Chula Vista Elementary School District

Arroyo Vista Charter School A California Distinguished School

Together Everyone Achieves More 2014-2015

Parent Handbook

Pat Roth, Principal

July 2014

Board of Education Marissa A. Bejarano • Larry Cunningham • Douglas E. Luffborough, III

Pamela B. Smith • Glendora M. Tremper

Superintendent Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER The Chula Vista Elementary School District is committed to providing equal educational, contracting, and employment opportunity to all in strict compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations. The District office that monitors compliance is the Human Resources Services and Support Office, 84 East J Street, Chula Vista, CA 91910, phone 619-425-9600, ext. 1340. Any individual who believes s/he has been a victim of unlawful discrimination in employment, contracting, or in an educational program may file a formal complaint with the District’s Human Resources Office.

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PARENT HANDBOOK

CONTENTS

§ CVESD Calendar

§ Daily Schedule

§ Attendance Policy

§ Peanut allergy procedures

§ General Information

§ Emergency Family Reunion Procedures

§ Dress for Safety Policy

§ Homework Policy

§ Behavior Policy

§ Discipline Policy

§ Weapons and Dangerous Instruments (Administrative Regulations)

§ Weapons and Dangerous Instruments (Board Policies)

§ Student Harassment Policy

§ Parking Lot Drop Off / Pick Up Procedures & Map

§ School Map

§ Family and School Compact

§ Affidavit: Interviews/Photographs/Videos *

v sign & return

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CHULA VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT 2014 – 15 SCHOOL YEAR YEAR-ROUND CALENDAR

Days Worked per month JULY 2014

180

Day

Cla

ssifi

ed

186

Day

s C

NS

II &

III

185-

Day

Cer

t. S

taff

200

Day

Sch

ool S

taff S M T W T F S 7/1 Fiscal Year begins

1 2 3 4 5 7/4 Legal Holiday – Independence Day 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 7/21-7/22 Teacher Prep Days 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 7/23 Students Report to School – Minimum Day 27 28 29 30 31 End of first school month, 7 days taught 7

AUGUST 2014

S M T W T F S 1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 End of second school month, 21 days taught 21

SEPTEMBER 2014 3 4 5 6

S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 9/1 Legal Holiday – Labor Day

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 9/11-9/18 Parent Teacher Conferences – Minimum Days

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 9/22-10/6

28 29 30

End of third school month, 14 days taught 14 14 14 14

OCTOBER 2014

S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 10/6 Teacher Prep Day

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 10/7 School Resumes – Students Report to School – Minimum

Day

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

End of fourth school month, 19 days taught 19

NOVEMBER 2014

S M T W T F S

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 11/11 Legal Holiday – Veterans Day

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 11/24-11/28 Thanksgiving Week Break

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 11/27 Legal Holiday – Thanksgiving Day

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 11/28 In lieu of Holiday – CA Admission Day

30 End of fifth school month, 14 days taught 14

DECEMBER 2014

S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 12/22-1/12 Winter Break

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 12/24, 12/26 Declared Holidays

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 12/25 Legal Holiday

28 29 30 31 12/31 Declared Holiday

End of sixth month, 15 days taught 15

Legend: School day Minimum Day Teacher Prep. Day Break No School Board approved 2/12/14

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CHULA VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT 2014 – 15 SCHOOL YEAR YEAR-ROUND CALENDAR

JANUARY 2015

180

Day

Cla

ssifi

ed

186

Day

s C

NS

II &

III

185-

Day

Cer

t. S

taff

200

Day

Sch

ool S

taff

S M T W T F S 1 2 3 1/1 Legal Holiday – New  Year’s  Day

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1/12 Teacher Prep Day 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 1/13 School Resumes – Students Report to School – Minimum Day 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1/19 Legal Holiday – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

End of seventh school month, 13 days taught 13

FEBRUARY 2015

S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 2/13 Legal Holiday – Lincoln Day

