General Information

ABSENCES

We are required by law to account for all absences. Allowable absences are outlined in the Guidelines for Parents and Students and detailed under Education Code 48205 and are generally limited to student’s personal illness (illness more than three consecutive days require Dr’s note to excuse absences). When it is necessary for your child to be absent, it is essential you send a note when your child returns; stating the child’s first and last name, teacher, reason for absence and date of absence(s), and your signature. Please turn in notes to the office within five days of the student’s return from their absence. Please provide a professional note from any appointments (Dr., Dentist, Ortho, Eye Dr., Therapist etc.) otherwise it will be marked as an unexcused absence (parent written notes for Dr., Dentist, Ortho, Eye Dr. are not acceptable and will result in an unexcused mark). Our automated telephone system will call parents when absences are reported by the teacher. Tardies, early outs, and absences negatively impact the educational process. Our students learn when they come to school. Parents may monitor their child’s absence(s) through ParentVue.

ALLERGIES

We need to be aware of any allergies that may affect your child with specific direction from your child’s physician, if necessary. On occasion during the school year, food may be prepared and eaten as part of a classroom lesson. A notice concerning any allergies your child may have will be sent home by your child’s teacher before this type of activity occurs. Students with severe allergies should have appropriate prescribed medications on file. Students are not permitted to carry any medications (prescribed or over the counter) with them or in their backpack. They need to be cleared with the nurse and stored in her office. Please contact our nurse with any questions.

For more information on special diets, please visit the LBUSD Nutrition Services web page.

ATTENDANCE

Each student is required to be at school on time each day. Students who arrive after 8:00 a.m. are marked Tardy, they may report directly to their classroom before 8:30 a.m. Students arriving after 8:30 a.m. need to report to the office for a late slip and will be marked Late. If they are late due to Dr./Dental appointments, please request a school excuse note from their Dr./Dental offices to excuse the late arrival (hand written parent notes for appointments are not accepted and will result in an unexcused mark). Students arriving late or leaving early can have a negative impact on the individual student and the classroom. Additionally, students with excessive tardiness, those who leave early and/or have excessive absences will generate a notification from LBUSD notifying you that your child has been reported as a Truancy to the LBUSD attendance supervisor.

Positive attendance supports your student’s achievement. Every day a student misses school, he/she is at risk of falling behind academically. Not only is the missed day lost, the return day is spent catching up. Every day a student attends school is also a lesson in responsibility and commitment.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year, which is equivalent to 18 days out of a 180-day school year, regardless of whether absences are excused or unexcused. Truancy refers to unexcused/unverified absences and excessive tardies.

BICYCLES, SKATEBOARDS, SCOOTERS, ETC.

Students in grades 3 - 5 are permitted to ride their bicycles to school, however they are not allowed to be ridden on campus. Those who choose to ride bicycles must follow these rules:

A HELMET must be worn while riding (It is the law for bicycles and smart for all.)
Bicycles, etc. must be WALKED on all school property.
BIKES, SCOOTERS, SKATEBOARDS, ETC. are to be locked in the bike rack during school or stored according to teacher directions.
Bicyclists must observe safe riding rules.

The school is not responsible for injury, damage or theft.

*To reduce/eliminate the temptation of others for theft or vandalism, bicycles, skateboards, scooters, etc. left at the end of the school day may be confiscated. Confiscated items may be claimed by contacting the school office. Unclaimed items will be donated to charity at the end of the semester.

BULLYING

Bullying can happen on any campus, however it is not acceptable. Students are encouraged to report disrespectful and/or bullying behavior to an adult immediately, however should they should also share the situation later at home. Please contact either your child's teacher or school administration to discuss issues with continued bullying or harassment.

CELL PHONES

Students may possess cellular phones at school for extreme emergency purposes only (fire, earthquake, etc.). All student phones are to be turned off during the school day. Students may use their own personal cell phone to contact their guardian after school in the Lunch Bench Area or in the Front of the School. Students may not use cell phones or electronic devices to communicate with someone other than their guardian. Students who use their cell phone during the school day will have their device confiscated. Confiscated electronic devices will be returned to the students on the first offense. Subsequent offenses will require a parent to claim the device. Students who are sick or otherwise need to contact their parent during the school day must be assisted by school staff.

CLASS ASSIGNMENTS

Many factors are considered when placing students into classrooms. Fluctuation in enrollment may necessitate adjustments in classroom assignments during the first two weeks of school. Should you have a specific situation that you would like to discuss, please visit the school office and submit a request to speak with a member of the administration.

