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Bicycle Policy Children in grades 3-5 may ride bicycles to school with a permit. Bicycle permits are issued through the school office. The school cannot be responsible for lost or damaged bicycles. All bicycles must be locked and kept in the bicycle racks provided. Bicycle Helmet Policy Guided by our concern for the safety of our students, and in compliance with State Law, school policy requires John Adams students to wear helmets if they want the privilege of riding a bicycle to school. Students who do not comply with these requirements will have their bicycle riding privileges suspended until they can prove that they have a helmet, will be conscientious about wearing it on their trip to and from school, and that they have the capability of locking their bicycle at school. Skateboards, Skates, Blades, Skate Shoes, Scooters Skateboards, roller skates/blades, skate shoes, and scooters are not allowed on campus at any time. Skateboards are prohibited by Torrance Municipal Code 63.4030 and are fined as follows: 1st offense - $25; 2nd offense - $50; 3rd offense - $100. Toys, Etc. Students are not allowed to bring toys or other playthings to school, except as permitted by teachers for share days. Our only exceptions are baseball gloves. The school provides all necessary equipment. Some exceptions may be made for special activity days. Birthday Celebrations at School We are glad to be a part of your child’s birthday celebration, but remember that at school, the focus needs to be on learning. Many teachers prefer ways of celebrating special occasions in the classroom, such as the donation of a special book or piece of software in your child’s name for the classroom. Before planning a celebration at school, be sure to check with your child’s teacher to see what he or she can accommodate. Please be reminded that State Law prohibits serving homemade/baked items at school. Fast food lunches for the entire class create problems with the cafeteria, lunch schedule, and instructional time and are not allowed. Flowers, balloons, and gift bags are not allowed. We would also like to remind you that the passing out of party invitations at school is not appropriate when some children are included and others are not. Please be considerate of others’ feelings. If you have any questions, please give us a call and remember, all celebrations must be cleared with the classroom teacher prior to the event. Discipline At John Adams we believe in discipline that is fair, firm, consistent, and positive. The teachers, principal, support staff, and our School Site Council committee work together to establish the School’s discipline standards and are involved in their consistent and thorough enforcement. Our goal is to help students realize and accept responsibility for their own behavior. We believe that behavior has consequences, both positive and negative. Our efforts are focused on helping students develop a positive self-image, as well, as age appropriate social skills and work habits. In addition to our school-wide rules and policies, teachers develop individual classroom discipline plans, which they communicate to both students and parents. As an ongoing part of our school-wide conflict management/resolution curriculum, we work to help students develop the skills and insights to independently resolve many of their own disagreements. Playground Expectations for Upper Grades (4th & 5th Graders and 3rd Graders After Second Trimester) Since our upper grade students are capable of a greater degree of self-control and act as models of appropriate behavior for the rest of the school, our expectations for their behavior are higher. We do not tolerate excessive roughness on the playground or in games. We are particularly concerned about fighting, play fighting, chasing, tackle games, and general roughhousing. The following consequences are enforced for excessive roughness: First incident - Student writes a letter home Second incident - Parent, Student, and Principal conference Third incident - Suspension Interventions We recognize and reinforce positive behavior on a regular basis through a variety of classroom and school-wide recognition programs. When teachers have recurring problems with a student’s behavior they may find it necessary to refer him/her to the school office for further intervention. Office referrals for behaviors not subject to immediate suspension will be handled as follows: First Offense - Principal conference, possible home contact, and consequence assigned by principal. Second Offense - Principal conference, home contact, and consequence assigned by principal. Third Offense - Principal conference, possible parent/student/teacher/principal conference, and possible referral to school guidance team. Students who have repeated problems may benefit from the following: “School Guidance Team” referral Contract or daily reporting system A parent observation with follow-up conference Referral for counseling Class change Suspension Adjustment ^TOP