The school's own rulebook
All sixteen pages, reproduced word for word and grouped so you can find a policy without reading the whole thing. Nothing here is summarised or paraphrased. The original PDF is the version to sign and return, and its last page is the acknowledgment the school needs back.
The figures you will reach for most, lifted from the pages below. Each one opens the policy it came from.
No policy matches that. Try a shorter word, or .
The school in its own words
Dear Families,
Welcome to Little Nest! We are pleased to welcome new & returning families to Little Nest! We pride ourselves on being a strong and connected community. As members of that community, we all have an important role to play.
This Parent Handbook is designed as a reference tool for you to access information about Little Nest’s School policies and procedures. The partnership between parents, teachers and administrators is key to a successful relationship and our goal is to provide the tools for good communication from the start. We ask that you sign the last page as an acknowledgment that you understand the school policies.
Please familiarize yourself with the contents of this handbook and refer back to it as needed throughout the school year. If you have questions please direct them to Holly at littlenestnyack@gmail.com
I look forward to a lovely school year together. Thank you for choosing Little Nest School and welcome to the Little Nest community!
Holly Ann Brooks
Please carefully read through the following guide and sign and return the last page to acknowledge that you have read and understand our parent handbook policies.
Our mission is to provide a safe and nurturing environment to meet each child’s needs so they can reach their full potential. Children are inspired to develop a strong sense of self in a developmentally appropriate prepared environment. At Little Nest we focus on educating the whole child through social, practical life, language, mathmatic, artistic, sensorial and gross motor activities.
Little Nest is a Montessori program that serves children ages 18 months to 5 years old. The beautifully prepared environment allows children to grow in independence and confidence. Children learn how to care for themselves, the community, and the environment. They express themselves through art, music and oral expressions. The materials are hands-on and concrete to establish a strong foundation. Sensorial, language, mathematics, practical life, nature, music and art are incorporated practically through exploration throughout the day. We embrace all cultures and backgrounds and respect various traditions.
Admissions, enrolment and the easing-in process
Little Nest admits students of all races, colors, religions, and national origins. Relevant age parameters include:
Children move to the primary environment based on developmental readiness within these age ranges.
All students are enrolled on a three week probationary basis, including new and returning students.
Enrollment preference is given to families who intend to keep their child in the classroom for the full cycle of the program and beyond. Classes are multi-aged and Little Nest will make every reasonable effort to balance each class with respect to age and gender.
Applications can be mailed or delivered to the office at:
Little Nest
300 N. Broadway
Nyack, NY 10960
A sibling discount of 5% will be applied to the second child’s tuition when two children are enrolled in the same calendar year.
At Little Nest we value our existing families and the community they create! To offer our gratitude for referrals we are happy to offer a $100 tuition credit as a thank you to families that refer new students to the program. Credits will be issued after the new child completes their first month of school. There are no limits on referral credits but can only be applied to families that have never attended Little Nest previously.
Class placements are made after careful consideration of the classroom community and the individual child’s age and development to ensure a calm, engaging and supportive environment.
Once your child has been accepted to school we offer several processes to make the transition a smooth one.
Arrival, dismissal, and who may collect them
Regular attendance is important at all stages of school enrollment; therefore, attendance should be a priority for all families. We would encourage you to please plan your family trips out of town during school vacation times so your children will be at school on school days.
Your child misses a very special part of the day when arriving late: classmates greet each other; friends join together to choose work. Please arrive promptly at 8:45 for drop off. Your child benefits from consistent attendance and timely arrival. A late arrival can be disruptive to the other children and can delay your child's settling into school. We are unable to leave the school door open unattended for the safety of the children. As such, we will open the door from 8:45-8:50. If you arrive after the doors have been shut, we will open the door again at 9:00 and again at 9:15.
If your child is to be picked up early, please send a note to your child’s teacher in advance so that we can be prepared for early dismissal.
Each child is an essential member of our class and we hope to see them each day. Of course we anticipate that children do become ill and will need to stay home. If your child will be home for the day, please email (littlenestnyack@gmail.com) or text (845) 205-0443 the morning of so we know not to expect them.
Please pick up your child promptly at 11:30 AM for half-day and 2:45 PM for full day. We will bring your children to you once we see you’ve arrived.
Please notify your child’s teacher by phone or text as soon as possible about your potential late pick-up and anticipated arrival time. Notification does not negate the fees as listed below. If students have not been picked up at the end of the indicated period above, parents are considered late and the following fees apply. A $1 per minute late fee will be assessed due to late pick up. The fee for late pickup will be due in cash or check before your child’s next day of school begins.
