Broadoaks School Parent Handbook

The Broadoaks School o f Wh ittier College Founded in 1906

Now in its second century, The Broadoaks School of Whittier College honors its Quaker founders, its early leaders, and its current faculty and staff for their enduring commitment to education, equity, and social justice for all children everywhere and to excellence in the preparation of the next generation of teachers, social workers, health and mental health providers, child advocates and others working toward careers in service to children and their families.

Fall 2014

Fall 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword

1

Broadoaks as a Laboratory/Demonstration School

1

Greetings from Whittier College Administrators

2

Letter from the President of Whittier College, Dr. Sharon Herzberger

2

Letter from Dr. Charlotte Borst, Vice President for Academic Affairs

2

Purpose of the Handbook

3

Chapter 1: Broadoaks Then and Now

4

History

4

Mission Statement

4

Director’s Statement

5

School Administration and Oversight

7

Faculty and Staff

8

Administration: The Directors

8

Administrative Team & Instructional Leadership Team

9

Instructional Team: Teachers and Classroom Assistants

9

Support Team: Office Staff

10

Background Checks

10

Visitors and Observers

11

Teaching Philosophy

11

Broadoaks Teachers Believe That……..

11

Retention of Our High Quality Staff

12

Chapter 2: Programs, Services and Curriculum

14

Licensure

14

Program Types and Approximate Times

14

Broadoaks Approach to Curriculum and Instruction

15

What to Look for at Broadoaks

18

The High Scope Approach

20

Developmental Assessment and Testing

21

Unique Aspects of the Broadoaks Curriculum

22

Policies, Guidelines, and Expectations for Student Use of Technology

26

Extracurricular Activities

27

Research at the Broadoaks Children’s School

27

Classroom Management and Discipline

30

Policy on Academic Honesty

34

Chapter 3: Application, Admission, Contracts, Payments, and Other Obligations Applications and Admissions Policies and Procedures

35 35

Selection Criteria

37

Registration Fees and Tuition Deposits

39

Payments of Tuition and Fees

39

Enrollment Contracts

40

Chapter 4: Policies and Procedures for Drop-Off and Pick-up Times and Guidelines for Positive Separations and Reunions Before School Starts

42

Starting a New School Year: Helping Younger Children feel Comfortable When Parents Leave

42

Drop-Off Policies and Procedures

43

Drop-Off Times with Young Children

43

A Few More Words About Difficult Separations

42

44

Drop Off Times with Older Students

44

Arriving at School in Good Health, Rested and On Time

45

Safety and Positive Attitudes in the Neighborhood and Parking Lots

45

When Children Complain about School (And they all will sooner or later!)

45

Pick-Up Policies and Procedures

46

Permission to Walk or Take Public Transportation to School

48

Cell Phone Free Zone

48

Foul Weather Clothing, Drop-Off and Pick-up Procedures

48

Supervision of Children and Appropriate Interaction with Them during Drop-Off and Pick-Up Times Safety and Security at Drop-Off and Pick-Up Times

49

Unscheduled School Closing

49

49

Chapter 5: Attire and Items Brought to School

50

Attire

50

Clothing Policy: All Grade Levels

50

Additional Information Regarding School Attire

51

Preschool and Kindergarten

51

All Grade Levels

52

Attire for Playing Outside

53

Comfort Toys

53

Bringing Dangerous Items to School

53

Chapter 6: Additional Program Information for Preschool

54

Preschool Naptime

54

Sharing

55

Toy Weapons

55

Chapter 7: School Safety and Security

56

Guidelines for Dealing with Dangerous and Potentially Dangerous Situations

58

Chapter 8: Parent Involvement: Home-School Relationships and Communications

60

Parents as Volunteers and Supporters of the School

60

Open Door Policy for Parents

60

Open Door Policies and Guidelines

61

Photographing and Videotaping Children at School

62

Teachers’ Role in Determining the Curriculum

62

Parent-Teacher Conferences and Other Communications

63

Other Means of Home-School Communication

64

Changes and Additions to School Policies and Procedures

64

Communicating with Children or Teachers by Telephone during School

64

Email

65

Timely Replies from the School

65

Student Use of Email and the Internet

65

The Broadoaks Website

65

Completing Forms and Recommendation Letters

65

Relationships Between Teachers & Parents

65

Confidentiality

66

Communication Between Parents

67

Broadoaks Parent Organization

67

Fundraising

68

Chapter 9: Other School Policies, Procedures and Guidelines

70

Birthdays

70

About Birthday Parties

71

Holidays and Other Celebrations

71

More About School’s Holiday and Gift Policies

72

Phones

72

Chapter 10: Additional Medical, Health and Safety Related Policies

74

Health

74

Medication

75

Allergies

76

Accident and Injury Reports

76

Visitors

77

Meals and Snacks

77

Food Allergies

79

Field Trips

79

On-Campus Activities Outside of Normal School Hours

80

Off-Campus Activities Not Authorized by Broadoaks

80

Sibling on Climbing Structure and Other Equipment

80

Child Files

80

Photographs, Audiotaping and Videotaping

81

Full Participation in the Program

81

FOREWORD Broadoaks as a Laboratory/Demonstration School This handbook has been developed by the administrative team, instructional team, and parent executive committee to provide information and guidelines regarding The Broadoaks Children’s School of Whittier College. Broadoaks is a laboratory/demonstration school. This means that our primary purposes are to (1) serve as a learning laboratory for professionals and Whittier College students in a variety of disciplines and (2) demonstrate the best of what is known about meeting the educational and social needs of children and their families in a school setting.

In our case, the word “laboratory” does not imply experimentation, since our instructional methods have been thoroughly researched for several decades and include well-respected educational practices.

Rather, the term refers to our role as a learning laboratory for college students and faculty.

Working in a laboratory/demonstration site is like working in a fish bowl, with people constantly observing our work and asking questions about how and why we do what we do. Therefore, we are determined to make every hour a high quality experience for each child in every classroom. We want to be sure that every college student or observer from another school sees us putting our philosophy into action to the very best of our ability. We say we work in “ZOR” -- the Zone of Refinement, always reflecting on our daily practice and working together to make it better. Your children are the immediate beneficiaries of all this outside oversight and vigilant focus on every detail of our program.

Broadoaks makes no distinction between “school” and “day care.” The child who is here 10 hours per day deserves as much quality in each of his/her 50 hours with us as does the child who attends preschool on six hours per week or elementary school only during the regular school day from 8:50 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

This commitment to quality, this vision of implementing “best practices” to the best of our individual and collective abilities, places demands on teachers who work in our shared fish bowl. We have to think carefully about each aspect of the instructional program. We have to coordinate with college faculty who send their students to Broadoaks to complete assignments and conduct field studies. We have to closely supervise dozens of college students who work and study at Broadoaks to gain experience with children. We have to tailor courses of study for visiting educators who participate in the Broadoaks Professional Development Institute.

Broadoaks is a Community of Learners and a community of people who care deeply about children…including children who attend the school, others in the community, and those in the greater world beyond. The cornerstones of our program are Active Learning, critical thinking, problem solving, and shared accountability for everyone’s success. We emphasize children’s development as human beings, as well as their performance in the academic realm. Our instructional program begins with their strengths, interests, and prior knowledge as “points of beginning” for their next steps in learning.

The winners are the children -- the children who are with us now and those whose lives will be touched in the future by Whittier College students whose ideas about children and their education were influenced by their experiences at Broadoaks and the children in public and private schools whose teachers benefit from Broadoaks Professional Development Programs.

Broadoaks Administration, Faculty, and Parent Executive Committee Fall 2010

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LETTER TO BROADOAKS FAMILIES FROM THE PRESIDENT OF WHITTIER COLLEGE Dear Broadoaks Families: As president of Whittier College, I am often called upon to share with others what makes this learning community so special. Of course, Broadoaks is one of the things I can point to with great pride.

Beyond that, the regular presence of your children on our campus enlivens this community. Seeing them at play on a lawn or learning outside often brings the College students, faculty, and staff delight in the exuberance of these younger people.

Broadoaks has provided an exceptional education for generations, and it is one of Whittier College’s great distinctions. Of course, we hope your Broadoaks students will join the scores of others who go on to become Whittier College alumni as well!

Sincerely, Sharon D. Herzberger

LETTER TO BROADOAKS FAMILIES FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Dear Broadoaks Families: On behalf of the Whittier College faculty and administration, I welcome you to the Whittier College community and, especially, to Broadoaks, our phenomenal campus school. Broadoaks has a wonderful century-plus record of excellent service to children and families, and decades of service to the Whittier College community as a vibrant learning laboratory for students and faculty in such disciplines as education, child development, psychology, sociology, social work, physical education, and music.

Broadoaks is an academic program at Whittier College. Therefore, the college holds Broadoaks to the highest standards and expectations for service to the college community. The school has earned its reputation as one of the leading demonstration schools in the country, not only through its past accomplishments, which are many, but also through its current work with your children and our college students.

As President Herzberger noted, your children add an important dimension to the sights and sounds of our campus. We are delighted to have them here!

Sincerely, Charlotte Borst, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty

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PURPOSE OF THIS HANDBOOK This Parent Handbook is always a work in progress. It provides information about the school, its policies and procedures, and guidelines for participation in its programs and services. Our intention is to create stronger bonds between home and school by clearly articulating the school’s goals and expectations at the start of each program year and by providing numerous and varied opportunities for communication between home and school.

Parents are responsible for following all school policies and procedures, including those set forth in this handbook and any changes or additions. School policies and procedures can change at any time.

Parents will be notified of changes and additions via email blasts.

Throughout the handbook, the term “parent” is used to include the child’s biological and adoptive parents, legal guardians, and/or authorized agents.

Information presented in italics typically explains the reasons behind various policies and procedures and to help parents further understand the school’s approach and rationale.

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CHAPTER 1 BROADOAKS THEN AND NOW HISTORY Now in its second century of service to children and families and to those whose professional aspirations involve such service, The Broadoaks School has a long and proud history. Originally located in Pasadena, the laboratory/demonstration school was founded in 1906 by Ada Mae Brooks and Imelda E. Brooks. The school soon achieved national recognition as a center for the professional development of early childhood educators.

Broadoaks officially became part of Whittier College in 1931 and physically moved onto the Whittier campus in 1945. Since its inception, Broadoaks has provided opportunities for observation of children and teachers; fieldwork, practice teaching and other hands-on learning experiences; and research by college faculty and their students. Its first priority is to serve as a “learning laboratory” for the college community by providing a model of “best practices” in the education and care of children, as well as in programs and services for families and advocacy for the wellbeing of children in the world beyond the school gates.

In recent years, Broadoaks has recaptured its earlier reputation as one of the most well respected schools in the country. Broadoaks preschool was one of the first schools to be certified by the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation; both the preschool and the elementary school have been featured on the Tour of Excellence by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the California Association for the Education of Young Children. Several hundred visitors come to Broadoaks each year, some of them from other countries, to see our programs in action.

Broadoaks faculty members have been invited to present at many professional and academic meetings, conferences and symposia, including the American Psychological Association (APA), the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), the International High/Scope Conference, the European Early Childhood Educational Research Association (EECERA), and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The school has also been mentioned in such familiar national publications as Parents Magazine, Parenting Magazine, Sesame Street Magazine, Working Woman Magazine, Redbook Magazine, the New York Times, Family Circle Magazine, and Young Children. In spite of all this acknowledgment, however, our greatest rewards come from our relationships with Broadoaks children and their families. We are sincerely grateful for the opportunity to play a part in your child’s early years and foundational school experiences.

MISSION STATEMENT Broadoaks is an academic program at Whittier College, serving as a learning laboratory for Whittier College students and faculty, as well as for the broader education and child services communities, by (1) providing a model of excellence in the care and education of children in preschool through 8 grade; (2) creating a dynamic center for the study of children, their education, their social worlds, and their overall wellbeing; and (3) engaging in responsible advocacy and activism to promote the health, safety, general wellbeing, rights, and education of all children everywhere. th

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The college laboratory/demonstration school has the following goals: (1) Create a rich, engaging, diverse learning environment that builds mind, body, and character by (a) creating a Community of Shared Practice for college students and faculty from many disciplines; (b) providing a developmentally-based curriculum that promotes the social, emotional, linguistic, physical, and intellectual growth of each child; and (c) demonstrating “best practices” consistent with contemporary developmental and educational research, the California Preschool Guidelines, and Common Core State Standards; (2) Meet the needs of children and their families through the curriculum and related activities and services; (3) Serve as a program model and demonstration site -- a learning laboratory -- for Whittier College students and faculty, as well as for professionals in education and related fields who participate in Broadoaks Professional Development Institutes (PDI); (4) Provide learning and research opportunities for Whittier College students and faculty; (5) Work within the larger community on behalf of children and families everywhere.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT Judith T. Wagner, Ph.D. Director of The Broadoaks Children’s School Professor of Child Development and Education Schools embody the dreams we have for our children.

(Deborah Meier, The Power of Their Idea) Broadoaks is more than a school. It is a community within a community where all involved -- faculty, administrators, parents, and the children themselves when they are old enough -- share a vision of active, purposeful, mutually respectful, responsible, and cooperative learning that nurtures development of the whole person in all domains -- intellectual/academic, social-emotional, linguistic, physical, and moral-ethical. Broadoaks is a community that embraces, at once, the wellbeing of the individual, the larger groups to which each individual belongs, and the global family to which we all belong. The education of our children is situated within this context of wellbeing, responsibility, productivity, and contribution that transcends traditional school disciplines without diminishing their individual and collective importance.

During the first years of life, children acquire fundamental social and intellectual skills. They develop attitudes about the world and their place in it. With gentle guidance and appropriate boundaries, they come to know this world and its people as worthy of their trust, admiration, and respect. They learn that their voices have power and influence that can be used for worthy causes. They come to understand the intrinsic value of self-regulation, hard work, and concern for others.

At Broadoaks we firmly believe that all children can learn and all children want to learn. We firmly believe that all children want to be productive, contributing members of their classroom and school community. We further believe that all children want to document their progress and their accomplishments.

Children bring different strengths, interests, abilities, backgrounds, and personalities to their classrooms, which we call a Community of Learners, to capture the sense of belonging and mutual responsibility we are trying to foster. The school’s rules embody the philosophy and spirit behind our use of the term, ”Community of Learners.” These are the school’s rules: (1) Everybody is here to learn and (2) Everybody is here to help everyone else learn.

Children develop at different rates and learn in different ways. The Broadoaks approach respects these differences among children by providing instructional programs built upon the strengths and interests

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of children who make up the group, the goals of parents, and contemporary developmental and educational theory.

At Broadoaks instruction begins with children’s existing strengths and interests as the foundation for future learning. Broadoaks does not use a deficit or remediation model focusing on what children do not know and probably, as yet have little or no motivation to learn. Instead, our instructional decisions are based, first and foremost, on child development theory, illuminated by teachers’ knowledge of the particular children with whom they are working. Teachers’ knowledge about children comes from their academic backgrounds in developmental child psychology and from their use of a variety of authentic assessment strategies (teacher observation, anecdotal records, work sample analysis, focused instructional conversations, and teacher dialogue and reflection), augmented in the upper elementary and middle school grades by student performance on teacher-made and standardized tests.

Broadoaks offers a challenging and supportive environment where children explore and question and create. Within the comfortable home-like facilities, children learn by doing, under the careful supervision of caring teachers, who nurture emerging competencies, self-confidence, and problem solving. The focus is on basic skills, as well as on higher order thinking and creative self-expression.

We emphasize strength of mind, body and character. Of course, we want Broadoaks students to become smarter and wiser people. We insist that they learn the three Rs and all else that is required of them by California’s demanding standards. But this is only half our job. We are also committed to helping our students become increasingly responsible people who use their time on earth to the benefit of all the people they know…and those they will never meet.

The learning environment extends into the outdoor play yards and the Whittier College campus.

Younger children dig in sand and dirt, cultivate gardens, paint, and take on a variety of roles in their dramatic play. Older students, too, are actively engaged in learning throughout the day. They ask questions, refine them, and search for answers, often discovering that each “answer” leads to more questions.

As teachers observe children in their work and play, they look for opportunities to encourage language, social, motor, and intellectual development. The goal is to promote greater competence, confidence, and intentional learning, as well as to encourage greater responsibility among the students for their own academic outcomes.

Our location on a college campus provides an ideal environment for intellectual/academic development. Our location on this particular college campus, with its Quaker beginnings and lingering commitments to peacefulness and other Quakerly values, provides an ideal context for situating intellectual/academic pursuits within the broader context of the development of human capacities for integrity, personal responsibility, commitment to shared ideals and virtues, and promoting the general welfare of others in this community and beyond.

At Broadoaks we call one another “friend,” partly as a lingering vestige of the school’s Quaker heritage, but mostly because we aspire to behave toward one another as true friends who revel in our commonalities and embrace our differences. Our goal is for all children to experience a deep and secure sense of belonging here. We encourage teachers and children to embrace those for whom learning comes easily and those who struggle, those who are athletic and those who are less so, those who attract friends easily and those who are shy, those who sing or dance and those who draw. As we work together, adults and children, to create and sustain an environment where all belong, we also look outward, asking how even the youngest among us can help those in need beyond the school gates.

As one example of its commitment, Broadoaks students share what they grow in our “Hearts at Work Gardens” with the homeless, the elderly, and the ill.

Broadoaks uses the internationally known, well-researched High/Scope approach. The approach focuses on active, hands-on/minds-on learning and child choice within a highly structured and supportive environment, where children and teachers share responsibility for initiating and evaluating learning experiences. Broadoaks is viewed as a national leader in High/Scope implementation at the preschool, primary, and upper elementary levels. High/Scope is described in greater detail elsewhere in this handbook. Further information about High/Scope is available at www.highscope.org and in the Broadoaks office.

Although Broadoaks classrooms include children with a broad range of academic abilities, our standardized test scores consistently indicate remarkable levels of academic achievement. Common

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Core State Standards guide, but do not limit, the elementary and middle school instructional program. Consistently using a developmental approach, featuring an appropriate balance between teacher-directed instruction and student-initiated/teacher-guided instruction, we teach language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, health, music, art, and physical education. During studentinitiated instruction, children investigate topics of particular interest in great depth and practice emerging skills in language arts (reading, writing, listening, speaking), mathematics and other content areas within the context of their investigations. Teachers carefully monitor individual progress in each content area.

Our results speak for themselves. When they leave Broadoaks, our students typically perform at about the same academic level as they did at Broadoaks or, perhaps slightly better because our standards are quite high. However, way out of proportion to their numbers, former Broadoaks students quickly emerge as leaders among their peers and as positive contributors to their new classroom and school environments.

It is our hope that each child will “graduate” from Broadoaks saying and believing, “I am a good person. I am a kind friend. I can make good choices. I am a good thinker and I love to learn.”

My colleagues and I share a deep and sincere dedication to this little school and all it stands for. We work hard to meet the high standards we set for ourselves and to deserve the trust parents invest in us by sending their children to Broadoaks. We are committed to our version of the saying at the beginning of this section: Through our daily work, Broadoaks embodies the dreams we have for all children.

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION AND OVERSIGHT As the chief administrator of the program, the School Director (Wagner) is ultimately responsible for setting school policies and determining how best to implement them. She is also responsible for management of the school’s budget and finances. Programmatic and fiscal oversight is provided by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, to whom the school director reports.

Further fiscal oversight is provided by the Vice President for Finance and Administration, the college controller, and outside auditors, as well as by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the organization responsible for accrediting Whittier College. The director is a member of the Whittier College faculty with a professorship in Child Development and Education. The director works collaboratively with other faculty members to ensure that Broadoaks meets the needs of college students and faculty as a learning laboratory in child development, education, sociology, social work, psychology and related fields.

As part of the faculty governance structure, the Broadoaks Advisory Committee is appointed each year by the Whittier College Faculty Executive Committee. This advisory – not policy making -- committee typically includes an appointed chair, one or two faculty members, and the school director as an ex officio member. The committee advises the director on school policies, procedures and priorities, especially as they relate to serving the needs of college students and faculty and addressing the institution’s mission and goals.

The Director also seeks advice and counsel from (1) the other school directors, (2) the Administrative Leadership Team, (3) the Leadership Team including all lead teachers, and (4) the Broadoaks Parent Organization leadership group, usually including the Parent President, the Director’s Advisory Committee Chair, and the Liaison Chair, as well as the Auction Chair for matters relating to fundraising, in general, or the Auction, in particular. These groups serve in advisory capacities to the school director.

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FACULTY AND STAFF Administration: The Directors Dr. Judith Wagner, The Broadoaks School Director, is a tenured full professor of Child Development and Education at Whittier College. Her assignment includes 25% in traditional college teaching and 75% directing the campus childhood learning laboratory. She holds a Ph.D. in Child Development and Teacher Education. Like all college faculty members, she must be a productive scholar, completing research, publishing articles and books, presenting her work for peer review at professional meetings and conferences, and participating actively in professional organizations. She must submit reports on her professional activities to the Faculty Personnel Committee at regular intervals. She also serves on various college committees and is the college’s Fulbright Program Advisor. Dr. Wagner oversees all aspects of the school’s operation, including coordination with the college, research, and curriculum and instruction, as well as school business and administration, including budget, personnel, faculty recruitment and retention, facilities management, strategic planning, fundraising, public relations, and community outreach. Dr. Wagner earned a Public School Administrative Credential, Multiple Subject Credential (elementary), Single Subject Credentials in English and Biology (secondary), and Early Childhood Specialist Credential. She holds a High/Scope preschool and High/Scope elementary teaching certificate and a High/Scope Educators certificate. She was 2003 Fulbright Scholar in Research and Teaching in Denmark, where she recently received the International Educator’s Award for founding the Psychology and Child Development Program at Denmark’s International Studies Program (DIS). In fall 2007 she was honored as “Children’s Champion” by The Intercommunity Child Guidance Center, now The Whole Child. Dr. Wagner has published several books and articles and is frequently quoted in the media as an expert on child and family life and education. She is President of OMEP-USA, the American branch of the World Organization for Early Childhood. As Broadoaks director, Dr. Wagner reports to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, as well as to the Chief Financial Officer.

Kori Vartanian, Associate School Director and Preschool Director, holds an M.A. degree in Education from Whittier College, where she also completed her undergraduate studies in Child Development.

She joined the staff as a Graduate Teaching Fellow and quickly distinguished herself as an outstanding teacher in the school’s elementary grades. As her interest in school management developed, she became a member of the Administrative Leadership Team and later moved from the classroom to the school office, where she learned about various aspects of school administration. In 2008 she was named Assistant School Director and in 2009 she was named Associate School Director. In addition to her general administrative duties as Associate Director and Acting Director in the Director’s absence, Mrs. Vartanian supervises the preschool program, coordinates the Broadoaks Professional Development Institute, serves with Dr. Wagner as a liaison with college faculty, and schedules both academic fieldwork and work study placements for Whittier College students. Mrs. Vartanian is an adjunct instructor in the Whittier College Department of Education and Child Development, coteaching the intensive senior practicum course and teaching courses for work study students.

Kathleen Pompey is Director of School, Community and Parent Services. She supervises the office staff, including the School Services and Events Coordinator, Administrative Secretary, Business Services Clerk, office consultants, and program assistants. She serves as the school’s liaison with the college business office, facilities department, information technology department, human resources department, and college safety committee. She is the school’s representative to numerous community events, organizations and agencies. She served as president of the Southern California Association for the Education of Young Children (SCAEYC) and served on the Los Angeles County Child Care Planning Committee. Ms. Pompey works with major donors, coordinates parent volunteers, and supports the Broadoaks Parent Organization. She was the 2006-2007 Whittier College Employee of the Year. Ms. Pompey is a member of the school’s Administrative Leadership Team and serves as an Acting Director in the director’s absence.

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Administrative Team and Instructional Leadership Team Administrative Team: Joining the directors on the school Administrative Team are the Upper Elementary Program Supervisor (Jennifer Brown), the Primary Program Supervisor (Kathleen King), the Middle School Program Supervisors (Troy Kimura and Mya Merrill), and the Summer Program Coordinators (Mya Merrill and Jennifer Brown).

Jennifer Brown currently serves as Assistant to the Director for Special Projects. In this capacity she has been responsible for developing the Middle School schedule and working with the Director and Associate School Director on a variety of other administrative responsibilities.

Instructional Leadership Team: Lead teachers from each class make up the Instructional Leadership Team, which often joins the Administrative Team for various aspects of program planning, implementation, and evaluation.

Instructional Teams: Teachers and Classroom Assistants Broadoaks pledges an outstanding faculty at all grade levels and extraordinary teacher:student ratios (meeting or exceeding state requirements in preschool; 1:15 or better in elementary classrooms; and approximately 1:22 at the middle school level). Broadoaks recruits and retains only those teachers who are consistently able to (1) meet the school’s high standards for professional performance, (2) serve as models of “best practices” in a demonstration school setting, and (3) guide and supervise college students working in the classrooms in a variety of capacities. Whittier College students are not counted in the ratios unless they have been achieved the highly competitive and selective designation as an Undergraduate Teaching Fellow.

All Broadoaks teachers work on teams. The purposes of teaming are to (1) facilitate individualized instruction; (2) promote in-depth daily reflections on instruction, focusing on the children’s level of engagement and performance in relation to their individual “next steps” and High/Scope key developmental indicators (preschool) or State Standards (elementary); (3) promote on-going personal and professional development for all members of the staff; (4) maintain optimal teacher: student ratios, and (5) ensure that the school consistently provides safe, secure, challenging, and interesting learning environments for all students. Each instructional team includes teachers with appropriate degrees, teaching credentials, certificates, and permits. Members of the instructional teams have undergone fingerprinting, background checks, and health checks, as well as CPR and first aid training.

Teachers: All Broadoaks teachers work on an instructional team directly supervised by a lead teacher, and monitored by a program supervisor, the associate school director, and the school director.

Elementary teachers hold or are working toward a Master of Arts Degree in education. Those who have completed the MA degree are expected to continue their academic and professional growth throughout their service at Broadoaks. Even after completing all credential and MA requirements, teachers must maintain Professional Growth Plans, reviewed annually by the Broadoaks administration and submitted regularly to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) in accordance with state law. As part of the performance evaluation process, Broadoaks teachers complete an annual plan for professional development, including individual and team goals and priorities for professional improvement.

