Swanson School 2017-18 Elementary Handbook 305 N. Calhoun Rd Brookfield, WI 53005 (262) 789-2540 SW--1
WELCOME TO A NEW SCHOOL YEAR! The 2017-18 Swanson Elementary Handbook includes both District and school information, in addition to policies and procedures. Please review and refer to this document as a reference when you have questions throughout the year. The Swanson P.E.A.C.E. Handbook will be distributed to all students K-5 within the first few weeks of school. Please review, reinforce and support our expectations for safe, responsible, and appropriate learning behaviors with your child. School information will be published on our school website which can be found at www.elmbrookschools.org/swanson-elementary. You may also check out Swanson happenings with pictures and video on our Facebook page and Twitter@Swanson_SDE. Our website includes information about various activities, important dates, upcoming events and field trips, along with policy and program information. Sincerely, Kori Hartman Kori Hartman Principal SW--2
ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL OF STUDENTS AM BUS DROP OFF: All students transported by bus will enter the east doors and go directly to class. Adult supervisors will dismiss students from the bus at 8:38. AM PARENT-PROVIDED TRANSPORTATION: Parents may choose to transport children to and from school. For the safety and accountability of all students please follow these procedures: All students driven to school will enter the west café door/entrance and report to the cafeteria No drop-off prior to 8:35 am due to lack of supervision Please follow the 10-mph speed limit Watch for adults walking across the parking lot Morning drop-off students should be dropped off at the designated area on the side of the building. Please pull forward to the designated drop off point. If you plan to park or get out of your car, please proceed to the front of the building and park in a marked and legal parking spot. You may enter through the lobby doors after 8:35 a.m. PM BUS PICK UP: If parents have alternative dismissal plans for your child (your child is being picked up or being transported by someone other than you), please write and date a note clearly indicating this information. Students will not be allowed to ride to or from school on an unassigned bus due to limitations in bus capacity. PM PARENT PICK-UP: Parent Pick Up is a drive-up service that is located at the side of the building (northwest doors). At 3:40 (2:40 on Early Release Thursdays), students will report to the Cafeteria. Cars will line up around the pick-up loop. Family name card needs to be displayed in your passenger car window. Students will meet parents at their cars as they pull up to curb. Staff will assist students into vehicles. If a student is Parent Pick Up daily, no note is necessary. Students who are picked up on an occasional basis must bring a note for Parent Pick Up. Parents will NOT be allowed to park, get out of their cars or come in for pick up. Students may not be picked up in the hall, lobby areas, classrooms or bus lines. Please be at school NO LATER THAN 3:45 (2:45 on Early Release Thursdays) to pick up your child. If you are meeting with a teacher after school, please use the main entrance and check in at the office. Please do not plan to meet with them until all students are safely dismissed and accounted for. Staff is actively involved in supervision during dismissal. Our goal is to make arrival and dismissal time safe, routine, and efficient for all students. SW--3
BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM The West Suburban YMCA School-Age Child Care (Y Base) will be available at Swanson during our 2017-18 school year. This on-site program is offered for children ages 5-12 BEFORE SCHOOL AND AFTER SCHOOL ONLY, 6:30 a.m.-8:40 a.m. and 3:42 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. To enroll your child or for further information, please call the YMCA at 414-454-4625. Please note Before/After care is not available during non-school days and holidays. In addition to Y-Care, the following off-site providers offer transportation to/from school: Educare 262-781-3636 Karate America 262-789-5437 Wee-B-Kids 262-785-9474 ABSENCES If your child will be absent, please email the health room prior to 9:00 am at: swansonhealthroom@elmbrookschools.org or call 262-789-3283. SHOULD I SEND MY CHILD TO SCHOOL? When deciding whether or not to send your child to school, consider the following information: Fever: A fever is a warning that all is not right with the body. No child with a fever of 100 degrees or higher should be sent to school. Do not allow a child to return to school until he/she has been free of fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. Cold, Sore Throat, Cough: The common cold presents the most frequent problem to parents. A child with a heavy cold and a persistent cough belongs home in bed, even though he/she has no fever. If your child complains of a sore throat, and has no other symptoms, he/she may go to school. If white spots can be seen in the back of the throat or if fever is present, keep him/her home and call your practitioner. Rash: A rash which may be the first sign of one of childhood s many illnesses may cover the entire body or appear in only one area. Do not send a child with a rash to school until your doctor has said that it is safe to do so. A practitioner note is required upon your child s return to school stating that they are non-contagious. Stomachache, Vomiting, Diarrhea: A stomachache is a common childhood complaint and does not always require absence from school. Consult your practitioner if your child has a stomachache which is persistent or severe enough to limit his/her activity. A child who is vomiting or has diarrhea should be kept at home until symptom-free for 24 hours without the use of medication. Call your practitioner if prompt improvement does not occur. SW--4
