Student Handbook

The purpose of this Information is to provide you with a quick reference of guidelines and procedures for Deerfield Elementary School. In addition to these links, you will also be receiving weekly Falcon Flyer emails to keep you updated in regard to ongoing programs and activities. Our website is updated frequently with calendar changes and important information.

animals on campus

Pets are not allowed on school grounds. We have many students with allergies. Please be aware that pursuant to Orange County Ordinance 41.46 dogs are not to be on school grounds at any time. If you choose to bring your dog when walking your child to and from school, please wait for your child off school grounds. If you are to bring a service dog on campus, we must have paperwork on file in the front office.

attendance procedures

Please notify the office before 8:30 a.m. each day if your child will be absent from school. We maintain a separate line for this purpose. It is the parent’s responsibility to verify EACH day your child is absent and the reason for the absence. The attendance line is open 24 hours a day. The phone number for our Attendance Hotline is (949) 936-5651. Please report known absences ahead of time.

Studies show that there is a direct correlation between good school attendance and student achievement. Therefore, we encourage you as parents to reinforce the importance of being at school each and every day and to make every effort to send your child to school on a regular basis. Attendance and tardies are monitored at the district level and warning letters will be generated if your child has 3 or more tardies of 30 minutes or more, 10 tardies of less than 30 minutes or 3 unexcused absences. If you wish to pick up homework for an absent child, please contact the teacher directly and be aware that teachers will not be able to collect materials for your child during instructional hours.

If your child is tardy to school, he/she must report through the front office to allow us to update our attendance records for that day. Consistent tardiness also impairs your child’s ability to perform well at school and will result in parent contact and appropriate consequences.

Should you find it necessary to schedule a medical/dental appointment during the student’s class time, please notify the teacher & school office by note in advance so that we may keep class interruptions to a minimum. All students leaving school before dismissal time must be signed out in the front office by a parent, guardian, or other adult listed on the Emergency Information Card. Students will be released only to those whose names are listed on the Emergency Contact List.

bicycles

It is requested that each parent discuss the following bicycle rules with your rider:

ONLY allowed for students in grades 3 – 6
MUST be parked in the bike rack and LOCKED.
Helmets MUST be worn by all students riding to and from school
MUST be walked on school grounds
Children should never ride two on one bicycle
MUST be in safe working condition
Students are not to loiter in or around the bike rack area at any time
We suggest that every bicycle be licensed through the Irvine Police Department.

Deerfield does not assume any responsibility or liability in connection with a child’s bicycle if it becomes lost, stolen or damaged.

birthday celebrations

While we appreciate the joy and excitement that accompanies our students’ birthdays, we do not allow parents to bring food items to their child’s classroom to commemorate their child’s special day. Please check with your child’s teacher regarding appropriate ways to honor/celebrate these special occasions if you wish to do so at school. In order to support new state mandates, the IUSD Nutrition and Wellness policies, and much needed instructional time in the classrooms and to be cognizant of the rise in childhood diabetes and food allergies, no food/treats, store bought or homemade, may be brought to school during school hours. The Deerfield staff has determined to hold up to four classroom parties throughout the school year at which food may be served. We love to recognize our students on their special day, but given the current demands of the curriculum, we cannot have “birthday parties” for students during school hours. In lieu of food items, parents are welcome to donate a playground ball or book if they would like to.

All after school events such as family nights, PTA events, etc., that are voluntary in attendance, will not be considered part of the instructional day and therefore these activities will not be monitored for compliance.

cell phones AND Smartwatches

With more and more students coming to school with cell phones, it is imperative that you are aware of the following:

The school cannot assume any responsibility for any loss or damage to a cell phone.
Cell phones must be turned completely off (not on silent or vibrate mode) during the school day.
Cell phones must be kept in the student’s backpack at all times during the school day.
Students may not talk on their cell phones or listen to messages at any time during the school day.
Cell phones confiscated for failure to adhere to these rules will be turned in to the principal and will be returned to the student’s parents only upon clarification of our policy.