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 2/16 Legal Holiday – Washington Day 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

End of eighth school month, 18 days taught 18

MARCH 2015

S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 3/12-3/19 Parent Teacher Conferences – Minimum Days 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 3/23-4/3 Spring Break 29 30 31 3/29 End of ninth school month, 15 days taught 15

APRIL 2015

S M T W T F S 4/2 In lieu of Holiday – Cesar Chavez Day 1 2 3 4 4/3 Declared Holiday

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 4/6 School Resumes – Students Report to School – not a min. day 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

End of tenth school month, 19 days taught 19

MAY 2015

S M T W T F S 1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 5/25 Legal Holiday – Memorial Day 31 End of eleventh school month, 20 days taught 20

JUNE 2015

S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 6/5 End of School Year for Students – Minimum Day

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 180 days taught 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 6/8 Teacher Prep Day 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

6/30 Fiscal year ends End of twelfth school month, 5 days taught 5 Total Instructional Days:180 180 186 185 200

Legend: School day Minimum Day Teacher Prep. Day Break No School Board approved 2/12/14

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Arroyo Vista Charter School A California Distinguished School

DAILY SCHEDULE

2014-2015

GRADES K-6 Regular school hours are: MTWTH 8:45 – 3:15 FRIDAY 8:45 – 1:45

RECESSES: AM PRIMARY: 1-3 10:25 – 10:40

UPPER: 4-6 10:45 – 11:00 KINDER 11:15 – 11:35

PM PRIMARY: 1-3 1:45 – 2:00

LUNCH: (1) 302, 305, 401, 402, 405, 11:30 – 12:15

(2) 601, 605, 702, 705, 205 11:45 – 12:30

(3) 202 ,201, 301, 602, 701 12:00 – 12:45

(4) 303, 304, 403, 604, 703 12:15 – 1:00

(5) 204, 603, 703, 404 12:30 – 1:15

(6) 203, 801, 802, 803, 804 12:45 – 1:30

(K) 501, 502, 503, 504, 505 M-Th 1:00 – 1:45

Friday 11:00 – 11:45

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Chula Vista Elementary School District District-wide Requirements Arroyo Vista Charter School

Dear Parent/Guardian: The AVCS staff would like to thank you for your continued support in our efforts to keep your child safe, healthy and in school. Attendance and Independent Study requirements of the Chula Vista Elementary School District and Arroyo Vista Charter School are listed below.

Regular on-time school attendance is required by law. Parents/guardians of children between the ages of 6 and 18 are responsible for sending their children to school full-time. The amount of time a student attends class correlates very closely with learning. Consequently, the importance of regular attendance and arriving at school on time cannot be overemphasized. Please attempt to schedule doctor or dentist appointments before or after school. Reporting / Explanation of Absence (Title 5 California Code of Regulations § 306) Title 5 California Code of Regulations § 306, “For every absence of a student, a parent/legal guardian/ caregiver of the absentee is required to submit a written or verbal explanation”. If it is necessary for your child to be absent from class, please comply with the law by notifying the school office about the reason for your child’s absence within 3 days of the date of absence. Failure to report the reason for your child’s absence could turn the absence into an unexcused absence (attendance infraction-truancy). Office phone # 619 656-9676, press 2. There is an automated phone messaging system that will call parents daily for unverified absences. Please keep your current phone numbers updated in the Attendance/Health Office.

Legally Excused Absences (California Education Code § 48205) A student may be excused legally (valid excuse) from school when the absence is for the

following reasons: 1. Personal illness or injury of the student 2. Medical, dental, optometric, or chiropractic services rendered. 3. Attendance at funeral services for a member of the immediate family. 4. Exclusion for failure to present evidence of immunization 5. Exclusion from school because student is either the carrier of a contagious disease or not

immunized for a contagious disease. 6. Student sent home ill by the school health office, provided that student was in class for

roll call.

