Health and Safety

 MCPK ILLNESS/ COMMUNICABLE DISEASES POLICY

MCPK takes the health and safety of our students and staff very seriously. We will continue to take a strategic and proactive approach to our health and safety policies and have open communication with parents if the policies change.We expect and encourage you to send your child to school on a daily basis. However, please remember it is very important for children who are ill to stay home. This helps them to regain their health and keeps other children and staff from becoming sick. The MCPK follows the regulations in the State Manual of the Standards for licensed childcare centers.

Keep your child home if:

• The student has a temperature over 100.3°F. The child may return to school after having a normal temperature for at least 24 hours, while not taking any fever reducing medications (eg. Tylenol or Motrin).
• Antibiotics are prescribed to the student. The student may return to school after taking the antibiotics for a minimum of 24 hours and being without a temperature over 100.3°F for at least 24 hours, without taking any fever reducing medications.
• The student seems tired/lethargic, pale, has little appetite and is generally not him/herself.
• The student is vomiting or has diarrhea. The student may return to school approximately 24 hours after symptoms are resolved, and the child is able to tolerate a normal diet.
• The student has an undiagnosed rash. A rash may be indicative of many things, frequently of illnesses that are contagious. Therefore, a student should see a physician to be evaluated and to determine the nature of the rash. A note from the physician should be provided upon return to school.
• The student has severe cold symptoms, an upper respiratory infection, a persistent cough, a runny nose that he/she cannot manage by him/herself and/or contain with tissues, or there are other symptoms that would interfere with effective school participation.
• The student is diagnosed with a communicable disease or illness (ex: Influenza, COVID, Pneumonia, Strep Throat, Pertussis, Chicken Pox (Varicella), Impetigo, Scabies). Please contact the school nurse before sending your child back to school.
• Strep Throat - The child must have been taking an antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to schoolThe student has “pink” eye/s that are itchy or sore, possibly with discharge, swelling, and crusting. This could be “pink eye”/conjunctivitis and must be diagnosed by a doctor. If the student has pink eye they need to be on antibiotics for at least 24 hours before returning to school. 

Rules and regulations for returning to school are as follows: Please confer with the Nurse before your child returns to the school. 

Legacy Society Giving Page

MCPK Legacy Society Giving Page

Join the MCPK Legacy Society and make a lasting gift that will help secure the financial future of the MCPK Scholarship Program.

A gift to the Legacy Society is a lasting way for our alumni families to support the school even as your children move on to a bright future.

Show your support by giving a gift to help the next generation of children in our community benefit from all that the MCPK has to offer.

As a special THANK YOU, all donations of $50 or more to the Legacy Society, will receive a commemorative MCPK Alumni tote bag!

Donate HERE!

MCPK Saving The Arts

At MCPK, learning goes far beyond academics. It’s where young children discover rhythm through drumming, express themselves through movement, explore culture through music, and connect with nature through hands-on gardening. Today, that essential part of the MCPK experience is at risk.

Due to our school district’s budget crisis and its impact on MCPK, we are facing difficult decisions for the 2026-2027 school year. Our beloved Related Arts Program, which is not included in pre-k funding from the state, is in jeopardy. We’re asking for your help to ensure that these transformative experiences remain a part of every child’s Pre-K journey. 

Why It Matters

The MCPK Related Arts Program is truly one of a kind. Through an eight-week rotating cycle, our students engage with specialized instructors who bring learning to life in powerful ways:

• Movement & Drumming with Madlom
• Jazz Education with Jazz House
• Kids Gardening & Environmental Science
• Physical Education
• STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) 
• Cultural Arts (MCPK’s Anti-Bias Education Program)

These aren’t extras—they are essential. These programs nurture creativity, build confidence, support social-emotional growth, and expose children to diverse cultural experiences at a formative age. 

Registration

Registration Information

Montclair Mini-Mounties Public PreK @ MCPK Information

Sign-Up For A School Tour

MCPK Welcome Video