Parent Handbook

Family Handbook 2025–2026

Welcome Families! We, at Casa Azafran Early Learning Center, are extremely excited that you have selected our school for your child’s educational experience! One of our main goals at Casa Azafran ELC is to create a nurturing environment for your child where he/she is respected as an individual and is free to ask questions, investigate, explore, wonder, and reflect on his/her experiences. We also aim to form a partnership with families to support your child’s development and academic success in kindergarten and beyond. We welcome you to the Casa Azafran ELC Family and are looking forward to a wonderful school year with you as a vital partner in your child’s education!

Casa Azafran Early Learning Center School Vision Statement

Casa Azafran is a high-quality early learning center committed to providing an inclusive and unique learning environment where students and families become life-long learners through exploration, intentional play, and community partnership because “Mi casa es su casa.” School Mission Statement Casa Azafran Early Learning Center is invested in empowering students and families through authentic interactions and innovative experiences that prepare them for success in school and life.

District and School Beliefs We believe

• All students have unique cultural backgrounds, learning styles, abilities, interests, and social and health needs.
• Each student can achieve success, exceeding national standards.
• Quality school staff is essential to academic excellence.
• Consistent and sustained leadership ensures high-level results are achieved, and proven strategies can take hold.
• Professional development must be sustained, clear, and consistently focused on quality instruction.
• Families and community organizations must be partners in meeting our goals.
• Each person in the school system is responsible for working toward this vision.
• Effective, two-way communication with parents and other stakeholders is essential.
• Transparency and accountability must be valued and practiced.

Arrival and Dismissal

Our school day is from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Arrival is between 7:45 a.m.–8:00 a.m. Breakfast is served every morning for the first 15 minutes. Students arriving after 8:15 a.m. are tardy and must be signed in by an adult in the office. You may bring your child to school before 7:45 a.m. if your student is 4 years old and has obtained a seat for before and aftercare. Our car line enters the traffic light on the left-hand side of the Casa Azafran Community Center. Cars proceed behind the Casa Azafran building and pull up to the STOP signs in front of the Learning Center entrance upon arrival (refer to your Arrival/Dismissal Procedures map for further guidance), but only to the first STOP sign on the side of our school for dismissal. Please place your car park mode. Staff members will assist with unloading and loading children.

For the first week of school, if students are struggling at arrival, please park and walk the student to the front office; after a two-week time, we strive to encourage independence and confidence in our students by having them walk to class on their own. Staff will be present to greet every student on arrival and make sure they make it to their classroom safely. Our parking lot is small and busy in the morning so parents walking students in every day is not possible. I promise students will be able to do this on their own if we work together.

Dismissal begins at 2:00 p.m. and ends at 2:15 p.m. The name of the person picking up your child MUST be on the student emergency card in our office. We will NOT release any student to an adult if this is not in place. Each family will also receive two (2) car tags to place on their dashboards. You must have the tag displayed in your dashboard for us to release your child to you in the car line at dismissal. If you do not have the car tag provided, you will have to pull completely through the car line, park on the Community Center side of the parking lot, and pick up your child at a designated classroom door and show your ID. Your child will only be released to persons 18 years of age or older whom you have named in writing per an email, and if unknown to our faculty, they will be asked to show an ID.

Parents and visitors must come to the office to sign a student out of school for early pick up before 1:30 p.m.

Attendance

Regular attendance is essential to ensure your child optimally benefits from our program and curriculum. Research indicates that attendance in the early years can predict children’s long-term success, and as such, we will do all we can to ensure your child is at school every day, ready to learn. Please help us by making sure your child is at school on time each day unless he/she is sick.

Should it be necessary for your child to be absent, we ask that you email the teacher or contact the school office by 9:00 a.m. either with a phone call or an email to Karem.Ramos@mnps.org, stating the reason for the absence, and when you expect your child to return to school (615-291-4672).

When returning from an absence, you must provide an excuse in writing to your child’s teacher. If your child was absent due to a communicable illness, a doctor’s note or statement of health will be required for your child to return. For convenience, we have provided parents blank sick notes in the red school/home communication folder.

Excused absences pertinent to early learners include:

• personal illness or injury
• illness of an immediate family member
• death in the family
• extreme weather conditions
• religious observances

See MNPS Policy # 6.200 for a complete list of excused absences for all students.

• Nine unexcused absences, tardies, early dismissals, and/or late pick-ups will result in a student being placed on “Attendance Probation” with the possibility of dismissal from the Casa Azafran ELC program.

Please refer to the school calendar for the days on which students do not report to school.

Snow Days

When it is necessary to dismiss early or close schools, local radio and television stations will notify the community. Please do not call the school office and tie up the phone lines, which must be kept open for emergencies. We encourage you to review dismissal plans with your child in case of early dismissal and provide teachers with a record of your plans.

Extended Learning (Before and After School Care)

Our school has an Extended Learning Program available on site from 7:00–7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day that school is in session. Your child MUST be four years old and must be registered for this service in advance. There is NO before or aftercare available for three-year-old students per district policy. The fee is $65 per week, whether the child stays all week or only a few days out of the week. Please contact Meta McLemore for more information or call 615-642-0769.

Breakfast and Lunch

Each year, MNPS determines the fee for breakfast and lunch for the upcoming school year. This decision will be posted by July 21, 2025.

• Breakfast is served daily in the classrooms every day.
• Lunch will be served in the classrooms at 12:00 p.m. each day.
• Students can bring their lunch if they prefer. Food will not be heated. Please utilize a thermos for food temperature preference.
• Mealtimes are an important part of our curriculum and will serve to help build community, self-help skills, and be an enjoyable part of our day.

Standard School Attire

Our school will follow the guidelines of the district’s standard school attire policy, which requires that students wear a solid-colored, collared shirt, solid pants that are black, navy, or khaki, and closed-toe shoes.

Illness

Your child’s health is extremely important to us, and we need your help in maintaining a healthy environment for all our children. Please be protective of your child and other children by not sending your child to school if he/she exhibits any of the following signs of illness:

• Fever above 100 degrees
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting

A child with any of these symptoms must be kept at home a full 24 hours without symptoms before returning to school.

• Head lice – If your child should become infested with head lice, it is the policy of the district that he/she may not return to school until you have obtained a statement from your physician or the Health Department stating that your child is lice free. You may visit Lentz Health Center for a health care release free of cost. A student’s absence will only be excused for three (3) days following being sent home for lice infestation.
• Strep Throat – Students should not return to school until at least 24 hours after beginning antibiotic therapy and being fever free.
• Communicable Disease – If a child develops chickenpox, mumps, measles, strep throat, or “pink eye,” he/she must have a doctor’s note stating that the child is not contagious and may return to school.

Medication – MNPS Policy #6.405

A student may NOT take medication at school without written permission from a parent AND a doctor. The medication must clearly include specific instructions on the amount and time of dosage. The medicine must also be IN ITS ORIGINAL CONTAINER. Permission forms are available in our office. We discourage bringing antibiotics to school. Most antibiotics can be given before a child comes to school and then immediately after arriving home in the afternoon.

Behavior

We strive to support your child in all aspects of development, including regulating their emotions and behavior. We believe all behavior is a means of communication, and we work to understand a child’s behavior and create an environment that supports them and helps them learn appropriate ways to express themselves and communicate.

We must have certain expectations to ensure safety and well-being of students more than anything else, and we must help students learn certain behaviors to ensure they will be successful as they transition to kindergarten. We have established a foundation for our expectations that asks all members of our learning community (both adults and children) to:

• Be Kind and Respectful
• Be Responsible
• Be Safe

Each classroom will create rules and expectations that will support your child’s learning and development. Your child will learn MANY things this year, and we hope that understanding how to participate in a learning community will be a mastered objective.

When a child’s behavior is disruptive to learning, we will work with the student and the parent to address these behaviors and understand the root cause. We will do our best to identify ways to support their behavior at school and at home if applicable.

Bullying – MNPS Policy #6.304

“This policy addresses conduct that takes place off school grounds, at any school-sponsored activity, on school-sponsored transportation, at any official school bus stop immediately before boarding and immediately after leaving school transportation of any kind. Bullying that begins off-campus can be considered school related if it interferes with school activities, causes a disruption at school, or interferes with the rights of students. Any incidents that occur in an after-school program will be referred to the afterschool program provider for discipline.”

