Families & Students
- Welcome to Pinon
- Bell Schedule
- Emergency Procedures
- Important Forms
- Inclement Weather
- Parent and Family Handbooks
- School Messenger
- School Supply Lists
- Technology Advisement
- Nurse's Corner
- Counselor's Corner
- Student Discipline
- Pinon School Calendar
- Parent Newsletters
Welcome to Pinon
Welcome to Piñon Elementary!
On behalf of the staff at Piñon Elementary School, I am happy to welcome you to the 2023-2024 school year! We are looking forward to a productive partnership with you to ensure our children can achieve their highest potential.
We recognize that to be successful in school, our children need support from both home and school. We know a strong partnership with you will make a significant difference in your child’s education. As partners, we share the responsibility for our children’s success and want you to know that we will do our very best to carry out our responsibilities.
We ask that you guide and support your child’s learning by ensuring that he/she:
-
Attends school daily and arrives on time, ready for the day’s learning experience
-
Completes all homework assignments given by teachers
-
Reads daily to develop a love for reading and to improve literacy skills
-
Shares school experiences with you so that you are aware of his/her school life
-
Informs you if he/she needs additional support in any area or subject
-
Knows that you expect him/her to succeed in school
Please check the website often for updates and reminders. You can also stay connected by reading any E-Alerts and School Messenger updates. We are all looking forward to the new school year and I thank you for your participation in your students’ education. Please do not hesitate to contact me or schedule an appointment if you wish to discuss any issues or challenges regarding your child. I feel privileged to be a part of this school family.
Sincerely,
Ivanna Austell
Bell Schedule
Bell Schedule (M, Tu, Th, F)
7:30 am - 8:15 am: Before School Activities & Breakfast - Early Bird Club
8:15 am: Breakfast Service Starts & Playground Supervision Begins
8:25 am: 1st bell Students report to classrooms for Move-It Time
8:30 am: 2nd Bell School begins
10:15 am - 10:30 am: Morning Recess
11:45 am - 12:30 pm: PK-Kinder Lunch
12:00 pm - 12:45 pm: 1st-6th Lunch (Sack lunch on Wednesday, K-6)
2:15 pm - 2:25 pm: Afternoon Recess
3:30 pm: Dismissal PK-6th grade (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday)
12:00 pm: Dismissal K-6th grade on Wednesdays
Bell Schedule (K-6 Wednesday)
7:30 am - 8:15 am: Before School Activities & Breakfast - Early Bird Club
8:15 am: Breakfast Service Starts & Playground Supervision Begins
8:25 am: 1st bell Students report to classrooms for Move-It Time
8:30 am: 2nd Bell School begins
10:15 am - 10:30 am: Morning Recess
12:00 pm: Sack lunch and Dismissal
Preschool Hours
NM 3Y Program
AM Session: 8:30 am - 11:30 am
PM Session: 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
No Preschool on Wednesday
NM 4Y PreKinder Program
8:30 am - 3:30 pm (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday)
Lunch: 11:45 am - 12:30 pm
No Preschool on Wednesday
Emergency Procedures
Should an emergency or disaster situation ever arise in our area while school is in session, we want you to be aware that the schools have made preparations to respond effectively to such situations. In fact, public schools in New Mexico are built to meet stringent construction standards, and they may be safer than your own home in the event of a disaster.
Should we have a major disaster during school hours, your student(s) will be cared for at this school. Los Alamos Public Schools have detailed emergency response plans, which have been formulated to respond to a major catastrophe. While the specific details of these plans cannot be made public, we will provide any information necessary for your emergency planning needs and peace of mind, in case of an emergency. After you have thoughtfully reviewed this process, please sit with your child(ren) and help them to understand that it is necessary for them to follow the directions of any school personnel in times of an emergency drill or actual emergency situation. The safety of all depends on all personnel and students treating drills and emergency directions with serious respect.
Your cooperation is necessary in any emergency:
- Do not telephone. You can receive updated information through an emergency communication system, provided by the school district and Los Alamos County. Telephone lines may be needed for emergency communication.
