DISCIPLINE
At LAUMC Children's Center we practice loving, positive discipline. We guide our children to learn by experience and to develop the skills needed to control impulsive behavior and delay gratification.

We are dedicated to the premise that one does not need to feel worse in order to behave better. Behavior improves as discouragement lessens. A short, positively framed time-out helps us regain our positivity and well-being. Sometimes a child will need to give up a certain toy or activity until he can remember to share, not to grab from others, etc. If a child cannot sit by his or her friend and attend at circle, after a quiet "choice / warning", he / she will be asked to move. Teachers use "I" messages: "I can't let you...", "I can see that you are very angry." No discipline that shames or belittles a child will be employed. No punitive measures, and, of course, no corporal punishment. Children's dignity will always be respected. In very rare cases we find that our program does not meet the needs of a child. Should that situation arise, we will make every effort to find the appropriate help and / or program for the child.


FIELD TRIPS
We will not be taking the children off campus for field trips. From time to time, we will bring people from the community, i.e.; physician, police officer, fire fighter, or community members with special talents to enrich our program. The INNOVATIVE class is the exception to this policy having generally 2 fieldtrips during the year.


ATTENDANCE
Regular attendance makes school a happier more consistent experience for your child — as does prompt arrival. If your child is not feeling well, he will not enjoy his day and may be contagious. Children should remain at home for 24 hours after a fever breaks. If they seem unwell, have excessive nasal congestion, discharge or an elevated temperature, they should not be in school.


VISITATION
We invite, and encourage, you to visit LAUMC's Children's Center. Choosing the right school is important, and deserves thoughtful consideration. There are several visitation options available to you at the Children's Center. The simplest, most peripheral way to see our school is to drop by any school day, mid-morning or mid-afternoon, for a brief tour. We will take you through the classrooms and play yards; introducing you to staff as time allows, and answer your questions. At the conclusion of the tour we will provide you with our printed information. This tour takes about 10 minutes and no appointment is needed.

A much more enlightening, comprehensive visitation involves spending an entire morning or afternoon in one of our classrooms. Please schedule your visit in a class which will be age appropriate for your child when he enters school. For this reason we ask that you come without your child. We limit visitors to one per classroom. All visitors are required to sign in at the office.

Please be aware that staff will remain fully involved with the children during your visit. There may be time during the session when a teacher can chat briefly with you, but remember that our first priority is the children currently enrolled in our program. At the conclusion of your visit, office personnel will answer any questions and assist you in any way they can.


SECURITY
There are many gated entrances on our Campus. We check them continuously throughout the day. Please help us by closing all gates as you pass through, and by closing any gate you see open.

Upon arrival, children are signed in prior to entering their classrooms. Anyone may bring a child to school; only parents or authorized persons may sign a child out at dismissal time. We will not release any child to anyone other than a parent without their written authorization.

When the children go to one of the play yards they are counted prior to leaving their classroom. One teacher leads them, one teacher follows and, whenever possible, there is a third person near the center of the group. As we prepare to return to our classrooms, children are seated, and counted again before coming back to class.

The first thing we teach the children: ONLY TEACHERS AND PARENTS OPEN DOORS AND GATES! We have excellent teacher/child ratios; therefore our children are carefully watched and supervised. Nonetheless accidents do happen and injuries do occur. It is our policy to tell parents about these "hurts" at pick up time. In the event of a more serious injury, the Director is notified and every effort is made to contact a parent. All Staff are kept current with first aid / CPR certification.


For information about the children's daily and weekly activities, please click here.