Mr.

Butler’s
Orientation Packet

Rancho Rosal Elementary School

4th-5th Grade SAI, Room D-5
Hello Families,

Welcome to another incredible year at the Ranch! I am thrilled to be

working with you and your student. This is a very special year in your
child’s school career. Each grade advancement is a time to experience
important transitions, acquire new skills, and make discoveries that
impact their heart and mind for a lifetime.

My hope is to instill a love of discovery and hands-on learning that

will last long past the school year and into your student’s remaining
years of schooling! To accomplish this hope, it is important that we all
work together to ensure the success of your student in every way
possible. As family, you are a vital part of the learning experience, and
I look forward to developing a wonderful partnership with you as we
work together in the best interest of your student.

Please carefully read through the information in this orientation

packet. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to
contact me. For general questions that carry no time sensitive needs
or matters of urgency, the best way to contact me is via my email
[email protected], or by sending me an instant message
through *Class Dojo. Otherwise, please call to set up a conference
time.

Welcome again! This will be a fantastic year of learning and

discovery for all of us.

Thank You,
Mr. Butler
(805) 445-1147 x. 219

*Please note that messages through Class Dojo are only for certain
times. See explanation under General Information.
 Our Classroom Rules

We use Whole Body Listening as our primary guide for

how we behave in class:

Note to parents: Posting, practicing and modeling

these rules at home will only benefit your student’s
success at school
 Leader in Me
Your student will be working to understand their potential for leadership this
school year. Ask them regularly about what they are learning and how they are
using the 7 Habits to become a student leader.
 Daily Schedule
(As this represents a TYPICAL day, please realize that schedules will vary from day-to-day with
your student having special service pull outs, however this should give you a good idea of what to
expect)
8:00 Earliest possible time students may arrive (students
report to outdoor assigned space for supervision)
8:00 First bell (Mr. Butler greets students outside on sports courts)
8:10 In-class – Start of Day (student marked tardy after this bell sounds)
8:10-8:15 Unpack & Settle, School Announcements
8:15-8:30 Morning Focus
8:30-9:15 Reading Interventions
9:15-9:30 Morning Meeting
9:30-10:30 Differentiated Core Instruction (CCSS Language Arts)
10:30-10:40 Transition Time, Water & Restroom Stop
10:40-11:00 Nutrition Break and A.M. Recess
*11:00-11:10 Fitness (non-PE days)
11:10-11:15 Water & Restroom Stop
11:15-11:30 Sustained Silent Reading
11:30-12:30 Differentiated Core Instruction (CCSS Math)
12:30-12:35 Transition Time, Water & Restroom Stop
12:35-1:15 Lunch and P.M. Recess
*1:15-1:25 Fitness (non-PE days)
1:25-1:30 Water & Restroom Stop
**1:30-2:15 Mon-Wed Alternating schedule
(Science/Social Studies)
**2:15-2:45 Mon-Wed Alternating schedule
(Art/Technology/Interventions)
2:45-2:55 Tidy-Up, Final Pack-Up
2:55 Dismissal (1:57 on Thursdays & Fridays)
3:00 Latest time students may be picked up
Please arrive on time if picking up student, as on-duty teachers
need to report to departmental or District meetings.

* PE Classes will be conducted for 45 minutes per week

** Special Services delivered during these time periods as scheduled by the SLP or OT
CCSS=Common Core State Standards
 General Information
Arrival: School begins at 8:10 a.m. Students need to be in designated
outdoor line up area promptly at 8:05 a.m. ready to begin their day starting
at 8:10 a.m. Arriving promptly builds responsibility for being punctual and
helps your student feel prepared for the day instead of starting behind. No
student should be on campus earlier than 8:00 a.m. Parents remaining on
campus after the second bell need to report to the office to sign in and
obtain a visitors pass.

Dismissal: Dismissal is promptly at 2:55 p.m. for all 4/5 grade students,
except on Thursdays and Fridays when 4/5 grade students are dismissed
early at 1:57 p.m. Those responsible for picking up your student must be
registered with the school PRIOR to dismissal. Please do your best to avoid
last minute changes. Please be there to greet your student at dismissal no
later than 3:00 p.m. (2:05 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays). Please be
considerate in remembering that a late arrival may impact your teacher’s
after-school schedules and responsibilities.

Dress Code: All students must dress according to district policy. You may
be asked to bring a change of clothes to school if your student is not dressed
appropriately.

Breakfast: To insure your student is ready for learning and the rigors of a
school day, it is recommended that a good breakfast at home be a part of
their morning regimen. Nobody knows the dietary concerns and behavioral
impact of food on your student better than you!

