Parent Handbook

Everyone receives a hard copy of the Good Morning Creative Arts and Preschool (GMCAPS) Parent Handbook with the registration package.

Because it's hard to keep track of all the paper that comes home, here's a copy for you to view online or download in PDF.

Health and Safety Policy

2020-21 - SPECIAL STATEMENT
During the pandemic, health and safety regulations are continually being updated. We operate in strict adherence to all directives and guidelines from Ottawa Public Health, and those directives override all published health and safety policies published here (on the website) or in the Parent Handbook. 

Covid-19 Policies and Procedures (PDF)

Normally, our policies are as follows...
​In the best interest of your child, the teachers and the other children at the school, you must keep your child home for 24 hours when they have the following symptoms:
  • Elevated temperature within the last 24 hours - fever of 101 F or 38.5 C or more
  • Vomiting within the last 24 hours
  • Diarrhea within the last 24 hours - two bouts or more
  • Red, itching or discharging eyes or ears
  • Green or yellow discharge of mucus from the nose
  • Undiagnosed skin rashes or infections

The teachers reserve the right to send a child home who arrives at school with any of these symptoms. 

Thank you for your co-operation in keeping our classroom healthy.
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Policies and Procedures

You are also invited to view or download the PDF of our Policies and Procedures (last updated in 2018). This document outlines how we are compliant with the Ontario Ministry of Education's policies.

Police Record Checks

In non-pandemic times, any parent that will be volunteering in the class room are required to complete a Police Records Check for Service with the Vulnerable Sector, which you can now apply for online.

(During Covid Times, all Good Morning board members and supply teachers must have a recent police records check for the vulnerable sector.)
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Good Morning By-Laws

If you are interested in our by-laws, please download the PDF.
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Tips for Drop-off and Pick-up

TogetherFamilies.com has a great list of recommendations for more effective drop-offs and pick-ups.  

Favourite Play-Dough Recipe

Please make TWO batches of the following recipe so there is enough for the preschool class. If you double the batch, add the food colouring after step 4, so that you can make more than one colour.

Dry Ingredients
  • 2 cups flour 
  • 2 tbsp cream of tartar  (NOT tartar sauce... that would be awful)
  •  ½ cup salt 

Wet Ingredients
  • 2 cups of water
  • 2 tbsp of cooking oil
  • Food coloring

​Directions
  1. Combine dry ingredients in a large cooking pot.
  2. Combine wet ingredients in a measuring cup or bowl.
  3. Slowly pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, stirring until completely combined and mixture is smooth.
  4. Place mixture in pot on stove and heat at medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture forms a ball.
  5. Let cool. Store in an airtight container. 
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Show-and-Tell Schedule for Preschool and Beyond

In the Preschool and Beyond program, we introduce a new routine to the children and invite them to participate in Show-and-Tell. 

Here's how it works:
  1. For your child's scheduled day, help them choose ONE item for Show and Tell. Please place the item in a clear zip-lock bag, which will be disinfected upon arrival and before it goes home with you.
  2. On your child's day, they will find a navy blue "Show and Tell" bag on their hook. They should place the zip-lock bag with their special item in it, place it in their bin until the end of class, and keep the item a secret from the teacher and classmates until it's time! 
  3. At the end of each class, the scheduled child will have about five minutes to share and talk about the special thing they brought from home. Because they will start by seeing if their friends can guess what they have in the bag, you can help them prepare some clues. For example, encourage your child to think of ways to describe it, like where it lives in your house, where it came from, what colour and shape it is, what it's used for, who gave it to them, etc.
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NOTE: If your child will be away on his/her day, it is the parent's responsibility to coordinate switching with another child, and to let the teachers know.