If you are joining us for the first time, welcome to The Good LIfe Preschool Family! For those of you were are continuing with us, we are looking forward to having you share your child again with us this year!

We know during a time of uncertainty that it's important for us to address all your questions, so you feel as comfortable as possible continuing your child's education. We also want you to feel comfortable that we are taking the precautions within our ability around sanitation, disinfecting, and providing a safe and stable environment for your child. We all know that COVID-19 is still present in our area and in the state of Oregon. It is our highest priority to take every precaution that we can to ensure the safety of your child, our staff, and your family!

Our goal is to let each child know “the good life” and feel valued every day! For those of you who were not in our summer program or new to our program, we know that starting up with preschool after the past year can feel a bit scary. However, our goal is to still provide a safe and nurturing environment for your child, so that they feel comfortable and connected with their teacher and peers. There are a few things that will look a bit different for your child, depending on if they are continuing with preschool or joining us for the first time. We want to normalize this as much as possible, so that they feel secure and know that they can still have fun and learn with their friends, even with safety protocols in place.

We are consistently monitoring the requirements by the Childcare Division, Governor's orders, and OHA recommendations and continue to meeting COVID-19 guidelines and recommendations. For our summer families continuing with us or rejoining after last Spring, some of this may be a review, but it is important that we continue to provide the information to you.

After reading through the below policy and procedures, please feel free to reach out with any questions to Tiff via email at tiff@thegoodlifepreschool.com or text/phone at 503-467-6565.

1. Our Program Philosophy
2. Before Your Child Begins
3. What to bring, not bring, wear, and supplies?
4. Ongoing Brightwheel & Newsletter Communication
5. Drop off & Pick up Routines
6. UPDATED COVID Rules & Best Practice Recommendations
7. UPDATED COVID Face Mask Policy
8. Safety Protocol & Preschool Modifications
9. School Rules, No Toys & No Bags from Home
10. Schedules & Routines
11. Authorized Pick Up, Drop Off & Back-up Care
12. COVID, Sick, Exclusion & Absent Policy
13. Other Illnesses & Immunizations
14. Hours of Operation/ Certification/ Class Size
15. Teachers & Staff Qualifications
16. Calendar CLOSED Dates & Unplanned Closures
17. Tuition Payments & Other Charges
18. Termination/ Withdrawal/ Schedule Change Policy
19. Incident & Injury Reports
20. Liability, Insurance & Transportation
21. Influence of drugs or alcohol
22. Emergency Plans, Drills & Alternative Safe Location
23. Meals & Special Diets
24. Health, Safety & Outdoor Play
25. Medication Policy
26. Using the Potty
27. Hand Washing & Hand Sanitation
28. Positive Guidance & Behavior Management Policy
29. Quality Rating SPARK 5 * and Parent Feedback
30. Family Partnerships, Open Door Policy, Family Resources & Custody
31. Non-discrimination & Special Needs
32. Confidentiality & Mandatory Reporting
33. Procedure for Complaints
34. Screen Time Policy
35. Pets & Animals (Dundee location)
36. Employees with Technology
37. Parent & Teacher Interactions
38. Staff Childcare Policy
39. UPDATED COVID Complete RUles & Recommendations
40. Contact info & Brightwheel Messages

The Good Life Preschool was created on our beliefs for children and their individual development. We value that children progress at their own pace and provide many hands-on experiences. We create methods to help each child gain self-worth and develop life skills that they can take with them when they graduate from our program. We believe in focusing on positive behaviors and teaching tools to help solve problems and self-regulate to aid them in their success in early childhood.

We feel by giving children both research-based curriculum as well as our favorite Montessori components, gives your child truly the best of both worlds experience! We believe in a healthy mind and body and we nature this through the program by doing the following:

• Children's yoga
• Organic and/or Local Food with a Seasonal Kids Menu (Dundee), Newberg location we strive to offer a local and/or organic snack each day!
• Seasonal Edible Garden Beds on our Nature Scape Playground (Dundee)
• Bi-Lingual Spanish Curriculum
• Growth Early Mindset (GEM)
• Emphasis on Social & Emotional Skills

You can feel good about having your child(ren) experience a variety of healthy and tasty food options that are good for their growing bodies and minds! This foundation will help to shape healthy eating habits that carry throughout their life. Allowing your children to experience local organic learning is a rewarding experience for you and your child!

We believe that a love of learning and of literature at an early age can give them a great benefit all their future schooling. We provide a children’s lending library of over 3,000 books that each child has access to throughout the year that align with the weekly concepts explored. We believe that the development of a child comes from a combination of Nature (their unique personality and traits) as well as Nurture (the influence of others and the environment). To ensure that, we as Preschool Teachers have the role to help each child feel accepted and loved, to help them identify their individual strengths, and give them the opportunity and support to work on areas that need additional development.

We believe that the family is the most important part of a child's life and we strive to support the family through community resources, family activities, and continuous open communication using the Brightwheel Parent app and Weekly Family Newsletters.

At The Good Life Preschool, we use our beliefs to guide our decisions and changes as well as our team mindset of continuous improvement and innovation!. During our summer program we believe that children should have a consistent structure to their day and within that structure, have the components of discovery-based learning. We will include fun science experiments, as well as a variety of activities including Montessori and Learning Center time as well as time to explore outside on our two playgrounds.

We continue to foster the social & emotional skill set during the summer by integrating the following tools as well as helping children realized the emotions they are feeling and the ability to regulate those emotions in a healthy way:

• Kelso's Wheel of Choices
• GEM (Growth Early Mindset)
• Collaborative Problem Solving

The Good Life Preschool is committed to providing your child with quality care by encouraging each child to express themselves through language, art, music, and physical activity. With the emphasis on play-based learning, they are building socialization and self-help skills which build their self-esteem and aid them in succeeding in all areas of life. Every family and child that comes through our doors will be treated with love and respect so that when they leave, they will be able to pass on the love and respect to others that they were shown.

Thank you for becoming part of The Good Life Preschool Family! We are excited you are here!

The following are due upon registering your child at The Good Life Preschool:

• Read through the entire parent handbook
• Completed Registration Packet electronically via Brightwheel
  
• Current immunization records if out of state or certificate for exemptions
  
• Registration fee paid by check or electronically via Brightwheel for new students

The following are due before your child's first day of class:

• All adults who will be dropping off or picking up need to have the Brightwheel app downloaded onto their own device, be signed in, and know their four-digit pin (or they can change it in the profile section of their app).
• Pictures of all approved adults on your child's pickup list are uploaded in Brightwheel (they can do this in their Brightwheel profile or email to jesi@thegoodlifepreschool.com if you have issues uploading in the Brightwheel profile.
• You will send a picture of your family for our Village wall through a document request in Brightwheel.
• Immunization records if your child received any vaccines outside of Oregon or if your child is exempt from any of the required immunizations, including medical and non-medical exemptions. If your child is up to date on vaccines per the CDC for their age and has all their vaccines done in Or, you do not need to do anything. We can pull them from the state website.

New students: If your child is exempt from any vaccines, you will need to complete the exemption module below and print out a completed certificate to be supplied to us before your child starts class. If your child has a medical exemption, we need a copy of the current medical certificate from your child's doctor before your child starts in our program. You can access the module by clicking on the following link, and you will need to complete each section for any vaccines that your child is exempt from receiving for their age per the CDC: http://421f0a8ecdedd62c4959-2f8920956957704c3711e6aaff9753be.r46.cf5.rackcdn.com/vaccineeducation.htm

We provide all the school supplies needed for our daily program, and children will not be sharing crayons, pencils, markers, glue, or scissors for sanitary reasons. We have created a plastic container with each child's name that will be provided to the child by the teacher or kept in their individual cubby when it is time for those activities each day.

PLEASE NOTE: we are asking to prevent the spread of germs from leaving any bags at home; we will provide a large plastic Ziplock bag to take their belongings to and from preschool.

Weather-appropriate attire for each child shall be kept at the school as needed. All Changes of Clothes need to be kept in a Large Freezer Bag Sized Ziplock. One set per bag, including socks and underwear. This helps keep clothes contained and sanitized, as these will be kept in your child's Cubby spot at the school. Please note the following that will need to be brought to the school and left for your child:

PLEASE INCLUDE THEIR NAME ON EVERYTHING AS WELL IN PERMANENT INK.

