Sundance Elementary School Handbook

Last Updated: 6/12/26

Series of seals and logos from various awards

Student Pick Up / Drop Off, Parking, and Student Safety

Students in 1 - 5 grade enter through the large gate next to the main parking lot beginning at 7:50 am. For safety reasons, students should not arrive before 7:50 am, as gates remain closed and there is NO supervision until 7:50 am.

All TK/Kindergarten students should be dropped off by the small front gate next to the office. Drop-off supervision begins 15 minutes before the bell rings.

Only bus riders may enter through the Xenia gate.

1st-2nd grade students are dismissed from classrooms.

3rd-5th grade students are dismissed from the main parking lot area or Xenia.

All 3rd-5th graders can be picked up by driving through the pick-up lane or along Xenia.

All TK/K students must be picked up from the classroom.

Students should be picked up promptly at dismissal time unless participating in an after school activity.

Families with more than one student can make arrangements with teachers for the older students to go directly to their sibling’s pick-up area at dismissal time. Parents need to make arrangements in advance with the teacher or the office if there is a change in their child’s normal pick or drop-off procedure.

Any individual picking up your child must be at least 18 years of age having appropriate identification.

Do not double park or make U-turns in a school zone.

Use the crosswalk when crossing the street.

Pedestrians and drivers should follow all directions given by crossing guards.

Please do not motion your children to cross in the middle of the street or between cars. Encourage them to use the crosswalk.

Students in 1st-5th grade enter through the large gate next to the main parking lot beginning at 7:50 am. For safety reasons, students should not arrive before 7:50 am, as gates remain closed and there is NO supervision until 7:50 am.

All TK/Kindergarten students should be dropped off by the small front gate next to the office. Drop-off supervision begins 15 minutes before the bell rings.

Only bus riders may enter through the Xenia gate.

1st-2nd grade students are dismissed from classrooms.

3rd-5th grade students are dismissed from the main parking lot area or Xenia.

All 3rd-5th graders can be picked up by driving through the pick-up lane or along Xenia.

All TK/K students must be picked up from the classroom.

Students should be picked up promptly at dismissal time unless participating in an after school activity.

Any individual picking up your child must be at least 18 years of age having appropriate identification.

Do not double park or make U-turns in a school zone.

Use the crosswalk when crossing the street.

Pedestrians and drivers should follow all directions given by crossing guards.

Please do not motion your children to cross in the middle of the street or between cars. Encourage them to use the crosswalk.

Attendance and Tardies

School attendance is mandated by statute and by laws and regulations of the State of California and the Governing Board of the Beaumont Unified School District (BP 5113). Sundance has the responsibility to enforce all attendance policies, which assure regular attendance and punctuality. In order for an absence to be cleared, a parent/guardian must send a note or call the office within 72 hours to inform the school of the student’s absence. Parent notes will only be accepted for the first ten (10) absences. After ten (10) absences, a doctor’s note or school site verification may be required. According to the California Compulsory Attendance Law, an absence is excusable for the following reasons only:

Illness
Quarantine directed by a county or city health officer
Having medical, dental, or vision services rendered
Attending funeral services of a member of the pupil’s immediate family
Student attendance in court
When a student accumulates absences, whether excused or unexcused, under the district attendance procedure, the following interventions may occur:
Three (3), six (6), or nine (9) unexcused absences - Parent/Guardian receives written communication from the school.
Ten (10) or more absences - Parent/guardian receives additional written communication from the school. Other options may include but are not limited to:
A scheduled conference with the School Attendance Review Team (SART).
Referral to the district’s School Attendance Review Board (SARB).
Attend an Educational Monitoring Team (EMT) meeting
Revoke of intra/inter district transfer.

Makeup work will be the responsibility of the student.

Independent Study

An Independent Study contract may be approved for students who plan to miss up to 15 school days. Contact the Attendance office at least two (2) weeks in advance. All contracts must be approved by the principal.

Attendance Incentives

Perfect Trimester Attendance certificate
Monthly trophy for best attendance in each grade
Popsicles for entire classrooms with 8 days of perfect classroom attendance.
Monthly drawing to have a party with the Principals
Medal for Excellent Attendance - 100% Daily Attendance (Up to three (3) excused tardies/early-outs)
Trophy for 100% Perfect Attendance (No Tardies/no early-outs for the entire year)

Tardies

A student is tardy if s/he arrives at school after the bell rings at 8:15 am.
Three (3) tardies in excess of thirty (30) minutes without a valid excuse will be counted as truancy.
Tardies that result in truancies may be referred to the SARB board for review.

