Guidelines & Procedures

attendance - Illness/absences

Cypress Village and IUSD take student attendance very seriously. We believe that student success begins with daily attendance. As a result, we take steps to ensure that students attend school daily and that each student complies with school attendance laws and stipulations outlined in the California Education Code. The two basic attendance laws are:

• All persons 6 through 18 years of age are required by California State Law to attend school. Parents have a legal responsibility to ensure their child’s attendance. (Education Code Section 48200)
• A pupil is considered truant if he/she is absent for more than 3 full days in one school year without a valid excuse; tardy or absent for more than a 30-minute period during the school day without valid excuse on 3 occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof. (Education Code Section 48260)

As parents of elementary school children, you bear the primary responsibility of ensuring that your children are in school daily, arrive on time, and remain in school the entire day.  With that in mind, parents are encouraged to take a pro-active approach in establishing positive attendance patterns and avoiding chronic truancy. This will assist your children in reaching their highest potential. By law, absences or tardies are only excused if the child is ill, is attending a funeral for an immediate family member, or involved in religious observance. In each case, documentation or proof may be required. Unless it is an emergency, it is recommended that medical and dental appointments be scheduled after school.

In order to establish positive attendance patterns, it is recommended that parents teach their children the following:

• Follow all district and school attendance policies.
• Make education their top priority.
• Emphasize to them that to get the best start in life, they need a good education. 
• Remind them if they do not go to school, they will fall behind other students and they can’t get the grades needed to graduate.
• Explain to them that students who miss school are often victims or perpetrators of crimes.
• Understand that tardies and leaving school early should be an exception, not a norm.

The majority of students who have accumulated more than three unexcused absences from school or tardies at Cypress Village are not considered habitual/chronic truants, but would be categorized as soft truants. 

Soft Truancy includes, but is not limited to:

• Bringing a child late to school (less than 30 minutes).
• Picking up your child early for family outings, vacations, frequent medical appointments or business, or even trying to avoid traffic.
• Excusing a student as ill more than 10 days without medical verification.
• Frequent excused absences.
• Keeping an older child home to baby-sit.
• Keeping an older child home to work.
• Irregular attendance.
• Taking vacation during school.

Chronic truancy almost always begins with a pattern of soft truancies that is not corrected. 

In order to keep all our students safe, it is important that we verify all student absences as soon as possible each day.  Should your child need to be absent from school, please call our attendance line at 949-936-8901 to report the absence. This number may be called at any time.  If possible, we ask that you call this number and report your child’s absence by 8:00 a.m.  By doing this, we can avoid calling you at home or work to verify your child’s absence. As stated above, it is important that children be in attendance whenever possible. In addition to missing important classroom instruction, students are often challenged with feelings of trying to catch up.  As important as punctuality and attendance are to student achievement, children should not be sent to school ill.  Children who come to the office with a body temperature of 100 degrees or above will be sent home and should remain at home until a normal body temperature is maintained for 24 hours.  Homework may be requested after the second day of absence. You may contact the teacher directly and check the classroom website for assignments. 

If you find it necessary to schedule a medical/dental appointment during the child’s class time, please have your child dismissed through the office.  A sign-out sheet is located in the main reception area.  We do require that children be signed out on this sheet by an adult who is listed on their Contact Information should they leave school for any reason.

attendance - Tardy Policy

In order to foster student responsibility, minimize classroom interruptions, and avoid unnecessary embarrassment, it is important that students arrive to school on time. It is for these reasons that we have instituted a formal tardy policy at Cypress Village. 

A student is considered tardy if he/she arrives after class begins. A tardy will be unexcused for any reason other than the following: medical or dental appointment.

• After any unexcused tardy, the child is responsible for making up the lost instructional time.
• After the fifth unexcused tardy, the child is responsible for making up the lost instructional time. A letter will be sent home.
• After the tenth unexcused tardy, the child is responsible for making up the lost instructional time. A conference with the principal may be held. A second letter will be sent home.
• After the fifteenth tardy, the child is required to make up the instructional time. The student will be referred to the district’s School Attendance and Review Board.

behavior management

In California, all students have the responsibility to comply with the regulations, pursue the required course of study, and to submit to the authority of teachers. (Education Code 48921)  In addition, the Education Code states that teachers must enforce the course of study, the use of authorized textbooks and the prescribed rules and regulations. Also, teachers must hold students to strict account for their conduct. (Section 44805) 

The Cypress Village staff believes that all children, with proper guidance and reinforcement, can behave appropriately at school.  Thus, we have implemented a few simple school rules and a plan to teach character development with intentionality to accomplish the charge given to us and stated above.  These rules and character education plan are based on several beliefs we have regarding discipline and character development. 

