Parent Guide to OUSD: The District has a Parent Guide and other helpful information located on the OUSD website. Click on the tab for PARENTS to read the OUSD information.

Visitors: We welcome parents, and request that you notify your teacher if you would like to visit or volunteer. For obvious safety reasons, every visiting adult who enters the school building or who is on the school grounds while school is in session must sign in and out of the school office and wear a name tag. Visitors should enter and exit out the main door on Midcrest Road.

Lost and Found: Please label coats, sweaters, lunch boxes, etc. with your child’s full name. A rack for lost articles is located in the hallway near the Special Day Students classroom. Small or valuable items should be turned into the school office and will be returned when identified by the owner. Items that not claimed monthly are donated to charity.

School Hours

Regular Days: (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays): 8:40 a.m. - 2.56 p.m.

Minimum Days: 8:40 a.m. - 1:35 p.m. Minimum days are Wednesdays and a few additional days assigned by the District. Please refer to the academic calendar and the Crocker Bulletin for additional minimum days and any schedule updates.

In the morning, children are to line up in a designated spot on the playground when the whistle blows at 8:40 a.m. The teachers will come out on the yard to greet the children and take them into the building.

After school, your child’s teacher will walk the children out the door closest to his or her classroom. Arrange a meeting place with your child and meet him/her there. Please talk with your child about what to do if there is a change in plans for any reason. Help your child memorize emergency contact numbers. If you are unable to pick up your child due to unforeseen circumstances, call our office secretary (879-1110) so she can have your child wait for you or another responsible adult in the school office. Remember, only those listed on your emergency card can pick up your child from the school.

PLEASE NOTE: There is NO schoolyard supervision before 8:30 a.m. or after 2:56 p.m. Please do not drop your children off prior to 8:30 a.m. and please pick your child up promptly after school. Unattended children may be sent to register for Adventure Time childcare services at the parent’s expense.

Quiet Please! School is in Session: Teaching and learning are happening, so after you drop off or before you pick up your child, please keep the hallways quiet and hold conversations on the playground away from the building.

Health & Emergency

Emergency Contact Card: The school maintains an Emergency Contact Card for each student. This is the ONLY source of information that the School uses to contact a responsible adult in the event of an accident, illness or other emergency. New cards are sent home at the beginning of the school year to allow parents to update the information on file. Please notify the School in writing of any changes to this information during the year.

Medications: Students are not to carry medication at school. Medications must be brought to the office by the parent/guardian with a school form completed by a physician and kept in the school office. Forms are available in the office.

To Send or Not to Send: Please use good judgment in determining whether your child is well enough to attend school, remembering that above normal temperatures, runny noses and persistent coughs are often indications that your child is not well and might be contagious. Do not send your child to school with untreated head lice, if they have recently vomited, if they have diarrhea, or have had a fever within 24 hours.

Communicable Diseases: Cases of communicable diseases, such as chicken pox, should be reported immediately to the school office so that other parents may be alerted. Occurrences of head lice, which develop in spite of good personal hygiene, should also be reported so that other parents may be alerted.

Emergency Preparedness: The School has an emergency plan in case of an earthquake or other disaster. The school is equipped with basic medical supplies and water for three days.

2007-2008 Academic Calendar

The Crocker community has numerous events and meetings each month. Dates of upcoming events are included in the Crocker Bulletin, on the Crocker website and posted in the library. In addition, your child’s teacher will communicate the class calendar via an individual newsletter or webpage.

For other important schedule information, check the OUSD academic calendar and the Crocker PTA calendar.

New Families

Welcome to Crocker Highlands! Hopefully some of your basic questions will be answered in this Parent Handbook. Please talk with your child’s teacher, and feel free to contact the school office to make an appointment with the principal, or contact the New Parent Outreach PTA Committee chair.

New Parents Picnic: There will be a New Parents Picnic for all new families on August 25, 2007 from 4-6 at Montclair Park. Please rsvp to Hilary Stoermer.

First Day of School Drop Off: Kindergartners and their families should meet in the Multipurpose Room on the first day of school at 8:40. The kindergarten teachers will then walk the children and families to their classrooms. Parents can help the children get situated for a few minutes, and then will kindly be asked to leave so that the teacher and students can spend the rest of the day getting to know each other.

