Student Handbook

Attendance

Our primary goal at Valley View is to help our students have a successful educational experience.Regular attendance is essential to students’ success in school.Most subjects are taught in sequence, requiring the understanding of each concept in the order of its presentation.Frequent absences create gaps in students’ learning and skill development, which are sometimes difficult to remediate with make-up work.We understand that absences will occur due to illness.We do ask that you help eliminate unnecessary absences.

All student absences must be cleared within 2 calendar days of the absence.Failure to clear the absence will result in the absence being considered unexcused.Excessive absences may result in a referral to our Student Attendance Review Board.Please be aware that California Education Code 48260a states that “any student who is absent from school without valid excuse three full days in one school year or tardy or absent for more than any 30-minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof, is a truant and shall be reported to the attendance supervisor or to the superintendent of the school district.”

Parents need to report the reason for the absence by sending a note to your child’s teacher. Parents may also report reasons for absences by calling our attendance line at 943-2451 ext. 204. Your note should contain your student’s full name, your full name and your relationship to the student, the teacher’s name, the date of the absence, and the reason for the absence.

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.

If your child will miss five or more days of school it is important that you contact the school prior to the absence so that arrangements can be made for him/her to keep up with the necessary class work through an Independent Study program. Independent Study allows your child to be absent for other than legal reasons without incurring unexcused absences.Please note, however, in order for your child to receive a perfect attendance award he/she must be present every day and have 0 tardies.

Tardiness to School

It is our intention that students receive the most from their education. Students who arrive late interrupt not only their own learning opportunities, but also those of their classmates. Please help your child develop good habits about time by encouraging prompt arrival at school. We understand that unforeseen circumstances sometimes arise which cause students to be late to school. These circumstances, however, are rare.

Legally excused tardies follow the same state requirements as absences.If your child is tardy for an excused reason he/she must bring a note or have a parent accompany him/her to the office.If he/she fails to do so, the tardy will be considered unexcused.

Three unexcused tardies constitute truancy (Ed. Code #484361) this includes morning and reverse tardies. A reverse tardy is when a student is picked up early from school.

Leaving School Early/Reverse Tardy

Early pick-up from school will result in a reverse tardy.If your child is leaving early due to a medical or dental appointment, it will be excused if you bring a note from the doctor the following day. Otherwise, this will be counted as an unexcused tardy on your child’s attendance record.Morning and reverse tardies will also disqualify your child from perfect attendance.

Students are not permitted to leave school grounds prior to dismissal time unless they have been signed out in the office by a parent, guardian, or other person listed on their emergency card.A picture I.D. is also required to check out a student. Parents are requested to plan appointments during non-school hours and to avoid picking students up early.If, however, you do find it necessary to pick up your child early, please send a note to school with your child to alert his/her teacher.There will be no phone calls to the classroom after 1:30 p.m., due to students’ preparation for dismissal.If you need to pick up your child from 1:35 p.m. to the end of the day, please send a note with him/her.

If your child is going home after school any other way than what he/she normally does, please send a note to the teacher. Without a note, your child will be sent home his/her normal way.

For over 30 years, AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) have proven time and time again that when given resources and tools for academic rigor and support, students can be academically successful. AVID Center's vision for the future is to provide the entire educational system, elementary through post-secondary, a comprehensive feeder pattern model to focus on success for all students within a rigorous academic setting. AVID's vision is to establish an enriching, motivating, and empowering environment in which all students develop a growth mindset toward learning. 

AVID Elementary is designed to be embedded into the daily routines and curriculum of all elementary classrooms across entire grade levels to impact school wide structures. AVID Elementary classes focus on the lens of WICOR (Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Rigor) lessons to enhance the designated curriculum, frameworks, and common core expectations per grade level. AVID Elementary promotes best teaching practices to develop consistency in thinking, processing, and delivering information by both students and teachers. According to International Business Times, "The U.S. was ranked 17th in an assessment of the education systems of 50 countries, behind several Scandinavian and Asian nations, which claimed the top spots." The path to college begins now, and students must practice and learn the necessary skills to enjoy success. 

