Policies

A student's absence from school or tardiness must be verified by the parent/guardian with a written note or phone call. It is preferred that you call the day of the absence. Ed. Code section 48260 states that any pupil subject to compulsory full-time education or to compulsory continuation education who is absent from school without valid excuse more than three days or tardy in excess of 30 minutes on each of more than three days in one school year is a truant and shall be reported to the attendance supervisor.

Valid excuses for absence from school are:
a) illness
b) quarantine as directed by health officer
c) appointments for medical services
d) attendance of funeral services of immediate family members

All other absences are considered unexcused and therefore truant. Family travel that exceeds 10 days will result in the student being dropped from the attendance rolls. Reinstatement into the class and school is contingent upon available space.

During school hours, NO student is permitted to leave the school grounds without written permission and checking out with the office. Please come to the office to sign out your child for any appointments during the day. All visitors to the school are required to sign-in at the office prior to entering the campus. We ask your help in maintaining this requirement, we wish to ensure your children's safety.

Classrooms are open for community visitations the first Wednesday of each month between the hours of 8:30 and 9:30 (except during the state testing window). Community members wishing to visit Matsumoto School must sign in and wear special name badges.

To ensure student safety, pets are not allowed in areas where children are likely to be present.

Hot lunches are available daily. The cost is $3.00 for lunch and $.50 if purchasing milk, juice, or water separately. A free and reduced lunch program is available. Applications for these programs are available in the school office. Applications must be renewed each year. It is recommended that lunches be paid off in blocks of a week or a month.

Students may NOT ride bicycles to school.

Students should NOT bring toys, games, radios, etc. to school. P.E. equipment is allowed from home with permission of your child's teacher. The school assumes no responsibility for lost or stolen personal property.Please label all clothing with your child's name. During the December vacation and again at the end of the school year, all unclaimed lost and found items are given to charity. Be sure to check for lost items on a regular basis.

At Tom Matsumoto School we assume that the business at hand is education, and as such students should be modestly dressed. Shorts, biker shorts, tank tops, halter tops, net shirts, clothing that conveys vulgar sayings and other attire that would distract from the learning process in NOT allowed. We do, however, have a standing rule that if the projected weather is to be in the mid-80's appropriate shorts may be worn. Shorts should be fingertip length at least. Short shorts and biker shorts are not allowed at any time. Uniforms are NOT required. We will survey parents in the spring to determine if they desire to have voluntary standards of dress.

It is requested that students needing to stay after school or arranging to go home with friends make those arrangements prior to the day effected. The office phone is primarily for emergency student use and for the making of last minute arrangements at the teacher's request.

If you have a question about your child's class, instruction, discipline or just wish clarification, please contact your child's teacher first. He or she is most likely to be acquainted with the situation and possible ways of handling it. Conferences are scheduled in November. All Tom Matsumoto teachers are committed to excellent parent-teacher communication and are only a phone call away.

All student medication must be kept in the nurse's office. Students taking ANY (presription or OTC) medication must have a form on file in the office signed by a doctor. No student should have medication on their person.

1. All medications (prescription or OTC) need school form filled out and doctor signature.
2. All medication must be sent to school in a prescription bottle or the original container.

NO MEDICATION WILL BE ACCEPTED IN AN UNLABELED CONTAINER.

Student work folders will come home every Friday. PLEASE WATCH FOR THESE! Enclosed will be the school newsletter, the Mustang Messenger, notices of upcoming events, a sampling of student work, and news from the classroom. These folders are signed each week and returned to school. The cost of replacement for a lost folder is $1.00.

The object of homework is to assist and improve a student’s learning. Homework is to be reasonable in length, directly related to classroom work, well defined in advance by the teacher, understood by the student, and corrected and returned to the student. It is the student’s responsibility to complete homework. The type of homework assignments and length should vary according to the student’s level. Your child is responsible in bringing his/her homework to school. Parents/Caregivers dropping off homework in the office is highly discouraged.

Kindergarten: Homework is to be minimal and based on teacher judgment of student’s need.

Primary grades (1-3): Some homework will be assigned to familiarize the students with the need for accuracy, time management and organizational skills, which are the foundation for the required homework that is a part of the intermediate grades educational program. Homework is assigned at the discretion of the teacher with an emphasis on language arts and math. Nightly homework should not exceed 30-45 minutes per night.

