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Del Cerro Elementary’s
School Vision, Mission, Rules, Policies and Procedures


Welcome to the 2007-2008 school year! Del Cerro is a wonderful school and well-known throughout the community for the unique partnership that exists among students, parents, staff, community members and business leaders. Teamwork and unity of vision are valued greatly by all members of the organization. Together we work to develop the exemplary character traits (i.e... honesty, responsibility) and scholarly attributes (i.e... goal setting, organization) that all students will need for success in life. We encourage you to read this Responsibility Contract carefully with your child(ren). Discuss and role play possible situations from the Responsibility Contract in order to help your child develop strategies for success, as well as learn how to handle mistakes. Mistakes are crucial to learning. Together, we will strive to turn every situation into a positive learning experience.
 

Del Cerro Elementary School’s Vision:


All Del Cerro students will be empowered with the necessary tools to be literate, thinking, ethical, technology-using citizens, fully prepared for the challenges of the twenty-first century and their individual futures.
 

Del Cerro Elementary School’s Mission:
 
To equip students with the skills to be academically, emotionally, socially, and morally prepared for their futures.
To provide a safe, stimulating learning environment in which all community members will become respectful, responsible, reasonable, and productive, life-long scholars.
To enable students to reach their greatest potential by teaching them how to handle conflict, solve problems in positive ways, and make sound decisions.

 Del Cerro's School-wide Declaration:

 We are kind and caring in both our words and deeds!  

 

Del Cerro’s Positive Behavior Focus Areas – The Three R’s:
We are Respectful to ourselves and others, Responsible,
Reasonable, and Scholarly

The Del Cerro staff actively teaches students The Three R’s – Respect, Responsibility, Reasonable, and Scholarly. A teaching matrix (click on the link to see the 3R'S matrix) that describes what each attribute looks like in the various areas of the school is a part of our school’s every day curriculum. Students are directly taught and practice what respect looks like in the classroom, on the playground, in the bathrooms, at the lunch tables, etc. The staff is also committed to positive reinforcement – our goal is six positives for every negative. We diligently seek to catch kids being good and celebrate their success with them. Dolphin Dollars are given to students as they demonstrate the Three R’s throughout their day. These Dolphin Dollars can be used as real currency in our student store.
 

SCHOOL-WIDE REWARDS AND POSITIVE FEEDBACK
 

“The Three R’s”
         Respectful
         Responsible
         Reasonable
         Scholarly		 This is Del Cerro’s student recognition program, which focuses on positive behavior. The students are taught expected behaviors for different areas of our campus. These expected behaviors are the 3 R’s – Respectful, Responsible, Reasonable, and Scholarly. When a student is seen practicing these behaviors staff members will present them with a ‘Dolphin Dollar’. These dollars can be saved and spent in their classroom on teacher incentives or in our school store.

 
“YOU’RE A STAR” Each month teachers select one student from their class who has shown excellence of character in the Three R’s to have lunch with the principal.

 
Perfect Attendance Students who do not miss a single day of school are rewarded with a special certificate at the end of each trimester and are recognized at a Flag Ceremony. This is a very significant milestone and does not go unnoticed.

 
Grade Level Award Ceremonies

Primary Grade classes celebrate every other month and Upper Grade classes celebrate at the end of each trimester.

 ACE Awards (Each class awards the top student in the following three areas):
      Academic Excellence, Citizenship, and Effort
      Citizenship
      Effort

STAR AWARDS:
      Recognition for outstanding achievement on the California State Standard's Test

HONOR ROLL:
      Trimester Recognition of fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students

BRINGING UP GRADES (BUG) AWARDS:
      Students bringing up their grade point average are awarded with a certificate, pencil, and special pin.  These certificates and gifts are sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Mission Viejo.
Flag Ceremony Awards

Flag ceremonies are held each Monday morning (with the exception of rainy days) on the primary playground.

 TERRIFIC KIDS:
      Campus Supervisors and Staff are on the lookout for those outstanding acts of kindness and show of strong, moral character.  Students receive a certificate, pencil, and special pin.  These certificates and gifts are sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Mission Viejo.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR RECOGNITION:
      Parents, Teachers, Staff and Students share special accomplishments with the principal and are recognized during the flag ceremony.  Some past celebrations have been for sports teams, giving hair to Locks of Love, winning a competition outside of school, etc.

