USD 265 Goddard Public Schools
Elementary Schools
Guidelines and Policies
Welcome to Goddard School District Elementary Schools! This
document is designed to help you become aware of some of the guidelines
and policies which we ask our students to follow for a successful school
year at Oak Street, Clark Davidson, Earhart, and Explorer elementary schools.
We look forward to helping students become the best they can be by providing
the conditions that promote success.
| Absences
and Tardiness | Address Change | Arrival
and Dismissal Times | Attendance | Behavior
| Conferences | Dress
Code | Early Dismissal | Emergencies
| Field Trips | Food
Service | Grading | Health
Services | Homework | Hours
| Illness | InTouch | Leaving
School | Medication | Parties
| Problem Solving | School
Property | Show and Tell | Six-Trait
Writing | Student Information | Tornado
| Transportation | UGLY
| Volunteers | Weather
| Withdrawal from School |
SCHOOL PROPERTY
Who owns Goddard schools? YOU do! All residents of Goddard
School District pay taxes directly or indirectly that build and maintain
our public schools. Therefore, any damage done to our buildings,
equipment, buses or books must be paid for with your family’s money.
It is not enough for students to refrain from doing anything to increase
this cost to parents, neighbors and yourself, but we must help protect
the schools by discouraging or reporting such action by any others.
REMEMBER, most trouble starts as fun! The school grounds, building
and equipment should be cared for with the greatest of respect. Students
are to be responsible for the replacement costs on any property maliciously
damaged or destroyed.
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SCHOOL HOURS
Oak Street Elementary, Clark Davidson Elementary, and Earhart Elementary
schools will operate on the same schedule. School hours are 8:55
a.m.-3:59 p.m. AM Kindergarten hours are 8:55-11:55 a.m. PM
Kindergarten hours are 1:00-3:59 p.m.
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ARRIVAL AND
DISMISSAL TIME
Students should not arrive at school earlier than 8:35 a.m. Classes
begin at 8:55 a.m. The regular school day ends at 3:59 p.m.
Students should not remain at school after 4:10 p.m. unless they are under
the direct supervision of a teacher or administrator.
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LEAVING SCHOOL
Students are NOT to leave school while it is in session without permission
from the office. Any accident or illness should be reported to the
principal’s office before the child is sent home from school. Students
leaving early for appointments must check out through the office.
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WITHDRAWAL FROM
SCHOOL
If a student is withdrawing from school, it is necessary for the parent
to call the office or send a note to the office the next to the last day
of attendance. All textbooks and library books, etc., belonging to
USD #265 must be returned and all fees paid.
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STUDENT INFORMATION
Student information is maintained in a confidential manner. Only
a child’s parents/guardians, both custodial and non-custodial, may see
a child’s records. We will not release student records to any other
parties. Please notify the school office of changes in address or
phone numbers for your family. We also need to be notified of any
custodial changes that may occur. Legal notifications should be updated
annually.
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CHANGE OF ADDRESS
Please inform the office immediately if you change your address or
home or work telephone number by calling your child’s school — Oak Street
Elementary School, 794-4200; Clark Davidson Elementary School, 794-4260;
Amelia Earhart Elementary School, 794-4080; Explorer Elementary School,
794-4181.
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ABSENCES AND TARDINESS
Absences and tardiness are strongly discouraged. When students
are absent, please call the school office by 9:30 a.m. to provide
the reason for the absence.
BOARD POLICY ON ATTENDANCE
Each regularly enrolled pupil at Goddard USD 265, grades K-8,
shall attend school in accordance with the compulsory school attendance
law. Absences which accompany valid excuses will be excused.
An absence is unexcused without a valid excuse. The administration
shall be responsible for determining the validity of offered excuses for
absence from school. Unexcused absences may result in disciplinary
action appropriate to each grade level, which includes, but is not limited
to, detention or in-school suspension. Unexcused absences may also
result in a student being reported to appropriate authorities. Students
with excessive absences may be required to provide additional documentation.
The following are deemed as valid excuses within the limits of the attendance
policy: personal illness, death in the family, doctor or dental appointments,
court proceedings, religious observances, school activities and other absences
which are deemed necessary by the parents and approved in advance by the
administration. Administrators will communicate with parents to insure
every effort is made to encourage regular school attendance by all students.
Letters will be mailed, per compulsory school attendance law, when students
receive three (3) consecutive unexcused absences or five (5) unexcused
absences in a semester or seven (7) unexcused absences in a school year.
