Welcome to Breen Elementary School—Home of the Bobcats!

We're thrilled to welcome you to our vibrant school community. Breen Elementary has a proud legacy of excellence in the Rocklin community and was honored as a California Distinguished School in 2008. We're grateful you've chosen Breen for your child's elementary education and look forward to partnering with you on this important journey.

At Breen, we are deeply committed to the success of every student. Together with the Rocklin Unified School District, our staff pursues a passionate commitment to learning, growth, and connection. We believe that a strong partnership between home and school is essential, and we value open, two-way communication to support your child's success.

This handbook has been thoughtfully created to answer many of the common questions families have about our school. We encourage you to read it carefully and keep it as a resource throughout the year.

There are many ways to get involved and support your child's educational journey—from joining our Parent Teacher Club or volunteering in the classroom to simply reading together each night. Every action, big or small, makes a meaningful impact.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher or to me directly. We're here to support you and your child every step of the way.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Palmer
Principal

Breen has worked diligently as a team to create a multi-year strategic plan for continued growth in our community of learners. We are fully committed to the following:

The Mission of Breen Elementary: A dynamic educational and nurturing school community, is to inspire our students to achieve their academic potential, to ignite a passion for lifelong learning, and to become responsible, well-rounded citizens by:

• Fostering a collaborative environment where each student's unique potential is recognized, cultivated, and celebrated
• Developing a culture where innovation is paramount

Board of Trustees

Rocklin Unified School District Administration

School Site Contact

Breen Elementary
2751 Breen Drive, Rocklin, CA 95765
Phone: 916-632-1155
Website: bes.rocklinusd.org

Administration

• Principal: Mrs. Palmer
• Secretary: Mrs. Molinaro
• Clerk: Mrs. Sandhu

Teaching Staff

Support Staff

• Academic Support: Mrs. Wise
• Health Aide: Mrs. Pojda
• PE: Mr. Lacoste
• Adapted PE: Mrs. Sellers
• Psychologist: Mrs. Rivera-Carabajal
• Resource Teacher: Mrs. Iwan
• Speech: Ms. Barbao
• VAPA: Ms. Nash
• Cafeteria: Mrs. Jackson
• Lead Custodian: Mr. Tomlinson

Office Hours: 7:15 AM - 3:30 PM

Weekly Schedules

Absences

Daily school attendance is essential for student success. By law, parents are required to send their child to school daily. Parents are strongly encouraged to schedule medical appointments during non-school hours. When students are absent, their absences must be cleared within 5 days or they will be marked as truant. Any absence after the 14th day of absence will require a medical note to be cleared as excused. Failure to improve attendance may result in referral to the Attendance Review Board.

Missed Work & Homework Requests

Students are allowed to complete all missed assignments and tests. If a child is ill for two or more days, parents can request homework by calling the office at least one day in advance for pick-up.

Notes from Parents

Please use both the first and last name of the student on all correspondence, especially when the parent and student have different last names.

Tardies

Punctuality is critical. Late students must check in at the office before going to class. Repeated tardiness can lead to the revocation of transfer requests and Referral to the Attendance Review Board.

Independent Study

If a student will be absent for 3 or more consecutive school days, they are eligible for Short-Term Independent Study. Please request this as early as possible. Note that contracts may be denied based on history and are not available during the first 2 weeks or last 3 weeks of the school year.

Appointments

To maximize instructional time, we only call students to the office once parents have physically arrived to sign them out. We do not accept phone-ahead pick-up requests.

Communication Channels

• Student Folder: Check weekly for the "Breen Bobcats" folder with key updates. Please sign and return required materials.
• ParentSquare: Primary tool for text, app, and email updates from school staff.
• School Website: Visit bes.rocklinusd.org and view our "Virtual Backpack" for digital fliers.
• School Newsletter: "The Bobcat Bulletin" is sent regularly via ParentSquare.

Visitations and Conferences

Visitor Registration: All visitors must sign in at the office immediately upon entering campus, show proof of identity, and wear a visible identification badge. No electronic recording devices are allowed in class without teacher and principal permission.

Conferences: Scheduled in the fall (end of first trimester) and spring (end of second trimester) on minimum days. Conferences are typically 20 minutes long.

Student Records: Cumulative student records are maintained by the district. Parents may review these records by scheduling an appointment with the principal.

Complaints, Volunteers & Site Council

Concerns/Complaints: First, address concerns with the classroom teacher. If unresolved, contact the school administrator, and then a district representative if necessary.

