- Academic Achievement awards are for Kindergarten students. Honor Roll awards are for students in first through fifth grades. Students must earn “A’s” and “B’s” in all subjects with a 3.5 average.
- Principal’s List awards are for students in first through fifth grades; the student must earn all “A’s” in all subjects.
FIELD TRIPS
Field trips are an extension of the regular classroom program and are school events. Students must be able to make wise decisions and demonstrate their good character at school to be eligible to go on the field trip with their class. Students who have not demonstrated good character will stay at school and complete work from their teacher. Parent assistance is utilized during field trips. Parents who take an active role in helping the classroom teacher will be invited to join the class on the field trip. We respectfully ask that if you are not selected as a chaperone, you do not join the group at the destination, bring lunch to your child or take your child home from the field trip destination. Only approved volunteers may be chaperones, so we can ensure all parents that anyone who is around our Hawks is safe. It is crucial that we ensure students and chaperones follow the rules of the teachers in charge. When parents who are not chaperones go on the field trip, students often do not follow the direction of the teacher and do not fully benefit from the experience. When possible, school district funds will be used to cover the expenses of field trips. When adequate district funds are not available, donations through the tax credit program can help fund field trips.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
We offer various extracurricular activities here at AJM. Students must be in good academic standing and be model students to be eligible to participate. Each activity has separate criteria. The sponsors will provide detailed information to students and parents who wish to participate.
PARENT INFORMATION
The success of our program is the result of a cooperative effort between students, parents, and staff. We encourage parents to play an active role in their child’s education. The following subjects are related to developing a healthy communication between home and school.
REGISTRATION
The day before school starts each year, we hold registration and “Meet the Teacher.” Parents spend approximately fifteen minutes in the AJM cafeteria filling out the required documents in order to receive your child’s class assignment for the school year. You and your child will need to read and agree with the information on several of the forms. You also will need the following information: people authorized to pick your child up from school, current phone numbers, two emergency contacts with their current information, and medical/insurance information.
Once you complete the forms, you will receive the name of your child’s teacher and you will be able tour our school and meet your child’s teacher. If you cannot attend our “Meet the Teacher” event, you may come to the AJM front office to complete the necessary documents and receive your child’s teacher’s name; you will not, however, be able to meet the teacher.
HOME-SCHOOL CONNECTIONS
We do our best to keep our parents informed about what happens at school. Newsletters from the office are sent each Monday with important dates and information regarding policies. Our school website http://ajmitchell.nusd.k12.az.us/ has information about school and district events. Classroom teachers also send out information that students need to be successful, including newsletters, homework and notes. Please check your child’s planner each and every day to stay informed. Be sure to attend to learn all about the teacher and classroom procedures. We send out the calendar for each upcoming month during the last week of the current month. Be on the lookout—the calendars have information you need to know about events at school. The NUSD calendar with holidays and vacations days listed in included at the end of the Student-Parent Handbook.
PARENT WORKSHOPS
We hold parent workshops throughout the school year. There will be workshops to provide key information about the school and our programs. We also hold parent training workshops, when the teachers provide parents with ideas to help our AJM Hawks improve their skills. Open House will be August 17 at 5:30pm. This may be the most important meeting of the school year, because you will receive a description of what your child will be learning in the upcoming school year, along with information on the procedures, routines and rules of each classroom.
PARENT - TEACHER CONFERENCES
Two official parent-teacher conferences are scheduled each year at the end of Quarter 1 in October and Quarter 3 in March. However, parents are encouraged to contact teachers throughout the year to discuss any academic or behavioral concern. We encourage parents to write notes in the planner that the teacher can address. If a parent needs to speak to the teacher, it is much better to write a note asking the teacher to call, rather than coming to school unannounced. Teachers are here before and after class hours, but they have duties to attend to, and may not be available to speak with a parent who arrives unannounced. Please be respectful of this fact and make an appointment. Parents may schedule a conference at any time by contacting the school office.
PROGRESS REPORTS
Progress reports are sent home in the mid-point of each quarter. Parents are encouraged to contact teachers throughout the year to discuss any academic concern. Parents can also access their child’s academic progress through Powerschool using an individualized username and password that will be provided by the office personnel during Registration. Additionally, parents may make appointments with teachers to discuss concerns, send notes, and arrange for parent-teacher conferences. We do not transfer phone calls during class time, in order to minimize interruptions to instruction.
REPORT CARDS
Report cards are given to parents at conferences at the end of first and third quarters. Report cards for second and fourth quarters are sent home after the end of each quarter. Parents have access to check students’ grades throughout the school year via Powerschool. Login information is provided to parents during Registration.
ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER CHANGES
Parents are asked to report any change of address or phone number to the school office as soon as possible. Change of address verification forms must also be completed at the NUSD Registration Office located at 310 W. Plum Street on the 3rd floor. Up-to-date emergency information is essential for the school to communicate with home.
VOLUNTEERS
Parents are encouraged to volunteer at school, either in the classroom, chaperoning field trips, front office or other areas of the school. Parents are welcome in the classrooms, as deemed appropriate by each teacher. We ask that parents do keep in mind that we are developing independence and self-reliance in our Hawks, ranging from carrying their own backpacks to playing with their friends at recess. Any parent wishing to volunteer at school must be an approved volunteer. Applications must be approved by the NUSD Governing Board and are available in the office. Parents can also help by doing work at home and you don’t have to be an approved volunteer to help at home!
Volunteer Opportunities Help us at school or in the comfort of your own home
Make copies Sort papers Cut papers Fold papers File papers
Help students Pass out notes Put up displays Call parents Help in library
Set up for events Help in cafeteria
Many more opportunities exist!
VISITORS
All visitors to the campus, including parents and other family members, must sign-in in the office before visiting classrooms. This allows us to have accurate information on who is on campus at any given time.
CELEBRATIONS
We love to celebrate special occasions for our Hawks. If a parent wishes to have a celebration in the classroom, we ask that you arrange with the teacher in advance. We also require that if parents bring food or treats for the celebration, the parents need to pass them out to our students.
AJM PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION [PTO]
The AJM PTO plans fun events and fundraisers, along with supporting our students and staff financially and with volunteer hours. Each activity the PTO does help our own school community. All parents are encouraged to keep informed via weekly memos and attend all PTO meetings. If you are interested in participating in the PTO as a member or officer, please contact the office.
DISTRICT AND/OR SCHOOL POLICIES
ATTENDANCE
Attendance at school is is a key to academic success. Students cannot learn if they are not in school. High attendance rates are linked to high achievement; low attendance rates are linked to low achievement. Starting in kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.
- Missing 10 percent can make it harder to learn to read. That’s more than one day per month. Students can still fall behind if they miss just a day or two days every few weeks.
- Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.
- Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.
- If a student arrives before 9:23am, s/he is marked TARDY for the AM period.
- If a student arrives between 9:23am-11:30am, s/he is marked ABSENT for HALF DAY
- If a student arrives after 11:30am, s/he is marked ABSENT for FULL DAY
- If student leaves before 11:30 am s/he is marked ABSENT for FULL DAY
- If a student leaves between 11:30 am-1:07pm s/he is marked ABSENT for HALF DAY
- If a student leaves after 1:07pm, s/he is marked TARDY for the PM period.
Parents/guardians may be required to submit supporting documentation in order to excuse the absence of their student if student absenteeism is excessive. For example, in order for 17 the absence to be excused, parents/guardians may be asked to submit written notification from a licensed physician stating the reasons why a student is unable to attend.
ATTENDANCE AWARDS
Students may earn a Perfect Attendance award. Perfect attendance means no absences, tardies or leaving early. In order to earn this award, the student must be present every day during the grading period, on time and stay the entire school day.
A.M. [MORNING] TARDINESS PROCEDURES
AJM parents and students are directly responsible for punctuality at school. All students are expected to be in their classrooms by 7:45am each school day, not just arriving at school. Parents are expected to have their children at school on time and, in this way, reinforce the importance of responsibility. Punctuality in coming to school in the morning and getting back into the classroom after recess is an important part of the educational process for several reasons. Coming late to school is often confusing or embarrassing to children and sets an undesirable tone for the day. Tardiness wastes valuable instructional time and is disruptive to other students, the teacher and the office staff. In addition, the safety of children who are unaccounted for is a major concern. AM tardies are defined as arriving at school at or after 7:45am. If your child is enrolled under Open Enrollment, it is up to you to ensure your child is here every day, on time.
Daily announcements begin at 7:40am. The tardy bell rings at 7:45am. Students who are not inside campus by 7:45 must report to the office for a tardy slip. Parents of students with two or more tardies receive a warning letter regarding the consequences of excessive tardies. Students with four or more tardies will receive one day of lunch detention for each day in excess of three tardies. In addition, tardies will disqualify a student from Perfect Attendance awards. Tardy reports are reviewed and parents contacted every two weeks.
UNIFORM POLICY
Our main concern at school is to provide a safe and orderly learning environment for all students.
