Our vision is to provide learning

opportunities, increase healthy behaviors,

and to expand the schools role as a
community resource.

Union
Community
Connections
Parent
Handbook
Contact Information
Phone: 225-8259
Fax: 223-9219
Union CC Program Director:
Diadel Ortiz
diadelo@mpsvt.org

Dear Families:
We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you and your children to Community
Connections after School Programs. CC is the only after school provider to be hosted at Union
Elementary School. CC is a non-profit organization that is funded by the 21CCLC Grant.
Our mission: We are a diverse community, with a strong hold on educating our children inside
the classroom and after school. We are all equipped with the knowledge, support and enthusiasm
to help our students strive for success.
Our vision: to provide learning opportunities, increase healthy behaviors, and to expand the
schools role as a community resource.
The goal of CC is to provide a quality program that is safe, fun and affordable. Our programs
offer age appropriate activities under the supervision of a competent, trustworthy, caring and
qualified staff that understand and meet the needs of the children in our care. To meet the
physical, intellectual, social, emotional and recreational needs of children, our program will:

Offer fun, enriching, academically oriented and recreational activities that help promote
confidence, self-esteem and responsibility
provide children a safe and secure environment staffed by warm, friendly child care
professionals
Provide a relaxed atmosphere where children can socialize and make new friends
Provide nutritional snacks
Provide time for homework help

At CC, we believe that during the hours that the children are away from home they should be
provided with a quality program of well supervised activities that stimulates new interests,
encourages creativity and builds self-confidence, while providing their parents with peace of
mind.
This Parent Handbook outlines what you may expect at CC and outlines our policies and
procedures. We hope it will be helpful. We look forward to providing you and your child with a
quality after school program.

Sincerely,
Diadel Ortiz
Program Director
Union Community Connection

Programs- Union Community Connections provides a variety of programs for students in

Kindergarten through 4th grade.

Kinder Creation- at Kinder Creations your child will learn, develop skills and play in a safe
and happy environment. Your child will grow socially and emotionally. Their ability to think,
use and recognize language and their fine motor skills will be developed through play, art, dance,
music, movement and interacting with others. Most importantly, your child will be learning to
become an effective learner as they develop and extend their communication skills, build their
self-confidence, learn to be creative, and develop skills that assist them with reading, writing and
mathematics.

1st Graders-1st grade program in conjunction with project based learning is a program that will
benefit and support students knowledge. Your child will grow and develop learning skills
through art, dance, music, science, and interacting in new activities. Mostly, your child will be
learning to become an effective learner, develop and extend their minds. These projects are
inspired and driven by childrens interests and natural curiosities. Project-Based Leaning
immerses youth in valuable team-building, problem solving, and community engagement
experiences. By going on neighborhood field trips, having special guests and collaborating with
community partners, these projects evolve as youth explore the connections between different
aspects of the project. Each project culminates in an event that invites participation from families
and friends to create an authentic community experience.

2nd Graders- The goal of 2nd grade is to enable students to become independent thinkers, while
building and expanding basic skills previously acquired. 2nd grade is a year of highly visible
progress in reading and language arts, exploration and discovery of the world. At CC, 2nd graders
will work together to solve problems, learn to express their ideas clearly, and learn to appreciate
differences. Children will model C.A.R.E.S. through group activities. Art activities are done in a
variety of media such as clay sculpture, painting, sketching, and collage. Students work daily on
developing physical skills. Activities range from organized games, to hiking through the woods,
and playing games with younger students. Computer program for 2nd graders is designed to
familiarize students with the computer and keyboard. Writing stories and poems will be part of
the computer program, as well as researching skills, and web-surfing within the school permitted
websites. We will have loads of fun activities, games and field trips in 2nd grade

3rd and 4th Graders- CC will be packed with exciting activities, team-building games and
new programs geared for our 3rd and 4th graders. Programs will be fun and enriching, promoting
self-confidence, self- esteem, and responsibility.

Enrollment Sign-up
In order to enroll a child in any of our programs, we require the following:
1)

A completed Registration Form

2)

Copy of Immunization Record

3)

A completed Activity Form for the current CC session with Calendar (when available)

4)

A signed Parent Contract (back page of this book)

5)

A signed Behavioral Contract (back page of this book)

6)

Payment in advance (we do have weekly & Bi-weekly payment plans please speak with
the Program Director for more details)

All forms are available from the CC Program Director, CC website or in the main office at Union
School.