Students are not allowed to use the front office phone for non-urgent matters. In order to minimize classroom interruptions, we also do not deliver non-emergency phone messages from the office to individual classrooms. We ask that you take care of all after-school arrangements with your child before he/she leaves for school. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Cell phones and smartwatches are allowed on campus during the day, but they are not to be turned on AT ANY TIME during school hours without permission from staff. If students use cell phones or smartwatches during school hours without permission, they will be confiscated by school personnel, turned into the principal and returned to parents upon clarification of our policy.

classroom interruptions

Deerfield staff makes a concerted effort to establish a learning environment that is conducive to the development of good study habits and uninterrupted academic learning time. We seek your cooperation and assistance in this effort. You can help us by:

Sending the teacher a note or email should you need to pick up your child early. If you know that you will be picking up your child early, please send a note to the teacher that morning. Oftentimes classes are outside for P.E., in the computer lab, or at an assembly and if the teacher knows in advance that a student will be leaving early he/she will make every effort to make sure your child is ready to leave at the time you’ve requested. You will also need to come to the office to sign your child out.
Avoiding calling school and leaving messages for your child, unless it is an emergency. The telephone is made available to students only for emergencies.
Establishing a system that helps eliminate forgotten lunches, homework, money, musical instruments, etc. Parents bringing forgotten lunches and instruments to school should place them in our office. Children are encouraged to check this area for forgotten musical instruments throughout the day.

classroom volunteers

Our school office staff works very hard to provide the best possible service and information to the students and community. For safety purposes and so we can assist you if needed, all visitors to our campus MUST check in with the office and get a visitors’ badge before proceeding to the classrooms. For the safety of our children, all parents and guests visiting the school are required to wear a visitor tag. These are available in the office through our online visitor application process.

All parents or guests visiting or volunteering in the classroom or helping in any way at school must be registered in our Raptor visitor/volunteer management system. The first time you visit/volunteer you will be asked to present a valid state issued ID or passport, which will be scanned into the system. Once entry is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor/volunteer, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit. After providing your ID on your first visit, visitors/volunteers will be able to sign themselves in and out using the self-service kiosk. This kiosk is located in the front office. If you are interested in learning more about the Raptor visitor management system, please visit the http://iusd.org/volunteer.html. If you have any additional questions, please contact the Deerfield Elementary School office at 949-936-5650.

All student information observed or obtained while providing volunteer service is to remain confidential. Adults who breech this confidentiality expectation or whose presence in the classroom proves otherwise undesirable interaction with staff and/or students will not be invited to return. Please also remember that younger siblings may not accompany adults when they are volunteering on campus.

dress policy

Students are not allowed to wear any items to school that may be deemed inappropriate, unsafe, or disruptive to the educational process:

Pants or shorts must be the proper size.
Any clothing that exposes undergarments, mid-sections or private areas is unacceptable for school.
Any clothing that prohibits students from participating in all activities of the educational program, including P.E., should not be worn at school. Examples are: Sandals, platforms, heels, sling-type shoes, Heelys (and similar products), or jellies are considered unsafe and not allowed. Tennis shoes are the ideal shoe for play and exercise.
Dangling earrings are dangerous and are not appropriate school attire.
Students may not wear shirts or tops that contain offensive or obscene symbols that promote alcohol, tobacco, drugs, gangs, tagging, violence, or that degrade any gender, cultural or ethical values.
Hats may be worn outside for protection but should not be worn indoors.

Staff members monitor our school dress policy. Parents are contacted when students violate our dress policy. Inappropriately dressed students will be asked to phone their parents for a change of clothes or given a “loaner outfit” from school.

pick-up/drop-off procedures, parking, driving, walking

TRANSPORTATION TO/FROM SCHOOL

Please discuss a safe route to school with your child and plan the route that is best for him/her to travel when walking or riding to and from school. Provide ample time for dropping off your child before school to alleviate undue stress for you and your child. Children are not to be on the school grounds/playground prior to 7:45 a.m. or after 2:45 p.m. Playground supervision is provided before school from 7:45 a.m. to 8:20 a.m. We offer a “quiet start” at the beginning of the day, meaning that students are allowed to be on the playground, but we do not engage in recess activities (games, playing on equipment, etc.). Other than assuring that the children have safely left the school campus by 2:45 p.m. in the afternoon, there is no other supervision after school. The Deerfield Staff is working continuously to insure that each child knows and understands this. Please help us to provide for your child’s safety by insisting that he/she goes directly home after school and only uses the playground equipment when supervised by a teacher or other school personnel during regular school hours/recess times.

DROP OFF & PICK UP PROCEDURES

When parents or other adults come to school to take a student off campus, they must not double park or park by the (red) fire curb. THE RED CURB IS A FIRE LANE and in case an emergency vehicle is needed this must be OPEN. We have had many problems with people parking in unauthorized areas that have presented unsafe conditions for our children at dismissal time. Adherence to these policies allow us to keep our lot open to the flow of traffic, rather than enclosing it entirely for drop-off/pick-up. We are committed to keeping the parking lot safe for all children and parents. Also, please do not drive through the second lane of traffic and call children to the car through the first lane of traffic. Staff members will not allow children to step off of the curb through traffic in an effort to prevent unsafe conditions. Parents, visitors and students are required to follow staff directions at all times while on campus.

