Handbook

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CENTER FOR LIVING ETHICS

OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES

RMCLE MISSION STATEMENT

A working / learning / living community

- to promote caring relationships

with Nature and the Human Family

through experiential learning

that is meaningful, purposeful and holistic;

- to embrace heartfelt values,

blending arts and academics, and thereby

attracting the very soul of the Child

through the Harmonies Way Curriculum.

 

“The Community’s main focus is collective modeling of a gestalt of healthy pursuits, establishing right human relations, and consciously contributing to a universal culture. The new era Center is not just a place to send the children for academic study, but a cultural center of conscientious role models and mentors,”

-  Vicki Johnston excerpt from Education For True Culture.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Classroom Hours

Pre-K (3-5 year olds) – 8:50 AM – 11:50 AM

Pre-K Extended Day –  8:50 AM – 2:30 PM

Kindergarten / 1st Grade – 8:45 AM – 2:30 PM

Elementary (2^nd- 6^th Grade) – 8:45 AM – 2:40 PM

 

World Core Curriculum

Robert Muller outlined The World Core Curriculum and assembled the discrete branches of science, the arts, and humanities under the auspices of four interpenetrating spheres of life. The World Core Curriculum approaches every subject imaginable as a dynamic part of the following Four Harmonies: Our Planetary Home and Place in the Universe; The Human Family; The Miracle of Individual Human Life; Our Place in Time.

Harmonies Way – Teaching Stories

Children universally love to listen to stories and dramatize them.

That is why we choose to teach in this format using stories and plays to connect with the child on all levels of knowledge and experience. The stories cover a wide range of curriculum including botany, zoology, earth science, biology, meteorology, the history of the human family, American history, and an in depth cultural study each year. A synthesis of science and math   is woven into the stories and told in terms of the mutually sustaining relationship between the whole and its parts.  Currently, the Friends of the Forest stories include specific math concepts, while various other story sets are under revision and development in order to strengthen this aspect further.

Enrollment

Pre-enrollment for current students occurs in Spring of each year for the following school year. Enrollment forms will be distributed via email.

Tuition

School tuition is calculated on an annual basis, payable at the start of the school year. A payment plan is available which will divide the yearly tuition into 10 monthly installments. Payments are due regardless of early withdrawal. All tuition payments and enrollment fees are non-refundable. If tuition is paid by installment, it is due the first of each month. If tuition payment is made after the 5th, add $25. Each Tuition payment is the same regardless of the number of days in the month. Tuition will not be reduced for months with school holidays,  days missed due to personal holidays or illness. Please submit all checks to the office with your child’s name and “tuition”, “field trip”, “cookbook”, etc., on the memo line. Make checks payable to “RMCLE”. Returned check fee $25.

Parent Mentoring Program

As part of the process of becoming a true Community Center, we have initiated a mentoring program.  For our learning community to benefit the most from this program, we need active involvement from parents, grandparents, and the surrounding community.  Study of other successful community centers has made us more aware of how much impact adult involvement can have on the optimal education of our children.  Each one of us has unique skills and talents to share with our children.  Mentoring is a win-win situation, for the mentor will get as much out of the program as the children who are learning valuable skills.

The Robert Muller School/Center for Living Ethics is able to maintain affordable tuition by organizing as a community. We rely on developing outside resources as well as resources available through the adults in our community. Parents often have jobs, connections, expertise, hobbies, or interests that can contribute to our learning environment in various ways. Whether working individually or through parent formed committees, parents who share their knowledge with the students greatly enrich each child’s school life. 

Parent Volunteer Hours

Parents are one of our greatest resources! We welcome parent involvement at all levels of RMCLE life. You may choose from a wide range of services we need to keep the school running smoothly.  The Volunteer Coordinator will by happy to help you determine how you may best contribute to the community. Each family is required to provide a minimum of four (4) volunteer work hours per month or pay the equivalent of $15.00 per volunteer work hour missed. Our Volunteer Coordinator will arrange assignments with each family.

There is a sign up sheet in the office for recording your volunteer hours.  Please remember to stop by the office on your way in and out so that you receive credit for your work.

