Grain Valley Early Childhood Center

It is important that your child’s school attendance be as consistent as possible. If your child is absent on days he/she is scheduled for therapy, he/she will lose those therapy minutes.  If your child is going to be absent, please call the transportation office at 847-5004 (if your child receives bus services) and the office at the  Early Childhood Center as soon as possible. Should your child miss school for a vacation or sickness, instruction will resume once the student return to school. 

Students are permitted to bring treats to celebrate their birthday in the classroom.  If you would like to send treats to school, please notify the teacher in advance.  We ask parents not to send birthday invitations to school to be distributed unless there is an invitation for every student in the class.  We also ask parents to not send flowers or balloon bouquets due to the distraction such deliveries cause. 

Communication between the home and school is the key to building a supportive team for your child.  The most effective way to handle any questions or concerns is to:

1. Email your child’s teachers requesting a phone call or a conference.
2. Send a message through ParentSquare directly to your child’s teacher.
3. Call the school and ask your child’s teacher to call you at their earliest convenience.
4. Send a note to the school for your child’s teacher requesting a phone call or conference.
5. Call or email the principal to discuss the appropriate means to address questions or concerns.

*Please allow at least one school day for a conference to be scheduled with a teacher.* 

The Board of Education expects student dress and grooming to be neat, clean, and in good taste, so that every student may share in promoting a positive, healthy, and safe atmosphere within the school district. Student dress and grooming will be the responsibility of the individual and parents/ guardians, within the following guidelines: 

1. Dress and grooming will be clean and in keeping with health, sanitary and safety requirements.
2. All students must wear shoes, boots or other types of footwear.
3. Dress and grooming will not disrupt the educational environment.
4. Class activities that present a concern for student safety may require the student to adjust hair and/or clothing during the class period, in the interest of maintaining safety standards.

When, in the judgment of the principal, a student’s appearance or mode of dress does not comply with the above criteria, the student may be required to make modifications.  No employee or volunteer shall direct a student to remove an emblem, insignia, or garment, including a religious emblem, insignia or garment, as long as it is worn in a manner that does not promote disruptive behavior. Examples of clothing not permitted at school include:

• Clothing or items promoting substances that are illegal for minors
• Shoes with built-in wheels

All students should keep a complete change of clothing (including socks, underwear, pants, and shirt) in their backpacks in case of an accident at school.  Check the clothing occasionally to make sure it is seasonal and still fits your child.  Children in the process of toilet training should bring Pull-Ups and wet wipes to keep at school. 

Teachers will notify parents of any field trips.  Please return signed permission slips and any fees by the deadline listed by the teachers.  Notify your child’s teacher, or principal, if you wish to request financial assistance for the payment of the fees associated with any field trip.  All students are expected to ride the bus to and from the field trip location. 

Contagious Illness/Communicable Disease:

Students will be excluded from school due to illness based upon recommendations of “Prevention and Control of Communicable Disease”. This complete manual is able to be viewed at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services website.  Students will also be sent home from school if the following are present: 

1. Diarrhea is defined by watery stools decreased form of stool that is not associated with changes in diet. Students can return to school once diarrhea subsides.
2. Fever is defined as any student with a temperature of 99.8 or greater. The student must remain home until he/she has been fever-free, without the use of medication, for 24 hours.
3. Vomiting – Students must remain home if they have had two or more episodes of vomiting in the previous 24 hours. The student should be excluded from school until vomiting stops or until a health care provider determines that the cause of vomiting is not contagious and that the child is not in danger of dehydration. Students who vomit at school will be sent home for monitoring. 

Emergencies /Injury Guidelines:

Students who have a medical emergency or injury at school will be treated according to the “Emergency Guidelines for Schools and Child Care Facilities” manual.  This manual is available in each school building and at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Website.

