Society Hill Synagogue Playschool Handbook 2020-2021 - Society Hill ...
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SHS Playschool Handbook 2020-2021
Updated 10/4/2020
Society Hill Synagogue
Playschool Handbook
2020-2021
SHS Playschool Handbook 2020-2021
Updated 10/4/2020
Welcome to Society Hill Synagogue Playschool!
Our Playschool is a welcoming, inclusive school for children ages 2-5 that embraces diversity in
religion, ethnicity, race, and family structure. Our philosophy is child-centered and play-based.
We believe that children learn through play in a safe and nurturing environment. We respect
children as individuals and respond to their needs with compassion and dedication.
Through planning and observation, our teachers provide appropriate developmental
experiences designed to enrich the whole child, including social, emotional, physical, cognitive,
and creative development.
At Playschool, we empower children to learn how to socialize, make friends, cooperate,
empathize, and treat each other with kindness. We encourage and celebrate their creativity and
artistic expression, and we work with every child to help them develop early math, science,
reading, and writing skills.
We have designed this handbook to guide you through the year and to provide essential
information so that you and your child(ren) can have the best possible Playschool experience.
Our staff and I look forward to working with your child(ren) and getting to know your family as
we make wonderful new memories at Playschool!
Please contact me any time at 215-922-6590 x123 or soz@societyhillsynagogue.org.
Sahar Oz
Executive Director
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SHS Playschool Handbook 2020-2021
Updated 10/4/2020
Contents
Page
2020-2021 Calendar 4
Sun Class 6
Moon Class 7
Stars Class 8
Health and Safety Policy 9
Snack, Lunch, “Parent of the Week,” and “Royal Reader” 14
Extra Set of Clothes, Masks, Diapers, Pull-Ups, and Nap Mats 15
Dismissal Schedule, Parent-Teacher Conferences, and the Playschool Committee 15
Tuition Policy and Weather-Related Closings 16
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SHS Playschool Handbook 2020-2021
Updated 10/4/2020
2020-2021 Calendar
SEPTEMBER
8th / Tuesday – First Day of School
19th / Saturday – Rosh Hashanah Zoom Service for Young Families @ 9:30 am (All Welcome!)
23rd / Wednesday – Back to School Night @ 7:00 pm via Zoom
28th / Monday – Yom Kippur Zoom Service for Young Families @ 9:30 am (All Welcome!) – NO CLASSES
OCTOBER
19th / Monday – Staff Professional Development Day – NO CLASSES
NOVEMBER
25th / Wednesday – Early Dismissal for All Classes @ 12:30 pm
26th-27th / Thursday-Friday – Thanksgiving Break – NO CLASSES
DECEMBER
11th / Friday – Hanukkah Celebration in Each Class
14th-17th / Monday-Thursday – Parent-Teacher Conferences
17th / Thursday – Last Day of Classes before Winter Break
18th / Friday – Staff Professional Development Day – NO CLASSES
21st-January 1st – Winter Break – NO CLASSES
JANUARY
4th / Monday – Classes Resume
18th / Monday – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – NO CLASSES
28th / Thursday – Tu Bi’Shvat Celebration in Each Class
30th / Saturday – Havdalah PJ Party @ 5:30 pm via Zoom or In Person (TBD)
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SHS Playschool Handbook 2020-2021
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2020-2021 Calendar
FEBRUARY
12th / Friday – Staff Professional Development Day – NO CLASSES
15th / Monday – Presidents’ Day – NO CLASSES
26th / Friday – Purim Celebration in Each Class
MARCH
12th / Friday – Playschool Potluck Shabbat Dinner @ 5:30 pm (TBD)
29th-April 2nd – Passover Break – NO CLASSES
APRIL
5th / Monday – Classes Resume
30th / Friday – Staff Professional Development Day – NO CLASSES
MAY
10th-13th / Monday-Thursday – Parent-Teacher Conferences
14th / Friday – Shavuot Celebration in Each Class
17th-18th / Monday-Tuesday – Shavuot – NO CLASSES
28th / Friday – Last Day of Classes and Move-Up/Graduation Celebration @ 11:00 am
JUNE
7th / Monday – First Day of Summer Camp
JULY
5th / Monday – Independence Day Weekend – NO CAMP
AUGUST
20th / Friday – Last Day of Summer Camp
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SHS Playschool Handbook 2020-2021
Updated 10/4/2020
Sun Class (Ages 2-3) Curriculum
The Sun Class meets Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, with
an option to stay for Afternoon Arts (12:30-3:00 pm). Children may be
enrolled in the Sun Class for three, four, or five days a week. Extended
Care (3:00-6:00 pm), which brings together children from the Sun,
Moon, and Stars classes, will not be offered at this time, in order to
maintain cohorts.
