Policies and Procedures

We are not affiliated with any church or religious denomination, and do not teach religion; however, we feel that the spiritual development of the child is as important as every other aspect of their growth.

We sing or say a prayer of thanks before eating lunch.

We practice yoga.

Traditional religious holidays are celebrated or explained in their historical and cultural context. Christmas is presented as a Christian celebration of the birth of Christ. Hanukkah is presented as a Jewish celebration of the miracle of lights. Other holidays might be observed depending upon the background of individual students or our current cultural theme.

If you object to having your child participate in any of these activities or in the celebration of birthdays, please inform the staff so that we can work out an acceptable course of action. We try to keep parents informed when we have activities planned that might come in conflict with specific personal beliefs.

In the event that pesticides must be used at Spokane Montessori School North, we follow these guidelines:

Only licensed commercial persons will be used to apply the pesticide. A marker will be placed at each primary point of entry to the school grounds. Parents or guardians and staff will be notified in writing and/or verbally of the pesticide application at least 48 hours in advance of the application. Pest control policies and methods will be described in this notification. If pesticides are applied and the children are not returning for at least 48 hours you will not be notified.

The state requires a legal signature for every child left on the school premises. The child’s full name must be entered and the adult leaving the child must sign their first name initial and last name. Mom, Dad, Grandmother etc are not legal. Each child must have a signature of the person removing the child. The child’s file must contain name/names of any person not allowed to remove him/her from the school premises. The staff will require identification of any person unknown to them. The parent or guardian must sign the schools form, before the child will be released to anyone but the parent or guardian.

We have an “open door” policy for all parents. Parents may come in to the school at any time. We do request that it be a brief visit if it occurs during the work time in the classrooms. The children need a two hour work time. Visits of longer length may be scheduled with the teachers. Parents may make an appointment for a conference with the teachers at any time.

We are required by law to report any suspicion of child abuse or neglect to Child Protective Services. All staff persons are required to file a report when suspicion is present.

If you are transitioning into Spokane Montessori from home or another program we will be pleased to work with you on an individual basis to create the best transition possible by:

  1. Setting up “short visits” for you and your child prior to the start date 2) creating a “slow start”
  2. Creating a “slow start”
  3. Encouraging your child to start in September (if possible) when we hold new student orientation.

If you need to make a change regarding childcare, pre-school or kindergarten we will be pleased to support your family in your transition from one program to the next by:

  1. Speaking with your child’s new caregiver
  2. Preparing them with any new skills they may need to have at their new school (if possible)
  3. Preparing an evaluation that will allow your child’s new caregiver to see where your child is at developmentally
  4. To give them a positive send off onto their new adventure!

It is the policy of this child care center that no person shall be subjected to discrimination because of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, marital status, disabled, or Vietnam Era status, or the presence of any physical, mental, or sensory handicap.

This policy is consistent with Title VI and VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act: Sections 504 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the 1974 Vietnam Era Veteran readjustment Assistance Act; the Governer’s Executive Order 85-09; and the Washington State Laws Against Discrimination, RCW 49.60.

This policy applies to every aspect of the agency’s programs, practices, policies, and activities, including client services and employment practices.

We respect the rights of the child in our care to observe the tenets of the child’s faith. We do not punish or discourage the child for exercising these rights.