RIOSECOSCHOOL
9545 Cuyamaca Street
Santee, CA92071
PHONE: (619) 956-5500
FAX: (619) 956-5514
2012 - 2013
PARENT AND STUDENT HANDBOOK
The information in this book is provided to help ensure the success of all Rio Seco families. It contains rules and procedures that affect teachers, parents and students. Therefore, we request your cooperation and ask that you read all of the information carefully.
We are pleased you are a part of the learning community we serve. The academic achievement and personal growth of all our students is our number one priority. Rio Seco is a dynamic and high achieving school because of the wonderful staff and community. We want to maintain a positive school environment based on collaboration and respect.
We hope to continue to focus on learning and minimize the paperwork that is distributed and reviewed.
At Rio Seco, We believe . . .
Every student has the right to learn and
Every teacher has the right to teach.
1
RioSecoSchool
A California Distinguished School
Table of Contents
Master Calendar...... 4
Telephone Reference Sheet ...... 5
GeneralSchool Information ...... 6
School Hours ...... 6
School Office ...... 7
School Lunch Program ...... 7
District Wellness Policy...... 8
Celebrations ...... 10
School Pride ...... 10
Online Information...... 10
Standards for Student Success ...... 11
School Attendance ...... 11
Checking Your Child Out of School...... 12
Appropriate School Attire/Dress Code ...... 12
Standards for Student Behavior ...... 15
Character Education...... 16
Cell Phones and Electronic Devices...... 16
Gum/Food/Beverages ...... 17
Detention ...... 17
Guest Teacher/Substitute Teacher Guidelines ...... 17
Personal Property ...... 18
Betting and Trading...... 18
Lost and Found ...... 18
Grounds for Suspension ...... 19
Student Academic Success ...... 21
Promotion/Retention Standards ...... 21
Reporting Periods ...... 21
Student Recognition ...... 22
Homework ...... 22
School Materials/Textbooks ...... 23
Library ...... 23
Physical Education and Recess...... 24
Field Trips ...... 24
Student Safety/Health ...... 25
Safest Route to School ...... 25
Parking Lot Safety Rules...... 25
Bicycle Safety ...... 26
Emergency Situations and Disaster Drills ...... 26
Visitors/Volunteers...... 27
When a Student Becomes Ill at School ...... 27
Medication at School ...... 28
Insurance ...... 28
School Programs and Organizations ...... 28
Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) ...... 28
English Language Learners (ELL) ...... 28
Family Life Program ...... 29
Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA) ...... 29
Project SAFE ...... 29
Boys and Girls Club...... 29
Notes...... 30
1
Kindergarten Teachers:
Mrs. Fuentes / 2 / 5522
Mrs. Garcia / 5 / 5525
Mrs. McCormick / 4 / 5524
Kindergarten/First Grade Teacher:
Mrs. Rowan / 6 / 5526First Grade Teachers:
Mrs. Brodeen / 3 / 5523Mrs. Galarneau / 8 / 5528
Mrs. Marino / 7 / 5527
Mrs. Meier / 24 / 5544
First/Second Teacher:
Mrs. Bates / 22 / 5542Second Grade Teachers:
Mr. Higgins / 25 / 5545Mrs. Hirahara / 27 / 5547
Mrs. Sibayan / 23 / 5543
Third Grade Teachers:
Mrs. Barber / 11 / 5531Mrs. T. Boulais / 12 / 5532
Mrs. Bowling / 10 / 5530
Mrs. Chase / 9 / 5529
First/Second Teacher:
Mrs. Schoff / 18 / 5538Fourth Grade Teachers:
Ms. Glanz / 13 / 5533Mrs. Rosa / 16 / 5536
Mrs. Gonzales / 15 / 5535
Fifth Grade Teachers:
Mrs. Board / 17 / 5537Mrs. A. Boulais / 14 / 5534
Ms. Peterson / 19 / 5539
Fifth/Sixth Grade Teacher:
Mrs. Fleischer / 20 / 5540Sixth Grade Teachers:
Mrs. Kaufman / 207 / 5577Mrs. O’Hanlon / 205 / 5575
Mrs. Richards / 204 / 5574
Specialized Academic Inst. (SAI):
Ms. Harper / 21 / 5541Ms. Frank / 28 / 5548
Mr. Conway (7-8 gr.) / 203 / 5573
Ms. Sithideth / LRC / 5555
Junior High Teachers:
Mrs. K. Brown / 105 / 5565Ms. T. Brown / 211 / 5578
Ms. Hendrix / 104 / 5564
Mrs. Mazzola / 201 / 5571
Mr. Robbins / 101 / 5561
Dr. Shevinsky / 102 / 5562
Mr. Strickland / 202 / 5572
Information Is Subject To Change
1
GENERAL SCHOOL INFORMATION
SCHOOL HOURS
Supervision of students at Rio Seco begins at 8:15 A.M. Students should not arrive at school prior to 8:15 A.M. To ensure the safety of all children, students should not be on the school grounds before that time. If you leave for work early, please make necessary arrangements to have your children taken care of until supervision begins at 8:15 A.M. Once they arrive, students may not leave campus without permission.