Our youngest Playschoolers expand their communication skills and
learn how to share and socialize with other children, how to listen and
follow instructions, and how to express themselves through play, art
projects, and music and movement activities. Teachers gently guide
students as they gain knowledge and express their imagination and creativity
through various modalities. Monthly thematic units serve as the jumping off point for read alouds and
project work, with engaging opportunities for fine and gross motor skill development.
Music is a regular part of the class, with our multitalented teachers leading the children in song and
instrument exploration. From ukuleles and maracas to banjos and bells, Sun students learn about sound
and rhythm and develop their own dance moves.
Children enjoy outdoor play each day, including push car and tricycle
riding, games, and chalk art, as well as stories in our synagogue
grounds and courtyard. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we
frequently visited the playground at Three Bears Park, and we
look forward to resuming that once guidelines allow it. In the
event of inclement weather or extreme temperatures, we have
a wide assortment of indoor gross motor equipment and
activities, including balance beams, “river rocks,” tunnels, and
climbers.
We explore Jewish values, holidays, and customs, and children celebrate Shabbat (the Sabbath) each
week on Friday morning, enjoying stories, songs, dancing, and delicious challah bread.
Children in our Sun Class do not need to be potty-trained, but they are encouraged to develop this skill
as they observe classmates asking to go to the potty. Many of our students are potty-trained by the end
of the school year. The Sun classroom includes a bathroom and a changing table in separate spaces.
Our “Parent of the Week” program is a special part of Playschool that normally provides an opportunity
for parents and/or other caregivers to be in the classroom for a day with our students. On a day they
choose in their designated week, the “Parent of the Week” sees what their child’s day is like, gets to
know their child’s friends, and provides a healthy snack for the class. In accordance with our health and
safety policy, the format for “Parent of the Week” will look different this year.
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SHS Playschool Handbook 2020-2021
Updated 10/4/2020
The Sun Class lead teacher will reach out in the fall with the schedule and to offer ways for parents
and/or other caregivers to participate in “Parent of the Week” virtually. This may include Zoom read
alouds, pre-recorded video messages, or other ways of bridging home and school. The “Parent of the
Week” schedule often coincides with children’s birthdays. For the 2020-2021 school year, families that
wish to provide a birthday treat for the class are welcome to do so as long as it is store/bakery bought
and in its original packaging. Please coordinate birthday plans with your child’s lead teacher in advance.
Moon Class (Ages 3-4) Curriculum
The Moon Class meets Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm,
with an option to stay for Afternoon Arts (12:30-3:00 pm). Children may be
enrolled in the Moon Class for three, four, or five days a week. Extended
Care (3:00-6:00 pm), which brings together children from the Sun, Moon,
and Stars classes, will not be offered at this time, in order to maintain
cohorts.
Students in the Moon Class build on their natural curiosity as they
engage in play-based activities designed to strengthen their foundational
skills in literacy, mathematics, and science. Children gain confidence with
letters and numbers, learn to write their name, recognize and identify
shapes, and complete increasingly challenging puzzles. Stories and projects
centered around thematic topics grow more complex in order to engage
developing minds.
Moon Class students explore a variety of learning centers, including our book nook, kitchen area,
transportation hub, and Lego and building block construction zone. There are frequent opportunities for
fine and gross motor skill development, sensory exploration, and science experimentation.
Our multitalented teachers lead the children in song and a discovery of strings,
woodwinds, percussion instruments, and more. Moon Class students also
enjoy ZoomDance every Tuesday – a high-energy mix of storytelling, dance,
music, adventure, imagination, and fun! Through ZoomDance, children
will develop greater agility, coordination, rhythm, and balance.
