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A – Z Policies and Procedures That Parents Need To Know
ATTENDANCE POLICY: Good attendance at school is an extremely important aspect of each student’s education and has many carry-over implications for later life. It is important that students be in attendance at school and be PUNCTUAL. If a student must be absent from school, the parent is requested to call the office (525-7630) or email us at Boyes@d91.k12.id.us before 9:00 a.m. to report the absence for that day. If a phone call is not possible, a note explaining the absence must be given to the teacher on the day of return. If parents find it necessary to take students out of school for a period of time, please contact the office in advance.
BIRTH CERTIFICATES: Idaho State law requires: “Upon enrollment of a student for the first time in an elementary school or secondary school, the person enrolling the student must provide either a CERTIFIED copy of the student’s birth certificate or other reliable proof of the student’s identity and birth date, which proof shall be accompanied by an affidavit explaining the inability to produce a copy of the birth certificate”. Other reliable proof of the student’s identity and birth date may include a passport, visa, or other governmental documentation of the child’s identity.
BIRTHDAY PARTIES: Occasionally, students wish to observe their birthday at school. Each teacher has his or her own policy concerning this activity; however, there are some general guidelines we all need to follow. They are:
BUSES: It is important that the school be accountable for students while being transported on school buses. Therefore, all students must ride their designated bus unless written notification by the parent is made. Students must take the notification to the office to get a Student Bus Pass. Students that misbehave on the bus will be given a citation by the bus driver. Parents will be notified if this occurs. If you have questions about bus schedules, call the Transportation Department - 525-7580.
COLD WEATHER: When the weather becomes extremely cold, students stay indoors. On the advice of the District’s consulting physician the policy is: “When the temperature is ZERO degrees (wind chill) or below, the children do not go outside for recess or lunch”. There is a difference between uncomfortable temperatures and those that present a health hazard. Please see that your child is dressed properly for our cold Idaho winters - HEAVY COAT, HAT, GLOVES, and BOOTS, if necessary.
CONFERENCES: Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held November 20 & 21, 2008 and March 5 & 6, 2009. The staff is available to meet with parents on these dates to discuss your child’s progress in school. You will be notified of your appointment time prior to the beginning of the conference. With approximately 300 families at Ethel Boyes, scheduling becomes very complicated. We ask that you make every EFFORT TO ATTEND your conference at the APPOINTED TIME; rescheduling becomes very difficult. Thank you!
Should the need arise for a conference at any time during the year, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or Mrs. Molino.
DRESS CODE: Students clothing should be clean, in good repair and appropriate to the current weather conditions. Extremely tight-fitting clothing, brief or scant attire, bare feet, fishnet shirts, side less shirts, over-sized baggy clothes, low riding pants, flip-flop sandals, and tank tops are considered distractive, inappropriate or unsafe to the educational process and are unacceptable. The above list is not exhaustive, but rather representative of unacceptable attire.
DISCIPLINE: It is our belief that by working together as a team, your child’s education at Ethel Boyes will reflect excellent behavior. It is our policy that students be held accountable for their own actions. If a student demonstrates inappropriate behavior, they are dealt with fairly and with dignity. We involve and inform parents when misbehavior arises. It is our belief that children of informed parents experience little misbehavior. We sincerely invite parents to come in and talk with us about concerns. We actively teach the following five behaviors to the students in an effort to make them more successful at school and in their daily lives:
GRADING: Kindergarten students receive a checklist of skills noting mastery at the end of each grading period. In grades 1-2, students are evaluated on mastery of specific concepts in terms of ‘with ease’, ‘satisfactory’ or ‘needs improvement’ (3, 2, 1). For grades 3-6, a more traditional evaluation is provided with an A, B, C, D, and F grading scale. The District grading policy is as follows:
90% - 100% = A 80% - 89% = B 70% - 79% = C 60% - 69% = D HEALTH AND IMMUNIZATION: State law requires all elementary students to have proof of immunization prior to entering school. Any pertinent health information should be shared with the school health tech and the teacher. Medications that need to be taken at school must be approved and recorded on a medication form that can be obtained from the school health tech or school office. No child may enter school without proof of immunizations.
HOMEBOUND STUDENTS: A student is considered homebound if they are going to be out of school for three or more weeks. If a child has missed or will be missing school for this extended period of time for a medical reason, report it to the school health tech, Nancy Monk. Mrs. Monk will start the procedure necessary to get homebound instruction for the student.
HOMEWORK: The District provides the following homework guidelines for students: Homework assignments should stem from class work providing students an opportunity to apply, supplement, and reinforce information they have learned. Homework allows the pupil to complete unfinished class assignments and make up work missed during absences. Homework gives the pupil the experiences of working by himself. This experience will help him to develop initiative, self-discipline, responsibility, and independence. Homework can be a vehicle through which teacher expectations, student progress, and the school’s curriculum are shared with the parents. The relationship between homework and classroom activities should be evident. It should never be busy work or construed to be punishment. The homework program should stress regularity and continuity. A maximum time limit of 15 to 20 minutes daily for grades 1-3, gradually increasing to 45-60 minutes daily in grade 6 is a standard.
