Arriving/Leaving | School Hours | Attendance | Homework | Conferences | Transportation
Field Trips | School Cancellation | Dress Code | Recess | Health | Contact Information
Lunch | Money | Lost and Found | Phone Messages | Books | PTO | Parties
Visiting Our School | Code of Conduct | Guiding Principles | Safe Schools

The information on this webpage is valuable, general information pertaining to the policies and procedures necessary for the effcient daily operation of our school. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school office.

Arriving and Leaving School
Students should not arrive before 8:00 a.m. as there is no one to supervise prior to this time. Due to safety reasons, no child may be released from school without consent of the parent, gardian or designee. If you need to take your child of out of school during the day, please come to the school office to sign the sudent out. Students will not be released to any person other than a parent or legal guardian unless the parent authorizes this action.

School Hours
AM Kindergarten . . . . . 8:20 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
PM Kindergarten . . . . . 12:30 p.m. to 3:35 p.m.
Grades 1-6 . . . . . . . . . . 8:20 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.

Attendance/Tardies
Regular attendance is essential to success in school. Consistent and prompt attendance is required by Kansas law. Excessive absences or tardies are turned over to the district attorney. Parents should call the school by 9:00 a.m. or leave a message on voicemail each day you student is absent. If your child is absent from school, please check to make sure assignments are completed. Tardies are disruptive to the classroom and have an adverse effect on a student's education progress. Any student arriving after 8:20 a.m. must report to the office and sign in before going to class.

Homework
Homework makes an important contribution to a child's school progress. This additional learning time reinforces skills taught in the classroom, builds responsibility and develops essential study habits. Homework can also help parents keep in touch with some of the essential skills students are learning. Homework may take three forms:

1. an extension or practice from classroom learning
2. completion of an assignment not completed in class
3. independent reading - Regardless of other homework assignments, students are strongly encouaged to develop the habit of independent reading at home on a daily basis.

A copy of "District Guidelines for Homework" is available through the school office. If your student is absent from school, please make arrangements with the teacher to have a parent or another child pick up the homework from the school's front office.

Parent/Teacher (and student) Conferences
Parent/Teacher conferences are scheduled in the fall and spring. These conferences give parents the opportunity to receive infomration of their child's progress and goals. Students are encouraged to be involved in conferences. If needed, parents or teachers may request a conference at any time.

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Bus Transportation
Bus service is provided at no cost for students living 2.5 miles or more from their school. Service is also available on a payride basis for elementary students who live 1 mile or more from their school. A student is to ride the bus which he/she has been assigned. Students will be allowed off the bus only at school, home or locations on the route requested in writing by parents/guardians and submitted to the school office. All students riding the bus must comply with the requests of the driver. School bus transportaition is a privilege that may be withdrawn for inappropriate behavior First Student Bus Company's phone number is (913) 782-1050.

Bicycles, Scooters, Skateboards, and Heelies
Students in grades 3-6 are permitted to ride bikes and non-motorized scooters to school. The following rules are established for the safety of all:

• Students must wear helmets.
• Bikers must walk their bikes or scooters on the sidewalk on the school grounds.
• Failure to follow the safety rules may result in riding privileges.
• Bikes must be locked to the bike rakes during school hours and scooters must be stowed away. Olathe School District is not liable for lost or stolen bikes or scooters.

**Please keep skateboards and "heelies" at home.

Learning Excursions/Field Trips
Throughout the school year, students in all grades will have opportunities to participate in field trips. These experiences will be cuurriculum-related and designed to support classroom studies while introducing students to resources available within and around our community. Parents will receive notice of field trips in advance of the scheduled activity and will be asked to sign a Field Trip Information Form and to review Bus Safety Regulations. Information regarding parent participation will be included in that notice.

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Cancellation of School Communications
If it is necessary to dismiss school because of weather conditions, announcements will be made via area radio and TV stations. Announcements will be made prior to 6:30 a.m. if school is dismissed. If school is in session, regular dismissal time will be observed rather than dismissing school early. Parents may opt to come to school and pick up their student in the case of adverse weather conditions. This district's information line (780-8000) or district website (olatheschools.com) will carry all school closing announcements.

Parents and patrons are invited to sign up for Olathe Alert to get important information about our schools sent as text messages directly to mobile phones, wireless PDAs, or E-mail accounts. Emergency information, school closings and administrative reminders (upcoming district-wide events or breaks) are among the types of information available through this free service. You can register on the district website at www.olatheschools.com, under the Communications tab.