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7. Upon written request of the parent or guardian and prior approval of the Principal and pursuant to board policy, a student’s absence may be excused. Reasons include, but not limited to:

a. Appearance in court b. Observation of a holiday or ceremony of his/her religion c. Attendance at funeral services for someone that is not a member of the immediate

family. d. Parent returning from active military deployment.

Early Release or Late Arrival of Pupil for Medical Services (California Education Code § 49602)

Pupils must present a note as evidence of a medical appointment to be released or admitted to/from school for medical services. Excused tardies and/or excused early dismissals are limited to those for documented (Dr’s note) medical appointments. Late school bus arrivals will not be counted against a student. All other late arrivals or early dismissals will be deemed unexcused – truant without a doctor’s note for documentation.

Unexcused Absences (California Education Code § 48260-48273) Unexcused absences are truancies and all absences for a cause not specifically noted above in “Legally Excused Absences” will be recorded as a truancy in any of these cases:

1. Absent without a valid excuse. 2. Tardy without a valid excuse. 3. Early dismissal without a valid excuse

A student with three unexcused absences is considered truant. Parents will be notified by mail monthly when their child has accumulated 3 or more unexcused absences (attendance infractions-truancies). A School Attendance Review Team (SART) addresses the needs of students with attendance and/or chronic school behavior problems. Parents, the child’s teacher, the School Resource Officer, the principal and the Attendance Specialist attend this meeting to attempt to resolve the concerns. If attendance does not improve, students and their families are referred to SARB by the school principal. Both the student and his/her parents are required to attend SARB meetings. District staff and community agencies work together to review cases, which have not been resolved by school efforts. All available school and community resources are exhausted before the student is referred or the parents/guardians are cited to appear in court.

Independent Study Contracts

Students who will be away from school for 1 or more days, and a maximum of ten days, may stay current with their studies by completing schoolwork during their absence. Arrangements must be made a minimum of 3 days in advance with the teacher and a contract needs to be signed in the Attendance Office prior to the absence. Independent Study Contracts does not qualify a student for Perfect Attendance. The student will not have an absence recorded for the days he/she completes an Independent Study Contract. An incomplete Independent Study Contract (student did not do the work assigned) will be recorded as an unexcused absence. The Independent Study Contract is not an alternative to regular school attendance.

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Situation Definition Clarification Requirement Absent Student is not present in the

classroom at any time during the school day.

Excused absence for student’s medical or dental reasons, funeral for immediate family member, religious holiday, or parent returns from active military deployment.

Phone call or note from parent or doctor’s note is required. For religious holiday, parent returning from active military duty a written PRIOR approval is required.

Tardy Student is not present in the classroom when roll is being taken.

Student must be in his/her seat in class by 8:45 am . Excused-Dr/Dentist Unexcused-Not permitted

*** Excused tardy must be accompanied by Doctor or Dentist note for tardies of 30 minutes or more. Parent note for tardies less than 30 minutes.

Early Dismissal

A student is present at the beginning of the school day but leaves before school ends.

Excused–Dr/Dentist Unexcused-Not permitted

*** A Doctor or Dentist note is required for an excused early dismissal.

Independent Study Contract (ISC)

An Independent Study Contract (ISC) allows a student to complete work assigned by the classroom teacher while the student is not present in the classroom for a period of two or more days and a maximum of ten days.

Student with completed ISC will not have an absence recorded for those days. Students with an incomplete ISC (didn’t do the assigned work) will have those days recorded as unexcused absences.

3 days prior notice given to the teacher and a signed contract in the Attendance Office. *** An ISC (either completed or incomplete) disqualifies a student from achieving perfect attendance .

Perfect Attendance

Perfect attendance means the child is present in class every day without Independent Study Contracts.

Student is present every day without absences, and has no more than 1 excused tardy per quarter or no more than 1 excused early dismissal per quarter.

Perfect Attendance requirement is: No absences, No more than 1 excused tardy or early dismissal per quarter.

