Policies

A student's absence from school or tardiness must be verified by the parent/guardian with a written note, email to tmabsence@eesd.org, or phone call. Ed. Code section 48260 states that any pupil subject to compulsory full-time education or to compulsory continuation education who is absent from school without valid excuse more than three days or tardy in excess of 30 minutes on each of more than three days in one school year is a truant and shall be reported to the attendance supervisor.

Our School Board Policy on Attendance (BP 5113a) only provides excused absences "for health reasons, family emergencies, and justifiable personal reasons, as permitted by law, Board policy, and administrative regulations."

Absences cannot exceed 10 consecutive days. Students that are absent 10 consecutive school days, are dropped from enrollment on the 11th school day. Students must re-enroll upon return to school, and placement in class and at Matsumoto are conditional upon space in enrollment.

Students are entitled to choose short term Independent Studies for absences that are between 3-10 schools days. Before the absence, parents that would like to exercise this choice, must contact the school principal, attend a meeting, and complete a master agreement. Please note that utilizing Independent Studies, does not extend the policy regarding consecutive absences. Students on an Independent Studies agreement, that do not return on the 11th consecutive school day, are dropped from enrollment.

Tom Matsumoto Elementary School welcomes visitors to our school. For the protection of all students, please follow these policies.

• Only enter the campus via the front office.
• Sign in as a visitor/volunteer and wear your visitor sticker at all times.
• Children that require adult supervision are not allowed to attend volunteer opportunities in the classroom or on field trips.
• Children are not allowed in the staff room from 7 am to 4 pm.
• Adults may not use student restrooms, please use the restrooms in the office.
• Arrangements for classroom visits must be made with the teacher at least 24 hours in advance.

Classrooms are open for community visitations the second Tuesday of each month between the hours of 10 and 11 (except during the state testing window). Community members wishing to visit Matsumoto School must sign in and wear special name badges.

To ensure student safety, pets are not allowed in areas where children are likely to be present.

We appreciate your help and participation. Your involvement makes our community connected and inclusive. In order to best meet the needs of all children, please follow these expectations

• Curious
  • Observe the classroom environment, and reflect on the ways that your child can be most successful.
• Humble
  • Consider the needs of all children in the room.
  • Focus on the learning of the group assigned to your care.
  • Pictures taken should only be of your child, in consideration of all parent rights of privacy.
• Equitable
  • Children learn and develop at different rates. Only discuss the needs of your child with staff.
  • It is not equitable to discuss your observations of other children with other families.
• Resilient
  • We want students to learn from failure. Encourage them to try again.
• Dependable
  • Schedule volunteer time with your teacher or PTA. Please give adequate notice if you can't attend.

• Breakfast and lunch are available daily at no charge. Students must request their meal from their teacher at the beginning of each day. 
• Families are encouraged to complete an application for free and reduced lunch. Families that are eligible qualify for additional supports and resources. They also allow the district to seek additional funding for school meals. Families can apply online by visiting our district website.

Students riding bicycles to school are required to observe the following rules. Matsumoto School assumes no liability in case of theft or vandalism.

• Wear approved bike helmets.
• Do not ride bikes on or through the campus.
• Provide individual lock and chain. Park and lock bicycle in designated area in front of the office.

Due to the many food allergies of our students, students are not allowed to bring food to share at lunch.

In order to support our district’s nutrition education program, we urge families to consider donating non-food items for birthday celebrations. Review this list for ideas! If you must send a food item, please follow these district guidelines.

1. Request approval from the classroom teacher.
2. Must be purchased from a store and meet current nutritional guidelines.
3. May only be served after the class’s lunch period.
4. Must be individually wrapped and individually portioned. (Sorry, please do not drop off a whole pizza or large jug of juice!)

Tom Matsumoto Elementary School respects students’ rights to express themselves in the way they dress.  All students who attend Tom Matsumoto Elementary School are also expected to respect the school community by dressing appropriately for a TK-6 educational environment.  Student attire should facilitate participation in learning as well as the health and safety of students and the adults that supervise them.  This policy is intended to provide guidance for students, staff, and parents.

Minimum Requirements:

1. Clothing must cover areas from one armpit across to the other armpit, down to approximately 3 to 4 inches in length on the upper thighs (see images below).  Tops must have shoulder straps.  Rips or tears in clothing should be lower than the 3 to 4 inches in length.
2. Shoes must be worn at all times and should be safe for the school environment (pajamas, bedroom shoes or slippers shall not be worn, except for school activities approved by the principal).
3. See-through or mesh garments must be worn with appropriate coverage underneath that meet the minimum requirements of the dress code.

