PRESCHOOL HANDBOOK ARI GUIRAGOS MINASSIAN ARMENIAN SCHOOL - Ari Guiragos Minassian ...

ARI GUIRAGOS MINASSIAN
           ARMENIAN SCHOOL
        5311 W. MCFADDEN AVE. SANTA ANA CA 92704
                      714-839-7861
           CONTACT@AGMINASSIANSCHOOL.ORG

      PRESCHOOL HANDBOOK

                        Revised January 2021

The School Administration reserves the right to modify the content of
                    this handbook at any time.

Forward

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Ari Guiragos Minassian Armenian Preschool. We are so
excited to begin another wonderful school year with our young
scholars. Ari Guiragos Minassian (AGM) teachers and staff are working
hard to plan a wholesome developmental, social and educational
experience for all of our students. We want to work as a team with
parents to create the optimal learning environment for our students.
Continuous and effective communication between home and school is
paramount to the success of our preschool program.

The AGM Preschool Handbook is written to share important
information, regarding school policies and procedures. We look forward
to joining with each of you as we work to provide your child with a
quality educational experience. Please feel free to contact us if you
have questions or need more information.

Sincerely,

AGM Armenian School Administration

What Makes AGM Preschool Special?
Research shows that high-quality preschool programs better prepare
young children for Kindergarten and future success. The nurturing
environment at AGM preschool is where students can best learn to
transition from home life to school life.

AGM’s preschool curriculum is designed to develop:

  •   Language & Literacy             •   Cognitive Development
      (Armenian & English)
                                      •   Appropriate Self-
  •   Socialization and Problem-          Expression & Emotional
      Solving Skills                      Development

  •   Foundations in                  •   Exploration & Natural
      understanding Christian             Curiosity
      values
                                      •   Fine & Gross Motor Skills
  •   Math & Science Concepts
                                      •   Armenian Cultural Identity

        At AGM preschool, families benefit from:

  •   Affordable Tuition
                                      •   Regular parent-teacher
  •   Caring and Warm Staff               conferences

  •   Parent Support Systems &        •   CPR & First Aid Certified
      Parent Education                    Staff
      Opportunities
                                      •   Ongoing Student
  •   Small Class Sizes                   Assessments

  •   Home-Made Lunches               •   Annual Professional
                                          Development
  •   Family-like Environment             Requirements for Staff

Accreditation

Ari Guiragos Minassian Armenian School is licensed by the State of
California, Department of Social Services (CDSS). The program is
licensed for 2-5 year-old children. AGM undergoes periodic inspection
by the CDSS to ensure continual compliance with all regulations.
The school is also fully accredited by the Western Association of
Schools and Colleges (WASC) since 2005.

In addition to the external licensing reviews, AGM Staff conducts
additional annual self-reviews. This evaluation process is used to
improve upon the curriculum, the classroom and outdoor spaces, and
the school calendar to ensure we are meeting the needs of our
families.

An annual parent survey is used to measure the level of satisfaction of
our families.

                           Philosophy

The AGM preschool philosophy draws from multiple belief-systems,
uniquely adapted to serve our student population.

Our philosophy can be narrowed down to three main principles.

  A. Development of the whole child (cognitive, social, physical &
     emotional) is emphasized through play and experience. Play and
     experience occur throughout the day and are both unstructured
     and structured, individual and collective. The role of the teacher
     is nurturing and motivating.

B. Students are directed and encouraged to make their own
      choices, solve problems and discover interests. Personal
      responsibility and self-care is learned through teacher modeling
      certain behaviors and observing student progress. The daily and
      weekly schedule follows a consistent & dependable routine.

   C. Teachers communication follows an Armenian language
      immersion model as the ideal environment for natural language
      acquisition.

                 Admission & Registration

The number of children who can be enrolled into California State
Preschool Program is based upon the licensing capacity of each
individual center. Our 4 classrooms have capacity limitations which are
strictly maintained, and registration is on a first-come, first-serve
basis.

Enrollment Forms Needed:

In accordance with State Law, we must have the following forms
completed before attending AGM Armenian Preschool:

   1.   Personal Rights form signed
   2.   Parent’s Rights form signed
   3.   Pre-admission Health History
   4.   Physician’s Report
   5.   Copy of CA Immunization Record
   6.   Emergency Information
   7.   Admission Agreement

If there are no immediate openings interested families will be placed
on our wait list. Admission will be granted on the basis of availability.