It is necessary for students to understand and learn what it takes to be successful in school. We will ask for your student to critically think, organize, write, read, collaborate, and investigate more than they have previously done before. We know this can be a difficult adjustment for some students, but with the advent of the Common Core State Standards, it is a necessary change in how our students learn. We appreciate your support in this process. If you have any concerns or questions, please let us know. We know from experience that the students who have the necessary skills are far more likely to be a success in school, than those who do not. 

You will recognize AVID strategies in practice when you see the college focused campus decorations, and when you hear your student talking about two-column notes, one-pagers, or Socratic seminars. We have four evening AVID family nights each year to help our families learn about the skills and strategies used within AVID so families can better support their students at home. For the school, we strive to have consistent AVID practices across grade levels and the campus. You can find our campus articulation plan here and the recommended school supplies here. 

Valley View Elementary has implemented a PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) program designed to increase safety on campus and support positive behavior. All staff has been trained in creating Well Managed Schools by Boys Town. We teach students skills to implement and find ways to increase positive behaviors. The program at Valley View brings structure, and the support and success to our learning community. The program is to motivate students to improve behaviorally and academically while helping them with their social and emotional needs. We want to help our students regain and maintain self-control when making choices, while teaching students problem solving skills and other important social skills. 

Valley View School believes that all students have a right to a safe and healthy school environment and have an obligation to promote mutual respect, tolerance and acceptance.

Valley View School will not tolerate behavior that infringes on the safety of any student.

Bullying and hazing are serious matters.  Bullying is any mean or disrespectful behavior that is done on purpose to hurt someone physically or emotionally.  Hazing is any initiation into a team or group that may cause humiliation, physical or emotional harm. A student shall not intimidate or harass another student through words or actions. Such behavior includes: direct physical contact, such as hitting or shoving; verbal assaults, such as teasing or name-calling; and social isolation or manipulation. Students who bully are in violation of this policy and are subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion.

There are different types of bullying and misconduct including, but not limited to:

Physical Bullying: hitting, kicking, pushing or other unwelcome physical contact.  Serious physical bullying may be regarded as a criminal act, such as battery or assault.

Cyberbullying: using electronic devices to embarrass, spread rumors, threaten or intimidate.  This includes posting or sending inappropriate messages or images by text, cell phone or on social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.  Sending nude or sexual images may be considered distribution or possession of child pornography, which is a crime.

Social Bullying: leaving people out, rejecting, manipulating relationships, rating or ranking people, or trying to ruin the reputation of another.

Verbal Bullying: name calling, teasing, spreading hurtful rumors or gossip, making threats or rude noises.  All threats are taken seriously and may be reported to law enforcement.

Non-verbal Bullying: posturing, dirty looks, stalking, damaging property, graffiti, making gang signs or other efforts to intimidate or pressure someone. 

Indirect Bullying:  getting someone to do something mean or hurtful to someone else on your behalf.

Sexual Harassment:  any unwanted or demeaning behavior about someone’s sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity or gender expression. Sexual harassment may require additional investigation. (Even if I like the person I must be respectful at all times.)

 Discrimination:  targeting someone based on their real or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, disability or medical condition, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or gender expression may be considered an act of hate and may be a crime. 

Valley View School expects students, parents and/or staff to immediately report incidents of bullying to the principal or designee. Each complaint of bullying shall be promptly investigated. This policy applies to students on school grounds, while traveling to and from school or a school-sponsored activity, during the lunch period, whether on or off campus and during a school-sponsored activity.

To help ensure bullying does not occur on our school campus, Valley View School will provide staff development training in bullying prevention. Students will participate in campus-wide bully prevention lessons which will take place during designated class times.

You can find more information regarding District Policies and practices here.

Breakfast ($1.25)

Hot lunch ($2.70) and milk ($.35) are available every day in our school cafeteria. Students may either purchase their lunch or bring a sack lunch. Parents may pre-pay for lunch On-Line using www.mealpayplus. Students may pre-pay for lunches any day of the week in the cafeteria. Checks should be made payable to Westside Union Child Nutrition.

Lunch menus are distributed each month.

Please visit our Child Nutrition page for more information.

