Central Avenue Elementary Tonya Middling, Principal (253) 298-3200/FAX (253) 298-3215 www.fpschools.org
August 30, 2016
WELCOME BACK
Dear Central Avenue Parents, Students and Families,
Welcome Back! Creating and maintaining a quality learning environment involves everyone: parents, students, teachers, support staff, and community members. We are very proud of the commitment to quality schooling and to the support shown by all those in our school family. You are all essential ingredients in our school’s success. As we progress through the 2016-17 school year you will continue to hear about our school-wide positive support system known as Safe & Civil Schools. Central Avenue teachers continue to work hard to design school-wide systems, consistent language and guidelines for success for all common areas such as hallways, restrooms, cafeteria and recess as well as their own classroom expectations. This year our focus will continue to be classroom expectations and making connections with students and families to help support students academically and behaviorally to do their very best. Our motto is Central Avenue Wildcats CARE (C- Cooperation, A-Accountability, R-Respect, E-Effort). Students will learn all of the guidelines for success for each common area during our first week of school. Please take some time to review our student handbook with your child. Most of the questions you might have regarding guidelines, dress code, schedule, lunch etc. should be answered in the handbook. Attendance will again be an emphasis this year. Students can’t learn if they are not present. So you will see our motto: On Time, Everyday, Ready to Learn, in the halls as well as in our classrooms. Great classroom attendance will be announced each morning. Research shows that children that come to school everyday are much more likely to have successful post-school out comes. This is true regardless of grade level. If you have questions, please let us know. We welcome any and all feedback regarding the handbook or any other aspect of our school. We are looking forward to a great year! Thanks for all of your support!
Sincerely,
Tonya Middling Principal WELCOME NEW STAFF – We warmly welcome the following staff members to our Central Avenue community: Mrs. Crutchfield, resource room; Ms. Martinell, para and Mr. Wilson, fifth grade.
PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS WITH THESE IMPORTANT DATES September 14, 21 and 28 2:35 dismissal September 29 WATCH D.O.G.S. Dads and Kids Pizza Night
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ATTACHED – The following forms are attached to or coming home with this newsletter and contain very important information for the first of the year:
Calendar September Menu Rights and Responsibility Student Insurance Student Handbook Daily Schedule Early Release Schedule Community Eligibility Provision Bus Bulletin
EMERGENCY FORMS – In this packet that is being sent home you will find a blank emergency form that we would like all of our previously enrolled students to complete. We would like to make sure that we have the most current information in case of an emergency. Please fill them out and return to the main office or your student’s classroom. Thank you!
VOLUNTEERING AT SCHOOL – Our volunteer applications are now online. Begin by visiting our district website www.fpschools.org. On the right side menu under “Shortcuts” click on Volunteer. This should take you to our online Volunteer Registration System. If it does not, copy and paste this address into your browser: http://franklinpiercevolunteers.hrmplus.net. You will complete your application online. To begin, click the REGISTER button to create your account in the system. STUDENT ARRIVAL – Students who walk to school or are dropped off by their parents should arrive by 9:20 with final bell at 9:35. No student should arrive at school prior to 9:20 a.m. The doors will open at 9:20. Please make sure when dropping your child off to enter the west parking lot, please follow the arrows for entry and proceed to the crossing guard. Your cooperation is appreciated. For those students who will be eating breakfast, the cafeteria doors will open at 9:15 a.m. It is critical for students to arrive in time to allow them to eat breakfast prior to school bell @ 9:35 a.m. EARLY DISMISSAL – If you need to pick your child up during the school day, please come to the office and have one of our secretaries call your child from the classroom. For safety reasons, you may be asked for identification and you will be required to sign your child out before you leave. Early dismissals will not be allowed after 3:45 p.m., unless the office is notified in advance (due to dr.’s apt., etc.). STUDENT DISMISSAL PROCEDURES If you choose to pick up your student from school please use the following safe dismissal procedures. There are several suggested locations that can be used for parking and student pick up: Central Avenue Parking Lot- Please park in the west parking lot when dropping off or picking up students. In the morning, a drive-through method can be used by your child exiting the car and waiting to be crossed at the crosswalk between the parking lot and the bus entrance/exit by the safety patrol students. Remind your child to walk on the safe walking path in front of your car. During dismissal, parents may also pick up students by parking in front of the school along 104th street. Students may not cross 104th street unless with a parent. Do not wait in your car and signal your child to cross the street. This presents a very dangerous situation. Students and parents are highly encouraged to use the crosswalk with the Safety Patrol at the bus entrance/exit. Also, please remember that students being dropped off by their parents or walking to school should not arrive before 9:20 a.m. There is no supervision until 9:20 a.m.
Walking Safety
When walking to and from school please keep in mind these safety guidelines: Try walk with a partner or group. Go directly to school. Go directly home from school after dismissal. Always try to walk to and from school using the same route. Walk home using the sidewalk or a walking path. Check in with a parent or older sibling once you arrive home from school. Cross only at designated crosswalks. Obey the safety patrol students and all traffic signals. At about 4:20 p.m. students that have not been met by parents or have not started walking home will be escorted back to Central Avenue and parents will be called for pick up.
Bicycle Safety
Those students who do not ride a bus to school are eligible to ride their bikes to school if in grades 2-5 only. Those students eligible will be required to have a lock to secure their bicycle, must wear a helmet, and obey the laws. Once bikers arrive on the school grounds, they must walk their bikes for safety reasons.