Moon students enjoy outdoor play each day, including push car and
tricycle riding, games, and chalk art, as well as stories in our synagogue
grounds and courtyard. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we frequently
visited the playground at Three Bears Park, and we look forward to
resuming that once guidelines allow it. In case of inclement weather or
extreme temperatures, we have a wide assortment of indoor gross motor
equipment and activities, including balance beams, “river rocks,” and a
trampoline. We normally take four trips throughout the year to the Philadelphia
Museum of Art for its “Museum Looks and Picture Books” series and look forward to resuming that once
it is deemed safe to do so.
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SHS Playschool Handbook 2020-2021
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We explore Jewish values, holidays, and customs, and children celebrate Shabbat (the Sabbath) each
week on Friday morning, enjoying stories, songs, dancing, and delicious challah bread.
Our “Parent of the Week” program is a special part of Playschool that normally provides an opportunity
for parents and/or other caregivers to be in the classroom for a day with our students. The “Parent of
the Week” sees what their child’s day is like, gets to know their child’s friends, and provides a healthy
snack for the class. In accordance with our health and safety policy, the format for “Parent of the Week”
will look different this year.
The Moon Class lead teacher will reach out in the fall with the schedule and to offer ways for parents
and/or other caregivers to participate in “Parent of the Week” virtually. This may include Zoom read
alouds, pre-recorded video messages, or other ways of bridging home and school. The “Parent of the
Week” schedule often coincides with children’s birthdays. For the 2020-2021 school year, families that
wish to provide a birthday treat for the class are welcome to do so as long as it is store/bakery bought
and in its original packaging. Please coordinate birthday plans with your child’s lead teacher in advance.
Stars Class (Ages 4-5) Curriculum
The Stars Class meets Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm, with an
option to stay for Afternoon Arts through 3:00 pm. Children enrolled in the
Stars Class attend school five days a week. Extended Care (3:00-6:00 pm),
which brings together children from the Sun, Moon, and Stars classes, will
not be offered at this time, in order to maintain cohorts.
In the Stars Class, our creative and engaging approach to learning inspires
children to feel joy and a sense of accomplishment as they engage with
increasingly complex topics and expand their knowledge and skills in the
areas of literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies. Students use the
Learning Without Tears curriculum and work extensively with letters and
numbers as they build reading readiness and confidence with counting, patterns,
problem solving, and other early math concepts.
Toys, games, and books in the Stars classroom are geared toward preschool students’ maturation and
development. Children take ownership of the classroom by developing rules about behavior and social
interactions among their fellow schoolmates. They also rotate through a variety of classroom jobs.
Students participate in a variety of special activities each week, including music exploration and
ZoomDance on Tuesdays – a high-energy mix of storytelling, dance, music, adventure, imagination, and
fun! Through ZoomDance, children will develop greater agility, coordination, rhythm, and balance.
The Stars Class enjoys outdoor play each day, including push car and tricycle riding, games, and chalk art,
as well as stories in our synagogue grounds and courtyard. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we
frequently visited the playground at Three Bears Park, and we look forward to resuming that once
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SHS Playschool Handbook 2020-2021
Updated 10/4/2020
guidelines allow it. In the event of inclement weather or extreme temperatures, we have a wide variety
of indoor gross motor equipment and activities, including balance beams, “river rocks,” and bucket stilts.
We take advantage of the wonderful resources throughout the city, with
field trips normally scheduled to local landmarks, museums, and theatre
productions. We look forward to resuming that once it is deemed safe
to do so.
We explore Jewish values, holidays, and customs, and children
celebrate Shabbat (the Sabbath) each week on Friday morning, enjoying
stories, songs, dancing, and delicious challah bread.
Each Friday, a parent and/or caregiver of a Stars Class student joins us for our
“Royal Reader” program. On these Fridays, parents and/or caregivers normally bring in books to read to
the class, see what their child’s day is like, get to know their child’s friends, and provide a healthy snack
for the class. In accordance with our health and safety policy, the format for “Royal Reader” will look
different this year.
The Stars Class lead teacher will reach out in the fall with the schedule and
to offer ways for parents and/or other caregivers to participate in “Royal
Reader” virtually. This may include Zoom read alouds, pre-recorded video
messages, or other ways of bridging home and school. The “Royal Reader”
schedule often coincides with children’s birthdays. For the 2020-2021
school year, families that wish to provide a birthday treat for the class are
welcome to do so as long as it is store/bakery bought and in its original
packaging. Please coordinate birthday plans with your child’s lead teacher in
advance.