COMMUNICATIONS School and District news can be regularly viewed at www.elmbrookschools.org. The Swanson website is updated as we receive news items and announcements for various activities. In addition, you will receive periodic automated telephone calls and emails via Parentlink which enables us to contact every family within a short period of time. They will provide timely, relevant school information, updates, reminders and changes in school operations, schedules or activities. Follow Swanson on Twitter for up-to-the minute information, news and student celebrations. @Swanson_SDE LOST AND FOUND The lost and found is located at the west end of the lobby. Valuable items are turned into the school office. During fall and spring parent/teacher conferences, lost and found items will be displayed in the lobby. Uncollected items will be removed at the end of each semester and donated to our local Goodwill Store. MEET & GREET/SCHOOL PICTURES Meet & Greet (Open House) is scheduled for Thursday, August 31st in order to give families the opportunity to meet the teacher(s), drop off school supplies and have student photos taken. Our photographer is V.I.P. Photography. Photo order information will be included in future Parentlink email communications. Students who are absent will be photographed on the retake date. Student yearbooks will be available for purchase at the end of the school year. PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION (PTO) Our parent teacher organization supports the school staff and students through a number of activities, programs, and fundraisers. Partnership with our parents strengthens our school and gives children the message that education matters! All parents are invited and encouraged to become active members of our PTO. Please keep informed through the school website. SECURITY We have a comprehensive set of security plans in place at Swanson that are reviewed continually with school staff. The Swanson staff creates many opportunities for our students to feel connected and cared for. We continue to reinforce with students that we do everything possible to create a safe learning environment. Exterior doors remain locked during the school day. Visitors may buzz for the front door entrance to be opened. Visitors must sign in at the front office and wear a Guest sticker. Staff members must ask any visitor/volunteer who is not wearing a Guest sticker to return to the office to put one on. Parents are asked to sign children in and out of the office or Health Room. Parents will be asked to show identification if they are unfamiliar to school staff. Playground supervisors carry walkie-talkies and will notify the Office or Health Room in the SW--5
event of any playground emergency. All classroom doors will be locked when your child s teacher goes home at the end of the day. Our crisis/security plan includes procedures to secure all rooms and relocate students when necessary. STUDENT CONDUCT/POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION & SUPPORT (PBIS) Staff will review our expectations regarding safe and appropriate student behaviors with students during the first weeks of school. Staff will use classroom social contracts, PEACE and The Three Rs as references to promote and maintain positive behaviors throughout our school. Please read the Code of Conduct Policy 5131.1 in the District Policies and Procedures section of this handbook. VISITATION AT SWANSON SCHOOL We encourage parent/school collaboration. All of our staff is available by appointment to discuss classroom performance. We suggest calling ahead of time to arrange an appointment so not to interfere with student instruction. You are always welcome to visit your child s classroom, but please make arrangements with the teacher in advance. Parents often visit during the lunch hours and are welcome to purchase a hot lunch when they sign in at the office. Visitor(s) may not interact with student(s) other than their own under any circumstances at Swanson including on/near a Swanson bus unless the interaction has been preapproved by the instructor charged with the responsibility of the affected student(s) and that the interaction is for a specific purpose such as volunteering in a classroom or in the library. Approved interaction must relate to the specific purpose identified during approval process and must be under the direct supervision of a Swanson staff member while on site. Visitors who come to Swanson, including on/near a Swanson bus, regarding conflict resolution must not approach or interact with someone else's child(ren) without permission from the other child(ren)'s parent(s) and/or guardian(s). SW--6