Visitors

ALL VISITORS (INCLUDING PARENTS, GUARDIANS, FAMILY MEMBERS, CLASSROOM PRESENTERS, ETC.) MUST REPORT TO THE OFFICE FOR REGISTRATION AND TO OBTAIN A VISITORS PASS. THIS WILL MAINTAIN THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE SCHOOL. WE DO NOT WANT TO GIVE UNWANTED VISITORS THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY CAN ENTER THE SCHOOL FREELY.

Drop-off / Pick-up

• Please do not leave your car unattended in the fire lane – ticketing may occur – only park in a designated parking space

• Please pull your car up as much as possible in the drop-off circle to allow more students to exit their cars on the sidewalk. If you intend to exit your car to help your child zip their coat, backpack, etc. please park in a designated parking space.

• All parents walking their child into school are kindly asked to part with their children at the main entrance. Please do not follow them to their classroom or to morning line-up. There are plenty of school staff members available to assist your child. This is to maintain the safety and security of the school. Thank you.

Morning Drop-off begins at 8:00 am

• Students may not be dropped off before 8:00 am. The building will not open to students until 8:00 am.

• Breakfast opens at 8:00 am and will be served until 8:15 am. Breakfast costs $.80.

• Students that are dropped off after 8:05 am may not have time to eat breakfast and get to class on time.

• Bus students are released from the busses beginning at 8:00 am.

• Students arriving on late busses will be given time to eat breakfast.

Afternoon Pick-up (Full Day Classes) begins at 2:25 pm and ends at 2:40 pm

• Anyone other than the parent or legal guardian of a child must be on the student’s pick-up list in order for the student to be released to them – please call the office to find out more about setting up a pick-up list

• Please be sure that you or whoever is on your child’s pick-up list can provide identification every time your child is picked up.

• No child will be released to anyone NOT LISTED on their pick-up list. If you need to change the pick-up list, you must come to the school with identification.

• All students who are generally walkers/ bus students must bring a written note to their teacher and signed by the parent/legal guardian if they are going to be picked up on any given day. Without a written note, students will walk or ride the bus as usual. Changes cannot be made over the phone due to safety and security concerns.

• Parents/guardians picking up students will check-in in the cafeteria (enter through the red cafeteria door to the left of the main entrance).

• Students being picked up will be released to parents/guardians in the cafeteria between 2:25 and 2:40 pm.

School Supplies

While parents/guardians/families are not required to purchase learning tools for their children, most kids love coming to school with new supplies in their backpack as it makes them feel ready to learn.  Many teachers pass out a customized supply list based on their teaching style, but often that is after the stores have had their penny sales.  Therefore, if you wish to supply your child with learning tools both before and during the school year, the following is hopefully a helpful guide for stocking up:

- Plain No. 2 Pencils
- Pink Erasers or Pencil Top Erasers
- Crayons
- Washable Markers
- Glue Sticks
- Colored Pencils (grade 2 and up)
- Highlighters (grade 2 and up) 

Also, teacher appreciate a constant supply of:

- Tissues
- Hand Sanitizer
-Multi-Purpose Disinfecting Wipes

Attendance…

Each student must be in class every day of the school year unless there is a serious reason for not doing so, in accordance with the General Laws of the State of RI 16-19-1 and/or 16-9-6. Each school day is important! It is imperative that every student be present the entire school day for as many of the 180 days as possible. Attendance is the responsibility of the student and parents/guardians. Therefore, the school seeks to develop a partnership with parents/guardians to encourage this attendance. The experiences of the classroom are important to the student’s education and any missed days can never be fully regained. As such, the scheduling of vacations while school is in session is discouraged. All school days missed due to vacations will be marked as unexcused absences and may be reviewed by the attendance board. If your child has an appointment during the school day that cannot be made after school hours, please be sure you have your child bring in a note to his/her teacher stating that your child will be leaving at a particular time that day. Also, if your child has a doctor/dental appointment, be sure to provide the office with a copy of the slip so the tardy or dismissal will be excused.

