Dear Parents and Guardians:
The staff of Capistrano Avenue Elementary School welcomes you and your child to the 2022-23 School Year!
Daily schedules are as follows:
Regular School Day (except ALL Tuesdays)
Playground opens 7:45 am
School Day for Grades K-5 8:00 am-2:23 pm
Pre-K School day 8:15 am-11:15 am and 12:15 pm -3:15 pm
After School Programs 2:23-6:00pm (not available for PRE-K)
Youth Services
Youth Development Program
Shortened Day Every Tuesday (does not include Pre-K)
School Day for Grades K-5 8:00 am - 1:23 pm
After School Programs 1:23 pm - 6:00pm
Minimum School Day (Does Not Include Pre-K)
School Day for Grades K-5 8:00 am -12:39 pm
Lunch 12:39 pm
After School Programs 12:39 pm - 6:00 pm
Youth Services (YS)
Youth Development Program (YDP)
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER:
Back To School Night
Tuesday September 13, 2022 ~ Pre-Kinder-2nd Grade
Thursday September 15, 2022 ~ 3rd-5th Grades
DROP-OFF and DISMISSAL
The school opens at 7:45 am. Students should not be dropped off any earlier than 7:45 am, as there is no supervision available before this time to ensure your child’s safety. There will be three gates for student drop off and dismissal. (TK/Kinder on Cantara St., 1st, 2nd, 5th on Capistrano Ave., and 3rd and 4th on Sausalito Ave.). If a family has multiple students they can choose a gate to drop off at.
STUDENT ATTENDANCE:
Students are expected to be in school on time everyday. The district expectation is that students will hold at the very least a 96% attendance rate. This means that students cannot miss more than six days of school.
Students who have perfect attendance monthly will be recognized during our “Super Star'' assemblies. If a student has more than three tardies in a reporting period they will not be considered for perfect attendance. Students who have perfect attendance all year will be recognized at our end of year awards assembly. The school day begins at 8:00am. If a student arrives at school after 8:00 am they will be considered tardy. Parents and Students will sign-in in order to be given a tardy slip.
Parent Involvement/Volunteering:
As the parent of a student at Capistrano Avenue Elementary School, you are a very important stakeholder! Your participation can help us to provide an outstanding learning experience for our students. Volunteer applications are available in the office. Please meet with us often and help us to make decisions that benefit our children for a lifetime by joining P.T.A and our Advisory Councils.
STUDENT DRESS CODE:
Shoes: Flat shoes, no open-toed shoes, “roller-skate” shoes with hidden wheels are NOT permitted.
Shirts: No Spaghetti or halter tops or tube tops or crop top shirts, no foul language or alcohol and drug slogans, sexual or violent suggestive slogans, or negative or hate motivated messages, and no gang affiliated garments.
Earrings: No hoops, dangling, and gauge earrings
Hats: No caps (Sun hats can be worn during recess and lunch on very hot and sunny days.)
Hair: Style, cut, color, should not be a distraction, interfere or detract from the instructional program.
STUDENT DISCIPLINE/POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT:
Behavior expectations for the different areas of the school are explicitly taught several times a year. Students are recognized for making good choices Mondays and Fridays for “Caught Being a Good Citizen Award Assemblies. Super Star Assemblies are held at each reporting period to recognize excellence in achievement and citizenship. A ratio of four positive to one negative is in place in classrooms.
RETURN FROM ABSENCE:
When your child is absent please send a note upon his/her return to school. The note should state the reason for the absence and must be signed by a parent or guardian. When your child returns from being ill, please do not send any type of medication to school with your child. If your child needs to be medicated throughout the school day appropriate forms must be completed by you and your child’s physician.
EMERGENCY CARDS:
It is essential that each child return an emergency card to the school office. The card must be filled in completely and must be updated when changes occur in the family. The school must be able to contact the parent or caregiver in case of an emergency. For safety reasons, the school will not allow any person who has not been listed on the emergency card to take a child from the school premises during the school day. The name of the parent/guardian emergency contact must match the name of the identification cards provided.
BREAKFAST AND LUNCH PROGRAM:
ALL students will receive breakfast and lunch daily free of charge.
SCHOOL VISITORS:
All School Visitors must sign-in and out in the main office and must wear a visitor’s badge that is issued by office staff. There are no exceptions to this rule. If you would like to visit your child’s classroom please schedule an observation with your child’s teacher in advance. In order to minimize disruptions to the instructional program, observations are limited to 20 minutes per visit.
