See further at: https://integration.fo/filmar
HANDBOOK FOR THE DAYCARE CENTRE við Stórheygg
The daycare center við Stórheygg is a municipal institution, which opened on May 2006.
It houses children from nursery to 3rd grade.
Rooms:
Nursery: Children aged 0-3 attend Mánastova.
Kindergarten: Children aged 3 - 6 attend Ælabogastova School group: Children aged 6 attend Spírin.
Children in 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade attend the recreation center (frítíðarstovu) after school.
Opening hours:
Við Stórheygg is open from 07.00 to 17.00.
Children may also attend on a half-day basis from 07.00 to 12.00, or on a mixed schedule of alternating days and weeks.
In order for staff to organize the day, the children must arrive before 09.30 unless other arrangements have been made. The schoolchildren arrive after school.
When arriving or leaving:
Remember to notice a member of staff that you are arriving or leaving.
This is essential for the safety of the children, staff and parents.
It is also important to inform the staff how the child is doing when it arrives, e.g. if it slept well or if it already ate breakfast. If your child didn’t eat breakfast, you are welcome to bring breakfast for your child to eat at the daycare center. On a daily basis all children should have had breakfast before arriving.
To ensure their safety, children will not be allowed to be picked up by a visibly intoxicated person.
In order for the children to feel secure at the daycare center, we recommend that they see you leave and are able to say goodbye. We will comfort your child if it cries when you leave. You are always welcome to call if you feel worried about their situation.
It eases the picking up of the children if parents or guardians allow for extra time and are not in a hurry.
If the child experiences situations at home such as illnesses in the family or other changes to their daily circumstances, it is important to inform the manager in order for the staff to understand and support the child.
Children in the recreation centre (Frítíðarstova) need a written permission to be allowed to walk home unaccompanied. If a child is going home with another child, the staff must have been informed beforehand by the parents or guardian.
Confidentiality
All members of staff are contractually bound by unconditional confidentiality.
Closure days:
The staff are entitled to two organizational days a year for planning, attending courses or other work-related activities. Children will not be admitted those days. The organizational days will be announced in advance.
The daycare center is closed all day on:
Flag Day (25th of April) and St. Olav’s Day (29th of July).
It closes at 12 noon on:
Constitution Day (5th of June) and St. Olav’s Eve (28th of July).
It is also closed between Christmas and New Year’s.
Summer holidays:
All children must have four weeks of summer holidays, three of which must be consecutive. The daycare centre closes for four weeks each summer.
Costs:
Payments are made in advance and must be paid before the 10th of each month.
Nursery – full day: 1,995 DKK/month
Kindergarten – full day: 1,600 DKK/month
Attendance during the month of July is free.
Recreation center: 950 DKK/month for 10 months each year.
Deductions for siblings:
If multiple siblings attend the daycare center, the youngest pays 100% of its fees, the second-youngest pays 75% of its fees and the rest attend for free.
Bursaries:
Parents or guardians with certain financial situations might qualify for bursaries to cover the expenses of childcare. The application form is available here:
https://sunda.fo/friplass
Termination:
If a child will stop attending the daycare center, the manager must receive a written notice at least one month before termination on the 1st or 15th of the month.
Absence:
If the child is ill or takes the day off, the daycare center must be noticed before 09.30.
We will not admit ill children. We will contact you if they become ill while they are at the daycare center.
The staff must be informed of any illness. If the child has an infectious disease they are not allowed to return until the illness has been treated. The children should only return to the daycare center once they are well enough to participate in any outdoors or indoors activity.
WE WILL NOT GIVE MEDICINE TO YOUR CHILD UNLESS IT IS A CHRONIC CONDITION.
Food:
All children should bring packed lunch. We eat the packed lunch around 11.30. The institution provides snacks at 09.30 and 14.30.
Clothing:
All children should arrive wearing weather-appropriate clothing. Rain wear, waterproof boots and warm clothes have to be brought in every day.
Children need to have a full set of indoors and outdoors clothes available at the daycare center.
Parents or guardians are responsible to keep up their children’s clothes. Remember to label all clothes with the child’s name.
Parents or guardians must provide diapers if their child requires them.
Candy/toys:
Children are not allowed to bring candy or sweets.
Children are allowed to bring their own toys, but the daycare center is not responsible for these toys.
Birthdays:
On a child’s birthday they are welcome to bring special food to the daycare center, and the staff will organize a celebration during mealtime.
In the recreation center (Frítíðarstova) children are allowed to go to the birthday child’s home for a celebration during opening hours. In this case all the other children in your child’s room or school class must be invited.
If the child hands out invitations to a birthday party, all the children in the child’s room or school class should receive one.
Recurring events:
Foreldrakaffi: Parents are invited for coffee a few times each year.
Jólahald: The Christmas celebration is on a weekday at the beginning of December.
Føstulávint: On Monday of Lent or the Friday before the Lent children dress up, and the daycare center organizes activities such as barrel tilting (tunnusláttur).
All children, who attend on a half-day basis, are welcome to join in on these events.
Garðdagur: One Friday each year is designated for parents, children, and staff to do work together in the institution’s garden/ playground.
The parents’ council:
Each room elects a parents’ representative and substitute representative to the parents’ council. Its aim is to liaise with the institution to ensure the parents’ interests are met. The council works towards promoting the wellbeing of and cooperation between the children’s homes, care facilities and relevant authorities.
The parents’ council can e.g. organize events for children or adults, or help out during general events at the institution.
Parent-staff consultations:
Parent-staff consultations are held once a year, or as per arrangements. If you have any concerns or issues to discuss you are always welcome to ask for a consultation.
Parent-staff meetings:
Collective parent-staff meetings are held twice a year, once during spring and once during autumn. The autumn meeting is organized by the staff and parents’ council and includes the whole institution. You are welcome to raise a topic for discussion at these meetings. The spring meeting is organized by each room individually and is aimed at informing parents and guardians of that room’s activities.
Cooperation:
Cooperation between all members is essential for the wellbeing and growth of your child. It is therefore important that both sides speak openly and directly about any issues, also negative ones.
Some children require extra attention on certain areas. If the staff or parents become aware of any issues, cooperation will improve the development of the child. The institution employs a special educator, who has their own facilities.
The institution can in consultation with the parents seek assistance from the Sernám service in Tórshavn, which provides educational and psychological counselling.
The visions of the daycare center við Stórheygg
❖ The staff and children at við Stórheygg wish to maintain a cozy and positive environment with safe surroundings.
❖ We want the children to feel seen and wanted. The children should be met by adults, who are compassionate, caring and interested. This will increase the children’s sense of security.
❖ We want to establish a good cooperation with the parents, so they feel safe when leaving their children with us. When children sense their parents feel safe it will have a positive effect on their wellbeing.
❖ We want the children to learn social skills and empathy, and that all actions can have positive or negative consequences.
❖ We want everyone to be valued for their innate attributes, and to strive towards meeting the needs of every child.
❖ We want to provide the children with exciting and challenging experiences both indoors and outdoors.