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School ProceduresAttendance: Regular school attendance is critical for mastery of the instructional program presented to your child at Highland Park Elementary. Additionally, regular school attendance is important for your child’s social and emotional wellbeing. When a child is not feeling well enough to
take part in the regular school program, he/she is better off at home. A
child running a fever should be kept at home at least 24 hours after the
fever is gone. If it is necessary
for your child to be absent, please notify the school by phone at (206)
252-8240. You may leave a message on the voice mailbox during non-school
hours. We prefer a phone call by 9:00 a.m. on the day of the absence to
inform us that you know your child is not in school that day. You may also
submit a signed note indicating the student’s name, the date(s) of absence
and the reason for the absence. The following are accepted as legitimate
reasons for an excused absence from school: §
Illness §
Family emergency §
Medical or dental appointments that cannot
be scheduled outside the school day §
Pre-arranged family trips (such trips must
be excused prior to the trip itself) §
Other emergency situations Other absences are not excused unless
approved by the principal at least three days prior to the absence. Make-up work: Students who are returning from absences in which parents have
notified the school of the absence are expected to make up assignments when
they return. Students are required to be on time for class.
Tardiness will usually result in making up time during recesses. Truancy
(Absences Without Notification): The compulsory attendance laws of
Washington State establish firm policies and procedures to address truancy
for students between the ages of 6 and 18. The law sets forth procedures that
must be followed when students have unexcused absences (defined as the
majority of a day absent from school without a parent excuse for one of the
absences listed above). A. At one (1) unexcused absence in a calendar month, the school
must notify the home (via a phone call or letter). B. At two (2) unexcused absences in a calendar month, a conference
must be held between the student, the school, and the parent if possible. The
conference may occur via telephone or in person and the parent will be
notified of the steps taken as a result of the conference. The conference may
be held with just the student if the parent is unable to attend. The purpose
of the conference is to determine what actions must be taken to correct or
ameliorate truant behavior. C. After five (5) and no later than seven (7) unexcused absences in
a calendar month, or no later than ten (10) unexcused absences over the
course of a school year, the school district must file a petition with the
juvenile court requesting the court to take action which will compel the
student to attend school. Change
of Student Information: It is extremely important that the school
be given any change of pertinent information. This includes: home telephone
number, work/cell numbers of all parents/guardians, daycare provider’s name,
address and phone number, and any alternate emergency information on file.
Students will be released to go home only to parents or emergency contacts
who parents have listed on the student’s data sheet. Should it become
necessary to reach you regarding a matter of health or safety involving your
child during the school day, it is critical that we have updated information. Early
Release by Parent Request: If it is necessary to pick up your child
before the end of the school day, please come to the office and request that
your child be released. Parents must sign their child out of the school in
the office. The office staff will call the classroom teacher and request that
the child come to the office to be released to the parent. Teachers will not
release students to parents who come to the classroom. Legal
Custody: A legal document is required to support
any questions of custody between divorced or separated parents; otherwise,
both natural parents are considered to have the right to request contact
with, or pick up children from school. Dropping
Off and Picking Up Students: When students arrive at school in the
morning, whether they are walking, being dropped off by parents, or arriving
by bus, they go to the blacktop area of the playground to wait for the
morning bell to ring. Students are not allowed in the hallways before the
first bell. If a student eats breakfast in the cafeteria before school,
he/she enters by the door closest to the covered area. When the bell rings,
students line up in designated areas of the playground and wait for their
classroom teacher to escort them into the building. Parents are asked to drop their children
off near the blacktop area of the school. Please use the street area to do
so, and leave the bus-loading zone clear for buses to safely drop off and
pick up students. For safety of students and to ease traffic congestion,
please do not drop students off in front of the school building. Parents of students in grades 1-5 who wish
to pick up their children on campus after school may wait on the covered
blacktop area of the school. Students exit the door closest to this area.
