August 15, 2012 First day of School:

Principal’s Message Wednesday, August 29

Have a great year at Cureton!

STRIVE for Success!!!!!

Dear Students and Parents/Guardians:

Welcome to the 2012-2013 school year! I would like to take a moment to introduce myself. I have worked at Cureton for the past seven years. Istarted as a teacher, and then served as our literacy coach and resource teacher. I am looking forward to continuing working with the Cureton Communityas your principal and I know that together we will achieve even greater accomplishments!

We at Horace Cureton School believe that parents are very important members of the school community. To be the most effective we can be, we need to work together to create a positive learning environment for all students. Therefore, we encourage you to become active and informed. I invite you to participate in your child’s education by volunteering in classrooms and attending our parent meetings.

Kindergarten/Parent orientation is Tuesday, August 27th at 10:00 a.m. in room K-2

Class lists will be posted in room 5A windows on Monday, August 27th.

The first day of school is Wednesday, August 29th. The bell schedule will remain the same as last year. The arrival and ending times are as follows:

Regular Days:

A.M. Kindergarten begins at 8:25 a.m. and ends at 11:45 a.m.

P.M. Kindergarten begins at 9:25 a.m. and ends at 12:45 a.m.

Grades 1-3 begin at 8:25 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m.

Grades 4-5 begin at 8:25 a.m. and ends at 2:50 p.m.

Minimum Days:

Thursdays are minimum days. Grades 1-3 end at 1:15 p.m. and Grades 4-5 end at 1:35 p.m.

(The Kindergarten schedule does not change on minimum days.)

If you need additional information, please contact the office or your student’s teacher. Your suggestions for improving our school in any way are always welcomed. Cooperation and communication between the school and home will play a critical role in your student’s success. The staff and I hope this will be an exciting and rewarding year for your student. I welcome you to come by the office anytime to meet with me or to say, “Hi.”

Sincerely yours,

Kathryn Velazquez, Principal

PARENT PARTICIPATION HOURS: All Cureton parents are asked to participate/support their children’s education through providing service to the school in the form of parent participation. Alum Rock Board Policy asks for 30 hours of service to the school, of which 10 hours must be completed at school.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS!

UNIFORMS AND GROOMING: At CuretonElementary School, good grooming is required, and each student must dress appropriately for school. Anything that interferes with learning or is disruptive to the educational process and is offensive to other students or staff is not allowed.

CuretonElementary School has established school uniforms for the convenience and pleasure of the parents and students. All students are expected to be in full uniform the first day of school.

The uniform consists of:

  • Khakipants, shorts, jumpers, or skirts. (Shorts, skirts, and jumpers must be 4 inches above the knee. Also, all clothing should display no pictures, writing, or stripes.)
  • White or dark green polo shirts or turtleneck shirts (White or dark green button-up shirts and blouses with a collar are also acceptable. All shirts and blouses must be worn tucked into pants, shorts or skirts.)
  • Pants must fit, not bag or sag. Belts help! White, green, black, brown, tan, or grey belts are O.K. No web belts.
  • Athletic shoes, oxfords, or loafers (No platforms, open toes, sandals, flip-flops, slippers or roller blade tennis shoes that present a safety hazard and could result in injuries are permitted. We are concerned about student safety.)
  • White, dark green, black, brown, gray, tan, jackets, sweaters or sweatshirts with no team logos or other colors.
  • White, green, khaki, black caps with a brim (Caps are to be worn outside only with the brim facing forward. No bandanas, hairnets, or do-rags are allowed.)
  • Cureton School academic shirts, in various colors, may be worn any day of the week.

In compliance with Education Code 35183 and 35294.1, CuretonSchool has established a positive dress code, which by law, is not a protected form of free speech.

BREAKFAST/LUNCH PROGRAM: Alum RockUnionElementarySchool District and the Child Nutrition services department will be providing breakfastand lunchevery morning and afternoon at “NO COST” to all district students. Breakfast will be served from 7:55 a.m. to 8:20 a.m. and will begin on August 29th.

Meal Prices:Breakfast: No Cost Lunch: No Cost

BACKPACKS: Guidelines include: school materials only, no toys, no writing on the outside except the student’s full name, and school colors, no red or blue colors. This year, Costco has generously donated backpacks to all 2nd-5th grade students. These will be handed out on the first day of school.

ATTENDANCE: Please be sure to call the school at 928-7354 if your child is ill on the first day of absence and then send a written note, including date of absence, reason for absence, and signature of parent/guardian. If we do not hear from you after the first two hours of school, state law requires us to contact you. If you have no phone, we must call emergency numbers, your place of work, etc., in an attempt to make contact. Until contact is made, the cause of absence will be listed as “unexcused.” We will notify you in writing when your child has missed three or more days. Also, please arrange with your child’s teacher for make-up work. Medical and other appointments should not be made during school hours. Vacations should not be scheduled while classes are in session. Please do everything you can do as a parent to make sure your child is here on time every day. That shows your child how much you value his/her education.