Please be aware that when a commitment is made to provide volunteer service at the school, the teachers and children are depending on each volunteer to be there.  For RMCLE to be most successful, it is important for individuals to honor their volunteer time and responsibly follow through with their commitments.

Following are some ideas for ways parents can participate at our school:

• In-class projects
• Mentoring one or a group of children
• Maintenance of center (grounds, garden work, classroom)
• Teacher assistance (bringing snacks, cleaning, making copies, arranging or driving for field trips)
• School celebrations (food and activity coordination)
• Parent/Teacher special committees (marketing, fundraising, GEMUN, etc)
• If you are unable to volunteer, you may contact our office for information regarding capital needs, supplies, equipment or simply pay the full non-volunteer tuition.  

Immunization

Whether or not to immunize is the personal decision of each family made after careful consideration of the most current information, the medical history of their family and the particular medical needs of their child.

The Texas Department of Health randomly monitors school records; therefore we require that all students have current immunization records or a letter of exemption on file.  If a “religious or conscientious” exemption is requested, you must contact the TDH in writing 90 days prior to admission at the following address:

TDH Bureau of Immunization and Pharmacy Support

1100 W. 49^th Street
Austin, Texas 78756
website: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/

See also http:/vaccineinfo.net for helpful information regarding immunization / exemption legislation. 

Field trips / Transportation

A signed permission slip is mandatory for participation in all field trips. Field trips include the whole class, including part time students who are not attending on days the outings are scheduled. If your child does not attend the field trip there is not an option for your child to remain at RMCLE on that day.  Classrooms are closed during field trips.

Parent participation is necessary to meet the minimum ratio of adults to children for field trips. Parents volunteering to drive for field trips should pick up the field trip / evacuation packet in the kitchen and be aware of rules and procedures.

Children at least four years old, and at least 36 inches tall must wear a safety belt in the vehicle.  Children not meeting this requirement must have the appropriate car or booster seat prior to leaving RMCLE; these are to be provided by the parents.

  

COMMUNICATION AT RMCLE

Please remember to check our website for general information. www.centerforlivingethics.org

Send email correspondences to office@rmcle,org Please add this address to your email address book so that school messages will not be considered junk mail. Please make the effort to read all school email communication. 

Office and Administration

The main office is the clearinghouse for all information and communications including written notices, tuition payments, and correspondence.  All communications should be directed to the office either personally, in writing or via e-mail. Announcements will be posted on the large marker board in front of the school, sent through e-mail or by paper distribution.

The office is open Monday – Friday 8:50 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. (excluding breaks and holidays). When visiting the school office, please enter through the glass pane door at the southern end of the building.  Staff mailboxes are located in the office. Please label all correspondence with the appropriate staff member’s name and/or purpose of the communiqué, e.g. “Tuition,” “Ms. Vicki”.  Phone messages are checked throughout the day and will be distributed accordingly.

Classroom Visitation / Observation

The staff requests advance written or verbal notice from visitors so we will be expecting you. Please remain unobtrusive and allow the regular flow of the day to proceed. Switch off cell phones, or switch to vibrate mode.

If you have questions or special concerns to discuss while visiting the classroom, please wait for a break if at all possible.  We also suggest that the parent observes alone without siblings.

Telephone Calls

Phone coverage is dependent on office staffing. We will attempt to answer the phone during center hours. We will retrieve messages if we are temporarily away from the office. If you simply need to get a message to your child’s teacher, you may leave a message on the answering machine.  However, whenever possible, a written note is much more effective.

Communicating with Your Child’s Teacher

Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher at any time to set up a meeting. Let us know immediately of any problems at school or personal stresses in your child’s life that require our special love and focused attention.

Written suggestions, comments, and questions are welcome and encouraged at any time. Teachers can better tend to children’s needs when teachers are informed immediately of any problems at school or personal stresses in the child’s life that require our special attention.

Parents may place written messages in the office or leave a phone message. If they need to speak with the child’s teacher, even briefly, parents should schedule an appointment or conference as unscheduled conferences tend to interrupt classroom activities. Conversations regarding the child’s needs or behaviors should be held between the parent and the child’s teacher, away from the child. This serves to respect the child’s right to privacy. Conversations between the parent and teacher often exclude and seem never ending to the child.

