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PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK

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Dear Parents and Students:

On behalf of the entire Faris staff, I would like to welcome you to Faris Elementary School for the 2007-08 school year. I am excited about the coming school year and hope you are too. With teamwork between teachers, students, parents, and the Hutchinson community, we are confident that Faris students will have a successful learning experience.

Please read and discuss the Parent/Student Handbook as a family. Children do better in school when their parents are involved in their learning. Please take an interest in your child’s learning, support the classroom teacher and become involved in your child’s classroom. I encourage every parent to seek opportunities to become an active participant in our school and activities. An extra helping hand is always welcomed.

The Parent-Teacher Organization is one way parents and educators may work together. Please join the Faris PTO and become involved in this organization. There are many ways parents can assist the PTO and the classroom teachers, so please, volunteer your ideas, time, and help. Your efforts will be greatly appreciated by the entire student body and the teachers.

I serve as your principal. My office door will always be open to staff, students, and parents. Please feel free to drop in and visit. If you feel more comfortable scheduling a time, please call the office and we can schedule a convenient time for you to visit. If school hours don’t work for you, please don’t let that stop you from getting in touch with me. If an evening or weekend call works better for you, please don’t hesitate to reach me at 662-6814.

Children First,

Denise Neighbors, Principal

Faris Elementary School
300 E. 9th
Phone: 620-665-4620   Fax: 620-665-4625
Denise Neighbors, Principal
www.usd308.com

District Information

USD# 308 Administration Center
1520 North Plum Street   Phone: 620-665-4400
Dr. David Flowers, Superintendent

Student School Hours:

7:25                  Front (South) Door UNLOCKED for breakfast.
7:30-7:50           Students may enter the building through the FRONT (South) doors and proceed to the gym for breakfast or their assigned seats.
7:50                  Students go to their classrooms at the 7:50 A.M. bell.     
7:55-11:20         Morning Session. Students arriving after 7:55 will be counted tardy.
8:55                  Students arriving after 8:55 will be counted absent for the morning session.
11:10                Dismissal for A.M. Kindergarten
11:20-12:00       Lunch and Recess
12:00-3:10         Afternoon Session. Students arriving after 12:00 will be counted tardy.
1:00                  Students arriving after 1:00 will be counted absent for the afternoon session.
3:10                  Dismissal for P.M. Kindergarten and Grades 1-6.

School Hours for Staff:

7:35-3:30           Professional teaching staff on duty
7:15-4:00           Office staff on duty
3:30                  Staff meetings on Mondays
3:30                  Building Team Meetings on Thursdays

Faris School Mission Statement

Students gain skills and knowledge today for excellence tomorrow.

Arrival at School

            The doors open for breakfast at 7:25 a.m. Students are not to arrive before that time. Breakfast is served from 7:30 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. Students are to enter through the front entrance at Maple and 9th Avenue and should report to the gym. Students who do not eat breakfast at school will go to their assigned hallways. Students will be dismissed from the gym at 7:50 a.m. to go to their rooms. Students should be in their rooms to begin classes at 7:55 a.m.                                                                                                       

Birthdays

            Students’ birthdays are recognized in a variety of ways. We have Birthday Lunch on the last Friday of each month. July birthdays will be celebrated in September and June birthdays in May. A birthday pencil and/or birthday certificate is given to each child.
            Students may bring treats on their birthdays to pass out during the school day. All snacks need to be prepackaged and/or prepared in a commercial kitchen. Contact the classroom teacher a few days in advance to schedule the best time. Parties are to be limited to 15 minutes late in the day. Please help us keep the carpet looking nice by not serving treats and drinks that stain. Bringing treats is not a necessity.
            The distribution of invitations to private parties may not be distributed at school unless the entire class is invited.

Breakfast Program

            The breakfast program begins on the first day of school. Children may participate in the program under the same guidelines as the lunch program. Breakfast is served from
7:30 a.m. to 7:45 a.m.

