2022-2023 GSD Information Packet
Arrival/Departure
Students should arrive at school between 9:00 and 9:05 A.M. The crossing guards are not on duty after school begins. Students should leave the school grounds immediately after school is dismissed for their own safety. They should report to you or someone designated by you, at the end of school each day. Children coming late to school must report to the office to pick up an admit slip.
Attendance
Punctual and regular attendance is very important to school success. If your child will be absent, please call the office (385-646-4924) on the morning of your child’s absence. If we have not heard from you, you will be called to verify the absence. When your child returns to school, please send a note signed by a parent explaining the absence.
Checkout
Parents needing to pick up their children from school prior to the end of the school day should report to the office. We will contact the teacher and have your child sent to the office to meet you. This is a very important safety procedure. Teachers are instructed not to release any children from their classes unless instructed by the office.
Dress and Grooming
We support the position that parents should oversee their children’s dress so it is comfortable, functional for a learning environment, and appropriate for the weather conditions. Clothing should also provide protection for students as they engage in the varied activities during the school day. Clothing that advertises drugs, tobacco, alcohol, or contains inappropriate language or illustrations is not permitted (updated by Morningside Community Council, Jan. 2022)
Electronic Communication Devices
School rules prohibit all use of electronic communication devices during instructional time (including recess) regardless of whether the use is to send or receive messages. Teachers and other school officials are authorized to confiscate such devices from students violating this rule. Confiscated devices will be held in the school office and will only be released to the offending student’s parent. We recognize that electronic devices are used as a means of parents communicating with their children. As such, students may check for parent messages outside of instructional time (9:00am-3:45pm), but should make use of the office telephone should an immediate response be required. The school and district accept no responsibility for the theft, loss, or damage of any communication device. (Policy created prior to 2018. “Instructional time” defined with 2024 re-adoption).
Emergency Procedures
Drills preparing the students for procedures to be followed in the event of a fire, earthquake, lock down, or other emergencies are practiced on a monthly basis. In the event of any emergency which requires evacuation, the students will be moved to Skyline High School or the Olympus Ward on Nila Way. Parents in each classroom will be assigned as emergency contacts and will begin calling to notify parents of any emergency situation.
Harassment
Granite School District is committed to providing in each school a safe, orderly environment where students, staff, parents and all other people are treated with courtesy and respect. Any form of harassment by staff or students, including any inappropriate verbal, written, or physical conduct is strictly prohibited. If you are being harassed, please report it to the principal, teacher or counselor.
Bullying
We take seriously our charge to keep our students safe from all forms of bullying. Granite School District policy on school safety and bullying.
Lost & Found
Items that are found should be turned into the office or taken to the “lost & found bin” outside of the office. Students who lose items can check this area for missing items. Student coats, boots, gloves, lunch boxes, back packs, etc., should be marked for easy identification. Items left in the lost and found after the last day of the school year will be donated to the Road Home for under-housed children.
Lunch
Students have the option of eating a cold lunch brought from home or eating a lunch purchased at school. Hot lunches, including milk, can be purchased. Students bringing a cold lunch can purchase milk for 30¢.
We ask for the cooperation of parents in seeing that your students purchase lunches or milk for at least a week at a time on the first day of the week. When you send money (either cash or check) please put it in an envelope with your child’s name and teacher on the outside, indicate the number of lunch or milk tickets you are purchasing. This will help the school ensure that your child receives the proper credit. Lunches are not to be charged. You can add money to your child’s online school lunch account by using Pay Pams, there is a link on our homepage. Free and reduced lunch programs are available.
Medication
ALL medications to be taken at elementary schools (including prescription, non-prescription, over-the-counter, staff administered, or self-administered) require:
1. Current written parental consent and current written healthcare provider order.
2. Medication is to be furnished by the parent and brought to the school in the current original container, labeled with the child’s name, medication name, time, dosage, and healthcare provider’s name.
3. All medications must be delivered to the school by an adult and picked up by an adult within two weeks of last dose given.
4. A new parental consent and current written physician, etc. order must be provided annually (at the start of each school year) and/or with changes to the medication. If there is a change in the prescription, a new appropriately labeled container, a new parent consent form and a new healthcare provider’s order must be completed before the staff can administer the new medication.
5. A written request from a parent to stop medication is required, if a medication is discontinued.
6. Parents who request their elementary student carry their own EpiPens, insulin or asthma inhalers must provide a current healthcare provider order. This order must include a statement that the student is capable of carrying and self-administering his or her own medication and that it is medically necessary for them to keep the medication with him or her at all times.
Obtain a medication authorization form either from your school office or at www.graniteschools.org
For a complete look at The Granite School District Medication Procedure, please see: www.graniteschools.org
Personal Property
Problems arise when students bring items that interfere with school procedures or are hazardous to the safety of others. Only items used in the classroom should be brought to school. We would appreciate your help in keeping toys and equipment at home.
Privacy
We have a process to deal with individual challenges for both academics and behavior. This process of student support is private and allows for parents and the professionals at Morningside to focus on the needs of the individual student. When a teacher or a parent has concerns, that concern is shared with the appropriate professional at Morningside, who then meets with our team (my social worker, resource teacher, parents, teachers and administration) to help determine a course of action, sometimes requiring academic interventions, sometimes behavior interventions. All of this is done while respecting the privacy of the student involved with a design to bring about positive change.
Morningside Elementary and Granite District do not endorse in any way the sharing of information about a student’s behavior or academics within a group email or in any other public form of media. In fact, we ask our teachers, parent volunteers and aides to insure that what they observe in a classroom during the day remains private and not a topic of discussion with family, neighbors or anyone in our community. Student privacy is a matter of state and federal law. Please, if you have concerns for your child, you may approach me so we can work together and help your student have a safe and happy learning experience.
PTA
We appreciate the excellent work of the PTA organization and we urge you to take the opportunity to join and help make this a great year at Morningside. Your membership and participation will enhance your child’s educational experience and be beneficial to you. We also urge you to volunteer as often as you can in your child’s classroom.
Safe School Policy
Granite School District has a strict School Safety policy. It provides guidelines for dealing with disruptive incidents at school and student activities. The intent of the policy is to give all students the right to attend school and school-sponsored activities without undue concern for their physical safety.
The School Safety policy establishes procedures and penalties for:
-Any act of violence
-Possession of any type of weapon
-Any form of organized gang activity
-Any type of criminal behavior
-Destruction or defacement of school property
School Rules
To ensure a safe environment and provide an atmosphere for optimum learning, Morningside students will:
- Be Safe
- Be Responsible
- Be Respectful
- Be Kind
SEP Conferences
Student Education Plan (SEP) Conferences will be held two times during the school year. It is important that both the student and the parent attend these conferences. Communication is an essential part of the educational program. It is very important for parents to keep in close contact with their child’s teacher concerning student progress.
Telephone
The school phone is for business purposes only. If children have an emergency at school, they may use the phone with a teacher’s permission. Arrangements for after-school activities should be made before the child comes to school in the morning.
Treats
The Salt Lake County Health Department has established the policy that all food items brought to schools must be commercially prepared and individually packaged. This policy has been adopted by the Granite School Board. Before bringing treats of any kind, please check with your child’s teacher.
Visitors
Parents and other volunteers are always welcome to visit the school. When a visit is made, please check in at the office and wear volunteer identification to help us maintain the safety of the school. Please bring a government issued ID and check in at the red box in the office. The red box will issue an ID sticker that must be worn by the visitor at all times they are in the building. After receiving your sticker proceed to the secretary who will allow you access to the building.