Keep in mind some of the following bicycle safety guidelines: Always wear a helmet that is properly fitted. Ride in the same direction as the cars. Always use proper hand signals when turning and stopping. Make sure your bike is the proper size. Make sure your bike seat is adjusted to the proper height Make sure you have reflectors on the front and back of your bike.
BUS PROCEDURES – Please be patient, the first couple days of school because the busses might be running late. We have a very helpful transportation department; if you have any questions, issues about something that happened on the bus or at the bus stop, or concerns about a late bus, please call the transportation office directly at 298-3865. To cut down on the number of calls received in the office daily we are asking that if you wish for your child to ride a bus other than the one they normally ride, or get off at a bus stop other than their normal stop, you must send a note. Without a note, we will not allow students to change their regular bus, bus stop, or end of the day routine.
STUDENT ABSENCES – If your child is ill and unable to attend school or cannot attend for other reasons, please call to inform us between 9:00 and 9:35 a.m. You may also leave a message on our 24-hour voice mail, or an email message. This might be more convenient for some. You may email Melissa Cadero at [email protected]. She will check email each morning before attendance is taken. Be sure to include your child’s name, teacher, and reason for absence in your message. We also have forms in the office for Planned Absences. If you know your child will be absent for a certain time period, please fill out the form and leave it in the office. Thank you for your help. If your child is not in attendance and we have not received a message, we will call you to check on the absence. This is done to ensure your child’s safety. We must receive verification of your child’s absence either by phone or by a note when your child returns. If we do not hear from you, an unexcused absence will be recorded. Please read the following information on unexcused absences: The Compulsory Attendance Law in the state of Washington requires children to attend school from the age of eight years old until age 18. An additional law aimed at reducing truancy, has several very specific provisions which we call to your attention: A school is required to notify the parent or guardian after a student has one unexcused absence.
After the second unexcused absence, the school must schedule a conference with the
parent or guardian and try to develop a plan to reduce the absences.
After five unexcused absences in a month or ten in a school year, the school is required to petition juvenile court to assume jurisdiction over the student.
A similar process will be used for excused absences at the principal’s discretion.
YOU CAN FIND US ON THE WEB and on Facebook! – Please check out Franklin Pierce Schools website! We hope you find it easy to use and helpful when looking up information about the district and our school. The website address is the same: www.fpschools.org. Also, find us on Facebook and ‘like’ our page for updates, reminders, events and activities! Go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/Central-Avenue-Elementary
EARLY RELEASE WEDNESDAYS – Franklin Pierce Schools will continue with 2:35 dismissal on most Wednesdays this year. The first early release Wednesday is September 14. Teachers use this time to collaborate with student achievement in mind. A schedule of all early release and No School days is included in this packet. You can also find this information on the district’s website. It is very important to keep this information handy so you’ll know the days your children will be coming home early.
VISITING SCHOOL? ~ PLEASE DO, BUT PLEASE STOP AT THE OFFICE FIRST For obvious reasons, we are very safety conscious at Central Avenue, and a big part of that is being aware of who is on campus. We want to make sure that whenever a visitor goes into the campus area of the school (beyond the front office) they are wearing a visitor's badge. That way, all students and staff members know this is an authorized, safe, and welcomed guest. At the end of the day, please pick up your child in the office lobby. Do not go past the front office to the classrooms. Thank you very much for your cooperation.
FAIR TICKETS - This year we will be sending home a free Washington State Fair admission ticket with each student over the age of five on Friday, September 9 TH. This ticket will be good for any day of the Fair. There will be no early dismissal of school that coincides with the run of the fair. Please take advantage of an early release Wednesday if you can.
NEWS FROM THE HEALTH ROOM – The health room is staffed daily from 9:30– 4:00 with a LPN to provide first aid to students who become ill or injured at school, and to give medications prescribed by state approved medical providers. Our goal is to keep healthy children learning in the classroom, and to get ill children home. State laws allow for students to be administered only oral medications at school (including inhalers). The two exceptions in this law are for insulin and epi pen use. Please do not ask the school to give your student ear drops and eye drops, or to apply lotions and ointments, as we are unable to do so. All medications, even over-the-counter products such as pain relievers and cough drops, require an appropriate order from an approved medical provider. We must have a new medication order each school year. Please do not send medication with your child, as it is illegal for them to carry it on school grounds. The law does provide for students to carry inhalers, epi pens and diabetic supplies. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to send and receive information via fax with physician offices and other health care facilities. New laws regarding the confidentiality of medical records prohibit this practice. We will need parent guardians to obtain medication orders and health reports personally.
WATCH D.O.G.S (Dads Of Great Students) - On Thursday, September 29th from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. we will be having our 6th annual Dads and Kids Pizza Night at our school. You will meet here at the school cafeteria at 6:00 p.m. for FREE pizza and drinks. At 6:30 p.m. we will have a presentation about our WATCH D.O.G.S® (Dads Of Great Students) Program. WATCH D.O.G.S® is an innovative program that helps students to be positively impacted by the committed involvement of fathers and father-figures in their student’s life. Our goal is to have you spend at least one day this year at the school to be a positive male role model and to provide an extra set of eyes and ears. Dads, granddads, uncles, step-dads and adult brothers . . . this is your chance to have a night out alone with your student in a fun atmosphere at school!