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TARPEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
PARENT HANDBOOK INFORMATION
Message from the Administrators
We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Tarpey Elementary. We look forward to working together with you to provide the best education possible for your children. Tarpey’s program will reflect our concern for high standards and high expectations. We are dedicated in maintaining a tradition of excellence that has been a characteristic of Tarpey Elementary and Clovis Unified School District. We are here to serve your child, you, and the Tarpey community.
ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL
For your child's safety, children should be dropped off no earlier than 7:40 AM and picked up by 3:00 PM unless they are involved in a supervised after school activity. Siblings not involved with afterschool programs shouldn’t wait afterschool for those in afterschool programs. Students must be in class by 8:00 am or they will be tardy.
PARENT VISITATIONS
Parents are welcome and encouraged to visit the school. Visits should be scheduled in advance with the teacher so that suggestions for appropriate time will make the visit as productive as possible. Teachers will not conference with parents during class time. In the interest of safety, all visitors must check in at the office upon arrival at school and prior to visiting a classroom. All visitors are required to wear a visitor or volunteer badge. All visitors without a badge will be directed to the office. This procedure will assist the staff in offering a safe, secure environment for our students. For all children's safety parents should not play with any children on the playgrounds.
VOLUNTEER & VISITOR POLICIES
All Chaperones and Volunteers must fill out a CUSD Volunteer form in the office and be cleared at least two weeks prior of volunteering/chaperoning, including field trips. All Chaperones, Volunteers AND Visitors must sign in at the office prior to coming on campus. Volunteers need to sign in and obtain a volunteer badge from the office and should adhere to the Clovis Unified School District dress code when volunteering in the classroom and field trips.
EARLY DISMISSAL
Every Wednesday and the last day of school is early dismissal. School is dismissed at 1:15 PM every Wednesday. Students in PM Kindergarten are dismissed at 1:20pm. Morning AM Kindergarten dismissal is 10:40 AM. Please be sure your child is picked up on-time.
TARDINESS
When your child is more than 1 minute late, he/she should report to the school office before going to class. This is necessary to prevent your child from being marked absent when they are actually present. Being tardy not only prevents your child from receiving critical instruction, it also interrupts the learning process of other children. For every three (3) tardies a student has in one quarter, the student will receive one (1) hour of detention. Truancies are unexcused tardies of 30 minutes or more. For each two truancies, students will receive make-up seat time at detention during a quarter. If this becomes a chronic issue, the matter will be referred to the Tarpey Student Attendance Review Board (SARB). Students on a SARB contract will follow the attendance policy outlined in the contract.
ABSENCES
Regular school attendance is important to your child’s progress. When it is necessary for your child to be absent from school or come to school late, he/she must have a note from the parent/guardian explaining the reason. Any Medical notes, doctors, school nurse’s, or Health Center notes are HIGHLY preferred, when available. In addition, please telephone the school office the morning your child will be absent or clear the absence online at clovisusd.k12.ca.us/tarpey. All absences must be cleared within 24 hours after the occurrence. An uncleared absence is considered truant. Please call the office at least two weeks prior for an Independent Study if your child will be absence five (5) days or more,
LOST AND FOUND
Many articles become lost or left unclaimed during the course of the year. It helps if personal belongings are clearly marked on the inside label with your child’s name so that your child can identify his/her articles easily. Children may claim lost items by checking with their teacher and then checking the lost and found box and/or the office. At the end of each quarter, unclaimed items are given to a charitable organization.
ITEMS NOT TO BRING TO SCHOOL
Children are not allowed to use cell phones during school hours. They should not bring live animals, gum, seeds and playthings to school except by special permission from the teacher. These included but are not limited to, electronics, trading cards and balls. A toy or other items brought from home can be distracting and cause neglect of classroom work. They can also pose a safety hazard for children and staff. Teachers may take such items and hold them for the parent to pick up.
DRESS CODE
Excessively baggy or oversized pants or shorts are not allowed. Oversized or camouflaged clothing presents a safety concern or reflects a gang style image is not acceptable. Halter-tops and bare midriffs are not appropriate for school wear. Shorts days coincide with the changes in standard and daylight savings time. Shorts days end after the last Friday of October and resume on Monday after daylight savings time occurs. Hairstyles that include unusual designs, colors, symbols, messages, Mohawks or tails are not allowed. Partial razor shaving of the head may be only one inch above the top of the ear. If these or other attire is found distracting to the educational environment, then you will be notified. If you would like more specific information please refer to the Clovis Unified School District Dress Code Policy that is distributed at the beginning of the school year and available in the office.