Celebration of Learning

            On the second Tuesday of each month, the student body, parents and staff, gather to focus on the value of learning, taking responsibility, and to honor teacher designated students who have done a good job in those areas during the past month.
            Recognition is given to a student in each classroom in the area of reading, math, and citizenship. Accelerated Readers who have accumulated certain certification levels are recognized also.
Parents and other Faris supporters are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Counselor Services

            Each elementary school is served by a member of USD 308’s elementary counseling program. Student involvement with the counselor is considered an integral part of a student’s educational experience. Along with individual and small group counseling, crisis intervention and family support, counselors provide classroom instruction in career, academic and personal/social (character education) content areas.

Detentions

            Teachers may withhold privileges or use a student’s recess time to complete work. Students may be detained after school for disciplinary reasons or to complete assignments. If a student's detention is longer than 10 minutes, the parents will be contacted by telephone. If the parents cannot be contacted, the child may be detained at the end of the next school day.

Discipline

Students learn best in a safe, orderly environment.
            Students are in school to learn. Students are “Responsible for their own learning and responsible for the success of the class.” This learning process should also include continual instruction and guidance towards behavior acceptable in a social setting like that of a school. Knowing that people are responsible for their actions, the staff at Faris focus on acceptable behavior according to the four “BE” components. Listed are our school rules. Each of these rules will be expanded upon for each classroom, for the lunchroom, and for the playground.

School Rules

            BE RESPECTFUL

            BE RESPONSIBLE

            BE READY

            BE SAFE

            When a staff member determines that student behavior is not in line with the Faris school rules, they will instruct the student(s) to complete a “plan” to understand their responsibility and appropriate actions in future similar circumstances. Upon the second occurrence of the selected behavior, a new plan will be implemented. Further incidents may be addressed by the principal in conference with the parents to determine the necessary consequences and handling of student responsibility.
            If a student chooses not to be in control, consequences will be given.

Consequences may include:

Dismissal from School

            When students are dismissed from school at the end of the day, they are expected to go straight home or to a pre-designated place. All students are expected to leave the school grounds immediately unless staying after school has been arranged with a teacher or students are participating in after-school activities. After reporting in at home or the agreed upon spot, students are welcome to return to Faris.

Dress code: (Dress and Grooming)

            Students are encouraged to use good personal hygiene and come to school in clean clothing, which is appropriate for the season and all school activities, including physical education and recess. Students whose grooming or clothing appear to be in violation of the dress code will be asked to leave the classroom and call a parent to bring appropriate attire.
            Classrooms in the building are air conditioned during warm months. Students are advised to dress for moderate room temperatures. Some children are more comfortable with a light sweater, which can be worn as needed. Parents and students should plan on outside play during the day and the children need to dress accordingly.

Homework

School homework is related to the curricular objectives and is given to assist with student learning.
            We expect homework to be completed as directed. Teachers will contact parents when there is a problem with the completion of assignments. It is important that the lines of communication be open. Please call or visit when a question arises. Students are expected to study spelling words and read library books at home each week. Parents are encouraged to work with students to ensure that they are learning basal material.
            The following suggestions may be helpful:

Locked Doors

            For your child’s safety, the majority of the doors at Faris are locked to those trying to enter the building.
 

Visitors

            Please report to the Principal’s office. Persons entering or remaining in the building without authorization may be in violation of Hutchinson City Code Sec. 24-60 (trespassing). We ask parents and other visitors to use the front entrance at Maple and 9th Avenue. All doors will be locked from 4:00 p.m. - 7:30 a.m. All persons inside the building will be able to leave the school through any door by merely pushing on it. Once outside, however, re-admittance through locked doors will be possible only by those having keys.
            All students are to enter the school in the morning by the front door and exit in the afternoon through a door designated by the teacher.

Lost and Found

Taking just a few moments to add your child’s name to the label of any clothing will help in identifying lost items. A container is provided for lost and found items. Please remind your child to check the container when something is lost. Labeling removable items such as jackets, coats, sweaters, boots, hats, and gloves will be very helpful in preventing loss.

Outdoor Playtime

            Students will play outside on all days that weather is permissible and should dress accordingly. Students will have indoor recess on days of inclement weather (raining or snowing) or when the air temperature or wind chill drops below 20 degrees F.

P.M. Kindergarten Lunch

            Students in afternoon kindergarten may eat lunch at school before attending class. Students wishing to eat lunch at school are to do so from 11:30 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. Their teacher will then lead students to class.