Families are permitted to play on the playground and socialize with other families after school hours. However, school supervision ends at dismissal. Once we have released your child to your care, all supervision and responsibility rests with the parent or caregiver.
All families must provide the name of two additional emergency contacts who are also approved for pickup prior to the first day of school. If you would like to have any adults pick up your child from school that are not on the emergency contact list please send us an email with the name and phone number of the adult who will be picking up your child. If it is their first time picking up your child we will ask to see an ID before releasing your child.
Our goal at school is to model warm and authentic human interactions. Arrival and dismissal are moments when your attention is fully given to your child as you depart from one another and reunite. For this reason, we ask that there is no cell phone use at this time.
Please closely supervise children at drop off and pick-up times. Please hold your child’s hand in the parking lot as many cars are arriving and departing. If you do choose to linger for a few minutes to talk with other parents please do so on the school grounds.
Holidays, weather and emergencies
At Little Nest we follow the Nyack school calendar for holiday closures. If we are required to close on an additional day due to observed holidays at the synagogue they will be noted on the calendar. Please refer to the full calendar for All dates/holidays/school closures, etc..
Little Nest will follow the Nyack Public School guidelines for closures due to inclement weather. If a closure is determined can check here: https://www.nyackschools.org/ We will email you soon after the determination has been made.
At Little Nest we put our trust in their expertise in this matter and air on the side of safety by following their guidelines.
Note on this page, not the school's wording. The delay schedule ends the half day at 11:40, while Dismissal/Departure gives 11:30. Worth a text to Holly on the first delay day.
In the case that school needs to close due to an emergency of either personnel or environmental necessity parents will be emailed with as much notice as possible. In the case of an emergency closing there will be no refunds or tuition credits due to these unforeseen circumstances.
Our class ratios follow the Office of Child and family services NYS guidelines:
| Toddler class | 18M-2.9/3Y | 10 students to 2 teachers |
|---|---|---|
| Primary class | 2.9/3Y-5Y+ | 14 students to 2 teachers |
We will send out a class roster periodically for parents to add their information for parents to connect with each other for class communications, play date scheduling, etc.
Clothing, gear and bedding
Our days will be filled with joyous activity, pouring water, exploring outdoors, making art, digging in sand, singing, cooking and baking, and playing time together. Please send your children in clothing ready to do this work! We use diaper learning as a time to practice self care. We request that you avoid the use of onesies as they are difficult for children to use independently. We will go out rain or shine so please be sure your child has the appropriate clothing to stay dry and warm. Also please send your child in close toe shoes that are secure on the foot and easy to take off and put on.
To send in during rain:
To send in during winter:
(Snow pants should be sent in on cold days even if snow is not present)
For hot days:
Sun screen should be applied prior to drop off on hot and sunny days. We will reply sunscreen only if we expect to be outdoors for more than one hour. If you wish for us to apply sunscreen a sunscreen permission waiver must be signed.
Full day children who require a nap will be asked to bring in a crib sized sheet and blanket. Although we ask that lovies are not used in the class during wakeful hours, they may be kept in the bedding bag to be used during naptime. Bedding will be sent home each Friday to be washed and returned the following week.
All clothing and outdoor gear coming to school should be labeled so it can easily find its way home. You can either write names on tags or use a label like this.
Please bring these items to the orientation. They will stay at school to be used when needed. When children’s clothing becomes wet/soiled at school, we will send it home in a plastic bag in their backpack. When you see soiled items coming home in backpacks, please send replacements the following day to replenish their extra clothing box at school.
For all children:
Please place spare clothes in a shoebox sized clear plastic bin.
We have extra “borrowing” clothes at school which your child may borrow if they run out of replacement clothes in their box. However please try to be aware of what clothing items may need replacing in your child’s box.
Snack, lunch and allergies
A healthy snack will be provided for the children each day. Snack will be an opportunity for children to practice various skills each day as they participate in snack preparation. Each day we will offer either crackers, pretzels, ect. as well as a fruit or vegetable. We will make a best effort to use organic food whenever possible. Please let us know if your child has any allergies or dietary restrictions. If your child has a touch allergy we will prohibit the allergen from the classroom completely.
During lunch children will bring their own lunch to school. Although we are a non-religious preschool we will adhere to the synagogue's policy that all food served in the synagogue must not contain meat or shellfish.
