Arrival and Dismissal
Arrival Time
Children should arrive between
8:15 and 8:35 a.m. Students should not be on school grounds prior to 8:15 a.m.
(when playground and cafeteria supervisions begin) unless they are involved in
choir or Safety Patrol. Permission from the principal is required if
students must arrive early due to extraordinary circumstances. Students
line up at their classroom doors when the first bell rings at 8:40 a.m. Students
should be in their classrooms when the tardy bell rings at 8:45 a.m. Students
who arrive late need to enter through the front doors to get a tardy slip
before going to class
Students are not permitted in hallways or classrooms before
or after school unless they have Safety Patrol duties.
Dismissal Time
Morning preschoolers and
kindergarteners should be picked up at 11:30 a.m. All other students should be picked up by 3:30
p.m., when carpool and bus supervisions end.
All children remaining at school after 3:30 pm will be in the office.
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures
Help protect the safety of
all students by being fully present and observing all traffic rules and signs
during drop-off and pick-up time. Respect and follow the hand signals and
directions of adults who are supervising drop-off and pick-up areas. Avoid cell
phone use and other distractions.
Owyhee’s carpool lane is the
safest place to drop students off. This one-way lane is entered from Owyhee
Street. Pull over to the curb and have your child exit the passenger side of
your vehicle. Do NOT double park or
otherwise require your child to walk in front of moving traffic. If you need to
exit your car for any reason do not use the drop-off/pick-up lane but instead
find a parking place.
If you must drop your child
off on Pasadena Street please avoid the bus zone. Don’t stop in the middle of
the road, double park, park on the wrong side of the street, or do a U-turn.
All of these actions are unsafe.
Early Pick-Up Procedures
Send a note to your child’s teacher if you need to
pick your child up during the day for an appointment. Specify what time your child will leave and whether he
or she will return later in the day. That allows teachers and your child to gather
homework and belongings in advance. This shortens your wait time and limits
disruptions to the learning process. When you arrive at school to sign your
child out, we will send for your child
End of Day Pick-Up
Procedures
To
maximize safety and to minimize congestion and wait time, Owyhee
has a structured system for after- school dismissal and pick up. Children have designated
waiting areas based on age and how they get home. Adult supervision is provided
in all designated waiting areas. Please do not ask your child to wait for you
in an unsupervised area. Kindergarteners should be picked up at the outside
kindergarten door. First and second graders, as well as students who ride in
daycare vans, should wait on the grass outside of the second grade classrooms.
Older
students who carpool or ride with parents can wait in the area by second grade
doors or in the park –this area is generally less congested and therefore pick
up and drop off is quicker. Bus riders should wait on the grass outside the
library. Walkers who are meeting friends
or siblings should wait in the yellow circle near the bike racks on Pasadena
Street.
When the dismissal bell rings at 3:15 p.m., students
are dismissed through the outside doors and should report to their waiting area until
their ride arrives or until all the members of their walking group have
assembled. Students should report to the same waiting area every day; this will
ensure they always know where to go and you will always know where to find
them. Please make sure your children know how you expect them to get home:
walk, ride the bus, or wait to be picked up by a friend or family member. If your routine changes, tell your children
before you send them to school in the morning. For younger students (preschool
– 2nd), send a note to your child’s teacher if they will be getting
home a different way than usual.
Students are expected to sit
or stand and watch for their ride.
Students will be required to wait until the vehicle comes to a complete
stop before opening doors. Please arrange car seats and personal items so your
child can enter on the curb side of your vehicle, away from moving traffic.
Please use the pick-up lane (by
second grade doors) only if you can remain in your car and only if you can wait
until your car is near the front of the line. If you must get out to find your children,
open car doors, or are in a hurry, find a parking place that is not in the
pick-up lane.
Emissions
Avoid idling your engine for
long periods. Emissions are unhealthy for students who are waiting outside and
they get inside through our ventilation system. If you arrive before the bell
rings, turn your car off. Once the pick-up lane starts moving, you’ll need to
keep your engine running.
Parent Permission
Students must have written permission from parents to
take the bus (if not a bus rider), to walk home (if they usually ride the bus),
and/or to ride a different bus or use a different bus stop than assigned.
