FAQ

We are happy to help you find answers to the questions you most frequently ask as quickly as possible. Please browse the information below, and if you still need more information, please don't hesitate to give us a call. We're at your service!


My child is ill and should stay home from school. What do I need to do to excuse the absence?

Please contact our office at (520) 375-8670 by 10:00 a.m. to notify us of the reason for your child's absence. For the safety and protection of our students, we will contact you if your child is absent and we have not received notice. Regular attendance is essential to school success; however, we know that there are times a child must miss school due to illness or other unique circumstances. We require written notice and prior approval for long-term absences in situations where it is absolutely necessary. Our administration strongly discourages taking vacations during school time.

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My child has been absent from school and will need to makeup his/her work. What is the procedure for obtaining the missed work?

We require the student to take responsibility for asking teachers for make-up work for excused absences that are less than three days or for excused absences due to a school-sponsored event. If a student has been absent for three days or more, we will permit parents to phone in a request for homework. You will be able to pick up the assignments at the end of the school day. We require that the student make up the work within the number of days the student was absent, plus one day.

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Does Calabasas School enforce a dress code?

At Calabasas, we are committed to preparing our students for the future. This preparation includes academic, social, and job skills. The classroom is the student's “workplace”, and we expect them to dress accordingly. Please read our required K-8 dress code policy that is available within the right-hand panel of Our School page.

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My child must take medication during school hours. What is the procedure to set this up?

We require the student's parent/guardian and the prescribing physician to complete and sign the medical authorization form. Please pick one up in the school health office.

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What is Homebase/SSR?

We have implemented a highly effective and productive program that is mandatory for all of our students. Homebase is a 30-minute period where the students engage in “silent sustained reading.” This program is well researched with proven, positive results.

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How often will I receive progress reports and report cards?

We issue progress reports approximately five weeks into each nine-week grading period, and we mail home report cards at the end of each nine-week period. We require parents to pick up their child's report card during parent/teacher conference at the end of first quarter.

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Why does my child need a student ID card? What if my child loses or misplaces his/her card?

Safety and security on campus is a big priority for us. We issue all students an ID card and lanyard, which all students must wear while on school grounds. Our students must have their ID card to access the library and the cafeteria and to be admitted into extracurricular activities on campus. We request that students who have lost their card report to the office for a replacement so that they will not be denied access to the library or cafeteria. We charge a $3.00 replacement fee for cards and $2.00 for lanyards.

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Will you permit my child to have visitors on campus?

We do not allow students to have visitors (friends or family) with them on campus at any time during the day or for special activities, and the principal must pre-approve any adult/parent visitors. We enforce this policy to minimize distractions to the educational process. There are no exceptions.

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How much do school lunches cost?

We provide a daily hot lunch or a la carte items from the snack bar. You may view our menus on the district Food Services page. Please note that we require students to maintain a positive balance in their meal account. We are pleased to inform you that all children attending our school district will receive breakfast and lunch at no charge to them during the 2013-14 school year.

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How do we participate in the free breakfast and lunch program?

We are pleased to inform you that all children attending our school district will receive breakfast and lunch at no charge to them during the 2013-14 school year. Providing meals to children is a growing challenge. In order for the district to provide meals to all children, it is necessary that we take advantage of all available funding resources. One such resource is the reimbursement program for free and reduced-price meal benefits from the United States Department of Agriculture. During our first year of providing no-cost meals to all children, the Department of Agriculture asks us to gather income information from families. We appreciate your cooperation in answering these questions. We will not have to do this after two to five years of the program. Please return the meal application to the main office at your child's school. Please see our district Food Services page for more information.

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How do I ensure that my child will receive an important notice during the school day? May I send a special delivery on his/her birthday?

We will give personal messages to students during regular class times only when it is an emergency. The principal will determine the emergency situations. We may call students out of class over the intercom system either before or at the end of the school day to come to the office for personal items and messages. Students should not be dependent on parents to bring in forgotten items. We will not call students from their regular classes unless it is an emergency, due to the distraction this causes in the educational process for all our students. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to deliver the messages we received after 3:00 p.m. We do not allow floral and balloon deliveries at our school; these items are a distraction to the educational process. Thank you for respecting our policy.

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What is the daily school schedule, and are there any special instructions for dropping off and picking up students from school?

Yes, please visit Our School page to read our daily schedule as well as our drop off and pick up procedures.

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Students watching Polar Express