Donate PTO to Miss Mimi
If you would like to donate some of your PTO to Miss Mimi, please fill out this form. Liz will then send you a confirmation with your balance information. You must have in excess of 80 hours to be eligible to donate PTO.
Cell Phone Usage Policy
Cell Phone Usage Policy
To ensure the safety and well-being of the children in our care, the following policy on cell phone usage applies to all staff members:
Permitted Usage: Personal cell phones may be used in the classroom strictly for the purposes of:
Documenting activities, milestones, and incidents in Brightwheel and child related forms on the website.
Taking photos for Brightwheel documentation.
PTO requests and training documentation forms should NOT be completed in the classroom.
Procedure for Usage:
Staff must verbalize their actions while using their phone by clearly stating what they are doing. For example, "I am logging a child's nap time in Brightwheel," or "I am taking a photo for the child's daily report."
Prohibited Usage:
No personal use of cell phones is allowed inside classrooms. This includes texting, browsing social media, and any other non-work-related activities.
Phone calls are not to be taken or made inside classrooms under any circumstances. If a call is necessary, staff must step outside the classroom to take it.
Consequences for Non-Compliance:
If a staff member fails to follow this procedure, even if using the phone for work purposes, they will lose the privilege of having their phone in the classroom.
Repeated violations will lead to further disciplinary actions, up to and including termination.
General Guidelines:
Personal cell phones should be set to silent or vibrate mode to minimize distractions.
In case of an emergency, where cell phone use is necessary, staff should first ensure the safety and supervision of the children before using their phone.
By adhering to this policy, we can ensure a safe, focused, and professional environment that prioritizes the children's well-being.
Preschool: Circle Time Training - Required
Hi Preschool Team - Bees, Bugs, Lightning, Fireflies, and Glow Worms,
Here’s your first required training for the 2024-2025 school year. I will message you the code to be used to pay for the class so that you can get the certificate.
https://od.bkc.psu.edu/lesson/1050/information
You have until October 8th to complete this training and you will be paid for the 2 training hours!
2024-2025 Training Log
Teachers, please log your trainings after you have taken them (within 24 hours) and upload the certificate here.
Please remember that Common Ground only guarantees that staff will be paid for the minimum required 16 hours of training required each school year (September to July).
Stay Healthy This Season: Flu Shots & COVID Boosters
Dear Team,
As we head into the colder months, it’s important to take steps to protect ourselves and each other from illness, especially in a child care setting. While flu shots and updated COVID boosters are not required for staff, they are strongly recommended by health experts to keep everyone healthy during flu season and beyond.
Getting these immunizations can help reduce your chances of getting sick and missing work, and it helps protect the children, families, and coworkers around you. We want to encourage you to consider getting either or both of these important vaccines to keep our Common Ground community safe.
To make it a little more fun, we’re also holding a special drawing! For every staff member who gets a flu shot or the updated COVID booster, your name will be entered (one time per immunization) into a drawing for a chance to win your choice of:
4 hours of PTO or
A gift card
There will be three winners drawn, so you have a great chance to win! Just show proof of your immunization to Liz or Victoria to be entered.
Thank you for doing your part to stay healthy this season! Your health and well-being are important, and together we can make sure our center stays a safe and healthy environment for everyone.
Let’s keep ourselves, our kids, and our families strong this flu season!
-The CG Admin
Operational Responsibilities
Below you will find links policies regarding Common Ground’s operational responsibilities outlined in the Virginia Standards for Child Day Centers, updated October 13, 2021. A review of these responsibilities will take place annually, at a minimum. The annual review date will be the date of publishing of this post, however the last changes were made on September 9, 2024.
8VAC20-780-40. Operational responsibilities.
A. Applications for licensure shall conform with Article 3 (§ 22.1-289.010 et seq.) and Article 4 (§ 22.1-289.030 et seq.) of Chapter 14.1, of Title 22.1 of the Code of Virginia and the regulation entitled General Procedures and Information for Licensure, 8VAC20-820. - Common Ground is a licensed child day center in good standing with the Virginia Department of Education.
