FALL ENROLLMENT LETTER 2009

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the Wildwood Family!

Our unique building is nestled among beaver ponds, willows and evergreens on several acres of White River National Forest Land. Our wonderland setting opens the door for our environmental arts program. As always, we stress a very hands-on approach to learning, with many nature hikes, snowshoe and cross country ski outings. With the Younger and Older Domes, there is a continuous flow in the child’s learning, with the program building on basic steps towards kindergarten readiness.

Our program centers on the emotional, social, physical, self-help and academic development of the child. Using monthly, environmentally centered themes, we integrate all our teaching; music, dance, arts, drama, mathematics, science, language arts, reading, and skill work. Through experience based learning, we try to help the children become confident in themselves and the world around them with an excitement for learning. There are many opportunities throughout the school day for the younger children to mingle with the older children, and we have found that all ages benefit from this experience.

Our friendly yellow school bus allows the school the ability to travel the valley, and provide the children with all the experiences that our community has to offer. When hands-on learning is a goal, the ability to access a myriad of experiences is key to a successful education. We plan special field trips monthly, and make regular trips to the library and A.C.E.S. Additional optional programs that we offer for a minimal charge include gymnastics; swim lessons; and downhill skiing. We offer cross- country skiing and snowshoeing at the school during the winter months.

Our top notched staff is educated and experienced in early childhood education, in addition to environmental education. The directors have been employed at Wildwood for a combined total of four decades! Each teacher brings his or her own expertise and energy to help provide the high quality program Wildwood has given the valley for over 36 years. We understand that preschoolers thrive on interaction with their caretakers. Response to their conversation and actions helps them develop language skills as well as increase their understanding of the world. As such, we are committed to a low student/teacher ratio of 7 to 1 throughout the school.

We schedule parent-teacher pre-conferences in the fall as an opportunity to touch base and map out what we hope to accomplish over the course of the school year, as well as try to answer any questions you may have.
Together we will formulate “Individual Learning Plans” for each child. In the spring, we meet again with parents for an in-depth and thorough reflection on your child’s growth and development over the school year.

In addition, Wildwood is rated as a "4- Star" Early Childhood Center by "Qualistar Colorado", which is their highest award and for which we are extremely honored.

In 2008, the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education presented Wildwood School with the “Non-Profit Award for Excellence in Environmental Education”. In addition, Tina Person was awarded the title of “Certified Environmental Educator” by successfully completing the Colorado Education Certification Program. Congratulations Tina!

In 2005, the City of Aspen recognized The Wildwood School as a “Green Tree Business” for practicing exemplary environmental stewardship through: conscientious purchasing; conservation; green building; recycling; toxic materials awareness; and other unique efforts.

In support of the UN International Year of Mountains 2002, the Aspen International Mountain Foundation and the Aspen Institute recognized The Wildwood School for its contributions to a healthy and sustainable mountain environment that same year.

We take our environmental-arts focus very seriously, and ask that if you have any ideas or areas of expertise to contribute to our program, we would highly appreciate your input.

We feel it is essential to involve the whole family in our program. In the fall we schedule home visits as a means to form bonds from the start. We offer many opportunities for the parents and siblings to be a part of our program: Parent-Teacher Conferences both in the fall and in the spring; Open houses, Parent meetings; a fall “Welcome Party”; Holiday Plays and Parties, Wildwood World Cup Ski Race and Picnic, Wildwood School Winter Wonderland Dinner Dance and Silent Auction, “Earth Day” Parties; Graduation, Dome Get-Togethers and Events, Ducky Derby booth, and a daily open campus for parent volunteers. We want to make the whole family a part of the child’s first learning experience!

