PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK
 PHYSICAL EDUCATION: All students participate in physical education class every day. You don’t need to be a “super athlete” to do well. You are graded on your participation, effort, and attitude. In grades 5 and 6 that includes dressing out for P.E.
Swimming is part of the P.E. program for about six weeks in the fall, and another six weeks in the spring. Everyone participates as in any other seasonal activity. You need to bring a one-piece swimsuit and towel, marked clearly with your full name, every day during swim season. All swim sessions are closely supervised by certified swim teachers and lifeguards. All students must have a swim permission slip signed by parents. Fifth and sixth graders need to purchase a P.E. uniform (black Pinecrest shorts, white Pinecrest shirt) and wear white socks and athletic shoes for P.E. Third through sixth-grade team members must purchase a personalized team shirt.
If you are ill or injured and need to miss P.E., you must bring a note from home or from your doctor, stating a specific medical reason for you to miss this required class. (A completed Readmission form from your doctor is required after 3 days of non-participation.) Fifth and sixth graders are permitted to substitute an outside team sport or physical activity, for a maximum of two days per week, for physical education with verification from an accredited school, program, or instructor. This permission must be renewed each quarter.
SPORTS TEAMS AND ELIGIBILITY: Pinecrest belongs to the San Fernando Valley Private School League and participates in flag football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, plus other sports selected by the League. If you are a student in grade 3 or above and are eligible to play, we welcome your enthusiastic participation. In order to be eligible, you must have a “C” average in your school work at the beginning of the sports season and have good classroom and campus citizenship. If you fall below eligibility level during the season, you will be assigned to Study Hall and your eligibility will be reviewed every week. You will be restricted from participation until you regain your eligibility.
If you decide to join a team, it is important for you to be at all practices. Your teammates depend on you! Good sportsmanship is the key to a winning team. We encourage you to try hard, play fair and have fun!
JUST REMEMBER, regular ATTENDANCE, a good ATTITUDE, and consistent EFFORT will allow you to have more fun at school.
Some other things you’ll need to know are:
BIRTHDAYS AND SPECIAL OCCASIONS:
Birthdays are fun, and we want to help you celebrate that special day here at school. We serve cupcakes and ice cream each month to everyone who has a birthday that month. Your teacher will give you a special invitation so you will know when it’s your turn to celebrate! If you donate a “birthday book” to the Library, we will put your name in the book as the donor.
CAFETERIA SERVICES: Breakfast is served daily from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. in the “Pinecone Café” (cafeteria). The cafeteria will close early on the mornings when programs or assemblies are scheduled. Most individual items are 50-cents to $1.50, including hot and cold cereals, bagels, muffins, cinnamon rolls, fruit juices and hot cocoa. Breakfast tickets may be purchased in either office or a pre-paid “Breakfast Club” card may be purchase for $10.00. Parents are always welcome to join us for breakfast.
Remember, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You think and work better if you eat a nutritious breakfast.
Lunch: Nutritious hot lunches are prepared fresh daily and served from the cafeteria. Your parents may purchase lunches for you on a monthly basis or for the entire year. If you want to buy a cafeteria lunch on an occasional basis, bring cash to the office at the beginning of the day and ask your teacher to add your name to the lunch count for the day. JK/Kindergarten through 3rd grade lunch tickets cost $4.50, 4th through 6th grade lunch tickets cost $4.75. We will give you milk (or juice, if you have a milk allergy) every day whether or not you buy a cafeteria lunch.
For safety reasons, do not bring glass containers to school, or food items needing microwaving or heating (i.e. Cup of Soup). Microwave ovens are NOT available to students.
We are a “Soda Free” school. We do not sell sodas on campus to students and students should not bring sodas from home.
STUDENT STORE: Our Student Store is open to 1st through 6th graders every day from 3:30 to 4:00 for the purchase of snacks such as crackers, chips, pretzels, cookies, fruit rolls and juice. Most items are 50-cents each. There is a drink machine on the upper campus and bottled juice or water may be purchased for $1.25 during Student Store hours. Fifth and sixth graders may purchase healthy snacks, including fresh fruit, during morning nutrition break.
Kindergarten and Junior Kindergarten students may go to the Student Store on Fridays after school. Bring money ($1.00 maximum) to the office in a SEALED ENVELOPE with your name on it. The Coach in charge of the Kinder students will give the children their money on Fridays to purchase a snack.
FIELD TRIPS: Class field trips to many interesting places are part of our school curriculum at Pinecrest. Members of sports teams also travel to other schools to compete in after-school athletics. In all instances where students leave campus under the authority of Pinecrest Schools, a signed parent consent form (Trip Slip) is required. Trip slips are distributed prior to the activity and must be returned to the office prior to the scheduled outing. Verbal permission or faxed trip slips will NOT be accepted. Details of each trip are given on the form. See the “Special Events Calendar” in the Pinecone each month for upcoming trips.
The curriculum activity for a field trip is the field trip itself. When you are on a field trip, you represent our school to people who do not know us, so your conduct on school excursions is very important. Your best Pinecrest demeanor is expected and required. Remember that the chaperones on the field trip are to be considered teachers and the same rules of conduct that apply here at school, apply on any off-campus trip. If you have difficulty maintaining this code of conduct, you will lose future field trip privileges and reductions of Campus Citizenship grade.
LIBRARY: Our beautiful Kathryn Burns Legacy Library is located in Room 63. There is a wide selection of both fiction and non-fiction titles, as well as encyclopedias and other reference materials and computer stations. Students may check out books during their weekly visits or at other times when the Library is open for study and reference, and must reimburse the Library for lost or damaged books. Fundraisers, including Book Fairs, help maintain and expand our multimedia Library. Donations of books and assistance are always welcome!
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