Holt Public Schools

Holt Public Schools

Elementary School

Family Handbook

2014-2015

Sycamore Elementary School

4429 Sycamore Street

Holt, MI 48842

Phone 517-699-2185

SYCAMORE

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Sycamore Elementary School is to provide opportunities for every member of the school community to achieve their personal best guided by district expectations, while maintaining high levels of personal and social responsibility. Appropriate data will determine early interventions to ensure academic and behavioral success for all members of the learning community.

The Holt Public Schools’ Elementary Handbook has been written to help students and families understand the guidelines, procedures, and expectations of our elementary schools. We encourage you to take the time to read this handbook and discuss the information as a family.

We hope that the handbook will be a resource as students learn and grow in the positive atmosphere of our district.

Administration/School Personnel

Superintendent…………………………..Dr. Johnny Scott

Director of Special Education…………..Wayne Abbott

Sycamore Principal……………………... Melissa Usiak

Sycamore Secretary…………………….Leslie WhittakerSycamore Counselor/Social Worker….. Alex Gierhart

Transportation……………………………694-0625

Holt Community Ed………………………694-3411

Theater, Events & Scheduling………….699-6439

Dear Elementary Students and Families,

Holt Public Schools welcomes you. Our priorities include safety and learning for you and your child. We strive to accomplish these through partnerships built by relationships and high expectations.

This handbook is intended to be a quick reference for families that have students in elementary school. Please read this information together as a family and keep it in a handy location.

If you have further questions regarding Holt Public Schools, its educational programs, personnel or other matters concerning your child, please feel free to call the office phone number listed on the front cover.

The staffs and administrators welcome you as members of our Holt Public School Family. It is our goal to provide your child with the best educational experience possible.

We look forward to a spectacular year of learning and growth.

Sincerely,

Melissa Usiak

Sycamore Elementary Principal

Table of Contents

Arrival/Dismissal Times……………………………………….……4

Announcements…………………………………………………….4

Attendance Policy………………………….…………………….…4

Behavior……………………….…………………………………….5

Bicycles……………………………………………………………...6

Birthday Treats……………………………………………………..6

Breakfast in the Classrooms………………………………………6

Bullying Prevention…………………………………………………6

Bus Transportation………………………………………………….7

Cell Phones…………………………………………………………7

Compacts…………………………………………………………..7

Emergency Drills/Information/School Closing…………………..8-9

Food Service……………………………………………………….9

Guest Teachers…………………………………………………….10

Health/Illness…………………………………………….…………10

Healthy Snacks…………………………………………………….11

Lost and Found……………………………………………………..11

Library……………………………………….………………………12

Medication………………………………………………………….12

Newsletters…………………………………………………………12

No Nit Policy (Lice)………………………………………………..13

Parent Engagement………………………………………………13

Parking Lot…………………………………………………………16

Playground…………………………………………………………16

Recess ………………………………………………………………17

Smoke Free Schools………………………………………………17

Student Possessions………………………………………………17

Student Dress………………………………………………………17

Special Programs/Services………………………………………. 19

Sycamore Staff…………………………………………………….. 21

Technology Acceptable Use Policy……………………………… 22

Bullying Policy……………………………………………………… 27

Behavior Expectation Matrix……………………………………… 31

Office Behavior Report……………………………………………..32

School Map………………………………………………………….33

Arrival and Dismissal Times

Daily Schedule

School Begins at 8:25am

Student Dismissed at 3:20 pm

Students should not arrive to school before 8:15 am.

There is not accurate supervision of children until that time.

PLEASE NOTE:

Early Dismissal Times on most Wednesdays:

School begins: 8:35 am

Students Dismissed: 1:40 pm

Announcements

Interruptions to learning are kept to a minimum as much as possible. Morning announcements are made each morning at approximately 8:35. These will include a Words of Wisdom message, the Pledge of Allegiance, guest teacher/paraeducator welcome, and reminders for the day.

Attendance Policy

Michigan Law requires that all children between the ages of six and sixteen attend school on a regular and consistent basis throughout the school year. Regular attendance is extremely important. Not only is it the law, but it has a significant impact on student success in school.

When an absence is unavoidable, parents may excuse absences by notifying the school the morning of the absence. Please call the school office before school begins to inform the secretary of this absence (699-2185). If the school has not received notification of your child’s absence, we will make every effort to contact you. Parents unable to call are required to send in a note with the necessary information.

Students with excused absences are expected to make up work missed. Parents may request makeup work, if they intend on picking it up. Please do not request makeup work from teachers or the office if the student is returning the following day.

Each child’s attendance will be watched closely throughout the year. Parents will receive phone calls or written letters if a student’s absences become excessive. A family conference may be requested to create a plan for more regular attendance. If the problem continues, a truancy referral may be made to the Ingham Intermediate Truancy Officer or the Delhi Sherriff Department.

Late Arrival

It is important that students arrive to school promptly. Being on time is a good start toward school success. Students are expected to be in their classrooms at 8:35 AM. Students who are tardy must stop and sign in at the office when entering the building. Excessive tardies could also be considered truancy and reported to the appropriate authority.