Safety Patrol and
Crosswalks
Owyhee’s Safety Patrol is
comprised of trained and responsible fifth and sixth grade students. Their job
is to assist students and adults in using crosswalks before and after school. Please
use crosswalks, follow Safety Patrol’s instructions, and insist that your
children do the same. You set an example for all students who are watching you.
Attendance and Punctuality
Reporting Your
Child’s Absence
If your child will
not be at school, please call 854-5850 by 9:00 a.m. You can leave a voice
message anytime. Please include your child’s name, grade, and the reason for
the absence. If your child has a contagious illness let us know so we can take
steps to reduce spreading it to others.
Attendance
Policy and Attendance Court
Students who attend school
regularly do better in school and develop habits that serve them well later in
life. According to district policy, students must be in attendance at least 90%
of the time (no more than 9 absences in a semester). A student who arrives after 10:30 a.m. or who
leaves prior to 2:00 p.m. is recorded absent for a half day. Students who miss
more than 9 days of school in a semester may be referred to Attendance Court to
help identify the source of attendance problems and to solve them. The decision
to refer a student to Attendance
Court is made on a case by case basis. Factors
that are considered include prior years’ attendance patterns, the reason for
absences, the number of tardies, and the effect that absences and tardies are
having on academics.
Attendance
Letters
Attendance letters
are automatically mailed to your home after your child has 5 absences in a
semester and again after 8 and 10 absences. We send attendance letters even if absences
are primarily due to illness so you know how much school your child has missed.
You can then make sure further absences are for illness or emergencies only. Students
with frequent excused absences may be asked to provide documentation from a
medical provider or other source.
Punctuality
Please help your child start each day with his or her
best foot forward by establishing positive routines to arrive prepared and on
time. Punctuality helps your child by reducing stress and it minimizes
disruptions for teachers and other children. An unexcused tardy is recorded if
a student is not in his or her classroom when the tardy bell rings at 8:45 a.m.
A tardy is excused only if parents provide written documentation of a medical
appointment or if other extraordinary circumstances can be verified. Letters
are sent home to notify parents of excessive tardies.
Student Behavior
Owyhee
staff work together to create a
structured and welcoming school environment, promoting a positive peer culture,
providing character education, recognizing and rewarding good behavior,
educating students and parents about bullying, and implementing a consistent
school-wide discipline system. Strategies to identify unsafe behaviors include
periodic surveys of the entire student body, education about bullying, an “I
Need to Tell” program for students, and outreach to parents. Each reported or
suspected incident is carefully
investigated and addressed
Character
Education and Citizenship
Students
at Owyhee are encouraged to be kind, responsible, and helpful through a
proactive and positive educational program. To encourage and celebrate these
qualities for students who are in 1st-6th grades, a Citizen
of the Week may be announced in each classroom on Friday mornings. Teachers also
choose a Citizen of the Month from the students who have been Citizens of the Week. They are honored at a school assembly for
demonstrating exemplary behaviors that contribute to success in school and
later in adult life:
·
A good citizen is kind and supportive of others, similar to an adult
who is a good neighbor.
·
A good citizen is responsible and turns all work in on time.
·
A good citizen follows the rules.
·
A good citizen exhibits enthusiasm and excitement for learning.
·
A good citizen is punctual and has good attendance at school.
·
Child Care
On-site
child care is not available at Owyhee. Several
private child-care facilities transport children to and from Owyhee-Harbor School.
Please contact the office for more information.
Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devise
Students are allowed to
have cell phones only to place emergency phone calls on the way to and from
school. Students are not permitted to
keep cell phones in the classroom. They cannot place or receive calls, send or
receive text messages, or take photos at school or while on school grounds
(even after school while waiting for their bus or ride). The school is not
responsible for lost or stolen devises. Cell phones must be turned off and kept
in student backpacks. Students who violate this policy will have their devises confiscated
until it is picked up by a parent.
Counseling Services
Owyhee has the services of a school
counselor four days per week. The counselor provides a variety of services to
students and parents that are aimed at helping students learn and develop to
their highest potential.
The
counselor visits each classroom on a weekly basis presenting lessons on
character education, being successful at school, conflict management,
self-esteem, friendship skills, identifying feelings, safe choices, careers and
future planning. The counselor also
coordinates the bi-weekly walking club and the Student Employment Team.
