PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
August 12, 2013
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Dear Parents/Guardians and Students:
I want to welcome all new and returning students and their families to the Fremont Unified School District’s alternative program. The staffs from Robertson High School and Vista Alternative are committed to providing a quality academic program in a safe and orderly environment. As you know, Robertson High School was honored by the California Department of Education as a Model Continuation High School. This is indeed a great honor for our school and speaks to the excellence of our programs, staff, and the commitment of our student body.
The first newsletter of the year is intended to provide students and their parents with important information and forms to begin the year as smoothly as possible. Additional information and the Student Handbook will be reviewed with students by the staff during the first week of school. Please review the student handbook and other information on our website with your child. It is imperative that all communication is accurate; this will assist students in the success of their education.
I hope summer has been a relaxing and enjoyable time for all of you, and that each student will bring renewed enthusiasm and a commitment to making the 2013-14 school year one of accomplishment and production. Our staff is eager and dedicated to helping every student succeed and we appreciate the opportunity to work with them. It's all about the journey, not just the destination. Together, we make a difference.
Sincerely,
Salvador Herrera, Jr.
Principal
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STUDENT SCHEDULES
All new and returning students may pick up their schedules on Maze Day (A-L, August 20, 9-11am and M-Z, August 21, 1-3pm). Robertson students need to bring in the requested forms found online www.fremont.k12.ca.us/robertson and their COMPLETED emergency card in order to pick up their schedule.
DAILY SCHEDULE
The new schedule for Robertson High School is as follows:
1st DAY OF SCHOOL, August 28, 2013
Period 1 8:45 – 9:23
Period 2 9:25 – 10:03
Period 3 10:05 – 11:03
Period 4 11:05 – 11:43
L U N C H 11:43 – 12:13
Period 5 12:15 – 12:53
Period 6 12:55 – 1:33
MON/TUES/THURS/FRI WEDNESDAY(*except as noted below)
Period 1 8:45 - 9:33 Period 1 8:45 – 9:23
Period 2 9:35 - 10:23 Period 2 9:25 – 10:03
Period 3 10:25 – 11:13 Period 3/TAG 10:05 – 11:03
Period 4 11:15 – 12:03 Period 4 11:05 – 11:43
L U N C H 12-03 - 12:33 L U N C H 11:43 – 12:13
Period 5 12:35 – 1:23 Period 5 12:15 – 12:53
Period 6 1:25 – 2:13 Period 6 12:55 – 1:33
MINIMUM SCHEDULE FOR MINIMUM SCHEDULE FOR
11/21/13, 3/13, 4/14, 4/16 and 6/09/14 11/22/13, 3/14, 4/15, 4/17 and 6/10/14
Period 1 8:45 – 9:45 Period 4 8:45 – 9:45
Period 2 9:47 – 10:47 Period 5 9:47 – 10:47
L U N C H 10:47 – 11:17 L U N C H 10:47 – 11:17
Period 3 11:19 – 12:19 Period 6 11:19 – 12:19
STAR Testing Schedule, April 14 – 17, 2014
1st Test Session 8:45 – 10:47
L U N C H 10:47 – 11:17
2nd Test Session 11:19 – 12:19
*MIMIMUM DAYS
As in past years, students will be released from school one day per week at 1:33 to allow for staff training, curriculum development, and student assessment. The minimum day will be every Wednesday with the following exceptions: September 11, October 9, November 6, December 18, January 15, February 12, March 26, April 16 and May 21. Additional minimum days will be: September 13, October 11, November 8, December 20, January 17, February 13, March 28, May 23 and June 12.
EMERGENCY CARDS
Please have your student bring their completed, signed emergency card (enclosed) to their assigned Maze Day.
LOCKDOWN PROCEDURES
In the event the campus needs to be “lockdown” for safety reasons, please remember that staff will not open doors during a lockdown and visitors will be allowed access to students only if the public safety incident commander determines that the site is secure. Information regarding a lockdown will be posted on the FUSD web site at www.fremont.k12.ca.us.
STUDENT LUNCHES
Food service is available at the lunch counter during the mid-morning break. BREAKFAST IS ALSO AVAILABLE FROM 8:15 TO 8:40. Breakfast is $2.25 and lunch is $3.25. A form was mailed during summer to all FUSD students from Child Nutrition Services. If you did not receive a form, it may be accessed through the FUSD web site at www.fremont.k12.ca.us. If you have questions about eligibility, contact the Child Nutrition Office at 657-2587. This program can be very helpful to families particularly in difficult times in the local economy. Please see the following flyer for more information.
MEDICATIONS AT SCHOOL
For students on continuing medication regimens (such as food allergies, asthma, and diabetes), this is a reminder that new FUSD medication forms completed by your child’s physician are needed for each school year.
If your child requires a procedure (such as catheterization, G-tube feeding, nebulizer treatments, epinephrine auto-injector administration, or diabetes management), the necessary forms will be mailed to your home in June. If your child had medication at school (such as pain relievers, asthma inhalers, or medication for attention deficit disorder), pick up a new “FUSD Form D – Medication at School” form in the school office.
Doctor’s orders must be dated after June 19th and should be submitted to your child’s school when the office opens in mid-August.
SCHOOL BUS INFORMATION
School bus fees are in effect for the 2013/14 school year. Robertson does not sell bus tickets or passes at any time. The Transportation Department has implemented an I.D. Card System for all students who ride the school bus. Bus passes and photo I.D.’s are now available at the Transportation Department, 43770 S. Grimmer Blvd. Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:30am – 4pm. The cost is as follows:
Annual Round Trip (One Year Pass) -$580.00
Annual One Way - $330.00
Semester Round Trip (1/2 Year Pass) - $330.00
Semester One Way - $185.00
AC Transit:
AC transit bus information can be obtained at http://www.actransit.org/riderinfo/schools.wu.
R.H.S. DRESS CODE
Certain styles of clothing can be disruptive to a classroom environment and may be perceived by others to be personally offensive or threatening. To prevent incidents from occurring, a reasonable dress code will be enforced for all students. This will be reviewed with all students at the beginning of school. Please review the enclosed behavior, dress and grooming code with your student, sign and return the form to school with your emergency card. Please note students are not allowed to wear headphones or hats in class. Students will be sent to the office if found wearing headphones or hats.
CELL PHONES, PAGERS, CD PLAYERS, LASER POINTERS
Students are allowed to carry cell phones and/or pagers and CD players at school with the stipulations listed below. Students may not bring laser pointers to campus at any time.
§ Students are allowed to use cell phones, pagers, CD players or i-Pods before school, after school and during the lunch break ONLY.
§ Students may not use these devices during class time and passing periods or the device will be confiscated. The second offense and thereafter will require a parent/guardian to pick up the device from the school and sign a contract that clearly states further discipline should another incident occur.
Pagers, cell phones and any electronic equipment must be turned off (not put on vibration) during class time. Please note the district cell phone policy as outlined on the “Student Rules” form you will be returning.
ADULT SCHOOL
If interested in signing up for Adult school classes, please check with your counselor the first three days of school.
PARENT/GUARDIAN & STUDENT HANDBOOK
The Handbooks are available online at the FUSD website under Parent Resources www.fremont.k12.ca.us. Please print the acknowledgement form located in the Maze Day Online Forms and have your student return it on their assigned Maze Day.
WOW VAN
Washington Hospital has announced that they will continue to provide free medical services to our students once a month through their “Washington on Wheels” van. The van will be here every second Monday of each month excluding school holiday closures.
CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAM
As you are probably aware, all students are now required to pass the state’s exit exam in order to graduate from high school. The first testing opportunity this year will be on October 1st and 2nd and is for twelfth grade students only. Please check our website for additional test dates.
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT
Our “Back to School” night for parents will be held on Thursday evening, September 12th, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Please plan on visiting our campus and meeting the staff.
TEEN PARENT PROGRAM
Robertson High School administers the Teen Parent Program (known as the Cal-Safe Program) for Fremont’s teen parents and pregnant minors. If you have questions about this program, or know of a teen who may qualify for these support services, including child care, please contact Jeffrey Waller at Robertson High School at 657-9155 x49111, or for more information, check the Cal-Safe website, www.CAL-SAFE.COM.
S.R.O.
Thanks to a continuing effort by F.U.S.D. and the City of Fremont, Robertson High School will have the daily services of Officer Derek Burns who will be our School Resource Officer (S.R.O.). We are committed to providing all students with a safe and orderly environment. Officer Burns will be a great asset to our campus and we look forward to working with him. Please remember that he is always available for our students and their parents/guardians. He can be reached at 657-9155 x49108.
R.O.P.
A Business Math/Computer Application course will be held at Robertson during 3rd and 4th periods and can be used as computer or math credits. Students may also register for a wide variety of ROP classes. However, there are limited openings for these classes, which are held at other school sites. Students may register for these classes beginning August 28th through your high school counselor. ROP classes begin the same day as Robertson classes, Wednesday, August 28th.
SMOKING
Possession and/or use of tobacco are against the law and will not be permitted on any area of the campus, including the parking lot. This includes before and after school. Violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action. We will make every attempt possible to assist our students to quit smoking. In addition, minors caught smoking are subject to getting a ticket, which will result in a fine. Students who smoke will be referred for smoking cessation or counseling services if they are interested.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT
The “compact” (pledge) form is available online for your review. Studies show that students whose parents are involved with the school tend to perform better. We encourage our parents to get actively involved at Robertson High School. If you are able to put in a few hours this year as a member of the School Site Council, the Bilingual Advisory Committee, or to help with the Red Ribbon Week or Multi-Cultural Week activities, please print out the form, sign it, and return it to the school on maze day.
STUDENT ATTENDANCE
It is very important for a parent or guardian to report their student’s absence from school. PLEASE help to keep accurate records on your student’s attendance by remembering to report an absence. The School District policy allows only three personal days of absence for the entire school year. If the student is absent for more than three days (other than illness/Dr. appt.) the student will be considered truant. We do have 24-hour voice mail service available. Call 657-9155 and press “7” and then “1”. You may also call the office directly at 657-9155 x49104. (Do Not Dial “0”.) Please leave the following information when you call: Student’s name, date of absence, reason for the absence and the possible duration of absence, person calling and their relation to the student.
If your child needs an off-grounds pass, please send him/her with a signed note specifying the time and date he/she will need to leave to the attendance clerk before the start of the school day. We will not call and interrupt the classroom during instruction time. Remember, the student’s cell phone must be off during the classroom time, - please do not call their cell phone to have them come and meet you. This will not excuse him/her and will only cause their cell phones to be confiscated for the day. You will then need to pick up the phone after school is out.
Students are expected to be in school the first day of the school year. Students who have not attended the first two days of school will be dropped at the end of the third day of school, except in cases of illness for which the school has been previously informed. In cases of illness, parents/guardians must contact the school each day the child is absent.
DONATIONS
We encourage parents or guardians to make a voluntary contribution to our student rewards program, if you are able to do so. These funds are used exclusively to support student attendance and achievement. Pizzas, theater passes, bowling passes, CD’S, etc. are periodically awarded. Parent and community donations also help subsidize our school prom and provide some funding for scholarships at graduation. Sending a tax deductible check for a five, ten, or twenty-dollar donation (or more!) would go a long way toward helping support this program which is not supported by our school budget. A receipt for your donation will gladly be furnished upon request. Thank you, thank you, thank you!