Parent Handbook < HEALTH AND SAFETY INFORMATION Attendance: It is federal law that children ages 5 to 16 must attend the school they are enrolled in, this is called compulsory education. Children must attend school, on time, every day they are able. The school day at OCS is full of interactive, hands-on learning experiences. Working together also teaches children about social interaction and group interdependence in all areas of curriculum. Your child's social experience is solidified by excellent attendance in that other children may not invest in a relationship with a child whose attendance is sketchy and unpredictable. Although children can make-up the curricular content knowledge, they may miss out on special class experiences such as fieldtrips, performances, art projects, social connection and interdependent group work. Treating your child's school attendance/work/responsibilities as your child's "job", is a preparation for taking on adult responsibility later. On the business/budget side, the school loses $30 a day in funding for each student absence. We feel passionate about providing the best educational experience your child can have and this costs money. We hope that you will send a clear message to your child about the importance of school through supporting them in attending school consistently and on time. We are required to report excessive absences to the Student Attendance Review Board. SARB makes the determination as to whether or not your child's attendance records will be sent to the District Attorney's office; this most likely will negatively affect a student's advancement into the next grade. A parent meeting will be called prior to a SARB report in hopes that a resolution can be agreed upon to positively impact a student's attendance. Any student who is absent for five days or more and the family has not contacted the office and the parent cannot be reached, may be considered to be dropped from enrollment. However, children do get illnesses and, of course, a child who needs to be home in bed or requires medical attention should not be in school. Tardiness: Children who are late must stop in the office for a late slip. Children who are late may have to wait in the office or another designated area until there is an appropriate break in the class schedule for them to enter without disruption. Tardiness is disruptive to the class and is difficult on your child as he/she will have missed important beginning of the day class routines. Chronic tardiness may be reported to the Student Attendance Review Board (SARB) as described in the Attendance section above. Children who are habitually late returning to class after recess or lunch may also have to wait in the office until an appropriate time to enter class. Parent meetings will be held with the classroom teacher, an administrator, and the student for chronic tardiness before a SARB report is made in hopes that a resolution can be found and that SARB is not necessary. Illness: If your child is ill, please call the school in the morning and leave a voicemail message. Children will not be admitted to school or be allowed to stay if they have a fever of 100 degrees or more, diarrhea, vomiting, lice or nits, excessively runny noises, serious coughs or infectious illnesses. Children should be free of symptoms for 24 hours before returning to school. Children who are determined to be ill by staff will receive attention and rest in the office until a parent or guardian can pick them up. Vacation: We strongly encourage families to take vacations during winter break, spring break or summer. This does not disrupt your child's education, add to excessive absences on your child's record, and does not reduce the school's financial revenue. If it can't be helped and you take your child out for 3 or more days when school is in session, you must inform the office and set up an independent study program with your child's teacher. Accidents and Health Emergency Procedures: At least 90% of our teachers and administrative staff in the school are trained in first aid. Alma and Valerie act as the school's main first aid station. They can dispense ice-packs, band-aids, and take temperatures. One of them will call you if your child needs to go home because of an accident or illness or if your child has had a head injury, even if it is not one that seems to require immediate medical attention. If your child has an injury requiring immediate medical attention 911 will be called. Please be sure your forms are on file with your signature to allow emergency treatment for your child in the case of any accident. Medication: All medication is kept in the school office. Do not send any medication in your child's lunch pack or backpack. Students who require medication during the school day, (throughout the school year or temporarily) must turn in a doctor's note explaining the reason for the medication and the instructions for administering the medication. Child Abuse Reporting: Faculty and staff are required by law to report suspected child or substance abuse or neglect to the proper authorities. While we are advocates for children, we are also advocates for parents. We hope to be able to provide support to families undergoing stress. The OCS staff will be happy to assist parents in finding resources to help them in dealing with crisis. Emergency School Evacuation: If the school is evacuated for a fire or earthquake, all children will be grouped with their class on the main yard in front of the school, or the church courtyard. An emergency phone tree will be activated asking all parents to come pick up their child. Parents will need to sign out their child with their child's teacher or a school administrator. If the school grounds are unsafe, the students will be evacuated to the Mid-Valley Regional Library grounds at 16244 Nordhoff Street. School staff will stay with your children for as long as necessary. Fire drills and earthquake preparedness drills are held regularly and teachers are instructed in emergency procedures. Release of Child: We cannot release your child, while school is in session, to anyone other than those indicated on the enrollment form or emergency card, unless you notify the school in writing or call ahead of time. This policy holds true even during emergencies, so please have several possible people listed and update your list throughout the year. Unanticipated last minute emergency problems are welcome to be handled by the office and the teachers or the gate supervisor will be notified. Accommodating Special Needs Students: Our Community School is a public school with a full inclusion policy. Special needs students are supported within the regular classrooms to the extent the school is capable. OCS partners with LAUSD to provide special education services to our students. Teachers may refer a student to the special education coordinator for observation. Parents or teachers can recommend a student to be evaluated for eligibility to receive special education services. If a parent requests an evaluation, the school has 60 days to provide the evaluation. After the evaluation is completed a meeting will take