Volunteers: All volunteers must undergo fingerprinting. Preschool-aged siblings accompanying parents for workroom tasks are not allowed in school workrooms due to safety regulations.

Student Safety Policies

Our Board places the highest priority on preventing student injury. All visitors must sign in and out of the main office. Grades K-3 utilize a "buddy system" where students must have a companion when leaving classrooms.

Emergency Cards & Accidents

Keep student emergency contacts updated via Aeries Parent Portal. Children will only be released to adults listed on their emergency cards. In the event of a serious injury, 911 is called immediately and parents are notified.

Emergency Preparation & Disasters

• Please avoid calling the school or driving to campus during emergencies to keep telephone lines and access roads clear for responders.
• Tune to local radio stations (AM KAHI 950, KFBK 1530; FM KHYL 101, KBEB 92.5) for instructions and evacuation updates.
• ParentSquare will be utilized to push urgent, live safety updates to parents.

Arrival, Departures & Rules

Office Phone: Intended for emergencies only. Please make after-school plans with your child before school.

Traffic Rules: Use crosswalks. Do not stop vehicles inside crosswalks or block driveways (it is a moving violation). Do not use the bus lane for student drop-offs.

Dogs on Campus: Dogs are strictly prohibited on campus before, during, or after school hours (except for pre-arranged classroom presentations). Do not use school playing fields as dog parks.

Universal Meals Program

RUSD is participating in California's Universal Meals Program, which provides both breakfast and lunch free of charge to all students, regardless of eligibility.

• Student Meals: $0.00 (Breakfast and Lunch)
• Adult Breakfast: $4.00
• Adult Lunch: $6.00
• Second Student Meal: $6.00
• A la carte Milk: $0.50

Schedules & Accounts

Breakfast Timing: For Breen, breakfast is served during the 1st Recess.

Nutrition Benefits Form: Families are strongly asked to complete the online Income Form beginning July 1st to ensure our district receives maximum state funding.

Extras Account: While the first meal is free, students must have funds on their account or pay cash for second meals and a la carte milk. These items cannot be charged as a negative balance.

Dietary Accommodations: Substitutions for allergies require a signed medical statement submitted to Nutrition Services at (916) 624-1112 ext. 1.

Bus Passes

Applications for bus passes must be filed online each year. Processing and payment must be completed before students can receive services. Neighborhood stops are only available to students living within neighborhood boundaries; transportation is not offered for Intra/Inter-district transfers. Contact Transportation at (916) 624-9106 or buspass@rocklinusd.org.

Daily Stop Changes: Parents must send a written note or contact Transportation directly to authorize any daily stop changes.

Red Light Escort: School bus drivers will escort all students who must cross the street on which the bus is stopped.

Health Office Guidelines

Our health office provides temporary care for sick or injured students, staffed by a part-time health aide. Students cannot be diagnosed by health office staff.

Medications

All medications (prescription and over-the-counter, including Tylenol, cough drops, and creams) require a signed physician and parent authorization form on file. Medications must be brought to school in their original containers and locked in the health office. Students are not allowed to carry medications on campus, with the exception of emergency inhalers or Epi-Pens with active physician authorizations.

Health Screenings & Immunizations

Screenings: Mandated vision and hearing screenings are conducted periodically (TK, K/1st, 2nd, 5th, and 8th grades).

Immunizations: California law requires proof of standard childhood immunizations prior to enrollment. Students have 10 days from notification of missing doses to provide documentation, or they will be excluded from school. Medical exemptions must go through the CAIR-ME registry.

Home Hospital Instruction: Available if a physician certifies a student will be absent from school for 4 weeks or more.

CAASPP & Testing

Students in grades 3 through 6 participate in the California Assessment of Student Performance & Progress (CAASPP) each spring. ELPAC is administered to English Language learners. Standard score reports are released in Aeries by August.

Grading & Homework

We utilize Standards-Based Grading. Report cards summarize skill mastery levels rather than traditional letter grades. Homework is intended as an extension or independent practice of school instruction.

Promotion / Retention

Students must master grade-level expectations to be promoted. If a student is identified as at-risk for retention, academic interventions and student study teams are established to support improvement. Teachers must provide written recommendations if retention is bypassed.

Special Resources & Programs

• SST (Student Success Team): A collaborative team designed to find strategies to support students struggling academically or behaviorally.
• Special Education & Speech: Services are offered to qualifying students through IEPs, including resource rooms and language therapy.
• Counseling: General Tier I and targeted Tier II lessons and small-group skills programs are provided by the school counselor.
• GATE: Gifted and Talented Education testing options are available online. Breen features cluster classrooms within general education classes for grades 2-6.
• Arts & VAPA: Balanced Visual and Performing Arts instruction, including Art/Music Docent volunteer programs. Instrumental music (strings/band/choir) starts in 4th grade, with specialized lessons in 5th and 6th grades.
• P.E.: Students receive 80 minutes of specialized P.E. instruction per week, plus 20 minutes from classroom teachers.

