You’ll see it’s easy to register your child at Desert Oasis! Just fill out the paperwork in our school office when you come to register your son or daughter. Please don't forget to bring your child’s birth certificate, immunization record, social security number, and the address of the last school he/she attended.

You can stay updated by checking this Web site often. You'll find it is an easy way to stay informed and energized about Desert Oasis Elementary School. We also provide your child with a “student agenda” to keep homework assignments organized. We invite you to check your child’s planner daily.

The student agenda enables students to organize their daily assignments, keep track of homework, and to set goals. The agenda also provides an excellent tool for parent-teacher communication. It contains a calendar, various educational resources, organizational tools, and the Student/Parent Handbook explaining all rules and procedures of Desert Oasis Elementary. Students are encouraged to obtain a 3-ring binder for the agenda and other important information provided by the school and/or teachers.

Desert Oasis Elementary School welcomes parent volunteers. Please contact your child’s teacher to find out what types of volunteer activities would be appropriate and most beneficial. We ask that all volunteers first check in at the office before entering the campus. Involved parents really make a difference; we appreciate your participation and support.

Yes, the cafeteria serves breakfast and lunch daily. We serve delicious and nutritious meals for our students and guests. We serve breakfast in the classrooms each morning free of charge for all students.

At the beginning of the school year each student receives a lunch account number. We ask parents to put enough money in the child’s account to cover anticipated lunch expenses. You can send money to school with the students, deliver it personally to the cafeteria office, or mail payment to the school. We accept cash or checks. Please ensure that your child has sufficient money in his/her account, brings money daily, or brings a lunch from home. 

We offer free and reduced price lunches to qualifying students. Please stop by or call the school office at (623) 533-3901 with any questions. 

We care about what our students wear – appearance is part of inspiring our kids to be engaged, energized, and have fun at school. Based upon careful and extensive research and community input, we believe the dress code benefits our students for the following reasons:

• To enhance a climate for learning. 
• To ensure campus safety and security. 
• To instill school unity and pride. 
• To eliminate label competition. 
• To promote affordable dress. 
• To uphold modesty standards.

Required uniform for boys:

Solid white or solid hunter green top with a collar and sleeves (short or long). No visible logos on the shirt. This may be either a polo type shirt or a dress shirt. Navy blue pants or shorts, without visable logos. No denim or corduroy allowed for either top or bottom.

Required uniform for girls:

Solid white or solid hunter green top with a collar and sleeves (short or long). This may be either a polo type shirt or a blouse. Navy blue long pants, walking shorts, jumper, skirt, or ‘skorts’ with no visible logos. No parachute, denim, corduroy, or stretch fabric allowed for either top or bottom.

We recommend you drop off your child between 7:30am and 7:55am. We provide supervision 30 minutes prior to the school start time, therefore please do not allow your student to enter campus prior to that time. Upon arriving to school, students shall report to their designated supervised play area.

Students arriving to school after the designated start time must check in at the front office prior to going to their assigned class. Late students will be marked tardy. 

Upon dismissal, students must leave the school grounds immediately unless they have parental permission to be involved in a school sanctioned activity after hours such as sports, clubs, tutoring, etc.

Before School Rules

• Remain outside on the playground until the bell rings
• Use equipment in manner it was designed for
• When bell rings, line up in your “parking spot”
• Wait quietly for your teacher to pick you up

After School Rules

• Walk quietly and safely to your designated exit
• Stay calm and quiet while waiting to be picked up
• All students must exit the campus within 15 minutes after dismissal

Closed Campus
Desert Oasis Elementary School is a closed campus. This means that no student may leave the school grounds during school hours. Students are required to eat lunch at school. They may eat the lunch provided in the cafeteria or bring lunch from home.

We do not allow bicycles, skateboards, or roller blades on our campus due to saftey and security concerns.

Students arriving to school and entering the classroom late cause a disruption to the learning environment. Please ensure that your child arrives to school on time. We consider a tardy “excused” when a contact (note, call, etc.) from  the parent, teacher, doctor, or dentist verifies the late arrival. Students who have excused tardies may not be able to earn all their possible “Make Your Day”  points for time missed.

Parents, please call the school office by 9:30 a.m. if a child is going to absent from school, or late to school. If a child does not arrive at school, we want to be sure he/she is safe with you.

Please try to schedule appointments after the school day. If you must pick your child up during the school day, please report to the office in order to have them paged from their classroom. Students will not be called from their classroom until the parent/guardian is physically present in the office. No students will checked out 10 or fewer minutes prior to the actual dismissal time. 

Please remember students will only be released to individuals listed on the Emergency Card filed in the office and with proper identification. Please, do not go directly to the classroom to check your child out early. Please send a note to school with your child on the morning of the early dismissal. Include the time and reason for the appointment.

Please inform the school of any change in your child’s transportation before 2:00 p.m. – otherwise your child will need to go home as usual. A student may not ride or walk home with another student or get off at a different bus stop without a note from a parent or a timely call to the office.

Please refer to the school calendar for the scheduled conference days. We are most willing to schedule a meeting any time during the year. Please feel free to call and arrange a time at your convenience. We find that communication between school and home allows us to support each other, so contact your child's teacher as soon as you feel a need.

K, 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Grade students will receive a grade report at the end of each nine week quarter. Grades are cumulative through the grading period and based on the following scale:
E = Excellent   
S = Satisfactory 
N = Needs Improvement

All K-3 Special area classes are also based on the E, S, N or NI system.