• WATER BOTTLE (Not too tall, leak-proof, and easy to remove lid)
• RAIN BOOTS
• SEASON APPROPRIATE JACKET
  
• TWO CHANGES OF SEASONAL CLOTHING with underwear and socks. Please put each change of clothing in a separate plastic zip lock bag with their name on the outside.
• BIKE HELMET THAT FITS YOUR CHILD SAFELY (DUNDEE LOCATION ONLY)
• SUNSCREEN: We provide Babyganics SPF 50 Sunscreen during the warmer/sunny months. If you do not want that used on your child, we require that you bring Sunscreen. (You are required to mark your preference for Sunscreen application on the registration form, which will give us permission for the application.)

We encourage families to dress their child in safe clothes to climb, swing, play actively in, and clothes that you don't mind getting dirty. We love to let children explore and be little artists with paint as well!

Be sure to dress your child in clothes and shoes they can easily "dress themselves," think easy to pull on and off for potty or changing. Zippers, buttons, skinny jeans, and tie shoes are discouraged at this age, as they are hard for the child to do themselves. Kids need to put their shoes on and off easily since we switch to rainboots when muddy or raining outside. Velcro or slip-on shoes are great!

Clothing must meet the current weather conditions to make your child feel comfortable both inside and outside. Please keep in mind that we have concrete on our bike playground that can cause some extra "ouch" when children wear clothing that exposes their legs during the warmer temperatures. All children wearing skirts or dresses must wear shorts underneath. We also discourage flip flops as the bark chips on our playgrounds can get uncomfortable with flip flops, and they are also a tripping hazard when running. Underwear must be worn at all times.

Getting accurate information from preschool-age children can be a challenge. At The Good Life, we provide communication electronically in two ways, and we require our parents to stay informed with their child's preschool journey. Our primary means of important communication is via Brighteheel, which includes a daily summary of your child's day, your school calendar, any special notes, photos, and provides two-way communication from parent to staff throughout the day. If you need to reach us during the day, please message us in Brightwheel as it goes to all of the staff's devices and allows us to give you timely communication back. Please note that these messages are private between The Good Life staff and you. Other parents in the class can not see your messages.

🌈 Click HERE for the Brightwheel Website

🍎 Click HERE for Apple Brightwheel

✅ Click HERE for Android Brightwheel

📹 Click HERE to watch VIDEOS to LEARN how to use Brightwheel

The second important communication that is sent out weekly is our Family Newsletter. The Newsletter includes updates about what your child will be learning for the upcoming week and important program information, including dates for upcoming events. We can't stress enough the importance of reading the Brightwheel daily summary, the messages for reminders, and the weekly newsletter to get the most out of your child's education and our program! The weekly Family Newsletter comes from the email address thegoodlifepreschool@users.smore.com. Make sure to check in your junk/spam folder if you do not see it in your mailbox, and add this address to your address book.

Every day your child attends, you can access their daily report in Brightwheel. This summary allows you to get a snapshot of your child's day and allows you to have a dynamic conversation with your preschooler. Their Brightwheel daily summary will show fun things like letters, numbers, life skills, activities, songs, games, books, arts, experiments, pictures, and meals served. If your child is a full day with us in our Preschool "Suns Class" and napped, this will also be recorded in their daily summary. Your child will light up when you know about their day and show them the Brightwheel pictures or videos! You can also save the pictures and/or videos to your phone by right-clicking on the picture in the daily summary.

The Brightwheel Parent App is free and can be downloaded on the App Store. We require all parents to have this app and ask that all parents have their alerts/notifications for the Brightwheel app turned on. Brightwheel Parent App is the primary way we will communicate important information about your child and send reminders. If you don't have access to a Smartphone, you can also access the Brightwheel website at: https://schools.mybrightwheel.com

We know that you may feel uncertain during this time, and it is our goal to keep you informed. For your child and family's safety, if at any point any staff, child, or family member within the program is diagnosed or has a presumed case of COVID-19, all families within our program would be sent a message via Brightwheel "alerts" which will show up in your Brightwheel messages and text alert, if you allow the notification settings.

If you need to reach a teacher during school hours for an urgent issue, Brightwheel is the best way to reach us, as it goes to all of our Staff devices in your child's class. Within Brightwheel you can also mark your child absent. Suppose you need to speak to someone urgently, please text or call the Program Director, Jesi Payne, at 971-264-4864, to get the information to the current Teachers in a timely manner.

Please add these numbers to your phone contacts in case we try to reach you in an emergency:

• Jesi Payne 971-264-4864
• Tiff Darwich 503-467-6565
• Dundee Main Phone 503-713-9400
• Jennie Delp 503-899-0245

Please keep in mind that the children are our top priority, and Teachers are not available to answer calls during the day, but they will receive Brightwheel messages during appropriate teaching breaks. Keeping the line of communication open between us is in the best interest of your child. Sharing important information about your child and family is essential for us to provide the best possible care for your child(ren).

We do have a Facebook Page & Instagram Page which we might post community events, but this is mostly for outside program communication.

The Drop-off and Pick-up portion of each day can either become a routine that children look forward to or something they dread. Our drop-off and pick-up routines are going to look a bit different than in the past.

Please note, non-staff adults are only allowed inside the entry areas of the building, near the doors. We ask that parents not walk into the classrooms unless it is an emergency. This is a precaution set by the Oregon Childcare Division to prevent the spread of germs and to keep our groups stable. Please plan on using the restroom before you leave your home as these will be closed for anyone except for approved staff and students in Dundee. We request that only one adult drops off and picks up each day.

Dundee Students

Drop off time frame is 7:30-9:00 AM and pick up between 2:30-5:30 PM for our Vines, Rivers, Stars & Suns students. Please walk through our main gate and proceed to the double doors, but please remain at the entrance doors. If the Teacher is inside and far away during the drop-off time frames, please ring the doorbell and they will come and greet you.

Newberg Students

The drop-off time frame for Newberg students, starts at 8:30 AM (please no earlier) until 9:00 AM. Pickup for Newberg will also be outside between 11:45 AM-12:00 PM.

If you need to pick up your child at a different time due to an appointment for the day, please message us in Brightwheel in advance that day to coordinate with your child's teacher. This is essential since we need to have staff able to meet the parents outside the building, which cannot happen during the learning and eating times of the day. This will allow us to find a good transition time for your child and let them know or remind them about the early pickup to meet you outside.

Please allow a minimum of 6 feet distance between other children, families, and staff during pick up and drop off to do your part in social distancing. If another family is checking their child in, please wait until the check-in is complete by waiting for a minimum of 6 feet from the other family or wait in your car in the parking lot until the other family has returned to their car.

Parents/Guardians are required to use their own personal devices to check their child in and out. Please have your phone with you for drop-off and pick up and make sure you have the Brightwheel App downloaded on your phone. The guardian dropping off or picking up will open the Brightwheel App on their phone and scan the QR code posted on the A-frame sign outside the preschool. The steps to do this are the following:

• Parent/Approved Adult for student scans the QR code with their phone (there will be a posted code on the A-frame sign at each location.
• Parent clicks "Check-In" or "Check-Out" Button and enters their 4 digits check-in code on their own device.
• During Check-in you will be prompted to answer the Health Screening. Parent completes Health Check Questions on phone (No Fever, No cough or shortness of breath, No contact with COVID-19 in the last 14 days), if yes to any of the questions you will be asked to not have your child join us that day and will be advised when they can join us with further dialogue and health screening.

The reason we need the adults to use their own pin code on their own device is to have the proper contact information to know who is dropping off for contact tracing records and do not have multiple people touching the same screens. This allows Teachers to only touch school devices & parents only touch their personal devices.

In Dundee, for your child’s safety, please use the "safety gravel path" when picking up and dropping off. Please do not allow your child to walk across the parking lot as other cars pulling out make it hard to see. Also, please do not let your child open the doors or gates. These will be open during drop-off to prevent touching of the gates and during pick-up. It is required that you make acknowledgment with a teacher during drop-off or pick up and go through the mandatory health check, which will be a series of questions each morning.

We have found it successful for parents to create a special word or action with your child that they say to you during drop-off. Please brief your child that you will not be able to go inside with them, so create a fun goodbye that you can do outside with your child. You can say it's only the "Magic Kid Zone" allowed in the preschool, so only students and teachers.

