*ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL PROCEDURES*
Our campus aides are on duty starting at 7:30 a.m.  Students who walk or are driven to school should arrive after the campus aides are on duty.  There is no student supervision before 7:30 a.m.

WALKERS
Students in grades 1 through 5 enter the school through the gate by the drop off area on Mountain Trail (where the stairs are located).   Students in grades 1 through 5 are also dismissed through this gate at the end of the school day.  Kindergarten students enter the campus through the kindergarten playground gate located in the front of the school by the flagpole.  Kindergartners are also dismissed through this gate at the end of the school day.

CAR DROP-OFF/PICK UP AREA
The drop off and pick up area for students in Grades 1-5 is the drive-through located on Mountain Trail on the south side of the school.  Beginning on the first day of school, students being picked up in cars will be dismissed through the gates on Mountain Trail.  Beginning the second day of school all students will also be asked to enter the school through the Mountain Trail gates.  Each morning at 7:30 a.m. the campus aide will unlock the gate and then supervise the drop-off area until school begins. A campus aide will also supervise this area at dismissal time. 

We are very concerned about the safety of the students and do not want them running between cars and through the middle of the parking lot.  Therefore, all student drop-off and pick-up will be in the supervised, designated area described above.  When transporting students in your car, please line up between the two curbs and wait your turn to pick up or drop off your child(ren).  At dismissal time, you are welcome to park on the street or at the park & walk to the school to meet your child and escort him/her back to your parked car.  Children will not be allowed to cross the street or walk between cars in the drop-off/ pick-up line. Please do not put your child in danger of injury by asking him/her to meet you in an area that would require him/her to maneuver dangerously through traffic, that is against our drop-off/pick-up policy, or that breaks any City ordinances. All students are dismissed at the same time; therefore, give yourself extra time when picking up students.  We have almost 400 students!  Please help us keep them all safe!

Please remind your child that if he/she does not see you at the pick-up area at dismissal time, and he/she sees that all the other students have left, he/she should return to the office with the campus supervisor who is on duty at the pick-up area.  In the school office, students can check with the Office Manager to see if any messages from their parents were received.  The Office Manager will also assist the students in locating their parents, as needed.

PARENTS, PLEASE NOTE:  Do not park on the red curb between the pick up lane and the corner.  This is a no-parking / no stopping zone (signs are posted).  Do not make a U-turn at the end of the drop-off/pick-up lane (signs are posted).  These activities are against City traffic ordinances and traffic tickets will be issued for infractions.

The staff parking lot is not open to parents or visitors during arrival and dismissal times.  There will be no student drop-off or pick-up from the staff parking lot.

The parking lot directly in front of the school is reserved for kindergarten drop-off and pick-up.  Please help us keep our youngest students safe by parking in the kindergarten parking lot only if you have a kindergarten student.

Traffic is heavy in the front parking lots before and after school making that area especially dangerous for children. Please instruct your children of this danger and ask them to avoid the staff and front parking lots at all times. 

PARENT / VISITOR PARKING
If you come to school during the school day on business or to volunteer in the classroom (that is, at a time other than arrival or dismissal time), you may park in the staff parking lot in the front of the school by the relocatable classrooms.  You can also park on the street in designated areas (please be sure to abide by the no-parking signs posted on the street).  Sometimes, due to a school-wide event, it may be difficult to find a parking space.  During these times, you can park in the staff parking lot behind the school or at the city park located behind the school.

BUS RIDERS
Bus riders are dropped off and picked up in the bus lane connecting Countryhill Rd. and Mountain Trail. If your child normally rides the bus, he/she will be put on the bus at dismissal unless we receive a NOTE from you instructing us otherwise.  A student's word is not adequate to change his/her typical routine.  Morning bus schedules are available and now posted in the marquee outside the front office door.  Bus schedules are also available on the District website at www.mrpk.org.  You can also call the School or District Office for information.

SKATERS
We encourage the use of alternative transportation, and skates are permitted with the understanding that students will follow all rules regarding safety.  Students must provide a case, bag or sack for their skates, and talk to their teacher about an appropriate place to store their skates in the classroom.  Skates must be removed before entering the playground.  The bench surrounding the flagpole is an excellent place to remove skates.  Shoes must be worn at all times when students are at school.  For obvious safety reasons, Heelies (the shoes with wheels in the heels) are not permitted on campus.

