G.D. Jones Parent Handbook

Transcription

1 G.D. Jones Parent Handbook G.D. Jones Elementary School 1018 South 12th Avenue Wausau, WI (715) Robin Kordus, Principal Wausau School District

2 Continuous Nondiscrimination Notice The Wausau School District does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of sex, race, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, or physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability. Federal law prohibits discrimination in education and employment on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, sex, religion, or disability. Anyone who believes that the Wausau School District has inadequately applied the principles and/or regulations of Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, Section 504 or the Americans with Disabilities Act, may file a complaint with the WSD Equity Director at the Longfellow Administration Center, 415 Seymour Street, Wausau, Wisconsin , or by telephone at Lub Wausau School District txwv tsis pub leejtwg ua saib tsis taus ib tus neeg twg txawm yog hais tias nej yog pojniam los yog txivneej, yog haiv neeg dabtsi, ntseeg dabtsi, poj koob yawm txiv yog leejtwg, nyiam pojniam los yog txivneej li cas, muaj mob nkees li cas los yog xiam oob qhab li cas. Kevcai nyob rau tebchaws no txwv tsis pub leejtwg yuav ua saib tsis taus nej yog nej tuaj nrhiav haujlwm ntawm peb txawm yog nej yog haiv neeg twg, muaj noob nyoog li cas, cev nqaij daim ntawv yog xim dabtsi, nyiam pojniam txivneej, ntseeg dabtsi, los yog muaj kev xiam oob qhab li cas. Yog leejtwg ntseeg tau hais tias lub khoog tsev kawm ntawv Wausau School District ua tsis raws li txojcai thiab/los yog cov lus teev tseg nyob rau Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, Section 504 los yog Txojcai Tiv Thaiv Haiv Neeg Mekas uas Xiam Oob Qhab, nej sau tau ib tsab ntawv tsis txaus siab tuaj rau tus saib xyuas tej teebmeem zoo li no uas yog tus WSD Equity Director nyob tom Longfellow Administration Center, 415 Seymour Street, Wausau, Wisconsin , los yog hu rau nws ntawm tus xovtooj El Distrito Escolar de Wausau no discrimina contra las personas por motivos de sexo, raza, religión, nacionalidad, ancestro, credo, embarazo, estado civil, orientación sexual, o discapacidad física, emocional, mental o de aprendizaje. La Ley Federal prohíbe cualquier tipo de discriminación en la educación y empleo por motivos de edad, raza, color, nacionalidad, sexo, religión o discapacidad. Cualquier persona que crea que el Distrito Escolar de Wausau ha aplicado inadecuadamente los principios y/o reglas del Título VI, Título VII, Título IX, Sección 504 o del Acta para Americanos con Discapacidades, podrá presentar una denuncia ante el Director de Igualdad del Distrito Escolar de Wausau al Centro de Administración Longfellow, 415 Seymour Street, Wausau, Wisconsin , o por teléfono al

3 G.D. JONES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT We commit to provide a safe environment where we help all students learn academic and social skills. G.D. JONES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BELIEF STATEMENTS We believe that all students can learn & that student learning should be the focus of all school decisions. We believe that varied learning activities are necessary to meet & assess students needs. We believe that our school needs to be a safe, clean, & comfortable place. We believe that all students, parents, staff, & the community share responsibility for the success of a child s education. We believe in positive relationships & mutual respect between students, parents, staff, & the community.