WUSD Board Policy 5131

• Cell phones, including those with any image capturing capabilities, are to be, off and put away*, while on school grounds. These devices may only be used with the permission and in the presence of an administrator or designee.
• If the device is not "off and put away", the school employee shall confiscate it and turn it over to an administrator or designee who will release the device to a parent or guardian only.
• Possession of cell phones at after school activities or extra curricular activities will follow the same policy of "off and put away" and will only be allowed with permission and in the presence of an administrator or designee or parent/guardian present at the activity, as long as it is not a disruption to the activity.
• A student who violates this policy may be prohibited from possessing a cell phone at school or school-related events and may be subject to site disciplinary action.
• All other electronic devices, such as CD players, iPods, other digital music devices, and cameras are prohibited at all times except with specific permission from an administrator or designee. If any student is found in possession of any such device, except with specific permission from an administrator or designee, it shall be confiscated and the student will be subject to the school disciplinary policy.

In keeping with this policy the Valley View Administration will be issuing the following consequences for student violations:

Cell Phones that are confiscated will only be released to a parent and the student will receive a Warning for a first offense.  Second offenders will receive Detention and loose the privilege of possessing a cell phone at school.  Any student who has lost the privilege and is subsequently in possession of a cell phone will be suspended for defiance.

Any students in possession of electronic items that do not serve a specific educational purpose will be subject to the following consequences:

Electronic devices that are confiscated and given to the office will only be released to a parent and the student will receive Detention.  Second time offenders will be suspended for defiance.

Classrooms will no longer be interrupted for any reason. This includes forgotten homework, lunches, instruments, etc.Items will be left in the office and the student will be responsible for picking the items up. The office will not accept cash; therefore, money left for lunch will have to be a check or delivered directly to the cafeteria.Cafeteria personnel are available after 10:00 a.m. Parents cannot sign in and take something to their child’s classroom as this creates a disruption in the classroom.

Students may not receive telephone calls at school.If you have an emergency, please contact the office.

Students are encouraged to wear shoes and clothing that will enable them to participate safely and comfortably in both classroom and playground activities. Hair, excessive dark or heavy make-up, and/or clothing should not create a disruption in the classroom.

Neon or unnatural hair color, extreme spikes, Mohawks or other distracting hair styles are not allowed.

Students’ shoes must have back straps and closed toes.

Crop tops, tube tops, tank tops with large armholes, spaghetti strap tank tops, halter-tops, short shorts and gang-related apparel are examples of inappropriate school clothing.

Inappropriate jewelry, clothing advertising tobacco, alcohol or drugs or displaying inappropriate sayings are not to be worn to school.

Dangling earrings and body piercings are not allowed. They may be a distraction to other students that hinders the learning process and may also pose a safety hazard during school activities. Students wearing these items to school will be asked to remove them.

Hats need to be off while inside and worn in the appropriate manner.

Pants must fit at the waist.Belts must be tucked into belt loops.

A good rule of thumb in school dress is: If in doubt, don’t wear it.

The staff of Valley View dedicates themselves to have strong communication with their families. A variety of methods are used for communication with families and include:

• Email
  • Can email individual teachers or staff members. A word of caution though, we have an extremely strong filter for our email so not all emails will be sent through right away. 
• Let's Talk! 
  • Opens a communication dialogue with administration or office staff similar to emails. 
• Phone
  • You can call us at (661)943-2451 for questions or information.
• Class Dojo
  • Starting in 2018-2019 we are making an effort to go as paperless as possible. Teachers will utilize Class Dojo to send home messages electronically through the app, and the administration and PTA will use it to send out school information about upcoming events. 
• School Messenger (Phone & Email Dialers)
  • Parents must opt-in to receive these phone messages and emails. 
• Flyers
  • Flyers or other information is sent home regularly. Check with your student and in their backpack to stay aware of the information and events. 
• Banners/Signs
  • We have banners or posters that are placed around campus to notify about upcoming events or information such as minimum days. As you drive or walk by campus be sure to check these out for information.
• Electronic Marquee
  • The electronic marquee is used to display upcoming events or important information.
• Website
  • This website is updated regularly so keep checking back for up-to-date information. 

