District-wide Policies

Iowa Elementary

School Handbook

2008-2009

626 W. Iowa

Nampa, ID 83686

Phone: 468-4621

Fax: 465-2733

Vision: “We provide the foundation so that all students will develop a personal vision, opening their own doors of opportunity for meaningful and productive lives.”

Mission: “...Relevant and Meaningful Education...Skilled and Productive Learners.”

For your child’s safety, if your child is unable to attend TELEPHONE 468-4621

Dear Parents

This handbook is intended to share information helpful to parents and students. Many of the provisions in the handbook are required to be shared with you under state or federal regulations. Unfortunately, the sheer volume and character of some of the provisions may give the impression of an overly formal school system rather than a friendly, personal one.

Therefore, our school board, district administration and school staff, in sharing this handbook, would like you to understand that we seek to cultivate an active partnership with you in the education of your children.

The information contained in this book is intended to enrich this partnership through understanding expectations for student conduct and your rights as parents (including guardians) or students.

What is more important than these written provisions, however, is maintaining open communication with you on issues affecting the progress and growth of students.

Administrators and staff pledge to work cooperatively with you as parents and students, to make the educational experience in the Nampa School District positive and successful.

Sincerely,

Iowa Elementary

District-wide Policies for Elementary Schools

Attendance/Absence/Tardies

Students need to be in school to be successful. Students who are frequently absent from school often fall behind academically and can struggle.

Nampa School District board policy states:

“All children of compulsory attendance ages (7-16) are required to attend school. Attendance and punctuality are important elements of the educational process for all students. Therefore, all enrolled K-12 students are expected to be in school 100% of the time classes are in session, unless they are participating in school related activities otherwise excused by School Board Policy or Idaho State Law.”

If your child is going to be absent from school please call the school before 9 a.m. If we don’t hear from you, we are obligated to verify the absence. If you are having trouble getting your child to school on time, please contact us so we can identify resources that may be of assistance.

If your child has missed 5 days (excused or unexcused), the school will contact you; 7 days will result in a letter or phone call to you to schedule a conference; and if your child misses 10 days of school, the student will be referred to the Building Administrator and School Resource Officer to identify the next steps on truancy. Excessive tardies will be addressed by the administration as well.

Students will have two days for every “excused” day missed to make up work. It is the student’s responsibility to request make-up work. When a student has had an excused absence for three consecutive days, the parent may request make-up work be sent to the office to pick up. Requested work will be available the next school day by 3:30 p.m.

Bicycles, Scooters, Skateboards, Rollerblades

Students are welcome to use bicycles, scooters, skateboards or rollerblades to ride to school. Once the student arrives at school the bicycles, scooters, skateboards or rollerblades need to be immediately secured on bike racks or in designated locations. For their safety and to reduce wear and tear on school facilities, students wearing heelies (roller skating tennis shoes) will be asked to lower or remove the wheels. We cannot replace stolen or lost items, so please use a lock.

Bullying

Our school is committed to providing a safe learning environment for students. This includes identifying and taking steps to prevent bullying among our students. Bullying occurs when a child is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more children. Bullies want the victims to feel: hurt, sad, mad, scared, or embarrassed. Bullying behaviors include, but are not limited to:

Physical: kicking, shoving, hair pulling, hitting, slapping, biting tripping, stealing, spitting or damaging people’s possessions
Verbal: name calling, taunting, put downs, teasing threats, rumors, sarcasm, gossiping, ethnic slurs, or betraying a confidence
Emotional: mocking, laughing, imitating, rejecting, humiliation, excluding, social isolation, writing notes, emails, text messages, dirty looks, or hand signs.

Breakfast and Lunch

The Nutrition Services Department is committed to preparing and serving nutritious, well balanced meals that meet USDA requirements to our students. The nutrition staff in our school would be happy to assist you with any questions you have regarding our meal programs or if you need assistance with the free/reduced meal application. Please do not hesitate to visit our cafeteria. You may get meal pricing from the cafeteria manager or cashier at our school. Meal/food prices for 2008-09 will be available at the beginning of the school year from the school and our website. Please make checks payable to Nampa Hot Lunch Program.