Additional Requirements

1. Clothing may not depict, imply, advertise, or advocate illegal, violent, or lewd conduct, nudity, weapons, or the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or other controlled substances.
2. Clothing may not display or imply vulgar, discriminatory, or obscene language or images.
3. Clothing and accessories that endanger student or staff safety may not be worn.

The administration at each school reserves the right to determine what constitutes appropriate dress. Students who do not adhere to these guidelines will not be allowed to attend class.  Parents will be called if appropriate clothing is not available or the student refuses dress-code appropriate clothing.

It is requested that students needing to stay after school or arranging to go home with friends make those arrangements prior to the day affected. The office phone is primarily for emergency student use and for the making of last minute arrangements at the teacher's request.

Student cellphones and smart devices (including tablets and watches) are allowed to be used under staff supervision and direction. Students should keep all devices turned off and put away throughout the school day.

The object of homework is to assist and improve a student’s learning. Homework is to be reasonable in length, directly related to classroom work, well defined in advance by the teacher, understood by the student, and corrected and returned to the student. It is the student’s responsibility to complete homework. The type of homework assignments and length should vary according to the student’s level. Your child is responsible in bringing his/her homework to school. Parents/Caregivers dropping off homework in the office is highly discouraged.

Kindergarten: Homework is to be minimal and based on teacher judgment of student’s need.

Primary grades (1-3): Some homework will be assigned to familiarize the students with the need for accuracy, time management and organizational skills, which are the foundation for the required homework that is a part of the intermediate grades educational program. Homework is assigned at the discretion of the teacher with an emphasis on language arts and math. Nightly homework should not exceed 30-45 minutes per night.

Intermediate Grades (4-6): Homework is to be expected as part of the student’s daily educational program. Homework emphasis is on language arts and math. Additional assignments are given which, in the judgement of the teacher, will assist the student to learn and develop initiative and responsibility. Long-term reports and projects should be expected. Nightly homework should not exceed 60-75 minutes per night. If your child is spending excessive time on homework, contact the teacher as modifications may be appropriate.

For those parents wishing to bring and pick up their child by car, we ask assistance in maintaining a safe parking lot.

• The safest place to drop off your student is in a yellow designated drop off zone.
• In the parking lot, pull your car up as far into the yellow hatched area as possible.
• On Cortona, pull up to the curb in the designated Passenger Loading Zone.
• The parking lot is only for staff. If you must park, please park on the streets in permissible parking areas.
• Always use crosswalks. Never allow your child to cross the parking lot to come directly to your car.
• It is a RIGHT TURN ONLY when leaving the front parking lot.

At Tom Matsumoto, we use the PBIS program to help us create a happy and safe environment for all of our students. Refer to our Mustang Code of Conduct and school-wide behavior matrix for information about behavior expectations.

Small problems will not become large problems if parents send an email or call the teacher before or after school. Partnership with parents gives children strong messages for success in school. Parents who review their children’s weekly papers, work folders, and notebooks will be aware of their children’s strengths and needs. 

School and district communications are sent weekly via these communication tools.

Our teachers care about children, and they are dedicated to making your child successful in school and providing a quality education for every student. To maintain an effective home/school partnership, we suggest the following:

• Ensure that your child comes to school on time every day.
• Reply promptly to all letters, notes, e-mails, and phone calls from school.
• Ask your child every day about something that he/she learned.
• Encourage your child to respect himself/herself, to respect the rights and property of others, and to obey all school rules.
• Set aside some quiet time and a place every day for homework and be prepared to give some help with assignments.
• Become informed about school programs and speak with your child’s teacher whenever necessary.
• Attend as many school-related activities as possible.

November parent-teacher conferences are essential to the overall education program. Please plan on attending. If parents have a special concern, they are encouraged to schedule a conference with the teacher at any time during the school year.

In general, medication should be given at home. If the child’s condition requires that medication be taken during school hours, the following steps must be taken:

• All medications must have a school medication form (D-189) signed by the physician and parent (including over-the-counter medications.)
• All medication must be sent to school in a prescription bottle or the original labeled container. NO MEDICATION WILL BE ACCEPTED IN AN UNLABLED/HAND LABELED CONTAINER.
• The child must assume the responsibility for reporting to the office at the specified time for the medication.
• Parents must pick up all medications from the office every June and complete D-189 every August.
• Students may not keep any medication with them or self-administer.