New first through fifth graders and their families should meet on the playground at 8:40. When the teachers walk out to greet their classes, they will be holding signs with their names on them. Also, feel free to ask another child or parent where your child’s teacher lines up.

First Day of School Coffee and Orientation: After the drop off on the first day of school, please join the Principal and members of the PTA in the Multipurpose Room. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about what Crocker Highlands has to offer and to have some of your questions answered.

Buddy Program: Crocker has a buddy program for new families entering the school. Please contact Dorcia Darling if you would like a buddy for your family.

First Kindergarten Field Trip: The first kindergarten field trip will be at Adventure Playground at the Berkeley Marina on a date to be determined. All parents are encouraged to meet the classes for lunch that day. More information will follow.

Attendance

Regular, on-time attendance is essential. If your child must be absent or tardy, please call the School Office during the day at 879-1110. Please send a note explaining absences upon your child’s return. The note should include the student’s name, the date(s) that the child was absent or tardy, and a description of illness or other reason for absence. The excuse must bear the signature of the student’s parent or guardian. The state administrator requires schools to contact absent students within 24 hours of missing school. Frequent and prolonged absences will be referred to the School Attendance Review Board and, if necessary, to the District for review and recommendation.

State Funding: The District receives state funding only for the days your child actually attends school, and loses money for all absences. If your child cannot attend school for the entire day, have them attend for part of the day. If your child must be absent for one or more days, please contact your child’s teacher before the absence. The teacher will arrange for an Independent Study Contract, which must be approved by the Principal. If an Independent Study Contract is completed, the child is counted as present for the day(s). This is appropriate for extended illness, trips or other absences.

Medical or Dental Appointments: Please schedule medical or dental appointments after school or on the weekends, wherever possible. If you know in advance that your child will be leaving school, please send a note to your child’s teacher. Try to arrange appointments at a time that is the least disruptive for learning. At the appointment, please have your doctor or dentist sign a note that includes the child’s name, the date and time of the appointment and the general purpose of the appointment. Return the note to the school office. Don’t forget to sign your child back into school after the appointment.

Leaving School Early: If your child must leave school early, for a medical or dental appointment, for example, parents must report to the school office to sign out the child.

Your child will only be released to a parent or guardian or designee listed on your child’s Emergency Card in the office. Please do not pick your child up directly from the classroom.

Tardiness: Students who arrive after 8:40 a.m. must go to the office for an admit slip. Frequent tardiness will be referred to the School Attendance Review Board and, if necessary, to the District for review and recommendation.

Faculty/Staff, Academics & Enrichment

Faculty and Staff: The Crocker Highlands School faculty and staff, is a dedicated, experienced, diverse group, most of whom have worked at Crocker for years. The faculty consists of the principal, regular classroom teachers, a resource specialist for children with special needs, a special day class teacher with two special day class aides, an art teacher, a library aide, yard supervisors and an instrumental music teacher. In addition, the PTA pays for a computer teacher, vocal music teacher and a P.E. program. The District provides the services of a speech teacher, an occupational therapist and aides. In addition, Crocker’s staff includes a school secretary, attendance clerk, and custodian. A list of the faculty and staff and their contact information is on the Crocker website.

Academics and Enrichment: Crocker Highlands is a great school because the principal, the teachers, the administrative staff, parents and students work together to create a community that values the importance of education. We are all committed to ensuring that each child achieves academic success. The Crocker Vision, Mission and Values statement serves as a guide for the direction of Crocker Highlands. The Crocker teachers follow the California State Education Standards, and use their experience and creativity to teach in a manner that works for each child. You can find out more about many of the teachers by going to their class web pages. In addition to the core subjects, the children have art, music, PE and computers on a daily or weekly basis.

Special School and/or Grade-Wide Projects and Programs: The Crocker teachers supplement their curriculum with special projects and programs each year, some of which are optional and some are required for students in certain grades. They include Conflict Managers, Living Museum, Oratorical Fest, Science Fair, Spelling Bee and Student Council. Your child’s teacher will provide more information at the appropriate time. In addition, each teacher has his or her own projects within the classroom.

