Students at Paramount Elementary School are guided by rules and expectations that promote Trustworthiness, Responsibility, Respect, Caring, and Fairness. The school's discipline philosophy promotes a safe, civil and productive school environment providing a solid foundation on which to build an effective school. The school incorporates strategies from the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support program. Paramount Elementary School provides an environment that is conducive to learning. Students place a high value on safety and learning time by following the school and classroom behavior matrices.

Paramount Pumas are TeRRiFiC:

• Trustworthy, Responsible, Respectful, Fair, and Caring

Paramount Elementary protects the instructional time of its students.  To maximize student learning, no classroom may be interrupted during the school day.

Unfortunately, the office is not able to take messages for students unless it is an actual emergency.  Please make after-school pick-up arrangements for your child before leaving home each day so they do not have to call you at the end of the day.  If you need to speak with your child’s teacher, please plan to do so before 7:55 am or after school.  Please help us make every minute count for every student.

The school's discipline program is to provide students with opportunities to learn self-discipline through a system of consistent recognition of positive behavior.

• Develop ongoing, age-appropriate self-discipline
• Provide an environment that builds and enhances each child's self-esteem
• Expect all student to follow behavior expectation as outlined by the school and classroom matrices
• Help students develop problem-solving techniques
• Help students appreciate the uniqueness of each individual

Paramount Elementary School is committed to offering students a quality education.  In order to accomplish this and give students the opportunity to develop and maximize their potential, we feel it is necessary to provide a safe and orderly environment.  Please discuss the following expectations with your child.   All students are expected to adhere to the following rules on school grounds, in the classroom, on the school bus, and to and from school.

Treat Others With Respect:

•     Use polite and kind language
•     Do not fight, kick, hit, or threaten anyone
•     No name-calling
•     Do not throw objects
•     Keep hands, feet, and other objects to yourself
•     Do not steal or damage school property or the property of others
•     Tell the truth

Cafeteria and Playground Behavior:

•     No walking through or playing in the parking lot
•     Walk-in hallways and on the blacktop
•     Sit quietly during assemblies
•     No playing in the restrooms or with drinking fountains
•     Walk quietly to the cafeteria
•     Clean eating area when finished
•     Use restrooms before school, at recess, and during lunch

At Paramount Elementary School, we take great pride in the way our students come to school prepared to study hard and learn each day.  We believe it is very important that our students wear clothes that are suitable for learning.  Please do not send your child to school in clothing with negative or inappropriate sayings or symbols.  The Azusa Unified School District Board of Education declares that the following dress code guidelines shall apply to all regular school activities:

• All clothing must be suitable for school: neat, clean, size appropriate, not frayed, and in good repair.
• Clothing, jewelry, visible body art, belt buckles and accessories shall be free of writing, pictures or other insignia which:  (1) are crude, violent, vulgar, profane, prejudicial, or sexually suggestive,  (2) advocate the use of drugs or alcohol, (3) by manner of being worn, indicate or cause others to be intimidated.
• Clothing shall not be a health or safety issue:  chains, inappropriate length of belts, spikes, heavy or oversized belt buckles and oversized jewelry are not permitted.
• Hats, caps, bandanas, beanies, ski caps, or hairnets shall not be worn.  Exception:  (1) hats/visors, with a bill facing forward or a brim, with no emblem/logo or with a site specific emblem/logo that is authorized by each school site are allowed to be worn during passing periods, lunch time when eating outdoors and during any school-related activity that is conducted outside, except those by manner of being worn, indicate an affiliation with a group or gang which may provoke violence or cause others to be intimidated; and, (2) head gear that is worn due to religious affiliation or for medical reasons with a doctor’s verification.
• Clothes shall be sufficient to conceal undergarments at all times.  Transparent or fish-net fabrics, halter or bareback tops, off-the shoulder or low cut tops, tank tops and/or tops with oversized arm openings, spaghetti strap tops, bare midriffs, and skirts or shorts shorter than mid-thigh are prohibited.
• Shoes must be worn at all times.  Thong-like sandals and steel-toed shoes are not acceptable.  In addition, at the elementary and middle schools, shoes must have a back strap.

School-Wide Homework Policy:  Paramount School believes that homework is an opportunity to promote teacher/parent/child relationships.   Homework can serve as an important link between the home and school.  The daily amount of time for homework will vary from time to time with various assignments.  We encourage students to read every night.  Because homework is a necessary part of the instructional process, Incomplete or missing assignments may impact the “effort” report card grade.

Homework is assigned for three basic reasons:

• Practice:  Gives students opportunities to reinforce new skills that have been acquired.
• Extension:  Lets a student expand class activities and encourages individualized and often imaginative and creative interest in learning.
• Preparation:  Prepares students with the adequate background for future class instruction.

By working together we can develop the whole child through activities that reinforce integral parts of the individual classroom curriculum.  You will be asked to assist your child by checking homework for neatness, completeness and making sure that it is brought back to school the next day.

Parents who are asked to participate are being asked to assist the teacher with the supervision of students.  Each parent who attends is agreeing to be a student supervisor and must adhere to specific guidelines.