There are several ways to find out how one’s children are doing in school:

• Report Cards are sent home three times a year. Envelopes are to be signed by the parent and returned to school.
• Progress Reports are sent mid-trimester in grades 1-6.
• The Mustang Weekly is sent via ParentSquare and on the school website each Sunday.
• Families are invited to attend Back-to-School night in the fall, parent-teacher conferences in November, and Open House in the spring.

Students are expected to be prepared to learn and have the following responsibilities:

• Arrive at school every day on time.
• Be prepared every day with completed homework assignments.
• Take home all letters, messages, and notes.
• Discuss with parents what they have learned in school; ask parents and teachers for help when needed.
• Respect themselves and the rights and property of others; obey all school rules.

Tom Matsumoto School holds regular meetings regarding the progress of identified students. The referring teacher, resource specialist, psychologist, speech and language specialist, English Language Development specialist, and the principal review the student’s progress with the parents to develop a plan that will lead to the success of each child referred.

The following Evergreen School District policies are provided to you to increase your awareness of what is and is not tolerated at any Evergreen School District campus. Policies in their entirety will be distributed at the beginning of the school year and can be requested from the school office.

Student Use of Technology - B.P. 6163.4

The Governing Board recognizes that technology provides ways to access the most current and extensive sources of information. Technology enables students to practice skills and to develop reasoning and problem-solving abilities. Every effort shall be made to provide equal access to technology throughout the district’s schools and classes. Students are responsible for adhering to Evergreen School District’s Acceptable Use Agreement.

Non-Discrimination - B.P. 5145.3

District programs and activities shall be free from discrimination, including harassment, with respect to the actual or perceived ethnic group, religion, gender, color, race, ancestry, national origin, and physical or mental disability, age or sexual orientation. The Governing Board shall ensure equal opportunities for all students in admission and access to the educational program, guidance, and counseling programs, athletic programs, testing procedures, and other activities.

Sexual Harassment - B.P. 5145.7

The Governing Board is committed to maintaining a school environment that is free from harassment. The Board prohibits sexual harassment of any student by another student, an employee or other person, at school or at a school-sponsored or school-related activity. The Board also prohibits retaliatory behavior or action against any person who complains, testifies, assists or otherwise participates in the complaint process established in accordance with this policy. Any student who engages in sexual harassment of anyone at school or at a school-sponsored or school-related activity is in violation of this policy and shall be subject to disciplinary action.

Uniform Complaint Procedure - B.P. 1312.4

The Board recognizes that the district has primary responsibility for ensuring compliance with state and federal laws and regulations governing education. The district shall investigate and seek to resolve complaints at the local level. The district shall follow uniform procedures when addressing civil rights guarantees, complaints alleging unlawful discrimination or gender equity issues, or failure to comply with state or federal law in programs for consolidated categorical aid, Indian education, migrant education, child nutrition, special education, adult education, career/vocation education, and child development. The Board prohibits retaliation in any form for the filing of a complaint, the reporting of instances of discrimination, or for participation in complaint procedures. Such participation shall not in any way affect the status, grades, or work assignments of the complainant. The Board acknowledges and respects employee rights to privacy. Discrimination complaints shall be investigated in a manner that protects the confidentiality of the parties and the facts. This includes keeping the identity of the complainant confidential except to the extent necessary to carry out the investigation or proceedings, as determined by the Superintendent or designee on a case-by-case basis. The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that employees designated to investigate complaints are knowledgeable about the laws and programs for which they are responsible.

Tobacco-Free Environment - B.P. 4016.1 and 5131.62

Documentation and research has demonstrated the health hazards associated with the use of tobacco products and the breathing of second-hand smoke. Further, a legislative mandate requires the district to alleviate the presence and use of tobacco products in the educational environment. The Governing Board intends to maintain tobacco and smoke-free school facilities, grounds, offices, work areas, and district vehicles for all of its students, employees, parents, volunteers, and visitors.

Williams Uniform Complaint Procedures - B.P. 3212.4 W

The Board recognizes that the district has primary responsibility for ensuring compliance with state and federal laws and regulations governing education. The district shall investigate and seek to resolve complaints at the local level. The district shall follow uniform procedures when addressing complaints regarding Instructional Materials, Teacher Vacancy/Mis-assignment and Facilities conditions which pose an emergency or urgent threat to the health or safety of students and/or staff.

Protection of Pupil Rights

The district has adopted policies, in consultation with parents, regarding student and parent rights as well as arrangements to protect the privacy in the administration of protected information surveys and the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales or other distribution purposes. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act gives parents certain rights with respect to their child’s educational records. More information is available in the school office.