Fee Information/Schedule of Payments

We expect payment in advance along with all the forms necessary to start the program. For
large balances, we will require that your payments be received weekly, in a timely manner.
If you have an outstanding balance, you must pay by the due date in order to continue to send
your child to our programs.

All payments must be made in advance prior to the start of the attendance period.
If payment is made late, $10.00 late fee will apply and your child may be dropped from
our enrollment.
If a child is dropped from our enrollment, they must be re-registered in the program and
an additional registration fee paid, if space is still available.
No child may attend the after school program if payment has not been made for the
upcoming payment period.
Payments may be made by check or money order, and should be made payable to
Community Connections.
Please make sure your childs full name appears on the memo portion of the check.
There is a charge of $25.00 on all returned checks.
If a check is returned, CC must be reimbursed for all charges, including the return check
fee, or your child may be dropped from our enrollment
You can speak with the Program Director any time about a payment plan.
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Policy on Refund and Credits

Community Connections requires parents and/or guardians to enroll the students prior to
attending any activities. All CC activities require payment before the activity begins. CC hires
and trains staff according to the group size expected.
After school programs:

No refunds for sick days.

No refunds for days the child does not attend.
If the session schedule needs to be adjusted, Community Connections will keep 2 weeks
worth of the fee you paid for activities, for administrative fees and will refund the
balance.

Attendance Procedures
Attendance is taken daily of all children attending the after school program. Parents/guardians
are responsible for notifying the program staff if their child will be absent from the after school
program, if they have attended school during the day. For your convenience, please call 802-2258259 between the hours of 7:30 A.M. and 2:00 P.M. to report your childs absence from the
program.
If a child is registered to attend the after school program and does not report to the program and
is not on the official school absentee list or early release sign out sheet, the parent, guardian or
emergency contact will be notified to verify the childs absence. This helps ensure the safety of
all the children attending our program.
Students enrolled in the After School Program are expected to attend on all days identified by the
parent/guardian during the initial enrollment process. Changes to the schedule must be
submitted to the Program Director as soon as possible in order to make the proper
accommodations for the staff and student. We ask you to let us know in a timely manner.
*If you have paid in advance for a day of programming that your child misses due to absence or illness,
we will not be able to issue credit or refund your payment. *

Sign Out Procedures

Your child must be signed out, when picked up each day, with your initials. Only persons
authorized in writing by you, the parent(s) and/or guardian(s), may remove your child from the
program. Staff members will request photo identification if the person picking up the child is
unfamiliar and check the authorization form. Please be aware that we do this for the safety and
protection of the children in our programs.
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Your child will not be released to anyone without prior written notice and/or a telephone call.
Students can be dismissed from CC at any time between 3:30-5:30 into the care of a
parent/guardian or a person who has been designated on the childs registration form as a pick-up
person. However, we prefer to dismiss students at the end of enrichment classes, which is
generally at 5:00.
We use the sign-out sheet to track attendance and keep a record of which children are in our care
at any given time. Make sure you sign your child out. *After a reminder, children who are
picked up without parent initials may be charged a sign-out fee of $5.00*.

Late Pick Up Policy

The after school program closes promptly each evening at 5:30. All parents and/or guardians are
expected to pick up their children on time. If you are unable to do so, it is your responsibility to
notify the CC Staff or Program Director that you will be late or are sending an alternate to pick
up your child. If the alternate is not on your emergency list, the Program Director may ask the
person to show photo identification.
After the site closes at 5:30, a staff member will attempt to contact the parent, guardian or
emergency contact person by telephone. If a child remains at the after school program after
closing time and neither parents, guardians nor emergency contacts can be reached, the local
police department will be contacted and the child will be released into the custody of the
appropriate law enforcement official. A $20.00 late fee will be charged after 5:30 with an
additional $2.00 for each minute the child is in CC custody. This fee is due upon picking up
your child or the next day.
*Three Late Pick-Ups may result in your child being dismissed from the program.*

Sliding Scale Fee- All CC fees are offered on a sliding scale. We ask that each family pay within
this range.
Over $60,000
$17.00 per day/per
child

$50-$60,000
$14.00-$16.00 per
day/per child

$45-$50,000
$11.00-$13.00 per
day/per child

$40,000-$44,000
$10.00 per day/per
child

*Families at this level should explore whether they qualify for assistance through the Vermont Child Care Subsidy Program. If
you cannot pay within the sliding scale, you will be asked to apply for subsidies before any reduced rates or scholarship funds
will be awarded.