Health and Safety Policy
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Society Hill Synagogue assembled a COVID-19 Risk Mitigation
and Safety Committee, consisting of medical professionals and public health experts. In consultation
with this committee and based on CDC recommendations and Philadelphia Department of Public Health
(PDPH) guidelines, we have established the following comprehensive health and safety policy.
Please note that this policy may be updated as COVID-19 regulations and guidelines change.
School Days and Hours, and Drop-Off and Pick-Up Schedule
• Playschool will be open Monday through Friday, with Early Care available every day from 7:45-
8:30 am and Afternoon Arts available every day from 12:30-3:00 pm for the Sun and Moon
Classes and from 2:00-3:00 pm for the Stars Class.
• Early Care costs $10 per day. If seeking Early Care for your child, please contact us at least 24
hours in advance of the date(s) when your child will come early.
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SHS Playschool Handbook 2020-2021
Updated 10/4/2020
• If you have not yet registered for Afternoon Arts and wish to do so, please contact Sahar at 215-
922-6590 x123 or soz@societyhillsynagogue.org.
• Parents and caregivers may not enter the school until our guidelines allow us to resume that.
• Support specialists (e.g., occupational therapists, physical therapists, etc.) may enter the school
to work with our students if they are not working with any other client in person outside of
Playschool and we receive written confirmation of that.
• Strollers may not remain at the synagogue during the day.
• Children will stay together by class as a cohort, and classes will not mix.
• Children must be dropped off and picked up within their class’ designated timeframe. They may
not be admitted outside of their designated drop-off time without prior notice to the lead teacher
and school administrators at least 24 hours in advance.
• Please remember to keep a distance from other families while waiting to drop off or pick up.
• Teachers will greet children and their parent(s)/caregivers during drop-off and escort them inside
the school, and they will escort children outside and greet parent(s)/caregivers during pick-up.
• SUN Class – Lawrence Court Entrance
o Drop-off – 8:30-9:00 am
o Pick-up – 12:30 pm
o Afternoon Arts pick-up – 3:00 pm
• MOON Class – Spruce Street Entrance
o Drop-off – 8:30-8:45 am
o Pick-up – 12:30 pm
o Afternoon Arts pick-up – 3:00 pm
• STARS Class & Pre-K Plus – Spruce Street Entrance
o Drop-off – 8:15-8:30 am
o Pick-up – 2:00 pm
o Afternoon Arts pick-up – 3:00 pm
COVID-19 Illness Policy
• The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) defines COVID-19-like illness as:
o At least 1 of these symptoms:
§ new or persistent cough
§ shortness of breath
§ new loss of sense of smell
§ new loss of sense of taste
o OR at least 2 of these symptoms:
§ fever (a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or more)
§ chills
§ muscle pain
§ headache
§ sore throat
§ nausea/vomiting
§ diarrhea
§ fatigue
§ congestion/runny nose
10SHS Playschool Handbook 2020-2021
Updated 10/4/2020
• Staff and families will conduct daily health and temperature checks of all household members
before coming to school.
• If a staff member or child develops symptoms of COVID-19-like illness before coming to school,
the staff member or the child’s parent(s)/caregiver must notify the school administration.
Please note that the staff member or child, and all of their household members – including
siblings – will not be allowed to return to school until the following conditions are met:
o Initial COVID-19 testing of the individual with COVID-19-like symptoms is negative and the
individual meets Playschool’s normal criteria for return after an illness (including being
fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication), OR
o A healthcare provider has evaluated the staff member or child and documented an
alternative diagnosis other than COVID-19, OR
o All of the following are true:
1. At least 10 days have passed since the onset of symptoms, AND
2. They have been fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication, AND
3. Their symptoms are improving.
• In addition to home health and temperature checks, staff and children will undergo a contactless
temperature check before entering the synagogue, and staff and families will be asked a series
of health screening questions before staff and children are allowed to enter the building.
• Staff or children with a COVID-19-like illness will not be allowed to enter the school; they will be
able to return to school in accordance with the aforementioned return guidelines.
• Families are required to sign a parent agreement on COVID-19 and school attendance, and also
an assumption of risk, release and waiver of liability, and indemnity agreement during the COVID-
19 pandemic.
