PARENT REFERRAL
The highest compliment our parents can give us is the referral of family or friends to our school. The trust and confidence that you place in us regarding your child's education each day mean a great deal. For your referral, you will receive $100 off your child's next month's tuition. This will occur once the new child enrolls in our program.
VACATION POLICY
Parents must provide notice to staff when taking a vacation, expected or unexpected leave. Please note, parents are responsible for ALL fees as per normal regardless of vacation or length of time away.
Regular fees are required to be paid to hold your child’s place until their return. Please note, that our fees are based on yearly tuition and broken into monthly installments for ease of payment.
WHAT CHILDREN NEED TO BRING TO SCHOOL
You can either choose to send healthy lunch and snack for your child or choose our Top meal program which offers a balanced plate for your child. It includes 2 snacks and 1 lunch. Lunch is served hot. Children are required to bring water bottles to the class with a facility to refill as many times as they like. Unhealthy food (junk or juice boxes) are discouraged.
If you choose to send your own lunch and snack, here are some ideas for
your convenience:
Fresh fruit, veggies, crackers, mini bagels, pita, etc.
PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANY NUT PRODUCTS TO SCHOOL!
- Children must bring an extra change of clothes in a large Ziploc bag with their full name printed on it. Children can keep the change of clothes at the school in their assigned locker. This does not need to be the school uniform and should include a T-shirt, trousers, 2 underwears, and 2 pairs of socks.
- A pair of clean indoor shoes (non-marking soles) - dark-coloured running shoes are also permitted. To be left at school.
- Please ensure all your child’s belongings are clearly labelled (first name and last name or last initial). Including indoor shoes, jackets, mittens, snack containers, and water bottles.
- Please place a name tag on your child for the first week of school (these will be provided in your child’s locker)
MEDICATION POLICY
Parents or guardians must provide written consent for the administration of any medications including emergency medications i.e. EpiPen. Medication must be in the original labelled container and will only be administered according to the labelled directions.
When medication is administered, the following information will be documented:
- Name of the medication
- Time of administration
- The amount administered
- The initials of the person who administered the medication
All medications will be stored in a locked container inaccessible to children. Medication that may be needed in an emergency is stored in a place that is inaccessible to children.
FIRE DRILL EVACUATION
Children will be made aware of fire evacuation procedures at a developmentally appropriate level. This will include a mock fire drill where children will learn correct evacuation procedures. Teachers will guide children through a mock fire drill ensuring children are aware of what to do in an emergency. Staff will have access to a walking rope to be used when taking children outside the school. School Directors/Teachers will take portable records of all children and lead them outside of the building. Teachers will be responsible for ensuring the safety of their otudents.
SUPERVISION POLICIES AND PRACTICES
The following are the supervision policies and practices:
- Teachers will have access to the daily attendance sheet to ensure they are aware of which children are present. Daily, teachers will use observation sheets to observe and record children’s behaviours. As part of the Montessori Method, teachers are trained in observing children and capturing records of skill sets, any improvements needed, and/or any areas of further development. As this is part of their training as Montessori teachers, this ensures a higher level of supervision.
- To ensure child safety through supervision, children are signed in and signed out when entering or leaving the school. This attendance record will also be taken to offsite activities and attendance before leaving the premises when arriving at the destination, when leaving the destination and when arriving back at the school. During all field trips, at least one parent or designate must be with their child at all times.
- The program’s supervision meets the child's developmental needs by allowing independence (what most children strive for at this age) whilst continuing to provide close supervision at all times that meets licensing ratios.
- The school does not provide transportation and/or drop off and pick up between sites.
DISCIPLINE
Our goal is to provide a safe and positive learning environment for all children attending Grey Matter Montessori. Any behaviours compromising the safety of the class and/or repeated disruption to the class will not be tolerated. Under no circumstances must there be any denial or threat to basic necessity and no use or permit the use of any form of physical restraint, confinement or isolation.
Below are strategies teachers will use in the classroom. Any strategies, outside of those listed below (including physical
harm, verbal or emotional degradation are prohibited).
Guidance Strategies
Here are the Guidance Strategies as outlined by the Montessori Method:
- Redirecting – help the child choose other ways of behaving
- Reviewing – review with the child how to correctly complete the task/activity to demonstrate appropriate behaviour
- More responsibility – help the child contribute more to the classroom in positive ways
- Sitting out – the child is removed from participating in the activity and instead observes it
- Strategy meeting with parents – will be set up with the teacher as needed
Any disciplinary action taken must be reasonable for the circumstances of the situation. We will work with parents/guardians to help ensure their child’s success. If the child’s behaviour continues, he/she may not be permitted to attend class.
ACCIDENTS/INCIDENTS
We take great care in ensuring accidents or incidents do not occur. We promote safety first with all our children, however
in the unlikely event an accident or incident occurs, the following will be done.
If a child is injured while in our care, staff will immediately attend to the child to ensure any medical intervention is provided as necessary. A staff member with first aid certification will be on hand at all times. If further medical attention is required, emergency services will be contacted. Any expenses associated with this incident will be passed on to the parents. Parents will be notified by phone of the situation. Once the child is comfortable, an incident report will be completed by the staff present and parents/guardians will be asked to sign it. To ensure safety standards are maintained, our incident report will identify risk mitigation options.