4 SCHOOL CALENDAR First Day of School......September 1 Labor Day NO SCHOOL..September 5 District-wide Professional Development NO SCHOOL.. October END OF 1 st QUARTER/NO SCHOOL PM/NO 4K ALL DAY (PM TEACHER RECORDKEEPING) November 4 Thanksgiving Break NO SCHOOL..... November Winter Break Begins NO SCHOOL.... December 23 School Resumes January 3 END OF 2 nd QUARTER/NO SCHOOL PM/NO PRE-K ALL DAY (PM TEACHER RECORDKEEPING)... January 20 District-wide Professional Development NO SCHOOL.. January END OF 3 rd QUARTER/NO SCHOOL PM/NO PRE-K ALL DAY (PM TEACHER RECORDKEEPING) March 24 Spring Break NO SCHOOL.... March 27-March 31 School Resumes April 3 Inclement Weather Make-up Day, if needed May 5 District-wide Professional Development NO SCHOOL.. May 26 Memorial Day Observed NO SCHOOL.... May 29 END OF 4 th QUARTER/NO SCHOOL PM/NO PRE-K ALL DAY (PM TEACHER RECORDKEEPING) June 6 Students' Last Day......June 6 Teachers Last Day.....June 7

5 DAILY SCHEDULE 8:00 AM 8:15 AM Breakfast 8:15 AM 8:30 AM Recess 8:30 AM Incoming Bell 8:35 AM Tardy Bell 8:25 AM 11:00 AM AM 4K Academy Session 9:30 AM 9:45 AM Grade 1 Recess 9:45 AM 10:00 AM Grade 2 Recess 10:00 AM 10:15 AM KDG Recess 11:00 AM 12:00 PM 4K Lunch/Recess 11:10 AM 11:50 AM Kindergarten Lunch/Recess 11:40 AM 12:20 AM Grade 1 Lunch/Recess 11:30 AM 12:10 PM Grade 2 Lunch/Recess 11:40 AM 12:20 PM Grade 3 Lunch/Recess 11:50 AM 12:30 PM Grades 4 & 5 Lunch/Recess 11:40 PM 2:15 PM PM 4K Academy Session 2:00 PM 2:15 PM 3 Recess 1:40 PM 1:55 PM 4-5 Recess 3:30 PM K 5 Dismissal

6 Transportation To and From School Family Vehicle Please note the change in the flow of traffic of the GD Jones parking lot. The entrance is now on the west end of the lot and will ensure the safety of all students during drop off and pick up times at school. Please follow the arrows to ensure everyone s safety and pull ahead as far to the east end of the lot before stopping the vehicle where staff members will be available to help students in and out of your vehicle. Parking Lot Exit Only Parking Lot Entrance Only

7 Walking/Biking Walking and biking to school is not only a fun way for kids to get to school, but it is also healthy. Physical activity improves mental health, attendance, and academic performance. Walking and biking to school also decreases the amount of traffic in the parking lot and around the school. When walking or biking to school, please keep in mind the following safety tips: Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals, safety patrol, or the crossing guards. Look both ways before crossing in the crosswalk. Always walk, never run, when crossing the streets. Always walk on the sidewalks. Always wear a properly fitting helmet every time you ride your bike. SAFETY PATROLS Safety patrols will be on duty to help keep children safe while crossing street corners from 8:15 8:30 a.m. and 3:25 3:40 p.m. COLT CORRAL Students waiting for a ride after school must wait in the Colt Corral, a waiting area painted on the sidewalk outside the main entrance to the school. There are adults available to supervise students in this area until 3:40 p.m. Students are NOT allowed to wait for their rides in unsupervised areas, such as near the driveway to the loading dock or on the corner of Rosecrans and 12 th Avenue. Your child s safety is our number one concern and your help is most appreciated. OFFICE HOURS AND MESSAGES The office is open from 7:45 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. The secretarial staff will be happy to help you if questions arise. Please make car-pooling and after-school child care decisions ahead of time as it is very inconvenient to pass these personal messages on to the student. Also, children are not allowed to use the telephone after school for these types of messages. Emergency situations are different! We will do our best to be of service to you. ABSENCES Your child is required to be in school except when he/she is ill. Please call the school office ( ) before school starts each day your child is absent. Please use good judgment when determining if your child's health warrants staying home. It is difficult to keep children inside during recesses and noon hour and to provide them with proper supervision just because they "don't feel well." A written doctor's excuse to stay inside will help us at school.