As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.”  We believe that character development is as equally important as intellectual development and that all students perform best in school and our community when values are taught and expected. 

We believe that discipline is an act of love.  We understand that in order to be happy, productive people, children need to learn to respect others, interact appropriately, and develop personal responsibility.  We care too much about our students to allow them to grow up to be disrespectful or irresponsible, for we know this will ultimately lead to their unhappiness. 

We believe that self-control and self-discipline are learned behaviors.  Thus, if a child violates a rule out of ignorance, it is our responsibility to teach him or her the appropriate behavior.  If a child violates a rule out of defiance, then it is our responsibility to discipline.  We make every effort to provide logical consequences for inappropriate behavior.  For example, a child who has difficulty playing handball might be asked to sit, watch, and reflect for a period of time, hopefully observing children playing appropriately.  It is our belief that disciplining of students should be done privately, whenever possible.  The correction of a student’s behavior is a private matter between a student, the adult in charge, and the parents, if necessary. We do not support the concept of public humiliation.  To do so would be to model disrespect.   

We believe that the primary responsibility for teaching children strong character and positive behavior lies with the parent.  It is the school’s responsibility to reinforce those positive traits and behaviors that you, the parent, have worked so diligently to teach. 

We believe that all students, when given proper guidance and reinforcement, can and will behave appropriately.  We believe that most behavior results in a positive or negative consequence.  It is with this in mind that we have formulated a few basic rules to assist us in providing students with a safe, orderly, and respectful environment. 

In response to the beliefs outlined above, the following values are imbedded into our school vision, curriculum, and STORM expectations. These values are modeled, taught, and reinforced by all staff.

Compassion

Demonstrates sensitivity and a decent measure of caring and concern for fellow human beings; exhibits generosity and love. 

Cooperation

Interacts with others in a mutually beneficial way; seeks thoughtful and peaceful ways of resolving conflict.

Initiative

Take action, lead, begin or follow through with a plan or task. Accept responsibility for the foreseeable consequences of one's actions, reactions, choices, and goals. 

Integrity

Conducts human interactions in a fair and straightforward manner; tells the truth; does not cheat, steal, or intentionally mislead; behaves in a manner consistent with one's professed values and ideals.

Perseverance

Continues the pursuit of goals in the face of adversity; demonstrates a willingness to work.

Positive Mental Attitude

Chooses to be positive and control reactions even when facing adversity and challenges. Demonstrates a willingness to act positively on a moral value even in the face of potential personal loss; a willingness to take calculated risks to achieve a positive result.

Respect

Holds one's self, each other person, and the environment in high regard; acknowledges the inherent value in each human being and each living thing; honors the rights of others to be autonomous and to be treated with dignity. 

A student who is driven by values is concerned with society as a whole. A person who is driven by values understands why we have values, is willing to use values, and can identify and prioritize his or her own values for the good of the community.  We teach these values through a school-wide behavior program called STORM. Instead of focusing students on a list of school rules that tell students what not to do, STORM focuses and teaches students what to do and how to behave. STORM is based on our core values of compassion, cooperation, initiative, integrity, perseverance, positive mental attitude, and respect.   

Thus, the following serves as our Cypress Village rules: 

The real test of the effectiveness of any moral education effort will be its impact on the decisions students make. In the final analysis, we want our students to routinely make ethical choices -- choices distinguishing what should be done, from what can be done. 

In addition to the natural intrinsic rewards and consequences attained by students who exhibit positive behavior and follow STORM, Cypress Village positively reinforces students individually and as groups through classroom and school-wide recognition programs fairly and consistently. Possible negative consequences earned by students for infractions of the above Cypress Village rules may include a verbal warning, loss of privileges, parent contact, parent conference, suspension from class, and suspension from school. 

