Student Handbook

Attendance Policy
Daily Schedule
Code of Conduct/School Rules
We Believe
Specific School Rules
Student Dress
Emergency Information
Grading/Conferences
Information for Parents/School Procedures
Safety Policies
Traffic Safety
Special Programs

Attendance Policy

Parents are responsible for getting their children to school on a regular basis. Colorado School Law does not provide for excusing student absences due to family vacation.

Notes or phone calls to the office are required by 9:00 a.m. for an absence or tardy.

Children are dismissed from school during school hours only in case of emergency or medical appointments. Any student dismissals outside of normal school times are to be cleared through the office and will require a responsible adult’s signature on sign-out documents.

Children are not to leave school grounds without permission once they have arrived at school, except for regular dismissal or with parent permission to go home for lunch. If your child is to go home by other means a note is required and you must notify the office.

Daily Schedule

School begins at 8:00 with a tardy bell that rings at 8:05. Students will be marked tardy if they arrive at school after 8:05. Please come into the school with your child if they are tardy and sign them in at the office. School is dismissed at 3:05. If you must pick up your child before 3:15 please sign him/her out at the front desk. We ask that you do not pick up your child early except in case of emergency or other unforeseen circumstances.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday Schedule

7:30 a.m. Playground Supervised
Lunch/Breakfast Tickets Sold
8:00 a.m. School Begins
8:05 a.m. Tardy Bell
11:00 a.m. AM Kindergarten Dismissed
11:12-11:30 a.m. Lunch - 1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd Grade
11:30-11:35 a.m. Lunch – 4 th and 5 th Grade
12:00 p.m. PM Kindergarten Begins Students Dismissed
12:05 p.m. 1 st Grade in Session
12:10 p.m. 2nd Grade in Session
12:15 p.m. 3 rd Grade in Session
12:20 p.m. 4 th Grade in Session
12:20 p.m. 5 th Grade in Session
3:05 p.m. Students Dismissed

Wednesday Schedule

Grades 1 – 5

8:00 a.m. Arrival
2:05 p.m. Dismissal

Kindergarten

a.m. Session 8:00 – 10:30
p.m. Session 12:00 – 2:05
 

Code of Conduct/School Rules

We Believe

Every student has the right and responsibility to be in school. With this right comes the obligation to respect the rights and property of others.

A safe, positive environment must be provided in order for every student to be able to take the maximum advantage of his educational opportunities. To provide this environment, the school must have reasonable rules of acceptable behavior. Learning the skills of self-control, courtesy and responsible behavior is as important to academic success as learning the skills of subject areas.

It is our goal to provide an atmosphere throughout the school in which children feel safe, secure and happy. We believe that discipline involves the use of logical and realistic consequences. Consequences allow children to think about their behavior and their responsibilities. Choices provide opportunities for children to know we trust their judgment.

Students who choose to break the rules will receive appropriate consequences and students who follow the rules will receive positive reinforcement.

Specific School Rules

Be Respectful * Be Responsible * Be Safe * Control Your Body

In-Building Rules:

Playground Rules:

Lunchroom Rules:

After School Rules:

Student Dress

Students are asked to use good judgment in dressing for school. Shoes must be worn at all times and personal hygiene should be maintained. Offensive or inappropriate dress is a violation of our dress code. The MCSD Board recognizes that students have a right to express themselves through dress and personal appearance; however, students shall not wear apparel that is deemed disruptive or potentially disruptive to the classroom environment.

Emergency Information/Student Supervision

Please keep the school current on telephone or address changes, emergency numbers, your doctor’s name and telephone number and children’s immunization records.

A legal document is required to support any questions of custody between divorced or separated parents. Unless the principal is informed otherwise, either natural parent is considered to have access to or request dismissal of a student.

The school provides supervision 30 minutes before school starts and 30 minutes after school ends. Students should not arrive at school before 7:30 a.m. and are to be picked up no later than 3:30 p.m. Please instruct your children to COME TO THE OFFICE if they miss their ride home. Your full cooperation in teaching children safety habits is urgently needed.

Playgrounds are supervised before school, at recesses and during the noon break. Students are not permitted outside designated areas during the school day without permission of teachers on duty.

Students are expected to be dressed appropriately for inclement weather. The teacher on duty will determine if students need to come inside the building. Students may choose to remain outside if they are adequately clothed and a teacher is on duty.

Emergency school closing information will be broadcast over radio stations KUBC and KKXK and television station KREY at 6:30 a.m. If children are already at school at the time of an emergency closing, parents will be notified before children are sent home.

Grading/Conferences

Primary Grading Scale

O – Outstanding
S – Satisfactory
X – Experiencing Difficulty
U – Unsatisfactory
F – Failing

Intermediate Grading Scale

A – Excellent
B – Above Average
C – Average
D – Below Average

Homework is assigned when individual or class needs can best be met through its use.

