Four Star Academy Parent Handbook
2010 - 2011 INFORMATION
Welcome to Four Star Academy! We hope that everyone is ready to have an exciting, activity-filled year! We can't wait to get started!
Four Star Academy is very unique as we are one of very few schools in the state that are comprised solely of preschool students. Although Athens City Schools has had a preschool program since 1993, it was only after lottery funds became available in 2005 that we were able to open our school, which is actually collaboration among four programs: Local Funding, Title I, Special Education, and Voluntary PreK Tennessee. Each of these programs has slightly different entrance criteria and funding sources and all are funded through the Department of Education. Each of the programs has its own program requirements; some are unique to the program while many overlap. All requirements have one goal in mind – to provide the best preschool program possible for your child. Sometimes you may be asked to complete some information for a particular program in order to meet its requirements. Other than that, all children have the same quality program regardless of their qualification.
The Athens City School System affirms that it will comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It is the policy of the Athens City Board of Education not to discriminate on the basis of handicap, race, color, national origin, sex, age, or religion in any programs or practices in the school system. A complaint of discrimination on the basis of a handicap or a complaint of discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or religion should be sent to Janey Morris, Coordinator of Title VI and Title IX @ 745-1516, within 180 days of the alleged discrimination, or, within five (5) days of the date of the alleged handicap discrimination.
Because we have Title I programs in our school, we want to make sure all our parents are informed of the following:
1. The school and district will inform parents and the community of student progress, including assessment results and overall district and building performances. This information and communication will be presented in an understandable and uniform format, and, to the extent practical, expressed in a language parents can understand.
2. Parents are our partners in the important job of educating the children of this community. As our partners, you have our pledge to always keep you informed of any major changes affecting your children, classroom instruction, and the school.
3. Teachers’ qualifications are always on file in our Central Office and if there is ever a need to place a long-term substitute teacher in your child’s classroom, you will be notified.
4. Parents are also notified when children become eligible for programs including:
5. Notification of eligibility for school-wide status is shared with parents and community. At this time, Four Star Academy is eligible for school-wide status.
6. We will also inform you of your rights to transfer if our school ever becomes unsafe or your child is a victim of a violent crime at school.
7. We have established effective disciplinary policies that prohibit disorderly conduct, illegal possession of weapons and illegal use, possession, distribution, and sale of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs by students.
8. A code of conduct policy has been developed for all students.
STAGGERED START - We will be using a staggered start for the first week of preschool for children who have their physicals just as they do in kindergarten. Children whose last names begin with A – L will attend from 8:00 – 12:00 on August 10, 12, 16, and 18. Children whose last names begin with M – Z will attend from 8:00 – 12:00 on August 11, 13, 17, and 19. This gives us a chance to get to know each other better in small groups. All students will attend from 8:00-12:00 on Friday, August 20th. The first full day with all students will be Monday, August 23, 2009.
IMMUNIZATIONS AND PHYSICALS - Every child must have had all required immunizations for preschool before entering school. These shots must be recorded by your primary health care provider or the Health Department on the newest “Tennessee School Immunization Certificate”. In addition, every child must have had a preschool physical recorded on that certificate. This is Tennessee state law. No child will be allowed to enter school without proof of these immunizations and a physical; any child without this form or a verified appointment to get this form on or before August 28, 2010 will be placed on the waiting list.
SUPPLIES – Your child will need a change of clothes to leave at preschool, a two-inch thick rest mat with coverings, and a backpack is helpful for sending things back and forth. Your packet includes a list of other supplies that would be welcomed donations to the classroom.
ATTENDANCE - Regular attendance is important and expected. If your child is going to be absent, please call our office at 745-0912. When a child is absent, we require a written excuse signed by the parent or legal guardian verifying the reason for the absence(s). If these steps are not followed, the child will be given an unexcused absence.
Students missing for reasons other than personal illness, family illness, death in the family, or religious holiday are considered unexcused absences. Five (5) unexcused absences may result in dismissal from the program.
