POLICIES
Abacus Policy Information
Abacus Montessori Nursery and Preschool has a number of policies that set out the procedures that are in place for the care and education of the children that attend. We encourage you to read these. The Centre’s Policy information is situated in our entrance foyer. As part of our Centre self-review, we look at one policy each month and ask for your feedback. By signing the enrolment agreement form you indicate that you will abide by the policies in place of this service provider. All ministry documentation is located in the entrance foyer.
Late Collection Policy
To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children, and community members of Abacus Montessori and in accordance with our centre’s licensed operating hours, we kindly remind families of the importance of collecting children on time.Children who are collected after their booked time or outside of our licensed hours will incur a late collection fee.
Late Fee Structure: Outside of our licensed hours
● A flat fee of $25.00 will be charged for the first 5 minutes of lateness. After the initial 5 minutes, an additional fee of $5.00 per minute will apply. Late fees will be automatically added to the child’s account.
● Repeated late collections may result in further review of your enrolment and care arrangements.
● Hourly rate will be charged on top of booked time if collection before or after child's booked hours within our licensed hours
We understand that occasional delays can happen, and we ask that you contact the centre as soon as possible if you expect to be late. Your cooperation in respecting collection times helps us maintain a safe and compliant environment for all children.
Health & Safety Policy
Staff members hold a current first aid certificate. All accidents are recorded in an accident folder, and are to be signed by a parent at the end of your child’s session. In the unlikely event of a serious accident involving a child, we will immediately ring the parent/ caregiver or phone an ambulance.
If a child requires medication during their session, parents will need to fill out the medication form and ensure that the teacher is aware of this. It is important that parents remember that we cannot administer prescription medication to a child unless it has their own name on the bottle. Hearing and vision checks are carried out regularly by the Ministry of Health. We will advise you of upcoming visits.
In the event that your child becomes unwell at preschool, we will contact you immediately. If your child has a high temperature, has vomited or has diarrhoea, then our policy states that a child must be cleared of the above for at least 48 hours before they can return to preschool. There is also a 24hr stand-down for a viral infection or when an antibiotic course is undertaken. We ask that you call us to advise us if your child is unwell and will be absent from preschool.
Food Policy
It is our duty to provide an environment that recognises the importance of all children’s health, including the value and significance of fresh healthy food available to all children. Please provide a named lunchbox and drink bottle each day. Please see the following lunchbox guidelines, Nude food and attached Ministry of Health document “Reducing food related choking for babies and young children in early learning services” which is a requirement to provide parents upon enrolment. https://www.health.govt.nz/publications/reducing-food-related-choking-for-babies-and-young-children-at-early-learning-services
We work in partnership with the New Zealand Heart Foundation.
Concerns & Complaints
Resolving complaints is important to us as we want to provide the best outcomes for families who attend Abacus Montessori Preschool. Our concerns and complaints procedure is displayed in the foyer. If you have any concerns, please contact either Deb or Ian any time.
Our Montessori philosophy and safer teacher-to-child ratios foster self-guided learning, developing concentration, self-discipline, independence, and self-esteem. This solid foundation prepares your child for school success.