Dress Code
Clothing worn to school should be appropriate for school and school activites and should not interfere with the learning process. The following identifies articles of clothing which have been deemed disruptive and therefore, inappropriate for the school setting:

• Clothing promoting drugs, smoking or alcohol.
• Clothing displaying obscene, sexually explicit, suggestive or ethinically derogatory phrases or pictures.
• Bare midriffs, halter tops, short shorts or skirts, badly cut or torn clothing.
• Headgear of any kind (hats, bandanas, visors, sunglasses), except for specially announced school events.

Note: Students are expected to wear tennis shoes for PE classes because of safety considerations. Students need to dress warmly during winter months, as we go outside for recess when the temperature is above 20 degrees.

Recess
Recess time is scheduled during the day for physical activity and social development. All students are expected to go outside when the weather permits. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather. If it is necessary for your child to stay indoors becuase of a health reason, please send a note from your doctor stating that request. When it is unusually cold, the following temperature/wind chill criteria will be used:

• 20 degrees or above - Outdoor recess
• 10-19 degrees - Limited outdoor recess
• 10 degrees or below - Indoor recess

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Health Procedures
Our health procedures are designed for the protection of the child; therefore, we ask your full cooperation in following these guidelines:

• All student medications, including over-the-counter, must be administered through the health room under the supervision of the school nurse and are to be sent to school in the original container labeled with the student's name.
• All medications require a written physician or dentisit note and parent's signature, annually.
• Students with known history of sever allergies need to provide their own medication. Sever allergic reations requires and immediate call to 911 and notification of parents.
• Health room stock of ibuprofen and acetaminophen may be sparingly administerd by the school nurse upon annual parents written authorizaion.
• On a limited, individually approved basis, students in kindergarten through sixth grade with asthma or allergies may carry and self-administer emergency medications. The self-administration policy requires written parent and physician speficfiations.
• Please notify the school if your child has a contagious illness.
• If your child has a temperature of 100.0 F or above, or if there is a possibility of a contagious desease, the school will ask you to pick up your child. Please keep your child home until he or she is fever free for 24 hours.
• Exclusion from PE or recess for an extended time requires a note from a doctor.
• Please be sure we have current information regarding the name and phone number of your child's physician and the phone number of another adult to contact in the event we cannot reach you when needed for an illness or emergency.

Kansas School Immunization Law: The district immunization policy has been developed in accordance with Kansas Law. Exemptions are made for certified medical and religious reasons. The Kansas Certificate of Immunizations from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment lists all required vaccinations by age and grade level. Parents/gardians will be notified by May 15 of each year of any immunizations needed for the following school year. For specific infomrmation regarding the Kansas School Immunization Law or for a written copy of the law, please contact the Cordinatior of Health Services at 780-7002.

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Emergency Contacts/Address and Phone Changes
In order for the school to handle emergencies, maintain communications, and keep records current; please notify the school office of address and telephone number changes. It is extremely important that every student maintain and up-to-date address and telephone number record at the school office. Emergency numbers (adult who can pick up a child in case of a parent's absence) are also importnat. We will contact the parent or designated adult in cases of serious illness or other emergencies.

Legal Custody
Please advise the school principal about court orders and legal separation agreements pertaining to custody of children. The principal must see original or certified copies of paperwork in order to comply with court orders regarding rcustodial and/or other pertinent issues.

Lunches
Students may bring money to add to their computerized account. A statement will be sent home frequently with students so you can be aware of their account status. Students are limited to three charges. Please deposit enough money to eliminate negative balances. Families may apply for financial relief under the guidleines for the National School Lunch Program. Applications are available upon request from the office. Negative balances at the end of the school year will be turned over to a collection agency.

Elementary Prices
Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2.10
Adult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2.90
Visitor Holiday Meals . . . $3.55
Milk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.45
Juice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.45

Kindergarten students who are allergic to milk and will need juice substitute will be required to present a note signed by their doctor for this request. All other school age children need to have a parent note on file with the school nurse.

Money
Students are not encouraged to carry money to school unless it is for a specific purpose. Whenever money is brought to school, please place it in a sealed envelope marked clearly with the student's name, grade, teacher's name, item or activity paid for and the amount of money enclosed.