Bus Transportation

We provide transportation to and from school for eligible students. This service is provided by Brown Bus Company (466-4181). To ensure that your child has a pleasant and safe experience with our transportation system, we ask the following:

At the bus stop:

The child should be ready to board at the designated bus stop 5 minutes before the buses’ scheduled arrival;
While waiting, the child should stay out of the road and respect other people’s property;
The child should refrain from horseplay, pushing, shoving, and harassing

On the bus:

The child must follow the BUS SAFETY RULES. The rules will be provided at the beginning of the school year and reviewed with students.
The child must follow the directions of the bus driver
The child must have written permission slip to ride a different bus home or to get off the bus at a bus stop that is not their regular designated bus stop.

Parents of kindergarten students are asked to take additional measures to ensure the safety of these young children. Parents are asked to be present when their child boards the bus for school and when they get off the bus after school.

Bus Citations:

The driver may issue bus warnings and/or citations for inappropriate or dangerous behavior or vandalism on the bus. Citations may result in suspension of bus riding privileges. The administrator and/or Brown Bus Co., in agreement with the Nampa School District, reserves the right to suspend bus riding privileges at any time in the case of severe misbehavior.

Cell phones

Maintaining our school’s safe learning environment free of disruption requires that items not needed for teaching and learning be left at home, this includes cell phones and other electronic devices. The devices will be confiscated. Parents can pick them up from the office.

Dress Code

We ask for your support in providing a safe and orderly environment in which all children can learn. The purpose of the Dress Code is to encourage students to “dress for success” and come to school properly prepared to learn. Students should be well groomed and dressed in clothing that is appropriate to the learning environment and weather conditions. Students are not allowed to wear clothing that constitutes a health or safety hazard or is disruptive to the educational process.

Guidelines:

Shoes must be worn at all times. Students should wear shoes appropriate for PE and outdoor play. Please do not have your children wear flip flops. They are a safety issue. Sandals can be worn as long as there is a strap around the heel
Articles of clothing that advertise or promote drugs, alcohol, tobacco, violent acts, or demeaning, degrading or offensive to any person are not appropriate.
Any clothing or paraphernalia that may be construed as gang or violence related including hats, bandanas, colors, sags, chains, etc. is inappropriate.
Modest clothing is appropriate for school wear. Spaghetti straps on garments are not allowed. Tank tops which have straps that measure 3 fingers in width will be fine. Skirts, dresses, and shorts should be long enough so that when shoulders are relaxed the middle finger on both hands does not touch skin. Shirts should be long enough so that tummy areas are not exposed.
Hats or headwear may be worn for inclement weather or for medical reasons but are inappropriate inside the school building. Hats may be permitted during special occasions approved by the school.
Inappropriate skin art such as temporary tattoos that disrupts the learning environment must be covered or removed.

Field Trips

Students will bring home notification and permissions slips for all field trips outside of the school grounds. Students are not allowed to have other student visitors or siblings accompany them. A limited number of parent chaperones are usually requested. Contact your child’s teacher for more information.

Grading

Report cards will be sent home four times a year. Our school district operates on a 9-week grading period or 4 quarters. Parent conferences are scheduled twice a year. We encourage you to set up additional teacher conferences as needed.

Head Lice

Because head lice (pediculosis) are easily spread between students, it may be necessary to exclude a student found to have head lice including the presence of nits (eggs.) To control head lice, the following measures will be taken:

A student suspected of having lice should be referred to the school office for inspection by the school nurse or other school official. If head lice or nits are found, the child may be sent home with a note to his/her parent/guardian explaining the condition and recommendations for treatment.
After the child has been treated, he/she should be inspected at the school office and if the child is lice-free, he/she will be readmitted to class.
Close contacts and friends of the initial case may also be examined for head lice and nits. If any cases are identified, they should be sent home as described above. Other students in the school may be examined at the discretion of the building administrator and the school nurse.
In situations where a student has a chronic head lice problem, the school nurse may need to contact the family, possibly making a home visit to instruct them in appropriate treatment and resources. It also may be necessary for the Department of Health and Welfare and the School Resource Officer to be contacted in chronic cases.