Head lice:

If a student is infested with live head lice, the student will be removed from school by a parent/guardian and may not return to school until treatment is completed and no live head lice remain. When a student who had a live head lice infestation returns to school, the student will be transported by a parent/guardian and the student will be examined again by the school nurse/health aide. If live head lice are found at that time, the parent/guardian will again be called and re-instructed concerning the treatment of the head lice. The student will be excluded from school for  24  hours to allow for additional treatment. This process will continue until the student is free of head lice. A student who was identified as having nits but not a live head lice infestation will be reexamined within five calendar days of the initial identification.  If this examination reveals nits are still present, the parent/guardian will again be instructed on treatment options. This process will repeat until the student is free of nits. 

Medication Guidelines:  

Medications should be administered at home whenever possible. Medications prescribed  for three times per day can generally be given before school,  after school,  and at bedtime.  If medications are given at school these guidelines must be followed. 

1. All medications (prescription and over-the-counter)  must be prescribed by a physician either by a prescription or a written physician's order. 
2. A  medication consent form must be signed by a parent/guardian for each medication. 
3. Medications should be brought to school by an adult and the first dose of any medication will not be given by the school. 
4. Medications must be in an original,  current prescription bottle.  Pharmacists will provide an extra labeled bottle for school doses. 
5. Medications sent in envelopes, baggies, etc. will not be given. The  prescription  label  must  contain  the  child's name, name  of the medication, dosage, and directions (time of doses, etc.) 
6. Over-the-counter medications must be in the original container,  with a written doctor’s order stating the student’s name, name of the medication,  dosage, directions, the reason for giving medication, and any contraindications. 
7. Expired medications will not be given. Prescriptions over thirty days old will not be given unless the prescription indicates a two or three-month supply. 
8. Parents must provide medications. Our schools do not stock medications. 

Emergency  Medications:  

All  K-12  buildings in this district are equipped with naloxone (nasal), epinephrine auto-injectors, and asthma rescue medications. The  Early Childhood  Education  Center will be equipped with asthma rescue medications.  The school nurse or another employee trained and supervised by the school nurse may administer this medication when they believe, based on training, that a student is having a serious or life-threatening reaction or episode.  A prescription or written permission from a parent/guardian is not necessary to administer these medications in an emergency situation. (Board Policy JHCD) " 

Immunizations:

In accordance with state guidelines,  all children enrolled in our preschool program are required to have up-to-date immunization records or an approved exemption on file.  Families may request to know whether any child in the program has an immunization exemption (medical or otherwise)  on record. While we are not permitted to disclose the identity of any individual child, we can confirm the presence or absence of exemptions in the program upon request. If you have questions or would like to inquire about immunization exemptions, please contact the building administration or the school nurse.   

School closings due to inclement weather will be announced using our phone notification system, as well as social media and television stations. Unscheduled early closings due to equipment failure or weather may also be necessary.  Please be sure you have an alternate plan with your child should inclement weather conditions occur.  Each child should know where to go if an emergency arises if school is dismissed and the parents are not home.

On AMI days (Alternative Method of Instruction), teachers will communicate expectations via Parent Square. 

Senate Bill 572 states that students whose fifth birthday occurs before the first day of August are eligible for kindergarten. 

Once a facility has been locked down (due to inclement weather and/or for safety purposes) no one will be allowed to enter or leave the building until an all-clear is given. 

If it is necessary to pick up your child during school hours, the parent or designated adult must sign out the child in the office. A child will be released to parents/legal guardians and persons approved by the parent. All requests for persons to pick up your child must be in writing. All visitors should go directly to the office to pick up children during the school day. 

See the district’s FAMILY INFORMATION BOOKLET for additional Public  Notices.

Public Notice- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Notice for Directory Information The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that our schools, with certain exceptions, obtain a parent/guardian’s written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from a child’s education records.  However, our schools may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless the parent/guardian has advised the school to the contrary in accordance with school district procedures.  The primary purpose of directory information is to allow our schools to include this type of information from a child’s education records in certain school publications. Examples include:

• A playbill, showing your student’s role in a drama production;
• The annual school yearbook;
• Recognitions or participation in classroom or school activities shared in social media or publication;
• Graduation programs; and
• Sports activity sheets, such as for wrestling, showing weight and height of team members.

Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent.  Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks.  In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to provide military recruiters, upon request, with the following information – names, addresses and telephone listings – unless parents have advised the LEA that they do not want their student’s information disclosed without their prior written consent. [1]

If you do not want your child’s school to disclose directory information from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the principal of the school in writing within 10 days of receiving this notification.

The following information is included in what the Grain Valley School District has designated as directory information:

• Student’s name
• Parents’ names
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams
• Photograph, videotape, digital image, recorded sound
• Degrees, honors, and awards received
• Artwork or coursework on display
• Date, and place of birth
• Dates of attendance
• The most recent educational agency or institution attended
• Grade level
• Student ID number, user ID, or other unique personal identifier used to communicate in electronic systems that cannot be used to access education records without a PIN, password, etc. (A student’s SSN, in whole or in part, cannot be used for this purpose.)

[1] These laws are Section 9528 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 7908) and 10 U.S.C. § 503(c). 

Physical fitness is an important wellness skill, so recess is an official part of the student’s instructional day and all students are required to participate.  We find students learn better when they have fresh air and exercise breaks.  There may be an occasion when it is necessary for your child to remain inside for recess.  Students need a note from a parent stating the reason and length of time they will need to remain inside.  A physician’s written notice will be required if a child needs to miss more than 3 days of recess.  Temperatures or wind chills below 20 degrees mean no extended time outside, but teachers may take students out for a brisk walk.  It is imperative that students always dress in accordance with the weather. 

School hours at the Early Childhood Center are Monday through Thursday, 8:00-11:00 AM and 12:20- 3:20 PM. 

Bus transportation is an option and is provided for students who qualify for Early Childhood Special Education services and reside in the Grain Valley School District boundaries.  Parents of students participating in the preschool program are responsible for providing their own transportation to and from school.

Students can have only (1) location from which they ride the bus to school (home or daycare) and only (1) location to which they are delivered (home or daycare).  Bus service for alternating days to more than (1) location will not be permitted for student safety reasons.  If you have any questions regarding these procedures, please contact the School District Transportation Director at 847-5004.

The Grain Valley R-V district's transportation procedures support students (and parents/guardians waiting at the assigned bus stop with their children, if needed). Once it is time to load the bus, students need to do so independently.  Parents do not access the bus along with their children.  If students have identified special needs that require the support of an adult to help them get on and/or off the bus, the district addresses this need via individual plans per IDEA or 504 requirements.

The school bus is an extension of the student’s school day and as such, behavior on the bus is expected to be the same as if the student were in the classroom.  Bus drivers will communicate safety rules and expectations to riders and relay unsafe and inappropriate behavior to the associate director. 

The following procedures will be enacted once a tornado warning has been announced: If the school is in the process of dismissal, students and drivers seek shelter in the school. 

• If buses are en route with students, drivers will be directed to the nearest school or public building.
• Drivers should arrive at the evacuation location within 2-3 minutes after the announcement.
  Drivers will announce their evacuation location and they stay sheltered with the students until the warning has ended.
• Once the warning has expired, the transportation department will send an automated call to all drivers to reload their buses and resume route or await further instruction.
• Drivers will announce that they have reloaded the bus and all students are accounted for before resuming the route. 

Transportation Changes

Please call the Early Childhood Center at 816-994-4901 if your child’s transportation needs to be changed for the day.  In order to make the necessary adjustments, please call or notify the office 30 minutes prior to dismissal if at all possible.  

The scheduling of vacations during school days is strongly discouraged.  When travel during the school year is unavoidable, your child’s teacher should be notified in advance. 

 Parents are welcome and encouraged to volunteer at the school.  Everyone who wishes to volunteer in the school building will need to sign a confidentiality statement prior to any volunteer work.  Please make volunteering arrangements with the teacher ahead of time.  All visitors must enter through the main entrance, check-in at the school office, and wear a visitor badge.  Avoid bringing preschool-aged children when volunteering in the classroom or attending holiday parties.  

Any item that is distracting, dangerous, or interferes with learning is not allowed at school or on the bus.  Such items will be taken away and may need to be picked up by the parent.  This includes music players, handheld games, cell phones, smartwatches, and trading cards.