Broadoaks teachers are not tenured. Their positions require them to perform consistently at the highest level of professionalism, both in the classrooms with the children and in their roles as mentors and supervisors for Whittier College students from many disciplines. Because Broadoaks serves as a demonstration school for Whittier College students, all Broadoaks teachers receive pre-service and inservice training in constructivist theory and its applications at various grade levels. All teachers are expected to follow the school’s philosophy and to implement the High/Scope approach.

Although all Broadoaks teachers work on teams, they are fully competent to work with larger groups whenever necessary (as, for instance, when a member of the team is absent) or whenever instructional purposes are better served by working with larger groups of students.

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Whittier College faculty members sometimes teach at Broadoaks. For example, Dr. Stephen Cook conducts the Broadoaks Children’s Choir and teaches piano in the middle school; Dr. Doreen O’Connor Gomez teachers Spanish in Middle School; Dr. Gil Gonzales teaches theatre in the middle school, and Dr. Paul Kjellberg offers occasional philosophy lessons in upper elementary and middle school.

Members of the Whittier College faculty may also offer extra-curricular activities called “Specials.”

Undergraduate Teaching Fellows: Each year one or more undergraduate students who demonstrate extraordinary maturity, responsibility, and teaching ability are selected as Undergraduate Teaching Fellows. In this role, they become junior members of the staff. In some cases, such as the after-school program or summer program, they may function in a teacher role. Many of our current teachers began their careers at Broadoaks as Undergraduate Teaching Fellows.

Classroom assistants: Broadoaks teachers have extraordinary levels of assistance and support from college faculty, college students, visiting educators, and parent volunteers, none of whom are counted in our teacher:student ratios. College students hired with federal work-study funding assist the instructional teams, as do college students enrolled in classes with practicum and fieldwork components, student teachers, parent volunteers, and participants in the Broadoaks Professional Development Institute (PDI). Non-staff members who work with the children in any capacity, such as reading tutors, for example, work under the supervision of Broadoaks teachers.

Broadoaks teachers staff all programs throughout the day, including morning and afternoon surround care. Instructional teams work together to provide an integrated and balanced curriculum throughout the day and to coordinate between and among classrooms and programs. Team meetings and regular in-service programs enable the staff to coordinate instructional programs, develop individualized learning plans, supervise college students, and continue their own professional development.

Substitutes: Broadoaks annual staffing plans include contingencies for covering classes when teachers are out for brief periods due to illness, family emergency or participation in professional development activities, as well as plans for those occasions when staff members complete state-required externships and practica (usually about 7 weeks in duration) in public school settings. This means that all classrooms are virtually always staffed by regular members of the Broadoaks instructional team, not outside substitutes who do not know the program or the children. On rare occasions when we cannot staff from within, we hire highly qualified, appropriately credentialed former Broadoaks teachers on an interim basis. (This is essential because of Broadoaks’ role as a demonstration site. To function as a demonstration site, all classrooms must be adequately staffed with experienced teachers who can model Broadoaks’ approach.)

Support Team: Office Staff The office staff includes a School Services and Events Coordinator, Administrative Secretary, Business Services Clerk, Consultants and Program Assistants.

Note: A list of all faculty and staff will be distributed to parents and posted on the school website at the beginning of each new school year. Changes in faculty and staff will be announced in newsletters during the school year.

Background Checks Broadoaks carefully follows Community Care Licensing and other State guidelines for conducting fingerprint and criminal background checks on all staff members, as well as on student workers who are in the classroom for 16 hours a week or more. College students and visitors are always under the supervision of a member of the school faculty or administration. Although College students provide invaluable additional help in the classroom, they are not included in our teacher:child ratios.

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Visitors and Observers Because Broadoaks is a demonstration school, welcoming visitors is an important part of our work at Whittier College. Each year hundreds of people visit Broadoaks to observe its programs in action. We strive to meet the needs of visitors without disrupting the program or distracting the children.

(1) Broadoaks maintains an open door policy for parents of currently enrolled children, as well as for college students and faculty. However, college faculty conducting observations and/or research and college students completing course assignments and fieldwork must schedule their work in advance.

(For more information about the open door policy for parents, see documents available in the office.)

(2) Guided tours for prospective parents, teachers and others must be arranged in advance.

(3) Professional Development Institutes (PDI) enable experienced teachers to work at Broadoaks under the supervision of our demonstration teachers. Arrangements must be made in advance.

Specific guidelines for classroom observation and participation are provided in advance to Whittier College students and faculty. Copies of these guidelines are available in the Broadoaks office and on the website (http://www.whittier.edu/broadoaks/). For the most part, visitors are asked to refrain from talking with the children or teachers. All visitors must sign in and out in the Broadoaks office.

College students, as well as volunteers and visitors, are always under the direct supervision of Broadoaks faculty members when they are in the classroom

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

BROADOAKS TEACHERS BELIEVE THAT . . .

Teacher decision-making lies at the very heart of the teaching-learning process. Our goal as professional teachers is to bring our decision-making to a more and more conscious level, where we can examine it critically and refine it continuously. We believe that ALL children . . .Can learn . . .Want to learn . . .Want to demonstrate their learning, and . . .as they get older, want to represent and document their learning Since all children can learn and want to learn, they should, for the most part, be eager to do it. If children are not actively engaged in the learning experiences we plan for them, we need to reexamine the activity and reflect upon our choices for curriculum and instruction.

Effective instruction begins with what children CAN do, not with what they cannot yet do. Children’s strengths, interests, and prior knowledge are the foundation for the lessons we plan for them.

Children learn best when they are ACTIVELY engaged in work and play that is meaningful (i.e., full of meaning) to themselves and to others, including their peers, teachers, and parents. Activity for the sake of activity alone is not sufficient. Broadoaks masterful teachers carefully craft lesson plans designed to engage students (intellectually, physically, socially) in activities that will ensure that they make progress toward desired learning outcomes.

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Committing themselves to the principles of egalitarianism, justice, and peacefulness, Broadoaks teachers treat children and colleagues with dignity and respect.

Teachers must balance the needs of individuals with the needs of the group. Teachers use a variety of strategies to achieve this goal including (1) Focus Child concept, (2) client profiles, (3) Ingredients of Active Learning, and (4) multi-method assessment, including both formal and informal approaches.

Children need freedom, but they also need clear boundaries. Finding the balance that works best for each child and for the group as a whole is crucial to our success in the classroom.

Broadoaks teachers recognize the power of the “constructivist conversation” -- focused and purposeful conversations between students (as apprentices) and teachers or more able peers (as masters).

Character building is an essential and integrated part of the Broadoaks curriculum.

The majority of the time, children want to be productive, cooperative members of the classroom and school community. In a strength-based program like ours, we capture this drive and capitalize on it.

We must require and inspire children to reflect upon and document their own progress and performance.

Solutions to discipline problems and lack of motivation lie, for the most part, in curriculum and instruction. By changing what WE do as teachers, and particularly by including ingredients of active learning, we can help children develop personal responsibility and reinforce their emerging intellectual abilities to achieve academic goals.

Broadoaks teachers believe in the power of positive, productive, and mutually supportive partnerships between home and school.

Broadoaks teachers understand the vital importance of maintaining a school environment that is both physically and psychologically safe and secure.

Broadoaks teachers value professional collaboration and focused attention to instructional decisionmaking. Therefore, instructional team meetings are an integral part of our daily work.

Broadoaks teachers live in ZOR – the Zone of Refinement. We are committed to deep and purposeful analysis of our daily practice and to continuous refinement of our work with children.

Broadoaks teachers believe that it is our duty to continue to grow, personally and professionally.

Retention of Our High Quality Staff Broadoaks has an extremely talented and experienced core teaching and office staff. Retention among the core staff is high and provides the necessary infrastructure for ensuring excellent program quality year to year. Because Broadoaks is a teacher-training program, some instructional staff turnover is expected each year as our Graduate Teaching Fellows (GTF) and Credentialed Teaching Interns (CI) complete their programs at Whittier College. Parents play an important role in creating and sustaining a professionally rewarding working environment for all members of the staff.

Broadoaks teachers do not earn tenure. Because the demands of their positions here are more rigorous and multi-dimensional than teaching jobs in other schools and because they are required to teach in teams, the selection process is a two-way street. Broadoaks teachers must want to teach here and must view the additional demands placed upon them as rewarding opportunities for personal and professional development and achievement. Members of the core teaching staff are invited back from year to year because they demonstrate their ability to hold themselves to the highest standards of professional performance and to teach in accordance with the school’s established philosophy and approach.

Teachers with Broadoaks experience are in high demand elsewhere.

Many school districts automatically interview applicants for teaching positions if they have a recommendation from or

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experience at Broadoaks. Visiting school administrators routinely try to entice Broadoaks teachers to join their school faculties.

The school’s highly educated, experienced, and committed staff is the cornerstone of our ability to consistently provide high quality educational and social experiences within a safe, secure, positive, and challenging environment.

Therefore, it is very helpful for Broadoaks parents to express their appreciation to their children’s teachers with kind words and occasional notes. It is no secret that Broadoaks’ teachers have many more responsibilities than do teachers in most other school settings, so the school administration and parents need to work together to make sure our teachers feel appreciated and respected.

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CHAPTER 2 PROGRAMS, SERVICES AND CURRICULUM LICENSURE Broadoaks is fully licensed by the California Department of Social Services; its elementary and middle school is authorized by the California and Los Angeles County Departments of Education. Broadoaks was the second school in the country to achieve full certification by the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation in Ypsilanti, Michigan. (The school’s community care license is posted in the preschool building. Copies of the license and other authorization documents are available in the school office.)

Authorization to Operate as a Private Elementary and Middle School State of California Authorization to operate as a Private School granted by Los Angeles County Office of Education, San Gabriel Valley District Office. Private School Affidavit Confirmation on file in the school office.

Community Care License for Broadoaks Preschool Facility Number 191500460 Preschool Capacity: 75 Licensed to: Whittier College to operate and maintain a Day Care Center Official Name of Facility: Broadoaks School of Whittier College Address: 13406 Philadelphia, Whittier CA 90608 Community Care Licensing Authority: Broadoaks Preschool is a licensed child care center. Community Care Licensing makes unannounced visits as often as necessary to ensure the quality of care provided. Under California law, the California Department of Social Services has the authority to (1) enter and inspect the premises; (2) interview children or staff; (3) observe the physical condition of a child, including conditions which could indicate child abuse, neglect, or inappropriate placement; (4) have a licensed medical professional physically examine the child; and (5) inspect, audit and copy child or facility records. Like all child care providers in this state, Broadoaks teachers are mandated to report any child abuse or neglect to the appropriate agencies.

Parents may visit the school any time that their child is attending, without prior notice, and must follow posted and written school guidelines for observing to avoid distracting other children attending.

Program Types and Approximate Times* Broadoaks offers the following program options during the regular academic year and summer school.

Times indicated below are approximate and may change from year to year. An annual Contract for Services is developed for each child based on the options selected.

Preschool (a) Morning preschool (9:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.), two (T-Th), three (M-W-F), or five days (M-F) per week for children 2.5 years old to kindergarten age. (b) Morning preschool plus lunch (9:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.), two (T-Th), three (M-W-F), or five days (M-F) per week for children 2.5 years old to kindergarten age.

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(c) Full-day preschool (9:15 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.), two (T-Th), three (M-W-F), or five days (M-F) per week for children 2.5 years old to kindergarten age.

See “Surround Care” below for before- and after-school options for preschool children.

Additional pick-up and drop-off options may be available for preschool children who have older siblings enrolled at Broadoaks.

Kindergarten (a) Full-day kindergarten (approx. 8:50 a.m. – 2:45 p.m.) for age-eligible children (date of birth must meet State requirements for kindergarten entry). Includes lunch provided by parents. (b) After-school program (end of school day to 4:30 p.m.).

1 - 8 grades (a) Regular school-day program (staggered school start and ending times by grade, as announced). (b) After-school program (end of regular school day to 4:30 p.m.). st

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Surround Care for All Ages Available as Part of the Contract for Services One to Five Days per Week: (a) Morning Surround Care (7:15 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.) in the assigned locations. (b) Afternoon Surround Care (4:30 p.m. - closing time) in the assigned locations. *Members of the Broadoaks teaching faculty staff both morning and afternoon Surround Care.

Arranged Care in Addition to Contracted Services In addition to contracted program services listed above, Broadoaks also offers Arranged Care. With advanced notice, parents may arrange for children to remain for additional time on an occasional basis whenever space is available. Arranged care space is extremely limited during preschool lunch and nap hours, so planning ahead can help families avoid disappointment. Details on arranged care services and charges are available in the Broadoaks office and on the rate sheet published annually.

Summer Programs, Preschool through 9 Grades Each year Broadoaks offers an exciting summer program, with a variety of unique and fun activities.

Parents receive a summer program description with the Priority Enrollment packet distributed in December. th

BROADOAKS APPROACH TO CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION The California State Guidelines (preschool), Common Core Standards and State Standards (elementary and middle school) are the baseline targets for Broadoaks instructional program. Like schools throughout the country, Broadoaks is in the process of transitioning to the national Common Core Standards (CCS) in subject areas where CCS have been developed. Although private schools are not required to follow the same standards as public schools, Broadoaks uses state-adopted standards to inform the school’s instructional program. In many cases, we view the standards as a baseline, rather than the ultimate goal for all students. In many, if not most ways, Broadoaks already employs strategies and content promoted in the new CCS. As the starting point for instruction, Broadoaks capitalizes on children’s personal interests; their curiosity about their world; and their natural, developmental penchant for becoming increasingly more independent and competent. Broadoaks does not rely solely on a predetermined sequence of tasks in a workbook or textbook, though textbooks and work sheets have a place in our learning environment. Given our strong, shared belief that all children can learn and all children want to learn, it stands to reason that we should not have to make children learn. Rather, if we plan appropriately interesting and engaging activities, their inherent desire to learn and become more competent will “kick in.” Our job, then, is to capture opportunities to promote their further development and learning, often through what we call “constructivist conversations.” This approach is inspired by Lev Vygotsky’s theories. Essentially, a constructivist conversation is a conversation between a child and a teacher or a more able peer, who provides information and guidance (often in the form of questions), after the style of a master and his/her apprentice.

Broadoaks uses an approach that has been studied for decades and, more importantly, works here!

The preschool and primary grades use the High/Scope approach, which has been studied and refined for more than 30 years. Upper elementary and middle school grades have adapted the High/Scope approach for older students. The High/Scope model is concerned with all aspects of development,

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including language, physical, social/ethical, emotional, academic/intellectual, creative selfexpression, critical thinking, and problem solving. This approach provides an appropriate balance between child-initiated and adult-initiated activities. The centerpieces of the High/Scope approach are active learning and the plan-do-review process, called Independent Study and Research (ISR) at the upper elementary levels. High/Scope is not a curriculum or a course of study, as such, but rather, an approach or an infrastructure for curriculum and instruction.

Not only has the High/Scope approach been studied for more than 40 years, but also its results are evident here. Broadoaks has used High/Scope in its preschool program since 1984 and adaptations of the High/Scope approach in its elementary program since they began in the late 1980s. The proof is in the pudding, as the saying goes. By all accounts, Broadoaks students’ academic and social performance outcomes exceed expectations, given that Broadoaks does not require admissions tests, as many private schools do. After leaving Broadoaks, students tend to perform at about the same level academically as they did here, or slightly better due to Broadoaks’ high academic standards. Standardized test scores provide strong evidence of robust academic outcomes for Broadoaks students. In addition, way out of proportion to their numbers, students who leave Broadoaks quickly achieve positions of leadership in their next schools, indicating that their new peers and teachers recognize their high levels of social responsibility and strength.

The Plan-Do-Review sequence: student-initiated learning In a High/Scope program, children choose what they will do for part of each day. Before they begin this “work,” they plan by representing what they want to do or learn during their child-choice time.

They represent their plans in a variety of ways. For example, a preschooler might tell the teacher about her plan (“I’m going to build a ship in the block area today”) or draw a picture of the ship she wants to build or trace around a block she is going to use to build the ship. Young children may also represent plans in other ways, such as singing a song about what they want to do, dancing, miming, creating a graph on the computer, or dramatizing. An elementary or middle school student might write a plan like this: “I am going to try that science experiment with the battery again to see if I get different results. I am also going to see what I can find about batteries on the Internet. I will demonstrate what I have learned by writing a lab report.” The important element here is that students use a symbol system of some kind to represent what they are thinking. High/Scope is a hands-on, minds-on approach, so thinking and communicating are key elements.

The primary purposes of Planning Time are to help children (1) think about their choices before they act; (2) think about their own thinking and learning (developing what is called metacognitive competency); (3) use a variety of symbol systems to represent their thinking; (4) develop an orientation toward intentional learning, and (5) with older children, consider from the start how they will document what they have learned.

After children plan, they implement their plans during “Work Time. “ Work time is the large block of child-choice time (the “do” part of the High/Scope Plan-Do- Review sequence.) During Work Time, teachers (1) observe children and make anecdotal notes, (2) help children achieve the goals they have set for themselves, (3) capitalize on opportunities to promote desired learning outcomes, (4) interact with children as they work and play to promote their learning, and (5) encourage children to extend their goals and take their next steps in learning.

After Work Time, children participate in Recall Time, the final part of the Plan-Do-Review sequence.

During Recall Time, students represent something important about their experiences during Work Time. Again using language, art, drama, and other means of self-expression, younger children describe what they did, how they solved a problem, or how they felt as they worked and played together. For example, in preschool and kindergarten, children might share pictures they painted during Work Time, explain how they built a second floor on a house using smaller blocks, or describe how they successfully resolved a conflict with a peer. Students in the elementary and middle school grades evaluate their progress and performance toward shared educational goals by answering questions like “What did you discover during Work Time today?” or “How will you use what you learned?” or “What are your next steps in learning?” or “How can you document what you learned during Work Time?”

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Each step in this Plan-Do-Review sequence is carefully designed to address children’s developmental needs and to capitalize on their individual strengths and interests. As children carry out their plans, teachers observe each child, waiting for the opportune moment to interact or enrich the learning experiences the child has created. Again, teachers often rely on the constructivist conversation as a means to promote each child’s learning.

In the upper elementary grades, where the Plan-Do-Review process takes on a new name, (such as ISR for Independent Study and Research), students often plan work they will do over several days or even weeks. As students proceed through the elementary grades, teachers may provide more structured options from which the children may choose. For example, they may say students must select something that contributes to the class project on the migration of peoples or extends the study of Greek and Roman history.

Teacher-initiated instruction A typical day also includes individual, small, and large-group activities designed by the teacher.

Teacher-initiated activities also include many and varied opportunities for children to make choices and solve problems for themselves. At the preschool and primary-grade levels, there is little wholegroup didactic instruction. In upper elementary and middle school, teachers use the entire spectrum of instructional strategies, including whole-group, teacher-directed instruction.

At the preschool level, teacher-initiated activities are called “Small Group Time.” In elementary and middle school, specific teacher-initiated instructional periods are called workshops, often with the primary content area clearly specified, such as “Math Workshop” or “Writing Workshop.” Other periods of teacher-directed learning include Guided Reading and Literature Circle. At the beginning of each school year, teachers inform parents about the daily schedule and the focus of each instructional period.

Curriculum content at preschool, elementary and middle school levels At the preschool level, program content is based on the children’s interests as they emerge in daily activities at school, as well as on the California Preschool Guidelines and the High/Scope Developmental Indicators (formerly, Key Experiences). In elementary and middle school, teachers use students’ existing interests and skills as points of beginning for achieving the grade-level outcomes in the California Curriculum, as well as Common Core Standards.

In the High/Scope approach, basic academic skills become a matter of personal concern for children as they are integrated into teacher-initiated instruction, as well as the children’s self-initiated activities.

Thus, writing and reading skills become a natural part of planning and review time and math concepts are used to solve problems encountered in everyday situations.

In the elementary grades, teachers build upon children’s interests and matters of personal concern as they develop learning experiences for the class. For example, teachers encourage kindergartners to practice counting skills as opportunities naturally arise in the classroom. For instance, if the kindergarten teacher noticed that two children had constructed an unusually large castle in the block area, she might say, “Let’s see if we can figure out exactly how many blocks you used to build this huge castle.” Another teacher might use a similar technique to encourage math practice among a group of first and second graders, saying something like, “Jimmy said the Tooth Fairy brought him $4 for his two front teeth. How could we figure out how much Jimmy got for each tooth?” Most of the children would probably say Jimmy got $2 per tooth, but a few would no doubt realize that this was not the only solution. The teachers would encourage those who are ready for more advanced work, perhaps working with them in a small group to find out how many possibilities there might be, such as $3 for one tooth and $1 for the other, and so on.

In the elementary and middle school grades, teachers and children increasingly share responsibility for determining what is to be studied in depth, which skills need to be practiced and mastered, and how progress and achievement will be documented. This approach is based on the firm belief that all children can learn, that they want to learn, and that they are highly motivated to document their achievements.

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Children’s personal interests, their curiosity about their world, and their natural, developmental penchant for becoming increasingly competent -- not a predetermined sequence of tasks in a workbook or textbook -- provide the context for learning at Broadoaks. The centerpiece of Broadoaks’ meaningcentered elementary-grade curriculum is Active Learning. Each day includes many challenges and many opportunities for success. Therefore, children learn to feel both confident and competent. What a firm foundation for life-long learning!

Each year hundreds of visitors, most of them teachers and school administrators, come to Broadoaks to observe the program in action. Broadoaks’ approach is described in numerous publications, including those that have been distributed by the California Elementary Education Association and the Teacher Education Center in Washington, D.C. Broadoaks has been listed as the source for several important educational documents, including California’s Position Statement on Developmentally Based Education and the California Developmental Assessment Guidelines. Members of the Broadoaks staff frequently present scholarly papers, seminars, and workshops at conferences and in-service programs locally, nationally, and internationally.

Who teaches at Broadoaks? The Broadoaks faculty is responsible for all aspects of the curriculum.

Selected members of the Whittier College faculty also teach particular subjects or to present lessons in their areas of expertise. Because Broadoaks is a demonstration site, we must consistently implement our constructivist philosophy and approach across the grade levels and serve the needs of college students from numerous classes in several disciplines. Therefore, we do not typically have guest speakers, substitute teachers, or parent volunteers providing instruction.

Curriculum planning: Each summer, Broadoaks instructional teams create a general roadmap for the coming year’s instructional program by participating in “Backwards Planning.” They study the yearend grade-level standards in each content area, as well as the report card as guides to desired learning outcomes for all students. After they have identified where they want to “end up” the following June, they begin “backwards planning” to figure out how to ensure that they will accomplish all that needs to be accomplished in the coming year. Again, this is a general roadmap, but not a series of predetermined lesson plans, so teachers and students still have a great deal of flexibility (and work!) to figure out how to accomplish the year-end goals.

Team meetings: Teachers keep track of progress toward the year-end goals at regularly scheduled team meetings – usually held two to four times per week. During these meetings, they analyze progress of the “Focus Children” (explained below), reflect on their teaching since the last meeting, discuss what worked and what needs to be tweaked, and plans for upcoming lessons and activities. This kind of regularly scheduled teacher-reflection is a key ingredient in instructional program quality. Broadoaks teachers live in what we call “ZOR” – the Zone of Refinement. We are always working to hone our teaching skills and to see how we can help each and every student do his/her best.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR AT BROADOAKS Broadoaks is a strength-based, not a deficit-based, school. We believe that our personal interactions with the children within indoor and outdoor environments designed to promote learning and cooperation are the basis for teaching and learning in each Community of Learners (classroom). At Broadoaks’ various programs you will see and experience: Schoolwide: v The centerpiece of Broadoaks’ approach is active learning. This means that we expect 100% of the children to be actively engaged in meaningful learning 100% of the time. If they are not, then it is the teacher’s responsibility to figure out how to make a lesson or experience more attractive and more engaging for all children in the class. Visitors are often surprised that Broadoaks children do not even seem to notice them. This does not surprise us. When students are actively engaged in learning something that is meaningful to them, they are much less likely to be disrupted by visitors. v Teachers at Broadoaks participate in frequently-scheduled team meetings in which they present mini-case studies of one or two children a day, focusing always on each child’s strengths and

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interests, as well as his/her next steps in learning and development. Teachers also use this time to reflect on the instructional program, focusing on the level of engagement and productivity among the students, as well as specific learning outcomes in relation to State Standards. They think about how they might have improved their teaching that day and how they will use what they and the children learned that day as a springboard for future learning. v Because Broadoaks believes that all children have a strong, natural desire to become more competent -- that is, they really want to learn -- teachers look for the solutions to behavior challenges in curriculum and instruction, rather than in a separate “disciplinary system.” In general, teachers do not send children out of the classroom, take away privileges, or require additional work for misbehavior. Rather, they try to increase the “draw” of the learning activity for the child who is not adequately engaged to behave appropriately. v The Ernie Z. Park Children’s Library is an integral part of the school. Parent volunteers manage the library in collaboration with teachers in each classroom and a member of the school’s office team. v The outdoors is an integral part of the learning environment in all programs. Children may garden, paint, build, and play freely outdoors during many parts of the day, not just at outside time. Older children often have the opportunity to read, write, complete math assignments, or do group projects outside if they prefer. Whenever possible, children may choose to work indoors or outdoors. The elementary area includes an outdoor art studio. v A warm, home-like atmosphere. Additionally, visitors may be surprised to see some children sitting on the floor or outside at picnic tables rather than at desks. The best way to determine whether children are focused on legitimate school-related activities is to observe them, listen to their conversations and look at the work they produce. v Shelves are open to promote independence. Children can get their materials by themselves.

Nearly everything in every classroom is for the children’s use. In general, materials are not placed on top of shelves children cannot reach. v The environments have been arranged to promote supervision of the children by the teachers.

Safety is a top priority. Child Care Licensing, the County Health Department, and other agencies for health and safety regularly review Broadoaks classrooms.

Preschool/Early Primary: v Child-sized furnishings and attention to detail at the child’s eye level. v Clearly defined learning/activity areas.

