Independent Elementary School

21201 Independent School Road, Castro Valley, CA 94552
(510) 537-9558

This site sponsored by Independent School PTA

Independent School Frequently Asked Questions

Table of Contents

1. Bell Schedule 2006-2007
2. When Should You Keep Your Sick Child Home?
3. Reporting Absences
4. School Lunch Tickets
5. Traffic Procedure
6. Picking Up A Student Early
7. Combination Classes
8. Homework Help at Castro Valley Library
9. Tutoring Services
10. Music Parent Society

Bell Schedule 2006-2007

Kindergarten

Grades 1 - 2

Grade 3

Grades 4 - 5

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When Should You Keep Your Sick Child Home?

Your child will enjoy school and be better able to learn if he/she is well. It is important that children who are contagious remain at home.

Please keep your child home if he/she has any of the following:

• A runny nose when the mucus is thick and green or yellow
• Cough or congestion that interferes with breathing and/or if wheezing
• A rash of unknown origin or contagious rash requires a certificate from physician stating the student may return to school
• A fever over 100 degrees-must be fever free for 24 hours to return to school
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Severe headache

The only medication a child can carry with written permission from both doctor and parent is an inhaler and aero-chamber for asthma and an epi-pen for severe allergic reactions. The letter must state that the student is capable of knowing when and how to use the medication. If you have any questions please contact the district nurse, Nora Crans at 537-3000 ext. 1254

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Reporting Absences Procedure

Please report all absences immediately.  Please call our attendance line at 537-3335 ext.1705 to report an absence the same day of the absence.  When prompted please leave a message stating:

• Your child’s name,
• Teacher’s name and Room #
• Date of absence
• Reason for Absence
• Who is calling

If your child attends Adventure Time, please let them know as well at 733-9134.

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School Lunch Ticket Prices & Procedure

School cafeteria lunches this year are $2.00 each.  School Lunch tickets come in strips of 10 for $20 dollars.  Sending in cash can be a problem.  The office has no change, so checks are always BEST. Make the check payable to C.V.U.S.D.

If your child is purchasing lunch on a given day, just give them $2.00 for that day. It will be collected in the lunch line. If you wish to purchase for a longer period of time, send a check to the office in increments of $20.00. The Cafeteria lead worker will pick up the check, put the child’s tickets in the envelope, and put the envelope in his or her teacher’s mailbox to be given to him or her the following day. If the child has no ticket for that day, heor she should tell the cafeteria worker who will then take one from their strip before forwarding to the teacher.

Please try to purchase tickets before your child is entirely out. The cafeteria staff is not full time, there may be a one-day delay in getting the tickets to the classroom.

Low Cost Lunches

If you are eligible for free or reduced cost lunches, you need to submit an application for the current year in order to continue receiving this benefit. Applications are due immediately. Please forward applications to Field Nutrition Office (Creekside Middle School, 19722 Center Street) If you have questions, call 537-3335 ext. 1390.

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Traffic Rules

Independent School has a serious parking lot problem. Our drivers often disregard the rules and cause problems for other drivers. And even worse, they create safety risks for our children. All adults driving children to and from Independent School must understand and abide by the following Traffic Rules:

1. Obey the 5 MPH speed limit.
2. NO PARKING in the Staff parking lot, the Fire lanes, or in front of Adventure Time after 8:00am or before 3:15pm. This blocks the entry and exit of School employees and deliveries to the cafeteria.
3. Do not park and leave your car in the loading zone areas.
4. Load and unload students at a curb loading zone only. The bus loading zone area in the upper lot is OK for loading and unloading because the bus now loads outside the school gate.
5. KEEP CIRCLING until you can pull to a curb to load and unload your children. Pull completely parallel to the curb and never back up. Wait until the car in front of you moves in order to pull out safely.
6. Move out of the way (pull to a curb) immediately for the school bus to pass.
7. Be patient and courteous, the traffic congestion lasts for only 5 - 10 minutes.
8. Arrive to school around 8:05 - 8:10am and just after 2:55 to avoid the traffic problems.
9. Park behind the Adventure Time portable and instruct your children to meet you there.
10. Never instruct your child to cross traffic or go out into the parking lot to enter your car. You must be at the curb for loading and unloading children.

NOTE: There will be at least 2 teachers supervising the parking lots. Follow their directives and never argue or ignore them.

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Picking up a Student Early

If you are picking up a student during the day be sure to come to the Office first and sign our Early Release Book. It really helps if you send a note with your child for his/her teacher, too. Then the child can be all ready to go when you arrive.

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Combination Classes

There have been combination classes at Independent School for the past several years and this trend is likely to continue. Student enrollment doesn't always come in neatly organized groupings of twenty or thirty (one teacher) per grade level. Enrollment is likelier to be scattered over grade levels with a small (fewer than fifteen) overage of students, necessitating combination classes.

There are advantages and disadvantages to combination classes and we ask that parents keep an open mind by becoming aware of the process and the possible advantages.

Combination classes are usually set up with students who are independent workers who do not require a lot of teacher assistance to complete assignments. Students who display maturity and appropriate learning behaviors are likeliest to be selected. The teacher who is chosen must be one with experience in both grade levels whenever possible. This teacher must be adept at differentiating instruction for multiple ability levels and multiple subjects. Students will receive instruction in their appropriate grade level curriculum and mastery of their grade level standards is expected. The class size for combination classes in grades 4 and 5 is smaller than the straight classed and, combined activities with the other 4th and 5th grades is frequent.

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Homework Help at Castro Valley Library

Homework help for school-aged students.  Do you need help:   Preparing for a math test?  Writing a paper?  Learning Spanish?

Free Help is available at the Castro Valley Library Homework Assistance Center.   Monday to Thursday, 3:30 - 5:30 PM.

Castro Valley Library is located at 20055 Redwood Road.  call 510 670-6280 or log on  www.aclibrary.org

New!  Castro Valley Library is now open on Sundays!  1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

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Tutoring Services

Many parents have asked us for names of tutors or tutoring services. Thank you to Linda Thompson, an Independent parent and credentialed teacher who helped to assemble this list. The tutors and/or tutoring centers listed may prove helpful to your child(ren). We did some preliminary reference checking on all the listings; however, we recommend that parents ask for references (other Castro Valley parents) themselves before deciding on a tutor.

Is tutoring a necessity? If your child is meeting standards, the answer is no. If your child is not meeting standards, extra help at home, or wherever a parent wants to provide it, will be of enormous benefit. The school, of course, will continue to provide extra support.

Please refer to the printed form of the Gazette or stop by the school office for additional tutoring services by private individuals.  This website's privacy policy is to print only private phone number or email when permission is granted.

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Copyright 2006, Independent Elementary School of Castro Valley. All Rights Reserved.