Policies and Procedures

Appointments
The school requests that appointments for students be scheduled after school, or on Wednesday afternoons. If you must pick up your child during the school day, please come to the office, sign your child out in the logbook, and the office will call the classroom to send your child to the office. Upon the child’s return to school, please sign in your child in the logbook in the office.

Arrival and Departure
Morning yard duty begins at 8:15 am. We encourage every child to participate in morning recess on the playground. Students say good-bye to parents/guardians before entering the playground, and classes line up to meet the teacher at 8:25 am. On rainy days, children go directly to classrooms at 8:15 am.

We encourage students to walk, bike, or scooter to and from school in order to encourage wellness and reduce traffic congestion.

If you must use a car, please drive slowly and observe the rules the school has established. Observe traffic rules and remain on the correct side of the road. Drop off on curbside and avoid crossing the street during drop off. Please do not block our neighbors’ driveways. Also, Fairmont Street and White Oak Way Cul-de-sacs are drop off zones. There is no parking in these zones.

Siblings who do not attend White Oaks should remain with their parent/guardian at all times when on campus. Our playground can be used only for students during the instructional day (8:15am-2:30pm).

The beginning and end of the day are very critical times for teachers. Teachers cannot visit or conference with a parent at these times unless it has been arranged to do so. Please email your child’s teacher to arrange a meeting.

Attendance
It is critical that your child arrives each day on time and ready for school. Unexcused absences and tardiness will be subject to official notification based on our district’s absence/tardy policy.

The school bell rings at 8:25 am and instruction begins at 8:30 am. Students who arrive anytime after 8:30 am are tardy and need to get a late slip at the office to be taken to his/her teacher.

Behavior Standards and Expectations:

Be Safe
Be Respectful
Be Responsible

Our school has high behavioral expectations for everyone who is a part of our learning community. The school has an extensive behavior support system in place that works to support safe, respectful and responsible behavior on our campus.

When students consistently display unsatisfactory citizenship, they will lose privileges and/or be required to attend a conference with school personnel and parents. Parents will be notified if their child’s behavior is disruptive to learning or compromises the safety of others. Serious offenses may result in school suspension. A copy of the Education Code sections relating to school discipline may be obtained in the office.

No Dogs
Dogs are not allowed on campus at any time. If you walk your dog to school while dropping off or picking up your child, the school asks that you respect our walkways and not block the sidewalk or entrance ways people utilize to get to and from campus.

Emergency/Disaster Preparedness
White Oaks has emergency/safety plans to ensure the safety of the students and adults. White Oaks has a well-stocked emergency shed, including water, food, and medical supplies. Additionally, the campus is connected by emergency radio with the SCSD district office, and the other school campuses for coordination purposes. White Oaks staff coordinates regular emergency drills so that all students and adults are trained to respond to an emergency. Each classroom is outfitted with an emergency backpack which accompanies the class on field trips and out to the yard during drills. We follow the Big 5 County Emergency Response Protocol.

Please be familiar with the terms we use to communicate about emergencies:

Summary of the Big 5

In the event of a significant emergency, parents will receive a phone call and email from our emergency broadcast system. Parents also may opt-in to receive a text message during the annual Infosnap registration process, or by texting “yes” to 67587. Please do not try to call the school office during an emergency.

In the event of evacuation requiring student release, parents and caregivers will pick up at the Fairmont Street gate (outside the office). Please bring ID. All other gates in the evacuation area will be locked. If campus evacuation is required, students will be moved to Burton Park. In both cases, parents and caregivers must check in at the Student Release Station. Students will be released only to adults listed as “approved” by parents on the child’s emergency contact information. If you need to update your child’s emergency contact information, you may do so via the annual Infosnap process or by contacting the school office at 650-508-7317 or [email protected].