Health/Illnesses

The health of your child is important. If your child suffers from a chronic condition such as asthma please let us know when registering your child. During the school year, if your child contracts anything contagious please let the school nurse know. A child should not attend school if he/she has any of the following:

Temperature of 100 degrees or more
Vomiting or diarrhea
Nasal discharge of yellow/green color
Cough in combination with any of the above
Any other contagious condition including conjunctivitis, head lice, etc.
An unidentified rash

Home/School Communications

Essential to communication with you for routine situations and emergencies is current contact information. Please remember when your contact information changes to let the school know. This includes your phone numbers, address, and email.

Keeping you informed -- We want to keep you updated about your child’s progress and of school events. We will use this information to communicate you. We also will send notes, papers, and other information home often so please check your child’s backpack/folder regularly. We’ll share events and news about our school on our website, class newsletters, informational notes and calendar.

Answering your questions -- Your questions and concerns are important. We invite you to contact your child’s teacher or our school administration by note, phone message, or by e-mail. E-mail is the fastest way to reach a teacher or administrator. If you need an email address please visit our website or call the office. We also welcome face-to-face discussions; however, we ask that you make an appointment prior to visiting because administrators and teachers are working with students during the school day.

Delivering messages -- Our goal is to provide uninterrupted learning time for your child, because of this we will only interrupt a child learning for emergency phone messages. We know that occasionally a nonemergency message is necessary; we ask that you contact us no later than 30 minutes prior to the end of school. This provides time to locate your student.

Immunizations

Idaho State Law requires a parent/guardian of any child who is to attend any public, private, or parochial school in Idaho to provide proof of required immunizations before attendance; children who are not in compliance may not enroll. Children will NOT be allowed to attend school if the requirements are not met. Please contact your family physician or the school nurse if you have any questions. There is a waiver available for personal or medical reasons which can be obtained upon request.

The following are required immunizations for children entering school:

· 5 doses of DTaP (preschool through 2nd grade; only 4 doses required if 4th dose given on or after 4th birthday). 4 doses of DTaP for 3rd through 12th grades.

· 3 doses of Polio

· 2 doses of MMR (preschool through 2nd grade; only one dose required for grades 3rd through 12th.

· 3 doses of Hepatitis B if born on or after Nov. 22, 1991.

· Or, have valid medical, religious, or personal exemption form completed and on file.

Idaho state requires that all students be immunized against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT), polio, measles, rubella, hepatitis B and mumps. Parents must submit a record of their child’s immunization status to the school upon enrollment.

Injury

School can provide simple First Aid, however, if your child becomes ill or injured at school, we will contact you to pick him or her up. Please ensure we have the most current home and day-time telephone number for you and for two emergency contact persons. In emergency cases, where parents cannot be reached, the school will call the paramedics. The cost of transport by paramedics and/or ambulance will be the responsibility of the parents (see insurance).

Insurance

Even with the greatest precautions and the closest supervision, accidents can and do happen at school. The school district does not provide medical insurance to automatically pay for medical expenses when students are injured at school. This is the responsibility of the parent/guardian. Inexpensive student medical insurance is available for individual purchase. Brochures outlining the coverage and premiums are sent home at the beginning of each year and are available at the school office. For information about other programs available contact the school nurse.

