General Information

Office- The office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on school days. The telephone will be answered during those hours( except 11:45-12:30 for lunch) and someone will be available to assist you. You can reach the office personal at (831) 422-6392. During nonschool hours a message may be left.

Connect-Ed is an automated- parent notification system that Graves School District implemented to strengthen the lines of communication between parents and school. With connect-Ed our school can send periodic and personalized voice messages to parents/guardians within minutes. The connect-ED service will be used to complement our emergency preparedness procedures and inform parents/guardians of upcoming events.

All phone messages will be delivered to the phone number parents provide at the beginning of the school year when registering their child. There is no need to sign-up for this service. All phone numbers will be pulled from the district's data system.

Absences and Tardies

Office 422-6392

Your child's regular and prompt attendance is important to his/her future. Students miss out on important instruction when they are absent. The Monterey County Office of Education and the Graves School District will be working in coordination with the Monterey County District Attorney, the Department of social Services, and the Probation Department to reduce pupil absences. When a child is absent or late for any reason, parents are asked to call the school office on the first and each successive day of the absence. We are required by law to monitor student absences and tardies.

When a student has 3 or more absences, three or more tardies of 30 minutes, or any combination of three absences or tardies without a valid excuse during the school YEAR a child is truant under ED Code Section 48260. Students who are truant three (3) or more times during the year will be declared habitual truants. parents will be notified by mail of all truancies.

Change of Address/Telephone-For emergency purposes it is necessary for the office to be notified of any change in your address, home, work telephone, or cell number.

Dress guidelines-Students are asked to attend school dressed in a manner which is clean and not hazardous to their safety or to the safety of others, and which does not detract from the “learning” environment. Hats, including bandanas, can be worn outside, but not in a school building at any time. Shoes must be worn at all times. Children should wear shoes which are appropriate for physical education activities,or have available at school, shoeswhich are appropriate for physical education. Tennis shoes with wheels are not permitted. Short shorts,5 inches above the knee , or bare midriffs, such as tube tops, tank tops, half shirts, halters, or see through clothing or visible bra straps are not permitted. Also clothing or materials which display obscene messages, refer to drugs, or pictures of cigarettes and/or alcohol are not permitted.

Emergency, Illness, or Injury- In the case of a medical emergency occurring at school during a non-disaster school day, the school will try to contact a parent. If the parent is unavailable, the emergency contact person listed on the emergency card will be called. In order to best serve your child, please be certain to notify the office of any new phone numbers or emergency contact names throughout the year.

Emergencies-Fire, Earthquake, Evacuation-In case of an emergency, please do not call the school. We must keep our phone lines open for emergency communications. Staff members are CPR and/or First Aid certified. If evacuation becomes necessary, the instructions on the Emergency Release Card will be followed. It is imperative that you always keep all information up to date on this card. Parents should develop an evacuation plan with their children and be sure that children understand its detail. In case of an emergency, traffic conditions may prohibit the use of cars, so parents may need to park a distance away and walk to the school. A student release center will be set up on the field. This is where parents will go to check out their child.

Field trips-From time to time, trips to different locations are arranged for the purpose of providing students with first hand experiences which are related to standard based material studied in the classroom. Trips are conducted in strict accordance with procedures set forth by the Graves School District. Specifically, such procedures cover: Parent Notification/Permission: All trips are to be preceded by ample parent notification as well as parent permission forms. Students are expected to return permission slips by the announced due date. Failure to do so will result in the loss of the privilege to participate. Because behavior and student safety are primary concerns , behaviorally ineligible students (due to 3 or more citations, suspension or by teacher recommendation) may lose the privilege of participating in class field trip. These students will remain at school and will be given assignments to complete. Transportation: All students will be transported in either school/charter buses, or in private vehicles whose drivers have been certified as being properly licensed and insured. Supervision: All trips will be supervised by one or more certificated members of the staff.

Homework-As part of your child’s education, homework is important for learning responsibility and self-direction, for practicing and applying concepts and skills taught in class, good work habits, and study skills. Homework expectations may differ as to types of activities and the amount of time for each grade level.

Please refer to the following recommended daily homework time allotments.