Daily Schedule

Wildwood School offers a full day program for children ages 2 ½ to 5 years old, which extends from 8:30am to 4:00pm. The school bus will be at Koch Park (located on West Cooper, between Garmisch and 1st Street) at 8:30am and will leave promptly at 8:45am. Please check your child in with a teacher at the bus and place your child on the bus immediately upon arrival at the bus stop. If you miss the bus in the morning, it will be necessary for you to bring your child to the school, but please call first, just in case we are out and about on a field trip. The bus will return to the bus stop at Koch Park at 3:45 pm and will remain there until 4:00pm. Late Policy. If you are unable to pick up your child, he or she will automatically be taken back up to school, and you will be charged accordingly. The rate is $15.00 for every 15 minutes you are late, paid directly to the teacher in charge.

Sign In and Out Policy

There will be a clipboard at the bus for authorized persons to sign in when the child arrives in the morning and sign out when the child is picked up on a daily basis. It is imperative that this procedure be followed every day, as this is a Colorado State requirement.

Attendance Policy

Your child is enrolled in Wildwood School from 2 to 5 days per week. If your child is absent, Wildwood offers a make-up policy. If your child comes 4 days per week, he or she will have 4 make-up days per semester, 3 days per week = 3 make-up days per semester; 2 days per week = 2 make-up days per semester. Additional make-up days will be given if your child normally attends school on Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, or any days school is closed due to inclement weather conditions or for a teacher workday. Please note that you are ¬¬¬not charged for the holiday vacation or one-week spring vacation break. To use a make-up day, please call the school after 9:00am that day so we can check attendance numbers to insure our quality ratios are met.
If the attendance number is acceptable, you may bring your child to the school for the day. Please do not call ahead or bring children to the bus. We cannot deduct from the monthly tuition payment for days missed. Please call the Director at the school with any further questions you may have regarding the attendance policy.

Tuition Policy

You are enrolling your child for the 2009-10 nine-month school year. It must be understood that students are enrolled for the entire year, and no deduction or remission of fees can be allowed by the school for absence, withdrawal or dismissal. We want to stress that we offer a quality preschool experience in which premium ratios are maintained; teachers have an opportunity for growth and development including work days; and staff receive a salary they can count on over the course of the school year. Maintaining a stable enrollment over the course of the year is paramount, and our parents typically view this as a very positive aspect of our program.

If it should become necessary for you to remove your child from Wildwood School, 30 days notice is required and every effort will be made to fill the vacancy created. Tuition must continue to be paid until a new student fills the space. The tuition for the 2009-10 school year will be $55.00 per day, with a 3% discount for five day a week students. You will be billed on a monthly basis. Enclosed is your tuition schedule and enrollment contract. Please sign the contract, make a copy for yourself, and send a signed copy back to the school. Please note that all accounts must be kept current. Any account past due will accrue interest at 21% annum from the date due until paid. Any account past due may be turned over to a collection agency or attorney for collection including reasonable attorney’s fees. Any account 30 days past due will result in temporary dismissal of the student until the account is brought current.

Snow Day Policy

Wildwood School follows the Aspen Public Schools in relation to school closures due to inclement weather conditions. Any school closings will be announced on the local radio station KSPN, and we will also post it on the answering machine up at school.

Parent Participation

We work hard each year to provide a high caliber of early childhood education for each and every child at Wildwood School, and we believe that parent involvement is a crucial factor in this quality education. We provide many opportunities for you to get involved with your child’s education, and we welcome any new ideas you may have.

Every school year each family is asked to make a $100.00 “parent work fee” payment to Wildwood School upon enrolling their child. If desired you can “work off” these monies at the rate of $10.00/hour during the school year. Activities would include parent workdays; special talents; helping with the children; field trips; fund raising and special events. You will be responsible for logging your hours in a card file in the office. You may also simply make a donation to the school. With this assistance, you help form a special school/family partnership that further enriches your child’s Wildwood experience. As always, we appreciate your support.