It is important to note that profanity is considered disrespectful language and will not be tolerated. Our profanity policy is as follows:   

• First offense: verbal warning 
• Second offense: phone call home
• Third offense: suspension from school 

The Irvine Unified School District enforces a policy of zero tolerance.  This means that the following violations will result in immediate suspension and/or expulsion:

• Causing serious injury to another
• Possession of any knife or other dangerous objects or look-alikes
• Sale of a controlled substance
• Robbery or extortion
• Assault or battery

In addition, the following violations will result in immediate suspension and determination of further actions which may results in expulsion:

• Causing or attempting to cause damage to school or private property
• Possession of or use of tobacco
• Stealing
• Committing an obscene act or habitual profanity
• Possession of a controlled substance
• Disrupting school activities or willfully defying authority
• Receiving stolen property

bicycles, skateboards, & scooters

Bicycle Guidelines:

• Bicycles are allowed for studentsin grades 3 – 6 only
• All bicycles MUST be parked in the bike rack and LOCKED. Students may not share a bicycle lock – only one bicycle per lock!
• Helmets MUST be worn by all students riding to and from school
• All bicycles must be walked on school grounds
• Children should never ride two on one bicycle
• Bicycles must be in safe working condition
• Students are not to loiter in or around the bike rack area at any time
• We suggest that every bicycle be licensed through the Irvine Police Department.

Scooter & Skateboard Guidelines:

• Scooters and skateboards are allowed for students in grade 6 only.
• This special privilege is extended only to sixth grade students provided that they adhere to the following three conditions. The privilege can be revoked at any time if these conditions are not met.
• Scooters and Skateboards may not be ridden anywhere on campus at any time
• Helmets must be worn and properly fastened
• Scooters and skateboards must be stored properly in our designated space.

Wheeled Shoes:

• Roller skates, inline skates, and pop up wheeled shoes (Heely’s brand, etc.) may never be worn to or at school. Violation of these rules will result in loss of privileges.

Cypress Village does not assume any responsibility or liability in connection with a child’s bicycle, scooter, or skateboard if it becomes lost, stolen or damaged.

CLICK HERE for Cypress Village's Safe Route to Schools Map.

campus visitations

In the interest of safety, we ask that all visitors report to the office to sign in through our automated computer system.  At that time, visitors will be issued a badge to wear, indicating to the students and staff that they are authorized to be on campus. The visitor badge must be worn at all times when they are on school grounds. 

In order to effectively manage students during recess and lunch and ensure their safety in this less restrictive environment, our campus is closed to visitors on our playground.

All volunteers must complete an IUSD Volunteer Registration & Screening Information form prior to volunteering.  This form is completed only once, and it only needs to be completed at one Irvine school.  The forms are available in Cypress Village’s office and are forwarded to the Irvine Unified School District’s Human Resources Department where the information is verified; all forms are then filed there.

classroom celebrations and parties

Celebrations can be educational, fun, and exciting for our students. Dietary restrictions, cultural beliefs, food allergies, and the varied nutritional preferences of our parent population require considerable and deliberate coordination of any event involving food. Students in our school community have life threatening allergies to certain foods and other allergens. With that in mind, classrooms are expected to follow the guidelines outlined below for celebrations and parties. 

• To reduce the risk of exposure to one of the most common allergens, please do not send any peanut or nut containing foods for any classroom celebration or party. 
• Classrooms will make allowances for students with food allergies or certain health conditions to bring an alternative item and participate in the festivities. 
• Parents are notified prior to any food being brought into the classroom. 
• Consider non-food items for parties and events so that all children may participate in the fun.
• Consider a physical, art or music activity in lieu of a food party.  
• Please contact your teacher before bringing any food products to the classroom.
• While we appreciate the joy and excitement that accompanies our students’ birthdays, we do not allow parents to bring food items to their child’s classroom to commemorate their child’s special day.

Classroom Interruptions

The Cypress Village staff makes a concerted effort to establish a learning environment that is conducive to the development of good study habits and uninterrupted academic learning time.  We seek your cooperation and assistance in this effort.  You can help us by: 

1. Sending the teacher a note or e-mail should you need to pick up your child early.  This will allow the teacher time to prepare your child for pick up.
2. Avoiding calling school and leaving messages for your child, unless it is an emergency. The telephone is made available to students only for emergencies.
3. Establishing a system that helps eliminate forgotten lunches, homework, money, musical instruments, etc. Parents bringing forgotten items to school should drop them off at the table in front of the MPR. Children are encouraged to check here for forgotten items throughout the day. 