CLOTHES, BACKPACKS, LUNCH PAILS, ETC.

Please label clearly all lunch pails, sweaters, jackets, etc., with your child's name and classroom number and encourage him/her to keep track of his/her possessions. If an item is lost, check your child's classroom or the lost and found bins, located near the auditorium entrance. Unclaimed items will be donated to charity at the end of each month.

The school is not responsible for injury, damage or theft.

CONFERENCES

Parent conferences are provided for all parents in the Fall, with additional conferences scheduled in the Spring for identified students. Additional conferences may be coordinated with teachers as needed during the school year. Please contact the teacher via written note, telephone call, or email to arrange for a conference. Refrain from contacting teachers immediately prior to the beginning of class as they are preparing for the day.

DISCIPLINE

Elementary School Guidelines for Parents is available by logging on to www.lbschools.net. Please become familiar with its content, and sign and return the attached forms indicating that you have discussed this with your child. If you are unable to access the website, hard copies of the booklet will be available in the school office. Individual Classroom discipline procedures will be presented at Back-to-School Night.

EMERGENCIES

Each school is required to prepare for many types of emergency situations. Our preparation includes practice drills for earthquake, fire, and intruder. Should a situation occur either at school or affecting our school, we will communicate the facts of the situation as soon as it is possible. Please be patient and cooperative as our first priority is keeping our students and staff safe. Parents are encouraged to register for School Loop and ParentVue to assist with effective positive communication. The LBUSD School Safety Office coordinates emergency preparation of all schools, communicates with local public safety departments, and assists with situations that may arise.

ENROLLMENT/EMERGENCY INFORMATION

An “Emergency Information Sheet” will be sent home separately, specific to your child. Please revise the information as needed and return the form with your signature. This enables us to have the most accurate information regarding your child, please be sure to fully review and update this information. You may also update this information on ParentVue. Certain sections (address, health history) require verification in person.

FOOD SERVICES

Breakfast and Lunch: All cafeteria meals are free of charge for 2021-22 school year.

For Cafeteria Menus, call (562) 427-7923 or go to the District’s website www.lbschools.net and find Nutrition Services in the alphabetical listing, and select menus and nutrient information. If your child requires a special diet, please contact Nutrition Services Branch office and ask to speak with the Administrative Dietician or a Child Nutrition Specialist.

The Gant Cafeteria opens for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. each school day.
Cafeteria menus are available online.
Glass bottles or containers may not be sent to school.
Students who forget their lunch will be provided a regular lunch from the cafeteria.

HEALTH SCREENINGS

Student's vision and hearing are routinely tested when they are in Kindergarten, 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 10th grade. Female students in 7th grade and male students in 8th grade are checked for scoliosis (side curvature of the spine). Upon request from the parent/guardian, your child will be screened and results reported to you.

INJURIES AT SCHOOL

First aid will be given by the school nurse or other staff member present. Since the school nurse is not available on a full time basis, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to see that proper medical aid is obtained. Low cost student accident insurance is available, and information will be sent home mid-September. Parents will be informed of injuries and advised for further treatment.

INVITATIONS

Invitations to private parties MAY NOT be distributed during school hours, or on school grounds.

MEDICATIONS

Any student who needs to take medication at school must have a Medication Request Form signed by their doctor and parent/guardian (forms available on the LBUSD Student Health Services web page). This form is filed in the nurse's office. This form needs to be renewed each school year and/or whenever there is a change in the medication order (change in drug, dose, etc.). STUDENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CARRY MEDICATION WITH THEM AT SCHOOL. For safety and liability reasons, this policy also applies to prescription medications as well as ALL over the counter remedies.

PICKING UP STUDENTS AT SCHOOL

If your child must leave during the day, parents must come in to the office to sign out and pick him/her up. Your child will be called to the office and released to the parent/guardian. It is most helpful if a note is sent with your child in the morning alerting the teacher that your child will be leaving early. Only the person(s) listed on the emergency/enrollment cards may pick up your child. Be advised that a picture ID is required. Please be aware that "early sign outs” affect your child's attendance record.

PLAYGROUND SUPERVISION

7:40-8:00am/Dismissal until 3:00pm

Before or After School playground supervision is not available for TK or Kindergartners.

School begins each day at 8:00 a.m. Students may arrive at school as early 7:30 a.m. for breakfast, or at 7:40 a.m. for supervised play. After-school playground supervision ends at 3:00 p.m. every day (these hours may change and are subject to funding). All students must be picked up by 3:00 p.m. Minimum day 1:00 p.m. dismissal, playground supervision until 2:00 p.m.