Group
sessions are available for children in adapting to life changes or specific
difficulties at school. You will be notified if your child is placed in a
group. If your child is seen more than
three times on a personal one-to-one basis for a single issue parents will be
notified and a list of agencies will be sent home to continue any long-term
individual counseling as the parent sees fit.
On
an as needed basis, our school counselor conferences with parents to learn
about their child’s progress, make future educational plans, or assist with
family issues. In addition, the district offers classes for parents to learn
effective parenting skills. Finally, our school counselor can provide some
financial help with those hard times that we don’t expect and/or can refer families
to other agencies in the community who might be able to provide assistance.
Dress Code/
Appropriate Clothing
We
rely on you to help your child dress for school success. Students who dress inappropriately
will be required to wear a “gray shirt” over the top of their clothing to limit
lost instructional time. The gray shirt should be left in the classroom at the
end of the day. If a parent brings dress-code-appropriate clothing to school,
students may change during recess.
·
Gang attire of any kind is strictly prohibited. Garments that promote
drugs, alcohol, or tobacco or that include disrespectful, vulgar or suggestive
words, graphics or pictures are not allowed.
·
Hats or hoods are not to be worn in the building except to get ready to
go outside during cold weather.
·
Immodest or suggestive clothes are not allowed including but not
limited to muscle shirts, low necklines, spaghetti/thin straps, bare backs/midriffs/shoulders,
and clingy or see-through fabric. Tank
top straps must be at least two adult-fingers wide.
·
Make-up, face paint, and tattoos that cover the face or neck are not
allowed.
·
Hair must be worn so that it does not cover or hide eyes.
·
Earrings that have hoops or that dangle are discouraged safety reasons.
Students will be required to remove jewelry or accessories that are distracting
to them or others.
·
Perfume, cologne, after-shave, etc. are not allowed.
·
Pants and skirts are to be worn at the waist. Shirts must be long
enough to cover backs and midriffs when sitting on the floor.
·
Shorts, dresses, and skirts must be fingertip length or longer. Students
sit on the floor for instruction so shorts or tights are recommended under
dresses and skirts.
·
Student attire should be appropriate for the weather and season.
·
Shoes must be playground and P.E. appropriate (i.e. sturdy shoes
without heels, laces tied, buckles fastened). Sandals must be secured with
straps on the top and the back of the foot. Flip flops are not allowed. Students
with inappropriate shoes will be excluded from P.E. and recess.
·
Parents and volunteers are asked to follow the student dress code when
volunteering or attending school functions.
Emergency / Safety
Procedures
The
safety of students, staff, and visitors is a top priority. Students and staff
regularly practice Fire, Hall Check, and Lockdown Drills. You can help us in
the following ways:
·
Sign in and obtain a Visitor’s Badge every time you volunteer during
school hours.
·
Make sure we have up-to-date emergency contact information. Notify us
immediately of address, telephone, employer, child care, or medical providers
changes.
·
Don’t call the school during an emergency as this disrupts
communication with emergency personnel. Local media will keep parents and the
public informed.
If
needed, we will escort students to an alternate assembly site, depending on the
situation:
·
Owyhee Park (directly across the street from the school)
·
Wells Fargo Service Center (3033 Elder Street)
·
Whitney Elementary (1609 W. Owyhee Street)
Extra-Curricular and Co-Curricular Activities
Birthday
Parties
Birthday
parties are not held at school. Students may bring a simple treat to share with
classmates during lunch or just prior to dismissal. Let teachers know in
advance and bring treats to the office for safe-keeping. We strongly encourage
parents to bring a healthy birthday treat such as fruit, cheese sticks, or
go-gurt, for example. Don’t bring balloons, flowers, presents, etc. to school.
Celebrating
Holidays
We
limit birthday and holiday celebrations to protect learning time. Parents can
join their children for a turkey dinner the Thursday prior to Thanksgiving.
Christmas will be celebrated with a music program. Students in kindergarten
through third grade will exchange Valentine’s cards on Valentine’s Day. Fourth through Sixth Grade teachers will
determine if a class will have a party during a specific holiday.