If you have any questions or concerns about the Attendance policies adopted by the Chula Vista Elementary School District, please call the school office at 656-9676 ext. 5697, or the Chula Vista Elementary School District Office at 425-9600 ext. 1389.

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Dear Parents, Our schools have students who are very susceptible to infection and viruses and have a reduced ability to fight off disease. This means that these children are more likely to contract viral and bacterial infections. Your help is needed to ensure that children who are ill are not sent to school. Do not send a child with the following symptoms to school:

• Fever of 100.5°F or more, taken orally (or 101°F taken by ear, rectally or temporal scan). For infants under age 1 year, the upper limit for temperature is 100 degrees (rectally, by ear or by temporal artery), not 101 degrees. Note that ear temperatures are inaccurate and temperature should be taken using another route, if the temperature is high. When fever is accompanied with a rash, earache, sore throat, sluggishness, or nausea, the fever may be a signal of a contagious infection. Keep the child home until fever free. Do not give aspirin to children and teenagers for relief of discomfort or fever without first consulting a physician for each specific use. Aspirin and aspirin-containing medications may increase the chance of developing Reye's Syndrome.

• Cough and difficulty breathing - keep home if child has labored breathing (heaving of chest muscles with each breath), rapid breathing at rest, blue color to skin, wheezing (if never previously evaluated and treated), a diagnosis of pertussis / whooping cough (unless 5 days of antibiotics have been received), or a diagnosis of tuberculosis (until treated).

• Rash that is undiagnosed, especially when there is a fever and behavioral change.

• Pinkeye, untreated, in which there is eye pain and redness, often with a white or yellow discharge, with matted eyelids after sleep, eye pain, and redness.

• Chicken pox - keep home until all blisters are scabbed over and no signs of illness.

• Diarrhea - keep home if the student wears diapers, if there is blood or mucous in the stool (unless from medication or hard stool), if the stools are all black or very pale, or if the stools are very watery and are increasing in frequency. Also, see a doctor immediately and do not bring child to school if diarrhea is accompanied by: no urine output for 8 hours, jaundiced skin, or child looks/acts very ill.

• Vomiting more than once a day or accompanied by fever, rash or general weakness.

• Impetigo - Keep the child home for 24 hours after starting an antibiotic treatment.

• Ringworm (contagious skin fungus infection). Keep child home until treatment is started, if in an exposed area. Ringworm on the body can be treated with a cream applied directly to the affected area and covered with a bandage. Ringworm on the scalp requires an oral medication, but child may return to school if covered with appropriate cream or covered.

• Cold sores - Cold sores can be passed from one person to another, but only through direct contact. Children who drool or place toys in their mouths when they have cold sores should stay home. Other children can come to school.

Students with above symptoms need to be absent for at least 24 hours prior to returning to school.

Antibiotics Children who are placed on antibiotics for the above ailments should be on them for a FULL 24 hours (longer for Pertussis/Whooping Cough) before returning to school to prevent the spread of infection. If at any time you are unsure if your child's illness is contagious, you may want to call your child's primary care provider. If you have further questions, please contact your school site to speak to the school nurse. Thank you for your continued support of the families in our school community. Rev. 3/0

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ARROYO VISTA CHARTER SCHOOL A California Distinguished School

Together Everyone Achieves More

T.E.A.M.

Dear Parents of Arroyo Vista Charter School Students, Several students at Arroyo Vista have experienced a history of anaphylaxis when they have eaten or had contact with any type of nuts. One student has had a reaction just by smelling the nuts. Anaphylaxis is a life threatening allergic reaction that can cause constriction of the airways in the lungs, can severely lower the blood pressure, can cause swelling of the tongue or throat, and sometimes causes death. As you can see, this can be a very serious medical situation for these students. In order to provide for these students’ safety at lunch, we will have a “Nut Free” table for these students that have a medical request. Any classmate may join them as long as that classmate does not have these food items in their lunch. The classroom teachers have asked that parents make every attempt to not send any foods that contain nuts or peanut butter to school with your child. Food items may not be sent to school for celebrations. Thank you for your assistance. Please direct any questions to your classroom teacher or the School Nurse. Pat Roth Principal

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ARROYO VISTA CHARTER SCHOOL A California Distinguished School Together Everyone Achieves More

T.E.A.M.

