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“We CARE at White Street School”

CARING ACCOUNTABLE RESPECTFUL

EVERDAY

White Street School Family Handbook

2017-2018

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School Overview

“We CARE at

White Street School” CARING ACCOUNTABLE RESPECTFUL

EVERDAY

White Street School 300 White Street

Springfield, MA 01108 Kristen Hughes – Principal

Siobhan Conz – Associate Principal Phone Number: (413) 787-7543 Fax Number: (413) 787-7349 School Colors: Black & White School Mascot: White Street Wolves School Website: http://www.springfieldpublicschools.com/schools/white-street

Daily Schedule

8:30 – 3:30 8:30 – 8:50 Breakfast in Classrooms

8:50 – Instruction Begins 11:20 – 1:00 – Lunches

3:30 – Dismissal

White Street School Vision

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White Street School is a safe and caring, environment where every child and adult is valued and

challenged to achieve excellence and become a productive citizen of the community.

White Street School Mission

At White Street Elementary School students will achieve academic excellence

and demonstrate caring, accountable and respectful behavior as they begin their journey to being college or career ready.

Theory of Action

If WE…

Partner with our families and the community; Commit our efforts to develop and support the whole child;

And provide strong literacy comprehension and problem solving instruction, Then…

OUR scholars will get smarter every day, achieve academic proficiency and go on to

graduate from college.

Section 2 Policies and Procedures

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“We are getting smarter at

White Street School”

These policies will support academic and character proficiency for all scholars.

Please know them and frequently talk to your scholars about them.

We expect and are grateful for your support in following these guidelines.

School Communication Calendar- Each month we will send home a calendar with upcoming events, assessment dates, field trips, and important reminders. We suggest you post this calendar on your

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refrigerator or another community area in your home so you always know what is going on each month. If something comes up that parents need to be made aware of, we will send home additional communication throughout the month. In order to save on paper, we will not send home additional reminders of events already listed on the calendar. Please keep the calendar each month so you know what’s happening at White Street School. Reminders may be sent via School Messenger or found on the school Website. School Website- We have school website where you will find the calendar of events, important parent information including this handbook for frequent review, news including photos of what’s happening at White Street School and other important links and information. We suggest you save the school website to your favorites so you can easily access the site from your computer or smartphone. School Messenger- We will continue to use School Messenger as a frequent source of communication and reminders. Please make sure we have an updated home phone number, cell phone number and email address so you receive all necessary messages. Please listen to all School Messenger messages carefully and do not bombard the office with phone calls asking what the message was. Written Notes- Please communicate with teachers and other school staff via written notes. This will ensure your question, concern, request is addressed immediately and it is great to use for our records and as reminders. Use written notes (or the school notes below) for absence, tardy, change in dismissal, request a meeting, a question about an assignment, etc.

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures To ensure the safety of our scholars, we need your cooperation at arrival and dismissal

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times.

Arrival School begins at 8:50 am

o Breakfast in classrooms: 8:30-8:50 am o Classrooms open: 8:30 am o No students may enter the building or should be dropped off at school

before 8:30 A.M. because there is no supervision. Students are NOT allowed to play on the playground equipment in the morning.

Scholars can be dropped off on Scott Street and the scholars will be crossed

safely. Scholars will enter as a grade level and be escorted to classrooms by teachers on

duty in the hallway. For the safety of our scholars, parents must say goodbye to their child at the door and are not allowed to enter in the morning.

Do not park or drop scholars off in the parking lot as this is reserved for school

staff. Please walk on sidewalks only. Students must enter and exit school grounds by

the entrance where the crossing guard stands. For the safety of ALL, please do not walk through the parking lot when arriving or leaving school grounds.

We know that parking during arrival and dismissal is a challenge at White

Street School, however the safety of our students is our main priority. Parking on Scott Street is not allowed starting at the entrance to the staff parking lot to the corner of Scott Street and White Street. Please park on White Street or a nearby side street and walk your child to the crossing guard if necessary.

Dismissal School ends at 3:30 P.M.

. Walkers in grades K-5 will exit the building from their respective areas. Scholars

will be brought to designated areas by their homeroom teachers. To ensure safety,

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scholars will be given a walker card at dismissal, which they will hand to their teacher when they are picked up. Please do not take your child out of line without communicating with the teacher.

Bus riders will be escorted to the bus by a teacher. If you need to change your

child’s dismissal, please send in a note. Buses arrive on the Scott Street side of the buildings. So our busses can get in

and out quickly and safely, please do not stop your car on Scott Street. Traffic must flow constantly unless a bus has their lights on and stop signal out. Please obey the school bus laws.

Please park on White Street, Burton Street or Stratford Terrace on the side

opposite the school to pick-up your scholar. Do not park or wait in the parking lot or on Scott Street because buses will be here. Walk to your child’s dismissal area from a side street or set up a meeting place for you and your child. Cross at the cross walk where the crossing guard stands. See walker pick-up locations below. All scholars must walk on sidewalks and be crossed by the crossing guards. Please help keep our scholars safe!