Field
Trips/Extra-Curricular Events
With
parent permission, students in good standing may participate in a limited
number of field trips to supplement classroom learning. You will be notified in
advance. Transportation is provided by bus . For extra-curricular
transportation, volunteers must drive vehicles with appropriate safety restraints
(children under 7 need child seats) and must have liability insurance coverage of
at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident.
Music Education
All kindergarten through
sixth grade students participate in general music classes. Fifth and sixth
grade students may participate in band or orchestra during the school day. Fourth
through sixth graders may join our choir, which meets one morning per week at
8:00 a.m. Siblings or other students who need to ride or walk to school with a
choir member should bring a book and are required to read quietly in the music
room until playground supervision begins at 8:15 a.m.
Sports
Fifth
and sixth grade students can participate in girls’ basketball, boys’ basketball,
and co-ed track. Practices and competitions are held after school. Coaches will
provide more information prior to each season. Student spectators are welcome
only if a parent or guardian supervises them. Unsupervised student spectators
will be sent home.
Food Services
School and Food &
Nutrition Services will provide students one breakfast and one lunch each
school day at no cost to the student. During the 2015-16 school year, we will also
be providing a fruit/vegetable snack in the afternoon at no cost to
students. All three of these meals are
at no cost and optional.
Prices for
Adults:
For adults wishing to eat
lunch with their child, adults can purchase lunch for $ or lunch for $3.50.
Milk is $.40 for a half pint.
Hall of Fame
Owyhee-Harbor
students who are in 1st - 6th grades can earn entrance
into the Hall of Fame by passing various math fact tests, as well as social
studies, science, and language arts tests. Students who master one or more Hall
of Fame categories at their grade level will have their names posted in the
Hall of Fame display case in the school foyer and will receive a certificate at
a year-end assembly. Students who master all seven Hall of Fame categories at
their grade level (no substitutions allowed) will also have their photographs
posted in the display case and will receive a plaque as well as a certificate at
the year-end assembly. Students may take Extra Tests (beyond the seven required
for a plaque). Extra Tests are recognized in the classroom and on year-end
certificates but are not posted in the display case and do not count toward a
plaque. A descriptive list of Hall of Fame tests for each grade level is
included on our school Web site.
Harbor Method
The
Harbor Method is a specific approach for being an effective school. The Harbor Method is a whole school approach
in which skilled and dedicated professionals create a safe, structured, and
caring environment (or “safe harbor”) that supports a rigorous curriculum and
accelerated instruction toward learning.
Health Services Overview
School health
services strengthen and facilitate the educational program by promoting the
optimal health of our students at Owyhee.
The school nurse is available to assist those children at school who have
on-going health needs as well as to screen for potential health problems that
may impact learning. The school nurse also provides education in the
classroom on Health and Illness as well as Growth and Development.
The Owyhee Health Office is staffed part-time by our school nurse and health technicians
with assistance from our school secretary.
For this reason, the School Health Office should be a resource for first
aid and assessment of illnesses and injuries that occur at school.
The school health
staff is available to provide you a list of community health resources where
your child can be seen for those illnesses or injuries that require specific
diagnosis. Idaho
State law does not permit
our school nurse or health technician to diagnose illnesses or injuries.
Health Services Guidelines for Specific Illnesses
Call 854-5850 to speak with
our school nurse or health technicians for further information about any of the
following topics. Additional information is also available on the district’s Web
site.
Asthma Inhalers: Students may carry inhalers on them with parent
permission and after demonstrating safe and responsible self-administration.
Inhalers for younger students are usually kept in the nurse’s office.
Colds: Please
keep your child at home if he or she has a fever over 100° or is experiencing
symptoms that would interfere with his or her ability to perform in school.
(i.e. uncontrollable coughing, severe lack of energy). If your child
experiences green nasal discharge that continues throughout the day, or a cough
lasting longer than ten days or accompanied by fever or chills and is
productive of discolored sputum, consult your physician.
Conjunctivitis (pink-eye):
Following a diagnosis of bacterial conjunctivitis, the child may return to
school after the first dose of prescribed medication. Students with viral
infection may return when eyes are clear.
Diarrhea/Vomiting: A
child with diarrhea and/or vomiting should stay at home and return to school
only after being symptom-free for 24 hours.