It is important that we have an accurate address and phone number where you can be reached during the school day.For your child’s protection, we also ask that you provide us with the names of three local alternate contacts in the event that we are unable to contact you.Should your child become ill or injured during school, it will be necessary for us to contact you immediately.It is important that this information be kept current at all times.Our ability to contact someone immediately may be the difference in obtaining appropriate medical care or attention for your child.

If you are unsure of how weather conditions are affecting school, please tune to a local radio station for information: 610 AM, 1380 AM, 1470AM, 106 FM, or 107.3 FM.School closures and/or shortened days will be announced on the local stations and Honeywell system as soon as a determination has been made.Because we have a limited number of phone lines and getting through to the school may be difficult we ask that you tune in to a local radio station for information.

If school is closed early, the office staff will attempt to contact as many families as possible of students who are normally picked up after school, are “walkers”, or attend kindergarten.

Important:If no adult is at home to care for your child in the event of an early dismissal, please advise the school of this situation and provide special instructions for his/her welfare.

Elementary and middle school counselors support student  growth in the areas of academics, career and personal/social development. These services may address a variety of topics such as: friendship problems, goal setting, academic progress, study skills, bullying, self-esteem, working with others, decision making, managing/understanding feelings, peer relationships, career exploration, social skills, etc. It is important  to establish respect and trust with students, therefore student confidentiality will be respected, with possible exceptions to high-risk behaviors, harm to self or others, or neglect requiring immediate outside services and/or law enforcement.  Counseling services can be delivered in a variety of formats such as one-on-one, small group, classroom sessions, and/or large settings.  School counseling services are provided on an as needed basis throughout the school year, however these services are not intended as clinical therapy.  

School counselors can assist parents with understanding the developmental changes of childhood, facilitating collaboration between parents and teachers, and providing community resources.  Please contact the school if you would like to refer your student for counseling services.

Valley View offers school counseling services through our on site guidance counselor. For more information about the program and services, please visit our Counseling and Support page

It is usually possible to work out a schedule with your physician to administer medication at home before or after school rather that during the school day.If this is possible, we encourage you to do this.

However, if it is necessary for your child to take medication (prescription and/non-prescription, “over the counter”) during school hours, the following procedures must be followed:

1. The form “Request for Medication to be Administered During School Hours” must be completed and signed by the physician and the parent.This form can be picked up in the Health Office or faxed to your physician upon request.
2. An adult (parent, guardian, caretaker) must bring the medication to school.No medication may be brought to or from school by students or carried in their backpacks or pockets.
3. All medication must be properly labeled by the pharmacist.

These rules apply to all medications, prescription and/or “over the counter” such as Tylenol, medicated skin creams, vitamins, allergy and cold preparations.

If it is more convenient, parents may come to school and dispense the medication themselves.Contact the school nurse or health clerk for more information and the necessary form to be completed by you and your child’s health care provider.

Progress reports are sent home at the end of the 1^st and 3^rd quarters.Report cards are sent home at the end of 1^st semester (2^nd quarter) and 2^nd semester (4^th quarter).For 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th grades 1^st and 2^nd semester grades are averaged together to determine the overall grade point average (GPA).

You may request a conference for your child at any time during the school year.

Students’ grades can be accessed online at anytime using the Parent Portal in PowerSchool. Parents of students working below grade level will receive letters of possible retention in the current grade level. The letters will address academic and behavioral concerns and conditions that need to be met in order to avoid retention. Students who are not meeting grade level expectations by the end of the school year, through their own efforts or through interventions (such as tutoring, intersession school, and/or summer school), will be retained.

Students are expected to follow school and class rules at all times.Your cooperation in discussing the importance of these rules with your child(ren) will help ensure a healthy, happy, and productive school setting for all children.

