We encourage you to be active in your child’s education.  We cannot overemphasize the importance of parents attending Parent-Teacher conferences, Back To School Night, Open House, and MVPS-sponsored activities.  These are our ways of keeping in touch and informed, and assist us in forming a school community.  Our Student-Parent Handbook and regular parent newsletter will also add to your understanding of what is happening at school. 

We value your comments and suggestions.  If you wish to speak to a teacher or me, do not hesitate to call us at 688-5211. 

Together for students,
Christopher Hertz and the Mar Vista Staff

Emergency Preparedness

In compliance with State Code, an Emergency Plan has been developed.  Its objective is to provide staff with a guide of emergency procedures and duties, which will ensure the safety of students.  Responsibilities for action are predesignated and a regular system of practice drills is followed.  Parents are asked to read the “Parent Overview of the Emergency Plan” in the Student-Parent Handbook.  Please keep your student’s Emergency Card current at all times, as those are your written instructions to us in the event of an emergency. 

Volunteer Opportunities / Volunteer Handbook

Parent volunteers assist our school and students in so many valuable ways.  Our school thrives because of parental support and giving.  Please review our updated MVP’S Volunteer Handbook that comes home the first day of school in the First Day Packet to find out how you can help our school to be the best place possible for our children.  With your help we can give our children so much. 

Progress Reports and Parent Conferences

Progress Reports are issued three times per year.  The first Progress Report is issued in November after our October Parent-Teacher Conferences.  We feel that conferences with parents are an integral part of our educational program and consider it a two-way process.  Please contact us whenever you have a question or concern.  Progress reports will be given out at the conclusion of each trimester and on the last day of school.  We recommend you communicate regularly with teachers regarding assignments, grades, or progress by calling or sending a note with your child. 

Parent Group Meeting Schedules

We have three parent groups supporting parental involvement at Mar Vista and all groups meet regularly on the second Tuesday of each month.  Please monitor our Parent Newsletter for accurate dates, times, and locations of meetings.  Our School Site Council monitors general student achievement and school improvement goals.  Our English Language Acquisition Committee specifically monitors the achievement of students learning English as their second language.  Our Home and School Club, known as the “Mar Vista Parents and School” or MVP’S is dedicated to raising parental involvement, school pride, and funds to support extra programs.  Come to our meetings and help make our school a great place for our kids.

S.S.C.                                               4:30 – 5:30PM
E.L.A.C.                                           5:30 – 6:00PM
M.V.P.’S.                                         6:00 – 7:30PM

Accelerated Reader Motivates

Last year we launched a new program to improve reading for all students.  It’s called the “Accelerated Reader” program.  It is available to all students in 1st through 6th grades.  To participate in this program, the classroom teacher first administers a test to determine the reading level of each student. This is done on a computer and is scored instantly by the computer.  The test results give each child a “zone of proximal development” (ZPD) or range of book levels in which the student should read.  This ZPD challenges students so their reading improves, yet is not so difficult that they find reading frustrating.  A typical range for a 4th grade student might be 3.5 – 5.7.  After reading a book, the student logs onto the school website, enters the title of the book, and takes a quiz on the book.  If the test is passed with a score of 70% or higher, the student shows understanding for that book and earns points for reading.  Points are given to a book based on the number of words it contains.  These points continue to accrue as students read books and take quizzes.  Teachers set individualized goals for students.  Students’ achievement of goals and points are celebrated each trimester.  Students who read a million words are recognized at the end of the year.  The students like the program and find it motivates them to read more books.  Best of all, students have guidance in selecting books at their level and parents may monitor their child’s progress online! 

Positive Student Behavior and Discipline Plan

The Mar Vista staff, students, and community are proud of our school.  In order to meet the basic commitment of a quality education for all students, we feel it is important to maintain a firm and consistent discipline plan.  Our intent is to help students understand cause and effect as it relates to their behavior and the school environment and ultimately to maintain an effective learning environment. 

1. Positive Discipline - All staff are encouraged to reinforce good student behavior when it is observed through acknowledgement, recognition, & encouragement.  Activities such the Character Assemblies, Honor Roll, Caught Being Good “Blue Slip” Tickets & Assemblies, and teacher programs also support good behavior.  Students are expected to demonstrate good behavior in their interactions with students and staff.  Guiding questions are:  Is it safe?  Is it kind and respectful?  And is it your best effort?  Beyond these guidelines are specific rules.  Students who do not abide by these rules will receive logical and progressive interventions.  All staff must deal with inappropriate student behavior when it occurs and may include the following:

2. Informal Discussion - Informal discussion between staff and student hopefully helps support good behavior.  In the event that this is not the case, we will proceed with additional sequential interventions.

3. Lost Time - Students may loose some recess playtime privileges by being detained in class or at a designated area such the “Yellow Benches”.  Students may also be asked to show some kind restitution such as helping to clean up. 

4. Work on assignment in “buddy” classroom-Students who do not follow class rules may be asked to take a few minutes to work in a “buddy classroom” to work on their assignment.  This is usually the last consequence necessary to correct inappropriate behavior. 