Allow the child to choose their special goodbye, so they feel ownership of their preschool experience and some normalcy during this time. An example may be, “See you later alligator” or maybe they give you a special fist bump with a fun word or silly face. You may want to read "The Kissing Hand" or other books that help children prepare for the goodbye at the beginning of the school day.

Your child's dirty laundry will be collected at the end of each day and sent home with them in a plastic bag. Papers will be picked up at the end of the week in their individual bag. As a reminder, no bags (backpacks or other bags) can be brought from home.

Even though many of the child care Covid rules are changing rapidly, we are striving to meet the best practice standards to keep everyone safe. We have detailed Best practices at the end of the handbook.

Child Care Provider COVID-19 Requirements and Recommendations

Effective Date: June 30, 2021 For updated details click HERE.

Beginning August 13th, 2021 all adults and children ages 5 years + must wear masks inside "public places" We explained "public places" are places INSIDE buildings where no one lives. (Schools, libraries, stores, restaurants, etc.) We do not need masks at preschool while playing outside, or while eating in the green room. We wash or sanitize hands before and after wearing masks. For all details click HERE.

FACE MASKS ARE ONLY KEPT IN 3 PLACES AT SCHOOL:

1) On our face over nose and mouth

2) In our individual student cubby bin (while outside or eating in the green room)

3) Disposable masks in the garbage after single-use (but keep the hook in cubby bin)

WE HAVE PROVIDED MASKS FOR CHILDREN HERE:

We need to help all children who will be 5+ this fall to learn to properly put on, take off, and store face masks. We have provided one individual bag of disposable child-size face masks for each student ages 5+ and those who turn 5 really soon.

We have provided individually labeled child face mask HOOKS for labeling and secure wearing for each student. Students are always welcome to bring masks from home as well, and will still use the hook to help with identification and comfort. We will use disposable masks for only one day, fabric masks for only one day before cleaning, and will reuse the hooks.

CHILDREN FACE MASK TIPS:

The mask HOOKs we provide have three parts: CIRCLE, HOOK, and TRIANGLE. Before putting on the mask, attach the CIRCLE onto the mask strap on the child's dominant hand. The child places a mask over both ears holding onto the loops. Then they can reach the back to use the HOOK side to grab the other ear loop. Earloops should still be over and under both ears. If the hook comes done too easily, they can use the TRIANGLE clasp spot instead. If a child has a sensory preference, they can wear just their mask as long as it has their name written.

HAIR TIPS FOR WEARING MASKS:

Children with hair past their ears will be most comfortable with long hair braided or in low ponytails. We do have extra brand new hairbands available if children ask for help. Short hair should be tucked behind ears before putting on masks. 💛😷🌳Thanks for your support to make this as easy as possible for children starting school in person again this fall 2021.

We have taken great effort into creating a safe environment for all the kids in our program. We will not be having any dress-ups, dramatic play involving food, cloth items, shared playdough, or textures that are used with more than one stable class group. We promise we have created a learning environment that is still fun and engaging.

• To reduce multiple hands touching the same items, children will have their own set of crayons, pencils, scissors, markers, and glue to prevent sharing of items. The sand timers will be used in the same way as before, but the teachers are the only ones to handle them. During our gathering time, there are only non-contact greetings that are still fun.
  

• Children are not required to wear face masks during their time at preschool, if under 5 years old, but if you want your child to wear a mask from home, we will do our best to support that effort while they are here. Staff will be wearing a face mask when serving food or indoors with other staff and children. (See above MASK section for details)
  

• We will be spending time each day during our life skills with GERM reminders and games to keep them focused on good healthy habits.

• Nap Cots and Yoga Mats-Each child will have their own nap cot, foam mat, sheet, blanket, pillow. Yoga mats will be within the class, that can easily be sanitized.
  

For the full list of the new COVID Child Care Guidelines, we will be following, see the link HERE. For a complete list of Health and Cleaning requirements during this time see HERE.

At the Good Life Preschool we try to maintain four basic rules that are the same ones taught throughout the Newberg School District: Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Kind. We teach our students how to evaluate these four rules in many situations.

An example might be running inside is not Safe, so running feet would be reserved for outside. Grabbing toys from another child’s hands would not be Respectful, so we teach them to ask and wait. Leaving your art supplies at the table when you are finished would not be Responsible, so we encourage everyone to clean up their space.

Many times children are attached to their blanket or special toys. We unfortunately do not allow children to bring toys from home to our classes. This is a strict policy especially with our current COVID protocol. We have plenty of different activities here and do not want your child’s items to be lost, broken, or become an issue with other children. This also helps from the spread of germs going back and forth that easily accumulate on stuffed animals and blankets. Please also leave any bags at home. During this time we will not be checking out library books, but children will still get to enjoy a variety of books for story time and learning journal in class. Their art work and creations will collect in their cubby bucket during the week and be brought home in their Ziplock Large bag.

If your child has a special toy that is hard for them to leave at home, one technique that works well is to have them ride with it in the car and then "buckle" it in their carseat when they leave for preschool, so it keeps their carseat "safe" until pickup so that their special toy can greet them at preschool pickup in the car!

Throughout the day we include the following in your child's schedule:

• Montessori Time, Gathering, Life Skills, Circle Time
• Spanish through Monthly Spanish Song and Transition Phrases
• Small Group & Learning Centers
• Outside Play & Exploration
• Snack and/or Meal Time
• Rest/Relaxation Time for Full Day Kids

We will post the most current schedule in your child's Brightwheel Feed during the first week of school as well as posting in our weekly newsletter. Please make sure your child is dropped-off and picked-up by your contracted times. We plan our day/activities according to the children that will be here. If they are out on vacation or sick for the day, please mark them absent in Brightwheel before the start of their scheduled time.

Safety is our #1 priority! Each adult on your emergency contact list will have a four-digit PIN for Brightwheel. IMPORTANT: PLEASE MAKE SURE EACH ADULT DROPPING OFF AND PICKING UP HAS THE BRIGHTWHEEL APP, LOGGED IN & KNOWS THEIR PIN NUMBER for Brightwheel, this can be changed at the bottom of the profile section and if you don't know yours please text JESI 971-264-4864. We cannot release your child to anyone NOT listed on the registration paperwork and noted in Brightwheel without prior approval from you. Please make sure all approved adults have uploaded their picture in their Brightwheel profile.

If it is the first time picking up a new adult added to your approved list, you will need to provide a handwritten note with the following info for pickup: Date, Name of child, the full name of an adult, permission from you granted, your signature and date. Staff will check for picture ID and then take a picture to save in their records. Each adult listed on your Brightwheel account will receive an invite to set up a profile that is unique to your child. Please note that only adults on the account that are listed as Parent/Guardian can see the entire feed. The other adults listed as an emergency or authorized pickup will only be able to see your child's profile picture and not receive the entire daily feed unless you authorize them to see the feed on your registration paperwork.

Families are required to have a minimum of two adults listed on your registration paperwork in addition to the parents/guardians. This may be a family member or a friend who could pick up and watch your child if you are not available and they become ill while at school or in case of an emergency.

IMPORTANT: Please ensure you have added pictures of your child, yourself and each adult on your approved pick up/emergency list in Brightwheel. If you are having any difficulties updating profile pics of adults in Brightwheel please email the pictures to Teacher Jesi at jesi@thegoodlifepreschool.com before your child's first day.

We feel passionate about the health and safety of our students! We love sharing, but don't love the sharing of germs. This is especially important during this time!! Please do not bring your child to school if they are ill. We will be doing daily health checks and you are also required to answer the health check questions that are prompted when you are checking in your child.

Please message us through Brightwheel if your child will be late or not attending for that day, so that we know they are accounted for and not attending. Due to drop off needing to occur outside during our special COVID protocol, children will not be able to arrive after 9:00 AM, since any adult that is not a staff/teacher can not enter the building. If your child has an appointment that morning or a special circumstance, you may message your child's Teacher in Brightwheel and we will see what we can do to accommodate.

Please remain in communication with us about your child's attendance, failure to do so on a routine basis could result in termination of your child's spot in our program. If they are sick, please note the symptoms in Brightwheel, so we can do our best to add an extra round of sanitation and avoid the spread of germs to other children and staff. If it is COVID-19 related we need to let other families know in our program, while still maintaining your privacy. We will never mention the name of a child that is ill, only that the child is in your child's group or not.

