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Oakwood Schools

   

South Connection Policies and Procedures
Effective February 2020

READING AND FOLLOWING THESE PROCEDURES ENABLES THE PROGRAM TO FUNCTION PROPERLY.  AMENDMENTS TO THIS DOCUMENT MAY BE MADE AS NEEDED. IF INDETERMINATE SITUATIONS ARISE, DECISIONS WILL BE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE SOUTH CONNECTION PROGRAM MANAGER AND THE OAKWOOD BOARD OF EDUCATION. PLEASE KEEP FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.

I.  PROGRAM REGULATIONS

A.  DAYS OF OPERATION
Open Monday through Friday except:

  • July 3, 2020
  • September 7, 2020
  • November 26 and 27, 2020
  • December 24, 25, and 31, 2020
  • January 1, and 18, 2021  (We will not be open on MLK day.)
  • May 31, 2021

Emergency Closings:
Oakwood closed ----------------- South Connection closed
Oakwood 1 hour delay --------- South Connection opens at 8 a.m.
Oakwood 2 hour delay --------- South Connection opens at 9 a.m.

We will be open for the following:
*Staff in-service days: Sign up required.
*Early dismissals: Tell South Connection your plans for these days.
*School scheduled holidays: You must sign-up and follow the posted procedure.

B. REGISTRATION

1.  ELIGIBILITY
Oakwood City School children can enroll in the fall program as kindergarten students and continue attending through the summer after the sixth grade, or until their fourteenth birthday, whichever comes first. Students must complete kindergarten before becoming eligible to attend the summer program.  

2. DISTRIBUTION OF FORMS
Families already enrolled in South Connection have the first opportunity to register for summer and fall programs, if their accounts are current. Next, registration forms will be distributed to kindergarten and new elementary students. To secure placement in South Connection, parents should turn in the forms and fees by the posted deadline. After that, students may sign up for the waitlist on South Connection’s website.

3.  WAITLIST
After programs are full, the remaining registration names will be placed on a waitlist. New names may be added to this list by using the link until March 2021. At that time, the list will be reset and the process will begin again.  Anyone on the S.C. waitlist at that time who is still interested in attending South Connection will need to re-register.  

4.  SCHEDULES
We accept both full-time and part-time students. When a child is admitted to the program, the parent must designate the student’s regular schedule. There is a two-day minimum required for both morning and afternoon sessions and summer. These need to be the same days each week. Trading days is not possible, but you may occasionally add a day with prior approval. 

C.  DROP OFF AND PICK UP

We are open 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

During the school year, South Connection students and parents normally use the back door to enter and leave the building. When kindergarten is in session, everyone must enter through the front door. Please be aware that special classes meet in the big room during the day. In the summer, everyone enters and leaves through the back door. The person picking up your child must be on file with our staff, or pick up will not be allowed. The child should be signed out before leaving the building. There is an overtime penalty fee of $1.00 per minute for parents arriving after 6:00 P.M. We appreciate prompt pick-ups, since our staff has commitments in the evening.

D.  TRANSPORTATION

Children being transported to school need to arrive at South Connection no later than 8 A.M. Since the bus is on a tight schedule, students must report to South Connection teachers immediately after school. Please be sure that your child’s teacher knows that children will miss the bus if held after school. If you want your child to be transported to any summer lessons, your child must arrive 30 minutes prior to the lesson time. We only provide two-way transportation for lessons and field trips.  Behavior such as disturbing fellow students or arguing over seats will not be tolerated. Eating is not permitted on the bus or vans. Failure to respect drivers, teachers, and rules could result in loss of transportation privileges.

E.   REPORTING ABSENCES AND EARLY DISMISSALS

If a child is not going to be at South Connection on a day the child is normally scheduled, the parent must notify us by 2:00 p.m. Parents (not the schools) are responsible for keeping South Connection informed each day that the child is absent, not just at the beginning of an illness.  Remember to inform us anytime your child leaves school early (i.e. appointments or illness).

F.   MEDICATION

Oakwood forms must be completed by both parent and physician and returned before OTC or RX drugs are given to students. These forms may be obtained online or from S.C.  All meds must be kept in the S.C. office.

G.  WITHDRAWAL FROM THE PROGRAM

  • Let us know as soon as possible the last day your child will attend. Whether or not a student may return will be determined by availability. 
  • Anyone withdrawing from S.C. after completing a new fall or summer registration will lose their reserved spot if they withdraw from the program before the end of the school year.