Library: Each class has a regular, weekly library time. A library aide and parent volunteers staff the library. If you would like to volunteer in the library, please see our PTA Volunteer Coordinator. Books are checked out for a week at a time. If a child loses or damages a book, a fee must be paid before he or she may take out another book. The Book Fair and Cody’s Fundraising events help raise money for new library materials each year.

Volunteers: Crocker family members and community members are invited to volunteer at the school. We strongly encourage your participation. Volunteer opportunities exist in each classroom, in the library, music, computer or P.E. programs or any other area where you have an interest or expertise. Please contact your child’s teacher, the Principal or the PTA Volunteer Coordinator, Melissa Luna. All classroom volunteers need to be screened for TB and have the results of a current TB test on file at school. Check at the beginning of the year for PTA-sponsored TB screening.

Restrooms: Students need a pass from their teacher to use the restrooms. Students are not allowed to use the faculty restrooms, and adults are not allowed to use the student restrooms. Students are encouraged to use the restrooms during recesses rather than during class instruction periods.

Cleanliness: Although Crocker has dedicated custodial support at the school each day. It is important that you and your child help to keep the school, bathrooms, lunch areas and the schoolyard as clean as possible. Please pick up after yourselves and your child. We take pride in our clean school.

Communication & News

Crocker Bulletin: The Crocker Bulletin is sent via email each Tuesday; or is available for families who request a hard copy. You can sign up for email delivery on the Crocker PTA website. The Bulletin contains a calendar of upcoming events, messages from the Principal, PTA, SSC and others, and articles and notices from other members of the Crocker Community. If you want to include an item in the Bulletin, it must be approved by the Principal and received by the School Secretary (Valerie.Cotton@ousd.k12.ca.us) or Melissa Luna (cmamluna@aol.com) by noon on the Thursday before publication. Any flyers or attachments must be submitted to Melissa Luna by Friday at 9:00 a.m. for the next week’s Bulletin.

Website: Crocker’s website address is www.crockerhighlandsschool.net. The website contains a calendar, principal and teachers’ web pages, various policies, links to relevant websites, etc. If you would like to post something to the website, it must be approved by the Principal and then sent to the webmaster, Rich Trevor (webmaster@crockerhighlandsschool.net). The documents should be in PDF format.

Community E-Mail List: The Crocker Yahoo group is a great way to receive and send information about the school, upcoming events, etc. Sign up by going to www.crockerhighlandsschool.net and clicking the Community Email List link on the left hand side. To send an email, just write an email to crockerhighlands@yahoogroups.com. Use of this email list should be for school-related matters only.

Teacher Newsletters: Each teacher has his or her own system for communicating with families, which you will learn about from the individual teacher. Some teacher newsletters are posted on their individual web pages.

Parent-Teacher Conferences: Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled in the Fall. Parents and/or teachers can also request a conference at any other time during the year.

Room Parent Communications: The room parents often send e-mails to specific classes about upcoming events, etc. At the beginning of the year, the Room Parent will set up a class directory for this purpose, for all parents who are interested.

E-mail Etiquette: E-mail is a great tool, but can be used inappropriately. Please use a respectful tone in all e-mails sent to members of the Crocker community. Please refrain from sending e-mails that relate to the following: conflicts about grades/report cards, concerns about fellow parents, confidential information, and personnel matters.

Before & After-School Care

Adventure Time provides on-site before and after school care for Crocker students, under a contract with the District. This program operates before school from 7:00 a.m. and after school until 6:00 p.m. The school site number is 834-1578. For further information, click here or call the Adventure Time office at 482-0610.

Food

Lunch: Students may either bring lunch from home or buy their lunch at school. Crocker aims to have a Zero Waste Lunch, which means that lunches are provided with minimal or no packaging and that any items not eaten are brought home at the end of the day for composting. Please help Crocker stay green by packing Zero Waste Lunches for your students if they bring lunch to school.

In addition, the District has a Wellness Policy, which the Crocker PTA has adopted. Click here for ideas for healthy lunch options.

Please be aware that there are NO facilities for heating up student lunches, and students need to be provided with lunches they can get into by themselves. This is particularly important for the younger students. Difficult packages include Capri Sun, Lunchables, fruit cups, yogurt in squeeze packaging etc.

