Facility and Grounds

A team of teachers, parents, architects, and college personnel designed the Smith College Center for Early Childhood Education (CECE) at Fort Hill to align with our philosophy. The design offers opportunities for interaction between and among teachers, children, and parents. The transparency of the doors and windows connect the playgrounds, the interior environments, and members of the community. We value an aesthetically pleasing, organized space.

The building includes seven classrooms, a visual arts studio, a music studio, three offices, a teachers’ workroom, a library, three storage rooms, a kitchen, a laundry room, and a space designated for use by the Smith College Psychology Department for research purposes. Two open Commons (one in the entrance and one in the infant/toddler wing) provide space for the music studio and group gatherings.

Sustainability

Fort Hill joins Smith College in prioritizing sustainability efforts. Please see the Smith College Office of Campus Sustainability for more information.

Recycling and Composting

We support the College initiatives in recycling and composting.

Compost bins are available in the kitchen, classrooms and on the playgrounds. Teachers empty compost in the large receptacle near the dumpster and manage the bins on the playgrounds. 

Recycling bins are available in each classroom and workspace. Teachers are encouraged to use recycled paper for classroom for children’s work whenever possible.

Please do not throw batteries in the trash. We collect used batteries in an envelope in the office and return them to the Environmental Health and Safety Office in the Facilities Department. 

Water Use

Please place only dry items in the washing machine and run only full loads. If you have a partial load, please put it in the washer and leave the top open to let others know space is available. 

Entering, Parking, and Exiting the Fort Hill Campus

All families and staff follow the traffic pattern depicted below to enter and exit the Fort Hill campus, i.e., all traffic enters on Munroe Street and exits onto Lyman Road. Please note that the traffic on Lyman is one-way from Fort Hill – please do not enter Fort Hill from Lyman Road. Please note the speed limit is 5 mph.

Enter on Munroe St. and exit right onto Lyman Rd.

All staff park in the spaces farthest from the building, i.e., the two rows at the far end of the parking lot. A large oak tree extends over the last row; to avoid damage to their cars, teachers frequently choose not to park in that row when acorns are falling from the tree.

All families and visitors must enter through the front door and may exit through any door.  We try to reduce foot traffic through the small common in the infant-toddler wing by asking that families who only have children in preschool primarily use the front door of the building to enter and exit. Fort Hill employees may enter through the front or rear door. The rear door may be used only before children arrive or at the end of the day (5:00 pm) because the small common is used as classroom space during the day and we avoid tracking in dirt and disrupting the activity in that space.

All visitors, employees, and students who enter the school must sign in and sign out in the office. Teachers greet all persons who enter the building to drop off or pick up children in the classroom and ensure that each child is signed in and out. Only persons identified on the Transportation Plan and Authorization Form on file in each child’s file may pick up a child. Families may authorize additional people at any time. All persons unknown to the staff must present identification before a child is released.

Building Security

All exterior doors in the building are locked at all times. Fort Hill employees receive a proximity card key through the OneCard office; the card will unlock the door while encased in a pocket or wallet, if it is waved in front of the unit. All Fort Hill regular staff receive 24/7 access to all doors in the building; families receive two proximity cards, which provide access from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm to the front door only; summer assistants receive cards to access all doors from 7:45 – 5:15; and, student workers ring the doorbell to enter the building. The director and assistant director have exterior keys for emergencies.

Proximity cards should be securely maintained, either on a person or in a secure location in the building. Cards should not be left near the exterior doors. Please report lost cards immediately to the OneCard office.

A security camera provides visibility of the front and rear doors and the foyer; the images from the camera are projected on a screen near the office coordinator’s desk. When a visitor arrives at the door, s/he rings a doorbell, which is located on the right side of the door. The camera allows the office coordinator (or other staff members) to see who is at the door and to either open the door (to a known person) or get assistance from another staff member. No one should answer the door alone if there is question as to who might be at the door. The door can be unlocked with a buzzer located on the wall underneath the camera monitor adjacent to the office coordinator’s desk. The directions for releasing the door lock are posted on the wall near the release system. The system also allows a staff member to talk to the visitor through a speaker system without unlocking the door.