In addition, a letter will be mailed when any student accumulates ten (10)
or more absences, excused or unexcused, in one semester.
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INCLEMENT WEATHER - NO SCHOOL
When inclement weather threatens to cause school to close, please listen
to one of the radio or TV stations listed. Information should be
on the air after 6:00 a.m., depending on the situation. The radio
stations notified are: KFDI-AM 1070, KFDI-FM 101.3, KEYN-FM 104,
KQAM-AM 1410, KFH-AM 1330, KICT-FM 95, KRZZ-FM 96.3, KZSN-FM 102,
KKRD-FM 107, KNSS-AM 1240, B98-FM 98. Television stations notified
are: KSNW-TV 3, KAKE-TV 10, and KWCH-TV 12. Many of these stations
also post the school closing information on their website. If school
is closed, school office telephones will have a recording with that information.
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EARLY DISMISSAL
Parents should have a plan for the students to follow in case it would
be necessary for them to be sent home before the regular dismissal time.
The plans should be reviewed periodically with the children. In the
event of such emergencies, local TV stations and KFDI radio stations will
be notified by district officials and asked to broadcast the early dismissal
information.
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TORNADO AND SEVERE STORM PROCEDURE
In case of a tornado or severe storm when school is in session, the
following procedure will be followed: Students move to their designated
tornado shelter area, sit with backs to the wall, head between your legs.
If needed, double rows may be formed. Students on the playground
line up in an orderly fashion and proceed into the building.
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EMERGENCY INSTRUCTIONS
When an alarm for fire or other emergency is given, all persons should
move in an orderly manner to the prescribed exits. The fire alarm
will be a continuous ring on the fire alarm. Keep moving until you
are at least 100 feet from the building. If students are playing
on the playground at the time of an alarm, they are to stop at once and
line up in an orderly fashion. The all-clear signal will be by ringing
of a bell or hand signals. Fire exits will be assigned the
first day of school.
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BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS
Goddard School District staff will provide each student with the maximum
opportunity to acquire an education. No student has the right to
interfere with this opportunity by his/her actions, poor manners, or lack
of consideration. Rules and regulations are developed by each classroom
and enforced with this thought in mind. School rules apply on the
bus, school grounds, and at any event where our elementary school is represented,
regardless of location. There are five definite school-wide rules.
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Be in your assigned location, ready to work, with pencil when the tardy
bell rings.
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Bring paper, pencils, books and completed assignments every day.
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Keep your hands, feet, books and objects to yourself.
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No swearing or use of obscenities, rude gestures, put-downs or mouth noises.
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Follow the teacher’s directions whenever given.
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HOMEWORK POLICY
Homework is a part of the educational program and will be assigned with
consideration of the maturity level of the pupil, the organization of the
classroom and other activities in which the pupil might be involved.
Teachers are responsible for insuring that children understand the assignments
and that an inordinate amount of a family’s evening and free time is not
consumed. We do not endorse the idea of homework as punishment.
Parents are asked to assist the staff by insuring that their children have
an area of the home with a desk or table that is quiet so that children
can do their best on homework assignments. As a general rule, homework
should be limited to 10 minutes per grade level per night.
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PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
Parent-Teacher Conferences are planned for elementary students twice
during the year at the end of the first and during the third grading periods.
If you do not receive a letter requesting a conference, please call for
an appointment. We encourage young siblings to be left at home so
the focus can be placed upon the student’s conference.
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GRADES AND GRADING
Grades for grades 2-4 will be given to the students on their report
cards as scheduled on the calendar following the end of the nine week period.
First grade will begin receiving letter grades the second semester.
Additional information about report cards and grades is available in a
booklet published by Goddard School District entitled, The Parent’s Guide
to Report Cards.
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GODDARD INTOUCH
Goddard InTouch provides parents academic information on their student(s)
through the internet. With an internet connection and a Goddard InTouch
user account, parents may access their child’s attendance, grades, class
schedule, discipline, and other information. Grades will not be posted
for kindergarten students, but parents will be able to access other information
about their kindergarten student through Goddard InTouch. To assure
the privacy and confidentiality of your child’s records, parents must present
photo ID to receive their password and account information when they register
for a Goddard InTouch account for their child.