Fever: The child should remain at home with a fever greater than 100°. The
child can return to school after he or she has been fever free for 24 hours (without
fever-reducing medicine such as Tylenol or Motrin).
Illness or
Injury: If your child is ill
or injured while at school, we will administer simple first aid and comfort
measures. We will contact you in the event of a serious illness or injury,
so current emergency contact information is critical. If we cannot reach
you, we will call 911 if necessary. Please be prepared to pay for your child’s
possible medical expenses.
Impetigo: The
child with impetigo may return to school 24 hours after treatment has begun. A
doctor’s note or proof of prescription is recommended.
Insurance: The school district does not provide accident
or health insurance for students. Health and Welfare offers health insurance to
qualifying families under the Medicaid program and the Children’s Health
Insurance Program (CHIP).
Medication: If your child must take a prescription medication
during the school day, contact the school nurse or secretary for the necessary
paperwork. An adult must deliver prescription medications to school in a
correctly labeled prescription bottle. A doctor’s letter or a newly labeled
bottle must accompany dosage changes. Non-prescription medications may be given
only if they are in the original container with clear instructions from the
parent/guardian that do not contradict dosage instructions on the label. All
medications are kept in the health office.
Rashes:
Common infectious diseases with rashes are most contagious in the early stages.
A child with a suspicious rash should return to school only after a health care
provider has made a diagnosis and authorized the child’s return to school.
Recess or P.E.
Restrictions: If your child has a medical condition or
injury which limits his or her participation in recess, P.E., or other
activities please provide a physician’s note that includes the nature of the
injury or illness, the specific activity that must be restricted, and the
length of the restriction. If these
restrictions cannot be safely implemented at school, we may ask you to keep
your child out of school until the condition improves.
Strep Throat: A
child with strep throat may return to school 24 hours after antibiotic
treatment has begun.
Homework
Research
shows that the most successful students are those with regularly structured
homework time. Adult assisted practice has several purposes:
·
It allows the student extra practice to reinforce skills taught at
school.
·
The discipline of nightly homework develops responsibility and positive
habits that will benefit your child as he or she progresses to higher levels of
education and into adult life.
Please
know that we do not expect you to teach your child: that is our job. It is our
intent to assign reasonable and constructive assignments that will encourage
success in the classroom. We ask you to support our beliefs and communicate
them to your child, as follows:
·
Ask your child what his or her homework is, not if he or she has
homework.
·
Establish a consistent time and place for homework that will develop a
habit.
·
Check to see that homework is completed.
·
Encourage and monitor your child’s organizational skills so he or she
gets credit for his or her hard work.
·
Remember it’s your child’s homework. It is okay to encourage and
explain, but don’t do it for him or her.
·
The consequence for incomplete or missing homework is generally to miss
recess and/or attend the homework room at lunch until assignments are
completed..
If you have questions about homework, or
if it is excessively difficult or time consuming for your child, please make an
appointment with your child’s teacher.
Inclement Weather and Air Quality
School closure decisions are made by the Boise School District’s
Superintendent by 6:15 a.m. and will be broadcast via local radio and
television stations. During extremely cold weather (17° Fahrenheit or colder), or wet weather, students will be
allowed in the cafeteria/gym or classrooms during recess. Please help ensure
that your children are dressed for the weather.
The Department of Environmental Quality provides air
quality ratings and recommendations for schools. Students with respiratory
conditions, including asthma, will be allowed to remain indoors during recess
when the air quality is rated Orange
(Unhealthy to Sensitive Groups) or worse. Any student who experiences or
complains of breathing difficulties may remain indoors when the Air Quality is
Red (Unhealthy) or worse. Recess for all students will be restricted to light
to moderate activities when Air Quality is Purple (Very Unhealthy.)
Lost and Found and Personal Items
Personal items such as toys,
electronic devices, etc., that are not needed for school are to remain at home.
Personal items that are not needed at school may be confiscated by teachers and
kept in a “June box” to be sent home when school is out or may be confiscated
by other staff until picked up by a parent.
Please encourage your child
to be responsible for his or her clothing, backpack, and other items. Even so,
we suggest you mark special items. Parents are always welcome to check our Lost
and Found cupboard near the office. Students are regularly required to check
the Lost and Found. Items not claimed after a reasonable amount of time are
donated to charity.
