Absence Policy
When a student returns to school after an absence, please send a signed note to the office explaining the absence. A call to the office will also be acceptable. If your child will be absent for more than two consecutive days, please contact the office. Please plan family vacations during built-in holidays. We encourage you to schedule medical/dental appointments outside school time whenever possible. If your child has a medical appointment during school hours, be sure to get a note from the doctor and send it with your child when he or she returns to school. A parent can excuse no more than seven absences without a doctor’s note.
Accidents and Illness at School
If a student is injured on the school grounds, and the injury is other than what appears to be quite minor to the school staff, parents/guardians will be notified and asked to pick the child up for observation or examination by the family physician. Parents/guardians will be notified promptly of all injuries not considered minor including any head injuries. The school is allowed to administer only minor first aid.
If the student becomes ill during school, the school will contact the parent/guardian and the child will be brought to the sick room. Parents/guardians will be asked to take the child out of school. The school must have information on whom to contact and how contact can be made in the case of an emergency. PLEASE KEEP THIS INFORMATION CURRENT on the child’s registration card. If your home or work phone
numbers change, please let the office know right away. The student may be released only to persons listed on the registration card unless prior arrangements are made with the office staff.
Arrival at School
Students are asked not to arrive at school before 8:20 a.m. unless eating breakfast which begins at 8:05 a.m. Assistance is available 15 minutes before school and 10 minutes after school if students have emergency needs. A student needing assistance should immediately go to the office. When the weather is extreme, students will be invited into the building at 8:20 a.m.
Assemblies
Students are expected to show respect to the people performing at our school. Students should go to the restroom before going to an assembly. All students should enter and exit as quietly as possible. Listening is the best way to show good manners and respect for our assembly performers, as well as applauding politely. Disruptive students will be removed from the assembly. Disruptive classes will be asked to return to their classrooms.
Attendance
School attendance is required by State Law. Students should be in school unless they are ill. If a student becomes ill at school, we will contact the parents/guardians. A child is not permitted to leave school or the school grounds before regular dismissal. Notes for early dismissal of students for medical/dental appointments are required. Parents/guardians (with identification) must check students out through the office in all cases of early departure. Students with excessive absences may be referred for family support.
Bicycles, Blades, Scooters, and Skateboards
Students are welcome to ride their bicycles and scooters to school. Once on school grounds, students are to get off and walk their bikes and scooters to the designated bike racks. Students are to lock their bikes and scooters (with their own locks) to the racks provided. Students bringing their bikes, scooters, or any other personal property from home (including balls, books, etc.) are responsible for those items. William Penn Elementary does not assume responsibility for loss or damage to bicycles, scooters, or other personal property. Bike registration is available through city/county law enforcement agencies. It has been our experience that blades and skateboards are disruptive at school. In addition to the accidents associated with these modes of transportation, it is difficult to find storage space for these items at school. Please encourage your child to leave blades and skateboards at home. Please remember that walking students have the right of way on the sidewalk.
Birthday or Other Party Invitations
Students are not to bring invitations for birthday parties or other events unless all students in the class are invited to the party. Parents/guardians are welcome to celebrate their child’s birthday at school during lunch. If parents/guardians wish to bring food and/or treats for their child’s birthday, please provide only for your child during lunchtime and not for any other students. Additional celebrations may be provided by the teacher and/or school.
Change of Address or Withdrawals
Please notify the school office of any change of address or telephone number. Having a current list of telephone numbers is very important in the event of an emergency. We also need to be notified of plans to withdraw a student from William Penn. All books must be accounted for before a final report card will be issued.
Classroom Treats
Students and parents/guardians may bring treats to school for class parties. However, treats must be commercially packaged. State Law mandates treats prepared at home are not to be brought to school for consumption.
Community Council
Our Community Council meets monthly to discuss issues and generate ideas to improve student achievement at our school. They help us develop the school’s improvement plan, determine the needs of our school, and assist in planning the budget for the LAND Trust funds. The meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of the month at 7:30 in the library. All community members are invited to attend these meetings.
Conferences
Parents/guardians will receive notice of their child’s progress. Report card grades will be given at the end of each quarter. Additional information on the student’s progress may be sought by the parent/guardian at any time throughout the year. However, progress inquiries should be made before or after school, not during instruction time. Student grades are also located on the Parent Portal. Parents/guardians have the right to express concerns freely and openly, without fear of retribution from the school personnel. Concerns about the classroom should be brought to the teacher’s attention first and then to the principal’s attention next. Experience has shown that discussing serious concerns with friends or neighbors does not serve the child or the school.
Dropping Off & Picking Up Students
Safety and efficiency are the goals as students are dropped off or picked up from school. Staff and student Safety Patrol members serve as traffic monitors. Please respect and obey their requests. They are here to help everyone stay safe. Please be sure to follow the “ENTER” and “EXIT” signs posted on the driveways. Please pull forward on the curb as far as possible and instruct students to exit or enter the car on the curbside. When students have disembarked, immediately pull forward so others can drop off/pick up their child.