BICYCLES, SKATEBOARDS, and SCOOTERS
Bike racks are available for student use in the bike corral, which is located on the northeast side of the school.  Racks for locking skateboards and scooters are available in bike corral and also at the bottom of the stairway at the drop-off/pick-up area.  Each student is responsible for obtaining and using their own lock.    We have had bicycles and scooters stolen from our campus, so locks are mandatory!  Once on school grounds, students should walk their bikes, skateboards, and scooters to the racks. Helmets are required for all bicycle riders, per the California Vehicle Code, and must meet the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z 90.4) or the Snell Memorial Foundation’s standards for Protective Headgear for use on bicycles.  A violation of this law can result in a fine.  

It is important that parents take the responsibility to ensure that their child uses established safe and legal routes to and from school.  Please be advised that "short cuts" through the Tradition Condominiums is not only considered trespassing, but dangerous, and could result in serious injury.

*Special Note: Take time to practice going to and from school so your child will be safe and will know how to follow established procedures.  We also suggest roller skaters, skateboarders, and scooter-riders wear protective head gear & padding to prevent serious injury.

 *DRESS CODE*
Dress codes are established as a way to promote a safe, healthy learning environment, free of disruption.  All students are expected to wear appropriate footwear (loose sandals, flip flops, open-toed shoes, and heels are not appropriate for the students' activities at school). Clothing which will create a disruption in the educational process is not allowed (e.g., references to unlawful acts by minors).  Consideration should also be given to safety issues that arise when students wear jewelry, which may get caught during playtime (necklaces, bracelets, long earrings). 

*PARENT PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES*

ARROYO WEST SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL (SSC)
SSC is a committee composed of parents and staff members whose purpose is to work together to assure that the school’s categorical programs and school improvement efforts meet the needs of our student population. The greater the parent participation, the more we can accomplish.  SSC meets once each month.  Look in the Wrangler Press for information about meeting dates and times.  Come and join us!

ARROYO WEST PTA
The Arroyo West PTA is an active organization that works diligently in providing additional support to the school programs through fundraisers and parent education programs. All parents and community members are encouraged to become members of this organization.  PTA meets once each month.  Look in the Wrangler Press for information about meeting dates and times.  We hope to see you there. 

*REMINDER FROM THE OFFICE*
Please try to schedule outside appointments before or after school hours so your child does not miss important classroom instruction.  If you should need to pick up your child during school hours, you must come into the office and sign the student release form.  At that time, we will send for your child. We are unable to send for a student prior to your arrival.  It is important to remember that a student can only be released to those adults whose names appear on the student’s emergency form.  If an adult other than one listed on the student’s emergency form should need to pick up your child during school hours, they must have a written note signed by the parent or guardian.  When checking out your student, you may need to wait up to 15 minutes to allow your child to finish up any important work or testing that may be going on in the classroom.  Please plan ahead so you are not late for your appointment.

The Parent Handbook is available on our District Website!!  You can access the Parent Handbook at www.mrpk.org throughout the school year. However, if you prefer a hard copy format, please complete the form you received in the District mailer and return it to Arroyo West. We encourage you to be familiar with all the information in the Handbook, including the following:

CAFETERIA
Children may purchase breakfast (between 7:30 a.m. and 7:50 a.m.) for $1.25 and/or a hot lunch for $2.50, milk is $.50.  Students may also pack a lunch from home.  A lunch menu for the month of September is included with this Wrangler Press.  You may purchase a meal credit by sending a check to the school to purchase multiple meals.  Meals will be charged against your child's account.  If you bring your child’s lunch to the office after school has begun, the office will not interrupt class to deliver the lunch.  Please instruct your child that all forgotten lunches brought into the office will go directly to the cafeteria and be placed in a blue plastic box.  Students may pick up their lunch from the box during their scheduled lunch time.

HEALTH
If your child is to take medication at school, please pick up an Authorization for Medication Taken during School Hours form in the office.  We will need your child’s doctor to fill it out, sign & return it to our school.  Our Health Technician cannot assist your child with any medications until the authorization is on file.  Students with casts, splints, crutches, slings or stitches may be allowed to attend school with a note from the physician.  These students will be required to report to the office during outdoor play periods unless otherwise authorized by the doctor.  A medical release will be needed when restrictions are no longer in effect.