COVID-19 – ALBERTA HEALTH SERVICES
For up-to-date information visit: https://www.alberta.ca/covid-19-testing-in-alberta.aspx#symptoms
If you or your child have any of the other symptoms below, stay home and minimize your contact with others until your
symptoms resolve:
- Chills
- Painful swallowing
- Stuffy nose
- Headache
- Muscle or joint aches
- Feeling unwell, fatigue or severe exhaustion
- Gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or unexplained loss of appetite)
- Loss of sense of smell or taste
- Conjunctivitis, commonly known as pink eye
- If a child gets sick while at the school, the child will be isolated with a staff member (most likely in the office area) and a parent/guardian will be contacted to pick up their child immediately.
- Please note our school follows COVID-19 procedures and protocols are continually being updated to meet Alberta Health Services guidelines. In our ever-changing world, please be aware procedures and protocols may change throughout the school year as per the Alberta Health guidelines.
Illness/Potential Health Risk/Supervised Care for Sick Children
We believe in promoting the health and wellness of all children, staff, and families. To achieve this, parents are asked not to bring their children to class if they are exhibiting any of the following symptoms or conditions.
- Fever – 24hrs from last reading
- Cough - 24hrs from the last incident
- Vomiting - 24hrs from the last incident
- Diarrhea - 24hrs from the last incident
- Nasal discharge – green or yellow discharge
- Eye discharge
- Head lice – 24hrs after treatment
- Conjunctivitis – pink eye – after treatment completed
- Rash (new, unexplained or contagious) – 24hrs from the last incident
If staff members notice any of the above symptoms or suspect the child could have a fever (hot to the touch), the staff will take the child’s temperature (using a forehead thermometer) and take immediate action if needed. All other symptoms listed above can be observed visually.
Any children who exhibit the above symptoms or conditions will be immediately removed from class and supervised in the School Director’s office by a staff member until parents, guardians, or emergency contacts can pick up the child. Please note, that a doctor’s note indicating the child is fit to return to school will also be sufficient.
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
LATE PICKUP POLICY
We understand that life happens! If you are unable to pick up your child on time please contact the centre at 587.707.4739 to inform us.
If punctuality becomes a concern, parents/guardians will be charged $20.00 for late pickup following a 5-minute grace period. We hope that punctuality does not become a concern for our families.
Additional Programs
We offer 3 additional programs
1) Math and Chess
2) Culinary Arts
3) Sports
These programs are offered all year round and you can register for them before your child starts the program with us. The programs are only for children aged 3 to 6 years.
UNIFORMS
- A uniform promotes a place of learning and a sense of community in a school environment. Uniforms are a great way to start the morning without wardrobe hassles and ensure each child is dressed well without any social or economic restrictions.
- Uniforms are to be ordered in person our North East location or by emailing us at info@calgarypreschools.ca .
- Our only requirement to purchase is our polo shirt with our logo on it. A Navy pant, skirt or tunic, and sweater can be purchased through any uniform store.
- Dark-coloured shoes with non-marking soles are required.
POTTY TRAINING
- Children aged 3 plus MUST be potty trained before beginning our program.
- If you feel your child is close, we are okay with children wearing Pull-Ups.
- Children between 19 months to 35 months are allowed to come in diapers. Parents are requested to provide their diapers in large Ziplock which should be labelled. Parents are also requested to provide suitable wipes and that should be labelled. The teachers will request for more diapers and wipes when your child’s diapers and wipes are low in stock.
BIRTHDAYS
How We Celebrate Birthdays At Our Centre
- We believe it is important to celebrate birthdays and make each child feel special.
- When it is your child’s birthday, we ask that you bring in a picture of your child at each age (starting from birth). We discuss your child’s milestones at each age; the birthday child circles the sun carrying a globe for each year the earth has circled the sun and of course ends with a celebratory singing of Happy Birthday.
- Please provide a few days’ notice so that teachers can plan for the celebration.
ADMINISTRATION
- Please do not allow children to bring toys from home
- Please consult the school calendar regularly for closure dates
- We are very active on our email or responding to the messages on
Lillio. For any communication, please email us or drop message at
Lillio.
- Parent-teacher interviews will most likely take place using the Cisco Webex platform.
- Visitors to the school will be limited.
LILLIO
Lillio is a software program we use at Grey Matter. We use it to sign in and sign out children from the school, send pictures, email communication from the Director, and for Pre-authorized Direct Debit Payments. Please note we do not use the software program to send daily reports.
Once we enter your child into the system, you will receive an email to create a username and password. After setting up the account, you will not need to worry about logging in regularly as pictures and email communication will come directly to the email addresses you have provided. You will need to log in to access receipts for tax purposes. We prefer to add both parent's email addresses to the account.
Pandemic/Public Health Emergency Clause
In the event of a pandemic or any declared public health emergency (e.g.,
COVID-19 or similar outbreaks), Grey Matter Montessori – Early Learning
Center reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate services
temporarily, in accordance with directives from local, provincial, or federal
health authorities.
Parents/guardians acknowledge and agree that:
1. Closures and Modified Operations: The daycare may be required to close,
reduce hours, limit attendance, or implement health and safety measures
without prior notice.
2. Fee Policy During Closures: If the daycare is required to close temporarily, no refund of fees will be issued for the affected period, based on the center’s fee policy.
3. Health and Safety Compliance: Parents/guardians must comply with all
updated health protocols, including but not limited to: daily health
screening, wearing masks (if applicable), and isolation requirements for sick
children or those exposed to illness.
4. Assumption of Risk: By signing this agreement, parents/guardians
acknowledge the inherent risk of exposure to infectious diseases in group
care settings and agree not to hold Grey Matter Motessori – Early Learning
Center, its staff, or directors liable in the event of illness.
5. Communication: The daycare will communicate all policy updates through
email, phone, or other designated methods. It is the responsibility of the
parent/guardian to stay informed.