RAINY DAY (INCLEMENT WEATHER)

In the event of inclement weather it may be necessary to modify the school day to protect the health and safety of our students. As students arrive to school, they are to report directly to the auditorium where they will be directed to classrooms at 8:00. Students are provided with recess time within their classrooms and given the opportunity to use the restroom. Lunch periods are limited to 30 minutes to provide teachers with their mandatory duty free lunch. At dismissal time, all students are directed to the auditorium to wait to be picked up.

READMISSION AFTER INJURY

The use of a cast, brace/sling, crutches, and/or wheelchairs require a note from the Dr/Physician specifically stating what the child is using, whether activity is limited or placed on no activity and dates stating how long they need it for. Please see the nurse should you have any questions.

REFRESHMENTS

All Refreshments provided to students must be store bought and packaged. Glass containers are not permitted. Additionally, prior arrangements must be made with the classroom teacher as to ensure alignment with the education of our students.

SAFETY RULES FOR THE PLAYGROUND

The playground equipment on the primary and upper playgrounds is for students in grades 1-5 only. The Kindergarten playground is not open for supervised play before or after school.

Our main playground rules are:

Respect others
Keep hands and feet to yourself
Use approved equipment appropriately
Stay within supervised playground boundaries.
Specific rules for game areas and equipment will be taught during the 1st week of school.

All toys, games, electronic devices, cards etc. are to be left at home. Only equipment approved and purchased by our district may be used at school. Students are taught to report all accidents, injuries, illnesses, hazardous conditions, or violations of the safety rules to the adult on duty.

SICK STUDENTS

Please do not send your sick child to school. This may expose other children to unnecessary illnesses. Although we stress the importance of good attendance, a student who appears ill should remain at home, and the family medical physician consulted. A child should be free of all symptoms of disease/illness and be fever free (Fever = 100 degrees or higher) for at least 24-48 hours before returning to school without medication.

PLEASE NOTIFY THE SCHOOL WHEN YOUR CHILD IS ABSENT. We cannot diagnose illness or prescribe medication. We are legally restricted to give only First Aid for injuries incurred at school. Should a situation arise that requires further evaluation/attention, we will attempt to contact the parent/guardian immediately or call for appropriate medical intervention.

WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME FROM SCHOOL

Your child should stay home from school if he or she:

Has a temperature of 100.0 degrees or higher (fever)
- fever with a rash needs to be checked by your doctor
Has been vomiting or has diarrhea
Has symptoms that keep him/her from participating in school, such as:
- very tired or lack of appetite
- cough that he or she cannot control, sneezing often
- persistent headache, stomach ache, body aches or earache
- sore throat with pain on swallowing
- yellow or greenish discharge from nose or eyes
- wheezing or breathing problems, even after use of inhaler
- any injury that keeps him/her from using arms or legs in a normal manner

24-HOUR RULE:

FEVER: Keep your child home until the fever has been gone at least 24 hours WITHOUT MEDICATION.
VOMITING AND DIARRHEA: Keep your child home for 24 hours after the LAST episode of vomiting or diarrhea.
ANTIBIOTICS: Keep your child home for 24 hours after the FIRST dose of antibiotics is given for anything like an ear or throat infection.

Children and adults who come to school with colds can pass their sickness to others. Please help others from becoming sick by keeping your child home while he/she is the sickest.

Thank you for your cooperation with these guidelines. For more information or if you have questions, please contact your school nurse.

VISITORS ON CAMPUS

All visitors must check in at the office.

Authorized visitors will be issued a visitor badge! Class observations are limited to 20 minutes and must be arranged with the teacher in advance. If you are interested in volunteering time working in your child's class, a VIPS application must be completed and approved. VIPs are required to sign the VIPS binder in the office and to wear their badge every day of service.

DISTRICT NOTICES

Safe Place to Learn Act
The Long Beach Unified School District is committed to maintaining a learning environment that is free from discrimination, harassment, violence, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived characteristics set forth in Section 422.55 of the Penal Code and EC 220, and disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

Title IX FAQ
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination based on sex within federally funded education institutions.

UCP Annual Notice and Form
Policies if you believe you have experienced discrimination, bullying, or harassment

6171 Title I Programs
Title I funds are used to help improve academic achievement among disadvantaged students, or students who come from low-income families.