Grade Recommended Weekly Time

k-2 15 minutes of reading 15-30 min homework

3-4 20-30 min of reading 30-45 min homework

5-6 30 min of reading, 45-60 min homework

7-8 30 minutes of reading 60-90 min homework

Suggestions to parents- Provide a regular time and a quiet place for your child to do his/her work. If your child had a great deal of difficulty doing the work, let the teacher know by a note or phone. Make reading a daily family activity.

Homework During Absences- Requests for homework when a child is absent may be made on the second day of absence. Please leave a verbal message at the office or on the teacher’s voice mail. Please call in no later than 11:00 a.m. on the day the homework is requested, so that teachers have ample time to prepare materials. Homework may be picked up in the school office after 3:00 p.m. on the day requested. When a student is absent for ten (ten) or more days a request for independent study form should be picked up in the office 2 weeks in advance. This will allow the teacher to prepare for the absence.

Lost and Found-All articles found on the grounds or in the building will be put in the classrooms. Tiny articles and cash are kept in secure locked place in office. Marking the child’s clothing and personal belongings will help get the item back to the child. Unclaimed clothing items are donated to charity.

Lunch Program- A hot lunch program is available to students . You must pay daily. A monthly menu listing what will be served is sent home with your child. Please post on your refrigerator for easy reading access. Lunches are prepared at a central location and delivered to the school based on the lunch count that is taken daily in each classroom. Milk may be purchased separately.Students who arrive after 8:10 am must provide their own lunch. Free and reduced price lunches are available to those students who qualify. Free and reduced lunch forms will be available back to school night or you may contact the office for more information.

All students are expected to sit at lunch tables for the first 15 minutes of the lunch period. Lunches from home should not contain any glass. Aluminum cans should be placed in the recycling bin. Students are expected to eat their own lunch using good manners and wait to be dismissed by the noon duty supervisor.

Moving-When a student is moving from Graves School, parents should notify the school a week in advance, if possible. We need the following information: you child’s name, new home address, name and address of the new school. The new school will request student records.

Physical Education-Physical Education is required by California Ed code #5120 unless excused by written request of the family physician. Alternative activities may be assigned to students who do not participate. Tennis shoes are required by all students

Progress Reports- At the mid-point of each trimester, those students in grades 4-8 who have unsatisfactory grades will be given a progress report to inform parents of the problem in time to help the student bring up the grade.

Progress reports are to be signed and returned to the teacher within three school days. Reviewing your child's planner and viewing MyGradebook.com regularly is the best way to determine how your child is doing on an informal basis.

Report Cards-Report cards are issued at the end of each trimester. If a student has not been enrolled for five weeks previous to the end of the grade period, a report card will be sent home with only behavior marks completed. The teachers will write across the academic section "Student Enrolled (date) and has not been here long enough to receive grades. We want students to do their best work in all of their subjects.

Developing good work and study habits is part of the learning process. It is important that students understand that grades are "earned", not given, and that extra effort in some subjects may be needed to maintain satisfactory grades. Keeping up with class work/homework, taking time to study, turning in assignments on time, and asking teachers for help are all important factors in student achievement and success in school.

Incentives

We believe that doing well in school is a student's most important job. Therefore, a students must meet the following criteria to be eligible to participate in monthly incentive bingo for prizes

  • Have a "C" (70%) or better in each of his/her subjects
  • Good attendance, no unexcused absences or tardies
  • Good conduct, no pink slips
  • All homework turned in daily

8th Grade Graduation Requirements: To graduate from Graves Elementary School and receive a diploma, an 8th grade students must:

  • Maintain a 1.5 grade point average (overall and in the last trimester)
  • Receive no "F'"s on his/her 3rd trimester report card If a student does not qualify for graduation he/she may not attend graduation ceremony.

Registration- All new students must provide immunization records either from their previous school or from a doctor in order to register. A current, original PG&E bill plus one other form of documentation must also be provided as proof of residency. A “conditional” admit may be allowed upon presentation of an original sales/lease contract, but this must be followed with originals as soon as there are received. In addition, kindergarteners must provide an official document such as a legal birth certificate (not hospital certificate), or passport. All documentation must be original. No photocopies. A student’s most current report card also is helpful.

Release of Children During School Time- The law requires that children not be released to anyone other than their legal parent or guardian. If you desire otherwise, at any time, please inform the office in writing. In the event parents are divorced, court papers indicating legal custody must be on file in the school office to prevent release to a parent not having custody. Any parent, however, is allowed to visit school, talk with a teacher or school official, and review attendance and academic records, unless this school has a court order prohibiting this.