Because we are a non-profit school attempting to keep our tuition costs competitive, fund raising becomes an important variable in our annual budget. We ask that each family become involved with at least one fund raising venture during the school year. Please call the school and find out how you can help. * Our biggest fund raiser of the year is the “Wildwood School Winter Wonderland Dinner Dance and Silent Auction” in February, and we encourage all families to purchase and/or sell at least 4 tickets to this event.

Yearly Schedule

Wildwood School begins its 2009-10 school year on Tuesday, August 25, 2009, and the last day for children will be Wednesday, June 2, 2010. Since Wildwood School offers a predominantly preschool program, it generally follows as closely as possible the vacation schedule of the public school system and other preschool and private schools in the area.

Vacation Breaks

Wildwood School is closed for two weeks over the winter holidays, as well as one week during Spring Break. Please note that you are not charged for either of these breaks in your tuition payments. Individual teachers may be approached for interest in private babysitting jobs during these times if desired.

Tuition rates are calculated by the total number of billable days in the school year and divided by 9. This enables you to anticipate the same monthly payments.

Enrollment Forms

With this letter we are sending you the required forms for enrollment. All forms should be returned to the school by Wednesday, July 1, 2009, along with your first and last month’s tuition; a one-time enrollment fee of $30.00; $26.00 for the purchase of your child’s sleeping bag; and the parent work fee. If this presents a financial hardship, please call Becky at the school as soon as possible. The required forms are:

1. Child’s Intake Record
2. Child’s Medical Statement (signed by a physician) Please Note: information on a doctor as well as a dentist contact must be provided.
3. Enrollment Contract (signed)
4. Statement of Authorization (Wildwood)
5. Current Phone, address, and email info * please call the school if these should change during the school year.
6. Colorado Dept. of Health Certificate of Immunization (signed by a physician)**
7. Signed handbook agreement letter
8. Photo release sheet
9. City Market cash saver sign up sheet (optional)

First Day of School

School will begin this year on Tuesday, August 25, 2009. Please bring your child up to the school at 9:00 a.m. We would like to have you stay approximately one hour for a get acquainted period with the staff and the school. It is a chance to welcome new families and mingle with old friends, as well as receive important information. If Tuesday, August 25 is a regular attendance day for your child, he/she will remain for the rest of the day and will return to the bus stop on the school bus at 3:45pm. If Tuesday, August 25 is not a regular attendance day for your child, you will be at the school for only the one-hour orientation period from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., and then take your child home. If your child’s first day of school is any other day than Tuesday, August 25, bring him/her to the bus location.

Snacks

Wildwood School will offer a nutritious snack to the children twice a day, in the morning and afternoon. We stress snacks that are fresh; organic; pesticide-free; antibiotic-free; with no trans-fats. We offer Horizon low-fat milk and water as drink choices. We like to introduce children to ethnic flavors from around the world, and we welcome you to share with us any tempting recipes that you may have had success with. PLEASE NOTE THAT WILDWOOD IS A NUT-FREE SCHOOL.

Medications

Medications must be brought to the bus in the original container with the doctor’s prescription order. Over-the-counter non-prescription medications are not permitted unless prescribed by a physician and the signed request is brought in with the medication. A medication permission form will have to be completed and signed by your physician each time a medication is prescribed. We apologize for the inconvenience, but this is a State mandate. Please note the medication permission form enclosed in your packet. You might consider giving a copy to your physician, or making some copies.

Toys

Please do not have your children bring any toys from home. It is too easy for them to become lost or broken.

Clothing

Please send an extra set of clothes and a pair of slippers if you so desire in a zipper lock plastic bag with their name on it. PLEASE MARK ALL ITEMS WITH YOUR CHILD’S NAME. We will have a lost and found box on the bus as well as out at school. We ask that each child only brings what he/she needs for the day, and takes it home each afternoon as cubby space is limited and some children will be sharing cubbies on alternating days. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Wildwood School will purchase a fleece sleeping bag for each child with your payment of 26.00. We have found that this procedure works best as it ensures that all blankets fit our mats, as well as store easily in our cubbies. These items will be sent home to be laundered, and please return them directly back to school. Please note that in the past we have had parents offer to launder all of the bags as well, which is always appreciated too! These items will be yours to keep at the end of the school year. (If your child has a small blankie he or she “needs” to sleep with, it can be sent to and from school each day in a backpack in addition).