In the event the person at the door is threatening, please call Campus Police at x800 and communicate through the PA system on the telephone by dialing 123290 and speaking loudly and clearly.

Building Maintenance and Repair

A custodian, who reports to the Facilities Department, cleans the building daily and completes a deep cleaning during the week in August when Fort Hill is closed. Teachers leave the classrooms prepared for the custodian to clean at the end of each day, placing chairs on the tables, clearing and organizing the counters and sink areas, organizing materials and returning them to their storage locations. Teachers are responsible for dusting and maintaining the classroom cleanliness at all times. If a teacher would like children to leave their work set up overnight, e.g., a block building, she discusses the cleaning with the custodian. Teachers, often with the children, wash all the chairs and cubbies at the end of the academic-year and leave the classroom prepared for the August deep cleaning.

Each member of the community is equally responsible for maintaining the common areas. The agenda on several of the professional days during the year includes time for assigned cleaning and organizing of common spaces.

Wall adhesive is available in the consumables closet – please do not use any other tape or push pins on the walls and please do not use tape on the rugs.

The Fire Department inspects the building at least once a year. Teachers maintain the building to comply with fire codes, including leaving a three-foot wide pathway to all exit doors and an 18” clearance between the ceiling and materials and shelving. Flammable materials may not be hung on doors or on the walls adjacent to the doors within a three-foot margin.

Safety and maintenance are of the utmost importance. If a staff member notices something in need of repair, s/he immediately takes the appropriate steps to ensure the safety of the children and staff and also reports it immediately to the office coordinator, who submits a work order to the Facilities Department.

Displays and School Environment

We strive to maintain a consistent aesthetic and visual environment. A committee comprised of the assistant director, visual arts studio supervising teacher, and level coordinators approves all temporary and permanent changes to the school environment. CECE staff may bring ideas forward to the level coordinator or assistant director to consider in altering the environment.

Required Postings

The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) licenses the program – the program number is 2911756. The EEC may be reached at:

1441 Main Street, Suite 230
Springfield, MA 01103
Phone: (413) 788-8401
Fax: (413) 784-1227
Directions to EEC Springfield Office  

All teachers are responsible for meeting all EEC regulations. The licensing regulations are available here. The program is licensed every three years; the EEC conducts annual unannounced licensing visits. Please see the EEC Observation Record for a list of items the EEC considers in a licensing visit. Please also see the EEC regulations.

The office coordinator distributes a document for supervising teachers to post adjacent to each classroom telephone. The EEC requires the following information be posted in each classroom.

• Emergency telephone numbers must be posted next to each telephone
  • In case of emergency on campus, CECE employees call  x800 for Security/Emergency
  • Poison Control
  • Name and telephone number of emergency back-up person
    • Health Consultant Peter Kenny MD 193 Locust St. 413-584-8700
• The telephone number and address of the CECE
  • 28 Lyman Road, Northampton, 413-585-3290
• In a manner that protects the privacy of each child:
  • The medical needs of individual children, including allergies and medical information provided by a parent
  • A list of emergency of life-saving medications and which child they belong to
• Location of Health Policy
  • Online
  • Binder in the Office
• Location Of First Aid Kit
  • In every classroom in cupboard clearly marked as “First Aid”
  • In the office
  • In the playground sheds
• Emergency and Evacuation Procedures Next to Every Exit
• SIDS Policy Posted in Infant Room
• Handwashing Procedure Next to Every Adult Sink

Building Spaces

The following are designated spaces at Fort Hill.

Office

The mailboxes, copy/fax/scan machine, first aid supplies, and printers are located in the office. There are two files for outgoing mail on the counter in the office – one for campus mail and one for government mail. School-related government mail can be placed in the file without a stamp and the College will stamp it. If you place personal mail in the outgoing box, please stamp it. This space is the office coordinator’s office; if you access any of the equipment, please leave the space clean and orderly.

An emergency key to unlock the bathroom doors, the key to the water spigot, keys to the file cabinet, and the piano key are located in the top long drawer of the office coordinator’s desk.

Libraries

Online database of library resources

Fort Hill shares a database of library resources with the Smith College Campus School. These resources are available to check out through the the Follett Destiny website. Teachers may access the site through a link on the Frequently Accessed Documents page in the Google Drive Teacher Folder. The computer located next to the professional library in the Teachers Workroom is attached to a scanner and the home page of the Chrome browser is set to open to the Follett site. Teachers check books in and out independently.

