SUMNER

COOPERATIVE NURSERY SCHOOL

HANDBOOK

2010 – 2011

Sumner Cooperative Nursery School

245 Valley Ave.
Sumner, WA 98390
253-862-7124
 HANDBOOK FOR
SUMNER COOPERATIVE NURSERY SCHOOL

ARTICLE 1: NAME
See Constitution and By-Laws Article 1

ARTICLE 2: PURPOSE
See Constitution and By-Laws Article 2

ARTICLE 3: MEMBERSHIP AND OBLIGATIONS

Section 1: Membership
a. Age and Birth date requirements of a child to attend SCNS are dependent on the
classes being offered at the boards decision based on enrollment the following are current
examples:
For Blue Group - 3 years of age by August 31st.
For Green group- 18 months of age by August 31st.
Section 2: Obligations
a. If more than one child is enrolled in one class you will participate twice as many
times in that class.
b. Each member is responsible for his/her assigned day to arrange for a substitute
in case of an unavoidable absence, and note the change on the schedule on the
bulletin board. If a working parent is more than 30 minutes late, and a
replacement worker cannot be obtained, school will be canceled for the day for
that group, unless a minimum child to adult ratio of 4 to 1 can be provided.
c. Each member is responsible for making childcare arrangements for siblings on
their scheduled working days.
d. If a parent has multiple children enrolled in the school, the parent will be
responsible for a committee for each child enrolled, if necessary.
e. Leave of Absence.
1. A pregnant mother may be excused from participation from the organization
for one month at no extra cost.
2. The leave may be taken at any period most convenient to the mother.
3. A leave of absence may be granted by the Board to any parent having major
surgery, a death or serious illness in the family. The amount of time granted
shall be determined by the Board and the individual involved.
f. Termination.
1. A participating parent may be given notice and dropped from the group if
s/he does not comply with the requirements of the membership outlined in
Article 1, Section 2 of the By-laws.
2. A member is to give one month’s notice to the President if withdrawing from
the organization or pay for that month.

Section 3: Fees and Finance

a. A non-refundable registration fee permits entrance into the nursery school. This
fee covers school set-up and insurance. The registration fee is to accompany
your registration form.

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Fees and Finance – Continued

b. Tuition is due the first of the month. A late charge of $20.00 shall be due after
the tenth. A tuition deposit will be due at orientation (coffee hour) equal to one
month’s tuition. After any NSF checks, members will be required to pay with a
money order or certified check.
c. .There are registration fees for membership with Bates in addition to tuition.
d. After 30 days, if tuition and late fee not paid, you may be asked to leave.
e. Partial or full tuition scholarships will be available to help families experiencing
financial need. Members requesting this assistance must be in good standing with
the co-op. They must complete a confidential scholarship
request form for review by the scholarship committee, consisting of the treasurer,
the president. Scholarships are intended to be temporary in nature and will be
granted for periods up to 3 months. If additional assistance is required,
members must resubmit a scholarship form. Scholarship funds are not to be
used for registration fees.

ARTICLE 4: OFFICERS
Section 1: The Board
a. The Board shall consist of the Executive Board, the Fundraising Chairperson,
the Session Chairperson from each class and the teacher(s).
b. In addition to the duties specified in the By-Laws, the board shall:
1. Review problems concerning members on an individual basis as
required and take action as
necessary.

Section 2: The Executive Board

See By-Laws, Article 4, Section 2

Section 3: Duties and Responsibilities of the Board

a. Duties of the President: in addition to those outlined in the By-Laws, Article 4,
Section 4:
1. Be responsible for carrying on the progress of SCNS.
2. Shall have the discretion to close SCNS for an emergency.
3. Shall be given regular working days but shall be required to visit all groups at
least twice a year to observe.
4. Appoint committee chair-people.
5. Participate as a member of the Scholarship Committee in order to award
emergency scholarships.
6. Oversee the smooth functioning of the standing committees.
7. Maintain a resume of duties performed during the year to help the incoming
officer assume her duties, and to be given to her at the meeting set up for this

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 purpose. This resume will provide approximate dates and times for school
activities so her successor will have a written calendar to help plan her time.

