Policies

Dress Code:

Students should arrive at school in clothing that is comfortable and appropriate. OWM students will participate in outdoor and art activities that may stain or soil their clothing. Therefore, we advise parents to avoid dressing children in clothing that would cause distress if it were to become stained. Though OWM does not require students to wear a uniform or specific colors, we do ask that any clothing or accessories worn to school will not distract from the learning process.

  • Clothing, outerwear, and accessories should be free of fantasy and/or cartoon characters.
  • Clothing with offensive messages or images are prohibited.
  • Hats and other headgear are not to be worn in buildings.
  • Spaghetti straps, tube tops or any shirts that expose the midriff area are not allowed.
  • Shorts should be an appropriate length.
  • Because the children will be outside daily and in all safe weather conditions, shoes should be comfortable and provide support and stability when running, climbing, and playing. Tennis shoes, loafers, and most boots will work well. On the other hand, Crocs, flip flops, open back sandals, and high heels are not appropriate for our playgrounds.
  • Students should also bring outerwear appropriate to the weather. Each child will need to have a rain jacket, a winter coat, and rain or water-proof boots.

A student may be asked to change clothes if he or she violates one or more of the items in OWM’s dress code policy. If he or she does not have an extra set of clothes at school, we will request that a family member bring a new set to the school as soon as possible.

Lunch at One World Montessori

Our school does not maintain a cafeteria and is not licensed to prepare food for its students. Therefore, students must bring their own lunch to school. The School asks that parents work hard to provide a nutritious and balanced lunch that minimizes sugars, additives, colorings, and artificial flavorings and emphasizes vegetables, fruits, and whole foods. Children should come to school with a freshly filled water bottle. Please do not pack a beverage other than water for your child. This includes chocolate milk, soda, fruit drinks and juices. Check with each of your child’s teachers regarding the availability of a microwave oven in the environment for reheating or warming student lunches.

To minimize litter and waste of valuable resources, the School encourages parents and students to use “litterless” lunch boxes. Avoiding single-use containers like baggies will help us avoid unwanted litter as well as helping our environment. Instead, send containers that can be washed and reused. In addition, it may be necessary for a room to implement a nut-aware policy due to student allergies. Your child’s teacher will notify you of food allergies and precautions when school starts.

Thank you in advance for your willingness to keep our children and environment healthy and safe.

Lice Policy

One World Montessori’s policy and guidelines regarding lice are based on prevention, proper treatment, and the elimination of re-infestation. If live lice or nits are suspected and/or observed by OWM staff, , the School will follow the procedures below:

  1. The student will be removed from the class environment.
  2. The parent or guardian will be called to pick up the child. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to transport the student home before the end of the school day so that proper treatment may begin.
  3. Upon pickup of the student, the parent or guardian will be given verbal or written instructions on proper treatment, screening and environmental interventions to reduce the risk of re-infestation. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to follow these instructions and seek medical advice/prescription medication if needed.
  4. Once the School receives a confirmation that a student has contracted lice, we will send a letter to all of the families in our community to prevent further infestation.

Procedure for Student Illness:

We believe that a student’s attendance is directly related to his or her academic and social success. However, when a student becomes ill, it is important that he or she recovers at home so as not to spread the illness to others.. If you suspect your child is sick or becoming sick, please keep him/her home if any of the following conditions are present.

  1. Fever, diarrhea, or vomiting.
  2. Rash or discharge from the eyes or ears.
  3. Sore throat or severe cough.
  4. Parents should call the School immediately if a student becomes ill with a childhood contagious disease (such as influenza, pink eye, chicken pox, fifth disease, etc.), so we may be alerted to the symptoms and notify other parents of exposure.
  5. A student should be free of any fever, diarrhea or vomiting for 24 hours without medication before returning to school. A fever is described as 99 degrees or above.
  6. Children who cannot go outside for play should be kept home until fully able to participate in all school activities, including outdoor activities.
  7. Should a student become ill during the school day or arrive at school too ill to participate in the activities of the day, the parents will be contacted to take the student home.
  8. Medical forms signed by a physician must be on file before the student begins the school year.
  9. The immunization records must meet the requirements of the State Immunization Law. A student cannot be admitted to class without these completed records.

Discipline Policy:

The staff and faculty of One World Montessori believe that making connections, offering
consistency, and providing clarity are the most effective classroom management tools available
to us. To achieve a classroom and community where both children and adults feel safe and
respected, our teachers practice the following strategies:

  • Provide a classroom environment that is well-prepared, consistent, and structured.
  • Awaken the child’s imagination and curiosity
  • Offer interesting and challenging work to engage the student
  • Redirect children when necessary
  • Instruct children in acquiring conflict-resolution skills
  • Model appropriate behaviors
  • Monitor student work and behavior
  • Follow the child and provide one-on-one instruction when needed
  • Emphasize natural consequences

Early in the school year, the rules of the school and classroom will be explained, discussed, and
reviewed. If a child has difficulty following these rules, staff and faculty will intervene with age-
appropriate responses, such as:

  • Discuss the behavior confidentially with the student
  • Remove the child from the situation
  • Redirect the child to a more productive behavior
  • Offer alternative ways of dealing with a problem

Most problems in the classroom are solved rather quickly by the child(ren) and/or the teacher.
If, however, a child repeatedly ignores or violates the community rules, these actions may begin
affecting other children and the environment. Initially, the teachers and staff of One World
Montessori will attempt to solve the problem without parent involvement. However, if our
efforts to prevent and redirect inappropriate behaviors are not successful, we will involve the
parents more directly.

Though each classroom works together to develop a list of rules, there are rules and policies
that are common to the entire school. These universal rules are as follows:

  • Respect yourself, others, and the environment
  • Keep hands to yourself
  • Treat all materials with respect and return all materials to their proper place
  • Clean up after yourself
  • Demonstrate responsibility through your work and actions

To maintain a safe and supportive community, One World Montessori will not tolerate the
following behaviors

  • Name-calling
  • Inappropriate language or conversation topics
  • Inappropriate play
  • Discussing or repeating words or conversation topics that are inappropriate for school
  • Racial or gender slurs
  • Threatening another student or teacher
  • Hitting, kicking, biting, spitting

Please note that in instances where a child is involved in a physical altercation, is blatantly
disrespectful to a teacher or adult at the school, or is discussing inappropriate topics with other
students at the school, the teacher may call the parents or family to pick the him or her up from
school early. The child is invited back the next day and will not be singled out, disciplined, or
treated differently. Everyone deserves the benefit of a brand new day.

In situations involving repeated violations of school rules, continued disruptive behavior, or
serious academic problems that the school is not equipped to accommodate, or, if at any time a
student’s influence is considered harmful or his/her presence undesirable, the school will
terminate the child’s enrollment.

If a child repeatedly ignores classroom or school rules, OWM will try to follow the action plan below

  1. Classroom teacher will request a conference with the student and his or her parents
  2. A plan is developed and the student will be asked to sign it when applicable
  3. If the student or parents does not follow through with the conditions set forth by the plan, the school will require either ask the family to leave the school or ask the parents to seek professional help through evaluation, therapy, etc.
  4. If outside treatment does not make noticeable changes in the child’s behavior and his or
    her impact on the other students and environment, One World Montessori reserves the
    right to ask the child to leave the school.