Financial Assistance- We are a licensed child-care program, so if your family qualifies, you will
be able to access the state subsidy program. Subsidy can assist in paying for your child to
participate in all of our programs, especially if you also qualify for free and reduced lunches. If
you are unable to pay, your first step will be to apply for these state subsidies. You can obtain an
application from the CC Site Director or online at www.brightfutures.dcf.state.vt.us
Emergency Drop-in (After-school) - If we have space in the program, we will accept students
on an emergency drop-in (with 24 hour advance notice). Student must have all forms completed
and on file for any emergency drop-in. The fee is $20/ per child.

Extra fees- Occasionally there will be additional fees to cover transportation or materials
for specific after-school classes. Details will be included in the packet for each session.
These extra fees will be due at the beginning of the session.

Health/Safety/Medications
Every site is equipped with a first aid kit. There are at least 2 staff members that are CPR/First
Aid Certified. The Program Director or CC Staff will notify parents if there is evidence of
serious injury or illness. A written record will be kept of all injuries and accidents requiring first
aid. A copy of the accident report will be sent home to the parent/guardian with the child, and a
copy will be kept on file.
In case of emergency, illness, or injury to a child, the parent or guardian will be notified
immediately. If the parents/guardian cannot be reached immediately, the emergency numbers on
the registration form will be called.
In the event of an emergency warranting medical attention or considered life threatening, the
Program Director will call 911 or take other necessary emergency procedures. Parents/guardians
and/or emergency contacts will be contacted as well.
If your child must take a prescription medication of any kind, you must notify the Program
Director and complete a Medical Authorization Form. Over the counter medication will not be
dispensed without a doctors written authorization. All medication should be given to the
Program Director to ensure proper usage. Children are not permitted to have medication in their
possession to take on their own unless authorized by the doctor.
Medication will never be given to a child by a staff member without the proper written
authorization. No medication will be dispensed unless it is in its original container. All
medications will be dispensed in accordance with School Board and County Child Care &
Licensing policies and procedures.
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Please inform us of any medical / behavioral issue your child is experiencing. We want to ensure,
your childs experience at Community Connections is a positive one. From time to time, we may
want to communicate with school personal (classroom teacher, guidance counselor, special
education) to collaborate on how to help your child. For this reason, we ask that you inform us of
any changes in your childs behavior.
Personnel
We hire highly qualified staffs that are dedicated to providing an enriching and safe environment
for the children in our programs. Whenever possible, we hire people who have experience
working with elementary aged children. As a whole, our staff is committed to evaluating and
improving the way we work with children and run our programs. The professional child care
staff of CC will be provided with a variety of educational training throughout the year.
State regulations dictate our ratio of staff to children, and we strive to stay slightly below the
mandated ratios. We must have a ratio of 1:10 any time when there is a Kindergartener included
in the student group and 1:13 if all children present are in grades 1-5. We will only turn
children away for program if/when we find ourselves in a situation where we would exceed our
staff: child ratios.
We run background checks on all of our staff and volunteers, according with state regulations.
Our staff members are all mandated reporters under the law, and we are required to report any
time we suspect abuse or neglect of the children in our care. There is a copy of the licensing
regulations available on our bulletin board at all times if youd like further information.

Daily Activities
Upon dismissal from school, all children report to the CC room which is upstairs next door to the
art room or an assigned classroom. Children are grouped according to their current grade, and are
provided with a nutritious snack. Programs may vary, but children are then dismissed for
organized outdoor games, sports and playground. At CC, our staff understands the importance of
homework. Parents may choose whether they wish their child to do their homework while in
after care.
Our schedule blends educational and recreational activities between the hours of 3:00 P.M. and
5:00 P.M. that may include: foreign language, computer technology, reading, writing, math,
science, drama, cooking, arts and crafts, and physical education programs.
At 5:00pm, children are brought to the CC Room or assigned classroom to await pick-up and
may choose from a wide variety of fun activities; board games, blocks, arts and crafts and/or age
appropriate organized sports and game.

