• Physical Education

    All students participate in physical education. Students in grades 1-5 will participate in 100 minutes of Physical Education class each week. Appropriate dress and shoes is expected. Students may wear a hat (that follows the dress code policy) during this outside instruction. If a child is wearing shoes or clothes that hinders participation, an alternate activity will be assigned. Please send your student with water only. Juices, soda, Gatorade etc. will not be permitted. Regular water breaks will occur. If it is too hot or raining, PE instruction will take place indoors.

    Snacks

    Students are encouraged to bring a healthy snack to eat during their morning recess break. Students may not share snacks as that can lead to issues of conflict between other students. Please refrain from sending your child with such foods as Hot Cheetos, Takis, etc. Refer to the Health and Wellness Policy for appropriate snack ideas.

    School Breakfasts and Lunches

    Parents are encouraged to provide the best opportunity for their child(ren) to learn by sending students to school with sufficient and nutritious food. Studies show that hunger and poor nutrition can have a negative effect on child development, behavior, and learning. We also encourage all parents to fill out a meal application. More information can be found at the Child Nutrition Services Website: https://ausdnutrition.org/.

    You may establish an online account for your student by going to www.ausdnutrition.org and clicking on the Pre-pay option. We encourage all parents to fill out a meal application. Applications for free or reduced breakfasts and lunches are available online. Applications must be completed yearly and receive approval before students begin receiving food through the program.

    Please try to send your student with his/her lunch or lunch money in the morning before school. Families who drop off their child’s lunch or lunch money in the office late cause a disruption to the school routines and learning in the classroom. Please help your child be responsible for remembering their lunch and at the same time help us to keep the focus on learning.

    Cafeteria Behavior Expectations

    • Remain seated while eating lunch and raise hand to request permission to leave seat/area
    • Listen to and follow directions from campus supervisors the first time they are given
    • Be polite and mannerly
    • Talk with soft “inside” voices

    Class Parties

    Only two parties per year are authorized by Alvord Unified School District Board Policy due to the importance of instructional time. While birthday parties for students are enjoyable, it is very difficult to celebrate the birthdays of all students. We encourage parents to have parties for their children somewhere other than school. If a teacher agrees to a birthday celebration it must take place during a recess time not instructional time. Food and drink donations must follow sound nutritional guidelines of the AUSD Wellness Policy. For more information on healthy snacks and an approved list of healthy snacks please visit https://ausdnutrition.org/index.php?sid=0603080055078751&page=smartsnacks. One nice way to honor a child’s birthday at school is to donate a special book to the child’s classroom. It can be read to the entire class and then entered into the classroom reading materials.

    Immunizations

    Before your child enters grades K-12, the state requires, verification of birth (certified copy of birth record, statement by the local registrar or county recorder certifying the date of birth, Baptism certificate, passport, when none of the foregoing is obtainable, an affidavit of the parent, guardian, or custodian, or any other appropriate means of proving the child’s age), proof of immunizations. The office can provide you with

    up-to-date requirements. Not only are these state requirements, but your child’s, and other children’s protection from certain diseases is dependent upon getting these immunizations. They may be obtained from your doctor or from clinics sponsored by the Riverside Neighborhood Health Center. For the dates of a clinic in your area contact them at 358-6000. The state requires that students entering first grade must have had a physical examination within the last 18 months. Proof of this is required before registering the student. Parents are urged to keep accurate health records from birth on. It is frequently necessary to research a child’s health history.

    Drugs and Medication

    If your child needs to take a prescription drug while at school, it must be brought to the office. Do not put them in your child’s lunch box. The medicine is kept in the nurse’s office and dispensed by the school nurse, health assistant, or office staff. Parents are required to sign an authorization for office personnel to give the medication and to file signed directions from the doctor. These forms are available through the school. If you have any questions, call health services at 509-5033. Non-prescription drugs are not allowed at school. 

    Illness and Contagious Diseases

    Sick children should not be sent to school. Symptoms such as fever, runny nose, stomach ache, cough, or a headache may indicate a contagious condition. For the protection of your child, classmates, and teachers, he/she should not be in school, but should be kept at home until fully recovered. If your child has a contagious disease, please notify the school immediately. Following a quarantine for a contagious condition, children are to be examined before re-admittance. Your child must have a signed clearance slip to give to the teacher. To provide this clearance, there is a nurse available MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, 7:30 A.M. – 8:30 A.M. ONLY AT THE STUDENT SERVICES CENTER (CORNER OF CAMPBELL ST. AND JONES ST.) The child can be

    admitted to school only if the contagious period of the disease is past. Head lice is a contagious condition which requires clearance from a school district nurse before a student returns to school.

    Vision and Hearing Screening Clinic

    Each year, hearing and vision screening are conducted by the school district which seeks to identify those students who may have either vision or hearing disorders. All students in grades kindergarten, second and fifth are screened. If problems are detected, the parents are notified. If you are concerned about your child’s hearing or vision, please talk to your child’s teacher. 

    Restroom Use

    Proper use of restroom facilities is expected from all children at all times. Children should learn to use the restrooms during scheduled recess time which includes before school, morning recess, lunch recess, and when transitioning from P.E. to the classroom. Parents may contact the teacher if special arrangements need to be made during a time of illness or disability. Adults are not to use the student restrooms. There are adult restrooms for staff, parents, and other adults in the main office. 

    Smog Alerts & Hot Weather

    During high risk days, the district office will notify the school of smog alert conditions. At this time physical activity will be limited until the end of the alert. During periods of extreme heat, physical activities will be curtailed or moved indoors. Our physical education teacher has a classroom where students are taught physical education, which includes but is not limited to rules to games and nutrition.

    Insurance

    Application forms are available in the school office for a low-cost accident insurance protection policy for your child. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES NOT PROVIDE INSURANCE FOR CHILDREN. You may wish to check

    policies you already have to see if your child is covered. 

    Home Hospital Teacher

    If your child, due to illness or injury, will be out of school for a prolonged period of time, please notify the school office. S/he may be eligible to receive instruction from a home teacher so that s/he does not fall behind in learning. A doctor’s prescription is required for Home Teaching.