 Children’s Library

Teachers borrow books for the classroom from the Children’s library, which is located in a dedicated room off the Common. The assistant director oversees the library and posts the procedure for borrowing books in the library. The library is not available for families to borrow books.

The library space is flexible and teachers use the space for conferencing with parents, bringing small groups of children for focus groups, and classroom team meetings.

Professional Library

The assistant director maintains a lending library of professional books, which is housed in the teachers work room. The collection is included in the Follett Destiny system.

Psychology Research Room

The Smith College psychology department designed the research room to provide a space for students and faculty to use in conducting research at Fort Hill. The primary purpose of the psychology research room is for research; when the space is not being used for that purpose, it may be used for meetings, respite, privacy for phone conversations, storage of musical materials, etc. The space must at all times be maintained in a manner that allows for researchers to readily utilize the space for research purposes.

Teachers’ Workroom and Kitchen

The teachers’ workroom offers facilities for respite, eating, and collaborative professional work. The adjacent kitchen is available to store lunches, prepare snacks, and cook. Please maintain these areas, as well as all common spaces, in a way that welcomes all staff and visitors.

Each supervising teacher has a dedicated “cubicle” in the workroom. Please note that these are dedicated spaces and not shared spaces. One cubicle is designated as a shared space.

Commons

The school includes two “Commons.” The small common in the infant/toddler wing is designed as a multi-age space for infants and toddlers. The climbing equipment in the infant/toddler wing is not safe for preschool age children. The large common is dedicated to the music studio in the morning and is available as a gross motor space in the afternoon.

The piano in the Common is loaned to Fort Hill by the music department and is for adult use only. The office coordinator lends the key to the piano on an as-needed basis.

The carpeted area of the Common is a shoeless environment. Please do not bring food or beverages into the carpeted area.

The visual arts studio teacher manages the ongoing display on the monitor in the common. The office coordinator turns the monitor on at 7:45 and the assistant director turns it off at 4:55.

Guidelines for use of the small common

Availability

The small common is available to all infant/toddler classrooms.

Number of children

The cubbies define the boundaries of the small common. The space allows for ten children. No more than six infants (children under the age of 15 months) may be in a mixed-age group with three educators in the common. 

Guidelines for use of the Big Common

Availability

The common is dedicated to the music studio in the morning. If teachers bring children to the common in the afternoon, they avoid times when children are sleeping and return to classrooms at 4:30 to allow for clean-up and the 4:45 pick-up. Gross motor activities are planned for outside whenever the weather allows.

Number of Children

The square footage of carpeted area of The Common allows for 16 children at a time, although common sense will dictate a safe number of children. EEC-mandated teacher:child ratios must be met at all times.

Supervision

All staff members continually scan the room and supervise all children.

Voice Level

Children and adults are mindful of the sound and activity throughout the building and use “inside voices” when in the common.

Walking/Running

Children walk in The Common unless teachers have organized a group activity that involves running, or are closely supervised.

Ladder

The ladder is designed for children preschool age and younger and cannot support the weight of older children. The maximum number of children on the ladder at one time is two.

Safety Zone

Teachers ensure that there is an adequate safety zone (minimum of 6’) around each piece of equipment.

Mountain/Dome

The mountain/dome is used with the flat surface on the bottom unless a teacher is directly supervising the activity. The upside-down mountain/dome can accommodate one child standing, or several in a prone or sitting position. It should be closely supervised. The mountain/dome should always stay on the ground – it should be lifted only by an adult.

Visual Arts and Music Studios

The music studio is located in the carpeted area of the large common and the visual arts studio is in a central location off the large common area.

Laundry Room

Please plan laundry so that the dryers turn off by 4:45. Please turn off the water to the washers when you finish laundry and clean the lint filters frequently.

Storage Closets

Please maintain organization in the common storage areas at all times. To meet the fire code, please ensure that the three-foot-wide emergency exit pathway is free from obstruction in the storage area off the large common and maintain an 18” distance between the ceiling and the top of any storage shelf in the building.

