"Home of the Bobcats"
Basha Elementary School
3535 S. Basha Rd. Chandler, AZ 85248
480-883-4400
D. Keith Falconer, Principal
Stephanie Strobel, Dean of Students
Carrie Duke, Student Services Coordinator
Contact Numbers
Office: (480) 883-4400 Vivian Arendt/Jina Chismar
Attendance: (480) 883-4403 Sharon Lacy
Nurse: (480) 883-4402 Sharon Coffin
Cafeteria; (480) 883-4404 Lupe Soto
Fax: (480) 883-4420
Basha Elementary Teaching Staff
All Basha Elementary staff are highly qualified, certified teachers and receive additional training in instructional strategies throughout the school year. They are responsible for conducting and attending grade level and school-wide meetings to ensure educational consistency. They follow a curriculum map for their standards to ensure that all are covered over the course of the year.
Curriculum
Basha Elementary School follows the state standards and strives to meet the needs of our diverse learners. All district adopted teaching materials are research based and provide additional resources for teachers to use when planning for whole group, small group, and individualized instruction.
Textbooks and Materials
Harcourt-Brace Trophies Reading Program
Six Trait Writing
Scott-Foresman Math
Social Studies and Science (books & kits)
Students Assessments
District Quarterly Benchmarks (K-6)
District Math Computation (K-6)
TerraNova (Grade 2)
AIMS (Grades 3-6)
DIBELS (K-3)
Diagnostic Reading Assessment (K-6)
Textbook and Teacher Made Assessments
Learning Environment
It is our goal to provide a positive learning environment which provides differentiated instruction, supports visual/auditory learners, provides constant feedback, student centered instruction with a multi-sensory approach. Our environment fosters independent study skills, provides small group instruction and self-motivation.
Support Services
Gifted
ELL for students learning English
Special Education
Speech
Reading Intervention Lab
Special Subjects
Our specials teachers follow the district and state standards that are provided for them. Students are assessed on their progress through district assessments, teacher made assessments, and students' self-reflection. Parents are provided academic and behavior information on their student's progress each semester in Physical Education and Music. Teachers and students follow a six day rotation that includes the following:
2 periods of PE
2 periods of Music
1 period of Library
1 technology session (computer class)
Students in grades 5 and 6 may participate in band or orchestra.
School Times
The school hours for Basha are: 8:30am – 3:00pm
At 8:25 am the first bell will ring. At that time teachers will pick up their students at a predetermined area and take them into the classrooms. School playground supervision begins at 8:05am. Please, NO STUDENTS ON CAMPUS BEFORE 8:05am!
Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students will be dismissed at 2:55 in order to help make their journey through the building a little easier and safer. Please make sure that you have communicated with your children and their teachers where you will meet them after school.
Class Placement
We want to meet the social, emotional and academic needs of all students at Basha. The placement of students into a classroom environment where the teaching style meets their learning needs is critical. Classes are created to balance diversity, behavior and academic achievement. The teachers and administrators have worked diligently to make sure classrooms are balanced and learning teams have been created that will bring success to all students. Please help us by encouraging your child as he/she becomes accustomed to a new learning environment, a new teacher and the opportunity to make new friends. Class Placements will be sent out electronically approximately two weeks before the first day of school.
Homework
Homework is a vital part of your child's academic success at Basha. It is used to:
reinforce class work, serve as a review tool, teach responsibility, develop good study habits, and alert you when your child is having difficulty. Homework will be assigned weekly. Expect 20-60 minutes per day depending on grade level and your child's academic level.
Child Care
Basha provides facility space to Kids Express, a before and after school program (6:30-8:30 AM and 3:00-6:30PM). For more information call 480-224-3915.
Curriculum Night
Please refer to our website calendar for current curriculum night information.
Enrollment Procedures
Please remember that we need a birth certificate, immunization record and proof of residency (utility bills and housing contracts will work) in order to enroll your child at Basha. The attendance clerk will begin by making sure that you live in the Basha boundaries and if you don't you will be asked to fill out an Open Enrollment Application.
Attendance
The school day is from 8:30am-3:00pm. The line up bell rings at 8:25am and students are marked tardy after 8:30. (Students are not to be on campus before 8:05am because there is no one on duty until that time.) If your child is absent or tardy for any reason, please call the attendance line (480-883-4403) or email Sharon Lacy (lacy.sharon@chandler.k12.az.us) to report the absence. If you would like to pick up your child's missed work for that day, please notify the office @ 883-4400 (or email your teacher directly) so that it can be ready by 3:00.
Student Messages & Deliveries
From time to time things are forgotten at home that need to be at school (i.e. homework, lunches, etc.). In an attempt to curtail interrupting the learning environment, we will email the teachers and send your messages (and deliveries) to the classroom twice during the day: once before lunch and once prior to dismissal. Please remember that with 1000+ students this becomes quite a challenge.