Parents of kindergarten students may pick up their children by the
kindergarten play yard at 2:55 p.m. daily. Kindergarten teachers will escort
their students to this area. We ask that parents not wait inside by the
classroom doors or in the hallways. It is much safer and easier for classroom
teachers to monitor their students when parents are all in the same area and
not spread throughout the school. Your cooperation with this routine is
greatly appreciated. Emergency
School Closure: On occasions when it becomes necessary to
close school due to extreme weather conditions or other unusual circumstances,
announcements will be made on radio stations. Listen to the radio for a list
of school closures. If snow begins after students have left school, listen to
the radio for early dismissal information. Phone lines are difficult to use
during this period. The radio is more reliable. All activities planned in the
public school buildings affected by changes in the school schedule will be
considered canceled when schools are closed for the day. Before
and After School Hours: It is important that our students not be
on school grounds prior to 8:30 a.m. or after 3:05 p.m. as we have no
supervision of school grounds or equipment before 8:30 a.m. and after school.
We request that all students leave school promptly at dismissal time and be
off school property by 3:05 p.m. each day. Requesting
Change of Bus/Routine: Any request for a change in your child’s
afternoon bus schedule or routine should be given to the office in writing by
the morning bell. We cannot allow students to ride buses other than their own
without previous written permission from the parents involved. If we do not
have written permission to alter your child’s routine, we must send him/her
home the usual way. In an emergency, you may call the office to change
routine information. Although it is our policy not to interrupt classes
during the instructional day, office personnel will get the information to
your child(ren) if you call well before the 3:00 dismissal bell. Visiting
School: Parents are always welcome to visit
classrooms. We encourage you to visit and participate in the classroom under
teacher direction. Teachers and staff members are available to parents before
school 8:20 -- 8:50 a.m., and after school 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. Teachers also can
be reached during their prep time during the school day. You can check with
the teachers for these times. For the consideration of students and staff,
please follow these building procedures: 1. Arrange at least 24 hours in advance with the classroom teacher
to visit a class. 2. If you wish to see a certain subject being presented, let the
teacher know in order for an appropriate time to be scheduled. 3. Register in the office upon your arrival, so that you can be
given a visitor’s badge. The office staff will let the classroom teacher know
that you are coming into their room. 4. If several parents are visiting at the same time, they should
not engage in private conversation while the class is in session. 5. Parents should not “visit” with their children when the class is
in session. 6. The principal is willing to answer any questions, or to assist
you in any way possible. Student
Dress: Please have your child(ren) dress
appropriately for the weather and safety. As you know, Seattle weather is
unpredictable. Several light layers offer warmth and many more options as the
temperature varies. Individual rights to style and taste in
clothing are respected, but any type of clothing that would cause
distractions or be disruptive to the educational process is not acceptable.
Midriffs, halter-tops, tank tops with spaghetti straps, and short shorts are
best suited for the beach. Clothing should not display inappropriate language
or pictures promoting drugs, alcohol, guns, tobacco, or gangs. In addition,
sagging pants, raised pant legs, bandanas and dew rags are not appropriate to
the school environment. Hats (including headbands) are not to be worn inside
the building. Bicycles: Students are allowed to ride bicycles to
school. There are facilities for parking bikes in the front of the school
building. Students are responsible for locking up their bikes each day. The
school will not be responsible for theft, damage or breakage. Care of
Books: Students are responsible for textbooks
assigned to them and for library books they check out. Improper treatment or loss
of books will result in a fine. Report cards and records will be withheld if
fines are owed. Please help your child keep books out of the reach of pets
and small children at home. Field
Trips: Field trips are an exciting part of the
educational program provided for your children at Highland Park. Using our
city as a learning resource is a privilege. When such trips are planned and
bus transportation is necessary, permission slips
and information pertaining to possible cost of the trip will be sent home for
parental signature. Lost
and Found Items: Please mark your children’s clothing,
lunchboxes, etc. with their first and last names. Many items are misplaced
each year and your efforts in this matter will enable the school to return
lost articles to their rightful owners. Articles found in or near the school
are turned in to the office. Students may claim their lost articles daily in
the office (small items). Please feel free to check the lost and found areas
whenever you are visiting or volunteering. The school is not responsible for
personal items/property lost at school. Telephone: Children will not be called to the phone during school hours except in the case of emergency. Children and school employees will be given written messages when these are left with our school office staff. Children will not be allowed the use of the school business phone except by permission of the office for an emergency situation. Pets: A pet may visit school only if an adult
brings it, stays with it, and takes it home at the end of the sharing time.
Animals are not allowed on school buses. Party
Invitations: Birthday parties give many happy memories
to children. However, not being invited can be a very unhappy experience. In
consideration of the feelings of children not receiving invitations, we are
requesting that no invitations be handed out at school unless each child is
receiving one. |
