Before your observation please stop by the main office for a visitors badge and to sign in.

As a high-performing school district dedicated to best practices we encourage parent/legal guardian observations on a limited basis. In order to be proactive and ensure positive experiences for our teachers and students, we have created guidelines for classroom observations. It is greatly appreciated that you review these prior to your visit.

Classroom visitations or observations are limited for the following reasons:

• Confidentiality
• Impact on the learning environment
• Time away from task by staff
• School safety

The length of each visit should be no longer than 20 minutes, with a maximum of one (1) observation per semester, unless otherwise approved by the principal.

Should someone other than a parent/guardian request a classroom visit, he/she must have a signed parental permission form or be accompanied by the parent/guardian.

Observations should be scheduled (via email) with the site administrator in advance with the following information:

• Reason for the observation (objective)
• Position of the observer and relation to the child
• Specific standardized observational measures to be used (if any)

To ensure confidentiality of all students and lessen the impact on the learning environment, cameras or video and/or audio recording equipment are not permitted in the classroom. Observations are for a specific pupil, and information about other children cannot be shared, nor used as a basis for placement, diagnosis, or imperative data specific to other children.

All observers will be accompanied to the classroom or observation location by the site administrator or an administrative designee. The site administrator or administrative designee shall also make observational notes of the same visitation.

Additionally, we ask that cell phones be turned off or silenced. Our teachers will be prepared for your visit, so please arrive on time. If you cannot keep your appointment please call to reschedule (we are unable to accommodate late arrivals).

As an organization dedicated to maintaining a professional environment for all employees, we expect all communication with our staff to be conducted in a respectful and professional manner. If an email is hostile, inappropriate, or unprofessional, staff members will not be expected to respond. Maintaining a positive, respectful, and constructive communication environment is essential to our district’s values and standards.

As our parent community, you deserve the best and most responsive communication we can provide. To that end, we have created a communication protocol for our parents. It is based on these guiding principles:

1. Students and learning are the focus of our work, and communication that concerns student well-being and progress is a priority.
2. Parent communication regarding their child/ren should first and foremost occur with the child's teacher.

The first step for a parent to communicate a concern or information about their child should be to contact the teacher. Each teacher will provide parents with the best way to reach them (email or phone). Please contact the teacher before emailing or copying information to the principal or others. This refers to all school-related issues, including those that may occur before/after school or at recess. Teachers will return your contact within 24-48 hours (during the work week). In emergencies, please immediately contact the office staff who will locate a site administrator if necessary.

If there is a concern that cannot be addressed or resolved between the teacher and the parent, please follow the steps below in communicating with principals:

1. All requests for scheduling the principal's time should be directed to their secretaries. Each principal's secretary coordinates his/her calendar. Site administrators are normally most available before and after school in order to spend time during the day in classrooms providing instructional coaching. Please do not email the administrator to set up an appointment.
2. Email may be used to relay necessary information and should be succinct. Email cannot be used as a vehicle for sharing confidential information.
3. Information for student records can be shared/updated by the parent on Aeries (online) or a hard copy can be given to the front office.
4. If the website does not contain the information you need regarding school activities, questions should be directed to the teacher or school secretary.
5. Copying a site administrator is meant to inform but not to receive a response. Please include one person in the addressee line and those who are not expected to respond should be in the cc line.

The implementation of these protocols will allow the principals to be more timely in responding to parent concerns. By following these protocols, you will allow us to focus our work on teaching and learning.

Below you will find Larkspur-Corte Madera School District Field Trip Chaperone Guidelines, Driver Information Form (must be on file in the school office in order for a parent to be a driver on a field trip), and Field Trip Permission Slip (must be filled out for each field trip).

Field Trip Lunch Information

Field trip lunches are offered to students when a class field trip overlaps the lunch hour. Field trip lunches are not ordered online, they are ordered by your classroom teacher 10 days before the actual field trip. Your classroom teacher will send out an email asking if any students would like a field trip lunch. The field trip lunch is a sunbutter and jelly sandwich with fruit and vegetable.

Do not order lunch online for this day, and/or please DON'T FORGET TO CANCEL your student's lunch online at www.thelunchmaster.com

Questioning and How Our Brain Processes Information:

Here is the video recap

Here is the slide deck

Strategies for Parents to Support Students Communicating Their Thinking in Mathematics:

Here is the video recap

Here is the slide deck

Here is the parent resource

Strategies and Models:

Here is the video recap

Here is the slide deck that also includes the “cheat sheet” for many strategies your child might be exposed to