Tuition
Tuition is paid in ten monthly installments (August-May). Tuition,
after-care and all other invoiced fees are due the first day of each
month with a 10-day grace period. There will be a $20.00 late fee
charged for any payment received beyond the 10th day of the month.
If the 10th day of the month falls on a weekend, holiday, and/or
vacation please pay beforehand. Any returned checks will be subject to
a $25.00 returned check fee. For your convenience, major credit cards
are accepted, with a 3% fee.
If students discontinue attendance at any time of the year, a 1 month
notice is required and the payment for any prior months is non-
refundable.

Preschool tuition for the 2021-2022 School year is as follows:
5 days - $756/month (full-day)        $625/month (half-day)
3 days - $645/month (full-day)        $435/month (half-day)
3 days - $555/month (full-day)        $350/month (half-day)
One-Time Fees
Registration fee- $450 ($350 discounted rate until April 16, 2021)
Board of Regents Student Registration- $100
Breakfast & Snack - $200
In-House field trip - $75

Potty-Training- $50/month

Family Service Hours:

As a small private school, we depend on service hours from our
families to make all our events a success. In addition to tuition, each
family is required to contribute voluntary service hours each academic
year, or pay a donation of $250.00

Financial Aid:

Preschool students are not eligible for financial aid provided by the
school. However, working parents, parents currently seeking full-time
work, or parents continuing their education, may apply for tuition or
extended care assistance by contacting the Children’s Home Society of

Orange County at (714) 543-2273 or visit their website:
http://www.chsca.org/cca.html . Ari Guiragos Minassian Armenian
Preschool is on the Children’s Home Society list of child-care centers.

Sibling Discounts:
Second child                        $25 per month discount
Third child                         $275 per month discount
Fourth child                        Free

Part-time preschool students are not eligible for sibling discounts.
Sibling discounts cannot be combined (i.e. a fourth child discount is
not eligible with a third child discount.)

                          School Hours

School hours are 8:00 AM-3:15 PM Monday through Friday. The school
office is open from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Extended Care is available
from 3:20 PM to 5:30 PM for a nominal fee (See Extended Care).
Students are dismissed at 3:15pm Monday-Friday, however parents
can sign-out their kids at any time during the day.

Minimum Day Schedule:

There are various minimum days throughout the school year. (see
academic calendar) Minimum day hours are 8:00am-12:00pm. No
after-care or lunch is available on minimum days.

Extended Care:

Extended care runs Monday – Friday, 7:30-8:00am & 3:20-5:30pm.
You may register for extended care in the school office.

   •   Morning care (7:30-8:00am) is $100/month
   •   Afternoon care (3:20-5:30pm) is $200/month

If for unforeseeable circumstances you are unable to pick up your child
by 3:20 PM, we will gladly supervise him/her in our Extended Care
program. To cover the costs, there will be a $3.00 fee for each 15-
minute period beginning at 3:20 PM. Parents will be billed $1.00 per
minute for the time after 5:30 PM.

Daily Schedule:

Below you will find a sample schedule. This schedule is flexible and
subject to change based on the needs and ages of children.

8:00am-8:30am: Drop-off, wash hands, morning prayer and pledge.
8:30am-9:00am: Morning Centers: Various centers are open in the
classroom for children to choose from (art, blocks, table activities,
etc.)
9:00am-9:15am: Circle Time (language, music, counting, letters...)
9:15am-9:30am: Breakfast
9:30am-10:15am: Outdoor Play
10:15am-10:30am: Large Group Activity (music and movement,
science experiment, etc.)
10:30am-11:10am: Small Group Activity (art, math, sensory, etc.)
11:10am-11:15am: Clean Up/ Wash Hands
11:15am-12:00pm: Prayer & Lunch
12:00pm-12:15pm: Nap Preparation
12:15pm-2:00pm: Nap/Rest Time
2:00pm-2:15pm: Wake up/Wash up
2:15pm-2:30pm: Snack Time
2:30pm-2:45pm: Cognitive Activities (reading, puzzles, etc.)
2:45pm-3:15pm: Outdoor play/dismissal

During indoor & outdoor activities, a variety of learning environments
will be set up to meet the interest, abilities, and needs of each
individual child. Learning environments include, but are not limited to:
fine and gross motor development, science, family life, art, cooking,
manipulative toys, block building, and cultural activities.

During nap/rest time, teachers play soft music and rub the children’s
backs to help them relax and settle down.

Afternoon snacks include seasonal fruits/vegetables, string cheese,
pretzels, etc.

                              Uniforms

Children are required to wear the school uniform each day beginning
the first day of school. Extra clothes: shirt, pants, and underpants
should be made available and placed in a bag with your child’s name
on it. Please label your child’s name on all articles of clothing. Students
must wear the school jacket only.