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DRESS CODE
The school board policy for dress at the Goddard Schools shall be such
as to maintain a neat-appearing student body which promotes a positive
atmosphere for learning. The administration has complete authority
to administer a dress guide to maintain this goal. Walking shorts
which reach mid-thigh may be worn throughout the school year. Appropriately
hemmed and trimmed cut-offs will be treated as shorts and may be worn.
Short shorts, gym shorts and swim suits are not to be worn.
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SHOW AND TELL - PET POLICY
If the teacher has given permission for a student to bring a pet to
school, the pet must be brought in a carrier and must remain in the carrier.
Students will not be allowed to handle the animal.
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FIELD TRIPS
Teachers will schedule field trips to enhance classroom instruction.
Prior to any field trip, your child’s teacher will send home a trip approval
form for your signature. It is mandatory that parents read and sign
this form and return it to school. No student will be allowed to
leave the building on a field trip without a signed trip approval form
on file. Siblings are not permitted to attend field trips with parent
volunteers.
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PARTIES
Please schedule birthday parties at the end of the day with your child’s
teacher. Regular class parties will be scheduled for Halloween, Winter
Holidays, and Valentine’s Day. Siblings are not permitted to attend
classroom parties. Balloons and anything in a glass container are
not permissible on the bus and should not be sent to school. This
includes flowers, balloon bouquets, etc.
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SCHOOL VOLUNTEER POLICY
Parent volunteers are very important to the education of children at
Oak Street, Clark Davidson, and Earhart Elementary schools! They
have a vital role in our day-to-day operations. Our volunteers are
highly respected and trusted by our students, and are generally viewed
as “authority figures” by the children. Our schools have high standards
and expectations for all areas of your child’s education, and we have established
guidelines to assist all of us in maintaining those standards.
The following school volunteer policy is designed to help us sustain
the safe and orderly school environment that is expected by the parents,
students and staff of USD 265.
| 1. |
All potential volunteers must attend our volunteer orientation. Volunteer
assignments will not be given to those who have not participated in the
orientation.
Volunteer orientation will include:
| a. |
Dealing with confidentiality issues |
| b. |
The importance of not disrupting classroom instruction |
| c. |
Training for: safety issues, fire drills, tornado drills, personal
decorum, instructional issues, school policies, volunteer protocol |
|
| 2. |
Volunteers are encouraged to complete a volunteer survey to indicate
their areas of interest. However, as with all other building staff
members, the final decision for placement rests with the building administration. |
| 3. |
Our students need and deserve the full attention of all staff members,
both employed and volunteer. We especially want to assure that our
students do not have to compete for attention during special activities.
It is our policy that children that are not students in the building where
the volunteer is serving may not be in the building with school volunteers
during, before or after school hours. This includes both younger
children and older students, and applies to all volunteer activities (including
classroom parties and field trips). |
| 4. |
Field trips are scheduled as part of the instructional day. The
school volunteer policy applies to these activities with the same standards
and expectations for field trip volunteers as we have for other school
volunteers. Please be aware that we are unable to provide transportation
for field trip volunteers. You should also understand that volunteers
may not be needed for some field trips. The final decision made by
the building administrator in these matters will prevail. Siblings
are not permitted to attend field trips. |
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TRANSPORTATION
Students in the Goddard Schools are fortunate to have the privilege
of riding the school bus to and from school daily. With this privilege
comes the responsibility of proper behavior while riding the bus.
We expect all students to respect and obey the rules that have been set
for riding the bus.
Remember that the driver is in charge of the bus. Bus rules emphasize
cooperation and safety precautions. Any violations of established
bus rules will be reported to the Transportation Discipline Coordinator
and disciplinary measures will be taken.
School buses only provide transportation to addresses within each school’s
attendance area. Transportation will not be provided to any address
outside a student’s school attendance area.
Any change in a child’s daily bus routine must be verified in writing
from the child’s parents/guardians before school starts that day.
Written notice must be given to the office if the child is to be picked
up that day instead of riding the bus home. For the safety
of your child we do not honor telephone calls to change a child’s school
bus routine.
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SCHOOL NUTRITION SERVICE
PROGRAM
Goddard School District participates in the federal school food service
program. Students may also bring a lunch from home. Breakfast
is available in the morning 20 minutes before start of school for $1.50.
Lunches for elementary school students are $1.90. Money for meals
can be paid in the school office where accounts will be maintained for
students or online by using MyNutriKids.com.
