Families & Students

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.

3. 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.
4. 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’
5. 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.

School Forms

Permission to Publish

• 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

• 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.

23-24 Piñon Parent-Family Handbook

23-24 Piñon Preschool Handbook

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.

2023-2024 School Supply Lists

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.

• Ethical Use Of Technology Board Policy 6144r

• Permission To Publish

All parents of Pinon students must read and sign the following technology user agreement before they are allowed to use their assigned school device.

• Grades Pk-2_technology User Agreement

• Grades 3-6_technology User Agreement

• Current Immunization record, up to date
• Annual Physical Exam*
• Annual Dental Exam*
• Medication Permission Forms

1. Does your child have a fever of 100.0 or greater ?                                
2. Has your child vomited one or more times in a 24-hour period?      
3. Has your child had diarrhea one or more times in a 24-hour period?
4. Does your child have complaints of a sore throat that is accompanied by fever, headache, stomachache, or swollen glands?                              
5. Does your child have complaints of a stomach ache that is accompanied by a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, sharp pain, and/ or hard belly?
6. Does your child have a persistent, phlegmy cough?      

• 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.

• 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)

• Self-referral
• Parent referral
• Administrative, teacher, or other staff referral
• Counselor observation

• 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!

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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 

• 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)

• 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

• 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

Pinon School Calendar

Back to School Newsletter 7/23