TARDY POLICY - The Athens City Schools have developed a Tardy Policy for all schools. Preschool students will be considered tardy after 8:20am. Five (5) unexcused tardies are considered equal to one (1) unexcused absence. Repeated unexcused tardies will be referred to the principal. The following are considered excused tardies:
1. Doctor/dental appointment
2. Child's illness
3. Family illness
HEALTH AND WELLNESS – Your child will be provided with a vision, hearing, speech, and dental screening as part of our program. Structured wellness activities will be part of our regular routine. A physical is required before entering school. All of these are designed to keep us all safe and healthy. If you receive notice that there is an area of concern in one of the screenings and/or receive an appointment for child, please follow up as soon as possible.
ILLNESS – Four Star Academy has no facilities or staff available to care for sick children, and you will be called to come get your child if he/she becomes sick at school. If your child is obviously ill, has a constant cough, has diarrhea or is vomiting, has a communicable disease and/or is running a fever in the morning, please keep him/or her at home! We are not allowed to keep sick children at school. Children must be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school. They must also be diarrhea-free and/or vomit-free for 24 hours before returning to school.
In the event your child contracts lice or has visible nits, your child will be sent home and must be nit-free before returning to school. All of us will appreciate your cooperation and consideration in keeping us healthy!
MEDICATIONS – Athens City Schools has strict medication policies that must be followed at all times. Any medications to be administered at school must be in the original container and you must complete a medication form each time we are to give medication at school which details time, dosage, etc. We cannot make exceptions to these guidelines. Medications will be kept in locked containers for safety. If at all possible, medications should be given at home.
You must also complete the Athens City Schools Health Information Form for your child as part of your enrollment information. If your child has a serious medical condition, such as asthma or diabetes, additional forms may be required by the nurse.
DRESS CODE - We recommend our students wear comfortable clothing that allows them to move freely throughout the day. Dress shoes, suspenders, belts, etc. are discouraged as they are difficult for the students to manage on their own. In addition, the Athens City Schools’ policy is as follows:
1. Students shall dress and groom in a clean, neat and modest manner so as not to detract or interfere with the operation of the school.
2. Clothing is not to endorse inappropriate language, violence (including wrestling), drugs, tobacco, or alcohol.
3. Hats shall not be worn in the building except for pre-announced special occasions.
4. Ill-fitting baggy clothes and/or those with designs or insignia that may offend any ethnic group shall not be worn to school.
In matters of opinion regarding dress, the judgment of the administration will be final.
NEWSLETTERS - You will be receiving monthly newsletters informing you of upcoming events, a calendar, items of interest, and our units of study. Please take time to discuss them with your child. Why not post the calendar where you can refer to it often? Your interest is important!
BIRTHDAYS - We will be celebrating the students' birthdays once a month by having a special snack time. We will celebrate August birthdays with September; other summer birthdays will be celebrated in May. You will be given a Birthday Club sign-up sheet, and then check the calendars for specific dates.
MEALS – Students will either qualify for free or reduced school meals or pay full price. Please refer to the attached letter from Athens City Schools Food Service for more information. Please inform your child’s teacher about severe food allergies (if any).
CODE OF CONDUCT – Our code of conduct is “At Four Star Academy we respect ourselves, our school family, and our things.” Students are expected to behave appropriately and follow directions given to them from the adults in our school. Learning appropriate school behaviors is an important part of our social curriculum.
DISCIPLINE – Discipline shall be reasonable, appropriate, and in terms the children can understand. Punishment that is shaming, humiliating, frightening, verbally abusive, or injurious to children shall not be used. Punishment shall not be related to food, rest, or toileting. Spanking or any other type of corporal punishment and or total isolation is prohibited. If necessary, a time out shall be reasonable and appropriate, taking place in an appropriate location based upon the development of the child, and the length of each time out session shall be based on the age of the child and shall not exceed one (1) minute per each year of age of the child. Children will remain under adult supervision at all times.
We have a school-wide discipline plan that will be followed, and significant and/or chronic misbehaviors will be referred to the principal. Repeated refusals to follow school rules can result in dismissal from the program.
