Sopori Elementary School

Attendance Procedures
 

Reporting a Student:

• When a student is absent, a parent/guardian must notify the school attendance office by phone no later than 8:30am and leave a message at 520=625-3502 ext. 1300. *Absence without a doctor’s note is considered unexcused per Arizona state requirements.
• If a call is not made by the parent/guardian, the attendance office may call the home to verify the absence for the day.
• The parent/guardian must also provide written documentation explaining the student’s absence on the day the student returns to school. This will be placed in the student’s file.

Sahuarita Unified School District Board Policy JH: Student Absences & Excuses:

The regular school attendance of a child is required by state law. Regular school attendance is essential for success in school; therefore, absences shall be excused only for the following:

• Illness, bereavement, other family emergencies, and observance of major religious holidays of the family’s faith.
• The student’s participation in a school-related activity.
• The student being suspended for misconduct.

In the event of a necessary absence known in advance, the parent is expected to inform the school; if the absence is caused by emergency such as illness, the parent is expected to telephone the school office. When a student returns to school following any absence, a note of explanation from the parent is required.

This documentation must be submitted within five (5) school days of return to school. After ten cumulative absences, written medical documentation from a health care professional licensed under A.R.S Title 32, Chapter 7, Chapter 13, or Chapter 17, may be required to excuse the absences.

When Absent from School:
State law mandates that the school record reasons for all student absences.

Therefore, when a student is absent, it will be necessary for the parent to call the school on or before the day of the absence in order to advise the school as to the reason for the absence. When it is impossible to call on the day of the absence, the school should be notified on the morning the student returns, in time for the student to obtain an admission slip prior to the student’s first class. All absences not verified by parental or administrative authorization will remain unexcused. If a parent does not have access to a phone, either at home or at work, a note will be accepted for verification purposes. For absences greater than one (1) day in length, the school should be notified each day of the absence. All personnel will solicit cooperation from parents in the matter of school attendance and punctuality, particularly in regard to the following:

• The scheduling of medical and dental appointments after school hours except in cases of emergency.
• The scheduling of family vacations during school vacation and recess periods.

The school may require an appointment card or a letter from a hospital or clinic when the parent has not notified the school of an appointment of a medical or dental nature. School administrators are authorized to excuse students from school for necessary and justifiable reasons. Adopted: August 23, 2017 LEGAL REF.:

Tardies:

School starts at 8:05 AM and ends at 2:50 PM. Any child arriving to the  classroom after 8:05 or leaving before 2:50 must be signed in/out at the office by a parent or guardian (driver’s license required). Tardiness can be a disturbance to the classroom and learning. Excessive tardiness excused or not, will be directed to the principal for intervention.

Tardies will affect a student’s attendance record.

Arrival and Pick-Up
Students should arrive between 7:30 and 8:05 A.M. Students should not arrive prior to 7:30 A.M as there is no adult supervision at this time. No child or parent should be in the building before school without an appointment. School begins promptly at 8:05 A.M.

Birthdays

Individual birthday parties for students interrupt daily instruction and will not be allowed until the last 15 minutes of the day, per the teacher’s discretion. Students are permitted to distribute personal party invitations to all class members without exception of any student. Parents who wish to invite certain students from their child’s classroom should make other arrangements for distributing party invitations. Due to the number of students who are allergic to many food products, please check with school personnel to get prior approval before bringing in any food items. This helps us ensure the safety of all of our students.
 

Bus Routes

All bus route information may be obtained from the July edition of district news letter or can be found on the district website. It is the parent’s responsibility to get correct bus route information so you may provide this to your child’s classroom teacher. (Route numbers change every summer).

Bus Route/Parent Pick-Up Changes

Per District, parents must designate one bus stop for their child. We ask that parents create one schedule for their students for the year (i.e. bus everyday, parent pick-up everyday, or bus on Mon. and Tues. and parent pick up on Wed., Thurs., and Fri.) Changes in permanent schedules must be approved by the principal. We realize that on certain days, emergencies or unforeseen circumstances arise and other arrangements must be made for the students to go home. We understand these changes, but ask that changes be kept to a minimum.
Any other changes must be in writing and given to the teacher at the beginning of the day (I.E. doctor’s appointments, etc). This information is then given to the front office to ensure accuracy. No phone calls will be accepted to change departure information. Only emergencies will be approved through the school principal. Please call the front office at EXT. 1300 in the event of an emergency.

