RIDGEWOOD
ELEMENTARY
Home of the “Ravens”
School Handbook
2015-2016
Ridgewood Elementary School
18030 162nd Place SE
Renton, WA 98058
(253) 373-7482
Fax (253) 373-7483
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Welcome To Ridgewood Elementary ...... 1
Ridgewood Philosophy ...... 2
Mission Statement ...... 2
Ridgewood Elementary Staff ...... 3
Communication ...... 4
Daily Schedule ...... 5
Attendance Regulations and Policies ...... 6
To and From School ...... 8
Buses ...... 8
Walkers ...... 8
Student Patrol ...... 8
Bicycle Policy ...... 8
Late Arrivals ...... 8
Early Dismissals ...... 8
Releasing Students from Class ...... 8
Safe Walking Route Map ...... 9
Change of Plan ...... 10
Parent Pickup ...... 10
Non-parent Pickup ...... 10
Limousine Policy ...... 10
Volunteers ...... 11
Field Trips ...... 11
Student Dress and Appearance ...... 11
Textbooks and School Property ...... 12
Supplies ...... 12
Lost and Found ...... 12
Money ...... 12
Video Policy ...... 13
Parties ...... 14
Halloween ...... 14
Winter Holiday Guidelines ...... 14
Valentines Day ...... 14
Discipline Policy ...... 15
Recognition of Appropriate Behavior ...... 15
Consequences of Inappropriate Behavior ...... 15
Steps of Discipline ...... 16
Student Expectations ...... 17
Hallways ...... 17
Lunchroom ...... 17
Assemblies ...... 18
Playground Expectations ...... 19
Equipment from Home ...... 20
Cell Phone Policy ...... 20
Child Custody ...... 21
Student Immunization ...... 21
Communicable Diseases ...... 21
Medication at School ...... 22
Emergency Treatment ...... 22
Health Program ...... 22
Parent Responsibility to School ...... 23
Homework ...... 23
Appendix A
Kent School District Policies
Kent School District Discipline Policy
Kent School District Guidelines for School Sanctions
WELCOME TO RIDGEWOOD ELEMENTARY
August 2015
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Ridgewood Elementary! We are proud to have you as a member of our strong educational community. At Ridgewood, we strive to meet the educational needs of all students. This handbook has been prepared to help answer some of the most common questions parents and students have about our school. We hope that it helps you to prepare for the new school year and provides as a resource for you throughout the coming year.
At Ridgewood Elementary, we have a love for learning and a passion for teaching children. Our goal is to help each student recognize his/her individual potential and reach success. It is our mission to develop a partnership with families in the continued support of students as they grow and learn in a caring and safe environment.
Parent support at Ridgewood is key to our success. It is essential that all families feel connected to Ridgewood and feel valued as strong contributing members of our overall student success. Please consider volunteering and becoming an active member of our school so that we can maintain and expand our school programs.
I am looking forward to working with you in partnership as we help all students reach success. I hope that you have a wonderful school year!
Cynthia Green
Principal
RIDGEWOOD PHILOSOPHY
"The mission of the Kent School District is to “Successfully prepare all students for the future."
It is our goal, here at Ridgewood, to provide an effective education for all of our students. In order to achieve this, our students, parents, and staff must demonstrate a desire for academic excellence and good citizenship. It is equally important that we demonstrate a strong degree of caring and concern for each individual.
To achieve academic excellence, we will maintain high standards of individual achievement. We will expect our staff and our students to do their very best. Our staff members will continue to plan and organize their instructional programs to meet the needs of individual students. Every student will be held accountable for their own abilities and achievement. We will need the support of each parent in helping our children to grow and develop into successful and capable adults.
To achieve good citizenship, we will maintain high standards of behavior. We will expect our staff and students to behave responsibly toward themselves and others. Our building discipline guidelines will implement school board policy and follow state regulations. These guidelines and our building rules will be clearly communicated to both students and parents. Our staff will implement these procedures as consistently and fairly as humanly possible.
All of us at Ridgewood will strive to focus on the positive aspects of each individual. We will work as a team to develop our goals. Working together, our school will experience progressive change in a way that improves our educational program as evaluated by our own students, parents and staff.
These goals will be clearly communicated to our school community and be a meaningful part of our work effort. Parents are encouraged to participate in this on-going process.
MISSION STATEMENT
As a caring academic community, we cherish our cultural diversity and personal freedoms.