The operating expenses of the Good Life Preschool are the same whether you bring your child or not. Therefore, no deductions in the monthly tuition will be made based on attendance. We realize that this is an unusual time with new protocol around COVID-19. We reserve the right to consider a discount or rate adjustment made to your account for certain extended family emergencies or illnesses. Please work with our Managing Director (Tiffany Darwich) to review your case.

IMPORTANT: The Child Care Division released an Exclusion Summary Chart around symptoms, that helps to determine if a child needs to be Excluded from the program for a designated amount of time. We are required to follow these guidelines to help keep other children, staff and families safe. Please refer to the "Exclusion Summary" below. This will also be in our weekly newsletters.

• Draining rash anywhere on the body: must be gone before returning
• Eye discharge: Pink eye or from a cold: must be gone before returning
• Lice or nits: can return only after being free of both for 24 hours
• Communicable disease: chicken pox, measles, etc., must be gone before returning to school
• Consistent complaints of ear, stomach or headaches, or other pain

If your child exhibits any of the above symptoms at school or the symptoms listed on the Exclusion Summary chart above, we will contact you via Brightwheel or via phone to pick up your child to prevent spreading of the illness and allow your child to rest. They must follow the Exclusion Summary timeline to return back to school.

Each child is required by the state to be current on immunizations and we will keep a signed current copy on file. If your child is not immunized per the CDC schedule for their age, you will need to complete either the non-medical exemption form and certificate or follow the protocol for a medical exemption. Parents can go to the following website to follow the exemption process for their child. http://421f0a8ecdedd62c4959-2f8920956957704c3711e6aaff9753be.r46.cf5.rackcdn.com/vaccineeducation.htm

If your child comes down with a communicable disease or COVID-19 you need to notify us right away in brighthwheel (which is private between you and staff). In turn, we must notify other parents in our program and the Yamhill County Health Department. Children with a contagious illness will not be allowed to return until they are properly medicated and cleared by your child's pediatrician. For bacterial illnesses, a child must be on the antibiotic 24 hours before returning to the school and cleared by the doctor. Again, we will maintain the privacy of your child and family to other families within our program.

We are currently open Monday through Friday from 7:30 am-5:30 pm at our Main Dundee location and 8:30 AM-12:00 PM at our Newberg Location. Please do not drop off earlier than 7:30 AM for our Dundee students and no earlier than 8:30 AM for our Newberg students.

Pickup time is between 3:30-5:30 PM for our Dundee students and 11:30 AM-12:00 PM for our Newberg students. We love our students, but please respect the time slot that your child is registered for and pick up on time to ensure we stay within certification ratios. Late fees will be incurred if you pick your child up late and added to your following months invoice.

We meet children where they are at developmentally. Our Suns class is ages 3-4 year olds and our Vines class is 4-6 years old. We never have more than 16 children in the building at one time in Dundee, which is then divided into the two classes with a minimum of two Teachers and a floater staff member who is our Chef/Assistant Teacher. Class size average is 8 with a max of 10 kids in each class at our Dundee Location and 10-12 kids at our Newberg Location.

We are licensed and Certified by the state of Oregon Division of Child Care to serve 16

children from the ages of 30 months to 10 years old at any given time at our Dundee Location. Our Newberg location is a recorded program through the Oregon Child Care Division to serve children 3-6 years old.

Our program during the school year primarily serves our Preschool and Pre-K age groups of 3-5 years old.

To be certified with the Child Care Division we meet all the requirements as found on their website and have gone through a special application to offer care during COVID-19: https://oregonearlylearning.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Health-and-Safety-Guidelines_August-14-2020_English_Web.pdf

We are so lucky to have such an amazing, qualified staff at The Good Life! We have made every effort to ensure that groups of students are remaining "stable" by having the same teachers for the days they are here.

The following staff is the scheduled teachers for each group. Our Third Teacher is also the one who will be preparing and serving the food for our Dundee location.

This year our Program Director, Teacher Jesi, will be also helping out in all of the classrooms with Developnmenta Screenings and Academic Assessments, leveling up for Pre-K children and other areas that will enhance the classroom learning experience for your child. She is also over behavioral support and any classroom concerns. She will have regular Office Hours to be available for parents at both locations.

Dundee Location-Covering Hours of 7:30 AM-5:30 PM

Pre-K Class Groups

Teacher Amanda

MWF-Vines Class

Tu/Th-Rivers Class

Preschool 3-4 years old

Teacher Nicole

MWF-Stars Class

Tu/Th-Suns Class

Chef/Assistant Teachers-Teacher Nikki & Teacher Brie

Newberg Location-AM Only classes 8:30 AM-12:00 PM

TuTh Preschool Group (Trees)-3-4 years old

Teacher Jennie

Teacher Brie or Teacher Nikki

MWF Pre-K Group (Rainbows)-4-5 years old

Teacher Jennie

Teacher Brie or Teacher Nikki

All staff have gone through special process and protocol COVID-19 training to ensure we are all on the same page for sanitation, health checks and daily routine.

Along with the special training, our staff must maintain the following:

The provider (Lead Teacher), substitute providers (teachers), and any Assistant II-level staff are required to have fifteen (15) clocked hours of training related to child care every year. Of these 15 hours, at least eight (8) clocked hours must be in child development or early childhood education. Everyone who works or volunteers on a regular basis must also have a cleared the Criminal Background Registry including fingerprints. No one under the age of 18 is allowed to be left alone with our student.

Our staff must also complete and maintain the following:

Current Infant and Child CPR and First Aid, Health & Safety for children, Oregon Food

Handler Certification, Certificate of Completion of two (2) hours of training in recognizing child abuse and neglect issues, safe sleep training, New Employee Orientation & 20 hours of observed time in our program

If you would like to learn more about our staff and their bio's, please click here: http://www.thegoodlifepreschool.com/about-us/staff

The Fall session begins Wednesday, September 1st and ends Thursday, August 25th. We are closed all Major holidays, Winter break and Spring break. As well as a Fall Conference Day and Spring Conference Day. Tuition is not discounted for breaks as tuition is based on the entire session and broken up monthly.

Our priority is the safety of our staff and families. There are days on occasion that are considered unplanned closures. We contact families as soon as we know of the change and require parents to find another authorized pick-up to get your child if you are unable to. Also, per state requirements, if we have 30 minutes without running water or power we are required to close. This could happen with an unplanned power outage. You will be notified via Brightwheel as soon as possible if we have an unplanned closure. We do not refund tuition for unplanned closures unless it is more than 3 consecutive days.

Tuition rates are a monthly rate based on the schedule you register for and are based on the program's calendar then divided out each month into equal monthly payments. The tuition for your child is due at the beginning of each month on the 1st.

Online payments from your bank is the preferred method and tuition will post to your brightwheel account by the 26th of the month for the upcoming month. We also recommend setting up auto payments to make it easier! If you need to pay by paper check, please drop it off at the school in an sealed envelope with “Tiff’s” name on it. Checks will be deposited by the 15th of each month. If you would like to pay credit card there will be a 2.9% transaction fee added to your child’s tuition. There is no charge for bank ACH or auto withdrawal.

Tuition payments are considered late if not received by the 5th of the month. There will be a $15 per day late fee added to your invoice until payment is made in full. If you fall behind on your tuition by more than 30 days, your child will not be able to attend the program until your balance is paid in full and you are current on payments. Due to the high demand and waitlist of our program we are unable to hold your child's spot, but will do our best to let you know what options are available for your child at that time.

Tuition includes all meals and/or snacks for your child! We believe in serving organic and local food, whenever possible, for your child. We try to keep our tuition costs comparable to the market and for all the fabulous things we provide at the Good Life Preschool. In the event of increased tuition, families would be notified and it would not go into effect for 30 days.

There is a discount of 10% for a second sibling and limited financial need based scholarships are available at the beginning of the school year. If you would like to apply for a financial need based scholarship, please reach out to tiff@thegoodlifepreschool.com.

If you are late to pick up your child, you will be billed $10 per 15 minute increments. This will be added to your next invoice. We know stuff happens, so you will receive one late pickup “freebie” per month up to 15 minutes as long as you communicate with us ahead of time via Brightwheel that you are running late (at least 15 minutes before pickup time). A $25 fee for insufficient funds or bounced transactions will be charged. There is $150 registration fee when you first apply to our program and normally a $75 fee at the beginning of each year, however due to the unpredictability of COVID for return families, the $75 fee was not charged. The registration fee is non-refundable if you change your mind.