Shared Materials

Three storage closets contain shared materials.  Each closet includes dedicated spaces for returning items that are broken, missing pieces and for returning items if the teacher is uncertain about the correct location. 

Dramatic Play Closet

This closet is located across from the Teachers’ Workroom and holds dramatic play materials, science materials, and games.

Puzzle Closet

This closet is located next to the kitchen and contains puzzles, math materials, and manipulatives.

Large Common Storage Closet

This closet is located off the large common and holds large equipment and furniture, strollers, gardening equipment, a sensory library, and other items.

Consumables and General Supplies

General consumable supplies, e.g., tape, paperclips, glue-sticks, etc. are stored in the closet known as the “Consumables Closet” in the office. No single staff member is responsible for monitoring inventory; if you notice that supplies are getting low, please leave the office coordinator a note to reorder. Items are reordered only when the office coordinator is notified that the supply is low.

The custodian replenishes toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, etc. If a teacher notices a low supply of these items, she leaves a note for the custodian, either on the door of the custodian’s closet or in the area needing refill.

Playgrounds

The Fort Hill playgrounds were designed by landscape architect and Smith College alumna Nancy Denig. The playgrounds include musical instruments, native plants, structures, gardens, and hardscape. The equipment on each playground is designed for specific age groups. The preschool equipment is labeled for use by children two- to five-years old. The toddler climbing pyramid is labeled for use by children ages two- to five-years-old. The toddler swings are labeled for use by children younger than three-years-old.

All teachers are responsible for continually monitoring the safety of the playgrounds, both in supervising children and in monitoring the grounds and equipment for hazards. Teachers ensure that all equipment and activities maintain the appropriate fall zones and safety surfacing. Massachusetts EEC regulations follow the CPSC Playground Safety Handbook. Please click here to see the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC)  Public Playground Safety Handbook. 

Playground Rules April 6, 2018

The underlying message, as always, is to ensure that we are providing close supervision of all children at all times. We must survey all areas of the playground and remain highly vigilant and cognizant of children’s whereabouts and interactions constantly and continuously.  

There are a few strict parameters that we must follow.

No teacher: teacher conversation on the playground

Only pass on critical messages such an exchange of coverage, taking a child inside, or teacher needing to leave the playground

All teachers will supervise specific areas/zones 

We will be recording children’s whereabouts both on the playground and inside the building.

Please click here to see Maps of the Preschool Playgrounds with staffing plans.

     (* 3-5 person coverage must still supervise the entire playground, but teachers will make decisions ahead of time about which equipment or areas to close).

We will be thinking about the playground as having two zones that must always be surveilled even when only two teachers are present.

When we have the full coverage of six teachers the same two zones will be monitored but will also include specific coverage areas for climbers, swings, mud-kitchen,  etc.

We expect that as teachers enter the playground they will find an area to supervise. Subsequent teachers will find other areas to supervise until all areas are staffed.  There will be one teacher in each area. (If for some reason a teacher needs to leave or switch an area, she must communicate with another teacher and not leave anyone unsupervised).  

Spots for teacher coverage are starred.

***Due to the fact that we will be shoring up our supervision of children outside on the playground, I think it is important that we return to last year’s pattern for first aid, cubbie-runs and toileting:   

Take child into Group B

Only 1 teacher inside at a time

Playground Rules and Guidelines

Teachers communicate with all teachers on the playground regarding staffing to ensure ratios are maintained at all times.

If a teacher leaves the playground, she communicates to the other teachers prior to leaving.

Each level determines which pieces of equipment or activities require direct adult supervision. These include climbers and swings, and may also include other areas.

Teachers may make a decision to close specific areas if staffing is inadequate.

Teachers closely monitor play with items such as sharp tools, baseball bats, hockey sticks, etc.

If a teacher provides such equipment, she assumes responsibility for monitoring the play or ensuring that another teacher does so, and is responsible for ensuring that the equipment is returned to the shed when the supervision is no longer in place.

The garden beds are maintained as growing spaces; children do not walk or play in the garden beds. Please see Garden section below.

Teachers continually monitor the exit gates on the playground to ensure they are locking properly. Locks remain unlocked but in place during the day to keep the gates secure when children are on the playground.

Teachers immediately report any malfunction to the office coordinator.