Staying After School- If it is necessary for your child to stay after school for any reason; you will receive a phone call from us if the stay is longer than 15 minutes. The state law allows school personnel to detain children up to one hour after school for assistance, to makeup time due to tardies, for behavior reasons, etc. providing the parents are notified. Parents are responsible for arranging transportation home following this after school time.

Student Success Team-The Student Success Team (SST) is a group of Graves’ staff members who meet regarding students who are experiencing an adjustment/academic problem at school. The purpose is to provide support and assistance to the student and parents. The parents and student, when appropriate, generally attend the SST conference.

Tobacco-Free/Smoke Free Environment- Graves School is a tobacco-free facility in accordance with Graves School District Board Policy and the state of California.

Please be aware that for any students to possess tobacco, or any products containing tobacco or nicotine products is grounds for suspension from school. Tobacco/nicotine products may include but are not limited to cigarettes, cigars, miniature cigars, clove cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, or snuff. Adults smoking or using tobacco products on campus will be asked to refrain when observed.

Visitors-Parents are always welcome to visit, you must register in the office prior to entering the classroom and obtain visitor pass.

Communication

Back to School Night- During Back to School Night parents will have an opportunity to visit your child’s classroom. Teachers will present information about grade level expectation, instructional materials, the homework policy and the overall curricular program for the school year. Teachers will try to answer any general questions parents have. If you would like to speak to the teacher regarding concerns about your child, please schedule an appointment to talk with the teacher at another time.

Conferences with Teachers- Goal setting conferences for all parents are scheduled around the seventh week of school. Minimum days, for students, free teachers to meet with parents.. Please try to arrive promptly for your conference appointment. If a conference is needed at any other time, please call or send a note to your child’s teacher. The students’ instructional time is very valuable; therefore, we ask that parents not interrupt the teachers during the regular school day.

Open House/ Art show/Science Fair, which is held each spring provides an opportunity for students and parents to visit the classrooms together, talk with the teacher, and view some of the work students have completed during the school year. Teachers are not available during this time for individual conferencing.

Parent Teacher Club- The Parent Teacher Club strives to encourage cooperation between the home, school and community, for the best advantages for our children. The PTC sponsors diverse activities, and the funds raised by the PTC are used to supplement programs, and materials not funded through other channels. PTC meetings are scheduled once a month at 6:00 p.m. at the school.

Medical Information

Head Lice- Head lice can happen to anyone, anywhere. Please report any case of head lice to the office. Cleanliness does not seem to be a significant

Factor; lice are attracted to ALL children. You will seldom see the lice themselves. The symptom is an itchy head. Look for the ting silvery eggs (nits) attached to a strand of hair. After treatment, district policy requires that children not be allowed to return to school until all nits have been removed. Students must be checked in the office before returning to class.

Injuries, Illness, Medication, Rashes- In the case of an emergency, the school will contact the parent or if the parent is unavailable, the emergency contact person listed on the emergency card. The school must be notified in the case of any changes of telephone numbers.

Students injured while at school are cared for in the following ways:

  1. An injury may be inspected by the teacher, who may keep the student under observation in the classroom.
  1. For more serious injury, the child is sent to the office for first aid.
  1. The home is routinely notified of a student receiving a blow to the head whether it appears to be serious or not.
  1. The parent will be notified and asked to come for the child if the student exhibits any of the following:
  1. Temperature
  2. Nausea or vomiting
  3. Evidence of a communicable disease
  4. Severe headache
  5. Spasms of convulsion
  6. Complaints from the child of feeling ill when the child was home the day before or felt ill before coming to school.
  7. Any severe accident, including a deep cut, possible fracture or dislocation or any accident requiring immediate medical attention

No child is sent home until the parent or emergency contact is contacted and transportation arranged. Transportation is the responsibility of the parent.

The entire staff has been trained in First aid/CPR procedures.

Medical/Dental Appointments of Early Check-Out-Please make appointments before or after school hours. If not possible please notify the office the day before the appointment. On occasion parents find it necessary to pick up their children prior to the regular dismissal time. When this happens, parents must come to the office and sign the student out,. Please wait in the office until your child is called from the classroom. This is less disruptive to the class. Students will not be released to anyone during the school day, who is not indicated on their enrollment/emergency card.