Intermediate Grades (4-6): Homework is to be expected as part of the student’s daily educational program. Homework emphasis is on language arts and math. Additional assignments are given which, in the judgement of the teacher, will assist the student to learn and develop initiative and responsibility. Long-term reports and projects should be expected. Nightly homework should not exceed 60-75 minutes per night. If your child is spending excessive time on homework, contact the teacher as modifications may be appropriate.

For those parents wishing to bring and pick up their child by car we ask assistance in maintaining a safe parking lot.

If you are dropping off or picking up a student please either:

• Find a parking stall and walk your child to or from the front of the school.
• Drop off or pick up in the designated Passenger Loading Zone on Cortona.
• In the parking lot, pull your car up as far into the yellow hatched area before dropping off or picking up your child.
• Do not allow your child to walk across the parking lot alone.
• It is a RIGHT TURN ONLY when leaving the front parking lot.
• Use the marked crosswalk on Mackin Woods Lane.

Tom Matsumoto School embraces the principles of Discipline with Dignity. As such we recognize that all students have basic needs:

1. To feel and believe they are capable and successful.
2. To know they are cared about by others.
3. To realize that they are able to influence people and events.
4. To remember and practice helping others through their own generosity.
5. To have fun and be motivated to learn.

In an effort to meet these basic needs, seven basic principles are focal points:

1. Focus on long-term behavior changes rather than short-term quick fixes.
2. Change discipline practices if they don't work.
3. Be fair and not always treat everyone the same.
4. Rules must make sense and should be discussed.
5. Responsibility is more important than obedience.
6. Model what you expect.
7. Always treat students with dignity.

Students who do not attend Tom Matsumoto (e.g., preschoolers, friends, former students, visiting relatives) are not allowed in classrooms or on field trips during the instructional day due to liability issues.

Small problems will not become large problems if parents send an email or call the teacher before or after school. Partnership with parents gives children strong messages for success in school. Parents who review their children’s weekly papers, work folders, and notebooks will be aware of their children’s strengths and needs. The principal’s newsletter will be sent home every Friday to communicate upcoming events.

Our teachers care about children, and they are dedicated to making your child successful in school and providing a quality education for every student. To maintain an effective home/school partnership, we suggest the following:

• Ensure that your child comes to school on time every day.
• Reply promptly to all letters, notes, e-mails, and phone calls from school.
• Ask your child every day about something that he/she learned.
• Encourage your child to respect himself/herself, to respect the rights and property of others, and to obey all school rules.
• Set aside some quiet time and a place every day for homework and be prepared to give some help with assignments.
• Become informed about school programs and speak with your child’s teacher whenever necessary.
• Attend as many school-related activities as possible.

November parent-teacher conferences are essential to the overall education program. Please plan on attending. If parents have a special concern, they are encouraged to schedule a conference with the teacher at any time during the school year.

If you are bringing lunch, money, assignments, or have other business, please go directly to the office rather than the classroom where such interruptions can be disruptive. Parent volunteers are also required to go to the office to sign the visitors; log and pick up a visitor’s badge before going to the classroom. Parents wishing to visit their child’s classroom should telephone the teacher in advance for an appointment.

Children are expected to follow playground rules to ensure their safety.

General Rules:

• Skateboards, skates, and scooters are not allowed on campus.
• We eat snacks at the designated bench areas.
• We do not leave classrooms without a pass.
• We do not cut in line.
• We do not throw rocks, sand, etc.
• We do not kick balls on the blacktop.
• We do not push, wrestle, trip, jump on others, roughhouse, fight, or “play fight.” We always keep hands and feet to ourselves.
• We do not bounce balls against the building.
• We run on the grass, not the blacktop. Tag is only played on the grass.
• We do not play in or around the bathrooms.
• We do not call each other names or use profanity.

Slide Area:

• Only one student at a time on the slide.
• We do not block another student on the slide.
• We slide feet first down the slide.
• We do not climb up the wrong way on the slide.
• We do not jump off the play structure at any time.

Parallel Bars:

• We cross the bars one student at a time.
• We do not stand on the bars.
• We always go across in the same direction (one way).

Bridge:

• We only use ladders to reach the bridge.
• We do not push or shove others on the bridge.
• No more than eight students may be on the bridge at a time.
• We do not jump off the bridge.

Mustang Money may be given to students who demonstrate courteous playground behavior and/or help keep our school clean. Students also may receive Mustang Money for helping in the lunchroom.

