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Curriculum & Instruction

SCHOOL INSTRUCTION AND LEADERSHIP

Las Palmas believes in shared decision-making. Our School Site Council is the primary decision-making body and encompasses parents, community members, teachers, classified staff, and administrators and decisions reflect the consensus of our school community.
 
In addition,parents can do a variety of things to volunteer. They can help in the classrooms, prepare materials for the teachers at home, or help organize PTA fundraisers. The efforts of the parent volunteers are coordinated by our community liaison. She also serves as a resource to parents by connecting them with available community services.
 
Our school focuses on efficiently organizing the instructional day to best meet the needs of our students. Kindergarten students receive 201 minutes of instruction per day while first through third grades receive 285 minutes of instruction.
 

QUALITY AND CURRENCY OF TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

The adoption of textbooks and other supplemental instructional materials in Capistrano Unified School District follows the state curriculum cycle established by the California Department of Education. Each year a major subject matter discipline such as mathematics, language arts or science is reviewed and updated. An instructional discipline rotates through this cycle every seven years.
 
Technology is an integral feature of the CUSD instructional program. Internet connectivity is established to schools and classrooms. The Internet is used as an aide to assist students in conducting large-scale research.
 

INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES

All instructional minute requirements in Capistrano Unified School District exceed state requirements.
 
Las Palmas Elementary
Minutes Required
Actual Minutes
Kindergarten
36,000
36,040
Grades 1-3
50,400
50,625
Grades 4-5
54,000
54,630
 
All CUSD elementary schools had nine minimum school days for non-kindergarten classes.