The District sells pre-prepared hot and cold lunches at school. School lunches cost $2.00, including milk. Milk can be purchased separately for 30 cents. Lunches can be purchased daily or pre-paid for 10 lunches at a time. Checks should be made out to Crocker Highlands Elementary School, and all monies are paid to the cafeteria person on duty. A free or reduced lunch program is available for families who qualify. Forms are available in the office. Each child is responsible to keep their lunch areas clean, and to use the garbage cans provided.

Snacks: Most teachers have a snack time during the day. Your individual teacher will tell you whether each child should bring his or her own snack or whether families share responsibility to bring snacks for the entire class periodically. Healthy snack ideas can be found here.

Bake Sales: At various times throughout the year, classes offer bake sales after school to raise money for school events or charity. Information about upcoming bake sales are posted throughout the school and in the Bulletin. Crocker aims to have healthy food options for sale at all bake sales.

Sodas: The District and Crocker do not allow sodas at school at any time.

Green

Crocker strives to be a green school, which means that we try to reduce, reuse and recycle our resources. Specifically, we are trying to minimize waste, especially at lunch time.

Crocker is seeking “Green Business Certification” through the county of Alameda. This effort, spearheaded by the PTA Green Committee, includes four areas:

1. Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling:

· Strive for “Zero Waste Lunch” where all trash is composted or recycled.

Address composting issue
Educate parents (politely) about alternatives, reduce packaging

· Recycle all paper throughout the school, with bins in classrooms

Recycle plastic bottles; use money for alternatives?

· Eventually set up a classroom competition – most days in a month with zero waste, etc.

2. Energy Conservation:

· Bring in efficiency experts to offer suggestions for energy conservation

· Implement easy fixes (signs reminding people to turn off lights, etc.)

3. Water Conservation:

· Bring in efficiency experts to offer suggestions for water conservation

4. Pollution Prevention:

· Switch to green cleaning products

· Buy recycled supplies

· Reduce air emissions by supporting, recognizing alternatives to solo driving.

· Promote organic food, local food

School Support Organizations

Parent Teacher Association: The Crocker Parent Teacher Association (PTA) works to promote children’s well being, to encourage cooperation between the home and school, and to provide opportunities for communication among parents, school and students. Our PTA organizes parent volunteers for activities in and outside the classroom, sponsors community-building events and raises funds to support the activities that enrich our children’s education.

We encourage all parents and family members to become an active member of the PTA and its committees. Some of the committees include Diversity, AAFEAT (African American Family Education Action Team), Dad’s Club and auction. Please contact the chair to see how you can get involved!

The PTA association meetings are generally held on the first Thursday of every other month at 7:00 pm in the Library. There is a social before the meeting beginning at 6:45. The PTA Board meetings are every month, and are open to the public. Free babysitting for school-aged children is provided for all meetings. If you cannot attend a meeting, the PTA encourages you to look at the minutes on the PTA bulletin board near the front entrance of the school and/or to ask the PTA Secretary to be included on the email distribution list. You will then be emailed minutes, whether or not you come to meetings. (The PTA governing body does not allow school PTAs to post meeting minutes on the school website.)

School Site Council: Each year, the School Site Council (SSC) creates, monitors and evaluates the Single Site Plan for student achievement. This Plan is critical to ensure that the school reaches its academic goals for all students. In addition, the SSC decides how the School Improvement Plan (SIP) budget should be spent. The SSC is composed of 10 members: four parents, four faculty members, one staff member and the Principal. Members of the SSC are elected by their peers and serve for one year. All meetings are open and parents are invited to attend, but may not vote. Meetings are typically held on the 3^rd Monday of the month at 4:00 p.m. The agenda and minutes are posted on the bulletin board near the main entrance.

Traffic & Parking

The residential area around Crocker Highlands School has very narrow streets, making it difficult to accommodate two-way traffic. Please follow the guidelines below to allow traffic to flow quickly around the school, provide optimal safety for every child, and ensure that all children get to their classes on time.

1. Please drive CLOCKWISE around the school. Your PASSENGER DOOR should be closest to the sidewalk next to the school perimeter at ALL TIMES.

2. DROP-OFF (when you stay inside your car and your child exits) is permitted in the WHITE ZONES on MIDCREST STREET (at the school entrance) and on HUBERT STREET ONLY. There is NO PARKING along the school perimeter.

