Policies

COVID:

Under lease at Faith United Methodist Church, we are asked to follow their COVID protocols in the larger shared spaces, but we will follow the Co-Op's protocols in the environment and breakout spaces in the basement. Please take a look at our more detailed COVID and illness policies in the Illness section.

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Parent Responsibilities and Expectations:

• Parents will take ownership of other volunteer roles that support the environment or community, whether directed by the guide and core team or suggested by other parents (ex. Laundry and dishes OR play dates and cleanup structure).

• Parents will attend Little Sparrows Work Cycle and participate on-site in activities/volunteer hours (parents will be in a separate environment from the child during the Work Cycle, but they must remain on-site for the duration of the Work Cycle).

• Parents are required to stay on-site during the duration of the Work Cycle. If a parent is unable to do so, they must fill out the Drop-Off/Pick-Up/Other Guardian Waiver to indicate which adult on-site will assume responsibility for their child. In addition, if a parent is also asking another adult to drop-off/pickup, they must indicate this/give permission by filling out the Drop-Off/Pick-Up/Other Guardian Waiver. The waiver must be sent to the Sparrows core team at least 12 hours before our Work Cycle begins.

• Parents will fulfill two volunteer roles per child to the best of their ability. If you are unable to complete your required role, please find your own substitute and communicate with the Sparrows core team.

• Parents will extend the Montessori Philosophy/work introduced in the learning environment into the home.

• On-site parents will support the other parents in the childcare of the infants younger than 1.5 years old during the Work Cycle.

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Eligibility:

• Little Sparrows guides and staff will serve children in the ages of 2-5 years of age. It is possible for your child to be younger than 18 months and be ready for the toddler environment. If your child is outside these age ranges but you would like us to assess whether they are eligible to be in the environment, please contact us at littlesparrowsmontessori@gmail.com or mariagoodwin77@gmail.com. 

• If your child is on the younger side (2-3) and/or struggles with detachment, you may opt or we may ask for your child to join in a smaller group for a shorter time period to support where they are at developmentally. Please contact us to see if your child fits this criteria and for more information. 

• If your child is not quite ready to enter the environment at the beginning of the school year but meets the criteria mid-year, the Sparrows Core Team is open to having your child join mid-year, pending assessment of their abilities. See the Payment section for policies regarding mid-year fees.

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Illness:

• We ask that parents use common sense regarding illnesses with their child or other children in their household. If your child is sick (fever, temperature 100.4°F or higher, chills, cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, diarrhea, vomiting, or stomachache) or has other flu-like symptoms, please keep them home. If other children in the home are sick, but the Little Sparrow child is not, we ask that you keep your child home to prevent spreading to their classmates. We ask for at least 48 hours to pass before a child attends the Co-Op if they vomit, 24 hours to pass after a fever presents. If unsure, feel free to email/text the core team.

• Please follow COVID protocols as recommended by the CDC regarding confirmed or suspected COVID cases: "CDC guidance states that isolation and quarantine periods can be reduced to at least five days long as long as they remain symptom-free or the fever has ended and symptoms have improved."

• We will encourage good handwashing hygiene and respiratory etiquette in the students. We are committed to cleaning and disinfecting the environment following every Co-Op Work Cycle.

• We are asking that if your child attended Little Sparrows Co-Op and then later presented with COVID-like or influenza-related symptoms, to communicate this to the Little Sparrows Core Team so that we can disinfect, communicate exposures to other parents, and contract trace if need be. We will then anonymously notify families of the exposure in the environment.

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Special Needs:

Little Sparrows Montessori Co-Op is not equipped with SPED paraprofessionals to assist children with learning differences or special needs. We recognize that all children have gifts and challenges, and we will do our best to work with the children who attend the Co-Op. Please communicate any behavioral challenges or needs that could impact your child or the other children to the guide and assistant.

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Communications:​​

• Announcements will be sent out weekly with reminders, requests, and summaries of the weekly Work Cycles.

• If there is urgent information (cancellation, weather, etc.), we will use email to notify you. Please plan to check your email the night before class. Little Sparrows will follow the Anoka/Hennepin School District (ISD 11) cancellations.

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Payment:

​The first semester's tuition is due upon registration in order for your child to be considered fully registered. If you do not want to complete electronic payment, please contact us and we can provide an alternate means of payment. If the family withdraws before August 15, half of the first semester's tuition will be reimbursed. After August 15, no refunds will be given.

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Tuition: $125 per child per semester

*Fees will cover tuition, materials in the environment, the snack fee, and more.