Snacks: Due to a later lunch schedule, please send a nutritious snack with
your student to enjoy during a.m. recess. A new study has found that high-
calorie snacking is proving to be a major cause of childhood obesity. Chips,
candy and other snack foods account for up to 27 percent of the daily caloric
intake for children, age 2 to 18, according to findings by researchers at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. With this in mind, we suggest
that you make sure your child has a good breakfast, and limit the calories of
their school snack to 100 calories or less. Low-fat yogurt, cereal bars, fruit
(regular and dried), rice or wheat crackers, dry cereals, and vegetables are
nice alternatives to chips, cookies, candy and cheese sticks. Make their
calories count! As we are aware that certain food textures may or may not
be acceptable to your child, do your best to meet their preferences while
focusing on nutritional value as much as possible.
Outdoor Time & Fitness: Our focus during outdoor times will always be
on making wise choices when it comes to nutrition, fitness and character
building. In addition to regularly scheduled P.E. instruction, your student
will have two 10-minute periods following the two daily recesses on non-PE
days to focus on fitness through running, jogging or walking. Please keep
this in mind when helping select the apparel and shoes your student likes to
wear to school. Regular times throughout the day will be scheduled for
hydration and restroom breaks.

Recess: We wish for all students to have a safe and enjoyable time on the
playground. We are committed in PVSD to a NO BULLYING policy. Encourage
your student to follow playground rules and treat others kindly during
playtime. There might be a time that children may have to walk or take a
recess time-out due to behavior issues, inability to play safely, or follow
directions on the playground. We try to keep this to a minimum and explain
it to the children as a consequence for their behavior. Also, homework will
be completed at this time if turning it in is a repeated issue, however, your
student will be given time to use the restroom, eat, and get a drink of water.

Lunch & P.M. Recess: Our Lunch and P.M. Recess is from 12:35-1:15.
If your child purchases lunch from the cafeteria, please keep their account
updated. Reminder notes from the cafeteria of low accounts will be sent
home if needed. Please try to pay the front office directly, or you may go
online to www.pleasantvalleysd.org and click on the Q Parent Connect
button.

Birthdays: All children like to be invited to a party. To avoid hurt feelings

and avoid disrupting instructional time, we cannot allow any birthday
invitations to be delivered in class if the whole class will not be participating.
Also, to preserve precious instructional time and avoid allergic/nutritional
concerns, please speak directly with your student’s teacher to receive
approved District suggestions on how best to celebrate their special day with
their class. We will do our best to make your student feel special on their
special day.

Field Trips: Field trips are always a special part of the school year.
Permission slips and other documents needing your attention will be sent
home as early as possible, and will come with time sensitive urgency
requiring your immediate attention. Please be mindful of the deadline dates
for all documents to be returned to school. Also, as space for chaperoning
may be limited or non-warranted, or on a first-come, first-serve basis, your
understanding is appreciated if space is not available for you to attend.
Toys: Those backpacks hold a lot of things! Please remember that toys from
home are not allowed at school. We have plenty of things to keep your child
engaged all day. Personal toys found during class time will be held for
students and returned at the end of the school day.

Backpacks: Regarding those backpacks, in addition to not containing toys,

please assist your child with daily cleaning out periods and checking for
homework folders or other important items being sent home. Backpacks can
quickly become overwhelmed with debris, old food items, and unwelcomed
items. In addition to toys, backpacks should not contain items that may be
disruptive to your student or to other students: video game players, tablets,
iPods, candy, comic books, or extra supplies already furnished by the school.
Should your student have a cell phone, they will be asked to leave the cell
phone in their backpack for the day. Backpacks are safely stored within the
classroom. Also, please make sure your student’s backpack is capable of
storing their sweater or jacket during colder periods.

Homework: A modified homework regimen will be a part of each week

starting the Monday following fall Back-to-School Night. At home, your
student will need to: 1) Access online programs, and 2) Work on a Student
Contract for spelling and literary sight words. A Technology Log will be
included in the student folder to record the teacher-approved online
programs they access. Should access to technology be a concern, please let
us know. Our District offers solutions for these situations. Also, any
unfinished assignment in class will be sent home for completion as
homework and will require your signature. Unless otherwise noted,
unfinished work is to be returned to class the following day completed and
with your signature.

School-to-Home Communication: We are excited to use an online-

based program called Class Dojo as our chief means of communicating
directly to you on how your student’s day at school is going. The advantage
to this program is that it not only allows you to have convenient, easy to
read, up-to-the-minute reports of your student’s day on any smart device
(cell phones, tablets, personal computers), but also serves as a tool for
allowing your student to self-regulate their in-class behavior. Instructions
for parents not currently connected online to Class Dojo will be provided on
the first day of school. Please take advantage of this easy to use system,
and please spend time each day reviewing the report with your student.
IMPORTANT: Please note that Class Dojo does contain an instant
messaging feature that will allow you to communicate directly with
your student's teacher using a smart device. However, in order to
honor family time, this feature is only to be used Monday through
Friday during school hours and 1 hour before or after the school
day. Otherwise, please communicate by using your teacher's
email [email protected] or call or email to schedule a
conference. Should you not have access to smart devices granting you
online or email access, a weekly printed report can be provided to you.

