The information below should provide you with a general understanding of the guidelines, procedures, and practices followed at College Park Elementary School. They are not intended to cover all situations that could occur at school or answer every question someone may ask. With that in mind, please do not hesitate to contact our office if you have questions, need clarification, or assistance.
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Behavior Management and Discipline Program
In California, all students have the responsibility to comply with the regulations, pursue the required course of study, and to submit to the authority of teachers. (Education Code 48921) In addition, the Education Code states that teachers must enforce the course of study, the use of authorized textbooks and the prescribed rules and regulations. Also, teachers must hold students to strict account for their conduct. (Section 44805)
The College Park staff believes that all children, with proper guidance and reinforcement, can behave appropriately at school. Thus, we have implemented a few simple school rules to accomplish the charge given to us and stated above. These rules are based on several beliefs we have regarding discipline and character development.
We believe that character development is as equally important as intellectual development. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.” There are eight moral values that form the core of what we teach:
- Honesty- Conducts human interactions in a fair and straightforward manner; tells the truth; does not cheat, steal, or intentionally mislead; behaves in a manner consistent with one's professed values and ideals.
- Respectfulness- Holds one's self, each other person, and the environment in high regard; acknowledges the inherent value in each human being and each living thing; honors the rights of others to be autonomous and to be treated with dignity.
- Responsibility- Accepts responsibility for the foreseeable consequences of one's actions, reactions, choices, and goals; demonstrates an active commitment to the welfare of others
- Perseverance- Continues the pursuit of goals in the face of adversity; demonstrates a willingness to work
- Compassion- Demonstrates sensitivity and a decent measure of caring and concern for fellow human beings; exhibits generosity and love
- Cooperation- Interacts with others in a mutually beneficial way; seeks thoughtful and peaceful ways of resolving conflict.
- Civic Duty- Respects the principles of representative democracy; expresses informed views; participates in the democratic process; observes rules and laws; demonstrates a commitment to the public good.
- Courage- Demonstrates a willingness to act positively on a moral value even in the face of potential personal loss; a willingness to take calculated risks to achieve a positive result.
The real test of the effectiveness of any moral education effort will be its impact on the decisions students make. In the final analysis, we want our students to routinely make ethical choices -- choices distinguishing what should be done, from what can be done.
We believe that discipline is an act of love. We understand that in order to be happy, productive people, children need to learn to respect others, interact appropriately, and develop personal responsibility. We care too much about our students to allow them to grow up to be disrespectful or irresponsible, for we know this will ultimately lead to their unhappiness.
We believe that self-control and self-discipline are learned behaviors. Thus, if a child violates a rule out of ignorance, it is our responsibility to teach him or her t he appropriate behavior. If a child violates a rule out of defiance, then it is our responsibility to discipline. We make every effort to provide logical consequences for inappropriate behavior. For example, a child who has difficulty playing handball might be asked to sit, watch, and reflect for a period of time, hopefully observing children playing appropriately. It is our belief that disciplining of students should be done privately, whenever possible. The correction of a student’s behavior is a private matter between a student, the adult in charge, and the parents, if necessary. We do not support the concept of public humiliation. To do so would be to model disrespect.
We believe that the primary responsibility for teaching children strong character and positive behavior lies with the parent. It is the school’s responsibility to reinforce those positive traits and behaviors that you, the parent, have worked so diligently to teach.
We believe that all students, when given proper guidance and reinforcement, can and will behave appropriately. We believe that most behavior results in a positive or negative consequence. It is with this in mind that we have formulated a few basic rules to assist us in providing students with a safe, orderly, and respectful environment.
The College Park School Rules are based on our core values of honesty, respectfulness, responsibility, perseverance, compassion, cooperation, courage, civic duty as well as safety.
College Park School Rules
- I will use common sense. I will not do anything that is harmful to myself or others.
- I will follow the directions of the adult in charge.
- I will complete all schoolwork assigned.
- I will treat everyone and everything with respect. Respect for others includes refraining from the use of profane or vulgar language.
- I will keep my hands, feet, and objects to myself.
Our profanity policy is as follows:
- First offense: verbal warning
- Second offense: phone call home
- Third offense: suspension from school
Possible negative consequences for infractions of the above College Park School Rules may include a verbal warning, loss of privileges, parent contact, parent conference, suspension from class, and suspension from school.
Campus Visitations
Visitors are always welcome at College Park. In the interest of safety, we do ask that all visitors report to the office to sign in. At that time, visitors will be issued a badge to wear, indicating to the students and staff that they are authorized to be on campus.
Classroom Interruptions
The College Park staff makes a concerted effort to establish a learning environment that is conducive to the development of good study habits and uninterrupted academic learning time. We seek your cooperation and assistance in this effort. You can help us by:
- Sending the teacher a note should you need to pick up your child early, thus eliminating the need for us to call the classroom.
