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Handbook

Dennis Chavez Handbook

DCES Parent Handbook

Handbook Essentials

Attendance Policy

APS School Attendance Policies and Procedural Directives 

Regular attendance is a key to school success. Students can learn best if they are on time and present in class daily. School districts and schools are held accountable for ensuring that all students meet high academic standards. On time, daily attendance is a critical component of this educational process.

It is understood that sometimes families may need support to help their child succeed. School staff can assist with locating resources within the school community.

School Attendance Procedures

  • A parent/guardian must notify the school that the student will be absent. Call 821-1810, ext. 2 for the DCES Attendance Line OR the parent may enter absence on ParentVue account.
  • A parent/guardian must notify the school each day that a student is signing out before the end of the instructional day in accordance with the notification procedure established by the school officials.
  • Teachers will take attendance daily.

Early Outs

Please limit late student check-outs (after 2:00 pm) to emergencies only. This is a busy time in the classroom and important class reminders/announcements are shared. 

Make-­Up Work

  • Students may complete work for all absences.
  • Students and/or parents are responsible for requesting make-­up assignments.
  • Students will have the opportunity to complete the work in a period of time equal to the number of days absent unless other arrangements have been mutually agreed upon by the parent and the teacher.

  • Teachers may need 24 hours from the time of the request to compile assignments. Please provide as much notice to the teacher when requesting make-up work.

Before and After School Arrival/Dismissal Procedures

pick up drop off map

Thank you for adhering to the following expectations regarding Drop/Off and Pick/Up. We have put these procedures in place due to student safety. We need to ensure all students remain safe until the student and traffic flow subsides. Failure to follow the below expectations will result in APS/APD Police becoming involved to assist us in ensuring our students safety.

Before and After School: Playground Closed 

The campus, including the playground, will be closed from 7:00 am-3:30 pm. Visitors are not allowed on the playground. We have duty staff on the playground before school beginning at 7:20 am, during recesses, and after school for dismissal.

Family members may walk their child to the gates near the playground before school to drop them off for the day.

Do not drop your child off before 7:20 am. If it is an abbreviated school day (inclement weather delay), please do not drop your child off before 9:20 pm.

Visitors are not allowed on the playground after school. When the bell rings, students will be dismissed to the parent pick up lane, the buses, after school program, or may meet family members or walk home from the front of the school.

During the first few days of school, parents/guardians may walk students to their line-up spots on the playground to help their child find their class/teacher. The principal will announce when the closed campus rules will begin. The campus will remain closed from 7:00 am -3:30 pm for safety and security reasons. 

Parent Drop Off and Pick Up Lane Information

Morning (AM)

The gates will open at 7:20 am each morning. If you arrive after 7:35 am, you must park and escort your child to the main office to be checked in for the day. Students arriving after 7:35 must be accompanied by an adult to check them in at the office.

Our staff will be on duty beginning at 7:20 am. Students may not arrive before this time as there is no adult on the playground for supervision. The front parking lot is not a drop off zone. Do not use this area to drop off your student. You can enter the designated area on the north side of our campus off Barstow.

Before the gates open at 7:20 am, please wait on Barstow St. right at the entrance to the car lane. There is usually a line and it is not respectful to cut in front of the line of cars waiting. Please do not pull into the car drop-off lane prior to 7:20 am, which blocks the staff parking lot. 

Students may only be let out of their cars when a duty teacher is present at the drop off area. 

Evening (PM)

The gates will open at 2:00 pm. Any students left in the Parent Pick-­‐Up lane will be taken to the office.

Parent Drop Off and Pick Up Lane Procedures:

  1. Driver must remain in the vehicle at all times
  2. Pull ALL THE WAY FORWARD as directed by the duty staff (3 cars can unload in the unloading zone at a time)
  3. Students must exit/enter from the passenger side of the vehicle ONLY
  4. Exit and turn West on San Francisco
  5. If these procedures are not convenient for you, please park your vehicle and use the crosswalk to come on campus

Parking Lots

Front Lot
  • Facing Barstow
  • Staff and Guest parking

This is NOT a drop-­off /pick-­up lane. This lot is for visitors with on-campus meetings, late arrivals/early dismissals, and designated preschool, SCS, or IGS parking permit vehicles. Preschool, SCS, and IGS eligible students will receive a parking permit from their teacher. Visitor parking is available beginning at 7:35 am, after the tardy bell.

South Lot
  • Facing San Francisco
  • Staff Parking
  • AM-­‐ Our south lot is reserved for Staff Members. Due to safety and traffic flow, the ENTRANCE closes at 7:20 am and opens up at 7:35 am. This is NOT a drop-­‐off/pick-­‐up lane. Families can use this parking lane for RGEC before school drop off PRIOR to 7:20 am. 
  • PM- The south lot is available after APS buses have left (around 10-15 minutes after dismissal) for families to pick up students from RGEC.
North Parking Lot
  • North of the basketball courts
  • Staff and Visitor Parking

This is designated as overflow parking for our staff and is open to visitors after 8:00 am.

Bus Lane

The Bus Lane is reserved for BUSES ONLY. Busses come and go throughout the day, therefore, cars are not allowed to drop off, pick up, or park in this area at any time.

Walking to School

Please use the crosswalks to cross safely. These are the only safe areas in which to cross. If you cross in any other area, you are putting your child and yourself at risk for a serious accident. Crosswalks are located at the corner of San Francisco and Barstow as well as the corner of Tina and Barstow. Please do not allow your child to cross through parking lots, instead, use the sidewalks.

