• 8:15-8:30am Morning Arrival
• 8:30-11:30am Work Cycle, Snack, Music & Movement
• 11:30-12:15pm Lunch
• 12:15-1:00 Outdoor movement & play
• 1:00-1:30pm Quiet rest time (longer naptime available for younger children)
• 1:30-3:30pm Work Cycle & Snack
• 3:30-3:45pm Afternoon Pick-Up

Whether participating in school or home lunch, all children are asked to bring a water bottle each day (cleaned and refilled daily) with fresh water (non-water beverages are not allowed by our licensing).

We approach meal times as opportunities for fostering independence, practicing good social habits and table manners, and learning healthy eating habits. A morning and afternoon snack will be available from which children can serve themselves. We will also have a nutritious lunch available each day at school; these will draw on our background as organic farmers and parents of children raised on a whole food diet. We will make a menu available each Friday for the upcoming week; this will let you plan ahead for whether you wish to provide a home-packed lunch or not. All food sensitivities and allergies communicated to the school will be taken into account when we choose what to prepare; we will do our best to ensure that all snacks served at school are safe for all children to eat. If you know that your child is adverse to trying new and unfamiliar things, we suggest that you discuss the menu with them and involve them in the decision about when to participate in school-provided lunch.

Drop off time is between 8:15-8:30. We ask that you walk your child to our front porch, where we will be waiting to welcome your child into our space and ease the transition. When you drop off your child, make sure that your child has been greeted by us before leaving. Never leave your child unattended outside of the school.

We will keep a record of what time your child enters our school. Please call or email us by 9:00am if your child will not be coming to school.

We understand that life can be unpredictable, especially if you are caring for more than one child at a time, or your child is going through a phase where they want to do everything for themselves! Successful transitions from home to school rely on consistent routines with plenty of extra time and patient, kind caregivers on all sides. We ask that you do your absolute best to make sure your child is at school by 8:30 so they can take full advantage of the morning work cycle and develop a sense of consistency, which will help them feel safe and secure while at school.

Pickup time is between 3:30-3:45. If you arrive early, please wait on our front porch. We will be waiting to hand off your child beginning at 3:30. When you pick up your child, make sure that your child has said goodbye to us before leaving, and that we have had a chance to mark their time of departure. Never leave your child unattended outside of the school.

Only those listed as your child's Emergency Contacts and Others Authorized to Pick Up will be allowed to leave SGM with your child. Should you need to add someone last minute, a text to Sunshine, at (858) 805-1787, indicating the person's name and address will be sufficient. Any new person authorized to pick up will need to show their ID before we will release your child to them.

Please keep in mind that we go outside for fresh air in almost all conditions. Your child will need suitable clothing according to the weather: jackets, gloves, hats, boots, etc. Layers are great! We can get dirty during outdoor activities, and it is not uncommon for a child's clothes to be changed during the day. Please dress your child in clothing you don't mind will get dirty or paint stained. Non-absorbent shoes are helpful during most times of the year.

Learning to dress and undress is an important part of your child's growing self-reliance. When purchasing clothing for your child, give consideration to zippers, snaps, straps and buttons; choose those which your child can independently manage. Coats that are too large for your child are more likely to give them trouble when putting them on and zippering/closing them. Have your child try on outer wear before buying and observe how independently they are able to work with it.

All lunch items brought to school will either be consumed or returned in the lunch bag/box that they came in. This allows at-home caregivers to observe which lunch items were a hit and which ones weren't enjoyed as much. As the children will be unpacking their own lunches, it is important that they are able to successfully open and close all of their containers independently.

If including hot foods, an insulated food container (like a small Thermos) will be sufficient to keep them hot until lunch-time. You should also include a small freezer pack in your child's lunch bag/box to keep their lunch cold throughout the morning; we do not have sufficient refrigerator space to store lunch boxes.

Our state licensing agency requires us to monitor lunches from home to ensure they meet nutritional standards. The state of Oregon defines a balanced lunch as one that contains one serving of protein, one serving of a grain, and two servings of a fruit or vegetables. This helps the children sustain their energy levels throughout the day and meets their requirements.

There is No Need to Include:
-Milk (organic dairy and oat milk are offered to each child daily during lunch, unless otherwise indicated by caregivers)
A cup (each child will have a personal cup for milk, sanitized daily and as needed).

Preparing Lunches Together
If possible, prepare your child's lunch the evening before and with your child. They'll delight in the opportunity to undertake such an important role, and you'll appreciate one less item on your morning agenda. Giving children a chance to choose respects their food preferences and usually creates a higher probability that the food will be eaten!

Licensing requires all children in our care to have at least 20 minutes of quiet rest time. Three-year-old children will be offered a chance to nap after lunch in a quiet and darkened space in our front room. We provide a mat with a sheet for each child in our care. Please send your child with a cozy blanket and a favorite stuffie that can stay at school. Blankets will be sent home once a week (or as needed) to be laundered.

Children 4 and older will rest in our classroom and be able to get up and choose work after rest time. Napping habits vary from child to child and sometimes from day to day for individual children. Children who nap regularly at home may be less regular when in a group setting like SGM. After about twenty minutes or so, a child who is not napping but has rested quietly will be invited to join the classroom activities. Occasionally a child will be invited to nap at another time of day if the staff notices they are tired or the child themself suggests it.

The children go outdoors every day, with very few exceptions. We go on walks in our neighborhood, visit nearby Kern Park, or play in our own backyard. As you choose outerwear for your child on a daily basis, please make sure to keep this in mind.