On Time Policy

Given the Provocation above it is essential that Learners arrive at school at 8:30 am. Learners do not like to miss Provocation as it sets the tone for their day.

Provocation

Each morning at 8:35 am, our School House Learners gather to participate in Provocation. This is a presentation by one of our Team Members or a member of our community. It is meant to raise a question of morality, ethics, a new viewpoint or encourage an experience. The Pledge of Allegiance and the announcement of our School Care team for the day follows Provocation. All Learners begin their Morning Work Cycle at 8:45 am.

School Snack

The Friday before your assigned snack week, your child will be sent home with our picnic basket for them to bring snack the following week.

You can either:

• send snack on Monday for the entire week

Nut Free School

We are a nut-free school. Sunflower Seed butter is permitted as a peanut butter substitute. And is much healthier!

Water Bottles

We ask that your learners please leave their personal water bottles at home. Clean, filtered water is available in each classroom for them to drink at any time and is provided with lunch and outside as well.

School Care

School Care at TSH is where we choose one child from each class (5 total) to take care of our school that day. We raise the flag, feed the animals, bring in boots, weed our garden, cook in our kitchen and check the mail. Parents are invited to join their child on their special day from 8:30-11:30.

School Attire Policy

Uniforms

Please visit Lands End for TSH shirts and sweaters. Learners may wear pants, jeans, shorts, skirts, etc…for their bottoms.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR LAND'S END PAGE

At TSH our School Attire policy requires a School House shirt and/or a School House sweater. If a School House sweater is unavailable please choose a navy, white or khaki sweater. The School House shirt should be paired with: jeans, khakis, shorts, skirts or pants/joggers in navy, white or khaki.

Please no sports pants, sweatpants or ripped clothing. We encourage children to make their mark through accessories and shoes. No characters of any kind please.

This policy was set forth based on three ideas: that children should be unencumbered at this age by the pressure and costs of keeping up (nearly 21% of public schools in the U.S. require some form of school attire and nearly all private schools) - children should be comfortable and ready to learn; that safety is increased when children are coordinated in school attire; and that the building of team spirit as a school is fostered by doing so.

Indoor Shoes

During the winter months please send your Learner to The School House with a pair of Indoor Shoes neutral in color. No unicorns please!

Weather

We stay out in our PlayYard down to 28 degrees in the winter months. Too many children are sheltered from weather and their experience in it. Please dress your child appropriately with winter gear. Below 28 degrees our Learners enjoy recess in their Gym.

Weather

We stay out in our PlayYard down to 28 degrees in the winter months. Too many children are sheltered from weather and their experience in it. Please dress your child appropriately with winter gear. Below 28 degrees our Learners enjoy recess in their Gym.

School Closures / Snow Closures

Our Director of HQ will inform all Families via email and our updates are available on News 12. Committee of Five members will also text families.

Pick-up / Dismissal

Monday - Thursday

• Pre-K: Dismissal is 11:30 am from the front steps.
• Elementary (including Kindergarten): Dismissal is 3:30 pm from the Gym parking lot - please stay in cars.

Fridays

• All ages: Dismissal is 11:45 pm from the Gym parking lot - please stay in cars. TSH closes at 12 noon on Fridays.
• IF you are an Elementary (and Kindergarten) Learner signed up for JAM session: Dismissal is at 3:30 pm on Fridays from the Gym parking lot - please stay in cars.

Changes to Pick-up

If you have any changes to your pick up time or the individual picking up your Learner please email Headquarters at Allison@theschoolhouse.org by 2:30 pm on that day.

We will need these changes in writing of course for the safety of your child. It’s a crazy world out there!

Fire Drills and Safety Drills

From time to time TSH will participate in Fire Drills and Safety Drills coordinated with the Suffolk County Police Department. There are a number of Drills - Evacuation, Shelter-in-Place (for weather) etc. Full Lock - you’ll recognize this as Lock Down but TSH does not use this term - is where there is an external threat. This can be anything from an animals to someone who wishes to us harm - what we call an “intruder” at The School House. It is paramount that children never leave our drills feeling scared or getting any non-age appropriate information. Drills are both practiced and random and each type of Drill happens once or twice a year.

Holidays at The School House

Valentine’s Day at The School House

Although the origin of Valentine’s Day is historically vague, the first celebrations in the 16th century were centered around messages of love and friendship.
At TSH we are proud to continue that tradition and add some of our own special touches. We very much encourage Learners to use this celebration for letter (or card) writing and of course drawing. Thanks to our very talented Ambassadors of Kindness, mailboxes are set up in each Learning Environment and our School Care team will deliver these messages throughout the month of February and most especially on Valentine’s Day.

Since Valentine’s Day is also seen as the beginning of the avian mating season, flowers can be given as a way to acknowledge our deep appreciation and admiration for someone.

Please refrain from sending in any candy, chocolate (children will be making their own in the Kitchen), toys or other plastic items that end up in landfills for the most part. Stickers as part of the cards are welcomed. This is a wonderful opportunity to practice letter writing with your children discussing names, dates, punctuation and of course all the art they can manage to get on a page!

Halloween Celebration at The School House

We celebrate the occasion of Halloween at TSH with Mystery History. Mystery History begins two weeks prior to Halloween and depending on our academic focus that month Learners (and team members!) are asked to research a particular person in history. Explorers or Pioneers might be the category. On Halloween, all Learners dress as that character and give clues to us and their friends as to who they might be. The result is a wonderful day of learning, dressing up, game playing and creativity all culminating in our Festival Recess. This eliminates any scary costumes worn to school that might upset our little ones and brings back the true spirit of Halloween.

Sick Policy - When To Keep Your Learner Home

It can be hard to know when to send your child to school if they tell you that they do not feel well. Usually, the best place for them is in school, but there are some times when keeping them home to rest or call for an appointment with your doctor is a good idea. Please keep your child home and/or contact your child’s doctor for:

• Fever greater than 100.4° (taken by mouth)