The parking lot is painted to identify staff parking spaces and allow all staff members to park on campus. Please do not park in any numbered spaces during the school day. We often have staff members whose schedules alternate or are different than our traditional school hours who arrive throughout the school day. Also, please remember that law reserves spaces painted blue for individuals with the handicapped placard. You must not block or park in these spots at any time unless you have a placard.

Please note that there is one entrance to the parking lot and one exit as established in partnership with the city of Irvine and the Irvine Police Department. Please drive carefully through the Deerfield parking lot and obey staff direction at all times. If you drive to school, we ask that you be aware of the safety of children when driving in the vicinity of the school.

Parking is available in the Deerfield community.

CROSSING GUARD

A Crossing Guard is on duty at the corner of Deerfield Avenue and Fawn Glen East from 7:30-8:30 a.m. and at dismissal time until 3:00 p.m. Students are to cross only where the crossing guard is present and able to assist children in safely crossing the street. PLEASE NOTE THERE IS NOT A CROSSING GUARD AVAILABLE FOR PM KINDERGARTEN and PM TK students.

Board Policy states that students must be picked up within 10 minutes of dismissal. We understand that there is a gap between primary and upper dismissal. Parents may wait with siblings at the lunch benches or at either of the adjacent parks. No students may wait at the lunch benches without a parent. We highly encourage families to utilize the parks. Students may not play on the playground after school.

pick-up/drop-off for kindergarten & tk

Kindergarten is an important time for students to begin the process of developing independence and confidence, and connecting with their school as a student. This can be just as challenging for parents (sometimes even more so!) as it is for students. Dropping-off and picking-up your students at school sets the tone for them to begin and end their school day in a productive, safe, and scholarly manner.

In order to facilitate a smooth drop-off and pick-up experience and to ensure the safety of our kindergarten students, we ask that you follow the procedures below.

Parking Lot

One of the huge benefits of having your students at Deerfield is that we enjoy a great amount of programmatic support for our students including music, science, art, and additional instructional assistance in the classroom. With the many staff members we have at Deerfield, it is necessary to reserve the entire parking lot for those who work at the school. As it is, we do not have enough parking for our existing staff. We have staff members coming/going throughout the entire school day, so even if a spot is open, it needs to remain reserved for Deerfield staff members so they can have reliable parking to support our students. If you need to park, please do so across the street from school in the neighborhood and walk on to the campus.

Drop-Off

Parents need to drop-off students no more than 10 minutes before the start of class. Please note that we do not have direct supervision for TK/K students before school. Playground equipment is off-limits during drop-off time. Parents and/or an older sibling should wait with students until their teacher greets them to go into class and we ask that you allow students to enter their classrooms independently. If dropping off by car, please pull up in the yellow unloading zone and allow them to exit the car curbside. A staff member will help to guide them to the gate and ensure they get to their classrooms. Please do not exit your car at any time to assist your student. Have backpacks ready in the seat, teach kids how to unfasten car seats, and give your goodbye hugs/kisses before you leave home.

Pick-Up

When picking-up your students, we will bring them out to the area by the front office for dismissal. Students who are walking will be seated in a designated area. For parents who are driving, we ask that you display your Deerfield Pick-Up Sign in your front window and proceed to the yellow loading/unloading zone in front of the school. A staff member will help to load your student into your car curbside. Again, we ask that you not exit your car at any time. If you lose your Deerfield Pick-Up Sign, please display a visible sign with your child’s name/teacher in your front window.

forgotten items

Teachers are not to be disrupted during the instructional day. Notes, phone messages, and/ or email messages are appropriate ways of communicating with your child’s teacher during school hours. Please do not deliver forgotten items to the classroom - take them to the front office. Students know it is their responsibility to arrive to school prepared for the day and to check the front office for items you may have delivered. The office will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily.