Classroom Placement Policy

Class lists are not final until the 20th day of school due to circumstances around student enrollment. Great care is exerted in keeping classroom enrollment balanced as well as finding the optimal classroom placement for each child who attends Dennis Chavez Elementary.

Individual teacher requests will not be granted.

Students are given a minimum of two weeks to adapt to a new classroom environment before any changes in placement will be considered. After two weeks, if placement concerns are still present, the following steps will be initiated:

  1. The parent/guardian meets with the classroom teacher to identify concerns, to establish open communication, and to develop a plan to solve or minimize any concerns. The plan must be implemented for a minimum of two weeks before proceeding to step two. 
  2. After the plan has been implemented for two weeks and all cooperative efforts are exhausted, if the parent/guardian continues to have concerns, the parent/guardian must notify the principal via email or written letter about those concerns. The principal will arrange a formal conference with the parent/guardian and teacher to discuss the previous plan and its outcomes, as well as the continuing concerns. A placement decision will be made at this meeting and a record of the conference kept on file in the office.
  3. If a change in placement occurs, the principal will place the student according to placement criteria, which includes but is not limited to ESL requirements, Special Education requirements and other criteria for maintaining balanced classrooms.

Deliveries to Students (including lunch deliveries)

  • Gifts: Due to potential student allergies, health concerns, and instructional disruption, we will not deliver any gifts, flowers, or balloons to classrooms. If you wish to send in a birthday/holiday treat, please communicate with your child’s teacher to discuss the classroom policy.
  • Lunch: We will make every effort to deliver lunch boxes to students if forgotten at home. 
  • Fast food: Please limit fast food lunch deliveries to your child. This often causes a disruption to the classroom and to other students. Sugary drinks/sodas will not be permitted. If fast food delivery becomes frequent or becomes a problem, we may ask you to stop bringing fast food lunches to school. Door Dash and other food deliveries are not permitted.

Dress Code 

“Albuquerque Public Schools shall prohibit student dress that may present a health or safety hazard, violate municipal or state law or present a potential disruption to the instructional program. The APS Board of Education shall not allow for the imposition of punishment, discrimination or disparate treatment against a student based on the student's racial identity, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, cultural or religious identity and observances, household income, body size/type or body maturity or because of the student's use of protective hairstyles or cultural or religious headdresses.

Prohibited clothing and accessories include, but is not limited to:

  • obscene or violent language or images
  • depictions of alcohol or drugs or other illegal item or activity
  • racist content, hate speech, profanity or pornography
  • accessories that could be considered dangerous or used as a weapon

Hair color, length, style, including hair coverings or styles related to an individual’s personal, cultural or religious beliefs cannot be considered for disciplinary action.”

If an acceptable change of clothing is not available (i.e. some spare T-shirts will be kept in the nurse’s office), parents will be called to arrange for acceptable clothing to be brought to the school for your student. Inappropriately dressed children will wait in the administration office until their parents can provide a change of clothing.

Teachers are responsible for implementation and should adhere to the following procedure:

  1. If a student is out of dress code, the teacher will call the parent (immediately) and request a change of clothing.
  2. If the parent is unable to bring dress code attire, we have a clothing bank at school. The teacher will send the student with a note to the health room with documentation that they have contacted the family.
  3. The teacher will notify the counselor, health room staff, or administration if you feel a student needs assistance with dress code clothing (trip to APS clothing bank). 

Discipline Policy

Dennis Chavez ES will follow the guidelines in the APS Handbook for Student Success. Please review the handbook together so that children and parents will be familiar with the policies and expectations.

Our school uses a positive behavior system, Panther Paws, class Pawsitively Perfect Awards, in which students are rewarded for positive behavior on campus. Every classroom teacher will establish classroom rules and a process for recognizing, rewarding, and reinforcing positive behavior.

Electronic Devices (Cell phones, smart watches) 

The electronic device policy at Dennis Chavez Elementary School is in place to address concerns that are present when personal cell phones, smart watches, iPads, iPods, electronic books, MP3 players, etc... are on campus. Students are expected to bring their APS issued device (iPad, Chromebook) to school, charged, and with the charger every day.

This policy is regarding personal electronic devices. 

Common concerns include:

  • Disruption to the educational environment and learning process.
  • Theft of phones.
  • Misuse of phones (text messaging, photos, calls, etc.).
  • Right to privacy of students, staff, and visitors.

Rules governing the use of cell phones and smart watches on campus are as follows:

  1. Cell phones must be turned off, not just on vibrate when students arrive at school. They should be turned off throughout the school day.
  2. Cell phones and smart watches must be kept out of sight during the school day, including lunchtime (in a backpack, handbag, etc.).
  3. The district or school is not responsible for preventing theft, loss, damage, or vandalism to personal technology devices brought onto its property.
  4. Possession of another student’s phone or smart watch may constitute theft and will be disciplined accordingly. Violation of these expectations will result in disciplinary action that may include lunch detention, in-school suspension, etc. 
  5. In all cases, students using a cell phone or smart watch during the school day will be given a warning to put their device in their backpack. Students using a cell phone or smart watch a second time will have their phone delivered to the front office where it will be kept until a parent/guardian comes to pick it up.
  6. If a student disregards this policy with any personal electronic device, the item will be taken away and stored in the administrative office. Parents/guardians will need to retrieve the device.