Policies & Procedures
2009 - 2010
ABSENCES
If your child is absent or tardy, please send a note of explanation on the day your child returns from an absence. In order to benefit from the educational program we offer, your child must attend school regularly. Students who arrive late should report to the office before going to the classroom.
EMERGENCIES
Be sure the school has a current telephone number where you can be reached during the day. The school must also have an emergency number in case you cannot be reached. You will be notified if there is an illness or injury or if your child misses his/her ride home.
SCHOOL VISITORS/VOLUNTEERS
All parents are welcome to visit and/or volunteer in their child’s classrooms. For student safety, we ask that all visitors sign in at the office and pick up a visitor’s button. Please don’t be offended if someone questions you about your presence here. We regard this as a precaution for our students’ well being. When you need to pick up your child early, please check in with the office to sign your child out. ALL VISITORS MUST REPORT TOTHE OFFICE.
EARLY DISMISSAL
Children may be picked up at any time for doctor’s appointments and other reasons. Children must be picked up from the office and signed out by the responsible adult. Extreme care is exercised at all times when releasing children from our school. Identification will be required. If someone not listed on your child’s information card is sent to pick up your child, we must be notified either by written note or a telephone call from you.
WITHDRAWAL PROCEDURES
When it becomes necessary for a student to withdraw from school, the following procedures should be followed:
1. Parents are urged to inform the office personnel as soon as possible of the plan to withdraw their child(ren).
2. Students are to return all library books and textbooks. Any lost library books or textbooks are to be paid for before the student’s last day.
CONFERENCES
Keeping parents informed of student progress is important and conferences are encouraged. Please arrange appointments with teachers through the office as teachers are unable to meet with parents during instructional class time.
TELEPHONE MESSAGES
Please make all possible arrangements with your children before they leave for school. Interrupting a class to deliver a message to a student is an interruption of the entire class and their educational process.
USE OF TELEPHONE
The school telephone is a business phone and students will be permitted to use the phone for emergency calls only. Calling to get permission to go to a friend’s house after school is not an emergency. Students are encouraged to be responsible for their educational belongings, therefore, calls home for a left book or an assignment will be discouraged.
ITEMS FORGOTTEN AT SCHOOL
Students will not be allowed back into their classrooms after school hours to retrieve forgotten homework, classroom or library books. We try to foster responsibility in our students, therefore it is our belief that they need to be responsible for items which they need to take home each night.
MEDICATIONS
If your child must take medication during school hours, the prescribing doctor must state in writing the name and nature of the medication. The medication must be in the original container. The parent must contact the school and sign a legal release form (CCF-643) before medication may be administered at school. All medication will be kept in the Nurse’s Office in individual drawers labeled with each student’s name. All medication is kept in a locked cabinet.
BREAKFAST PROGRAM
The cost of breakfast is 80 cents. A variety of breakfast items such as sweet rolls, cereals, pancakes, etc., along with milk and juice is served. Breakfast is served from 8:30-8:50 a.m. in the multipurpose room.
LUNCHES
Hot lunches are available and may be paid for daily, weekly or monthly. The cost of a school lunch is $1 .75 (includes milk). Milk alone is 25 cents. Lunches should be paid for before school, NOT during the lunch period. In packing your child’s lunch, please limit sweet treats. Glass bottles are not allowed.
When taking your child(ren) off campus for lunch, we ask that you sign him/her out in the office, and in again upon returning. Please inform the teacher(s) ahead of time if you plan on taking your child(ren) out for lunch.
SCHOOL BUS RIDERS
Students who do not obey school bus regulations will be issued citations by the bus driver. If a student misses his/her bus after school, he/she is to report to the office. Under no circumstances is the student to walk home without first checking with office.
BIKE RIDING
Students riding bikes to school will be required to walk their bikes while on the school grounds. Due to the large number of students and autos at dismissal time, this rule will be strictly enforced. Students are encouraged to use bike locks to prevent loss or damage to their bikes. Students not following bike rules will not be allowed to bring their bikes to school. Rollerblades-type inline skates, scooters, and skate boards may not be used as a means of transportation to and from school.