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Lost and Found/Personal Belongings
Items such as lunch boxes, jackets, hats, etc., should be clearly labeled with the student's name and grade. Students are responsible for personal belongings. Parents and students are encouraged to check the lost and found at any time. Unclaimed items will be donated to a charitable organization at the end of the school year. We ask that students not bring toys, electronic games, baseball cards, radios, or other such items to school, unless given permission by the teacher.

Phone Calls
Messages for students may be taken by the office when it is essential for a student to receive information during the school day. Students should not be called from class to visit on the telephone, unless it is an emergency, as this is disruptive to the educational program. Student after-school arrangements need to be made at home before school. Elementary students are discouraged from bringing cell phones to school. Any cell phones brought to school for legitimate reasons must be turned off during the school day.

Text and Library Books
Textbooks and library books are loaned to students for thie use during the school year. Books are to be kept clean and handled carefully. A fee will be charged for lost or abused books.

Parent Teacher Organization
The Parent Teacher Organization exists to promote the education and welfare of our students. Actively support our school by volunteering and participating in activities. Please look for notices coming home regarding general meeting times and sponsored activities. Through a strong partnership between the schools and parents, students can receive the best possible educational opportunities. Please feel free to visit the PTO link.

Parties and Invitations
Please contact your child's teacher in advance if you would like to send treats to school and please ask about food allergies. It is suggested that refreshments be kept simple, healthy and eacsy to idistribute. If a student wishes to distribute party invitations at school, all students in their class must be included in the distribution. The school is not asking that private parties include the entire class; however, if they do not include the entire class, parents/students should choose another avenue of distributing invitations.

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Guidlines for Visiting/Observing in Classrooms
We strongly believe that education is a shared responsibility between parents/guardians and school personnel. In compliance with Olathe School Schools board policy, all visitors are under the jurisdiction of the building principal. To assure a successful school visit or observation, we ask for your cooperation in following these guidelines:

• Please arrange a mutally agreed upon date and time with the principal.
• For security reasons, visitors are required to check in a the office before proceeding to contact any other person in the building or on the school grounds.
• Principals reserve the right to decline the request for classroom observation or visit if it is determined that such a visit would cause undue disruption in the educational process or classroom atmosphere.
• All observatoin sessions will be planned so as not to create conflict with the teacher and student schedule.
• Principals may limit the frequency and duration of any observation.
• To protect the learning environment and out of respect for the teaching environment, parents/guardians arew asked not to bring younger siblings or children while visiting/observing in the classroom.
• During the observation, the principal or his/her designee may be present in the observed setting, in order to accommodate follow-up discussion or clarify questions that may arise.
• All aspects of individual student confidentially must be preserved and respected.

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Code of Student Conduct
With an emphasis on providing a safe and orderly learning environment in our schools, the Board of Education has adoped a Code of Student Conduct. It is designed to encourage student responsibility, respect for the rights of others, and to ensure the safe and orderly operation of all District schools. A copy of the Code of Student Conduct is provided to each family at enrollment. Copies are also available in the school office.

Guiding Principles
Approved by the Board of Education in 1998, the following have been identified by staff, parents, and the community as attributes of character which represent the foundation of citizenship vital to a democracy.

Student Guiding Principles

• Honesty - Truthfulness to oneself and others in both words and actions.
• Respect - Treating others as you wish to be treated.
• Responsibility - Doing what you're supposed to do when it needs to be done, even when no one is watching.
• Trustworthiness - Exhibiting dependable behaviors.

Parent & Patron Guiding Principles

• Positive Role Models - Setting a good example in words and actions.
• Effective Communicators - Actively listening, seeking to understand and proactively interacting with children and other adults.
• Respectful of All - Treating all others as you wish to be treated.
• Advocates for Education - Demonstrating the importance of learning and encouraging academic and personal excellence.
• Actively Involved - Making children a priority by being informed and participating in all aspects of the lives of our children.

Safe Schools
Collaborative and cooperative procedures have been developed with the Olathe Police Department and other law enforcement agencies to support safe schools in Olahte Unified School District. Olathe school and district officials report crimes committed on scool property to appropriate local enforcement agenecies. Specific examples of reportable incidents include but shatll not be limited to: possession of weapons, controlled substances (drugs, alcohol), destruction of property, theft, fighting, intimidation, and other such matters involving criminal activity.

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