Sexual harassment of any kind is unacceptable and is strictly prohibited by policy of the Evergreen School District. The policy prohibits sexual harassment of or at a school-sponsored or school-related activity. Any student who engages in sexual harassment is in violation of this policy and shall be subject to disciplinary action. Policy and procedures for reporting sexual harassment in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese are included in the September principal’s newsletter or can be requested from the district office.

The group of elected officers and classroom representatives meets at least once a month to plan many of the school activities. They raise funds to help the school and promote school spirit.

In general, medication should be given at home. If the child’s condition requires that medication be taken during school hours, the following steps must be taken:

• All medications must have a school medication form (D-189) signed by the physician and parent (including over-the-counter medications.)
• All medication must be sent to school in a prescription bottle or the original labeled container. NO MEDICATION WILL BE ACCEPTED IN AN UNLABLED/HAND LABELED CONTAINER.
• The child must assume the responsibility for reporting to the office at the specified time for the medication.
• Parents must pick up all medications from the office every June and complete D-189 every August.
• Students may not keep any medication with them or self-administer.

Children’s names and room numbers should be on clothing and lunch boxes. The only time students should bring toys, games, balls, or other items to school is when the teacher instructs them to do so. Electronic toys and expensive jewelry are NEVER allowed at school.

There are several ways to find out how one’s children are doing in school:

• Report Cards are sent home three times a year. Envelopes are to be signed by the parent and returned to school.
• Progress Reports are sent mid-trimester in grades 1-6.
• Principal’s weekly newsletter will be sent via email by the classroom teacher and available on the school web site each Friday.
• Families are invited to attend Back-to-School night in the fall, parent-teacher conferences in November, and Open House in the spring.

Students are expected to be prepared to learn and have the following responsibilities:

• Arrive at school every day on time.
• Be prepared every day with completed homework assignments.
• Take home all letters, messages, and notes.
• Discuss with parents what they have learned in school; ask parents and teachers for help when needed.
• Respect themselves and the rights and property of others; obey all school rules.

Tom Matsumoto School holds weekly meetings regarding the progress of identified students. The referring teacher, resource specialist, psychologist, speech and language specialist, English Language Development specialist, and the principal review the student’s progress with the parents to develop a plan that will lead to the success of each child referred.

The district recognizes technology as support for the instructional programs and it shall be used to further student learning. Regulations prohibit access to harmful matter on the internet (obscene or pornographic or other misuses of the system). No expectation of privacy should exist, as district staff may monitor the system activity to ensure proper use of the system. Student and parent must sign an Acceptable Use Agreement, outlining a student’s responsibilities and obligations, before using the district’s online resources.

The Evergreen School District Uniform Complaint Procedures define the formal process used in response to complaints by employees, students, parents/guardians, district or site advisory groups, and other interested parties regarding the state or federal categorical programs and/or civil rights guarantees. The annual written notification distributed to all relevant persons and groups outlines the steps of the process, specifies the timeline for the procedures, and names the district person responsible for receiving and processing the complaints.

The staff of Tom Matsumoto School is committed to the process of educating the whole child – academically, socially, physically, and emotionally. We value the individual and cultural differences that each child brings to the learning environment. Students are taught how to behave responsibly, make good decisions, and resolve problems in an appropriate manner. All school rules apply during the instructional day including during the students’ way to and from school.

1. Come prepared and ready to learn.
2. Arrive at school on time daily.
3. Treat others with courtesy and respect. Be responsible.
4. Complete and return homework on time.
5. Keep our school clean and safe.

Procedure Ticket and Citations

The yellow procedure ticket is an infraction of a minor rule. The teacher will discuss the infraction of any procedure(s) with the student. After three tickets within a no citation cycle the student will be issued a purple citation. A purple citation addresses an infraction of a more serious rule. The yellow procedure ticket or the purple citation is sent home for parents’ signature.

Consequences for Unacceptable Behavior

Consequences are related to the severity and frequency of the offenses: warning/reminder of the rule, timeout, loss of recess, exclusion from special activity, phone call to parent, parent conference, request for parent involvement, referral to administration, behavior contract, escort to or from school, modified school day, systematic exclusion, suspension, and expulsion from school.

Severe Misconduct/Zero Tolerance

Continued misbehavior or serious misbehavior, fighting or threatening to cause injury, showing defiance of authority, obscenity or profanity, sexual harassment, and possession and/or use of a dangerous instrument or substance will result in immediate referral to the principal or assistant principal and the proper authorities. We have Zero Tolerance for weapons, potential weapons, and drugs.