B. Pursuant to § 22.1-289.034 of the Code of Virginia and the regulation entitled Background Checks for Child Day Programs and Family Day Systems, 8VAC20-770, the applicant and any agent at the time of application who is or will be involved in the day-to-day operations of the center or who is or will be alone with, in control of, or supervising one or more of the children, shall be of good character and reputation; shall not have been convicted of a barrier crime as defined in § 19.2-392.02 of the Code of Virginia; and is not the subject of a founded complaint of child neglect or abuse within or outside the Commonwealth. - All staff have completed the required background checks to be on site, the appropriate documentation has been requested, and their references have been checked. Common Ground is committed to having staff that are of excellent character
C. The sponsor shall afford the superintendent or his agents the right at all reasonable times to inspect facilities and to interview his agents, employees, and any child or other person within his custody or control, provided that no private interviews may be conducted with any child without prior notice to the parent of such child. Common Ground welcomes the inspection of our files and practices by the department of health and safety under the Virginia Department of Education.
D. The license shall be posted in a place conspicuous to the public (§ 22.1-289.011 of the Code of Virginia). Our license is posted in the main office of the center and available for inspection here.
E. The operational responsibilities of the licensee shall include ensuring that the center's activities, services, and facilities are maintained in compliance with these standards, the center's own policies and procedures that are required by these standards, and the terms of the current license issued by the department. Common Ground agrees to comply with the Childcare Licensing Standards of Virginia.
F. Every center shall ensure that advertising is not misleading or deceptive as required by § 22.1-289.027 of the Code of Virginia. Common Ground agrees to true marketing and advertising.
G. The center shall meet the proof of child identity and age requirements as stated in § 22.1-289.049 of the Code of Virginia. Common Ground will view and certify that we have seen proof of identity for each child enrolled in the center. A birth certificate is requested, but we will accept any official document that meets this requirement.
H. The sponsor shall maintain public liability insurance for bodily injury for each center site with a minimum limit of at least $500,000 each occurrence and with a minimum limit of $500,000 aggregate.
A public sponsor may have equivalent self-insurance that is in compliance with the Code of Virginia. Common Ground has insurance in excess of this requirement.
Evidence of insurance coverage shall be made available to the department's representative upon request. The COI is available upon request.
I. The center shall develop written procedures for injury prevention. Common Ground is committed to keeping the children and staff in our care safe. Our injury prevention policy can be found here.
J. Injury prevention procedures shall be updated at least annually based on documentation of injuries and a review of the activities and services. Common Ground administration reviews injury reports on an ongoing basis and makes updated to our operating practices regularly.
K. The center shall develop written procedures for prevention of shaken baby syndrome or abusive head trauma, including coping with crying babies, safe sleeping practices, and sudden infant death syndrome awareness. We take the safety of the children in our care very seriously. Our procedures can be viewed here.
L. The center shall inform all staff who work with children of children's allergies, sensitivities, and dietary restrictions. Common Ground’s Allergy policy can be found here.
M. The center shall maintain, in a way that is accessible to all staff who work with children, a current written list of all children's allergies, sensitivities, and dietary restrictions documented in the allergy plan required in 8VAC20-780-60 A 8. This list shall be dated and kept confidential in each room or area where children are present. There are allergy lists posted in every classroom under a coversheet that says “Allergy List. Confidential information for Common Ground staff and volunteers only”
N. The center shall develop written playground safety procedures that shall include:
Provision for active supervision by staff to include positioning of staff in strategic locations, scanning play activities, and circulating among children; and
Method of maintaining resilient surface.
Breastfeeding Friendly Early Care Award Application - Required Trainings
This fall, we are pursuing the new Breastfeeding Friendly Early Care Award from Child Care Aware of Virginia and the Virginia Health Department. When we complete this, we will be the first center in Reston be recognized!
Part of the process to achieve this designation requires that all staff that work with children 0-36 months participate in training on:
benefits of breastfeeding
Promoting and supporting breastfeeding mothers/babies
Storage and handling of breastmilk
There is a required training course that will cover these 4 topics and will count as 2 hours towards your required 16 hours of training for the 2024-2025 school year. The course costs $5, however we have a code that you can use to pay for it. Please ask Liz or Victoria for that code.
We will work to make time for everyone to complete these trainings during working hours of the next week or you can complete it on your own time. Either way, you will receive 2 training hours of pay for this course. Staff must complete them by Monday, September 16th, 2024.
When you complete these trainings, please submit them through the Training Log.
In addition to training, we will be updating our center to prove that we are an inclusive environment which communicates that breastfeeding is welcome and will be supported. This includes offering both public and private locations where women can breastfeed, have culturally responsive posters that communicate to children and families that we support breastfeeding, and children’s books and toys that normalize breastfeeding.
