Health and Wellness Policy
At Forest Hill Nature Preschool & Childcare, we are dedicated to providing a safe and healthy environment for your children. Keeping sick children at home is the first step in helping keep the classroom environment healthy. Following CDC guidelines, we conduct health screenings for all students and staff before anyone enters the school building. We will take your child's temperature and the temperature of the adult dropping off, and parents will answer a series of health screening questions at drop off as part of the process of checking in your child. Staff members will also answer health screening questions and will have a temperature screening before entering the building. If a child becomes sick during the day, we will contact parents to pick up the child immediately and bring the child to a safe space to isolate until the parents arrive. Staff will take additional steps to sanitize the classroom, and parents will be asked to take your child to the doctor to determine whether there is a risk of Covid-19 exposure and when it will be safe for your child to return to school.
Masks will be required for all staff and parents at drop off and pick up. Staff will be wearing masks during the day while they are inside the building and students 2 and over will be encouraged to wear masks if they can do so safely. When masks are not being worn, the teachers will store the masks in a clean paper bag labeled with your child's name and the date. A new paper bag will be used each day. Children who are able to wear a mask during the day should wear a new, clean mask to school each day. Masks will not be worn while the children are eating, resting on their cots or playing outside.
During the current Covid-19 pandemic, we have adopted many additional cleaning and sanitizing procedures to help keep everyone in our school safe and healthy. The teachers are bleach cleaning all toys in the classroom weekly and sanitizing toys as the children use them each day. All surfaces in the classroom are wiped down daily, with bathrooms cleaned multiple times each day, and always cleaned between use by different groups of students.
In addition, at FHNP, we maintain current first aid and CPR certification for all staff in our program. This policy goes above beyond licensing regulations so that our teachers are well prepared to handle any emergency situation or injury that arises. In addition, we review emergency procedures regularly with staff and students. We recognize that accidents and medical emergencies can and do happen during the school day and so we have adopted guidelines to prepare staff members to provide first aid and emergency care during those unexpected events. First aid supplies are kept in the office and are easily accessible to all staff. First aid supplies are also carried on all field trips off campus so that students can be provided with appropriate care as needed, regardless of the location. Students with chronic medical conditions should have a treatment plan completed by parents and the pediatrician on file at the school. For blank treatment plan forms, please see the school office. The school will review all medical treatment plans with the parents and teachers annually, and confirm the availability of authorized medications at the school. Epi-pens, inhalers, and medications for chronic illnesses should be kept at the school with appropriate paperwork following the Medication Policy.
Parents authorize the staff to provide treatment for minor medical emergencies including small cuts, scratches, scrapes, bruises, nosebleeds, splinters, bee stings, and bug bites. Staff are trained to watch for signs of more serious injuries and allergic reactions, and appropriate steps will be taken to inform parents, and to contact Emergency Medical Services as necessary.
Infants/Toddlers
To protect our youngest and most vulnerable students, all students and staff in our Infant and Toddler program must be up to date with Vaccines. We follow the State of Maryland Health Department guidelines for vaccinations. ALL students MUST be Vaccinated NO exceptions.
Masks will be required for all staff and parents at drop off and pick up. Staff will be wearing masks during the day while they are inside the building and students 2 and over will be encouraged to wear masks if they can do so safely. When masks are not being worn, the teachers will store the masks in a clean paper bag labeled with your child's name and the date. A new paper bag will be used each day. Children who are able to wear a mask during the day should wear a new, clean mask to school each day. Masks will not be worn while the children are eating, resting on their cots or playing outside.
During the current Covid-19 pandemic, we have adopted many additional cleaning and sanitizing procedures to help keep everyone in our school safe and healthy. The teachers are bleach cleaning all toys in the classroom weekly and sanitizing toys as the children use them each day. All surfaces in the classroom are wiped down daily, with bathrooms cleaned multiple times each day, and always cleaned between use by different groups of students.
In addition, at FHNP, we maintain current first aid and CPR certification for all staff in our program. This policy goes above beyond licensing regulations so that our teachers are well prepared to handle any emergency situation or injury that arises. In addition, we review emergency procedures regularly with staff and students. We recognize that accidents and medical emergencies can and do happen during the school day and so we have adopted guidelines to prepare staff members to provide first aid and emergency care during those unexpected events. First aid supplies are kept in the office and are easily accessible to all staff. First aid supplies are also carried on all field trips off campus so that students can be provided with appropriate care as needed, regardless of the location. Students with chronic medical conditions should have a treatment plan completed by parents and the pediatrician on file at the school. For blank treatment plan forms, please see the school office. The school will review all medical treatment plans with the parents and teachers annually, and confirm the availability of authorized medications at the school. Epi-pens, inhalers, and medications for chronic illnesses should be kept at the school with appropriate paperwork following the Medication Policy.
Parents authorize the staff to provide treatment for minor medical emergencies including small cuts, scratches, scrapes, bruises, nosebleeds, splinters, bee stings, and bug bites. Staff are trained to watch for signs of more serious injuries and allergic reactions, and appropriate steps will be taken to inform parents, and to contact Emergency Medical Services as necessary.
Infants/Toddlers
To protect our youngest and most vulnerable students, all students and staff in our Infant and Toddler program must be up to date with Vaccines. We follow the State of Maryland Health Department guidelines for vaccinations. ALL students MUST be Vaccinated NO exceptions.