Traffic Flow and Parking
Again this year we all need to work together to make sure that our students get to and from school safely. We request that you encourage your kids to walk or ride the bus. Our traffic situation could be improved significantly if other available modes of transportation were used. If, however, you choose to drive your children to school, it is imperative that you refrain from double-parking or allowing our students to run between cars to get into an awaiting car in the traffic flow lane. As a service to you, 6th grade Safety Patrol students are on duty in the mornings and afternoons to help traffic along, as well as look out for students who are entering and exiting cars. We appreciate your patience and concern for safety at Basha.
Be considerate of our neighbors and do not park in areas clearly marked as “No Parking” zones. We recognize that finding parking can often be a challenge, but ask you to take the time to find safe parking for your children and vehicle. The Chandler Police Department has in the past and will again in the future issue citations to vehicles parked illegally.
Below are procedures that have been in place since the beginning of the school year. Please refer to these procedures if you have any questions regarding traffic flow.
- SLOW DOWN … in the drive-through lane, on Basha Rd. and on Sandpiper Rd. Speed bumps have been added in the school lanes to remind you to keep your speed low when on school property.
- When traveling south on Basha Rd. left turns are permitted for the parking lot area only. If you are picking up or dropping off a student, you must be in a single file line along the curbside. No ‘cutting' into the curbside line; that is, no left turns from Basha Rd. or coming straight across the street at Barberry to enter into the curbside pick-up lane.
- Parents that would like to PARK and WALK their children to school may park in the lot. PLEASE DO NOT DOUBLE PARK IN THE LOT waiting for your child to come to you. Students must be accompanied by an adult when coming and going from the parking lot. Please use the marked crossing lane when crossing to the school sidewalks.
- Handicap parking is only for those vehicles that have a handicap parking sticker/emblem/license plate. Please do not pull into these spots…even for a minute or because the lot is full.
- When dropping off or picking up students please pull as far forward as possible in order to let the most cars into the line and off the street. Your child will be helped into the car at that point by the safety patrol.
- Kindergarten pick-up and drop-off may use either flow lane to get to the pick-up area in the back of the school. The Kindergarten Drop-off/Pick-up area is for the use of the Kindergarten parents only. Please make sure your yellow Kindergarten Pass is clearly displayed. Remember to watch for students crossing the traffic lanes.
- Please have your students ALWAYS use crosswalks! There are now four crosswalks staffed with crossing guards for your safety and convenience.
- Please abide by ALL street signs adjacent to the school. The Chandler Police will issue citations to cars parked illegally.
Students Walking and Biking to School
Students walking to school need to stay on the sidewalks and cross only at the marked crosswalks. Skates must be removed before students come onto school grounds. Bikers need to stay either on the sidewalk or on the bike path riding with the flow of traffic. Once bikers are on the school grounds they must walk their bikes to the bike racks. Kindergarten and 1st grade students are not allowed to ride bikes to school. Please remember supervision on the playground begins at 8:05am.
Immunization Clinic
Immunizations must be current for your child to attend school. San Marcos Family Resource Center at 451 West Frye Road provides immunizations (call 883-4286 for times of service).
Breakfast & Lunch
A good healthy breakfast and lunch are very important for a child's over-all physical and mental development. Breakfast is served from 8:05-8:25am. The monthly calendar/menu provides you with the weekly nutritional breakdown of breakfasts and lunches provided for the students. Besides the paper copy sent home each month, you can access the current menu by going through the district website ww2.chandler.k12.az.us and go to Departments and then Nutrition and Food Services. The current menus are listed there. The elementary school breakfast is $1.00 and the lunch is $2.00. Milk, juice, cookies and ice cream prices are $.35. Nutrition Department and Food Service department has made some changes we are excited about. One of these is a new elementary menu with more 'serve-style' entree items, less prepackaged items, hot vegetables as side dishes, and whole wheat added to all homemade baked goods.
Personal Items
Please label your child's personal items with his/her name (backpacks, clothing, etc.) Also, it is a good idea to remind your children to check the lost and found if they are missing something. We will have periodic “last calls” on lost and found items and will then be taking the remaining items to a charitable organization.
Campus Safety
In the unlikely event of a school evacuation or lockdown, we will contact parents via email or phone to give information on the situation. We will report where and when to pick up your student when it is safe to do so. Please do not come to the school as this will add to the confusion that an emergency situation intrinsically causes and may block emergency vehicles from reaching our building.
We would like to make sure that we are providing our students with the safest possible environment. We are asking that all guests sign in at the front desk and put on a name tag before proceeding onto the campus. We want to know who is on campus at all times. Please help us by not joining your student on the playground during school hours. Safety First! Please…NO VISITING STUDENTS “FOR THE DAY” ALLOWED (E.G., COUSINS FROM NEW MEXICO, ETC.) NO ANIMALS ON CAMPUS WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM PRINCIPAL.
Note: Kindergarten parents...we will be providing a one-day adjustment period for you and your child. After the first day we would appreciate your help in not coming into the building in the AM. After the children have gained some independence we would love for you to come in and volunteer as much as possible.