Daycare

Rainbow Rising and Kids Club are a positive alternative for working parents in need of childcare.  Rainbow Rising is located on campus in the buildings adjacent to kindergarten.  Hours are from 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. They can be reached by calling (949) 333-1488 or emailing cypressvillage@rainbowrising.org. Kids Club is located at the Cypress Village Community Center. If you would like additional information, including fees, please call (949) 724-6750. To receive information regarding other Irvine childcare facilities, you may call the Irvine Community Services Department at 949-724-6632 or 949-724-6635.

dress code

We believe there is a correlation between a student’s behavior and his/her clothing.  There are a wide range of available clothing styles that reflect a positive attitude and appearance.  Experience teaches us that much of the clothing that is oversized and droopy reflects an attitude of disrespect, or at best, indifference.  We ask that students attending Cypress Village wear clothing that is comfortable, clean, and appropriate for an elementary school.  Because our instructional program includes active play, students must wear clothing that allows them to run and jump.  Clothing and other items students wear must not disrupt the educational process nor create any form of disturbance.  All fashions that a student might choose may not be appropriate for an elementary school. 

Inappropriate clothing includes: 

• pants or shirts that are oversized and overly baggy and do not fit securely at the waist.
• any item symbolic of gang attire.
• clothing with logos, slogans, words, or pictures promoting or depicting alcohol, tobacco, drugs, vandalism, bigotry, violence, sexual connotations, or profanity.
• any clothing that is inappropriately revealing. Examples of this are mid-drifts, mini-skirts, dresses with spaghetti straps, etc.
• earrings that dangle and could become dangerous when playing.
• any make-up, lipstick, or adornment that causes a distraction in the classroom.
• hair that is dyed an unnatural color.
• chains, including those attached to wallets, belt loops, or other items.
• shoes with open toes, such as thongs and sandals, and shoes with excessive heels. These shoes are inappropriate and too dangerous for active play.
• hats worn indoors.  

With the support and cooperation of our parents, students, and staff, Cypress Village will be a positive and productive learning environment. 

driving safely on and around our campus

Many parents choose to drive their children to school. It is imperative that drivers adhere to the following rules and drop-off and pick-up procedures:

Rush Lily Street: Parking is on the school side only. Please do not make U-turns in the middle of Rush Lily. Please do not double park to drop off your child. Please be conscientious when you park to maximize parking spaces.

Rush Lily & Scented Violet Parking Lots - Drop-Off/Pick up: Please utilize the curb when dropping off/picking up your child. Cypress Village has ample curbs for the dropping off and the picking up of students. Cars may not be parked at those curbs for any length of time. Please continue to pull forward as far as indicated to allow for multiple cars to drop off/pick up at the same time along the curb. Please use the crosswalk in the parking lot if you choose to park. Please do not stop, park or let children out of the car in the center lane of this parking lot. Drivers are asked to respect the handicapped spaces. Do not park in them or block them in any way, unless you have the appropriate placard.

Scented Violet Street: Parking is on the school side only. Please do not make U-turns in the middle of Scented Violet. Please do not double park to drop off your child. Please be conscientious when you park to maximize parking spaces. We do have a crossing guard on Scented Violet. Please follow the crossing guard's directions and rules. We have two cross walks that can be utilized and you may not cross the street diagonally.

Park Parking Lots: We have two parks adjacent to our campus where parents may park. We highly encourage families to utilize these areas during pick up and drop off.

Early Dismissal/Parental Custody

Children leaving campus need to be signed out by the parent/guardian.  Please come to the office to do so and we will call for your child.  Children will only be released to parents or other adults listed by you on the child’s emergency list.  If there are specific limitations related to the release of a child to a natural parent, please be advised that legal custody documents must be on file in the office.  The natural mother or father can obtain their child from school at any time, unless a court order is on file indicating otherwise. Photo I.D. is required. 

field trips

Field trips are an integral part of the elementary school experience. It is common for students in every grade at Cypress Village to take a few field trips each year. In order for students to participate in a class field trip, a Field Trip Permission Form is required to be completed and signed by a parent/guardian prior to departure. 