Walker Pick-Up Locations:

3rd Gra de 1st Grade Playground

5th Grade 2nd Grade

4th Grade

Attendance Scholars should be in school on time, every day. They should only be late,

dismissed early, or absent because of illness or emergencies requiring documentation.

If your scholar must be absent: Please call the office (787-7543) to let us know, and send in a note with the reason for the absence

o Copies of Absence Verification forms are available in the back of this handbook and in the Main Office.

W H I T E

S T

SCOTT ST

Scholars’ Hall

Scholars’ Den

Kindergarten

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Scholars who need to go home a different way, even for one day, must have written permission from their parent or guardian.

Springfield Public Schools Attendance Policy is available online at http://www.springfieldpublicschools.com/parents

Late Arrival and Early Dismissal Sign-in: When you bring your scholar late, you must come into the office with

them and sign them in. Early Dismissal: Try to schedule all appointments after school or on vacations.

For the safety of our scholars during dismissal we are unable to release any scholars between 3:00 - 3:30. If you need to pick your child up early for an appointment please do so before this time. Busses begin arriving at this time and we are in the midst of final announcements and are getting ready to dismiss classes. If you need to dismiss your child early, please send a note in with your child. This will enable the teacher to give your child any assignments, notices, etc. prior to their leaving. Only dismiss your child early from school for an appointment or an emergency. Please bring in documentation with a reason for the dismissal so the dismissal will be marked approved in his/her record.

Sign-out: The adult picking up the scholar must come into the office to sign them out (and they must be listed on the scholar’s Emergency Form) Students will not be allowed to wait in the office if you call ahead so arrive early if you have an appointment, as it sometimes takes time to retrieve your child from class.

Snow Delays/Cancellations: If weather affects school hours, the changes will be posted online on Springfield Public Schools website, and on TV and radio stations. Please do not call the office. You can also set your phone up for alerts from WWLP 22 News.

Emergency Form Please complete and return an Emergency Form for each of your scholars.

Forms are available in the Main Office. Inform us immediately throughout the year of any changes to your: address, phone

number, or list of designated adults (for pick-up or emergency contact) For safety, we will not release your scholar to anyone who is not listed on

his/her Emergency Form and we will request to see identification as needed.

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Uniforms

Type of Clothing

Colors Allowed

Styles Allowed

Shirts

Light Blue, Navy Blue,

White

Must have a collar Polo shirt

Dress Shirt Short or Long-Sleeves ** Any shirts worn under uniform shirt must be

light/navy blue or white** Pants

Navy Blue, Tan/Khaki

No jeans or sweat pants

Shorts, Skirts, Jumpers/ Dresses

Navy Blue, Tan/Khaki

Must be knee-length or

longer No jeans or sweat pants

Sweatshirts

Sweaters

Navy Blue,

Khaki

Pullover or zippered

No hoods attached to sweatshirts

Shoes

Any

Shoes must be completely closed (no sandals, flip

flops, etc.) No shoes with wheels

Also not allowed to be worn inside classrooms: coats, jackets, hooded sweatshirts, and hats. The district’s full uniform policy is available online at: http://www.sps.springfield.ma.us/webContent/SPS%20Mandatory%20School%20Uniform%20Policy.pdf

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Visiting White Street School

Visitors We welcome parents and visitors to White Street School as

vital members of the learning community. To ensure safety and security of the school building and our

scholars, all visitors must report to the Main Office to sign in.

All classroom visits and conferences must be scheduled. Please call ahead or send a note with your scholar to arrange a meeting.

Contacting the teacher: We are also happy to leave a message for your scholar’s teacher (who will contact you within 24 hours) No visitor or parent is allowed to go directly to a classroom during the instructional day without an appointment with the teacher.

Contacting your scholar: If there is an emergency, we will notify the classroom teacher immediately. Otherwise, we will leave a message for your scholar with the teacher.

Opportunities to be involved: o Volunteering – Helping/reading in classrooms, working with individual

scholars, or helping in the Main Office (bulletin boards, copies, etc.). Applications are available in the Main Office.

o Parent Teacher Organization – Join other parents/guardians at meetings focused on topics such as helping your scholar with math and reading at home, health and nutrition, etc.

o The School Centered Decision Making Team (SCDM) – Be a member of the team or visit during the beginning of a meeting (first 15 minutes) to share concerns/ideas. The team is made up of parents, community/business representatives, and school staff who provide input, make changes, and create policies for WSS.

o Look for more information about these meetings on monthly calendars that are sent home with your scholar as well as on our school website and on the Family Involvement bulletin board outside the Main Office.

Parent-Teacher Conferences Parents/guardians are welcome to visit classrooms to observe

instruction or meet with teachers. Contact your scholar’s teacher to set up a time to visit or meet. A Request for Teacher Conference form can be found at the back

of the handbook.

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Food in School

Snacks and Classroom Treats Snacks: A healthy, nutritious snack is provided for all scholars 3 days a week. A

snack schedule will be provided and you may send in a healthy snack on the days we do not provide one. If you choose to send in a snack it must be healthy. NO DESERTS.

