Bishop Elementary School |
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Bishop Elementary School |
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Policies
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General Rules State Law requires that all absences be verified by a note or telephone call to the school. Please keep your child at home until he or she is completely recovered from an illness and able to participate in school activities. Parents, please write a note to the school explaining your child's absence. All unexcused or unverified absences cost Bishop close to $20 lost funds day/per student. Please help us by calling or writing a note when your child is ill or if o child is not able to come to school for any reason. Tardies. All children who are late to school must check in at the office to obtain a late slip to present to their teacher. The school has been experiencing a growing number of tardies, many for late arrivals of 5 to 10 minutes. If a student is tardy due to a doctor or dentist appointment, students must obtain a pass to be admitted to class. All tardies are kept on file in the school office and action is taken if a child has a continual record of tardiness, such as the school district SARB (School Attendance Review Board) meeting or in the case of excessive tardiness a fine may be imposed on the parent. Extended Family Trips. If you are planning an extended trip or activity that will take your child out of school, please notify the school in writing. Individual teachers may request make-up work during their absence. An Independent Study Program can be completed to allow the absence to be an excused one. Independent Studies are for 10 school days only and exceeding 10 days results in disenrollment. The playground is supervised at 8:00 a.m. For the safety of your child, it is advised that children not arrive at school before that time. Children are not allowed to leave the school grounds at any time during the day without consent from their parents or guardians. Parents should pick their children up immediately after school -- loitering after school hours is not permitted. Early Dismissals. Children are not allowed to leave the school grounds at any time during the school day without consent from their parent or guardian. Parents must sign out their children at the school office. Children will only be released to persons on file in the office. It would be helpful to send a written consent note to the office if it is known that a child must be dismissed early on any given day. It is imperative that registration cards on file are current and up-to-date. Early Release Days. Staggered Friday Release Time and Teacher Planning Time. In order for teachers to give students optimal instruction, students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade are released early each Friday. Teachers utilize the remainder of these days for preparation time. Also, all teachers participate in grade level planning and staff meetings each Wednesday afternoon. The staff believes that students' learning is enhanced greatly with the opportunity to experience community performances. Assemblies include a broad spectrum of the curriculum from mathematics, literature, social sciences, science, environment, cultural, drama, to health and self-esteem. Such performances enrich the student's knowledge and understanding of the world. There is a wealth of rich resources available to the school such as special speakers, plays, dance performances, and presentations by individuals and groups. Assemblies provided throughout the year for students vary from year to year to provide a balance of experiences. It is mandatory (a state law) that all students wear helmets. ALL bicycles must be locked at the bike racks located in front of the school office during school hours. Students are to bring their own bike locks to school and are not allowed to share locks with other students. The school is responsible for stolen or damaged bicycles or helmets. Students in kindergarten through 2nd grade are not allowed to ride bikes to school. Students in grades 3 through 5 are allowed to ride bikes to school. Skateboards, Roller blades, and Roller Skates. Skateboards, roller blades, and roller skates are not to be ridden on the school playground at any time. What is in a lunch? Our school district participates in the National School Lunch Program. Public law requires that meals be planned to meet specific nutrient guidelines. Students are able to select from a choice of 5 items, up to 3 side dishes, and a beverage. Lunch and Breakfast Program. Children may bring a bag lunch or participate in the school lunch program, which is available every school day. Children who lose or forget their lunch or lunch money will be offered a roll and milk (one time only) and no IOU's will be taken. A nutritious breakfast is offered every day from 8:00 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. Applications for reduced lunch and/or breakfast are sent home at the beginning of the school year. The monthly school lunch menu contains the prepayment dollar amount and date due (fill out an application if you qualify for the program). Parents who wish to visit their children in the cafeteria must obtain a visitor's pass from the office. Studies show that a hungry child is less attentive and has difficulty learning. At Bishop, the class size for kindergarten through 3rd grade is limited to 20 students. The average class size for 4th and 5th grades is approximately 29 students. Class sizes are within the district guidelines. Instructional aides for a portion of the day assist most classrooms, and parent volunteers on an ongoing basis assist many classrooms. All students at Bishop are required to have an Emergency Card on file at the school office. It is imperative that all information on this card is current and up-to-date, especially contact phone numbers. Please try to include alternate contact numbers so that the office can notify you or another adult if your child is ill or in the event of an emergency. All phone number changes should be updated immediately. Accidents. It is imperative that the school has an up-to-date emergency address for each child. In the case of an accident we can render first aid only. If more care is needed, we