SCHOOL SAFETY – School safety is of primary importance at Four Star Academy. Adults and/or students who display disorderly conduct, possess a weapon, participate in the illegal possession, distribution and/or sale of tobacco, alcohol, and/or other drugs will be reported to the proper authorities.
CHILD ABUSE – State Law 37-1-403 requires that anyone having knowledge of or cause to believe that a child (child being anyone under the age of 18) is being brutalized, abused or neglected, must report their suspicions to the police or juvenile judge having jurisdiction where the child lives. Persons specifically named to report abuse include school officials, doctors, and day care providers. Four Star Academy reports suspected abuse to the Department of Children’s Services. Their hotline number is 1-877-237-0004.
PROGRAM COMPONENTS – Four Star Academy’s program covers many areas. Here is a brief summary of the different components:
Social Services – Our mission is to provide a safe, healthy learning environment with varied experiences which will help all children develop socially, intellectually, physically, and emotionally in a manner appropriate to their stage of development. Our goal is to create a substantial partnership and collaboration with the parents since they are the most important element in their child’s education. As our partners, parents are critical to the children’s success, and we want you involved in all aspects of our program. Our outreach to families occurs in three ways: Home visits, Parent Involvement, and Parent Conferences. Each is briefly described below:
Home Visits – We’ll start the year meeting you and your child in a comfortable setting – your home. You will schedule a home visit today during our meeting. Your child’s teacher and classroom assistant will visit and give you a chance to ask any questions regarding our program. Home visits may also be held in the spring.
Parent Involvement – Four Star Academy will offer a variety of activities throughout the year for your training and enrichment. Please plan to attend as many as you can, and feel free to let us know if you have additional ideas for programs. Mrs. Christy Boring will coordinate our parent involvement this year, and you may reach her at 745-0912.
Parent Conferences - We will have parent conferences periodically throughout the year. Our first conference day will be October 18, 2010. We will contact you for an appointment time. Of course, we welcome input from our parents, and will be happy to schedule other conferences with you if you so desire.
Family Engagement Committee: We have an active Family Engagement Committee and all families are encouraged to join. There are many ways for parents to volunteer at our school. There is a form to complete today if you are interested in being a volunteer. Watch your newsletters for specific information on special events.
Education Component – Of course, your child’s education is our primary program commitment. While it may seem we play all the time, our curriculum is actually a nationally-recognized preschool program that addresses development in the following areas: Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, The Arts, Social & Emotional, and Physical Development. Your child was screened using the FirstStep Screening Test for Evaluating Preschoolers and post-testing in the spring will be used to show growth over the year. Each child’s progress will be assessed at the end of every three-week theme to determine progress in the standards taught, and you will receive reports on the progress made. Also, a Benchmark Assessment is given three times a year to see how your child is progressing towards mastery of the standards. All curriculum activities are based on the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards (TN-ELDS) and our professionally certified and trained staff designs activities that are developmentally-appropriate to your child’s needs. All this and fun, too!
Nutrition Component – Preventive health services and proper nutrition are stressed in our program. If health problems are discovered, we will help you seek proper treatment right away. Our meals meet federal guidelines for proper nutrition and our Wellness Program stresses good nutrition and healthy lifestyles.
Disabilities Component – All our children are very special, unique individuals. Some have been diagnosed with disabilities and have Individual Education Plans (IEP’s). Our school operates with the Child Find program to attempt to identify all children in our area who may have a disability. Educational services as well as speech/language therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy are provided at our school to children who qualify as disabled.
OUTDOOR PLAY - Outdoor play is an important part of our curriculum. It helps our children build important large and small motor muscles, and gives them a chance to freely socialize with their peers. We watch our children closely while they are on the playground, and we do go outside every day the weather permits. When the weather turns cool, please be sure your child has a coat or jacket every day. If for some reason your child is too sick to go outside, you should keep him/her home that day.
LABELING - It is extremely important that everything you send to school has your child's name on it. This includes coats, blankets, hats, mittens, etc. It is very difficult to try to determine the owner of unmarked items during the year!
We hope this information has answered a few of your questions. If you need additional information, please feel free to contact your child's teacher. We are so honored you have trusted us with your children, and we look forward to a terrific year!