- In the event of a serious emergency, students will be kept at their schools until they can be picked up by an identified, responsible adult who has been listed as such on a LAPS emergency card, which is required to be completed by parents/guardians at the beginning of each school year. Please be sure you consider the following criteria when you authorize another person to pick up your child at school:
- S/He is 18 years of age or
- S/He is usually home during the
- S/He could walk to school, if
- S/He is known to your
- S/He is both aware and able to assume this
During an extreme emergency, students will be released at designated reunion sites, to be identified by the Incident Commander and located on school campuses. Please instruct your student to remain at the school until you or your designee arrives.
- Turn your radio to AM 1610 for emergency If students are to be kept at school, radio stations will be notified. If electrical service is not affected, information will be relayed via LAPS to the radio and television broadcast media. In addition, information regarding day-to-day school operations will be available by accessing our website, or subscribing to our E-Alerts web-based system. All sites have hotline numbers, which will be updated.
- In the event that any emergency takes place during the time that students expect to be transported to or from school:
- If students are on the bus at the time, they will be kept on the bus, and the driver will ask for assistance through radio contact with the school and district
- Any child who is home waiting for the bus will not be picked up and remains the responsibility of the parent or
- In any situation, if the student’s bus does not arrive at the stop within fifteen (15) minutes, the student should return
- In the event that an emergency occurs in the afternoon, the driver will make every attempt to continue delivering the students to their homes. Should road conditions prevent the driver from delivering students to their home or to school in the morning, the students will be delivered to the nearest district site, and that site’s personnel will communicate with home school personnel to inform them of the students’
- In case of a hazardous release event (i.e. chemical spill) near the school area, Shelter procedures will be implemented to provide “in place” All students and staff will clear the fields, report to their rooms, and all efforts will be made to prevent outside air from entering the classrooms during the emergency. “Shelter-In-Place” signs will be placed in classroom windows or hung outside classroom doors during a drill or emergency. Students arriving at school during a Shelter drill or event should report to the school office or to a previously designated area at the school because classrooms will be inaccessible. When the dangerous incident has subsided, an “all clear” signal will be given.
In the case of a county-wide evacuation, which would include the schools, that evacuation would proceed in accordance with the protocols established in the Los Alamos County Emergency Operations Plan. Please access the County’s website for this county-wide evacuation plan.
Parental Roles in Emergency Preparedness
- Discuss the Standard Response Protocol with your child(ren)
- Please make sure to update your student’s school emergency Call or come by the school to update. Remember to update again when necessary.
- Sign up for E-Alerts on the school and district You’ll be notified by email whenever an emergency results in a delay, cancellation, or early dismissal.
- As part of your family plan, know your student’s Please check the accuracy of this schedule with your child.
- Parents with students currently taking emergency medication (i.e. medication for diabetes, seizures, anaphylaxis, asthma, etc.), please provide the nurse with a three-day supply of medication in a prescription container that is clearly marked with your child’s name and Please include doctor’s orders for the prescription and parental permission for a dispensation of the medication and any special storage instructions.
- Notify and provide the school with the special dietary needs of your
You might want to think about having your student have a change of clothes and personal hygiene articles (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, contact lens kit) in their locker.
Please discuss these matters with your immediate family. Planning ahead will help alleviate concern during emergencies.
Important Forms
Inclement Weather
The decision to close school or delay the start of school will usually be made by 5:30 A.M. We will be coordinating with Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Los Alamos County on all decisions about a delayed start, cancellation, or early dismissal In general, if the Lab is on a delay, school opening will be delayed; if the Lab is closed due to weather, our schools will usually be closed. When school is dismissed early or canceled for the day, all after school programs including athletics (both home and away contests) and activities are canceled.
School Cancellation
A “snow day” plan will be declared when snow and weather conditions warrant.