Areas are organized to promote productive, constructive and imaginative work and play and to enhance social and intellectual development. Each classroom is organized to support children’s ways of exploring and learning, to help children make sense of their environment, and to promote independence and responsibility in the effective use of instructional materials. v In the beginning of the year, preschool and early primary programs feature only a few carefully selected learning areas. Other areas are added throughout the year. This approach helps children feel comfortable in their new environment and it helps them make optimum use of the opportunities for learning in each area. v Each area contains materials to meet a variety of interests and to challenge children at many stages of development. Each area contains related reading material, as well as materials for writing and other modes of communication. v Areas are organized to promote productive social interaction among children working in large and small groups. Each program has an area called the Peaceful Place or the Peaceful Area that

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is large enough for only a few children at a time. Children are not sent to this area or isolated there for misbehavior. However, they may choose to go there if they prefer a quieter place to work or if they need some alone time. v Each area in the preschool building contains a “planning board” (hooks, knobs or Velcro colorcoded to match the area) to assist children in deciding how they will spend their time and to help teachers “keep track” of children’s whereabouts for safety purposes. In general, it is the responsibility of the children to decide how many children may occupy a given area at one time. Other classrooms may use variations on the “planning board” method. v Labels in each area help children know where things go. Not only do these labels help us keep the environment well organized, but also they provide younger children with experiences that help them develop skills in matching, sorting, categorizing, and recognizing symbols. Labels in the preschool usually include drawings, shapes, and photographs. Print labels are added in classrooms for older children. In some cases, written labels may be in more than one language, depending upon the classroom population and children’s facility with English.

Elementary/Middle School: v In the elementary classrooms, materials to encourage skill-building through meaningful practice are included in many of the areas for easy access and use. For example, the kindergarten building area will include paper and writing implements for children to represent their construction. Such instructional materials are not restricted for language arts or math instructional times. v All elementary classrooms contain at least one computer. The number of computers per classroom increases with the grade level. This is a purposeful decision, not a decision based on financial constraints. At the earlier grades we prefer to have children working more actively rather than sitting in front of a screen. Even in our upper elementary classrooms, however, where computers and other technology are plentiful, we use them as tools for learning and for communication, not as a means unto themselves.

v Broadoaks implements a continuous progress approach at all levels. We use the Common Core and State Standards as guideposts, but not as upper limits on what children can learn at any grade level. The fundamental principle of the “continuous progress” approach is that every child will make continuous progress, at reasonable rates, toward their next academic outcomes in all content areas.

THE HIGH/SCOPE APPROACH Broadoaks philosophy revolves around our firm and committed belief that all children can learn, all children want to learn, and all children want to document what they are learning. Our approach is strength-based. We use what the children can do, what they are interested in, as the springboard for engaging them in active learning workshops designed to yield desired learning outcomes as defined by the state (Preschool Guidelines and elementary Common Core and State Standards), the teachers, the parents, and the children themselves. Broadoaks has used the High/Scope curriculum since 1984.

High/Scope began in 1963 in Ypsilanti, Michigan under the direction of renowned psychologist, Dr. David Weikart. The curriculum has been studied and refined for more than forty years. High/Scope is developmental in its approach and focuses on the following goals, as noted in many of its publications: (1) exercising and challenging emerging capacities of each child during each stage of development.

(2) encouraging and assisting the learner in developing his/her own unique pattern of interests, talents, and goals.

(3) providing learning experiences when the learner is developmentally best able to master, generalize, and retain what is learned and relate it to previous and future expectations.

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The term “curriculum” as applied to High/Scope can be misleading, since High/Scope does not delineate the content of what is to be taught at various grade levels. High/Scope might be better described as an instructional methodology or approach, focusing on all aspects of development.

High/Scope teachers are trained to design an environment that makes sense to the child, that makes him/her feel comfortable and at home while challenging emerging interests and capabilities. Teachers organize the day for an appropriate balance between large-group and small-group activity and between child-initiated and teacher-initiated experiences. Both the daily schedule and the room arrangement are meant to provide consistency and security for the children, so they feel free to work and play, explore and learn.

High/Scope is built on the assumption that ACTIVE learning is at the heart of the developmental and academic processes. High/ Scope is a highly structured program within which individuals have a great deal of freedom to explore, question, search, study, invent, create, and solve problems. As students move into the elementary grades, they are increasingly accountable for academic outcomes in all academic areas and for working with their teachers to document that progress on a regular basis.

At the preschool and early primary levels, a High/Scope room is labeled and possibly colorcoordinated so that children can see where things go and so that they can gain important experiences in sorting and matching during everyday activities such as clean-up time. High/Scope teachers make notes on what children do and say. Teachers work as a team within the classroom.

The most notable part of the daily schedule is the PLAN-DO-REVIEW SEQUENCE. Children first plan what they will do (“I’m going to the block area to build a ship.”). Next they carry out their plans during Work Time, followed by Review Time, when teachers help children focus not only on what they have done, but also on how they accomplished their plans and how they solved problems along the way. Each instructional team uses a slightly different approach to planning and review, with differences based on the needs of the children and the styles/preferences of the teachers. The High/Scope approach is organized around High/Scope key experiences (preschool) and specific content/skills identified for each age group in the Common Core and California State Standards (elementary).

Broadoaks is considered a national leader in High/Scope implementation. Broadoaks was the second school in the nation to earn national High/Scope certification. A member of the Broadoaks staff is one of the first twelve educators to be selected to implement the program at the primary level. Broadoaks is the first school in the country to successfully implement the approach systematically throughout a K-6 program. Research indicates numerous educational benefits for students whose school implements a consistent methodology across grade levels.

The High/Scope Educational Research Foundation has collected and analyzed nearly 30 years of data about the program’s results. Published reports may be obtained through the Broadoaks office.

Additional information about High/Scope may be found in the “Curriculum” section of this handbook and online at www.highscope.org.

Broadoaks consistently refines its implementation of High/Scope and its adaptation of the approach to the upper elementary and middle school grades.

DEVELOPMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND TESTING Broadoaks uses a variety of methods to assess each child’s development and performance. The cornerstone of our assessment program is teacher observation. Broadoaks teachers have all been trained in child observation techniques. Broadoaks teachers are also prepared to serve on child study teams, individual learning plan (ILP) and individual education plan (IEP) teams for children with special academic, social, and/or behavioral needs.

In addition to their classroom observations and anecdotal records, teachers collect “artifacts” of each child’s work as a method of documenting progress and performance. Children are also encouraged to

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monitor their own educational interests and accomplishments, especially in the elementary grades.

From first grade upward, students participate in weekly or twice-monthly “Portfolio Workshops,” in which they are required to analyze their progress and performance according to criteria provided by the teacher. For instance, a 4th-grade teacher might ask the students to compare their recent writing samples with writing samples from a month ago to note improvements in spelling, punctuation, and/or paragraph formation. Portfolio workshops almost always require students to identify their next steps in learning and describe what they need to do to accomplish these next steps.

Elementary teachers routinely use a variety of formal and informal assessment strategies, including screening scales, running records, and teacher-made quizzes. Standardized tests are introduced as practice in third grade. Fourth through eighth grades take standardized tests each spring. Scores are sent to parents of rising ninth graders during the summer. Fourth through eighth-grade teachers typically report the results of standardized tests from the previous year during the fall parent-teacher conference. The reasons we wait until the following parent-teacher conference to report most scores are (1) standardized tests are only one of many ways we assess students. We do not want to give them greater importance than other assessment strategies; and (2) by reporting results at the next scheduled parent-teacher conference, we can situate the scores within the broader picture of all we know about the child based on our multimethod assessment; and (3) test scores are often difficult for parents to decipher, so reporting them during the parent-teacher conference enables teachers to answer parents’ questions. Only if the scores are unexpected or alarming in some way do we report them in advance of the fall conference. For more information about Broadoaks approach to standardized testing, please obtain a copy of Frequently Asked Questions about Standardized Testing at Broadoaks from the school office.

UNIQUE ASPECTS OF THE BROADOAKS CURRICULUM Teaching and Learning as Interaction. Much of what teachers do and say at Broadoaks reflects our strong belief that interactions between teachers and children constitute the very heart of all teaching and learning. We value both formal interactions during instruction times and informal interactions during lunch and recess. (This is why regular Broadoaks teachers, not classroom aides, eat lunch with children and accompany them to recess each day.) Teachers refer to members of the classroom community as “friends,” not as a reflection of Whittier College’s Quaker heritage as many believe, but rather as a reflection of the kinds of relationships we hope to build with our students and to encourage them to build with one another.

Teachers use children’s names respectfully. The structure of the classroom community is established and maintained by the teachers and children together. While maintaining appropriate levels of adult authority and control, teachers welcome children’s questions and suggestions. Teachers share a fundamental belief that all children can learn and all children want to learn. With this as a given, then, Broadoaks teachers expect that, most of the time, children will readily and productively engage in learning activities that are meaningful to them.

For more information about this aspect of our work, see section on Classroom Discipline and School Rules.

The Focus Child Concept: One of Broadoaks’ signature practices is the Focus Child system. Each day each preschool teacher has one to three Focus Children. Students in elementary and middle school are the designated Focus Children on a rotating basis. In some classes, the Focus Children have specified responsibilities and/or privileges, such as “first dibs” on the computers during Plan-Do-Review or calling absences into the office. However, in all classes, teachers have certain responsibilities for the Focus Child: 1. Teachers think about the Focus children’s strengths, interests, and next steps as they plan the day’s activities. They are expected to include something that represents each Focus Child during the day -such as a story about frogs because Timmy, who loves frogs, is the Focus Child today. They also think particularly about each Focus Child as they develop active learning workshops in the content areas.

For instance, if Billy is the Focus Child and he really enjoys math maps, the teacher may purposefully choose math maps for her math workshop on that day.

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2. Teachers take at least one anecdotal note about the Focus Children. Teachers use anecdotal notes for instructional planning, as well as for assessment of each child’s progress and performance.

3. At the elementary level, teachers collect work samples each time the child is the Focus Child.

Teachers analyze work samples (called artifacts) as part of the multi-method assessment process for each child. For example, in your child’s class, each child might be the Focus Child every 12 days. The teacher might collect work samples from the Writer’s Workshop. Then, the teacher would examine these samples, looking for specific improvements in spelling, sentence structure, or some other aspect of the writing process as specified in the State Standards for that particular grade level.

4. Teachers try to have an extended conversation and/or to play with the Focus Children each day.

For example, they might sit beside a Focus Child at lunch or snack and/or offer to play a game with them at recess time. This helps us know the children in a variety of situations and to interact with them in many different ways.

5. Teachers present mini-case studies on their Focus Children every day, focusing as always on each child’s strengths, interests, and points of beginning for further learning and development.

Use of the Whittier College Campus and Facilities: From preschool onward, Broadoaks students move freely about the college campus in the company of their teachers. Signature of the Contract for Services indicates parental permission for the child to participate fully in all aspects of the school’s program, including experiences on the college campus. Children may play on the grounds or athletic fields, view art exhibits, and attend musical or theatrical performances. At the upper elementary level, they may attend college classes or campus presentations. Teachers will make every effort in advance to be sure that every experience is appropriate for the children’s age and stage of development.

Physical Education: Among the many important goals Broadoaks teachers have for ourselves, and our students, is that we will become more healthy and fit through proper diet and exercise. During daily recess times, teachers sometimes involve children in planned exercise, sports, or games. For the most part, however, children may choose freely how they will spend their recess time. One day per week teachers provide extended physical education periods, sometimes using college athletic fields and facilities. Teachers frequently use these periods to reinforce or extend classroom learning. For instance, teachers may use timed activities and exercise in second grade to provide additional practice with clock-reading and time-telling standards.

Character-building: Broadoaks believes that academic, physical, linguistic, social, emotional, and ethical learning all go hand-in-hand and, together, contribute to the development of strong character and positive values. Interpersonal interaction between teachers and children is the heart of teaching and learning at Broadoaks. We expect ourselves to model those values and behaviors that we promote among the children, including respect for self and others, responsibility toward the group, accountability for one’s choices and behaviors, productivity, positive attitudes and contributions to the classroom community, honesty, integrity, hard work, tenacity, democracy, fairness, and social justice.

Broadoaks uses an anti-bias approach similar to the Anti-bias Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Young Children by Louise Derman Sparks and the A.B.C. Task Force (1989). We encourage children to be kind and respectful toward all members of the community. While we often ignore age-typical name-calling (dummy, jerk…) and/or encourage the person who is on the receiving end to speak up, we do not allow children to speak disparagingly about another’s gender, race, religion, family constellation, heritage, or body size and shape.

Children Helping Children: Children-Helping-Children Projects/OMEP Broadoaks. Providing children with age-appropriate opportunities to help others has been an integral part of the school’s curriculum since the mid-1980s (and, perhaps even before).

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Since the mid-1990s Broadoaks has had a school membership to the OMEP, World Organization for Early Childhood Education (Organisation Mondiale Pour L´Éducation Préscolaire). Founded in 1948 in the wake of World War II and with national committees in more than 70 countries, OMEP is the oldest and largest organization devoted to peace-building and to the wellbeing, health, rights, and education of young children, their families, their teachers, and the institutions that serve them. OMEP has consultative status with the United Nations, UNICEF, and UNESCO and alliances with numerous other organizations and agencies, Such as Save the Children, SOS Children’s Villages, and the World Health Organization.

With Broadoaks as its academic home, OMEP-Whittier College was founded as the first collegiate chapter in 1996. At that time, the Broadoaks’ Children-Helping-Children project became part of the first children’s chapter of OMEP. Over the years Broadoaks students have participated in numerous local, national, and international projects to assist children and families. A few examples include: •

Donation of half of the fruits, vegetables, and flowers grown in the school’s gardens to local charities.

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Annual holiday food drives for local shelters.

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Two disaster relief projects: o

2010, Haiti after the earthquake.

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2011, Toy drive for a child therapy center in Pennsylvania near the site of one of the 9-11 plane crashes. The drive was organized by Whittier College and Broadoaks students, with help from Broadoaks parents after the earthquake.

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Cap knitting project for newborns hospitalized in Malawi with transportation of the caps by a Whittier church, and similar cap knitting project for children undergoing chemotherapy in local hospitals.

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Annual Jog-a-Thon with Whittier College students to raise funds for children’s charities selected by the Broadoaks students and members of OMEP Whittier College. Here are some examples of the donations from the Jog-a-Thon: o

Whittier Area Women’s and Children’s Crisis Shelter.

o

In 2011 all proceeds went to help rebuild early childhood services in Japan after the earthquake and tsunami. Broadoaks has a beautiful framed origami from preschool teachers in Japan as a thank-you for the children’s efforts on their behalf.

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Mosquito nets for malaria abatement in Africa.

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Smile Train donations to assist with facial reconstruction for children with cleft palate and cleft lip.

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Backpack project in LA to provide food for low-income students during weekends when school breakfast and lunch are not available.

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Films created by middle school students to highlight global children’s issues, three of which were the only children’s entries to be selected for a film festival.

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A Read-a-Thon to purchase mosquito nets for Nigeria to help combat malaria in children.

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This is part of the school’s philosophy about the importance of engaging children as agents of positive social change and exemplars of social responsibility.

The Science Curriculum: Science is notoriously the least-taught subject in preschools and elementary schools throughout this country. However, Broadoaks prides itself on our science curriculum. In addition to the Summer Science Academy, Broadoaks offers science through regular science instruction in the classrooms throughout the year, as well as through integration with other content areas.

Overall, our goal is to help young children (preschool through 1st grade) begin to “think like scientists” as they develop skills for systematic observations of natural phenomena. We avoid what we call “razzmatazz” science, or science as magic. In grades 2 and 3, our goal is to help children develop scientific knowledge and skills and to internalize the concept that natural phenomena can be explained systematically as scientific processes. In upper elementary grades and middle school, our goal is to help children gain more specific and detailed knowledge about a variety of observable and abstract scientific phenomena and concepts.

Quiet Time and the Peaceful Place: Broadoaks class schedules often include a brief time each day for children to be quiet and at peace with themselves and their own thoughts. Most teachers call this Quiet Time. Most teachers play classical music to help children relax and do what our school’s Quaker forbearers called “center down.” All preschool and primary classrooms also include a small Peaceful Place or Peaceful Area where children can go alone or in small groups for quiet time. Our purpose here is to help children who live in a whirlwind world to relax and enjoy the company of their own thoughts. Children are never sent to the Peaceful Place as punishment.

Homework: Broadoaks requests that parents read and have conversations with their children daily, regardless of the grade level. During Parent Orientations, teachers will present guidelines for reading to and with children of all ages.

The school’s homework policies and guidelines are available in the school office and on the school website.

At Parent Orientation teachers describe the homework policies and procedures for their class, including grading policies and consequences for incomplete or poorly prepared homework.

There is no homework in preschool. Homework begins in February in kindergarten. At Parent Orientation, teachers describe the amount of time they expect students to devote to homework each day.

Broadoaks does not assign homework in the summer program. Broadoaks does not typically assign homework over holiday periods or on special-event days or weekends, such as Halloween, Winter Break, Spring Break, or Mother’s Day. Vacations: Students are expected to be present and on time unless they are ill. Teachers will typically send homework for students who miss several days in a row due to illness. However, teachers typically will not provide work packets or make up assignments or tests for students who miss school for family vacations.

Termination of Services: Our policy is that we will serve only those children and families who (1) benefit from enrollment here; (2) follow the school’s policies, expectations, and contractual agreements, including the Code of Conduct for Students, the Code of Conduct for Parents, and timely payment of all tuition and fees; (3) behave in ways that are consistent with the school’s rules to the extent that can be reasonably expected for their age and stage of development (children); and (4) do not pose a danger to themselves or others or a continuing disruption to the school environment.

Care of School Equipment, Materials, and Facilities: All students are expected to treat all school materials, equipment, and facilities with care and respect. Policies regarding the use of, as well as loss or damage to school property, including library books, computers, digital cameras, and other

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technology, are explained in various school documents distributed at the beginning of each school year and/or available in the school office. Please refer to the school’s Technology Policy below for more specific information regarding the use of school computers, and digital and video cameras.

POLICIES, GUIDELINES AND EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENT USE OF COMPUTERS, OTHER TECHNOLOGY, EMAIL, TEXTING, AND SOCIAL NETWORKING The following policies have been created and reviewed annually by teachers, school administrators, and/or parent leaders. Parents and educators share responsibility for teaching children about the safe, appropriate, and respectful use of all technology. Teachers do their best to monitor children’s use of school technology and they conduct random checks as a further means of monitoring use of the Internet during school hours. Parents are responsible for supervision of technology use during nonschool hours.

The school’s policies and procedures regarding technology use may be changed at any time. Students will be notified of such changes. Significant changes will also be posted on the school website or communicated to parents via other means, such as notes home or email blast.

1. Students are expected to treat computers, cameras, and all other technology with care and handle them safely.

2. Students are expected to faithfully follow all oral and written school guidelines, expectations, policies, and procedures regarding the use of all technology.

3. Parents will be charged for any damage to school technology (hardware and software) resulting from their child’s (1) carelessness; (2) failure to follow school policies, procedures, and expectations, whether written or verbal; and/or (3) misbehavior. Charges can range from the cost of repairs to the full cost of replacement.

4. In general, students are not allowed to bring personal technology devices (e.g., computers, cameras, iPads, iPods, cell phones, game devices) to school. If students bring such devices to school in violation of this policy, Broadoaks accepts no responsibility for their safekeeping, loss, theft, or damage.

5. Students may bring personal technology devices (hardware and software) to school only with prior approval from the teacher. If approval is granted, students may use these devices only as approved by the teacher. Teachers typically only grant such permission for specific instructional purposes. The school accepts no responsibility for the safekeeping, loss, theft, or damage to any personal technology devices students bring to school, with or without teacher permission.

6. Teachers never require students to bring personal technology devices, other than flash drives.

7. An exception to the cell phone rule is automatically granted for middle school students who have and use Walking Permission. However, even in this case, the cell phones must be turned off throughout the school day. During the school day, students may not use them to telephone, text, access the Internet, or for social networking.

8. Other than as indicated in #7 above, students may not bring cell phones to school. If an exception is granted by the teacher, the cell phones must be turned off throughout the school-attendance hours except with prior approval from the teacher.

9. The school accepts no responsibility for the safekeeping, loss, damage or theft of any cell phone or other personal technology brought to school with or without permission.

10. Teachers will confiscate any personal technology brought to school without permission. Teachers will also confiscate any personal technology brought to school with permission that is being used inappropriately or in violation of school guidelines. The school may require the parent to come to school to reclaim a confiscated device.

11. Students are expected to use school computers and other technology as they are intended to be used for teacher-approved school/academic activities. (For example, students may not use the Internet

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at school for non-school related purposes and they may not answer personal e-mails or text messages at school.)

12. All information on all school-owned technology is the property of The Broadoaks School of Whittier College. Students should have no expectation of privacy with regard to any material they create or access by any means on school-owned computers or other technology or on personally-owned technology during its use at school. (Note: this policy also applies to Broadoaks staff members and other Whittier College employees.)

13. Students are forbidden to use school technology to create a hoax, to harass or bully (according to Broadoaks definition), or to discredit or damage the reputation of any member of the school community (other student, staff members, family members) or the school itself. Our expectation is that these guidelines will also be followed at home. Violation of this policy may result in suspension or expulsion from school.

14. Neither at home nor at school may students use passwords, names, or screen names of any other member of the school community without that person’s permission. Violation of this policy may result in suspension or expulsion from school.

15. Students may not alter the image of a classmate or other member of the school community without approval from the teacher and/or the person whose image is being changed. In any case, no image should be altered in such a way as to embarrass or negatively represent a member of the school community. Violation of this policy may result in suspension or expulsion from school.

16. Students must obtain permission from the teacher or their parents to post images of school events or members of the school community other than themselves on the Internet if such images can be accessed by anyone other than the student who posts the information and his/her family.

Students and parents are required to sign this policy every school year.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Each term Broadoaks staff members and selected members of the Whittier College faculty offer “Specials” during before- and after-school hours. Specials may include a program for advanced learners and student leadership opportunities, as well as an array of offerings that extend the regular core curriculum in the arts, creative thinking and problem solving, modern language, crafts, and other leisure-time activities.

RESEARCH AT THE BROADOAKS CHILDREN’S SCHOOL Broadoaks is not only a fine school for children between preschool and 8 grade, but also an active center for the study of children and for the preparation of teachers and other professionals who work with children and families. th

What kinds of research activities take place at Broadoaks?

Non-intrusive observations and analysis of student work samples are the most common kinds of research activities at Broadoaks. For the most part, children are unaware that these activities are taking place because they are busy going about their usual school routines. If children ask why observers are present, the observer or the teacher typically responds by giving truthful, but limited, information like, “We are trying to learn more about children your age” or “We want to learn more about how teachers teach at Broadoaks.” We do this so we are able to observe children’s natural behaviors rather than behaviors we have created by telling them they are being observed for a research project.

All research projects are approved in advance by the Broadoaks school director, herself an experienced childhood researcher. In many cases, the project also received advanced approval from the

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Institutional Review Board, which is responsible for ensuring that all research is done within the ethical guidelines for studying human beings, with special precautions for studies involving children.

In addition, all projects completed by undergraduate or graduate students have prior approval from a faculty member. Only those projects that do not significantly alter the child’s school experience move ahead under the auspices of blanket approval included in the annual contract for services. If a project will significantly alter the child’s experience, making the day seem highly unusual, further parent consent will be requested. In all cases where research involves data-gathering techniques other than observation, children will have the opportunity to opt out without negative consequences.

Sometimes faculty members, graduate students, and undergraduate students interview the children or ask them to complete questionnaires. Children can decline to participate in all research-based activities, including interviews, but they typically do not because the tasks are usually quite interesting to them. For example, we have asked children to participate in interviews or complete questionnaires in which they describe themselves. If anyone other than a Broadoaks teacher conducts interviews, (1) a Broadoaks staff member supervises and (2) interviewers have been carefully trained.

Occasionally, research involves “staged events,” or activities that are designed specifically to enable researchers to gather information. For instance, we might have a puppet show so a researcher can ask children later to tell about the puppet show as part of a research project on children’s ability to remember stories in sequence. The children would experience this event as a typical, interesting and exciting part of a normal school day. They would not realize that this event was planned so researchers could gather data. An additional benefit is that Broadoaks might learn even more about children’s individual sequencing strategies from the research results. As always, children’s identity remain confidential and the researcher would be ethically bound to tell the teacher if anything the children did or said suggested that the experience had been negative.

What kinds of studies have been done at Broadoaks?

In addition to the describe-yourself study mentioned above, faculty members and college students under the supervision of faculty members have studied such topics as children’s concept of the word “stranger,” children’s conflicts and strategies for conflict resolutions, children’s friendships, gender differences in children’s play, children’s ideas about what makes children “good students,” strategies to help children remember past events, and, most recently, children’s ideas about sustainability.

Are children ever treated as guinea pigs at Broadoaks?

NO! All research activities must be approved in advance by the school Director and, often, by the Whittier College Human Subjects Committee (Institutional Review Board). The main criterion for approval by the school Director is that research activities will be similar to typical school activities and analogous to the existing school curriculum. For instance, it is not at all unusual for Broadoaks teachers to ask students to talk about or write about events in a sequence or to explain their opinions on a variety of topics, such a conflict resolution. Therefore, being interviewed about the sequence of a story or puppet show would seem like a perfectly ordinary (though interesting) part of a regular day at Broadoaks.

Research activities are approved only if the investigators can convince the school Director and, if appropriate, the Whittier College Human Subjects Committee as well, that no child or teacher will be placed at risk by participating in the study. Risk is defined very broadly as any threat to the participant’s sense of wellbeing or overall comfort and trust in the school environment and/or any threat to the child’s academic, social, or emotional development. For example, we would not expose children to a controversial, unstudied method for teaching mathematics because there would be a risk that this new method might reduce their progress in math.

Broadoaks is not an experimental school where teachers experiment with untested teaching methods. Rather, it is an active center for the study of children in a natural school environment.

