STUDENT HEALTH & WELL-BEING

Safety Procedures at CDS

• All visitors must be admitted through the main entrance to enter our school building. Visitors are required to check in with the main gate, sign in, and wear a visitor's badge at all times while in our school.

• All doors to the school remain locked throughout the school day. Each door is monitored by a security camera and office personnel. 

• Pick-up procedures are driven by our parents. Any changes to pick-up plans for a student must be reported to the main office by a parent or guardian. Any student dropped off late or picked up early must be signed in and out by a parent or guardian.

• The Health and Safety Committee is made up of administrators, teaching staff, and facilities workers. We review and revise safety and security procedures and protocols frequently, and hold regular safety drills throughout the school year.

• Safety continues even when students are out of the school building. We always inform parents of field trips and off-campus outings in advance, and parents must provide permission for their children to attend. Staff members accompanying students off campus are required to bring a first aid kit and important student medications.

• All teachers, staff, and volunteers receive background checks before working with students and receive first-aid training to handle minor bumps and bruises in their classrooms or on the playground.

Student health and well-being are paramount at our school. Our teachers know each student personally and are trained to understand or observe this aspect of a child's development and to intervene if required.

Student Health

Our school staffs a full-time nurse, who works actively with parents to understand the individual medical needs of each child and to ensure your child receives the best care at CDS.

Reporting Absences

Our teachers and office staff work together to keep close track of student attendance each day. Parents must contact the office before school to notify teachers of any absences, and they must sign students in and out of school if arriving late or leaving early.

Child Protection Policy

In agreement with our Mission Statement, CDS ensures a safe and nurturing environment for all children by fostering the learning and development of the whole child. This includes practices and policies which protect the individual rights of each student.

Schools fill a special institutional role in society as protectors of children. As such, all children in our care are given a safe and secure environment to grow and develop in, both at school and away. Educators, having the opportunity to observe and interact with children over time, are in a unique position to identify children who may be in need of help and protection. For this reason, educators have a professional and ethical commitment to identify children who may be in need of assistance and safeguarding, and are obligated to take the necessary steps to ensure that the child and family use the services needed to remedy any situation that constitutes child abuse or neglect.