8 Help your child to develop the responsibility of arriving at school on time. G.D. Jones School starts at 8:35 a.m. If your child gets an occasional "late start," please call and get him/her to school as soon as possible. Have your child check in and out through the office whenever he/she does not plan to be at school all day. TOYS AT SCHOOL We have had students bring radios, yo-yos, Pokemon cards, skateboards, and other toys to school. Toys on the playground cause a number of problems, which we would like to avoid. The toys may be lost and/or broken causing great disappointment to the owner. Our PTO and school provide funds for playground equipment for all children. We would prefer that children share this equipment while at recess and keep their toys at home. Additionally, for the safety of all students, heelys are not allowed at school. Parent Teacher Organization (P.T.O) As parents of G.D. Jones students, you are members of our PTO where you will find many opportunities for you to become involved in your child s school. Focusing on the most effective projects and events, Understanding the needs and interests of our school families to provide the most support, Sharing the tasks, and Partnering with the school staff and community whenever possible is the goal of the GD Jones PTO. For more information regarding your P.T. please leave a message for Justin Sorenson, G.D. Jones P.T.O president, at SCHOOL COUNSELOR Developmental Guidance provides weekly guidance lessons for all students. In an effort to help children reach their greatest potential, lessons are designed to meet the needs of students in areas of personal, social, academic, and career exploration. In addition to classroom guidance, small group counseling on specific topics and individual counseling are provided. Parents and students are encouraged to contact Cassie Cerny, the School Counselor, should a specific need arise. PARTY INVITATIONS Unless the entire class is being invited, please DO NOT send party invitations to school with your child to hand out to select students.

9 VISITORS ARE WELCOME Visitors are always welcome at G.D. Jones School. However, all classroom contacts during the school day need to be initiated through the office for your child s safety. Visitors must register and obtain a visitor s badge in the school office each time they visit the school. (Please refer to School Board Policy #1320 for further details.) EARLY DISMISSAL SIGN-OUT SHEET For your child s safety, an Early Dismissal Sign-Out Sheet must be filled out by a parent in the main office when your child needs to leave during the school day. When your child returns to school, please let the office personnel know that he/she has returned. *We cannot allow students to meet you outside of the school building. If someone other than a parent or a legal guardian needs to pick up a child, we must have a telephone call from the child s parent giving us the person s name/relationship and the reason that he/she is picking up your child. DISMISSAL The school day ends at 3:30 p.m. It is important that all students are picked up at 3:30 p.m. unless they are involved in adult-supervised after-school activities. EMERGENCY CONTACT At the start of each school year, parents are asked to update and sign an Emergency Contact & Medical Information form for each child they have attending G.D. Jones School. If the school does not have this form for your child, it makes it extremely difficult to contact you or another responsible party if an emergency situation occurs at school. BREAKFAST AND LUNCH The Wausau School District is pleased to announce that it has been approved by the Department of Public Instruction to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the school year. This is great news! All students enrolled at G.D. Jones Elementary are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to parents each school day throughout the school year.

10 If at any time you have questions regarding these very exciting free meal opportunities, please do one of the following: Call Sheri or Lea, G.D. Jones School Nutritionists, between 10:00 11:00 a.m. or from 1:00 2:00 p.m. at Call the Wausau School District Food Service Office at Breakfast: Students may arrive at school beginning at 8:00 A.M. for breakfast. Breakfast will be served in the multi-purpose room. Once students finish eating breakfast, they will be dismissed to the playground beginning at 8:15 A.M. If the weather is inclement, students will be supervised in the gymnasium Recess: Lunch/Lunch All grades will eat lunch and then go out for recess before coming to eat lunch. If the weather is inclement, students will be supervised inside the building during their lunch recess. Students will be held responsible for their behavior during lunch and on the playground. They will be expected to be where they belong, do their work (in this case, eat or play) and respect others, property, the environment, and themselves. PLAYGROUND SUPERVISION (8:15 A.M.) Playground supervisors will be on duty before school from 8:15-8:30 a.m. We strongly recommend that children come no earlier than fifteen minutes before the school day begins unless they plan to eat breakfast at school. Students are asked not to enter the building unless an emergency occurs or a red ball is on the door. When the red ball is on the door, students may come into the gym where they are supervised. This red ball is put up during stormy, rainy, or extremely cold weather.