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Sometimes researchers use deception, but only when it is necessary to the study and will not harm the children in any way. For instance, a few years ago we had a “staged event” in which children were allowed to believe for about 10 minutes that something unfair would happen at Broadoaks – some children would be able to participate in a class party and others would not. Of course, the adults knew all along that all children were going to be able to participate in the party, but this activity allowed us to find out, among other things, how children stand up for their rights when people in authority tell them something that is patently unfair. (As anticipated, the Broadoaks students had many fine ideas about how to make things fair and they were able to express themselves politely and effectively under these conditions. No child showed any indication of undue stress or anxiety as a result of participating in this project.)

Are parents informed in advance when research is being conducted at Broadoaks?

All Broadoaks parents are informed in the application packet, the Parent Handbook, and on the school contract that approved research, as well as faculty and student observations, are frequently conducted at Broadoaks. Parents give blanket permission for their children to participate in these activities as long as the Director has approved them and as long as they follow the guidelines for research described in the Parent Handbook.

However, parents are not typically informed in advance for each individual observation or research project. There are several important reasons for this: (1) observation and research are an integral part of everyday life in a child study center like Broadoaks. We would need an additional staff member just to process all the paper work required for individual-case permission; (2) our goal is to provide an environment where observers and researcher can study natural child behaviors, not where we create behaviors through hyper-awareness of on-going research activities; and (3) so many safeguards are in place to make sure children and teachers are not placed at risk by their unknowing participation in research; (4) children are able to opt out of activities developed solely for research purposes, even when these activities are completely in sync with the everyday school curriculum.

How is confidentiality maintained?

All study and observation proposals include statements about how anonymity and confidentiality will be protected. In addition, observers and researchers must sign a formal agreement that no child’s name or other identifying information will be used in any presentations or written reports that result from the research.

Suppose something unexpected happens and some children are inadvertently placed at risk?

Staff members are always present for research. They know the children well and can provide comfort and support to any child who experiences unexpected stress as a result of participation – just as we would if this occurred unexpectedly during a school lesson or activity. In addition, interviewers and researchers who are not members of the Broadoaks staff are trained to identify signs of stress and other unanticipated risks. For example, a child might reveal that he is thinking of hurting himself as part of an interview on a completely unrelated topic. All observers and researchers are instructed to notify the Director immediately if they have even an inkling that a child is distressed or at risk in any way. (The same is true for all staff members as they interact with children on a daily basis.) In the last 26 years, we have not experienced negative reactions to any research-based experiences that would come close to meeting the standard for risk to human subjects. Just as a child might not enjoy a particular math game during Workshop Time, a child might not relish the time she spent answering an interviewer’s questions. In school the child would not have the choice to opt out of the math lesson, but she would be able to end the interview at any time.

Do children themselves give consent to participate in studies?

This is a very controversial question regarding ethics in social science research. At what age can children really understand what is being asked of them if they are requested to participate in a study?

How free will they really feel to decline in a school setting where they typically are expected to do what

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the grown-ups ask of them? Can they legally give their permission or does that authority rest with their parents?

Broadoaks gets around this tricky question by making sure that children are able to decline to participate in study-related activities. For example, if children were asked to write down their opinions about something as part of the curriculum, the teacher probably would not give them much choice about whether they want to complete the task or not. However, in activities designed to generate data for a research investigation, children would be invited to participate and would be told that they can stop whenever they choose.

How do parents find out about research findings that result from these studies?

The Broadoaks office maintains a file of journal articles and other publications that result from research. Conference presentations and publications are typically noted in the Parent Newsletter.

However, there is generally a lag time of one or more years between the time of data-gathering and presentation or publication of the results in a peer-reviewed forum.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND DISCIPLINE Discipline and School Rules: Teachers conceptualize classroom behavior as an indication of the children’s level of engagement with work and play activities…. as a barometer of the children’s interest in the work teachers have created for them. This position emerges from the school’s philosophical and theoretical orientation toward children’s current strengths and interests as the springboard for further learning and development. If we truly believe that all children can learn and all children want to learn, then teachers should not have to make children do their work, trick them into it with gimmicks, or punish them if they do not do it. Instead, we believe that the answer to nearly all discipline problems resides in changing curriculum and instruction, not in changing the children themselves.

Broadoaks has only two school rules. These are posted in all classrooms: Broadoaks School Rules 1. Everyone is here to learn.

2. Everyone is here to help everyone else learn.

If we follow these two rules, we will not need any more rules.

We situate these rules within the larger context of the school’s expectation that members of the school community treat all others with dignity and respect and that each person is responsible for his/her own behavior and contributions to the group.

Broadoaks does not have time out chairs. We very rarely send misbehaving children to the principal’s office or out of their classrooms. Children are not kept in detention after school. Instead, teachers work with children in their classroom environments to encourage and facilitate appropriate behavior and classroom decorum. This approach is grounded in our strong and shared belief that, most of the time, children intend to be productive, contributing members of their classrooms; but they are, after all, still children.

When they behave in ways that are inappropriate, we want to build upon the strong bonds they have with their teachers and classmates to help them behave in acceptable ways. The goal is to help the misbehaving children regain control and meet expectations, not necessarily to punish them for past wrongdoing. When children misbehave, teachers look first at curriculum and instruction. If learning activities are sufficiently engaging and rewarding for children, most of them will behave appropriately most of the time.

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Broadoaks’ student population, like that of any school, includes children and families with a wide variety of strengths, abilities, and challenges. We see this diversity as a rich advantage for all involved in our school. We also recognize that our “clients” are children who sometimes test boundaries and break rules because they are children. In some cases, teachers may implement atypical school procedures (such as sending a child to another classroom) or highly individualized strategies (such as behavior charts) recommended by outside resources, like a child psychologist. In rare cases, Broadoaks may require outside intervention as a condition of continuing enrollment.

Student Code of Conduct: In 2008 the Broadoaks Faculty and the Parent Organization adopted the following Code of Conduct for Students: The Broadoaks Student Code of Conduct builds upon the school’s Quaker heritage and long-standing commitment to equality, social justice, peacefulness, personal responsibility, and the nourishment of mind, body, and spirit. Its purpose is to maintain a safe and welcoming school environment for all by embracing each person’s unique strengths, potentials, and contributions and, at the same time, requiring each person to participate fully and responsibly in the Community of Learners we create together.

The Broadoaks Student Code of Conduct requires students to be: v

Respectful and kind to peers and teachers

v

Hardworking and on-task, following established classroom routines and expectations, displaying positive attitudes toward school, learning, and the efforts and contributions of peers

v

Peaceful in their approach to resolving conflict and in their expression of such human emotions as anger, frustration, and disappointment

v

Responsible for their own behavior

v

Good citizens in the Community of Learners we inhabit together

The Teachers Didn’t Do Anything: Broadoaks implements its behavior management strategies in ways that protect all involved, including the child who may be behaving in inappropriate ways. Broadoaks children often report something like this to their parents, “So and So did some awful thing at school and the teachers didn’t even do anything about it.” Rest assured, the teachers did do something if a child’s behavior was inappropriate; but they responded in ways that did not spotlight or humiliate the child or the unwanted behaviors.

Bullying: Bullying has been in the news, as have some dramatic stories about its potentially disastrous consequences. This revised statement, originally published in the April 2010 newsletter, specifies Broadoaks definition of bullying, clearly states the possible penalties associated with it, and explains that the school considers the negative effects upon both the perpetrator and the victim.

Broadoaks defines bullying as follows: chronic, systematic, repeated, one-way intimidation or threat of harm (physical, social, or psychological), violence, damage to one’s reputation, or isolation/exclusion in person or in cyberspace. Broadoaks views bullying as dangerous to the child who is the target and to the child(ren) who bully. This definition is similar to widely accepted definitions by the American Psychological Association and the Society for Research in Child Development. It distinguishes true acts of bullying from expected, though often unwelcomed, incidents of teasing, peer pressure, and social exclusion with which all children must cope as part of growing up.

Broadoaks will not tolerate bullying. Protections against bullying are built into Broadoaks’ staffing plans for times of day and situations in which children would be most vulnerable to being bullied, such as recess, transitions between classes, arrival and departure times. Broadoaks teachers are with the children throughout the day, including these times when they are most vulnerable in other settings

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where students are supervised by aides and other personnel who do not know them well. In addition, Broadoaks does not use substitute teachers. Experienced Broadoaks teachers staff classrooms at all times.

Broadoaks recognizes the important possible negative consequences to both the target of bullying and to the perpetrator. Therefore, teachers intervene in even minor infractions that might escalate into bullying, with a view toward helping both the perpetrator(s) and the target(s).

Bullying can result in suspension or expulsion from school.

Zero Tolerance: Broadoaks has a zero tolerance policy for (1) weapons, (2) dangerous items that can readily be used as weapons (such as knives, matches, guns), (3) items that look like weapons or dangerous items (such as toy guns), (4) prescription and non-prescription medications or drugs not handled in accordance with school policies found elsewhere in this handbook, and (5) violence, aggression, or harassment toward a teacher or school administrator. These are cause for immediate suspension, expulsion, or termination of services at the school’s sole discretion.

Suspension and Expulsion: Children may be suspended for a period of time determined by the school or expelled from school for inappropriate, dangerous, or repeatedly disruptive behavior. Suspension and expulsion are extremely rare at Broadoaks.

Termination of Services: Our policy is that we will serve only those children and families who (1) benefit from enrollment here; (2) follow the school’s policies, expectations, and contractual agreements, including the Code of Conduct for Students, the Code of Conduct for Parents, and timely payment of all tuition and fees; (3) behave in ways that are consistent with the school’s rules to the extent that can be reasonably expected for their age and stage of development (children); and (4) do not pose a danger to themselves or others or a continuing disruption to the school environment.

Discipline and Classroom Management by Classroom: In 2009, members of the Broadoaks faculty developed school guidelines for discipline and classroom management. These guidelines included some flexibility for teachers to use from a variety of techniques and approaches, all of which generally fit within the school’s respect-based and strength-based philosophy and approach. For instance, some teachers may give “table points” for shared efforts to keep the classroom neat and tidy, while other teachers may deduct points for repeated violations of expected standards of behavior. Copies of the Discipline and Classroom Management Guidelines are available in the school office. Teachers discuss their expectations at Parent Orientation each fall.

Some teachers may also choose to send home a Behavior Note in incidences where a child’s behavior is (a) outside of their expectations for appropriate school behavior and/or (b) not in concert with rules, guidelines, or policies stated above. An example of the Behavior Note is provided below:

BEHAVIOR INFORMATION FOR PARENTS This note is to (1) inform you of our concern about the behavior/incident described below and (2) request that you provide guidance at home so your child can consistently be a productive and contributing member of the school community. Single incidents rarely result in a behavior note to parents. Therefore, unless otherwise noted, parents should view this note as an indication that the behavior described below has been of ongoing and/or increasing concern. Please contact the teacher if you have any questions.

❐ ❐

Child was physically aggressive toward peer(s).

Child was verbally aggressive or unkind toward peer(s).

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❐ ❐ ❐ ❐ ❐

Child was disrespectful toward teacher(s).

Child did not follow school rules or teacher instructions.

Child disrupted the classroom learning environment.

Child used unacceptable language at school.

Other

Teacher Comments:

Please describe actions/consequences/follow-up at home. Use back if necessary.

Parent comments:

❐

Conference not requested at this time

❐

Conference Requested

❐

Conference Required

Please select one of the available days and times below if the “conference required” box is checked.

❐

❐ Date

Time

❐ Date

Time

Parent signature

Date

Time

Date

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BROADOAKS POLICY ON ACADEMIC HONESTY Teachers should have confidence that a student’s work reflects his or her own knowledge and understanding. Broadoaks expects students to consistently follow school and classroom guidelines for academic honesty.

The following guidelines are designed especially for 4th grade and up. Teachers will review these guidelines with their classes periodically throughout the year.

The following will always be considered acts academic dishonesty: 1. Copying another student’s work 2. Claiming that work is one’s own when it is not (includes using information from the Internet, books, journals, and other sources without proper citations as expected for the grade level) 3. Signing a parent’s name or initials to any form, paper, report card, note, test or other communication between home and school 4. Signing one’s own name to another student’s work 5. Changing answers on self-graded quizzes and tests 6. Providing false information on self-graded classwork, tests, quizzes, group work, etc.

7. Using unauthorized materials such as a calculator, electronic device, or Internet source to complete an assignment or test without permission 8. Falsifying one’s work by making up facts or citations and claiming as true 9. Other acts as defined by the teachers at each grade level CONSEQUENCES Consequences vary from grade to grade and depend, in part, on teachers’ assessment of the situation.

Consequences for first offenses typically include: 1. F or 0 grade on the work 2. Note to parents, with a parent signature required 3. Other consequences as deemed appropriate by the teachers Consequences for further violations may include any or all of the above and: 1. Report to the school administrators, with possible meeting required with a school director 2. F grade in the subject(s) for the entire grading period 3. Notation about academic dishonesty on the report card 4. Exclusion from school activities and events, such as serving on Student Council, field trips, school dance, graduation 5. Suspension 6. Expulsion 7. Other consequences as deemed appropriate by the teachers and/or administrators

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CHAPTER 3 APPLICATION, ADMISSION, CONTRACTS, PAYMENTS, AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS

APPLICATION AND ADMISSIONS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Priority Enrollment for “In-house” Families: Broadoaks has an annual Priority Enrollment period during which parents of currently enrolled children and siblings of currently or previously enrolled children may apply for the following school year. Priority Enrollment packets are distributed at school to parents of currently enrolled children and their siblings. Parents of previously enrolled children, such as students who have already graduated from Broadoaks, may pick up Priority Enrollment packets in the school office. Unless otherwise announced in advance, parents of currently enrolled children may expect that there will be space for their child in the following grade, with the only exception being the transition from preschool to kindergarten. We typically have more in-house applicants than space available for kindergarten. Selection criteria for over-subscribed kindergarten classes are presented elsewhere in this handbook.

The Priority Enrollment packet contains information about all dates, deadlines, policies and requirements for securing a space for the following year.

Once the Priority Enrollment Period ends, the school offers any remaining spaces to families on the Waiting List.

Orientation Tour: Broadoaks encourages parents to visit several schools before making a selection. We encourage all prospective Broadoaks parents to take our monthly school tour. The Broadoaks tour, typically led by the school director, includes the following: ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü

School History Information about the Qualifications of the School’s Faculty Information about the School’s Teacher to Student Ratios Overview of Philosophy and Approach Introduction of School Safety and Security Measures Overview of Curriculum Guided Observations in the Preschool Guided Observations in Other Classrooms (depending on the interests of the group) Introduction to Parent Roles and Responsibilities Question and Answers

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Admissions * Admissions decisions reflect Broadoaks’ goal of offering a diversified laboratory/demonstration program. Broadoaks admits students of any race, sex, religion, or national origin and seeks a gender balance and broad ability range in each classroom. * Applications for admission are available at any time at the Broadoaks office. A non-refundable, nondeductible application fee is required for all grades. * Children must be at least two years and six months old at the time of enrollment. However, Broadoaks maintains a waiting list, so parents should submit an application form long before the child is 2 1/2. Date of initial application is one of the factors considered in the selection process. * If a child will not be 2 1/2 by the first day of school in September, parents may “reserve” a space by paying the monthly tuition until the time the child reaches two years and six months of age. For example, if the child will be 2 1/2 in November and the child is selected for enrollment, the parents must pay tuition to complete the agreement for services and to officially hold the space for the program year. Tuition is for the entire school year. * Children must be reliably toilet trained before enrollment. Toileting “accidents” often occur when children first enter the program. However, a child who is not reliably toilet trained during his/her hours of attendance will be dismissed until training is reliable. If a child is dismissed until training is more complete, parents must pay the monthly tuition if they wish to retain the child’s space.

(Broadoaks is not licensed for children who are not potty trained. Children who are not reliably trained require additional teacher time for changing soiled pants. We do not have enough teachers to “person” the program when someone has to clean a child repeatedly. Further, Broadoaks does not have the necessary facilities and equipment for sanitary care of children who are not toilet trained.) * In concert with California’s kindergarten-entry guidelines, children must be at least five years of age

by September 1 of the kindergarten year.

(Broadoaks does not allow children to “skip” grades. Broadoaks teachers are well prepared to meet the needs of all children in the class, including those who are academically advanced.

In our view, childhood is a journey, not a race. Childhood cannot be repeated or replicated later in life or fully experienced once the childhood years have passed. Childhood’s experiences last a lifetime, so there is no benefit to rushing through them. School policy does not permit students who do not meet grade level expectations to repeat grades at Broadoaks.) * Broadoaks typically has a long waiting list. Names are placed on the waiting list only after receipt of the completed application form and required application fee. Families on the waiting list receive mailings and are invited to participate in Broadoaks activities and events. We encourage families on the list to participate actively in Broadoaks’ events. Parent participation is one of several admissions criteria. See Broadoaks Selection Criteria below. * Selection is NOT made solely on a first-come, first-served basis. The date of original application is one factor considered in selecting children for the program. Other factors in the selection process include (1) child’s age and sex, (2) requested hours of service, (3) staff assessments of the child’s developmental level and needs, and (4) the school’s goal of gender, ethnic, socioeconomic and ability balance within each classroom.

Currently enrolled children are given first priority for available spaces. Children referred to us by other agencies and institutions because of special needs or circumstances are also given top priority if, in our professional opinion, we can provide appropriate services. Siblings of currently enrolled children and children of Whittier College students and faculty may also be given a priority rating if the enrollment of such children does not diminish our primary enrollment objective, which is to maintain classes that are well balanced in terms of age, developmental level, gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds in order to provide the most representative experience for college students working in the lab school. Children are selected for admission on the basis of the best “match” between family needs and the needs of the program.

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* In compliance with State law, children are admitted only if their needs can be met by the program and if their admission will in no way impede the ability of the program to meet the needs of other enrolled children. Teachers and administrators share the view that students with special needs contribute a great deal to our community; Broadoaks accepts students with special needs if, in our professional judgment, the school is prepared to meet the needs of these students. We cannot in good conscience accept students with special needs if, in our professional judgment, other programs are better equipped to provide more appropriate services or if we have no expertise in dealing with a particular need. * Pre-admission interviews and/or assessments may be required; however, there are no admissions tests. * Parents of prospective preschool children may use the observation rooms at any time, as long as they sign in in the school office and make their presence known to the preschool supervisor. Tours and consultations are available throughout the year by appointment. The schedule of monthly school tours appears on the Broadoaks website. * The director, in conjunction with the instructional staff, makes final decisions about the placement of children in the program and makes final decisions about changing a child’s classroom or group. * A physician’s report and health history form including immunization record must be completed BEFORE the child’s first day as a new enrollee and first day of school each year at the preschool level. * All required forms and releases must be completed in accordance with published deadlines each year. The child’s space in the program may be relinquished if his/her file is not up-to-date. * Broadoaks rarely expels, suspends, or otherwise discontinues services to children and families.

However, if at any time, the behavior of any child or a family member becomes detrimental to the health and safety of self or others, and/or presents a continuing problem affecting programs and services, the child may be dismissed from the program at the sole discretion of the school. Broadoaks sometimes requires a family to seek outside assistance from a physician and/or psychologist, for example, as a condition of continuing enrollment. See further information on discipline and classroom management and on codes of conduct for students and parents elsewhere in this Parent Handbook. * The contract between parent(s) and the school constitutes agreement by the parent(s) to (1) be punctual in bringing the child to school and in picking him/her up at dismissal time; (2) follow all school rules, policies, and procedures; and (3) support the school by volunteering and participating in school activities and events. * Parents will be billed for the contracted time whether the child is present or not. Contracts are for the entire program year. Monthly payments are available as a courtesy for parents and are not a monthly service agreement. * Parents will be expected to participate in the program by volunteering in the classroom, attending parent meetings, and participating in school events, including its annual fundraiser in a manner that both contributes to the school’s success and is convenient and meaningful to the parent. Parents must sign a participation agreement at the time of the child’s acceptance into the program.

BROADOAKS SELECTION CRITERIA Broadoaks is an academic program of Whittier College. Its primary mission is to provide high quality learning environments for children (age 2.5 years through 8 grade) and their families. To fulfill its role as a learning laboratory for Whittier College students and faculty in many disciplines, Broadoaks endeavors to present consistent models of “best practices,” based on current developmental and instructional theory and research. th

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As one of the oldest and most respected demonstration schools in the United States, Broadoaks often has more applicants than we can accommodate. Therefore, the following long-standing selection criteria were established through collaboration with the College, the Broadoaks Parent Organization, and the school’s Administrative Leadership Team.

An important goal is to create richly diverse classroom environments for Broadoaks children and families, since it is our strong belief that everyone benefits from sharing time, space, and experiences with peers who have a variety of strengths, needs, interests, and backgrounds. Another goal is to enroll classes that approximate “real world” settings to the extent possible in a private school setting.

From first grade on, we have been able to offer space for the following year to all enrolled children, as long as accounts are current and applications arrive by the deadline. Broadoaks releases the space if applications for re-enrollment are not received by the deadline.

However, on several occasions over the years, we have not been able to accept all currently-enrolled preschool children who apply for kindergarten. We notify parents as soon as possible after the Priority Enrollment deadline so they will know whether the child has been accepted for kindergarten or, if not, where the child stands on the waiting list. The selection criteria appear below.

We encourage parents who want to enroll their child in the 2016-17 kindergarten program to submit the application as soon as possible, since this submission date can become important in determining which children receive a space if the class is over-subscribed.

Selection criteria for currently enrolled Preschool children applying for admission to Kindergarten: 1. Child’s date of birth;* 2. Sibling of currently enrolled child, or previously enrolled child; 3. Balance and Diversity - gender, strengths, ability, interests, full-day/part-day, cultural background, ethnicity, language, socio-economic circumstances; 4. Match between hours of service requested and program needs/availability; 5. Time enrolled - children who have been here longer receive preference over newer children.

Enrollment in summer program counts toward time enrolled; 6. Special circumstances, high risk, special needs, with preference for children who especially need the kinds of programs and services Broadoaks can provide*; 7. Date application form was received in the Broadoaks office, time on wait list; 8. Child or grandchild of Whittier College employee; 9. First cousin or other close relative is currently enrolled; 10. Parent participation/attendance; 11. Parent is Whittier College alumnus or Broadoaks alumnus.

These criteria may be revised at any time. * The oldest age-eligible children will be given priority. Children must turn 5 no later than September 1 to be eligible for the Broadoaks kindergarten program. In rare cases, the special circumstance category may be given first priority.

If necessary, Broadoaks may require parents to utilize outside resources, such as tutoring services or occupational therapists or psychologists, as a condition of re-enrollment from one year to the next.

Retention: Broadoaks retains children only in rare and unusual circumstances and may deny enrollment to a child who must be retained if, in our professional opinion, it is in the best interest of that child to attend another school rather than repeating a grade at Broadoaks.

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REGISTRATION FEES AND TUITION DEPOSITS A non-refundable application fee must be paid at the time of initial application. No one can be accepted for admission or placed on the waiting list until the completed application and fee have been received.

A non-refundable tuition deposit must be paid at the time of acceptance in order to hold the child’s place in the program.

PAYMENT OF TUITION AND FEES Broadoaks makes every effort to be fiscally responsible, both to the College and the families we serve.

Therefore, we require parental cooperation with all policies related to the payment of fees and tuition.

Parents must make all payments promptly so that Broadoaks can avoid costly and time-consuming phone calls and reminder notices. Please make all payments by check or money order to “Broadoaks School” and include the Broadoaks Account ID number (or “parent number”) on each check or money order. A PROCESSING FEE WILL BE CHARGED FOR ALL RETURNED CHECKS. If more than one check is returned, tuition must be paid by money order or cashiers check. Under no circumstances is cash accepted for tuition or fees. A credit card option is available.

Tuition and fees are detailed on the Annual Fee Schedule, which is included in the application and enrollment materials and also available in the school office.

Tuition agreements are signed at the time of enrollment and are considered binding on both the school and the parents for the term indicated on the agreement.

The contract is for the entire program year. Monthly payments, spread over twelve months beginning in July, are arranged as a courtesy to parents.

Parents who pay in full each year receive a discount. For parents choosing the monthly payment option, the first tuition payment for the school year is due on July 1 and the second is due on August 1.

These are non-refundable. Credit cards are automatically billed on the first of each month. Space for the following year will automatically be released if the first tuition payment is not received by July 10 and the second by August 15. The school is under no obligation to remind parents of these due dates, so parents should make arrangements for timely payments if they will be on vacation around the time tuition is due.

Financial information is generally shared equally with both parents, regardless of whether they live in the same home or contribute equally to tuition and other school-related payments. In some cases, financial information will be shared with persons other than the child’s parents, such as a grandparent or step parent who signs the contract for services and/or regularly accepts responsibility for paying tuition and other school fees. However, information about the child’s behavior and performance at school can only be shared with persons other than parents with written parent permission. This applies to persons other than parents who pay the child’s tuition.

Withdrawal During the Contracted Period: If a parent wishes to withdraw the child from school and be released from the remaining portion of their annual contract, the parent must complete an Intention to Withdraw form and provide the school with a minimum 30-day notice. Regular tuition must be paid through the 30-day period whether the child is in attendance or not. Non-refundable application fees and non-refundable tuition deposits will not be applied toward payments due during the 30-day notice period or any other payments due to the school. The tuition deposit was to ensure that the child would have a space for the entire school year and the school lived up to that obligation. Records will be forwarded to another school upon the parent’s written request and upon payment in full of any and all amounts due the school.

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ENROLLMENT CONTRACTS Parents of currently enrolled students and their siblings receive enrollment priority during the specified period each year as long as all contractual agreements have been met and accounts are current.

Enrollment is for the entire year (regular school program from September to June or regular program plus summer program). Broadoaks generally follows the Whittier College calendar from September to June. Preschool children may attend five days per week, three days per week (M-W-F), or two days per week (T-Th). Different combinations to accommodate parents’ work schedules are usually NOT available. Kindergarten through 8 -grade students attend their “regular” school programs five days per week; but they may attend after-school and surround care programs one to five days per week, depending upon space availability at the time the contract for services is developed.

A summer program is offered from mid-June to mid-August for students from preschool through 9 grade. th

th

Contracts and Tuition Payments: Because Whittier College desires a laboratory/demonstration school that is as representative and diverse as possible in a private school setting, Broadoaks tuition is relatively low, especially given the remarkable and, we believe, unequaled, teacher:student ratios and extraordinary qualification standards for teachers.