Please be alert to adults and children crossing the parking area. There are two driveways in the front of the school for drop off or pick up of students. There is one drop off/pick up area in the upper parking area. All drop off and pick up of students should be done using the curb drop off areas of the school. Parents/guardians who need to accompany their children into the school for school business must park in a marked parking space.
Electronic Devices on School Premises and at School-Sponsored Activities
Electronic devices such as cell phones and smart watches must be turned off and out of sight during school hours. Students may use their cell phones before and after school only for the purpose of contacting parents. Students should use the office phone if they need to contact their parents during the school day. Parents can call the office during the school day if they need a message delivered to their student or wish to speak to their student. Teachers may have classroom specific policies for collecting cell phones and watches during school hours such as requiring students to put their devices in a secure location. School staff may confiscate a cell phones or watches for violations of this policy. Parents may be required to retrieve the confiscated device directly from the office.
This policy is consistent with GSD Board Policy VIII.A.2
Field Trips
Throughout the year, students will have the opportunity to leave the school and visit various educational sites. Parent/guardian permission is required to ensure that parents/guardians know where their children are. Granite School District requires all parents/guardians to sign the “Off-Campus Activity” form prior to any off-campus field trip. Standard rules of conduct are expected of all students during these trips. The district allocation for field trips may not fully cover the costs of some off-campus activities. In such cases, we may ask for voluntary donations to help with the cost of a field trip. All students will have the opportunity to participate in the activity regardless of their ability to donate.
Head Lice
If you discover your child has contracted head lice, please inform the office. If there is an outbreak of head lice, a note will be sent to all students in the class indicating a case has been discovered and requesting parents/guardians to check their children for head lice. We do not identify the names of those students who have been infected.
Lost and Found
Lost and found items are stored in the lunchroom. Students and parents/guardians may check there for missing items. Please label all personal items that are brought to school regularly. Because these items tend to accumulate over time, we periodically donate unclaimed items to charitable organizations.
Lunchroom Procedures
Students are expected to have quiet voices and calm bodies while in the lunchroom. Students are to sit on their pockets facing toward their assigned tables. When finished eating, students are to clear their trays and garbage and quietly exit the lunchroom.
Medication
Parents/guardians need to inform the office staff of any medication a student is taking during school. If medications are to be taken during school hours, a form must be completed and signed by the parents/guardians, and the student’s physician, and submitted to the office with the medications to be administered. A daily log is then established for the student, and every dosage administered by school staff is recorded.
Parent/Guardian Visits
Parents/guardians are invited and encouraged to visit the school. We ask that you arrange your visit with the teacher in advance and that you check in at the office to pick up a VISITOR PASS when you arrive. No one is allowed in student areas without a visitor’s pass or school district employee identification badge. We are unable to have friends or relatives (including pre-school brothers or sisters) spend time in the classroom with students.
Pedestrian Safety
Students should use the recommended walking routes while traveling to and from school. Please show respect for the property of others when walking or riding to and from school. Students should avoid cutting across lawns, picking flowers, littering in the neighborhood, etc.
Pets
The law requires that all dogs be confined by a leash or fence. Loose dogs that visit the school will be turned over to the county animal control center.
Recess
Daily outdoor recesses are a valuable factor in promoting good health and positive classroom conditions. Please have children come to school dressed appropriately to play outside. In extreme weather conditions (storm, cold, poor air quality), outdoor recess will be cancelled, and students will be provided with indoor activities. If a student has been ill or has some other medical reason not to go outside, please provide a note explaining your child’s needs. If your child requires long term exclusion from outdoor recess, a doctor’s note will be required. If your child has a chronic respiratory condition, please notify the school and the teacher of their needs. We will meet those needs.
The following expectations should be adhered to for a safe-school environment:
- No hard balls or bats – wood or metal.
- No tackle games of any kind.
- No wheels except for bikes and scooters, which are to be locked up on school grounds.
- No snowballs—snow stays on the ground.
- No playing in the parking lot.
Student Dress
Sanitation and safety factors directly relate to proper dress and grooming. A real and reasonable connection exists between proper dress/grooming and the successful operation of the school with respect to discipline as well as student achievement. Students should wear clothing that is appropriate for school. Student dress should be modest, clean, and suitable for the various learning activities going on at school. As students dress each morning, particular attention should be paid to safety, comfort, and weather. If a student’s clothing creates a substantial disruption for the student or for the school, parents/guardians will be contacted, and the student will be required to change into more appropriate attire. Students will not be allowed to wear clothes that are mutilated, cut off, or immodest such as short shorts, miniskirts, or bare midriffs. Bra straps or other underclothing should not be visible. In the interest of good hygiene, proper footwear should be worn at all times. Gang-related colors, clothing, and paraphernalia will not be allowed in school. Clothing that promotes or celebrates violence will not be allowed. Clothing that advertises cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs is prohibited by Granite District policy. Clothing should be free from anything that is vulgar or that degrades or demeans others.
