Family Handbook

Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) is free for eligible families and children that have turned 3 or 4 by August 31.

Part day ECEAP programs offer:

• 2.75 hours per day, Monday - Thursday
• Morning and Afternoon Classes
• September – June
• High Quality Early Learning
• Family Support
• 10:1 student teacher ratio

PSESD ECEAP Early Learning provides: 

• High Quality Early Learning 
• Family Activities 
• Parent Education |
•  Nutritious meals and Snacks 
• Health and Developmental Screenings  
• Community Resources 
• More!

Developmental Pre-Kindergarten (DPK) is free for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and $100 per month for peers without IEPs.

Part day DPK programs offer:

• 2.75 hours/day, 4 days/week
• Morning and Afternoon Classes
• September – June
• 12:3 student teacher ratio

Developmental Early Learning provides: 

• High Quality Early Learning 
• Family Activities 
• Parent Education 
• Nutritious meals and Snacks 

We inspire lifelong learning at all Highline Public Schools Early Learning Centers

We partner with families from diverse background to create an inclusive and collaborative learning environment for three to five year olds.

We provide rigorous, high quality instruction focusing on kindergarten readiness for each child.

We develop supportive, respectful relationships with families and students for a positive start to their academic and social emotional journey.

In Service of ensuring that all students in Highline Public Schools have an equitable opportunity to have readiness for kindergarten and beyond regardless of address and family circumstances. Have highly qualified staff to lead opportunities for young children to engage in age level peers and develop developmentally appropriate early academic and social emotional skills, in partnership with families, in relationship to the early childhood state guidelines.

At Valley View Early Learning Center, we develop reciprocal, supportive, respectful relationships with families and students to empower them on their academic and social emotional journey by:

• Seeking to interrupt systemic racism through teaching children to be comfortable with their own identities and in the identities of others, to recognize ‘fair’ and ‘unfair’ in their environment, and  to act on unfair things in their environment.  
• Providing an environment that  children of all ability levels can learn through play 

Teachers Strive to :

• Create an exciting early learning environment with an emphasis in early literacy
• Plan developmentally appropriate activities
• Invite parents to participate in the classroom
• Administer developmental screening and social emotional assessment
• Assist families with locating educational resources for at home

“We celebrate students similarities and differences together in the classroom”

We pride ourselves in creating a safe and friendly environment for all our families.

• We include everyone
• We plan activities so all children and families can join in
• We respect everyone’s  values and beliefs

 In an effort to be inclusive, we do not participate in: 

• Holidays– We respect that these holidays are personal choices for all families. Therefore we leave holidays for families to celebrate at home.
• Birthdays– We do not celebrate children’s birthdays, we want them to feel special everyday.
• Religion– This is a public/state funded program and we must follow the requirements of “Separation of Church and School”
• Outside Food– Due to the amount of food allergies and contamination issues, no outside food may be brought to the school, sites, or program.

PSESD– Equity, Inclusion, and Classroom Celebration Policy Policy No. 115    

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT 

Highline Public Schools, District #401, complies with all federal rules and regulations and does not discriminate in admission, access, treatment, or employment in education programs or hiring practices on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, marital status, honorably-discharged veteran or military status, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. This holds true for all students who are interested in participating in educational programs and/or extracurricular activities.

Family Connections: Our Agreements

As a parent of a Valley View student, please follow our policies to ensure safety, security, and best practice for your child and our school.

Call the school if your child will be absent

• We are a nut-free and pork free school. We do not allow outside food for into our school.
• Please keep toys at home
• Please bring an extra change of clothes to school for your child. (Accidents happen, we play outdoors everyday, and we have water activities in every classroom)
• Our Classrooms and Staff follow the “Creative Curriculum” for classroom set up and guidance
• Consent for Services and Photos to be initial on the Emergency and Consent form of each and every student
• Be mindful of our parking lot arrivals and dismissal policies.  Please drive slowly and watch for children
• Dress for the weather– We play outdoors everyday
• Develop goals with Family Support
• Support learning at home and school
• Respect family cultures, values and community
• Families and Staff  participate in 3 or more conferences a year 

If at any time you are no longer interested in our program, or are unable to  participate in ECEAP or DPK, we kindly ask that you let us know  as soon as possible.

Child Guidance and Support Procedure  

Positive Guidance Approach:  

Positive Guidance and supportive interactions with children create a climate in which children learn, practice, and apply skills for self-regulation  and social emotional competence. All site teams will use a positive guidance approach which models the following behaviors: 

a) building and maintaining positive relationships with children 

(b) Use a warm, calm and respectful tone of voice and body language that acknowledges the child's home culture. 

(c) Use positive language, saying what children can do instead of what they cannot do. 

(d) Validate children’s feelings. 

(e) Respond to children’s requests and questions. 