Our center breastfeeding policy can be found here. Please make sure that you are familiar with it.
Thank you for helping make Common Ground the excellent place it is for all families!
Required Trainings - April 2024 - VA Health and Safety
There is a new Virginia Health and Safety Training for 2024 that is required for ALL STAFF to complete by the end of May 2024
Virginia Annual Health and Safety Update Training for Child Care Staff (2024) - you will need to log into your Better Kid Care Account to take this course. It is self study and required for all staff.
This satisfies the required trainings for our policies to prevent shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma, preventing injuries, and playground safety. O
When you complete the training, please either email the certificate to Liz OR put upload it into the dropbox.
You WILL BE PAID for this training. Please make sure to log it in the Training Log.
**********
The trainings below are the other required trainings. that all staff members should have completed from March 2023. If you have not completed them, please complete them after doing the health and safety training.
Child Abuse and Neglect: Recognition and Reporting Training
Health Screening for Child Care Professionals
For number 2 and 3, you will need to register for a FREE account on the Community College Workforce Alliance website: https://ccwatraining.learnpointlms.com/Default.asp?
Child Care Program Instructions:
New users need to create an account by clicking on the Log In button in the upper right, and then clicking on register here on the right side of the login screen.
Once registered and logged in, click on the Course Catalog button in the upper left and select the course you want to complete.
Click on the Enroll Now button to add the course to your account.
Click on My Account in the top navigation bar and then click the 'Go' button to access the course. Course details and related course material are available by clicking on the course details button to the right of the course.
Click on the “Go” button to launch the course.
Returning users will be taken directly to the My Account screen and can click “Go” to access the course.
If a certificate is issued for a course, it will appear in the lower left corner of the 'My Account' after you have successfully completed the course.
Please let us know if you have any trouble accessing these courses.
Nap Time Supervision Reminders
It’s easy to think of nap time as time to get tasks done, but we wanted to reiterate that the first priority is still the safe care of the children.
Nap Time Supervision Policy for Infants to Preschoolers
Frequency of Checks: Teachers should visually check on each child at regular intervals, ideally every 15-20 minutes, to ensure their safety and comfort.
Silent Observations: During checks, minimize disturbances. Observe quietly to check for normal breathing and signs of distress or discomfort.
Environment Safety: Ensure the nap area is free from hazards. Regularly inspect sleeping equipment and the room's temperature for optimal comfort.
Documentation: Maintain a log of nap time checks, noting any irregularities or concerns.
Immediate Response: If a child appears in distress or needs assistance, teachers should respond immediately and provide necessary care.
Parent Communication: Inform parents about their child's nap time routine and address any concerns promptly.
Training: All staff should receive training on safe sleep practices and emergency procedures.
Policy Review: This policy should be reviewed annually and updated as needed, incorporating feedback from staff and parents.
This policy integrates general best practices for child supervision during nap times, ensuring a safe and nurturing environment.
Handling Allergies at Common Ground
Common Ground’s Intensive Plan of Correction – Post Student Allergic Reaction to known allergen on August 18, 2023
Serving Order for Children with Know Allergies: Our official policy has been updated to direct teachers to serve children with known allergies first when possible. If it is not possible to serve all children with allergies first, they should be served last
Serving Special Snacks/Treats:
a. all ingredient lists will be checked by two staff members, including at least one admin, and any allergens will be identified and the list of students that cannot will be gone over verbally and written.
b. Special snacks/Treats will be served separately; after regular meals
All staff will take at least one (1) hour of training that specifically goes over food allergies every two (2) years they are employed
Summer Seasonal Staff will have specific food allergy training at the beginning of each summer they are employed
Conscious Discipline: REBOOT
We are going to do a 10 week, Conscious Discipline REBOOT center wide! Each week you will watch one of the training videos, then attend the “Lunch and Learn” discussion on Thursday. There will be three “Lunch and Learn” session each Thursday during breaks (11:30 to 12, 12:30 to 1, 1:30 to 2) in the red couch room, where we discuss:
what we learned
what we are going to implement in our classrooms
and how the training is changing us for the better
You will need your Conscious Discipline login information and your participant guide.