First semester's tuition due upon registration

Second semester's tuition due December 1, 2023.

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School Closings Due to Weather:

The Little Sparrows Montessori Co-Op will be following the school closings for the St. Anthony/New Brighton School District (ISD282). We will also send out emails to let you know if we have to cancel the co-op due to inclement weather. 

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Potty Policy:

• Using the toilet is such an important work for our toddlers and we want to respect that work in our environment. However, our guide and assistant will not have the capacity to aid in the potty and the environment for all twelve preschoolers. Parents will be responsible for aiding their toddler with their toileting if they are not able to be independent. If your child is needing support with toileting, we will have a runner come to the breakout space and you will support your child in the child-sized bathroom within the environment. We ask that you are as un-disruptive (invisible) as possible so the children can continue their work and your own child can transition smoothly in and out of the bathroom.

• If your toddler is still in diapers, a parent runner will retrieve you if your child needs a change. We ask that you send your child to the environment with a clean diaper first thing in the morning. We will have extra wipes and diapers on hand as well part of the prepared environment for diaper changes - however please pack your own set of wipes and diapers for your toddler in their bag.

• We will provide: a toilet seat insert, stool, small potty chair, extra wipes, emergency diapers, floor mat for changes.

• We ask you to provide: wipes (if your child needs them), diapers (as needed), diaper cream (as needed) 2x extra underwear (as needed), 2x extra pants/bottoms, 2x extra socks, plastic ziploc bag for wet clothes. 

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Clothing Policy: Wearing clothes that are simple, not distracting, and unrestrictive, that are conducive to the movement required during the morning Work Cycle (this includes practical shoes)
 

• Avoid shirts/dresses/sweaters with words, cartoons, or loud graphics

• Send your child with pants/bottoms that are easy to manipulate independently for the toilet

• Assess that your child is comfortable with the temperature in the basement (send a sweatshirt/sweater)

• Aim for mobility over fashion - dress with leggings > tights, comfortable sweatshirt > button down

• Send your child with versatile shoes - avoid rubber-soles (Crocs)  or light-up shoes. Plan to send “indoor” shoes for the environment when there is snow on the ground to avoid tracking snow into our environment.

• Dress code: clean, modest, weather-appropriate, casual

  • Example: L-sleeve solid colored shirt (sleeves not too long), elastic waistband jogger pants, socks, velcro tennis shoes

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Behavior:

One of the goals of the Little Sparrows Montessori Co-Op is to provide a positive social environment for the children who attend. We will guide and hold each child to proper behavior and grace and courtesy during the morning Work Cycle. Specifically, these include:
 

1. Showing respect for the guide, assistant, other adults and students by:

   • Respecting the bodies and spaces of others​

   • Respectful speech and listening

   • Calm bodies and openness to regulating emotions
      

2. Showing respect for the property by:​

   • Handling all materials with care​

   • Using quiet voices in the environment and in the larger church area

   • Guiding the child to restore whatever work or material they have to its original state

   • Cooperating with the guide/assistant to restore the environment weekly
      

3. Dressing appropriately by:

   • Wearing clothes that are simple, not distracting, and unrestrictive, that are conducive to the movement required during the morning Work Cycle (this includes practical shoes)​

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The process for consistent behavioral problems is:

1. Work with the child using positive discipline on first offense, track/observe for a month (notify family)

2. If the behavior persists to the detriment of the child's participation or the rest of the class, meet with the parents to discuss accommodations, track/observe/implement for a month

3. If the behavior persists beyond accommodations, meet again with the parents and suggest other alternatives or perhaps withdrawing from Little Sparrows until the child can be regulated enough to participate.

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Detachment Policy: 

• Balanced detachment from an attachment figure is a normal process of toddler development. We ask that you consider ways to support this process for your little sparrow before our school year begins and communicate any concerns or accommodations the staff can provide for your child. 

• Please indicate on your registration whether this is the first time your child will be separated from you for an extended period of time in a new setting. 

• If your child is struggling with detachment when the school year begins, we will allow you and your child to sit and observe the environment for 4 work cycles, slowly encouraging participation and engagement. We will scaffold ways for you to leave the room so your child can engage fully, and hopefully will acclimate by that month’s time. If your child is still struggling to detach, we will seek other ways to support them and you in this process, but having you present in the room beyond 4 work cycles will not be a choice. If your child has not reached a proper level of detachment for their age and capacity by mid-semester, a conversation might be encouraged to withdraw and try again when the child has more practice detaching or is at a different developmental stage.