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b. Duties of the Vice President: in addition to those outlined in the By-Laws, Article
4, Section 4:
1. Be in charge of registration and maintain a waiting list of interested parents.
Contact new members on acceptance into the group, telling them of their
obligations and orient new members. The Vice President must be present when a
prospective member comes to observe class, or she must arrange for a person
from the Executive Board to be there for her.
2. Provide a current list of parents and children registered for SCNS.
3. Keep updated class list published for distribution.
4. Maintain the Medical Emergency file at SCNS.
5. Maintain a resume of duties performed during the year to help the incoming
officer assume her duties, and to be given her at the meeting set up for this
purpose.
6. Be responsible for the smooth functioning of the standing committees and help
them understand their jobs at the start of the year.

c. Duties of the Secretary: in addition to those outlined in the By-Laws, Article 4,

Section 4:
1. Record meeting minutes of business transactions for every meeting, post the
meeting minutes within one week on school bulletin board, and provide copies
to the members of the board.
2. Type the contract for the teacher hired by the board.
3. Type, as needed, school business for officers, (i.e., memos for distribution, etc.)
4. Keep an inventory of SCNS
5. Maintain a resume of duties performed during the year to help the incoming
officer assume her duties, and to be given her at the meeting set up for this
purpose.

d. Duties of the Treasurer: in addition to those outlined in the By-Laws, Article 4,

Section 4:
1. Act as chairperson of the Scholarship Committee in order to award emergency
scholarships.
2. Purchase any gifts necessary as directed by the board vote.
3. Maintain a resume of duties performed during the year to help the incoming
officer assume her duties, and to be given her at the meeting set up for this
purpose.

e. Duties of the Fundraising Chairperson:

1. Attend board meetings.
2. Coordinate fundraising events with the Board.
3. Organize and plan fundraising duties with Fundraising Assistants.
4. Coordinate with Publicity person for fundraising events.
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 5. Keep accurate account of all fundraising activities.
6. Research and present new fundraising ideas to membership.

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f. Duties of the Session Chairpersons:

1. Attend board meetings.
2. Arrange monthly participation schedules for parents in her group make and
distribute copies of schedules.
a. Schedules will consist of parent’s working days, children’s special days,
membership and board meetings, parent education meetings, field trips and
special activities that month.
b. List on bottom of schedule more details of above activities.
c. Keep a copy of each month’s schedule to hand down to the incoming session
chairperson and any other information to help her.
3. Check with the teacher and keep record of those parents who miss a working
day.
4. Inform secretary to send cards (get well, baby, etc.) to people in their group
when necessary.
5. Serve as a liaison between class members and Board.
6. Give copy of calendar to Treasurer and Pastor of Church
7. Post copy by phone and chalk board in front room.

Section 5 & 6: Nominations/Elections

No additional rules to those specified in the By-Laws.

Section 7: Teacher(s) – In addition to the By-Laws, Article 4, Section 7:

A. Teacher Duties
1. Administer SCNS program and determine the activities of SCNS day.
2. Be available for parent-teacher conferences.
3. Supervise parents who work during the day.
4. Present for discussion and clarification at membership meetings the problems of
the working day, which are of general interest.
5. Comply with the teacher do/don't list.
6. Come to the Board before acquiring any new pets for the school.

B. Salary:
1. Social Security, Federal Withholding and Medicare will be deducted from the
teacher’s salary.
C. Evaluation
1. Teacher will take part in his/her evaluation process.

D. Substitute Teachers
1. A substitute teacher shall be compensated for their time of coverage in the flat fee
amount of $25.00 per session worked

Section 8: Standing Committees

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 A. The list of available committees will be determined by the school board, based on
enrollment and the needs of the school. Some committees are vital to the school's
function and will be prioritized
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B. The chairperson of each committee is to keep a brief record of the activities to be

given along with the committee folder to the board by the May Membership
Meeting.

C. Standing Committees and their duties for the year

1. Quarterly All-School Cleaning Schedule (1 Person)

This committee person will organize, supervise, and participate in 3 quarterly
classroom cleanings. (in November, February, and May). Each class will take a
weekend to fully sanitize (with a bleach solution) all school items that are
washable (toys, walls, furniture, etc.) Clean carpets as necessary. Keep your posted
chart updated.

2. Health & Emergency Preparedness Committee (1 Person)

Keep student’s health records up-to-date for immunizations and notify parents of
children not up-to-date. Provide information dealing with health issues throughout
the year. Complete the yearly Health Report for the State of Washington.
During the first month of school, collect comfort packs consisting of a photo and
note from parent for each enrolled child. At the end of the school year
(April/May), purchase food items from all school members in case of an
emergency situation during school hours (unused items will be donated at the end
of the school year to a local food bank). Contact the American Red Cross (or other
source) for information about emergency preparedness (such as fire, earthquakes,
home hazards, etc) and give to all co-op members. Coordinate with the teachers to
hold a fire drill every month and an earthquake drill every 3 months. Keep your
posted chart updated.