Communication…

…with me

It is vital to the success of our community that we maintain open and honest communication. Please know that if you have any observations, questions or concerns that I will do my best to make myself available to you. I will listen with an open mind and always seek to work together as a team.

…with teachers

We surely have more ways than ever of communication with teachers: email, agenda, folders, etc. However, there is still nothing better than a phone call or a meeting. I continue to strongly encourage phone calls and meetings as they are the best way to build bridges and develop mutual understanding with our teachers. Please call the school any time to make an appointment as teachers spend the majority of their day instructing the children.

…with each other

Please consider joining Wakefield Hills PTO for our regular meetings. This is a great place to communicate your ideas for making this community stronger. Check the online school calendar or contact the school for more information.

Celebration…

…with children

Celebration of success (both personal and academic), birthdays and holidays is important to building motivating climate for our children. However, the health and wellness policy must be followed. Therefore, the following points must be adhered to when having classroom celebrations:

• If food is going to be brought into the building, it must be pre-packaged, store bought and labeled with the ingredients.

• If the product has a warning about including or being processed with peanuts or tree nuts, it cannot be brought into school.

• If the food being considered is more than 25% sugar or if sugar is one of the first 2 ingredients listed then it is considered “candy” by the state standards and cannot be brought into school

• A good rule-of-thumb is: if it is served in the cafeteria, it can be brought into the classroom. Some other ideas include:Rice Krispy Treats, Cereal Bars, Nutra-Grain Bars, Pretzels, Popcorn, Goldfish, Teddy Grams (or any Graham Cracker), Apple Juice, Orange Juice, Fruit Snacks, Fruits (Fresh or Dried) and Veggies.

...with each other

Please consider joining the PTO for our regular meetings. This is a great place to plan for community celebrations. Check the online school calendar or contact the school for more information.

Dress Code

All students are expected to wear neat, acceptable clothing which includes pants, shirts, dresses, skirts, blouses, shorts and shoes. The following types of clothing are prohibited:

1. Short shorts, skirts, dresses that do not cover undergarments

2. Low-neck dresses, halters, backless, spaghetti straps or midriff tops.

3. Caps, hats, visors, do-rags, hoods or any other head covering worn inside the building

4. Clothing with profane writing, insignias, sexual implications, or advertising a form of drug, alcohol or tobacco product.

5. Gang or Gothic related clothing

6. No sunglasses are to be worn inside the building

7. No flip-flops or heelies for children’s safety

In addition, all students must wear shoes of some type while at school. In the event that a student fails to follow this dress code, it will be considered a level one type of misconduct.

School Administration reserves the right to judge any form of dress that may be appropriate or inappropriate, disruptive or unsafe for the school environment.

Discipline

…academic in nature

For the most part, discipline referrals academic in nature (not completing class work/homework, etc.) should be handled first between teacher and student. If the problem persists then the parent should be included by way of a phone call or meeting. I will become involved if the problem continues, but request that before that time, the parent and teacher will have had several conversations including face-to-face or phone.

...level 1

In regards to the West Warwick Discipline Code, All Level 1 discipline referral forms will be sent home when completed and processed. It may take several days to receive by mail. Parents may or may not get a phone call home regarding a level 1 matter as these are usually minor and can be handled within the classroom. Recurring incidents, however, should be followed up with a phone call or a meeting with the teacher.

…level 2

In regards to the West Warwick Discipline Code, All Level 2 discipline referral forms will be sent home when completed and processed. It may take several days to receive by mail. If you’ve received a Level 2 discipline form, please make sure to contact the teacher in order to secure further action that will remedy the situation if you have not done so already. You may receive a phone call from the principal concerning Level 2 discipline forms.

