Gila Vista
Junior High School

Frequently Asked Questions


What are the school hours?

School begins at 8:35 a.m. every day and ends at 3:19 p.m. Every Monday is an early release day on which students leave at 2:09 p.m. Please be on time to classes and do not arrive on campus before 8:00 a.m.

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What should I do if my student is absent?

When at all possible, please notify us when your child is absent. A phone call to (928) 502-7100 is just fine, and we ask for the call to come in before 9:00 a.m., or even before school begins. Absent students need to return with a note explaining the reason for being gone. An absence note is a must! Otherwise, we will record your student's absence as "unexcused."

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If I need to take my child out of school early, what steps should I follow?

Check in with the front office to let us know you want to take your student out of school early. Once you arrive in our office, we will notify the classroom teacher to send your student to the office. We will not dismiss students to walk alone to either go home or to appointments. You must be present to check out your child.

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What meals does the cafeteria serve and what does it cost?

Junior High Pricing Schools: Gila Vista, Woodard, Castle Dome, and RWMS

We know that breakfast is the most important part of the day. That is why at Yuma School District One, we offer breakfast at no cost.  We serve breakfast from 7:45 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. Please join us! If a parent or child would like to join a student and purchase breakfast, the cost is $2.00. We offer lunch to all students for $1.50 every day. If a parent or guest would like to join their student for lunch, the cost is $3.00.

You may fill out a free and reduced lunch application at any time during the school year if you think your child may qualify. If you would like to manage your meal account online or make an online payment, you may go to the district Child Nutrition page. Please see the cafeteria manager for more details. We look forward to serving you.

If your student brings a sack lunch from home, they may still purchase a juice or milk for 25 cents to go with their meal. Due to USDA guidelines, milk or juice is 25 cents, regardless if your student qualifies for free and reduced priced meals.

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What is Gila Vista Jr. High's dress code?

Please refer to the school uniform policy and the uniform flyer for more information on the dress code. We ask that students come to school dressed ready to learn. Please wear clean and modest clothing. Wear your pants or shorts at the waistline. Shirts should be long enough that the student can tuck it in if necessary.

Please do not wear the following:

  • baggy or sagging pants/shorts
  • bandanas or hairnets
  • clothing that portrays alcohol, drugs, sex, or vulgar language
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What personal items should my student not bring to school?

Please do not bring the following items to school: radios, tape recorders, electronics of any kind, expensive jewelry, large sums of money, toys, cell phones, iPods, CD players, soft drinks, gum, or candy.

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What if my student loses a belonging?

We try our best to return lost items to students, but we need your help. Whenever possible, please label your children's belongings. Be sure to label coats, sweaters, lunch pails, and anything else you would want returned to you if they were to get lost. We will store lost items in the front office, so please come by to claim your missing item.

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Can my child ride a bike to school?

Yes. City law does require your student to wear a helmet for safety reasons. We also have bike racks available for parking the bikes, and we require students to lock their bikes. Gila Vista Jr. High is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged bikes.

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Is bussing available for my child?

Yes. Yuma Elementary School District offers bus transportation for anyone living one and a half miles or more from campus. Please remind your students that riding the bus is a privilege. We require students to have their Student I.D.s to board the bus each day from their designated bus stop. Please know your route, because the bus drivers will not allow you to switch your pick-up and drop-off locations. Students who misbehave on the bus will lose their bus riding privileges.

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My child needs to take medication daily. How will you make sure he/she will receive it?

Please label all of your child's medications properly and keep them in the school health office. Only our school nurse will hand out the medicine to a student. Prescription medicines must be prescribed by a doctor and have documentation telling how much medicine the student must take and how often he/she should take it. Please be sure to contact the health office ahead of time if you want your child taking over-the-counter medicines, too.

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When do grades come out?

We issue Report Card grades at the end of each quarter on the Wednesday following the end of the quarter. We also issue Progress Report grades halfway through each quarter. Please see our calendar for specific dates.

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What is Gila Vista's grading scale?

We use the hundred-point grading scale as listed below:

A = 90–100
B = 80–89
C = 70–79
D = 60–69
F = Under 60

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