5. Behavior Referrals – For unacceptable school-wide behavior, teachers or adults in charge use a “Behavior Referral”.  When your child brings home a Referral please sign it and have your child return it to their teacher immediately.  It is the child’s responsibility to return the signed referral to his/her teacher the next morning.  Children who avoid sharing the referral with their parents will not enjoy playtime privileges until we know that the parents know about the referral. 

What Happens When a Referral is Written?

6.  Behavior Intervention Plan – Chronic issues sometimes require a proactive plan that may include identifying the specific behaviors that need to change, identifying why the student is doing the behavior, identifying the surrounding circumstances that trigger the behaviors, and identifying the appropriate consequences and interventions needed to encourage improved behavior.

7.  Teacher Suspension – Continued misbehavior may result in removal from the student’s class for the remainder of the day and the next school day.  Parents will be notified and a letter verifying the classroom suspension will be included in their student’s Cumulative Record.

8.  Parent Required to Sit with Student in Class / other portion of day – Sometimes a parent may be required to sit with their child if that is what it takes to improve the behavior. 

9.  Suspension - A student shall not be suspended from school nor recommended for expulsion unless the principal has determined that the student has met grounds for suspension as written in State Code 48900.  A list of suspendable and expellable offenses is provided to parents in the Superintendent’s “Annual Notification to Parents/Guardians” booklet you receive in the “First Day Packet”. 

RULES

General School Rules

Dress Code
The object of Mar Vista’s Student Dress Code is to provide a safe, healthy, and positive environment for your child and eliminate distractions to learning.  The student’s safety and wellbeing is our main concern.

Playground / Campus Rules

1.  Students should arrive after 7:20am and leave promptly after school ends.
2.  Students must stay in designated areas where supervision is provided.
3.  Students should walk in hallways until they reach the blacktop. 
4.  Students should keep their hands off others.  Wrestling, fighting, tackling, piling-on, kicking, or other rough play is not allowed.  “Red Rover” is discouraged unless it is a special activity with a teacher.
5.  Students should carry balls in the hallways.
6.  Students may kick balls on the lower field but not on the blacktop.  Basketballs should not be brought down to the lower field. 
7.  If a ball goes over the fence, get the yard supervisor’s permission prior to retrieving it.
8.  Jump ropes are for jumping only.
9.  Students should not climb on backstops, fences, gates, picnic tables, or trees.
10.  Restrooms are not play areas. 
11.  Snacks/lunches should be eaten in the courtyards only and not in the play areas and garbage should be properly disposed of prior to play.
12.  Students should not throw rocks, dirt, sand, wood chips, or other objects ever.  Students may not throw balls at each other unless a teacher has specifically set up a dodge ball game that the teacher will directly supervise. 
13.  Chasing and tag may only be played on the lower field.
14.  Waterguns, water balloons, rubber bands, fireworks, sharp objects, lighters, and other injurious objects are not permitted at school.  Please do not bring balls from home – we will provide plenty.  Skateboards may not be ridden on school grounds.
15.  Expensive and nonschool-related objects should be left at home.  Examples include:  IPODS, radios, CD players, dolls, toys, trading cards, electronic games, and jewelry.  4th – 6th grade students may bring a cell phone.  An official signed parental waiver is needed and the school will not be able to help students with missing or damaged phone issues.  (The waiver has complete cell phone rules on it.)
16.  Gum chewing is not allowed at school.
17.  Students should not dig holes or play in planted areas.
18.  Students should not sit on tetherballs or hang on basketball nets.
19.  All students are invited to participate in games (no locked games).
20.  When the recess bell rings, students should “freeze” until the yard supervisor blows the whistle.  Students may then walk to their teacher’s assigned meeting space. 

Tanbark and Play Structure Area Rules

1.  The tanbark and play structure area is for safe and creative play, not for running, pushing, or playing tag. 
2.  Students should not cut in line, save places in line, jump off structures or climb over the outside of structures except the pipe chamber.
3.  Monkey bars are for one-way traffic – please do not sit or climb on top of the monkey bars.
4.  Play safely on the slides.  Descend in a sitting position and never climb up the slide.  One person may go at a time and wait for the person in front to get off before you go down.  Don’t push others down the slide. 
5.  Play safely on the track ride. One person may go at a time and the line begins behind the platform, not on the platform.  Don’t push others on the track.  If you can’t reach the track, then don’t use it.  Use both hands. 
6.  Primary students may use the play structure on odd/even days depending on their room number to keep overcrowding from creating an unsafe atmosphere. 

Cafeteria Rules

Classroom Rules

Students will observe the teacher’s classroom rules and procedures.  Office passes are required to visit the office.  Students are not allowed in classrooms without adult supervision.  In accordance with Board Policy, students who cheat on exams or assignments will fail that assignment and will receive a behavior referral and suspensions may result for repeated academic dishonesty.  Students who violate the PVUSD Internet Agreement will at the minimum have access suspended for nine weeks.

“Yellow Bench” Rules

Students who choose not to attend or behave inappropriately at the yellow bench will receive sequential consequences and a behavior referral may be issued.