New Parent Orientation
Communication
Chance School seeks to have a partnership with parents, and open communication between school and parent is desired. Throughout the year you are encouraged to use these contacts methods and tools:
Direct Communication: E-News (bi-monthly) from the office and Weekly Newsletters from your child's classroom.
Dr. Betsy Fitch's door is always open. She welcomes emails, phone calls and meetings as needed.
Your Child’s Weekly Classroom Newsletter: Will be sent to your email weekly through a digital documentation platform named Kaymbu. Kaymbu would be in the sender email, but the content is from your Teacher Teams and the reply back function goes directly to them.
The Website for Chance Parents: Use Campus Life button to access must-know information and also school records/ directories through the FACTS portal.
The School Calendar: Download the school calendar to your phone's calendar in a snap! Click the “Subscribe” button on the website calendar page, then click “add” when you see the listing of events. This will autoload items on your phone calendar. Setting alerts will have to be done on an event by event selection that you do by going into the calendar event that you would like a pre-notification.
Directories: On the Campus Life site use the Student Information System tab/ link to login to navigate to the Directory tab on the left navigation side. Directory Tab, there will be a toggle tab to filter by Grade Level (All Grades) or just hop to your child's assigned classroom in the toggle tab named classroom group (All Classes), and you will see your child's classmate's family information to connect and form friendships (Parents too!).
Facebook: facebook.com/VirginiaChanceSchool Insights from our experts on best practices in childhood education and development.
Instagram: instagram.com/VirginiaChanceSchool School News and visual insights into daily VCS happenings.
Special Packets: Time-sensitive material sent home with your child requiring your prompt attention.
SMS Text for School Closings or Announcements: Your phone numbers from the Back to School Forms are added to the texting system so you will be notified when school closes, in an emergency, etc.
Carpool Signs: Located at the top, bottom of the hill and in the field, the signs contain pertinent event dates and reminders
Parent Education: Learn more about early childhood development, positive discipline, progressive education. Engage in Walk & Talks with the Head of School & other Parent Education Sessions, see the school’s calendar for the schedule.
Emails and biographies for all Teachers and Staff can be found and emailed directly through www.ChanceSchool.org/apps/staff
Health and Sickness
Each individual’s and each family’s choices and actions taken off-campus impact and have the potential to influence our school community directly. Your choices demonstrate your interest in keeping yourself and your family healthy and safe and the VCS family healthy and safe together. We hope that you will join us in choosing to act in the best interest of our students, faculty, staff, and families.
We seek to minimize the spread of communicable diseases, while never entirely avoidable in a school setting, to maximize students’ time at school. We want students at school learning and growing academically, socially, and emotionally.
For the School’s purposes, communicable diseases include but are not limited to chickenpox, conjunctivitis (“pink eye”), COVID-19, Hand Foot and Mouth disease, influenza, lice, RSV, and strep.
Most importantly, if your student has contracted a communicable disease, please notify the school by emailing [email protected] The return-to-school timeline and requirements differ for each particular disease and are based on, and subject to change due to, expert medical and public health guidance.
Students need to stay home if experiencing any of the following symptoms in the prior 24 hours:
● a temperature of ≥100.4°F;
● vomiting or diarrhea;
● a newly onset cold, cough, or sore throat;
● a new loss of sense of taste or smell;
● any discharge from or crustiness, redness, itchiness, or puffiness of the eyes;
● headaches, body aches, or earaches; or
● uncharacteristically lethargic behavior.
The School needs to be notified of the illness-related absence by emailing the student’s classroom teachers, [email protected] and [email protected] Please include all of these in the notification. For confidential medical information, you may choose only to notify [email protected]
Students who have been ill may return to school either:
● when they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of over-the-counter medication, or
● their symptoms improve with medication, and a medical provider determines they are not contagious.
Specific guidance for returning after a particular illness may be provided based on advice or directive from expert medical and public health professionals (e.g., a student with chickenpox may return once all pox marks have scabbed). This specific guidance will be provided to parents once they have notified [email protected] of the student’s illness.
Injury
In the event that your child is injured during school activities and requires basic care:
- Minor scratches or injuries are attended to by the teacher or office.
- The parent is notified.
- The teacher fills out an accident report, signed by the school personnel present and by the Head of School.
In the event that your child is injured during school activities & requires emergency medical care:
School personnel will take steps including but not limited to:
- Attempt to contact a parent or guardian.
- Attempt to contact a parent or guardian through any of the persons listed on the emergency information provided to the school by the parent or guardian. You must list at least two adults, (other than parent/guardians) who can be contacted in case of an emergency. Please add these contacts to your child's FACTS profile.