Hot Days
As you are aware, July, August and September can be rather warm (OK extremely HOT). We will encourage the students to drink a lot of liquid and to limit their outside play and running around. PE and lunch recess will be held in the gym or classroom on those days that the heat index is above the recommended health standard. Water bottles are allowed and encouraged during hot weather. Please be sure the bottles are labeled and contain only water. *If a student chooses to use his/her water bottle to squirt water, that student will lose the privilege to have a water bottle. There are also drinking fountains on campus.
Bus Riders
Please help us out by making sure your students know where they are to get on and off of the bus. For the first week we will be putting a colored armband on your children's backpacks to help identify which bus they are to ride at afternoon dismissal. Please make sure that your child has this on their backpack before they leave the house in the morning.
Field Trips & Arizona Tax Credit
There will be a number of field trips that the different grade levels will be going on over the course of the next year. In light of state budget cuts, resulting in the districts' inability to adequately support field trips our only source of funding these trips is through Tax Credit Donations. The following guidelines will hopefully align and bring consistency to field trip language and practice within the district.
1) Any donation solicited from parents for field trip/s should be solicited as a tax credit donation.
2) Parents will not be asked to donate any specific dollar amount for a particular field trip, but will be encouraged to make a tax credit donation, no matter the amount, to the class/school.
3) Tax credit donations are encouraged throughout the year, however, early tax credit donations will allow for ample planning time for field trips.
Under State law ARS 43-1089.01, Arizona tax payers can receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit when they contributeup to $200 per year / $400 for married couples filing a joint return to field trips/extracurricularactivities in public schools.This cost parents nothing, assuming they are already paying Arizona state taxes. These additional funds mean that children benefit from more field trips, as well as, increased choices in different enrichment programs and activities.
Cell Phones
We highly discourage students from having cell phones on campus. If a cell phone is seen or heard before or during school hours on campus; 1st offense- the phone will be taken from the student for the remainder of the day and returned to him/her after school, 2nd offense- the phone will be taken from the student, he or she will lose their privilege to have a phone on campus and a call will be made to the parent to indicate where and when the phone may be retrieved by the parent. After school phone calls to parents must be made in the presence of a staff member.
Basha School News is GOING GREEN…
Part of being responsible citizens is to take advantage of opportunities that will help save our planet while addressing the reality of shrinking school budgets. This year we will provide you with the latest school and class information via the Basha Web Page. The Bobcat Tracks and PTO school newsletter are available at www.mychandlerschools.org/basha (or you may reach us by visiting the CUSD Home Page http://ww2.chandler.k12.az.us) and linking to our specific school web page. We will also be asking each family for an e-mail address where we can send both the school newsletter and any other school communication. Hard copies will be available in the front office or by request for families that do not currently have email available to them.
Volunteer / Workroom Safety
We want to encourage and thank you for volunteering your time and expertise at Basha. Please remember that young children/siblings are not allowed in the classroom or in the teacher workroom due to safety and insurance reasons, as well as, cute little brothers and sisters are very distracting to many of our students. We will be offering training on the different machines and computers found in the workroom and labs periodically. Thanks again!
No Smoking
Please remember that Basha Elementary School is a smoke-free facility. This includes the parking lot.
No Threats or Weapons
During the first few weeks of school, the principal will be visiting with each classroom regarding the rules and consequences surrounding specifically threats and weapons. He will be sharing what constitutes each, why they are not acceptable and the range of consequences that will be issued when someone chooses to violate the rule.
Classroom Parties / Balloons & Nuts
Birthdays and celebrations in general are a fun and important part of children's lives, however, we would like to ask that the instructional day be honored and that these types of activities be completed the last 15-30 minutes of the day. Please clear all specifics with the teacher before planning. Also, due to distractions and the numerous allergies found in different classrooms, NO BALLOONS and NO NUTS …Please! Remember that snacks being shared with the students MUST BE STORE BOUGHT and brought in the original packaging.
Before & After School Activities
There are a great number of before and after school activities available at school including; Running Club, Student Council, Choir, Media Club, Tutoring, Fit Club, Green Club etc. Clubs will vary from year to year and will be established as needed.
Character Counts
Basha Elementary promotes and teaches the six pillars of Good Character to their students. The six pillars are:
· Trustworthiness
· Respect
· Responsibility
· Fairness
· Caring
· Citizenship
Remember… Character Counts @ Basha El.
Parent Involvement Opportunities
In a school the size of Basha Elementary volunteers are vital, important and integral parts of our success. Opportunities for helping include; Classroom volunteers, PTO Board and PTO Activities, Site Council, Art Masterpiece, Junior Achievement, Copy Cats, etc.
Basha Site-Based Council
The responsibility of the Site Council is to review and monitor the current School Improvement Plan. This plan addresses school and district goals in the areas of academics, safety, parent involvement etc. Specifically, Site Council supports school-wide efforts in promoting an environment in which academic learning can flourish. More information will be sent home in the near future.
PTO Officers E-Mail Addresses
President: Cindy Therre-Dodge
Vice President:
Treasurer: Angie Geren
Secretary:
