At Carmel Mountain Preschool, the safety, well-being, and privacy of every child and family is our highest priority. The following policies outline how we handle incidents, communication, confidentiality, behavior expectations, and the use of technology to ensure a safe and respectful learning environment for all.
Confidentiality Policy
To protect the safety and privacy of all children, confidential and sensitive information will only be shared with Carmel Mountain Preschool employees who have a “need to know” in order to most appropriately and safely care for your child.
We do not share personal or sensitive information about other children, families, or staff members with parents. CMP is committed to respecting and upholding everyone’s right to privacy.
Confidential information includes, but is not limited to:
- Names
- Addresses
- Phone numbers
- Special needs
- Health-related information
In accordance with California law, authorized state agencies may access a child’s file upon request.
Mandated Reporting
All CMP employees are mandated reporters. Under CA law, employees are required to participate in an online training course via mandatedreporterca.com. It informs staff of their responsibilities and provides the knowledge to recognize, and report suspected maltreatment, child abuse, or neglect. The training must be renewed every two years following the date on which a person completed the initial training.
Accordingly, the law also requires all CMP employees to report any suspected incidents of child abuse or neglect to Child Protective Services immediately by phone. Next, a written report must be submitted on California Suspected Child Abuse Report Form 8572 within 36 hours via fax.
No proof of abuse or neglect is needed, only “reasonable suspicion” that child abuse or neglect may have occurred. As part of their training employees are told to report if they are at all concerned about the possibility of abuse or neglect.
In instances when a report has been made, investigations are conducted by law enforcement and/or the county child welfare department to determine if abuse or neglect has occurred.
Due to mandated reporting requirements, CMP will not discuss any details on the report or be able to confirm whether a report was made. Rest assured, issues of concern have been reported by CMP.
Ouch Reports
If your child experiences a minor injury during the school day, a staff member will complete an Ouch Report.
- The report will be placed in your child’s art folder and available at pickup.
- If the injury requires a phone call, the administration will contact a parent or guardian.
- If pickup is necessary, we will continue calling emergency contacts until someone is reached.
If you would like to discuss the report in more detail, please contact the administration to schedule a time when staff can fully focus on the conversation, rather than during classroom supervision.
Incident Reports
If your child is involved in an incident at school, the observing staff member will complete an Incident Report and submit it to administration.
- Your child’s teacher will give a brief overview at pickup.
- If further discussion is needed, a meeting or phone call with administration or a scheduled conference with the teacher is encouraged.
- If incidents become recurring, a family meeting will be held with the director to create an individualized action plan.
If the behaviors continue and do not resolve within a reasonable time, CMP reserves the right to dis-enroll a student to ensure the safety and well-being of all children in our care.
Parent Sharing Concerns Regarding Incidents
If your child communicates a concern or incident that occurred at school, please communicate with both your child’s teacher and the administration. We take every incident and concern very seriously. We will take time to find out more information on the incident and/or concern by viewing security videos, observing students, and collecting information from any and all staff that may have observed or have more information about your concern or incident. We will also take the time to report to all applicable agencies.
- Please when you share a concern or incident:
- Communicate clearly and directly
- Include all information that you have about the incident and/or concern
- CMP admin/teachers are happy to collaborate on appropriate ideas & solutions that meet the needs/requirements of all those involved
- Let CMP know if you are expressing a concern/incident for information only or if you are looking for a follow up.
Due to mandated reporting requirements, CMP will not discuss any details on the report or be able to confirm whether a report was made. We will not share personal or sensitive information about other children, families, or staff members with parents.
Audio & Video Monitoring
For the safety and security of our students and staff, CMP uses a video monitoring system throughout our campus, including classrooms and playgrounds.
- The system allows for administrative viewing and audio monitoring.
- Recordings are kept for one week.
- These recordings are for internal use only and not available for live-streaming or public viewing.
- Due to the confidentiality of other students, recordings cannot be shared with parents without a court order.
Requirement of Respectful Behavior
Carmel Mountain Preschool expects respectful, professional behavior from all families at all times. We are committed to maintaining a safe and nurturing environment for children, staff, and families.
CMP reserves the right to disenroll any family at any time without notice for behaviors including, but not limited to:
- Use of inappropriate language in front of staff, children, or other families
- Unprofessional conduct or disruptive behavior
- Yelling or aggressive speech
- Physical harm or intimidating behavior
- Threats or harassment (in person or online)
- Defamatory speech about the school
- Gossiping about staff, children, or families
- Hurtful or negative group text chains
- Any behavior that negatively impacts the positive, loving learning environment we strive to create
Social Media Code of Conduct
Carmel Mountain Preschool strongly discourages the use of social media as a platform for complaints or negative commentary about the school, staff, students, or other families.
If you have a concern, please follow the proper channels by speaking directly with:
- Your child’s teacher
- The director
- The executive director
- The assistant director
Posting defamatory or harmful comments online about CMP, its staff, students, or families may result in disenrollment. In serious cases, the school will consider legal options for addressing online harassment or defamation.
We encourage open communication. Contact the office for clarification on any of the policies above. We welcome an in person discussion, phone call or email.
Phone 858-484-4877
Director, Donna Taconi [email protected]
Assistant Director Karina Barrett [email protected]