Allergic Reaction
In the event that your child has an allergic reaction and requires medication:
School personnel follows this process:
- Staff will immediately administer the epi-pen
- 911 will be called
- Attempt to contact a parent
Medicine and allergy treatment procedures:
It is the responsibility of the parent(s) to:
- Notify the school of a child’s allergies, diet restrictions & required medication. Keep this information current with the office.
- Fill out Permission to Give Medication Form if your child must take medicine at school, with complete and explicit instructions. The form is also available in the school office.
- Bring medication to the office in original containers to be administered at school. This is passed adult hand to adult hand; children may not drop the medication off at the office. Please do not send any medication to your child’s classroom via lunchbox, school bag, or backpack.
- Provide current prescribed EPI-Pens and AUVI-Qs to the school office. Enough epi-pens must be on hand to have one in the office, one in the child’s classroom, & one with Extended Program, if your child attends.
Safety
Virginia Chance School implements a security system that keeps all entry doors locked, alarmed, and under video surveillance before, during, and after school. Doors open freely for playtime or in an emergency. Teachers have keys/fobs for re-entry. All entries are locked from the outside.
- This closure at the top of the hill prevents vehicles from completing the loop around the main building but allows parking in the five-minute spots. This limits access to the building and will enable students to walk safely amongst the buildings and playground.
- This closure at the bottom of the hill prevents vehicles from entering the loop or accessing parking near the preschool garden and Florida Heights. This allows students to play and learn safely.
- The gates will be opened by School personnel for regular carpool dismissal.
- Walkie-talkie systems are provided for all faculty and group leaders who go or meet outside the school buildings (e.g., P.E. classes or athletics practices on the field, science classes at the pond, art classes photographing our surroundings).
- The School has silent emergency notification buttons at every level that, when pushed, immediately notify the police to come to the School.
- The School has an emergency management technology suite and an emergency response team and plan, including emergency evacuations for use in a crisis.
- An alert service is provided to all families, faculty, and staff to receive emails, texts, or phone calls in the case of an emergency or weather-related school closures.
- Virginia Chance School has a partnership and relationship with the Anchorage Middletown Fire and EMS and the 8th Division of LMPD.
All firearms and weapons, including all replica and toy weapons, are prohibited on the Virginia Chance School campus. The School has a zero-tolerance policy concerning any individual bringing weapons to school. Concealed weapons permits are not valid on school grounds.
Students, faculty, and staff participate in regular safety drills, including in preparation for fires, tornados, earthquakes, and situations necessitating lockdown. Drills are conducted with the focus and seriousness they are warranted. Students are taught about the types of and need for drills in an age-appropriate manner. If you are a visitor during a safety drill, you must listen to and abide by the directions of the faculty or staff member in your presence. Taking photos, having side conversations, or being on a mobile device during drills is inappropriate.
Virginia Chance School desires to make responsible, appropriate, and efficient use of technology. Virginia Chance School is committed to the meaningful use of technology in our progressive school setting.
- Virginia Chance School is a Google for Education (GFE) school. All students are given a Chance School login. Email is turned off for all Virginia Chance School students for privacy purposes.
- The Chromebook is a learning tool for VCS students. Students are given a Virginia Chance School-issued Chromebook at the beginning of 2nd grade for in-class use. The Chromebook will stay with the student until the end of 5th grade/the student’s time at Virginia Chance School.
- Students will sign a Chromebook Policies and User Agreement at the beginning of the
school year. - Student Chromebook Care follows the S.C.O.U.T. Guidelines, which students acknowledge and sign at the beginning of the school year. These guidelines include:
■ STORE your Chromebook correctly.
■ CHARGE your Chromebook.
■ ONLY USE YOUR OWN Chromebook and your own account.
■ USE your Chromebook for learning.
■ TRANSPORT your Chromebook correctly.
- Students will sign a Chromebook Policies and User Agreement at the beginning of the
Car Seats
Faculty and staff will not release students in cars without working seat belts and a proper car seat/restraint system.
Eco Lunches and Snacks
As a Green and Healthy School, we strive to inspire environmental sustainability and stewardship. One way we practice this is through our waste management program.
Did you know that recycling plastic is not the first step to environmental sustainability? In efforts to help our planet, we are finding new ways to reduce and reuse.
Water Bottles
Your child will bring their own reusable water bottle to school each day. During the day they will use it during snack, lunch, and outdoor learning and playtime. It will be sent home each day to be washed. Check out these companies below for environmentally friendly options.
Lunches
The school will not have extra plastic utensils, paper plates, and paper bowls available in the classrooms, so please check out these environmentally friendly lunch containers and utensil options to reduce plastic usage.
Did you know? Plastic baggies, forks, and spoons may not be recycled in a normal recycling plant.
Snack
Please pack your child a healthy and nutritious snack each day in their lunchbox. Below you may find ideas from our Green Team on how to pack in a way to reduce plastic waste.