Our goal in Transportation Services is to provide a safe and comfortable ride to and from school for all students. This requires teamwork and shared understanding of basic operating norms. In order to accomplish these goals, Sahuarita School District has established the following procedures and routines on all District buses and at District designated bus stops as applicable as part of the SUSD Student Transportation Services Compact for Success.

SUSD Student Transportation Services Compact for Success

1. Students will remain seated on the school bus.
2. Students will face forward when on the bus.
3. Students will keep their hands, feet, and personal objects to themselves.
4. Students will maintain a quiet conversation voice (level 2) and use appropriate language.
5. Students will obey reasonable direction from the bus driver at all times.
6. For safety and cleanliness reasons, eating/drinking on the bus other than an enclosed water bottle shall be prohibited.
7. Students will have their District issued identification card with them and visible when boarding the bus (Grades 6-12).

Students will be acknowledged for their cooperative efforts in multiple ways that may include:

1. Positive reinforcement
2. Incentive prizes/drawings (group and individual)
3. Timely departures/arrivals—Teamwork Works!
4. Positive notes
5. Parent calls

Infractions of bus rules are serious concerns, as student safety is our top priority. In order to establish a positive and safe environment, the following sequence of consequences will be in place when a student chooses to violate the above-mentioned procedures and routines.

1st offense – Student will be given a conference and bus warning letter.

2nd offense – Student will be given a conference and bus warning letter.

3rd offense – Student will be given a one (1) day suspension from the bus.

4th offense – Student will be given a two (2) day suspension from the bus.

5th offense-Student will be given a three (3) day suspension from the bus. Parent/Guardian will be contacted for a mandatory meeting.

6 or more offenses- A bus suspension of five (5) to ten (10) days may be enforced depending on the nature of the offense. Continued and repeated offenses may result in long term suspensions from the bus that may include the remainder of the school year.

Please Note: The District reserves the right to invoke a severe clause and immediately refer the student to administration if appropriate (I.E., belligerent defiance, acts of violence).
 

In the interest of student safety, consistency, and effective operations, our policy as a school district is that we will drop off students at the designated stop as identified by the child’s parent/guardian.

It is asked that you please designate one bus stop where you would like for our professional bus drivers to deliver your child each afternoon after school. Students may ride only one bus. 

Kindergarten students must be met by an adult at the bus stop. If no adult is present, students will be transported back to school.
 

Thank you for your cooperation and support in these matters. Our transportation mission is to provide excellent and safe transportation services to each student we serve.

Cafeteria & Lunch

Breakfast and lunch are both provided daily. Students who qualify may receive meals free or at a reduced rate. Applications for free or reduced lunches are distributed at the beginning of the school year and are available in the front office. If a family’s financial situation changes during the year, free and reduced applications will be available in the office.

Meal prices are as follows:

Breakfast: Free to all students

Lunch: $2.20 (Reduced $0.40)

Paying in advance (i.e. one week or one month at a time) is strongly encouraged.

Students will be allowed to charge a negative balance up to $2.00. After the child reaches this maximum, the cafeteria will send a note home with the child and the child will be given an alternative meal consisting of a sandwich and milk.

If you have questions please call the cafeteria at 625-3502 ex. 1311

Lunch Times:

Grades K-2: 10:45 – 11:00 A.M.

Grades 3-5: 11:20 – 11:35 A.M.

Cafeteria Rules

In our cafeteria, students focus on appropriate manners. In order for students to receive proper nutrition, students must have an opportunity to eat all their lunch without disruption and to sit in an area free of litter.