FIELD TRIPS
All field trips will be curriculum based to increase student achievement. Approved permission slips must be signed by a parent before a student can go on a field trip. Telephone permission is not encouraged. In some instances, the school will fundraise voluntary donations to help pay for field trip travel expenses. Therefore it is very important parents pay attention to the deadline for the permission slip. Students must be clear of all financial and library obligations to participate in field trip activities. Chaperones for all field trips must fill out the Clovis Unified School District Volunteer Form along with a photo ID. Chaperones also must be in CUSD dress code with regard to clothing and gang related symbols.
WRITTEN PERMISSION
It is necessary for students to bring requests written and signed by the parent for permission to leave early, go home with another pupil, or different mode of transportation. This note needs to be submitted to the teacher or the office. All field trips must have a permission slip signed by a parent.
MOVING
A student’s school assignment is based upon the residence of the parent or court-appointed guardian. If you move, you must notify the school within five days. If you are found to be out of the Clovis Unified School District or the Tarpey attendance area and have not notified the office, your child can be withdrawn and your request for an intra or inter district request for your child to remain at Tarpey can be denied. All financial obligations must be cleared before leaving.
WITHDRAWING YOUR CHILD FROM SCHOOL.
Should your family find it necessary to move out of Clovis Unified School District, please follow the steps below to make for an easier withdrawal for both you and your child:
- Notify the school at least two days prior to your child’s last day at school. You may call or send a note to the school.
- Return all library & textbooks, and pay any fines or loans.
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Teachers are available for conferences either in person or by phone. Conferences may be scheduled by calling or emailing the teacher. Parents may not confer with teachers during class time. If canceling a conference appointment, please call at least 24 hours in advance so another parent conference can be scheduled. Parents will be asked to attend at least one individual conference during the year to discuss student progress.
SAFETY CONCERNS
Please notify the office staff or an administrator if you have any on site or off site safety concerns that may impact the well being of our students. Please remind your children to follow all safety rules’, including using the cross walks as the only area to cross the street. If your child is a walker, discuss the walking route they will take. Advise them to walk with a friend and go straight home. Speak with them about using the crossing guards and following traffic signals. If your child is a bike rider, review all bike safety rules including the ones mentioned for walkers. Remind your child to wear a helmet at all times. NO bikes, scooters, or skateboards are to be ridden on school grounds at any time.
SUPPLIES
Basic student supplies are provided at school. Students, of course, are responsible for the care of the textbooks and other non-consumable items issued to them. Students are responsible for care and replacement of all lost or damaged books.
TELEPHONE
The office cannot transfer calls for a student in to the classroom. The morning is academic time and phone interruptions will interfere with class time. In an emergency situation please inform the office staff and we will be happy to take a message for the student and make sure the student receives the message. The use of the office phones for students use is for emergencies only and will be allowed with permission.
HONOR ROLL
The Honor Roll is a means of giving recognition to students based on scholastic achievement. The requirements reflect not only the student’s academic achievement, but also his/her effort and citizenship. The Honor Roll is published quarterly – at the end of each report card period. (1) A special certificate is presented to the student. Most students at Jefferson in grades 2-6 are graded utilizing the A, B, C, D, F criteria. Within this policy, latitude has been given to teachers to calculate grades on the following percentile basis:
A = 90 – 100% (excellent work)
B = 80 – 89% (above average work)
C = 70 – 79% (average work)
D = 60 – 69% (below average work)
F = below 59% (failing work)
DISCIPLINE
Maintaining student conduct is necessary to achieving our goals of providing a safe school and achieving highest student achievement. Each class under the direction of the teacher will develop a set of rules. The rules and consequences are posted in the classroom. There is a school wide accountability program. The “Tarpey Personal Responsibility (PR) Reward” is presented at the end of each quarter in recognition of those students who have demonstrated personal responsibility and outstanding character. The criteria for PR are sent home with each student and it is also explained in the classroom by the teacher at Back-To-School Night. All students who earn this award will be eligible to attend a special activity.
Fighting will result in suspension regardless of who initiates the altercation. Any offense that leads to suspension, an office referral or poor attendance, will be an automatic elimination from special character accountability event and may affect participation in co-curricular activities. Alternatives to fighting are walking away, asking an adult for help or alerting teachers or administrators to on-going situations.
COMMUNICATION
Communication is a top priority for the staff at Tarpey Elementary School. Tarpey Elementary School has several different types of media to inform parents and the community of upcoming events at the school site. The weekly pink news calendar is delivered to the classrooms every Friday. This gives detailed information for the upcoming week. All of these publications are given out to your children. Tarpey has an outstanding web site that has all of the information that is given to your children. The web site address is: www.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/Tarpey. The web site includes e-mail addresses for all teachers and administration at Tarpey Elementary School.