- Avoiding calling school and leaving messages for your child, unless it is an emergency. The telephone is made available to students only for emergencies.
- Establishing a system that helps eliminate forgotten lunches, homework, money, musical instruments, etc. Parents bringing forgotten items to school should place them in the baskets located in our office. Children are encouraged to check these baskets for forgotten items throughout the day.
Dress Code
We believe there is a correlation between a student’s behavior and his/her clothing. There are a wide range of available clothing styles that reflect a positive attitude and appearance. Experience teaches us that much of the clothing that is oversized and droopy reflects an attitude of disrespect, or at best, indifference. We ask that students attending College Park wear clothing that is comfortable, clean, and appropriate for an elementary school. Because our instructional program includes active play, students must wear clothing that allows them to run and jump. Clothing and other items students wear must not disrupt the educational process nor create any form of disturbance. All fashions that a student may choose may not be appropriate for an elementary school.
Inappropriate clothing includes:
- pants or shirts that are oversized and overly baggy and do not fit securely at the waist.
- any item symbolic of gang attire.
- clothing with logos, slogans, words, or pictures promoting or depicting alcohol, tobacco, drugs, vandalism, bigotry, violence, sexual connotations, or profanity.
- any clothing that is inappropriately revealing. Examples of this are mid-drifts, mini-skirts, dresses with spaghetti straps, etc.
- earrings that dangle and could become dangerous when playing.
- any make-up, lipstick, or adornment that causes a distraction in the classroom.
- hair that is dyed an unnatural color.
- chains, including those attached to wallets, belt loops, or other items.
- shoes with open toes, such as thongs and sandals, and shoes with excessive heels. These shoes are inappropriate and too dangerous for active play.
- hats worn indoors.
With the support and cooperation of our parents, students, and staff, College Park will be a positive and productive learning environment.
Early Dismissal / Parental Custody
Children leaving campus need to be signed out by the parent/guardian. Please come to the office to do so and we will call for your child. Children will only be released to parents or other adults listed by you on the child’s emergency card. If there are specific limitations related to the release of a child to a natural parent, please be advised that legal custody documents must be on file in the office. The natural mother or father can obtain their child from school at any time, unless a court order is on file indicating otherwise. Photo I.D. is required.
Homework
Homework is provided to review and practice concepts previously introduced in class. The amount of homework assigned is to be determined by the student’s teacher. On average, students should spend the following amount of time on homework each school night.
- Grades K-3, 20 minutes to 1 hour
- Grades 4-6, 1 hour to 1 ½ hours
Should the amount of time children typically spend on homework differ significantly from the above, parents are encouraged to contact their child’s teacher. Homework is intended to be an independent activity. If your child requires a significant amount of assistance in order to complete his/her homework, please contact your child’s teacher.
Parents are best able to assist their child by setting up a special place where homework is to be done. Specific times should be set up that do not conflict with other planned activities. This will provide structure to the homework routine.
Illness / Absences
In order to keep all our students safe, it is important that we verify all student absences as soon as possible each day. Should your child need to be absent from school, please call our attendance line at 936-5551 to report the absence. This number may be called at any time. If possible, we ask that you call this number and report your child’s absence by 8:45 a.m. By doing this, we can avoid calling you at home or work to verify your child’s absence. It is important that children be in attendance whenever possible. In addition to missing important classroom instruction, students are often challenged with feelings of trying to catch up. As important as punctuality and attendance are to student achievement, children should not be sent to school ill. Children who come to the office with a body temperature of 100 degrees or above will be sent home and should remain at home until a normal body temperature is maintained for 24 hours. Homework may be requested after the second day of absence.
Independent Study
Independent study requests for extended absences of five (5) or more consecutive school days, and no more than 20 consecutive school days of total absence, must be requested two (2) weeks in advance to provide the classroom teacher the time to compile materials and plan appropriate activities. Please notify the classroom teacher and the front office when an independent study contract needs to be created for your child.
Items Brought From Home
Personal play equipment, such as toys, balls, games, etc. should not be brought to school unless special permission has been granted by the teacher or principal. This includes electronic devices like music players, media players, and video games.
Lunch Program
Hot lunches are available for students in grades 1-6 for the price of $3.25 each school day. Students may pay for lunch with cash or by establishing a LunchBox online account. To create an account for your child, please log into www.iusd.org and click on Business Services to access the Food Services page. You will be guided through the process. For those students with existing accounts, you may pay online or pay with a check. Envelopes are available in the school office to use if you pay with a check. Once a deposit is made in your child’s account, he/she will be able to buy lunch. If you have any further questions, please call IUSD Food Services at 936-6520.
