Absences
If
your child is going to be absent from school, you may use
Van Buren’s automated phone system to report the absence.
When you dial the school at 996-8000, you will press #2
and follow the instructions for reporting an absence. This
system is available 24 hours a day. Excused absences include
illness, doctor and dental appointments and funerals. All
other absences are unexcused. Whenever possible, we request
that you make doctor and dental appointments outside of
the regularly scheduled school day so that your child can
benefit fully from classroom instruction. You may, also,
use the phone system to report a tardy.
Appropriate
School Dress
The
dress code for Van Buren School requires that children dress
in a manner that promotes safety and academic learning.
Street shoes, tennis shoes, and sandals with back straps
are acceptable. Shorts may be moderate in length. Midriff
shirts and spaghetti straps should not be worn. Caps are
not to be worn (exceptions will be made for medical reasons).
At all times, clothing should be clean, neat and in good
repair.
Arrival
Time
School
begins at 8:00 a.m. Students are not to be on the school
grounds before 7:30 a.m., when supervision begins. Students
are expected to be in their classrooms at 8 o'clock. Those
who are not on time will be considered tardy and must go
directly to the office before going to class. Punctuality
is a habit that needs to be learned as an important life
skill. If you have difficulty getting your child out of
the house on time in the morning, consider moving some of
your current morning tasks to the evening before, such as
setting out books, homework, etc.; selecting school clothes;
and packing lunches. Also, having a specific place where
students can put the things they will be taking to school
saves time in the morning.
Bicycle
Riding
Students
in grades three through six may ride bicycles to school.
Students should bring some kind of lock for their bicycles
and should lock their bicycles up separately, not with a friend’s.
Students are to wear bicycle helmets and follow the bicycle
safety guidelines provided by the police department. In addition,
they may not ride bicycles on the school grounds as this poses
a safety hazard for other students, parents and staff. We
request that parents discuss the safest routes to and from
school with their children and also bicycle courtesy. Bicycles
are the only "vehicle" children may ride to school.
Care
of Books, Desk, and Other Instructional Material
Each
student is responsible for the proper care of school instructional
supplies and equipment. Replacement of items that are damaged
by the child is the parent’s responsibility. We would
appreciate your discussing this matter with your child.
Dismissal
from School
During
the school day, students must be dismissed from school or
returned to school through the office. Parents must come
into the office to sign the child out. At that time, the
teacher will be notified to send the child to the office.
A child will not be released at any time to anyone other than
the parent unless a signed note from the parent/guardian has
been sent in advance to the teacher or the person is listed
on the emergency card.
Dropping
Off and Picking Up Students
When
dropping off students in the morning, please use the Valet
Express or the drop off directly across the street from
the school in the white unloading zone. We have two lines
of traffic through the parking lot. The right lane is for
Valet Express, and the left lane is for passing through
the parking lot only. We have set up the Valet program
so that students never walk between cars. Dropping students
off on Van Buren or on the cul-de-sacs across the street
force children to walk between parked cars. It is also
important that we be good neighbors and avoid stopping in
front of, or pulling into driveways of homes near our school.
The Valet Express has provided a safe drop off in the morning
and has helped the traffic flow more smoothly. Cars parking
in red zones can be ticketed. These are school bus drop
off areas. The safety of your children is our priority!
Emergency
Information
It is very
important that the school be able to contact the parent, doctor
or other designated responsible adult during the school day
in case of an emergency or other school need. Please keep
the school updated at all times regarding changes in emergency
information. If you have a cell phone or a pager, please
be sure the office has these telephone numbers on the yellow
emergency card.
Health
Services
The
health clerk will be on campus regularly to keep track of
student health records and needs. Vision and hearing screening
will be conducted for students in Kindergarten, second and
fifth grades and for all special education students.
Lunch
Program
Students
may purchase a balanced hot lunch, which includes milk for
$1.75 per day, payable to the cafeteria by cash daily.
They may also purchase milk separately for $.40. Lunch
tickets may be purchased any day in the school office.
You must purchase a minimum of 10 lunches. Menus for the
month will be sent home with your child on the last school
day of each month.
Medication
Many
children require medication during school hours. No
medication is given, including over-the-counter medication,
such as aspirin, liquid Tylenol, etc., unless we have a
signed statement from the parent and doctor. Forms are available
in the school office for this purpose. In the case of short-term
medication such as antibiotics, medication may be given
for up to ten days with a signed permission slip from the
parent only. All medication must be given to the school
in the prescription bottle, properly labeled. As a safety
measure, no medication may be sent to school with a child.
Pupil
Progress Reports
Parent
conferences will be held at the end of the first quarter.
The majority of these conferences will be held during the
week of November 1st. Report cards will be issued
for the remaining three quarters. The dates are Jan. 26th,
April 6th and June 14th. Additional
parent conferences with teachers are encouraged and should
be arranged during a time when the teacher is not on duty
or in the classroom. Feel free to contact your child’s
teacher to arrange a conference. This can be done through
our voice mail system.
Students
Going Home for Lunch
Students
may go home for lunch providing a note is on file with the
office to this effect. A student who does not go home regularly
for lunch must bring a note from home on the day the parents
grant this permission. The following regulations have been
established to govern children going home for lunch:
a)
The student must be able to walk home, eat lunch, and
return within the allotted lunch period.
b)
A lunch pass cannot be issued for purposes
of allowing a student to go any place other than his own
residence.
c)
The student must sign out and back in at the office.
Weapons
Students
may not bring any item to school that looks like a weapon
or could be used as a weapon. In addition to knives and
guns, this includes sharp objects, explosives, or toys that
fire projectiles. Consequences for bringing such items to
school include suspension and possible expulsion.
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