• If a staff member or child comes into contact with someone outside of their household who is
being screened for COVID-19, the staff member or the child’s parent(s)/caregiver must notify the
school administration before coming to school. We will contact the PDPH for guidance and follow
up with the staff member or the child’s family.
• If a child has visual signs of illness – which could include flushed cheeks, rapid breathing or
difficulty breathing (without recent physical activity), fatigue, extreme fussiness, cough, or
shortness of breath – the child should stay home, and their parent(s)/caregiver must notify the
school administration. We will contact the PDPH for guidance and follow up with the child’s
family.
• If a staff member develops symptoms of COVID-19-like illness at school, they will immediately
leave the school or wait in a designated isolation room to be picked up.
• If a child develops symptoms of COVID-19-like illness at school, they and any siblings will be
immediately removed from the classroom and moved to a designated, staffed isolation room.
Families will be required to pick up their child(ren) within 1 hour of notification in such a case.
• If a staff member or child has been exposed to anyone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in
the past 14 days, the staff member or the child’s parent(s)/caregiver must notify the school
administration, and the staff member or child must remain home. We will contact the PDPH for
guidance and follow up with the staff member or the child’s family.
11SHS Playschool Handbook 2020-2021
Updated 10/4/2020
• If a staff member or child has a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19:
o The staff member or the child’s parent(s)/caregiver must notify the school administration
immediately.
o We will call the PDPH for further instructions.
o All staff and children in the same classroom and/or who have come in close contact –
defined as greater than 10 minutes of interaction less than 6 feet away – with the staff
member or child must quarantine at home for 14 days.
o Anyone who develops any of the aforementioned COVID-19-like illness symptoms during
that 14-day quarantine should contact their healthcare provider to request testing.
o In accordance with PDPH guidance, the COVID-19 positive individual should remain home
until all of the following are true:
1. At least 10 days have passed since the onset of symptoms, AND
2. They have been fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication, AND
3. Their symptoms are improving.
• Staff and families should be prepared for a variety of scenarios, including:
o Leaving Playschool or picking up an ill child within 1 hour of being notified.
o Quarantine for 14 days if exposed to a positive case of COVID-19.
o Playschool closure in the event of COVID-19 exposure.
Non-COVID-19 Illness Policy
• If a child has diarrhea twice in a school day, a teacher will contact their parent(s)/caregiver to
make them aware and remind them that if there is a third case of diarrhea that day, then the
teacher will call again, and the child will need to be picked up within 1 hour of that call.
• Children with unidentified rashes or loose bowels will not be allowed in school until their
condition has been identified and treated such that they are healthy and ready for a full day’s
activities, including outdoor play.
• Lice are a problem with which every school must deal. Parents and caregivers should check heads
regularly.
• If your child has lice, you must immediately report it to the school administration. We will send
a note to all families informing them that there is a case of lice in the school, and teachers will
check each child in the school for lice.
• If your child has lice while in school, they will need to be picked up within 1 hour of notification
to the family. They will be cleared to return to school if you provide a note
from their pediatrician or lice treatment technician confirming that they
were treated. After the treatment, parents must continue to use a nit
comb each day until all nits have been removed.
Personal Protective Equipment
• All staff are required to wear masks covering their nose and mouth.
Bandanas and gaiter-style neck fleeces are not acceptable.
• We have a supply of disposable adults’ size masks, if needed.
• All parents and caregivers are required to wear masks covering their nose and
mouth during drop-off and pick-up. Bandanas and gaiter-style neck fleeces are not acceptable.
12SHS Playschool Handbook 2020-2021
Updated 10/4/2020
• All children are required to wear masks covering their nose and mouth. Please ensure that your
child’s mask fits snugly. Bandanas and gaiter-style neck fleeces are not acceptable.
• We will provide a mask necklace for every child during the first week of school and ask that their
parent(s)/caregiver help to clip the necklace to the mask before arriving at school going forward.
• Children should come to school with multiple masks, so that they have extra masks in case they
need to change from one mask into another if a mask gets wet, sweaty, or dirty.
• We have a supply of disposable children’s size masks, if needed.
• Staff will wear gloves when in contact with any bodily fluids, when handling food, diapering, and
toileting.