11 INCLEMENT WEATHER On rainy or extremely cold days, children should stay home as long as possible until the school day begins. On these inclement weather days, students will be allowed to come into the building through the gym doors before school beginning at 8:15 a.m. and will be supervised inside throughout the day during recess times. NO SMOKING POLICY Smoking is prohibited anywhere on school property INCLUDING INSIDE CARS at any time. Students face suspension, faculty members can be reprimanded, and other adults will be warned/ticketed if they violate this policy. TEXTBOOKS AND CLASSROOM SUPPLIES The Wausau School District furnishes textbooks to the students. Please have your children cover the textbooks with grocery bags, wrapping paper, book covers, newspaper, etc. Students and their parents will be held responsible for lost or damaged books. Students need to bring classroom supplies as soon as possible and need to have rubber-soled tennis shoes at school just for physical education classes. Since many children wear identical clothes and use similar classroom supplies, please identify your child's name on these items with some type of marker or other identification tool.

12 VISION AND HEARING SCREENING The Marathon County Health Department technicians will be in our school again this year to conduct the vision and hearing screening. Screening will be done on all students in grades K, 1, 2, 3 and 5. If your child wears glasses, please be sure that they are worn on that day. If a child does not wear his/her glasses, he/she will not have the vision test. Please notify the school prior to the screening day if either of the following applies to your child: statements 1) You do not wish to have your child participate in the screening, or 2) You feel your child may need to be screened and is not in one of the grades being screened. NOTE: This is only a screening. You will receive a referral if the screening results indicate that your child may need further evaluation. Then you may wish to make an appointment with a physician of your choice. No matter how good schools are, how capable and caring the teachers, they will not have as much effect on a child s permanent level of intelligence as has the environment in which he has lived before he started first grade. Joan Beck LIBRARY All parents are encouraged to read books with their child and to let him/her tell you about the pictures and story. A book from the school library needs to be returned on library day. Each book is stamped for two weeks and must be returned before other books can be checked out. Please help your child learn the following rules for the library books: 1) Find a safe place where the library book can be kept - away from pets and younger children. If the book is kept in the same place each time, it is easier to find it on library mornings. Also, this special place will keep the library book from becoming mixed in with your own books. 2) Remind your child to have clean hands when he/she looks at books and to turn the pages from the upper right hand corner. 3) Send a book bag or backpack on library day so that library books are protected from bad weather. Students who lose or damage books will be fined.

13 PARENT RESOURCE LIBRARY We are very fortunate to have a Parent Resource Library right in our school! Parents are able to check out books, videos, and cassettes anonymously through our parent partnership coordinator, Cassie Cerny, our school counselor, or Kristen Brown, our school social worker. The materials cover a variety of topics pertinent to parents. Topics include such things as how to help your child succeed in school, positive parenting, alcohol and drug abuse, friendship, and many other topics. HOMEWORK The Wausau School District believes: Mastery of basic skills is essential for a sound education, Meaningful practice over a period of time will be necessary to attain mastery learning, and Homework allows students an opportunity to explore educational experiences beyond the classroom. Therefore, it is both appropriate and necessary for students to be assigned some homework. It is the intent of the Wausau School District to encourage standards for homework that will maximize it as a meaningful and reinforcing part of the student's program of learning. Homework may be expected under the following circumstances: 1) When an assignment has not been completed in the allotted class time. 2) When a specific student learning difficulty needs to be overcome. 3) When a student returns from an absence. 4) When a student or class displays an interest in doing additional research on a given topic. 5) When a student is not working up to his/her potential. 6) When class time has not been wisely used by the student. 7) When specific skills need to be strengthened through independent practice. 8) When the goal for the student is to strengthen independent study habits. General Homework Suggestions: Ask your child to show you any homework or reading assignments. Find a quiet space, free from distractions, for your child to read. Establish a routine or certain time to complete work. Don't let your child leave homework until just before bedtime. Tell your child how important school is. The attitude you express about school will be the attitude your child acquires. Provide your child with a healthy snack. Limit the time spent watching television or playing video games until after