Homework

Homework is provided to review and practice concepts previously introduced in class.  The amount of homework assigned is to be determined by the student’s teacher. On average, students should spend the following amount of time on homework each school night.

• Grades K-3, 20 minutes to 1 hour
• Grades 4-6, 1 hour to 1 ½ hours

Should the amount of time children typically spend on homework differ significantly from the above, parents are encouraged to contact their child’s teacher.  Homework is intended to be an independent activity. If your child requires a significant amount of assistance in order to complete his/her homework, please contact your child’s teacher. 

Parents are best able to assist their child by setting up a special place where homework is to be done.  Specific times should be set up that do not conflict with other planned activities. This will provide structure to the homework routine.   

Please see Cypress Village’s formal Homework Policy on our school’s website for more detailed information

Illness & Accidents at School

Any time your child visits the school’s health office, a note will be sent home notifying you of the visit and a brief description of the reason for the visit will be provided. If your child does not have a fever or the reason for their health office visit is minor and does not require action from a parent, they will be sent back to class. If your child becomes ill or experiences an accident at school that requires him/her to be sent home or seek medical attention, you will be contacted immediately.  If we are unable to reach parent(s) or guardian(s) at home or work, we will then call the emergency contacts listed on your child’s record.  Please keep home phone, work number(s), cellular phone number(s), pager number(s), and emergency contact names and phone numbers current in the Parent Portal. If someone cannot be reached that is listed on your child’s emergency card, depending on the seriousness of your child’s condition, paramedics may be called. This includes, but is not limited to a child having an asthma attack or allergic reaction and no inhaler, epi-pen, or medicine has been provided. 911 will be called in all life-threatening situations. 

items brought from home

Personal play equipment, such as toys, balls, games, etc. should not be brought to school unless special permission has been granted by the teacher or principal. This includes electronic devices like music players, media players, and video games. 

lost and found

Throughout the school year, we accumulate a large number of sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets, and lunch boxes. We urge parents to label everything with your child’s first and last name that is sent to school. Items that are labeled are easier to locate when they are put in the Lost and Found. If your child is missing any of these articles, please visit the lost and found racks located near the lunch tables. Small items such as glasses, retainers, jewelry, and more valuable items such as musical instruments are placed in the front office.  Unclaimed items are donated to charities during winter recess, spring recess, and at the end of the school year.

lunch program

The Nutrition Services Department is excited to share that the United States Department of Agriculture announced that they will reimburse school districts for free meals to all students, regardless of income, for the 2021-22 school year.  This means ALL IUSD students will receive FREE MEALS throughout the next school year.  

Please note that Nutrition Services will continue to charge students full-price for an additional second meal or for a la carte items. 

Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications

While meals are free for all students, families are still encouraged to complete a free or reduced-price meal application to ensure your students receive additional benefits to which they may be entitled.  If approved, these applications may qualify families for Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) Cards issued by the State of California, discounted college application fees, discounted Advanced Placement (AP) test fees, discounted school events, and discounted utilities through gas, electricity, internet, or phone providers.  These applications also benefit schools by providing increased funding through the Local Control Funding Formula, including funding for support staff, computers and other technology.  

The application for free or reduced-price meals is available online by visiting the Parent Portal at my.iusd.org and clicking on the orange Titan icon or at family.titank12.com. The fastest and easiest way to apply for meal benefits is through our online application. If you choose to complete a paper application, these are available in the Nutrition Services office (3387 Barranca Parkway, Irvine), your school’s office, and the District Office (5050 Barranca Parkway, Irvine).

Health and Safety Planning  

We want to assure families that Nutrition Services is taking extra steps to help ensure that our students’ experience with us is healthy and safe, following all Federal, State and County guidelines for school food service.  This includes: 

• At this point, due to current regulations, all salad bars will continue to be closed during the 2021-22 school year.  However, students will be served an array of fresh fruit and vegetables packaged by our Central Kitchen and local produce company.  
• No change will be given in our cafeterias at any grade level.  All extra monies will be deposited to students’ accounts.  
• Our staff is continuously being trained on the most updated cleaning and sanitizing regulations as they become available.  