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 GENERAL SCHOOL PROCEDURES AND STANDARDS

Visitor / Volunteers on Campus:
Any visitor or parent volunteer on campus anytime during school hours must report to the office, sign in, and wear a visitor badge. Students and staff must report anyone not wearing a badge to their teacher or the office respectively. We want to ensure the safety of all persons at all times.

Before School:

  A. Students are to arrive no earlier than 8:10 a.m. (Early Bird Kindergarten students are to arrive no earlier than 8:15 a.m. Late Owl Kindergarten students are to arrive no earlier than 10:25 a.m.) Students arriving earlier will be unsupervised. An unsupervised student warning or a call home to the parent may be given if a student is consistently early.
  B. Students are to walk to the playground where supervision begins at 8:10 a.m.
  C. Students are to walk bikes when inside the school grounds.
  D. The warning bell rings for line up at 8:22 a.m. for Upper Grade students and 8:27 a.m. for Primary Grade students.
  E. On rainy days, students are to go directly to the MPR no earlier than the 8:10 a.m. arrival time.

Recess/Nutrition Break:

  A. Students may only be in a classroom under the supervision of a teacher or other school personnel.
  B. Students are to follow all playground rules.
  C. Primary students are to FREEZE, hold all equipment and stop their talking when the bell rings - all play stops!  When students have been excused by the staff on duty, they walk to their lines quietly. There will not be a freeze bell for upper grade students unless it is needed.
  D. Recess is the time to get a drink and use the restroom.
  E. Students are to eat their snacks at the designated tables only.  No food is allowed on the playground at any time. 
  F. Since low sugar snacks are recommended, candy and soda should be reserved for after school.

Lunch:

  A. Students are to walk to lunch lines accompanied by their teacher.
  B. Students are to sit at their assigned tables with the exception of sixth grade students who may select their seating.
  C. Students will not be dismissed to the playground until 20 minutes after their lunch begins.
  D. Students will raise their hand and clean their area before being excused.
  E. Each class will be assigned weekly table monitors to help ensure that their classroom table area is left clean.
  F. Students are not to share/trade food or buy food for friends from the lunch area.
  G. Students, who forget their lunch or money, always have the option to obtain a free cheese sandwich and milk from food services.

 Assemblies:

A.   Always enter and leave assemblies quietly.

B.   Be orderly and follow the directions of your teacher.

C.   Always sit quietly, patiently and respectfully.

D. Never boo, hoot or whistle.

E. Applaud at the appropriate times.

End of School Dismissal:

A.   Students are to walk to their pickup area accompanied by their teacher.

B.   Students are to walk their bikes while on the school grounds.

Dress Standards:

  A. Hats, scarves, and bandannas (or headgear of any kind) are allowed outside as appropriate.
  B. Pants/shorts are to fit the waist and be size appropriate.
  C. Sandals must have heel straps and a closed toe.
  D. Clothing or headgear with inappropriate pictures, words, logos or gang affiliation is not allowed.
  E. Shoes must be play safe (no heels/soles over 1" - no shoe skates).
  F. Skirts/dresses/pants should be no longer than the ankle bone. Pant legs should also be no wider than the width of the child's foot.
  G. No short shorts/skirts
  H. No bare midriffs
  I. Tank tops must have a neckline with at least 2" wide straps.
  J. No makeup, tattoos, or false nails
  K. No underclothes hanging out of clothes
  L. No hoop/dangle earrings
  M. Students may not chew gum on campus.

Electronics:

  A. Laser pens are not allowed on campus for students’ safety
  B. Students may bring cell phones to school at the discretion of their parents. However, the school will not be responsible for lost or stolen cell phones. All cell phones must be kept in the student’s backpack and turned off during the school day.  Cell phones may not be used during school hours. Cell phones that are turned on, or outside of the student’s backpack, during school hours will be taken and returned to parents.  The student will lose his/her privilege to have a phone on campus for the remainder of the school year.

