Parent/Child
Handbook

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Dear Parents,

While at the CATCH Program, your child will have the opportunity to interact with other children, learn new games, create arts & crafts, and participate in a variety of field trips and activities. Our goal is to create a fun and safe environment in which children learn and grow not only as individuals, but as members of a community.

As a parent, you have flexibility to enroll your child daily, weekly, or for the length of each session. The After-School program is for students entering first through fifth grade at Thornton Central School.

With concern to disciplinary issues, if we feel that a child is consistently or significantly disruptive to the program, the parents of that child will be notified and he/she will be asked to stay home from the program following day. If there continues to be problems, the child will not be permitted at the CATCH Program. Please read the attached rules with your child, and make sure that they understand what is expected of them as a participant in the Afterschool Program.

Please make sure that your child is prepared for the activities at the program every day. Look for announcements, notices and flyers to stay as up-to-date as possible.

Remember to label all articles of clothing and any items your child brings to the CATCH Program so that they return home with your child. In the event that something does not return home, please check our lost and found bin as soon as you notice that it is missing. The contents of the lost and found bin are emptied and donated at the end of each month.

We welcome your input and ideas to help improve the CATCH Program experience. Please feel free to share your thoughts and concerns.

Sincerely,

Sondra Montivlle
CATCH Program Coordinator

Sean O’Brien
Executive Director

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ADAPT, Inc. CATCH Program
Parent/Child Handbook

We would like to welcome you and your child to the ADAPT, Inc. CATCH Program! Please read the information in this handbook. We hope it will answer most of your questions about the program. There are forms that need to be filled out and returned to ADAPT or the main office at Thornton Central School. Thanks for your assistance.

Location:
Thornton Central School Route 175 Thornton NH 03223
Telephone:
ADAPT, Inc. 236-9227

Federal Tax ID#:

Expectations of Parents:
1. Be sure that children come to the program with necessary items for the day (i.e. extra clothing, water bottle, snack, any needed medicines, and registration forms).
2. Be sure children are picked up promptly at 5:00 pm.
3. Be sure to sign your child out at the end of each day.
4. Parents will inform us with a written note when someone else will be picking up their child. If we do not have a written note we will not release your child to this person. We may request identification for non-parents that we do not recognize.
5. Parents do not need to call the office if their child is not attending the program on a certain day. We do attendance each afternoon at 2:30pm and will only account for the children present.
6. If your child has a fever of 101.5 or higher, is vomiting, has diarrhea, a sore throat, chicken pox or other lesions, conjunctivitis, a cold dragging them down or a bad tummy ache please keep them home for the day.

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Reminders:

Sign-In/Sign Out Procedure:
1. After school the children will meet in the gym and then be escorted to the assigned classroom. At which time attendance will be taken, snack time will be held, and activities will be designated.
2. At 5:00pm, make sure that you sign your child out with a staff member before taking them home.

Payment of Fees:
1. Children may sign up for programming daily $6.00, weekly $25.00, or per session.
2. Payment is due for the indicated amount of time upon arrival at the program.
3. All required forms must be completed prior to the start of programming.

Bikers/ Walkers:
1. If you want your child to bike or walk to and from Thornton Central School each day, simply send one note on the first day, letting the staff know this. Make sure that you or your child gives the note directly to a staff member.
2. At the end of the day the bikers and walkers must stay at the Thornton Central School and wait until they are dismissed. The bikers and walkers are not allowed to leave until 5pm.
3. All bikers must wear properly fitting helmets, please see attachment.
4. All bikers should know their safe biking rules, and should abide by these rules when riding to and from Thornton Central School.

What Your Child Should NOT Bring to the CATCH program:
1. Knives (or anything that could be constructed as a weapon), candy, gum, glass bottles, carbonated beverages, walkmans, radios, electronic games, cell phones, or personal toys.
2. Personal Money-your child will not need to carry money for any reason.
3. Other-any objects that you are unsure of, please ask staff.