14 PERSONAL APPEARANCE We know that children frequently act like they are dressed. Parents are responsible for guiding their children in making appropriate choices when dressing for school. Children should dress for the weather conditions. Except during periods of rain or extreme cold, students will be expected to remain on the playground until 8:30 in the morning, during recess periods, and during the noon hour. Warm caps, mittens and weatherproof footwear are a must during winter months. During spring and fall, the temperatures are often unpredictable. Students should select clothes for comfort, keeping in mind that shorts and shirts should be appropriate in length. Safety should also be a consideration. Skirts that are too long, as well as too short, can be dangerous on playground equipment or difficult to sit and play in. Shoes should be sturdy. Skinned knees can be avoided by wearing longer pants. To help you and your child choose appropriate clothing for the weather, we will follow these temperature guidelines during outdoor recesses: If the temperature is 59 degrees or below, students will need to wear jackets when outside, if the temperature is degrees, students may go outside wearing long sleeves. If students are not wearing long sleeve shirts, jackets must be worn. If the temperature is 65 degrees and above, students may wear short sleeves outside. Wausau School District Policy states: In order to assure a healthy and safe school environment for students, the following student dress code guidelines will be enforced: 1. During the school day, hats, caps, bandannas, head coverings, and jackets shall be taken off and placed in the student s locker soon after the student enters the building. These items shall not be worn in the classroom and they shall not be worn in the school building except when the student has immediately entered or is leaving the building. 2. No student shall be permitted to wear any clothing that contains pictures and/or writing referring to alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, sexual references, profanity, promotion of gambling, illegal drugs, and/or gangs. 3. Medallions or other jewelry which identify gang members or gang affiliation or which have come to represent a gang shall also not be worn or displayed in school or at school events. Also, gang clothing is not always restricted to an item of clothing, but may include the way in which a particular item of clothing is worn. No gang insignia may be worn, possessed, used, distributed, displayed, carried, or sold by any student on school grounds or at school-related activities at any time. The reference to gang insignia would also encompass items of clothing that signify gang activity by the manners in which they are worn. During the school year, the students participate in many performances, as well as events within the Wausau School District where they represent our school. These are special occasions and should have special consideration when it comes to dress. A clean and neat appearance makes the best impression!

15 FIELD TRIPS Field trips are an extension of the classroom-learning environment in a less structured setting. Therefore, it is important that students participating in field trips conduct themselves in an appropriate manner to ensure their safety and the safety of others. While on field trips, students will be expected to follow school rules and exhibit behavior that is appropriate to the setting to allow all students the opportunity to see, hear, and learn. Appropriate student behavior at school is also very important. One indicator of a student's ability to act appropriately on a field trip is the citizenship exhibited at school. Parents of students whose behavior at school requires an increased amount of teacher/supervisor time may be required to attend school field trips with their child. At the principal s discretion, students exhibiting extreme cases of behavior at school prior to a field trip, which results in suspension, may be excluded altogether from a field trip.