Children should have well-trimmed finger nails. Long nails collect dirt
and children often put hands in their mouth. Short nails also eliminate
harmful scratching of peers. Children should not wear nail polish or
jewelry.
Dress Code:

   •   School t-shirts with AGM logo
   •   Navy-blue pants or shorts
   •   Navy blue, or black tights or leggings
   •   White, black or navy socks
   •   Navy blue sweatshirt or zippered sweat-jacket with the school
       logo
   •   Optional white, black or navy long-sleeved pullover style may be
       worn under the school shirt, not in place of the school uniform.
   •   A windbreaker or coat may be worn over the navy-blue
       sweatshirt or jacket on extremely cold days

       Our preschool curriculum is such that students will get paint,
       sand, mud, or other stains on their clothes. Please be sure to
       purchase extra t-shirts and leggings so that students can come
       to school in clean clothes each day.

The uniforms are available at:

                    AMERICAN SCHOOL UNIFORM
     Holly Norm Plaza, 5065 Hollywood Bl. #202, Hollywood, CA
                    90027 Tel: (323) 666-9337

       General Information & School Policies

Parent-Teacher Conferences

The Parent-Teacher conferences are an opportunity to discuss your
child’s strengths, growth areas, developmental progress, and more.
The conferences are scheduled twice per year and parents are
provided with copies of a progress reports.

Parents are required to be on time and stay within the time period
allocated to them. Additional conferences may be scheduled
throughout the year as needed. These meetings are private and are
intended to discuss specific areas of growth and need for each
individual student.

Switching/Adding Days of Attendance

If your child attends part time, he/she is only allowed to attend on the
days that you have designated. For example, if your child is attending
twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday, it is not acceptable to switch
days without notifying the office ahead of time.

*One month written notice is necessary if your child will no longer
attend AGM preschool. The same applies prior to changing from a full-
time to a part-time status or vice-versa. *

Visitations & Observations:

Parents are welcome to visit the school by first arranging with the
teacher and then making an appointment through the office in
advance. Parents and all other visitors must report to the main office
to check in whenever entering school grounds on school days.
(Specially scheduled events such as "Back to School Night" or class
performances are exempt.) Classroom visitation/observation should
not exceed one hour per day.

Sign-In & Out:

All children must be signed in and out daily with a full signature of an
authorized adult. Your child will not be released to anyone who is not
on the authorized pick-up form. If it becomes absolutely necessary to
have someone not listed on the form pick up your child, the release
must be authorized by a parent via telephone or preferably in writing.

Administration has the right to ask for identification from the person
picking up the child.

Driving/Parking Safety:

Students must always be dropped off at and picked up from their
respective classrooms or designated drop off area.

Do not block traffic or park in the designated handicap parking,
principal’s parking, or parking reserved for families with
babies/strollers. Please supervise your child(ren) after picking up.
Walk on the sidewalk at all times and supervise children when crossing
the parking lot.

Health & Wellness Policies

Immunization & Physician’s Report:

In accordance with California School Immunization Law, Health and
Safety Code, any student entering school must have all immunizations
up to date and submitted to the school office.

Immunization records are required prior to your child’s first day of
attendance and need to be updated whenever your child receives a
new immunization. Children who require updated immunizations after
initial enrollment will be denied admittance to the school if proof of the
updates are not submitted by the required due dates.

If the school has cause to believe that a child has been exposed to a
communicable disease, and their documentation does not show proof
of immunization against that disease, the student may be temporarily
excluded from school.

Community Care Licensing requires all children have a Physician’s
Report, completed by a physician, on file within 30 days of enrollment.
Children who do not have a completed Physician’s Report on file after
the first 30 days of enrollment will be denied admittance to the center
until a completed Physician’s Report is received.

Illness & Medication:

When children start school for the first time, they are exposed to
bacteria and viruses they've never been in contact with before. This
makes them much more susceptible to getting sick, particularly from
highly infectious cold and flu viruses, pink eye, hand foot and mouth
disease, etc.

To help mitigate to spread of illness, our staff consistently conduct
hand washing time, the classrooms are cleaned nightly, and toys and

linens are washed weekly in our in-house laundry unit.
However, it is more than likely that young preschool children will still
get sick as their immune system builds.

A child who is sick will not be allowed to come to school. If a child
becomes ill during school hours, the parent will be contacted, and the
child must be picked up within 45 minutes.

By state law, the school is not permitted to administer any medication
without a parent's or a physician's written permission and clearly
outlined directions regarding dosage and schedule.

Children with fevers must be free of fever for 72 hours (without
medication) before returning to the Center.

