CODE OF CONDUCT

Verdi MAGIC

• Mutual Respect
• HAnds Off
• Attentive ListeninG
• ApprecIation / No Put Downs
• FoCus on Facts / No Gossip

Success and Acceptance For Everyone = S A F E

What's most important is that we work together as a team, school personnel, families, and community, to educate our students and provide them with the best social and academic education we can. The children are our future!

VERDI ELEMENTARY DAILY SCHEDULE

School provided supervision arrives	9:00
Line up first bell (outside classrooms)	9:10
Class begins	9:15
Kindergarten	9:15 - 11:45
Uninterrupted Reading Block (Grade 1-3)	9:15 - 10:45
AM Recess	10:45 - 11:00
Lunch	12:00 - 12:45
Uninterrupted Reading Block (Grade 4-6)	12:45 - 2:15
PM Recess	2:15 - 2:30
End of day bell	3:15
All children must be off school grounds (Every Wednesday release at 2:30pm)	3:30

YMCA of the Sierra

The YMCA of the Sierra provides before and after school program at Verdi Elementary. For more details, please visit their website at YMCA Before and After School Program.

If you are interested, please contact Taylor Lander tlander@ymcasierra.org or (775) 557-4467.

Delayed Start

ONE (1) HOUR DELAY- Arrive at 9:55; School begins at 10:15 (No AM Latchkey)

TWO (2) HOUR DELAY- Arrive at 10:55; School begins at 11:15 (No Kindergarten Class)

Please listen to TV and Radio starting at 6:00 am or call Parent Line 775-334-8373.

Professional Development

Teacher Professional Development Days are every Wednesday. Students are dismissed at 2:30pm.

VERDI EXPECTATIONS FOR BEHAVIOR & DISCIPLINE GUIDELINES

We at Verdi believe that all children can be well behaved and that they have that responsibility. Teachers have the right to teach and students have the right to a safe, calm, and appropriate environment in which to learn. Our ultimate behavioral goal is to support the development of well-educated, responsible citizens who consistently demonstrate self-control.

While "discipline" does not appear as a subject, it underlies the entire educational process and safety of the students. Students must understand and consistently practice the behavioral expectations while they are at school. Parents please read, discuss, and review these behavioral guidelines with your child at least once each quarter.

General Guidelines

• Students will show mutual respect to all adults and other students. Profanity, insulting remarks, obscene gestures will not be tolerated. We have a Zero Tolerance Policy towards any kind of aggression or violence. Fighting will result in immediate disciplinary action.
• Students will use playground, equipment, lunchroom, and other school facilities in a safe, respectful, and responsible manner.
• Students will respect the property of others.
• To preserve the beauty of the school, no gum chewing or littering. Students found defacing school property will be subject to immediate disciplinary action.
• Personal belongings that are unrelated to school should remain at home. This includes all toys, make-up, cards, and accessories. PLEASE BE AWARE that WCSD is not an agent for any student and is not responsible for any loss, theft, or damage to any items when in the student's possession or stored/left on campus or other school property.
• Fighting will result in immediate disciplinary action: a citation, detention, and possible suspension.
• Students will dress in an appropriate manner. (See DRESS CODE)
  Clothing symbols, pins or other paraphernalia which are advertising a controlled substance, or displaying inappropriate words or pictures or are derogatory to any group or individual or intend to cause disruption of any school class or activity are not acceptable for school wear. Straps must be at least 2 fingers wide, shorts must be at least knuckle length, no midriffs may show, no open armpit tank tops, no baggy saggy pants, and no hanging pocket chains.
• If children must leave school early, parents must report to the office and sign their child out.
• All students must stay in supervised areas.
• A pass is required of every student to travel alone around the school grounds or halls.
• Students will be assessed for any lost or damaged books or other school materials.