Report cards will be sent home quarterly. Please sign and return the report card envelope only.

Parents are encouraged to attend scheduled conferences at the end of the first and third grading periods. Additional conferences may be arranged upon request.

Information for Parents/School Procedures

Bulletins from the office, most student’s papers, and notes from teachers will be sent home on Wednesday. Please return any forms promptly. A school calendar and lunch menu will be sent home monthly.

Classroom visitations are encouraged. A phone call or note to the teacher prior to the visit is requested. All visitors are required to check in at the office before proceeding to their destination.

The Colorado Board of Health specifies that school children must meet immunization requirements for DPT, polio, measles, rubella and mumps. New changes require students entering kindergarten to complete the three dose hepatitis B immunization series and one dose varicella (Chicken Pox) immunization before entering school. Legal exemptions from immunization include medical, religious or personal belief exemptions. New students have 60 calendar days to meet the requirements. Admission to school is denied those who do not comply. A birth certificate is required by law for kindergarten registration. Additional information is available at the office.

Medication may not be administered by school personnel without express written permission from your child’s physician. This includes over-the-counter as well as prescription medication. Permission slips are available at the nurse’s office.

Current lunch are breakfast prices can be found on our meals page. Students wishing to eat breakfast must arrive in time to finish their meal and be in class at 8:00 . Adults may join their child for lunch. If you would like to eat lunch with your child, please contact the office before 9:00am . Application forms for free and reduced meal tickets are available at the school office. We strongly encourage parents to purchase meals on a weekly or monthly basis. Also, sending a check rather than cash is highly recommended. Money may be added to students' meal accounts before school in the office. Charges are discouraged.

Small lost and found articles are to be taken to the office. Other items will be stored by the back door. Please label personal items.

A replacement fee will be charged for lost or damaged textbooks, library books, workbooks or other objects belonging to the school.

It is unwise for students to have extra money at school except for specific purposes.

Telephones are not to be used by students except in cases of emergency and with the permission of a staff member. Students are not called from class to the telephone except in emergencies.

Classroom parties are held in the Fall, Winter and Spring in each elementary grade. Teachers plan an end-of-the-year picnic and activity. Please do not send birthday invitations to school to be handed out in class as this can hurt feelings.

If you would like to host a party for your child in the classroom, please discuss this with the teacher in advance. Flowers, balloons, etc. will not be delivered to your child’s classroom.

Safety Policies

Bicycles may be ridden to school by children who adhere to safety practices. It is recommended that children under third grade not ride bicycles to school. Bicycles should be LOCKED in the bicycle rack. The use of bicycles, skateboards, scooters, or roller blades is not allowed on school grounds.

Candy, gum or other food (with the exception of school lunches) may not be brought to school without a teacher’s permission.

Electronic games, Walkmans, or other expensive equipment may not be brought to school. Trading cards (Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, etc.) are not to be brought to school.

Dangerous objects, tobacco, alcohol or drugs are not allowed.

Emergency and fire drills are held monthly to practice routine procedures. Bus evacuation drills are held twice a school year.

Traffic Safety

We would again ask parents to practice proper safety habits. Parents are asked to pick up students by following the procedure below:

When waiting in line to drop off or pick up your child, continue to move forward to prevent a back-log for cars waiting behind you.

The south entrance is exclusively for buses.

For those students who ride their bikes to school, there is a bike rack at the North side of the building. Students should turn at Otter Pond Drive and use the sidewalk that is located between the 3rd and 4th houses on the right side of the street. This will keep those students from having to use the main drive where traffic is exiting.

Special Programs

Art, Music, Library, Computer Lab and Physical Education are offered to Cottonwood students. Children are expected to participate in classes. A note is adequate for temporary exclusion. Permanent or prolonged exclusion requires a written request from a physician and/or discussion with the principal. Children should wear appropriate clothing, including rubber-soled, non-marking shoes for P.E. During snowboot season, please have your child bring his/her P.E. shoes separately.

In P.E. the Fitnessgram (Physical Fitness Test) will be sent home 1st and 4th quarters for grades 1-5. Report cards will go home 2nd and 3rd quarters. Kindergartners receive report cards 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters.

The ESL (English as a Second Language) program is also available to those students who meet the criteria for qualification.

Programs are provided for children with special needs as provided by the Handicapped Children’s Act. Parents or teachers may refer students for evaluation to determine whether the child’s needs are sufficient to qualify for placement in these special programs with parent’s permission.

The school library will be open daily. Your child is encouraged to check out library books. Children are expected to return books promptly. There will be a charge for lost or badly damaged library materials.