Medication Policy

Medication should be taken at home. However, if a child is to take prescription medication during school hours, an “Authorization to Administer Medication” form must be submitted to the school office. Forms are available at most doctors’ offices and in the school office. The form needs to be signed by the doctor and a parent or guardian. Also, an updated authorization form will be required each time a change is made in the prescription. Asthma multi-dose inhalers may be carried by the student, with the written permission of student’s physician, and parent. Non-prescription medication may only be given to elementary students per nursing judgment and parent/guardian permission. A written release must be on file and show: Medication name, strength, reason/instructions, dosage time to be administered, parent and physician signatures. This applies to all medications.

Medication must be delivered to school by the parent. The medication must be in the original container with specific instructions for administration. No more than one week’s supply is to be brought to school. All medication will be kept in a secure area in the school office. Medication will not be kept in the classroom. This includes inhalers, except as noted above. It is the student’s responsibility to come to the office at the appropriate time to take the medication.

Newspaper, Radio, & Television

Throughout the course of the school year, the media may be in our schools or at school-sanctioned events to cover our activities. Often, they are present at our request to showcase our students and teachers engaged in exciting educational activities or extracurricular activities. At times, the media has requested to cover a particular story. The majority of the media coverage featuring students are considered “human interest” or “good news” stories that are neither controversial in nature nor contain sensitive subject matter.

In according with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, the Nampa School District includes in its classification of “directory information” students names and photographic images of students participating in regular classroom or school-authorized events, such as those noted above. This means that media may publish and/or broadcast the names and photographs of students participating in school related activities without prior consent.

While the district considers student names and photos as directory information, we understand that some parents have concerns about their child being identified by photo, video, and name in the media. If you object to having your student participate in media coverage, please complete the Media Access Registration Form. If you did not receive one during registration, it is available from the office. Our school will keep a record of the students who should be limited from media access. Please note, your permission will be assumed if the school does not have this completed form on file indicating your preference.

It is important to understand this practice applies only to the “human interest” stories mentioned above. In instances where the building administrator has a concern about maintaining student confidentiality or the sensitive nature of media-related stories, parent permission will be sought prior to allowing the student to participate.

Personal Property

Students are discouraged from bringing valuable personal property to school other than normal school supplies and personal clothing. The school cannot and will not assume liability for personal property loss due to fire or theft, nor for damage or destruction due to accidents, acts of vandalism, or any other cause, including all natural causes. Children choosing to bring personal property on school premises do so at their own risk.

Preschool

Our district provides preschool services for students who have a delay or disability in one or more areas: speech/language, motor, thinking skills, personal/social, vision, or hearing. Students must qualify under special education guidelines to participate. If you have a concern about your preschool child’s development please contact Parkview Preschool at 465-2728. The district also hosts screenings by appointment for children age 3 and 4. On the following dates, screenings will be held by appointment from 8:30 a.m. to noon:

September 21, 2007
October 19, 2007
November 16, 2007
January 4, 2008
February 1, 2008
March 7, 2008

Prohibited Items

M aintaining our school’s safe learning environment free of disruption requires that items not needed for teaching and learning be prohibited. Bringing some items may result in suspension from school. The following items are prohibited:

Electronic devices including but not limited to cell phones, radios, music players, handheld games, cameras, laser pointers, etc.
Toys, games, trading cards and recess equipment (unless approved by the teacher). Playground equipment is provided at school.
Gambling devices including but not limited to dice, playing cards, etc.
Drugs, alcoholic beverages, narcotics, cigarettes, cigarette lighters, matches, and look a-likes.
Explosive devices, firecrackers, fireballs, cherry bombs, etc.
Weapons, (items with the purpose of causing bodily harm or fear.)
Toys that are realistic simulations of guns and knives.
Gang identification paraphernalia including but not limited to beepers, shirts, gloves, rags or bandannas.

Food and drink are allowed only in the cafeteria unless approved by staff. Gum is not allowed in the building, on the playground or on the bus without administrative approval.

Racial/Ethnic/Sexual Harassment Policy

State law and Nampa School District board policy prohibit any form of racial or ethnic harassment by any student or staff member which is meant to demean, degrade, embarrass or cause humiliation to any student or staff member. Harassment is considered a severe violation, and any student found to be in violation of this policy might be suspended. Consequences for staff members are defined by existing board policy for similar offenses.