As per NUSD Governing Board Policy #J-2362, JICA-RA, students who attend AJ Mitchell must wear a uniform. All students will be expected to fully comply with the adopted uniform code. Parents will be called to bring the correct uniform should a student arrive at school without the correct uniform. A detailed copy of the policy can be found at the end of this handbook. If you have gently used uniform clothing that does not fit your child, you may donate it to the school and your child will receive a “No Uniform” coupon.
Special Considerations: For families who have a particular financial hardship, please contact the school office to obtain the school uniform. Any uniform waiver based on specific religious beliefs must be requested, in writing, to the school principal.
EARLY RELEASE
Our staff continues to learn the best strategies to improve instruction for our Hawks. There will be days when classes are dismissed early to give staff time to learn these new ideas. We send this information home via planners, monthly calendars and memos. Please check the weekly newsletters and monthly calendar to see when we will release students early and at what time. The same bus and pick up procedures apply on early release days.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND DRILLS
Emergency drills are conducted monthly to prepare students for emergencies. Students are to follow the instructions of their teacher and stay with their class at all times. Campus evacuation and lockdown drills will be conducted during the school year as well. Parents will be provided with more specific information on our emergency procedures at the beginning of, and throughout, the school year.
We have procedures in place for going into a lockdown or evacuating the campus. In case of a need to evacuate the campus, we would go to the safest location, potentially to Wade Carpenter Middle School, Teyechea/City Hall Park, Anza Park or Pierson Vocational School/ Field. In case of a true emergency, in which you would need to pick up your child, you will be notified via School Messenger. Please make sure we always have the correct, updated phone numbers where you can be reached and a list of adults who are authorized to pick up your child. We will ONLY release your child to an authorized adult who shows a valid ID.
If a situation requires us to dismiss students early [such as weather or building concerns], we will not allow students to go home alone. Students who usually walk must be picked up at school by an authorized adult who shows a valid ID. For students who ride the bus, we will require an adult to pick students up at the bus stop. Any student without an adult at the bus stop to pick him/her up will be returned to school and s/he must be picked up at the school by an authorized adult who shows a valid ID.
HEALTH SERVICES
Health services, provided by the school nurse or nurse’s assistant, include emergency care, immunizations, acute illness management, chronic medical condition monitoring, hearing and vision screening and referrals. Students who become ill during school hours may see the nurse or nurse assistant. To reach the Nurse’s Office call 287-0840 ext. 7320.
Each year, parents need to complete the Emergency Information Card. This card identifies important medical information about your child and who your child can be released to if the need arises to send your child home. Students will only be released to a parent, legal guardian or the emergency contact listed on a child’s enrollment or health card. Here is what we will do if your child needs to be sent home due to injury or illness:
1. Parents will be notified as soon as possible.
2. The school must obtain parental permission to release a child to an unauthorized person.
3. If a non-custodial parent has been barred from seeing a child or having access to student records, a copy of the court order must be on file in the school office.
4. If a child has a medical emergency, we will transport your child for medical treatment or call the ambulance only if you have given us permission to do so on the Emergency Card.
Please make certain that the information is current and contains phone numbers that are answered on a reliable basis. We do not want any child to be ill/injured and not able to go home because we can’t locate anyone to pick him/her up.
At times, these rules may seem inconvenient. However, our responsibility is to protect your child. Please be sure that the people you identify as “emergency contacts” on your child’s enrollment or health cards are people to whom you would allow us to release your child, and advise those individuals that you have listed them as an emergency contact. Persons that come to pick up students may be required to show identification. The persons picking up your son/daughter must be a custodial parent or a person identified as a 24 emergency contact. Students’ parents will be contacted prior to a student’s release if the above criteria are not met.
MEDICATION POLICY
We are only allowed to dispense prescription medication during school hours. The medication must be given to the nurse or nurse assistant in its original container along with written orders from the doctor and a signed parental consent. We are not allowed to dispense over-the-counter medicine. If a parent wishes to administer this type of medicine, he/she must come to school and give it to the child him/herself. Students are not allowed to have any medications, prescription or over-the-counter, with them during school hours. We cannot accept any medicine from outside of the United States.
USE OF PHONES DURING THE SCHOOL DAY
Students must be responsible for their materials and homework. The teacher may require the student to call home asking for their homework or materials to ensure the student can participate in class. Any arrangements for rides home or visiting friends must be made outside of school hours. Students will not be allowed to use phones during the school day. Students should not have or use personal cell phones during the school day. If an emergency arises, a staff member will make the call for students.
