Policies & Procedures
Attendance Policy
Absences
All student absences must be verified by a parent or guardian in order to be cleared. You can clear your child's absence using one of the following methods:
- Call the Office at (949) 459-8253, Prompt #1, and leave a message.
- Email the Attendance Office at RSMAttendance@svusd.org.
- Submit a Signed Note from a parent or guardian to the Attendance Window on the day the student returns to school.
- Respond to a ParentSquare Message sent regarding the absence.
Absences must be cleared within 3 days of the student's return to school. Failure to clear the absence within this time frame will result in the absence being marked as Truancy.
Absences
Students arriving after the late bell must provide a note explaining the reason for their late arrival or be accompanied by a parent to the Attendance Office.
- Excused Tardies: Illness, doctor/dentist appointments (with a doctor's note), court appointments, bereavement.
- Unexcused Tardies: Personal reasons, vacation, transportation issues, or other reasons.
Students arriving late without a note or parent may receive a consequence for tardiness.
Early Dismissals
When a student needs to leave campus early, the following procedures must be followed:
- Submit a Note to the Attendance Office before the first class of the day or at snack time.
- Doctor/Dentist Appointments: Verification from the doctor or dentist office is required. Without this verification, the absence will be considered personal/unexcused.
- If you forget to send a note or have a last-minute appointment, a parent or guardian may bring identification to the Attendance Office to request early release. Please note that we are unable to release students during Flex Time (Tuesday-Friday, 12:07 pm - 12:31 pm) unless prior arrangements are made through an Early Dismissal Form.
- Authorized Pick-up: Only individuals listed on the student’s emergency card are permitted to pick up the student.
Important: Phone calls or emails will not be accepted for early dismissals.
Independent Study
If your student will be absent for 5 or more consecutive days, please email the Attendance Office at RSMAttendance@svusd.org to request Independent Study. This request must be made at least two weeks in advance of the absence.
For absences of less than 5 days, students are expected to complete assignments through Google Classroom. If you have any questions regarding Independent Study or extended absences, please contact the Attendance Office for further clarification.
Homework When Absent Due to Illness
If a student is absent due to illness, they will have two additional days to complete assignments for each day of absence. All assignments will be available in the student’s Google Classroom. Parents can contact teachers directly via email if any physical materials or papers are needed, and can arrange for these items to be picked up at the front office.
Delivery of Items
If you need to drop off forgotten items (e.g., lunch, homework, personal items), please come into the office and complete a paging list. The student will be paged to the office to pick up the item during snack or lunch.
Important: Please ensure that all items are clearly labeled with the student’s first and last name.
Note: Food delivery services (e.g., DoorDash, Uber Eats) are not allowed and will be turned away.
Cell Phones
To ensure a focused learning environment, all cell phones must remain off from bell to bell (school start to end of day). Students should not be texting or using phones during school hours unless permitted by the teacher.
If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call the school office. Students may use the office phone if they need to contact a parent.
Health Office
If a student feels unwell, they should ask their teacher for permission to visit the Health Office. They will be allowed to call a parent from there. It is best for the Health Clerk to be aware of the student’s condition, and it reduces classroom disruption when the parent arrives to pick up the student.
Important: Please encourage your child not to use their personal cell phone to call home from outside the Health Office.
Messages from Parent to Student
If you need to leave a message for your student, please contact the office, and we will do our best to deliver the message to them. Remember, students are not allowed to use their cell phones during school hours.
Dress Code
Dress is a form of personal expression that may affect a student’s behavior and self- image. A dress code policy is necessary in order to protect the health and safety of the school environment and to foster student’s success in a positive manner.
Our goal is to not play ‘Gotcha’ with our dress code. We hope to teach our students how to dress for success by choosing the right standard for the right occasion, and if needed, to remind them that all choices have consequences. Successful people choose their dress to support the occasion... not to gather personal attention. At RSM, our “occasion,” or focus, is learning in a safe and orderly school environment.
Students who wear clothing that disrupts the learning environment or presents a possible safety hazard are given an initial warning. Additional violations of the dress code will result in progressive disciplinary action which may include campus beautification and detention.
State law and school board policy requires RSM to have a reasonable dress code for two primary reasons:
1. Student safety
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Examples of clothing creating safety concerns include, but are not limited to:
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Footwear that is unsafe for student play and/or learning
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Jewelry and/or sharp pointed accessories that are unsafe for student play and/or learning
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Masks or hoods that could conceal a student’s identity
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Clothing or accessories that give students a group identity in order to intimidate or exclude others
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2. Keeping the learning environment free from disruption
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Clothing or accessories displaying language, logos, slogans, words, or pictures promoting or depicting alcohol, tobacco, drugs, profanity, violence, or sexual connotations is not permitted.
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Clothing or accessories which references or displays sexual connotations, sexist, racist, vulgar, or hate messages.
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Clothing or accessories with any derogatory message directed towards any person or group is prohibited.
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Shirts must have straps and completely cover the midriff. Undergarments should not be visible at any time. Sheer or cutout tops may only be worn with another top underneath (the torso cannot be exposed).
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Shorts, skirts, and dresses must meet or be longer than the mid thigh.
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Sleepwear and blankets are not permitted on campus or in the classroom.
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Any type of writing or drawing on oneself is not permitted.
As trends change, administration reserves the right to amend the dress code policy as needed. School Administrators also reserve the right to make exceptions for specific school activities.
Parent/Student Handbook
Parking Rules
General Rules
- Speed limit is 10 miles per hour.
- No cell phone use while driving in the parking lot.
- Traffic is one-way only.
- Enter from the North driveway (across from Fundadores).
- Exit at the south driveway (across from Via Honesto).
- Do not enter or exit from middle driveway. This is for bus traffic only!
Before School Hours
- You may drop off students within the parking lot, but it is preferable you drop them off elsewhere to avoid traffic congestion.
- Do not drive down the side parking lots. U-turns are dangerous and these lots are reserved for staff parking only.
During School Hours
- You may park in the yellow zone right in front of the school, but not past 2:30 PM as this is for bus parking.
- You may park in the Visitor spots or in any unmarked stall.
After School Hours
- Please adhere to the above general rules.
- Do not access the parking lot via the south exit after the parking lot has been closed.
- The parking lot is closed until the last bus leaves (chain will be removed from North entrance).
- It is highly recommended you make prior arrangements with your child on a pick-up spot, preferably a block or two away from the school. Traffic is heavy and this will ease congestion.
- Please be aware of all parking signs on the streets. We are not liable for tickets given when you park in a no parking zone.
- Please avoid picking up or dropping off students on private property, such as in the surrounding developments.