Please leave your house in enough time for your child to be seated in class when the 8:30 A.M. bell rings. It is important that all students be on time. Punctuality is a life skill that carries over into the work force. In addition, a loss of instructional time can be avoided when students are on time. If your child is not in class or with the teacher at 8:30 A.M., he/she will be marked tardy. Three tardies are the equivalent of one absence. Junior High students that are truant will make up lost academic time during lunch detention.
There is NO SUPERVISION for students and students and parents must wait behind the school campus gates until the bell rings at 8:15 A.M. At that time, students are to walk to their designated playground area and wait for their teacher to pick the class up at 8:25 A.M.
Please make arrangements for dismissal time. After children are dismissed, they are to go to the front of the school to meet their ride or begin walking home. Under no circumstances are students allowed on school equipment or on playgrounds after school, even with parent supervision. Primary students will not be permitted to wait for their older siblings to be dismissed from school. Please make the arrangements necessary to enable your child to leave campus at their dismissal time each day. After school supervision is not provided. Project SAFE is available for a fee and will provide supervision for your child if necessary until transportation can be provided at dismissal time.
If you need to pick your child up before school is dismissed, please come to the office and sign him/her out. Your child will then be called to the office to leave school. A student may only be released to adults listed on the emergency card unless a special note is provided to the school office.
Regular Day Schedule
GradeBegin Dismissal
Kindergarten8:30 A.M.1:30 P.M.
1-38:30 A.M.2:31 P.M.
4-88:30 A.M.3:01 P.M.
Modified Days (K-8)
Will be every Wednesday beginning October 3, 2012 students will be dismissed at a modified time. Grades 1-8 will be dismissed at 1:00 p.m. and Kindergarten will be dismissed at 12:45 p.m.
SCHOOL OFFICE
School office walk-in hours are 7:30 A.M. until 3:30 P.M. Phone hours are 8:00 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. To better serve you please follow these rules concerning office use:
- If your child is absent, please call the absence line (619-956-5599) each day to verify the absence. Please do not call the office.
- If your child has an appointment, please send a note with him/her the morning of the day he/she is to be released early from school. This note must state the date, time, and reason for the dismissal, and must be signed. The note should be given to the office.
- Telephones are to be used in emergency situations only. Please make arrangements for transportation, after school plans, etc. before coming to school. A note from a teacher is required to use the phone in the office.
- Please make regular arrangements with your child as to what he/she should do when it rains. Students will not be allowed to use the phone to obtain transportation on rainy days.
- Please do not ask office staff to interrupt the classroom for non-emergency messages because the teacher has to stop instruction to deliver the message. Phones are installed in each classroom and you will be able to access them using voice mail. We appreciate your cooperation in not disrupting the educational program at Rio Seco.
SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM
SanteeSchool District cafeterias comply with rigorous, federal nutrition standards for school meals. These standards are intended to ensure that meals are healthy, well-balanced, and provide students all the nutrition they need to succeed in school. Now is a great time to encourage your kids to choose school lunch!
