Golestan Kids Parent's Handbook

Welcome to Golestan Kids Persian/Farsi immersion program! Located at 1808 5th Street in Berkeley, Golestan is a language and culture program for children aged 18 months and up.

Our curriculum is structured hybrid of Waldorf, Montessori, and Reggio, with an emphasis on pretend play, art, music, physical play, gardening, and storytelling. We have regular field trips to the zoo, parks, and other places of interest, and are fast becoming a close-knit community.

The children learn the Iranian alphabet and American alphabets in conjunction with each other in preparation for kindergarten. With the exception of the alphabet and numbers, there is no English in the classroom. They also learn to count and say basic words in other languages such as Spanish and French but are always encouraged to not speak to each other in English.

This parents' Handbook is designed to familiarize you with our policies and procedures. Please keep this handbook and a copy of your signed Admission Agreement with your child's school records.

Sessions

Our year is divided into four, three-month quarters. In each quarter, we have several programs. Each student cannot attend more than twelve hours per program in each quarter. There is no limit on how many quarters a child may attend.

Tuition

Tuition is due at the first of each month. A $20 late fee will be assessed for tuition paid after the 3rd.

School Holidays

Golestan will be closed on weekends and the following holidays:

• Martin Luther King Day
• President's Day
• Staff Development Day (First Monday in April)
• Memorial Day
• 4th of July
• Summer Recess (1st week of August)
• Labor Day
• Indiginous People's Day
• Veterans' Day
• Thanksgiving
• Winter Holiday (The entire week of December 25-January 1st)

Parent's Mail Folders and Announcements

Please check your child's cubby for various correspondences and announcements.

Sign-in and Sign-out

Please sign your children in and out daily with her full first and last name and the drop-off and pick-up times. If a person not on your authorized list will pick up your child, please send a note authorizing her release.

Drop Off, Pick Up and Late Pick up

Please do not bring your child to school before your session begins. Letting children in early interferes with the teacher's preparation time. Please assist your child with washing hands upon arrival. Please be prompt in picking your child up at the end of each morning session so that the transition time can run smoothly. If you will be unavoidably detained, please call the teacher as soon as you are able. Late pick-ups will be charged $1 per minute.

Absences and Make-ups

Please notify the teacher when your child will be absent as soon as you are able. We cannot offer tuition refunds for school days missed due to vacations, personal time off, or illness, but one make-up day per quarter may be scheduled at the discretion of the teacher.

Separation Process

Some well-adjusted children with a deep attachment to their parents can be reluctant to separate from them. Every parent-child pair is different and has a different separation style and we want to respect that. However, if at all possible, we request that you limit that separation routine to 15 minutes maximum.

If you would like to spend more time in the classroom during the first weeks of your child's attendance, please discuss it with the program's teacher. Together, we can develop a separation routine. If you are concerned about your child, you may call the teacher at any time for an update.

In general, children will sense the confidence of the adults. So, if you are confident that your child will be safe and will have a good time, then she/he will feel the same.

Cubbies and Personal Belongings

Each child shares a cubby for personal belongings such as jackets, changes of clothing, craft projects, etc. All personal belongings except the change of clothing need to be taken home at the end of every week.

Children may not bring personal items or toys to school. These items tend to create sharing and ownership issues amongst the kids. Exceptions are made for younger children who are attached to particular objects that comfort them. Please check with your child's teacher before bringing these items.

Superhero figures and/or war toys, in particular, are strictly prohibited.

Student Clothing

Please dress your child casually and sensibly. We want everyone to feel comfortable about your child playing without worrying about his/her clothes getting dirty. Choose clothing that enables your child to exercise self-care during toilet training.

Children must wear socks and shoes with non-slip soles. We want children to be able to engage in safe, uninterrupted, and vigorous play. Each child should have seasonally appropriate change of clothes (including socks) available in her/his cubby, in case of accidents or active play. Please include one raincoat and one pair of rain boots to remain at school for outside play on rainy days.

Meals

Golestan supplies lunch, milk and snacks that are unprocessed and mostly organic. Please notify your teacher of any food allergies or sensitivities.

Due to allergies no peanuts, or peanut products are served.

Administration of Medication

If your child has been medicated before coming to school, please notify the teacher. If your child needs to take medication while at school, please leave instructions with the teacher. Please do not leave medication in your child's cubby; it should be given to your child's teacher.

Emergency Preparedness

In accordance with the Earthquake Preparedness checklist we have standard earthquake kits for children and emergency water in storage.

Please write a note of comfort and assurance to your child that you will be reunited as soon as possible. Return the note along with a family picture and emergency contact information (including home address), to your child's teacher. We will keep these in plastic zip-lock bags that will be pinned on your child with a safety pin in case of an emergency. We hope that these small measures will help reduce the level of stress that may accompany any major disaster.

Discipline

Physical punishment, humiliation, or techniques of intimidation are NEVER used.

Disciplinary problems are minimized by providing an age-appropriate environment with routine and consistency and establishing developmentally appropriate limits, including redirection, clarifying choices, problem-solving, and implementing timely intervention before misbehavior escalates into a crisis.

"Time-outs" are never used, but natural/logical consequences with warning, by removing the child from a situation for example, are used when the need arises. These are used as learning tools, not as punishment.

We combine affection with limits rather than demanding obedience. Our aim is to nurture emotional and social growth by providing developmentally appropriate boundaries.

Kindergarten Readiness

Generally, we will expose children to a variety of experiences to prepare them for kindergarten, including the American alphabet. Some parents fear that a preschool where English is not the main language will delay their child's readiness for Kindergarten but many studies indicate that children who are exposed to more languages will retain and pick up languages sooner. Please feel free to speak to the director and teachers with any concerns.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences are held at the end of each quarterly session. Sign-up sheets will be available in the classroom at the end of each quarter.

Health

Please notify the teacher if your child has any food allergies or has contracted a contagious disease. At your request the teacher will make every attempt to respect your privacy.

Children with the following infectious diseases should stay home: Chicken pox, head lice, infectious conjunctivitis, infectious diarrhea, strep throat, hand-foot-and-mouth, other symptoms or unknown viruses (there is a fever and the child is feeling or acting ill, and if the child has repeated vomiting).

Please Note: A fresh cold is contagious but a runny nose is not necessarily a symptom of illness.

Safety

In case of medical emergency we will attempt to contact you and other person(s) listed on the child's "Emergency and Identification" form. If necessary, we will call 911.