Toileting & Rest Time

Toileting

It is preferred that students enrolled at The Friendship School are toilet-trained. Pull-ups are permitted to be worn by children in pre-kindergarten classrooms. Special arrangements can be made with each classroom teacher regarding toileting/diapering needs. Staff will work with families to carry out plans to help children achieve toileting. Staff will check and change pulls regularly including but not limited to when a child wakes up from a nap.

When children need to use the restroom, a staff member will escort them to the restroom, located within the classroom. As the year progresses, students will request to use the restroom and staff will either continue to escort students, or point them in the direction of the restroom, while following the student and maintaining supervision. Staff will remain with children in or immediately outside the restroom while they are toileting, and assisting with dressing if necessary (snaps, buttons, zippers, etc.). Children are expected to clean themselves independently. All children and adults will wash their hands after using the restroom, so no child is left alone. 

When children do have toileting accidents, a staff person will take the child to the restroom with their change of clothes. The child is primarily responsible for changing and cleansing; the staff person will assist the child when necessary to prevent soiling of outerwear, floor, walls, etc. Soiled clothing will be placed in a plastic bag and set aside for the parent to take home for cleaning. Soiled pull-ups are bagged and disposed of in contained trash cans once the child is clean and returned to the classroom. 

Rest Time 

All classrooms have rest time from 1:45 pm - 2:45 pm each day. Lights are low and calm music is played. Students are expected to rest quietly on their mats (sitting or laying down). Students are not required to nap, although many do. Teachers encourage children to rest and calm their bodies, and if a student requests they may rub their back to help them relax. Students who do not sleep are allowed to relax on their mats while awake. This is part of the NAEYC recommendations for early childhood education.