General Information

Arroyo Vista Schoolgrams

Students will be bringing home Schoolgrams each Wednesday to improve communication between home and school. Schoolgrams are large white envelopes with the student’s name, teacher’s name and room number on them. Important notices and papers will be sent in these envelopes each week. Please review the contents and sign and date the back of the envelope. You will be off to a great start if your child returns his/her envelope tomorrow with the white emergency card and other information completed. Thanks!

Medications at School If your child needs to take medication at school, you will need to have your doctor complete the authorization form required by our school district. This form is available in our Health Office. It is against the California Education Code Section 49423 for students to have or take medication at school, unless it is authorized by doctor’s orders and the medication is administered in the health office.

Preservation of Learning Time

To maximize learning time the office staff will strictly limit the time classrooms are called. You can help us with this goal by leaving messages for your child or items you need your child to receive in the school office. These will be delivered at a time when instructional continuity will not be interrupted. Parents are always welcome to visit their children’s classrooms. Please call to schedule a visit ahead of time and check in at the office to pick up a badge before going to a classroom.

Parent Involvement The Arroyo Vista staff encourages parent involvement to make our school the best possible. Please participate in our PTA, our English Language Acquisition Committee (ELAC), our TEAM Council or volunteer in the classrooms (all classroom volunteers are required to have a current TB test on file with the office). Your help is always needed and appreciated. As a charter school, there are opportunities for you to participate in our Governance Committees. These include:

• Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment • Partnership • Technology • Team Council

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Assessment Envelope Students keep portfolios of their work and assessments in their classrooms. In order to keep parents informed of assessments and students’ progress, assessment folders are sent home on an ongoing basis with current assessments. Parents are asked to sign and give feedback on these assessment folders before returning them to the classroom teacher for portfolio placement.

Visiting campus

To ensure safety of all children, all adults on campus other than staff, are required to check in at the front office to sign in and receive a badge. Visitors badges are required at all times.

Birthday Celebrations on Campus

The Arroyo Vista Team Council voted to eliminate food items for school birthday celebrations. This decision was made after a presentation on childhood nutrition and obesity was given at our district office and at our school site. Both staff and parents on the Council agreed that sugary, high fat treats defined these celebrations in the classroom and therefore brainstormed alternative ways for parents to help their children celebrate their birthdays. Some alternatives are listed on the following page. Please choose from these alternatives because food items will not be permitted for birthday celebrations.

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Happy and Healthy Birthday to You! Children Love Birthday Parties! Most children expect to see candy and cake at their school birthday party, but too many sweet snacks can make your child overweight and cause cavities. Overweight children have a greater chance of becoming overweight adults, which can lead to many health problems such as:

• Type 2 diabetes • Heart disease • Joint problems • Some types of cancer

Keep your child healthy! The Truth about Sweets

The average American eats more than 150 pounds of sugar each year! As part of a healthy diet, less than 10 teaspoons of sugar is recommended daily. Be

careful! A slice of cake has about 10 teaspoons of sugar, and a regular can of soda has about 10 teaspoons.

Like sugar, starchy foods such as potato chips or corn chips can cause cavities. Watch out for hidden sources of sugar such as corn syrup, molasses, fruit juice

concentrate, and honey. Adding spices like cinnamon, ginger, vanilla or nutmeg can bring out the natural sweetness

in foods without adding extra sugar and calories.

