Norwalk CSD Elementary Student Handbook

Mission Statement: Growing Learners and Leaders

JURISDICTION

This handbook and school district policies, rules and regulations are in effect while students are on school grounds, school district property or on property within the jurisdiction of the school district; while on school-owned and/or school-operated buses or vehicles or chartered buses; while attending or engaged in school activities; and while away from school grounds if the misconduct directly affects the good order, efficient management and welfare of the school district or involves students or staff. School district policies, rules and regulations are in effect 12 months a year. A violation of a school district policy, rule or regulation may result in disciplinary action and may affect a student’s eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities whether the violation occurred while school was in session or while school was not in session. There may be circumstances when a student is allowed on school property to attend non-school sponsored activities or functions that utilize school facilities. This requires a parental conference and written administrative approval. All policies or regulations within this handbook are secondary to Board Policy.

The staff and administration have provided this planner to all Lakewood. One of the purposes is to increase and facilitate communication between home and school. It is an expectation for the student to write daily assignments, field trips, teacher notes, and upcoming activities in their planner to share with parents.

This will help the students be better organized, plan and help students with their study skills. Teachers will also use the planner to write personal notes to students and their parents.

• As Parents, you can help to make the use of the planner an even greater success by doing the following:
  ● Review the students handbook with your child
  ● Check the planner on a regular basis (If the planner is lost, students may purchase a replacement for $5.00)
  ● Contact teachers as soon as you sense a need or have a question
  ● It is the expectation of the parent to sign the planner daily

In making decisions regarding student access to the Internet, the Norwalk Community School District considers its own stated educational mission, goals, and objectives. Electronic information research skills are now fundamental to preparation of citizens and future employees. Access to the Internet enables students to explore thousands of libraries, databases, bulletin boards, and other resources while exchanging messages with people around the world. The District expects that faculty will blend thoughtful use of the Internet throughout the curriculum and will provide guidance and instruction to students in its use. As much as possible, access from school to Internet resources should be structured in ways, which point students to those, which have been evaluated prior to use. While students will be able to move beyond those resources to others that have not been previewed by staff, they shall be provided with guidelines and lists of resources particularly suited to learning objectives.

Outside of school, families bear responsibility for the same guidance of Internet use as they exercise with information sources such as television, telephones, radio, movies, and other media.

Students utilizing District-provided computers, Internet access, or other network resources must first have the permission of and must be supervised by the Norwalk Community School District’s professional staff. Students utilizing school-provided computers, Internet access, or other network resources are responsible for good behavior on-line just as they are in a classroom or other area of the school. The same general rules for behavior and communications apply.

The purpose of District-provided computers, Internet access, and other network resources is to facilitate communications in support of research and education. To remain eligible as users, students’ use must be in support of and consistent with the educational objectives of the Norwalk Community School District. Access is a privilege, not a right. Access entails responsibility.

Users should not expect that files stored on school-based computers will be private. Users have no expectation of privacy in any District-provided equipment, systems, or network resources, including any electronic messages and files transmitted through or stored on school-based computers or systems. The District may monitor the use of its equipment, systems, and network resources at any time. Administrators and faculty may review files and messages to maintain system integrity and ensure that users are acting responsibly.

The following uses of school-provided computers, Internet access, and other network resources are not permitted:
a. to create, access, upload, download, or distribute any material which is obscene or defamatory, or which encourages the commission of unlawful acts, violation of school rules, or material and substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the school, or which is otherwise prohibited by school board policy or the law;
b. to vandalize, damage, or disable the property of another individual or organization;
c. to access another individual’s materials, information, or files without permission; and,
d. to violate copyright or otherwise use the intellectual property of another individual or organization without permission.

Any violation of District policy and rules may result in loss of District-provided access to computers, the Internet, and other network resources. Additional disciplinary action may be determined at the building level in keeping with existing procedures and practices regarding student conduct. When and where applicable, law enforcement agencies may also be involved.

The Norwalk Community School District makes no warranties of any kind, neither expressed nor implied, for the computer, Internet, and other network resources access it is providing. The District will not be responsible for any damages users or others suffer, including–but not limited to–loss of data resulting from delays or interruptions in service. The District will not be responsible for the accuracy, nature, or quality of information stored on District diskettes, hard drives, or servers; nor for the accuracy, nature, or quality of information gathered through District-provided Internet and other network resources access. The District will not be responsible for personal property used to access District computers or networks or for District-provided Internet access. The District will not be responsible for unauthorized financial obligations resulting from District-provided access to the Internet.

● The Norwalk Community School District is pleased to offer its students’ access to the Internet. The Internet is an electronic highway connecting many millions of computers and millions of individual users all over the world. This computer technology will help propel our schools through the communication age by allowing students and staff to access and use resources from distant computers, communicate and collaborate with other individuals and groups around the world, and significantly expand their available information base. The Internet is a tool for lifelong learning.

● Families should be aware that some material accessible via the Internet may contain items that are illegal, defamatory, inaccurate, or potentially offensive to some people. In addition, it is possible to purchase certain goods and services via the Internet which could result in unwanted financial obligations for which a student or his/her parent or guardian would be responsible.