MNPS strives to provide a positive educational environment that prohibits any type of intimidation or bullying of students. Intimidation or bullying should be reported to any staff member, who must report the incident to the principal. The principal must take prompt action to prevent further harm. Guidelines for investigating allegations will be followed, and appropriate actions will be implemented to address and alleviate bullying behavior.

Bullying behavior is defined as 1) repeated, 2) intentional cruelty, in which 3) one person believes he/she has some type of power (size, status, material possessions, etc.) over another person. As with other behaviors, preschool-aged children more often need training on appropriate social behaviors versus exhibiting true bullying behaviors; however, we will respond to bullying-like behaviors in our children immediately, including involving their parents.

Bringing Items to School

We have carefully selected the materials in our classrooms to support your child’s learning and safety. To ensure all items in our classrooms are appropriate for our students, we ask that your child not bring items from home unless requested by their teachers. These items include games of any kind. Exceptions to this rule could include items brought for show-and-tell and allowing a child to bring a comfort item when necessary. Please consult with your child’s teacher before bringing any items from home.

Parent Involvement

We view your involvement in your child’s education as an important part of our curriculum. We will work with you to find ways for you to be involved, and we always welcome you to be part of our school community and school days. Teachers will communicate heavily utilizing the REMIND app.

Conferences

Parents are a child’s first and most important teachers, and while we have expertise in education and child development, we depend on your expert knowledge of your child to help us best support them. Our faculty is always ready to discuss your observations, concerns you might have about your child and his/her experiences at our school, or any other matter that relates to your child’s optimal development. You will have the opportunity to speak with your child’s teacher daily at dismissal, and should further time be needed, we will be happy to schedule a conference.

Emergency Information

The Student Emergency Information card is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Please return it to school as soon as possible. Home, cell phones, and work phone numbers are especially important in the event of illness or emergency. Should these numbers change during the school year, please notify the school office immediately so that we may update the Emergency Information card.

Custody

Custodial parents should provide the school with all current and relevant legal documentation showing any restrictions on a natural parent’s visitation. If this documentation is not provided, a parent proving legitimate connection to a student has parental rights under the non-custodial provisions of access. These parental rights include access to all student records and could involve the release of the student if we have not received documents proving otherwise. Please share any applicable paperwork with Ms. Karem Ramos as soon as possible.

Media Permission

Throughout the school year, television, radio and print reporters may cover activities at our school. Students may only be taped, interviewed, or photographed with parental permission. Parents should complete the Media Permission in the Student Code of Conduct book and return it to school. You will have an opportunity to take care of this at Sneak Peak.

Money

Please avoid having your child bring money to school. In the event it is necessary for your child to bring money (field trips, school-sponsored fundraisers, etc.), please secure it in a sealed envelope with the following information on the outside of the envelope:

• Child’s name
• Teacher’s name
• Amount enclosed
• Purpose of the money

The adult signing the child into school that day should give the envelope with money directly to the teacher or a member of our office staff.

Checks are permitted and should be made payable to Casa Azafran ELC. Any checks returned for insufficient funds will eliminate that family’s privilege of writing checks to the school or the cafeteria. A significant fee will also be charged for insufficient funds by our check collection agency.

Birthday Parties – MNPS Policy #IM 4.146 Appendix A

Birthday parties are not permitted during school hours, but we would love to celebrate your child’s special day. Birthday celebrations will be held during lunch time in the classroom. If you would like to send a snack, please communicate in advance with your child’s teacher. Birthday party invitations for outside celebrations may not be given out at school, unless an invitation is brought for every child in the class.

School Visitors

We welcome visitors to our school! Visitors should report directly to the office, sign in, and obtain a visitor’s badge. Faculty and staff members will question anyone who does not have a visitor badge.

Metropolitan Nashville Board of Public Education

Freda Player-Peters

• District 7
• Phone: 615-853-4440

Director of Schools

Dr. Adrienne Battle
2601 Bransford Avenue
Nashville, TN 37204
Phone: 615-259-INFO (4636)

Executive Director

David Martin

Request for Alternate Format

To request this information in an alternate format, please contact your building principal or department head.

Request for Auxiliary Aids

Individuals who need auxiliary aids and services are to make their request known to the building principal or department head prior to the date it is needed. (Interpreters for the deaf or hard of hearing must be requested forty-eight [48] hours prior to the event.)

Non-Discrimination Statement

The Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, color, age, and/or disability in admission to, access to, or operation of its programs, services or activities.