Leap Family Guide

Regular daily attendance is encouraged to maximize the instructional benefits of the program. It is also good practice for families when your child starts TK at the elementary school. Please notify Leap staff if your child will be absent for any reason or if there are any changes in your child’s schedule.

Keeping your child healthy is important to us. We will continue to follow the most current guidance set forth by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

To ensure that the health of other children is protected, and additional infection does not develop in your child, we ask you to keep your child home when he or she exhibits one or more of the following symptoms:

• A temperature of 100.4 or higher*
• Seems nauseated
• An undetermined rash
• Excessive runny nose and/or accompanied by other symptoms (other than allergies)
• Possible infection
• Head lice **
• Sore throat
• Vomiting*
• Diarrhea*
• Red or watery eyes
• Earache

You will be called to pick up your child within 1 hour if any of these symptoms are present while your child is at school. Please have a plan in place to guarantee that your child can be promptly picked up in the event that you receive such a call. In accordance with local regulatory guidelines, to help prevent the spread of disease, your child will be removed from the classroom and kept comfortable (e.g. at the front office) while he or she is waiting to be picked up.

*After an illness, your child must remain at home with no fever, vomiting, or diarrhea (without the aid of any medication) for at least one full school day before he or she may return to school.

**In the case of head lice, your child must have received a full head lice removal treatment and be free of head lice and eggs before returning to school. Precautions will be taken to ensure that lice do not spread among the students.

Please dress your child in comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing suitable for active indoor and outdoor play, including painting, climbing, digging, water play, and independent toileting.

Closed-toe shoes are required, and tennis shoes are highly recommended. Crocs are permitted only when worn with the heel strap secured (“sports mode”). Flip-flops and open-toe sandals are not allowed for safety reasons.

Please send a complete change of clothes (and shoes, if possible) to keep in your child’s cubby in case of accidents. Choose clothing your child can manage independently, avoiding items with complicated buttons, buckles, belts, or straps. Dresses and skirts should be worn with shorts underneath.

Please label all clothing and personal belongings with your child’s name and avoid sending valuable items to school.

Dropping students off at school:
Please park in the back lot. Families will walk students to the arrival/dismissal gate. Staff will be at the gate to greet students. Students will walk themselves to the classroom with their backpack, water bottle, snack bag, and other items they bring to school. Staff are there for safety and support. We start the day playing on the playground or in the classroom.

Picking up students from the back parking lot:

For your child’s safety, anyone picking up a student must present a valid photo ID until staff becomes familiar with them. Students will only be released to individuals listed on the emergency contact/authorized pickup form. If someone not listed needs to pick up your child, the parent or guardian must notify Leap staff in advance. Any custody or legal documentation must be kept current, and families should promptly notify staff of any changes. Students will not be released to anyone under 18 years of age.

To maximize learning time and minimize classroom disruptions, we encourage families to avoid late arrivals and early pick-ups whenever possible. If your child arrives late or needs to leave early, please check in at the Leap office before your child is escorted to or from the classroom. Developing strong attendance habits now helps prepare children for success in TK and kindergarten.

Children attending the regular school day, must be picked up by 4:00 pm. Children enrolled in the Extended Care program must be picked up by 5:00 pm. A $20 late pick-up fee may be assessed for pick-up beyond the designated times above, for each additional 15-minute period or portion thereof that your child remains on campus. Downey Unified School District reserves the right to terminate services after 3 late pick-ups.