Our mission is to:
Respect everyone
Always follow directions
Value learning
Everyone acts responsibly
Safety first
RIDGEWOOD ELEMENTARY STAFF
Cynthia Green Principal
Kim Radabaugh Office Manager
Kari Shults Data Processor/School Assistant
Angela Stenseth Attendance/School Assistant
Susan Mantilla School Assistant
Laura Huether Health Technician/School Assistant
Minna Hamada Nurse
Liana Adamova Kindergarten
Lindsay Gullingsrud Kindergarten
Katie Sundin Kindergarten
Jodi Hall First Grade
Anna Nguyen-Vu First Grade
Jessica Chiu First Grade
Amy Gronemyer Second Grade
Jessica Fowler Second Grade
Dakota Kiel Second Grade
Wayne Jensen Third Grade (ACE)
Marilyn Tullis Third Grade
Jeff Wollin Third Grade (ACE)
Ed Barrett Fourth Grade (ACE)
Tawona Kubena Fourth Grade
Jennifer Wilson Fourth Grade
Steve Hoell Fifth Grade
Simone Sanchez Fifth Grade
Liz Long Sixth Grade
Vicki Bloss Sixth Grade
Inga Person Sixth Grade
Kris Holmquist Fifth Grade, Highly Capable
Penny Frey Sixth Grade, Highly Capable
Connie Pesterfield Inclusive Education
Roberta Jorgensen Inclusive Education Para Educator
Kenya Sims Inclusive Education Para Educator
LaConya Maxwell Inclusive Education Para Educator
Lindsay Rasmussen LAP – ELA Interventionist/Coach
Sharon Emerson LAP Para Educator
Danelle Jones LAP Para Educator
Rebecca Orcullo LAP Para Educator
Rachel Reese LAP Para Educator
Michelle Jones Math Interventionist/ELL
Bridget Schroedel Educational Assistant
Barbara Wood STEM Coach
Alyssa Tabolsky Counselor/Behavior Interventionist
Jodi Madden Speech Pathologist
Susanne Cox Psychologist
Patti Habetler Librarian/Technology Specialist
Craig Solbrack Music
Guyla Kennedy Physical Education
Marla Taylor Overload PE
Kathleen Herrmann Band
Robbi Baskin Orchestra
Kelly Ehlert Head Custodian
Bryan Krebs Custodian
Mary Abbott Library Assistant
Barbara Ault ELL Para Educator
Lisa (Hua) Wang Cook
COMMUNICATION
Effective communication between school and home contributes to the quality education of students. We encourage you to contact the school by phone, voice mail, e-mail, or note should a concern arise. Please keep in mind, however, the importance of assisting your child in becoming an independent problem-solver whenever possible. Please also respectfully consider teachers’ needs to balance communication and problem-solving with their need to spend time planning and preparing for effective daily lessons.
Adamova, Liana 253-373-3503 Barrett, Ed 253-373-3507
Chiu, Jessica 253-373-3499 Cox, Suzanne 253-373-3523
Fowler, Jessica 253-373-3498 Frey, Penny 253-373-3516
Gronemyer, Amy 253-373-3497 Gullingsrud, Lindsay 253-373-3501
Habetler, Patti 253-373-3508 Hall, Jodi 253-373-3504
Hoell, Steve 253-373-3510 Holmquist, Kris 253-373-3517
Jensen, Wayne 253-373-3518 Jones, Michelle 253-373-3506
Kennedy, Guyla 253-373-3490 Kiel, Dakota 253-373-3496
Kubena, Tawona 253-373-3520 Long, Liz 253-373-3512
Madden, Jodi 253-373-3524 Nguyen-Vu, Anna 253-373-3505
Person, Inga-Britt 253-373-3539 Pesterfield, Connie 253-373-3515
Inga
Rasmussen, Lindsay 253-373-3520 Sanchez, Simone 253-373-3511
Schroedel, Bridget 253-373-3531 Simmons-Bloss, Victoria 253-373-3522
Solbrack, Craig 253-373-3521 Sundin (Schuessler), Katie 253-373-3503
Tabolsky, Alyssa 253-373-3494 Tullis, Marilyn 253-373-3514
Wilson, Jennifer 253-373-3509 Wollin, Jeff 253-373-3519
Wood, Barbara 253-373-35076
DAILY SCHEDULE
Students will be met on the playground by their teachers at 9:00 AM each day.
The tardy bell will ring at 9:05 AM.
10:45 – 11:00 Recess (Grades 4, 5, 6)
11:50 – 12:10 Lunch (Grades K, 1, 2, 3)
12:10 – 12:25 Lunch Recess (Grades K, 1, 2, 3)
12:25 – 12:45 Lunch (Grades 4, 5, 6)
12:45 – 1:00 Lunch Recess (Grades 4, 5, 6)
1:55 – 2:10 Recess (Grades K, 1)
2:25 – 2:40 Recess (Grades 2, 3)
Students will be dismissed at 3:13 PM.