If you need to change your child’s schedule, we try to be adaptable per your request pending space available. If you need to change schedules we do require a two week notification via email to the Managing Director (tiff@thegoodlifepreschool.com) and there will not be any tuition refunds during the two weeks that your child finishes out the current schedule. If you are in the middle of the month the tuition can be prorated to the new scheduled tuition amount following the two week notification.

We don’t want you to leave, but if you decide to, we need a 30 day written notice of withdrawal to avoid being charged for the following month’s tuition. At that time, your last 30 day tuition payment will be due whether your child attends or not. We also reserve the right to terminate services immediately or at any time for, but not limited to:

• Failure to pay on time
• Failure to attend regular hours as scheduled
• Failure to comply with policies
• Lack of parental cooperation, communication or respect
• Violent behavior verbal or physical from a parent or child in the program

We will work with you and your child as much as possible on a plan, but ultimately we cannot put other children, staff or the preschool at risk or in a compromising situation.

If a student becomes ill or injured during their preschool day, the following steps are taken:

1. If a student becomes ill or shows symptoms that require exclusion during their preschool day and needs to be picked up, we will first message you in Brightwheel. If we don't hear back within 10 minutes we will call your cell number of both parents/guardians (from the phone numbers listed below).oo
2. If the child is feeling unwell or showing symptoms, we will message parents in Brightwheel to open lines of communication.
3. If it's a medical question that is not an emergency but causes concern, we will call the parent/guardians, then emergency contacts listed in Brightwheel and may reach out to the child's physician if parents/guardians don't answer and we need advice. (Ie Recent injury/illness recovery)
4. If the child encounters an injury that is something that requires EMS, 911 will be called and parents will be notified of the hospital if the child needs to be transported, Providence Newberg is the closest hospital.
   

We send out accident or incident reports to you via Brightwheel if your child encountered an injury or other interaction at school worth noting. We will send a brief description of the incident, which staff was present and measures taken to offer help, and if there is any harm done. Please note for privacy's sake if an interaction happens between two children, we will never mention the other child's name, but talk to both parents of those children involved privately, to address any concerns.

If there is an injury we will also take a picture of the injury site. We keep these reports with your child’s Brightwheel Portfolio and you have access to them through the Brightwheel App. If you see any injuries on your child after school that you might have a question about, please contact Teacher Jesi, our Program Director, so that she can research the situation. Sometimes kids do play rough, but it is our ultimate goal that your child is safe. If there is any mark that would suggest abuse of the child, we are required to report it immediately.

The phone number we will call from in case of an urgent illness or injury is one of these numbers, so please add them to your phone's contacts so you will know to answer in case of emergency.

1. Dundee Location Cell: 503-713-9400
2. Jesi Director Cell: 971-264-4864
3. Tiff Director Cell: 503-467-6565
4. Jennie Newberg Location Cell: 503-899-0245

By signing the registration forms you are giving your child permission to be transported as needed in case of an emergency. At this time we do not transport children to or from any other schools or locations.

All families sign our Liability Waiver for field trips and are responsible for transporting their child to and from the field trip. If a parent or approved adult can’t drive the student, you can choose whether a staff member can transport your child to and from the location. The Field Trip Participation Agreement explains that we do our best to provide a safe environment for all these children, but some times unplanned events can occur. The Participation Agreement has specific answers for any questions families might have. Parents are also responsible for providing an approved car seat for your child if staff is transporting your child. We will not be doing any field trips until approved by the Governor and Childcare Division due to COVID-19.

Dundee-During an emergency if the need arrises to evacuate the building, the first "safe" location is by the tall evergreen tree along the white neighbors fence. If the building or parking lot is not safe, children would be escorted to Tiff's house driveway below the preschool (beige house w/blue door) off of Red Hills Rd.

Newberg-During an emergency if the need arrises to evacuate the building, the first "safe" location is by the Newberg Library directly across from The Cultural Center front entrance.

Please complete the emergency authorization form very carefully. Complete, accurate information including home and work numbers is very important.We hold monthly Fire Drills, earthquake and intruder drills that we rotate throughout the year. We practice with the children leaving their items, walking together calmly and going outside in the case of an emergency. We do have a fire extinguishers throughout the building and teach children about fire safety, intruder safety and earthquake safety.

At The Good Life we feel that this a foundational age for children to learn about nutritious and healthy food, which is why we provide a seasonal menu with local and organic food sources as much as possible cooked from scratch.

Each meal served will meet the USDA Food Guidelines for food groups. Snacks will always have two food groups and Lunch will have a minimum of 3 food groups including a grain, protein, veggie and fruit. Water is served with all snacks that is bottled Earth2O water out of Opal Creek Oregon and throughout the day. Organic 1% Milk or Milk alternative is served with lunch. We provide breakfast at our Dundee location, if your child is dropped off before 8:00 AM. We also serve one morning snack, lunch and two afternoon snacks. At our Newberg location, we provide one morning snack, so we ask that children attending Newberg have breakfast before drop off and lunch after they are picked up.

Food for the children in school is more than just balanced meals and nutritious snacks, it is a vital part of each day. This is a great time for learning manners, socializing with other children, and talking about the day. We provide the food for your child while attending, so there is not need to bring any food from home. This helps children try new things when they see their peers eating the same food. We also provide Organic Popsicles to your child and their class on their birthday to celebrate. This helps it to remain consistent for all birthdays and not have parents worry about food allergies.

If your child has any food allergies PLEASE make sure to put this on their registration form. A doctor’s note must be signed and kept on file for food allergies. If your child has a food sensitivity or intolerances, please let us know during the registration process and we will do our best to accommodate. We may ask you to supplement with food from home depending on the intolerance or sensitivity. Parents need to re-sign the USDA enrollment form each year.

For COVID precautions the eating tables are placed 6 feet between tables and seating not directly facing another child whenever possible. Each child also has their assigned spot so they are not changing spots each day. Tables are sanitized between each use as well.

We do provide activities that require safety equipment if a child chooses to participate. At our Dundee location, we offer tricycles, bicycles with training wheels, balance bikes, scooters, and wheeled cars that are only played with on our concrete playground area. Everyone is required to wear a helmet. We also have swings, slides and a teeter totter on our other playground that has met the ASTM Certification on 12 inches of bark chips for padding falls. At our Newberg location we use the park outside the Cultural Center and set the expectations in the beginning of the year for students to not play on the Climbing web, until we have earned it as a group showing we can be safe with the other playground equipment.

We LOVE spending time outdoors and learning from the endless tools in nature. We go outside to play every day rain or shine! Children are able to explore different play options including: slides, swings, forts, soccer, balls, bikes, scooters, cars, gravel dig pits with dump trucks, wagons, grass and outside building blocks! Please note we will not have sensory or water tables for sanitation precaution.

1. Parent or guardian must present the medication to the staff and sign a medication permission form
2. Students may not transport medication to and from school
3. All medication must be in its original container and within the expiration date
4. Prescription medication must have the prescription label attached
5. Place prescription medication in a sealed plastic bag with the following written on the bag: Child’s name, Prescription name, Doctor’s name and number, Dosage, Pharmacy name and phone number, Instructions for administering and Dates the medication is to be used for.

Children must be kept home for 24 hours after the first does of a new medicine for possible allergic reactions. Non-prescription medication may include, but are not limited to:

• Antihistamines
• Non-Aspirin fever reducing/pain reliever
• Decongestants
• Anti-itch ointments or lotions
• Diaper rash ointments or lotions
• Cough Syrup
• Teething gels
• Insect Repellants

These must be sent in original containers. If any will be taken differently than indicated on the labels or for more than 5 days, we will need a note from the physician. If you forget to bring your child’s prescription medication to school you will be asked to go home and bring it back or take the child home and give them the required dosage.

We have a medication log that you can review at any time to see when your child was given his/her medications and a note indicating the times and dosage administered at school will be on your daily Brightwheel reports. If a child will be on long-term meds or as-needed medications like asthma inhalers, a note from your doctor will be required to put in our files. Medications that are not being used must be sent back home. Only asthma-type medications or EPI Pens will be kept at the preschool between uses.

We require all students in our program to be fully potty-trained for sanitary reasons. If a child reverts back, then we will work with you on a strategy to get them back on track. Which may require them to use pull-ups during school hours. If after two full weeks they are still continuing to have frequent potty accidents and not able to tell the Teacher when they need to go, then we will decide if the child needs to take a break from the program to work on potty training strategies at home before they return.

