Altadena, CA
The Firehouse School

Discipline

OVERALL RATING (5.0)

Parents at this school, on average, believe that conflicts between children:
...are handled extraordinarily well in a way that not only gives me confidence in the safety of my child but also reassures me that my child (and his/her peers) are learning the early skills needed to socialize effectively with one another

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Director's Description to School's Approach to Discipline

Discipline is the foundation of human character. There cannot be education without it. We have three acceptable ways of dealing with unacceptable behavior: 1. Time out--we choose a chair or quiet area in the room and separate the child from the group or activity for a short period of time. 2. Trade off--when a child uses certain materials improperly, we will show them the proper way and give them the opportunity to use them correctly. 3. Fix up--we will ask the child to fix, clean or repair something that is damaged because of their actions, such as spilled food, a child can get a towel and wipe it up. The teacher would decide which of these actions would be appropriate at the time, considering the individual child and age.

Director's Response to a Sample Discipline Scenario

Description of how teachers handle the following scenario: Child A and Child B are good friends and usually play together. One day, Child A decides to play with Child C and tells Child B, 'I don't want to play with you today. I'm playing with Child C instead.'


This situation may not need any handling by a teacher. The teacher would need to see the reaction of Child B. If he or she goes off to play with another child, then no teacher action is necessary. If Child B seems to have his or her feelings hurt, then the teacher would explain to Child B that it is good to have many friends and have Child A explain that they can play again tomorrow.

Health

OVERALL RATING (5.0)
Temperature and overall air circulation is comfortable
Healthy and nutritious snacks are provided
Toys and furniture are cleaned regularly

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Safety

OVERALL RATING (4.5)
Screen and identify all visitors
Parents may not bring sick children to school where they may infect others

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Montessori? Waldorf? Play-based?

What school type is right for your child? Is one model better than another? What does the research say?

View an example from the Savvy Source guide to learn more.

Trace around your child's foot, with shoe on, on a piece of white construction paper or card stock. Have child cut out the shoe print and add a spooky face. Glue it to a popsicle stick and you have a ghost stick puppet!

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