general school rules

Personal belongings, such as skateboards, roller blades, scooters, Heelys, and hand-held laser pointers, are not permitted on school grounds.
Cell phones must be turned off and placed in student’s backpacks during school hours.
Students will use appropriate language both in the classroom and on the playground.
Students must have a pass to be in the buildings before school, during recess, or during lunch periods.
Students are allowed on campus no earlier than 15 minutes before their school day begins and no later than 10 minutes after their school day ends.
Students must use crosswalks or a corner when crossing the street, even if an adult is with them.
Playing in or near the bathrooms is not permitted.
Gum is not permitted at school.
Unsafe play (wrestling, tackling, etc.) is not permitted.
Closed toe shoes must be worn at all times.

health services

A District nurse will be on campus periodically to complete required screening in vision and hearing. It is more important than ever before to ask parent cooperation in keeping your child at home if they are not feeling well. Because of the generosity of IPSF, our health clerk will be on campus for five days a week, four hours a day. The clerk along with the office staff will assist with the illness/injury of children and contact parents to pick up these children who need to go home or see a physician.

Germs spread quickly. If your child tells you that he/she does not feel well, TAKE TIME TO ASSESS ALL THE SYMPTOMS AND CHECK HIS/HER TEMPERATURE BEFORE SENDING YOUR YOUNGSTER TO SCHOOL. We know that a child does not always have a fever when feeling ill, but most often we find ourselves sending home children who do.

MEDICATION AT SCHOOL

Whenever possible, the parent or guardian should make arrangements so that it is not necessary for school personnel to administer a medication to a student. However, there are cases when a student's health could be compromised by not getting medication during school hours. When sending any prescription or non-prescription medication to school each year, the parent must:

Parent must transport medications to and from school. At no time should a medication be brought to or from school in a lunch box or backpack with the student.
Parent must send medications in the original container with directions. All prescription medications need to be labeled by the pharmacist.
Parent must complete the IUSD Medication Administration Form. This needs to be signed by both parent and physician for all medications, prescriptions and over-the-counter medications.
Parent must take care of half-tablets. School personnel cannot cut/break tablets.
Parent must administer short-term medications outside of school hours or may come to the school to administer the medication after speaking to the heath clerk.
Parent must provide a note to the school providing permission to administer non-medicated cough drops. These medications must be kept in the health office during the school day.

Additional medication information, the IUSD Medication Administration Form, and Cough Drop Permission Slip Form may be found at the IUSD.org website link below:
https://iusd.org/about/departments/education-services/student-support-services/health-services/medication

homework/classwork for absent students

If you wish to pick up work for an absent child, please contact the teacher directly and be aware that teachers will not be able to prepare materials for your child during instructional hours.

late lunches

Classes will not be interrupted to deliver late lunches. Late lunches are to be dropped off in the front office on the late lunch table with the students name clearly printed on the lunch (no fountain drinks or unsealed beverages). This service is offered as a courtesy for emergency or occasional needs, but is not intended to be utilized on a daily or regular basis. Students will come to the front office to pick up lunches from the table at the appropriate lunchtime. Do not attempt to deliver a lunch to your child in the lunch area. Late lunches must be dropped off in the front office.

library book checkout

Students are able to check out library books once a week. These books are due the week following check out unless the student renews the book(s). Overdue notices are sent/ e-mailed home if the student has overdue book(s). Should any book be lost or damaged, payment must be made to cover the cost of the book’s replacement.

lost & found

We urge parents and students to label EVERYTHING with first and last name that is sent to school. Our Lost and Found rack (located by the lunch area) fills up very quickly with many items that are never reclaimed. Unclaimed items will be donated to our “Clothes and Shoe” bin in the front of school the last Friday of each month. Please feel free to donate any clothes and shoes to this bin, as we get money for the school for a percentage of the donation.

lunch & snack

Lunch is available for $3.25 per lunch on a daily basis. We now have breakfast available for $2.00, which is sold at recess. Deerfield participates in the district wide Lunch Box Program and we strongly encourage each family to purchase lunches through this opportunity. To sign up for the Lunch Box Program and to pay for lunches online, please visit the district web site at www.iusd.org and go to Nutrition Services for instructions to set up an account and view the menus. For those children who bring lunches from home, milk is available for 75 cents.

Please check each morning to make sure that your child has a Lunch Box account, sack lunch, or cash before leaving for school each day. The school cannot loan lunch money to students. It is quite upsetting for a young child to learn at lunchtime that he/she has no lunch. It is also important to keep in mind that children who have a healthy food at school will perform better in class.

PEANUT/TREE NUT SAFE SCHOOL

Our school has a number of students who are severely allergic to peanuts and all nuts. For these students, eating or touching a tiny amount of peanuts or nuts can be life threatening and require immediate emergency medical treatment. We ask you assist us in providing these students a Peanut/Tree Nut safe school environment.

