Information

​Safety and Emergency Preparedness

The safety of our students is our first priority at Cielo Vista Charter School. Our staff has developed plans and preparations for major emergency situations. Our school personnel receive training, and emergency drills are held monthly to make sure that students and staff understand the emergency procedures.
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Cielo Vista Charter School gates and individual doors are locked during school hours. With one emergency call, our entire campus is trained to put the campus on full lock-down. All classrooms have telephones and an emergency code to contact the office. Key personnel have hand-held communication radios to call the office and police at any time.
All teachers and classified staff are trained in CPR and are recertified as required. The school is equipped with emergency food, water and first aid supplies in the event that students and staff must remain on campus for a length of time (such as after fire or earthquake).

Visitors: All visitors must check-in at the school office, wear a badge while on campus and sign-out upon exiting CVC.
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Regular and sporadic checks are made on campus for strangers. The Palm Springs Police Department patrols the perimeter of the entire CVC campus regularly. If at any time you see suspicious behavior, contact staff immediately
Playground Rules
​Treat all others with respect, the way that you want to be treated. (No fighting, insults or bad language)
Respect and follow the directions of all staff and school volunteers the first time.
Stay in the assigned and supervised areas only, never play in the restrooms.
​Be responsible for yours and others safety at all times. Use all equipment safely. Leave trees, fences, sticks and rocks alone.
​DO NOT TALK TO STRANGERS THROUGH THE FENCE
Stay on school grounds at all times until you are picked up by an authorized adult.

​Bell Schedule

Regular Day Schedule 

7:30 Supervision Begins    Grades 1 – 8
7:55-8:00 Line-up for class Grades TK - 8 
                  Tardy / Classes Begin Grades TK - 8
8:52-9:03  Nutrition Break Grades 6, 7, 8
9:25-9:40  Primary Recess Grades 1,2,3
9:44-9:55 Nutrition Break Grades 6, 7, 8
10:00-10:20  Secondary Recess Grades 4 & 5 
11:00 - 11:45 1st lunch – Kindy/1st  (11:00 K lunch) (11:20 1st lunch)
11:20 - 12:05 2nd lunch – 2nd / 3rd (11:40 lunch) 
 11:40 - 12:25 3rd lunch – 4th / 5th (12:00 lunch)
12:31 - 1:16 4th lunch - 6th / 7th / 8th 
1:45-2:00 Recess Grades 1, 2, 3
3:00 Dismissal All Grades
Wednesday/Minimum Day Schedule 
7:30 Supervision Begins
8:00 Classes Begin 
8:37-8:48   Nutrition Break Grades 6, 7, 8
9:14-9:25   Nutrition Break Grades 6, 7, 8                                               
9:25-9:40 Recess Grades 1, 2, 3
10:00-10:20 Recess Grades 4 & 5
11:00 - 11:45 1st lunch – Kindy/1st (11:00 K lunch) (11:20 1st lunch)
11:20 - 12:05 2nd lunch – 2nd / 3rd (11:40 lunch) 
11:40 - 12:25 3rd lunch – 4th / 5th (12:00 lunch)
12:31 - 1:00 4th lunch - 6th / 7th / 8th 
1:00 Dismissal All Grades
½ eat/play, ½ play/eat (Rainy/Hot day - use SLP shaded area between 1st & boys bathroom, excuse students to library when not eating, tables under shade structure)

Lunch Menu

Attendance

School attendance is compulsory in California. Children are excused from attending school only for illness, medical or dental appointments, a court appearance (for the child), or death of an immediate family member. Teachers and staff at Cielo Vista Charter School believe strongly that regular school attendance is required for academic success.
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AbsencesAll absences should be reported by a telephone call to the school the same day as the absence. If you do not call the school, a written excuse is required when the student returns to school. Excuses such as missing the bus, visiting with friends, or personal reasons are unexcused by the State and are considered instances of truancy. A doctor’s note may be requested by the school of absences of four (4) or more days.

The excuse note should give:
  • Date of absence
  • Date that the note was written
  • Reason for the absence
  • Name of the child(ren)
  • Parent signature
​Tardies:
​School begins promptly at 8:00 a.m. Arrivals after the bell has rung are considered tardy. All tardy students must check-in at the office and bring the tardy slip to his/her teacher. Tardies count against perfect attendance.

Excessive tardies can result in parental referral to the Child Welfare and Attendance Office for failure in getting their child(ren) to school on time. Parents will receive a letter referring them to the School Attendance and Review Board (SARB).
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Students should NOT arrive earlier than 7:30 a.m.
There is no supervision before 7:30 a.m. or after 3:15 p.m.
IllnessSick children should not be sent to school. Keep emergency numbers up-to-date so that you can be reached in case of illness at school

It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to call the CVC office at 760-416-8250 and clear absences. We monitor attendance very closely and regularly!
Independent Study
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If a student is going to be out two or more days, you MUST tell the school and teacher and fill out Independent Study papers before the absence occurs with 48 hours advance notice. All forms must be accurate and signed by all required parties prior to the absence. Class work must be turned in promptly upon return to school in order for the student to receive credit. Independent Study requires two forms that must be picked-up in the Cielo Vista Charter School office. One is on yellow paper and another is in triplicate.

Transportation

​Cielo Vista Charter School does not provide transportation. It is the responsibility of families to determine how children will arrive and depart from school on time each day. A note must be sent to the CVC office if a student is to change his/her regular routine (walk or be picked up). Please do not wait until the last moment if you are calling on the telephone with this information. Office staff may not have the time or the manpower to get the message delivered on time.

Walking:
Always cross the street at the corner or in a crosswalk (especially in front of the school). If students are crossing in front of the school, they should cross with the crossing guard. Watch for cars when crossing the street and cross only when it is safe.
Each second and forth Wednesday of the month, the PTG leads “Walk to School Wednesday.” Students and their families are encouraged to meet at the Demuth Park tennis courts, and walk together as a group. This activity encourages health habits and reduces the school community’s carbon footprint.  For the many students that live miles away from school, “Walk to School” also gives them the opportunity to feel a sense of community with fellow classmates.
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Bicycles:
​Students in 1st-8th grade may ride bicycles to school. Students must have helmets and locks. They must park and lock their bicycles in the bike rack in the fenced bicycle area near the front office

​Handbook

Cielo Vista Charter School Handbook
​Each year, families receive a copy of the Cielo Vista Charter School Parent and Student Handbook, which includes additional school policies and information all students and their parents are expected to follow.
PLEASE NOTE
Our Governing Board makes ALL decisions regarding CVC uniforms. If you have any questions or concerns regarding our school uniform policy, please feel free to bring them to the attention of the CVC Governing Board.

After School Program

Cielo Vista Charter School is an ASES (After School Educations and Safety) site. Through this program, Palm Springs Unified School District and The Family YMCA of the Desert provide homework assistance, enrichment and physical fitness. The ASES program operates on the CVC campus on regular and minimum school days until 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
 
Students involved in the ASES program participate in enrichment activities such as: Drama, Ballroom Dancing, Gardening, Music Lessons, Nutrition Education, Community Service Learning, and much, much more.
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Contact: Vivian Enrique, YMCA Program Director, (760) 898-0172 for more information.