WEST HILLS–The Holy Martyrs A.R.S. preschool was recently granted accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This prestigious recognition has been achieved by approximately 7% of yearly childhood programs nationwide-some 6,146 programs as of June 1999–serving 566,675 children. "We are very pleased to be first Armenian preschool in our area to have become accredited," said preschool director Vehik Gabrielian.
NAYEC accreditation is a rigorous–voluntary process by which early childhood programs demonstrate that they meet national standards of excellence. Child care centers–preschools–kindergartens–and before and after school programs are eligible to seek NAYEC accreditation. Approximately 12,000 programs are engaged in seeking accreditation.
An intensive self-study was performed in our program. We collected information from parents–teachers–administrators and classroom observations. Then we received an on-site visit–conducted by Cheryl Ruszat who is an early childhood professional especially trained by NAYEC–and validated our self study results. All of this information was then independently reviewed by a team of national experts who granted accreditation. This accreditation is valid for three years.
"The heart of the NAEYC accreditation focuses on the child’s experience," said Vehik Gabrielian–program director."
The process carefully considers all aspects of a program including health and safety–staffing–staff qualification–and physical environment.
The greatest emphasis is on the children’s relationships with the staff and how the program helps each child grow and learn intellectually–physically–socially and emotionally."
Holy Martyrs A.R.S. preschool is located in North Hills–California and serves 107 children ranging in age from 2 to 5. It is a center based program which has an eclectic approach. Holy Martyrs A.R.S. preschool will now proudly display the NAYEC torch-the sign of NAYEC accreditation. Parents who look for the torch when choosing child care or early education programs for their children will find programs–which have made a commitment to excellence for young children and families.