● While the District’s intent is to make Internet access available in order to further educational goals and objectives, students may find ways to access other materials as well. Even technical methods or systems to regulate students’ Internet access may not guarantee that such other materials will not be accessed. However, the District believes that the educational benefits to students of access to the Internet exceed any disadvantages. While the District may educate students about appropriate online behavior, parents and guardians of minor students are ultimately responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using media and information sources. Toward that end, the Norwalk Community School District makes the District’s complete Internet policy and procedures available on request for review by all parents, guardians, and other members of the community; and provides parents and guardians the option of requesting for their minor children alternative activities not requiring Internet use. Norwalk Community School District supports and respects each family’s right to decide the level of technology access for their student. Student use of the Internet and network resources will be permitted unless a written request is made by the minor student’s parent or guardian to not allow such access at school.

NOTE: This policy is supplemented by the District’s Student Computer, Internet, and Email Use Policy, BP 603.13.

7:30 AM –  Doors open at Oviatt, Orchard Hills, and Lakewood (Students should not be dropped of before 7:30 am (unless attending Cadance Academy) as there is no supervision of students before that time.)

Oviatt        Orchard Hills               Lakewood 
7:55            7:55                              7:55                 Classrooms open
8:05            8:05                              8:00                 Classes start
3:00            3:05                              3:10                 Dismissal for early bus students and car pick-up
3:05            3:10                              3:15                 Dismissal for other students (walkers and late bus)
8:15                                                                         PK AM class starts
11:15                                                                       Dismissal for PK AM class
12:15                                                                       PK PM class starts
3:15                                                                         Dismissal for PK PM class

SUPERVISION BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL
Due to personnel availability, supervision for students is available only from 7:30 AM – 3:15 PM at Lakewood, Orchard Hills, and Oviatt.

Due to personnel availability, supervision for students is available from 7:30 – 20 minutes after dismissal. We recognize that emergencies arise, and ask that you please call the Main Office in the event of such an emergency. However, parents/guardians who repeatedly pick their child/children up late will be asked to enroll their child/children in our after-school program. Due to the un-safe nature of picking up children late from school, if parents/guardians do not enroll their children in an after-school program and late pick-ups continue, we will contact our SRO for support. We want to support families and we also need to support our staff.

Early Out Dismissal: Every Wednesday each month, students are dismissed early for the purpose that teachers may attend professional development training.

Oviatt        Orchard Hills               Lakewood
1:20            1:25                              1:25             All elementary bus students dismissed
1:20            1:25                              1:30             All elementary walkers dismissed

EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSING: (BP 600 Series)
On emergency dismissal days, please monitor the television stations 5, 8, and 13 or you may visit our website at www.Norwalkschools.org Please use the internet or watch TV to find out about school closing. It is important that phone lines are kept open for communication from the district office. Each family is required to have an emergency plan on file in the classroom of where to go in case of an emergency closing that occurs after the students arrive at school. This could be for weather, loss of utilities, disaster, etc. Student’s use of the telephone at these times is an option only if there is absolutely no other alternative.

Personal Emergency Plan
You must have a PERSONAL EMERGENCY PLAN worked out ahead of time with your child. Please fill out the sheet in your child’s classroom at Open House and return to your child’s teacher within the first week of school.

School Called Off – All Day
The announcement called into the media will be, “Norwalk, No School.” Cancellation of activities scheduled for that evening will be made by the Activities Director by 1:00 p.m. Cadance Academy will also be closed if there’s no school. 5

Late Start
If it is determined that school will start late, it will be a 2-hour delay. The announcement called into the media will be “Norwalk – 2 Hour Delay – No morning Preschool – No Breakfast.”

Early Dismissal
In the event of needing an early release based on weather or other circumstances, our superintendent will advise families with decisions regarding early dismissal with as much notice as possible. All announcements will come via email and media announcements.

In partnership with Norwalk Community School District we serve families and their children who attend Kindergarten thru Fifth grade. Our before and after school program will provide a safe haven for your child, along with educationally enriching and fun activities. For information please contact Teresa Hoskins, Cadence Academy director at 981-5404.

Student Absences (BP 500 Series)
When your child is absent, please contact the school’s office by 30 minutes after classes start. If the office does not receive a phone call from the parents/guardians, the office will try to contact you or your emergency numbers. After two attempts, if no one has been contacted, we will notify the Norwalk Police Liaison Officer. This is for your child’s safety.

At the start of the school day, your child will be counted tardy and he/she will be counted absent at 8:30

ATTENDANCE PROBLEMS
Current research indicates that effective schools demonstrate high levels of student attendance. This is accomplished through careful and consistent monitoring of student attendance and communication of the importance of school attendance to students and parents on a regular basis. Any student, who exceeds an absence rate of 10% of the required attendance of a school day, whether excused or unexcused, will have their parents or guardians advised of their attendance. This is simply an exchange of information. If you find an error in this record, please call Oviatt Assistant Principal at 981-1005 Orchard Hills Assistant Principal at 981-1855 or Lakewood Assistant Principal at 981-1850. Should attendance continue to be a struggle for your family, a member of the attendance team will contact the parent(s) or guardian(s) to set up a supportive meeting. As a school district, we strive to work with families in the best interest of students.