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LOST AND FOUND
Lost items may be reclaimed in the front office, before school, at lunch, and after school. Found items need to be turned in. The school is under no obligation to search for lost or stolen items. Unclaimed items in the lost and found will be donated to charity. We encourage parents to write their child’s name on the tag of their clothing, to make returning it easier.
PICTURES
Individual pictures are taken twice during the year. Dates and times can be found on the monthly calendar. All students must wear their uniform for their individual fall pictures. The spring pictures are extra and students are allowed to wear clothing other than the uniform. The company with which we work is solely responsible for accounting for the pictures and yearbooks. We provided this service to our families as a courtesy.
YEARBOOKS
The yearbook can only be purchased with a picture package in the fall, and are delivered in the spring. We do not sell individual yearbooks later in the school year.
SCHOOL PROCEDURES
SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES
Students are to walk quietly with their class to the assembly. They must sit with their class at the assembly and show their good character during the presentation. Any misconduct will result in disciplinary action.
BREAKFAST
- Upon arriving at school, all students must report to the cafeteria or wait in the front office, not outside of the classrooms in the hallway.
- Students will be called to line up. Students will walk to their lines. When in line, students will keep their hands to themselves and wait quietly and calmly for their teachers to pick them up.
- Students use restrooms in the cafeteria.
- Students must stay inside the cafeteria until released by staff members. If a student needs to leave the cafeteria for any reason, he/she must get permission from the adult on duty.
- Breakfast is served in the classrooms. Students must follow procedures to keep the classroom clean after eating breakfast. Students use indoor voices and show their good character.
- Students use the sidewalks when going to and leaving the school cafeteria.
RECESS
- Playground equipment is available at lunch recess only. It is picked up from the container. Students taking out equipment are responsible for returning them. Students are not allowed to bring balls or toys from home.
- Students remain on the playground designated for their grade level.
- Students will follow all 6 pillars of character. They will be respectful toward each other, will not argue, will follow the rules of the game being played and take turns fairly.
- Students will not play rough with each other. Students will not push, hit or kick each other.
- When on swings, students must stay seated on their own swing and may not jump off. Students need to swing back and forth, not twisting the swings around. Students should not push each other on the swings.
- When on the slides, students must slide down feet-first, one at a time. Students only go down the slide and do not climb up the slide. Students use the steps or the ladder to get to the slide.
- When on the jungle gym, students will not push each other as they climb or as on the equipment.
- Students in kindergarten use the restroom in the school. Students in grades 1-5 use the restrooms outside of Little Mitchell. Students ask permission before leaving the playground to use the restroom. Students wash their hands after using the restroom and leave the restroom clean.
- Students put the equipment away as soon as the whistle blows to line up for lunch.
- Students will walk calmly to the cafeteria for lunch.
LUNCH
- Students take turns to get their lunch cards from the charts outside of the cafeteria. Students will not touch or move the cards of other students.
- Students wait in line quietly and calmly to be served. Students pick up their tray. Students show their lunch cards to the lunch card for scanning and place their lunch cards in the correct location on the charts. Students walk and wait in line calmly to get utensils and condiments, such as ketchup or ranch.
- Students walk to their assigned tables. Students use indoor voices and show their good character. Students stay at the tables, unless given permission to move around the cafeteria by the staff on duty. Students will not climb on or under the tables.
- Students use restrooms in the cafeteria. Students should use the restroom before returning to class.
- After finished eating, students raise their hands to pick up their trash and clean up the eating area.
- Students will be called to line up. Students will walk to their lines. When in line, students will keep their hands to themselves and wait quietly and calmly for their teachers to pick them up.
- Students use the sidewalks when going to and leaving the school cafeteria.
- Students are allowed to take lunch back to the classroom, with teacher supervision. Teachers are responsible for escorting students back to the classroom.
DROP OFF PROCEDURES
This drop off procedure is for student safety. We appreciate everyone following the procedures, to keep our Hawks safe. Upon arriving at school, all students must report to the cafeteria, unless the classes are already in their classrooms or at recess. If students do not want to wait in the cafeteria, they will wait in the front office. We do not want any students or parents waiting in the hallway, since no staff member is supervising the hallways in the morning.
Students who walk to school: Students will enter school and walk directly to the cafeteria.
Students who ride the bus: Our school personnel will be at the bus area to welcome students to school each morning. Students walk to the cafeteria.
Students who are brought to school: The designated drop-off area is in front of the cafeteria. Students must walk on the sidewalk and go directly inside the cafeteria.
