Health & Safety

Creative Playschool is administered by East Lyme Board of Education and is subject to their regulations. Any questions regarding health and safety issues should be directed to your child's teacher or the Program Coordinator.

East Lyme Board Of Education reserves one place in each class to fill as they deem appropriate. On occasion, there may be staff members of East Lyme Public Schools in the classrooms working with or observing one or more children. They are there to assist our teachers, for the benefit of all of Creative's children. If you have any queries about this, please contact Creative's President. Due to confidentiality needs that affect all our children, specifics will not be provided but a general explanation can be. Parents can be held responsible for discussing services children may be seen to receive during class times. Please respect the privacy of all our children in this.

Each child must have a completed student health form signed by a doctor. It is good for one year from the date of examination. If your child's form expires during the school year, we will remind you of this one month prior to the expiry date. Creative Playschool allows a 30 day grace period after the form is due as many insurance companies require a full year between physicals, but these health forms are due within that 30 day period, not after.

Every parent or other adult, who plans to work in the classroom, must also have a completed adult health form before school begins. One ‘parent helper day' is allowed to be worked without a current health form on file for adult helpers but after this we must have a health form before any subsequent days can be worked.

It is your responsibility to inform us of any changes to your address, phone number or emergency contacts or new medical / allergy developments.

It is imperative to notify our Teachers and Health and Safety Officer of any and all allergies in order to safeguard your child. Please include your work number if you will be working while your child is in school in case of emergency.

The teachers and aides are certified in CPR and First Aid. A first aid box is in each classroom as are fire extinguishers; please locate these on your first day in the classroom so you are aware in the event of emergency.

Guidelines Relating to Illness

  • Report all communicable diseases to the teachers (strep throat, chicken pox, Coxsackie virus, impetigo, conjunctivitis, etc.).
  • If your child has temperature, they may return to school 24 hours after the temperature has returned to normal.
  • Chicken pox - your child must stay home for 7 - 10 days from eruption, until all pox are dry.
  • Conjunctivitis - your child must be on medication for 24 hours or be free of symptoms before returning to school.
  • Head lice - this is not an uncommon problem in schools. If your child or a sibling gets head lice, please notify your teacher. We have a special procedure for cleaning the classrooms and equipment. Follow the advice of your pediatrician.
  • Vomiting and / or Diarrhea - your child must be free of symptoms for 24 hours before returning to school.
  • Medication - if your child needs medication, please administer it before or after school. We are not permitted to do so for you during school hours.
  • If your child becomes ill at school, you will be contacted and asked to collect your child as soon as possible. Please try to pick them up as soon as possible. We don't have a special waiting room or place for children to lie down.
  • Children with a strep infection may return to school 24 hours after antibiotic therapy has begun.


If your child has any other significant health issues (hearing, speech, behavioral) please inform us. Only the teachers and Program Coordinator will see the health forms which are confidential. Please make us aware of any concerns you may have.

Thank you very much for your consideration and cooperation. If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher or our Program Coordinator.

Guidelines Relating to Food Allergies

There may be certain products we request you NOT to bring into the school. This is due to one or more children in the school having a potentially life threatening allergic reaction to this substance. We do not make such requests lightly and expect that you will respect the reason behind them. Teachers will have a list of any allergies in the classroom.

We will post on the bulletin board a list of foods that have caused allergic reactions to currently enrolled children.

For those parents who have children with allergies, it is strongly recommended that you ensure there is a suitable snack for your child sent daily.

If you are providing cake to celebrate a birthday, please let the teacher know in advance. This allows the parent of a child with allergies to provide a cake for their child so they are not the only ones not eating cake.

When arriving at school, all children must wash their hands, as must anyone who will be staying in the classroom.

All cups and plates are washed after use and tables are wiped down prior to and after snack as well as at the end of each class.

If your child has an allergy, please make sure they understand they may not always be eating the same at snack time as their classmates and that they understand why. Our teaching staff can reinforce this explanation as required.

For each child with an allergy, the parent/guardian must complete am "Emergency Care Plan" which will be reviewed by teachers and kept in the classroom (please ask for this form to be sent to you if needed).

It must be remembered that even with the best of intentions; snacks may be provided which are not suitable for every child. It is your responsibility as a parent to ensure that the teachers have a snack that is suitable for your child.