H.  SUSPENSION/TERMINATION OF ENROLLMENT

Enrollment or future enrollment of a child in the program can be suspended or terminated by staff with written notice from the Program Manager for prudent reasons such as:                           

  • Failure to pay program fees on time.
  • Failure to adhere to the 6:00 P.M. closing time.
  • Failure to report to us when children will not be riding the bus.
  • Inappropriate behavior by people authorized to pick up your child.
  • After reasonable efforts to integrate a child into the program by the staff, the child’s behavior is deemed chronically disruptive to the functioning of the program.                          
  • The child’s health, emotional, or physical functioning is deemed disruptive to the functioning of the program or dangerous to the child or other children.
II.  PAYMENT INFORMATION

A.  TUITION

1.  WEEKLY PAYMENTS

Payment is based on actual days reserved. ALL PAYMENTS ARE DUE EACH FRIDAY OR THE LAST DAY OF THE WEEK THAT THE CHILD IS SCHEDULED TO ATTEND. You may pay for more than one week at a time. Always write on your payment which days you are paying for. Collect each receipt promptly.  If it shows a positive or negative balance, adjust the next payment to bring the balance to zero.  Payments can be made by check or cash, and must be placed in the payment box.  Receipts will be put in the children’s mailboxes. Do not send payments with your child. No bills will be mailed. Your receipts and your canceled checks are your records. We do not send out end of the year payment reports for tax purposes. 

2.  FEES DURING ABSENCES

If your child has visited a doctor, we are able to adjust your account. A note from the doctor must be turned in, no later than 7 days after the child’s return. Normal charges are due for all other absences.

3.  VACATIONS

If South Connection is notified in advance, two weeks of vacation may be taken off with no charge per year. The new vacation cycle begins each year at the start of summer break. Vacation weeks cannot be broken down into individual dates. In addition to these vacations, you are not responsible for paying for Oakwood breaks or days off unless you sign up to come all day.

B.  FOOD AND SUPPLIES

During the school year, breakfast and snacks are included in regular fees. Parents may need to supply food for children with allergies. Children bring their own lunches on extended days. In the summer, breakfast, lunch, and snacks are included in the regular fees. Parents should read the menu and send in packed lunches on days children will not eat what is provided. Supplies and activity fees are normally included for both fall and summer programs. Spending money is only allowed when noted on our activity schedule.

C.  OAKWOOD COMMUNITY CENTER FEES

Parents must provide students with a membership to the O.C.C. pool to allow their children to swim in the afternoons with South Connection. If you choose not to buy a pool pass, your child will participate in activities at South Connection instead of going to the pool.  Parents may also register their children and pay for O.C.C. tennis lessons, swim lessons, and swim team. South Connection provides transportation to these lessons, but relies on the O.C.C. staff to supervise and instruct the students. PLEASE BE SURE YOUR CHILD IS RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO PARTICIPATE IN GROUP LESSONS. Refer to the Summer Registration Packet for more details.

III.  OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION

A.  STUDENT MAILBOXES

Please check student mailboxes frequently for receipts and other notices.     

B.  ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION

1. Newsletter
2. One Call
3. Email notifications

C.  PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

The children enjoy seeing their photos displayed at S.C. and occasionally making videos of our activities. If you prefer that your child not be included, please notify Christy. 

D.  CONFERENCES

Conferences may be arranged with program staff and Program Manager upon request. This may be by telephone or in person.

E.  COMPLAINTS/SUGGESTIONS

Please contact the South Connection Program Manager or the Oakwood Board (297-5332) to discuss any concerns or suggestions you or your child may have concerning the program or staff.

IV.  USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES
      Personal Electronic Devices may not be used at South Connection EXCEPT:
  • Tablets in Study Buddy with a signed permission form
  • Smart Watches that parents believe could be helpful in an extreme emergency situation.  If you insist on your child wearing a Smart Watch and it is used for any other reason, the child will lose the privilege to bring it to South Connection. 

We strongly recommend Smart Watches be left at home.  We will be happy to help children communicate with parents when it is necessary.

1.  Electronic devices can be disruptive to students who need to listen to important instructions.  We need everyone’s cooperation to take the groups to the schools, the pool, and field trips safely and in a timely manner.  

2.  Many children find it difficult to manage basic personal items like glasses, shoes, and money.  Removing a valuable watch and keeping track of it could prove challenging, especially in the summer since we are frequently in water. 

3.  Monitoring games, camera use, and incoming and outgoing communication will waste staff time that can be better spent serving the children. 

4.  We prefer that children participate in our planned activities rather than playing games on their personal devices.

5.  All changes of plans need to be made through South Connection Staff since they can greatly affect managing transportation and the welfare of the entire group.

We are not responsible for lost or broken devices.