It is the policy of the Nampa School District #131 to maintain learning and working environment that is free from sexual harassment. It shall be a violation of this policy for any member of the Nampa School District staff or student body to harass another staff member or student through conduct or communications of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment shall be defined as conduct involving any unwelcome sexual advances or request for sexual favors or comments of a sexual nature.

No student or employee of the Nampa School District No. 131 shall, because of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, disability, or religion, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity conducted by or sanctioned by Nampa School District No. 131. Nampa School District No. 131 recognizes that different treatment on the basis of race is prohibited under Title 42, §2000d, United States Code, in all programs and activities provided by Nampa School District No. 131. Students and parents are encouraged to bring formal and informal concerns of race discrimination by District staff or student to appropriate personnel. These concerns should be made in writing.

Procedures to Handle Complaints of Discrimination: Any student, employee, parent or guardian complaining of discrimination, for any reason from one of the federally protected groups (race, color, creed, national origin, sex, disability, or religion), may report that complaint to the student’s Building Administrator or Principal, within sixty (60) days of the alleged incident. The Building Administrator or Principal should attempt to resolve the issues set forth in the complaint, within no more than thirty (30) days from receiving the complaint. In the event the Building Administrator or Principal is unable to resolve the complaint of discrimination to the satisfaction of the complaining party, the complaining party will be referred to the Principals within five (5) days for further action. Under the direction of the Principal a thorough investigation will be made with an attempt to ascertain all relevant facts.

At the conclusion of the investigation, within no more than ninety (90) days from the previous step, the Chief Educational Officer will meet with the complaining party and will review the results of the investigation. In the event the Chief Educational Officer makes a finding of discrimination, the Chief Educational Officer has full authority to implement all required procedures to rectify that complaint of discrimination.

Procedures to Handle Sexual Harassment and/or all Other Types of Harassment: A student may choose to report the complaint of harassment to any teacher or school counselor. The teacher or school counselor will forward the complaint immediately to the Building Administrator. If the student chooses not to report the complaint to a teacher or counselor, the student should report the complaint to the Building Administrator. In the event an allegation of harassment involves the Building Administrator, and if the student has not chosen to report the complaint to any other teacher or counselor, the student may report the complaint to the Superintendent of the School District, or his/her designee.

A student should be made aware that in reporting such complaints of harassment, while it is the intent to maintain discretion and confidentiality, that in certain instances or circumstances, Nampa School District No. 131 is required by law to report the incident either to Idaho Department of Health & Welfare, Law Enforcement Agencies or other persons.

All reports of harassment should be reduced to writing by either the student or the person receiving the complaint, and then signed by the student. Students must report any incidents within thirty (30) days so that a rapid response and appropriate action may be taken. Due to the sensitivity of these complaints, no specific time frames is instituted for reporting sexual harassment and a late reporting of any harassment will not in and of itself preclude any remedial action.

It is expected that any investigation will be thorough, with an attempt to ascertain all relevant facts. The person conducting the investigation, at his or her discretion, may interview the student, the student who is accused of harassing, other students and/or employees who may have knowledge of the incident. All interviews should be documented as thoroughly as possible.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the person conducting the investigation will make a report of the findings and recommended actions to the Building Administrator. Students determined to have improperly harassed another student and or teacher, or a teacher harassing a student will be subject to disciplinary procedures in accordance with the discipline policy and procedures of Nampa School District No. 131.

If an investigation determines that no harassment occurred, and that a student falsely accused another of such harassment, either knowingly and/or maliciously, that student may be subject to discipline under Nampa School District’s policy and procedures for discipline.

Section 504 Notice

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against students and staff members with disabilities. The Nampa School District has developed policies and procedures that ensure compliance with Section 504 and ADA.