Meetings
If
you want to meet with your children’s teachers, please don’t just drop
in while volunteering or dropping off/picking up your children. Please do
make an appointment so teachers can plan their day accordingly. Please do
sign-in at the office and allow our office staff to call the classroom to make
sure teachers are available to meet with you. Teachers rely on the time
before and after school and their prep periods to post concept and language
boards, prepare materials, review curriculum, tutor students, etc. Your
understanding will ensure that students benefit as much as possible from the learning
time available.
Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
All
parents are encouraged to join and attend meetings of Owyhee-Harbor Elementary’s
Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). Visit them on Facebook under Owyhee-Harbor
Elementary PTO, and watch the school newsletter. If you can’t attend PTO meetings we’d still
love to have you as a parent volunteer. Please notify your child’s teacher if
you can help or contact our Volunteer Coordinator.
Preschool Services
Owyhee is pleased to have an Early
Childhood Special Education (ECSE) or Preschool Special Education program on site.
The program serves eligible children with special needs from the Owyhee attendance area and other surrounding areas. The
program provides a safe and nurturing environment, which promotes and
integrates the physical, cognitive, social, emotional, communication, and
self-help areas of development through classroom activities. The program goals,
curriculum, and materials are developmentally appropriate and geared to the
differing ability levels of each child within a multi-disciplinary setting.
Please schedule an appointment for a free screening if you have a child who is
3 to 5 years old and may have possible concerns in one or more of the following
developmental areas: self-help, speech, language, social-emotional, concepts,
hearing, vision, and motor skills. All preschoolers can benefit from this
screening. For an appointment call 854-5520.
Recess and Playground Rules
Students are provided several
short recesses to run off excess energy, socialize, and play. We have six
simple recess rules:
· Make recess fun for everyone
· Cooperate with adult directions.
· Honor personal space bubbles.
·
Use appropriate
language.
·
Be a problem
solver.
·
Be safe.
Students who are not
following recess rules may receive a verbal reminder. A Playground Incident
Report may be issued for serious and/or repeated violations. These reports are
submitted to the classroom teacher and principal for follow up and/or
consequences as needed.
Recess is a privilege. Students
may be kept inside during recess if they don’t complete class work or homework,
need extra academic assistance, as a consequence for discipline problems, or
due to inappropriate footwear or outerwear. At times, recess is cancelled due
to very wet weather, cold weather (17° Fahrenheit or colder), or poor air
quality.
If
your child has a medical condition or injury which limits participation in
recess (or P.E. or other activities) please provide a physician’s note that
includes the nature of the injury or illness, the specific activity that must
be restricted, and the length of the restriction.
Registration/Open Enrollment
Students who live in the Owyhee attendance area have first preference for
enrollment. Students who live outside our attendance area must complete an Open
Enrollment Application and have it approved.
Parents are responsible for transporting open enrollment students. Open
Enrollment Applications are accepted beginning January 1 for the next school
year. Open Enrollment applications submitted by February 1 will be considered
first using the following priority system: students who reside in the district
and have a sibling currently enrolled at Owyhee, students who reside in the
district, students whose parents are district employees, students who reside
outside the district and have a sibling currently enrolled at Owyhee, and
finally students who reside outside the district. If there are more
applications than space available, a lottery system will be used. Contact the
school for more information or refer to the district’s web site (www.boiseschools.org).
Students who turn
6 on or before September 1 are eligible for first grade. Students who turn 5 on
or before September 1 are eligible for kindergarten. A child who is five years
old and has completed a private or public out-of-state kindergarten for at
least 450 hours will be allowed to enter first grade.
Report Cards, Grades, and
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parents receive student
progress information at parent-teacher conferences in the fall and through
report cards sent home with students every nine weeks. Parent-teacher conferences
are scheduled at the end of the first quarter for all students, K-6..
The Boise Schools
Parent/Student Communication Portal (Parent Portal for short) is a web-based
communication tool that allows parents to access information about their children
24/7. Parents can access real time attendance data for all students. Parents of
students in grades 3 – 6 can also access grade book and assignment information.
Confidentiality is ensured by assigning each student a unique 32 character
Portal Activation Key. Contact the
office for more information about how to access the portal and for your Campus
Portal Activation Key.