Children with conjunctivitis (pink eye) must see a doctor. They can
return after medication has been administered. If you observe the
signs of illness—PLEASE KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME!

   •   An oral temperature of 100
   •   Nausea or vomiting
   •   Stomach cramps, diarrhea
   •   Earache, sore throat, or runny eyes
   •   Running nose (unclear, yellow or green mucous)
   •   Swollen glands
   •   Unusual pallor flushed face
   •   Unusual listlessness or quietness
   •    Excessive coughing
   •   Skin infection: Open, runny oozy sores; blisters; patch like
       scaling eruption; scaly crusty lesions; itching; skin rash
   •   Need for frequent use of the toilet
   •   Evidence of head lice

We ask parents to notify the school if your child has anything such as
Hand-foot-mouth, lice, etc., so that all necessary precautions can be
taken to avoid its spread.
A COVID negative test might be required before allowing for a child to
return to school.

Emergency Care:

In case of illness, accident, or injury to a child, the parent will be
notified, and instructions for the course of action will be requested. If
the parent cannot be reached, or if the nature of the illness or accident
requires immediate action, the school will call 911 and the child will be
transported to the emergency care unit of Fountain Valley Regional
Hospital on Euclid at Warner in Fountain Valley via ambulance.

Our school's student accident insurance is for on campus and or
school-related activities and does not provide coverage for any medical
expenses which are paid or payable by another medical plan
subscribed to by the parents.

Lunch/Snacks:

School provides lunch daily. Please refer to the lunch menu on Bloomz
for the meal calendar. You may purchase lunch tickets from the
caterer every Monday or online at agminassianschool.org. Loan tickets
must be paid by the following day.

Soft drinks and candy are not allowed at school. Parents are not
allowed to bring fast-food for their children during school hours. Please
do not pack food that requires refrigeration or heating. Each child is
required to bring a nutritious, well- balanced snack.

Morning breakfast and afternoon snacks are provided.

Snacks that contain nuts are not allowed at school. This includes
peanut butter, almond butter, walnuts, etc. Sunflower butter is
acceptable. Grapes and popcorn are a choking hazard and should not
be sent to school. Chewing gum or candy is no allowed on the school
grounds at any time.

We encourage students to bring water instead of sugary juices.

Children should decide with their parents if they are eating lunch from
school or from home the night before.

                          Communication

Notices from School:

Monthly calendars and other information regarding school activities,
class updates and other announcements are posted regularly on the
school communication platform, Bloomz.

Orientation:
A parent orientation is organized before the start of the new school
year with the Preschool Director and classroom teachers. This
orientation is required prior to your child’s first day of attendance for
the purpose of exchanging information and arriving at a joint decision
about your child’s readiness and ability to benefit from our program

During the first few weeks of enrollment, the Center Site Supervisor
and teaching staff will observe each new child to assure they are
becoming comfortable and interacting successfully with others in the
program.

General Complaint Procedure:

Should a situation arise whereby parents need to discuss concerns
regarding their child(ren), please observe the following lines of
communication (by appointment), without circumventing any line:

First: Teacher
Second: Preschool Director
Third: School Principal
Fourth: School Board

A student shall not be deprived of education at AGM school due to
disagreements between a parent and a teacher. The only time a
student’s continuation in the school may be jeopardized is by the
uncompromising, uncooperative and/or destructive behavior of a
parent. According to the Education Code of California, “Every parent,
guardian, or other person who upbraids, insults, or abuses any teacher
of the school in the presence or hearing of a pupil is guilty of a
misdemeanor.”

Enrichment Activities:

We offer special enrichment activities throughout the year that
enhance the learning and understanding of a theme or area of interest
the children have. Our main emphasis is on bringing experiences to
our center through our in-house field trip program. We will offer a
variety of special visitor talks, for example the fire department comes
to talk about fire safety. On occasion, we may take field trips in the
community. If a field trip is planned, each parent will need to complete
a field trip permission form and accompany their child.

Birthdays:

Birthdays are celebrated in the classroom on the day of the child’s
birthday. You may bring ONLY store- bought cupcakes or muffins with
ingredients label attached and WITHOUT nut products. Please also
refrain from cupcakes with frosting on top. We ask that parents talk
with the child’s teacher before bringing in a birthday snack. In
accordance with our food policy, we encourage all families to pick
healthy alternatives to traditional large cupcakes. For example, small
muffins and fruit with yogurt are some favorite birthday snacks.

A maximum of two family members are allowed to be present during
the classroom celebration. Balloons or flowers should not be delivered
to class. “Goodie bags” are not allowed. We encourage parents to

instead make a small gift donation to the classroom, such as a puzzle
or a book.