Here’s the schedule:
Week 1: Season 1 and 2, Introduction to Conscious Discipline and Becoming Brain Smart - January 11th
Week 2: Sessions 3 and 4, Creating the School Family and Composure - January 18th
Week 3: Sessions 5 and 6, Assertiveness and Encouragement - January 25th
Week 4: Sessions 7 and 8, Choices and Empathy - February 1st
Week 5: Sessions 9 and 10, Positive Intent and Consequences - February 8th
You will receive 12.5 hours towards your 16 hours of required training, 10 of which will be additional paid training hours. You must attend that weeks “Lunch and Learn,” ready to participate, to receive the additional paid hours.
Here is the link to the participation guide: https://consciousdiscipline.s3.amazonaws.com/E-Learning/Building-Resilient-Schools-and-Homes/eCD-Participant-Guide-Complete.pdf
While participation is not required, every classroom will be responsible for rolling out Conscious Discipline in their classroom before the end of February. We think that this will help our school be even more successful, across the board and will be rolling out a similar group for parents later this winter too!
T-Shirt/Sweatshrit Sizing
We love Common Ground Gear! Please help me order the right sizes for things and recommend swag you’d like to see us get!
Stepping from Spring to Summer (May through August)
Now that we have recorded steps for 17 weeks (January through April), it’s time to step our way through the summer!
Weekly drawings will be random from the following list:
PTO (2, 4, and 8 hours!)
Gift cards ($10 and $20)
Lunch for your classroom
And don’t forget that there are Milestone Prizes that EVERYONE will win!
Step Trackers:
phones
watches
pedometers
This challenge is supposed to help us improve our own health, so every single challenge is based on participation, personal improvement, and positively encouraging each other to improve! This challenge will go for 16 weeks with automatic prizes for hitting certain milestones, as well as drawings to keep you motivated!
Did you know, if you average 10,000 steps per day over nine weeks, you will have walked 630,000 steps! Amazing, right!?
According the the Mayo Clinic, the average American walks between 3,000 and 4,000 steps per day. As teachers, I am sure that we are all on the higher end of that, but it may still fall short of the recommended 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day for good health. You will experience measurable health improvements by adding even just 1,000 steps per day to your own personal average as you work your way up to the 10,000 step per day goal!
Here are the milestone prizes:
Every staff member can earn the milestone prizes by participating in this challenge!
Not hitting 10,000 per day yet? Once you hit 5,800/day average, you can get the improvement awards each week, by improving by 10% week over week and earn a $5 gift card for each week you improve until you start averaging 10,000/day!
Weekly drawings and prizes will happen as people participate in this challenge! Weekly drawing prizes will be RANDOM! There is:
You have to play to be eligible and even WE don’t know when which week will have which prizes, thanks to a random prize generator!
Required Trainings - March 2023
There are THREE required trainings that EVERY staff member needs to complete this spring:
Virginia Annual Health and Safety Update Training for Child Care Staff (2023) - you will need to log into your Better Kid Care Account to take this course. It is self study and required for all staff.
Child Abuse and Neglect: Recognition and Reporting Training
Health Screening for Child Care Professionals
For number 2 and 3, you will need to register for a FREE account on the Community College Workforce Alliance website: https://ccwatraining.learnpointlms.com/Default.asp?
Child Care Program Instructions:
New users need to create an account by clicking on the Log In button in the upper right, and then clicking on register here on the right side of the login screen.
Once registered and logged in, click on the Course Catalog button in the upper left and select the course you want to complete.
Click on the Enroll Now button to add the course to your account.
Click on My Account in the top navigation bar and then click the 'Go' button to access the course. Course details and related course material are available by clicking on the course details button to the right of the course.
Click on the “Go” button to launch the course.
Returning users will be taken directly to the My Account screen and can click “Go” to access the course.
If a certificate is issued for a course, it will appear in the lower left corner of the 'My Account' after you have successfully completed the course.
Please let us know if you have any trouble accessing these courses.
Marching into March (and April)
We had so much fun “stepping into 2023” that we decided to continue with some wellness fun by marching into March and April for another 9 week challenge!
There’s a twist this time! Instead of all of the random drawing weeks being for a $10 gift card, there are variable amounts! There will be at least one week worth each: $100, $50, and $25, with all the others worth $10! Don’t sleep on this extra MONEY!
And don’t forget that there are Milestone Prizes that EVERYONE will win!
Step Trackers:
phones
watches
pedometers
This challenge is supposed to help us improve our own health, so every single challenge is based on participation, personal improvement, and positively encouraging each other to improve! This challenge will go for 9 weeks with automatic prizes for hitting certain milestones, as well as drawings to keep you motivated!
Did you know, if you average 10,000 steps per day over nine weeks, you will have walked 630,000 steps! Amazing, right!?
According the the Mayo Clinic, the average American walks between 3,000 and 4,000 steps per day. As teachers, I am sure that we are all on the higher end of that, but it may still fall short of the recommended 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day for good health. You will experience measurable health improvements by adding even just 1,000 steps per day to your own personal average as you work your way up to the 10,000 step per day goal!
Here are the milestone prizes:
100,000 steps - 1 hour of PTO!
200,000 steps - $10 gift card!
350,000 steps - $25 gift card!
450,000 steps - 2 hours PTO!
630,000 steps - $25 gift card!
750,000 steps - 2 hours of PTO
1,000,000 steps - $50 gift card!
1,260,000 steps - $25 gift card!
1,500,000 steps - 4 hours of PTO
Every staff member can earn the milestone prizes by participating in this challenge!
Not hitting 10,000 per day yet? Once you hit 5,800/day average, you can get the improvement awards each week, by improving by 10% week over week and earn a $5 gift card for each week you improve until you start averaging 10,000/day!
Weekly drawings and prizes will happen as people participate in this challenge! Weekly drawing prizes will be RANDOM! There is:
1 week will have a $50 gift card
2 weeks will have $25 gift cards
6 weeks will have $10 gift cards
You have to play to be eligible and even WE don’t know when which week will have which prizes, thanks to a random prize generator!
Meet Our Teachers - please fill out
Please fill out this form so that we can share it with our families on the website!
VQB5 Practice Year 2 - Teacher Stipends
Common Ground will be participating in the VQB5 Practice Year 2 for the 2022-2023 school year. This is the program that paid direct stipends to staff twice last year. The amount for the 2022-2023 school year has been slightly increased over last year.
Victoria or I will reach out to you when it’s time to register and submit your W-4.
Food Policy for Staff
The food policy for staff in the handbook is as follows:
Staff shall be provided with lunch and snacks at no cost. All food will be the same as that served to the children. Staff may bring in their own lunch and snacks, however such food may not be brought into the class rooms or onto the playground, but must remain and be consumed in the teacher’s/staff lounge at all times.
Coffee, tea, and other potentially lot liquids must be reduced to lukewarm temperature if brought into a classroom and must be stored in the classroom closet in a closed driving container. Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the Center or Church grounds.
This policy can be found in our Employee Handbook.
There will be times, like during the pandemic, where eating within in classrooms by staff will be further restricted.
Masks and Vaccination Update
Dear Teachers,
With the increase in COVID cases we need to update our practices to protect ourselves and our children.
MASK POLICY:
Teachers are to remain masked at all times in classrooms. Staff are prohibited from eating in classrooms. Absolutely NO EATING in classrooms. Meals are to be eaten during breaks. If you require an additional short break for a snack, please text someone in the office.
If you need to sip a beverage, please do so at least 6 feet away from all students and replace your mask as quickly as possible.
Masks need to be well fitting and cover your nose and mouth at all times.
Any teacher found in violation of this policy will be sent home immediately, without pay.
MEAL POLICY:
Teachers are to eat meals on their breaks in designated areas:
staff lounge, please make sure to sit 6 feet apart and limit direct face to face interaction during meals
kitchen
music room across from the kitchen
off site
We suggest that you eat meals alone and only gather with other masked staff members as a way to protect yourself.
Meals may NOT be eaten in the red couch room, but staff may take a break in there as long as they remain masked at all times.
VACCINATION UPDATE:
The CDC has updated what it means to be fully vaccinated. You are considered fully vaccinated if:
It has been 14 days since your second shot, but no more than
5 months for Pfizer
6 months for Moderna
It has been 14 days since your booster shot
Staff are required to get any vaccinations necessary to maintain “fully vaccinated” status within 2 weeks of becoming eligible.
Miss Victoria is available to help with scheduling and unscheduled time off will be approved if needed for appointments or recovery.
We know that these policies are strict. They have been put into place to protect you, our teachers, most of all.
If you have any questions, please direct them to someone on the admin team.
Thank you for your help keeping our school open and healthy!
-the CG admin team
Dental Coverage
It’s time to care for our CHOMPERS!
As part of taking care of our staff, Common Ground will be providing FREE DENTAL INSURANCE for our full time teachers! There will be a small charge to add family members, so please fill out this form for your coverage election: