LEAVING SCHOOL GROUNDS

PARENT CONFERENCES, REPORT CARDS AND RETENTION

SCHOOL RULES
BIKE RULES

SCHOOL HOURS
AM Kindergarten 7:40 am - 11:55 am
PM Kindergarten 9:40 am - 1:55 pm
1st through 5th grades 7:40 am - 1:50 pm

Students should be at school at least 5 minutes prior to the above stated times for line up. The starting time shown is when class time begins. Students should be seated and ready for learning to begin.

Supervision will be provided at 7:15 am daily when busses are scheduled to arrive at school. If you drive your child to school, it is imperative that you do not leave him/her prior to that time.


ATTENDANCE
Daily attendance at school is a most important part of your child’s school success. However, if it is necessary for your child to miss school, please be sure be/she has a note for the teacher from you giving the reason for and the dates of the absence upon his/her return or you may call the school office (722-0148). All absence notes should include the following: student’s name, date of absence, reason for absence, parent/guardian’s full name, relationship to student, and teacher’s name.

Please be aware that California law requires verification, and that the only legally excused absences are those for illness, medical or dental appointments, court appearance, naturalization appointments, or bereavement in the immediate family. ALL OTHER ABSENCES ARE UNEXCUSED AND MAY NOT BE LEGAL.
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TARDINESS TO SCHOOL
Students who arrive at school late must report to the office for a pass to class. Please help your child develop good habits about time by encouraging prompt arrival at school. REMINDER: Three tardies constitute a truancy (Ed. Code #484631) and , also, count as a day of absence as far as perfect attendance is concerned. Although we understand that unforeseen circumstances sometimes arise which cause students to be late to school, these circumstances are rare. Therefore, we will be issuing tardy letters to students who accumulate more than three tardies per month. The fourth tardy will result in time out during recess for the student in order to make up the time lost in late arrival to school. 
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CAFETERIA SERVICES
Hot lunches and milk are available everyday in our school cafeteria, and students may either purchase their lunch or bring a sack lunch. Students may also purchase lunch tickets for an entire week or month any morning Lunch menus will be distributed to students every month.
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Lunch Prices
Adults $2.25 (includes milk)  
Students $1.50 (includes milk)
Milk .25
PLEASE NOTE: Should you wish to purchase a lunch and dine with your child, you must call the school office by 8:15 am. Due to health concerns, students are not to share hot lunch items or food brought from home. 

We do NOT have a lunch fund available to loan students money. Therefore, we highly encourage parents to purchase lunch tickets, at least as a back-up for those days when lunch or lunch money is forgotten. 

Good nutrition is stressed at our school. Therefore, healthy drinks and snacks are encouraged; carbonated beverages and candy are discouraged.
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PTA (Parent Teacher Association)
Rancho Vista School Parent Teachers Association is a vital support group 
for the school. Membership in the PTA is $5.00 per person and is open to all interested adults. Dates and times of PTA meetings are listed on the PTA page. 
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PARENT VOLUNTEERS
Classroom volunteers are welcomed at any time. If you desire to aid the classroom teachers in the room or by making educational materials, please contact him/her to arrange to do so. Volunteers help the school staff to provide more adult contact time with each individual student. It gives the volunteer a “good feeling” to observe the contribution he/she has made to the children. Classroom volunteers must have a TB Test and the results must be on file in the office. 
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LEAVING SCHOOL GROUNDS
Students are not permitted to leave the school grounds prior to dismissal time unless they have been signed out in the office by their parent, guardian or other persons listed on the student’s emergency card. Parents are requested to plan appointments during non-school hours and avoid picking students up early as it is disruptive to the learning process. However, if it is unavoidable, you will need to send a note to school with your child so that the classroom teacher can send the student to the office at the specified time. 
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INCLEMENT WEATHER
If you are unsure of how weather conditions are affecting the school, please tune to a local radio station for information: 610AM, 1380AM, 1470AM, 106.3FM, or 105.5FM. School closures and/or shortened days will be announced on the local stations as soon as a determination has been made. The office staff will attempt to call as many families of students who normally get picked up after school, are “walkers”, or attend kindergarten (if school is closed early). As we have only three phone lines, you may not get through to the school under these conditions, so please turn on your radio. Please keep in mind that time does not always permit us to contact all of the above students, so we are asking for your help to stay informed as noted above. IMPORTANT: If no adult is at home to care for your child in the event of an early dismissal, you should advise the school of this situation and provide special instructions for his/her welfare.
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TRAFFIC PATTERNS
When using the parking lots on Peonza Lane or Bolz Ranch Road to drop- off or pick-up children, please pull forward as far as possible. Please do not double park. The lot in front of the cafeteria has a painted red curb. No stopping is permitted unless you are dropping off or picking up your child. Please do not leave your car unattended while parking at the curb.

Pedestrian traffic may use the Peonza Lane entrance or the gates along the sidewalk to the front of the school. Do not walk on the landscape. Everyone should use the sidewalks once on the school property. If a student is dropped off or picked up on the east side of Peonza Lane, they should only cross at Peonza Lane and Rancho Vista Boulevard where a crossing guard is provided. Under no circumstances should they cross without the crossing guard. Crossing guards are available at (1) Bolz Ranch Road/Peonza Lane from 7:15am - 7:45am and 1:45pm - 2:20pm, and (2) Peonza Lane/Rancho Vista Blvd. from 7:10am - 7:40am and 1:45pm - 2:15 pm.