FiELD TRIPS
Throughout the year, students will be participating in field trips which support our curriculum. District transportation (buses) is used as much as possible, however, there are times that parent drivers will be utilized to transport students to these field trips. Parents are to provide the office with proof of insurance, a copy of their driver’s license and are permitted to transport only the number of students that they have seat belts for. Parents will be notified as to the mode of transportation for each field trip.
LOST AND FOUND
The lost and found area is maintained in the multi-purpose room. Students may come to the multi-purpose room to locate lost items before school, immediately after lunch, and immediately after school. If these items are not claimed by the end of the school year, they are given to charity. It is important that all personal items are labeled if they are sent or worn to school, i.e. lunch boxes, sweaters, coats, hats.
STUDENT ATTENDANCE AND TRUANCY
School attendance is vital to your child’s academic success in school. This last legislative session, the laws about school truancy were changed to reduce the high rate of habitual truants in schools. The major changes in the truancy law made were:
• The principal of the school is required to report the pupils who are habitually truant to law enforcement.
• A habitual truant is defined as “a student who has three unapproved or unexcused absences within one school year”.
• A truant is a pupil who is absent from school without the approval of the teacher or principal of the school unless the pupil is physically or mentally unable to attend school.
• If a pupil is absent due to physical or mental reasons, the parent must notify the school within three days of the absence.
• Provides the court authority to order the student or parent to pay a fine of $100.00 or more for habitual truancy. The court can order the suspension of drivers license privileges of students 14 years of age or older for habitual truancy.
REPORTING STUDENT PROGRESS
PROGRESS REPORTS: (Weekly)
Each teacher, K-5, sends bi-weekly progress reports home with student’s work attached for parents to review. After the progress report has been reviewed with your child, it is to be signed and returned to the teacher. Daily progress reports will be sent home depending upon student and parent need.
PROGRESS REPORTS: (Report Cards)
Grades K through 5: Students in grades K through 5 receive Progress Reports three times during the school year. Students will be graded using the following grading scales:
A — 90-100% mastery of benchmark standard
B — 80- 89% mastery of benchmark standard
C — 70- 79% mastery of benchmark standard
D — 60- 69% mastery of benchmark standard
F — Below 60% mastery of benchmark standard
The following supplemental grading symbols are utilized for other sub-skill areas:
E — Exceptional progress
S — Satisfactory progress
N — Needs improvement
X — is not presently being evaluated
It is important that you contact the classroom teacher regarding any questions about your child’s report card. The classroom teacher has firsthand knowledge of your child and his/her skill attainment. If you feel that your conference has not been productive, please feel free to contact the principal.
HOMEWORK
It is important to help your child, in the early years, to develop a routine of studying at home. A quiet well-lit space should be provided for your child when completing his/her homework. Your child should be responsible for taking homework home, completing the homework, showing the homework to parents, and returning the homework on the date it is due. We encourage parents to take time to review their child’s homework, homework should be completed independently by your child. Our homework policy recommends a minimum of 15 minutes of work each day or grades 1 and 2; and a minimum of 30 minutes each day for grades 3 through 5. Homework is assigned Monday through Thursday, or as specified by the teacher.
POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL AND ACADEMIC REWARDS
Student of the Month Awards are given to one student from each teacher in grades 4-5. The students receiving the awards have pizza with the principal during their regularly scheduled lunch period once a month.
Honor Roll is limited to thud through fifth grade students. All A’s and B’s with no N’s or Ss qualify students for the honor roll. Honor Roll students will be acknowledged after each grading period and will receive a certificate and a bumper sticker. The Derfelt Straight A Honor Roll is for those students receiving straight A’s in the following subjects: Reading, Writing, Math, Science/Health and Social Studies. The Derfelt A-B Honor Roll is for those students receiving at least one A and no grade lower than a B in the following subjects:
Reading, Writing, Math, Science/Health and Social Studies.