-
Visit the District Office homepage announcements at www.laschools.net
-
SchoolMessenger will send out email/text notifications. If the parent or guardian is signed up to receive messages
-
Watch one of the local morning news programs
-
Information Lines:
-
District Office: 663-2223
-
Aspen Elementary: 663-2277
-
Barranca Mesa Elementary: 663-2732
-
>Chamisa Elementary: 663-2472
-
Mountain Elementary: 663-2327
-
Pinon Elementary: 663-2682
-
Los Alamos Middle School: 663-2377
-
Topper Freshman Academy and Los Alamos High School: 663-2512
-
Delayed Start
Any activities before school are canceled on snow days.
Students should arrive at school for these start times:
-
10:30 A.M. - Elementary schools (On Wednesdays, no school when there is a two-hour delay)
-
Busses will arrive at bus stops two hours later than the usual pickup time
-
Parking lots will usually be cleared and ready for buses and cars by 7:30 A.M. Please allow our maintenance staff to clear the parking lots.
-
Sidewalks will usually be cleared by 8:00 A.M.
Early Dismissal
On rare occasions, schools will dismiss early because of unusually heavy snowfall during the day. The Superintendent, in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory and Los Alamos County staff, makes this decision. When the decision to dismiss school early occurs, it generally precedes county and laboratory closings. For that reason, it is important for students and school staff to proceed home quickly in order to avoid traffic congestion within the county. If your personal information changes, especially the phone number, you must inform the school office so that we can contact parents.
Parent and Family Handbooks
School Messenger
LAPS uses the School Messenger system to notify parents for reasons that impact safety and academic performance of students.
Once your child is enrolled at LAPS, you will be automatically enrolled to receive email notifications from School Messenger. LAPS highly recommends that parents also sign up for text messaging so that they may receive important announcements via text, such as emergency notifications. To sign up for text messaging, please follow these instructions in English or Spanish.
If you have a student in one of our schools, please ensure that your school contact information and emergency contact information is up-to-date.
If you need to make a change to your contact information, please call or visit your school office.
School Supply Lists
Technology Advisement
The purpose of any computer utilization is to enhance the educational experience. All students and staff are required to have a signed district Technology Agreement on file. Use of computers is a privilege and not a right. Inappropriate use will result in the cancellation of those privileges. Pinon administration will determine what is inappropriate use and that decision will be final. Inappropriate use will result in the closing of an account at any time or by removal from a computer-based class.
All parents of Pinon students must read and sign the following technology user agreement before they are allowed to use their assigned school device.
Nurse's Corner
Dear Parents/Guardians:
It is always a pleasure to care for your children each school year. As the school nurse, my job is to help keep your child healthy and IN SCHOOL. Our door is always open to discuss any health problems or other care issues. Children learn best when they are healthy, well rested, and have had nutritious meals and snacks.
Required Paperwork:
-
Current Immunization record, up to date
-
Annual Physical Exam*
-
Annual Dental Exam*
-
Medication Permission Forms
*Physical and Dental exams are not required annually. Only for PreK, Kindergarten, and new incoming students to the district must submit these forms.
How Sick Is Too Sick for School?
Please contact your school or refer to your school’s attendance policies or handbook to learn more about excusing your student for illnesses
Whether or not to keep a child home from school isn’t always an easy decision. It is obvious that a very ill child does not belong at school, but there are lots of days when common sense isn’t enough to make the choice. The following discussion may give parents some helpful guidelines.
To begin, children with fevers should not be in school. Remember that ill children sometimes have normal temperatures in the morning but become feverish by afternoon. A child with a fever the afternoon before a school day should stay home the following day. Returning to school is appropriate after 24 hours of being fever free. Definitions of “fever” vary, but it is generally accepted that the line is crossed somewhere between 100 and 100.4 degrees F. On the other hand, some children feel very ill with small temperature elevations.