RMCLE Notes to Parents

Teachers periodically send notes or emails with information about upcoming school or classroom activities, field trips, or general information.  Please check regularly for important notices. School communications will be printed on green paper.

Presentation Nights

Presentation Night is a chance for the children to share things they have been learning in the classroom, and for the older children to perform plays, music, and dance.  Presentation nights are scheduled throughout the school year. Please make every attempt to attend these events, as the children work very hard on their presentations.

Community Meetings

Community meetings provide a forum for you to bring your energy and ideas to help benefit the school.  The meetings are run by both parents and teachers.  They include discussions on improving parent involvement, forming committees to help raise funds, promoting RMCLE within our community; and helping serve teacher needs in the classroom. This is a school-wide forum that is integral to our community.   Please check your e-mail for meeting dates and times. 

Family Contact Information

Family contact information will be distributed via email at the beginning of each school year and updated periodically as new families enroll. Information includes family members’ names, email addresses, home and mobile phone numbers. If you wish to be excluded, please contact the office.

Emergency Preparedness
Fire drills and severe weather drills will be practiced regularly.

In the event of fire, gas, toxic fumes or other reasons requiring the school to be evacuated, the children will meet at the designated safe area, in front of the school inside the white fence near the road.

In the event the school is not safe to re-enter, the designated pick-up point for parents is at the Creekwood United Methodist Church located on Country Club Road at Old Stacy Road, two blocks south of the school.

In the event of a tornado warning, the designated safe areas are the hallways and restrooms in the main building.  All children and teachers in the cottage will come to the main building.

School Closing due to Inclement Weather

Families will be notified by phone and/or e-mail if the school is closed for the day because of weather conditions.  The director will notify the teachers who will in turn call their students’ families.

Arrival and Departure

Please make every effort to drop off and pick up your child on time. Please notify the school office if your child will be late or absent.

Teachers will not release children to relatives, neighbors, or friends, unless written communication stating who will be picking up the child has been received, or they are listed on the child’s enrollment information in the office.   

Drive counterclockwise around the entrance for drop-off and pick-up. For the children’s safety, please stay in your car and in line around the driveway circle. By staying in the car accidents are avoided and a steady flow is maintained. Safety of the children and others is paramount. When dropping off or picking up, if you require extra time, please park your car rather than block the flow of traffic.

Teachers and parent volunteers escort the preschool children to and from their cars.  The older students may walk on the outside of the circle drive to/from their class.  If you wish to walk with your child, park in the designated parking places on the grass areas (see diagram).

CREATING AND MAINTAINING A PEACEFUL ENVIRONMENT

 

A peaceful environment is the key to Robert Muller School/Center for Living Ethic’s philosophy.  In order to create and maintain a peaceful environment, please follow these guidelines:

RMCLE is a unique facility in that the classrooms are open and easily accessed.  Therefore, we ask visitors to be aware of the potential for distracting students.  Please switch cell phones off, or to vibrate mode, and use hushed tones when speaking. When speaking quietly, the children naturally lower their voices. Parents wanting extended conversations with each other are asked to do so quietly in a side room or outside. Please limit cell phone conversations to outside areas away from Center activities (in your car or the parking lot).

Non-Violent Behavior

Toys, games and clothing depicting violence or that encourage violent behavior are not permitted. This includes guns, swords, knives, war toys and action figures as well as misuse of items such as rocks and sticks.  

Home Activities

Parents are encouraged to spend time with their children reading, gardening and doing other outdoor activities, creating art, or doing handiwork or craftwork, rather than allowing children to watch television and play computer games. Research has shown that violent behavior increases with the amount of time spent watching shows and cartoons with violence, or playing violent computer games.

Peaceful Problem Solving

When conflicts between children occur, teachers help the children solve their differences by using a peaceful problem solving process.  Over time, the children learn to use these skills to resolve disagreements independently and peacefully.  Using this same process at home will further enhance the children’s problem-solving abilities.

Additionally, the peaceful problem solving is individualized and appropriate to the child’s level of understanding and directed toward teaching the child acceptable behavior, responsibility for their actions and self-control. Methods such as time-out or more aggressive verbal communication are not accepted at RMCLE, we prefer to solve our differences through peaceful communication and problem solving.