The Contract for Services is a legally binding agreement between parents and the school for the period indicated on the contract. By offering the contract, the school agrees to provide space and services for the child for the rate indicated. By signing the contract, parents agree to (1) bring the child to school regularly and on time; (2) support the child’s learning and academic progress at home, including reading regularly with the child and promoting the child’s best performance on homework; (3) abide by all school policies and procedures, including those set forth in this handbook, as well as in other school documents and other communication between the school and the parents; (4) submit required forms and documents by the due date; (5) maintain a current account, (6) maintain accurate and up-todate information in the school files, including address and phone numbers, and (7) support the school as a volunteer and through participation in school activities and events, including the annual school fundraiser. All payments for the school year are due on the date indicated in the application and enrollment materials, including the non-refundable July and August tuition payments, whether or not the child is enrolled in summer school. Failure to make payments by the due date may result in release of the space or the child’s dismissal from school, but parents remain obligated to pay all past due amounts. The signature of one parent, guardian, or authorized agent commits all persons with legal or fiduciary responsibility for the child to meet the terms of the contract.

Only families with current accounts will be allowed to re-enroll for the following year. Students will be allowed to participate in field trips and Specials only if their accounts are current. Eighth graders will be allowed to participate in graduation only if their accounts are paid in full. If an account falls into arrears, the child will not be allowed to continue in school. (Broadoaks tuition is used almost exclusively to pay teachers. Therefore, parents are expected to honor the commitments indicated on the contract. Our stringent payment policies are essential to the financial health of the children’s school and are required by the college as part of our fiduciary obligation to the institution.)

All enrollment agreements are for the entire academic year or academic year plus summer, as indicated on the contract. The annual tuition (for the regular program year or the regular year plus summer school) is divided into twelve equal monthly installments. The first is due July 1 and the last is due June 1 of the following year. Tuition must be paid by check, credit card billing (MasterCard, Visa or Discover), or cashier’s check or money order if so required by the school. Cash payments will not be accepted.

Discount for Advanced Payment in Full: A discount in the amount specified in application and enrollment materials will be applied for any annual tuition paid in full on or before July 1. Tuition deposits, application fees, and other school fees are non-refundable. Tuition and fees are subject to change from year to year, as specified on enrollment materials.

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July and August Payment: If a scheduled, non-refundable payment for the coming school year is not received by the due date in July or August, the child’s space may be released without further notice from the school. (It is unfair to children on the waiting list for us to maintain space for children when we do not receive the tuition payments on time in July and August, since we have no way of knowing whether this signals that family is on vacation or has decided not to attend in the fall. Therefore, we release space without further notice when we do not receive the July and August payments on time.)

Tuition Due Dates: Tuition is due on the first day of the month or, in the case that the first falls on a weekend, on the first working day after the first of the month. A late fee will be applied if tuition is not received by 5:00 p.m. on the 5 of each month. We request that parents submit their payments on the first of the month. This will help us avoid tuition increases to cover additional office time and expense for tuition collection. th

Delinquent Accounts: Delinquent accounts are immediately turned over to the college collection agency. We request that all families make a concerted effort to pay by the first of the month so we can avoid costly office expenses and so we can spend our time concentrating on the instructional program.

The vast majority of Broadoaks families are extremely responsible in paying their tuition and other amounts owed to the school. However, a few families are routinely late and require office staff to spend time sending reminders and making phone calls (The vast majority of parents who pay their bills on time do not want the school to spend precious staff time trying to collect past due tuition from the few who do not meet their obligations to the school.)

Late Fees: Parents must be on time for pick-up. This is essential because children need to feel confident that their parents will come for them at the appointed time and because staff hours are calculated on the basis of the anticipated number of children present throughout the day. If a parent is late, the presence of an additional child might interfere with program quality by increasing the number of children a teacher must be responsible for and may require the school to assign an additional teacher to a program to meet state licensing regulations.

Late pick-up is 5 minutes after the child's contracted pick-up time. There is a charge for late pick-up prior to daily closing time per hour OR PORTION THEREOF. (Note: this differs from arranged care, which must be approved 24 hours in advance. Any care NOT arranged 24 hours in advance will be considered as late pick-up.) The charge for pick-up after closing time is billed by the minute. The current charge is listed on the annual update of the Tuition Rate Sheet. There is no grace period at the end of the program day.

Children will not be accepted for contracted care if late charges are not paid during the month in which they are accrued.

If a parent is more than one hour late or whenever there is inadequate staff coverage for children who have not been picked up on time, state regulations require that the school call the police or other child protective agency. Teachers may NOT take the children home with them or deliver children to the home of a friend or relative.

Vacations and Late School-Start in the Fall: Parents who wish to hold a slot until the child reaches 2 1/2 or to hold a slot during a family vacation or other long absence must pay the regular tuition.

Parent Responsibility: Parents are responsible for following all agreements on the Contract for Services, including the agreement to follow all school policies and procedure.

Given the quality of the teaching staff and the teacher:child ratios, Broadoaks’ tuition is quite low. Broadoaks tuition is used to pay staff salaries. All other expenses, such as the purchase of instructional materials, books, furnishings, and technology, are supported through parent fund-raising and contributions from donors.

Additional information: Further information about tuition rates, contracts, late fees, change in contract fees, and notice of withdrawal can be found in the school’s application materials and enrollment packet and on the Contract for Services.

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CHAPTER 4 POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP TIMES AND GUIDELINES FOR POSITIVE SEPARATIONS AND REUNIONS Before School Starts Avoid over-talking the new school experience, whether it is the child’s first time away from parents in a group setting or the move from preschool to kindergarten or from third grade to upper elementary or from elementary to middle school. Remember, your child is ready for these next steps, just as s/he was ready to learn to walk and to sleep in a big bed. Yes, the experience will be new and different; but when you are a child, life is by definition, full of new and different experiences. (Sometimes parents inadvertently create anxiety in children when they play up the new experience too much.)

With young children, simply present the experience matter-of-factly not too far in advance, saying something like, “Next week it will be your turn to go to Broadoaks.” If the child protests and says s/he will not go, again respond very matter-of-factly, saying something like, “Well it is your turn to go and I am sure you will be ready” or “When children become 4 like you, it is their turn to go to Broadoaks.”

Buying new clothes (play clothes, of course), book bags, and nap supplies can be part of the fun in getting ready for the new experience; but, here again, all of this can backfire if parents place too much importance on these preparations. Again, we recommend handling preparations matter-of-factly, expressing positive attitudes and expectations about the upcoming experience, but not overdoing it.

For instance, we think it’s fine to say, “You will make new friends and play with toys,” but it can be overwhelming to the child when parents list too many aspects of the wonderful new experience.

Broadoaks hosts an Open House for preschool and kindergarten children and their families prior to the start of each new school year. This provides children with an opportunity to meet their teachers and to become familiar with the classroom setting. At the Open House, families typically receive a photograph of the teachers so parents can put them on the refrigerator at home to help the child learn the teachers’ names and to feel confident that these are not “strangers.”

With older children, especially those transferring from other schools, we also recommend a matter-offact approach. While hearing what children have to say about a new school can be helpful, we encourage parents to let the child know that the ultimate decision about where s/he will attend school is the parents’, not the child’s. This information, presented firmly, is actually comforting to the child because it removes ambiguity about the situation and eliminates or minimizes protestations.

All Broadoaks teachers have a strong background in child development and receive professional development training in helping children adjust to a new grade level or, in the case of transfer students, to the new school.

Starting a New School Year: Helping Younger Children Feel Comfortable When Parents Leave Through its policies and interactions with parents, Broadoaks endeavors to respect the diverse values, life styles, and preferences of our families, while, at the same time, building upon shared goals and beliefs to create a community of adults committed to the health, safety, and educational wellbeing of children at Broadoaks and in the world beyond.

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Drop-off Policies and Procedures: Parents receive drop-off and pick-up policies and procedures for all grades before the start of each new school year, usually in the August mailing. If, for any reason, the parent does not have the drop-off and pick-up policies and procedures one week before the start of school, it is the parent’s responsibility to obtain them from the school office.

Parents are expected to follow all drop-off and pick-up policies and procedures. These policies and procedures are in compliance with state regulations and have been developed to promote safety, as well as optimal circumstances for the separations and reunions that are inherently part of morning and afternoon logistics. In the morning, children separate from parents and reunite with teachers and peers. At the end of the day, the process is reversed.

Any adult who arrives with the child at drop-off time will be viewed as having the parent’s permission to transport the child to school. All persons who drop-off children must follow all school policies and procedures relating to drop-off.

Teachers greet children and parents when they arrive in the morning, but they are already “on duty” so they are not available for extended conversations or discussions. We request that parents hand the teacher a brief note to explain any unusual circumstance that may significantly affect the child’s mood or behavior at school.

Drop-off Times with Young Children: At the beginning of the year, parents of young children should demonstrate their confidence in the child and the school by saying “good-bye” to the child only once, with one hug and one kiss, and by leaving quickly, even if the child is crying. Broadoaks teachers have strong backgrounds in child development and receive training on how to help children who are sad or angry when their parents drop them off in the morning. Prolonged leave-taking and displays of emotion by the parent usually result in a more difficult adjustment period for the child. When parents leave and return, they also make it extremely challenging for teachers to keep accurate head counts. (Accurate head counts are fundamental aspects of school safety and security.)

At the start of the new school year, parents of young children must become familiar with and follow all school policies and procedures as explained during Parent Orientation and in school documents, including this handbook. When arriving in the preschool or primary-grade classroom for drop-off, parents are expected to follow state regulations for signing in, as well as the established morning routine, such as helping the child put the lunch box in the appropriate refrigerator and putting coats in the space provided. Then, parents should take the child to the area where the teachers are waiting and announce, “Good Morning, Mrs. Smith. Jason is here.” (This will help your child learn the teachers’ names and also help the teachers learn the children’s names on the first days of school.)

Once teachers learn all the children’s names (usually within a day or two) parents must still take the children to the teachers and wait until at least one teacher acknowledges the child by name and does a quick, visual health check. (Your child is not included in the teacher’s head count until s/he acknowledges the child by name.)

All children must appear to be healthy in order to be accepted for the school day.

Once the teacher has acknowledged the child’s arrival and welcomed him/her for the day, we recommend that the parent say something like, “I will be back for you _______” (state the time in terms your child will understand, such as “after you eat lunch,” or “after the afternoon story time”-- the teachers can help you with wording). “Your teachers will take good care of you until I come back for you. Have a good time. Good-bye.” After one hug and one kiss, the parent should leave, even if the child is crying. We have many years of experience helping children cope with the disappointment and stress they may experience when their parents leave. They will soon learn that Mom and Dad WILL come back for them. Until then, we will comfort them and help them develop strategies for comforting themselves.

Once the parent has left, teachers will help the child cope with the sadness and/or anger. Early in the program year, teachers usually comfort crying children with loving attention, help them verbalize their feelings, and reassure them that the parent will return at the specified time. They use the pictures of each

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family (which must be submitted prior to the start of school) to help the child remember that family members continue to exist even when they are not physically present. In some cases, parents may be asked to make a brief tape recording so the child can listen to their voices during the day.

Once the initial adjustment period has passed, teachers use different strategies for helping children who are distressed when parents leave. These strategies will be discussed with parents individually because they differ from child to child, depending upon the teachers’ assessment of the situation.

In general, it is best for parents to leave their children quickly during the first few weeks of adjustment.

We have found that children watch the parking lot for a glimpse of Mom and Dad and frequently begin crying all over again when they spot them leaving. Therefore, waiting around inside the school may only lengthen the child’s period of discomfort. Parents may call the school office at any time to inquire about the child.

In most cases, children stop crying once the parent has left the vicinity.

If children continue to report that they are distressed at school (“I cried and cried all day…”) and this is not the case, teachers typically provide parents with photographs of the child throughout the day. This provides an opportunity for parents to look at the photos with the child and talk about what s/he was doing.

Preschool parents and parents who drop off older children for Morning Surround Care are requested to quickly close the classroom entry door behind them. Parents who bring non-enrolled siblings and other children into the building with them must keep these children near them and under their complete control and supervision. The school accepts no responsibility for children who are not enrolled in the program.

A Few More Words about Difficult Separations Most preschool children and many kindergarten children exhibit moderate to severe concern about separating from the parent early in the school year. Some continue to show some concern at various times during the school year, particularly after especially busy weekends or school holidays. Early in the year, their concerns are thought to arise from the child’s uncertainty about being reunited with the family. Therefore, it is important for the parents to tell the child when he/she will be picked up and by whom. It is also important for the parent to be on time for pick up at the promised time.

When children show signs of concern about separation after the initial adjustment period, it is more likely a bid for attention and control rather than a result of anxiety about separation from the family.

Sooner or later, nearly all children protest going to school occasionally. We recommend that parents be very matter-of-fact about school attendance, saying something like, “Today is a school day. Would you like to wear this outfit or that one?” If the child continues to protest, the parent can simply restate calmly, “This is a school day...” and continue with preparations. It is best to avoid discussions about how much fun the child will have or explanations about the long-term benefits of getting an education. Such discussions give children extra parental attention for complaining about school and, therefore, sets the stage for them to do it again.

Parents of preschool children may observe from one of the observation rooms once the children have been dropped off and/or to call to check on the child throughout the day. This usually assures parents that all is well. Within minutes of saying good-bye to parents, children who claim to hate school and cry when parents leave usually calm down quickly and begin to enjoy their day.

Drop-off Time with Older Students: The school distributes information about drop-off policies and procedures for all grades prior to the start of each school year. It is crucial for parents to follow these policies, which have been developed to promote safety and school security during arrival times when parking lots and adjacent streets tend to be very busy and to promote positive morning routines for students of all ages.

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Arriving at School in Good Health, Rested and On Time: It is crucial for children of all ages to arrive at school in good health, on time, well fed, and rested. This sets the stage for a good day, while arriving ill, tired, late, and hungry may set the stage for an unhappy school day. Parents sometimes believe that late arrival does not really matter in preschool or kindergarten. However, we stress the need for getting children to school on time for these important reasons: (1) children tend to have a more successful day when they arrive on time, (2) on-time arrival helps children move easily into the academic and social “flow” of the classroom, and (3) on-time arrival represents the family’s value of school and respect for the time teachers have put into planning activities from the start of the day until the end.

Safety and Positive Attitudes in the Neighborhood and the Parking Lots: Like most other schools in the area, Broadoaks does not have an over-abundance of parking spaces.

We must share the lots with college students and faculty, who tend to arrive and leave at the same times as Broadoaks children do, creating traffic along Philadelphia Avenue and Olive Drive and making parking difficult in the lots. We request that parents avoid complaining about traffic or lack of spaces in the parking lot in front of their children. Such adult concerns can rub off on the child, setting a cycle of negativity even before the school day begins.

While approaching the school and in the parking lots, parents must follow all posted signs, teacher or staff instructions, Campus Safety officer requests, and other directions as indicated by cones or markings on the pavement. Parents may park in spaces as designated in the instructions provided by the school. Parents must comply with city and College signs posted along the roadways, driveways, and streets. Parents may not pull into the Children’s House driveway or use the fire lane for drop off or turn around. Failure to follow parking lot safety and parking guidelines can result in a ticket from Campus Safety.

Parents are required to hold children’s hands in the parking lots until the children are at least 9 years old. Thereafter, children must be immediately beside their parents in the parking lots and under the parent’s immediate and direct supervision at all times.

Parents must park only in designated spaces and should use extreme caution when pulling into parking spaces, pulling out of parking spaces, and driving through the parking lots and adjacent sidewalks and streets. Children are small and often not visible in the rear view mirror.

Parents may not leave any child under 12 years of age unattended in a car under any circumstances.

This is considered child endangerment and will result in a report to the police and/or Child Protective Services.

Parents must turn off the engine and secure the emergency break before exiting the car. Under no circumstances may a parent leave a motor running in an unoccupied car in a Broadoaks lot.

Broadoaks and the College work very hard to maintain positive relationships with our neighbors along Olive Drive and Philadelphia Avenue. We ask parents to drive slowly and safely in the neighborhoods, being especially alert for children. We also urge parents to come to a full and complete stop before leaving the lots and entering the adjacent streets.

Parents who need to head South on Painter after leaving the Olive Drive lot, should turn left at the entrance to the Shannon Center parking lot, proceed slowly along the driveway, turn right onto Philadelphia to make a safe left turn onto Painter at the light.

When Children Complain about School (And They ALL Will, Sooner or Later!)

At some point during every school year, nearly all children at all grade levels complain about school.

Complaints run the gamut from “it’s so boring” and “I just don’t want to go today” to “nobody likes me” or “the teacher is mean to me.”

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A parent’s first responsibility is to make sure that the child is in a safe, constructive, and developmentally appropriate learning environment. Observing in the classroom, getting to know the teachers, and discussing questions and concerns with teachers and/or program directors usually accomplish this. Once the parent feels assured that the child is, indeed, safe and attending a school with goals and teaching methods consistent with the family’s views, then the parent’s job is to put the child’s complaints into developmental and behavioral perspective.

Research consistently identifies regular school attendance as a key factor in academic success.

Therefore, from the earliest school years parents should calmly and consistently insist on regular and prompt attendance unless the child is ill. When a child says s/he does not want to go to school, we encourage parents to state straightforwardly and matter-of-factly that school is “what ___-year-old children like you are expected to do.” We suggest that parents not argue about attendance, try to convince the child of how much fun s/he will have, or launch into lectures on the value of learning for later life. For the most part, resistance to school attendance is a thinly veiled power struggle initiated by the child in ways that engage parents’ sympathy and concern.

In about second or third grade, many children -- even those who appear to love school when they are there -- begin to complain to parents, sometimes bitterly, about the teacher’s instructional methods.

From a developmental perspective, this is a normal way of resisting “outside” adult authority and forging wedges between the two sets of adults who have the most control over the child’s life -- parents and teachers. We recommend that parents insist that the child state his concern or complaint briefly (to avoid long diatribes about the teacher). We also recommend that parents express their faith in the teachers’ intentions and their confidence in their teaching methods. We also suggest that parents encourage the child to discuss problems and concerns directly with the teacher whenever possible. Our purpose is to encourage children to take responsibility for their education and to solve their own school-related problems, as well as to minimize the time families spend addressing age-typical efforts to gain attention and control by complaining about school.

Some parents report that a little humor helps with older elementary children, who already know that they must go to school. When an older child persists in arguing about school attendance, a parent might lightly say something like, “OK, you can stay home as soon as you finish high school, medical school, and 40 years of work.” This sends the child a message and eliminates repeated arguments about a subject with a foregone conclusion.

Meeting challenges -- academic and social -- is part of a full and rich childhood. Learning that they have inner strength and resources provides children with an experiential foundation for meeting the more difficult challenges of adolescence and adulthood. Therefore, we encourage parents to treat children’s complaints about school and their peers matter-of-factly, insisting whenever possible that they take care of problems themselves. We suggest that parents minimize children’s tendencies to complain about school by putting the problem back on them, saying something like, “It sounds like you were pretty bored at school today. Tomorrow I want you to tell me what you did so YOU would not be bored.”

Pick-up Policies and Procedures: Policies and procedures for pick-up at the end of the child’s contracted time are provided to parents before the start of each school year. Like drop-off, pick-up necessarily involves separations and reunions, now at a time when everyone involved is more likely to be tired at the end of a busy day. Children must separate from teachers and friends and reunite with a parent or other family member, often just prior to reuniting with several other equally tired family members once they reach home.

For safety and school security, as well as to promote positive attitudes and behaviors at pick-up time, parents must follow all policies, procedures, and guidelines for pick-up.

Preschool parents must report to the classroom, wait until a teacher acknowledges them, and then pick up the child. Parents are requested not to leave with the child until at least one teacher has acknowledged them by name and said good-bye to the child, referencing the next time we will see the child at school. In accordance with state laws, preschool parents must sign the child out just prior to

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leaving with them. (They may not indicate the sign out time when they sign in in the morning.)

Teachers are required to double-check sign out times and submit late notices to the office accordingly.

(See information about charges for late pick-up elsewhere in this handbook.)

Preschool parents and others who pick up in the classroom are requested to help the child gather his/her belongings, say a quick good-bye, and leave the classroom as quickly as possible. Teachers typically have team meetings or other duties immediately after dismissal, so they are not available for lengthy discussions or impromptu meetings at this time.

Parents should avoid returning to the classroom once they have left. When children and parents leave and re-enter, teachers have a difficult time keeping an accurate head count, one of the essentials of school safety and security.

Parents are requested to leave the school grounds as soon as possible after dismissal. This is to make the outdoor space available to children who remain for after-school programs, including Surround Care and Specials. If parents remain on the school grounds after pick-up, they are solely responsible for their child(ren)’s safety and security. The school accepts no responsibility for children once they have been picked up. Children must be within the parent’s immediate vicinity, in full view at all times after pick-up. After dismissal, children may not play unsupervised by a parent on the lawns, play areas, Carousel Courtyards, parking lots, fire lane, sidewalks, or behind any building or with any school recess materials that may be in the courtyards, including playground balls, jump ropes, tetherballs, or basketballs.

Broadoaks has no authority to deny access to any parent or legal guardian unless that person is incapacitated. The child will be released to whichever parent arrives at school first.

Children will be released only to persons whom the teachers can verify as listed by the parent on the Authorized Pick-up list. Parents should inform everyone on the Authorized List about the need to bring photo identification with them. Teachers will ask to see identification for anyone they do not know, sometimes even including parents at the beginning of the year. Once the teacher has verified that the person is named on the pick-up list, the teacher may also casually ask the child to identify the person: “Who is this person?” In the event that a teacher from another grade is substituting in another classroom, parents and others who report for pick-up should expect to present their identification if asked to do so.

Persons listed on the Authorized Pick-up List and the Emergency Pick-up List must be at least 18 years of age, unless the parent specifically requests writing that the school release to a person younger than 18. In no case will the school release to a person younger than 16. Drivers who transport children must be fully licensed to do so.

Parents must follow state laws about securing their children in child safety seats and seat belts.

On rare occasions, children strongly express unwillingness to leave with a person on the Authorized Pick-up List. In such cases, teachers intervene as they deem appropriate, typically by calling a parent.

The school may allow parents of children in 3 grade and higher to name groups of people on the Authorized List, as long as such persons are known to the school. For instance, it would be acceptable for a parent to write, “the mother of any child in this class,” but it would not be acceptable to write, “the parent of any child in my child’s dance class” because teachers would not know who is in which dance class. rd

In the absence of a restraining order, the school will release to any parent or legal guardian at any time of day. If official copies of restraining orders are on file at the school, teachers, school administrators, and the College Campus Safety are notified. Teachers and school administrators report the presence of any person known to be under a restraining order. In cases of divorce and shared custody, the school releases to whichever parent arrives for pick-up. We do not become involved in keeping track of “whose day it is” in custody situations.

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We request that parents list persons on the Emergency Pick-up List according to which ones will be likely to arrive at school most quickly if the child becomes ill or injured at school and the parent cannot be reached.

In the event that any person arrives for pick-up in a condition that seems unfit to care for the child, Campus Safety officers will be called.

The school does not accept telephone requests to add persons to the Authorized or Emergency Pick Up lists.

Parents may change the list in person in the school office at any time.

It is the parent’s responsibility to be sure all contact information on the pick-up lists is current and accurate.

In cases of major emergencies or disasters, such as an earthquake, the director or her designee, typically in collaboration with Whittier College and/or Whittier City safety departments, will determine the safest course of action for dismissing children. In extreme cases where life and safety are in jeopardy, children may be released to people who are not listed on an individual child’s pick-up list, but whom school authorities know.

Children who become ill at school are taken to the school office. Parents must arrange for pick-up within 15 minutes because the school does not have provisions for sick child care. Parents will be charged the amounts indicated on the annual rate sheet for children who are not picked up within 15 minutes. Repeated incidence of slow pick-up for an ill child may result in dismissal. (On rare occasions parents have opted to remain at work and simply pay the fee for leaving an ill child at school. This not only jeopardizes the child’s wellbeing and sense of being cared for adequately by parents, but also it creates an unhealthy environment for others at school.)

Fees for late pick-up are indicated on enrollment materials. It is especially important that parents arrive for pick-up on time when children are contracted until the end of the school day. Broadoaks teachers have responsibilities to their own families after work. Broadoaks teachers are not babysitters.

Repeatedly arriving late at the close of the school day will result in dismissal.

Permission to Walk or Take Public Transportation to School: Depending on a variety of circumstances, the school may decide to allow students in 7 grade and higher to walk or take public transportation to and from school. Policies and procedures for permission to walk to school are distributed at the beginning of each school year. The school may cancel this option at any time for a particular child or for the school as a whole, as might be the case, for instance, if major road work were to begin along a primary transportation corridor. th

CELL PHONE FREE ZONE: Broadoaks requests that parents avoid talking on the cell phone and texting on the way to and from school so they can spend time interacting with their children.

Foul Weather Clothing, Drop-off, and Pick-up Procedures: When rainy or stormy weather is predicted, children should bring appropriate rainwear, clearly labeled with their names. In the event of unexpected rain, the staff will make every effort to keep children dry.

In some cases, children may be in a different building or classroom at pick-up time on a rainy day.

Signs will be posted to direct parents to the temporary pick-up location.

In extreme weather conditions, entrances to Broadoaks classrooms and parking lots sometimes flood.

These circumstances place significant additional demands upon staff to assure safety and smooth transitions. We ask parental cooperation in meeting special challenges caused by severe weather conditions.

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After 7:15 a.m., parents may arrive up to fifteen minutes earlier than their contracted time during periods of heavy rain and/or flooding. There will not be an additional charge for early drop-off on such days.

Rainy day procedures for elementary and middle school drop-off will be announced at the beginning of the school year. Parents are expected to pick up their children on time on rainy days. Late pick-up will result in the usual late charges. Therefore, parents are encouraged to allow additional travel time so they can pick the child up at the expected time.

Supervision of Children and Appropriate Interactions with Them during Drop-off and Pick-up Times: At the beginning of the day, parents are responsible for their own children until a teacher accepts them by name. At the end of the day, parents are responsible for their own children as soon as the teacher dismisses them to the parent or person on the Authorized Pick-up or Emergency Pick-up lists.