SAFETY:
Encourage your children to obey the safety rules as they walk to and from school. If possible, we recommend that you do not allow your child to walk to and from school alone. Remind your children to never talk to strangers.
If you are driving your child to school, please drop him/her and pick him/her up on the school side of the street. Please do not make u-turns near or around the school. There should be NO DOUBLE PARKING whatsoever when dropping off or picking up your children. Please go that extra distance to enhance the safety of our students. For the safety and welfare of our students, please obey all traffic regulations around our campus and on neighborhood streets. Allow sufficient time for your child to arrive at school at least 10 minutes before class begins.
Also, please be considerate of our neighbors-do not block driveways or use your car horns.
Please do not park in the staff parking lots or in the Bus Zone area on Cantara.
Please do not park behind the cafeteria/auditorium.
Do not move any Traffic Cones in order to park.
If your child rides a scooter or bicycle to school they must be wearing a protective helmet! It is the law!
EARLY STUDENT PICK UP
We do not encourage early student pick-up, however if you must pick up your child before the end of the instructional day please come to the main office and sign him or her out. Please bring proper identification. The adult must provide identification and must be on the emergency card in order for the school to release the child. We do not take phone call pick-up requests.
The office will not call your child out of their class until you arrive at the main office. The main office will not be calling for students for early pick up after 2:00 PM, or 1:00pm on Tuesdays. We do not call students out during recess and lunch time. Early pick up of students is extremely disruptive to the instructional program.
APPOINTMENTS:
Please schedule all appointments for your children after school.
If you are interested in meeting with the principal please contact the main office to schedule an appointment. Thank you!
KINDERGARTEN DISMISSAL:
Please make sure to be on time for dismissal. There is no after school care for students who are waiting to be picked up. Kindergarten students will be dismissed to an adult who is named on the Emergency Card. Older siblings are not permitted to pick up unless they are eighteen years or older. If you arrive late to pick up your child you will have to report to Capistrano gate. Kindergarteners are not allowed to participate in the Youth Service After-School Program, ONLY the Youth Development Program which has limited spots.
FIRST GRADE DISMISSAL
Please make sure to be on time for dismissal. There is no after school care for students who are waiting to be picked up. First grade students will be dismissed to an adult whose name appears on the Emergency Card. Older siblings will not be permitted to pick up unless they are eighteen years or older. First Grade students are not allowed to participate in the Youth Service After-School Program, ONLY the Youth Development Program which has limited spots.
DISMISSAL
The school day ends at 2:23pm. Students will be dismissed from the gates that they are dropped off at every morning. Students will be given permission to use the office phones after 3:00pm if they are concerned and are awaiting a parent. Once you have your child with you we ask that you supervise them carefully in order to ensure their safety. All gates will be closed at 2:45pm. The office stays open until 4:30pm. Students do not have permission to climb the apparatus on the main yard, and the kinder and pre-kinder yards before or after school.
REPORT CARDS
Report cards will be issued three (3) times per year.
We will have Parent Conferences at the end of the first and second reporting periods.
FOOD ON CAMPUS
In an effort to encourage healthy eating habits we ask that you do not allow your child to bring “junk food” (chips, candy, soda etc). Hot Cheetos, Takis, and other junk snack foods with chili power/eye irritants are not permitted at any time and will be confiscated. Candy and soda will also be confiscated.
WE ARE A PEANUT FREE SCHOOL. PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD WITH FOOD ITEMS THAT CONTAIN PEANUTS DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF STUDENTS THAT ARE ALLERGIC TO PEANUTS.
Students are also asked not to share their food with others due to allergies and dietary restrictions.
If your child packs a lunch in place of eating the school lunch, they must bring their lunch to school with them in the morning. If you must drop off a lunch for your child please advise them that you will be doing this. Lunches will be placed by the cafeteria for students to pick up as they approach the lunch tables. Make sure the lunch box has the student name on it. The office will not be pulling students out of class to pick up lunch.
We will no longer be accepting lunches for students from fast food restaurants (ie. McDonald’s etc.)
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
Birthday treats are not permitted due to allergies and the impact this has on instructional time.
Please do not send birthday invitations to be passed out at school unless the whole class is being invited.
We kindly ask for your support with these policies and procedures. They are in place in order to maintain a safe and secure environment for all of our students. We appreciate your cooperation as we educate your children and prepare them for their futures!!
Sonja Cao- Garcia, Principal
Marisa Ayola, APEIS
Javier Arias, School Coordinator
Rosa Lopez, School Administrative Assistant