Early Departure

If your child is to be dismissed from school for an appointment or other reasons, please send a note to your child’s teacher indicating the time and date he/she is to be dismissed. When you arrive, lease report to the office to sign out your child. Your student will then be called to the office.

After School Plans

If there is a change in your child’s normal after school routine (riding the bus instead of getting picked up), a note must be written and sent to school for the teacher. If you have to make a change in plans during the school day, please call the office before 3:00 PM. Please note that the later in the day you call, the more difficult it is to get numerous messages to students and their teachers and a greater chance for a miscommunication.

Behavior

Student Code of Conduct

The Holt Board of Education and the Holt Public Schools strive to provide the best possible educational environment for student learning by creating safe and secure atmospheres. Cooperation is expected from all members of the Holt Public Schools learning community through behavior that is ethical, of good character, and demonstrated with honesty, respect, responsibility, and caring. We have high expectations for student behavior. Each elementary school has its own way to communicate these principles. At Sycamore we are STARS. All students are expected to be:

Be SAFEBe RESPECTFUL Be RESPONSIBLE

We practice school wide Positive Behavior Supports. We explicitly define, teach, reteach, and positively acknowledge appropriate behaviors in all common areas of the building. All behaviors fall under the three expectations: Be SAFE, Be RESPONSIBLE, Be RESPECTFUL.

When students struggle to meet our behavior expectations found in our matrix (page 32), staff will complete a Office Behavior Report (page 33).

Families will receive a white copy of the report with 48 hours in most instances.

Bicycles

Fourth grade students who live in the walking area of the school may ride bicycles. Students should walk bikes on school property. Bikes must be parked and secured in the bike rack and left there until school dismisses. The school is not responsible for damage or loss of bikes. Riding a bike to school is a privilege and students are expected to follow all safety rules. In the spring, third grade students are welcome to ride bicycles to school. Any other special arrangements must be made through the office/Mrs. Usiak.

Birthday Treats

Students are welcome to bring a treat to school to celebrate birthdays. We always encourage a healthy treat and ask that families respect food allergies of peers when possible. We request that if students want to share their treat with school staff, it should be done during students’ recess and not during instructional time.

Breakfast in the Classroom

Sycamore is excited to bring breakfast to our classrooms. Research says that students who begin their day with a balanced breakfast experience more school success. It can increase body energy, improve mood, reduce early morning fatigue, and help students improve their mathematical testing and matching activities. Students who choose to eat the school breakfast will have the money deducted from their lunch accounts daily. The cost of breakfast is:PAID: $1.40REDUCED: $.30FREE: free

Students do not have to participate in the classroom breakfast, but we highly encourage it. Students will begin their morning routines (morning work, calendar math, read to self, etc.) whether they eat breakfast in the classroom or not.

Bullying Prevention Plan

Definition of Bullying

Bullying is a pattern of abuse over time and involves a student being “picked on.” Bullying includes physical intimidation or assaultive behavior, oral or written threats, teasing, putdowns, name calling, threatening looks, gestures, or actions, cruel rumors, false accusations, and social isolation. Racial slurs are absolutely not allowed.

Bullying is Prohibited

All Holt Public School Elementary Schools will not tolerate any bullying on school grounds or at any school activity on or off campus, or to and from school.

Staff Intervention

Staff members who observe or are informed of an act of bullying will take immediate safe and appropriate action to intervene. If a staff member believes that his/her intervention has not resolved the issue, or if the bullying persists, he/she will report the bullying to the principal or counselor/social worker for further investigation.

Reporting Bullying

Students and parents should report acts of bullying to the child’s teacher or other school staff. Any student who retaliates against another for reporting bullying may be subject to further intervention.

Investigating Bullying

If an incident of bullying is reported to the principal, he/she will investigate the issue and then contact families of both the victim and the aggressor. This investigation may include interviews with students, parents, school staff, and a review of school records.

Intervention

All students receive classroom instruction on bullying prevention from the school counselor/social worker. It is essential that our students understand the roles that can be played in a bullying incident: the bully, the victim, and the bystander. For serious issues, consequences may depend on the results of the investigation and may include counseling, behavior/safety plans, restricted recess, a parent conference, suspension or expulsion, providing staff support, and reporting incidents to local law enforcement.

Please review the district’s Bullying policy at the end of the handbook.

Bus Transportation

In order to ride a bus, students must conduct themselves in a safe and proper manner. We ask that parents help their children be safe and proper riders. It is the responsibility of the students, and if they choose not to do so, they ay be choosing to not ride the bus.

Cell Phones

Cell phones, like other valuables, are not welcome at school. Cell phones are not to be used during school hours. School personnel have the right to confiscate a cell phone and hold onto it until an adult family member picks it up.

Compact

The school and families will develop a Partners in Learning Compact, or agreement, together. This will be discussed at a fall PTO meeting but then written during Fall conferences. It will define responsibilities of the school and responsibilities of the family to support each student.