Illness or Injury

If your child is ill, please call the office by 8:35am and give your child’s name, room number and teacher’s name. If the school office has not heard from you by 9am, you will be called to verify the absence.
When a child has a contagious disease (strep, pink eye, flu, lice, etc.) please notify the school immediately so that an exposure notice can be distributed.
A child with a fever must have a normal temperature for 24 hours, medication-free, before returning to school.
A child who has been vomiting must have stopped for 24 hours before returning to school.
If a child is out of school due to an illness for more than five consecutive days, please provide a doctor’s note upon their return.
If your child is sick and absent from school, please be aware that she/he may not attend any school-based activities.
Please inform the office of injuries so that we can partner with you to support a comfortable school day for your child. Students with special medical conditions or physical injuries that impact participation in P.E. must have a note provided by their physician brought to the office indicating what the student can and cannot do.

Lost and Found
The lost and found cart is located in the “tunnel” area, around the corner from the office. Please check often for lost items. Those not claimed by the end of each month will be given to charity.

Medications
Medications can only be administered if the office has a medication authorization form by a physician on file, and the details of the administration are on the original pharmacy bottle. A note from a parent does not suffice. Even over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, cold remedies, ibuprofen, etc, are considered medications and these procedures must be followed.

Personal Items
Personal toys, technology, balls or games are not allowed except with permission from the student’s teacher. The school is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Technology Policy
All students are expected to handle school equipment with care and respect. Technology provides important educational tools, and also requires oversight. Strong software filters and teacher/staff supervision will be in place during Internet use. All student technology shall be turned off while on campus and use is not allowed, except with staff permission. Inappropriate use or handling of technology equipment while on campus or field excursions may elicit disciplinary action. If you have questions about this, please refer to the District’s Board Policy on Student Use of Technology or speak with your child’s teacher.

PARENT REQUESTS for PLACEMENT CHANGE:

STEP #1: Parents and teacher meet to discuss concerns. Parents must explain in writing how the current situation is not meeting their child’s needs and what they would need to see in order to reach a satisfactory outcome.

STEP #2: The teacher has 10 days to address the parents’ concerns.

STEP #3: If the parents remain unsatisfied after 10 school days, the teacher and parents will meet for an SST (Student Study Team) meeting.

STEP#4: The Student Study team will collaborate to resolve the issue.

Visitors
All visitors are required to check in and out at the office during school hours and wear a visitor badge while on campus. Visitors requesting to observe in a classroom must coordinate the observation in advance with the school principal so that we can arrange for a staff member to accompany the visitor. Observations typically are scheduled for 1 hour or less.

Wellness Policy
In order to create a more rigorous teaching and learning environment, and to promote health, safety and inclusion, we follow the SCSD Wellness Policy .

Students will be recognized on their birthdays with special White Oaks non-food related items. Please do not bring food to school to celebrate birthdays.
As a general rule, food and drink provided to students by teachers, students, parents or other staff during the school day should be nutritious and healthy. For classroom celebrations, fresh fruits and vegetables are encouraged!
Occasional treats are acceptable during special celebrations as determined by school staff. In all situations, allergy and food restrictions will be taken into consideration for each class. Please check in with your teacher to learn more about what is planned in your child’s classroom.
Many craft items may contain allergens such as wheat. Volunteers who are planning a craft activity must review ingredients with the teacher prior to any lesson.
All meals or snacks provided to students must always be free of peanuts and tree nuts, regardless of stated allergies.
Teachers are required to consult with parents of children who have food allergies before supplying food to the classroom. For this reason, we ask that volunteers not send food to be shared in the classroom without pre-arranging it in advance with the teacher. Please talk with your child’s teacher at least 2 weeks in advance to allow sufficient coordination time.
When food is served to a group of children, whole class, or at a school-wide event, the Board encourages all to be mindful and respectful of classmates who may have allergies, and thus provide foods (and other substances) to students that can be enjoyed by all students participating in those activities. This means we should avoid substitutions and try to ensure all students can enjoy the activity.

Wheels on Campus
Please walk your wheels on campus. Park bikes and scooters at the bike rack located outside the school office, or near the preschool.