School meals offer students milk, fruits and vegetables, proteins and grains, and must meet strict limits on saturated fat and portion size. Starting in 2012-2013 school year, school lunches will meet additional standards requiring:
- Age-appropriate calorie limits
- Larger servings of vegetables and fruits (students must take at least one serving of fruits and or vegetables, 1/2 cup)
- A wider variety of vegetables, including dark greens and red/orange vegetables and legumes-Fat-free or l% milk (flavored milk must be fat-free)
- More whole grains
- And less sodium
We invite you to visit school and observe the lunch program any day. If you would like to have lunch with your child, please have him/her order lunch for you in the morning. A parent purchasing an adult lunch with their child may only take their child to the front of the lunch line.
Menus are available on the District website at Student lunches are $2.25 and adult lunches are $3.50. Students that owe more then $6.75 on their meal accountwill receive an alternate meal from the cafeteria. An alternate meal will consist of a cheese stick, crackers and white milk.
Payments can be made online at or dropped off at the school office. Students are verbally reminded when their balances run low and receive a low balance notice to take home. Parents and Guardians can also check their student’s account balance on-line at In addition, an automated phone call will be made home on Mondays to students owing more then $4.50 on their lunch account. If you have any questions, you can call the Child Nutrition Services at 619-258-2290.
An application for free and reduced meals must be submitted for each child, each year and approved by the Food Services Director for students to qualify. If you have any questions about this program, please contact the school health clerk.
Only students in grades 4-8 can purchase items from the school snack bar. Students need to purchase snack items the first time they enter the lunch line. Students will not be allowed to return to the cafeteria and snack bar once they have received their lunch and/or snack.
SanteeSchool District Student Wellness Policy
Policy Highlights
Foods Available on Campus
- Only compliant foods & beverages will be sold on campus from 30 minutes before to 30 minutes after the school day.
- Only compliant snacks are recommended to be served during the school day.
- Only compliant foods are recommended for use as rewards.
- Celebrations should take place after lunch.
Physical Activity
- Provide students with opportunities for moderate to vigorous physical activity on a regular basis.
Health & Nutrition Education
- Provide students the nutrition education they need to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Staff Support
- SSD staffs are encouraged to serve as positive role models. Encourage all students to lead a healthy and active lifestyle.
Rewards
Class/Student reward(s) from teacher/staff to student(s)
- When rewarding students for academic performance or good behavior, non-food items are recommended.
- If food items (snack or entrée) are given as a reward, they must meet or exceed SB12 & SB 965 as listed.
Celebrations & School Sponsored Activities
ACE /Good Citizen Awards, Graduation, Birthday Celebration, Dances
- Rewards, celebrations, or school sponsored activities that include federally regulated non-compliant food will be limited to once per month and will be pre-scheduled by the teacher/administration. This includes celebrations taking place up to 30 minutes before, 30 minutes after, and/or during school hours. All persons providing beverages and snacks are encouraged to provide items that adhere to SD12 and SB965. Celebrations will only be planned after lunch.
Fundraising Activities and Food Sales (During the School Day)
During the school day, only one student organization may sell up to three food or beverage items per day upon approval of the governing board. Such foods and beverages cannot be prepared on campus and cannot be the same as items sold in the food service program that day at that school. On no more than four days during year, any number of student organizations may sell food and beverages. (MB 00-810—CCR Title 5, Section 15501) All other fundraising or food sales must take place 30 minutes before or after the school day.