16 POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS & SUPPORTS (PBIS) What Does PBIS Mean? PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports. All elementary schools in the Wausau School District are using PBIS. PBIS helps us to prevent & respond to classroom & school behavior problems. The school-wide systems that are put in place help teachers to teach & students to learn. When we have fewer behavior problems, school is a safe place to learn for all. At G.D. Jones, we are working to define, teach, & support the appropriate student behaviors so that our school is a great place to learn, have fun, & make new friends. G.D. JONES SCHOOL-WIDE EXPECTATIONS The Big 3 RESPECT treating other people, property, the environment, & myself the way I want to be treated WORK - doing what I m supposed to be doing & bringing the materials needed to do it BELONG - being where I am supposed to be & being there on time STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FOR APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR 1. Colt Cash G.D. Jones students are acknowledged for good behavior showing RESPECT, doing their WORK, & being where they BELONG with Colt Cash. Students put their name on the back of the Colt Cash & put it into a personal wallet. Students bundle Colt Cash to use at the School Store.

17 2. School Store Every other week, students are given the opportunity to shop at the store during their recess. Colt Cash used at the store is placed into the Colt Cash Bank to celebrate all the hard work our students are doing. 3. All School Celebrations Our ALL SCHOOL CELEBRATIONS are a chance to acknowledge our students good behavior & encourage them to continue to RESPECT, WORK, & BELONG at G.D. Jones School. These events help build community for both our staff & students. CONSEQUENCES FOR INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR 1. Adult Correction A verbal correction will be given to students by an adult when a student is not following any of our three school-wide expectations: RESPECT, WORK, & BELONG. Students will be given the chance to fix the behavior before further action is taken. 2. Minor Behavior Report Behavior that needs more than adult correction is written on a G.D. Jones Behavior Reporting Form. As part of the conversation between the student & the adult, the adult may offer choices of how the student might fix it. The choices will be related to the misbehavior, respectful of the student, & reasonable as a consequence. Once a student has four minor behavior reports in two or more locations & by two or more adults within a four week period, the classroom teacher will call the parents or hold a parent-teacher conference. Together, the parent & the teacher will discuss possible steps to increase appropriate RESPECT, WORK, & BELONG behaviors. 3. Major Behavior Report Any of the following behaviors are major: Behavior that breaks federal law, state law, and/or a major Wausau School District policy Behavior that is physically or emotionally dangerous that poses a threat to physical and/or emotional safety Acts of defiance Other extreme behavior All major behaviors require follow-up & parent contact by the principal.

18 SUPPORT SYSTEMS At G.D. Jones, we have created some built-in support as a way to help children use appropriate behavior or stay above-the-line. Any one of the following supports may be used, depending on the level of need: Matrix Walks These are events in which all students walk through our common areas to learn expectations and practice expectations. Matrix Walks are scheduled three times each year, the beginning of the year, after winter break, and after spring break. Re-teaching COOL TOOLS (lesson plans) are used to re-teach appropriate RESPECT, WORK, & BELONG behaviors that were previously taught to all students. Sometimes, the reteaching might be done in a new way & may be done one-on-one or with a whole class. Expectation Celebrations Each month the school hosts an Expectation Celebration. Students following expectations enjoy an extra recess. Students demonstrating inappropriate behaviors (earning 3 ODRs in a week and/or earning 5 or more ODRs in the month) participate in a booster (re-teaching) in the area they are demonstrating need for improvement. Check-In Check-Out To prevent students who are acting out from becoming worse & to provide them with more frequent feedback on their behavior to prevent future problem behavior, a G.D. Jones Colt Card is used. With the goal of increasing appropriate RESPECT, WORK, & BELONG behaviors, students are given feedback on their behavior by an adult about every minutes. Social Academic Instructional Groups These student groups are created using data from behavior reports & after being involved with check-in check-out. The students in these small groups usually need re-teaching of specific behaviors. They meet with an adult to practice appropriate RESPECT, WORK, & BELONG behaviors that will help them to be successful at school. Sometimes, adults at G.D. Jones meet to try to figure out the purpose of an inappropriate behavior. This helps the adults know how to best support the student & his/her family in changing the behavior so that the student can learn & his/her teacher can teach.