Classroom celebrations/treats there will be no birthday celebrations in school. Please do not send food. Celebrations at school will be based on the curriculum or PBIS rewards and will be planned by school staff. You will receive a request if donations are needed.

Celebrations Celebrations* in classrooms will only be associated with White Street PBIS or academic based celebrations and will be approved in advance by the principal. (*Including but not limited to holidays, birthdays, achievements)

Parent Concerns We want to ensure that concerns for your child are addressed quickly and efficiently. If you have a concern about curriculum, something that happened in the classroom, your child’s academic success, your child’s behavioral success, or any other concern you may have, please address the concern with us quickly so the best interest of your child is met. Steps to take if you have a concern:

1. Send in a note or call to speak with your child’s teacher! Your child’s teacher spends 7 hours a day with your child. You must address the concern with the teacher first. 787-7543

2. If you are not satisfied after speaking with your child’s teacher, send in a note or call to speak with the counselor, Mr. Ravizza, or the City Connects Coordinator, Ms. Cahillane 787-7492

3. If you are still not satisfied after speaking with the counseling team, send in a note or call to speak with the Parent Facilitator. She will try to address your concerns and if you are still not satisfied she will leave a message for the principal who will call you within 24 hours of leaving your message. 787-7543

4. If you concern is a health related issue, call or come in to visit the nurse immediately. 787–7697

5. If you concern is an emergency, come to or call the office immediately and an available staff member will address your concern right away. 787-7543

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Scholar Expectations

School Supplies Your child will need certain materials at home and in school to be successful students. Please send your child to school with the following materials: ~pencils with erasers ~one-subject notebook ~2 solid colored two-pocket folders ~crayons ~glue sticks ~tissues Please be sure your child has the following supplies at home: ~lined paper ~pencils ~glue Sticks ~dictionary ~crayons ~Recommended but optional- a computer with internet access

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Scholars’ Belongings Not allowed at school:

o Anything valuable o Anything that will distract scholars from learning o Large, distracting jewelry (including bracelets and Silly Bandz) o CD players, MP3 players o Video game systems (Game Boys, DS) o All toys (including Fidget Spinners, Cube Spinners,Tech decks, Bakugans,

etc.) o Gum, candy, chips, soda, and any other junk food

If these items are brought to school, they will be taken and held in the office until

a parent or guardian can pick them up. Your child will be responsible for notifying you if this happens.

Cell phones must be turned off, not in use and out of sight during the school day. We will not be responsible for items lost or stolen at school. This includes cell

phones. Please leave all non-school related items and valuables at home.

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White Street School Absence Verification Please excuse ________________________who was absent on __________________ Scholar’s Name Date Reason for Absence Sincerely, Parent/Guardian Signature ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

White Street School Absence Verification Please excuse ________________________who was absent on __________________ Scholar’s Name Date Reason for Absence Sincerely, Parent/Guardian Signature ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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White Street School Absence Verification

Please excuse ________________________who was absent on __________________ Scholar’s Name Date Reason for Absence Sincerely, Parent/Guardian Signature ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

White Street School Absence Verification Please excuse ________________________who was absent on __________________ Scholar’s Name Date Reason for Absence Sincerely, Parent/Guardian Signature ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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White Street School Early Dismissal Request

Please dismiss on Scholar’s Name Date at to . Time Reason My scholar will be picked up by . Name Sincerely, Parent/Guardian Signature ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

White Street School Early Dismissal Request

Please dismiss on Scholar’s Name Date at to . Time Reason My scholar will be picked up by . Name Sincerely, Parent/Guardian Signature

White Street School Early Dismissal Request Please dismiss on Scholar’s Name Date at to . Time Reason My scholar will be picked up by . Name Sincerely, Parent/Guardian Signature

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Request for Teacher Conference

Date: ___________________ Teacher: _____________________ I have concerns about my scholar: Scholar’s Name: ______________________ Please check all that apply: ____ Academic Work ____ School Behavior ____ Bus Behavior ____ Other Reasons Phone number where I may be reached during the school day: ____________ Parent/Guardian Name: ___________________ Grade ______ Room ______ Walker - Bus – After School Program (Please circle

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Request for Teacher Conference

Date: ___________________ Teacher: _____________________ I have concerns about my scholar: Scholar’s Name: ______________________ Please check all that apply: ____ Academic Work ____ School Behavior ____ Bus Behavior ____ Other Reasons Phone number where I may be reached during the school day: ____________ Parent/Guardian Name: ___________________ Grade ______ Room ______ Walker - Bus – After School Program (Please circle

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Parent Review Signature and Comment Form

Please sign, tear out and return this form. As the concerned parent of a scholar at White Street Elementary School, I have read and reviewed ALL of the information found in the White Street School Parent Handbook that will provide the foundation for a successful year for my scholar. I have also shared this important information regarding school rules and conduct with my scholar. Scholar Name _______________________________________________________

Comments:

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Signature of Parent ___________________________________________________ Date __________________ The White Street School Team appreciates the time you have taken to review this important packet of information and we look forward to our journey together with your scholar this year.