This is how you can help: We encourage you to avoid sending any peanut or nut containing foods to school. This includes containers that used to have nuts or peanut butter in them. Talk to your teacher before sending any food to school for a class celebration. Please remember that we ask no food be sent for birthday celebrations. If your child eats peanut or nut containing products before school, please make sure they wash their hands and brush their teeth before coming to school. Remind your child not to share food at school. If your child has a food allergy, remind him/her not to eat any foods at school that he/she does not know the ingredients.

messages to students & telephone use

Unless it is an emergency, it is difficult for the school office to deliver messages to students. Please make all after-school arrangements with your child before school and be sure your child knows how and with whom they are getting home. Also, please establish a “rainy day” schedule with your child.

If you know that you will be picking up your child early, please send a note to the teacher that morning. Oftentimes classes are outside for P.E., in the computer lab, or at an assembly and if the teacher knows in advance that a student will be leaving early he/she will make every effort to make sure your child is ready to leave at the time you’ve requested. You will also need to come to the office to sign your child out.

Students are not allowed to make or receive telephone calls at school unless instructed to do so by school personnel for emergency situations. Students may not use the school telephone to make after-school arrangements. These plans must be made prior to coming to school.

Cell phones are allowed on campus during the day, but they are not to be turned on AT ANY TIME during school hours without permission from staff. If students use cell phones during school hours without permission, they will be confiscated by school personnel, turned into the principal and returned to parents upon clarification of our policy.

parent communication

Our commitment is that we will regularly and thoroughly communicate with parents. This communication will be accomplished through a variety of formally scheduled activities throughout the year:

School-Home Communication

Please help the school by encouraging your child to be dependable in getting messages home to you. Each child will be issued a Falcon Folder where both school and classroom communications will be kept. Ask for information; look in backpacks for monthly calendars, PTA highlights and upcoming meetings and social functions. Also, please refer to our school web site for upcoming events, news and announcements. Thursday has been designated as our “Falcon Folder” day. Most school information will come home in your child’s folder on this day – please check your child’s backpack weekly.

Back-to-School Night

During the month of August/September, we will hold a formal evening meeting for parents in which you’ll listen to a presentation by your child’s teacher on the year’s program.

Report Cards

Three times per year, report cards will be issued for all students in grades K-6. Report cards are made available online via the Parent Portal (https://my.iusd.org/) at the end of each grading period.

Parent Conferences

Conferences are scheduled two times per year, in October and late March. The fall conference is intended to identify goals for the student for the year and to review early progress. The spring conference is optional and serves as a follow-up to Goal Setting when necessary. Teachers are always available to schedule an individual meeting to discuss a concern or issue.

Email

Falcon Flyer: weekly updates from the Principal
Classroom Teacher Emails

Website

Website - www.iusd.org/de

parent involvement

Deerfield welcomes and values our volunteers. Without our volunteers, many programs and activities would not be possible. There are a variety of avenues for parents to volunteer their time and talents to our school. These include:

Classroom/Library Assistance: Classroom teachers and our library staff will recruit parent help at the beginning of the school year. There are opportunities for parents to work directly with students, to complete clerical tasks, and to complete tasks at home. If you are interested in serving in this way, please contact our librarian Mrs. Dhume at anithadhume@iusd.org .
School Site Council: This group is composed of staff and parent members whose responsibility it is to plan, monitor, and evaluate our School Improvement Plan. Parent members are selected by a vote of all parents in the fall. Meetings and the agenda are listed in the front office, and all parents are welcome to attend. If you are interested in serving in this way, please contact Principal Brewer at AliciaBrewer@iusd.org.
Parent-Teacher Association (PTA): This volunteer group is composed of all parents who wish to join. Its elected and appointed representatives goal is to support the programs here at Deerfield and the overall educational system. A variety of programs and activities are scheduled throughout the year and coordinated by the PTA Board, which is elected in the spring of each year. All parents are encouraged to attend General Association meetings. Exact dates and times of all meetings, along with additional information is available online on our website. Please check the informative Deerfield PTA website at https://dfpta.membershiptoolkit.com. Become a member of our PTA! TOGETHER WE CAN!

report cards & progress reports

Report cards will be available online via the Parent Portal in December, March and June with progress reports in between when desired or necessary. Parent conferences are held in the fall and spring. However, you are encouraged to call or email your child’s teacher or the school whenever you have a question or concern. The classroom teacher should always be your first level of contact in resolving classroom concerns.