Milk is available for those students who bring their lunches for $.75. Students may pay with cash or deduct from their LunchBox account.
Please be certain that your child has a lunch each day. In an effort to foster student responsibility, it is our policy not to loan lunch money.
Lost and Found
Throughout the school year, we accumulate a large number of sweaters, sweatshirts, and jackets. If your child is missing any of these articles, please visit the lost and found racks located near the lunch tables. Smaller items such as glasses, watches, calculators, etc. are kept in the office. Please be advised that any items not claimed in June will be donated to charitable organizations.
Medication
Education Code 49423 allows school personnel to administer medications if the following steps are taken:
- Physician’s request form is completed and submitted to the office annually for each medication.
- Parental release form is on file in the office.
- The pharmacy container with the medicine is labeled with the name of the child, name of the medicine, dosage requirements, and physician’s name.
- Medicine is brought to school by the parent.
Parent Teacher Association
The College Park PTA is a very active and supportive group. The association is composed of volunteer parents and committed staff members who devote their time and talents to providing support for our school and special experiences and events for our students. There are many opportunities for parents to become involved. Your membership and participation in this outstanding organization benefits your child’s education. Meetings are held monthly in the school multi-purpose room. Membership and other PTA related information is sent home during the first few weeks of school.
Parent Volunteers
College Park welcomes and values our volunteer parents. Without volunteers, many programs and activities offered at our school would not be possible. Parents will be given opportunities to sign-up to help in the classroom, and to assist with various events taking place throughout the school year.
Pets
Pets should not be on campus unless the teacher or principal has granted special permission. Please be aware that, pursuant to Orange County Ordinance 41.46, dogs are not to be on school grounds at any time. Should you choose to bring your dog when walking your child to and from school, please wait for your child off school grounds.
Playground Supervision
Playground supervision for upper grade students will begin at 7:45 a.m. and begin at 8:00 a.m. for primary students. For your child’s safety, upper grade students should not arrive on campus prior to 7:45 a.m. and primary students should not arrive on campus prior to 8:00 a.m. After school supervision will end at 2:30 p.m. on regular school days and at 1:45 p.m. on modified or minimum days. All students should leave campus by that time unless other arrangements have been made. No student will be kept after school without prior parent permission.
Rainbow Rising
Rainbow Rising is a positive alternative for working parents in need of childcare. Rainbow Rising is located on campus in the two buildings adjacent to the entrance to our parking lot. Hours are from 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. If you would like additional information, including fees, please call 552-0366. To receive information regarding other Irvine childcare facilities, you may call the Irvine Community Services Department at 724-6632 or 724-6635.
Report Cards/ Parent Conferences
Report cards are issued at the end of each trimester during the school year. During the first month of school, parents are invited to attend Back to School Night to learn about the grade level curriculum and instructional program for their child. This evening is for adults only. A goal setting parent/teacher conference is held at the end of October to establish learning goals for each student. A second parent/teacher conference is scheduled in the spring for some students. Parents are encouraged to schedule conferences with the teacher anytime they feel there is a need during the school year.
Open House is scheduled in the spring. All members of the family are invited to come and share in the activities and experiences your child has had during the school year.
Student Recognition Program
The College Park staff wants to publicly affirm appropriate student behavior and positive character development. Each teacher has his or her own method for recognizing positive student behavior. In addition, students are recognized at assemblies for outstanding citizenship, academic achievement, outstanding effort, athletic and physical fitness achievement, and demonstration of ethical behavior.
We welcome the opportunity to assist our students’ parents in helping their child become a happy, productive citizen.
Safety and Disaster Preparedness
We want to reassure you that College Park has an extensive emergency plan. In compliance with California law, the Irvine Unified School District uses the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) in its emergency plans and procedures. Response procedures are in place to activate the emergency plan. Each year the staff reviews and practices the plan in mock drills to ensure the safest and most efficient response to an emergency. State law requires each elementary school to conduct monthly fire drills, a lock-down drill, and a drop-and-cover drill as part of the emergency preparedness plan.
How can you help ensure our students’ safety as a parent?
- Always sign-in your child in the office if your child is arriving late or sign-out your child in the office if your child is leaving school.
- Volunteer in your child’s class. Make sure to sign-in and out and wear a visitor/volunteer sticker at all times.
- Be familiar with the school site and report anything out of the ordinary to the school office or after school hours to the police.
- Carefully read newsletters and correspondence sent home by the school.
In the event of an emergency:
- Remain calm.
- Walk to the playground and follow student release procedures.
- Ask, “How can I help?”
- Volunteer and follow the instructions and guidelines carefully.
