The Importance of Health & Safety at Apple Montessori Schools

Sending your baby off to school is both exciting and worrying. It’s exciting because they’re off to a brand new experience of learning, socializing, and having fun! Yet, many parents also feel anxious. It’s normal for your mind to fill with questions such as “Will my child make friends? Will they be safe? Will they get sick at school?” and many more. A top concern for parents is the health and safety of their children. Naturally, parents strive to ensure their children’s well-being by keeping them safe and healthy.

At Apple Montessori, we share this desire and want to create the safest, healthiest environment for all of our students. Many of our staff are parents themselves! So, we understand what you’re going through when you worry about your child and the new environment in which they’ll be immersed.

We’re here to help make your child’s transition to Apple Montessori Schools as easy as possible! Below, see some of the most frequently asked questions parents have about health and safety and our answers.

What happens if a child gets sick at school?

If a child becomes ill while they are attending school we will try to comfort them and give them any support they need whether that be a comfortable place to rest, a light snack and water, or just comfort from a caring staff member. One of our staff will reach out to that child’s family so that they can come to pick up their child from school. Depending on the child’s symptoms and diagnosis, we may require a doctor’s clearance before the child can return to school.

What if a child gets hurt at school?

If a child is hurt in a minor way while at school, we will first take care of any injury the child has received by administering the proper first aid.

Kellyann McNamara, Assistant Director of Training, Policies & Procedures at Apple Montessori Schools, explains the full process, “All Apple Montessori staff have completed extensive safety training including but not limited to CPR, First Aid, AED, and Allergy training in order to provide the best care for our students. Once the child has been carefully attended to with first aid as well as love and comfort one of our staff will call the child’s family to inform them of the accident. We will also complete an accident report to inform you of the event.”

How do you keep infants safe as they learn to crawl and walk?

Infants and toddlers are eager to become independent by moving on their own! We encourage this process with appropriate supports and materials such as soft climbing spaces and safe furniture to cruise on. Kellyann McNamara adds that “Caregivers will work one on one with our infants on developmentally appropriate fine and gross motor lessons to encourage motor development in a safe and productive manner.” Furthermore, we encourage their growing gross motor skills with baby yoga! Our caregivers are always attentive and our low teacher-to-student ratio allows us to take very good care of our new crawlers and walkers.

What are some good, healthy options to pack for lunch?

In our infant and toddler classrooms, we have microwaves to be able to warm a child’s food so your options are endless. Many families chose to send in leftover dinner from the night before or their child’s favorite meals. Older students in our preschool classrooms can have a nice warm lunch by simply utilizing a hot lunch thermos. Parents can heat the food before placing it in their child’s hot thermos in the morning and it will be perfectly warm for their child to enjoy at lunchtime.

There are many healthy lunch options to send for your child.

• Vegetable sticks cut into thin strips and a healthy dip such as hummus
• Low-sugar yogurt and applesauce
• Pasta
• Fresh sliced fruit or freeze-dried fruit

Please remember we do not allow peanut products in our facility. If your child loves peanut butter, please search for one of the many alternative options to use for school lunches.

What if my child has food allergies?

We are a peanut allergy-aware facility and we do not allow students or staff to bring items with peanuts into the school. If your child has another allergy, you will be asked to let us know upon enrollment. We understand the severity of food allergies and do our best to create an eating environment that is safe for every child. Our staff are vigilant during mealtimes to ensure that students with allergies don’t share food during snacks or lunch.

How do you address choking hazards at Apple Montessori?

It’s normal for babies and toddlers to want to explore by putting everything in their mouths! As a result, we know that it’s natural to be concerned about choking hazards.

We make sure to keep only developmentally appropriate items in each classroom. For this reason, we avoid having items that could be choking hazards in our infant and toddler classrooms. In addition, our classes are all well-staffed with a low teacher-student ratio. We’re vigilant in ensuring our students’ safety. “Keep in mind that some of the biggest choking hazards are food, so it is important that parents cut all food they send in for their child in appropriate-sized pieces,” Kellyann McNamara recommends. Also, be sure to read our list of foods that are choking hazards in our parent welcome package so that you can avoid these hazards at home and at school.

How do you make sure toddlers and infants are safe during nap time?

Young children need enough sleep each day to ensure proper development and growth. During nap time, we take steps to make sure that our students are always safe:

• Each infant has a designated mattress that only they sleep on while they are part of the classroom
• Toddler nap sheets, blankets and mats are stored so they don’t touch each other
• We clean and sanitize each child’s nap mat or crib each week
• Nap bedding is provided by parents and sent home each week or whenever soiled to be washed
• We conduct sleep checks every 15 minutes in our infant room and 30 minutes in our toddler room to ensure our children are sleeping safely and comfortably
• We follow all safe sleep standards including not allowing extra items in our cribs such as blankets, pillows, or stuffed animals. Infants are always placed on their backs to go to sleep.

Rest assured that we will still provide warmth and affection for our infants and toddlers who need to feel loved and nurtured. We do everything possible to keep our youngest students safe by not sharing pillows or bouncy seats, cleaning items that have touched children’s mouths immediately, and washing dishes in the dishwasher.

We are committed to keeping our entire Apple Montessori Family safe, happy, and healthy throughout this new school year.

Do you have a question we didn’t answer? Please feel free to reach out! And stay tuned for part 2 of the Importance of Health and Safety at Apple Montessori Schools.