Policies & Procedures

Personal Belongings

Backpacks/Bags: All children need to have a backpack or bag that is large enough to hold a folder, which will be sent home every day with their papers and daily reports.

Clothing: Clothes that are easy to wash and sturdy shoes like tennis shoes are best for school. Please, no cowboy boots with pointed toes or high heeled “dress up” shoes. Both can potentially cause accidents. Please keep a change of clothes in a Ziploc bag in your child’s backpack in case of an accident, spills, etc. Also, be sure to send a jacket/coat on cold days. We have a covered, enclosed playground and we like to go outside even when it’s chilly!

Nap Mats: Children in our Nursery, 2’s and 3’s classes have a rest time after lunch. Parents need to provide a nap mat for 2’s. Nursery children have cribs for their naps. Children are allowed to bring one item from home (pillow, stuffed animal, blanket, etc.) to help them rest. Nap mats are stored at Sunshine School and are sent home periodically to be washed.

Lunch

A mid-morning snack is provided each day, but neither cups nor food for lunch are available. Please send either a drink for snack/lunch, or send a cup and we will fill it with water. Pack a lunch every day for your child that contains foods that do not require heating or refrigeration and can be eaten without assistance. (Nursery teachers do help children eat and they do have access to a microwave to warm bottles and meals.) Finger foods of all varieties work best.

Illnesses Policy

Please keep sick children at home – this includes runny noses and bad coughs. Children should not come to school until they have been fever free (without medication), as well as vomit or diarrhea free for at least 24 hours. If a child is ill with a highly contagious illness (such as stomach viruses, flu, or hand, foot, and mouth disease), we ask parents to let us know so that in addition to our normal cleaning, special care can be taken to disinfect the classroom. If a child becomes ill at school, parents will be contacted to pick him/her up as quickly as possible

Parties and Birthdays

Class Parties: Parents in each class will be asked to organize three classroom parties during the year. We ask for parent volunteers to be “Room Moms” for each class and coordinate each event. These are simple, short, and fun parties that can include any combination of snacks, crafts, books, games, etc. Parents are very appreciated when they volunteer for these and other school-wide activities!

Birthdays: You are welcome to bring treats for the entire class to celebrate your child’s birthday at school. Please let your child’s teacher know in advance and provide paper goods if necessary. Please note that invitations to parties away from school cannot be distributed at school unless everyone in the class is invited.

Car Line and Parking

You are welcome to come in the building each day to drop off your child. Please enter through the north doors, which are unlocked at 8:55. For pick up we ask that all families (except nursery parents) use the carline.

Carline begins the 2nd day of school. All morning drop off is done at the north entrance. For afternoon pickup we dismiss our youngest students from the north end and the oldest students from the south end of the building. More information is given at Meet the Teacher. Unloading begins at 8:55 am. We dismiss school and begin loading at 2:00 pm sharp. If you arrive after 2:10, you will be invoiced a late fee.

NOTE: No carline is available during special events like Muffins with Mom.

Communication

Communication between parents and teachers is key to a great school experience! Teachers send home reports every day in a folder, along with schoolwork and notes about upcoming activities. Parents are asked to review and clean out their child’s folder before the next school day. Information about school activities is also emailed out as needed to keep everyone informed.

Should you need to talk to your child’s teacher, please schedule a conference during her break or contact her after regular school hours. Directors are available at any time! A complete school directory with contact information for staff, directors, students, and teachers will be sent home after the school year begins.

Safety and Security

All doors to the church building are locked during the school day. The north doors are unlocked from 8:55-9:15 and 1:45-2:15.

If someone other than a parent will be picking up a child, please let us know their name and let them know that we may be checking their ID.

Bad Weather

We all know the weather in Texas is quite unpredictable. In the event of icy roads or inclement weather, check your local news station – if Richardson ISD is closed or has a delayed start time, Sunshine School will not meet.