Birthday party invitations may be passed out at school ONLY when all
students in the class are invited.

In honor of birthdays we also invite families to come in and read a
book to the class!

*All classroom visitations will be temporarily suspended until the end
of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lost and Found:

In order to retrieve lost or misplaced items, please put names inside
and/or outside all jackets, sweaters, lunch pails, etc. Check the "Lost
and Found" for missing items. Please check your child(ren)'s clothing
items intermittently to make sure they belong to them. If not, please
return them to the office. The school is not responsible for lost or
missing articles. Anything left unclaimed for 6 weeks will be donated
to local charities.

Nap Time:

A nap time is provided on a daily basis. The school accommodates the
cots. Parents are responsible for bringing their child's pillow, sheet,
and blanket. We require all bedding to be taken home each week and
washed before bringing it back to school.

Resting is not only important for regaining energy, it's also beneficial
for brain development in young children.

Preschoolers are very busy and work very hard, which also means that
they need downtime to recharge their minds and bodies.

With that said, we understand that there are some children that have
either stopped napping or are inconsistent nappers. We do not force
any child to sleep but we are required by law to have a two-hour

designated rest time where all children must be laying on their mat
quietly.

Biting Policy:

Biting is very common behavior among young children. It is important
to understand some of the reasons as to why a child might experiment
with biting:

- To express anger or frustration or because they lack the language
skills needed to express their feelings.
- Are overwhelmed
- Need more active playtime
- Are over-tired
- Are teething
- Have a need for oral stimulation

From the very first biting instance, the teacher shows strong
disapproval of the behavior through words and manner. They also
employ a multitude of strategies and actions to reduce the number of
incidents and reinforce healthy alternatives:

- Talk about things we bite and things we don't bite.
- Have child place ice on the child they bit while the teacher helps
them empathize with the pain their friend is feeling.
- Read books about biting

Biting & hitting might happen at school! Our goal is to teach all
children alternative behaviors.

Supporting Learning Goals at Home:

Parents can help reinforce many of our learning goals by implementing
some simple activities:

- Practicing the sounds of language. Read books with rhymes. Teach
your child rhymes, short poems, and songs.

- Helping your child with sounds. Listen for beginning and ending
sounds.

- Pointing out the letter-sound relationships your child is learning at
school.

- Rereading familiar books. Children need practice in reading
comfortably and with expression using books they know.

- Sharing conversations with your child over meal times and other
times you are together. Children learn words more easily when they
hear them spoken often. Introduce new and interesting words at
every opportunity.

- Reading together every day. Spend time talking about stories,
pictures, and words.

Books in English could and should be read. However, we strongly
encourage the oral communication at home to be completely in
Armenian by at least 1 parent.

Separation Anxiety:

Separation anxiety is a normal part of child development. It can be
difficult for both parents and children when first starting school.

This anxiety could persist for a few days or weeks; it could subside and
reappear. If your child is just starting school, they might not cry for
the first few days because it's something new and exciting for them.
The delayed separation anxiety might appear once the child realizes
that school is something permanent.
In order to help our children cope with this new separation we urge
parents to:
- Not linger outside of your child's classroom. If they see you, it could
trigger them to cry. Your child's teacher will notify you when they have
calmed down.

- The longer you stay in the classroom, the harder it is for the child to
let you leave. Give hugs and kisses outside of the classroom.

- Remember, your child is in a safe and loving place! The teacher or
office will immediately notify you if there are any serious concerns.

                              Our Staff
AGM hires qualified and caring staff to be a part of our team. AGM’s
Lead teachers have either an Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree or
a minimum of 60 units in Early Childhood Education.

All staff have been fingerprinted, and have had a comprehensive
background check conducted by the California Department of Justice
(DOJ). All staff are certified as mandated child abuse reporters and
are CPR & First Aid certified. AGM preschool staff are also required to
have updated tuberculosis (TB) clearance, flu vaccines, MMR vaccines
and a health screening report from their doctor.

       What to Bring on your Child’s First Day
All items should be clearly labeled with your child’s name:
-A fitted crib sheet labeled with your child’s name (for full-day
students)
-1 small blanket (3x5) larger blankets will be sent back home! (full-
day students)
-1 small pillow (optional, full-day students)
-Extra set of clothing in a zip lock bag (pair of pants, school t-shirt,
underwear, socks.)
-1 sippy cup with name labeled.
-Required paperwork that has not yet been turned in

By submitting your registration form you agree to the
abovementioned policies in the Preschool Parent Handbook.