Parents must inform Little Nest of any child allergies/sensitivities upon enrollment. If a child has a severe allergy an allergy action plan will need to be completed by your pediatrician upon enrollment. An allergy action plan must include the steps to be taken if the child is exposed or displaying a reaction to an allergen. If a new allergy is discovered please email us with pertinent information immediately upon discovery.
Illness, medication, emergencies and reporting
We are not able to administer any medications to children. Children are also not able to self administer and we recommend that all medications be administered prior to or after school.
For the health and safety of our entire school community it is critical that Health and Safety measures put forward by the school be carefully followed by everyone. Parents will be notified by email of any infectious disease within 24hrs of notice.
We will notify parents if head lice is discovered in their child’s classroom. Children with head lice will be asked to be picked up during the school day. Children may return to school 24 hrs after a treatment to remove all live lice has been completed. Parents are asked to keep up with treatment recommendations 14 days following the first treatment including: intermittent removal of nits and re-treatment if live lice is found. Classroom head checks may take place upon reported incidences of head lice. Having lice does not mean that your child is “dirty,” in fact lice prefer clean, dry hair!
Safety drills: Little Nest School practices various safety drills throughout the school year in order to prepare our school community for these unlikely but potentially dangerous scenarios. Students, teachers, and staff are trained in best practice procedures for each event. Fire drills and shelter in place drills are held several times during the school year.
Although we provide exceptional supervision, accidents and injuries can occasionally occur.
In the case of most minor injuries (bumps, bruises, scrapes, etc. ) We will administer the applicable first aid (bandaids, ice packs, ect.) and notify the parent upon pick-up.
In the case of more serious non-life threatening injury we will administer first aid as applicable and notify the parent as soon as the child has been cared for. If the incident involves an injury with bleeding, bruising or involves another child, ect. We will fill out an incident report and ask you to sign in acknowledgement that you were notified.
In the case of a medical emergency we will take the following steps:
Please ALWAYS keep your cellphone ON and WITH YOU during the school day. It is essential that we can reach you immediately in emergencies. You may receive a phone call from time to time during the day if your child is not feeling well. In these cases, we will ask that they are picked up from school early.
Please note that the teachers at Little Nest are mandated reporters and are required by law to report any suspected case of child abuse. Any suspected incidents of abuse will be reported to the Rockland County Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS).
Toilet learning, screens, and things from home
We are here to support your family in toilet learning when you are ready. The first month of school (or other big transitions) is not generally a good time to start toilet learning as your child is adjusting to a new schedule and new experiences that may distract from noticing and following their urges. We do have a recommended potty learning approach we are happy to share when the time comes. We will also reach out to let you know if your child is exhibiting readiness for toilet learning.
While we do not formally have a screen time policy we ask that you limit screens during the school week. Ideally children under 3 should not have screen time and children under 5 should have no more than 1hr per day. We find that children who do not use screens have an easier time becoming absorbed in their work, are more creative in their play and better able to hold attention during their activities. Please reach out if you would like assistance transitioning to a media-free home!
We ask that your child leave all special items at home. Toys, books, jewelry, snacks, medication or other special objects should be left at home. These special items can get lost, become a distraction from the flow of the class. If your child does stay for nap you may place a lovey in their nap bag.
Please let us know if any significant changes or transitions occur at home such as a new baby, a new babysitter or caregiver, moving to a new home, divorce, death of a family member or pet, Etc. A change at home will often be reflected simultaneously or subsequently in the child’s behavior at school. Communication from parents will enable us to help the child adjust to these changes as the need arises.
How the school talks to families
The relationship between Little Nest and the parent/guardian is one of partnership. We will send a weekly letter via email sharing what we worked on each week. This will include photos of the children which will be updated to a private Google drive. Communication with teachers through email is recommended. It is important that any issues, concerns, or feedback regarding your child be addressed directly with the directress and lead teacher. We feel it is very important to be present with our eyes on the children during the school days and ask that you reach out after school hours if you need to speak to us. Drop-off/pick-up times are not good times for a lengthy or important conversation because we need our full attention on the children. Teachers will check and return your message or email within 24 hours, except for holidays and weekends.
If you have an urgent matter regarding pick up or an emergency that can not wait till after hours that you send a text message or call.
Note: Please only call/text during work hours from (8am-5pm). All other communications should be sent to email. We will respond within 24 hours.