SCHOOL VISITS
Parents are cordially invited to visit our school. In order to avoid conflict with other activities we ask that you schedule a time to visit in advance with the classroom teacher.  Upon arriving for your visit, please be sure to first check into the office to sign in and be issued a VISITOR'S PASS.  The pass will identify you to the teacher and to other school personnel as someone who has permission to be on the school grounds.  Classroom visits are for the purpose of observation, rather than conferencing.  If a conference is needed, schedule it directly with the teacher at a time that is convenient for both you and him/her.

Classroom volunteers are also welcomed. In order to volunteer in the classrooms, chaperone on a field trip, or help at school in any way, each parent must complete a Volunteer Registration Form and attach a copy of your driver’s license. Volunteer Registration forms will be sent home in your child’s Weekly Communication Envelope this Thursday.  We suggest that you complete and return this form in the beginning of the school year since there is a two-week waiting period before you can volunteer. Failure to complete this form will deny your access to the classroom or field trips.  All volunteers must sign in and secure a volunteer badge each time they are on school grounds.  Visitor and Volunteer passes are issued to assure the safety and protection of all our students. 

ABSENCES
Each child returning from an absence is required to have a note from the parent or guardian giving the specific reasons for missing school.  The note should also contain a signature of a parent or guardian. If the surname on the signature is different from that of the child, please indicate the relationship to the child.  You may phone in the absence and then a note will not be required.  Your notification to us regarding your child’s absences will assist us in keeping proper records for attendance audits during the year.  The Moorpark Unified School District Parent Handbook includes a page with tear-off absence slips. Children who have been absent due to illness 3 days or more, who have had a communicable disease, or who were absent because of an injury need to be readmitted through the Health Office.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT
The Board of Education has adopted a policy specifically prohibiting sexual harassment of students. This policy is provided in the Parent Handbook for your review.  Complaints of sexual harassment should be reported to the school principal or designee.

 *COMMUNICATION*

PARTNERING WITH STAFF
We are pleased to have parents as partners in the education of our students. If, during the course of the school year, you have any questions or concerns, please communicate those to us.  If your questions or concerns have to do with classroom procedures, in-class events, classroom discipline, grade-level curriculum, or student progress, please contact your child’s teacher.  If your questions or concerns are regarding school safety, facilities, or school-wide programs or activities, please contact the office or the principal.  To speak to a specific teacher or the principal, please call the school office to leave a message.  We will do our best to return your call within two working days, but usually sooner. 

Please remember that the classroom teacher is usually your best source of information about your child, since he/she has first-hand knowledge of your child’s abilities and progress as well as the classroom routines.  Please set up all conferences ahead of time.  The teachers’ schedules are very busy during the school day, and they usually do not have time to return calls or meet with parents while school is in session.  If you drop by the classroom unexpectedly after school, the teacher may already have a scheduled meeting.  If, after meeting with the teacher, your concerns are still unresolved, and you need to confer with the principal, please call for an appointment.  If a parent brings a concern to the principal, the principal will make the concern known to the teacher and work with the parent and the teacher to resolve the problem.

EMAIL ADDRESSES
The District website address is www.mrpk.org.  To email teachers, administrators, and office personnel, you can use the School’s website to access our email accounts.

WEEKLY COMMUNICATION ENVELOPE
All students will receive a Weekly Communication Envelope that will be sent home each Thursday with important school information.  Please review the contents, sign and have your child return the envelope on Friday.  This is our primary method of letting you know of all the happenings at Arroyo West!  Lost or damaged envelopes may be replaced for $1.00.

AGENDA BOOKS
Arroyo West 4^th & 5^th grade teachers strongly recommend that all students use an agenda book.  PTA will be selling agenda books and will be collecting money from parents for the purchase of agenda books.  To offset the cost of the agenda books, we are asking that each student pay $6.00 for his/her book.  If you did not purchase an agenda book for your child prior to the start of school, he/she can purchase it from his/her teacher after school starts.  This book has been an effective communication tool for teachers, students and parents, and effective in assuring that homework is completed on time.  The middle schools use these books, and middle school teachers report that students using agenda books in fourth & fifth grade meet with greater success when they attend middle school.  If you are unable to pay the cost of the agenda book, please drop a note to your child’s teacher or see the Office Staff.  We have a number of stipends available for families who are unable to pay.