- Gogurt is considered more of a dessert than a healthy snack choice and creates a lot of plastic waste. Try Chobani
- Sending in the appropriate portions helps to reduce food waste.
- Buy cheeses as one large block that may be cut instead of individually wrapped.
- Applesauce is not a fresh fruit and uses packaging.
Other things to remember when packing lunch and snack
Lunch, Snack, and Water Bottles
Students will provide their own lunch and snacks daily. Refrigerators will not be used to store
personal lunches, and microwaves to reheat personal lunches will not be available. All are
encouraged to utilize cold packs or thermoses within their lunch boxes if temperature control is
desired. Students should pack their own utensils if needed. We ask that snacks and lunches be
sent in reusable containers to reduce waste, in line with our values as a Green and Healthy
School. All students will bring a water bottle to use throughout the day. Water bottles may be refilled from classroom sinks when needed. They will be sent home each day for washing.
Snacks and lunches need to be nutritious and ready to eat.
The Commonwealth of Kentucky licenses our preschool, and there are specific licensing regulations to follow to ensure students learn about and experience the full breadth of a healthy diet. That regulation states for preschool students (and is encouraged for elementary students):
Each day’s snack will include at least items from two of the following groups:
○ whole or enriched grains (e.g., whole-grain bread, cereal, crackers, pretzels)
○ protein (e.g., hummus, sliced lean meats, yogurt or yogurt-based dips, cheese, nuts)
○ produce (i.e., vegetables and fruit)
Each day’s lunch will include at least all of the following:
○ a whole or enriched grain (e.g., whole-grain bread, cereal, crackers, pretzels)
○ a protein (e.g., hummus, sliced lean meats, yogurt or yogurt-based dips, cheese, nuts)
○ two selections of produce (i.e., vegetables and fruit)
Organic milk will be offered to all preschool students during snack and lunchtime.
Since all food is kept individually, students may bring any food, including products with nuts or
other common allergens, unless a severe allergy in the class makes airborne particles a risk.
Any such restrictions will be communicated in the opening packet from classroom teachers.
Click the links below to learn more:
National Geographic, Planet or Plastic?
NPR, Where Will Your Plastic Trash Go Now That China Doesn't Want It?
Clothing and Treasures
Rain boots to be left at school are a required supply. Rain boots stay at school for outdoor learning, and students will wear a pair of regular shoes during the rest of the school day.
Toys and special treasures stay at home where they are safe and for students to fully participate in classroom activities and utilize the classroom materials.
The only exception may be a small comfort item (lovey) for preschool students to use to self-soothe. Students may use these items when needed and otherwise kept in their school bags and sent back home daily. Please discuss this need with teachers at opening conferences.
● sharp objects or weapons of any kind;
● items that are big, cumbersome, hard to carry, fragile, or have multiple parts;
● very special treasures that are near and dear to a student and/or family; and
● toys.
Please label all clothing and personal belongings with your student’s/family’s name. We will return found clothing and belongings that are labeled. Unlabeled clothing will be kept in the office, and we will donate what has not been claimed on the last Friday of each month. We strongly encourage you to label all jackets, hats, backpacks, water bottles, lunch boxes, rain boots, masks, and other supplies sent to school to ensure they make it back to the proper student in the event they are misplaced.
Temperature Guide for Integrated Outdoor Learning
Parent Involvement and Responsibilities
All Chance parents are automatically members of the Parent Association, which has many functions, from fundraising to family outreach. Volunteer activities may range from serving as chair of a committee to assisting with environmental and outside projects. The Parent Association is a great way to meet new friends and feel a part of the Chance community while supporting the school’s mission, programs, and activities. There are many fun ways to get involved.
What happens in the classroom often depends on what happens outside the classroom. You can support your student and our community from home in the following ways.
● Most importantly, if students are sick, especially showing signs of communicable diseases, please keep them at home.
● Provide support and structure for students.
● Arrive at school on time—both for drop-off and for pick-up.
● According to licensing guidelines, help students come to school with what is needed for the day, including the required items for snack and lunch.
● Assist elementary students with homework as needed.
● See that students are well-rested and have a nutritious breakfast each morning.
● Contact school personnel with any questions or concerns.
● Attend parent education sessions and conferences.
● Read all school communications (newsletters, E-News, carpool signs, and emails) and visit our website often.
Virginia Chance School relies on the volunteer services of the School community. We welcome and encourage parents, extended family members, and special friends to participate in the School and its activities.
Virginia Chance School relies on charitable contributions to supplement the budget as tuition does not cover the total cost of educating each student. We respectfully ask that each family contribute to the School’s fundraising efforts to the best of their ability.
Other Opportunities:
- Buy Virginia Chance School Spirit Wear through our online store: See E-News
- Virginia Chance School and your Kroger card – link us!
- Sign up for Amazon Smile!
- Download our School Calendar for all School Events and Activities.