Teachers monitor and remind children and parents that only adults open playground gates.

Teachers prevent children from engaging in behaviors that may threaten the integrity of the gates locking, e.g., riding tricycles into the gates.

Each level determines who is responsible for unlocking the gates at 7:45 and locking them at 5:00.

Teachers refrain from engaging in long conversations with parents on the playground at departure times.

The attention of teachers remains on the playground at all times.

The playground closes when the building closes.

Only adults push children on the tire swing and belt swings.

No “underdog” pushes on the swings.

Teachers monitor children who “twist” on the swings to ensure that the chains do not “kink.”

All children wear helmets when on any wheeled vehicle and when riding bouncy balls.

When the ground is frozen, children do not use the equipment that requires safety surfacing.

Secure footwear must be worn on the playgrounds.

Children must be able to gain access to the equipment with minimal support in order to use it, e.g., a child must be able to climb up the climber independently to sit on the net platform.

Children must be free of entanglement hazards such as jewelry and strings on clothing.

Rough and tumble play

Teachers ensure that children do not use “projectiles” such as throwing punches or kicking, throwing material at people, etc.

Teachers continually monitor children in close physical contact to be sure that both children are enjoying the activity. In the absence of signs that the child is enjoying the activity, the educator intervenes. The signs we look for are:

Smiles

Laughter

Outdoor Supervision:
— Is under the wooden climber a place where there still needs to be a teacher watching? We are deciding that yes a teacher needs to always be able to see the children under the climber.
— Classrooms should all be counting children when going inside to make sure that all of their numbers are current.
—  If you are the last teacher to enter the school from the playground, you need to check the playground especially around the corner to make sure that there are no children still left outside.
—  Locks…We will be making an effort to keep them out of reach of the children or locked so that they can’t be tampered with.
—  Group A will be in charge of unlocking gates, Group S will unlock the S gate.

Maintenance

The Facilities Department maintains the playground. If a teacher notices an issue, e.g., excessively long grass in the playground, loose bolts or a broken gate, she repairs the situation as best as possible, reports the issue to the office coordinator immediately, and communicates the hazard to all who use the playground. The office coordinator submits and tracks the work order. If a teacher notes an excessive delay in the repair or maintenance, she informs the office coordinator.

Teachers maintain the level of mulch underneath the swings and other equipment, either by raking the mulch or by submitting a work order to have the mulch replenished.

Teachers, children, and summer temporary assistants maintain the gardens.

Teachers return all playground equipment to the sheds at the end of the day.

Sheds

Each level determines which classroom group is responsible for unlocking the sheds in the morning and locking them at the end of the day. Teachers maintain the sheds in an organized manner at all times. Only adults enter the sheds.

Sun Shades

The Smith College Facilities department installs and removes the sun shades. The office coordinator submits a work order in the fall and spring; please communicate with her if there is a delay in installation or removal.

Gates

Each classroom has a key to open the playground gates and sheds. The gates remain locked when the program is closed; teachers unlock the gates at 7:45 am and lock them at 5:00 pm. The gates remain open overnight in the winter when snow is forecast to allow the Facilities department to remove snow and maintain emergency egress paths in the playground, and to prevent locks from freezing shut.

The playground gates are securely closed at all times and opened only by adults. The playground is private property and is available only for use by the program during the hours of the program.

Water spigots and hoses

The key to the water spigots is in the top drawer of the office coordinator’s desk. Please return the key promptly.

The hoses on the playground are purchased to meet specifications for children. Please use only the playground hoses for activities with children.

Gardens

General Equipment

Telephones

Each classroom, as well as many of the common spaces, has an individual extension. Directions for the phone system are posted near the telephones. Incoming calls to all classroom telephones, except the studio telephone, are forwarded to the office phone so that the ringing telephones will not be disruptive to the classroom. The studio telephone can be called directly to maintain communication with the studio regarding the availability of the studio for children to visit.

Families are requested to call the main number, 585-3290. If a family would like to talk to the classroom teachers immediately, someone in the office brings the message to the classroom and remains in the classroom to provide appropriate staffing. If a teacher would like to call another classroom, she calls the office to connect to that classroom.

All Smith College extensions can be dialed from off-campus using 585 as a prefix.