Parents must come into the office to sign their students out for medical, dental, or other types of appointments that require them to leave school early. Office personnel will verify that you are authorized to pick up the child and will call students up to the office for pick up. If possible, medical and dental appointments should be scheduled after school. Please remember, taking your student out of school early is disruptive to his/her education, as well as the rest of the class, and should be avoided, except in an emergency. If a student is requested to be signed out during recess or lunch, they will be called up after the bell rings when they return to their classroom.

Please review your child’s Aeries Parent Portal emergency contacts. Any person listed on your child’s emergency contact list is authorized to check your child out of school. If there is a custody issue, please notify the school office immediately and bring a copy of the most recent certified court orders. If a court order is not on file, both parents are assumed to have equal rights.

PBIS Expectations: Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible

Our 16 Positive Behavior Intervention Skills (PBIS):

Getting the teacher's attention;
Accepting "no" for an answer;
Asking permission;
Following instructions;
Listening;
Asking for help;
Mind your own business;
Staying on task;
Accepting criticism/consequences;
Disagreeing appropriately;
Giving criticism;
Using appropriate voice/tone;
Making an apology;
Resisting peer pressure;
Waiting your turn

Health Office and First Aid

In case of an accident or illness at school, the school will administer first aid. Parents and/or other person(s) listed on the emergency form will be contacted as soon as possible in most cases. Except for first aid at the time of an injury, school personnel cannot treat injuries. Medical treatment is the responsibility of the parent and physician. When it is necessary for a student to go home because of illness or injury, it is the responsibility of the parent or other person(s) listed on the emergency form to pick the child up from school.

Students with cuts, splinters, injuries, and illnesses received at home, MUST BE TREATED AT HOME. We do not have a registered nurse on duty to check and/or treat health problems. It is the parent’s responsibility to obtain treatment and to keep the child home, if necessary. Please do not send your sick child to school.

If a student requires medication at school, the following procedures must be followed:

Medication must be delivered to the health office by a parent/guardian. Students shall not carry medication.
The physician and parent/guardian must complete and sign a form available from the health office. This form authorizes school personnel designated by the Principal to administer medication specified on the medication release form.
Prescription medication must be in the original bottle, which has the name of the child, physician, drug contained therein, and expiration date. It must also include the amount of medication, or dosage to be taken and the time schedule.
All medication is to be locked in the health office at all times. Your child will be responsible to report to the health office to take his/her medication.

Parent Visitations / Volunteers

It’s a pleasure to have parents/guardians visit their child’s classroom. In order to ensure student safety and to prevent disruption in the daily instructional program, visitation requests must be made as follows:

If you wish to volunteer at Sundance for any length of time, fill out a district Volunteer application. Our district will arrange for you to be fingerprinted and TB tested. Volunteers are required to fill out a volunteer application each year.
Requests must be made to the school or teacher at least twenty-four (24) hours before coming to visit. This will enable the teacher to inform you of any previously scheduled testing, study trips, assemblies, or other student programs. Volunteers must follow instructions provided by the teacher.
All visitors and volunteers must sign in through the Raptor system with a photo ID . When you leave the school, make sure you check out in the office through the Raptor system. It is an important safety precaution to allow us to identify and locate anyone on our school campus during the school day.
Do not bring small children when visiting classrooms as they often distract students from their classroom work. We are unable to provide babysitting services.

Civility Policy

As stated in BP 0100.1(a), all Sundance staff shall treat parents and other members of the public with respect and expect the same in return. The District is committed to maintaining orderly educational processes by keeping schools free from disruptions and preventing unauthorized persons from entering school grounds. This policy promotes mutual respect, civility and orderly conduct among District employees, parents and the public. This policy is intended to maintain a safe, harassment-free workplace for our students and staff. The Beaumont Unified School District encourages positive communication and discourages volatile, hostile or aggressive actions. We thank our families for adhering to this policy.

School Site Council

The School Site Council is composed of five (5) parents, three (3) teachers, one (1) classified staff member, and the principal. This team meets five (5) times a year and oversees the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA). The School Site Council meets on a regular basis to review the school goals and budget.

