As-Safa Academy Preschool
Parent Handbook
As-Safa Academy is a full time private school with the department of social services, state of
California. The main goals of As-Safa Academy are to provide high quality education and to
instill a love of learning in the students in an Islamic environment. The entire curriculum provides
excellent academic preparation for higher education. We are located in a facility that housed the
Latimer Elementary School in San Jose, California. Please see Contact page at www.assafa.net for details and directions.
Policy of Non-Discrimination
As-Safa Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, language, national or ethnic
origin in its administration, admission, or the implementation of any of its programs.
Admissions
As-Safa Academy Preschool is equipped for teaching 3 to 5 years old students who do not have
any special learning, speech, physical, or behavioral problems and are potty trained. Those
showing special needs or problems may not be able to continue at the school. Interested
applicants also have to take an admissions test and appear for an interview to qualify to enter.
Academic Standards
Students at As-Safa Academy will be expected to achieve academically to the best of their
individual ability. The curriculum covers reading, language arts (writing, grammar, spelling,
vocabulary, and handwriting), mathematics, science, social studies/history, computer literacy.
Arabic, Quran, and Islamic Studies is also offered as a community service. The school reserves
the right to dismiss a student whose needs, in the opinion of the school, can’t be addressed or
met or who cannot meet the academic standards of their class.
Application for Admission
To apply to As-Safa Academy Preschool, please submit the application form with the $100
application fee. Applications should be mailed to the school’s mailing address:
As-Safa Academy
1631 Peregrino Way
San Jose, CA 95125
Application will be screened on the basis of the application filing date and or/written examination
to determine eligibility to As-Safa. You will be notified as to when the entrance examination will
be given. Once the examination is complete, the school will decide to accept or deny admission
to the student. If the school accepts, parents can then decide to register by following the
registration procedure described below.
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Registration
Registration will be complete based upon the receipt of the forms and funds listed below. The
state forms beginning with LIC can be accessed from www.ccld.ca.gov, picking up a copy from
the school, or from the school’s website.
1. Admissions and Fees Agreement with authorized signatures
2. Registration fee of $760
3. Copy of Child’s Birth Certificate
4. Copy of Parent’s government issued identification (i.e. drivers license)
5. Identification and Emergency Information-Child Care Centers (LIC 700)
6. Child’s Preadmission Health History - Parent’s Report (LIC 702)
7. Child’s Preadmission Health Evaluation - Physician Report (LIC 701)
8. California School Immunization Records (“blue cards”, PM 286)
9. Signed and dated receipt of Notification of Parent’s Rights (LIC 995)
10. Signed and dated receipt of Personal Rights (LIC 613A)
11. Important Information for Parents (LIC 995 E)
12. Family Child Care Consumer Awareness Information (LIC 9212)
13. Consent for Emergency Medical Treatment form (LIC 627)
All the forms have to be mailed or dropped off at the school no later than one week before
preschool begins in fall. Please see the school’s website to download the calendar.
The school will also provide the parents Important Information for Parents (LIC 995) and Family
Child Care Consumer Awareness Information (LIC 9212) for their reference.
Curriculum
As-Safa’s curriculum is the based on the well-reputed Scott, Foresman, McGraw Hill, Harcourt,
Holt, and Houghton Mifflin, McDougal Littell, and other reputed publishers. For more
information about curriculum and instruction material, please visit the individual websites of the
publishers at:
www.scottforesman.com
www.mcgrawhill.com
www.harcourt.com
www.pearsoneducation.com
www.hrw.com
www.hmhco.com
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Tuition
The tuition is $8600/year for the full time program (Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. and
Friday 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) and $6000/year for the part time program (Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.
to 11:15 a.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.). The tuition needs to be paid by the 1st of each
month from August to May in 10 equal amounts of $860/month or $600/month respectively.
Supplies
Supplies are the school’s responsibility.
Back to School Shopping List
Parents need to shop for the following personal items before the first day of school:
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Uniform from Merry Mart
Sweater
Coat with a hood or a coat with a separate hat to keep out the cold and wind
Sports shoes
Boots to go out in rainy weather
Book bag to carry any belongings to and from school
Water bottle
Lunch Box if the student is full time
Please send the following personal items with the child to school on the first day of school:
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Wipes
2 Boxes of Tissue
Bed sheet, blanket, pillow (optional) = contained in plastic box
Medication, if needed
Lotion or oil with directions on a label taped to the bottle, if the child uses the lotion or oil
on a regular basis
6. Extra clothing
7. Indoor shoes (slip on, Croc-type), if the child is full time
Everything should be labeled with your child’s name
On a rainy day, please send the child with rain boots and raincoat.
Report Cards
Report Cards are issued at the end of each semester in January and June.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent conferences are scheduled in November and March. Parents are notified when the sign
up sheet will be available in front of classroom 12. The parent teacher conferences are held in
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15 min. intervals. Each parent can sign up for one interval (15 min) per child with each teacher
who is teaching him/her. Parents of students who would like to meet the principal can also sign
up with her. If parents need to have a conference with the teacher during the school year,
please call the school so one can be arranged. If there are issues that the school/teacher would
like to discuss with the parents, the school will contact the parent.
Field Trips
There are no field trips for the pre-k students.
Transportation
Parents are responsible for providing transportation to and from school.
Uniform
The students will be required to stay in uniform at all times. For girls in Pre K, the uniform is a
plaid jumper and blouse with a blue pant available through Merry Mart of San Jose. If at any
time, the student can’t wear a uniform, he/she needs to appear with a note from the parent
explaining the reason and should wear anything that covers the whole body. No jeans, shorts,
or tight clothing is allowed.
Hours of Operation
As-Safa Academy Preschool offers part time and full time program. The part time program is in
session from 8:15 a.m. to 11:15 p.m. from Monday through Thursday and
8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday. The full time program is in session from 8:15 a.m. to 3:15
p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Fridays.
Monthly school calendar is posted on the school’s website and parents will be informed of any
changes via email.
Drop Off and Pick Up
Students should be dropped off and picked up from their classroom. Parents must sign the pick
and drop off record book with the pre-school teacher using their fully legal signature. Parents
should not drop off their children more than 15 minutes prior to their classes. After arrival, the
students will not be allowed to leave the grounds. Parents who need to pick up their child before
dismissal must notify the school’s office and should pick up their child directly from the
classroom.
Any parent that picks up his/her child after 3:30 p.m. will incur a charge of $1 per minute for
each minute over 3:30 p.m. In Ramadan, the school will be dismissed at 2:00 p.m. from
Monday through Thursday and at 12:30 p.m. on Friday. The parents are informed of the
schedule through email. The parents should pick up their children no later than 15 minutes after
set dismissal time. For safety reasons, students will not be released to anyone coming into the
classroom.
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Parent or the authorized person picking up the child must come with a car seat. Car seats have
expiration dates. Please make sure, the car seat is compliant to the safety laws.
Parking
Please make sure not to park the car in the fire lane, the lane against the front curb, unless you
are in the car. There is space on Latimer Avenue for parking cars. However, you'll have to come
inside the classroom and physically pick up the students. At no time should we block the fire
lane even for a short time. In case of emergency weather conditions or any other emergency,
we may close for the day, delay opening, or may dismiss early.
Attendance
Regular attendance and punctuality are essential for a successful academic experience. If the
student is going to be absent, parents should inform the school no later than 8:15 a.m. on the
day of the absence.
Observation
Students may be observed and interviewed by the California Department of Social Services at
any time to ensure that they are being cared for in safe environment.
Health / Illness
Since we want to make our environment as safe as possible, we must ask the children who are
sick (wheezing, coughing, has breathing difficulty, is too weak or tired to participate in normal
activities) to be kept at home. If a child shows a fever of 101 degrees or over, vomits, has
excessive runny nose, or suffers from an earache or toothache, the school will ask the parent to
pick up the child. The parent must pick up the child within an hour of the call. If the child has a
communicable disease such as lice, chicken pox, strep throat, measles, mumps, etc. the parent
of the child should notify the school and should keep him/her at home until the child has
recovered. If the school discovers that the child is sick due to any other reason, the parents will
be notified so they can procure medical care.
Emergencies
If your child becomes ill or injured, you will be contacted and requested to pick up your child
within 1-1.5 hours from the time of the call. In the event you cannot be contacted, we will contact
the adult listed on the Emergency Card. If there is a change in this emergency information,
please notify us immediately so that records can be updated.