DRESS CODE

We expect appropriate dress at school at all times. That is dress that is suitable for playground activities and weather conditions. The home and school need to cooperate in the matter of dress. Students may wear sandals, flip flops and open toed shoes, but please be prepared with a pair of tennis shoes on PE day. Remember also that the playground is unforgiving.

School is a child's place of business and the children who are dressed in appropriate school clothing seem lo do a better job. Therefore in order to promote an academic environment and provide for your child's safety on the playground.

We recommend that students not wear:

• Clothing with inappropriate words or pictures
• Halter tops, bathing suits, skimpy tank tops, spaghetti straps (3 finger width strap rule), bare midriffs, open armpit tank tops
• Short shorts (must be finger tip length)
• Baggy saggy pants on boys
• Pocket hanging chains and chain-type key rings

If necessary any student who comes to school dressed inappropriately will be asked to call parents at home or work to bring a change of clothes.

If necessary any student who comes to school dressed inappropriately will be asked to call parents at home or work to bring a change of clothes.

LUNCHROOM RULES

Students will use school facilities in a safe, respectful, and responsible manner.

1. Follow directions of lunchroom teacher
2. Talk softly / stay seated on your bottom
3. Walk and sit in the lunchroom without disturbing others
4. Finish food and drink inside / NO FOOD ALLOWED OUTSIDE
5. Raise your hand and wait for the duty to dismiss you, or to throw away trash
6. Clean your area before being dismissed
7. Raise your hand to use the restroom, cut condiments, open milk, or to speak to an adult

For hot lunches, it costs $2.50/day or lunch tickets are available.

Please make checks payable to WCSD or pay online at: www.washoe.k12.nv.us/parents/nutrition-services/menus.

PLAYGROUND RULES

Verdi is a "HANDS OFF SCHOOL" and at NO TIME should students engage in playground activities that involve inappropriate physical contact. VERDI MAGIC is the code of conduct.
"HANDS BELONG TO YOURSELF"

1. Play only in designated areas. Stay in supervised areas at all times.
2. Listen and follow the directions of the duty teacher.
3. When the bell rings students line up quickly, orderly, and quietly.
4. No throwing rocks, dirt, sand, bark, snow or any objects other than sanctioned playground balls.
5. Soft plastic bats & woofle balls for baseball - No hardballs, No tennis balls, No metal bats, No wooden bats
6. Tennis balls and rackets for use on courts only.
7. Balls are not to be thrown at walls with windows, or on the roof
8. NO FIGHTING - This includes play fighting.
9. NO CHASING GAMES
10. FOOTBALL - grades 4-5-6. Under specific guidelines set by Mrs. Geil. (signed parental permission required to play football)
11. Tetherballs are for hitting with hands only.
12. SWING SAFETY
    • 40 swings on a count
    • Swing only straight forward & backward / sitting on your bottoM
    • Do not jump off the swing
    • Do not walk under or too close to the swings
    • Do not hold hands while swinging
13. Walk all wheeled vehicles (bikes, skateboards, scooters, etc.) on school grounds.
14. No riding bikes, skateboards, skates, scooters... on school grounds or they may be confiscated.
15. Show mutual respect to others and respect others property.
16. If unsure if a game is allowed - ASK an adult for clarification. If a ball goes over the fence, see the duty teacher.
17. All food and drink in lunchroom only.
18. Please wear appropriate snow clothes and boots for playing in the snow, and in cold windy weather.

WARNINGS / CITATIONS / DETENTION

• For those students failing to comply with school and/or classroom rules, detention may become a consequence.
• Detention may be served for either academic or behavioral issues.
• Written citations are issued to the student and sent home to be signed by the parent. Citations are also meant to serve as a means of communication with home. (Please always feel free to comment on citation forms)
• Parents are asked to sign the citation and the student is responsible for returning the citation to school the following day. A student who fails to return a signed citation is automatically assigned a second time of detention.
• A child, who fails to show up for detention, will serve double time in detention.
• Detention is spent during lunch recess. Detention will be 20 minutes.
• During detention students will be expected to sit quietly with their head down and/or do academic work (teacher decision)
• Classroom teachers may assign detention for students who fail to return homework. (You will be notified of this by the teacher)
• Students receiving four behavioral citations in a nine week grading period may be subject to one or more of the following:
• Parent-Teacher-Principal-Counselor Conference
• In-house suspension
• Suspension
• Mandatory Attendance at the WCSD Violence Intervention Program (VIP)
• See individual classroom rules for variations of citation / detention guidelines.
• Fighting constitutes an automatic citation, detention, and or possible suspension. (ZERO TOLERANCE)