PARENT-TEACHER CLUB (PTC)
Please consider joining our Parent Teacher Club, your support ensures participation in an organization that provides our students with activities and raises money for support of special purchases for the school. Meetings are announced in the Pink Weekly Calendar. Contact the school should you need more information.
SCHOOL ASSESSMENT REVIEW TEAM (SART)
School Assessment Review Team (SART) is a team of parents and staff who meet quarterly to provide a forum for school communication among all groups in the school community. The committee also coordinates the annual SART Parent Survey and selects a site representative for the district and area level of the SART process. The team evaluated school programs and their effectiveness and makes recommendations. We encourage all parents to join us at the SART meetings once a quarter.
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
If your child complains of stomach ache, ear ache, sore throat, or cold symptoms and has not been free of fever for at least 24 hours, he/she should be kept home for observation. If your child is absent because of one of the following diseases, please notify the school office: CHICKEN POX, MUMPS, RED MEASLES (RUBEOLA), GERMAN MEASLES (RUBELLA), IMPETIGO, PINK EYE, RINGWORM, SCABIES, AND LICE.
FIRST AID AND ILLNESS DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR
In case of minor injuries, first aid is administered. If there is a serious accident or a child becomes ill, an attempt is made to call the home or reach a parent at work. In the event a parent cannot be reached, the school will send the child to the hospital when necessary.
FIRST GRADE PHYSICALS
California State law requires that all students entering first grade receive a physical examination within 18 months before the start of first grade. The school should receive a copy of the physical before the first day of first grade.
HEAD LICE POLICY
Clovis Unified School District operates on a nit free policy. Under this policy, students will be sent home if evidence of head lice is found. A student may not return to school until he/she has been treated and his/her hair and scalp are free of lice and nits. The student must check in with the school nurse or office staff before he/she returns to the classroom.
MEDICATION POLICY
Medication is administered at school only when absolutely necessary for adequate treatment of a child. No medication will be given at school that could be given at home. In order for an employee to give a medication, the parent/guardian must provide to the office the following:
1.A written physician’s order stating the type, dosage, time at which or special circumstances under which the medication shall be administered, the method of administration, and the length of time for which medication is prescribed.
2.A physician’s order is required for over-the-counter medications as well as prescription medications.)
3.Parent/guardian’s written authorization.
4.Prescription medication must be in their original pharmacy container labeled with the exact dosage; over-the-counter medication must be in the original container labeled with the student’s name. “Medication at School” form is available in the health office and must be completed by the physician and also requires the parent/guardian signature.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION EXCUSE
If a child is to be excused from P.E. for more than a 3 day period, a doctor’s excuse will be required.
ASSISTANCE
Tarpey Elementary School prides itself on being a community resource. If you have specific needs that are beyond the normal scope of the school community, we may be able to help. We have many county wide resources that we can get in touch with to help you with specific situations. Contact school administration to access these resources. Some of the services are offered at reduced or no cost. The following staff members are on site to help you at anytime: Darrin Holtermann; Principal, Troy Waner , GIS, Randy Downer, Resource Teacher, Sharron Vermillion: Resource Teacher, Cathy Ochoa; Office Manager, Martha Gonzales, Home-School Liaison at 327.8000
BELL SCHEDULE
Mon, Tues, Thurs., Fri *First Bell - 7:55am
*Grades 1-6 8:00am – 2:45pm
AM Kindergarten 8:00am – 11:37am
PM Kindergarten 11:38am – 3:10pm
Wednesdays – Early Release
*Grades 1-6 8:00am – 1:15 pm
AM Kindergarten 8:00am – 10:40am
PM Kindergarten 10:40am – 1:20pm
CUSD CATEGORICAL PROGRAM INFO 2010-2011
“Improving Student Achievement for All Clovis Kids”
On an annual basis Clovis Unified School District (CUSD) submits the Application for Funding Consolidated Categorical Aid Programs commonly called the Con Ap. The application is submitted in two (2) parts: Part I, which contains program and demographic information, is submitted by June 1 each year; and Part II, which contains the budget information and additional program data, is submitted by January 31 each year. The categorical programs included in the application are Economic Impact Aid/Limited English Proficient (EIA/LEP), Economic Impact Aid/State Compensatory Education (EIA/SCE), Title I, Part C – Migrant Education, Title II, Part A – Preparing, Training and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals, Title III – Language Instruction for LEP and Immigrant Students, Title IV - Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities, and Title V - Innovative Programs. Schools with grade levels 4 through 8 also implement English Language Acquisition Program (ELAP) funds.