Presidential Educational Excellence Award is limited to fifth grade students who have maintained an A- average since third grade and have scored above the 85th percentile on the standardized achievement test. The annual ceremony is held in June with a reception for the award recipients and their families.
BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS
Good behavior is required in order to ensure safety and to accomplish the goals of the school. We depend on parents to emphasize to their children the importance of good behavior.
We also depend on parents to support the school rules and the action taken by the school when rules are broken. Derfelt has established the following school wide rules:
1. Follow directions
2. Speak in a quiet voice
3. Keep all body parts to yourself
4. Use words and actions that are kind and honest
5. Use school equipment properly
Discipline referrals will be given to a student who commits a violation of severe safety or sexual misbehavior. This means they are immediately referred to administration for appropriate consequences
RULES OF CONDUCT
The use by students of personal communication devices such as cell phones, or other similar electronic communication devices, is prohibited during the instructional day. Students may only use these devices after school. Cell phones will be confiscated if used other than after school.
1. No fighting or rock throwing. If someone hits, hurts or threatens another student, that student should report it to the teacher on duty. A student who hits back is part of the fight and part of the problem. Fighting or rock throwing will result in immediate disciplinary action.
2. Dangerous items (knives, sticks, etc.) are not to be brought to school. These items are considered weapons and will be dealt with according to district regulations.
3. Students should walk through hallways in a quiet and orderly manner.
4. Toys and playthings are not permitted at school except for “show and tell” in cases when the teacher has given special permission. Toys, radios, tape recorders/players, games and all other items not related to the educational program will be confiscated and held until parents pick them up. The school will not become involved in problems that arise from “valuable” items brought to school. Please do not allow your child to distract himself or others from the school program by bringing inappropriate items to school.
5. Be courteous at all times.
6. Respect other students and adults.
7. Move quietly through the school.
8. Do not disrupt other classrooms.
9. No marking or disfiguring of chairs, desks, walls, library books or textbooks.
10. Desks should be kept neat and clean.
11. Respect other students’ property.
12. All students must remain on the playground during recess (unless otherwise directed by a staff member).
13. Tackle football, wrestling, hardball, wall ball or other rough games are not permitted.
14. Use the trash cans that are provided. Eat the treats from the student store in the designated area.
15. Restrooms are to be used appropriately at all times. They are not a play area.
16. Rollerblades-types inline skates, skate boards and scooters are not allowed on school property.
Note: The P.E. Department provides basketballs, tether balls and other equipment necessary to assist students with playtime activities. Personal items such as balls and equipment are not to be brought to school.
Please make sure to review the Behaving Positively at School pamphlet which is sent home at the beginning of the school year.
LUNCHROOM EXPECTATIONS
Behavior in the lunchroom is expected to reflect good table manners at all times. The lunchroom rules are as follows:
1. Use good manners
2. Use quiet voices
3. Leave tables clean
4. Always walk to and from your table
DRESS AND APPEARANCE
The student’s dress and appearance should be of such a nature as to not disrupt or distract from the learning process. It is required that students follow the district’s dress code regulation. Clothing should be conservative, safe and clean. Students must wear shoes that are appropriate for school. Slippers, thongs, and strapless sandals are prohibited. Hemmed shorts that are at least finger tip length may be worn. Shirts and blouses must be buttoned up and must extend below the belt level. The code prohibits see through tops, strapless and low-cut clothing, and clothing that provides minimum coverage. Clothing with slogans or words that may be considered obscene, controversial or disruptive is prohibited.
A List of Things Not to Wear
No Tank Tops
No Bare Midriffs
No Backless Tops
No Inappropriate Logos
No Skirts or Shorts Above Fingertip Length
No Unfastened Bib Overalls
No Bicycle Shorts
No Cutoffs
No Rips, Tears or Holes in Inappropriate Places
No Thongs
No Open-Toed Shoes Without Socks
No Hats Worn Indoors
No Sagging of Pants or Shorts
The principal shall retain the authority to grant exceptions for special occasions and/or conditions.
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