Demographic Profile of Espiritu Schools

Part I - Introduction
I am completing my Field Experience, which is a requirement for my Elementary
Education course, at Reyes Maria Ruiz Leadership Academy. This elementary school
provides education for grades K-6. Grades K-3 focus on the “Trivium” philosophy of
education, with four core areas of instruction which are: Math/Science, Language Arts,
and History/Social studies. Grades 4-6 also focus on a Trivium philosophy of education.
The four core areas of instruction are: Math/Science, Language Arts, and History/Social
studies. Grades 4-6 focuses more on expanding a child’s knowledge in all areas with
critical thinking and problem solving development. This elementary school is located at
4848 S 2nd St, Phoenix, Arizona 85040.

Part II - The School and the School System

The school system is named Espiritu Schools, and is a Charter School. The school
system is composed of four schools.

Name of School Grades Enrolled Students

Esperanza Montessori Preschool 25 students

Academy

Reyes Maria Ruiz K-6 530 students

Leadership Academy

Aim Higher College Prep 7-8 70 students

Academy

NFL YET College Prep 7-12 300 students

Academy

There are a total of 530 students in the elementary school where I’m currently
completing my internship. The majority of the students are Hispanic.
The school system offers free breakfast, lunch, and snacks for all students. The
elementary school also provides all the students with free breakfast and lunch.

Part III - The Classroom

In the fourth grade classroom where I’m currently doing my internship, there are a
number of 24 students. Most students are from Hispanic backgrounds and have
Spanish as their first language and English as second.
There is only one student that only speaks Spanish and receives help from a classmate
to translate directions or other class material. Breakfast and lunch are free for all the
students.

Part IV - Parent/Student Handbook

The following link contains the Parent/Student Handbook from Reyes Maria Ruiz
Leadership Academy: Family Handbook (K-6). This document contains essential details
and policies that the parents and students must understand to fully participate in the
Espiritu Schools community.
Some policies I would like to highlight are:
● Attendance Policy
1) Students are required to attend at least 90% of school days during an
academic year.
2) A parent/guardian is to call the attendance office to report an absence on
the day of the absence.
3) Excused absences must be documented with administration.
4) Attendance is mandatory during the days of semester finals.
5) Students may leave campus after the office receives a phone call from the
parent/guardian. They must sign out/in at the front office.
6) Parents will be notified about a student’s absence after four absences.
● Dress Code
1) Students must properly wear the school uniform.
2) Hats are not allowed.
3) Jewelry is allowed with moderation.
4) Dark glasses are not allowed.
5) Shirts must be tucked in.
6) Shorts or slacks must be khaki.
7) School skirts should not be more than 3’’ above the knee.
8) Flip/flops or slippers are not acceptable.
9) Only school’s sweater may be worn, other sweaters are not allowed.
10)A student that is out of uniform will receive a citation or phone call to the
parents.
● Behavior Expectations/Consequences
Levels of violations Expectation/Violation Consequences

Level 1 - Students shall not get - Initial discussion

involved in any conduct - Remove from class
that will disrupt school - Call parents
function. - 1 day of detention
- A student’s dress and - 1 community service hour
appearance shall not
present any problems or
cause disruption of
educational activities.

Level 2 - Students shall obey - Call parents

reasonable orders from
teachers.
- Students shall attend
class as assigned in their
schedule.
- 3 days detention
- 3 hours of community
service
- 2 days of in school
suspension
 - Improper computer usage
is not allowed.
- DPA is not allowed.

Level 3 - Alcohol or drugs are not - Suspension out of school

allowed on campus.
- Harassment and bullying
is not allowed.
- Fights or threats are not
allowed.
- Possession of weapons
or dangerous items is not
allowed.
- Vandalism or destruction
of property is not allowed.
for 10 days
- Notification will be made
to parents, and depending
on the circumstances, the
police
- Student might be referred
to the Espiritu Schools
discipline board

● Parents (expectations)
1) Review grades on the PowerSchool Parent and Student Portal
2) Monitor Attendance
3) Make sure that homework is completed
4) Attend conferences
5) Notify the front office of absences
6) School dress code is followed
7) Pay for any lost school items
● Health and safety
1) A student’s appearance shall not present health or safety problems or
cause disruption of educational activities.

Part V - Reflection
I believe that knowing the demographics of the school and classroom where I’m doing
my internship helped me adapt better to this new environment. As shown above, the
majority of the students in this elementary school are hispanic. This means that the
students can feel more comfortable around me since I’m hispanic as well. They are able
to relate and find common things with me that would make them trust me. Additionally,
there are some students that only speak Spanish, knowing these conditions helped me
to know how to effectively communicate with those students. In conclusion, knowing
your classroom and students helps create a better and effective learning environment. I
believe that in the future, when I teach in my own classroom, knowing my school’s and
classroom’s demographics will help me create a safe and positive learning environment
for my future students.