Sample Afternoon Program Schedule

Programming varies, depending on the day. However, our general schedule for after-school
program is as follows:
2:45
Dismissal from classroom, student walk to CC classroom/
assigned classroom
2:45-3:00
Welcome Activity
3:10-3:20
Snack*
3:25-3:45
Recess*
4:00-5:00
Program
5:00-5:30
Homework, group games , Pick-up**
Snack and recess time may be switched depending on the classroom. *Unless the weather is too
harsh, we will go outside. Please make sure your child is prepared for each days weather
possibilities.**Children may be picked up at any time, but we prefer pick-ups between 5-5:30 in
order to allow children to fully access the enrichment classes and minimize disruptions.

Snack
A mid-afternoon snack is provided for all children in the after-school program. We strive to
provide healthy snacks each day, consisting of a fruit or vegetable, a grain, and a drink (usually
water). We provide local produce when available and opt for whole foods when choosing which
snacks to offer. If your child has special dietary needs or any food allergies please let us know.
It is also our policy that no outside snacks may be eaten at CC. Please do not send snack as it
will be provided and we may have other students allergens.

Weather
We follow the same guidelines for weather contingencies as Union School. We aim to spend
time outside every day-at recess and/or some program classes. Please make sure that your
child comes with appropriate clothing and gear for the weather.

*Extra Change of Clothes*

Parent, sometimes children have accidents after school; please make sure your child has a small
bag of extra clothes for those unfortunate after school days.

School Holidays/Early Release Day/School Closing

All after school programs will be closed on the following holidays: Labor Day, Thanksgiving
Day, and the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day, and Memorial Day.
Community Connections Camp will be open for school on special in-service days, winter and
spring breaks. Parents/guardians will receive CC Camp information and registration. Space may
be limited and registration is on a first come, first served basis.

Any day when Union Elementary is open for a full day of school, we will offer afterschool care.
On scheduled half-days, we will not offer After-School Care unless otherwise noted. In
the case of unplanned school closures when there is no school, CC will be closed.
If its a normal school day but the Superintendent cancels all afterschool ActivitiesAfter-School Program is canceled. You will receive an Alert Now phone call on all
numbers you have supplied at the beginning of the year. All students must be picked
up or ride the bus home by3:30.

Exceptional Student Registration

Exceptional Students may enroll and participate in the after school program. However, CC staff
may not be trained in special education. To ensure that there is adequate and safe supervision for
all children in the program, the following procedures will be followed before a child may enroll:

The parent or guardian must contact the Program Director to set up a pre-enrollment
conference, within 10 school days from the date of application. The purpose of this preenrollment meeting is to determine if this environment is the right place for your child
and for availability in the program.
At the conference, a discussion between Program Director, the parent and/or guardian
and school personnel will help determine if the after school program is a good fit for the
student.
We will also discuss if the child will need additional personnel. If training needs exceed
the expertise of the CC staff and if its fiscally possible, we will discuss obtaining
appropriate staff. This is determined on a case by case basis.

Additional Information
All personal belongings, including jackets, lunch boxes, backpacks, etc. should be clearly labeled
to help avoid loss. Lost and Founds are available in the Auditorium of the school, in case your
child does lose something. Please note that children are not permitted to bring any items to
after care (such as toys, games, trading cards, electronics etc.) Community Connections
cannot be responsible for any lost, damaged or stolen belongings

Parent Communication
Communication between our staff, school teachers and your families is crucial to your childs
safety and enjoyment at Community Connections. To make it as smooth as possible, please
communicate any changes in writing (email or send in a note) or phone calls. During pickup/drop-off times we are glad to check in with you quickly but the children in our care are our
priority.
*If at any time you would like to have a conference about your child, please email, send in a
note, or call us to schedule.* Our contact information is listed on the Parent Handbooks front
cover. Commination is very important and we want to always be informed.