The password to the classroom voice mailboxes is “forthill” (36783344).

Emergency phone

The telephone above the printer in the office is an emergency telephone and is only used in the case of an emergency when the regular phones are out of service. The number of the emergency phone is 413-586-5216.

Cell Phones

The Fort Hill cell phone is located in the office coordinator’s desk and may be borrowed for walking field trips and for emergencies. The number is 413- 335-3389.

Teachers, student workers, and visitors refrain from using their cell phones whenever they are responsible for children or in a setting with the children present. All cell phones are either:

• stored outside of the classroom and on “silent” mode; or,
• powered off, if the phone is in the classroom or carried on the individual.

If a teacher has an unusual circumstance and must check for a call repeatedly (e.g., an emergency such as a sick child), she may give the caller the office telephone number (413-585-3290) or briefly check her cell phone when she is away from children or on a break. 

Personal calls

Please limit incoming personal calls to the school telephone to the greatest extent possible. Personal outgoing calls can be made in the teachers’ workroom and on the phone in the large storage room. Please do not make personal long distance calls or call “Information” on CECE telephones.

Laminator

A laminator is located in the teachers’ workroom. Please view the video before using the machine. Before changing the film for the first time, please work with someone who has experience changing the film. Please limit your use of the laminator and laminate only documents that will be handled frequently or used for several years.

Computers

Each supervising teacher is assigned a computer. The Smith College Information Technology Services (ITS) department maintains a replacement schedule for the computers. Both Google Drive and Google Photos offer unlimited, free storage for educators. The College allows personal use of this storage and employees may create personal folders and use the unlimited storage for music, photos, documents, etc. Please see ITS Policies for information about college-wide Information Technologies Services policies.

Each individual is responsible for maintaining the computer and removing files from the hard drive. All teachers are expected to store personal photographs and documents in Google Drive and to store CECE-related documents on Google Drive (only documents with no personal identifying information is stored on Google Drive) or in your home folder on AD Directory. Please limit printing to the greatest extent possible. Teachers maintain responsibility for backing up all documents other than photographs.

Classroom Photos

Each supervising teacher sets her computer to automatically back-up photos to Google Drive and confirms that the director is the “owner” and that “editing” privileges are assigned as appropriate. This practice provides an additional level of security and also allows the administration to change permissions as necessary.

Please note that if you plug in camera or iphone or any storage device to the work computer then photos from that device will automatically get uploaded onto google photos.

Personal Photos

Google Photo creates folders based on the computer on which the photos were uploaded. Employees may install the Google Photos software on your personal computer at home, log-in using your Smith email, and upload your personal photos from that computer. A folder will be created on your Smith Google Drive that will be accessible only to those with whom you share the link – it will be an entirely separate folder from the Fort Hill photos. Please note that if you upload photos from a Fort Hill computer, they will be stored in the Fort Hill folder.

Multi-Function Device: Copy, Scan, and Fax

A multi-function device is located in the office. Please support the college-wide effort to maintain a paperless campus and limit your use of the copier. The fax number is 413-585-3292. The fax is connected to the Smith telephone system; please use the 4 digit extension to fax on campus and include the digit 9 and the telephone number to fax off campus. The copier copies and scans in color; please use black and white, 2-sided copying whenever possible.

Cameras and iPods

Classroom technology includes iPods, cameras, and wireless speakers. The administration maintains a master Google Doc with the serial number, model number, manufacturer, and purchase date of all classroom technology. The cameras and iPods are assigned to supervising teachers; the speakers are assigned to classrooms . Each classroom budget is responsible for purchasing media for the cameras and for replacing lost or broken cameras and iPods.

The music supervising teacher maintains an iTunes library on the visual arts studio computer and syncs all iPods to the library on a regular basis. Teachers may request music from the music studio supervising teacher.

Classroom Technology Replacement Policy

If after four years an item is not functioning, or if technology has changed in a way that renders the item obsolete, the CECE general budget will contribute a portion of the cost to replace each of these items. If a classroom needs to replace one of these items prior to the fifth year, or if the supervising teacher wants to purchase a more expensive item, funds from the annual classroom budget may be used. Media and accessories for the cameras and computers are purchased with the funds available in classroom budgets.