Consequences (May include, but are no limited to the following)

• Time out
• Detention
• Mediation Essay
• Principal Conference with student and/or parent
• Appropriate work assignment
• Restriction from school activities or equipment
• In-school suspension (out of classroom doing class work)
• Home suspension
• Violence Intervention Program (VIP)- 3rd grade and up
• other consequences as appropriate

Violence Intervention Program (VIP)

Verdi Elementary along with WCSD believes that students who are involved in acts of violence that jeopardize their own safety or the safety of others, are in need of assistance. WCSD provides such assistance with the Violence Intervention Program (VIP). Please see our Counselor for more information. VIP is for 3rd grade and up.

WCSD ATTENDANCE POLICY & PROCEDURE 5113

The Nevada Revised Statute 392.122 is the basis for the WCSD Attendancy Policy and Procedure 5113. The policy in its entirety is on the WCSD Website @ www.washoe.k12.nv.us. NRS 392.122 allows the Board of Trustees to establish the minimum attendance require for promotion to the next grade level.

The WCSD Board of Trustees has established a 90% attendance for promotion to the next grade. The emphasis of the attendance policy is on the importance of keeping all students in school and providing access to the curriculum.

Parents please call the school the morning of your child's absence and please send a note explaining the absence upon the child's return to school. Calls and notes in advance are always appreciated.

Circumstantial Absences that do not count against the 90% Attendance Rule:

Ten (10) Circumstantial absences per year are allowed if approved by administrator

• Religious
• Legal
• Family business
• Personal business
• Pre-arranged (must be requested at least 2 school days in advance and should be requested earlier if the absence will be for an extended period of time)
• Bereavement
• Emergencies

Absences that do count against the 90% Attendance Rule:

• Any absence that is not verified by a parent
• Any domestic abuse (that is beyond the 10 allowed circumstantial absences)
• Any absences that are within the parent's control: staying home to care for siblings, sleeping in too late, didn't feel like coming to school, any truancy issue

Missed Instruction

At the Elementary level students will be marked as having missed instruction if they are late or attend less than 2/3 of the session. If an elementary student misses more than 1/3 of the session s/he will be marked as absent. Make-up work will be provided, but it is the student's responsibility to request the'make-up work and turn it in at the designated deadline.

Tardiness

Students should be in line outside the building, ready to start the day at 9:10 AM at the first bell. Timeliness is a wonderful habit to develop with your children. If a child is tardy they must report to the office for a tardy slip. Parents are asked not to walk tardy students to class.

Tardies do affect student's attendance totals. Tardies do affect student's academic success.

HOMEWORK POLICY

The Board of Trustees of WCSD and the faculty of Verdi Elementary believes that homework is an important part of a student's development. It reinforces classroom work, develops good work habits, teaches responsibility, an important tool to future success in both school and adult life.

Therefore, we have developed general guidelines to give students and parents an idea of what is expected in this area. It must be emphasized that this is only a general guideline and not a specific standard. (The entire policy is available for review on the WCSD website - www.washoe.k12.nv.us).