IUSD.org/nutrition will be updated regularly with current information.  Please check back regularly.

medication

Any time your child requires medication at school, the medication must be kept in the health office to be given by school personnel.  Education Code 49423 allows school personnel to administer medications if the following steps are taken:

• The PARENT/GUARDIAN & HEALTH CARE PROVIDER REQUEST FOR MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION form is completed and submitted to the office annually for each medication. Both the physician and a parent must sign the consent form prior to medication being administered at school. This form is available in the school office and on-line.
• The pharmacy container with the medicine is labeled with the name of the child, name of the medicine, dosage requirements, and physician’s name.
• Medicine is brought to school by the parent.

These regulations apply to non-prescription medications as well. Non-prescription drugs include aspirin, vitamins, cough syrup, cough drops, ointments, etc. 

parent involvement

Cypress Village welcomes and values our volunteers. Without our volunteers, many programs and activities would not be possible. There are a variety of avenues for parents to volunteer their time and talents to our school. These include:

• Classroom/Library Assistance: Classroom teachers and our library staff will recruit parent help at the beginning of the school year. There are opportunities for parents to work directly with students, to complete clerical tasks, and to complete tasks at home. If you are interested in serving in this way, please contact your child’s teacher. If working in the library is an interest to you, you may contact our library staff.
• School Site Council: This group is composed of staff and parent members whose responsibility it is to plan, monitor, and evaluate our School Improvement Plan. Parent members are selected by a vote of all parents in the fall. Meetings and the agenda are listed in the front office, and all parents are welcome to attend.
• Parent-Teacher Association (PTA): This volunteer group is composed of all parents who wish to join. Its elected and appointed representative’s goal is to support the programs here at Cypress Village and the overall educational system. A variety of programs and activities are scheduled throughout the year and coordinated by the PTA Board, which is elected in the spring of each year. All parents are encouraged to attend General Association meetings. Exact dates and times of all meetings, along with additional information is available online on our website.
• ELAC/SSC: The English Language Advisory Committee is composed of parents of English Language Learners. They meet as part of our School Site Council. This council meets 5 times per year to review our instructional program for all students.

parent Teacher Association

The Cypress Village PTA is a very active and supportive group.  The association is composed of volunteer parents and committed staff members who devote their time and talents to providing support for our school and special experiences and events for our students. There are many opportunities for parents to become involved. Your membership and participation in this outstanding organization benefits your child’s education. Meetings are held monthly in the school multi-purpose room. Membership and other PTA related information is sent home during the first few weeks of school. 

Research shows that parent involvement is key to helping children succeed in school.  The idea has been basic to PTA’s philosophy and action since its beginnings in 1897.  PTA goes even further by stating that children do better in all ways when their parents care about what they are doing at home, in the community and in school. 

PTA activities establish communication between school and home.  Parents are encouraged to attend meetings, support activities, and volunteer.  Dates and times of meetings and activities will be on the Cypress Village PTA website (cypressvillagepta.org), and on Facebook/Instagram at CypressVillagePTA (no space). PTA questions may be directed to info@cypressvillagepta.org.

parent volunteers

Cypress Village welcomes and values our volunteer parents. Without volunteers, many programs and activities offered at our school would not be possible. Parents will be given opportunities to sign-up to help in the classroom, and to assist with various events taking place throughout the school year. 

In the interest of safety, we do ask that all volunteers report to the office to sign in through our automated computer system.  At that time, volunteers will be issued a badge to wear, indicating to the students and staff that they are authorized to be on campus. The volunteer badge must be worn at all times when they are on school grounds. 

We are requesting that every volunteer register each school year, including signing in with valid government issued ID at the front office. It is important to remember that no one will be allowed to visit our campus during school hours or volunteer in any capacity unless they have submitted their ID to our office staff and been approved. Raptor, our Volunteer Registration & Screening Software, only scans the visitor's name, date of birth, and photo for comparison with the county, state, and national database of registered sex offenders. Therefore, no other information on the ID is scanned by the Raptor system and no information is shared with any outside agency.

pets

Pets should not be on campus unless the teacher or principal has granted special permission.  Please be aware that, pursuant to Orange County Ordinance 41.46, dogs are not to be on school grounds at any time.  Should you choose to bring your dog when walking your child to and from school, please wait for your child off school grounds. If you are to bring a service dog on campus, we must have paperwork on file in the front office.

