POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Visitation

Parents are invited and encouraged to visit at any time. Formal conferences are scheduled with the teachers twice a year. It may be possible to arrange conferences by telephone if necessary, but we do require that parents are engaged in their child’s classroom and participate in these conferences.

Drop Off and Pick Up Procedure

Advance notice and/or written permission from a custodial parent must be provided if anyone other than a custodial parent is to pick up a child. Anyone picking a child up at the end of the day must be at least 16 years old and must provide identification.  Parents must mark the classroom sign in sheet with the time and initials each day at the time of drop off and pick up. Parking is available in front of the building for those willing to display a Rock Spring bumper magnet. Additional short term parking is available in marked visitor spots or in the parking garage (up to 20 minutes is free). For the safety of the children and to ensure an orderly traffic pattern, please do not turn around or park facing the wrong way in the drop off spaces.  If you enter the office Park from Rock Spring Drive, please go around the pond so that you can pull into the drop off spaces facing the correct way.

Holidays

The School is closed on Thanksgiving Day and the Friday following Thanksgiving Day, Winter Break (from Christmas Eve to just after New Year's Day depending on which day it falls), Martin Luther King Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day.  Additionally, there may be 1-2 half days where we must close early for staff training.  These days will be announced several weeks in advance when they are necessary.

Inclement Weather

We are extremely sensitive to the difficulties it can cause families when we have to close the School or open late. However, many of our teachers travel further distances than our families to get to school.  Thus, we try to make sure our closure decisions balance both interests and serve the needs of our families while safeguarding the safety and well-being of all RSCC community members.

In an effort to create consistency during snow emergencies or other inclement weather, our policy is as follows:

(1) If the Federal Government, Montgomery County Schools Administrative Offices, or Montgomery County Government is closed, RSCC is closed.

(2) If Montgomery County Schools are closed but the Administrative offices are open or delayed, RSCC will open at least 2 hours late.*

(3) If Montgomery County Schools open two hours late, RSCC will
open at least 1 hour late.*

*The automatic late policy gives the School more time to assess the weather conditions and make a final decision as to the opening or closing of school.  

For instances where snow or other inclement weather develops during the day, our policy is as follows:

(1) If the Federal Government, Montgomery County Schools Administrative Offices, or Montgomery County Government closes, RSCC will also close.*

(2) If Montgomery County Schools close early, RSCC will also close early.*

(3) As our pick up times are much later than the schools, RSCC may announce an early closure even if the County schools do not.* 

*We will provide enough notice to allow parents time to get to the School and pick up their children.  In inclement weather situations where we do not close, we ask that parents try to pick up their children early if they can. This will allow us to start sending our staff home. 

Please check the website, www.rockspringchildrenscenter.com, your email, or call the school and listen to the inclement weather message for updates before leaving your home. Check back frequently if weather or road conditions worsen.