Breakfast and Lunch

Breakfast and lunch are served daily. Free breakfast is available for morning TK/Kindergarteners and 1st – 5th graders from 7:50 to 8:10 am. Lunch is free for all students. Students may bring their own breakfast/lunch from home. A peanut-free table is available.

Food Deliveries/Drop Offs are not permitted, including birthday treats. Birthdays are celebrated as a class at the end of the school year.

Cafeteria Expectations

Students are expected to walk using an appropriate noise level and appropriate behavior while eating, when entering and leaving the cafeteria area.
Students sit at designated tables.
Students must clean up all trash in their area.
Food is not to be shared or taken to the playground

Prohibited Drinks/Snacks

No carbonated or red colored drinks.
No hot chips (eg. Takis/Hot Cheetos) or candy.
No family size or large servings (bring snacks packaged for individual consumption).

Lost and Found

Please label your child’s possessions. These items may include lunch boxes, backpacks, coats, sweaters, and jackets. Please tell your student to check the classroom and the “Lost and Found” immediately after a personal item has been lost. All unclaimed articles are sent to the “Lost and Found” cart on the back stage. Unclaimed items will be donated weekly.

Cell Phone / Smart Watches; BP 5131 (c)

Students are not allowed to use cell phones or smart watches at school. Phones should be turned OFF and kept in a zipped backpack at all times. Please do not call or text your student during the school day. Families can call the front office if there is an urgent need to contact your student during school hours.

BP 5131: When a student uses any prohibited device, or uses a permitted device in any unethical or illegal activity, a District employee may confiscate the device. The employee shall store the item in a secure manner until an appropriate time.

Bicycles

Students may ride bicycles directly to and from school providing they exercise safe and responsible behavior and follow the expectations set forth in the Motor Vehicle Code governing the use of bicycles:

By law, all bike/scooter riders must wear helmets. Students who arrive at school without a helmet will not be allowed to ride their bikes home.
No passengers are allowed on bicycles.
Obey all traffic laws.
Bikes are not to be ridden on school grounds at any time.
Bikes must be stored in the bike rack and remain there during school hours.
The school is not responsible for stolen or damaged bikes.
Skateboards, Heelys and roller blades are not allowed.
Electric scooters are not allowed as they require a valid permit/driver’s license.

School Buses

Students must have their bus pass daily to ride the bus. For the safety of all passengers, students are expected to follow the expectations set forth by the Beaumont Unified Transportation Department. Transportation to and from school is a privilege and not a right and therefore can be taken away. Students may receive bus tickets for poor behavior. The policy for consequences for bus tickets is as follows:

First Ticket: Written warning
Second Ticket: Transportation denied for five (5) school days.
Third Ticket: Transportation denied for a minimum of fifteen (15) school days.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Consequences may be more severe, including suspension from school or the bus for a longer period, for any ticket depending on the incident.

AVID

We are an AVID Elementary School. All TK-5th grade students will receive AVID instructional strategies in preparation for college and/or career. AVID expectations are:

Arrive at school on time
Keep your materials organized
Complete your work
Follow school rules and be kind
Take care of school property

Homework Policy

Per Board policy, homework is assigned by classroom teachers to reinforce or practice applications of a skill, which has been learned or is in the process of being learned. Outlined are suggestions to help students complete homework regularly.

Parent Responsibilities

Designate a place for your child to do his/her homework.
Turn off electronics during homework time.
Teach your child to set priorities and budget time.
Ensure that your child completes homework on a regular basis. Ask him/her to see it. Don’t just ask if s/he finished it.
Talk to your child’s teacher if you have questions.

Student Responsibilities

Ask for assignments missed due to absence.
Practice setting priorities and budgeting time.
Complete homework to the best of your ability.

Report Cards

Report cards are issued three times per school year. Sundance requires all teachers to meet with every parent for a report card conference after the completion of the first trimester. Additional conferences may be scheduled, as needed. Report cards can be accessed in the Aeries Parent Portal. Parents may request a meeting with the teacher at any time.