Most importantly, the cafeteria must be safe for students while they are walking to and from their tables, as well as while them are seated. The guidelines are as follows:

• Inside voices
• Students are expected to use appropriate table manners.
• Excessive misbehavior or disrespect will be reported to the classroom teacher. Depending on the severity of the offenses, an administrator will be informed.
• Throwing food will not be tolerated.
• Students are not allowed to handle other students’ food.
• Any inappropriate behavior not covered will be subject to disciplinary action.

Cafeteria-Wellness Policy

The Sahuarita Unified School District #30 is committed to providing a healthy school environment that enhances learning and development of lifelong wellness practices.

It is with this in mind that on July 01, 2006, the Governing Board adopted the Local Wellness Policy. This initiative supports a school environment that encourages and models nutritious eating habits and physical activities that promote academic success and lifelong health for our students, staff and community.

A healthy school environment goes beyond school meals in the cafeteria. A healthy lifestyle and maintaining a healthy weight requires a combination of healthy food choices and appropriate amount of physical activity. All foods made available on the school campus should offer children nutritious choices, and physical activity should be incorporated into the school day as often as possible.

All foods and beverages made available on campus during the school day for K-8 grade students and whenever possible to High School students are consistent with the Arizona Nutrition Standards – ANS. These standards limit the amount of sugar, fat, calories and sodium in foods available at school. 

School meals must meet the USDA nutrition standards for the appropriate age group.

We encourage all parents to provide meals and snacks that support the school’s efforts for their student.

Any “group” or “class” snack sent in must adhere to the following School Wellness Policy:

Carbonated beverages are prohibited in the cafeterias and are not recommended for snacks. No foods creating distractions will be permitted such as whole bags of chips, coffee, energy drinks, etc.

Classroom Snacks:

Classroom snacks must feature healthy choices such as Low Fat, Low Sugar snacks, or Limits on calories – i.e., 100 cal per bag.

Suggested Snacks:

Fresh Fruit (apples, oranges, bananas, etc), fruit kabobs, juice bars, juice, yogurt, raisins, pretzels, granola bars, baked chip, cheese sticks.

Water or 100% Juice are only drinks allowed for class snacks.

We ask that peanut and peanut products be limited and in some classes with students with severe allergies, they are prohibited.
 

Child Custody

In most cases, when parents are divorced, both mother and father continue to have equal rights where their children are concerned. If you have a court order limiting the custody, communication, or visitation rights of one parent, please bring a copy to the school office. Unless the court orders are on file at Sopori Elementary, we must provide equal rights to both parents.
 

Classroom Concerns

Your child’s teacher is the best source of information about individual classroom procedures and your child’s progress. If you have a question or concern, please contact the teacher directly prior to contacting the principal. If you feel more comfortable speaking with the principal concerning the situation please contact Dr. Spooner at jspooner@sahuarita.net or (520) 625-3502 ext. 1303.

Classroom Placements

Teaching teams carefully construct homeroom classes to be balanced learning communities. Every effort is made to balance classrooms for gender, emotional, physical, behavioral, and academic needs. We welcome the sharing of your perspective regarding your child’s learning needs; however, requests for specific teachers will not be accepted.

Communication

You are always encouraged to contact your child’s teacher by phone or email.

You can contact the main office at 520-625-3502, ext.1300 or 1303 to leave a message. The front office can also transfer you to the teachers’ voice mail where you can leave a message.

Please be patient with the school staff returning your calls, they are very busy during the day with their students and may not have time to get to their messages until the end of the day. All phone calls and emails will be returned within 24 hours. You may also at any time set up a time to meet with your child’s teacher.
 

Conferences

We recognize that open communication between home and school are critical for a child’s success. School-wide parent conferences are scheduled twice a year. On these days, school will be dismissed at 12:50pm to accommodate conferences with parents. If you feel it necessary to have additional conferences with your child’s teacher, please send a note or email at least one day in advance. The teacher will communicate to arrange a suitable time for a conference to be held.

Since teachers have classroom obligations, no conferences will be scheduled when children are in class.

Dress Code

At Sopori we are committed to preparing our students for the future. This preparation includes academics, social, and job skills. The classroom is the student’s “workplace”; we expect them to dress accordingly.