Students who participate in the school nutrition service program are encouraged
to purchase meals on a monthly basis. Families may qualify for either
free or reduced meals based on total family income and number of dependents.
Application forms are available in the school office.
Dining room manners should be the same table manners as those at home.
Students who purposely leave an untidy area, throw food or are too noisy
will be disciplined by the dining room supervisor and/or the principal.
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HEALTH SERVICES
Oak Street, Clark Davidson and Earhart Elementary schools have the
services of a Health Nurse. Eye examinations and hearing tests will
be coordinated through the nurse’s office at each school. The
nurse is on call for emergencies. The school nurse does not give
treatments or make diagnosis.
In order to protect from possible serious complication and to protect
other students from possible exposure to diseases, students who are ill
should not come to school. It is the duty of the school to exclude
any students who appear to be ill or are suspected of having an infection
or contagious disease.
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ILLNESS
Parents may be called to come and get their child during the school
day if he or she becomes ill. The following circumstances are some
of the criteria used to determine when a parent will be called:
| a. |
A temperature above 99.6 with symptoms or a temperature without
symptoms of 100 degrees. |
| b. |
Any contagious condition, vomiting, rashes, or behavior which appears
to be out of the ordinary. |
| c. |
All injuries which result in unusual swelling or pain. |
| d. |
Cuts which appear to require stitches. |
| e. |
Any dental injury. |
| f. |
Head lice. Students sent home with head lice will not be allowed
to ride the bus until they have been treated and checked by the school
nurse and found to be free of lice and eggs. |
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MEDICATION POLICY
A. Prescription Medication
Under certain conditions, prescribed medication may be given
at school by the school nurse or nurse designated person. This can
be done only upon written request from both the parent or guardian and
the attending physician. If at all possible, medication should be
taken prior to coming to school or after leaving school under parental
supervision. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to have
given the initial dose of medication to the child to assure there will
be no adverse reaction. Prescription medication must be brought
to the school in the prescription container and it is the responsibility
of the parent/guardian to assure that the medication and dosage in the
container is the same as identified on the affixed prescription label.
The following information must be listed on the label.
Name of student
Prescription number
Name of medication and strength
Date prescription was filled
Prescribing physician’s name
When applicable - expiration date, storage directions
B. Non-prescription Medication
Over-the-counter medication may be taken at school with parental
permission. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to assure
that the medication sent to school is the correct medication. The
medication must be in its original container and the following written
instruction to the nurse or designated school employee must be included
with the medication:
Name of student, Name of Medication, Dosage, Time,
Reason for Medication
School employees who administer the medication in accordance with authorized
physician instructions and/or parent/guardian instructions and BOE Policy
shall not be liable for damages resulting from adverse reactions.
In the event of adverse reaction, the student will be treated according
to standard emergency care guidelines.
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Elementary Math Strategies
Let’s Get UGLY!!
PROBLEM SOLVING METHOD
|
U
|
Understand the problem. |
|
G
|
Get a strategy.
*use models
* graph/list
*guess & check
* brainstorming
* make it simpler
* write an equation |
*act out/role play
*draw a picture
*chart/table
*look for patterns
*work backwards |
|
|
L
|
Let’s solve it. GO! |
|
Y
|
Yes! Yippie! Yahoo!
My solution makes sense and works. |
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES
• Act out or use objects
• Make a picture or diagram
• Use or make a table
• Make an organized list
• Guess and check
• Use or look for a pattern
• Work backwards
• Use logical reasoning
• Make it simpler
• Brainstorm
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Six-Trait Writing Model
LOOKING AT MY WRITING
Ideas and Content:
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Is my message clear?
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Do I know enough about the topic?
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Did I use enough details to make it interesting?
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Organization:
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Does my paper have a good beginning?
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Did I tell things in the best order?
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Did I stick to the topic?
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Does my paper have an ending?
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Conventions:
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Is it easy to read my spelling?
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Did I use correct punctuation?
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Did I use capital letters in the right places?
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Did I use paragraphs?
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Sentence Fluency:
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Is my paper easy to read out loud?
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Do my sentences begin in different ways?
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Are some of my sentences long and are some short?
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Are my sentences complete?
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WORD CHOICE:
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Will the reader understand my words?
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Do my words paint a picture?
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Do I use new and different ways of saying things?
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Voice:
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Does this sound like me?
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Did I say what I think and feel?
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Does my reader feel what I feel?
|
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