Covid-19 Statement
2020/2021 have been challenging years for everyone. At Deepdales Montessori we are committed to providing a safe and healthy setting for all our children, families and staff. A combined effort between parents and staff will help contain the spread of Covid-19.
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Daily checklist before arriving to school:
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Does anyone in your household have a temperature over 38°C?
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Does anyone in your household have any unexplained respiratory problems, such as shortness of breath or coughing?
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Has anyone in your household suddenly developed a loss of smell or taste?
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If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you should call and consult with your doctor before attempting to come to the school. Advise management of any suspected or verified cases of Covid-19 within your household as soon as possible.
Other Illnesses
For other illnesses, the general HSE guidelines are available below. If your child is generally unwell, they should not be in school. In their first year of preschool, children are likely to catch a number of illnesses. It is important to let children fight off these illnesses with rest, otherwise symptoms can worsen and lead to further complications. Sending a sick child to school also puts the other children at risk of getting sick, as well as the staff.
Healthy Eating & Exercise
Healthy eating and physical exercise both contribute to the healthy physical development of children. Please ensure that you provide a healthy packed lunch and a drink for your child every day. We help the children to become more independent by ensuring they can open their own lunches and take a drink whenever they are thirsty (self-regulation). This will also help them to transition to primary school.
Some tips on preparing healthy lunches:
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Ensure that grapes and cherry tomatoes are cut in half, lengthwise, as they pose a choking hazard.
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Too many raisins can lead to tooth decay because they become caught in children’s teeth so try to not make it a daily food item.
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Please do not include nuts or peanut butter in your child’s lunch.
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Choose yoghurts with low sugar content as the majority of yoghurts contain unhealthy levels of sugar.
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Try to steer away from processed foods where possible.
Physical exercise is an important part of our curriculum, exercise and movement is essential to maintain our physical and emotional health as well as our academic development. We run the active kids academy program every week, as well as our physical exercise classes that include yoga, dancing, obstacles courses and school yard games.
Birthdays are a very special time for children and parents, however, in a preschool setting, there may be a birthday or special occasion nearly every week of the year. As part of our healthy eating policy we do not allow cakes or junk food for birthday parties. Birthdays are instead celebrated by allowing the birthday child to choose a present from the birthday box. They are given the special birthday chair for the day and the class sings happy birthday to the child on their big day at circle time. We may have some small treats for seasonal celebrations during the year.
