Handbook

Valuing a culturally and academically diverse community, Del Paso Manor Elementary School’s mission is to educate and inspire each student to develop a strong academic foundation that supports life-long learning and responsible citizenship by providing intellectually challenging instruction while promoting integrity and critical thinking.

We need all parent/guardians’ assistance and support to ensure every student is safe during the arrival and dismissal process. Please enter and exit the parent/guardian pick-up lot on Avalon Drive with caution. It is crucial vehicles follow the direction of traffic, as it is one way only. Please pull your car forward to allow the maximum number of cars to utilize space, and DO NOT LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE UNATTENDED while in the pull through section. If you want to get out of your car and walk your child or to meet your child, please park in one of the parking spaces. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

The front school gate will open at 8:40am each morning.  Families who do not need the extra supervision should not drop students off until breakfast.  Breakfast will be served from 8:30-8:55 a.m. in the cafeteria. Students eating breakfast will enter through the side entrance.  Students who do not eat breakfast at school should not arrive before 8:40 a.m.  If you need care, please consider filling out an application with the YMCA as their doors open at 7:00am.  Applications are available in the office.

School is dismissed at 3:20 p.m. on M, T, W, & F. Dismissal on Thursdays is at 2:05. Students not attending Bridges or an after-school program should be picked up by 3:30 p.m. each day as there is no supervision after that time. Thursdays, students need to be picked up by 2:15.

Students are expected to arrive on time and attend school every day.  Late arrivals must check in at the office before proceeding to class.  If your child is absent, call the school office at 575-2330 and leave a message on the attendance voicemail or send a signed, dated note to school with the reason and date(s) of the absence and your child’s name.  If your child has 5 unexcused absences or 10 excused absences or tardies, you will receive a letter from the principal requesting that you meet to discuss the circumstances.  We request that you schedule medical and other appointments for students during non-school hours.  If this is not possible, students must be checked in and out of school at the office.  For early dismissals, please call the office at least 15 minutes in advance to ensure your student will be in the office at the requested time.  Early dismissals will not be honored 20 minutes prior to the final bell.

Students are responsible for their own personal property.  Please mark your children’s coats, sweaters, lunch bags, etc. with their names and room numbers.  Articles found on campus with no identifying marks are kept in our lost and found box.  Any clothing not claimed is donated monthly to a local charity.  Students are also responsible for classroom and library books, calculators, etc., assigned to them by their teacher.  Families will be charged for any lost or damaged school materials.

Students are encouraged to wear school colors (solid blue, yellow, or white) or DPM related apparel every Friday to show their school spirit. Friday is also our Buckaroo Rally where students and staff receive a prize through a raffle led by the principal.

Parent chaperones must be cleared through the District and will be selected based on the specific field trip needs.  Students are expected to follow teacher and parent chaperone directions as requested, maintain high standards of behavior and politeness as representatives of Del Paso Manor School.  Sibling are not allowed to attend school field trips.

The Board of Education adopted BP 5131.8 which affirms that students may not use cell phones and other mobile devices during instructional time with limited exceptions.  DPM’s school leadership team will develop a written practice in consultation with the entire DPM staff.  These updated practices will be shared with the DPM community upon completion. Cell phones are to be turned off while on the school grounds and are to be kept out of sight at all times while on the school campus.  This includes before and after school.  The school is not responsible for cell phones brought to school and will not be liable for damaged, destroyed or lost cell phones. Students who do not follow cell phone rules will have phones confiscated.  Parent/guardian will be required to pick up phones.

State law requires that all visitors check in at the office before going to a classroom.  Since the teacher is responsible for providing instruction, it is not possible to hold informal conferences during school hours.  Please call to schedule a meeting or message your teacher through Talking Points so the teacher has has time to respond to your concerns.  Parents’ help in the classrooms is always welcomed.  Please make arrangements with the teacher beforehand, and remember to sign in at the office.

Parent communication is sent on a regular basis. Upcoming events and information from the PTA, school, principal and district are included. The school uses TalkingPoints. Please read all messages as they contain important information.  In addition, teachers regularly send home newsletters or messaging through TalkingPoints highlighting classroom activities and curriculum. Most flyers and notices are also sent home on Fridays.  You will find a variety of information about our school as well as PTA events on the website.  Please visit our website at http://www.sanjuan.edu/DelPasoManor.cfm. 

Breakfast and Lunch will be free to all students.

Regular homework is a means of extending instructional time, providing necessary practice, and building responsibility. Homework will be assigned Monday through Thursday in most classes. Average daily time for homework is:

Kindergarten…………..5-15 minutes

Grades 1, 2, 3…………15-30 minutes

Grades 4, 5, 6…………30-60 minutes

These times should serve as guidelines and do not include time necessary to complete late or special research or reports that are assigned. Generally, homework is assigned for 10 minutes per grade level. For example, second grade would have an average of 20 minutes of homework per day in addition to reading nightly.

No medications can be dispensed at school without an authorization signed by the child’s physician.  This applies to all medications, even over the counter drugs.  Students are not allowed to have medication in their possession.

Conferences – Parents are expected to conference with the teacher during the fall conference period in November.  A second conference period is scheduled for March for all parents who request a conference, new students, and teacher requests.  Parents are always invited to conference with teachers by request.  Call the school to contact the teacher for an appointment or use the school’s communication system: Talking Points

Report Cards – Report cards are issued and available online at the end of the first and second trimester and at the end of the school year. 

Progress Notices – For students experiencing academic or behavior problems, progress notices will be sent home at the middle of each trimester to inform parents so that home and school can work together to support students.

Please log onto the Parent Portal to complete your child(ren’s) emergency card.  Please keep your emergency card information current.  Only people listed on the emergency cards may pick up a child from school during the school day. 

We believe that students need to be taught what to do in the event of an emergency.  Therefore, students will receive instructions on earthquake preparedness, fire drills, intrusion drills, and other emergencies that could potentially threaten student safety.  In the event of a major emergency, parents will be asked to gather in the Multipurpose Room or an alternative safe location, and students will be released to parents from that room.  All parents will be asked to sign their children out so that we can account for all students.  The school’s safety plan is available for community review on the DPM website.

Bicycles/Scooters – Students are to walk bikes and scooters while on school grounds. Students are to park and lock them at the rack.  Skateboards, Roller Skates/Blade can be stored in the classroom at the teacher's discretion.  Wheelies are not allowed to be worn on campus.

●               PBIS is a proactive approach schools use to improve school safety and promote positive behavior. The focus of PBIS is prevention, not punishment.

●               With PBIS, schools teach students positive behavior strategies, just as they would teach about any other subject. All students learn about positive behavior, including kids with IEPs and 504 plans.

●               PBIS recognizes that students can only meet behavior expectations if they know what the expectations are. Everyone learns what’s considered appropriate behavior. And they use a common language to talk about it. Throughout the school day — in class, at lunch, and on the bus — students understand what’s expected of them.

●               DPM’s schoolwide expectations are: make good decisions, solve problems, and show respect.

Our goal is not to punish students, but to help them learn expected behaviors that are safe, respectful and responsible. Reinforcing expected behaviors with positive incentives is the most effective way to encourage students to follow school rules. Positive incentives occur in the classroom with praise, classroom currencies, taking students out to lunch, and other rewards. Students who do not follow school rules will be subject to progressive disciplinary action. Consequences may include warnings, time out within the classroom, time out in another classroom, loss of recess time, being sent to the office, referrals and calls home, and for serious behavior, suspension for one or more days. 

Students are expected to dress appropriately in accordance with district and school policy. Students who come to school inappropriately dressed will be asked to call home for clothing that meets the dress code.