Conditions making students too uncomfortable to participate in class are also reasonable grounds for remaining at home. Examples are urinary tract infections, painful injuries, and nagging coughs. Sometimes the school nurse can help make students more comfortable and keep them at school. An example is the administration of pain medication as needed for healing fractures (see the section on Medications at School). Parents may also consult the school nurse with questions about whether or not to keep a child home from school, or with questions about how the school environment might be modified to accommodate a student’s problems.
Finally, children with contagious diseases, spread by contact or coughing or sneezing, should stay home. Examples of these are influenza, chicken pox, and strep throat. A child with strep throat may return to school after 24 hours of antibiotics if feeling well enough. Recent reports have stated that the common cold is most contagious during the first three days of infection. Of course, every child with a sniffle cannot miss school, but consideration for other students and staff is expected and appreciated. Children should be reminded to use tissues to cover coughs and sneezes and ESPECIALLY to wash hands frequently.
Children with colds should be kept home as appropriate. Constant coughing and sneezing are sufficient reasons to do so. Another infection condition is conjunctivitis, or “pink eye”. Though the state Department of Health no longer requires exclusion of students with pink eye from school, most Los Alamos pediatricians recommend staying at home for the first 24 hours of treatment. Parents may request that the school nurse check on a child returning to school after an illness. Sometimes a child seems well enough to return to school in the morning but parents are concerned that the child may not feel well later.
Please, use the checklist below as a tool to determine whether or not to keep your child home from school.
-
Does your child have a fever of 100.0 or greater ?
-
Has your child vomited one or more times in a 24-hour period?
-
Has your child had diarrhea one or more times in a 24-hour period?
-
Does your child have complaints of a sore throat that is accompanied by fever, headache, stomachache, or swollen glands?
-
Does your child have complaints of a stomach ache that is accompanied by a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, sharp pain, and/ or hard belly?
-
Does your child have a persistent, phlegmy cough?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, please keep your child home from school and consider seeking medical attention, your child could have a serious or contagious illness.
Other Important Tips to Remember:
-
Please keep your child home until they have been fever, vomiting, and diarrhea free for at least 24 hours without the use of medication or until a doctor indicates that they can return to school.
-
If your student has mild cold symptoms, a headache, or a stomach ache that is not accompanied by fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, they can attend school providing their symptoms are not preventing them from participating or concentrating at school.
-
If a child has an unexplainable rash, it could be contagious. Please seek medical advice before allowing your child to come to school.
-
Earaches are not contagious. Children can come to school as long as they can concentrate on their work.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Pinon's School Nurse, Teri Kerstiens, RN t.kerstiens@laschools.net 505-663-2687
Nurse Forms
Teri Kerstiens, RN
School Nurse
505-663-2687
Counselor's Corner
A Message From Mrs. Byers
My name is Mrs. Byers. This will be my 6th year as the School Counselor here at Piñon and I'm excited to continue to support students, staff and families in this new school year. I was born and raised here in White Rock and went to school at Chamisa. I moved to Albuquerque to go to UNM to study Psychology and Counseling then decided to move back home to be closer to family. My favorite activities are camping and fishing and watching my 3 year old daughter grow up. I am looking forward to working with all of you to support your children on their educational journey! Go Panthers!
What does a School Counselor do?
I work alongside teachers and parents to help students develop socially and emotionally, and to help remove any barriers they have to learning! Please visit my website for more information: https://sites.google.com/view/byerswebpagelaschools/home
How do I support students?
- Classroom lessons teaching social skills, how to take care of strong feelings, study skills, etc.
- Small group counseling
- Short-term individual counseling
- Consultation with parents and teachers regarding academic concerns
- Parent engagement
- Community resource referrals (including longer term therapy services)
How do students see a School Counselor?
- Self-referral
- Parent referral
- Administrative, teacher, or other staff referral
- Counselor observation
How can I support Parents?
- Helping to handle social or emotional concerns you have about your child here at school
- Improving parent-child communication
- Family difficulties or concerns that affect your child at school
- Referrals for community resources
- Understanding the developmental changes of childhood
- Discussing concerns about your child’s academic achievement
I look forward to working with you all this year!