Clovis Unified Schools are committed to establishing a true partnership with all facets of the Clovis Learning Community. CUSD values feedback and input. Parents continue to make positive differences in the lives of the children we all support. We know from research that participation in your child’s education will not only bring success to your child but other children in the school. Our parents truly make a difference in the lives of Clovis Kids!
CUSD is proud and pleased to offer a variety of parent involvement opportunities that improve our overall program. Depending on the type of categorical funding a site may receive, district or school parent councils and committees are required under certain requirements and guidelines. Such advisory committees in the CUSD include:
School Site Councils (SSC)
English Language Advisory Council (ELAC)
District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC)
District Migrant Education Parent Advisory Council
School and District level School Assessment Review Team (SART) & District SART
Intercultural & Diversity Advisory Council (IDAC)
District Indian Education Parent Advisory Committee (IPAC)
We encourage all parents and guardians to become involved with their child’s education, at the classroom, the school-wide level as well as the district level. Each school’s Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) describes the school’s basic educational program and the categorical supplementary programs/services that are designed to support student achievement of each student. Parental involvement is a necessary and vital part of developing the SPSA and our overall program. If you would like additional information on any of the District Parent Council or Committee, please call your child’s school. The Principal, Learning Director, or Guidance Instructional Specialist (GIS) would be happy to assist you or go: to http://www.cusd.com/specialprojects. When describing categorical programs and funding, two important advisory committees are the School Site Council (SSC) and the English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC). For more information, please call your school or go to: http://www.cusd.com/specialprojects.
SSC: All schools receiving categorical funds are required to form a SSC. The SSC is composed of parents, students at the secondary level and school personnel and is responsible for developing, implementing and evaluating the Single Plan for Student Achievement programs. Members serve for two years and are elected by their peers.
ELAC: All schools enrolling 21 or more English learners are required to form and ELAC. The ELAC is composed of parents and schools personnel. The ELAC provides input and makes recommendations to the principal, staff and SSC regarding services for English learners as well as conducts an annual survey. Members serve for two years. The following is an overview of the categorical funding and programs in CUSD. These funds are outlined in each school’s SPSA.
RATIONAL General District funds provide support for the District’s base/core curriculum program. Some children have special characteristics, not reflective of the general school population, that affect their success in the base/core programs. Some come from economically disadvantaged homes; some are educationally disadvantaged or lack English language proficiency because they have a primary language other than English. Children, such as those described above, require supplemental services and materials not generally provided through the base/core curriculum program. Children’s needs are identified and supplemental services and materials are planned and targeted to meet their special needs. Categorical funds are to be used to provide the financial support to meet these special needs.
PHILOSOPHY
All CUSD schools offer students with special needs the same kinds of high quality learning opportunities and access to the core curriculum in all curricular areas. Categorical funds are designed to support additional assistance to help students succeed in the regular classroom program (base/core curriculum) and address any learning gaps. The focus is on the effective utilization of supplementary materials, personnel, and staff development. Staff development activities are used to improve instructional practices and strategies to increase the ability of teachers and other staff to challenge and assist all students to reach their full potential.
CATEGORICAL PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
1. Economic Impact Aide (EIA) - A state-funded program to provide supplementary services to meet the needs of English Learners, students not meeting proficiency on the state tests, and socio-economically disadvantaged students.
2. Title I, Part A (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) - A federal-funded program to provide high-quality opportunities for students in high-poverty schools to meet district and state content and performance standards.
3. Title I, Part C (Migrant Education Program) - A federal-funded program focused on providing services for migratory students and their families.
4. Title II, Part A (Preparing, Training and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals) - A federal-funded program focused on teacher and principal training and recruitment programs.
5. Title III (Language Instruction for LEP and Immigrant Students) - A federal-funded program focused on assisting school districts in teaching English to limited English proficient students (English learners) and helping these students meet the same challenging State standards required of all other students.
6. Title IV (Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program) - A federal-funded program to provide funds to support and create learning environments that are free of violence and drugs.All CUSD schools benefit from these funds.
7. Title V (Innovative Programs) – A federal-funded program for the purpose of providing support for innovative programs, over and above those provided by District funds. The authorized program areas are: programs using technology, instructional and educational materials, reform projects, at-risk programs, literacy programs, educational enhancement, and school improvement.
The goal of the CUSD staff is to create and maintain the best educational environment possible. This can be accomplished with your support and input. If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to become more involved in the educational process at your school, please contact your school principal. Your school can assist you in learning more about categorical programs. You may want to become involved in your school’s School Site Council (SSC), English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) and/or attend the Annual Title I Parent Meeting. During the fall each school will send additional Information about these activities. We encourage and look forward to your involvement in the programs we offer our learning community.
