Spring Creek Eagles
“Truly excellent students”
July 25, 2016
Welcome to the 2016-17 school year! It has been a great summer vacation, and I am eager to welcome you and your child(ren)back to Spring Creek for the new school year.
Registration Day
Please stop by the school on Thursday, August 4, from 7:00 AM until 7:00 PM to register your child(ren) for the coming school year. IF you completed your pre-registration packet last spring, you will not need to attend. Registration will be held in the Cafeteria.
Parent Information Night/Open House
We will hold aParent Information Night/Open House prior to the first day of the school year. We invite you and your child to school on Monday, August 15, from 6:00-7:00 PM. You are invited . . .
to meet your child’s teacher,
to drop-off your child’s school supplies,
to familiarize your child with his/her classroomand our school building.
Our staff believes that thisOpen House evening will help our first day of school run even more smoothly, having your child(ren) familiar with many aspects of their school day.
First Day of School
We begin the 2016-17school year on Wednesday, August 17. The first school day is a full day – 7:45 AM - 2:10 PM.Morning Meeting begins at 7:35 AM. Breakfast and lunch will both be served on the first day.
School Hours
Students mayarrive at school as early as 7:15 AM when our breakfast program and our adult supervision begin.Students should not be picked up prior to bus dismissal at 2:10 PM. If your child is normally a bus rider, he/she will be placed on their bus unless the school office receives a note advising us of alternate transportation arrangements for that day. You can also arrive to meet your child prior to bus dismissal time.
Physical Exams and Immunizations
Remember, the Rockford Public Schools has adopted a first day exclusion for any student who is not current with the state requirements for physicals and immunizations. These health requirements also pertain to students at any grade level who will be new to the RockfordSchool District. If you are not certain of your child(ren)’s status, please speak to our nurse on Registration Day or contact her via telephone.
School Uniforms
SpringCreekElementary School has a uniform dress code. Students are expected to wear the following attire each day to school:
Shirts – All shirts must be red, light blue, navy blue, or black in color.White shirts are acceptable, but we will be phasing those out over the coming school year. Shirts should be solid color, with no designs, prints, art work,or slogans.
Bottoms – Bottoms may be khaki, navy blue, or black in color. Bottoms should not be denim material. Pants or shorts may be worn by the boys. Boys should wear a belt as needed – no sagging of the pants is allowed. Girls areallowed to wear pants, shorts (longer length), capri pants, skirts (longerlength), and jumpers. Leggings cannot be worn alone, but may be worn under a skirt or jumper.
Shoes – Students shouldwear athletic shoes only – these are the safest shoe to be worn at school. Socks should be worn with the shoes. Students are not allowed to wear sandals, flip flops, crocs, high heels, platforms, wedges.
Headwear – Hats, hoods, scarves, sweatbands, and bandanas are not to be wornin the school building.Students will be required to remove headwear.
Spirit Days (Mondays and Fridays) – Students may wear Spring Creek Eagles spirit wear on Mondays and Fridays. This includes spirit wear purchased from our PTO or spirit wear designed by the students. IFstudents choose not to wear spirit wear on Mondays and Fridays, they must wear our regular school uniform.
Parents will be notified when there will be an exception to the regular school dress code, such as Picture Daysor special dress days for Red Ribbon Week, Veterans’ Day, etc.
Parents will be called if a child is not wearing the school uniform and will be encouraged to bring the appropriate school uniform to school for their child. Students can also be offered appropriate uniform clothing from the school’s clothes closet. If chronic dress code violations continue, the parent will be contacted and the student will receive discipline.Parents, your cooperation and support of our dress code is appreciated!
Help!You can be a great help to Spring Creek School by donating any gently used uniforms that your child has outgrown during the course of the school year. Please bring these donations toour school office. Thank you!
Attendance, Tardiness, and Early Leaves
School attendance is so important! How can a child be expected to learn if he/she is not present for classroom instruction and independent practice?
In addition to daily school attendance, it is vitally important that our students arrive at school on time.Students must be in attendance by 7:45 AM each morning to avoid being counted tardy.When students are late to school, they miss instructional time that has been planned for them by our classroom teachers. They also miss our Morning Meeting (beginning at 7:35 AM) which builds school community, reinforces our PBIS expectations, and shares important announcements with our students.
The same is true for early leaves at the end of the school day. Our teachers teach throughout the day. Our classrooms begin winding down and preparing for dismissal at 2:10 PM. Please do not pick your child up before our 2:10 dismissal time. Early leaves also count as tardies in the school district’s attendance system.
Lunch Snacks from Home
Students will NOT be allowed to bring large bags of chips from home to eat at lunch. Any type of chips - Takis, Doritos, Hot Cheetos, etc. - will only be allowed in small snack or sandwich bags. Last year, these chips caused arguments between students, were shared amongst students, and encouraged stealing from the classroom lunch bins. If a student brings these large bags of chips, the bag will be taken and held for the student to bring home at the end of the school day.
Candy should NOT be brought to school in the student’s lunch. At times, candy treats are given by the classroom teachers or tutors; otherwise, we ask that no candy be sent to school.
Birthday Treats
We ask that birthday treats only be brought to school during the child’s lunch period. We have found that this is the best practice to protect classroom instruction from interruptions. You are welcome to join your child for lunch on their special day and share the treat with his/her classroom. Please remember that treats must be store-bought andindividually-wrapped when possible.
Conferencing with Teachers
If you need to conference with your child(ren)’s teacher, please call the school office to make contact with the teacher and schedule a time to meet. We cannot have parents stopping teachers in the hallway, interrupting classroom instruction, talking during Morning Meeting, or dropping by the school unannounced to visit with a teacher. Instruction and supervision of our students is the highest priorityexpected of teachers.
Athletic Shoes
I want to reiterate how important it is for our students to wear athletic shoes to school each day. They are by far the safest shoes for children to be wearing to school – for maneuvering stairs, for playing on our mulch-covered playground, for running outside during recess and PE classes, for support of young, growing feet. Please support this request by seeing that your child wears athletic shoes to school each day.
Cell Phones
If a student is bringing a cell phone to school, the phone must be left in the child’s backpack on the silent setting. If the child has the phone in the classroom or is showing it to other students, the phone will be confiscated and the parent will be contacted. Students have NO need to make calls or to send texts during the school day.
I am looking forward to a great school year here at SpringCreekElementary School. We have a dedicated staff and a great school spirit. I am confident that your child will have a successful school experience here at Spring Creek.