All students should be gone from the campus or in the Fun Center with Parks and Recreation by 2:05 pm as there is no district supervision after that time. Please keep in mind that the teachers that are helping students before and after school are there for their safety.
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STUDENT GUIDELINES
Homework provides an opportunity for students to show their capabilities and to further their educational growth. It is an extension of the school day. Assignments provide extra practice needed by students to assimilate the material. Parents should provide good study conditions and encouragement; but it is the students who must do the work. To do a good job in homework students should: 

1. Listen carefully to all directions and explanations about homework. 
2. Ask questions if the assignment is not clear. 
3. Keep a notebook record of all assignments.
4. Have a definite time and place for study, free from interruptions and with appropriate working materials on hand. 
5. Budget time wisely and maintain a schedule of study time. 
6. Begin assignments promptly and turn in assignments when they are due. 
7. Make use of such resources as libraries, dictionaries, maps, general reference materials and the questioning of people who are authorities or who are experienced in various fields. 
8. Take the initiative in making up any work that is missed. 
9. The student should always use his/her own words in home work assignments.
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PARENT CONFERENCES, REPORT CARDS AND RETENTION
In the fall, a formal conference is scheduled for all students in order for teachers and parents to discuss students’ progress based on high academic standards for each grade level. One day is set aside as a non-student day during parent conference week, with the other days being minimum days. At that time students receive their first progress report of the year (at the end of the first quarter). Students then have another quarter to earn marks that will be averaged with those earned the first quarter; these make up the first semester report card grades. Students receive another progress report in the spring, with their final report card being issued on the last day of school. The first and second semester grades are averaged to arrive at an overall Grade Point Average (GPA).
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SCHOOL RULES
Students are expected to make appropriate choices for their behavior at school:

Students will follow all adult directions.
Students will be courteous to all others.
Students will keep all parts of their bodies and objects to themselves unless otherwise instructed.
Students will respect the property right of others.
Students will be punctual.
Students will only bring appropriate objects to school.
Students will remain in-bounds at all times.
Students will play in a safe manner.
Students will maintain a clean campus.
Students will maintain all issued materials in good condition.
Students are expected to follow class and school rules at all times.
Inappropriate choices will result in negative consequences.

Your cooperation in discussing the importance of these rules with your child will help to ensure a healthy, happy and productive school setting for all of our school children.

Student behavior which prevents a teacher from teaching, other students from learning, or creates disruption will not be tolerated.

Students are to be courteous to their fellow students at all times. Name-calling, use of profanity, participating in a fight, harassing other students, discourtesy and disrespect to others are not acceptable school behaviors and will be treated seriously.

Gum-chewing, littering, defacing school or others’ property are not permitted. This school is for the students and they are responsible to do their part in maintaining a neat, attractive and clean campus. Students are not to bring items such as candy, gum, trading cards, comic books, or toys to sell to other children at school. All fund-raising activities at school will be handled by the PTA.

Serious accidents are caused by students who run, push, shove or generally horseplay in the classrooms, corridors, cafeteria or restrooms.

Students are to avoid causing accidents by using common sense and confining their play to the playground and to acceptable means of playing. Students are to use school play and classroom equipment in a manner that is safe for them and others around them.

Students are to leave their toys, games and athletic equipment (balls, bats, etc.) at home except for classroom sharing. This will prevent things from being lost or broken and will help students to keep alert to what is happening in class. The only exception to this is Student Council announced activities such as Electronics Day.

Students are to arrive at their classes promptly in the morning and after recess. Proper attention to promptness now can avoid serious problems later.

Students in fourth and fifth grades are expected to participate in an organized Physical Education Program. Appropriate dress and shoes are necessary. If a student is unable to participate due to illness or physical injury, a parent needs to send in a note. A parent note is acceptable for up to 3 consecutive days. After that time, a doctor’s note is necessary. When a student has a PE excuse, he/she will be given an alternate activity (writing, reading, etc.) connected to physical education and be sent to an alternate classroom.

Students are not to bring dangerous objects such as knives (including pocket knives), Chinese Stars, Num Chucks, caps, matches, guns, etc., onto school ground. Facsimile weapons (knives, guns, etc.), are also banned. Smoking or possession of cigarettes, tobacco, etc., possession of drugs (including alcohol) or wearing “gang-related” dress are not permitted, either. Possession of any of these items will result in an immediate suspension from school and/or possible expulsion. Our goal for our students is that they have a successful school experience. 
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BIKE RULES
Students in grades 3-5 may ride their bikes to and from school. Bicycle helmets must be worn or parents will be asked to pick up students and their bikes. (It is the law for anyone under the age of 18 to wear a bicycle helmet.) Use the Peonza Lane entrance to the grounds. Get off and walk your bike once on school property. Lock your bike on the racks near the cafeteria. Do not leave items of value on your bike. At the end of the day, bikers will be dismissed as a group to leave campus after the pedestrians have exited and traffic has cleared. Skateboards, roller skates, scooters and roller blades are not allowed on campus at all for safety reasons. 
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A complete list of Rancho Vista Guidelines can be found in the Student Handbook. If you do not have a copy, please see the school office.