Playground & school supervision

Supervision by staff at entry points to our campus, in the parking lots, and on the playground is provided fifteen minutes before school begins every day. For your child’s safety, students in grades 4-6 should not arrive on campus prior to 7:45 a.m. and not before 8:00 a.m. for grades 1-3. Upon arriving, all students in grades first through sixth report to the playground blacktop and line up for class in their assigned area. Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten students must be accompanied by an adult and line up outside their classroom in their assigned area, and they are dismissed directly to their parent or guardian at dismissal. Students in grades first through sixth are dismissed from the outside door of the classroom to meet their parents, carpool, daycare provider, or walk home. After school supervision ends fifteen minutes after dismissal every day. All students should leave campus within fifteen minutes after school unless other arrangements have been made or they are being directly supervised by a parent. No student will be kept after school without prior parent permission. 

Recess and lunch supervision is provided by trained Cypress Village staff. Playground supervisors are easily identified by the yellow vests they wear and their IUSD identification badge. 

report cards/parent conferences

Report cards can be viewed at the end of each trimester through the Parent Portal at: my.iusd.org. During the first month of school, parents are invited to attend Back to School Night to learn about the grade level curriculum and instructional program for their child. This evening is for adults only. A goal setting parent/teacher conference is held in October to establish learning goals for each student. A second parent/teacher conference is scheduled in the spring for some students. Parents are encouraged to schedule conferences with the teacher anytime they feel there is a need during the school year. 

Open House is scheduled in the spring. All members of the family are invited to come and share in the activities and experiences your child has had during the school year.

safe travel to and from school

IUSD Board Policy only allows elementary children in grades third through sixth to ride their bicycles to school.  Each bicycle must be in safe working order and be equipped with a lock and be parked in the bike racks.  Bikes should be locked at all times when not in use. California law requires that all school age bike riders wear safety helmets.  Additionally, Cypress Village students in grades third through sixth may ride skateboards or scooters to school if they are wearing a helmet and have the ability to lock it in the bike racks or have made arrangements with their teacher to keep it in the classroom while school is in session. Students in grades kindergarten through second may ride skateboards or scooters to school if they are wearing a helmet, are accompanied by an adult, and the adult takes home the scooter or skateboard. Children and adults are expected to follow all traffic safety laws when going to and from school.  In the interest of safety and taking into consideration the number of people around the school at arrival and dismissal times, students must walk their bicycle and carry their skateboards or scooter when they are on school grounds. 

If your child will be walking, riding a bicycle, skateboard or a scooter to school, please discuss the safest route with your child.  Bicyclists and pedestrians must use crosswalks and utilize the assistance of a crossing guard or staff member when provided. Students are not allowed to cross the parking lot at any time without using a parking lot crosswalk.

CLICK HERE for Cypress Village's Safe Route to Schools Map.

safety/disaster preparedness

We want to reassure you that Cypress Village Elementary has an extensive emergency plan. In compliance with California law, the Irvine Unified School District uses the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) in its emergency plans and procedures. Response procedures are in place to activate the emergency plan. Each year the staff reviews and practices the plan in mock drills to ensure the safest and most efficient response to an emergency. State law requires each elementary school to conduct monthly fire drills, a lock-down drill, and a drop-and-cover drill as part of the emergency preparedness plan. 

How can you help ensure our students’ safety as a parent? 

• Always sign-in your child at the office if your child is arriving late or sign-out your child in the office if your child is leaving school.
• Volunteer in your child’s class. Make sure to sign-in and out and wear a visitor/volunteer sticker at all times. 
• Be familiar with the school site and report anything out of the ordinary to the police.
• Carefully read newsletters and correspondence sent home by the school.