Bright Ideas to Make Your Child’s Birthday Special Instead of bringing birthday treats to your child’s school, bring fun party favors. Be sure items are age-appropriate. Here are some ideas:

v Stickers v Jump Ropes v Colored pencils or crayons v Books v Balls v Other P.E. equipment

To save money, you can buy many of these items at discount stores or outlets. Celebrating at School Birthday Book Bash! Wrap your child’s favorite book in bright birthday wrapping paper and bring it to the classroom on your child’s birthday. The teacher can unwrap the book and read it to the group. This is a great way to celebrate your child’s special day! Brought to you by: Maternal, Child, and Family Health Services, DHI/Share the Care and CHDP Nutrition Program For more information on Share the Care, visit the website: www.sharethecaredental.org For more information on the Coalition on Children and Weight San Diego, visit the website: www.ccwsd.org

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Arroyo Vista Charter School Volunteers All who volunteer at a school site and are in contact with students must have a current tuberculin test on file at our school site. The test must be retaken every four years. Please see the school secretary for a list of times and sites where you may obtain the test free of charge. Should you be injured while you are volunteering at our school, you are covered by the District’s workers’ compensation program. It is extremely important that you report all injuries to the office immediately. The State of California Education Code Section 3501 was amended on July 9, 1994. It now states that a person who is required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code, may not supervise pupils during breakfast or lunch periods or serve as non-teaching volunteer aides.

Textbook Standards

Textbooks will be checked out to students this year. Your child will be assigned a specific number for each non-consumable text, and will be expected to return that book at the end of its use. Our textbooks are in good condition. Your child’s teacher will ask your child to look over the book for damage. The teacher will take notes about any damage, which will be compared against possible additional damages when your child returns the book. All books should be covered, using brown paper from grocery sacks, sturdy wrapping paper, or purchased book covers. The cover should slip on. Tape or contact paper should not be used on the books itself, as it will likely cause damage. Upon return of books, damages are assessed at approximately 25% of the book’s replacement cost of $40.00 - $80.00. These damages include writing marks, stains, bent pages, dog-eared corners, cover damage, and broken or bent spines. The entire amount for replacement is charged for water-damaged books, pages missing, lost books, or other extreme damage. Fines are collected in the office and are used to purchase materials to make repairs, as well as, purchase replacements. The staff at Arroyo vista is dedicated to instilling respect for books, materials, and property. We ask that you help your child look after his/her books. Our textbooks are in use for a minimum of 7 years. We need your help in keeping them in the best condition possible.

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ARROYO VISTA CHARTER SCHOOL A California Distinguished School

EMERGENCY FAMILY REUNION PROCEDURES

In case of a school emergency or natural disaster, such as an earthquake, you need to be aware of our school’s plan for releasing your child. Our concern is for the safe and orderly dismissal of our students. If as many as 600-700 parents arrive at our school at approximately the same time to pick up students, your cooperation and patience will be essential to our plan. Parking will be very limited, so be prepared to park at least a block or two from the school. DO NOT DOUBLE PARK in the school parking area as it may interfere with getting emergency vehicles into our school site. For the safety of your child, before allowing you to take him/her home, we must document to whom each child is released. When you arrive at school, come to the YMCA gate by the bus loop at our “Check In Area” and please do the following:

1. Sign Student Release Log and complete a Student Release Form.

2. Information from your child’s Emergency Card completed by you at the beginning of the school year will then be verified for proper authorization.

3. Be prepared to present a picture identification card if requested.

4. A runner will go to the Student Supervision Area, get your child(ren), and bring him/her to

the “Family Reunion Area”.

5. Your child(ren) will be released at the Family Reunion Area. It may take some time for the orderly dismissal of 1000+ students, so please be patient and be prepared to wait. The less confusion, the quicker students will be reunited with parents/guardians. It is imperative that you keep all information on your child’s Emergency Card up-to-date. Your child will be released only to those listed on the card, or when circumstances warrant, it is in the best interest of your child to place him/her in an alternate place of safety. These procedures should be shared with everyone you list on the Emergency Card so they are familiar with our procedures. Thank you for your cooperation. Arroyo Vista Charter School Disaster Committee