If you prefer to park, you can park in a designated parking space and escort your child over to the cafeteria. Do not drop your child off in the parking lot to cross to the sidewalk alone—this is a safety hazard.
If you need to see a teacher in the morning, you will need to report to the front office to sign in and wait for the teacher to arrive [teachers arrive at 7:20am unless you make an earlier appointment with the teacher].
DISMISSAL
We have implemented a pick up procedure for our students’ safety. We appreciate everyone following this procedure to keep our Hawks safe! All students must be picked up on time. We do not have staff available to supervise children after school. We appreciate your cooperation. If students are picked up late after dismissal time, we require parents to come into the office to sign the students out.
We will not release students between 2:30 and 2:45. Students are accounted for by the staff member in charge of each of the three dismissal area before leaving the building. This ensures that we know how each student left the building to go home each day. Please be sure to inform all of the individuals who are authorized to pick up your child of these procedures before they come to pick up your child. Make sure they know your child’s full name, grade and teacher. We ask that parents wait until the bell rings at 2:45pm to move into the hallways. We need the hallways clear to let the students exit the building safely and quickly with the staff member in charge of their group.
Students who walk home: Students will be escorted to the crosswalk area by school personnel. Students must follow the directions of the crossing guards and walk directly home. Our Nogales Police Department wants you to remember that Baldwin Street and Poston Drive are not parking lots. Please avoid breaking traffic laws by parking there to wait for your child to cross the street.
Students who ride the bus: Students are eligible to ride the bus to their home addresses only. Students are not allowed to change buses without consent from the principal. Students under open enrollment are not eligible to ride the bus. Once students are in the bus area, they must stay there. When the teacher on duty calls the students, each student will board the bus in a quiet, respectful manner. Students will board the bus and sit by grade level, starting with the youngest students at the front of the bus. Students must stay seated on the bus at all times and follow the bus driver’s directions.
Students who are picked up: Students gather in one assigned classroom for each grade level. At 2:45, the doors are opened for parents to go to classroom to pick their children up. Parents [or authorized adult picking up student] must sign them out. This procedure ensures traffic flows as quickly as possible. We do not let adults wait in the hallway to pick up a student.
Be on time to pick up your child. There is no staff available to supervise students after school. Anyone coming after 3:00pm will have to come into the office to sign your child out.
BUS PROCEDURES AND RULES
Riding the school bus in the state of Arizona is a privilege for students living in a bus zone, not a right. Students may only ride the bus to their home addresses. Open enrollment students may not ride the bus. Students who do not follow the procedures and rules listed below will be subject to disciplinary action, which may result in losing the privilege of riding the bus. Students riding the bus must follow the following procedures and rules:
- Students will be assigned seats on the bus by the bus drivers.
- Students must observe the same conduct as in the classroom and in school.
- Be courteous; no profane language allowed.
- No eating or drinking on the bus. Keep the bus clean.
- Cooperate with the driver and follow his/her instructions.
- Stay in your seat facing forward.
- Keep hands, head, and feet inside the bus. Nothing may be thrown from the windows.
- Pets, animals or reptiles are not allowed on the bus
PROHIBITED ARTICLES
Per Nogales Unified School District policy, students are not allowed to carry any electronic device (including cell phones and mp3’s) on a school campus. We have equipment for recess, so students may not bring to school: balls, collectibles, , toys, tops, marbles, water balloons, or ANY item not related to instruction or class activity. These items will be confiscated and returned only to a parent. The school is under no obligation to search for lost or stolen items or replace damaged items.
CELL PHONES
Students are prohibited from using cellular phones/mobile devices during the school day or tutoring activities without teacher permission. If a child chooses to carry a cell phone or mobile device, it must be turned off and kept in the child’s backpack or other teacher approved location. Parents should not call or send text messages to their children during the school day.
If a student is found using a cell phone/mobile device without permission from a staff member or if the phone rings during school hours, it will be confiscated. **Students bring phones and any other electronic devices at their own risk. It is the responsibility of the student to secure his/her belongings. The district will not be held responsible if a phone or electronic device is lost, stolen or misplaced.
STUDENT BEHAVIOR
CHARACTER COUNTS at AJM. At all times, students are expected to demonstrate excellent character and make wise decisions. Here are six key character traits we are emphasizing for our AJM Hawks:
- Trustworthiness—being honest, doing the right thing
- Respect—treating others the way they want to be treated
- Responsibility—doing what they are supposed to do, being on time to class
- Fairness—playing by the rule, not taking advantage of others
- Caring—helping others, using words and actions that are kind
- Citizenship—helping the school be better, cleaner and safer