4rd-8th Grade students will receive a grade report at the end of each nine week quarter. Grades are cumulative through the grading period and are based on the following percent scale:
90-100%  = A  (Excellent)   
80-89%    =  B  (Above Average)
70-79%    =  C  (Average)
60-69%   =   D  (Below Average)
0 -59%     =  F  (Failure)

All 4-8 special areas classes will also be based on the A-F scale.

Progress Reports
Progress Notices are sent home each quarter. A teacher may send a Progress Notice at any time. Parents are encouraged to call their child’s teacher whenever there are questions or concerns regarding academic progress.

Please help your child prepare for class each day. We ask that your child have the student agenda, pens, pencils, paper, and other necessary tools for learning. We will provide any needed textbooks and/or workbooks.

We encourage agenda use for all grades. The agenda enables students to organize their daily assignments, keep track of homework, and to set goals. The agenda also provides an excellent tool for parent-teacher communication. It contains a calendar, various educational resources, organizational tools, and the Student/Parent Handbook explaining all rules and procedures of   Desert Oasis Elementary.

We recommend that your child not bring cell phones, radios, tape recorders, Walkmans, Gameboys, electronic devices, expensive jewelry or large sums of money to school. We do not allow the following items on campus or at any school activity and we will confiscate them unless written permission is given by an administrator. These items include but are not limited to:

• Cell phones and related technology
• Portable stereos, ipods, cd players, etc.
• Personal sports equipment
• Aerosol cans or hair spray
• Knives or guns of any kind or size
• Weapons of any kind or size
• Any type of electronic games
• Gum, candy, or sunflower seeds
• Laser pointers

School discipline should protect persons and property and nurture the physical, social, mental, and emotional growth of its youth. School policies specifically limit the opportunity of any individual to interrupt another student’s educational growth. We believe discipline exists to make possible a good educational program and to protect the welfare of those who participate in the program.

The school nurse may administer medication only if she has a signed parent consent allowing this. You may request this form in the school office. We ask that you list emergency contact numbers for use when parents cannot be reached. Please list at least two persons to contact in the event of student illness or injury; and review or update forms as needed or requested.

Students may not have prescription or over-the-counter medicines in their possession. You should give all medicines to the nurse for proper handling and dispensing. You and your child should keep prescription medication in the current pharmacy container, labeled with your child's name and correct dosage instructions. We ask that you and your child handle over-the-counter medicines in the same way. The nurse will call your child from the classroom or cafeteria for timely administration of prescription and other medications.

The school nurse monitors immunizations, conducts health screenings, maintains medical records, and cares for students who are ill or have emergency medical needs at school. She works with parents and students and advises on preventive health care. She also calls parents to pick up children who are injured or ill.

Yes, you may obtain school accident insurance for your child for a small fee. We recommend this coverage for students who are not covered by other insurance plans. Please stop by the school office for an information packet.

Arizona offers KidsCare, a free or low-cost health insurance for children who are not on ACCCHS. You can find out more information from the nurse, through the office, or by calling 1-800-764-KIDS.

The Desert Oasis "Make Your Day" citizenship program centers on one rule: No student has the right to interfere with the learning and safety of others. Make Your Day  encourages students to take responsibility for their own actions. We expect all students to follow specific guidelines throughout their day, including attendance and academic performance.

“Do what is expected and do it the best you can,” is what Desert Oasis staff expects of each student. We expect the following behaviors from students everyday, throughout the whole school day:

We expect students to exhibit positive behaviors as the result of respecting the rights and feelings of others.

We expect students to foster a physically and emotionally safe environment by respecting school and personal property.

We expect students to be in class on time, with the necessary  materials including agendas.  

Students take responsibility  for staying on task, doing their  personal best, and completing all assignments.

Students choose positive alternatives to inappropriate behaviors.

Students adhere to all standards that are set by the Tolleson Elementary School District #17.

"Make Your Day" Point System
Points measure a student’s effort to “do what is expected and do it the best you can”  in every school setting.

At the conclusion of the designated periods, students review their own academic and behavioral performance.  Students ask themselves, “Have I done what was expected and have I done it the best I can?” 

Students in grades 1-3 have the opportunity to earn a maximum of 10 points for each academic period and 13 during lunch, recess, and special area classes.

Students in grades 4-8 have the opportunity to earn a maximum of 45 points for each academic period and 50 during lunch, recess, and specials.

* Kindergarten teachers implement a modified version of the Make Your Day Program.

After all students have evaluated their own performance, fellow students have an opportunity to provide feedback to each other if that student’s behavior directly affected their right to learn, or their right to have a safe environment. The teacher may also have concerns that will address the academic and behavioral performance of that student. The teacher will monitor concerns closely and make the final determination concerning points.

Students Who "Make Their Day"

Grades 1-3

Students who complete the day with 6 or fewer points less than the possible total will Make Their Day.

Grades 4-8

Students who complete the day with 10 or fewer points less than the total possible will Make Their Day.

Exceptions are those students who choose to be placed on step 4 or 5.  Students who have excused or unexcused tardies may not be able to earn all their points for periods missed.

Students who do not "Make Their Day"

Students who do not "Make Their Day" will have a note in their agenda that will describe the behaviors he/she chose that day. Parents sign the “I Did Not Make My Day Because” note and have the student return it to the teacher the next day. We consider the signature on the “I Did Not Make My Day Because” note as a homework assignment and we expect it back the next school day. If the “I Did Not Make My Day Because”  note is not returned the second school day, a phone call will be made to the parents.

We have grade level start and dismissal times.

• K-2: 8:15 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
• 3-8: 7:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
• K - Half-day (AM): 8:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
• K - Half-day (PM): 11:45 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.