Diapers

If your child is still in diapers, please remember to send adequate supplies with your child each day. Contributions of extra diapers and wet wipes for us to keep on hand are always appreciated. If your child is toilet training, a reminder to always dress your child in clothing that he or she can easily take off and put back on. We want to help each child be as successful as possible in each attempt.

Illness

It is our basic belief that sick children do not belong in school, both for their own welfare as well as for the welfare of others around them. We rely on your cooperation and thank you for your support of our policies.

1. Children must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school.
2. Children must be on antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school
3. Parent must come within 1 hour of being called to pick up a sick child.
4. Parents must complete and sign a medical waiver form for medications to be given at school.

PARENTS ARE ASKED TO KEEP CHILDREN AT HOME WHEN THE FOLLOWING EXIST:

FEVER: This is an indication that something is wrong. Do not give your child fever medication and bring them to school. Masking a fever may cover up important diagnostic symptoms and expose others to a potentially contagious disease. We classify a fever at 100 degrees or above.

DIARRHEA: This is a symptom and not a specific illness. Intestinal problems can be highly contagious. Diarrhea is defined as multiple runny stools. Children with diarrhea are uncomfortable and need to be home. They must remain at home until they are symptom free and have a normal bowel movement.

COUGHS: Coughs spread germs and should not be present in a child care environment. A cough may indicate infections or a contagious agent. Cough medication often makes children drowsy and unable to engage in normal school activities. Please take the child to your physician before returning to school.

RASHES: Rashes may be a minor allergy or a reaction to an insect bite. However, they may also be caused by chicken pox, impetigo or other bacterial or viral organisms. You must take the child to the doctor if a new rash appears so that we may eliminate the possibility of infectious diseases.

RUNNY NOSES: Like coughs, they spread germs. Like rashes, they may be an indication of an allergy. However, they may also be caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Please take the child to a doctor. Cold medications may also cause drowsiness or even hyperactivity, which may make children unable to enjoy normal school participation.

BOWEL AND BLADDER PROBLEMS: Constipation can be very upsetting and uncomfortable. Additionally, urinary infections can be very painful and/or contagious. Children must remain at home with these conditions and may return to school when they are comfortable and symptom free.

EYE INFECTIONS: There are many forms of “pink eye” or conjunctivitis. Some are very contagious. Children must remain at home for 24 hours after beginning antibiotic treatment and eyes must be clear.

PAIN: A child that is in any type of pain does not belong in school. Tenderness or pain in the ears, neck, throat, head, back or abdomen can indicate serious illness and should be brought to the attention of a physician.

VOMITING: Nausea is a very unpleasant experience and may indicate a virus or contagious illness. Do not bring a child to school that is feeling “queasy” or has vomited that morning.

WEAKNESS: A weak, lethargic, tired or listless child is probably coming down with something and should remain at home to insure their comfort, safety and health.

STREP THROAT: Children diagnosed with strep need to remain at home until they have been on medication for a full 24 hours and feel up to resuming normal school activities.

CHICKEN POX: Children with chicken pox must remain at home until after all the pox have scabbed over and feel well enough to participate in school

HEAD LICE: An unpleasant, highly contagious agent. Children MUST be shampooed with the medication, be free of all nits and have all materials thoroughly washed before returning to school

UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR: Children who are exhausted, extremely upset, very sad or experiencing general discomfort of a serious nature cannot relax and participate in play activities and should remain at home.