3. Allow your child to exit your car from the PASSENGER side ONLY.

4. On the HUBERT STREET side of the school, there is a blue handicapped zone, which must be kept free AT ALL TIMES. Please do not even STOP in this blue zone unless you have a handicap placard. The buses that bring our Special Day Class students must use this area to pick up and drop off these students. Stopping in the blue zone is illegal and unfair to our students, unless you are handicapped. If you are handicapped, please do not leave your vehicle unattended in the blue zone.

5. Obey ALL posted traffic signs; the Oakland Police Department does give tickets.

6. If you will be bringing your child onto the playground or picking them up from the playground or school, please find a LEGAL parking space.

7. Do not block any of the neighbors’ driveways or crosswalks.

8. If possible, park a block or two away from the school and WALK.

9. Please DO NOT HONK your car horn around the school. This is disruptive to classes and neighbors.

10. We encourage car-pooling.

11. Turn down your music as you approach the school.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if my child is sick or injured? If your child needs emergency care, the school will call 911. Otherwise, sick or injured children wait in the office until a care-giver picks them up.

Does my child need spare clothing? All kindergarteners are asked to have a change of clothing in their classroom. In the unlikely event that your older child needs fresh clothes, either the school will call you or an item will be borrowed from the lost and found. We ask that you launder and return.

When will my child know who his or her teacher for the next year is? The class lists will be posted on the main school doors on Midcrest Road on the Friday before the first day of school.

Does my child need a backpack? All students are requested to bring a backpack to transport their homework folders, letters, work, sweatshirts and/or changes of clothes.

Does my child need to bring school supplies? No. All children will be given the school supplies they need at school.

What happens at lunch? Crocker has a closed campus. Generally, K-1, 2-3 and 4-5 classes eat together in the multi-purpose room. Each class eats together; children from each class carry all the lunches down in a lunch bucket. A hot lunch is available for purchase.

Do I need to call if my child is sick? Yes! Call the Attendance Clerk, Brenda Priest, by 9:00 a.m. every day that your child is out. If possible, stop by the school to get homework or work that your child missed.

My child will be absent for family reasons for a week. What should I do? Talk to your child’s teacher and get the work in advance. Your teacher may be able to set up an Independent Study plan for your child so they don’t get behind.

What should I do if my child has a problem at school? First, talk to your child’s teacher. If you are unable to resolve the problem, talk to the principal. Please avoid discussing issues with other parents until you’ve spoken with your child’s teacher.

I’m used to signing my child in and out at preschool. Who ensures that my child is in class? Classes line up on the playground. Your child’s teacher will bring them in. At the end of the day, the teachers release the children out to the playground. Among Kindergarteners and 1^st graders especially, teachers will usually make sure that every child is released to an adult, or to the appropriate after-school care. Instruct your child to go to the office if you are late. There is no playground supervision before 8:30 in the morning, or after 2:56 in the afternoon.

I think my child is in the wrong grade. What can I do? Start with your child’s teacher. The OUSD adheres very strictly to age requirements. Incoming Kindergarteners must be 5 by December 2^nd of the year that they will be in Kindergarten. The teachers at the school will decide whether to accelerate or retain your child in subsequent years.

When is the calendar for the next year released? OUSD usually releases its calendar in March or April.

What happens if I don’t want my child to go on a field trip? You will be asked to sign a permission slip before every field trip. If you don’t give permission, your child will not attend the field trip and will be placed in another classroom for the duration of the field trip.

Who drives on field trips? Usually the teacher and parent volunteers. Parents must show proof of insurance and a valid driver’s license to drive on trips.

Can I request a specific teacher for my child? No. Teacher assignments are made with input from your child’s current teacher. You can offer input, but the decision is up to the school.

What should I do after working with the teacher and the Principal to resolve a concern? Crocker’s Representative at the District: The OUSD elementary schools are divided into networks. Eric Nelson supervises Crocker. He can be reached at eric.nelson@ousd.k12.ca.us, or 879-2923. Eric should only be contacted after communication with the appropriate persons (teacher and principal) at the school.

Your suggestions are very important to us. Please feel free to contact the Principal with your input. We believe that cohesive communication between school administration, parents, students and teachers leads to better learning for our students.