Parent / Teacher Conferences

            Parent-Teacher conferences are held at the midpoint of first and second trimester.  Progress reports are given to parents at that time. Attendance at conferences by both parents is encouraged whenever possible.
            Conferences are established to take parents’ input as well as for teachers to provide information to parents.
            Please remember, anytime you have a concern or question is a good time to schedule a conference.

Parent Visitation and Involvement

            The success of the child can be measurably increased if his/her parents/guardians show an active interest in his/her work. You are cordially invited to visit the school at any time. Should questions or misunderstandings arise, parents are urged to contact the teacher and the principal in order that a better understanding and cooperative solution can be reached. There are many areas that parents/guardians can become actively involved at Faris: PTO, parent volunteers (classroom helpers), room parent, block parent, and committees. Contact the classroom teacher or the principal about your ideas or for more information about these programs.

Parking

            Parking is allowed across the street adjacent to the school. Parking is not allowed on the school side where “No Parking” signs are posted. Please observe these parking regulations. They are for the safety of the children.

Personal Property

            Students are encouraged to bring only items from home that relate to topics they are studying. Skateboards, scooters, and skates of any type are not allowed at school during the school day. Any toys, trinkets, radios, computer games, electronic devices, or other items that distract from the educational process will be kept in the office or classroom until the end of the instructional day.
            While we do not encourage the use of cell phones, we understand that parents might feel they are necessary for the student to have after school. In this case a note from home stating why the cell phone is needed should be sent to the principal. Cell phones must remain off and in a student’s backpack or checked in at the office during the school day.
            If a student uses a phone during the school day, the phone will be taken away and parents will need to retrieve it from the office.
            The school is not responsible for personal property that is lost, stolen or broken.
            Please mark each child’s belongings, such as school supplies and clothing, to assist identifying them when they are left in the building or on the playground.

Physical Education

            All children are expected to take part in the physical education activities. Students must have tennis shoes for PE.  Please send a doctor’s statement if there is a health problem which prevents your child from participating in physical education.

PTO

            All parents are encouraged to become active members of the Faris School Parent-Teacher Organization. The group has a vital, supportive role in the school and is actively involved in nearly all facets of school life. Memberships are sold during enrollment and in the school office throughout the school year. There will be four quarterly meeting this year: August 23, Nov 15, Feb. 7, and May 8.  Minutes from each meeting can be found on the USD 308 website from the Faris link.

Room Parents

            Faris PTO has a room parent chairperson who oversees room parties sponsored by the PTO and helps in a variety of other ways.

Room Parties

            Classes have two room parties each year, Fall Celebration and Valentine’s Day.

Volunteers

            Parent volunteers, on both a regular and an irregular basis, are encouraged and appreciated. A sign up is provided during enrollment and the PTO Volunteer Chairperson works with classroom teachers to make appropriate assignments. Parents may also coordinate directly with classroom teachers on volunteer activities.

Safety Patrol

            In order to provide safety for the pedestrian and the driver, your cooperation in helping your child observe safety rules is appreciated.
            Fifth and sixth grade students function as the Faris School Safety Patrol. The performance of these duties is important for the safe movement of the students in the vicinity of the school grounds. They are stationed at the four street corner intersections.

Patrol Schedule

7:20 a.m. to 7:35 a.m. (Before School)
3:10 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Afternoon Dismissal)

To and From School

In order to provide better safety for the pedestrian and the driver, your cooperation in helping your child observe the following rules will be appreciated:

• Cooperate with the Faris Safety Patrol.
• Walk on sidewalks or safe routes.

            (Never in the rear entrance driveway)

• Stand, with the safety patrol, behind the yellow safety line painted at the crosswalks.
• Students are to cross at the intersection crosswalks only.
• Students are to be loaded and unloaded from the designated areas.

(At no time should students cross the street in the middle of the block to get to or from cars.)

• Students are to leave home and allow just enough time to go directly to school.
• Avoid fighting and horseplay on the way to and from school.
• After school, students are to go directly home. Unless you receive a call from the school, your child should be home shortly after 3:30 p.m.

Telephone Use by Students

            Students will be called to the telephone only in cases of emergency. When necessary, messages will be delivered to students.

Students will not be allowed to use the telephone to call out unless it is very important. Teachers will permit the students to come to the office to use the phone when they deem the reason a necessity