place with the parents/guardians, teacher(s), the special education coordinator, and a school administrator. At this meeting the evaluation results will be presented and all present will discuss the student's eligibility for special education and an Individualized Education Plan (I.E.P.) will be developed. The IEP is updated annually. A comprehensive IEP is conducted every 3 years. DISCIPLINE POLICY Student Conduct: Our Community School expects that students will be respectful, cooperative, and caring for themselves and each other. We expect students to solve conflicts in a cooperative manner. We expect that students will be courteous and respectful towards each other, staff members and school visitors. We expect students to be careful and responsible about using materials, equipment, and school supplies. We expect students to keep their teacher informed of their whereabouts on the school campus at all times. We expect students to be equally conscientious on fieldtrips and at whole school events, as they are in their classrooms. Student Discipline: At Our Community School we hold that ongoing positive communication is the key to effective discipline. Therefore, our staff will communicate to our children that we know they are capable and responsible people, and speak to what is best in them--their intelligence, their initiative and their sensitivity towards others. Teachers and staff seek to create an environment for students that is empathetic and encouraging, where cooperation is emphasized and respect for one another's feelings, views and ideas is exercised. Our Community School will routinely provide opportunities for students to make healthy choices, to cooperate with and be respectful of others, and to problem solve effectively. The OCS staff provides students with opportunities to take responsibility for their own actions and encourages them to understand, acknowledge and explain the consequences that their actions have on one another. Common consequences for student problems will be to send a child to another class for a chance to think about their actions, to send a group of students to the office to discuss their problem in more depth with an administrator, to request a child repair or replace something they purposely broke as a homework assignment, and at times, a student maybe asked to help write up a behavior contract in which the specific behavior they are to avoid will be written out, along with what they should do instead and the consequences if they forget they will be asked to have their parent come in and meet with the student, administration, and classroom teacher to discuss and sign the behavioral contract. We may also request that the parent come pick their child up for the remainder of the day (informal suspension that does not go into the student's record) if the offense has jeopardized the safety of others and it is a first offense. If a student repeatedly violates the school's student conduct code or the classroom expectations, the teacher and Principal will hold a meeting with the student and parents/guardians to discuss a plan for cooperative action. The student, parent/guardian and teacher will develop a written plan that outlines student behavior expectations, timelines and consequences for failure to meet these expectations. The discipline policy is not discriminatory, arbitrary or capricious and follows the general principles of due process. With regard to the discipline of students who receive special education services, OCS will comply with all provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the policy will be adapted as needed. Student Suspension and Expulsion Policy: Our Community School may suspend or expel a child who continually breaks the school rules of safety, respect towards others and non-violence in a manner consistent with the due process rights of students and the requirements of federal law. Suspension is a temporary separation from the school community and can be an opportunity for student reflection regarding individual actions and the good of the community. Expulsion is a rare occurrence and happens only when a student can no longer be a participating member of the school community. Grounds for suspension or expulsion include but are not limited to: Threatening, attempting to, or actually causing injury or harm to another person Intentional destruction of property Habitual profanity or vulgarity Stealing school or another person's private property Possession or use of tobacco, drugs, alcohol or weapons Harassment, assault or battery upon any student or school employee Leaving school grounds without an authorized adult Procedure for Suspension: An informal conference conducted by the principal and/or assistant principal with the student and his/her parent/guardian, shall follow a suspension. Written notification describing the events leading to the suspension will be provided for the parent/guardian. A plan for cooperative action between home and school will be developed, within five days of a suspension. This cooperative plan must be followed in order to avoid expulsion from the program. All reasonable arrangements will be made to provide the student with classroom material and current assignments to be completed at home during the length of suspension. Parents are required by law to come to the school immediately when they are notified of their child's suspension. The suspension formally begins on the next day, although the child must leave school the same day in which the offense occurs. Procedure for Expulsion: A student's suspension may lead to expulsion if the school finds that at least one of the following has been verified: Due to the nature of the violation, the presence of the student causes a continuing danger to the physical safety of the student or others. Other means of correction are not feasible or have repeatedly failed to bring about proper conduct. The parent/guardian refuses to participate in conferences to resolve the matter. OCS will send written notification of the student expulsion to the parent/guardian of any student who is expelled. This notice will contain the following: The specific offense committed by the student for any of the acts listed in "Grounds for Suspension/ Expulsion." Notice of the parent/guardian's obligation to inform any new district in which the student seeks future enrollment, of the student's status with OCS. Expulsion Hearing: Students recommended for expulsion are entitled to a hearing to determine whether the student should be expelled. The hearing may be presided over by the School Board or an administrative hearing panel appointed by the Board. A Parent/Guardian may appeal a student's expulsion within five (5) working days to the School Board. OCS will develop and review with the student and family, a rehabilitation plan. This rehabilitation plan will need to be successfully followed in order to lift a student's expulsion. It is the sole discretion of OCS to readmit a student who has been expelled from OCS or admit a student who has been expelled from any other district school. <- PREVIOUS| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | NEXT ->