General Guidelines

• Homework will only be assigned on weeknights, although long range assignments such as book reports or projects may be due Mondays.
• Homework will be assigned for a specific academic purpose.
• Grades received on homework will be a part of each nine weeks academic grade. Failure to make-up homework assignments on time will result in a zero for that assignment. This will lower report card grades.
• Should homework not be complete, the teacher may assign detention or require a child to stay in at recess to finish assignment.
• Students who are absent are responsible for obtaining make-up work from the teacher. Students are given one day to make-up the work they missed for every day they are absent. Parents may request homework for a student who is ill for more than one day and pick it up in the office.
• It shall be the option of each individual teacher to accept or reject late work except in the case of absences.
• It is strongly recommended that family vacations not be taken when school is in session. Particularly not during testing weeks. The principal and the teacher shall determine on an individual basis whether there are exceptional circumstances that justify an excused absence. These should be prearranged at least five days before the absence begins. The principal and teacher will have the option of giving a homework packet to a student who is going on vacation. Please refer to WCSD Attendance Policy on the WCSD website at www.washoe.k12.nv.us for strict attendance policy.
• Parents are encouraged to contact their child's teacher if any questions arise about this policy or their child's progress. Parents who monitor homework together with teachers will help students to receive maximum benefit from their years at Verdi.

HOMEWORK RESPONSIBILITIES

Parent Responsibilities
In helping children with homework, parents are encouraged to:

• Support the homework philosophy, reinforcing the value of homework.
• Show interest in your child's work. Encourage to offer advice, but insist that the work be completed through the student's own effort.
• Help your child develop good study habits by providing a well-lit area free from distractions. Encourage a specific study time.
• Make available necessary materials and resources. Check with the teacher for ideas.
• Check to see that all assignments are brought home, completed, and if necessary, signed.
• SIGN or Initial your child's agenda every night.

Teacher Responsibilities
In assigning homework teachers are expected to:

• Communicate homework expectations to students. (assignments, due dates, expectations, use of rubrics)
• Assign, monitor, evaluate, acknowledge, and return homework in a timely manner.
• Convey homework expectations to parents.
• Notify parents if homework assignments are not being completed in a satisfactory manner.
• Never make homework a punitive assignment.

Student Responsibilities
In completing homework students are expected to:

• Regard homework as a positive tool.
• Understand assignments. Ask for clarification and further assistance if necessary.
• Maintain an accurate record of assignments. (USE YOUR AGENDA DAILY)
• Have necessary materials available.
• Schedule homework time that is compatible with family and / or school responsibilities.
• Accept responsibility to rum in assignments on time.
• Be responsible to ask for assigned homework when absent from class.
• Have a parent sign or initial your Agenda every evening.

HOMEWORK GUIDELINES

Homework will vary from teacher to teacher and according to various ability levels, also within each class there will be individual differences. An assignment that takes one student only 15 minutes may take another student an hour to complete. The following is a grade level guideline for you to follow when working with your child doing homework.

Grade Level	Length of Homework
K	10 minutes
1st	10-15 minutes
2nd	15-20 minutes
3rd	20-30 minutes
4th	30-40 minutes
5th	40-50 minutes
6th	50-60 minutes

Also, read for at least 20 minutes every night. Let's help our kids develop good reading habits.

Homework How-To's:

• Have a specific time and place to do homework (make it convenient)
• Do homework immediately when you get home from school or as soon as possible - build positive homework habits
• Do the most important or most difficult assignments first positive encouragement and support / check to see that the work is getting done / check with teacher if you have questions

Tips to get homework returned:

It is your child's responsibility to complete homework assignments and remember to bring them to school.

• Designate a place where all materials that are to be taken to school are placed ( a box, basket - all stuff for school goes there).
• When your child forgets to bring homework back, do not deliver it to the school. It is important for children to learn from experiences.
• Help your child as needed. When asked to help, go over the directions and do an example together. Encourage your child to work independently.
• Homework is review material that has been taught at school and the teacher has observed your child do several problems correct.
• If your child has considerable difficulty with an assignment, jot a note to the teacher on the homework paper, so the difficulty is communicated to the teacher. (Stop, do not continue doing work that is frustrating to you both.)
• Look at completed homework assignments so that you are aware of what your child is doing.