Contact information:
663-2686
Student Discipline
STUDENT BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS
-
Piñon’s school rules are:
-
Be Safe
-
Be Responsible
-
Be Respectful
-
-
Piñon’s Vision Statement is
-
100% of Piñon students will Be Kind and Learn
-
STUDENT RIGHTS
Pinon students have the right to:
-
Feel emotionally, physically, and intellectually safe while at school
-
Manage their personal space and property
-
Ensure that their educational needs are met
-
Be treated fairly and courteously by everyone in the Piñon School community
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Pinon students are expected to:
BE SAFE
-
Students will follow all class and school rules, procedures, and protocols
-
Students will use all materials, texts, and equipment correctly and with care
-
Students will behave in ways that make others feel safe in school
BE RESPONSIBLE
-
Students will follow directions the first time they are given
-
Students will bring to school all required books, supplies, and materials daily
-
Students will work carefully, completely, and to the best of their ability
BE RESPECTFUL
-
Students will behave in ways that support effective teaching and learning
-
Students will honor the personal space, property, and materials of others
-
Students will treat each person in the Piñon School community with respect
SCHOOL-WIDE BEHAVIOR MATRIX
POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT
In effort to ensure a positive school climate and provide a safe and effective learning environment, Piñon uses a school-wide Positive Behavior Support (PBS)/CHAMPS program. This learning based approach helps us systematically teach and recognize appropriate behaviors. Additionally, it guides us in measures to correct undesired behaviors.
DISCIPLINE
Most classroom issues will be dealt with by the teacher or other adults in the room, however if a behavior becomes serious enough, or extends beyond the classroom, a discipline referral can be written by any staff member. Piñon staff use a Connect & Correct card (Yellow Card) for this purpose, as a means of recording and reporting Level 2 behavior issues. This card serves as a data point, as well as notification to the student’s teacher.
It is the teacher’s responsibility to notify parents of each issue as it occurs. When deemed necessary and appropriate, the principal or counselor will then schedule a parent conference to review the issues and make a plan.
SPECIFIC LEVELS OF STUDENT BEHAVIOR
Level 1
Level 1 behaviors, unless persistent and dangerous, will be addressed by the staff member in the moment, or soonest possible moment. A staff member who observes a Level 1 infraction corrects the student at the time and in the setting where it occurred. No Yellow Card is required but teacher documentation and parent contact is suggested. Expect an email from the teacher.
-
Name calling
-
Use of bad language including racial slurs
-
Arguing or minor fighting with no physical contact
-
Instigating fighting among others
-
Being disrespectful to adults or other students
-
Congregating for inappropriate conduct
-
Inappropriate clothing (revealing/not dress code)
-
Running in hallways or other areas other than assigned play areas
-
Instigating or spreading rumors
-
Taking others’ belongings
-
Making a mess in the bathroom
-
Not following directions
-
Talking too much in class/disruptive
-
Not completing assigned work
-
Breaks classroom material
-
Refusal to work (unless combative)
Level 2
Level 2 behaviors are any chronic or repeated Level 1 behaviors. These don’t require administrative involvement but do require documentation.
A staff member who observes a Level 2 infraction will:
-
Assign a consequence (apology) or use a Connect & Reflect form
-
Complete a Yellow Card or a Connect & Correct card
-
Give the Yellow Card to the homeroom teacher. The teacher will notify parents
Level 3
The following are examples of behaviors that are considered major offenses and will result in immediate administrative intervention:
-
Improper touching or verbal harassment (sexual)
-
Threats of bodily harm, harm to self, harm to school
-
Major fighting (thrown punches or kicks)
-
Drugs, alcohol, smoking
-
Verbal assault, aggressive defiance
-
Defacing school property
-
Weapon on campus
-
Severe harassing or bullying
-
Racial, religious, or sexual harassment or offensive comments
A staff member who observes a Level 3 infraction sends the student to the office or calls for help to remove the student, then completes a yellow card and email parents.