HOW THE CATCH PROGRAM STAFF WILL DEAL WITH SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE DISIPLINE:

• Staff will handle the problem themselves when possible. If the problem is too disruptive (fighting, swearing etc.) they will ask for help from another staff member or the Program Coordinator. If a personality conflict exists between a staff and particular child, that staff member will ask for the help of another staff member or the coordinator and give him/herself a break from the situation.
• Staff will only raise their voices when necessary. When disciplining a child, staff will be sure to speak to them away from the group so as to embarrass them and make a bad situation worse. Staff will be clear on the rules so that the children understand them, and will be consistent on enforcing them.
• Staff will remember that there are two sides to every story and will make every effort to get all off the facts before they decide on a course of discipline. Staff will try to find out why the behavior is taking place and what alternatives they have.
• Staff will keep their promises, show no favoritism and only ask the children to do things they would do themselves.
• Staff is aware that if talking isn’t effective in stopping a fight or unnecessary disturbance that they will take the child to a quiet spot for cooling off. Staff will be sure that there are other staff members within sight. When the child has a chance to calm down, the staff will then speak with them again.
• Staff members know that they should be careful of physical restraint or contact when disciplining.
• Staff will not make threats.
• Staff will not allow children to put down others or to be disrespectful. Staff and children will not roll their eyes or talk back to anyone at Thornton Central School.
• Staff will not talk about a child with other children or outside of the school with friends or family.
  Our Discipline Policy uses a warning system as follows:
• The first written warning will be given after a number of verbal warnings have been given or for a serious offense. (Examples: A Staff has repeatedly asked a child to stop throwing a ball indoors. If the staff pulls them aside and they still choose not to listen, the staff will fill out an incident report. If a child tells a staff that he/she doesn’t have to do what they say, and continues to be disrespectful, the staff will also fill out an incident report form).
• The second written warning will require a child to stay out of the program the following day. This would be given to a child that has received a first written warning and is continuing to act out. (Example: Another staff gave a child a first warning this week. He/she still refuses to do what is asked. Staff will fill out a second incident a report form).
• ALL INCIDENT REPORT FORMS NEED TO BE SIGNED BY THE PARENT AT THE END OF THE DAY! If someone other than a parent picks up a child, they will be asked to inform the parent of the incident. By authorizing someone else to pick up your child, you also trust them to relay this and any other important information, and to sign on your behalf.
• If a third written warning is given, the child will be removed from the program for a minimum of two weeks.
• Automatic suspensions will be at the discretion of the Program Coordinator.

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Rules and Procedures

AS A PARTICIPANT OF THE CATCH PROGRAM I UNDERSTAND:
Rules:
1. I must treat staff, peers and other’s property with respect.
2. No fighting, physically aggressive behavior, or pretend fighting.
3. I must keep my hands to myself.
4. No arguing with staff at any time.
5. I must stay with the group, or make sure that a staff member knows my whereabouts.
6. No throwing rocks, sand, or other objects.
7. No candy or chewing gum.
8. I am required to participate in the activities that I signed up for.
9. I must attend meetings when called. For attendance purpose as well as to find out about the next activity!
10. During snack time, I am required to stay seated until dismissed. This is so all trash is properly disposed of and all children have been accounted for and assigned to activities.
11. I must stay on the property at all times, unless permitted to leave by a staff member or have permission from a parent.

Bikers/ Walkers:
1. If you want your child to bike or walk to and from Thornton Central School each day, please send a note on the first day, letting the staff know that this will be happening throughout the program. Make sure that you and your child gives the note to a staff member personally.
2. At the end of the day the bikers and walkers must stay at Thornton Central School and wait until they are dismissed. The bikers and walkers are not allowed to leave until 5pm.
3. All bikers must wear properly fitted helmets.
4. All bikers should know their safe biking rules, and should abide by these rules when riding to and from Thornton Central School.

AS A PARENT I AGREE TO:
1. Sign my child out only after 5pm, unless otherwise specified by a note at the beginning of the day.
2. Work with the staff to give my child the best experience possible.
3. Register my child for all programming by the specific deadline for a guarantee your student will be accepted into the program.

I have read these Rules and Procedures with my child and we understand them and agree to abide by them.
(Sign and return)

Parent / Guardian Name _______________________________________ Parent / Guardian Signature ____________________________________________________

Child Name _________________________________________________ Child Signature_____________________________________________________________

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