Daily Rules & Items

Bikes & Scooters: Elementary students may ride bicycles, non-motorized scooters, and Class 1 e-bikes to school if safety rules are strictly followed.

Birthdays: Instruction time cannot be used to celebrate birthdays. Cakes, cupcakes, and sweet treats are not permitted. Parents are encouraged to supply healthy snacks (fruits, yogurt) and coordinate in advance with teachers. Invitations should only be handed out if the whole class is invited.

Books & Materials: Covered books and math tools are checked out to students. Lost or damaged items must be paid for before report cards are released.

Personal Property & Valuables: Label all sweaters, jackets, and lunch boxes. Unclaimed "lost and found" items are donated in December and June. Toys, electronics, and chewing gum are prohibited on campus.

Cellular Devices (Phones, Smartwatches)

Cellular devices are strictly regulated for grades TK-6:

• Must not be seen or heard from the morning bell until dismissal. This includes lunch, recess, and field trips.
• Must remain powered off and stored inside backpacks (or designated classroom receptacles).
• Violation results in confiscation. Devices will be stored in the main office for pick-up at the end of the day.

Elementary Dress Code

Clothing must cover personal body parts securely. Shirts must have strap(s) over the shoulder/neck, covering the front, back, and sides under arms. Bottoms must cover the buttocks. Shoes must have secure heel straps. Clothing depicting drugs, alcohol, violence, weapons, or explicit messages is strictly prohibited. Hats are permitted outdoors and inside if they do not interfere with learning.

Behavioral Philosophy

We leverage SWPBIS (School-Wide Positive Behavior Expectations and Supports) alongside the "Purpose Full People" social-emotional curriculum. Disciplinary measures emphasize instruction, helping students learn from mistakes, and restoring positive dynamics.

Bully Prevention

Bullying—including physical, verbal, written, or electronic aggression involving a power imbalance—will not be tolerated. Staff are trained to report observed incidents within one business day, and investigations are launched promptly.

Internet Safety & AI Policies

Cyberbullying: Online harassment, defamation, or slander using messaging or social media is illegal and subject to suspension/expulsion, even if initiated off-campus.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): RUSD supports district-approved AI tools under teacher supervision. Using non-approved AI programs at home or school to complete school assignments is prohibited.

Note: These organizations are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Rocklin Unified School District.

Catalyst Kids

Fee-based before and after-school child care programs operate directly on Breen's elementary campus. This program is supervised by the Rocklin Educational Excellence Foundation (REEF).

ELO-P (Expanded Learning Opportunities Program)

Offered at no cost to TK-6 students who qualify as English Language learners, are eligible for free/reduced meals, or are in foster youth programs. RUSD partners with Catalyst Kids to deliver academic support and after-school care on 177 school days, including during multiple school break periods.

1. Use of Volunteer Services (BP/AR 1240)

Volunteers assist with classroom support, instructional tasks, and student supervision under immediate credentialed teacher oversight. All volunteers must pass fingerprint checks, and present active negative TB clearance files (valid for 4 years).

2. School Visitor Registration (BP/AR 1250)

Visitors must report to designated check-in areas, record details on registers, present identification, and remain accompanied by staff while traversing grounds. Registration can be denied if there is reasonable cause that a visitor will disrupt normal educational practices.

3. Student Class Assignments (BP/AR 6152)

Assigning students involves careful tracking of gender balances, academic needs, behavioral profiles, teacher strengths, and student-teacher ratios. Parents may submit notes, but class placements are finalized through staff evaluations.

4. Grounds for Suspension and Expulsion (BP/AR 5144.1)

Students can be suspended or expelled for actions including causing/attempting physical injury, weapon possession, drug possession/use, robbery, property damage, tobacco use, obscene acts, bullying, or hate crimes.

5. Uniform Complaint Procedures (UCP)

UCP processes resolve state or federal compliance issues, program discrepancies, or unlawful discrimination complaints. Address concerns directly with the Office of the Associate Superintendent of Elementary Programs at (916) 624-2428.

6. Title IX & Gender Equity Notice

No individual shall face exclusion from, or discrimination within, district programs based on gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Our Title IX Coordinator is Director of Personnel Services, reachable at (916) 630-2428.