Safety To and From School
Children in grades 3-6 may ride their bicycles to school. Each bicycle must be in safe working order and be equipped with a lock and be parked in the bike racks. California law requires that all school age bike riders wear safety helmets. Children are expected to follow all traffic safety laws when going to and from school. School rules include walking all bicycles when they are on school grounds. Riding a bicycle to school is a privilege that may be taken away by parents and the school if safety rules are not followed.
If your child will be walking or riding his/her bicycle to school, please discuss the safest route with your child. Bicyclists and pedestrians must use crosswalks and utilize the assistance of a crossing guard or staff member when provided. Students are not allowed to cross the parking lot at any time without using one of the crosswalks located at the entrance and exit of the parking lot.
Students are not allowed to ride skateboards, scooters or rollerblades to school. With the number of people around the school at arrival and dismissal, we feel that to allow students to ride their skateboards, scooters, or rollerblades to school could create a safety hazard.
Student Accident and Health Insurance
The school district makes available to parents a low cost accident and health insurance for their children. Forms are distributed to parents the first day of school. Additional forms are available in the office. The desirability of having such a plan can provide benefits and coverage when help is needed.
Tardy Policy
In order to foster student responsibility, minimize classroom interruptions, and avoid unnecessary embarrassment, it is important that students arrive to school on time. It is for these reasons that we have instituted a formal tardy policy at College Park. A student is considered tardy if he/she arrives after class begins. This will be 8:00 a.m. for students in grades 4-6 and morning kindergarten, 8:15 a.m. for students in grades 1-3, and 11:30 a.m. for afternoon kindergarten. A tardy will be unexcused for any reason other than the following: medical or dental appointment, late arriving school bus.
- After any unexcused tardy, the child is responsible for making up the lost instructional time.
- After the fifth unexcused tardy, the child is responsible for making up the lost instructional time. A letter will be sent home.
- After the tenth unexcused tardy, the child is responsible for making up the lost instructional time. A conference with the principal will be held. A second letter will be sent home.
- After the fifteenth tardy, the child is required to make up the instructional time. The student will be referred to the district’s School Attendance and Review Board.
Textbooks/Library Books
Textbooks and library books are school property and are loaned to students. Students are responsible for their safekeeping. All hard cover textbooks must be covered. Students are responsible to pay for lost or damaged textbooks.
Traffic and Parking Procedures
The Irvine Police Department actively patrols the area around College Park at arrival and dismissal times. They watch for cars speeding, illegally parking, and other unsafe driving behaviors. In order to keep our students safe, we ask that parents use caution when driving in our parking lot and around our school.
When parking in the neighborhood, please obey all traffic laws and be considerate to our neighbors. Please do not block driveways, leave trash in the area, allow your children to play on someone’s yard, or make excessive noise.
Please be advised that our parking lot is closed to parents and visitors between the hours of 7:30 A.M. to 8:30 A.M. and 1:00 P.M. to 2:30 P.M. each school day. During this time, parents and guests must park on one of the streets surrounding the school and drop off and pick up students in the designated areas. Those parents and guests who display a DMV handicapped placard will be permitted to enter the lot at any time. Three handicapped parking spaces are available for their use. Parents are welcome to park in one of the parking spaces labeled “Visitor” located in the area near the front of the office when the lot is open. The remaining parking places are for staff parking only. Please do not park in these parking stalls at any time.
Two areas in front of the school, one on Fir Avenue and the other on Chaparral Avenue, have been designated as loading zones between the hours of 7:30 A.M. to 8:30 A.M. and 1:00 P.M. to 2:30 P.M.. During those times, you may only drop off and pick up your child. When dropping off students, please pull as far ahead as possible next to the curb in the loading zone before dropping off your children. This will keep things moving quickly. At no time may a driver leave his/her car unattended or park in the loading zone during the posted hours. In addition, the Irvine Police Department will cite any parent unloading students in the street away from the curb. Not only is it illegal, but incredibly dangerous.
Only during non loading zone hours, parents and guests are allowed to park in those areas on Fir and Chaparral Avenues. If you must walk your child to class, please park your car on the street.
In the best interest of all, your cooperation with these traffic, loading, unloading, and parking procedures is greatly appreciated.
Use of Telephones and Cell Phones
We ask that you take care of all arrangements for the day with your children before they leave for school. If the forecast is for rain, send them in a coat or jacket and give them a plan for pick up/dismissal for inclement weather. If after school activities are scheduled, be certain that they know what is expected of them before they leave for school. We ask that ONLY EMERGENCY MESSAGES be telephoned in to children, since we strive to keep instructional interruptions to a minimum. Arrangements with friends must be made prior to coming to school.
Cell phones are permitted at school, however, board policy requires that they be deactivated during the regular school day and used only during an emergency affecting the school or community. The use of cell phones is prohibited during school hours. They are to be turned off and in the student’s backpack during school hours.
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