Email
In order to enhance our ability to communicate with families, we will make an effort to send
more information via email. If you have supplied an email address on your childs registration
form, we will use that email address periodically to send out session sign-up packets and other
program information. If you wish to receive emails but you did not supply an email address on
your registration form, please contact the Program Director and we will add you to our list!
We also have a Community Connections blog: http://uescc.blogspot.com/

Notification of Changes
It is extremely important that you notify the Program Director immediately of any changes in
parental, home address, employment phone numbers, pick up procedures and behavioral issues.
We want to make sure your childs information is always current.

Income Tax Information

Tax statements indicating the payments made to CC after school care will be prepared upon
request. They may be requested from the Program Director. If you are also requesting camp and
summer days, you would need to contact, CC Central (802-223-3456) Email: Guy Viensgviens@u32.org. Please allow two to three weeks for processing, especially during tax season.
Please note that it is the responsibility of each parent and/or guardian to retain their receipts.

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Discipline
Our mission is to increase childrens healthy behaviors and positive decision making. Our
programs are designed to foster academic enrichment and expand schools role as a community.
This behavior plan ensures that every member of our CC Community is respectful of themselves
and others.
Multi -Tier Support System (MTSS) is a state-wide effort designed to help school teams form a
proactive, school wide system, approach to improving social and academic competence for all
students. CC has adapted MTSS formerly know as PBIS, along with Responsive Classroom
approach to bring a positive, and effective teaching service to all children. The Program Director
works closely with the classroom teacher, guidance counselor, special education teacher, and
uses validated intervention to the extent availability when needed.
A child with a consistent behavioral problem who is not responding to the policy and procedures
at Community Connections and who exhibits extreme or dangerous behavior will be sent to the
Program Director, who will notify the childs parents and/or guardians with a Behavior Report.
In extreme cases of behavior such as running away, fighting, extreme disruption, stealing, threats
of violence, or destruction of school property, the parent and/or guardian may be called to pick
up their child immediately and the child may be immediately suspended or dismissed from the
after school program.
If the problem persists, a parent/guardian conference will be scheduled at which the areas of
concern will be discussed and reviewed. If the situation does not improve, the child may be
suspended. Three Behavior Reports will result in dismissal from our program. If you have paid
in advance for the program, a refund will be issued.
*Please inform us of any medical / behavioral issue your child is experiencing. We want to
ensure, your childs experience at Community Connections is a positive one. From time to time,
we may want to communicate with school personal (classroom teacher, guidance counselor,
and/or special education) to collaborate on how to help your child. All information will be kept
condifiential.*

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Community Connections
Berlin, Calais, East Montpelier, Middlesex, Montpelier, Worcester

Bringing School and Community Together

After School Program
Policies, Rules, and Procedures
BEHAVIOR CONTRACT

Dear Parent/Guardian:
While attending Community Connections after School Program, all children are asked to comply
with the already existing rules of their school, as well as the After School rules. In order to
maintain a safe environment, we ask that you please review them with your child.
Students-Code of Conduct

1. Community Connection Staff must be entirely respected.

2. Students must respect and appreciate diversity of the CC Staff members, teachers and
students, regardless of their race, culture, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation,
age and ability.
3. Children must understand and follow C.A.R.E.S.
4. Keep hands, feet, inappropriate comments, and objects to yourself.
5. Promote positive behavior through the avoidance of all types of violent acts.
6. Use respectful language at all times, using inside voices. Children can express
themselves with socially acceptable language and gestures.
7. Treat school property and the property of others with a reasonable standard of care.
8. Students must stay in assigned area with CC Staff and group.
9. Students are not permitted to leave after school before scheduled time without proper
advance notification from a parent or guardian to an after school staff member.