(f) Show tolerance for mistakes and teach that mistakes are for learning. 

(g) Give descriptive feedback, instead of generalized praise or criticism. 

(h) Pay attention to children to learn about their individual interests, ideas, questions, and theories. 

(i) Observe what children do, with whom, and where they play. 

(j) Listen reflectively, staying on the child’s topic, and paraphrasing their ideas. 

Use of Photos and Video at Valley View

We may take photos or videos in classrooms and around the school to develop trainings. These trainings are meant to  further develop our staff and will only be shared among teaching/district professionals. The focus of these photos and  videos is on the teaching teams but we recognize that students will be present and want to respect boundaries 

Another purpose for photos and videos is to cultivate partnerships with agencies in our area. For instance, a large part of ECEAP is  connecting people to local resources. To spread the word about ourselves and ways agencies can get involved we  share flyers or posters that often display the heart and soul of our work. 

Again, please know families are welcome to opt out by indicating on the back of your “Emergency Treatment and  Consent” form.

Confidentiality 

The contents of your ECEAP files are kept confidential and reviewed at times by the Department of  DCYF per licensing requirements and by staff to ensure content is updated. You will, from time to time,  be asked to fill out new forms to ensure that child  information is current and correct. Contents of your  file include “Family Engagement and Partnership  Plan” and “Parent/Guardian permission for photography, videotaping, or surveillance of your child.” 

• Family files are kept private 

• You can ask to see your child’s ECEAP file • Community Complaints (Policy 405 PSESD) 

Medical Emergencies 

If your child gets injured while at school, the  staff will administer basic first aid. In the event  of a serious injury, you will be contacted to transport your child to receive medical attention. If the injury is severe and cannot wait for your arrival, the staff will call 911. All injuries will be documented on an accident report and given to the parent to sign. The reports  are then filed in the child’s file. 

Reporting Child Abuse 

Highline Public School Employees are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse  and neglect per WAC 388.295.7030. We  are required by law to report any signs  and/or symptoms of abuse, neglect, or sexual assault to CPS (Child Protective Services) and/or local law enforcement. 

No weapons, drugs, or alcohol on Highline School District property

We are committed to serving all students

ECEAP is committed to serving children who have special health or developmental needs. All children in our ECEAP program are screened in the first forty-five (45) days of the school year. Teachers and parent/guardian will review the screening results together. The need for further evaluation is determined by parent or guardian concerns, screenings, and classroom observations (by staff). Evaluations are usually performed by the school district, consultants or a medical doctor. Before any evaluation can occur, the program is required to have the informed consent form signed by the parent or legal guardian.

Please see performance standard (CO-5, IA-2, CO-2) for additional info on identifying developmental concerns, early interventions, and inclusion  of students with specific or special needs.

Emergency Procedure Guide 

Highline School District and all Employees follow up dated Emergency Preparedness Procedures. We  schedule practice of all emergency drills. Our disaster  plan and emergency procedure guide is located in every classroom, common areas and offices. Included in  the Emergency Procedure Guide are: 

• Fire and Evacuation 

• Earthquake 

• Threats-Weapons-Bombs 

• Shelter in Place 

• Medical Emergencies 

• Active Shooter-Intruder 

• Lock Down 

• Reunification 

All other Policies 

For questions regarding policies and procedures related to health, staff, liability insurance, inspection reports and other relevant program policies and procedures,  please contact

Sarah Mitchell, Valley View  Principal at  

Sarah.Mitchell@highlineschools.org  

We ask that if you are driving your child by car: 

• You park your car and safely walk your child to/from their teacher’s waiting area. 
• Hold your child’s hand as you walk across the parking lot.
• Refrain from conversations at the pick-up/drop off area - teachers need to be watching students at this time and are not able to engage in conversations while safely supervising children 
• Drive slowly out of the parking lot 

If you are a walker: 

• Hold your child’s hand as you enter school grounds/cross safely on street 
• Walk directly to Teacher and wait for Teacher to sign in your child (Teacher sign in/out child per Safe  Arrivals and Departures PSESD requirements) 
• Release the child to the teacher  

If your child is a bus rider: 

• An adult must be with your child at the bus stop during pick up and drop off. 
• Ensure the individual taking your student off the bus is listed on the Emergency and Consent Form.  
• Ensure the individual taking the student off the bus has appropriate photo ID 
• Arrive and wait for the bus 5 minutes before the scheduled pick up and drop off time 
• Please be visible to bus drivers. This will ensure pickup/drop off 
• Approach the bus only after the driver waves you on. 
• Contact Transportation with concerns (206) 631-7502 
• Please report absences to your Family Support Specialist (if applicable), teacher, or school office and  to transportation. 

Highline Early Learning follows the PSESD Safe Arrival and Departure Policy, which is developed by ECEAP  staff. If you have more questions about this policy please email Kristin.Wells@highlineschools.org.