School Rules / Discipline Policy
Owyhee-Harbor Elementary
utilizes a schoolwide progressive discipline plan. This plan provides for
consistency yet allows for variations based on student age, maturity level, and
the nature of misconduct. In general, mild consequences are used for less
severe behavior. Consequences increase for misconduct that continues after mild
consequences are used, for severe misconduct, and/or for repeat offenses. The
steps are usually sequential but steps may be skipped for disruptive,
dangerous, or insubordinate behavior.
Step 1 - Verbal Redirection. This is a verbal reminder of rules or expectations.
For example, “You should be working on your math assignment.” Then after the
student cooperates, “Thanks, that’s much better.”
Step 2 - Precision Request. This is more assertive than a verbal redirection. It
specifically states the positive behavior that is expected and serves to warn
students that further misbehavior will result in disciplinary consequences. For
example, “You need to return to your seat and start working on your math
assignment now.” Then after the student complies, “I’m glad you made a
good choice and are working on your math assignment.”
Step 3 – In-Class Consequences. At this level, consequences are determined by the
teacher and take the student’s age, maturity level, and the nature of the
infraction into consideration. They may include staying in for recess, a head
down time-out, removal from the group to another location within the classroom,
or another consequence at the teacher’s discretion.
Step 4 – Think Time. The student is sent to another classroom to complete a
Think Time form which varies by grade level. The Think Time form helps students
take responsibility for and reflect on their behavior and how it needs to
change for them to return to their classroom. The form is usually sent home to
parents to notify them of the misbehavior.
Step 5 - Yellow Card Removal. The principal comes to the classroom and removes the
student if he or she refuses or is unable to complete a Think Time form or if
misbehavior continues. The principal takes the age of the student, and
frequency and severity of misbehavior into consideration when determining
consequences. Consequences may include having the student complete an Incident
Report, or placing him or her in another classroom (generally two grades above
or below the current placement) for an extended time as a form of in-school
suspension. Parents are contacted and a
conference with teacher, principal, and student may be scheduled. Step 5
becomes an immediate Red Card Removal for behavior that is dangerous.
Red Card Removals or Repeated Yellow Card Removals
will result in additional consequences.
These may include school service, extended in-school suspension, out of school
suspension, revocation of open enrollment, or other consequences as determined
by the principal and in accordance with Boise School District
policies and procedures.
Special Procedures for Special Classes. Special classes, which include Character Education,
Computer, Library, Music, P.E., and Science are 30 – 45 minutes long. Due to
this shorter time frame, specials teachers may condense discipline procedures
for repeat offenders and/or violations of clear and consistent classroom
routines and expectations. Specials teachers may skip Step 2 and/or Step 3.
School Schedule
Regular
Day Schedule
8:15
a.m. Playground supervision
begins; students should not arrive before 8:15
8:15-8:35 Breakfast in the cafeteria
8:40 First Bell (students should be on school grounds)
8:45 Tardy Bell (students should be in classrooms)
11:25
– 12:45 Lunch and Lunch Recess
|
Grade
|
Lunch
Starts
|
Recess
Begins
|
Recess
Ends
|
|
1st and 2nd
|
11:25
– 11:35
|
11:40
|
12:15
|
|
3rd
|
11:40
|
11:55
|
12:25
|
|
4th
,
|
11:50
|
12:05
|
12:35
|
|
4th
, 5th , 6th
|
12:00
|
12:15
|
12:45
|
3:15 p.m. Dismissal
Early
Release Day Schedule
8:45
to 10:30 (morning preschool / kindergarten - no lunch)
11:30
to 1:15 (afternoon preschool / kindergarten - no lunch)
8:45
to 1:15 (grades 1 – 6, lunch is served)
Support Services
Owyhee-Harbor Elementary has
a variety of dedicated and skilled professionals to support students. Classroom
teachers collaborate regularly to ensure that the academic and social/emotional
needs of all children are addressed. Specialists are available to assist
students including a special education teacher, reading specialist,
speech-language pathologist, counselor, nurse, psychologist, gifted/talented
facilitator, and Title I tutors.
PLC Time (formerly Collaboration)
Classroom teachers are assigned
to Professional Learning Community (PLC) teams with same or similar grade
teachers. These teams meet weekly after school to review the performance of all
students in their class and to share effective teaching strategies and methods.