Safety Drill and Emergencies

Monthly safety drills are conducted according to the Sundance and Beaumont Unified School District’s safety plans. It is important that all students and staff understand what to do in an emergency. Teachers will instruct students regarding specific procedures and necessary safety precautions. In the event of an emergency, every attempt will be made to contact parents if a student requires immediate medical attention. Each student must have updated information on file so that the school has the necessary information to make the proper contacts.

In the event of an emergency, only the person(s) listed on the emergency card will be allowed to take students from campus. Please login to Aeries Parent Portal to complete and update emergency cards. If assistance is needed, please contact the front office.

Change of Address, Telephone Number, and Contacts

Parents/guardians who change telephone numbers or home address should login to Aeries Parent Portal to update their contact information. If Aeries Parent Portal doesn’t allow you to make changes, please inform the Attendance Office as soon as possible. For emergency reasons, it is important to keep this information up to date and accurate. Please list at least two usable phone numbers. List only those adults who have a legal right and your permission to pick up your child. Copies of any court orders need to be on file in the school office. It is the policy of Sundance Elementary School that your child absolutely will not be released to an individual not listed as an emergency contact without parental permission.

Field Trips

Properly supervised and planned field trips are an important part of the instructional program. Permission from a parent or guardian is required for all trips off campus. All parent volunteers, including field trip chaperones, must be approved prior to volunteering with students. This procedure takes time, requires fingerprinting and TB test, and must be completed in advance of any field trip.

Library

Classes visit the library regularly. Library books must be returned or renewed by the next visit. Students are responsible for the book(s) they borrow from school. Parents/guardians will be charged for damaged or lost books.

Playground Expectations

Students are expected to follow all PBIS expectations. In addition, students should:

Freeze when the bell rings. When the whistle is blown, students return equipment and walk to their line-up area.
Students must follow all instructions of playground supervisors and staff.

Consequences

Students who do not meet behavior expectations at school may receive one of the following consequences:

Detention or Responsibility Room during recess
After school detention
Parent contact or conference
Loss of privilege
Other consequences determined by school staff

Personal Responsibility

Students assume the responsibility for loss or damage to their personal clothing, equipment, books, and instruments. The school endeavors to protect all personal properties, but is not responsible for them. Large sums of money and articles of real or sentimental value should never be brought to school.

Dress Code

The following guidelines shall apply to all school activities:

Shoes must be worn with toes and heels covered.
Conceal undergarments and keep your tummy covered.
Hats shall not be worn backwards indoors.
Clothing, jewelry and personal items with words or pictures showing the use of drugs, alcohol or any other illegal or inappropriate activity is not allowed.

Use of Security Cameras

The Board of Trustees authorizes the use of video camera surveillance on District property and on vehicles used for District-provided transportation to promote the safety of students, employees, and visitors, and to safeguard District facilities and equipment from vandalism and theft. Designated District staff has identified appropriate locations for the placement of surveillance cameras. Signage is posted to inform students, employees, and visitors that surveillance may occur and that the system is actively monitored by school personnel. The violation of Board policies, administrative regulations, or the law may be used as evidence that may subject the student to appropriate disciplinary action and may be referred to local law enforcement, as appropriate. Video recordings may become a part of a student’s educational record. (Board Policy 3515)

Sexual Harassment

Beaumont Unified School District is committed to a work and educational environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Each individual has the right to work and learn in a professional atmosphere that promotes equal employment and educational opportunity and is free from discriminatory practices. Sexual harassment is a violation of Title IX of the Education Amendment Act of 1972, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and California Education Code. Therefore, the District strongly condemns, opposes and prohibits sexual harassment of individuals, whether verbal, physical or environment by anyone. Any employee who violates this policy will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination, and any students who violates this policy will be subject to discipline up to and including expulsion. As used in this policy and regulation, “sexual harassment” means unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, visual, or physical conduct of sexual nature, made by someone from or in the work or educational setting, under any of the following conditions: (a) Submissions to the conduct is explicitly or implicitly made a term of a condition of an individual’s employment, academic status or progress. (b) Submission to, or rejection of, the conduct by the individual is used as the basis of employment or academic decisions affecting the individual. (c) The conduct has the purpose or effect of having a negative impact upon the individual’s work or academic performance, or of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work or educational environment. (d) Submission to, or rejection of, the conduct by the individual regarding benefits and services, honor, programs or activities at or through the educational institution. (E.C.200-240, 212.5, 231.5 & 230, 48980(g) P.P. 5145.7