Handbook

Welcome to our new and revised annual Policy Handbook. This is a unique and perpetual “work in progress”.

Windsor Academy Educational Campus is a non-denominational private school located on the grounds of the old Windsor Estate on Route 94 in New Windsor, New York. The school carries designation from the New York State Department of Education as a non-public school and is licensed through the New York State Office of Children and Family Services as a child care center. It is one of the few private schools in Orange County that is owned by a licensed educator with over 50 years’ experience in the field. It also holds the distinction of serving the needs of children from six weeks of age through sixth grade.

Windsor Academy is a Community School and Center for Learning that offers resources and support not only to its students and families but is available to meet the variety of educational needs that may arise in the community in general.  We serve as an impartial advisory and resource team for anyone with educational concerns. We also serve as a training center for students from our local high school and we are a site for college fieldwork and student teaching from the surrounding colleges.

Windsor Academy is a complete school that nourishes, protects, and celebrates our children’s minds, bodies, and spirits.

Responsibility for our children’s total well-being rests collaboratively with our staff and our families. In the spirit of this dedication, we ask that everyone become familiar with all the policies identified in this handbook, which have been painstakingly designed to maintain a healthy and safe environment.

All topics are listed in alphabetical order with a Table of Contents to help locate important information. This handbook is also available as a hard copy if requested.

Thank-you for your support and involvement in your child’s education at Windsor Academy. 

To all of our families – we greatly appreciate your support and input. Our door is always open.

Our staff is carefully selected for their sensitivity to the individual needs of the children. Their role includes creating a safe environment that is challenging and invites active exploration and interaction. The teachers are all thoroughly and appropriately trained and certified in their particular fields and bring a wealth of personal backgrounds and experiences to their classrooms. They are a highly diversified group with one common goal – the education of your children.

Our parents are educated, hard-working, and capable adults who understand the fine points of parenting and the importance of an early education for their children. They are involved in our programs and are a vital and collaborative part of our school.

Our students bring a variety of interests, abilities and backgrounds to our school community. Many of our children are also siblings, friends and relatives who all share this common experience. It is this celebration of diversity that makes Windsor Academy a unique learning experience.

The main building at WA was completely renovated to include new footing and downspout drainage, new roof, new parking lot with appropriate grading, new heating and air conditioning systems, new carpeting and flooring, and new bathrooms. We have begun the process of replacing all of our windows. The Modular buildings were fully renovated to include new energy efficient insulation, heating and cooling systems, vinyl siding, windows and doors, new walls, floors and floor coverings, rewiring and various internal upgrades and anti-bacterial precautions. All of our water was tested for lead and other chemicals. We are 100% in compliance. We have remediated and removed our underground oil tank and are now heating with a new furnace and above ground oil tank. Our parking lot was recently expanded and new perimeter fences have been installed around the entire site.  Security perimeter gates are in the process of being upgraded and installed during the summer of 2021. Our building has a new coat of paint, we have new signage and our new retaining wall has been installed. Our computer lab and wifi capability was recently upgraded and an enhanced security system is now in place to include lock down and shelter in place security connections with the local police and fire stations. We have increased the number of security cameras with recording capability and views of all doors and gates leading to the outside. We have installed “panic” alarms at all outside doors which are directly connected to the police department. We have replaced our mulch with pavers and stone and new landscaping as well as having created a safe and paved area for the district buses. We have added a complete ductless heating and a/c system on our main level to include 5 units.  New carpeting, new upgraded building insulation and a new aquarium were recently added.  Electrical panel and subpanel boxes have been rewired. New shut off valves for all water connections have been installed.  We have new window treatments in our modulars and lobbies. Our main building bathrooms have new fixtures. A number of old and weakening trees have been removed from the site and replaced with hand-carved chainsaw bears. We now have a Little Friends Lending Library at the front of our building as well. We annually upgrade our interiors, we proudly maintain a 100% inspection record with all State and local agencies. We are a healthy site.

If your child has any allergies, complete information from your pediatrician including a treatment plan with current medication information, medications, nebulizers, epi-pens and other equipment must all be submitted to the office. A digital photo needs to be sent for your child’s action plan. It is the parent’s responsibility to maintain updated information and medications. A Confidential Medical Packet for all identified students is maintained in each common area of the building and relevant information is also in each classroom.

NEW: an additional Allergy form is now included in our registration packet as well.

Please call the school if your child will be absent. As per Department of Heath recommendations, a written note must be sent in when your child returns to school after any absence. (Please indicate type of illness and medication child is taking if applicable) Please refer to the Addendum as well at the beginning of this handbook. Excessive absences or tardiness in our Pre-Kindergarten – Elementary can be cause for dismissal at the discretion of the Director.

WA Elementary students (if applicable) traveling by school district bus will be dropped off by 8:00 a.m. and will be met by a staff member and sent directly to their classrooms. Pick-up is at 3:30 p.m. Children will be individually walked onto their bus. This service is only available to children in kindergarten through sixth grade who live within a 15-mile radius of the school. Your home district provides the transportation and follows their calendar for transportation. Please contact your district’s transportation office if you wish to fill out an application for transportation. All applications need to be annually submitted to your home district no later than April 1 for the upcoming school year.

Public School students who are picked up or dropped off at Windsor Academy during the school year, need to fill out an alternate bus stop form with the district.

Additional UPK bus information is available upon request.

The Windsor Academy School Calendar is at the end of this handbook. The Universal Pre-K program follows the Newburgh Enlarged City School District calendar and its revisions during the school year.

Many of our programs are enhanced through our interaction and utilization of community businesses and services. Spectrum provides the school with access to their Cable in the Classroom programs and staff training, as well as access to the Internet.  The Cornell Cooperative Extension Center, Orange County BOCES, the Childcare Council of Orange County, and the NYS Office of Children and Family Services provide training and programs for our staff and students. Dance Design in Cornwall and Tumble Bus in New Windsor are both collaborative programs with our school. Hong’s Martial Arts in New Windsor and the Happy Buddah Yoga Studio in Goshen, bring additional programming to the school. West Point Tours, Inc. coordinates all of our transportation and trips. Student teachers and college students in education programs come to us from local colleges as part of their training and course work. Some of our after school programs are sponsored by local providers. We are also a designated Universal Pre-Kindergarten agency for the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. These affiliations allow us to utilize all possible resources from our surrounding public school districts. Community Service is an important part of our curriculum. Annually our students are involved in Jump-a-thons, Hop-a-thons, Trike-a-thons, Math-a-thons, Walk-a-thons and food and clothing drives for local charities. We were charter members of the Alpha Club, the first Junior Optimist Club in New York, sponsored by the New Windsor-Cornwall Optimist Club. We are active supporters of the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Downing Film Center, as well as We Are Newburgh and the Newburgh Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs.

Our annual Winter Concert is held in December or January and our Spring Sing/Graduation is held in June for our preschool through Elementary students. These concerts are scheduled off campus in a larger venue with a stage and sound system. All families are invited to attend.

We can never meet everyone’s needs all of the time. If at any point, a family decides to leave WA due to a difference of opinion or approach, we need to remind them that negative discussions regarding specific staff members or the school can easily be interpreted as slander. With the advent of technological communications, everyone needs to be reminded that confidentiality and appropriate behavior regarding WA is always expected. Facebook, Twitter and other similar social media activities between staff and parents is discouraged. We also discourage parent –teacher cell phone and texting conversations.

This policy handbook – including the Addendum – is the Windsor Academy annual contract. The handbook is available on line at www.windsoracademy.org and is also available upon request to all families each year. When a parent signs the Consent and Release form, as part of the annual registration packet, it indicates acceptance of all Windsor Academy policies and procedures as described in the policy handbook as well as on all forms and supply lists. This is considered the formal contract for the 2021-2022 school year. Neither this contract nor any associated documentation may be assigned without the written consent of Windsor Academy.

Current research confirms our long-standing philosophy that a child’s learning begins even before birth. It is with this idea in mind that we implement a curriculum that exposes your young children to a variety of experiences that stimulate the healthy growth and development of not only their bodies, but of their minds and emotional well-being.

Infants

Our infant program takes place in a very nurturing, loving and safe environment. Our specially trained staff consistently adheres to our philosophy of child development. We are beginning to implement the Creative Spaces program with our children as well. Each personal interaction from mealtime to toileting, to circle time activities that can include music, movement, language, books, art, and self-discovery, establishes the foundation on which your child’s continuing education is built. We only hire seasoned professionals. This is their career not their hobby. 

Toddlers and Pre-School

These programs continue to build on our infant curriculum and include the beginnings of formal academic learning with emphasis on each child’s readiness level and individual needs. Socialization skills, peer interaction, following directions, the development of independence, and enjoying the start of a more formal school setting are all part of our curriculum. These are years of tremendous growth and preparation. The children begin making “best friends” and sharing special times together.  Their language becomes much more interactive and directed. By the time the children complete this phase of our program, they are prepared for a successful entry into our pre-kindergarten and elementary school programs.

Pre-Kindergarten

Our program is a unique approach to the traditional classroom setting. It is designed to meet the individual needs of children and to stimulate learning in all major developmental areas. Each child is viewed as an individual, with different levels of ability, development, and learning style. Through active exploration and interaction with their surroundings, the children develop Readiness Skills in Math, Reading, and Language, as well as involvement in Sensory and Motor Activities. The development of Organization Skills, Social Skills and appropriate Life Skills is also an important part of our program.

Kindergarten-Sixth Grade

Our program (when available) is designed to meet each child’s individual learning style and needs. Children learn in a variety of ways. Through the utilization of small class size, competent, imaginative and energetic professionals and support staff, and a curriculum that combines the New York State’s mandated syllabus with our ability to enrich and enhance all areas of development, we are able to appropriately provide students with the tools they need to become critical thinkers, eager to meet the challenges of a technological and global society.

Extended Day Programs

These programs are designed to meet the needs of both public school and UPK students who require care before and after school as well as on holidays. The Newburgh School District is able to provide transportation to and from WA to district schools. Our extended day public school students are involved in calming and appropriate activities before leaving for their day and in the afternoon are given support for their homework needs. They are also given the opportunity to be outside and play. Holiday care when the district is closed and we are open, as well as potentially unexpected virtual/remote learning needs are all supported on our site.

Creative Curriculum

The Creative Curriculum modules are available for utilization in our classrooms.

In the event of a school closing or delayed opening due to the weather, the following radio stations will carry the announcements: WGNY 1220AM/103.1FM, WBNR 1260AM, K104, WHUD 100.7FM or the following web sites: www.whud.com www.wgnyfm.com or www.windsoracademy.org. WHUD also offers text messaging for which families need to register. In case of a delay, the broadcast or web site will indicate the time the school will be opening. No student or parent is permitted in the building before that time, even though the security key may still work. If there is an early dismissal due to an emergency weather condition, the same radio stations and web sites will carry the announcements. It is the parent’s responsibility to monitor the website or radio stations for updates. WA cannot individually contact our families. Families must have a back-up plan in case an emergency dismissal is necessary.

We maintain the policy that a child’s behavior must never hurt another person physically, mentally, spiritually or emotionally. Children must never jeopardize their own safety. We emphasize respect and acceptance. We have a zero tolerance policy for bullying and physical aggression. Immediate suspension and/or dismissal based on inappropriate behavioral issues are at the discretion of the owner and/or director. We work closely with the parents to ensure the safety and well-being of all of our children. Specific procedures are in place on all grade levels to insure an immediate and appropriate response to all emergencies.

Windsor Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, religion, marital status, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, or other legally protected status in access to programs provided by the school. Most of the site is handicapped accessible as well.

Children are only released to their parent or other identified and approved adult. A photo ID is required for all adults who are new to the program. The parent or other adult assumes complete responsibility for their child’s (children’s) safety as soon as the child is released to them. Children must be supervised by the parent on the entire site, including the parking lot at that point.

Windsor Academy does not have a dress code. We do ask, however that common sense and safety prevail. Infant and toddler clothing needs will be established by the classroom teachers. All children in pre-school through sixth grade will be outdoors during the day. It is important that you send in appropriate outside clothing. Feel free to keep a spare pair of gloves, a hat, or even a sweater or sweatshirt in school if it’s convenient for you. Your children’s outside activities will be restricted if it is determined that their shoes are unsafe for climbing and running. In addition, shirts with questionable pictures or sayings that may offend are not permitted. We know that many of our girls enjoy wearing skirts or dresses. If tights or leggings are not being worn, please have your child wear a pair of shorts or pants under the skirt or dress. This applies to children even in the pre-school room. When the warm weather approaches skimpy shorts and tank tops are not permitted. Please be sure your child’s clothing fits easily and covers his/her body when sitting down. Clothing needs to be user friendly for independent toileting.   Please also keep in mind that your child’s clothing may become soiled during the day with dirt, paint or other materials. We recommend that children wear clothing that is easily washable. A spare change of seasonal clothing, including socks and underwear must be kept in a labeled Ziploc bag in the classroom. Our first through sixth graders are not required to leave a change of clothing in school, although many of the students like to keep an extra shirt in school in case of a weather change or spill. Personal clothing items must be labeled. All dress code issues are designed in ensure the safety and comfort of each child. We reserve the right to send home any items mentioned that are not appropriate in the classroom.

In the event that the parent or others listed on the emergency contact portion of the registration form are not available, parental permission is understood to be automatically given to the school to provide first aid for the child and to take the appropriate measures including contacting the emergency medical services system and arranging for transportation to the nearest hospital if necessary. The parent signature on the Policy Handbook Consent and Release Form serves as consent for medical treatment as well.

The parent or guardian must provide the following updated forms each year: Registration, Medical and Health, Allergy Form if applicable, Student Information Forms, Latest Photo IDs, Consent and Release Form, and the Daycare Enrollment Form. All forms can be located on our website. Windsor Academy reserves the right to terminate a child’s enrollment at any time at the discretion of the Owner or Director, if it is determined that the needs of a family cannot be met.

The extended day program is available for those parents who require additional day care. The school will open at 7:00 a.m. daily and will close promptly at 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. We understand that emergencies do occur and a parent is sometimes delayed past the closing time.

Therefore, we must require that parents, who may experience this problem, designate an alternative method of pick-up for their children on those days. An additional late fee will be charged, if a child is picked up after hours. This rule will be strictly adhered to. If the problem occurs with frequency, a child may be asked to leave the program.

Each classroom posts an emergency exit plan with two alternative routes. Drills are held monthly.  Infant/Toddler rooms utilize ramps for their exits. State approved evacuation cribs are labeled and used in the Infant and Toddler rooms. Our addressable alarm system is directly connected to the local fire department.  We are now also equipped to provide a Shelter in Place protocol in case of unexpected emergency occurrences. We have now instituted Lock Down procedures for our entire school which include Panic Alarms connected to the police station as well as blinds that will cover all windows on or near our doors. Drills are held monthly.

Parents need to send in a healthy lunch, two snacks and three drinks each day. Half-day students need to bring in at minimum one snack and drink daily. Due to a variety of allergies and dietary preferences and restrictions, we ask that each parent send in food for their child only. The following items are not permitted: all nuts, candy, gum, soda.  A teacher will contact a parent if there is a concern about the food being sent in. No lunch boxes are able to be refrigerated. Please be sure to include an ice pack if necessary. In the infant and toddler rooms, only bottles, opened jars of food and sippy cups of milk will be refrigerated.  All other foods must be kept in your child’s lunch bag. No student’s food will be microwaved. Bottles and jarred food are heated with a bottle warmer. We suggest the use of a non-breakable thermos for hot items. Parents are able to purchase lunch that is prepared by the Newburgh Enlarged City School District food services department and is delivered each day.

NEW this year: Students enrolled in the Universal Pre-K program will be receiving free lunch – definite details have not been provided by the district to date. Please be sure the office and the teacher are aware of any food allergies or restrictions.

There will be some optional fund-raising activities during the year. All profits are used to supplement the cost of our special subject programs and field trips.

Gifts from our families to their children’s teachers are permitted.

Upon a child’s arrival, our staff is required to do a daily visual health check to identify any existing medical issues. If a child is sleeping, he/she must be awakened before the parent leaves the classroom. Please see Addendum at the beginning of the handbook for additional details.

All staff is required to ask for ID or office approval before dismissing any child to an adult not known to that staff member. If someone is picking up a child who may not be known to the staff, he/she must bring a photo ID into the building. All adults new to the building must stop at the main office first. If a child is being picked up by someone who does not usually come, or who is not on the pick-up list, the parent must notify the school first (by note, email or telephone), or the child will not be released. If you do not know the staff member who is releasing your child to you and if you are not asked for identification, please notify the director immediately. All visitors to the building who are not directly connected to our students will be asked to sign in at the office and wear a visitor’s identification pass while in the building. All parents are required to pay a deposit for a security entry key to our building. No parent is permitted entry without a key.  We ask that parents do not allow someone who is unknown to them to enter the building at any time. Students are also instructed to never open the front door without an adult present.  All doors to our Modular buildings can be locked, but can be opened from the inside at any time. All staff members wear keys to open the doors. All visitors and parents need to enter from the front door only. Our security cameras monitor and record front and back doors plus all perimeter emergency exit gates. In addition all utility closets and the furnace room are always locked. All cleansers are kept behind locked cabinets and out of children’s view or reach. Please see Addendum at the beginning of the handbook for additional details and temporary changes in policies.

We do not provide day care for sick children. We ask that if your child is ill, he/she be kept at home. If a child develops a fever of over 100.3 degrees F or exhibits other signs of illness during the school day, we will call you and ask that someone come to pick him/her up. A child needs to be fever-free for at least the following school day before returning to school. A child with diarrhea or vomiting must be kept home for at least a full school day, symptom free, before being allowed to return to school. A child with conjunctivitis (pink-eye) needs to be on medication for a full 24 hours before returning to school. In addition, rashes, heavy coughing, heavy congestion and colds need to be addressed by the family pediatrician. If a child has a persistent runny nose that is not clear, a rash that is not identified, or a persistent cough, it will be assumed that there is an infection present and the child will not be allowed to return to school until well. A doctor’s note indicating that the child has been seen, the diagnosis, the medication information, and when the child can return to school is now required in order to return to school.  However, the final decision rests with the director. Even if the doctor indicates that a child can return before the full day at home policy is met, he/she will not be permitted to return. If your child develops a contagious disease at home, we ask that you call the school so that other parents may be notified. It is imperative that these procedures be adhered to in order to protect the health of our other students and staff. We are sympathetic with the difficulties that working parents have when they need to keep their child home due to illness. Windsor Academy cannot be held responsible for time parents lose from work when a decision is made to send a sick child home. Please note that illness regulations identified in the Addendum (COVID-19) are now in effect as well. Families need a back-up plan. Regulations are continuing to change with regard to illness decisions and we reserve the right to adjust and amend as necessary.

New York State Department of Health Statement on Legislation Removing Non-Medical Exemption from School Vaccination Requirements:  “On June 13, 2019, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation removing non-medical exemptions from school vaccination requirements for children. The United States is currently experiencing the worst outbreak of measles in more than 25 years, with outbreaks in pockets of New York primarily driving the crisis. As a result of non-medical vaccination exemptions, many communities across New York have unacceptably low rates of vaccination, and those unvaccinated children can often attend school where they may spread the disease to other unvaccinated students, some of whom cannot receive vaccines due to medical conditions. This new law will help protect the public amid this ongoing outbreak. As of June 13, 2019, there is no longer a religious exemption to the requirement that children be vaccinated against measles and other diseases to attend either:

• public, private or parochial school (for students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade), or

• child day care setting.

“The New York State Department of Health follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.”  Please see the office if additional clarification is needed.

Behaviors including harassment (sexual, verbal, physical) or that threaten the physical or emotional safety of our staff and families are cause for immediate termination and forfeiture of paid tuition.

Our staff is regularly trained in First Aid and CPR. In addition, first aid supplies are kept in each classroom as well as in the main office and near the playground. All personnel treating an injury wear disposable gloves and practice strict sanitary procedures when cleaning and dressing a wound. If there is an injury that is considered more severe by the staff, the parent will be called immediately. Otherwise, the parent will be notified with an injury form or on the daily log sheet. Staff will never diagnose an injury – they will give the parent the information only. The injury will be recorded in the Injury and Illness Log kept in the Main Office or individual classroom. Windsor Academy and its employees will not be held responsible for injuries incurred during the school day under reasonable and appropriate circumstances.

The instructional day schedule varies based on the program selected.

Infants and Toddlers: flexible

Preschool: 9:00-12:00 and full day available/Pre-K: we have 4 pre-kindergarten classrooms and they each have a slightly different schedule to allow for traffic flow in our parking lot. Please call for more details.

Elementary program: 8:30-3:30. (if offered)  Extended day coverage is also available.

Any student arriving after the scheduled times, may be brought to the office to avoid disrupting the classroom activities. If a child arrives while a special is being given, he/she will not be permitted to enter the room and will need to wait in another class until the session is over. If a class is in session, parents are asked not to engage the teacher in private discussions. Attendance will be taken and lateness will be indicated. It will be up to the discretion of the director as to what action will be taken if there is continual abuse of this policy.

Personal items must be labeled. Staff will use an indelible marker if necessary to help in identification. Items not claimed after a reasonable amount of time will be donated.

All over-the-counter topical medications as identified on the Consent and Release Form can be applied only with the signed Consent and Release form that each parent is required to submit. All ointments must be in the original container, be current, and have the child’s name on it. Parents will need to see the director regarding administration of any medications other than topical ointments and sun screen. NO EXCEPTIONS CAN BE MADE TO THIS POLICY. No medicine may be left with the classroom teacher or left in your child’s book bag. All medicine and the appropriate doctor’s note must be given to the director. A determination will be made regarding all medications by the director or owner.  No child may carry an inhaler with him/her. It must be kept in the office as well. Please see the director if your child uses a nebulizer or epi-pen to discuss protocol. Even though allergies are indicated on your child’s registration form, please be sure to confirm them with the office and classroom teacher as well. Please be sure your child’s teacher knows if he/she is taking any new medicines at home. This could affect behavior, attention span, or activity level. Windsor Academy will not be held responsible for any adverse reactions, which may be caused by the appropriate administration of any medication.

All children in both modulars (Infant-Toddler and Preschool Centers) are brought directly to their classrooms each day. Parents need to enter through the front door of the main building using a security key and under camera surveillance and exit at the back door to reach the modulars. It is prohibited to enter through “EXIT ONLY” gates or to allow someone to enter as you are leaving.  Students, whose classrooms are in our main building go to the designated early arrival room (1) in the main building. The classroom teachers will pick up the children between 7:00 and 8:30 depending on the class. If your child’s classroom is in the main building, the parent is asked to leave the student’s coat, book bag, lunch box, etc. in or near the classroom as instructed by the classroom teacher and bring the child into the assigned morning room. We ask parents to leave enough time in their schedule to bring their children’s belongings to their rooms and to fill in the Daily Log Sheet in the Infant and Toddler rooms and check parent notices. Older siblings are not permitted in the Infant and Toddler rooms and need to be dropped off first and picked up last. No child will be permitted to travel to his/her classroom unsupervised during the morning period. If a parent spends some time with their child before leaving him/her, please be sensitive to the other children and classroom management issues. No visitor is permitted to pick-up, discipline or feed another child in the classroom. Please see Addendum at the beginning of the handbook for current changes in this policy.

One of the advantages of a private school is that parents see their children’s teachers every day. Each classroom has a parent bulletin board which needs to be read on a daily basis. Information about upcoming events and other important matters are always posted. In addition, notices are posted on our front door and need to be read. The Infant and Toddler programs provide parents with a carbonless copy of their children’s Daily Log. Parents are required to fill out a form upon arrival and to sign out at the end of the day and take the second copy with them. The owner and director can always be reached at info@windsoracademy.org, or by telephone. We also communicate via e-mail. Please be sure we have a current e-mail address on file.  Each classroom has a Shutterfly website which is only accessible to the families in that class. Photographs, videos, announcements, worksheets and other forms are available on the site. We ask that all parents have a Shutterfly account. Classroom teachers will send home additional information. We are utilizing a new texting ability through the Remind App. that is private and unique to each classroom. The teachers will disseminate all details.

We must insist that all parents park in a parking spot with the front of their car pointing towards the center grass area, or along the side parking spaces. No cars are permitted to park parallel to the building, in front of the dumpster, or in the reserved parking area. Windshield reminder stickers will be placed on cars that are parked illegally. School buses and emergency vehicles must have room to maneuver at all times. No cars can be left running once parked. No child is permitted to walk through the parking lot without an adult. Please do not park on the grass or in the parking lots of our neighbors across the street. Cars must proceed with extreme caution and move very slowly in the parking lot. Children need to wear their seatbelts and be in the appropriate car seats. As mandated reporters, staff and parents are required to alert Child Protective Services if an unsafe situation is observed.   

UPK drop-off lanes are also identified and details will be explained by the classroom teachers. There is no parking in these lanes and parents need to move through this area appropriately.

There are two reserved parking spots in the lot. Please respect the signage.

All holiday celebrations, including birthdays should be celebrated with a small snack. Goodie Bags and balloons of any kind are prohibited. Birthday party hats, favors and birthday cakes cannot be sent in. No outside entertainment is permitted.  The teachers will send home a list of suggested foods and set the policies for their classes. Holidays such as Halloween are not celebrated in the traditional manner and details are provided in September regarding costumes, decorations and food. Prior to a class party, the teacher may post a food donation list for parents. Please do not send anything in that is not on the list. Please do not attach candy or toys to holiday greeting cards that your child may be distributing. If you are inviting your child’s class to a private birthday party, invitations may be distributed in class only if every child is included.

A professional photographer offers individual, sibling and class portraits during the fall and spring. Parents have the opportunity to purchase packages at a reasonable cost and will be notified of the schedule ahead of time. In addition, candid photos are taken during the school year and only posted on the private Shutterfly or Remind sites for each class. No faces of our students are posted on our website or are available for publication. If you do not want your child’s picture used in this manner, indicate it on our consent and release form.

When a parent picks up his/her child at the end of their day, he/she becomes immediately responsible for the child at that point. Parents are asked to supervise their children while on school property. They are also reminded that they are not permitted to physically interact with other children (carrying, hugging, and playing) beyond an appropriate greeting. Parents are not permitted to continue playing on the playground with their children when they are picked up.

WA has five secured and age appropriate outdoor playgrounds. There is a black-topped area for basketball and related activities, an elementary playground, a preschool/pre-kindergarten playground, a black topped area with ride on toys and a separate infant/toddler playground. Age groups are not intermingled and all fencing is 6 feet high with adult height safety latches. All playgrounds are monitored on our security cameras and the three emergency perimeter gates are designed for exiting only with panic bars and keypad entry systems. All equipment is ASTM approved for commercial use and is regularly inspected and maintained.

For the school year 2021-2022, every family at Windsor Academy will receive this handbook containing pertinent information about school policies and procedures through our website. A hard copy is available upon request from the office. When a parent signs our Consent and Release Form, this indicates contractual acceptance of all policies for the year. WA reserves the right to amend policies if appropriate. 

Each teacher may be creating policies that can differ from items in this handbook for individual classes.

We offer a before and after school program for public school children, as well as our Universal Pre-K students. The district bus picks the public school children up at our school instead of their homes and returns them in the afternoon to our school. Public school students and UPK students can be accommodated when the district is closed.

NEW – if the public schools are closed for longer periods of time due to health emergencies and other unexpected events – we will offer a program that supports the district’s remote learning protocols for both public school students and our Universal Pre-Kindergarten programs. Please see tuition policy information for more details.

Report Cards are issued four times a year for the Elementary Program (if applicable). Pre-Kindergarten students receive three assessments a year. All Pre-K students are formally assessed at the beginning and end of the school year. Parent conferences are scheduled during the first half of the year, but are encouraged at any time. Meet-the-Teacher visits are held at the beginning of the year. (adjustments due to CDC and DOH guidelines as necessary)

We are part of the Orange County Risk Management and Homeland Security Systems, including its communication and training programs. We are also under the auspices of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. Any information, security and weather alerts or changes are sent directly to us.

WA employs a nightly commercial, green cleaning service. We employ a monthly carpet cleaning service. In addition, antibacterial gel dispensers, antibacterial wipe dispensers, vinyl gloves and e-motion paper towel dispensers are in all classrooms and public areas, as well as wall mounted soap dispensers and enclosed toilet paper dispensers are in all bathrooms. Teachers also maintain a clean and sanitary environment during the school day. Our carpets and annually painted walls are hospital grade and approved for their antibacterial and child-safe qualities.

Early Intervention, Committee for Preschool Education and Committee for Special Education programs are available for all eligible children. We are often able to provide extended care services for classified students. WA maintains an exceptionally high level of identification and support for children who qualify for services. County approved therapists work with classified children in their classrooms or in our specially designated Therapy Rooms. In addition, academically gifted programming begins in our preschool and continues through our elementary school. Children receive an enhanced classroom experience and curriculum commensurate with their abilities and styles of learning.

• Music– Toddlers through Elementary
• Computer Technology – Preschool through Elementary (optional for some classes)
• Physical Education/Movement – Toddlers through Elementary
• Library Program – Toddlers through Elementary
• Dance – optional – Preschool through Elementary
• Gymnastics/Physical Education (Tumble Bus) –fee-based and optional
• Spanish/ASL – some pre-school and elementary classes
• Martial Arts – optional Pre-kindergarten through Elementary
• Yoga – Preschool through Elementary

We are open twelve months a year and offer a variety of options during the summer months.

A complete list of required supplies and materials is posted in August on our website before school begins. Each teacher has spent a great deal of time preparing a list that is suitable for the curriculum and requirements of the specific program. We appreciate your cooperation in providing your child with the necessary items. EVERYTHING MUST BE LABELED.  Every child in pre-school through elementary must have a book bag with his/her name written clearly on the outside. Backpacks with wheels are prohibited. Every child in preschool through sixth grade must also have a separate and appropriate sized lunch box clearly labeled on the outside as well. Staff will use a black marker and label any item that is not easily identifiable.  Infants and Toddlers must have either a book bag or diaper bag daily. Toddlers and Pre-school students are required to keep their nap/rest items in a canvas Windsor Academy bag that can be purchased at the school. Pre-kindergarten students keep a small blanket in a 2 ½ gallon labeled zip loc bag. Windsor Academy is not responsible for misplaced items. Please be sure your child leaves with all of his/her belongings daily.

Each modular has a direct telephone number. The main building also has a separate number.  In addition, parents are all given the owner’s and director’s personal cell phone numbers. If a parent cannot reach a staff member through the main line, they are instructed to call a secondary modular number to speak to someone immediately. Parents are asked not to call a teacher’s cell phone or text a staff member at any time or to call the modular classroom during naptime.

Students are prohibited from bringing in toys and personal belongings from home. Please be sure to check with the teacher regarding “show and tell” activities and a stuffed toy for nap. No toy weapons may be brought to school. No electronic games, cell phones, iPods, tablets and other related items are permitted (except during District remote learning occurrences). Windsor Academy reserves the right to hold any unacceptable items for parent pick-up and accepts no responsibility for the loss of any item. Please use good judgment and do not send anything in that is valuable or can be easily damaged.

Class trips will be scheduled during the year. There will be an additional cost for transportation and the actual trip for all students including our UPK. In order to eliminate travel time and expenses whenever possible, a number of “in-house” field trips will also be scheduled. Permission slips must always be signed and chaperones will need to ride on the school buses. Siblings are not permitted on any of our class trips and parents are asked to adhere to the trip procedures established by the director and staff.

Detailed tuition policy information is included at the end of this handbook as well as separately under the For Parents link on our website.

All records must be updated if there is a change in information. A complete set of all forms is required upon registration or at the beginning of each school year. All forms are on our website or available from the office.

Visitors are not permitted to enter or move throughout the building without a staff member escorting them to the main office to register. They must be asked to wait outside until the director or her representative is contacted.

Our web site at www.windsoracademy.org provides online information about upcoming programs and school closings. In addition, this entire handbook, class supply lists, faculty biographies, all required forms and additional curriculum information are included.

Less time spent on tuition processing = more time spent on your child’s education.

Every attempt has been made to maintain the high educational and environmental standards of Windsor Academy, while being sensitive to our families’ personal financial situations.

Windsor Academy and the owner and director reserve the right to amend tuition policy statements if needed.

We will continue to accept checks, money orders, cash (always with a written receipt), as well as credit cards (+processing fee). Credit card information can be called in or the card can be presented each month. We will not keep credit card information on file.

We no longer offer a prepayment option.

Tuition is paid monthly on the 25th of each month for the upcoming month.

The grace period runs through the 27th of the month.

If the 25th falls on a day WA is closed, tuition is due on the last day WA is open before the 25th.

We discourage late payments and with the credit card option – this gives families a viable alternative.

The late fee for payments made or checks dated after the 27th is $75.00.

The returned check fee is $75.00 – the check cannot be resubmitted – payment needs to be made in cash or by credit card the following day. 

Tuition is not refundable or applied as a credit. If you choose to end your child’s enrollment after the tuition has been paid for the month, the tuition or remaining portion is not refunded or credited for later use. Tuition credit is not transferrable to another family.

There are no reduced or adjusted fees for family vacations, illness, and emergency closures (including pandemic occurrences). Tuition payments remain the same for each month regardless of how many weeks, days, holidays, or emergency closures (including pandemic occurrences) are in that particular month. Just as you still pay your personal bills at home, even when on vacation, you need to make that same commitment to WA. Summer programs are billed separately. If a student misses a scheduled day because it falls on a holiday or emergency closure, the day cannot automatically be moved to another day in the week due to staffing responsibilities. Additional updates–Handbook Addendum.

The monthly tuition is the same each month during the 10 month school year: August 30, 2021 – June 24, 2022. The summer program will run from June 27, 2022 – August 19, 2022 (tentative end for summer session dependent on public school calendar). Summer tuition is paid by the session: Session I: June 27 – July 22 (4 weeks) and Session II: July 25 – August 19 (4 weeks). These dates are subject to slight changes. Each session’s fee is the same as a monthly payment.

The Universal Pre-Kindergarten program follows the Newburgh School District calendar.

Magnetic Security Key System – $25.00 per key deposit (refunded on last day child attends WA – no refund after the last enrollment day)

Required Canvas Bag for toddlers and pre-school (to be used for nap items only)- purchased at the school – $25.00

The annual non-refundable registration fee is $150.00, payable with the submitted Registration packet. No child will be permitted to begin school in September if fees are not up to date.

The annual non-refundable registration fee for our extended day programs for public school and UPK students is $100.00, payable with the submitted Registration packet. This fee covers the morning, afternoon or a combination of both programs. No child will be permitted to begin school in September if fees are not up to date.

Registration fees need to be submitted with the registration packets or before.

2 children – $75.00/month subtracted from total tuition

3 or more children – 10% discount on total monthly tuition

$80.00 – full day

$50.00 – half day (until noon)

The Daily Rate is only available to add an additional day or half day to an existing enrollment as needed. After the fee is paid, credit for missed days can only be applied during the same month.

Infants

5 days – $1150.00
4 days – $1050.00
3 days – $950 (if available)

Toddlers – born in 2019

5 days – $1080.00
4 days – $1030.00
3 days – $925.00 (if available)

Preschool – born in 2018 (December 2 – December 31, 2017 included)

5 days – $1045.00
4 days – $955.00
3 days – $850.00 (if available)

Pre-Kindergarten – born by December 1, 2017

5 days – $925.00
4 days – $825.00
3 days – $740.00 (if available)

Traditionally, children move to the next program each September. A change in age mid-year does not place a child in a new room. All exceptions are at the discretion of the director and must be in the child’s best educational, emotional and social interests. Tuition is based on age not on class placement.

A Newburgh School District subsidized 6 ½ hour program (child needs to be a Newburgh District resident and be 4 years old on or before December 1, 2021) – limited availability – no charge to parents

9:00-12:00 (includes lunch time).

Although a parent may pick their child up earlier than a full day while enrolled in our Pre-kindergarten programs – there is not a tuition adjustment.

5 days – $540.00
4 days – $490.00
3 days – $440.00 (if available)

These programs are designed for students who attend public school and may need the extra childcare.

The morning program is relaxed and gentle. The children are supervised by a classroom teacher. The afternoon program includes homework supervision by NYS certified teachers, craft projects, use of our library and computer lab, free time and good conversation. No televisions or electronics are used.  Homework is done in a quiet location. There is a designated classroom for all public school programs – facilitating efficient bus and classroom management.  In good weather, the full playground is also used. The enrollment is very limited and at the discretion of the director. Inappropriate behavior is not tolerated and is proactively addressed. These programs are supervised by trained WA staff members. The WA standard is maintained with all children at all times.

A.M. extended day program for public school:  7:00 a.m. to bus pick-up: $270.00/month

P.M. extended day program for public school Bus drop-off to 5:00 p.m.: $330.00/month

A.M. and P.M. extended day combination – $550.00/month  

NEW – a daily a.m. or p.m. rate is no longer available

If the district has an unexpected delayed opening or early dismissal that is weather related – there is no additional charge. It is very likely that WA will also have a delayed opening or early dismissal as well.

The district free UPK program is 6.5 hours. If a child needs coverage before and after class and during the time the district is closed and Windsor Academy is open – the following fees apply:

A.M. care: $270.00/month
P.M. care:  $330.00/month
Holiday care: $80.00 day
Or
A.M/P.M./Holiday Care for UPK students only:  $400.00/month

When the Newburgh school district is closed and WA is open – we are able to provide childcare for public school students. 

$80.00 – full day
$50.00 – half day (until noon)

If you are already paying for a.m. and/or p.m. extended care:

$60.00 full day
$30.00 – half day (until noon)

Payment for Holiday Care needs to be made no later than the morning of the day being used.

$700/month covers a.m. and p.m. extended day care and all days Newburgh is closed and WA is open. This includes unscheduled virtual school days, closures and holiday breaks. At this time there are 22 planned district closures when WA is open. This is a 10 month commitment and cannot be adjusted mid-year.

For those who do not choose to commit to the $700/month option for 10 months.

$600/month (3 day/week)    If the public schools move to an emergency platform – WA will provide a hybrid program on a month to month basis.  This includes any busing needs on the other days.

Important – placements will be limited – first priority will be given to students enrolled in the 10 month commitment at $700/month.

For those who do not choose to commit to the $700/month option for 10 months.

$800/month (5 day/week)
If the public schools move to an emergency platform – WA will provide a full day program on a month to month basis.

Important – placements will be limited – first priority will be given to students enrolled in the 10 month commitment at $700/month.

Watch for Spring 2022 Announcements for Pre-K and Public School Programs.

Tuition rates remain the same through the summer for Infants-Preschool.

Summer Tuition Rates for infants – elementary students:

Payable June 24 – for June 27 – July 22, 2022

Payable July 25 – for July 25 – August 19, 2022(last day subject to change based on the District calendar for the following year)

In addition to the district subsidized Universal Pre-K program, WA collaborates with Child Care Aware of America for our military families, Department of Social Services and the newly created CARES Scholarship programs for eligible families. Please see the owner or director for detailed information.