call the parents and physician listed on the Emergency Card, in that order. To ensure that appropriate action is taken, please complete the information and return the Emergency Card to school as soon as possible. Children are released only to persons named on the Emergency Card. Fire and Disaster Drills. The entire school conducts Fire and Disaster drills as scheduled and approved fire drill routes are followed. If your child is on a medication schedule that necessitates medicine to be taken during the school day, it is imperative that the parent and physician sign a medication permit to be submitted to the school office. You may obtain the medication permit from the school office. All medication MUST be kept in the school Health Office and be administered by the school Health Clerk or office staff. Students are NOT allowed to have medication (prescription or over the counter) with them at school. There is no change in schedule on rainy days. Children should arrive at school at the regular time. When the weather is too wet or too cold during recesses and lunch time, children will go to the school theater to view movies (all G rated) or remain in their classrooms for rainy day activities. Recess and Noon Hour Supervision Bishop has sufficient staff supervising recess and noon hours as directed by the School District. Teachers supervise students before and during school. In addition to trained noontime staff, the principal and assistant principal monitor and assist noontime activities each day. There are various noontime activities for students, in addition to the play equipment, such as basketball, football, track races, and relays. Noontime directors supervise all programs. Children may use the school telephone with permission from their teacher for emergencies or school-related purposes. Calls not directly related to school business are not permitted. Parents are asked to discuss daily information with their students before school and not call the school office to speak with children or to leave messages, as it disrupts the classroom. Academic achievement testing is conducted for most grade levels on a district-wide and statewide basis. The California State tests are administered yearly. Testing allows teachers and parents to assess student progress in academic areas. Testing is administered in the spring. Multiple Measures Testing. In the fall, students in the school district are tested in writing, math, and reading as a means of assessing student ability. In the spring, students are retested in the same areas to assess student growth. The information obtained from these assessments is very valuable in determining individual student needs as well as school program needs. During the 1994-95 school year, the school uniform dress code was adopted at Bishop School and approved by the Board of Education. School uniforms foster integration, high morale and positive self-esteem, while eliminating competition in dress. Students in uniforms tend to exhibit healthy feelings for their school and a more positive attitude toward education. The school office has samples of the uniform and children can wear solid white or red tops with navy blue slacks, skirts or jumpers. Uniform clothing may be purchased at most department stores. All students must dress in uniforms at Bishop unless a parental waiver has been signed and is on file. Each Wednesday afternoon, the Bishop Bobcat Folder is sent home with each student. This folder, sponsored by our parent group, is an important link between home and school. Since notices often get lost, we suggest you get into the "Wednesday habit," and ask your child for his/her Bobcat Folder. Periodically, urgent or time sensitive material will be sent home on days other than Wednesday. Visitors/parents are welcome after the first few weeks of school. We sincerely encourage parents to visit classrooms, but you need to make prior arrangements with the teacher and you need to check into the school office before your visit. These requirements are simply for your child's protection. We need to know who is on the school grounds. Bishop School is a closed campus and parents should wait for their children outside the gates after school. All visitors must check in at the office before being on the school grounds. Volunteers and Parent Participation Volunteers are an integral part of the program at Bishop School. The children and teachers benefit from the interests of parents, adults, and high school and college students who prepare materials for teachers, tutor children, assist teachers and students in classrooms and help with school events. Volunteers. Volunteers bring vast and rich resources that usually can't be duplicated by the paid professional staff. The artist, or musician, or storyteller can generate a tremendous curiosity and excitement about their talents; and the volunteer who is giving freely of his or her time is communicating to the children without it ever being said, "I care about you; you are important; I want to help you learn." Studies show that children whose parents are involved in education increase the changes for student success and motivation in school. Parent Group. The Parent, Teacher, Student Coalition's (P.T.S.) goal is to work closely with the staff, the school administration, the Site Council, and the community to support and enrich school experiences for all students at Bishop. The group provides funding for special programs, classroom and school supplies, and many activities for students. The PTS also provides classroom assistance, field trip chaperones, and many of the school functions throughout the year. The meetings are held monthly, are always open to everyone, and attendance is encouraged. School Site Council. The Bishop School Site Council is an advisory and decision making committee composed of parents, teachers, and administrators. The council meets monthly to discuss and review various programs for Bishop and makes decisions on policy, program, and funding for the school. The meetings are open to all parents, staff, and community members. "Our children can be provided the best when parents, teachers, and administrators work together: advising, developing, and reviewing the various programs available."
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