1. Be punctual! Get to school and class on time.
2. Be prepared! Bring all materials that you need to class.
3. Be courteous! Show consideration for other students and school staff.
4. Be proud! Our school is special and so are you.Take pride in yourself and your school’s appearance.
5. Be yourself! Each of you is important to our school.
6. Student behavior that prevents a teacher from teaching, other students from learning, or creates a disruption will not be tolerated.
7. Students are not to leave the school grounds after their arrival until dismissal at the end of the day or unless they have been signed out by their parent or guardian in the office.
8. Students will be courteous to others. Name-calling, use of profanity, fighting, harassing other students, discourtesy and disrespect to others are not acceptable school behaviors and will be treated seriously.
9. Students will play in a safe and courteous manner.
10. Any personal items students bring to school remain their responsibility and theirs alone.The school will not and cannot be responsible for personal items brought to school. Please stress this issue with your child(ren).
11. Cell phones, including those with any image capturing capabilities, are to be off and put away while on school grounds.These devices may only be used with the permission and in the presence of an administrator or designee.If the device is not “off and away”, the school employee shall confiscate it and turn it over to an administrator or designee who will release the device to a parent or guardian only.
12. Students are to leave their toys, games and athletic equipment (bats, balls, etc) at home except for classroom sharing.This will prevent items from being lost or broken and will help students stay alert to what is happening in the classroom.
13. Students are not to bring dangerous objects such as knives, matches or lighters, and laser pens onto school grounds.Facsimile weapons are also banned. Smoking or possession of cigarettes, tobacco or drugs will result in immediate suspension from school and possible expulsion.
14. Students will do their part to maintain a neat, attractive, and clean campus.
15. Students will maintain all issued books and materials in good condition.
16. Gum chewing, littering, and defacing school property or another person’s property are not permitted.
17. Parents should remind their students that possession or use of any alcohol, tobacco products or illegal drugs will not be tolerated at school or school functions. Suspension from school and or referral to an outside agency may result from such inappropriate student action.

Students in K-3^rd grade are provided with one pencil per month and two boxes of crayons per year. 4^th and 5^th grade students receive one pencil per month and one box of crayons per year. Paper will be supplied by the school as needed. Your child may bring other supplies, such as a binder and additional pencils to school if he/she chooses to do so.Parents are encouraged to supply backpacks for their students. Please check with the teacher regarding other supplies.You can more information on our Recommended School Supplies page. 

Students are expected to maintain their assigned property in good condition. Assigned textbooks are to be covered.All lost and damaged books (including library books) must be replaced by the student to whom they are assigned. Library books may be checked out and taken home.Students are responsible for returning them on time.Report cards are not issued to students who have outstanding fines on textbooks or library books.

Valley View currently participates in state and federal compensatory education projects designed to provide your child with a wide range of educational opportunities.Two of these programs are School Improvement Program and Title 1.Parental input is a key component of both of these programs and we encourage you to become involved.The basic principle underlying the establishment of the School Site Council (SSC) is that those individuals who are most affected by the operation of their school should have a major role in the decisions regarding how their school functions.The SSC is uniquely suited to carry out this function since it is representative of all segments of the school community.Composed of parents and staff members, it provides a forum for all of the major players in the school to come together to identify common goals and to establish a plan to achieve these goals.The SSC’s success depends upon both the ability and the willingness of all those involved in the process to work together in a cooperative manner to develop an effective instructional program in which all students are afforded the opportunity to attain higher levels of academic competence.This involvement occurs through the development of a school improvement plan (Single Plan), including a budget which is reflective and supportive of the plan, and the ongoing review and updating of the school plan.

Students who have done outstanding work are recognized at the end of each semester. In addition, special recognition is given to those 4^th ,5^th, and 6^th graders who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement. Those who have earned a 3.5-3.74 grade point average will be named on the Honor Roll. Those who have earned a 3.75-4.0 grade point average will be named on the Principal’s List. Parents are invited to attend these awards assemblies and share in the recognition of the students’ outstanding achievement.

Other Recognitions

Some grade levels celebrate their students' success and growth with other recognitions such as "Student of the Month" or other character awards. Please check with your teacher's to see if they have this type of program. 

Valley View supports and participates in the district wellness policy. The staff believes that birthday parties and other holiday celebrations at school provide a unique opportunity to help make healthful living fun and exciting for children. Schools can take advantage of classroom celebrations to serve food that tastes good, is nutritious, and also demonstrate ways to celebrate that do not include food. To this end, we limit food choices to healthy selections while at school and sometimes provide celebrations that do not include food. Each classroom has chosen to adopt a different approach to implementing this wellness policy. Please ask your child’s teacher for his/her guidelines.

More information about the District Wellness Policy can be found here.