Family-Student Handbook

Hello Dan Mini Families,

Welcome to the 2025–26 school year. My name is Yvanna Wheeler, and I am proud to serve as the principal of Dan Mini Elementary School. I am excited to welcome both our returning families and those who are joining our community for the first time. Our Dan Mini team is eager to build on last year’s success while continuing to provide students with high-quality learning experiences.

At Dan Mini, we believe that building an excellent school is a shared responsibility among students, families, staff, and the community. View our school's mission statement.

At Dan Mini, we are committed to preparing every student for future success through strong academics, social-emotional growth, and a positive school climate. View our school goals.

We expect excellent attendance from all students. Students may not arrive on the playground before 8:15 a.m., as there is no adult supervision prior to that time. Dismissal is at 3 p.m., and students must go directly home unless they are enrolled in the Expanded Learning Program. If you are picking up your child, please be prompt—there is no supervision after dismissal.

For the safety of all students, Dan Mini has specific procedures for early dismissal. Please review these guidelines to ensure a smooth and secure pick-up process for your child.

To keep students safe, all medications at school must follow district guidelines and require written authorization. Please review these requirements to ensure your child’s medication can be administered properly during the school day.

Dan Mini’s school uniform policy was created in partnership with parents and staff to promote safety, belonging, and academic focus. Review the guidelines below to see how uniforms support our students and how families can benefit from the uniform exchange program.

At Dan Mini, we are committed to maintaining a safe and respectful learning environment, and our school uniform policy helps support that goal. Please review the uniform guidelines to ensure your student is dressed appropriately each day and to learn how to request an exemption if needed.

Meals are an important part of student health and success, and we want every child to be ready to learn each day. Please review the guidelines to learn more about breakfast, lunch options, and important procedures for meal times at school.

We encourage students to make healthy drink choices. Water is the only beverage allowed in classrooms. Soda and energy drinks, including Prime, are not permitted on campus.

Help us promote healthy habits by sending your child to school with nutritious snacks that fuel learning and support well-being. Review our snack guidelines to see which foods are encouraged and which items should be avoided.

We want to ensure that classroom celebrations at Dan Mini are safe and enjoyable for all students. Please review the guidelines before sending treats, goodie bags, or birthday items to school.

Absences from school are excused only for health reasons, family emergencies, or other justifiable personal reasons permitted by law, board policy, or administrative regulations (Education Code 48205). Because class participation is an important part of learning, parents and guardians are encouraged to schedule medical appointments outside of school hours whenever possible. Review our absence guidelines.

The Governing Board believes that regular attendance is essential to student achievement. California Education Code 48200 requires children between the ages of 6 and 18 to attend school full-time. Punctuality is an important habit of good citizenship, and students are expected to be in their classroom seats and ready to learn when the bell rings in order to be considered on time.

A tardy is defined as arriving to class after the bell rings. Students who arrive 30 minutes or more after the bell are considered truant. Students with excessive tardies will first receive a verbal warning, followed by additional steps outlined in the school’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) guidelines.

School Attendance Review Teams (SARTs) are established at school sites to address attendance and behavior concerns early, before they escalate. The goal is to involve parents as active team members in resolving the student’s challenges. View more information about SARTs.

According to California Education Code 48260(a), a student is considered truant if they are absent from school without a valid excuse for three full days in one school year, or if they are tardy or absent for more than 30 minutes without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year. Any combination of unexcused absences or tardies that meets these criteria also qualifies as truancy. Review the truancy process.