreeable date for the group birthday snack.
In order to support the child-centered focus of our curriculum, we encourage families to come into the classroom on or around the child's actual birthday to share a favorite and meaningful book or activity with the child's class. Please see the child's teacher in advance to arrange the time of the activity and to discuss your plans. In lieu of goodie bags or sugary treats, we suggest that families donate a special children's book or CD to the clasroom.
For safety reasons, balloons and lit candles are NOT permitted at the Center.
Observance of Holiday Celebrations
Georgetown University is a Catholic, Jesuit University that also reflects the rich multicultural and religious diversity in our society. We at Hoya Kids Learning Center understand that our families celebrate different religious and ethnic holidays and have a diversity of observances. We feel it is important that our children become comfortable and familiar with and begin to appreciate the multicultural pluralism of their classmates and the larger society. While we wish to maintain an atmosphere where children are not over-stimulated by holiday activities, the children will be involved with positive, age-appropriate Christmas and Easter experiences, as well as celebrations of other cultures representative of the families enrolled in the Center. We invite and encourage parents to join their children in sharing significant traditions and holidays from their family's religious and cultural heritage throughout the year.
For safety reasons, any food that comes from home that is meant to be shared among the children must be either whole fruits or commercially prepared packaged foods in factory-sealed containers.
Your Child's Clothing
Please dress your child in clothing that is washable and comfortable. The children will be going outdoors to play each day unless weather conditions prohibit this activity. D.C. regulations say that Centers are to "include at least two (2) hours of outdoor play each day", weather permitting, in all seasons. Dress your child appropriately for outdoor play and provide shoes that adequately protect the feet. No sandals or flip-flops are allowed. An extra sweater, hat and mittens should be kept in your child's cubby. Please be sure these are labeled with your child's name.
Recycled Materials and Donations
The Hoya Kids Learning Center staff welcome the use of recycled materials for our art and group projects. Many of the materials are household and business discards. Below is a partial list of items we collect but let your imagination be your guide. The main rule is: When in doubt, save it, clean it, and then bring it to Hoya Kids Learning Center!
Please save the following items:
- Any kind of paper
- Envelopes
- Plastic bags (for soiled diapers)
- Paper towel/toilet rolls
- Egg cartons
- Meat trays (please wash with soap and water)
- Office supplies
- Plastic jars
- Quaker Oats containers
- Baby food jars with lids
- Milk jug tops and rings
- Lace and ribbon
- Yogurt jars with lids
- Sewing spools
- Strawberry baskets
- Buttons
- Margarine tubs with lids
- Fabric and fabric scraps
- Wallpaper scraps
- Carpet scraps
- Nuts and bolts
- Plumbing fittings
- Film canisters
- Use your imagination!