Emergency Drills

Fire and tornado drill instructions are posted in each classroom. Procedures are discussed with children and practiced at unannounced times. When a drill is performed, the teacher who has the children in her/his classroom is responsible for them. We are required to have at least 8 fire drills each year and at least two tornado drills.

Tornado Watch: This meansthere is a possible tornado developing and that weather conditions are favorable for a tornado to occur.

Tornado Warning: This means that atornado has been sighted in the vicinity.

The Holt Education Center receives information of severe weather conditions from the weather bureau and the Civil Defense Warning System and immediately notifies affected schools in the Holt district.

As soon as a tornado WATCH is issued, we alert our personnel. If a WARNING is issued, children will go to assigned areas within the school. Parents are urged not to come to the school, but to seek shelter themselves. Parents should not enter the building and attempt to find their children. If parents do come to the school, they must report to the office and school personnel will locate the child(ren) and bring them to the office if it is necessary to leave the building. Children will only be released in a weather emergency to their own parents/guardians or previously authorized childcare providers.

Lockdowns: A lockdown is an emergency procedure where doors are locked and no one is admitted into the building. This is necessary if a situation poses a threat to our students and staff at Sycamore.

Perimeter Lockdown: This means there is a potential danger and all exterior doors are locked and no one is allowed to enter the building, including parents. Once police give the okay, children may be released to their parents/guardians, but only with proper identification, and only through monitored doors.

Full Lockdown: This means there is immediate danger and all exterior and classroom doors are locked and staff and students move to secure areas. No one is allowed to enter or leave the building during this time.

Visitors Must Sign-in:All doors are locked from 8:30-3:20. Visitors must enter through door #1 near the main office, The door will be unlocked by the office staff after visitors push the buzzer. If visitors are not familiar to the staff, they may be asked to provide identification. Anyone who enters the building (volunteer, parent, guest teacher, workman or others) are required to sign in and wear a visitor badge. Upon leaving the building they must again stop by the office and sign out in the visitor’s notebook.

Emergency Information

Please list your family doctor on each of your children’s emergency and enrollment forms. Please include contact information for yourself and another responsible person that can be reached in case of an emergency. If immediate medical attention is needed, parents or other designated responsible persons will be notified. In the event no family doctor is designated and parental contact cannot be made, the building administrator will contact paramedics.

It is important that you let the office and teacher know of any changes in addresses or telephone numbers.

Emergency School Closing

Due to weather conditions or mechanical failure it may be necessary to call off school for the day or to send children home early. Notification of emergency closing will be made on local radio and TV stations. We are unable to call parents. Families should have a plan in place should school be dismissed early.

Food Service

All Holt Public School elementary schools are proud to provide a nourishing, well-balanced breakfast and lunch program. The cost of meals is kept as low as possible. Families who qualify may benefit from the Free or Reduced Lunch Program by completing an application through your school’s office.

For lunch, students choose a main entree early in the day. After they pick that up at the counter, students may choose items (salad, fruit, etc.) at the self-serve bar and select a milk. Students who want to buy just a milk, may do so. Students are expected to clean their eating area and throw away their trash.

Prices are subject to change. Milk is $0.50, breakfast is $1.50 for full price, $0.30 for reduced price, and lunch is $2.30 for full price, $0.50 for reduced price.

Deposits can be made by cash in a labeled envelope or by check (payable to Holt Public Schools Food Service) and can either be sent to school with your child or sent to our central office at:

Holt Public Schools Food Service

5885 W. Holt Rd.

Holt, Michigan 48842

When your child brings the deposit to school, he/she needs to take it to their classroom and place in the manila envelope for delivery to the main office. Always include the name(s) and PIN of the student(s) on the account when sending deposits. A $15 fee will be charged for any returned checks. Any money remaining in your family account at the end of the school year will automatically transfer to the next school year.

We strongly advise these balances be paid in full so that your child(ren) be allowed to purchase a meal.

In grades K-6, a “Low Balance Notice” in the form of a letter or sticker is sent home with students when an account is at $3.90 (two lunches) or less. We will allow two (2) meals to be charged, after which no charges will be allowed until payment is received. A sandwich and milk will be offered in place of a full meal. Once a deposit is received, any outstanding charges will be deducted from the account. Parents/guardians can monitor their students’ meal account and view a weekly accounting of purchases and payments by going to Family Access available in Holt Public Schools’ website at In order to access Family Access, you will need to sign up for log-in by either downloading the request form from the website or fill out the on-line request form. Both are found on the left column of the homepage. You may also request, at any time, an account balance or an itemized meal statement by calling our office at 699-1111 or by e-mail at

Guest Teachers

When a guest teacher is in the classroom, students are expected to maintain positive behavior. They should be respectful, cooperative, and helpful.

Health and Illness

Please inform the teacher and office if your child has a chronic illness of which we should be aware. Examples: diabetes, history of epilepsy, severe allergies, asthma, etc.

When your child shows signs of an illness at home, please do not send him/her to school. This could cause more inconvenience to parents and possibly exposure to other children. If you need to keep your child home, please call the office by 8:00 to notify us of your absence.