Parent Resources

Office Hours

During school days office hours are 7:30-4:00.

Please call regarding to summer office hours.

School hours

Students should be at classroom lines every morning at 8:15; attendance is taken at 8:20 am
Regular Dismissal (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday): 2:44 pm
Tuesday, Early Dismissal for staff meetings: 1:44 pm
Minimum Days: 12:49 pm

The Carthay Handbook

This document was mailed to incoming families in August 2018.

This contains school policies, our instructional calendar, and a tentative schedule of events. Please keep this document on hand all year.

Lunch Menu and Rules

Children can bring their lunch or buy lunch from the cafeteria. The menu is available here. Free and reduced lunches are available for families who qualify. ALL PARENTS should apply for the lunch program each year, to help the school qualify for additional funding.

Student Interventions

Carthay teachers are all trained to provide differentiated instruction in the classroom, so that students are educated at the level appropriate for them.

In addition, there are opportunities for students who are behind or ahead to receive specialized instruction outside the classroom. For students identified as Gifted and Talented, there is a weekly pull-out class taught by STAR Education.

For students who are a little behind in reading, math, or other subjects there are a variety of interventions offered at Carthay. Students are assigned to work in small groups with a teacher or teacher's aid in the classroom. Some students who are behind grade level in reading are assigned a volunteer reading partner from Reading Partners.

All parents and community members are encouraged to help Carthay students through these various volunteer opportunities. Some require a weekly commitment; others are flexible and allow for drop-ins when your schedule permits.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering is a gift to the entire community. The Carthay School PTA needs your participation to support our community school and empower the administration, teachers and students to experience an education that goes beyond the borders of traditional learning. We have a community so richly steeped in diversity, knowledge and talent. It is our responsibility to capitalize on these resources to the benefit of our children.

The Carthay School PTA works very closely with the Carthay Parent Center to ensure that our efforts meet the needs of the school. We strive to emulate the philosophy instilled by our school principal, Ms. Hall-Johnson, and the teachers at Carthay. Our common goal is to provide educational excellence in a nurturing, creative and discovery filled environment. Our deepest desire is that our children will leave Carthay having fulfilled their individual potentials.

Most of the volunteer activities do NOT require specialized skills in so much as they require a positive attitude, a willingness to learn, a dab of flexibility and the desire to work with others. The opportunity to participate for an hour, a day, or more is available. We will work with you to find the activity or project that best fits your schedule, fulfills your desires, and offers you the reward of having made a difference. I'm here to help you find your role, and when you do find it, you'll be glad you did.

Valet Drop Zone

We're always in need of smiling faces to volunteer (less than an hour of your time!) at the valet drop off. So, if you've had the occasion to use this service or are looking for a quick, convenient way to support our school community, please contact fellow parent Audra Whaley to volunteer!

Volunteers Read to Carthay Kids

Among the wonderful volunteers who visit Carthay each week are employees of City National Bank and Reading Partners. Volunteers sit down with students to help create enthusiastic readers. We can always use more reading volunteers! Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or community members are all welcome to participate! See the Community Partners page for more details.

Homework Club

Homework Club is on Tuesdays from 1:40 - 2:30. It is not difficult - you can do this! It directly improves the children's lives. You do not have to commit long-term. The school librarian and the Paraprofessionals coordinates the Homework Club Volunteer List and sends an email to see who can make it for the coming week. The more grownups we have the better, because these kids really need and deserve one-on-one help. And if you know any high school kids who need Community Service hours, this would be great for them.

Master Gardeners

If you'd like to help in our garden, please contact our amazing Carthay Garden Chairperson, Teresa Dahl or our Master Gardener, Louisa Cardenas. See the Garden Partners page for more details.

Carthay PTA

There’s a lot going on with the Carthay Elementary PTA! The Carthay Elementary PTA is a supportive financial resource for the enrichment programs and other educational and academic needs at Carthay in addition to being a wonderful community of parents and teachers. If you have not joined the Carthay PTA, please do! Membership is only $8 per person and forms are available in the front office or the Parent Center and on this website. Supporting your PTA is supporting all of the children at Carthay! For more info, go to the PTA page.

Uniform Policy

School Uniform Policy Rules:

Carthay Center Elementary has a adopted school-wide uniform policy. We strongly encourage that your child wears a uniform. Not only is this easier and less expensive for you, but it also creates a sense of community and keeps the children focused on learning rather than what they are wearing. Students must wear:

navy blue bottoms, dresses, or jumpers
light blue, white, or navy blue tops with collars and sleeves
all dress must cover undergarments
closed-toed, appropriate footwear with socks must be warn at all times; no heels or platforms

You may purchase the uniforms at any department store and Target.

Students are expected to keep themselves clean, well-groomed, and neatly dressed at all times.

The uniform policy will be enforced Monday through Friday during the school term by the principal and teaching staff. Students are expected to wear a uniform daily, with exceptions noted below.

Every Thursday is College T-Shirt Day. If students do not come in a college t-shirt, they must wear uniforms as usual.
Every Friday is Carthay Spirit Day. Students and staff are encouraged to wear Carthay gear, including their blue and yellow Carthay shirts.
Students may wear appropriate "dress-up" clothes for picture days, and school-wide performances.

Uniform.pdf (PDF)

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Morning Rules

Students may not be dropped off at school before 7:55am.
Students may not be dropped off in the staff parking lot due to safety concerns.
Parents driving their children to school should drop off students at the Carrillo Drive gate to the playground.
School begins promptly at 8:20am for grades K through 5.
Students may not play sports or games in the morning before school. Students must remain near their designated line-up area until the bell rings.
Students may not be inside the building without an adult or a permission slip for any reason.
Students may not go to their classrooms without their teacher.
On rainy days, students should go directly to the auditorium and stay there until they are dismissed to their teacher.

Attendance Rules

Students should arrive at school by 8:15am and no later than 8:20 to allow time to walk with their teacher to the classroom.
Students who arrive at school after 8:20am can report directly to the classroom up until 8:35 am. The Teacher will mark the student TARDY.
Students who arrive at school after 8:35am MUST check in the office for a LATE slip.
Students who arrive after 8:20am must check in at the office for a late pass.
When a child returns to school following an absence, s/he must bring a note that:
- Explains why the child was absent
- Gives the date(s) of absence
- Is signed by a parent/guardian

After School Options

There are a limited number of spaces each year for the grant-funded STAR After School Program, five days a week, from end of school until 6pm. Signups are on a first-come, first-served basis at the end of each school year. Keep an eye out for the date when applications are due. The STAR program, which includes physical education, math, literacy, arts, dance, theater, and various extra-curricular activities, is free and appropriate for students who need after school programming five days per week until 6pm.
STAR Education has been selected as a model program by the White House and the U.S. Department of Education.

There are also STAR Nova enrichment classes offered every 8-10 weeks, which are open to all students. Pricing depends on the class. Different classes are offered each session; examples include culinary arts, gymnastics, language classes, chess, music, woodworking, and much more. STAR classes and programs are designed to encourage kids to explore, grow, encounter the world, and expand their cultural base.

For more information about STAR Nova at Carthay, go to carthaycenter.starinc.org

There are also other after school classes occasionally available, such as Samy's Camera Photo Camp.

Students not enrolled in other programs can participate in the Beyond the Bell program, also known as "Coaches." Students have time to do their homework, and then play in the playground under supervision. They can also enroll in STAR Nova and other extra-curricular classes and then return to Beyond the Bell when those classes finish - staff will check the students in and out of each class. Beyond the Bell is free and space is unlimited.