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PLAYGROUND PROCEDURES

 

A.  Bars/Big Toys

a.  No standing on tops of bars. 

b.  Move in only one direction on ladder bars. 

c.  No playing on bars when damp or wet.

d. Two hands on bars at all times.

e. No jumping off play equipment to ground or other apparatus.

f.  No tag / chasing of any kind .

  

B.  Slides

  a. One person at a time on the slide and climbing ladders
  b. Students may not climb up the slide.
  c. Ladders are for going up only.
  d. If passing a student on the steps, who is coming from the other direction, each student will move to their right.

C.  Rock Climbing / Bar Climbing / Web Climbing

a.   Students must follow the rules of play.

b.   Students may not climb over another student to pass.

D.  Swings

  a. One person on a swing at a time
  b. Students waiting to use a swing will count 30 full sweeps of the student on the swing. At that time, the student on the swing must give up their swing to the waiting student.

E.  Field / Grass Area (for the following sports): No tag games are allowed.

a.   Football (flag or touch only)

b.   Soccer

c. Softball

d. Kickball

e. Running

f. Hitback

F.  Handball Courts

  a. Students must follow the handball rules of play.
  b. Play only on ball walls, not on any building walls.

G.  Blacktop/Sand Areas

  a. No running/chase/tag
  b. Never kick balls on the blacktop, unless under the supervision of a teacher during PE.

H.  Restrooms

  a. Keep restrooms neat and tidy.
  b. Restrooms are to be used only to go to the bathroom or wash hands.
  c. During class times students must ask for the teacher's permission to leave, and must be accompanied by a buddy.

I.  Helping Teachers

  a. Teachers will designate a place to meet students wanting to help out before school, during lunch, and/or recess.  Students should not wait outside the classrooms.
  b. Students assisting teachers during recess and lunch must have a note/pass.
  c. Helping teachers after school is not allowed without written or verbal parent permission

J.  Boundaries

  a. Always stay within the playground limits.
  b. Do not climb on slope areas, brick walls, planters or fences even to retrieve balls.
  c. Students leaving the playground or class to go to the office/or another room must have a pass/note from their teacher and must walk with a buddy.

K.  Game Rules

  a. School game rules are to be followed for all games at all times.
  b. Disagreements should be resolved by a line vote.
  c. All games are open for all classes and grade levels, unless special arrangements have been made.

L.   Balls / Ball Games

  a. Red balls may not be kicked or sat upon because they lose their shape.
  b. Dodge ball / Nation ball / Prison ball games may only be played with red balls.

M.  Equipment from Home

  a. No equipment may be brought to school for recess/lunch play.  Permission from a teacher is required for personal equipment for PE.
  b. No toys should be brought to school unless arranged with the teacher for sharing purposes ONLY.
  c. Skateboards, skates (including shoe skates), and scooters are not allowed on campus.

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DISCIPLINE PROCEDURES

Occasionally a student may break a school rule.  When this happens, a polite verbal reminder will be given. If the rule is broken again a warning citation will be issued.  All citations will be given to the classroom teacher. The teacher will determine if the citation should be brought home for a parent signature. Citations sent home should be returned to school the following school day.  Unsigned and/or unreturned citations should be followed up with a phone call home to parents by the teacher. Additionally, there are consequences for receiving more than one citation.

DISCIPLINE CONSEQUENCES:

First Offense: A verbal reminder
Second Offense: Warning Citation with redirection
Third Offense: Warning Citation with consequence
Fourth Offense: Warning Citation with consequence and parent contact
Fifth Offense: Warning Citation/Principal Referral
Sixth Offense: Parent/Teacher/Student/Administrator conference

Each child begins with a clean slate at the beginning of each trimester.

 

Students will be sent directly to the Principal for:

Fighting

Vandalism

Disrespect to an adult

Foul Language

Any serious behavior

      *weapons,

      *threatening others

      *sexual harassment

      *drugs or alcohol

 

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WEAPONS ON CAMPUS

The SVUSD Board of Trustees has a "Zero Tolerance" policy with regards to weapons on campus.  Any student in possession of a weapon, or acting as an accessory to a student possessing a knife, gun, or weapon, is subject to immediate suspension and will be further recommended for expulsion.  TOY REPLICAS OF ANY WEAPON, AS WELL AS REAL POCKET KNIVES, ARE  PROHIBITED.  This policy will be strictly enforced.  To ensure that our campus remains safe, all staff will observe the following procedure:

#1.  The staff will take the weapon into their possession immediately, and ask if there are any other weapons.