Please make sure they have enough changes of clothing here during this time. We recommend that newly potty trained children have at least 3 changes of underwear, pants and socks. Also make sure they are wearing clothes that are easily pulled up and down. No overalls, belts, skinny jeans, or zippers. An elastic waist is the best for kids and gives them a feeling of self-accomplishment when they can pull them up or down by themselves.

Please also no zippers or buckles. We do keep some spare clothes at the preschool in case of a child running out if they have a potty accident. We ask you return these to the school laundered and the clothing will always be marked "TGL”. If it becomes an issue of your child not having spare underwear or clothes, you will be notified and charged $5 for each pair of underwear that the child needs, which your child would be allowed to keep.

Children need to be able to use the bathroom by themselves. Teachers are near when children use the bathroom, but the child is in the bathroom alone with the door shut, unless the child asks for help.

At the Newberg location, the children are alone in the bathroom stalls, but there will always be a teacher present in the restroom. Please note we only use the women's restroom in Newberg.

We have flushable wipes available for kids to use after a bowel movement. Teachers will be available for assistance if the child has already used the flushable wipes and is still asking us for help. We encourage parents to practice this skill at home.

1. Before we eat or prepare food
2. After we eat or clean up food
3. After using the bathroom or helping in the bathroom
4. After playing outside or with messy things
5. After coughing, sneezing, or wiping nose

We instruct our class frequently about germs and proper hand washing to be “Germ Busters!” We sing a hand washing song while rubbing our hands that you may want to encourage at home as well. We make sure that all the “bubble boats” full of germs go down the drain and are off their hands before thoroughly drying with a paper towel.

Our Handwashing Song:

Tops and Bottoms (rub backs of hands and bottoms together)

Tops and Bottoms In between (rub by intertwining fingers) In between

Rub them all together (rub hands in a circle) Rub them all together

Squeaky clean (twist around thumbs) Squeaky clean

To watch the video and learn our hand washing song for use at home, click here.

At The Good Life Preschool we try to see the best in all children and use Positive Guidance and Behavior Management only when necessary. We give positive verbal encouragement for acceptable behavior rather than praising the outcomes.

Punishment that is humiliating or frightening to a child such as hitting, spanking, shaking, verbal or sexual abuse, withholding or forcing food or punishments for lapses in toilet training, and other forms of physical punishment are PROHIBITED. The children are explained the rules of the program frequently, so that all know the guidelines. Once a child understands the rules and follows them, the following techniques are used.

As a last resort a conference will be called with the parents. If problems cannot be resolved the child maybe asked to find a program that would be a better fit for both parties. Our goal is to always have all the children in our program feel welcomed and safe!

Some of the Positive Guidance Techniques we use to guide behavior include the following:

1. Clear Expectations: We take the time to reflect with the children before transitioning to the next activity to share very clear expectations ahead of time.
2. Proactive/Preventive Strategies: We try to set children up to succeed.We place name tags on our “Tree Carpet” used for gathering time or snack spots in a pattern to keep conflicting children separated as much as possible
3. Ignoring: We find that sometimes a child produces some negative behavior to get attention. It can be stopped when it does not get the attention desired. We will use this technique unless a safety issue is involved.
4. Redirection: We try to offer alternatives or distract a child who is engaged in undesirable behavior by encouraging a different toy or activity.
5. Verbal Intervention: We explain to the child the inappropriate behavior and show him/her the appropriate way to handle the situation with words. We try to always state what they “Should” do rather than what not to do and avoid NO, DON’T and STOP. Instead we use the words "Pause" or "Freeze".
6. Emotional Labeling: We try to model empathy and help children identify their emotions and the emotions of others.
7. Logical Consequences: We help the child understand the logical consequence of his/her actions by removing the object or activity in which the child is engaged.
8. Wait and Cool Off: We help children learn to self regulate their body and feelings in a safe way. If a child seems like they might be getting too upset, we will help the child step away from the learning group in the library to allow them to relax and calm down. We read our “Calm Down Time” books together and do “balloon breathes”. The child will have access to limited activities including books and be closely monitored. The child may return to the learning group as soon as the negative behavior stops or is significantly reduced. Length of time never exceeds their age in minutes.
9. Kelso’s Wheel of Choices to Solve Problems: After they have "Cooled Off " we help them find a solution using Kelso's Wheel of Choices. We teach them to use two different approaches from the wheel next time. These are all effective tools for children to use in problem solving.
10. Frequency & Intensity: If a child needs to "Cool Off" regularly, a child’s parent will be asked to work with the teacher. If the child puts them self, other children, or adults in immediate danger, a parent will come pick up the child

Oregon has joined the Race to the Top to increase the quality of early childhood education and child care there is available in our state. To increase the standards of providers and teachers, Oregon adopted a star ranking scale similar to other states. We now have the Quality Rating and Improvement System, now referred to as SPARK which goes above and beyond the basic safety requirements for child care. Through SPARK, programs submit a portfolio with evidence for all the parts of their program to Western Oregon University to have it ranked based on the proven markers of quality.

The Good Life Preschool Dundee location is proud to be a 5 Star Rated program! For information visit http://triwou.org/projects/qris. The domains evaluated for our quality ranking include the following:

• Children’s Learning and Development (LD)
• Health and Safety (HS)
• Personnel Qualifications (PQ)
• Family Partnerships (FP)
• Administration and Business Practices (AB)

We are always striving to provide the highest quality program we can for your children. We do annual program evaluations at the end of each school year and the end of the summer program. Please share with us your thoughts so that we can continue to provide your children with the best experience possible! We are always open to feedback, so feel free to reach out anytime to tiff@thegoodlifepreschool.com!

We are committed to providing information to all parents and families in a way they can understand. If we have families who have a language barrier or need additional resources to help them completely understand and participate in our program, we will do our best to accommodate to fit your family's needs.

We value bringing parents and families into our program. If you have a family language, culture, celebration, or special skill that you would like to share with these children in our program, PLEASE let us know. We will work together to plan an event for you to participate in our program by offering an online sharing or video with families.

We know that family's can go through some life changes. In the event of a family situation that involves divorce or custody issues, we want to focus on what’s best for your child. Decisions as to the travel arrangements, paying of tuition and attending parent conferences is between the parents. If there is a restraining order in place, it is the responsibility of the parent to provide that information for the child’s file and inform The Managing Director or Program Director. It is also helpful for our staff to know if you are having any family changes at home that could affect your child so we can help your child navigate through those changes while at school (new house, new family in the home, etc.).

The Good Life Preschool practices inclusion of all children with any cultural background, language, and any kind of physical or emotional disability. We make necessary exceptions and accommodations to support these special healthy needs. We currently provide support children with special needs by providing an iPad with a special communication program

(LAMP), sign language, and special needs training. We have collaborated health services and ongoing communication with local Individual Family Support Plan (IFSP) providers and Individual Education Plan (IEP) team members in our community. We have Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists, and other professionals who conduct observations and provide services in our program. During the summer program, we would work with you to schedule virtual meetings with your child so that we don't have new adults entering the building.

We also have a single story building for our program to enable the movement of children with physical disabilities or walking aides. Our classroom has labels using pic card images to give instructions for bathroom routines and a picture card bin for use of any student with language needs. There are added handles for safety near the toilet and steps in the bathroom for children with special physical needs.

As teachers and child care providers we are Mandatory Reporters which means we are required by the state of Oregon to report all indications of child abuse that we see or hear about from the children in our program.

At this time, we will not be using any apps that require kids touch the iPads to prevent spreading of germs. The iPad would only be used by the Teacher while showing the entire class a short learning video or during our Cosmic Yoga time.Content is appropriate for all ages, nonviolent and culturally sensitive in the images of children presented.

On occasion we will show a children’s show on our theatre screen such as: Sid the Science Kid, Magic School Bus, Word World on special occasions. We keep video media under 45 minutes. During that time children also have the option to read in the library or do table games. We only show videos that are activity engaging children for learning while watching and there is no screen media is playing throughout the regular day.

All screen time is intentional and related to the current interests and learning going on in the classroom. For example, we might watch the Magic school bus episode about human digestion during the week we learn about our body or support our lessons on things such as germs, science, sharing, etc.. The videos we show are all on DVD's without advertisements or on the learning app that does not have ads. We will often listen to music as background sounds that is kid appropriate music.