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As with any zero-tolerance policy, there will be consequences for the following types of misconduct:

1. Constant failure to follow rules, policies and procedure of the After School Program.
2. General misconduct, including loud or boisterous behavior that tends to disturb other
students, and includes running in the classroom/halls, minor defacement of property, and
pushing or shoving others.
3. A students persistent refusal to follow the instructions of program staff, program
administrators, or any school employee. This shall also include a students refusal or
failure to properly identify oneself on request.
4. Use of obscene, vulgar, profane, disrespectful, demeaning or threatening words and/or
actions or gestures directed to or in the presence of any student or school employee.
5. Mutual physical confrontations between students (fighting).
6. Possession and/or use of any tobacco or drug related items or look alike items this
may include cigarettes, chewing tobacco and other tobacco-related products, lighters,
alcoholic substances, drug-consumption devices, and any substance suspected of being a
drug.
7. A behavior that may result in physical or mental abuse to ones self.
8. Committing an act of indecent exposure in the presence of any other student, member of
the staff, or school employee.
Disciplinary Actions
1. Verbal warning
2. A Think Time away from the group. While student is in Think Time he/she is encouraged
to talk about the incident, fill out a Think Time sheet or draw a picture of the scenario
leading up to the time away. We will also go over the behavioral contract the students
signed at the beginning of the year.
3. A call to parent/guardian will be made if behavior persists.
3 day suspension from Community Connections will result.
4. Before returning to the program, a Parent/Staff conference needs to be scheduled to
determine continued enrollment.
Choices that involve potential and or actual harm to self and others will be immediately
evaluated and a plan of action will be developed by Program Director. This may result in
immediate parent contact and consequences will be evaluated on an individual case by case
basis. In situations where children significantly pose a threat and or leave the school grounds
without permission the Montpelier Police Dept. will be notified. A meeting between Program
Director, staff and parents must occur before student is allowed to return to the program. The
Program Director has every right to terminate a child who has displayed characteristics that are
harmful to self and/ or puts others at risk.
We are here to work with you and your child. We ask parents to thoroughly inform us if your
child has any social, emotional, behavioral or health conditions that we should be aware of.
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Please let us know what methods your child responds best to include any helpful tactics used by
their teacher or at home. This is to help us provide a more successful after school experience for
your child. All information will be confidential.
This has been written so students and family members know what behavior is expected and
prohibited at Community Connections. It is helpful if parents are aware of all school and after
school rules so they can help support them from home.
In signing this contract you are agreeing that your child fully understands and respects the
conditions and expectations stated above.
Childs Name: ________________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardians Name: ______________________________________________________
Parent/Guardians Signature: ___________________________________________________
Date: ________________________________________________________________________

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Community Connections
Berlin, Calais, East Montpelier, Middlesex, Montpelier, Worcester

Bringing School and Community Together

Handbook Policy
PLEASE READ AND INITIAL EACH OF THE FOLLOWING:
*I understand that positive behavior is expected at Community Connections. My child must follow the rules,
policies, procedures set out in the CC Code of Conduct and that he/she will be subject to consequences under the
Code for misbehavior. Initial *
*I understand that all payments are due in advance and on time each week. There will be no refund or credits issued
for unused days. If enrolled, your childs slot is reserved and the program is staffed accordingly-parents/guardians
are still required to pay. The individual who completes this paperwork is financially responsible for all fees and
tuition. I understand that the financial responsibility exist regardless of my students attendance. Initial*
*I understand that cancellations/rescheduling must be done seven days in advance and must be approved by the
Union Community Connection Director when space in the program is available. All payments must be in order
before any arrangements are made. Initial*
*By initialing, you authorize Community Connections to use your childs name and photograph(s)/video in CC
publication which could include but are not limited to: Website listing, flyers and newsletters. Initial*
*All Children must be picked up no later than 5:30 Monday through Friday. Initial*
*I have disclosed all known health problems, behavioral issues or conditions of my child. Initial*

I AGREE TO ABIDE BY ALL THE OPERATIONAL POLICIES AS WELL AS THOSE OUTLINED IN THE
PARENT HANBOOK AND WILL NOTIFY STAFF MEMBERS IN WRITING OF ANY CHANGES MADE TO
THE INFROMATION ON THIS FORM. I RECOGNIZE IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN
CURRENT INFROMATION WITH THE PROGRAM AT ALL TIMES. I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR READING
THE PARENT HANDBOOK.

I understand that Community Connections policies have been developed to ensure the safety and
well-being of all children attending the program. I understand that failure to return this
acknowledgment will not relieve me from knowing and following the policies of Community
Connections After-school Program.

CHILDS NAME_____________________________________________ DATE_______________

PARENTS NAME____________________________________________ DATE______________
PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE
________________________________________________________________________________
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