#2.  The staff will bring the student to the office and inform the administration of the situation.

#3.  Parents of the student, the District, and the law enforcement agency will be notified.

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HARASSMENT

Any type of intimidation, bullying, threatening, or harassment, whether it be verbal, physical or sexual, will not be tolerated. Students who engage in this kind of behavior may have a formal complaint made against them. Their parents will be notified and they may be suspended, even if it is the first infraction. The District and local law enforcement agency may be notified.

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STUDENTS LEFT UNATTENDED BEFORE OR AFTER SCHOOL

Children in grades 1-6 should not arrive before 8:10 a.m. and are dismissed at 2:45 p.m. (1:10 p.m. on Wednesdays).  Please understand that student supervision is only provided from 8:10 a.m. until the start of school and from 2:45 dismissal until 3:00 p.m. (1:25 on Wednesdays). To ensure safety, all children MUST be picked up or walk home by 3:00 p.m. (1:25 on Wednesdays).  Children left after 3:00 p.m. (1:25 on Wednesdays) must come to the office to contact their parent. Students who are left unattended often will receive a written warning:

First Offense: Verbal Warning
Second Offense: Written Warning
Third Offense: Parent/Administrative Conference
Fourth Offense: Involvement of other social services

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 TARDY POLICY

Del Cerro School officially begins at 8:25 a.m. for Upper Grade and Early Bird Kindergarten students and 8:30 a.m. for Primary students.  Fortunately, most are able, despite traffic, to get here on time.  Students are expected to be at school on time on a daily basis.  If students come to school after the a.m. bell, they not only miss out on learning opportunities, but they also interrupt the flow of instruction for the other students who have arrived on time.  Therefore, the following tardy procedure will be implemented:

1. Students are to arrive between 8:10 and 8:30 a.m. and should report to the playground where supervisors are on duty to supervise them.
2. Students who arrive between 8:20 and 8:30 a.m. may wish to report directly to their classrooms.  They will be marked tardy by the teacher if they arrive after the start of the school day at 8:25/8:30 a.m. and receive a tardy warning slip.
3. Students who arrive after 8:25/8:30 a.m. should report to the office to receive a tardy warning slip before going to class.
4. Tardy Consequences include the following:
Third Tardy: Letter of concern
Sixth Tardy: Letter of increased concern
Tenth Tardy: Final letter of concern and a conference with the Principal
After the Tenth Tardy: Coordinator of Child Welfare and Attendance will contact parents
Additional Tardies: May result in a hearing before the District's School Attendance and Review Board

  All tardies and absences are recorded within each student's permanent file.

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CLASSROOM INTERRUPTION AND VISITATION POLICY 

In order to maximize each and every minute of precious instructional time, interruptions to the classroom will occur only in an emergency situation.  Interruptions such as forgotten lunches, sweaters, jackets, homework and/or musical instruments and personal messages all cause instructional time to be impaired.  The best prevention is to make arrangements prior to coming to school, but if things change during the school day, please follow the procedures outlined below.  This is a prime opportunity to utilize a student planner with your child by writing in after-school arrangements before children come to school. 

1. Parent brings item/message to the office.  (Please do not go directly to the classroom.  Teachers are instructed to direct parents back to the office.)
2. Students may check the office at their break time with the permission of their teacher.
3. A message will be put in the teacher's box.
4. Parent may check into the office, sign in, put on a visitor badge, and deliver the item/message to the outside of the classroom (i.e., put into child's backpack, hang on hook, tape/leave note outside the door).

 

Special deliveries such as balloons, flowers, etc. that might disturb instruction will remain in the office until the end of the school day.

Again, unless it is an emergency situation, classrooms will not be interrupted.