Problem
Solving Intervention (PSI) Team
If a student is experiencing
academic or social/emotional needs that are not being fully met in the regular
classroom, or if additional resources or expertise are needed, the student can
be referred to the Problem Solving Intervention (PSI) Team. Students may be
referred to the PSI Team by parents or school staff. This intervention team
includes the classroom teacher, principal, parents, and specialist and uses a
more formal process to identify immediate and measurable interventions.
Special
Education Evaluation Team
If the interventions put in
place by the PSI Team are not sufficient or are required on an ongoing basis,
the PSI Team may refer the student to our Special Education Evaluation Team.
The Special Education Team, which includes parents, will determine if testing
is warranted. Parent input and consent is always obtained before any formal
individual testing is conducted.
Title I
Owyhee operates a schoolwide Title I program to benefit all of our students. Title I
funding pays for Title I Tutor salaries, additional instructional materials,
equipment, and professional development. Title I staff work closely with
classroom teachers and other programs to help all children be successful in
reading and math. Title I Tutors may assist teachers with large group
instruction, they might work with small groups of students, or one-on-one with
a child. Students also benefit from professional development, which teachers
receive, and instructional materials purchased with Title I funds.
Transportation
Bicycles,
Scooters, and Skateboards
It
is important that students who ride their bicycles to school wear a helmet.
Students cannot ride bicycles, scooters or skateboards on school grounds or the
sidewalks around the school between 8:15 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Students must walk
bicycles or scooters and carry skateboards during these times. Violators are
redirected. If that is not effective, the bicycle, scooter, or skateboard is
locked in the principal’s office for one or more nights.
The
school is not responsible for lost or stolen bicycles, scooters, or
skateboards. The best protection for a bicycle is to lock it to the bike rack.
Scooters and skateboards are not allowed in classrooms but may be left under
student coat racks as long as they do not create a safety hazard in the
hallway. The best way to avoid losing skateboards/scooters is to leave them at
home.
Bus
Transportation: Bus transportation is available to students who live in the
safety-bussing zone of the Owyhee attendance area (Federal Way and the Sunrise Rim area east
of Vista). Open enrollment students may ride
the bus from an established stop if space is available. To be eligible for bus
transportation students must have a completed and approved bus application.
Students are to be picked up and dropped off at their designated stops unless
the student has written permission from parents to get on or off at a different
stop. Non-bus riders can ride the bus only with written permission from parents
and approval from the school.
Good
bus behavior is extremely important for safety. Bus violations may be referred
to the principal if students are unresponsive to the driver. Please remind your
child to follow these rules:
·
Listen to the driver’s instructions.
·
Stay seated at all times..
·
Face forward with both feet on the floor.
·
Keep hands and feet to self.
·
Talk in soft voices.
·
Don’t eat or drink on the bus.
Cars
and Carpools:
A structured dismissal and pick-up system is used at Owyhee
to maximize safety and minimize congestion and wait time. Please see the
“Arrival and Dismissal” section on page 3 of this handbook for details.
Volunteers
Owyhee-Harbor
Elementary not only welcomes volunteers, we depend on them. To protect the
safety of all of our students, school volunteers must submit an application
(one time) and are strongly encouraged to attend an annual orientation.
Please
notify your child’s teacher if you can help in the classroom or contact our
Volunteer Coordinator for other volunteer opportunities. Please sign in at the
office and obtain a Visitor’s Badge when you volunteer. This contributes to a
safe school environment and documents volunteer hours. All adults at Owyhee, including volunteers, serve as role models for
our students. The examples you set help
students understand and respect school rules. Thanks for setting a great
example by:
·
Protecting learning time
·
Scheduling in advance and arriving on time
·
Being positive and enthusiastic
·
Using quiet voices and limiting talk in the hallways
·
Abiding by the student dress code
·
Keeping cell phones off at school
·
Obtaining daycare for younger siblings
·
Maintaining
confidentiality
·
Refraining from chewing gum
Wrap-Up
Feel free to contact the principal with any questions
about this handbook. Please sign the acknowledgement page (first page) after
reviewing the handbook with your child or children. Please keep
this document as a reference.