Communication Papers: All school communication will try to go home

in the student folder (yet another reason to do a daily backpack inspection).
Please take the time to review all items in the folder. Please also sign any
necessary school items and return them promptly. Please help your child
develop responsibility by having it returned on time. This is a good way for
parents and school to communicate.

Report Cards & Progress Reports: Report Cards and Progress

Reports go out at the end of each trimester (December, March and June).
Please discuss the reports with your student so they will learn to understand
what they mean. Explain your expectations to your student. If you have any
questions regarding your student’s reports, please schedule a conference. I
would be happy to meet with you. Please do not email your student’s
teacher regarding your student’s reports.

Absences/Signing Out Early: Please do your best to notify me in

advance and in writing of any known absences, i.e. doctor appointments,
family outings as schedules are often structured with your exact student in
mind. Notes are required for excused absence(s) of any reason by the office
manager. When your child is absent they will be given an allotment of time,
based on the days missed, to complete assignments missed (if applicable).
Also, though noted that family schedules are often chaotic, please do your
best to ensure that your student has the opportunity to take advantage of
each minute of instructional time. Signing out a student early deprives them
of valuable learning that has been planned at the end of the day. If you are
concerned or have pressures for picking up your student in time to complete
errands or pick up siblings at other school sites, please see your student’s
teacher for suggestions to assist you.

Change in Transportation: If your child has a change in the way

he/she will be going home, we need to have the change in written form, via
note, email, or Class Dojo instant message. If we do not receive notice in
one of these manners, we will send your child home as usual. If you need to
make a change during the day, do so by 1:00 p.m. This is to insure that
your child gets home safely. We appreciate your understanding and help.
Conference Time: Mr. Butler’s conference time is from 2:00-3:00p on
Fridays. As much as he would love visiting with you, it is very difficult to do
this during arrival and dismissal of students. If there is something he needs
to know concerning your child, please write a note, send an email or Class
Dojo instant message, or schedule a time to meet.

Special Services: Students may attend special services outside the

classroom such as Speech or Occupational Therapy throughout the week on
a rotational schedule. If you have questions or concerns regarding a special
service, please contact the provider of that service directly.

Health Office: Any over-the-counter medications, prescriptions,

inhalers, or treatments MUST have a form on file at school signed by the
parent and doctor. They are kept in the health technician’s office. If you
have any questions or concerns, please contact our school’s health
technician. As needed, our school’s health technician will assess students
and call parents. Parents are typically called when a student is contagious,
or too sick to stay at school. Our school’s health technician will only provide
first aid, (i.e. band aides and ice), and a comfortable place to rest.

Volunteering: The Pleasant Valley School District recognizes the

tremendous and positive impact that volunteers have in enriching
educational programs and greatly appreciates the contribution of your time
and energy in this regard. In order to safeguard students, background
information is required of all volunteers who work with and around students
on District campuses. To volunteer is easy. Please pick up a Volunteer
Registration Form at the front office, complete it, and turn it in.

PTA: We have an active PTA (Parent-Teacher Association). They provide

guidance to school administrators, and organize several special events and
fundraisers throughout the school year. You are very welcome to attend
meetings and involve yourself in leadership or volunteer positions. Regular
newsletters highlighting PTA events and meeting schedules are available by
visiting our school’s website or by clicking on the PTA link on our classroom
webpage.

Website: In addition to the PVSD website and the website for our school,
you will also find a website devoted specifically to our class. Important
information regarding all the aspects of your student’s class can be found
here including a teacher bio, detailed information on curriculum, classroom
supplies, homework and Class Dojo instructions. You may access the
website by clicking on TEACHER PAGES on our school’s website or by going
directly to www.deanbutler.weebly.com.
School Supplies: Our District as a policy of providing all students with
the supplies they need for classroom success. Should you enjoy shopping
for your student or wish to donate supplies to the classroom, here is the
current list of recommendations:

 Pencils- (box of 12, pre-sharpened preferred)

 Colored Pencils- (box of 12)
 Expo Small Dry Erase Markers (black / 2 or more)
 Black Flair-brand Marker- (Medium Point, 2)
 Large glue sticks (disappearing purple preferred, 4)
 Bottle of School Glue
 Baby wipes- 3 refill packs
 Clorox wipes- (2 or more)
 Facial tissues- (small cubical boxes preferred, 2 or more)
 Composition books (2)
 Binder- 2 inch white with plastic sleeve cover
 Spiral notebook- plain cover /single subject
 Highlighters
 Safety Scissors (Grade 4 appropriate preferred)
 Pencil sharpener with screw on lid