Band and Orchestra for 5th and 6th grade students will be on Mondays, Thursdays and alternating Wednesdays. 5th grade times will be 1:40-2:25 and 6th grade times will be 2:25-3:10.
ATTENDANCE
In accordance with the Washington Law, Ridgewood Elementary will enforce its attendance policy and ensure the safety of students by contacting parents of every child’s unreported absence by telephone. Parents will be contacted by letter for every unexcused absence, as well as excessive excused absences, and excessive tardiness. If attendance does not improve we will set up a parent meeting for an attendance contract and/or referral to Kent School District Community Truancy Board.
Washington Law (RCW28A.225) and Kent School District Policy 3122 requires parents to cause their child to attend the public school of the district in which the child resides. Also, children 8 through 17 years of age must attend for the full time when school is in session. Any failure to comply with Washington's Compulsory School Attendance Law may subject the violator to legal sanctions, including arrest, confinement, community service, and/or fines.
Ridgewood’s Attendance Policy
It is expected that students will attend class on every school day, all day. The school will keep a record of absences and tardies. Illness is the usual excuse for absence from school. However, there are occasions when exceptional circumstances might require absence from school. In order to protect every student against unexpected problems and provide complete supervision, we must know when a student is going to be absent from school.
Our policy for absences is to require a parent phone call on the morning of absence or a dated, written note prior to absence with parent/guardian signature. Please call 253-373-7482 to inform us prior to 8:50 AM if your child is going to be absent or arriving late.
24 Hour Voice Mail Absence Line—253-373-7482 and select option 1.
When you call, please include: your child’s name, teacher, date, and reason for their absence. Unexcused absences must be cleared via a phone call or written note sent to school with your child within 48 hours of returning from the absence to be excused. The office staff will attempt to telephone each absent student’s parent/guardian who has not called in by 8:50 (safe arrival call).
If your child is late for school, he/she must sign in at the office with a written excuse before going to class. Punctual and regular attendance is important to your child’s progress in school.
Regular attendance will help ensure continued successful school progress for your child. Please try to schedule doctor and dentist appointments after school hours. However, if a child must be excused early, please send a note of explanation to the teacher and the office. If you pick up your child, please come to the office and sign him/her out. If your child returns to school the same day, he/she needs to be signed in at the office.
Students will not be allowed to walk home during school hours without adult supervision, unless provided parent permission under special circumstances.
Excused Absences include:
· Illness
· Doctor/dentist appointment for student (where scheduling before or after school was impossible)
· Bereavement
· Religious observances
· Pre-arranged family vacations (a conference with your child’s teacher needs to be scheduled prior to the vacation)
· Extreme family emergencies
If your child is absent due to illness for 3 or more days a doctor’s note will be required when they return to school.
Unexcused absences (includes tardies): Based on court decisions in regard to the Becca Bill, the following have been considered unexcused even with a note from the parent/guardian.
· Overslept
· Baby-sitting younger siblings
· Finishing homework
· Excursions-such as attending the fair, sports events, etc.
· Doctor/dentist appointments (for someone other than the student).
· Not reporting to school when delayed due to weather.
Half-Day Absence:
Arrival after 10:30 AM or leaving before 1:00 PM
Tardy:
Arrival between 9:05-10:30 AM
Early Release:
Leaving after 1:00 PM and not returning. Acceptable reasons for early dismissal would be the same as outlined under excused absences.
Ridgewood’s Excessive Tardy Policy
An excessive number of tardies affects a student’s academic performance. It causes the teacher, upon arrival of the tardy students, to interrupt classroom instruction. Three tardies in a month are considered excessive and have been established as the guideline before enacting the Ridgewood plan for enforcement of this policy. Students who accumulate excessive tardies may be required to make up this time during recess.
Ridgewood students should be dropped off early enough for them to be standing in their class lines when the bell rings at 9:00.
TO AND FROM SCHOOL
Buses . . . Many Ridgewood students ride buses. To make the ride safe and pleasant, there are many safety rules and regulations. When your child receives his or her copy of the bus rules, please discuss them. If your child does not follow the bus rules, you will be informed. The privilege of riding the buses will be withdrawn if a student continues to disobey the rules.
Students can request permission to ride a different bus on occasion for special circumstances. This requires a parent note which must be brought to the office. The Transportation Department occasionally sets limits to accessing alternate bus transportation if the buses are in danger of becoming overcrowded.
Student Patrols . . . The Ridgewood Patrol attempts to achieve two basic goals. The first and most important goal is to provide assistance to students at Ridgewood in the proper and safe crossing of streets and driveways around our school. A second function of the patrol is to build self-esteem, leadership, and self-discipline qualities of patrol members.