…level 3

In regards to the West Warwick Discipline Code, All Level 3 discipline referral forms will be sent home when completed and processed. It may take several days to receive by mail. Per the discipline code, we (principal, student, necessary personnel) are to meet with the parent to determine consequences. This can be done through phone conference or meeting face-to-face. If this type of meeting cannot be held in a timely manner (due to teaching responsibilities), I will meet with the necessary personnel, discuss consequences and then pass the information to the parent by way of phone or face-to-face meeting.

…level 4

In regards to the West Warwick Discipline Code, All Level 4 discipline referral forms will be sent home when completed and processed. It may take several days to receive by mail. At the elementary level (considering student intention), it is not expected that many of these will be submitted. However, after thorough investigation, all level 4 referrals will be handled accordingly by me and the proper authorities.

Medications

Students are not to carry any medications (prescription or over-the-counter). All medications are to be submitted to the school nurse by the parent and in-person.

Communication with the school nurse is always best. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the school nurse.

For more information, you can also refer to the district health policy on our web site (www.westwarwickpublicschools.com).

Peanut Allergies

• It is very important that you inform us of your child’s needs with regards to any allergies. We will be happy to accommodate for the safety and wellbeing of the children.

• The cafeteria has a “peanut-butter” table assigned. Students with peanut-butter or peanut/tree nut products will be seated at this table. The students will be allowed to invite a friend to sit with them. This is, of course, to ensure the health and safety of all students.

Riding the Bus

I would like to encourage more children to ride the bus to and from school. I realize that this depends on many factors including the age of the student, proximity to the school, parent comfort level. Riding the bus is still one of the safest and most convenient ways of getting to and from school. Please remember: RIDING THE BUS IS A PRIVILEDGE AND NOT A RIGHT. All children are expected to behave appropriately and safely on the bus. Any child being unsafe or disruptive may be suspended or expelled from the bus.

Late Arrival

If a child is late for school, and adult MUST accompany them into the school to sign in.

Change of Address

In order to keep our records up-to-date; please inform the office, in writing, of any change of address or telephone number. Proof of residency (rental/lease/mortgage agreement, license or id with current address, NO BILLS PLEASE) may be required. All proofs of residency are subject to investigation and if found to be falsified may result in a per-student tuition being attached to the tax bill of your landlord, yourself or both. At this point, the per student yearly expenditure for the district is $10, 000 - $15, 000.

Early Dismissal

Please try to schedule student appointments after dismissal time as this will minimize class disruption and loss of student learning. Any student being dismissed from school for any reason should have a note signed by a parent or legal guardian. This note should be given to the classroom teacher first thing in the morning. If a student is to be released from school, it will be necessary for the parent, guardian or other authorized person to report to the Main Office to provide identification. (Authorized people are those that the parent has listed as emergency contacts or on the pick-up list.)

School Lunch

Sodexo is our school lunch provider. The cost of school lunch is $1.70 (Breakfast is $.85) and milk alone is $.50. Let me assure you that they do a fantastic job in considering the nutritional needs of the kids while also following federal, state and local guidelines. I personally eat and/or sample the school lunch every day and always provide my own and student feedback as to the taste, quality, presentation and texture of the food. Sodexo has always listened to and acted on this feedback.

If you feel you qualify for free or reduced price lunch (reduced lunch costs $.40, reduced breakfast is $.30), please fill out the forms that will be sent home. If you happen to miss the form, please feel free to call or stop by the office for more information.

Students can pay for lunch daily or parents can make larger payments to the lunch account that will be kept as a credit. Checks can be made out to “Sodexo”. PLEASE AVOID SENDING CASH PAYMENTS IN WITH THE STUDENTS LARGER THAN $2. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A LARGE CASH PAYMENT, FEEL FREE TO SIGN IN AT THE OFFICE AND WE WILL ALLOW YOU TO VISIT THE KITCHEN. (THE BEST TIME TO MAKE A LARGE LUNCH PAYMENT IS BETWEEN 8:15-9 AM.)

Sodexo realizes that debts are not the fault of the students. However, they run a business and must pay for all items served. All students incurring a debt will be given a lunch but may be asked to select a toasted cheese sandwich until all debts are paid.