Last update: January 20, 2023
Drop off and Pick up
When dropping off your child, please enter the school with your child and sign in at the computer desk. Please log in on the tablet and also on log book. Personal items can be left in your child’s backpack, in their cubby. Check your child in with their teacher and head out for the day.
When it is time to leave, say a quick good bye to your child. It is better to experience the tears for a short time. Children develop trust this way over time. You can always place a call to follow up once you leave.
At pick up time, be prompt. Your child has an internal clock. When you arrive around the same time daily, your child will enjoy the classroom to a much greater extent. This is a great time to catch up with the teacher and see how your child is doing. Make sure to empty their cubby each day and take home their arts and crafts.
Others Picking up
Time to time it is important for those on your registration form to pick up. Weather related, a meeting runs long, or just a nice weekend away -this is a good training experience for your student. When this happens, try and let your student know in advance this is going to happen. If you don’t have advance notice, call us and we will inform your child. This will reduce stress for your child in their school environment.
Guests should knock at pick up. We will need to see government issued ID to release your child to the new person. Once the contact has been verified through our system, they will be welcomed in and walked through the end of the day routine. Once a contact is verified, they will not need to produce ID again -unless a substitute is present.
Absences
If your child will be absent on a vacation, please let us know in advance. We will mark your child out. This will prevent a phone call home and keep us moving fluidly through the day with our other students.
Occasionally students will become ill and will stay home from school. Please message us through Procare to let us know.
Restroom & Toilet Training
Our restroom policy is an open door policy. Students are allowed to use the toilet one at a time (unless potty training). Once the student has finished using the restroom, they are instructed by their teacher to wash hands and return to class. Students who need assistance toileting can be assisted by an adult as needed.
When a student shows signs of readiness for toilet training, the teachers will connect with parents to set up a cohesive schedule to begin the process. Parents need to bring 6 sets of spare clothing for the initial 3 week period. During this process, students are encourage to use the toilet frequently at home and school. Please let your teacher know if you will be using pull-ups during this process.
Personal Belongings
Hats and jackets are to be stored in your child’s cubby. Please leave toys and large snuggly items at home. Please label coats, hats, gloves, change of clothes etc with their names or initials ..so their clothes wont go to wrong children or take home by accident. Nap blankets will need to go home every Friday to be washed. We recommend that children have shoes that they can put on themselves for independence such as slip on shoes, or shoes with velcro.
Clothing & Sunscreen
Children should come with weather appropriate clothing and a jacket appropriate for each season. Sandals are discouraged with the materials surface on the playground. In wintertime each student will need a hat, gloves, winter coat, snow boots and snow pants. Students go out and enjoy the weather rain, snow or shine. In the summer please provide a swimsuit, as students enjoy the sprinkler, water tables, water balloons and more. Swimming activities are not provided on site. Swimming is a school age event requiring a permission slip to be signed by the parent.
Sunscreen is to be provided by each family. Sunscreen needs to have your chili’s name on it. This is administered prior to morning recess and after nap before PM recess. If you prefer for your child to not have sunscreen, please let us know that you will not be providing it. Sunscreen is not provided by the school.
Locked Facility
Our facility is open to families Monday - Friday from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, unless confer with the director about the schedule. Please use your parent code to access the school. This code is for parents only. DO NOT GIVE this code out or allow children to have the code.
Emergency Readiness
All students and teachers at Bend Immersion Preschool practice emergency preparedness on a monthly basis. Theses drills include, fire, flood, seizure, chocking, lock down and teacher down. We highly value the safety of our students and their ability to feel secure in a stressful situation.
Meals
There will be four times during the day where eating will take place. Breakfast, Lunch and PM snack. Breakfast and snacks are provided by BIP. Lunch is not provided. Parents are responsible for their child(ren)'s lunches. Drinks will be provided for your child(ren) during breakfast, snacks, and lunch. If your child has special dietary needs, see the Director to work out addressing these issues. Breakfast -8:00-8:45, Lunch-12:00-12:45, Snack-3:00-3:30
Since we have limited space in our fridge, we recommend Bentgo kids lunch box because its easy to stack up. ODE has strict food guidelines that you need to provide your child, protein, bread, fruits, veggies and diary. We provide milk with breakfast and lunch unless you have special dietary needs, you are welcome to bring it for your child to use.
During the meals teachers sit with the students to eat, encouraging students to take “a courtesy bite,” of their foods. During this time we talk about nutrition and read books. Children learn how to serve themselves and drink from, open cup, pour their own milk and clean up spills. Please see your teacher for the exact time for the meal in question.