Relationship Skills Workshop

The peaceful problem solving process is taught at the required From the Heart workshop. Children learn most effectively when they receive consistent messages at school and at home. This workshop helps parents understand our methods and how to apply them. The workshop is FREE and conducted by Vicki Johnston, the founder and director of RMCLE. A recommended reading list is provided.

Dress

To maintain a peaceful environment, children should wear comfortable play clothes free from violent or disrespectful pictures and words and avoiding commercialized images and characters. Bags, backpacks and lunchboxes are subject to these guidelines as well. It is important that children be allowed to get dirty and not fear doing so. Their clothes will be exposed to paint, water, mud, chalk, pastels, glitter, etc.  Bring a pair of mud boots to leave at the school to avoid muddy shoes at pickup time. Easy on/off shoes are preferable, especially for the younger children.  All children should keep a complete set of seasonally appropriate extra clothing at school. 

 

CHOICES FOR BETTER HEALTH

Nutritious Foods

Diet has a profound effect on children’s health, behavior, and academic proficiency. In the spirit of community, rather than policing children’s lunches, the teachers offer the following guidelines:

* Provide a nutritious breakfast to start each day.  Something as simple as peanut butter on whole-grain toast supplies both protein and carbohydrates.

* In lunches, offer a lot of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and nutritious proteins (nuts, seeds, nut butters, cheeses; stuffed eggs are all good choices).

* Remember to read labels on products being careful to avoid additives such as artificial colors or flavors, products made with artificial sweeteners (Aspartame, Splenda, etc), dairy products with rBGH or rBST (recombinant bovine growth hormone or recombinant bovine somatotropin), high fructose corn syrup, excessive sugars, sodas, candies, bleached flour, and processed, packaged foods. Examples of products that do not fit into these guidelines are “Lunchables” and other quick or “instant” meals and many yogurts – check the ingredients on all labels! Foods containing the additives mentioned above should not be brought to school. The best foods come in their own packaging!

* Children are asked to not share their lunches with others, so parents can be assured their children are eating what they packed. When providing goodies for a gathering, special occasion or snack, please make sure they meet these criteria as well. We encourage healthier alternatives to the traditional grocery store birthday cake such as fruit or homemade breads or muffins. Families may be asked to provide classroom snacks occasionally throughout the year. Please involve the children in the preparation and selection of what nutritious items you bring.   When you purchase fruits or vegetables for school use, please choose only organic.   Also, please note that we have students who are vegetarians, vegan or have allergies/sensitivities to certain foods.  We respectfully request that no child is excluded from snack time by offerings of food which they cannot have. Please ask the teacher about dietary restrictions.

 

RMCLE Cookbook

Parents at RMCLE compiled a cookbook as a fundraiser for the school.  It is for sale for $10, and includes healthy snack and lunch ideas, as well as some helpful nutritional information.

Even Steven Organic Produce Co-Op

Families are encouraged to participate in the co-op run by parents and volunteers from RMCLE. Our school purchases certified organic produce at wholesale prices; volunteers distribute it in equal amounts (“even Steven”) in coolers provided by co-op participants. The co-op is open to all; please encourage friends and family to participate.

Illnesses and Injuries

If your child shows symptoms of illness, please keep him/her home until they are free of fever, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms (without the use of medication) for at least 24 hours. For all major illnesses (i.e. chicken pox, strep etc.) please allow plenty of recovery time for your child (3-4 days are suggested by most doctors). It is important to help keep classmates and teachers healthy.  When a child becomes ill or injured during the day, the school will call parents or an emergency contact person on your Enrollment Form and will have the student wait in the office or library separate from other students.

Medications  

If required, medications may be administered at school according to the following guidelines:

1. An authorization must be signed by the parent with each medication’s name according to the label
2. The label must be on the container with the student’s full name and the date brought to school
3. Teachers must administer the medication according to the label directions or as amended by a physician and may only be given to the specified student.
4. Expired medications will not be administered.
5. Medications should be taken home when no longer needed.

 

SPECIAL PROGRAMS