Handwashing, Sanitization, and Ventilation
• Staff and children will engage in diligent handwashing at designated times. These include but are
not limited to: arrival at the synagogue, before and after preparing food or drinks, before and
after eating or handling food, after using the toilet or helping a child to use the bathroom, after
coming in contact with bodily fluid, and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing their nose.
• Additionally, staff are required to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer, once per hour, if they
did not engage in any of the above actions.
• We have added contactless motion-activated hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the
synagogue, including at least one in each classroom.
• Our maintenance staff will sanitize bathrooms and classrooms multiple times throughout the day
and do daily deep cleanings of the bathrooms and classrooms.
• Teachers will use disinfectant spray and wipes to sanitize toys,
instruments, and other materials and supplies.
• Playschool toys that cannot be sanitized will not be used.
• Toys from home are prohibited, consistent with our school policy of
many years. It can be difficult for young children to share a treasured
object and disastrous if it is lost or broken.
• Each child will have their own art bin filled with supplies.
• We have purchased air purifiers with hyper-HEPA filters as well as
advanced CDC-recommended filters for our existing HVAC systems
throughout the synagogue.
• We have added screens to previously unused windows in order to increase airflow in classrooms.
Outdoor Play
• Classes will maximize their outdoor time in three centers: a tented area on the synagogue
grounds where the strollers usually go; sensory tables on the synagogue grounds under the shade
of our trees; and Lawrence Court, which includes a second tented area.
• Classes will not take trips to Three Bears Park until guidelines allow us to resume that.
Security
• Our entrances to the synagogue on Spruce Street and Lawrence Court are always locked to the
outside. Synagogue staff, including Playschool staff, have a fob for entry. We do not distribute
fobs to families.
13SHS Playschool Handbook 2020-2021
Updated 10/4/2020
• Our electronic security system includes cameras surrounding the external perimeter of the
synagogue and monitor displays of the camera footage accessible to staff in real-time.
• In addition, our access control system includes a video intercom which allows staff to see and
speak with anyone at the doors and to unlock the doors remotely. However, as noted above,
parents and caregivers are not allowed to enter the building at this time.
• We conduct safety drills, including evacuation and lockdown drills, multiple times throughout the
year in developmentally appropriate ways that engage and reassure the children by focusing on
safety and the ways we can help one another.
Other Playschool Policies and Procedures
Snack
Playschool will provide students with a morning snack and a snack during Afternoon Arts. Our snacks
include a delicious, nutritious blend of fruit, vegetables, grains, and protein-rich dairy items and
hummus. If serving any fruit or vegetable that is listed on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty
Dozen,” we use organic fruit or vegetables. The yogurt, string cheese, and hummus we provide for snack
are also organic. As always, our staff will continue to adhere to diligent cleanliness measures while
handling snack, as mentioned in our health and safety policy.
Lunch
Each Playschool class has lunch every day from 12:00-12:30 pm, and every child needs to come to school
with a packed lunch that is dairy or “pareve” (Yiddish for “neutral” – neither dairy nor meat). Because
our school is in the synagogue, all food brought to Playschool needs to be dairy or pareve, such that
ingredients do not contain any meat or poultry products, shellfish, or shellfish components. While food
brought into school does not need to be certified kosher, it does need to meet the above dairy or
pareve criteria.
Cheese, yogurt, other dairy products, eggs, rice, pasta, cereal, fish (but not
shellfish), salads, dairy or pareve sandwiches, fruit, and vegetables are all
acceptable items to bring to school. Pizza should not have any meat toppings
on it if brought for lunch.
All food and drink must be sent in non-breakable plastic or metal containers.
Glass containers are not allowed in children’s lunches; they could break if
dropped. Please label all water bottles and food containers with your child’s
name. Please let us know if you do not want your child’s lunch to be refrigerated;
otherwise, it will be stored in one of two refrigerators.
As always, our staff will continue to adhere to diligent cleanliness measures while handling lunch, as
mentioned in our health and safety policy. Children are not allowed to share food with their friends. This
ensures that children with dietary allergies or restrictions will not ingest food which they may not
eat. Playschool is not a nut-free site, but we plan carefully in order to enable all children to enjoy lunch
safely, accounting for their allergies in our lunch handling and seating. We have had children with a
wide range of dietary allergies attend our school for years, without issue.