3. Hospitality Committee (1 Person)

Organize refreshments for Orientation, Open House and other events deemed
necessary throughout the year. Contact each class Session Chairperson each
month prior to the Membership Meeting to see if a SCNS member needs a note of
recognition (birth of a child, get well, etc.). Maintain the “Appreciation Award”
box and recognize each person with a note and a piece of candy. Be responsible for
mailing out cards (congratulations, get well, etc.) and keep a record of receipts for
reimbursement. Work with person in charge of the newsletter to incorporate these
things into the “Events” column.

4. Housekeeping (3 Person Team: 1, 2, 3)

1) Children’s Dishes and Play Food: Clean dishes, plastic food, utensils, etc. from
the Dramatic Playroom weekly. Keep your posted chart updated for review.
2) Children and Parent’s Laundry: Wash dress-up clothes and bedding from
Dramatic Playroom weekly. There are two bags (A & B) to rotate weekly. Wash
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 parent’s work aprons and dishtowels weekly. Keep your posted chart updated for
review.
3) Play dough Toys and Art Aprons: Clean play dough toys and children’s art
aprons weekly at school. Keep your posted chart updated for review.

**Committee person has the option of cleaning equipment at home or at the school.

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5. Teacher’s Assistants (1 Per Class Y, O, B)

1) Work with teachers to maintain children’s library by borrowing and returning
public library books by due date. Coordinate with teachers to get theme related
books.
2) Help teachers plan field trips. May need to contact locations, inform parents in
class and collect money if necessary.
3) Help teacher prepare classroom materials as needed. Your child’s teacher will
inform you of responsibilities, but they may include: purchasing supplies for
projects (with school’s money), maintaining records, accumulating artwork,
assisting in class projects, and taking pictures of children using your designated
class disposable camera to capture moments in class, on field trips, and during
special event throughout the year. Process film, display the pictures, make reprints
for parents if requested. Notify supply person when camera stock is low. Keep a
record of receipts for reimbursement.

6. Newsletter (1 Person)
Publish a bi-monthly newsletter (Oct. through May). Publicize all upcoming events
and functions for the school, obtain articles and suggestions that will encourage
communication with the co-op members, gather recipes, interesting stories, want
ads and other newsworthy events to include in the newsletters. Have newsletter
published by the first week of the month. Need a computer with email and basic
layout skills.

7. Outdoor Maintenance (2 People)

Pull weeds and rake leaves in the gravel play area. (Possibly arrange a weed
pulling party at the beginning of the school year) Rake leaves and remove large
sticks from grass play area on east side of building. Keep signs clean and looking
nice. Clean in area where kids ride tricycles, as required.

8. Special Events (2 People)

1) Organize a “Summer Fun” activity calendar (local parks and occasional day
trips) and distribute to all co-op members in May. Provide extra copies to Vice
President to distribute to new members registering for the next school year.
2) In the Fall: Organize and order T-shirts and sweatshirts with “Sumner
Cooperative Nursery School” and school logo on them.
In the Spring: Organize decorative plates (or cups) project and submit order.
Consult with teachers for a day to make these as an art project during class. Set up

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 a system for siblings to make plates/cups as well. Submit order by first week in
April, so that plates can be given as gifts for Mother’s Day.
3) Consult teachers and set up a date in the spring for school pictures with a
professional photographer. Coordinate with all of the class telephone committees
to collect orders and money. Distribute the portraits in a timely manner.

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9. Play dough (2 People)

Alternate with each other to make a double batch of play dough every two weeks.
Work with teacher to ensure colors and scents reflect upcoming themes.

10. Publicity Head & Publicity Assistant (2 People)

Responsible for newspaper publicity for SCNS in local newspapers (News
Tribune, Puyallup Herald, Puget Sound Parents, etc.). Need to publicize enrollment
and Open House. Fliers: Updated (if needed), copy and distribute fliers in local
libraries and on store bulletin boards and monitor them periodically. Put out our
wooden SCNS signs around the community events including, but not limited to,
Sumner Summer Arts Festival (Contact person for this committee will be the
SCNS Secretary, she will provide guidance and assistance when needed).