Broadoaks can accept no responsibility for children’s safety and wellbeing when a parent or other authorized adult is supervising them. However, Broadoaks teachers will assist parents whenever possible if they are requested to do so. For example, parents sometimes signal a teacher for assistance if a preschooler does not want to leave at the end of the day or refuses to wear a seat belt.

On rare occasions teachers have observed a child inadequately supervised, spanked, yelled at, or otherwise mistreated at drop-off or pick-up times, sometimes by a person other than the parent, such as a grandparent or a nanny. Teachers and school administrators will use their discretion about how to handle the situation. They may intervene, report to a parent, or notify authorities, depending on the severity of the mistreatment.

Broadoaks teachers and administrators are mandated to report any case of child abuse, neglect or endangerment. We take this legal and moral obligation seriously.

Safety and Security at Drop-off and Pick-up Times: Safety and security are of utmost importance at Broadoaks. Teachers, staff, parents, and children themselves share responsibility for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of everyone at the school during drop-off and pick-up times. Common courtesy goes a long way toward creating positive experiences in potentially challenging situations at the beginning and end of a busy school day.

Unscheduled School Closing: In rare cases, Broadoaks must make unscheduled closures for the entire school or particular classrooms. An example might be that several classrooms flood during a storm. In this case, parents will be notified at the earliest possible time via email with a very specific subject line, such as “Kindergarten class closed on [date] due to flooding. ” In case of earthquake or other major emergency in the area, if possible we will send an email and/or create a voice message on the school phone to inform parents about school closure. In any case, Broadoaks will be closed if the Whittier public schools are closed due to such an emergency.

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CHAPTER 5 ATTIRE AND ITEMS BROUGHT TO SCHOOL ATTIRE The purposes of Broadoaks’ dress code are to (1) maintain an environment that demonstrates respect for the school environment, for others, and for oneself; and (2) ensure students’ safety and comfort as they work, play, and exercise.

CLOTHING POLICY: ALL GRADE LEVELS Clothing must be: o Be appropriate for the weather, outdoor play, and messy activities o Be sufficiently modest for active children as they climb, play, and sit on the floor o Cover all undergarments, including bra straps and boxer shorts or briefs Broadoaks does not allow: o baggy pants or jeans with “fashionable” holes or tatters (jeans must have a hem at the bottom o

o o

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and may not have holes in the fabric) short shorts and short skirts (the bottom edge of shorts and skirts must fall at least as low as the fingertips)

spaghetti strap, strapless, backless, low-cut, or racer-back tops spaghetti strap, strapless or backless dresses (spaghetti straps are okay for preschool and kindergarten sundresses only)

inappropriate slogans and insignias footwear that is unsafe for outdoor play and physical education (this includes platform soles, wedge heels, and built-in platforms)

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hats, hoods, and visors inside the classroom

Parents must provide appropriate rainy-day clothing, including umbrellas for middle school students.

Long dresses: Girls in preschool – 2 grade may not wear maxi skirts or dresses because they increase the risk of tripping during active play. The school discourages maxi skirts and dresses for older girls as well because they interfere with active play. Girls in all grades may not wear maxi skirts or dresses on scheduled P.E. days. nd

SHOE POLICY: ALL GRADES Children’s shoes must be safe and comfortable for active play indoors and out. Rubber-soled, closed-toed shoes are most appropriate. Flip flops, “thongs," all types of backless shoes, clogs, dressy shoes with slippery soles, high heels, platform soles, and wedge heels are PROHIBITED. For some special activities, such as P.E. and woodworking, the school may require specific types of footwear. We strictly enforce school shoe policies for the sake of the children’s safety and to facilitate safe and active play.

SHOE POLICY: PRESCHOOL - 2 Grade Shoes with Velcro closing are better than tie-ups, especially for children under five. Shoes may not have strings with charms, other jewelry, and/or small toys.

Also PROHIBITED are fashion boots, rain boots, and “UGG” style boots. nd

During the warm weather, children may wear sandals if they are sturdy and substantial at the top front, have non-slip soles, and back straps. Sandals must have good, non-slip tread on the soles to

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enable children to run and climb safely. Children in preschool through 2 grade must wear socks with open-toed sandals. (This is to prevent injury when children play in areas covered by wood chips.) nd

SHOE POLICY: 3 - 8 Grade (including 9 Grade in the summer program) Rain boots and “UGG” style boots are allowed in the upper grades as long as your child is able to safely and fully participate in all program activities. During the warm weather, children may wear sandals if they are sturdy, have non-slip soles, and back straps. Sandals must have good, non-slip tread on the soles to enable children to run safely. Appropriate tennis shoes or other athletic shoes are required on P.E. days. Students without appropriate shoes will not be allowed to participate in P.E. class. This will affect P.E. grades. rd

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P.E. SHOE POLICY: K - 8 Grade (including 9 Grade in the summer program) Athletic shoes appropriate for running and sports are required on P.E. days. Students without appropriate shoes will not be allowed to participate in P.E. class. This will affect P.E. grades. th

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STUDENTS WHO COME TO SCHOOL IN ATTIRE THAT IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE DRESS CODE WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR SCHOOL-ISSUED CLOTHING, WHICH THEY MUST TAKE HOME AT THE END OF THE DAY, WASH, AND RETURN TO THE SCHOOL THE NEXT DAY. A CHARGE WILL BE ADDED TO THE NEXT STATEMENT IF BORROWED CLOTHES ARE NOT RETURNED. Additional information regarding school attire: Preschool and Kindergarten: •

Clothing should be selected to enhance young children’s independence. For example, elastic waistbands are often easier for younger children to handle than zippers and buttons. Overalls and tops with shoulder ties often prevent independence in the bathroom.

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Layered clothing is often appropriate for chilly mornings that are likely to be followed by hot afternoons. Whenever possible, children will be allowed to decide for themselves how much clothing they need for outdoor play. Only in unambiguous weather situations will teachers insist that children wear coats or raingear.

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All preschool children must have at least two clean changes of clothing at school at all times. It is recommended that full-day preschool children should have at least four complete changes of clothing at school at all times. Kindergarten children should keep two changes of clothing at school. All clothing must be clearly marked with the child’s name. Parents are responsible for maintaining extra clothing that fits the child and is appropriate to the season. We do not want children to feel self-conscious about what they are wearing if they have to change clothes at school.

Therefore, their extra clothes at school should (1) fit properly, (2) be appropriate for the season, and (3) include clothes the children like to wear.

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If a child does not have extra clothing that fits and is appropriate for the weather, s/he will be changed into school clothing with the best fit available. Parents must wash and return the clothes to school on the child’s next school day. A charge will be added to the next statement if borrowed clothes are not returned.

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If children wet or soil their underwear, teachers will handle the situation calmly. Children will clean up and change into dry clothing as independently as possible. They will be encouraged to wash out soiled underwear and place it in a plastic bag to take home. This approach fosters self-help and diminishes feelings of embarrassment. While the school recognizes that most preschoolers and many kindergarteners have occasional toileting accidents, the school must dismiss children who soil repeatedly because we are not licensed for children who are not reliably toilet trained.

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•

Preschool children are NOT permitted to wear necklaces, bracelets, rings, hoop or dangle earrings, or hair combs with small beads, flowers, or plastic parts. Also, parents are requested to check children’s pockets for small objects before they enter school. (Preschool children frequently put small objects in their mouths and noses. These objects can be accidentally swallowed or inhaled by the child who wore these items to school or even by other children.)

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Preschool children may NOT bring purses to school. (This is a safety rule. Preschool children often store small objects and food in their purses. Also, purses often cause a distraction when brought into the classroom.)

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Water/mud play and gardening are regular parts of the curriculum. Teachers will decide whether a child’s clothes are wet or dirty enough to require a change.

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Preschool children may occasionally be allowed to go barefooted outside, especially to play in water or run in the sprinklers during very hot weather. Grounds will be checked for safety each morning. Parents who do not want their child to go barefooted outside under any conditions may discuss this policy with the preschool program director.

All Grade Levels: •

Parents should apply ample amounts of waterproof, child-safe sunscreen to children of all ages each morning before school. This is to prevent harmful effects of daily sun exposure.

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Children at all grade levels play actively, so they frequently get dirty. They also participate in art and science activities that may result in washable clothing stains. Children should come to school dressed in comfortable, washable, and appropriate PLAY CLOTHES. We do not want children to be concerned about getting their clothes dirty during work or play at school.

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T-shirts, sweatshirts, and other attire should be comfortable and casual, but not “grungy.”

Broadoaks discourages baggy pants, provocative logos, and attire typically associated with gang or drug cultures. To date, teachers and parents have decided against school uniforms for elementary and middle school, but the question may be re-examined at any time. (We want to maintain a sense of respect and decorum at school. Attire is one way to achieve this.)

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Natural hair coloring is expected for all children through the elementary and middle school grades.

Children with any non-natural hair color (i.e. green, purple, blue) will be sent home. Exceptions will be made only in cases where children are in plays or dance performances requiring temporary unusual hair coloring.

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Girls’ skirts should be long enough to permit them to sit cross-legged on the floor and remain modestly covered, and to play actively during recess times. However, skirts too long also pose safety risks and are prohibited. (See Dress Code for more information regarding skirt lengths.) Girls’ tops and blouses must provide adequate coverage. Strapless, backless, and spaghetti strap tops are not permitted. Bare midriffs are not permitted. If girls wear low-riding pants, they must have a long blouse or shirt to cover them completely when they bend over or sit.

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Underwear is not an appropriate fashion statement in a school setting and may not show.

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Uncovered hip-hugging pants and belly-revealing tops are not permitted.

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Broadoaks recommends that parents guide their children in selecting clothes that reflect the family’s values and expectations. Children have a right to clothing that is comfortable and suitable, but they do not have a right to demand specific, expensive styles and/or name brands, especially when these fashions are associated with subcultures and/or with lifestyles of which the parents and the school do not approve.

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Students should not come to school in attire that is provocative or otherwise likely to cause distractions in the classroom.

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Pierced ears are permitted, but other body piercings are not. The school prefers that piercings be limited to single, small earrings in each ear. If children have tattoos or other body piercings, clothing must cover these.

Broadoaks promotes the same dress-code standards among staff and college students who work at the school. College student workers are told at the beginning of the semester that they will be dismissed from classroom duties if they do not conform to dress standards.

ATTIRE FOR PLAYING OUTSIDE Healthy children can and should play outside on any day when it is not pouring rain, excessively hot, windy, or smoggy enough for a first-stage alert. Since California mornings are often quite cool in comparison to later hours, parents should dress children in easy-to-remove layers.

On inclement days, the instructional staff may take children onto the porches or patios or into the garage at Children’s House. On questionable days, the program director will decide whether children may go outdoors.

It is NOT appropriate for parents to request that a child be kept indoors because s/he is showing early signs of an illness or recovering from a recent illness. (We simply do not have enough staff members to assure safety of children outside and also supervise an individual child inside. Children who cannot fully participate in all aspects of the school program should be kept at home until they are well.)

COMFORT TOYS Preschoolers may bring a single “comfort item” to school for naptime. Comfort items are usually small stuffed toys or dolls. Toy cars and coloring books are NOT considered comfort items and may NOT be brought to school. These comfort items must be kept with the child’s nap supplies and must remain at school. (Items taken to the cot must be limited to a single “comfort” item for the child. Otherwise, staff will be distracted from their duties by children wanting to exchange items, etc. The teacher’s job at naptime is to help each child rest by talking quietly with him/her or rubbing his/her back if asked. Comfort items must be kept at school with the nap supplies because (1) it is too difficult for teachers to keep track of items that go back and forth each day and (2) the child may become distressed if s/he left the item at home or in the car.)

Policies about bringing toys and comfort items to school in other grades are explained at Parent Orientation and/or in materials sent home before the start of the school year.

The school does not accept responsibility for loss or damage to any item the child brings to school.

BRINGING DANGEROUS ITEMS TO SCHOOL Broadoaks students are not permitted to bring any item that may injure or unduly frighten other members of the school community. Such items include guns, knives, firecrackers, sling shots, as well as realistic toys that look like guns, knives, firecrackers, etc. We have a zero tolerance policy about such items. Students will be dismissed from school for bringing such items whether they are real or realistic appearing toys. (The purpose of this policy is to maintain a safe, secure environment for all children, staff, and families and to promote the school’s philosophy of peaceful resolution of conflict.)

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CHAPTER 6 ADDITIONAL PROGRAM INFORMATION FOR PRESCHOOL PRESCHOOL NAPTIME Naptime is an important time for younger children in the full-day program. Naptime runs from approximately 12:50 p.m. until about 2:30 p.m. and is supervised by members of the Broadoaks faculty.

At Broadoaks naptime is never treated as punishment.

After lunch children are encouraged to make the transition to their cots by themselves. Although we generally leave toileting decisions up to children, children may be reminded to use the restroom prior to napping.

A child may take a single “comfort item” to the cot with him/her. These comfort items MUST BE KEPT AT SCHOOL WITH THE CHILD’S NAP SUPPLIES. (Items taken to the cot must be limited to a single “comfort” item for the child. Otherwise, staff will be distracted from their duties by children wanting to exchange items, etc. The teacher’s job at naptime is to help each child rest by talking quietly with him/her or rubbing his/her back if asked. Comfort items must be kept at school with the nap supplies because (1) it is too difficult for teachers to keep track of items that go back and forth each day and (2) the child may become distressed if s/he left the item at home or in the car.)

Comfort items are usually small stuffed toys or dolls. Toy cars and coloring books are NOT considered comfort items and may NOT be brought to school.

Children are NOT required to sleep or to close their eyes at naptime. They may rest or sleep, but they may NOT disturb other children.

Teachers try to spend time with each child, rubbing his/her back if asked. Any child who is not asleep after approximately 30 minutes may look at books or play quietly on their cots. Those who are not asleep by approximately 2:00 p.m. may elect to get up and participate in quiet activities the teacher has provided. The teacher may gently awaken any child who is not awake by 2:30 p.m. (approximate).

Children who tire before naptime may rest in the Peaceful Place.

Children who stay for nap on a regular or occasional basis must have all items required for naptime.

Specific information about nap supplies is provided in enrollment materials and at Parent Orientation.

Parents are responsible for laundering all of the child’s nap items each week. It is important for parents to remember to bring clean nap supplies on the first day of attendance each week because (1) children may become upset if they do not have their usual nap supplies, and (2) searching for missing nap supplies takes valuable staff time. If a child is present for nap without the required nap items, a school set will be provided for a daily fee. (This fee is necessary because State law requires us to launder the school’s extra sets of bedding each time a child uses it.)

Nap policies are designed to help children feel secure and to give the instructional staff the greatest amount of time for attending to the needs of the children.

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SHARING Broadoaks values communication, cooperation, and a sense of community within classrooms and throughout the school. However, the ability to share develops over time. Therefore, teachers have differing expectations for children at different ages and stages of development. Teachers also recognize that children who usually share their materials may occasionally find it difficult to share a particular item. In general, teachers encourage very young children to express their feelings when another child wants to “share” -- which usually means the second child wants to take something from the first child.

In such a case, the teacher would encourage both children to express their wishes and desires, but the teacher would not force the first child to “share.”

As children grow older and have more experience in the school setting, teachers are firmer with children about the need to share.

Individual teachers may have differing policies with regard to sharing and the bringing of objects to school. For example, some teachers encourage children to bring books from home, while other teachers prefer that children use the books in the classroom and in the school library. Teachers who do permit children to bring books from home usually do so on a scheduled, rotating basis. If several children bring books to school on the same day, they are often disappointed if the teacher does not have time to read their book from home to the whole class. Teachers carefully select books and other reading materials to complement the classroom curriculum.

TOY WEAPONS Children may NOT bring toy guns, other toy weapons, or other toys that regularly inspire aggressive play. Children will be permitted to use their fingers, sticks, or blocks for guns during their dramatic play as long as the play does not become overly aggressive.

Parent cooperation on these policies will be greatly appreciated. Since young children’s capacities for sharing are somewhat limited, toys brought from home often lead to conflict and may diminish the child’s participation in the planned curriculum. Please tell your child to leave all toys (other than a single “comfort item” for nap) at home or in the car because this is the school rule. Please do not allow the child to bring the toy into the school and ask the teacher to explain the rule, since this distracts the teacher from other important duties as children are making the transition from home to school at the start of the school day.

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CHAPTER 7 SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY The safety and security of our children, faculty and staff, parents, and members of the college community are of paramount importance at Broadoaks. Our definition of safety and security includes both the physical and the psychological environment from the moment we open each morning until the moment we close at night.

As one of the school's highest priorities, maintaining safety and security must be a concerted and constant responsibility shared by all members of the Broadoaks faculty and staff, Broadoaks parents, and the children themselves in accordance with their age and stage of development.

Along with the proximity and helpfulness of the Whittier College Campus Safety Department, Broadoaks’ well educated, well informed, well trained, and highly experienced faculty and staff are the most important element in maintaining safety and security at the school. Broadoaks faculty and staff are charged with carefully and consistently following all policies and procedures relating to safety and security, including the following responsibilities, among others: •

Daily safety checks of the grounds and the classrooms

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Immediate reporting of any safety hazards to the appropriate person or office

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Immediate reporting of any security concerns to the appropriate person or office

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Remaining current with all safety and security related information about children in each class, including information about authorized pick-ups, restraining orders, custody conflicts, allergies and health conditions

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Sending contact information to the office whenever a class leaves the classroom and its surrounding area, specifying which staff member’s cell phone will be used in an emergency

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Taking the emergency binder whenever the class leaves the classroom and its immediate surrounding area

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Supporting parents' efforts to maintain safety and security during drop-off and pick-up times by serving on parking lot duty teams (Parents are responsible for their children until the teacher accepts them into the program in the morning. Parents are responsible for their children as soon as the teacher dismisses them in the afternoon. Teachers and other staff members assist parents during drop-off and pick-up times.)

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Documenting all injuries and accidents to children, staff, parents, and members of the college Community (See further information about Injury Reports elsewhere in this handbook.)

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Conducting regular and systematic analyses of all accident and injury reports, noting any patterns and trends that can be identified and recommending actions to enhance safety and security

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Maintaining first aid and CPR certification as required by law

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Carefully checking the identification of all unfamiliar persons who present themselves for pickup

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Carefully following guidelines for reporting suspected abuse and neglect

Teacher:student ratios are our most important safety and security measure at Broadoaks. Coupled with our staff’s exceptional level of education, training, and experience, these ratios enable us to provide high levels of supervision and support for children in our care. Broadoaks teachers are exceptionally well prepared for all aspects of their work, including ensuring safety and security. The school’s preschool ratios meet or exceed all Title 5 mandates. The school's ratios reflect contemporary research about optimal class size and teacher:student ratios.

Fully credentialed teachers staff all parts of the school day, including before- and after-school care, recess, lunch, and pass time. All credentialed teachers must hold or be working toward a Master of Arts in Education degree and all must also participate annually in a professional development program, as well as regular faculty and staff meetings. These meetings provide a forum for discussions of safety and security.

However advantageous ratios are in terms of number, they are actually only as good as the supervision that accompanies them. Maintaining accurate head counts is among the most important and fundamental of all safety procedures at any school. Therefore, we impress upon parents the importance of following drop-off and pick-up procedures carefully to help teachers maintain accurate head counts.

Parents are responsible for: •

Careful supervision of their own children and other children in their care whenever they are on the school grounds

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Using extreme caution in the parking lots, adjacent areas, and neighboring streets during dropoff and pick-up times

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Parking only in designated spots (Parents may not park in “Faculty Master” or other faculty slots, or in slots in front of the Department of Education and Child Development.)

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Following drop-off and pick-up guidelines distributed each year

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Reporting any unusual or suspicious persons or activities to the teacher or a school administrator

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Keeping children at home whenever they are ill and carefully following school rules about the length of time required for a child’s return to school after an illness, a fever, or vomiting and diarrhea

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Respecting school rules and the authority of teachers and school administrators in all matters relating to the wellbeing, health, and safety of all persons at the school

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Following all guidelines and procedures for drop-off and pick-up, including signing in and out, as required for parents of preschoolers and older children participating in before-school and after-school care

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Reporting any potential health or safety hazard to the teacher or a school administrator

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Following changes in school policies and procedures as they are announced through the Parent Handbook, notes home, posted signs, the school newsletter, the website, or other means

Positive home-school communications are a particularly important aspect of creating and sustaining healthy partnerships between parents and teachers which, in turn, play an important role in creating and sustaining home and school environments that promote children’s learning and overall wellbeing. Therefore, we request that parents speak directly with the teacher or a school administrator if they have a suggestion, a question, or a concern. This reduces what we sometimes call “parking lot complaining” that can foster negative attitudes among parents and, as a result, among our students. For more on this topic, see sections on communications and interactions between parents and the school in other sections of this handbook.

GUIDELINES FOR DEALING WITH DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS The Broadoaks administrative team developed these policies, procedures, and guidelines with input from the Director’s Advisory chairs, parent leaders, college risk-management officials, and the college attorney in spring 2010. They are reviewed annually and may change without notice if circumstances warrant. Teachers will be notified of all changes.

NOTE: We do not publish all details of these policies and procedures. For safety sake, it is best if the details of our approach are not widely known.

Major Goals: Within the limits of our faculty and staff’s training and capacities and in compliance with the relevant laws as we understand them, the school’s goals are to: 1. Keep everyone safe during the situation and in its immediate aftermath.

2. After an incident, thoroughly analyze the situation to determine reasonable and effective preventative measures for the future.

3. Maintain a physically, socially, psychologically and emotionally safe environment for children, their families, and Whittier College community.

4. Communicate in a timely fashion with all appropriate college and/or community officials.

Steps for handling dangerous and potentially dangerous situations: 1. Teachers and other staff members will protect children, staff, and visitors from imminent danger or possible danger to the best of their ability. A teacher is not required to put his/her own life in danger to protect others, but every means necessary short of endangering one’s own life must be employed.

2. Call Campus Safety and other appropriate authorities, following guidelines explained each year.

3. Resolve immediate situation. Notify school administrators if they are not already aware.

4. Inform college administration as needed.

5. In consultation with all relevant college and/or community officials, review situation to determine effective preventative measures. Even a situation that seemed dangerous and turned out not to be can provide opportunities to review safety procedures and standards 6. Meet with parent leaders as indicated by the situation.

7. Inform children and parents as indicated, based on these considerations, among others:

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a. Was the danger real? b. Do children already know about the situation? If so, are they anxious or concerned? What is the best way to help them continue to feel safe and secure at school? c. If the danger was real, the directors, in consultation with Campus Safety, the Administrative Team, college officials, and/or parent leaders will determine how/when to inform parents and the college community, in compliance with law and with the best interests of the children being the paramount concerns.

EX: When there is police action nearby or circling helicopters, Campus Safety tries to inform Broadoaks or Broadoaks can contact Campus Safety for information. Administrators determine whether a lock down is advisable (as it will typically be until we determine the nature of the incident and whether there is any danger). If the incident ends without any impact on the school, the lockdown becomes a practice. If there was any real danger to the students or staff or if children were widely aware of/concerned about the incident, the Administrative Leadership team will analyze the situation and use its best judgment about how to achieve the goals listed above.

(8) All members of the staff are expected to report any suspicious person or activity immediately, following the specific, approved policies and procedures for school safety. For safety’s sake, we treat these specific details as strictly confidential. For instance, we do not share our “danger” and “help” signals or the guidelines for our use of whistles with anyone who is not on staff.

(9) The school will follow established guidelines for notifying parents of incidents that involve accident, injury, or security, with a view toward responding in ways that are reasonable, proportional to the event, and in compliance with the law. Faculty must follow all guidelines for maintaining confidentiality and family privacy.

(10) School policy requires that teachers refer questions about school-wide safety and security to the school director or her designee.

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CHAPTER 8 PARENT INVOLVEMENT HOME-SCHOOL RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNICATIONS Parents as Volunteers and Supporters of the School: Parents are the child’s first and most important teachers. Broadoaks values parent participation in the program. Research clearly shows the benefits to children, parents and the program of active parent involvement, so all parents will be requested to participate in ways that are meaningful and convenient to each family. In general, each family (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles) are asked to donate during the regular school year at least the number of hours the children attend during a single week. For instance, an older child attends 30 hours per week and his younger sister attends 9 hours per week, the parents and/or extended family would be expected to contribute a minimum of 39 volunteer hours during the school year. These are just a few of the ways that parents may become involved: * Volunteer in the classroom or school library * Contribute needed items for the classrooms and play yards * Adopt a bike or piece of equipment * Attend parent meetings * Help with Saturday Parent Work Days and Parent Work Evenings * Help with special projects, such as the children’s garden or construction of classroom shelves * Share skills in cooking, sewing, carpentry, or the arts with children * Actively participate in the annual school fund-raiser * Participate in other school activities and events Each year the school asks parents to turn in a form indicating the types of volunteer work they have done and how many hours they have contributed. We use this information to document parent support in various reports to the college. The information is also necessary for certain grant proposals.

Parents may also support the school by participating in the Broadoaks Parent Organization, to which all Broadoaks parents automatically belong. Such participation also counts toward parent volunteer hours. The structure and purposes of the Broadoaks Parent Organization are described in a separate section later in this chapter.

Parents participate in school activities as volunteers at their own risk. Broadoaks accepts no responsibility for accidents and injuries sustained by parents during the course of their volunteer activities, including Parent Work Day, parent meetings, and school functions on or off campus.

While the staff values parent involvement and wishes to maintain open and friendly relationships with parents, please remember that our first obligation is to the children during school hours. Please do not think us unfriendly or rude if we seem to ignore you when you are in the classroom or outdoors.

We’re glad to have you and invite you to join us in the exciting and challenging job of focusing our total attention on the needs and interests of the children.

Open Door Policy for Parents: Broadoaks has a long-standing open door policy for parents. Parents are always welcome to visit the school and make announced or unannounced visits to the classrooms.

In compliance with various state, insurance, and safety guidelines, parents who visit classrooms at times other than ordinary drop-off and pick-up times, parents who want to observe in classrooms for long periods of time, and parents who want to visit classrooms other than those where their own

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children are enrolled must register in the school office. In some cases, such as nap time, staff members will accompany parents who visit. (You are obviously not a stranger to your own napping child, but you might well be a stranger to other children. We do not want sleeping children to awake to unfamiliar faces. Therefore, we accompany parents and other visitors during naptime.)