Each parent chaperone:

• Must have been approved by the state of California fingerprint/background check with Azusa Unified School District
• Must be 18 years of age
• Must arrive at least 30 minutes before departure time
• Must ride on the bus with the class
• Must dress appropriately – following the AUSD Student Dress Code
• Must not bring any other children or adults with him/her

Field trips are considered a class and student-centered activities.  Often times parents are asked to assist on field trips as supervisors of students.  A teacher will select parents that they feel will provide the most appropriate supervision for the children.   Parents who attend must ride the bus with the class and follow all school rules and dress code.  Field trips are not family outings – other family members or younger brothers and sisters are not permitted to attend.

 Students are responsible for their lunch or milk money.  Efforts will be made in each classroom to help students with this responsibility.   The office will not loan lunch money to students.   If money or sack lunches are lost or forgotten, students are given an “Emergency Lunch” of crackers, a cheese stick and milk.

Medication of any kind cannot be dispensed at school for any reason unless a completed form with written directions from a physician is on file in the school office. This includes aspirin, cough syrup, inhalers, or any other cold/flu remedies.  Students are not permitted to carry medication of any kind to or from school.  Medication must be brought to the office, with the proper forms, by an adult.

Paramount School is not responsible for lost or stolen phones or electronics. Students are not permitted to make personal phone calls from school nor call home for forgotten homework, school supplies, or musical instruments.  Please make arrangements for picking up your child before leaving home each day so they do not have to call at the end of the day.   Students may not use the telephone for permission to go home with a friend.

Cell Phones: All classrooms, traditional or non-traditional, are considered an “electronic-free zone”.  Cell phones are allowed, but must be turned off during school hours.  During school hours, if there is a family emergency situation, parents are to call the school office and not their child’s cell phone.  Cell phones can be lost or stolen and caution should be used in bringing them to school.  At all times, “The school is not responsible for loss or damage to any of these items brought onto the school campus.”  Cell phones or any other electronic device used during school hours will be confiscated and given to the school principal.  The item will only be returned to a parent/guardian.

Students are not permitted on campus before 8:00 am.  Only those students eating breakfast at school may arrive at 7:45 am to eat in the cafeteria.  It is expected that students leave campus at the end of their day.  Because there is no after school supervision, primary students (1st – 3rd) are not permitted to wait for older brothers and sisters.

Paramount Elementary is a closed campus:

• During school hours, no student may leave campus without permission of school personnel.
• A parent/guardian or authorized adult, 18 years or older with proper identification, must come to the school office to pick up a child who needs to leave campus for an appointment or illness.
• A student’s early release is recorded on the student’s attendance record and disqualifies a student from receiving perfect attendance for that trimester or school year.
• Students will not be released, during school hours, to anyone whose name is not listed on the emergency card.  

It is the parent’s responsibility to see that their children arrive to school on time.

The 5-minute warning bell rings at 7:55 am and students are to line up with their class.  School begins promptly at 8:00 am for all students.  Students who are not seated in their classroom by 8:00 am are considered tardy.

• Students who are tardy are to first go to the front office, receive a tardy slip and then proceed to class.
• Tardies are recorded on the student’s attendance record and disqualify a student from receiving perfect attendance for that trimester or year.
• Students with excessive tardies will receive a letter from the principal.  If the tardies become chronic, a conference will be scheduled and an action plan will be written.  If the problem continues, the principal will initiate a process, which involves officials from the district office.

Regular attendance, arriving on time, and remaining in school for the entire day, promotes success in school!

Students need to attend school every day on time.  Please be sure that your child only misses school when it is absolutely necessary.  Please be aware that schools are funded on actual days of daily attendance and we do not receive funds when a student is absent, excused or not.

If your child must be absent from school, it is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to inform the school of the reason.  The parent must call the school office or provide the child with a note on the day the child returns.  Illness and doctor’s appointments for illness constitute excused absences.  Absences due to family illness, personal business, rainy days, vacations, etc. are considered unexcused.  Unverified absences are also recorded as “unexcused”.  Please be sure to send your child to school on rainy days.  Paramount takes all precautions to provide a safe and comfortable environment.  Also, plan vacations when school is not in session.  If your child is in need of a medical/dental appointment during school hours, please send them to school before/after the appointment, if they are well enough to attend.

Azusa Unified School District and Paramount Elementary participate in the Abolish Chronic Truancy Program (ACT) sponsored by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.  Students who have exhibited poor attendance will be referred to the District Attorney’s ACT Program if attendance problems cannot be resolved at the school level.

Volunteers are welcome to the school.  For the safety of the children, the State of California has passed a law requiring school volunteers to go through a fingerprint background check.  This process takes approximately 10-21 days.

• If you wish to be a classroom volunteer or field trip chaperone, please speak with your child’s teacher and obtain a fingerprint form in advance.  You must receive fingerprint clearance prior to volunteering in the classroom on a regular basis or attending a field trip.
• It is requested that parents make arrangements with the teacher before they are to volunteer in their child’s classroom.

Emergency information cards for students are filled out at the beginning of each year.  Students will not be released, during school hours, to anyone whose name is not listed on the emergency card.  When work, cell, or home phone numbers change, please notify the office immediately.  If your phone is temporarily disconnected, please send a note or call the office with a phone number where the school can get a message to you if necessary.

Adult visitors and parent volunteers are welcome at school during the day, however, for the safety of our students, they must first check-in with the office.  All visitors and volunteers are required to sign-in and will be given an identification sticker to wear throughout the day.

• If you wish to talk to a teacher, please contact the office by phone or note to set up an appointment or visitation time.