LEARNING MATERIALS: Specific items such as textbooks, workbooks, penmanship paper, basic art supplies, etc. are provided free of charge. Parents are expected to purchase certain supply items such as pencils, paper, crayons and other supplies according to the needs of particular grades. In addition to the regular school supplies, parents assume the cost of a small assembly and art fee to provide enrichment experiences to the regular curriculum. LIBRARY POLICY: The library will be open for use during the hours school is in session. Students in grades 2-6 may check out two books at a time. The students in kindergarten and first grade may check out one book at a time. A book is due one week from the day it is checked out. A student may not check out another book from the library if he/she has an overdue book. Once the overdue book is returned, library privileges will be restored.
LUNCH: Hot lunches have been increased to $1.80 for students. Milk is 40¢ a day. Adult lunches are $3.05 a day. Please send checks made out to Ethel Boyes School or School District 91 Hot Lunch on a weekly or monthly basis. Please enclose the correct amount of money for the lunches ordered as no change will be given to the children as per district policy. Please do not combine lunch money with money for other activities in the school as Mrs. Howard will not be able to cash the checks and make distributions. Parents are always welcome to come and have lunch at school with your student. Please call the office before 9:15 to order lunches or send a note with your child. Free and reduced price lunch applications are available at any time during the year.
MEDICATIONS: If medication of any kind must be given at school, you will need to have the physician complete the form, Physician’s and Parent’s Request for the Administration of Medication During School Hours by School Personnel and submit the form to the health tech, Mrs. Monk. The medication must be brought in its original pharmaceutical container labeled with the student’s name. Antibiotics should be administered at home whenever possible. Medication should be delivered to the school by a parent. If the medication must be brought to school by a student, please call the school and notify them that it is on its way. Do not send any medicine in your child’s lunch box or back pack. No medication will be given without a written order from the doctor, including aspirin, Tylenol, cough syrup, etc.
PARENTS DRIVING STUDENTS TO AND FROM SCHOOL: Please follow the parking lot pattern. A diagram to explain the drop off and pick up procedure is included in the back of this handbook. All vehicles must enter from the west driveway and exit from the east driveway. Please pull up next to the sidewalk to unload and load children. Also, pull forward as far as possible to allow for more vehicles. Cars parked out in front, are to park at a 45-degree angle to allow for continuous movement of traffic. Please do not stop in the middle of the driving area and allow for other vehicles to move freely in and out of the parking lot.
PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION (PTO): The PTO is one way parents can become involved with their child’s education. Every parent is encouraged to take an active part in the operation of Ethel Boyes School. You are invited and encouraged to become involved with the PTO. You may wish to serve as a “Room Parent” or help a teacher in the classroom listening to children read, by running dittos, making bulletin boards, working in the library, helping with the family social, or doing any of the many things that need to be done. You will find volunteering at school a positive and rewarding experience for you and your child.
PHONE USE AT SCHOOL: School phones are for official school business. Students will not be allowed to use them to make arrangements for after-school play times. Those arrangements should be made before coming or after getting home from school. Please communicate after school plans and transportation with your children before they leave for school in the morning. In cases where it is necessary for you to get a message to your child, please call the office and the message will be forwarded to your child at the earliest convenience. Only emergency phone calls will be forwarded to teachers during class time so as not to disrupt the education of the other students.
RELEASING STUDENTS FROM SCHOOL: The school assumes full responsibility for your child’s well being during the school day. Students may be released to their parent during the school day after the parent has signed the Release Log located in the office. This precaution is taken for the protection and safety of your student. We ask your cooperation and assistance by observing this policy. Thank you!
SPECIAL EDUCATION REFERRALS: Special Education services are available for students who possess individual needs that are difficult to meet within the regular program. We can, through thoughtful use of our personnel, provide a free and appropriate education for all of our students. If you feel you child has special needs and may qualify for special education, please talk to the teacher or Mrs. Molino.
TRANSFER FROM ETHEL BOYES: If you move from the Ethel Boyes School attendance zone, please notify the office or your child’s teacher in advance. This will allow time to complete the checkout procedure. Please take care to see that all school property has been returned. We request that you come to the school office to complete the check out procedure.
VISITORS AT SCHOOL: Occasionally we receive requests from students or parents to have friends or relatives accompany students to school for a visit. These situations are an interruption to the classroom and the educational program and we ask that other arrangements be made for these children during the school day. All visitors are welcome to have lunch with their student provided food arrangements have been made prior to 9:00 a.m.
VOLUNTEERS: Parents are encouraged to volunteer to help at school. Volunteers are needed in many areas of the school. Please talk to your child’s teacher about ways that you can help. The PTO is also in need of people to help with activities during the year. This year’s president is Tricia Scrogum. Should you have PTO questions, feel free to call her at 529-4483. Your help is always appreciated and lets your child know you think school is an important place. |