Included in the regulations is the requirement that students with disabilities be provided a free, appropriate public education. These regulations encompass identification, evaluation, the provision of appropriate services, and procedural safeguards.

Parents are entitled to have the opportunity to review relevant educational records under the Family Education rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The Chief Academic Officer is the 504 and ADA Compliance Officer for the Nampa School District. Anyone wishing to review the District’s 504 policies, including grievance procedures, may contact the Nampa School District Office at 619 S. Canyon in Nampa, or call 468-4600.

Student Behavior and Code of Conduct

We are responsible for providing an environment in which all children can and do learn. To do this, we must be sure that our school is safe and orderly, and free of intimidation and harassment. It is important that each student behave in a manner that will help him/her receive the best possible education and that does not interfere with the educational opportunities of others. Our students:

· Arrive to school and class on time prepared and ready to learn.

· Are courteous during passing times and in interactions with other students and staff

· Resolve differences amicably and with positive intentions

· Seek help from staff in difficult situations

· Dress appropriately for a positive and safe learning environment

· Follow directions from all staff

· Treat our campus and school property with respect

Disciplinary action will be taken for students who act inappropriately at school, on the bus, or to/from school. Inappropriate behavior includes, but is not limited to the following:

· Inappropriate Behavior (rough play, rule violation, disrespect, profanity or vulgar or offensive language)

· Bullying

· Harassment (threats nonverbal, verbal or written; teasing; name calling, intimidating other students)

· Fighting (physical assault aimed at another)

· Vandalism (destruction or defacing of school property)

· Insubordination (willful defiance or choosing not to act as instructed by staff or administration)

· Gang or hate group activity

· Possession or use of drug, tobacco or alcohol on school property

· Theft or possession of stolen property

· Excessive absences, tardiness or truancy

· Possession of a weapon: any object which could be used to injure another person and is not school-related, has no purpose for being in school or on school grounds and will be considered a weapon for purposes of this policy including, but not limited to, knives, guns, chemicals, sharp objects, toy-like guns etc.

Inappropriate behavior may result in removal from class, loss of recess privileges, after school detention, in school suspension, suspension from school, referral to a support team, community service, or other disciplinary action. In some cases, students may be invited to participate in peer mediation, or may be required to participate in an anger management or social skills group. Parents may be asked to participate in the Intervention Team Meetings. Severe misconduct may result in police intervention. The consequences will correspond with the severity of the offense.

We believe that students should behave appropriately. We teach students how to act with respect and responsibility in various settings including restrooms, assemblies, library, entering/exiting, before/after school, field trips, etc. In addition, each teacher has a discipline plan for managing his/her classroom.

Disciplinary Procedures:

Level I: Teacher Level Management

Classroom management is the first phase of the behavior management process. Each teacher has a classroom/recess/school management plan that includes expectations for student behavior at school, consequences for inappropriate behavior, refocus procedures and provisions for student conferencing and parent contact. If the behavior becomes chronic or excessive, the child will move to Level II.

Level II: Team Level Management Level II (Parent, Student, Teacher)

Level II management involves repeated disruptive behavior and the continued violation of school/classroom rules. Such behavior disrupts the learning process and/or learning environment. Consequences may include counseling referral, informal intervention, daily behavior contract, recess or after school detention, and parent-student-teacher conference. Students who continue to disrupt the learning environment and/or process will be referred to the administrator and/or the Intervention Team.

Level III: Intervention Team and Administrative Level Management

Level III is considered SEVERE BEHAVIOR. Severe behavior is any action that threatens the safety or welfare of any person and/or significantly disrupts the learning process or environment. Referrals for severe behavior will be submitted to the administrator. Students may be referred to the Intervention Team, suspended in or out of school for up to five days and/or recommended for expulsion. A re-entry conference with the administrator, counselor, parent/guardian and student is necessary prior to returning to school.

*The Intervention Team involves the student, parent, teacher, administrator, and may include a Resource officer or Community Social Worker.

Examples of Behaviors & Possible Consequences

Behaviors