Oxford Elementary School
1130 Oxford Street    Berkeley, California   94707    (510) 644-6300

THIS YEAR:    August 2007 - June 2008

Bell Schedule
Classes begin at 8:00 am. Students are met on the upper yard by their teachers and walked to class. On Wednesdays, classes are dismissed early.
Please note that no playground supervision by Oxford Staff is available before 7:45 am.

We cannot be responsible for children dropped off before 7:45 am or left on the playground after 2:30pm.

After school, you may meet your children on the upper playground at dismissal time, and teachers will walk students who take the bus down to the bus stop at the Walnut Street gate. Students may NOT wait in front of the school on Oxford Street. If you are late to pick up your child, you can find him or her in the office.
There is no after-school yard supervision (unless your child is enrolled in the Oxford Afterschool Program).

For more information about the daily bell schedule, click here.

2007-2008 Teachers and Staff Roster

Click here for the 2007-2008 Teacher and Staff Roster.

Calendar of Events and Holidays
Click here to view the important dates for the year.

After School Program (O.A.S.I.S.)
The Oxford Elemetary after school program is called "O.A.S.I.S. - Oxford After School Inspires Students." It runs Monday though Friday, from the end of the school day until 6:00pm. On early dismissal days the O.A.S.I.S. program also starts early, as soon as classes let out. Note that there is no after school care the first week of school (Wednesday though Friday).
The program does not take place on school holidays.
The monthly fees are on a sliding scale based on gross monthly income and family size. We are committed to working with our families to ensure that anyone who needs after school care can take advantage of our program. The full Program Fee for the 2007-2008 school year is $360.00 per month (one child, 5 days per week, full cost). A second child would be an additional $180.00 per month (50% sibling discount).
Registration takes place during the first week of school.

Breakfast and Lunch Program
All students receive the 2007-2008 Elementary School Menu, featuring the breakfast and lunch menus for the year, and information about the BUSD Nutrition Services. Please refer to this menu for details about the food services at Oxford, or click here to go to the BUSD Food Services website.

Universal Breakfast - New This Year!
Oxford Elementary now serves Universal Breakfast free to all students, every day. These breakfasts include a healthy entree, fresh fruit or fruit juice, and milk. Some classes have their breakfasts first thing in the morning, and other classes have it as a snack just before morning recess.
The Universal Breakfast program was started in 2005 as a pilot program at LeConte Elementary School. Since then it has spread to other Berkeley Public Schools, and all school are expected to have Universal Breakfast by the end of the 2007-2008 school year. It is funded through a federal grant and state reimbursements, and aims to provide students with trans-fat-free corn-syrup-free food in the morning.

Lunch
A hot lunch is served every day, and is $3.00 per day. Lunch "Fast Passes" may be purchased for a monthly fee determined by the number of school days in the month. Free and reduced price lunches are available to those who qualify.
Lunches include an entree, fresh fruits and vegetables, grain, salad bar and organic milk.

Milk
For children bringing their own lunch, organic milk is available for 50 cents.

Money and checks should be given to the classroom teacher on Monday mornings, or on the same day of the purchased lunch. Checks should be made payable to "BUSD Food Service".


Candy, soda, gum, and sunflower seeds are not allowed at school.

Administrative Policies
Attendance
Children are to arrive at school between 7:45 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. prepared to go to class and start the day as part of the class community. Daily instruction begins at 8:00 a.m. When children are late, they disrupt the learning of other students.

IT IS THE PARENTS' RESPONSIBILITY TO HAVE CHILDREN AT SCHOOL ON TIME.

Students coming to school late must sign in at the office and get a pass to class. Please be advised that students who are 30 minutes late three times or absent 14 days are truant according to the California Education Code.

Absences
State financial support for Oxford Elementary is based on the actual attendance days of its students. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary for parents to:

• Call the school office to report your child's absence (644-6300);
• Send a dated note of explanation on the first day the child returns to school after an absence;
• Send a dated note when you want your child to be excused early for a medical reason;
• If you take your child from Oxford during school hours, you must sign him or her out in the office.

Discipline
The State of California Education Code lists offenses which may be grounds for restricting or suspending a child from school.

As parents and teachers, our first goal is to help children understand why certain behaviors are unacceptable, and to give them appropriate ways to solve problems they encounter. General Rules that all other rules relate to are:

• Oxford students take good care of themselves and each other. They are respectful.
• Oxford students arrive at school on time, ready to learn. They are good learners.
• Oxford students clean up after themselves and take care of the school and the materials they use. They are responsible.

We have zero tolerance for fighting of any kind at Oxford.

A Note About Suspension
When other means of correction fail to bring about good conduct that allows teachers to teach, all students to learn, and office workers to do their work, California's Education Code, Section 48900 provides for suspension from school of students who have "disrupted school activities or otherwise willfully defied the valid authority of supervisors, teachers, administrators, school officials, or other school personnel engaged in the performance of their duties." At Oxford School, due to lack of space, suspension requires that students remain at home.

Conflict Resolution at Oxford
To help children settle their problems in a successful, healthy way, Oxford teachers and staff have received training in and committed themselves to promoting development of conflict resolution skills with all our students.
In a process called "Talk It Out", the children are directed to:

1. Stop. Cool off.
2. Talk and listen to each other.
3. Find out what you both need.
4. Brainstorm solutions.
5. Choose the idea you both like.
6. Make a plan. Go for it!

There are three "Talk It Out" rules:

1. Treat each other with respect.
2. No interrupting.
3. Work to solve the problem.

Adults are available whenever students, after trying themselves, are not able to resolve an issue or solve a problem.

Disaster Procedures
In the case of an extremely severe earthquake or other disaster, children will be kept at Oxford until you and your children can be reunited. We have school-wide procedures, a plan to care for the safety and well-being of all students, and some supplies for the emergency. If the building needs to be evacuated, we will "set up camp" on the lower playground. At no time will your child be left unattended. Should the entire school site including the lower playground be unsafe, your child will be transported, upon instruction from the Superintendent, to another site. If telephone service is disrupted, parents will be notified by the AM radio stations KCBS/740, KRE/1400, KSFO/560, and /or KGO/810 where school populations have been placed.
Parents should tell their children what to do if an earthquake occurs while he/she is walking to school or returning home.

If you would like to help us be prepared for major emergencies, contact Tiana Alnas-Benson, the school secretary, at 644-6300, and she will pass your name along to the "Disaster Committee".