Please follow your gut instinct, as you probably know when a child is just not him/herself. A child who is cranky, irritable, listless, excessively sleepy or unusually clingy is probably getting sick. A child who vomits, has diarrhea, thick green or yellow mucus, red, irritated eyes, skin rash, fever, constipation, pain or inability to move is probably too sick to be in school.

“If in doubt, please keep your child out.” We offer a “make up day policy” to our parents as compensation for being vigilant in keeping children who are not well at home.

Discipline Policy

Acceptable forms of discipline at Wildwood School are based on natural and logical consequences. As much as possible the discipline should be the natural result of the child’s action rather than an enforcement of the staff member’s will. We always attempt to explain to the child how their actions have resulted in the situation and consequences. We also model the behaviors we want the children to emulate.

Acceptable forms of discipline are:
1. Distraction
2. Redirection
3. Removal from the situation
4. Time out only to allow the child to gather himself/herself together – never as punishment.
5. Holding in an extreme temper tantrum

An effort is made at the end of a discipline situation to re-establish a positive relationship with the child without undermining the discipline. We are consistent and demonstrate gentle care when following through on our promises.

The following forms of discipline shall NOT be used:
1. Corporal punishment, including but not limited to the following:
• Striking a child, directly or with any physical object
• Shaking, shoving, spanking or other forms of aggressive contact

2. Harsh, humiliating, belittling or degrading responses of any form, including verbal, emotional and physical.
3. Depriving of food or rest.

Violation of any of the above may result in immediate dismissal.

Wildwood Grievance Procedure for Parents and Staff

If a parent or a staff member has a worry, concern, suggestion, or complaint, we want to address the problem immediately and directly. Please follow the following procedure:

1. If the problem is simple or minor, please talk directly to the person involved. Talk with an open mind and a willingness to listen and compromise if possible.
2. If the situation does not get resolved at that time, please go to the director. Schedule an appointment and review the problem and what steps you have taken to try to work things out.
3. If the meeting with the director does not solve the problem, the next step is to go to the Wildwood Board of Directors.
4. The Wildwood Board of Directors has the final authority regarding all parent and/or staff differences and disputes.

If a parent or a staff member believes that a Wildwood school policy or procedure is wrong, unfair, or not correct then they need to follow this procedure:

1. Write down the policy or rule or situation that you feel needs to be changed.
2. Write down the reasons you believe there needs to be an adjustment or change in the policy, situation, or regulation.
3. Write down how you would change the policy so that your concerns are addressed. Specifically, what would you do differently and how would you make this policy better?
4. Schedule an appointment with the director to discuss your concerns.
5. If you or the director believes that this is a subject that needs to be reviewed by the Board of Directors, then schedule an appointment and your concerns will be directly addressed.
6. The Wildwood Board of Directors has the final authority regarding all Wildwood School policies.
7. Any problems not resolved locally can be referred to the Dept. of Human Services, Division of Child Care, 1575 Sherman St., First Floor, Denver, Colorado, 80203-1714.

Scholarships

Please note that the City of Aspen, through Kids First, offers tuition assistance to qualified families and should be a first avenue to explore if you are interested in help.

Wildwood School also offers its own partial scholarship program. If interested, please call the school for more information. The deadline for application for the Wildwood Scholarship is July 1, 2009.

Admission Policy

Wildwood School admits students of any race, color, sex, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to the students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national and/or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, scholarships, and loan programs.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call the school at 925-5678 and speak to Becky Helmus, the Director of Wildwood School, or Tina Person, the Assistant Director, or contact any of our supportive and invaluable Board members. Their names are listed below.

Board of Directors for 2009-10 School Year

Esther Geiser, Board Chair 963-4316/274-0016
Lynn Bayko 948-5713
Lori Scappicchio Pevny 923-1803
Lisa Hatem 963-9678
Ashley Ward 927-3397
Heidi Hemstreet 544-0217
Tonya Kuhn 544-9523
Katharine Haber 319-1496
Jennifer Liddington 309-9495
Melanie Muss 305-790-8012