Welcome to Gateway School

Welcome to Gateway School!

My priority is to ensure that all Gateway students receive the best education possible. I look forward to a successful school year working with you to prepare our children for a bright future. The responsibility for quality education and student achievement rests with everyone involved in the Gateway Elementary School community. There is much that could be said about the fine staff, pleasant students and supportive parents that make up the Conneaut school system. It is our hope that the tradition of cooperation and diligence will continue as we strive together to provide excellence in educational opportunities. Let us commit ourselves to this task.

We are aiming at three overall goals:

To assure high achievement for all learners
To maintain a safe and orderly learning environment
To use our resources effectively and efficiently.

The rules, procedures and information in this handbook will help us attain these goals. Please read and discuss them with your child.

Respectfully,

Kristina D. Mucci

Principal

Conneaut Area City Schools

GatewayElementary School

Our vision:

Dedicated to Excellence!

Our Mission:

GatewaySchool will be a safe and orderly environment where students strive for excellence and are members of the school, local and global communities.

Here’s how to call us:

Office……………….…593-7280 (7:00 AM- 4:00 PM)

Nurse’s Aide…………..593-7284 (8:00 AM- 2:50 PM)

Administration Bldg…..593-7200Bus Coordinator..…593-7204

Office of Special Services…..593-7206

Daily Schedules

“We enter to learn. We leave to achieve.”

7:15Teachers’ planning/conference time

8:00Entry bell- Students should not arrive before this time

8:20Tardy bell

10:50Lunch periods begin (Schedules vary by class)

2:40Dismissal for non-bus students(Students dismissed to west parking lot)

2:50Dismissal for bus students

Student Conduct Code and Discipline Policy

Appropriate student behavior fosters learning and creates an orderly and safe school environment. The following pages contain this school’s rules, policies and procedures. This information will allow students to understand what is expected of them.

Rules for GatewayElementary School

Respect for others: Students will demonstrate respect for school staff and other students. Verbal or physical threats, inappropriate language, refusing to follow staff directives, or ‘talking back’ are behaviors that are unacceptable. Students may not take, damage, or be in possession of another person’s property.

Arrival: Students should not arrive at school before 8:00 AM. Breakfast is available beginning at the entry time. Students are expected to be orderly and patient while waiting for the entry bell. Use of the playground is prohibited at this time. Students who arrive early must report directly to the gymnasium.

Dismissal: Students will leave the school grounds immediately upon dismissal and go directly home. Parents who are picking up students should wait in the visitors’ parking lot (west end of building) for dismissal. Parents may not wait inside the building. Traffic and parking are of particular concern and some special rules apply. These are listed later in this handbook. Use of the playground is prohibited at this time.

Dress: Appropriate school dress is expected and good taste is the guide. The following represents a list of clothing that may not be worn to school:

Hats, visors, bandanas, etc., and jackets may not be worn in the building

Short shorts, pants or shorts that sag below the waist or hips

Cropped tees or tops, spaghetti strap tops

Clothes printed with inappropriate language or pictures or slogans relating to tobacco, drug or alcohol products or violence

Flip-flopsandals (Open-toed sandals and ‘platform’ shoes or boots are discouraged for safety reasons.)
Hairstyles should not be of an unnatural color or of any style that could be deemed as being extreme or disruptive.
Tank shirts may be worn underneath another shirt.
Sneakers are required for physical education classes.
Student should dress for the weather conditions. It is helpful to remember that Gateway School is air conditioned and heat controlled.

Bicycles: Students are only permitted to ride bikes to school with permission from the principal.

Toys, etc.: The decision regarding bringing toys and game for use at recess rests with parents. These items can become distracting and disruptive, and may be taken away from the student if used during class time. Also, the school will not be responsible for these if they are broken, lost or stolen. Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh (or other collectible) cards, radios, Gameboys or other handheld electronics, CD players, ipods, headsets, pagers, and cell phones are not permitted at school.

Playground: SAFETY FIRST! The following guidelines are established so that, at recess, nobody gets hurt and nobody gets angry!
Fighting is prohibited.
All playground equipment is to be used as it was designed to be used.
Nothing is to be thrown at or against the building.
Hardballs, yo-yo’s, batons, skateboards, scooters and skates are prohibited.
Roughhousing (games or play that involve pushing, wrestling, grabbing, tackling, etc.) is strictly prohibited!
Students may not play on the walkways.
Students may not throw or kick snow and ice. Sliding on icy patches is discouraged.
Students may not climb on the playground fences, nor go outside the fence without permission.
A ball that goes over the fence or into the parking lot must remain there until the playground supervisor assigns a student to retrieve it.
The playground monitor is to be obeyed immediately.
Students must play within the areas assigned by their playground monitor.
Use of the playground immediately before and after school is not permitted.

Lunchroom:
Students are expected to be patient and orderly while waiting in line to be served.
Cutting into the line is prohibited
Students will remain seated.
Students may talk with those at the same table, however, reasonable and calm speaking voices (indoor voices) will be required.
Students must receive permission to leave their seats.
Students will be certain their table area is clean before leaving the lunchroom.
Courteous and mannerly behavior is expected of all students.
Students will walk in the lunchroom.
Students may not leave the lunchroom without permission. They may not return to the classroom during their lunch period for any reason.

Indoor recess: Sometimes inclement weather makes it necessary for students to have their recess break inside. Students will be expected to remain seated and occupied with quiet games or schoolwork. Games from home are acceptable. Eating, drinking, ball games and loud noises will not be permitted. It is helpful to remember that other classes will be in session during this recess break. (During the winter months, recess will be held indoors on any day that the temperature is below 20 degrees F.)

Homework: Effective learning requires responsible work habits. It is the responsibility of each student to complete all assigned work on time.
Incomplete or late work may result in grade reduction and the loss of recess privileges.
Parents will be contacted when a student neglects homework assignments.
Students, in the fall, will be given a homework assignment planner and be expected to keep it current. Parents should check this assignment record each night to assure that the student is finishing necessary assignments. (The cost for a student planner is $5.)

Textbooks and library materials: Students will be expected to take proper care of textbooks and library materials. Writing in or on books is prohibited. Book covers are required for hardbound texts. Any damage to or loss of textbooks should be reported immediately to the classroom teacher.

Students may check out books from the library each week. Books are due the following week. The library clerk will limit the number of books a student may check out. Students with overdue books will not be permitted to sign out new material until the books are returned.

Loss or damage to textbooks or library materials will result in fines.

Attendance: Attendance is an important factor in student success. We realize that illnesses and family situations occur which require the student to miss school. However, regular school attendance should always be a priority for students and parents.
Parents must call the school before 8:30 AM if their child will be absent that day. Otherwise, the district’s automated monitoring will call the absent child’s home for information from the parent regarding the child’s absence.
State regulations require that a written excuse from the parent/guardian must be submitted on the day following an absence. This must be done even if the parent called the school on the day of the child’s absence. This excuse should state the date(s) and reasons for the student’s absence. An absence is documented as unexcused until a written excuse is submitted.
The district attendance policies state:When any student of compulsory school age has five (5) days of absence in a nine week grading period or a total of nine (9) days of absence from school during a semester, s/he will be considered habitually absent. A signed doctor’s excuse will be required for each absence after the ninth day. The Board authorizes the Superintendent to inform the student and his/her parents of the record of excessive absences as well as the District’s intent to notify the JuvenileCourtofAshtabulaCounty.
The following schedule will be applied to situations of repeated and/or chronic absenteeism:

5+ days missed: A letter of concern will be sent to parents. A parent conference may be required to review the absenteeism.

9+ days missed: The student will be notified of being placed on ‘legal warning’. A doctor’s excuse will be required for each absence hereafter.This may also result in retention of the student and/or a court citation.

Parents who are planning vacations which will cause a child to be absent must submit a written request for the absence to be excused. This request must be made in advance of the absence either to the principal’s or the superintendent’s office. (Generally, we discourage requesting the child’s work in advance to take on the trip. Any parent wanting to do this must pre-arrange with the teacher.)
Perfect attendance (0 days missed and no more than 3 days tardy) will be rewarded at the end of each grading period.
Students are granted a grace period to turn in work and assignments that were missed due to excused absence. The grace period is one day of make-up for each day of absence. In some cases, teachers may provide assignments for parents or siblings to pick up on the same day as the student’s absence. However, this is not always possible and the parent should arrange this with the child’s teacher at the start of the day.

Tardiness: The tardy bell rings at 8:20 AM. Students arriving after that time must sign inat the secretary’s office and receive an ‘admit slip’ before going to class. Tardiness is considered truancy and chronic tardiness may result in a court citation.

Class placement for next year: Requests by parents regarding a child’s placement in a particular teacher’s class for the next school year must be submitted in writing. All written requests will be considered, however the principal reserves the right to decline requests.

General Policies of Conneaut Area City Schools

Board of Education

The Board of Education establishes the following as violations of Policy 550 (District Conduct Code) that will result in disciplinary action:

disruption of school
damage to school property
damage to private property
assault
theft
truancy and tardiness
insubordination
possession of drugs and/or alcohol
smoking or possession of tobacco
possession of dangerous weapons
profanity and obscene language
gambling
extortion
sexual harassment
threats of violence
repeated violations of rules

Details, definitions and language of this policy are available to parents at the superintendent’s office and on the district website (

Transportation Information

Conneaut Area City Schools has implementing a single common bus run for ConneautMiddle School, GatewayElementary School and LakeshorePrimary School.

No busing will be offered to any students who live within one (1) road mile of a school. We will continue to offer school bus transportation to students in grades Kdg. - 8. Children may be dropped off to day care providers as requested by parents.

Many students will be required to meet at pick-up points across the district.

IT IS THE PARENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE CHILDREN ARE TRANSPORTED SAFELY TO AND FROM ALL PICK-UP POINTS.

PARENTS MUST SUPERVISE THEIR STUDENTS AT THESE PICK-UP POINTS.

Parents of our youngest students have the added “safety responsibility” to wait at the pick-up point with their children and to then be present when the student gets off the bus, at the end of the day. If a parent fails to pick up his/her student from a pick-up point, the child will remain on the bus until a parent can be located.

Rules for Bus Riders

Pupils who ride the bus are expected to get on and off of the bus at their assigned stop. When pupils are on the bus, the driver has complete charge and his/her orders must be obeyed. Only those students assigned to a school bus may ride. We reserve the right to make the final decision regarding requests for a bus change. The decision will be based on the bus routes, stops and size of loads. It is the responsibility of the pupils and parents to understand the following bus rules and regulations:

Students will be seated immediately upon entering the bus and remain seated throughout the ride.
Students will not be loud or use improper language at any time.
Windows and vents will not be adjusted without the permission of the driver.
The center aisle of the bus must remain clear--- no hands, feet, etc., or belongings (e.g., bookbags) in the aisle.
Students may not eat or drink on the bus.
No student will attempt to get on or off the bus until it has come to a full stop.
Students should be ready when the school bus approaches. It is not necessary for students to be at a bus stop more than five minutes before the bus is due. Students should not stand in the road while waiting for the school bus.
Students should not talk to the driver unnecessarily while on the route.
Students will conduct themselves on the bus as they would in a classroom, except that reasonable visiting and conversation are permissible. Students should demonstrate good manners on the bus.
The driver has the same authority over passengers on the school bus as the teacher has over students in the classroom.
Waste paper and rubbish should never be dropped on floor of the bus.
Never throw anything within the bus or out the windows.
All students are to be quiet at Railroad Crossings while the bus is crossing the tracks.
Animals are not permitted on buses.
Glass containers are not permitted on board of bus.
CROSS IN FRONT OF BUS AT ALL TIMES!

Students who misbehave on the bus may receive a Bus Incident Report from their driver. The disciplinary actions that result from these reports are decided by the building administrators. These range from warnings to bus suspensions. A copy of the Incident Report is sent home with the student. Another copy is sent through the mail to parents. A student who is serving a bus suspension may not ride ANY school district bus for the duration of the suspension.

Information for Parents

When visiting the building during the school day, parents must use the front lobby entrance and will go first to the secretary’s office. Please do not go directly to the classroom.

Parents who need to have a child dismissed from class will report first to the office to sign an Early Dismissal slip. (It is also helpful to notify the teacher at the start of the day when a child will be leaving early.) The secretary will page the child or a staff member will go to the classroom to get the student. Parents who are delivering something for their student should leave the item at the office. The student will be paged or a staff member will make the necessary delivery.

To set up a conference with a teacher or the principals, please call to make an appointment. This can be scheduled with teachers before school (7:15 AM) or after dismissal (3:00 PM). Discussions regarding students should not take place in the hallway or classroom when students are present. Making an appointment will ensure a more effective conference for parents and staff.

Newsletters are typically printed once a month. These will be sent home with students. Newsletters are also available on the Gateway website.

Changes in home address or phone numbers should be reported immediately to the school office. We must always have a way of reaching parents/guardians during the school day.

Medications for students are to be given to the nurse’s aide. These must be in the original bottle and doctors’ instructions put on file in writing. This includes non-prescription medicines (aspirin, cough remedies, etc.).

Lunch menus and costs are printed monthly in the school newsletter and weekly in the local newspaper. GES has a computerized accounting system for payment of cafeteria fees. Each student has an account and his/her individual ID number. Lunch and breakfast bills are to be paid daily or in advance. An elementary student who charges lunch will only be provided a peanut butter or cheese sandwich and milk for lunch. The school will notify parents of outstanding charges.

Additional money can be sent with students for the purchase of cafeteria snacks, pencils, gel pens and notebooks. We ask parents to limit the amount of extra money their student brings to school and clearly direct the student as to the use of any money sent in.

Invitations to parties at a student’s home may not be distributed at school unless every student in the class is being invited. Also, a student may bring a small treat for his/her classmates to mark a birthday. The classroom teacher should be notified well in advance of the day the treats will be brought. Birthday “parties” for individuals will not be hosted at school.

School closings due to inclement weather will be announced on the Conneaut radio station, automated phone system, news channels and

Parking at the school: There is no parking or stopping in the front drive. Parents may park in the visitors’ lot on the west side of the building. This lot has a lane for pick-up and drop-off of students. This lane should help keep entry and dismissal traffic flowing. Do not park in this lane. Parents should be careful to obey the traffic signs, no parking zone and bus stop and crosswalk markings. Also, parent vehicles must not be parked near the front drive openings. (A wide entrance space must be maintained so buses can turn in from both directions.)Aides and staff will be on duty at dismissal to ensure safe dismissal for students.

The front drive is reserved for buses and emergency vehicles. The lot on the east side of the building is reserved for staff.