14SHS Playschool Handbook 2020-2021
Updated 10/4/2020
“Parent of the Week” and “Royal Reader”
We love welcoming our students’ parents and caregivers to school for “Parent of the Week” and “Royal
Reader” visits, and we look forward to resuming that in person as soon as health and safety guidelines
permit. The “Parent of the Week” and “Royal Reader” schedules often coincide with children’s birthdays.
For the 2020-2021 school year, families that wish to provide a birthday treat for the class are welcome
to do so as long as it is store/bakery bought and in its original packaging.
Please coordinate birthday plans with your child’s lead teacher in advance. Please check with them about
the number of children attending on your family’s designated “Parent of the Week” or “Royal Reader”
day and about any dietary allergies among those children. Please do not bring in any birthday treat
containing peanuts, tree nuts, or food that was manufactured in a facility that processes nuts of any sort.
This includes peanut butter and food prepared with peanut oil. We have plates, bowls, cups, utensils,
and napkins, so families do not need to provide these items.
Extra Set of Clothes, Masks, Diapers, Pull-Ups, and Nap Mats
Please send an extra set of clothes and multiple masks with your child on their
first day of school to leave in their cubby. If your child wears diapers or pull-
ups, please send a sufficient supply labeled with your child’s name to leave
at school. The teachers will let you know as replenishments are needed. If
you would like your child to nap after lunch, please send a labeled nap mat
with them which will stay at school during the week and will need to be
laundered at home on weekends before returning to school. We have
cushioned mats for all of the children who nap, and these will be labeled.
Dismissal Schedule
Until we can resume Extended Care, Playschool will close at 3:00 pm daily. If
there is any change in your plans for picking up your child, please alert the school
administration as early as possible. We will only release a child to individuals listed on the Emergency
Contact Form or to those with written parental permission. If your child is not picked up by 3:00 pm, you
will be responsible for paying $25 per hour, with a $25 minimum for any part of the hour past 3:00 pm.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences are an important part of the educational process. These conferences have
been scheduled during the school day for Monday through Thursday, December 14-17, and Monday
through Thursday, May 10-13. Several weeks before conferences begin, parents will receive an online
scheduling grid to select their preferred date and time to meet with their child’s lead teacher. We will
email confirmation of the date and time before conferences begin. Conferences will take place in person
or via Zoom, depending on health and safety guidelines at that time. Conferences are scheduled for 30
minutes and are for parents and teachers only, without the children.
The Playschool Committee
Our Playschool Committee includes Playschool parents and administrative staff. The Playschool
Committee serves in an advisory role, and its mission is to bring parents and Playschool staff together to
accomplish goals that will enhance our school for the benefit of the children and their families. These
15SHS Playschool Handbook 2020-2021
Updated 10/4/2020
include increasing parent engagement in Playschool’s growth and development; staying informed and
updated on Playschool operations; sharing ideas, suggestions, and feedback; helping to plan a select
number of events for Playschool families; and serving as ambassadors for Playschool and supporting its
outreach efforts.
The Playschool Committee meets approximately once a month. If you would like to join the committee
or learn more about it, please contact Rebecca Fishman, Playschool Committee Co-Chair, at
rebecca.h.fishman@gmail.com.
Tuition Policy
If Playschool needs to temporarily suspend in-person learning for any reason, including but not limited
to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will immediately move to a remote learning platform, and there will be
a period of up to 30 consecutive school days per closure during which there will be no tuition credits or
refunds. If the closure lasts longer than 30 consecutive school days, families will have the option to
continue participating in remote learning at a reduced cost of 50% of tuition until Playschool can reopen
in person.
This update to our tuition policy ensures a commitment to our families as well as our staff in the event
of an extended closure. If/when we reopen in person, tuition will be prorated, as necessary, to reflect
the remaining months of the school year.
Families who choose not to continue participating in remote learning after the 30 consecutive school
days per closure will have the opportunity to receive a letter acknowledging their tax-deductible
donation for any tuition paid for days we need to close beyond those 30 consecutive school days, or they
may choose to receive a credit or refund for such paid tuition. Tuition is critical to Playschool’s ability to
operate and provide families with the depth and breadth of learning that they have come to expect.
Weather-Related School Closings
If inclement weather or inclement weather forecasts prompt us to delay our opening, close early, or
close entirely for the day, we will notify families as far in advance as possible by email and/or text.
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