We have two dogs that are kept at Tiffany's house. Francesco, is a small Mini Aussie mix and Daisy, a black Pomeranian. Both are up to date on all shots and flea treated. They are friendly with kids and only come up to visit on occasion when supervised by the Managing Director and a small group of children.

Throughout the day, you will see staff and teachers either using our Program iPads or their individual cell phones as part of our program. Staff only have access to a few program apps during the day, including the Brightwheel app to record pictures and notes in your child's daily log. iPhones, iPads, and iPods are only to be used to record assessments, curriculum, observations, meals, memories, lessons, and to communicate with parents. We also have access to the Good Life Preschool YouTube Channel, The Dr Seuss Library, Starfall Education Learning, Bob Books, Cosmic Kids, and a selection of approved songs & movement videos.

Employees are only allowed to use their cell phones to communicate to parents about an illness or injury, emergency purposes, or to text another staff member to help coordinate logistics between activities for the children. Personal calls and texts for or by staff are only conducted before or after a shift or on a lunch break. Staff is instructed to clean their personal devices from home at the beginning and end of each shift they work.

The Good Life values the relationships that develops between parents and our staff each day. We ask that conversations last only a brief time during pick-up and drop-off whenever possible to enable our staff to perform their job without distraction. Please maintain a 6 foot distance from staff during this time.

We encourage you to contact our staff through the Brightwheel App as the primary way to communicate. If it's something more private that needs to be discussed with your child's Teacher you may contact them via email or phone (after teaching hours).

If there is an urgent issue that you feel needs to be addressed about your child in the classroom, enrollment schedule, academic assessments, teaching, curriculum, newsletter or behavioral management, you can contact the Program Director, Jesi Payne on her cell number after 3:00 PM at 971-264-4864.

If you have questions on your child's billing, invoicing, notifying about upcoming vacations, recommendations on the program or menu/food reach out to our Managing Director, Tiff 503-467-6565.

We have planned parent-teacher conferences in the fall and spring matching the local school district. But conferences can be scheduled at any time by either the parent or Lead Teacher to meet virtually at this time. Please coordinate directly with your child's teacher through Brightwheel to arrange a time that works.

Even though many of the child care Covid rules are changing rapidly, we are striving to meet the best practice standards to keep everyone safe. For updated details click HERE.

Child Care Provider COVID-19 Requirements and Recommendations

Effective Date: June 30, 2021

Applicability

This document applies to child care providers, as defined below, to provide health and safety requirements and recommendations while operating during COVID-19. Where this guidance does not require specific action by child care providers, a provider may choose whether to consider or implement advisory information or best practices.

COVID-19 Exclusion and Notification

Child care providers should attempt to verify vaccination status in order to apply any exclusion protocols that are specific to vaccinated individuals. If a provider is not aware of an individual’s vaccination status, the provider should assume the individual is unvaccinated and follow general exclusion protocols.

Child care providers should:

Exclude from the program any child or staff member, regardless of vaccination status, if they exhibit COVID-19 symptoms including new loss of taste or smell, fever, new cough, or shortness of breath in the last 10 days.

• New cough: means out of the ordinary for this person–e.g., not typical asthma, allergies
• Fever: means 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or more, without the use of fever-reducing medication.
• Exclusion from the program should be for 10d days after the onset of symptoms of a household member and 24 hours after both fever and cough resolve, without the use of fever-reducing medication. Programs should consult with the Local Public Health Authority for additional guidance.
• The 10-day exclusion period can be shortened:
• If an individual with symptoms of COVID-19 tests negatives at any time during the 10-day period. They can return to the child care program 24 hours after resolution of cough and fever without the use of fever-reducing medication.
• If an individual’s only symptom is fever and is advised by a medical professional they can return to the child care program.
• Documentation from the medical professional is recommended. The person should be fever-free for at least 24 hours.
• A child who has received routine childhood vaccinations in the last 48 hours can return to care at the direction of a medical professional once they are fever-free. Documentation of vaccination from the medical professional is recommended.
• Monitor for symptoms of anyone who comes into the program who is known to have had a household member with symptoms of COVID-19. The ill household member should be strongly encouraged to get tested. An unvaccinated staff member or child who is a close contact of an individual with presumptive or confirmed COVID-19 may be required to be excluded in accordance with Oregon Health Authority rules.
  
• Follow these recommendations for individuals who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms but who have received their COVID-19 vaccine within the past three days:

Child care providers are required to:

• Exclude from the program any child or staff member who tests positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, for the time period specified in the rules adopted by the Oregon Health Authority under OAR 333, Division 19, in accordance with rules adopted by the Authority.
  
• Exclude from the program any child or staff member who is susceptible and who is exposed to COVID-19, for the time period specified in the rules adopted by the Oregon Health Authority, in accordance with the rules adopted by the Authority.
  
• Inform all families, staff, and individuals who enter the child care program that they should not enter if they are unvaccinated and have been exposed to a COVID-19 case.
  
• Notify the local public health authority immediately if anyone who has been on the premises of the program is diagnosed with COVID-19.
  
• Communicate, in coordination with the local public health authority, with all families and other individuals who have been on the premises of the program in the past 14 days about a confirmed case of COVID-19.

• Child care providers are required to, for contact tracing purposes, log the following, in accordance with rules adopted by the Oregon Health Authority under OAR 333, Division 19:
• Adult name(s) completing drop-off and pick-up;
  
• Child names, arrival and departure date and times;
  
• Name of any staff or person coming in contact with child care children, arrival and departure date and times;
  
• If transportation is provided by the program: names of all riders and their contact information. Recommended Prevention Strategies
  The following best practices protocols are recommended to be established by the child care program to prevent transmission of COVID-19.

It is important to remember:

● Our communities will be living with the virus until there is widespread immunity.

● COVID-19 continues to evolve with new, more infectious variants; our knowledge of mitigation efforts also evolves over time. For these reasons the guidance for responding to COVID-19 also evolves.

● Right now, the best tools to protect individuals are vaccination for those eligible, physical distancing, face coverings, ventilation and airflow, hand hygiene, and staying home if ill or exposed to someone with COVID-19.

● Opportunity for transmission decreases with each mitigation effort that is implemented.

Best Practices for Personal Protective Equipment and Physical Distancing

1. Indoors, all adults should wear a face covering.
   
2. Indoors, children who are age 5 and up should wear a face-covering unless:
• They have a verified medical condition or disability that prevents them from safely wearing a face covering;
  
• They are unable to remove the face covering independently;
  
• They are sleeping, eating, or drinking
  
3. If a child removes a face covering or demonstrates a need to remove the face covering for a short period of time:
• Supervise the child to maintain physical distancing while the face covering is removed;
  
• Show the child how to effectively wear a face covering;
  
• Guide the child to re-engage in safely wearing a face covering;
  
• Don’t discipline for the inability to wear a face covering.
  
• Always ensure children younger than two years do not wear a face covering.
  
• Face coverings should be washed daily or a new one wore daily. If a face shield is used, it should be wiped down with disinfectant at the end of the day after use. Disposable face coverings or face shields should be worn only once.

• *Note: Although stable group restrictions have been lifted, it is important to remember that if a COVID-19 positive case occurs, everyone that had exposure should quarantine. This is why it is so important to minimize contact as much as possible.
  
• Keep adults and children in the same groups as much as possible.
  
• Staff and children from different groups should practice physical distancing.
  
1. Interaction with individuals from other groups should be minimized.
   
2. Consider having contracted services and family engagement activities outdoors.
   

Best Practices for Handwashing and General Hygiene

1. Staff and children should wash hands for at least 20 seconds (hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol is supported when an asterisk* appears):
• Before and after eating, preparing food, and or bottle preparation
  
• Before and after administering medication
  
• After toileting or assisting with toileting
  
• Before and after diapering
  
• After wiping a nose, coughing, or sneezing*
  
• After coming in from outside*
  
• Upon entering and leaving the child care facility*
  
• If staff are moving between stable groups*
  
• After cleaning (staff only)
  
• After bagging, cleaning, and disinfecting linens, clothing, and other laundry items (staff only)
  
2. Hand sanitizer should not be used on children under the age of two years.
   
3. The application of hand sanitizer on preschool-aged children should be supervised by an adult.
   
4. Hand sanitizer should be stored out of reach of children when not in use.
   
5. All other individuals (parent, maintenance, etc.) coming into the program should be advised and encouraged to frequently wash hands or use hand sanitizer.
   