We will have two Parent Meetings during the year, one in the fall to discuss transition and one in the spring to discuss growth and development. We request that both parents be in attendance. A Google Sign-Up will be sent out a few weeks prior to conferences. If for some reason you are unavailable on the date of parent conferences please let us know so that we can find a time to meet. We are always available and welcome you to set up a time to meet outside of the standard conference times if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s development or time at school. Simply reach out via email to request a meeting time.
Parents are welcome to observe their child’s classroom during the school year. Observations are typically 30 minutes in duration and usually begin around 9:00 a.m. If you would like to schedule an observation please email us to set up a time. Teachers will only have time to welcome you and then must give their full attention to the class. After the observation you can call or email the teacher if you have follow up questions. Families are welcome to observe their child at school after the first month of school so that they may first settle into the environment.
We will set up various events throughout the year for parents and children to be all together.
Birthdays and cultural holidays
We will celebrate each child’s birthday at school. We will make them a little crown and sing a song together. If their birthday falls during a weekend or holiday, we will celebrate on a day near their birthday. If the child has a summer birthday, we will celebrate in May/June before school gets out. As your child’s birthday nears, we will reach out to you about bringing in a special birthday snack (fresh fruit and a muffin mix). We can not accept homemade food at school. We are happy to hand out birthday party invitations to the class so long that all of their classmates are invited.
While we are a non-denominational program we welcome and celebrate all cultures at school. Cultural holidays will be incorporated into the daily class activities through song, stories, games or crafts. We would love to include cultural traditions your family celebrates. Please email us in advance so we can work together to introduce these celebrations in a developmentally appropriate way.
Tuition, absences and leaving
Tuition is an annual commitment divided into 10 monthly payments. All tuition payments are due by the 1st of the month. Payments may be made by cash, check or direct bank transfer. Checks should be made out to Little Nest and can be handed to the lead teacher. Any cash payments should be given directly to the directress at the end of the school day. If your child is absent the tuition can be dropped off at the main synagogue office. Tuition payments received after the 5th of the month will incur a $50.00 late fee.
If a student’s tuition or fees become 15 days past due:
There will be no refund for tuition under these circumstances. There will be a $30 charge for any checks returned by your bank for any reason.
Annual Tuition rates for the 2026/2027 school year are are as follows:
| Days a week | Annually | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Two | $3,850.00 | $385.00 |
| Three | $4,950.00 | $495.00 |
| Five | $7,300.00 | $730.00 |
| Days a week | Annually | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Two | $6,900.00 | $690.00 |
| Three | $9,300.00 | $930.00 |
| Five | $13,900.00 | $61,390.00 |
Note on this page, not the school's wording. The handbook prints $61,390.00 as the five day full day monthly rate. Its own annual figure of $13,900.00 over ten payments is $1,390.00. The past-due list also skips 3. Both are worth confirming in writing before signing.
*Tuition includes a daily nutritious snack.
Your child’s full tuition is to be submitted every month regardless of absences due to vacation, closures or illness.
Tuition is due for the full month even in the case of extended absences. We do not offer prorated discounts for partial attendance. If you would like to plan an extended absence from school we require tuition to be paid in order to hold your placement at school. Thirty days'notice is required to take a leave of absence from school. If you choose to un-enroll for an extended absence, you will be required to re-apply and submit a new tuition deposit so long as we still have room upon their return.
Enrollment is an annual commitment and each class composition is carefully considered to create balance. Requests to change a child's schedule or enrollment after registration are subject to program availability and are not guaranteed.
If you decide to leave Little Nest for any reason you must give written notice at least 30 days in advance. Tuition payment is required for your final month of school. There are no refunds for tuition deposits.
Standards, discipline and dismissal
We strive to create a respectful learning community which requires considerate engagement of all community members. Teachers give lessons in Grace and Courtesy to create, maintain, and support a peaceful learning environment. The faculty and staff model polite and courteous behavior, and students are treated with respect and in turn are respectful to others. Students in the community observe the following values at school:
Respect othersRespect the environmentRespect oneselfRespect classroom materialsDisplay integrityBe supportive and inclusive
Grace and Courtesy lessons are given to help students know how to respond to a variety of situations. These are tailored to the developmental level of the student. Normal peer conflict is a part of every student’s life experience. As students learn the give-and-take of social interaction and cooperation, conflict naturally occurs. Young students are still learning self-control and developing a sense of personal space.
If a child displays behaviors that are developmentally or behaviorally unsafe for themselves or their peers a child may be asked to leave the program.
Prior to dismissal the following steps may be taken (in an age appropriate way) to re-direct misbehavior: