Prospect Explorers Playgroup

A (Reverse) History of Crayon Power

2020 – Crayon Power staff receive certification training in Natural Play Therapy
2019-2020 – Crayon Power welcomes new Lead Teacher, Danielle Mussafi, and launches their Playschool (daycare) from Monday-Friday to friends ages 2-5.
2019 – Crayon Power moves into Kristen’s home and becomes licensed as a New York State certified Group Family Daycare. The Prospect Explorers programs and Explorative Learning Labs program both finish in June and are discontinued to make space for new offerings.
2018 – Crayon Power Teachers travel to Reggio Emilia, Italy to join in the International Study Group and be immersed in the Reggio Emilia approach.
2017-2019 – Crayon Power integrates Prospect Explorers curriculum to offer forest school and art-based preschool program into their curriculum. The Explorative Learning Labs program operates on Tuesdays for homeschooling/unschooled children between the ages of 5 -13.
2016 – Explorative Learning Labs curriculum is added to Crayon Power’s programs and is offered to homeschooled children ages 7-13.
2016 – Crayon Power shares space with Prospect Explorers Playgroup, a Forest School incorporating Reggio Emilia curriculum, in a Brooklyn gallery.
2015 – Kristen offers small group learning to children with special needs through Care Management Organizations and receives her certification in auditory therapy.
2014 – Kristen studies and volunteers in a Reggio Emilia/Waldorf Inspired, play-based, un-schooling community in the Catskills of New York.
2013 – Crayon Power expands to offer coops for toddlers and Natural Play Therapy coaching to parents with toddlers.
2012-2014 – Crayon Power begins offering coops for children with special needs and consultation services to kid-oriented organizations in the New York Metropolitan area.
2012 – Kristen founds Crayon Power as an Alternative-learning Child Coach and becomes a Natural Play Therapy provider.
2010–2011 – Kristen offers private coaching to families and children with special needs; becomes certified in Learning Without Tears.
2008 – Kristen receives her dual Master’s degree in multimodal learning and museum education.

and the very beginning…

1993 – Kristen’s 9th-grade drama teacher makes her cue person for their public alternative learning school’s Hamlet production, helping Kristen overcome her reading challenges and empowering her to begin higher-level learning. (Read the full story below!)

The Origins of Crayon Power

When I was in the ninth grade, I would spend hours and hours up in my room reading books such as The Boxcar Children and Little House on the Prairie. My love of stories was never a problem and my dad (who didn’t know a lot about child development in the traditional sense) was grateful that I “enjoyed” reading and would put so much attention toward the subject. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the ENTIRE reality of the situation…

The truth was this – by today’s standards, The Boxcar Children is suitable for an advanced third grade reader and the Little House on the Prairie books range between fourth and fifth grade reading levels. As I mentioned before, I was in the ninth grade, which means that if I had so chosen to read those books at that stage in my life, it should have taken me about 30 minutes to get through the entire book. Instead, I spent hours and hours of circling words I couldn’t figure out and trying to match them up in the dictionary. Retaining information through reading was an embarrassing challenge for me.

Luckily, my drama teacher saw beyond my struggles and detected deeper issues.

Get this: she made me the cue person and stage manager of the fall production of Hamlet! People must have thought she was nuts! I now understand how *brilliant* this was. You see, she put me in a position that was empowering, utilized my strength (which was my ability to remember what I heard in class), and paired it with my weakness: reading. Additionally, seeing the other children act out the story while I was motivated to keep up with the lines of the script made it easier to grasp the plot and storyline. As Stage Manager, I gained the confidence to take on responsibility for something that was bigger than me and my “reading problem.” This teacher saw my interest in theater, connected with me, and used my interests to help me overcome my learning difficulties.

Her strategy worked great!

Today I use a similar system – Natural Play Therapy (NPT) – to help kids identify their alternative learning styles, their interests, and discover the best environments for them to learn. My goal is to ensure that kids don’t fall through the cracks of the school system (like I almost did!) and guarantee that they will have the life their dreams!

718.612.6755

314 Greenwood Ave., Brooklyn

contact form

• Payment

• Withdrawal

• Drop-off/Pick-up

• Attendance and make-up dates

• Non-custodial parents and guardians

• Sickness/immunizations

• Parent Cooperative and Community Involvement

• NY Daycare Regulations

718.612.6755

314 Greenwood Ave., Brooklyn

• Payment

• Withdrawal

• Drop-off/Pick-up

• Attendance and make-up dates

• Non-custodial parents and guardians

• Sickness/immunizations

• Parent Cooperative and Community Involvement

• NY Daycare Regulations

contact form

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CHILDREN

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

INDEMNIFICATION

GOVERNING LAW; VENUE; MEDIATION

MISCELLANEOUS

CHILDREN

To access or use the Site, you must be 18 years or older and have the requisite power and authority to enter into these Terms and Conditions.

Payment

Admissions & Enrollment Fees

A non-refundable admissions/enrollment deposit in the amount of two month’s tuition will ensure your child’s placement in the program.

Please note that the deposit will be credited to your last month in the program, provided you provide at least 30 days written notice and presented in person, before end of participation in the program. If you cancel your child’s participation in the program at any time without the required 30 days notice, your deposit will not serve as a tuition credit.

Please note that you must provide at least 30 days written notice and submitted in person, before end of participation in the program. If you cancel your child’s participation in the program at any time without the required 30 days notice, you will be required to pay tuition for the remaining 30 days after you give notice of end of participation, regardless of whether the child is receiving care.

Tuition

I/We understand that monthly tuition is due on the 24th day of the previous month. If the 24th falls on a non-school attendance day, tuition is due on the first attendance day after the 24th. Tuition is due each month with no deductions for any absences, holidays, illness, or closures due to inclement weather, power outages, or other situations beyond our control. Tuition is due regardless of a child’s absence from the program for any reason, and is required to hold a child’s space.

If tuition is not paid on the day that it is due, a late fee of $50.00 will be added to the tuition for each day that it is late past the 29th of the month until it is paid in full. When a payment is delinquent for one week or more, care may be suspended until the balance is current and your child’s space will not be reserved.

Tuition payments are to be made to the Crayon Power PayPal Account, and cannot be collected via check or cash.

If your child’s start date does not occur on the first of the month, your first month’s tuition will be pro-rated accordingly.

Withdrawal

If you withdraw your child from the program, you must give at least 30 days written notice and presented in person, prior to withdrawal. Additionally, you can send notice in writing via email to kristen@crayonpower.com

Drop Off / Pick Up

We require that a parent, guardian, or approved caregiver must sign in and sign out for their child at drop off and pickup. Children will be released only to authorized persons whose names are on the emergency sheet. These names may be revised at anytime by the parent in writing. If the authorized person picking up the child is unknown by staff, s/he will be asked to show identification.

Arrival Time

Please do your best to arrive at the correct drop off time each day. All students are expected to be at CP at 10:00 AM and no later so student may all participate in Morning Meeting together. We find that a timely arrival is important for a smooth transition from home to school. Any late arrivals need to be cleared with CP. If late arrivals becomes a pattern, the Director reserves the right to discuss plan to ensure timeliness. Late arrivals are disruptive and can be upsetting to the children who are actively engaged in activities.

Late Pickup

I/We understand that the there is a 5 minute grace period for pickup after your child’s daily scheduled pickup time. Each minute after that 5 minute grace period will be charged $1.00/minute. Approved escorts are the only person(s) that can pick up a child at dismissal.

Regularity in Schedule

It is important for children to arrive and leave the program at the regularly scheduled time. Children need the security of knowing that they will be picked up at the usual time. If you will be changing your hours (i.e. picking your child up earlier than usual), then please notify one of the Teaching Staff.

Dismissal

Children will be released only to authorized persons whose names are on the emergency sheet. These names may be revised at anytime by the parent in writing. If the authorized person picking up the child is unknown by staff, s/he will be asked to show photo identification.

Absence

Please let your teacher know if your child is going to be absent. An arrival after the 15 minutes grace period or longer requires notification prior to arrival.

If your child will be absent because they are sick with a contagious illness, please let the our staff know so that other families can be alerted to look for symptoms in their children. Please note that in light of our policies and State regulations, we maintain full confidentiality of the identity of child who has illness.

Attendance

Program Year

You can see our full calendar on our Google Calendar. You will be notified by email of any changes to our calendar by Google notification. We will contact you with a newsletter and seasonal updates by Mailchimp. We kindly ask that you please add kristen@crayonpower.com to your address books to ensure you receive our email. You can see your child’s happy face on our Instagram at instagram.com/crayon.power. We attempt to upload pictures regularly, however we do not have an designated time to post.

Parents and Guardians

Sickness / Immunizations

Health & Safety

Allergy Prevention

Families are expected to notify the program regarding children’s food, seasonal and/or environmental allergies. Parents/guardians of children with diagnosed allergies or asthma are required to provide the program with an individualized health care plan, signed by the child’s physician, detailing the child’s symptoms, reactions, treatments, care, and all necessary medication.

If your child uses a nebulizer, please let us know so we can have you fill out an additional form. If your requires that an EpiPen be kept in school, it is the parent’s responsibility to check expiration date and replace accordingly.

Despite our diligent efforts, it is impossible to eliminate all risk for children with food allergies. Some allergies are so severe that the presence of the allergen in proximity of the child causes a reaction. Similarly, it is impossible to prevent children from sharing food or for an allergen to be brought into the program by a family member or child, despite our best efforts to educate families and raise awareness. Ultimately, parents/guardians will need to decide whether group care is appropriate for their child with allergies in light of the risks that cannot be eliminated.

The parent is responsible for

Illness

Children need to be kept home when they have any of the following symptoms: fever, diarrhea, vomiting, conjunctivitis (pink eye) or discharge from eyes, severe coughing, skin rash of unknown diagnosis, difficult or rapid breathing, or nits on hair from head lice. If a symptom of an illness manifests while a child is at the program, the parent or guardian will be contacted immediately and the child will be cared for away from other children while waiting to be picked up by parent/guardian.

Diarrhea: A first excessively loose stool will constitute a call to the parent. New diet may be the cause. After the 2nd loose stool, the child will be sent home until diarrhea subsides and normal stools are produced at home. When a child returns after a bout of diarrhea, it is a provisional return; if the child experiences another bout of diarrhea, he or she must be picked up immediately.

Fever: If a child has an ear temperature of 100.6 degrees or greater, parent will be asked to pick up the child. The child may return when he/she is fever free and after being kept home for at least 24 hours. This means that your child will be out of the program for one full day after being sent home.

Vomiting

Exclusion for vomiting is decided by incident. Two or more episodes will be cause for exclusion. A first vomiting episode may cause exclusion if the teacher determines that the situation for the child is extreme or debilitating.

Eye Discharge

Eyes must be free of mucus or running substance. Children are asked to be kept home for 24 hours after beginning medication. Clogged tear gland conditions must have a written physician’s note.

Skin Rash

If a child has a rash of any kind, the child will be sent home until the rash is gone or until a physician’s note has been received stating that the rash is not contagious. A physician’s certificate of good health is required to return.

Lice

If a child has signs of any kind that indicate lice may be present, the child will be sent home until the child has been properly checked and cleared or until a physician’s note has been received stating that the infestation has been treated. A physician’s certificate of good health is required to return.

Prescription Medications

Crayon Power staff does not administer medication, with the exception of an EpiPen, inhailer, and Nebulizer in emergency situations. We ask that parents administer medication before bringing their child to school.

Chronic Medical Conditions

If your child has a chronic medical condition, which needs “as needed” treatment (e.g. asthma, eczema, seizures due to high fever), we need physician instructions on file at the program.

Children’s Injuries

If your child sustains a minor injury while at the program (e.g., scraped knee), you will receive an Accident/Incident Report outlining the incident and course of action taken by the staff member. Minor wounds, such as cuts, scrapes, or bites, will be washed with liquid soap and cool, running water followed by rinsing. A dry bandage or dressing may be applied as appropriate. You will be contacted immediately if the injury produces any type of swelling, is on the face or head, or needs medical attention.

If a serious medical emergency occurs, the child will be taken to the hospital immediately, accompanied with a staff member, by ambulance, and a staff member will contact you (or a designated emergency contact if you cannot be reached).

It is important that CP has medical coverage information should it be required by the medical provider.We freely use bandages (i.e. Bandaids) and may use antibacterial soap.

Emergency Routine

Emergency disaster plans are located in the entry area of Prospect Explorer’s with Crayon Power inc.. Our policy is to dial 911 in the event of an extreme emergency. Families will be notified about Shelter-in-place and Fire-emergency protocols by email in the beginning of the school year.

Parent Cooperative and Community Involvment

Philosophy & Curriculum

Conflict Resolution

Our emphasis on problem solving and conflict resolution supports our anti-bias goal, where children listen to and respect each other’s hopes, needs, and ideas. Children are gently guided to realize the effects of their actions upon one another. They are taught to be respectful of one another and are encouraged to seek out solutions to problems with each other.

We do not use corporal punishment of any kind nor do we use time-out procedures. Teachers use approaches for redirection, role-modeling, and problem-solving discussions. Children will be gently removed from an area if they are being dangerous with their bodies and cannot stop themselves. The immediate goal and objective of the teacher is to help the child self-regulate and regain control, moving towards conflict-resolution.

Child Abuse Report

It is mandatory for all the staff to report any suspected child abuse. If the staff person suspects that a child has been abused in or out of the in-home facility, they are required by law to report this to Child Protective Services and Community Care Licensing. The person suspecting the

abuse is responsible for making that call and should report it to the Director immediately, and complete required paperwork.

Parent Involvement

We ask that parents maintain and uphold the core values of our program. Generally, parents are not expected to stay beyond drop off or pick up unless previously arranged.

Parent-Teacher Communication

We strive to keep you up to date about your child’s activities by providing Parent/Teacher-guide check ins, conferences, and in person communication.

Your Child’s First Day

The Beginning of the Year/Helping Your Child with Transition

During your child’s first days in our program, we take special time to help your child acclimate and transition into new rhythms and schedules. Parents are encouraged to stay for 10 minutes after drop off. In addition to morning drop-offs, we support families who feel their child may need additional transitional support. These first days may be sensitive for children. We recognize that every child is different with different needs.

Clothing and Spare Clothing

Please do not send your children to the program in their “good” clothes. Clothes should be free to be stained, dirty or in rare instances even ripped. Clothing should be wholesome. We do not support violent or inappropriate imagery. Please send your child in safe, comfortable footwear. Flip-flops are not permitted. As weather in New York City is often changeable, dressing your child in layers is helpful. We are a forest/community program and are out in inclement weather, please be sure to send your child with climate appropriate apparel.

First Day Checklist

To ensure the smoothest transition for your child, we ask to please bring the following items the first day of attendance:

Covered water bottle. Water bottles go home daily. Please bring to the program everyday. Water bottles should be labeled with your child’s name.
A packed lunch that will sustain your child for at least five hours. We recommend a fruit, vegetable and main course.
Two pairs of socks to be stored in your child’s backpack. Please label socks with child’s name.
Scooters are not permitted during school operations until the Director and children have discussed proper scooter use at Morning Meeting. The Director will notify parents when scooters are allowed to be used by email.
Children are encouraged to bring games, books and projects to share throughout the day with their friends.
A sketch pad with your child’s name
Black Sharpie Marker
We encourage kids to bring a yoga matt, although it is not mandatory.

Please provide this signed copy with your registration forms on the first day of your child’s enrollment. Please keep the second signed copy for your records.