Birthday
Bend Immersion Preschool welcomes parent participation and the bringing of yummy treats to celebrate your child’s special day. Connect with the Director to set up a day and time for the special celebration. We typically celebrate after nap.
Hygiene
Wellness is highly prized at Bend Immersion Preschool. Hand washing upon arrival is highly encouraged for each student. In addition students will be washing at arrival at BIP, before and after each meal, after recess, after wiping noses and after using the restroom.
Illness
Children need to stay home when they are sick. This is defined as a student who has one or more of these symptoms: Temperature over 100 degrees, diarrhea, vomiting, persistent cough (wet or dry), significant nasal drainage, yellow skin/eyes, pink or runny eyes, skin/eye lesions, rashes, stiff neck and headache, difficulty breathing or abnormal wheezing, extreme pain, ear infections or lice/lice eggs. ** Look attached “Illness Or Injury Policy# EORS-414-300
If a child has any of these symptoms, they may return after being symptom free for 24 hours (medication free). Children who have been on Tylenol or Motrin in the past 24 hours may not be at school.
When a child receives any vaccines, keep the kids at home for 48 hours to be sure there are no reactions and fevers from the vaccinations. Please plan to schedule your child's vaccines for Fridays to accommodate the 48 hour waiting period. Ask the director about this reason if you are concerned.
Outbreak
In the event of an outbreak, a notice will be posted at the school. An outbreak is defined as an event where there are more than two (2) family cases in any seven (7) day period. Notices are posted for communicable disease. Good communication between families and teachers is important to keep everyone healthy.
Medication Administration
Parents are welcome to come by anytime to administer medication to their child. Teachers will administer life saving medication if needed. This includes epipens, inhalers and adrenaline. If parents need this option, please see the Director to set this up. Forms to be filled out and signed on the day of. Diaper cream can be administered with the ointment being provided by the parent, the tube being labeled and written permission given by the parent and kept on file.
Release of Medical Information
Having all of the necessary medical information available at the time of an emergency is a life saving decision. Make that decision now. Please list all medical conditions on the child’s enrollment sheet. If new things come up, please ask us for a new enrollment sheet. With these updated students receive the best in emergency care.
If parents opt to not disclose a medical situation of an enrollment student, the school reserves the right to terminate this agreement without notice or refund.
Keeping a current copy of your child’s medical card and shot records on file is important. Yearly shot records are updated and assessed by the Deschutes County Health Department. Records that are incomplete or not up to date are pulled and families can receive “love letters,” from Deschutes County threatening to terminate their child from enrollment in any preschool or child care, including this one. Medical cards are imperative to be up to date in the case of an emergency.
During the time when children are at school, it is expected they will have tussles, scrapes and accidents. This is a normal part of growing up and is to be expected. These will be documented carefully and discussed with you at pick up. Parents and guardians agree to hold harmless Bend Immersion Preschool in the event an accident or incident should occur. If you have additional questions about an accident that occurs, please see the Director.
Enrollment Fee
The non-refundable enrollment fee is $100; this is due with your application. The fee covers the set up process at Bend Immersion Preschool, it allows the school to process your application and fit the student into the school schedule.
Tuition
Monthly tuition is due on the first of each month and can pay through Zelle preferably if possible. If you need to write a check, that is acceptable.
Tuition cost is based upon enrollment, not attendance. Increase is yearly January 1. Tuition is still due if your child misses a day due to illness, corvid, staffing issues, vacation, holiday or just a family play day. 4% annual increase due in January.
Supply Fee
Supply fee is due July 1 each year. Fee is $100 per student, to be paid by the enrolling parent. Supply fees cover the purchase of consumable materials for the enrolled student(s).
Vacation
When families keep children out for a day or family time/vacation, Bend Immersion Preschool does not credit accounts for days missed. Families pay for the month to hold the slot.
Hours of Operation
Hours of operation are Monday - Friday from 8:00am-5:00pm
Refunds
If a child has to be removed from the school due to that is not a good fit, the family will be refunded for the remainder of the unused care. Refunds are not issued for any other reason.
Collections
Families who do not pay on time will be subject to the $20/day late pay fee. Students are not allowed to attend if their slot is unpaid. Once payment is a week late, a meeting will be called to determine a payment plan. If payment and late pay fees are not paid by the 15th of the current month, care will be terminated without refund for the remainder of the current month. Accounts will be sent to collections or small claims court. Parents are responsible for the cost associated with collections of unpaid accounts.
Late Fees
Late arrival fees of $1/minute will be assessed for each minute after your agreed upon pick up time. This will continue for the first 15 minutes. After that time the rate moves to $10/minute. The fees are to be paid at pick up or prior to drop off the next business day. Habitual tardiness may result in immediate termination.
Late payment fee is $20 per day, payable with tuition.
Federal Holidays, School Closures ( with the * it means we close)
- New Year’s day (we close New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day)
- MLK B-day 3rd Monday of January
- Washington B-day , 3rd Monday of February
- Spring break - Bend-Lapine school district calendar( typically last week of March)
- Memorial Day, Last Monday of May
- Juneteenth, June 19th ( if it falls on Saturday, we closed on Friday the day before, if it falls on Sunday, we closed on following Monday.
- Independence Day, July 4th-(if 4th falls on a Saturday, *we observe 4th on a Friday the day before, if it falls on a Sunday then we observe on the following Monday.
- Labor Day, First Monday of September
- Columbus Day, 2nd Monday of October
- Veteran’s Day, Nov 11th (if it falls on Saturday, we close on Friday the day before, if it calls on Sunday then we close on following Monday)
- Thanksgiving- the day before, the day of and the day after -( if Thanksgiving day falls on Saturday then we closed on Friday the day before, if it falls on Sunday then the following Monday will be closed.
- Christmas- the last week of December before Christmas Day ( If Christmas day falls on Saturday then we close on Friday the day before, if it falls on Sunday, then closed on following Monday.
- Staffing Training (look page 10, Staffing Training)
Families are billed for approx. 41 weeks per year. This rate is split between twelve equal payments, for the monthly tuition. School closures are accounted for when calculating the yearly tuition. During our closure time, Bend Immersion Preschool staff enjoys time with their families, while you enjoy time with your family as well. This is a benefit to our teaching staff and Directors for their many years of dedication to early childhood in our community.
The school may also be closed unexpectedly event of an outbreak of sickness or disease, natural disaster, weather, staffing shortage or other emergency situation which affects our ability to operate. Refunds are not offered during such circumstances.
Reserving a Slot
When enrolling for a following month, families may reserve that slot by paying your first month’s tuition, enrollment fee and supply fee. Once the tuition has been paid, the slot is reserved. If you want to reserve more than 2 months ahead of, you need to put the 1st month’s tuition that will apply towards your child’s 1st day at BIP and then 75% per month until your child is enrolled. Example if you don’t plan to start your child until 4 or 6 months ahead then those 4-6 months needs to be paid at 75% of the tuition to guarantee the spot, I can’t hold the spot without payments while other families could easily enroll immediately.
Reducing Schedules and Ending Care
When a child is old enough for Kindergarten and a family chooses to un-enroll, please give us notice given this month, means that next month is your last full month. Example, if your child is moving on to Kindergarten, notice can be given at any point in July and August is your final month of enrollment.
Confidentiality
Children’s records are kept confidential. All teachers have signed a confidentiality agreement and fully understand its importance. While enrolled, pictures will be taken of students for year books, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, radio/newspaper, craigslist advertisements and newsletters. All students past and present can appear at times in these avenues.
Parent Communication
Good communication is important for families and teachers. Our aim is to be upfront with parents about our policies, practices, guidelines, curriculum and daily happenings (behavior related). Having shared goals and philosophy is important and Bend Immersion Preschool asks that you share openly about any concerns that may arise. Any issues of a more delicate nature, will be handled in private at an appropriate time. Please see the Director to set up an appropriate time. With clear communication, school can be a fun and safe place for every child and family.
Email, Text and Phone
Bend Immersion Preschool asks you provide a current email address for monthly newsletters. Email is a do not reply address. Email is a great way to share positive things happening at school. Teachers are not allowed to use their personal phone while at BIP, please send messages through Procare or text the director directly.
Conferences
Parent teacher conferences are hosted twice yearly, dates TBD. There will be a sign up list by the sign in desk. Please register for a time that works best for your family. If you can not make the conference week work, let a teacher know. We are happy to meet with you on another day. During conferences we will discuss your child’s ASQ, classroom interactions and development; setting goals together for your child’s learning and development at Bend Immersion Preschool.
If you need to call the school for urgent matter, you can call us at 541-389-3274
Calendar and Bulletin Board
Check out our website calendar and postings on the parent board for information about fun events coming up.
Open Door
Parents are always welcome at Bend Immersion Preschool. The door code is your key for entry. Please avoid joining us at nap time, as the door opening can be a disruption for your student and others.
Screen Time
Screen time is limited to special events at Bend Immersion Preschool. This includes popcorn party celebrations, parent’s night out or a rainy day movie day. All movies are of a G rated nature unless a posting has gone up for a special movie with a PG rating. Parent permission will need to be given for any movies over a G rating.
Video Cameras
Bend Immersion Preschool uses video cameras in the facility. These are used to track lost items and for observation and assessment of our students. All enrolled students and their families/guardians give consent for video monitoring by entering the building. Video footage is kept on file for a minimum of 24 hours and then recycled.
Student Behavior and Discipline
Students are expected to have some learning interactions while in school. These will include making choices that are not choices we would make as adults. During those experiences, it is -expected that students will learn from their choices and make better ones in the future, as is age appropriate. If a student continues to repeat a behavior that is inappropriate or unsafe, a conference will be held with the family to determine a course of action that will suit both the child and the family. If the behavior persists during the school day to the point of disruption for the classroom or posing a safety risk, the family will be called to pick up the student. Sometimes a new day brings new light on old learning experiences.
The goal of all discipline is to help the child to understand that a certain behavior is inappropriate and to help the child make better choices. Bend Immersion Preschool uses three main strategies: redirection, quiet time, and “three strikes you’re out” parent intervention. Physical punishment of any kind is not used at BIP. Every child takes steps to learn what their boundaries are in their world. When a student makes choices we are not fond of, we will redirect their play to another area; or redirect their attention to something new. When a child is too excited , over simulated or just out of control, the student is allowed the opportunity to separate from the group in a area where they feel safe and protected. The teacher may suggest the student take a break or lead them to the area designed as a safe place. By being removed from the problem or situation, a child can bring their body and thoughts under control in their own time frame. They are welcome to rejoin the group when they feel comfortable.
For violent behavior, our policy is a ‘three strikes and you’re out” parent intervention for children 36 months or older. If a child displays violent behavior (biting, punching, overly scary behavior towards peers, teachers or parents, etc) the child’s parents is contacted and asked to immediately remove the child. The parent and child have three opportunities to remedy this behavior. Those three opportunities to not expire or fall off the child’s record. Once the third strike is reached, the child is no longer allowed to attend BIP due to the safety risk they pose to their peers. Our goal is to protect our students. No refunds will be issued to families where children are expelled from our program under this policy.
Children under 36 months are also no subject to the three strikes you’re out rule. All students under 36 months of are will at times act out towards another child or bite then. It is developmentally appropriate and to be expected. They put toys, food and friends in their mouths. They are learning how to interact with others and to understand their own emotions. Students who love to put things and friends in their mouths, or hit or push are shadowed by the teacher. It’s the teacher’s job to shadow and redirect to avoid biting and other harmful behaviors. If a bite or other injury occurs, the child who has the “ ouchie” will have ice/ first-aid applied and an incident report will be written. Parents will be contacted at the soonest availability to inform them as to what has happened. Understand through that we cannot share the name of the other child(ren) involved for privacy reasons.
Parent Behavior
In addition to our student behavior policy, it is expected that parents will be on their best behavior while in our school. Bend Immersion Preschool reserves the right to terminate if parent behavior is threatening, violent or intimating in anyway at any time to any member of Bend Immersion Preschool, parent, teacher, child or visitor. Parents removed for this concern will not be refunded.
Parent’s Night Out
Once monthly Bend Immersion Preschool offers a parent date night call Parent’s Night Out. This event runs from 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm and costs $30. Pre-registration is required. See the sign up sheet at the sign in desk.
Staff Training
4 times a year all staff attend a mandatory staff training to receive professional development hours. These dates will be posted up as soon as the classes are scheduled each year. A maximum of 4 days per year Bend Immersion Preschool will be closed for professional development trainings.
Curriculum
Mother Goose Time curriculum is utilized at Bend Immersion Preschool for our students who are 2 years and older. Kindergarten readiness is a strong focus and learning through interactions, play and hands on experience builds our students minds, and growing bodies. Curriculum books are available for viewing at any time. See a teacher for access to the curriculum book.
Guidance
Positive redirection is the method of guidance used at Bend Immersion Preschool. This includes verbal redirection, distraction, joining another group, helping the teacher or taking time to cool off. If a student is worked up and needs time to cool off, the child is welcome to go to the quiet corner to garner some alone time.
Early Intervention, Early Childhood Special Education, work with the child’s physician or other health professionals as needed to best serve the student.