At Aurora Early Years, our goals are to promote positive relationships between all children and adults; to encourage each child’s sense of individual worth and belonging as part of a community which would foster each child’s ability to contribute as a responsible community member.
With that in mind, we have developed a Code of Conduct for all adults in our programmes including parents, caregivers, volunteers, and visitors to ensure that we act as positive role models for our students.
PLEASE DO:
- Treat others with respect and dignity regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation, disability, or any other grounds.
- Protect the privacy and confidentiality of our parents, guardians and teachers.
- Share all concerns and comments with the teachers and / or Principal first before speaking to the Director.
- Understand that no unauthorised individuals and personnel are allowed on school grounds during school hours: Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM.
- Understand that parents have a responsibility to share this code of conduct with all caregivers, babysitters, or nannies.
PLEASE REFRAIN FROM:
- Verbal attacks on other children and / or staff, which includes racial or other discriminatory slurs, the use of threats, name-calling, as well as repeated profane or degrading language. Individuals engaging in such behaviour will be asked to leave the premises immediately.
- Inappropriate behaviour includes, but is not limited to, harassment or intimidation by written note, email, words, gestures and/or body language.
- Allowing children to engage in unsafe behaviour while in your care on school grounds.
- If an unwanted or unsafe incident should occur where a parent/guardian/caregiver breaches the Code of Conduct, Aurora Early Years management reserves the right to act with immediate intervention which may result in the individual’s/family’s expulsion and withdrawal (of the child) from the Academy’s programmes.
- Staff members are responsible to look out for signs and symptoms of childhood illnesses upon arrival, and to continue observing, throughout the day.
- We will immediately notify the parent when the child shows any symptoms that require exclusion from the school programmes.
- Some of the symptoms that would indicate to us that a child has something contagious or is not well enough to stay in school are:
- A fever of 38° or greater;
- Diarrhoea;
- Severe and persistent cough;
- Vomiting;
- Unexplained rash; or
- A cold that seems to be keeping the child from benefiting from school activities.
- Parents are asked to allow their children to recuperate at home when they exhibit these symptoms.
- Staying Home Until Well Policy: Keeping a child at home for at least a 24-hour period helps ensure that the illness has passed. This is for the protection of all the children and staff at the Academy.
- Return Policy after Hospitalisation: We require a doctor’s note that states: (1) that the child may return to school, and (2) Whether or not there are any restrictions to the child’s activities that must be observed.
- Medication Policy: We will assist to administer medications prescribed by your doctor with explicit instructions for the administration of these medications.
- Allergen Policy: We do not serve peanut, sesame, or tree nut products in our meal plans. Students may not bring peanut, sesame, or tree nut products for snacks.
- Parents/Caregivers are to submit the Weekly Health and Safety Declaration via School2Me (S2M) app on a weekly basis prior to attending school.
- Daily health and temperature checks.
- All staff will be wearing face masks and face shields in the centre.
- Safe distancing in classrooms and no assemblies or large group gatherings
- Good personal hygiene will be practised through frequent handwashing.
- Daily disinfectant fogging performed after school hours.
- Non-essential visitors to the centre are restricted.
- No parking in front of the front and side gates at all times.
- Please remain in your vehicle. Teachers will be at the side gate to receive and walk students into school.
- Student’s temperature and check-in time will be recorded as they enter school.
- If you would like to walk your child into school for the first few days, please park your vehicle 50m away from the school.
- Please do not park in front of residential lots or areas that would obstruct traffic flow.
- After class, Aurora Academy teachers will walk each student out and assist to buckle them into their car-seats during pick-up, therefore please remain in your cars.
- Student’s check-out time will be recorded as they leave the school.
- Please do not sound your car horn excessively.
- At Aurora, we believe that it is important for our teachers to:
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- Listen to our students;
- Allow our students to express opinions;
- Encourage students to express opinions;
- Foster independence and reasoning;
- Place limits, consequences, and expectations on behaviour;
- Express warmth and be nurturing;
- Set the tone for our students; and
- Lead by example.
- The classroom teachers will, at all times, supervise and observe the children in their care. Teachers will, at all times, reserve judgement.
- Teachers and caregivers may never use any form of physical punishment, psychological abuse, or coercion when disciplining a child.
- Our main goal with our students’ families is to create an Aurora community aligned with our values where kindness is its axis.
- This community environment is encouraged through:
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- Everyday communication via the School2Me (S2M) app;
- Our three conferences a year;
- Special activities in the classroom and family festive events where parents and caregivers are included in the process of meeting the developmental needs of their child.
- Parents are encouraged to regularly contribute information that guides the teachers in making decisions about the child’s goals, plan for activities, and services via the S2M app as there is not always time during drop-off and pick-up time.
- If we do find that there are routines, practices, or values that differ from family routines, practices, or values, we will work with the family to find a common ground and attempt a resolution.
- It is our intention to be respectful of all of our families’ practices, values and cultures. For this reason we do celebrate festive holidays collectively in order to learn about those that our families celebrate.
- Different views of toilet training and eating or drinking habits could also be areas that might need to be discussed.
- We will always be guided by what is developmentally appropriate and what is a part of our ethical standards when attempting to resolve these differences.
- We ask that children leave toys at home. In a group environment the introduction of children’s own toys can cause complications during the process of learning to share.
- Learning to share is a major developmental goal for preschoolers, and they are able to master it more successfully using the items at school.
- Toys from home do not include “loveys” such as special blankets or stuffed animals that children use to help them transition to new environments.
- Aurora Academy and its staff shall not be liable if any of the student’s personal toys go missing.
Our educational approach builds a strong learning foundation for children by linking logical and creative mind to think, making the learning experience creative, fun, interactive and intelligent.
It also combines nurturing and inclusive learning environment with an increasingly
challenging academic program that addresses the developmental needs of each child.
Our philosophy is oriented around a strong academic curriculum that is integrated with meaningful play to strengthen the child’s interest and natural abilities. This builds the important foundation for gross and fine motor skills, as well as academic areas such as reading, critical thinking and problem solving.
Our purpose-built design also provides a warm and conducive learning environment for children where they will receive continuous positive reinforcements and guidance that they need to develop to be life-long learners.
The primary principle among developmental kindergarten is to promote participation in age-appropriate activities, such as hands-on play, group story-time, and self-expression. Children are encouraged to learn through play which is integrated into the academic
content.
Every day, really!
With the School2Me app, on top of our daily Good Morning and Goodbye greetings during pick-up and drop- off times, teachers and parents are able to send real-time messages on a daily basis. Think of it as texting using Whatsapp – parents are able to select which member of staff they want to speak to, indicate from the drop-down menu what is the area of concern (medication/late pick-up/progress information) and hit send. The teacher will receive it and will respond back within the same day once they are done with their lessons.
The school discourages the Parents and Teachers to share their personal phone numbers with each other as it might lead to misunderstandings that could be rather messy. To ensure that both parties are protected, the School2Me app facilitates the constant need for updates while respecting the personal space for both parties.
Apart from messages, parents will also receive real-time updates on the children’s check-in and check-out times, school notifications and documents, invoices and receipts, academic calendar, bi-monthly progress reports and many more.
Our school practices a paperless policy for administrative matters, therefore all the
registration or consent forms, invoices, receipts and even pay slips are digitized.
Co-operative play is something we truly value. But it has to be learned, as well as appeal to our social instincts… The best way to achieve this is by copying what we see. Therefore, our nursery teachers and educators model play and co-operate whenever they can, so the kids get a sense of what it looks like. Taking turns, acting gently, speaking in a kind manner: all of these are examples of positive reinforcement. Soon enough, the play will start to diffuse social tension as a result.
Outdoor play is vital for young children, and we spend a significant amount of time outside within the school compounds, of course, weather permitting.
Many of the developmental tasks that children must achieve: exploring, risk-taking, fine and gross motor development and the absorption of vast amounts of basic knowledge which can be most effectively learned through outdoor play.
Yes, in general, we accept students all year round to our day care, pre-nursery, and kindergarten programs if we have availability.
Our tuition fees are calculated across the entire 10 months of a typical academic year. This considers all the school and public holidays. Therefore, tuition fees will not be pro-rated due to illnesses or personal holidays.