Administration of Medication
A student who is required to take medication during the day, as prescribed by a physician, may
be administered the medication by the teacher. In order to do so, we must receive with the
medicine the doctor’s prescription, the dispensing tool (i.e pump, spoon), and a signed
Permission to Dispense Medication from the parent listing:
• Name of the medication
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• Method of administration
• Dosage to be given
• Times of administration
A parent must send a new Permission to Administer Medication each time a new prescription is
to be administered.
If there is any over the counter medicine, lotion, or oil you would like your child to use, please
send it with your child with his/her name on it with directions for use.
Special Events
The use of a camera, video, or any other image capturing device is prohibited on all As-Safa
Academy events, like open house, end of the year party, award ceremony, or any other event.
Any food item being sent to As-Safa should come with an ingredient label or the box being used
to make the item. For example, if a mix was used to make a cake, the box of the mix should be
sent with the cake itself. Generally, mixes or food items with U and D on them are fine. None of
the foods should have nuts since there may be some students who are allergic to nuts. All meat
must be “zabiha” or hand slaughtered.
The school holds parent conferences twice a year, Eid celebration/s, awards day, and end of
the school celebration. The students should wear uniform at school events except during special
events during which they should wear clothes that cover the body and are not revealing. If the
girls wear skirts, they have to be ankle length. No jeans, shorts, tights, etc. are allowed.
Parents are requested to bring a dish during some events.
Lunch & Snack
Students will bring a lunch and a snack from home. The lunch should be nutritious and
adequate. Lunch should be sent in a lunchbox or a bag that clearly labels the student’s name.
Each student’s lunch should be separately packed (i.e. do not pack a basket of food for several
siblings). Avoid sending lunches that require heating or microwaving. If the food needs spoon or
fork, please send it with the child. We strongly discourage sending rice with students since they
spill it. Sugary snacks such as soda, sweets, chocolate, and candy are also strongly
discouraged. High sugar content interferes with focus and concentration. We ask that you send
cheese, fresh fruit or vegetable, or whole grain food as snack. Hot liquids and breakable bottles
and containers are not allowed. Each student should bring his/her own separate lunch. Students
should not share food with others. Please don’t send nuts with your children since some
students can have allergic reactions. All fruits and vegetables being sent with the child should
be pre-washed and cut to reduce chances of choking. If you are sending a can, please wash the
top of the can.
Please Remember: As-Safa Academy Preschool is a nut-free zone. Please do not send any nuts
for snacks for your child! Thank you!
Money and Valuables
Money, and valuables, like jewelry or collectibles should not be brought to the school.
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Field Trips
There are no field trips for preschoolers.
Grievance Policy
Parents must inform the teacher (by writing a letter or calling the school to schedule a
conference) of any grievances within two days. Generally, grievances should be handled in the
following manner:
1. Try to resolve the situation on your own with the parties involved only.
2. Discuss with the teacher/aid responsible for the duty by emailing or setting up a meeting..
3. Inform the school principal by emailing, calling, or writing a letter.
PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES
General Prohibitions
1. No weapon of any kind is allowed in or around its property.
2. No toy weapon is allowed.
3. Outside toys and games are not allowed unless approved by the teacher.
4. No rock throwing or playing with ice.
5. Food, drinks, snacks, gum, etc are not allowed in any room except in appropriate times, as
allowed by the teacher.
6. No student may leave the classroom without the teacher or a school personnel.
7. No electronic toys, games, radios, phones, beepers, headphone, etc are allowed.
Vandalism and Damage to Others Property
Students shall not vandalize or damage others property, including furniture, computers, and
other equipment. Parents shall be liable for any damage incurred by their child.
DISCIPLINE MANAGEMENT
When imposing disciplinary consequences, the teachers and staff shall adhere to the following
guidelines:
1. Discipline shall be administered when necessary to protect students, property and maintain
essential order.
2. Discipline shall be based on a careful and fair assessment of the circumstances of each case.
No corporal punishment is allowed with the students at any time. In case a student’s behavior is
considered by staff to be hazardous or dangerous to the safety and well being of another
student or staff member, then the parents of the student will be notified and the student will be
expelled.
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