In the event of an emergency:

• Remain calm.
• Walk to the playground and follow student release procedures.
• Ask, “How can I help?”
• Volunteer and follow the instructions and guidelines carefully.

student accident insurance

The Irvine Unified School District makes available to parents a low-cost accident insurance for their children. Forms are distributed to parents the first week of school. Additional forms are available in the school office. The desirability of having such a plan is that it can provide additional benefits and coverage if help is needed.

student birthday celebrations

While we appreciate the joy and excitement that accompanies our students’ birthdays, we do not allow parents to bring food items to their child’s  classroom to commemorate their child’s special day. Dietary restrictions, food allergies, and the varied nutritional preferences of our parent population require considerable and deliberate coordination of any event involving food, and we cannot facilitate such oversight for every student’s birthday. Party favors are seen as more appropriate for a private setting, but if strongly desired, a parent may bring non-food items such as pencils, stickers, stamps, etc. for classmates. For birthdays we suggest a lasting gesture of donating a Birthday Book to our Cypress Village library. Our library/media clerk has excellent suggestions for choosing an appropriate Birthday Book. A special dedication card will be placed in the book. Then, the book will be shared with your student’s class. After that, the book will be placed in the school library as a continuing memory of your child’s special day.

student Fee information

Background

California's Constitution affirms that students and parents cannot be required to pay money to gain access to educational activities, nor can they be charged for materials and supplies necessary to participate in educational activities.

“Educational activities” has been clearly defined to include extracurricular offerings such as music, sports and some clubs. Moreover, the rules described above are believed to apply to all affiliated groups supporting district and school programs, including PTAs, boosters and foundations.

In 2010, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the state over impermissible fees, charges and deposits imposed on public school students. Two years later, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation that codified existing laws and judicial decisions while establishing reasonable enforcement measures for schools and districts. The ACLU subsequently dropped its suit.

It should be noted that IUSD was in the process of analyzing its own practices even before the ACLU suit, looking specifically at funding requests that were made to help offset the cost of transportation, elective courses, summer school classes and essential supplies and equipment. The district has since worked to clarify that parent donations for most educational activities are voluntary, and that students will not be denied participation if their families choose not to contribute.

For further information, please check the following link on the Irvine Unified School District website: http://www.iusd.org/student-fee-info.

student recognition

The Cypress Village staff wants to publicly affirm appropriate student behavior and positive character development. Each teacher has his or her own method for recognizing positive student behavior in the classroom. In addition, students are often recognized for outstanding citizenship, academic achievement, outstanding effort, and demonstration of ethical behavior. We welcome the opportunity to assist our students’ parents in helping their child become a happy, productive citizen.

textbooks/library books

Textbooks and library books are school property and are loaned to students. Students are responsible for their safekeeping. All hard cover textbooks must be covered. Students are responsible to pay for lost or damaged textbooks. Most textbooks are available online.

traffic and Parking procedures

The Irvine Police Department actively patrols the area around Cypress Village at arrival and dismissal times. They watch for cars speeding, illegally parking, and other unsafe driving behaviors.  In order to keep our students safe, we ask that parents use caution when driving in our parking lot and around our school. When parking in the neighborhood, please obey all traffic laws and be considerate to our neighbors. Please do not block driveways, leave trash in the area, allow your children to play on someone’s yard, or make excessive noise.

Parents may park their car in the parking lots off of Rush Lily and Scented Violet. The parking lots have designated loading zones identified by a yellow curb. You may only drop off and pick up your child in these areas. When dropping off students, please pull as far ahead as possible next to the curb in the loading zone before dropping off your children. This will keep things moving quickly. School buses drop-off and pick-up daily and cannot be blocked by cars in the loading zones. At no time may a driver leave his/her car unattended or park in the loading zone. In addition, the Irvine Police Department will cite any parent unloading students in any street away from the curb, often referred to as double parking. Not only is it illegal, but incredibly dangerous.

Use of telephones and cell phones

We ask that you take care of all arrangements for the day with your children before they leave for school. If the forecast is for rain, send them in a coat or jacket and give them a plan for pick up/dismissal for inclement weather. If after school activities are scheduled, be certain that they know what is expected of them before they leave for school. We ask that ONLY EMERGENCY MESSAGES be telephoned in to children, since we strive to keep instructional interruptions to a minimum. Arrangements with friends must be made prior to coming to school. 

Cell phones are permitted at school, however, board policy requires that they be deactivated during the regular school day and used only during an emergency affecting the school or community. The use of cell phones is prohibited during school hours. They are to be turned off and in the student’s backpack during school hours.  Cell phones that are turned on during school hours are subject to confiscation and will only be returned after school, through the front office.