Armenian preschools in glendale ca: Armenian Daycares in Glendale CA

School History

The early years of childhood are the most significant, for it is at this time that children build a foundation of self-esteem, a sense of community, cultural identity and religious beliefs. From its inception, the main goal of St. Mary’s Richard Tufenkian Armenian Preschool has been to provide an appropriate early childhood education program, with a strong emphasis on Armenian heritage and culture.

It is upon this vision that in September of 1975, a group of devoted community members, under the auspices of St. Mary’s Apostolic Church, established the first Armenian school in Glendale. Through the volunteer efforts and dedication of Church board members such as Mr. Stepan Kabadayan, and volunteer educators such as Mr. Vahe and Dr. Armine Hacopian and Mr. & Mrs. Vahik and Alice Petrossian, the school grew from 8 students to 120 students in just a few short years. In 1979, the elementary school was moved to a new school campus in La Canada and Mr. Roubik Gourdjian became the principal of the elementary school, while the preschool remained at its present campus.

In 1980, Dr. Ida Karayan, an early childhood educator, was appointed as the director of the preschool. During her time, the preschool became a licensed facility and an appropriate curriculum was adopted to meet the needs of the children and the community.

In 1990, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph and Savey Tufenkian, a well-respected couple in the Armenian community, made a generous donation of $250,000 in memory of their son, Richard. Thereafter, in honor of its benefactors and their beloved son, the preschool was renamed St. Mary’s Richard Tufenkian Armenian Preschool.

In 1993, the importance of employing a strong and well-versed curriculum became more pronounced when the director, Mrs. Arsine Aghazarian and her team of highly qualified administration and teachers implemented early childhood education standards prescribed by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The school has earned accreditation from the NAEYC with high scores since 1999. Integral to this program is the dedication and continuous effort to immerse the children into the Armenian language, culture and heritage.

In May 2004, Mr. and Mrs. Tufenkian once again stepped forward to help the school. They acquired the property adjacent to the school, valued at $450,000 and dedicated it to the preschool. This property was integral in expanding the existing parking facility project completed in the summer of 2005.

On January 23, 2015, St. Mary’s Tufenkian Preschool celebrated its 40th Anniversary with a gala attended by over 400 guests at Taglyan Cultural Complex. The highlight of the evening was the generous donation of $100,000 made by Mr. & Mrs. Tufenkian toward the future expansion/renovation of the school.

During the past 25 years, Mr. & Mrs. Tufenkian and their extended family, Mr. & Mrs. Paul and Sandra Kalemkiarian and Mr. & Mrs. Gregory and Caroline Tufenkian, have kept Richard’s legacy alive through their continued financial and moral support of the school.

At St. Mary’s Richard Tufenkian Preschool, the administration and faculty believe that in order to provide a high quality early childhood program, the school should have a clear philosophy and set of guidelines. The following ethical conduct code set by NAEYC has been our guiding principle:

• Ensure that the program is based on current knowledge of child development and early childhood education.
• Respect and support families in their task of nurturing children
• Serve as advocates for children.
• Maintain high standards of professional conduct.
• Be open to new ideas and be willing to learn from the suggestions of others.
• Continue to learn, grow and contribute as a professional.
• Provide children with a rich Armenian environment and education.

As the famous African proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” For the last 40 years, the validity of this proverb has been proven over and over again by the collaborative efforts and support of the school administration and faculty, Board of Regents, his Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Reverend Fathers, the Benefactors and parents.

Waiting list & admission

Admission

Admission to the school is possible by placing the child on the school’s waiting list. The waiting list for the next academic year starts on the first day of October (i.e., if your child will be eligible to attend school in August 2023, you will need to register your child’s name on the waiting list starting October 1st, 2022). Please note that the waiting list is valid for one year. If your child is not admitted due to limited space, you will need to renew his/her name on the waiting list again.

The following are the guidelines for the 2023-2024 program year for enrolling children in age-appropriate classroom settings.

• A child must be born between September 2, 2020 to May 1, 2021 to be admitted and placed into 2½ year old groups.
• A child must be born between September 2, 2019 to September 1, 2020 to be admitted and placed into 3 year old groups.
• A child must be born between September 2, 2018 to September 1, 2019 to be admitted and placed into 4 year old (Pre-K/Transitional Kindergarten) groups.
• A child must be born between September 2, 2017 to September 1, 2018 to be admitted and placed into Kindergarten groups.

With the exception of the 2½-year-old group, all children must be potty trained when starting school.

Class assignments will be made by the School Administration with teacher recommendations. The School Administration reserves the right to make changes to class composition, including but not limited to, re-assigning children to other groups. Each child will have a separate file containing enrollment, health and other confidential information. These files will be kept in locked cabinets in the School office, to ensure confidentiality. Only parents, the child’s teachers and the administration will have access to these files except as otherwise required by law. The School reserves the right to admit and/or to dis-enroll any student for any reason in its sole discretion.

Waiting List

The waiting list for the next academic year starts on the first day of October (i.e., if your child will be eligible to attend school in August 2023, you will need to register your child’s name in the waiting list starting October 1st, 2022).

Please note that the waiting list is valid for one year. If your child is not admitted due to limited space, you will need to renew his/her name on the waiting list again. The following are the guidelines for the 2023-2024 program year for enrolling children in age-appropriate classroom settings.

Registration priority is given to:

• Siblings of current students in Tufenkian Preschool & Kindergarten.

Guidelines for enrolling children in age appropriate classroom settings.

• A child must be born between September 2, 2020 to May 1, 2021 to be admitted and placed into 2½ year old groups.
• A child must be born between September 2, 2019 to September 1, 2020 to be admitted and placed into 3 year old groups.
• A child must be born between September 2, 2018 to September 1, 2019 to be admitted and placed into 4 year old (Pre-K/Transitional Kindergarten) groups.
• A child must be born between September 2, 2017 to September 1, 2018 to be admitted and placed into Kindergarten group

With the exception of the 2½-year-old group, all children must be potty trained when starting school.

School Visit and Orientation

• Due to the pandemic, in-person visits to the school are limited. The school will communicate options for school tours (virtual or in-person) via email once the child’s name is on the waiting list.

Registration Procedures:

• Registration will take place during the months of March/April by appointment.
• Only children who are placed on the waiting list will be considered for registration.