Students are served breakfast and/or lunch, and snack. Please speak with your student’s teacher for their school meal times and menu. 

If your child is here during meal times, they will be offered the menu items. Please do not  send any food to the school with your child, unless you have made special food arrangements.  

If your child has a food allergy, there will be a substitute item during meals. All children will  be offered the foods listed on our menus. Menus can be found on our Nutrition Services webpage. 

To protect the health of all children and staff , please keep your child home if  they show any of the following symptoms: 

• Fever over 100 (without medication)
• Pink Eye/Eye Discharge 
• Vomiting - Lice or Scabies 
• Diarrhea - Rash 

Depending on the illness or injury, children will be re-admitted to the program when they  no longer have the above symptoms for 24 hours. Highline Public Schools follows the Public Health exclusion guidelines for schools.  

Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you are interested in volunteering. Valley View follows the Highline School District policy and PSESD Early Learning policy for all volunteers in our schools. Our office staff is happy to work with individuals to complete the volunteer process.

We welcome volunteers in our classrooms. There are many opportunities to volunteer in  ECEAP and Developmental classrooms. Volunteers may share a skill such as mending dress-up clothing, repairing toys,  demonstrating a hobby, or playing an instrument. Parent and Guardians can also help the  teacher by gathering materials, sharing their families traditions or culture, and reading to children. 

What do they do? 

Each ECEAP classroom has a  Family Support Staff (FSS) who supports families and teachers. FSS assist in recruitment, health screenings, goal setting, enrollment, kindergarten transitions, and providing resources and referrals for families.  

Family Support staff (FSS) assist in employing individualized wrap around services to each ECEAP family enrolled in our program.

ECEAP Family Support staff (FSS) services include: 

• Assisting with enrollment and online registration 
• Recognizing diversity and culture while working with all families 
• Building relationships with families that are positive, goal-directed, and establish mutual trust based on equality and respect 
• Helping in identifying and assessing family strengths, creating goals, and linking families  to community resources 
• Engaging in pre-existing goals to best support the family’s vision for their future • Coaching families toward self-sufficiency 
• Administering height, weight, vision, and hearing screenings 
• Facilitating monthly Parent Committee meetings  
• Building strong and lasting community relationships for ongoing external resources • Encouraging and supporting families in becoming a strong advocate in their child’s   educational process 
• Providing information on a variety of parent identified topics 
• Hosting an annual Kindergarten transition night

Screenings

What is a Screening? 

A screening is an efficient method of examining a group of children for potential medical  or developmental delays. It identifies children who require further evaluation by appropriate licensed professionals. 

Medical and Dental Exams 

All children must have a recent medical and dental exam in their file 

within 45 days of their first day of  class. Please provide copies of these exams within the time frame and  keep the Family Support staff up to  date with your child’s scheduled appointments. Family Support Specialists are able to provide resources  and referrals for medical and dental  information.  

Mental Health Consultant & Education Coach  

We provide an environment where children and parents can grow in self awareness, accept individual  differences, develop abilities and recognize their self  worth. ECEAP has Licensed Mental Health Specialists  who are available to support classroom teachers, stu dents, and families with a range of topics. 

ECEAP has Education Coaches who support classroom  teachers throughout the school year. 

Any information shared with ECEAP staff is confidential.  

We are committed to serving all students 

ECEAP is committed to serving children who have special health or developmental needs. All children in  our ECEAP program are screened in the first forty-five (45) days of the school year. Teachers and parent/ guardian will review the screening results together. The need for further evaluation is determined by  parent or guardian concerns, screenings, and classroom observations (by staff). Evaluations are usually  performed by the school district, consultants or a medical doctor. Before any evaluation can occur, the  program is required to have the informed consent form signed by the parent or legal guardian. 

Please see performance standard (CO-5, IA-2, CO-2) for additional info on identifying developmental  concerns, early interventions, and inclusion of students with specific or special needs. 

Enrollment, Termination of Services, & Expulsion

Please complete the following items and return them to your Family Support Specialist prior to your child’s first day. Incomplete and/or missing items may cause a delay in your child’s enrollment. Please note that it is a requirement to keep all contact information up to date at all times.

• Enrollment Packet
• Online Registration (ParentVue) through the Highline Public Schools Website
• Family Connections
• Health Information/Emergency Form/Consent for Services and Photography and Videos
• Certificate of Immunization Status Form
• Birth Certificate/Passport

In Highline we recognize that it is very important to work through challenges that occur at school. Expulsion due to behavior however,  is not a strategy we employ for our Pre-K students as it may not be developmentally appropriate. Instead we work internally to navigate problem solving as a team.

If at any time you are no longer interested  in our program or able to participate in ECEAP we kindly ask that you let us know so we can support in whatever way we can.