SB 12 compliant snacks contain- No more than 35% of calories from fat
- No more than 10% of calories from saturated fat
- No more than 35% sugar by weight
- No more than 250 calories per individual food/snack item
- No more than 400 calories per entrée
- No more than 4 grams of fat per 100 calories
- Entrees do not need to meet the above listed snack standards
- Fruit-based drinks with no less than 50 percent fruit juice and no added sweeteners
- Vegetable-based drinks with no less than 50 percent vegetable juice and no added sweeteners
- Drinking water with no added sweeteners
- Milk (two percent fat, one percent fat, nonfat, soymilk, rice milk or other similar nondairy milk)
- Electrolyte replacement beverages containing no more than 42 grams of sugar per 20 oz
- Soda or other carbonated drinks
- Water with added sweeteners
- Candy
- Chewing gum
- Snow cones, water ices
- Non-baked chips or other fried foods
- Cookies, Cakes
- Muffins, Donuts
- Candy coated popcorn
- Bottled water with no added sweeteners
- 2%, 1% & Non-Fat Milk
- 100% Fruit juice
- Fresh fruit & vegetables
- Baked chips
- Whole grain breads and crackers
- Pretzels
- Graham crackers
- Nuts and seeds
- (consider allergies before giving out nuts)
- Frozen juice bars (100%)
- Reduced fat and sugar ice-cream
Definitions
“Snack” - A food that is generally regarded as supplementing a meal, including but not limited to, chips, crackers, nachos, French fries, donuts, cookies, and candy.
“Entrée” - A food that is generally regarded as being the primary food in a meal, and shall include, but not be limited to, sandwiches, burritos, pastas & pizzas.
“Sold” - the exchange of food for money, coupons or vouchers.
“Added Sweetener” - Any additive other than 100% fruit juice that enhances the sweetness of a beverage.
“SB 12” - State Law for Food Standards
“SB 965” - State Law for Beverage Standards
“Moderate Physical Activity” - Movement that causes moderate increases in breathing, sweating, and heart rate. Such activities include brisk walking, active play, active housework, and gardening..
“Vigorous Physical Activity” - Movement that causes heavy breathing and sweating and large increases in heart rate. Examples of such activities include jogging, aerobic dancing, biking, swimming, skating, soccer or other active sports.
CELEBRATIONS
At school celebrations for any occasion including birthdays and holidays are to be arranged with the classroom teacher and need to include the entire class. In order to prevent hurt feelings or exclusivity, parents and students are not permitted to bring or order lunch for just their friends. We strongly encourage all celebrations to take place away from school.
If you would like to share something with your child’s class to honor a special occasion, please consider non-food items such as books or a special activity. Healthy foods are highly encouraged. Cookies, cupcakes, soda and other high sugar items are not recommended. Please refer to SSD Student Wellness Policy.
SCHOOL PRIDE
We are proud of the appearance of our school and try to keep the school neat and clean. We would appreciate your cooperation in helping us instill pride and respect in your children for school property. The school belongs to everyone and when school property is damaged or destroyed, money that is used to repair or replace the damaged or destroyed property is diverted from the educational program. We will work together to make our school a clean, neat, and pleasant environment in which to learn.
ONLINE INFORMATION
Outside organizations often request SanteeSchool District to distribute information in the schools to students about activities or events for children and families. In an effort to keep the distribution to students of materials at a reasonable level, most district-approved informational materials will be available on the District web site at for you to access. A display rack in the school office will be available for students and parents to see these flyers. Information from your child’s teacher, administration, PTSA and/or school district will continue to come home with students but may also be posted on the district or school site web page. Please be sure to check the web site regularly for updates.
STANDARDS FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
One of our goals at Rio Seco is to instill in our students the importance of education. Students who value education do better in school. We believe that regular attendance and punctuality are necessary for high achievement and future success in the work world. Every absence or tardy can interfere with a child’s progress. Please make every effort to make student appointments in the afternoon after school or during modified day afternoons. If your child has an appointment during the day, please bring your child to school before and after the appointment.
All absences, excused and unexcused, result in a loss of learning time for students and instructional funding for the school.
The State of California defines Excused Absence as:
- student illness
- doctor/dental appointment
- funeral of an immediate family member, one day of excused absence
- Religious observance
- Independent Study Contract, only available for absences of 5 or more days. (Please contact the attendance clerk 5 days prior to your child’s absence so that your child’s teacher can plan accordingly.)
All other absences are considered by the State to be unexcused including out of school suspension and will be counted as such.
Parents must verify any absence by note or phone call within 72 hours of the absence. Notes are to be given to the office stating the name and grade of the student, along with the dates and reason for absence. Our 24-hour absence line is also available for verifying absences. The absence verification number is 619-956-5599. Please use this number instead of calling the school office. After 72 hours, any absence that is not cleared is considered unexcused.