***This job requires at least one computer between the two positions.

11. Scholastic Book Representative (1 Person)

Responsible for distributing Scholastic book fliers, collecting orders and money
once a month. Processes the book orders and distributes them in a timely manner.

12. Sumner Summer Arts Festival (2 People)

This committee needs to be planned before the current school year is out. A
returning co-op member is preferred for this committee. Sign up parents during
the spring quarter to work at our booth during the Sumner Summer Arts Festival in
August. Contact the Sumner Association to verify date and booth location. Obtain
donations for the children’s booth activities during the last month of school. Be
responsible for implementing and running the booth in August.

*** This will be your only committee and once it is done in August, you will have
no committee obligations for the rest of the year.

13. Supplies (1 Person)

Check the Supply Request Sheet; keep account of supplies in stock and purchase
supplies as needed, in a timely manner. Get a check from the Treasurer before a
large shopping trip or keep a record of receipts for reimbursement.

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ARTICLE 5: AMENDMENTS
See By-Laws Article 5 – no additions

ARTICLE 6: DISSOLUTION
The Sumner Cooperative Nursery School shall be a non-profit corporation with all
funds remaining in the treasury at the end of the school year. In the event the school should
cease to operate and dissolve, the remaining funds will be held in a bank account for not more
than 5 years. The equipment shall be held and stored for not more than 5 years, at which time
it, as well as the remaining funds, will be donated to another nonprofit Nursery School. In the
event this organization is unable to accept these funds and/or equipment, they shall be
contributed to a charitable organization to be decided by the membership. No final distribution
of the assets of this organization shall inure to the benefit of any of its members.

ARTICLE 7: AFFILIATION
The school board shall, at need, evaluate the current affiliation status and make a
recommendation on the best course of action. If a change is deemed necessary a vote will be
called for. Those current members in good standing will be eligible to vote.

ARTICLE 8: DISCIPLINE POLICY

No additional rules to those specified in the By-Laws.

ARTICLE 9: HEALTH
Section 1: Any child who to the knowledge of the parent, has been exposed to or is
symptomatic of any communicable disease including head lice, chickenpox and
fever, should be kept home through the incubation period until no longer
contagious. A parent is to notify the health chairperson if their child may have,
or has exposed others to, a communicable disease.
Section 2: Parents and children are requested to have an up-to-date TB test card on file at
SCNS.
Section 3: A medical emergency form must be on file at SCNS prior to the first day of
school or the child cannot attend.

ARTICLE 10: ACCIDENTS AND SAFETY

Section 1: In case of an accident, the parent shall be notified immediately. If the parent
cannot be reached, the injured child’s doctor (listed at SCNS) shall be phoned or
in case of an emergency when time is of the essence, the child shall be taken to
the doctor’s office listed on the medical permission slip. If there is a question as
to whether the child should be moved, the rescue squad of the fire department
and an ambulance shall be summoned. Neither the Sumner Cooperative Nursery
School nor any individual member within the group will be liable for any injury
either during the session or in transit between home and SCNS.

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Section 2: Parents must have a valid driver license and carry liability vehicle insurance for
their own protection.
Section 3: School premises will be covered by liability insurance, provided through
XXXXX, and paid for by SCNS.

ARTICLE 11: TUITION DISCOUNT

Section 1: If members choose to pay the entire year’s tuition in September, they will
receive a 10% discount.
Section 2: If a member who has paid the full year’s tuition leaves SCNS, then 75% of the
remaining tuition will be refunded.
Section 3: There is a 10% discount on tuition for a second child enrolled at SCNS. If the
year’s tuition is paid in full by the end of October, there is a 10% discount on the
first child’s tuition and a 20% discount on the second child’s tuition.

ARTICLE 12: BY-LAW and HANDBOOK CHANGE

Section1: At the recommendation of the school board, bylaws can be changed, but then
need approval by members in good standing with a majority vote.
Section 2: With a need or recommendation of the school board, the handbook can be
changed as needed with the approval of the school board.

ARTICLE 13: MEETINGS

Section 1: There will be a monthly meeting of the Board at which all members are
welcome to attend.
Section 2: A minimum of two Membership meeting will be held yearly. Meetings may be
held more frequently at the discretion of the board.
Section 3: Information on meetings at other schools will be provided. .
Section 4: All members are to participate in a quarterly meeting held at the end of class, led
by the session chair to discuss pertinent issues to the class.
Section 5: There will be NO CHILDREN allowed at any of the SCNS meetings.