We accept children from walking age, which is roughly from 18 months onwards.
Our school programmes assist with potty-training when your child is ready; therefore, your child does not need to be potty-trained prior to enrolment.
The teachers and teaching assistants meet the requirements set by the Malaysian Ministry of Education. These requirements include education and health requirements for people working with young children.
The minimum requirement for a Teaching Assistant is that they would need to have the Basic Child Care Course or Kursus Asuhan dan Didikan Kanak-Kanak PERMATA (KAP) by Malaysia Social Welfare Department.
Whereas most, if not all, of our teachers hold a Diploma or Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education. There are some who also have other relevant certificates such as First Aid Certification or Certification of training from other accredited institutions.
We also strive to provide our staff with continued education around Early Childhood Education. Each teacher and teaching assistant also undergoes an extensive background check.
We take safety of our children very seriously. Both centres implements a comprehensive security system, including multiple security checkpoints:
- Secured front entry door with a multi-point locking system.
- Only authorized admittance. Unauthorized persons must wait to be assisted by a staff member.
- Immediate photo identification on office staff computers as parents and children enter to verify identity.
- Instant electronic record of your child’s arrival and departure.
- Computerized record of all individuals authorized to pick up your child.
- Security cameras throughout to ensure safety.
Unfortunately the school does not provide meals for snack time for Half-Day programme students. We do provide three (3) meals a day which includes snack time for Extended and Full-Day programme students.
Yes we do. A sample of the weekly menu will be shared upon successful registration.
We utilize a “positive redirection” approach, in which we re-direct children to make appropriate choices. We encourage children to work together and “use their words” to solve conflicts. We give them key words to help communicate their needs. We do not use “time out”, however, we may occasionally give children a chance to calm down by having them engage in quiet time. We encourage empathy with others.
Parents are encouraged to remain positive about their child’s new experience and be optimistic about the new transition. It is a good idea to have many conversations about school before the first day. On the first day, parents are encouraged to drop their child off and get the child situated and comfortable. After a few minutes it is important to say good-bye and assure the child that you will be returning later.
We begin with short separation times, as children need to have faith that their caregiver will return. This builds trust and mutual understanding. Once these brief periods become the norm, we extend the length of separation. It is normal for a child to cry during their initial state at kindergarten of semi-independence. Please remember that it’s a natural, healthy response to the love you’ve given them so far. For transitions and promotions, too, we create a plan that’s tailored to their personality traits.
Yes! You’ll be surprised how fast your little ones are able to pick it the language. Most of our instructions are in English, that, coupled with the social side to curriculum that promotes social interactions and peer- based learning, means that their learning is accelerated.
If someone else is picking up your child, you must inform his/her class teacher in writing via the School2Me app. Send us a note detailing your plans, including the name of the person you are authorizing to pick-up your child and the date of its effectiveness. Please inform any escorts that we will check picture IDs to ensure they are authorized to pick-up your child. No one under the age of 18 may escort a child from the school. We cannot accept telephone authorizations. We will not send a child home with someone we do not know.
If your child becomes ill at school, the classroom teacher will separate the child from the group and make him/her comfortable while we notify you to pick him/her up. Please keep your emergency contact numbers updated so that you may respond as quickly as possible to the needs of your child. Children may return to the program after being symptom and fever free for 24 hours.
Accidents sometimes happen at kindergarten. In the event of any medical emergency such as asthma and epilepsy attacks where the Centre is unable for whatsoever reason to contact you, or while awaiting your arrival or the arrival of the medical practitioner of your choice, the Centre will seek medical attention from the nearest available qualified medical practitioner or hospital. You would need to sign a waiver whereby you agree not to hold the Centre or its staff responsible for all medical treatment administered to your child and further agree to bear all medical expenses.
Invoices will be sent to the parents via the School2Me app on the 25th of every month and is due before the 7th of the subsequent month.
For withdrawals, parents must provide at least one (1) term written notice also via the School2Me app for the school’s administrators to process the exit documents and deposits.
Families will receive a 10% discount on the school fees for their oldest child provided that the younger sibling(s) are a full fee-paying student at the point of admissions and is enrolled in the same Academic Year.