Best Practices for Food and Nutrition

1. Eliminate the practice of children serving themselves from communal platters in the manner of family-style meals. Have one staff member serve everyone from communal dishes.
   
2. Closely supervise all meal times, including infant feeding and toddler meals, to prevent children from sharing and/or touching each other’s food.
   
3. Discontinue use of drinking fountains except for filling other containers such as water bottles.
   
4. Directly supervise activities or lessons that involve food handling to minimize contamination. Shared materials should be limited and sanitized between uses.
   

Best Practices for Ventilation and Air Flow

Ventilation is a primary tool to reduce viral spread indoors and promote a healthy learning environment. Indoor air spaces need special consideration because of COVID-19 transmission potential from the buildup in the air of smaller particles and aerosols that are generated from breathing, talking, laughing, shouting, singing, coughing, and sneezing. In addition, improved indoor air quality is associated with better child and staff attendance, engagement, and well-being, as well as other health outcomes, including reduced asthma and allergies. Optimization of indoor air quality can provide benefits extending beyond mitigating infectious disease transmission.

Improve the indoor air quality by:

1. Increase circulation of outdoor air as much as possible by opening windows and doors, using fans, and employing other methods. See OHA Indoor air considerations for COVID-19 for smaller spaces and CDC ventilation recommendations;
   
2. Exhausting air from indoors to the outdoors; and
   
3. Cleaning the air that is recirculated indoors by using effective filtration methods (e.g., HEPA filters) to remove virus-containing particles from the air.
   
4. As applicable, ensure that ventilation systems (e.g., HVAC) operate properly.
   

All ventilation strategies should include safety and health precautions including restricting the amount a window is open, putting screens in windows and covers on fans, minimizing exposure to pollen or smoke, and adjusting the thermostat to maintain a comfortable temperature.

Best Practices for Cleaning and Building Maintenance

*Note: Know the difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting and the 3-Step Method:

1. WASH
2. RINSE
3. SANITIZE or DISINFECT

*Cleaning is first used to remove dirt and debris from surfaces using a detergent or soap and water prior to sanitizing or disinfecting.

*Sanitizing is used to reduce germs from surfaces but not totally get rid of them. Sanitizing solutions reduce the germs from surfaces to levels that are considered safe. The sanitizing 3-Step Method is most often used for food surfaces, kitchens, and classrooms.

*Disinfecting is used to destroy or inactivate germs and prevent them from growing. Disinfecting solutions are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The disinfecting 3-Step Method is most often used for body fluids and bathrooms/diapering areas.

1. Use products approved by the EPA for use against SARS-CoV-2 for household disinfectant:

https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/listn-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2-covid-19.

Diluted household bleach solutions may also be used for some surfaces. If using bleach, make a fresh bleach dilution daily; label the bottle with contents and the date mix.

1. For children or adults with asthma: use bleach products sparingly or when children are not present. Use wipes or apply the product directly to a dampened towel, rather than using the spray.
   
2. Operate ventilation systems properly and/or increase circulation of outdoor air as much as possible by opening windows and doors, using fans, and other methods. Run ventilation systems continuously and change the filters more frequently. Do not use fans if they pose a safety or health risk, such as increasing exposure to pollen/allergies or exacerbating asthma symptoms. For example, do not use fans if doors and windows are closed and the fans are recirculating
   the air.
   
3. Toys should be sanitized as they become dirty and at least weekly. Water tables should be cleaned in between each use by a group. Toys may be cleaned using hot water and soap/detergent in a washing machine, dishwasher, or by hand. Dry toys completely in a hot dryer when possible. Do not wash toys with dirty dishes, utensils, etc.
   When washing toys by hand:
   Step 1: Wash and scrub toys thoroughly with soap or detergent and warm water to remove most of the dirt, grime, and saliva. It is important to clean toys before sanitizing them because the sanitizer kills germs better on clean surfaces.
   Step 2: Rinse toys with water to remove the dirt, soap residue, and germs to help make a clean surface.
   Step 3: Sanitize toys. Sanitizing reduces the germs from surfaces to levels that are considered safe. Dip the toys in a sanitizing solution, or cover the toys sufficiently with spray. Protect your skin by wearing household rubber gloves. Allow toys to dry completely (i.e. overnight) or allow 2 minutes before wiping toys dry with a paper towel. When using a bleach solution for sanitizing, chlorine from the sanitizing bleach solution evaporates off the toys so no residue remains, and further rinsing is not necessary.
   
4. Thermometers, pacifiers, teething toys, and similar objects should be cleaned and reusable parts sanitized between uses. Pacifiers should not be shared.
   
5. Vacuum carpeted floor and rugs every other day, and as they become dirty when children are not present. If contaminated, disinfect with appropriate cleaners indicated for use on
   these surfaces.
   
6. High-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs, light switches, non-food countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, and toilets, should be disinfected at least daily, including at the end of the day.
   
7. Toilet and diapering areas including but not limited to handwashing sinks, counters, toilets, toilet handles, floors, diaper trash cans, and bathroom floors must be disinfected daily, with the exception of changing tables which should be disinfected after each use.
   
8. Tables and high chair trays should be cleaned and sanitized before and after each use.
   
9. Food preparation surfaces, countertops, eating utensils and dishes, and food preparation sinks should be cleaned and sanitized after each use. Countertops should also be sanitized at the end of the day.
   
10. Kitchen floors should be sanitized daily.
11. Refrigerators should be cleaned and sanitized monthly.
    
12. Bedding, linens, and clothing should be sanitized in a washing machine using hot water and machine dried at least weekly, and in between use by another child. Wear disposable gloves when handling dirty laundry from a person who is sick. Bag all items that go in the laundry before removing them from the area. Do not shake dirty laundry. Dirty laundry from an ill person can be washed with other people’s items.
    
13. Use cleanable covers on electronics, such as tablets, touch screens, keyboards, and remote controls.
    
14. In home-based programs: clean spaces between the times when household members and children utilize the space.
    

Best Practices for Transportation

1. Exclude individuals from transportation in accordance with the exclusion guidelines listed above.
   
2. Follow face-covering requirements for staff and children in accordance with those guidelines listed above.
   
3. Ensure children who become sick during the program participation are sent home immediately. If the program is responsible for transporting the child home, that child should be separated, maintaining physical distancing of six feet from the other children in the vehicle.
   
4. Clean and sanitize the entire transportation vehicle daily, paying particular attention to frequently touched surfaces, such as seats, steering wheel, door handles, handrails, air vents, and the top of seats. Sanitation products should be approved by the EPA for use against SARS- CoV-2: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2- covid-19. Car safety seats and seat belts should be cleaned with mild detergent and water.
   
5. Consider requiring either a face covering (for children kindergarten-age and older) or three feet of physical distancing during transport.
   
6. Children should get out of the vehicle in a manner that minimizes children passing each other (e.g., unload from front to back of the vehicle).
   
7. Assign children to the same location and seat each day.
   

Best Practices for Health Education, Training and Communication

All staff and families should be educated to maintain good hygiene and behave in ways that prevent transmission of COVID-19. This includes the following best practices:

1. Having a method to train staff and inform families regarding COVID-19 safety precautions, and information on recognizing signs and symptoms of COVID-19
   
2. Providing training to staff when updates to safety precautions are made, and for new staff prior to the first day of work or during employee orientation.

e: tiff@thegoodlifepreschool.com

c: 503-467-6565

Teacher Jesi-Program Director (Enrollment Schedules/ Behavioral Support/ Assessments)

e: jesi@thegoodlifepreschool.com

c: 971-264-4864

Teacher Amanda-PreK Vines & Rivers Dundee Location

e: amanda@thegoodlifepreschool.com

c: 971-226-3677

Teacher Nicole- Preschool Stars & Suns Dundee Location

e: nicole@thegoodlifepreschool.com

c: 503-569-6419

Teacher Jennie- PreK Rainbows & Preschool Trees Newberg Location

e: jennie@thegoodlifepreschool.com

c: 503-899-0245

Teacher Brie- Chef & Assistant Teacher

e: brie@thegoodlifepreschool.com

c: 209-628-2186

Teacher Nikki-Chef & Assistant Teacher

e: nikki@thegoodlifepreschool.com

c: 541-399-3963