Handbook

This Parent/Student Handbook has been created to help you and your student be successful at Zuni.

Zuni ES Student Handbook

Attendance Line: (505) 881-8313, ext. 4

Albuquerque Public Schools strongly believes that daily school attendance is necessary for students to fully benefit from the instructional program.  Excessive absenteeism, regardless of the reason, will negatively impact student academic achievement.

• A parent/guardian must notify the school each day that the student will be absent in accordance with the notification procedure established by the school.  Only the student’s parent/legal guardian may report an absence.
• A parent/guardian shall keep the school informed of your current address and phone number for emergency notifications. 
• A “Safety Call” will be sent out to the parent/legal guardian if the student is not recorded as present.
• An “absence” call will be sent out to the parent/legal guardian at 10:30 AM and again at 4:30 PM if the student still is not recorded as present.
• Absences may be excused for the following reasons with appropriate documentation:
  • Illness (including chronic illness documented on a health plan, IEP or 504 plan)
  • Limited family emergencies; family deaths
  • Medical, health or legal appointments
  • Suspensions
  • Religious commitment
  • College visit
• Limited extenuating circumstances as approved in advance by the school principal
• All absences for other reasons are unexcused, including:
  • Family vacationsoutside of the normally scheduled school break
  • Non-school sponsored activities or trips.
• Absences follow the student throughout the school year, from semester to semester and from school to school.
• The parent/legal guardian of those students who reach the two (2) day unexcused absences will receive a phone call. 
• The parent/legal guardian of those students with five (5) day unexcused absences will receive a phone call. Parent/legal guardian will be required to sign an attendance contract w/the school staff.
• The parent(s)/legal guardian(s) of students who have 10 full day unexcused absences will receive written notice of the habitual truancy by mail or by personal delivery.

Excessive Absences

• Absences due to school-related activities shall not be included when evaluating excessive absences.
• A student shall not be allowed more than ten (10) school-related absences per class per semester.
• State law requires schools to withdraw a student after ten (10) consecutive days of absence. 

Tardy

• Students who are tardy for class shall receive consequences.
• If excused, parents shall notify the school in accordance with the notification procedure established by the school.
• Parents must escort their tardy student to the office to sign in.

Review the complete APS Attendance Policy

Cell phones for elementary age children are discouraged. If your child must have a cell phone at school, it should be in their backpack, and it must remain turned off at all times including lunch and recess. Failure to follow this policy will result in the phone being confiscated. Parents may pick-up confiscated phones in the office. School personnel will not be involved in any investigation into lost, stolen, damaged, or missing cell phones. It’s important for parents to take responsibility for actively supervising student cell phone use carefully. We have experienced student who have been involved in conflicts generated by texting and phone calls outside of school that carry over to the academic environment.

Review the APS Personal Electronic Devices Policy 

Zuni students are expected to have high standards of person conduct, which should be reflected in dress and grooming. Student’s attire should promote a positive, safe, healthy, and focused academic environment. Parents of student shoes attire or grooming is a distraction from the academic process, as outlined below and/or determined by staff, will be notified to correct the situation.

Our administration and staff has the discretion to determine the appropriateness of personal appearance in an academic environment. It is the parent/child’s responsibility to ensure that children’s appearance is appropriate in an elementary school.

The following guidelines will help families determine what is appropriate for an academic environment where pride in learning and good taste direct choices:

1. No attire or accessories which advertise, display, or promote any drug, including alcohol or tobacco, sexual activity, gang-like association, inappropriate language, violence, disrespect, or bigotry toward any group.
2. No attire that may be perceived as associated with gang related activity.
3. No revealing attire such as spaghetti straps, halters, tank tops, muscle shirts, lowcut blouses, short shorts and skirts (5” inseam minimum for shorts, skirts should be no shorter than 3” above the knee unless worn with leggings or shorts underneath), bare midriff, off the shoulder, or excessively tight clothing.
4. No underclothes should be in sight.
5. Belts should hang no more than 2” outside the buckle.
6. No buckles, spiked jewelry, changes, rings, or jewelry that could be used to cause harm or distraction.
7. No cosmetics or makeup. Students who come to school wearing makeup will be sent to the nurse’s office to wash it off. Any makeup, including lipstick or gloss, will be confiscated.
8. Hair should be worn in an appropriate style that is not distracting to other students.
9. Appropriate footwear for playground should be worn daily (no high heels).
10. Hats and sunglasses that follow the above guidelines may be worn outside only.
11. Piercing body parts (except ears) and gauges are not allowed.
12. All shoes should be flat. No heels, platforms, or wedges, even if they have the appearance of looking similar to a tennis shoe.

Children who are in violation of Zuni’s dress code will have the option of changing into clothes from the nurse’s office, or calling parents to bring them appropriate school clothing.

We appreciate parent’s support of all items in our dress code so that children’s attention remains on their job – learning.

Review the complete APS Student Dress Policy

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