Teachers are responsible for all aspects of curriculum and instruction, including decisions about when and how parent volunteers can be most helpful in the classroom. In general, we ask that parent volunteers play a support role, following lesson plans developed by teachers or assisting the teachers with a variety of non-instructional tasks, such as the preparation of instructional materials. Parents are not expected to teach lessons or lead activities. As a general rule, we ask that parents wait for several weeks into the school year before observing or volunteering in the classroom. (The purposes of this guideline are to (1) help children develop a sense of ownership and belonging to their school/classroom/group, (2) give them experience succeeding in school without a parent present, (3) reduce the duration and depth of separation concerns among younger children and newly enrolled children, and (4) give teachers the opportunity to establish routines and a sense of community within the class.)

We ask that all parents observing and volunteering in the classroom be respectful of differences in children’s ways of being -- in the ways they learn, interact and behave. Just as teachers refrain from talking with parents about children other than their own, we request that all parents who volunteer or observe in the classroom refrain from discussing children other than their own.

Open Door Policies and Guidelines: (1) Parents must notify the school in advance when a person other than the parent (grandparent, aunt, uncle, and neighbor) will visit the child at school, except on specified days when such visitors are expected.

(2) Persons other than the parent may receive information about the child only with a written two-way release of information form signed by the parents and a written request from the parent that another specified person may have access to any and all information about the child. For example, this means that teachers can only share detailed information with the grandmother about the child during a school visit or at pick-up IF the parents have signed a two-way release of information form and made a written request that we do so.

(3) Parents and other visitors may observe, take notes on, ask questions about, and photograph their own child only.

(4) Parents are expected to respect other families by refraining from talking about the behavior or school performance of children other than their own.

(5) Parents are welcome to visit their children at school at any time. Parents are welcome to volunteer in the classrooms at any time, with the exception that teachers may request that parents not be present in the classroom for specific reasons, such as: a. There are already many adults (parent volunteers, college students) in the classroom. b. The child is new to the school and needs to become comfortable here and secure in the knowledge that his parents will come back for him. Having parents in the classroom before the new child is acclimated can interfere with the child’s adjustment to school. c. The parent interferes with his/her child’s learning or that of others. d. The parent interferes with the teacher’s performance of his/her duties.

(6) Parents and other visitors who violate the guidelines by taking notes on, photographing, or otherwise gathering data on children other than their own may be (a) reminded in writing of the policy and its purposes, and/or (b) required to arrange classroom visits in advance and/or (c) required to be supervised by a staff member during classroom visits, and/or (d) restricted from visiting the

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classroom for purposes other than dropping off or picking up their children. Explanation: Over many, many years, nearly all Broadoaks families have been respectful of the privacy of other families during their visits to the classrooms and during their volunteer times. This is meant as a reminder of the reasons for these policies.

(7) Preschool children may stay for lunch only if they are contracted to do so. Parents, grandparents, nannies, and others who pick up preschoolers at the end of the morning program may not bring lunch for them so they can stay at school to eat with their friends. Only enrolled children may stay at school for lunch.

(8) Parents of enrolled children are welcome to come to school to have lunch with their children on an occasional basis.

Photographing and Videotaping Children at School: Parents and other family members are permitted to photograph and videotape children on the first day of school, as well as at important school functions, such as the family picnic, spring events, performances, school picnics, year-end events, graduations, and the pancake breakfast. Photographing and videotaping should always be done openly, not surreptitiously with a hidden camera or cell phone so that children, teachers, parents, and others are likely to be aware that they are being photographed.

At times other than these, parents must request permission in writing if they wish to take photographs at school that include children other than their own.

In any case, we request that all parents treat all photographs and videotapes of staff members, parents, and children other than their own with the same respect they would like accorded to themselves.

Photographs of staff members or other people’s children must not be placed on the Internet or social networking spaces where others can see them and/or alter them. We request that parents refrain from posting photographs that are unflattering or might prove embarrassing to others.

Photographs of children taken by staff members and/or parents may be posted on the Broadoaks website.

The college public relations department and members of various news media also photograph Broadoaks children upon occasion.

Parents may request that their child not be photographed at school by checking the appropriate box on the student’s enrollment form. Given the rapid explosion in photographic technology, it is not possible for the school to guarantee that no photographs or other images of the child will be taken after submission of the form; however, we do commit to doing our very best to respect this parental request.

Older students are also required to acknowledge their receipt of the school’s policies and guidelines for the responsible use of photographic and other images of members of the school community.

Broadoaks does its best to inform members of the school community about policies, procedures and waivers relating to photographic or video images. However, the school cannot guarantee that everyone will follow the school’s policies and guidelines.

TEACHERS’ ROLE IN DETERMINING THE CURRICULUM Each year virtually dozens of parents come to the teachers and administrators with various ideas about something that could be added to the curriculum. For instance, parents have suggested that we incorporate a math curriculum used by a relative in Maryland, adopt a specific music curriculum in which the parent has some training, or bring in guest speakers, puppeteers or performers. Taken individually, many of these suggestions are fantastic. However, each of our teaching teams has spent many hours doing what we call “backwards planning,” that is, laying out a pathway from the beginning of the year to the end of the year to achieve Common Core and State Standards, as well as

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Broadoaks additional academic and experiential goals. All of our teachers have extensive training in the implementation of a developmentally-based, constructivist program using the High/Scope’s thoroughly researched pedagogical approach. If we were to try to incorporate all the ideas brought to us by parents, we would wind up with a mish-mash of curriculum and instruction instead of the well researched, carefully articulated, and coherent instructional program for which the school is known.

We ask for your understanding if we should decline to incorporate a suggestion you make. However, we do carefully review the suggestions parents bring to us, looking always for ways to refine and further develop our own professional work.

The ultimate goal of parent involvement at Broadoaks is that parents and educators form productive partnerships to better serve the needs and interests of all enrolled children. This inevitably involves striking a careful balance between addressing the needs of individual children and the needs of the classroom cohort to which they belong. Maintaining this balance is a major focus of staff development and on-going programmatic review throughout the year.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES AND OTHER COMMUNICATION Parent-Teacher Conferences: Teachers and parents are on the same team: the child’s team. Regular communication between parents and teachers is crucial. Arrival and dismissal times provide some opportunities for quick and informal exchange of positive information; but we try to avoid “talking over children’s heads,” coded messages, or exchange of negative or potentially embarrassing information during drop-off and pick-up. We ask parents to hand teachers a brief note whenever something has happened that may significantly affect the child’s day. For instance, parents might write “Jesse did not fall asleep until very late last night and had difficulty waking up this morning,” or “Martha is worried about her grandma, who is ill.”

We set aside time twice a year for parent-teacher conferences. These dates are announced months in advance. Parents are expected to make necessary child care arrangements so they can attend conferences at these scheduled times. The school’s policy is to hold only one parent-teacher conference for each child during the scheduled parent-teacher conferencing times. We encourage both parents to attend and also invite others who are part of the children’s daily lives, such as step-parents or grandparents living in the home. We do not schedule separate conferences for divorced parents because of time constraints and, more importantly, because we think it benefits everyone involved (parents, teachers, children) when both parents hear the same information at the same time at the same conference. Teachers are not able to schedule parent-teacher conferences at other times to accommodate families who decide to take vacations on the days when school is closed for parentteacher conferences. In rare cases and with prior written notice, parent participation in scheduled conferences may be a condition of continuing enrollment for the child.

Conferences are generally scheduled for 20 minutes. Teachers typically send home questionnaires in advance to find out what parents are most interested in discussing. Then teachers spend considerable time developing a conference plan that will both address parent preferences and provide sufficient time for them to cover what they feel is most important. Therefore, parent-teacher conferences tend to be “all business,” with little or no time for casual conversation.

School administrators attend several conferences during each two-day parent-teacher conferencing period. The participation of an administrator does not signal that there is a problem, but rather, that administrators want to remain in close touch with children and families. Participating in conferences is one way to accomplish this.

Although parent-teacher conferences are typically for adults only, teachers in upper elementary or middle school may occasionally elect to have children present.

Parents or teachers may request a telephone or in-person conference in addition to the schedule parentteacher conference. However, a few parents over the years have come to expect daily, weekly, or monthly conferences. This simply is not feasible or fair. There is a limit to the number of times teachers will be able to schedule in-person or telephonic conferences with a single family. We ask that

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parents be realistic and respectful of teachers’ time. Individual conferences on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis are not possible here or in other school settings.

Other Means of Home-school Communication: All whole-school and whole-class communication from the school to parents is via “blast” email from Broadoaks School. Newsletters, announcements, flyers, policy changes, events, and meeting information will be sent via email only.

All Broadoaks parents must have a working email address on file at the school. Please make sure your server will accept email from Broadoaks School (broadoaks.school@whittier.edu).

We will do our best to make sure the subject lines are as specific as possible.

The Broadoaks School email does not accept emails or replies.

Parents are responsible for reading emails from the school and are responsible for following any policy and procedure changes communicated via email.

The school typically does not communicate with individual parents via email. (See Chapter 8 for further information.)

The school may also choose to distribute information as follows: Schoolwide: Announcements and flyers are posted on the entrance gates and doors and in the school office.

Preschool: Flyers and announcements are posted on indoor and outdoor gates and doors. If individual hard copies are distributed, they are placed in the parent folder kept in the entrance lobby.

Elementary and Middle School: Flyers and announcements are posted on entrances and often on the doors or other announcement spaces for individual classrooms. Individual hard copies, when necessary, are distributed to the children, who are assigned to deliver the notices to their parents as part of their homework.

In the case of extremely important and/or time-sensitive material, teachers may distribute and require the signature of a parent or authorized pick-up person. Parents who routinely have babysitters, nannies, or grandparents picking up the children should be especially vigilant about keeping up with school notices. There will be a charge for replacement of such items as priority re-enrollment packets.

Parents are responsible for knowing and following all policies and procedures distributed through any of these methods.

Changes and Additions to School Policies and Procedures: Parents are informed of changes in school policies and procedures throughout the year. The primary form of notification will be through email blasts. However, at times these may be sent as notices in the cubby, posted on parent bulletin boards, doors, sign-in books, on the school website, in the school newsletter, and other appropriate places.

All parents are responsible for knowing and complying with all school policies. The director and the Advisory Council welcome comments and suggestions.

Communicating with Children and/or Teachers by Telephone during School Hours: All calls must go through the office, not directly into the classroom or directly to a teacher. Except in case of emergency, we do not put calls from parents through to the classroom during the school day or daily team meetings. Except in the case of emergency, messages left with the office staff will be placed in the teacher’s mailbox. Therefore, such messages may not be read until the next day. We will not routinely

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take messages about such everyday matters as school lunches or changes in pick-up plans. (A few parents call frequently to say they will bring the child a lunch from a restaurant or to apologize for putting the peanut butter sandwich in this child’s lunch instead of the sibling’s lunch or to ask the child if s/he prefers to be picked up by Aunt Sally or Uncle Joe. Our staff simply is too busy to deal with matters like this on a routine basis, so we ask for understanding from the few families who would like to have more ready access to the classrooms for routine communications with their children or the teachers.)

Email: In conversation with parent leaders and teachers, we have decided against widespread use of email for home-school communication with individual teachers. We ask that parents be respectful of this decision.

Timely Replies from the School: For routine matters, parents can generally expect a reply (to messages requiring a reply) within two or three days. For more urgent or time-sensitive matters, teachers and school administrators try to respond by the end of the next school day. If parents do not receive an anticipated response within this time frame, we ask them to contact us again in case a message did not get to its intended recipient. This does not happen very often, but we greatly appreciate parent understanding when something unexpected happens in our busy office.

Student Use of Email and the Internet: As appropriate for the age and grade level, Broadoaks provides students with information about the appropriate and courteous use of the Internet and email.

The school also explains to students that everything on any school computer, camera, or other technology belongs to the school, not to any individual. We request that parents carefully supervise their children’s use of the Internet and email. (See other school policies regarding technology in Chapter 2.)

The Broadoaks Website: Changes to the school calendar, school newsletters, and information about school events will be posted on the school’s website as expeditiously as possible: http://www.whittier.edu/broadoaks Completing Forms and Recommendation Letters: The turn-around time for completing forms and recommendation letters is typically two weeks.

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TEACHERS AND PARENTS It is important for parents and teachers to work together as partners in the education of their students/children. Teachers welcome comments and suggestions from parents and hope that parents will value teachers’ comments and suggestions as well.

The school’s policy is NOT to hold parent-teacher discussions while young children are present. This includes brothers and sisters of enrolled children. Children are quite sensitive to what is being said about them or their family members, so it is best not to talk in front of them, other than to exchange positive comments such as “Billy was so helpful during clean-up time today.”

We encourage parents to share information about the child and his/her family circumstances. It is usually best to hand the administrator or teacher a brief explanatory note whenever some event or circumstance might affect the child at school.

Families in Crisis or Need: The professional staff will share information with one another, but we respect the privacy of families. We do not discuss one family’s matters with other families unless given permission to do so. Therefore, we ask families to let us know if they want/need assistance. For example, in the case of illness or death in the family, Broadoaks families and staff will want to help. If the family experiencing the difficulty lets us know that it is OK, we quickly activate the phone tree and are usually able to arrange for food, transportation, childcare, and other support families in crisis might need.

Notifying the School of Special Events: We also encourage parents to let us know when new babies arrive and when other important family events take place.

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CONFIDENTIALITY: We ask parents to understand that teachers must maintain the confidentiality of all staff and family matters. Teachers and administrators will only discuss the parents’ own child or children with them, but will not discuss any other child or children. This policy sometimes requires parents to trust the school to handle a situation we cannot discuss fully with them. For instance, if a parent tells us that another child is teasing her child, we listen and say what we can without mentioning the other child’s name or telling specifically what we are doing about it. We will, however, offer our best insights about the parent’s own child’s participation in the situation and how this parent’s own child might handle it in the future.

Broadoaks students sometimes report to parents that another child misbehaved in some way at school and the teachers did not do anything about it. We ask parents to understand that our teachers do, indeed, hold students to high standards for behavior and school performance, but they follow the school’s philosophy that discipline should generally be viewed within the broader context of curriculum and instruction and that no child, including a misbehaving child, should be publicly humiliated – which is, too often, the outcome of discipline policies in other schools. We use our strong, positive relationships with the students and our expectations that children really do want to live up to our expectations as the basis for working with those who need to improve their behavior. To the extent possible, we encourage children to solve their own problems, with support and supervision as needed from teachers.

In Social Situations Outside of School: When parents and teachers find themselves together at social occasions, we request that parents avoid placing teachers in a awkward position by discussing sensitive school matters or requesting information the teachers are not able to share.

Two-home Families: The school makes a sincere and concerted effort to provide all school information, including email communications from the school, notes home, newsletters, and forms to both parents in cases where parents do not live in the same home. However, it is ultimately up to the parents to make a workable plan for ensuring that both parents have all the information they need to participate fully and appropriately in the child’s education.

Parent Code of Conduct: In spring 2009 the School’s Administrative Team and Parent Organization officers agreed in principle that a Code of Conduct for Parents should be included in the school’s Parent Handbook to (1) establish in writing expected standards of behavior and (2) address extremely rare, but none-the-less disturbing, incidents of unacceptable parental behavior.

Parents are expected to communicate and behave civilly, courteously, and respectfully towards teachers, administrators, and other staff members at all times, just as parents can expect such civil, courteous, and respectful behavior from all school employees toward their children and themselves.

The school will not tolerate yelling, cursing, unwanted physical contact, or threats directed toward any member of the school faculty, administration or staff. Inevitably, there will be times when parents and school personnel disagree, but these challenges must be worked out peacefully through mutually respectful communication.

The school desires to hear all voices and points of view at meetings and other gatherings, but individuals will not be allowed to dominate meetings or interrupt others who are speaking.

Although it has happened only twice in almost 30 years, Broadoaks can and will disenroll students if parents (1) violate the rules of common courtesy and respectfulness toward teachers, administrators, and other school personnel; (2) repeatedly fail to comply with the school’s safety and security policies and procedures, including parking, drop-off, and pick-up policies and procedures; and/or (3) make unreasonable demands upon school personnel’s time.

Both the administrators and the faculty want to engage in constructive dialogue and exchange of ideas.

However, final decisions about the school’s policies and procedures as well as their implementation, rest with Broadoaks and Whittier College.

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Parents who repeatedly express a lack of confidence in the school’s ability to carry out its stated mission and goals and to promote each student’s success will be asked to disenroll their child(ren) unless a mutually satisfactory agreement can be reached.

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PARENTS Classroom Directories: Each year Broadoaks prepares a classroom list including the names and addresses of all parents. The list is distributed to teachers, administrators, and classroom liaisons. Staff members and liaisons must have access to this information to facilitate timely and sometimes crucial dissemination of information. For instance, on rare occasions (perhaps 3 times in 20 years), we have had to cancel school unexpectedly, so staff members and liaisons needed immediate access to contact numbers. Each year Broadoaks asks parents whether we may distribute their names, addresses and phone numbers more broadly to other members of the school community. For instance, parents sometimes ask for names and addresses so they can send party invitations to children’s homes. (Party invitations may not be distributed at school.)

Solicitation of Funds: Broadoaks strictly prohibits parent-parent requests for donations for teacher gifts, classroom gifts, including the 8 grade class gift, or specific causes or fundraisers for other organizations not approved in advance by Broadoaks administrators. Parents must not use the classroom directories for any such solicitations. th

BROADOAKS PARENT ORGANIZATION Parents of all enrolled children are automatically members of the Broadoaks Parent Organization.

There are no dues or membership application forms. Meetings of the Parent Organization, as well as its committees and subcommittees, are announced in advance, open to all parents, and held on school grounds. Occasionally and with advanced notice, a committee or subcommittee may meet in another public place, such as a restaurant; but school business is not conducted in private homes, other than an annual review of the Holiday Auction, which has taken place at the director’s home.

The purposes of the Broadoaks Parent Organization, as established by the school director and parent leaders in 1984, are to (a) support the goals and ideals of the laboratory/demonstration school as established by the College, (b) encourage active parent involvement, (c) assist with fund-raisers and other special events, (d) assist with college and community activities related to Broadoaks, (e) work cooperatively with the director, other school administrators, and the school faculty and staff to ensure continuing excellence in children’s programming, and (f) strengthen the sense of community among all involved in the Broadoaks program.

A list of positions and committees is published in early spring each year. Parents may volunteer or nominate others to serve in all positions. The Parent Organization president and the school director or her designee may initiate committees and subcommittees as necessary to carry out the business of the parent group.

The Broadoaks Parent Organization is advisory. The group does not set or approve policy because this is the responsibility of the school director and the college. Parents who want to participate in discussions that relate most directly to program changes and policy decisions should consider serving as an officer in the group or on the Director’s Advisory Committee or the Long-range Planning Committee, when a Long-range Planning Committee is operational. Again these groups are advisory, not policy setting or decision making, but the director and other school administrators welcome parent insights as they emerge from discussions and debate in meetings of these committees.

Further information about the goals and purposes of the Parent Organization and about Parent Organization policies and procedures is available in the Broadoaks Office. Specific information about parent volunteers in the classroom is also available in the office, as well as elsewhere in this handbook.

A current list of Parent Organization Officers is posted in the Broadoaks Office and in the Parent Resource Room.

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FUNDRAISING A primary purpose of the Broadoaks Parent Organization is to support the school through fundraising events. Broadoaks typically has only one major fundraising event each year -- the Holiday Auction Fundraiser held in November on the Saturday evening before Thanksgiving. Proceeds from the event go directly to the classrooms for instructional materials, equipment, and supplies. Purchases made with proceeds from the Auction are determined by the administration in consultation with classroom teachers at all grade levels and in light of priorities established by the school administrative and instructional leadership teams at the beginning of each year.

All parents are expected to do their part to make all fundraising efforts a success. At a minimum, parents are required to (1) donate or solicit one or two items at or above the minimum amount established each year, (2) purchase or sell at least 30 raffle tickets, (3) purchase at least two admission tickets to the Auction, and (4) attend the Auction. The Auction provides a large portion of the funding for instructional materials and supplies, classroom furnishings, outdoor equipment, and technology used by the students. Without the Auction, tuition rates, as well as fees for school supplies, would be considerably higher. All children who attend the school benefit from the Auction. Therefore, in the interest of supporting the school and fairness to all, the school expects all families to participate in this one major fundraiser each year. The school may charge a fee, at its discretion, to families that do not participate. The school will establish the fee after discussion with parent leaders.

Teachers and school administrators will determine spending priorities to improve school facilities and programs. In general, setting priorities for the purchase of supplies, materials, equipment, and furnishings is viewed as instructional decision-making. A guiding principle is that proceeds from school-wide fundraising events are typically distributed school-wide, not allocated to a single program, classroom, or project.

Money raised by the Parent Organization is kept in a separate, Whittier College account called the Broadoaks Parent Account, restricted to Broadoaks’ use. No money may be kept in a private or individual bank account because of laws regarding the nonprofit status of the college and Broadoaks.

The director will manage the account with the assistance of the Director for School, Parent and Community Services and other designees, as well as with oversight by the college fiscal officers. Broadoaks accounts are also reviewed during the college’s annual outside audit.

In general, a budget for each fund-raising event will be set in advance. The budget will be discussed in advanced with event chairs and the Parent Organizations president(s).

After each fund-raising event, the director, or her designee from the staff, and a parent volunteer will count the money and jointly sign a statement indicating the amount collected. A member of the Broadoaks or the Whittier College staff will then transport the money to the college and arrange for its immediate deposit. Parents will not be asked to transport or safeguard money.

Broadoaks also coordinates fundraising events and activities with OMEP-Whittier College to support (1) the organization’s educational and outreach efforts on behalf of children and (2) various Children Helping Children Projects in which Broadoaks students participate.

All other fundraising or collection projects must be sponsored or co-sponsored by Broadoaks with prior approval from the Parent Organization and/or the college and/or the school administrative leadership team well in advance. This means that parents, members of the college community, and others may not display or distribute fundraising information for any outside organization or cause without such approval in advance. Typically, fundraising or collections for outside organizations, projects, or causes are not approved.

Donations to Broadoaks Other than for the Auction: Broadoaks is an academic department of Whittier College, which is a 501(c)(3) corporation. Therefore, monetary contributions are tax-deductible.

Donations may be made in celebration of special occasions -- such as a child’s birthday -- in memory of loved ones, or in appreciation of teachers. Checks should be made payable to Broadoaks School. Gifts

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over an established minimum will be acknowledged by the Whittier College Advancement Department.

Broadoaks relies on fundraising and donations to support all aspects of its programs and services except salaries for regular staff members, which are covered by school tuition and other fees. Virtually all instructional materials and supplies, all school furnishings and equipment, and all improvements to facilities and play yards are made possible by parent fundraising and the generosity of donors.

With contributions of $500 or more per year, donors become members of a group called Friends of Broadoaks. Larger contributions may also entitle donors to specific acknowledgements from Whittier College.

With advanced approval, Broadoaks may accept non-monetary gifts. Broadoaks will typically acknowledge such gifts in a letter, but cannot specify the value of the item. Large non-monetary gifts will be reported to the College Advancement Office.

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CHAPTER 9 OTHER SCHOOL POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND GUIDELINES

BIRTHDAYS Birthdays are important occasions for people of all ages. At Broadoaks we acknowledge birthdays in many ways. For example, in some classrooms a birthday sign is posted on the day of attendance nearest the child’s birthday. In other classrooms the birthday celebrant selects a favorite song or story or is invited to share something from home.

We greatly appreciate parent reminders about birthdays one week in advance. Also, parents are encouraged to give the staff suggestions on how to make each child’s birthday a memorable occasion.

At Broadoaks we do NOT celebrate birthdays with ice cream and cake or other special foods. This is in keeping with our philosophy that the focus of our attention should be on the child, not on the food that is usually associated with celebrations. In addition, our emphasis on celebrating without food is in keeping with our efforts to promote healthy nutrition.

If only some of the children in the class will be invited to a private party for your child, we ask that you be considerate of the feelings of those children who are not included. For example, it may be better to hold the party on the weekend rather than immediately after school on a weekday. (Children get excited about special events after school and talk freely about them during the day. Not only does this distract them for instructional activities, but also this talk will likely be hurtful to children who are not invited.)

Only items approved in advance by the Broadoaks office may be placed in children’s cubbies.

Invitations to private birthday parties or other parties may not be distributed at school. A class directory is available with mailing addresses unless parents have specifically requested that their names not be included. Notes and invitations must be mailed or distributed away from school grounds. (The purpose of this policy is to help children focus on the learning activities teachers have prepared for them while they are at school and to encourage the sense of the classroom as a community. Party invitations distributed at school often divert children’s attention. In addition, if all children in the class are not included in the party, such invitations diminish the sense of community within the classroom.)

The office is sometimes able to address an invitation if parents bring in a stamped envelope for a child for whom they do not have an address.

We do NOT allow parents to bring in lunch or treats for the class or to host parties in the classroom.

If the family would like to give the school a gift to mark the child’s birthday, the staff will be happy to provide suggestions, such as a book inscribed with the child’s name. (Broadoaks greatly appreciates such gestures to acknowledge the child’s birthday. Further, we believe that the experience of giving to someone else on one’s birthday helps children learn important lessons about the joy of both giving and receiving.)

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ABOUT BIRTHDAY PARTIES As we recently noted in an interview with Parents Magazine, there is a growing (and, to us, disturbing) trend toward more and more extravagant birthday parties for children. In our view, there is much to be gained by hosting low-key parties with the emphasis on having fun with family and close friends. As a rule of thumb, many developmental psychologists, including the Broadoaks director, recommend allowing the child to invite the number of friends equivalent to the child’s age. The child who is turning six, then, would be able to invite six friends. It is typical for children to want to invite both boys and girls when they are younger; but about the age of six or seven, many children to prefer to invite only same-sex friends.

We have also noted with enthusiasm some ideas for helping children learn about giving to those who are less fortunate as a way to honor a peer who already has plenty of toys. For instance, one family asked all children attending the birthday party to bring a lunchbox filled with school supplies to be donated to charity rather than a gift for the birthday child.