 

VISITATIONS:  We are very proud of our instructional program at Del Cerro Elementary and encourage parents to visit our classrooms. Please make arrangements with your child’s teacher prior to your visit. Classroom visits/observations are limited to 20 minutes in duration. When arriving on campus, visitors must check in at the office. We want our school to be a safe place for children and therefore we must insist that all visitors, including parent volunteer helpers, first check in at the office. Parents are not to confront students to solve neighborhood or school conflicts between their child and others, without the knowledge and permission of the principal. We respectfully request that pre-schoolers be kept home and that you avoid any unnecessary distractions to the class

It is very difficult for teachers to conference with parents during visitations. We suggest that a conference be arranged with the teacher at a mutually convenient time if you wish to discuss the visitation.

Non-registered students will not be allowed to visit due to insurance restrictions.
 

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PARENT CONFERENCES

To strengthen the home-to-school connection, the School Board, administration and staff encourage regular communication between home and school.  Regularly scheduled conference times occur in the fall and spring of each year.  However, for some children and their families, it may be necessary to communicate more regularly. We welcome opportunities to meet with our parents. So, if you need to meet with the teacher, please call the teacher at school and request a conference.  Conferencing may occur over the phone or may be done by scheduling an appointment. Please be aware that conferences cannot be conducted during class time, during teacher breaks, or while a teacher is on duty.

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HOMEWORK POLICY

Responsibility is also an important component as students are expected to take assignments home, complete the work, and return it on time.  Elementary school is an excellent time to learn valuable lessons regarding homework responsibility and accountability.  Natural consequences are established by each teacher and will be implemented when homework is incomplete and/or musical instruments are forgotten.  These consequences will help to develop a more organized and productive citizen.  We encourage parents to help their child(ren) learn from their mistakes.

 

Listed below is a general guideline for the amount of time students should be expected to do homework each night. These guidelines do not include the time children need to be reading independently or time that parents choose to read to their child.  In addition, this does not include work not completed during time allotted in class.

 

Grades 1st - 3rd 30 to 60 minutes
Grades 4th-6th 60 to 90 minutes

 

*If your child is spending more time than is designated for their grade level,
please discuss this with the classroom teacher.

 

It is suggested that students have a regular and consistent time and place to do homework.  If homework is finished in a shorter time frame, students should read, write in a journal, practice math facts or handwriting, play instructional computer games, etc. for the remainder of the homework time.  For 30 minutes or more of homework, break time allotments into 10, 15, or 20 minute segments, and/or budget time over the course of the week. An adult should check homework for errors periodically through the session.

 

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NO SMOKING

SVUSD is a "NO SMOKING" environment. No smoking is allowed within 100 feet of the school property.

 

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STUDENT PICK UP AND DROP OFF

The safety of our children, as always, is a number one priority here at Del Cerro. Your help is needed in order to continue to eliminate dangerous situations and congestion on the street during arrival and dismissal.  If you are dropping your student off, not parking and walking them in, please pull up as far as you can along the designated area in the parking lot. This will enable a complete stream of cars to unload their children. Please do not double park or let your child leave your car from the street.  If you park or drop your child off on the opposite side of the school, please ensure that you and your child use the cross walk provided with a crossing guard.

 Click here to see a diagram of the parking lot procedures.
 

With such a tiny lot, parking is definitely at a premium.  The parking spaces in the lot are numbered and have been assigned to staff.  Therefore, we appreciate your understanding in not parking in the lot unless a visitor space is open, or you have a handicap pass. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

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SVUSD STUDENT WELLNESS POLICY

Please note that schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District are operating under a new (as of last year) Board Policy which clearly defines the type of food available to students on our campuses. Within this new policy there are specific requirements for the type of food that may be brought onto campus and disseminated to students in celebration of birthdays or special holidays. You are encouraged to check with your child’s teacher or the office before bringing any type of treats to school. Fundraising that does not take place on the school campus may include the sale of foods items.  Click here to see the District's Wellness Policy.

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DEL CERRO'S OFFICE HOURS/NUMBERS

Monday - Friday   8:00 - 3:45

School Phone: 949-830-5430

Call Sick: 949-770-2278 (24 hours)

 

 

We are glad you are a part of the Del Cerro Family!

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