These suggestions are in keeping with the school’s view that children learn a great deal about what is truly important through home, school, and community events, including holiday and birthday celebrations. These occasions can teach children that the only good party is one with lots of razzmatazz and the only good gift is an expensive one or they can teach children the value of sharing time with close friends and family and the rewards of sharing one’s bounty with someone less fortunate.

HOLIDAYS AND OTHER CELEBRATIONS Broadoaks’ richly diverse population includes families from numerous ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds. Our families differ considerably in the ways they mark individual special occasions (such as birthdays and anniversaries), as well as holidays like Christmas and Hanukah. Some families emphasize the religious meaning of a holiday, like Christmas, while others emphasize more secular meanings and cultural or family traditions.

The school appreciates information about the holidays and other special occasions that are important to your family and about ways your family marks these occasions.

Birthdays, holidays and other special occasions create long-lasting childhood memories, but they can also lead to over-excitement and stress in children due to changes in family routine and diet. Teachers, too, may experience additional pressures around major holidays due to extra demands upon their time.

Therefore, Broadoaks makes every effort to maintain usual routines during holiday times. Especially with the youngest children, we avoid changing daily schedules and initiating major activities (like plays and parties) to mark holidays. Other reasons for this policy are that (1) the deeper meaning of many holidays is too abstract for young children and (2) we want to model alternatives to a holidaybased curriculum for our college students who are preparing for careers in education.

We appreciate parent support for our effort to respect cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity within the community. While it is our policy not to INITIATE holiday activities, we will integrate ageappropriate holiday activities into everyday experiences when they are initiated by children. For example, we will not introduce a holiday such as Christmas, but we will respond to child-initiated questions and suggestions about the holiday. We will not typically suggest that children make gifts or cards, but they may use available classroom materials to do so if they wish. If teachers do initiate gift or card-making activities (such as cards for Mother’s Day, for example), they will not tell children to keep this project “a secret.” Instead they will say something like, “Maybe you will want to surprise Mommy with this on Mother’s Day.” (This is in concert with our approach to self-protection education in which we encourage children not to keep secrets from their parents and teachers.)

Because very young children usually do not remember details of various holidays from year to year, they often want to talk about the events after they have taken place. We encourage parents to send “artifacts” (such as snapshots) of holidays and special occasions to school with the child, especially when arrangements are made with the teacher in advance.

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MORE ABOUT THE SCHOOL’S HOLIDAY AND GIFT POLICIES Developing appropriate policies about gifts and holidays is challenging. In the best interests of the laboratory school as a teaching facility and of the children, the following policies have been established by the administration and approved by the Advisory Council: * Children may NOT exchange gifts brought from home while they are on school grounds. * Parents should NOT prepare gifts or treats for children and place them in the cubbies or distribute them as children leave school. Although such acts are well intentioned, they often place children and other parents in uncomfortable situations. * Children may NOT wear costumes to school at any time. During the Halloween season, parents are requested NOT to wear costumes when they drop off or pick up preschool children, since this may cause confusion, even fear, in our youngest children. Children in all programs may use classroom materials to create their own costumes throughout the year. * VALENTINES MAY NOT BE BROUGHT FROM HOME FOR DISTRIBUTION AT SCHOOL. If children independently decide to make Valentines or other artistic treasures for their friends, they may do so at school. The Class Directory lists mailing addresses for families who wish to publish this information.

Please assist us in making Valentine’s Day a happy day at school by following this policy. The bringing of Valentines from home inevitably leads to conflicts and hurt feelings. Children wishing to distribute cards may use the Class Directory to obtain addresses and mail the cards to friends. * Teachers and school administrators do NOT expect to receive gifts from parents or children at any time during the year. Parents and children who wish to acknowledge teachers are encouraged to give a gift to the classroom for the enjoyment of everyone in the classroom community. For example, a family might give an inscribed book to the classroom. The purpose of this policy is to enhance the sense of community and to recognize that all Broadoaks staff members work on teams, not as individuals. A further purpose is to prevent the hurt feelings or embarrassment that may result from gift giving at school, as, for example, when one child brings the teacher a gift and another does not.

If, however, a family prefers to give a gift to an individual member of the staff, this should be done in private. The best present for a teacher or staff member is a note, a heartfelt “thank you,” and/or donation of needed classroom items, such as books. * Party invitations may not be placed in cubbies or distributed at school. Parents may not place food, candy, or other items in other children’s cubbies. * The Director of The Broadoaks Music Program (Dr. Stephen Cook) may select music from various religious or holiday traditions as part of the school’s music education and music literacy program.

The primary purposes of our holiday policies are to (1) mark occasions with enjoyable shared experiences rather than focusing on material gifts and sweets and (2) present our undergraduate and graduate students with an alternative to a calendar-dominated curriculum, and (3) demonstrate ways of integrating child-initiated, rather than adult-initiated, holiday activities into the curriculum.

PHONES Parents may call the school office at (562) 907-4250 at any time from 8:00 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. to check on the child or to request information. Before and after office hours and occasionally during the business day, an answering machine will record messages.

In case of emergency when no one answers the phone, parents may call the college operator at (562) 907-4200.

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The office will be closed for two hours at regularly scheduled times for office team meetings.

All calls to Broadoaks should go through the school office to avoid distractions in the classroom.

Teachers receive messages in their staff mailboxes at the end of the day. Office staff will not be able to convey messages to children or teachers about routine matters.

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CHAPTER 10 ADDITIONAL MEDICAL, HEALTH AND SAFETY RELATED POLICIES Health: A certificate of good health, signed by a physician, is required prior to the child’s first day of school. A certificate of good health may also be required before re-entry after any lengthy, serious or contagious illness. For children in the preschool, a yearly certificate is needed, while children in the elementary program are only required to have an updated certificate of good health every three years.

All enrolled children must have up-to-date immunizations and a negative tuberculin test required by the State of California PRIOR to the first day of attendance. The State does not permit a grace period for documentation of necessary immunizations, so children will not be admitted to school until all required medical procedures are completed and up-to-date. All immunizations and TB tests must remain current throughout the child’s enrollment in the program.

The school may require or recommend additional inoculations if required or encouraged to do so by the National Center for Disease Control, the Whittier College Health Services Department, or the school’s consulting pediatrician (Dr. Joan Dengrove).

Parents should call the school office whenever a preschool child will be absent for any reason. This assists the staff in planning the day’s activities. Parents of older children should call the school to explain absences that last longer than three days and to arrange for making up schoolwork and homework.

It is of the utmost importance to notify the school office -- (562) 907-4250 -- whenever a child has any contagious condition. For the wellbeing of all enrolled students and staff, please notify us immediately of any condition or treatment. Contagious conditions include lice, scabies, impetigo, chicken pox, mumps, measles, and rashes.

If a physician sees your child, please follow the physician's recommendations and review the guidelines for readmission. Information on the disease, date of exposure, and possible symptoms will be posted or placed in cubbies for other parents. If a child comes to school with any contagious condition or illness, other children, college students, and staff members become exposed. If the child must be removed from the classroom, staff time is diverted from the program to care for the child who has been removed and to disinfect classroom materials and furnishing. In addition, the parent may be charged for ill childcare.

Children should be kept at home when they are ill and for at least 24 hours after a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. A child who is sent home with a serious illness OR a fever or vomiting or diarrhea may NOT return the next day. Children must be free of fever, vomiting, and diarrhea for 24 hours without control medication prior to returning to school. This policy is in compliance with State law and helps us control the spread of communicable disease. Broadoaks has an excellent health maintenance record, due largely to our conservative policies relating to health and medical issues. In this way, we best meet our obligations to the children, as well as parents, college students, and staff, many who are women of childbearing age who wish to avoid exposure to contagious illnesses and conditions.

Teachers conduct a visual health check of each child each day when s/he enters school. If the child’s good health is in doubt, s/he will NOT be admitted. Among the symptoms of poor health for which a teacher may refuse admission are (1) runny nose and other signs of infection, (2) deep and/or persistent cough, (3) fever, (4) lethargy, (5) uncharacteristic behavior or pallor, (6) redness or wateriness of the eye, (7) rash, (8) hoarseness, and (9) swollen glands. (Sometimes a teacher believes that a child may be

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ill and the parent is certain that the child is fine. We ask that parents understand that our goal is to provide a healthy and safe environment for all children and that all are best served by strict health policies. If your child looks ill to a member of the staff, s/he may also appear ill to other parents, who may then feel less confident about leaving their children at school.)

If a child becomes ill during the day, the child will be isolated from other children and parents will be called to pick him/her up immediately (i.e., within 15 minutes). Parents must make contingency plans with a family member, friend, or neighbor for rapid pick up in the event the parent is unavailable. The names and contact information for people authorized to pick up the child must be legibly written and current on the forms submitted to the school each year. (The 15- minute time limit on pick-up of ill children is necessary because we simply do not have enough staff members available to tend to ill children in isolation.

After the first 15 minutes, there will be a charge per 15-minute period that the child must be cared for in isolation.)

We request that parents not medicate children whom they think are “coming down with something.”

It is unfair for a parent to medicate a child to cover up symptoms so s/he will pass the visual health check. Occasionally children tell us things like this: “My mom said not to tell the teachers that I threw up this morning” or “My dad gave me cough medicine so the teachers won’t know I am sick.”

All staff members, practicum students, and regular classroom volunteers shall be in good health and present (a) a certificate of negative tuberculin (TB) test according to the schedule recommended by the National Centers for Disease Control and/or Community Care Licensing or (b) a note from their doctor indicating he/she is exempt from a TB test.

Medication: In general, children who require medication should be kept at home. Dispensing of medication is a serious responsibility, which, we believe, should be carried out at home whenever possible.

With the prior approval of a member of the administrative team, we will allow an exception to the policy of not giving medications, as long as parents follow all requirements on the Request for Administration of Medication Form.

A Nebulizer Care Consent/Verification form must be filled out by parents for any student requiring the use of a nebulizer at school. Additionally, a demonstration of proper administration of the nebulizer must be carried out for and with teachers before student use at school.

All medication brought to school with prior approval must be given directly to a teacher for safekeeping in the school office. No student, regardless of age or grade, may keep medication in his/her possession without prior written permission.

Possession of prescription and non-prescription medications without prior written permission may be cause for immediate dismissal. Sharing of any prescription or non-prescription medication, including herbal medications or vitamins, is strictly forbidden and is cause for immediate dismissal from school.

The school staff may dispense medication only when special administrative permission has been granted and when the medication is accompanied by a completed Request for Administration of Medication Form. All of the following information must be included on the form: (1) date, (2) name of child, (3) name of medication, (4) amount of medication, (5) time(s) medication is to be administered, (6) physician who ordered prescription medication, (7) information on how the medication is to be stored, (8) statement of time and date the medication was first administered to the child, (9) statement of the time of the last dose, (10) specific statement instructing the staff to administer medication and releasing the school from any liability related to the administration of medication, and (11) parent’s handwritten signature. The medication must be in its original container, which clearly shows the name of the pharmacy, the name of the physician, the date the prescription was filled, and the dosage.

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In no case will the school administer the first dose of any medication. Neither will the staff administer medication within the first 24 hours of the child’s first dose. First doses and additional doses during the first 24 hours must be administered by the parents.

Non-prescription medications will NOT be administered without special administrative permission and then only with written instructions from the child’s physician.

Under no circumstances will the staff administer medications containing codeine and narcotic agents that may affect the behavior and/or alertness of children.

(All policies relating to the giving of medications are intended to protect both the children and the staff. We do not administer initial doses of medication at school because medications have differing effects upon individual children. We do not administer non-prescription drugs without written instructions from a physician because we must have adequate information about the interaction between non-prescription medications and other medications the child may be taking and about dosage amounts.)

Allergies: The school must be notified if the child has allergies. Notification must be in writing and must include instructions on how to avoid incurring an allergic reaction and what to do in the event a reaction does occur. If medication is needed, parents must provide a supply, carefully labeled with the child’s name and specific directions for its use. The school must also have on record a permission to dispense medication as described above.

Parents are responsible for checking weekly food menus to be sure that the child may safely consume the listed items.

The staff will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that children are not exposed to items to which they are allergic. For instance, a staff member reviews snacks provided by the school to determine whether they contain any items to which children in the class are allergic. In addition, teachers take the unusual step of assigning seats during snack and lunch times for students who have specific allergies that have been reported to the school. Teachers may also request that other parents avoid including specific items in children’s lunches; but, here again, the school can not make any guarantee that such exposure will not occur. (For example, in one class two children reportedly have severe peanut allergies. Therefore the teachers have assigned them to sit beside one another and at least one seat away from other children. The teachers also sent home a note to all parents requesting that they avoid sending food that contains peanuts or peanut products.)

Students with severe allergies and whose treatment requires the use of an EpiPen must provide the school with two EpiPens in the event help does not arrive before the dosage of the first EpiPen wears off.

Accident and Injury Reports: In the event of INJURY or other EMERGENCY, the staff will attempt to reach the parent; but the emergency release form signed at the time of enrollment authorizes the staff to have the child treated at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier or by Paramedics who respond to the emergency call or by other appropriately trained persons on site. Parents are solely responsible for the cost of any and all expenses incurred in the treatment of their child for any and all accidents or injuries that occur at school or on the way to and from school, even if the children have special permission to walk to school or travel by public transportation.

Whenever a child is injured, the teacher or director completes an Injury Report Form, one copy of which is given to the parent and the other is kept in the office files. The report includes the date, name of the child, nature of injury, cause of injury, action taken, and signature of reporting staff member.

Parents are encouraged to discuss injury reports with the person who completed the form. If there is any doubt about the seriousness of the injury, the parent will be called to take the child to the doctor.

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Visitors: All visitors and college student workers must sign the appropriate book in the Broadoaks office each and every time they come onto the school campus and again when they leave. (This helps us keep track of visitor/parent participation and the extent to which the school is used as a learning laboratory.)

Visitors are always welcome in the lab school. However, because observation rooms are regularly used by students, faculty, and parents, visitors may wish to make appointments in advance to ensure space in an observation room.

Visitors may observe in the classrooms as well as from observation rooms. In the event that too many visitors are present on a given day, some may be asked to wait until space is available.

Visitors will be supervised by a member of the school faculty or staff.

Confidentiality is stressed whenever college students or visiting educators observe in the classroom or assist with instruction.

We request that all visitors and observers follow these rules so children will not be distracted by their presence: o

Try to be “ invisible” in the classroom. In the observation rooms, speak in a whisper.

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In the classroom, sit on a chair near a corner of the room. Do not sit on tables, toy shelves, or play equipment.

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Do NOT initiate conversations with children.

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If a child asks you what you are doing or if you are watching him, a good response might be, “I’m here to learn more about your school.”

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Do NOT talk with the teachers or other adults. Teachers are working. Talking with other adults creates a distraction in the class.

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Do NOT talk about any child or group of children. If you have a question about your child or about the teacher’s approach, please schedule an appointment with the teacher or director.

Obviously the guidelines are different for parents and others who wish to volunteer in the classroom. Volunteers in the classroom will be asked to complete appropriate forms and may also be asked to submit a certificate indicating a negative TB test.

Meals and Snacks: Preschool children receive nutritious and well-proportioned mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks provided by the school.

Preschool children in the full-day program and other children enrolled until 12:45 p.m. must bring their own lunches and beverages. Preschool lunches are refrigerated until mealtime, so parents must advise the teacher whenever they include soup or another dish that should not be refrigerated. Due to time restraints and for reasons of safety, the staff is unable to microwave individual dishes for children.

Students in elementary and middle school bring their own morning snack and lunch. The school provides a small afternoon snack for those enrolled for after school programs, such as study hall, P.M. Program, Specials, or Surround Care.

Elementary and middle school lunches are stored on lunch shelves or in backpacks. These older students often have lunch on the college campus, so their lunches should be “transportable.”

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Broadoaks encourages parents to provide healthy, nutritious lunches with appropriate quantities of food. Broadoaks encourages children to eat sufficient quantities, but does not force them to or penalize them if they do not. At the beginning of the term, parents will receive a list of suggestions for healthy lunches.

Parents are asked to limit items with sugar and to refrain from including candy or any food that might pose a choking hazard. Hard candy is strictly prohibited for preschool through 2nd grade as it poses a serious choking hazard.

Lunch beverages should be milk or natural juice. Soft drinks and other sugary beverages may NOT be included.

Children may decide what foods they will eat from their lunch boxes and in which order. Therefore, if desserts are included, they should be small and nutritious. Nutritious foods should be substituted for chips.

On occasion, children prepare snacks or lunch items as part of classroom cooking activities. Such activities are announced in advance. Cooking is considered a “teacher-intensive” activity, meaning that cooking activities require extra staffing and might be postponed due to a teacher’s absence.

Whenever children prepare food at school, teachers pay particular attention to health and safety issues.

Elementary and middle school students occasionally have lunch or refreshments in the college cafeteria and/or in local restaurants as part of field trips. Whenever students eat food other than what they have brought from home, teachers will do their best to encourage them to avoid items they are allergic to and to follow religious or other dietary preferences of the family. However, the school cannot guarantee that students will not be exposed to food or other substance that may cause an allergic reaction or that they will only consume foods that meet with parents’ dietary preferences.

Parents are responsible for checking weekly menus and/or other posted notices involving food to determine whether the snacks/lunches prepared at school will cause an allergic or other reaction.

Children may NOT bring candy or gum to school.

State law forbids the serving of food that has been prepared at home. Therefore, children will not be allowed to share food from their lunch boxes and home cooked food will not be served to groups of children.

If food other than what the children bring themselves is served at school , it must be (a) store bought and opened from its original packaging at school OR (b) prepared on the premises. Unopened ingredients may be brought from home. The term “premises” will be interpreted to mean “Whittier College.”

Parents may NOT place food or gift items in the children’s cubbies. This policy is meant to assure the safety of all children.

Broadoaks views the lunch period as a time for nourishment, socialization, and relaxation. Broadoaks does not use “noon aides” to cover lunch periods. Rather, Broadoaks teachers have lunch with their students and participate in table conversations. Broadoaks teachers view these lunches together with their students as an important component of relationship-building and as a way to learn about their students’ interests and personalities outside of class. (Similarly, Broadoaks teachers also supervise recess periods, sometimes joining in the play, but always monitoring for safety and promoting inclusiveness and sportsmanship.)

Teachers will no longer be able to call parents when students arrive without their lunches. Students will automatically be served a school lunch if the parent has not yet brought the lunch and the charge will be added to the student’s account. If parents realize the student has come to school without a lunch, they may call the school office to indicate that they will bring the lunch. In this case, teachers

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will wait for the designated period of time (typically 5 to 10 minutes) after the start of the lunch period. If the lunch has not arrived by that time, the student will receive a school lunch and the account will be charged, regardless if he/she eats the lunch. The purposes of this policy are to (1) encourage students to be responsible for bringing their lunches to school, (2) eliminate the time teachers have spent previously calling parents to remind them that the child does not have a lunch, (3) ensure that all students are able to have something to eat during the designated period so they will also have some time for active play after lunch. Teachers will explain the lunch process for each grade during Parent Orientation in the fall.

Food Allergies: Parents must report all allergies and other medical problems at the time of enrollment. The staff will make every effort to avoid snack foods that contain ingredients to which any child is allergic.

However, parents have the ultimate responsibility for determining whether any snack item listed on the weekly menu is safe for the child.

Snack menus are posted in the preschool building and Shepherd House at the beginning of each week.

Parents may inspect all food materials and may read package labels to determine whether the snack contains ingredients to which the child may be allergic. Parents of children with severe or extensive food allergies may maintain a special food supply for the child at school.

No special arrangements will be made when a child does not like a particular snack food item. Snacks are selected for their nutritional benefits and appropriateness for young children.

Field Trips: The Broadoaks Campus includes the entire Whittier College campus. We do not take children below third grade on field trips off of the Whittier College Campus. This policy is in keeping with (1) our belief that the immediate environment offers a variety of exciting and different learning experiences for children and (2) our need to be available to college students and faculty for their study of children and their education.

Parents of children in 3 grade and higher receive a Field Trip Permission form. Parents have the option to grant blanket permission for planned and spontaneous fieldtrips off of the Whittier College campus. Blanket permission enables teachers to take older children on spontaneous walking fieldtrips very near the College campus for opportunities that arise unexpectedly or to pursue local opportunities relating to an area of study. Spontaneous field trips occur infrequently. Students who do not have blanket permission will be provided with an interesting and engaging alternative activity. rd

Parents may elect to grant permission only for events announced in advance on an event-by-event basis. Parents may also withhold fieldtrip permission.

In most cases, parents are welcome to join classes on planned fieldtrips.

Students who participate in off-campus fieldtrips will be expected to travel to and from the fieldtrip location with the class.

School activities held off campus outside of school hours require (1) special written permission and/or (2) a parent or an adult designee to be present and in direct supervision of the student throughout the event. For example, members of the Broadoaks Student Council attend one or two evening meetings of the Whittier City Council each year. The procedures indicated above apply to these events.

Please note that The Broadoaks Children’s School site is defined as “the Whittier College Campus.“ Therefore, parental permission is NOT required when we take children to various parts of the campus.

Teachers notify the office when they take walks or trips on the campus and a sign is posted on the door of the classroom indicating the whereabouts of the children and their teachers.

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On-campus Activities Outside of Normal School Hours: No permission is required for family events, such as the Family Picnic, the Family Fun Fair, or the Pancake Breakfast. Parents or a designated adult must supervise students during these on-campus activities outside of school hours.

Parents will also be responsible for their children when they are on campus for performances outside of school hours, such as choir or play performances. Students will be expected to follow the rules for participating in such events as explained by their teachers. For instance, children and families are typically required to leave the area immediately after their performance ends so as not to disturb the rest of the play or concert. Failure to comply with such rules of common courtesy can result in the student’s being denied the opportunity to participate in the next event or, if the situation is serious enough, in the loss of a future opportunity for the entire group. The severity of this statement seems very “un-Broadoaksy,” but it results from recent incidents where a few -- a very few -- students and parents have been very noisy adjacent to a performance area or in a nearby parking lot, thereby disturbing both the performers and the audience.

Exceptions to this requirement that parents supervise their own children whenever they are on campus outside of normal school hours will sometimes be made for middle school students, such as for the middle school dance.

Off-campus Activities Not Authorized by Broadoaks: Neither the Broadoaks School nor Whittier College sponsors or endorses off-campus activities arranged by the Broadoaks Parent Organization or individual members thereof. However, when possible, Broadoaks administrative and instructional staff may assist with arrangements, such as the distribution of flyers, for events and activities organized by the Parent Organization.

All flyers and information about parent-arranged events must clearly state the event is NOT sponsored

by Broadoaks or Whittier College and that parents are solely responsible for any loss or injury which may occur as a result of participation in any activity or event.

These statements and clarifications are essential to protect the interests of The Broadoaks School and Whittier College.

The following disclaimer is to be placed on flyers distributed in relation to such events: This activity is arranged by parents. It is NOT authorized or sponsored by The Broadoaks School or Whittier College, which accept no responsibility for any loss or injury which may occur. Parents are solely responsible for the supervision and safety of their children and themselves.

Parents should NOT use the school or class directory to solicit funds for non-school sponsored parties or activities.

Siblings on the Climbing Structure and other Equipment: Classroom furnishings, climbing structures, and other school equipment have been especially designed for the children in the specific classroom or grade where the equipment is located. In the interest of safety, older or very young brothers and sisters and other non-enrolled children may NOT use the climbing structures and other outdoor equipment.

The courtyard materials, balls, jump ropes, basketball hoops, and tetherball, are for the use of children during contracted hours of enrollment only. Teachers place equipment out for various activities -please be sure to leave the materials where the teachers have them placed on the courtyard. Use of the equipment by older or much younger children might be dangerous for them, since the equipment was designed for activities and curriculum focus areas for enrolled children. In addition, use by older or much younger children might endanger them, the enrolled children participating in the activity and/or damage the equipment.

Children’s Files: Parents are responsible for the accuracy of all information on parent-submitted forms in the file. It is essential that the school be notified immediately of any change in address, telephone number, or work arrangements. In the case of separation and divorce, it is especially important the school be able to reach both parents at home and at work.

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Parents may schedule a meeting with the administrator or the director to review their child’s file at any time. Files may include individualized learning plans, assessment results, child observation records, elementary report cards, reports from psychologists and social workers, records of parent contacts, teacher and student observations, samples of the child’s work, and informal staff communications.

Upon written request and submission of the processing fee, portions of the child’s file will be forwarded to another school. In general, only official forms and records, such as immunization records, standardized test scores, and report cards, are forwarded to other schools. Reports from psychologists, Individual Learning Plans, and other documents are not forwarded without specific written directions from parents.

Under the supervision of the director or other instructional staff, college students may also see children’s records when the information contained therein is essential for their courses and assignments. (In our child development and education courses, we emphasize a holistic approach to the understanding of children and their developmental needs. Information about family life and parental goals and objectives for the education of their children is an important component of our whole-child approach. College students are required to sign an Acknowledgment of Confidentiality form, and reminded repeatedly of the confidentiality of all information about children and families participating in the lab school program.)

Photographs, Audiotaping, and Videotaping: Activities at Broadoaks are frequently photographed and/or videotaped for instructional and public relations purposes. Signature of the contract and tuition agreement signifies parental consent for the child to be photographed and videotaped, unless parents have submitted a request in writing the child not be photographed or videotaped. (Further information on this topic appears elsewhere in this handbook.)

When photographs and videotapes are used for instructional purposes (as, for example, in a child development or teacher education class), the behavior and personality of the child may be discussed candidly. This is essential for the effective operation of a laboratory school. However, again, students will be reminded of the importance of confidentiality and Broadoaks’ strength-based approach.

Full Participation in the Program: Signature of the contract for services and contract agreement signifies parental permission for the child to participate in all activities at the laboratory school.

Signature of the contract signifies parental permission for the child to participate in various studies, data collection, observations, and research by Whittier College faculty and students under the condition that (a) the study has been approved by the Director of Broadoaks or her designee; (b) the experience will not in any significant way alter the child’s school experience or educational outcomes; and (c) the study does not present a risk to human subjects as defined by the College Human Subjects Committee. No additional permission is needed except as specified in this handbook.

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