OBERLIN ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL/SUPERINTENDENT’S
MESSAGE
Dear Parents and Students,
Welcome to our elementary school. The faculty and staff of Oberlin Elementary School are excited to have you as part of our school. We are looking forward to working with you to make this year an exciting and successful one. We feel that an effective school is one that works with the parents and students to develop each child to their full potential. We hope you take the opportunity to become involved in your child’s education; it will be an investment that will reap great rewards for you and your child.
The elementary faculty and staff are dedicated people who put children first! Our goal is to help each child develop to be an independent lifelong learner with a strong mastery of the basic skills necessary to continue their education past the elementary level. We hope to involve all students in a variety of activities and studies that will both enrich and enhance their individual strengths.
We believe that communication between the school and home is a vital link to your child’s success. We will make every effort to keep an open communication line with you through parent/teacher conferences, parent visitations, and regular reports on student achievement and behavior.
Please feel free to contact me, or your child’s teacher anytime you have questions, comments, or suggestions about your child’s education.
Sincerely,
Duane L. Dorshorst
Principal/Superintendent
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OBERLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Mission Statement
Provide
a safe, caring, and effective
environment that promotes
lifelong learning.
Encourage
pride and respect
for ourselves and others.
Expect
excellence from all!
Student Exit Outcomes
All students will demonstrate the acquisition and application of academic and technical skills.
All students will understand and accept the responsibility of citizenship in a democratic society.
All students will exhibit independent and cooperative thinking and problem-solving skills in academic and life situations.
All students will demonstrate their effectiveness in sending and receiving oral and written communication with a wide variety of purposes and audiences.
All students will realize the value of continued learning to meet career and personal goals in a changing society.
All students will develop an appreciation of creative and recreational opportunities for the enhancement of life.
All students will acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain mental, emotional and physical well-being.
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OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS/VOCATIONAL EDUCATION GUIDELINES
Civil Rights Comprehensive Notification for Oberlin Unified School District
No. 294.
In compliance with the Executive Order 11246; Title II of the Education Amendments of 1976; Title VI of the Civil Rights act of 1964, as amended by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972; Title IX Regulation Implementing Education Amendments of 1972; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and all other Federal, State, School rules, laws, regulations, and policies, the Oberlin UnifiedSchool District No. 294 shall not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, or handicap in the educational programs or activities which it operates.
It is our intent to comply with both the letter and spirit of the law in making certain that discrimination does not exist in its policies, regulations, and operations. Grievance procedures for Title IX and Section 504 have been established for students, their parents, and employees who feel discrimination has been shown by the local education agency.
Specific complaints of alleged discrimination under Title IX (sex) and Section 504 (handicap) should be referred to:
Title IX CoordinatorSection 504 Coordinators
Duane DorshorstBrenda Breth
Principal/SuperintendentGuidance Counselor
131 E. Commercial605 E. Commercial
Oberlin, KS 67749Oberlin, KS 67749
(785) 475-3805(785) 475-2231
Sheila Jansonius
Guidance Counselor
201 W. Ash
Oberlin, KS 67749
(785) 475-2122
Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504 complaints may also be filed with the
Regional Office for Civil Rights. Address correspondence to:
U.S. Department of Education, Region VII
Office for Civil Rights
10220 N. Executive Hills Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64153
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NOTICE TO PARENTS AND STUDENTS OF RIGHTS UNDER THE
FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT (FERPA)
Under the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), parents of students and eligible students (those who are 18 or older) are afforded various rights with regard to educational records, which are kept and maintained by USD #294. In accordance with FERPA, you are required to be notified of those rights which include:
1.The right to review and inspect all of your educational records, except
those whose are specifically exempted.
2.The right to prevent disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in your educational records to other persons with certain limited exceptions. Disclosure of information from your educational records to other persons will occur only if:
(A)We have prior written consent for disclosure.
(B)The information is considered “directory information” and you
have not objected to the release of such information; or
(C)Disclosure without consent is permitted by law.
3.The right to request that your educational records be amended
if you believe that the records are misleading, inaccurate, or otherwise in violation of your rights. This right includes the right to request a hearing at which you may present evidence to show why the record should be changed if your request for an amendment to your records is denied in the first instance.
4.The right to file a complaint with the Family Policy and Regulations Office at the U.S. Department of Education if you believe that USD #294 has failed to comply with FERPA’s requirements. The address of this office is: 400 Maryland Avenue SW, MES, Room 4074, Washington, D.C. 20202.
You have the right to obtain a copy of USD #294’s policies for complying with FERPA. A copy may be obtained from: Duane Dorshorst, 131 East Commercial, Oberlin, KS 67749.
For purposes of FERPA, USD #294 has designated certain information contained in educational records as directory information, which may be disclosed for any purpose without your consent. The following information is considered directory information: name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth,
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participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, the most recent previously attended school, class designation, major field of study, and photographs.
You have the right to refuse to permit the designation of any or all of the above information as directory information. If you refuse, you must file written notification to this effect to: USD #294, 131 East Commercial, Oberlin, KS 67749. If a refusal is not filed, USD #294 assumes that there is no objection to the release of the directory information designated.
TITLE I PROGRAM
Oberlin Elementary School is a Targeted Assistance School that received Federal funds to assist students in the areas of reading and math. Students qualify on the basis of their performance on State and standardized tests, by teacher referral, or by parent requests. Students cannot be placed in the program without parent permission. Any student who received Title I services has the right to receive instruction from a “Highly Qualified Teacher.” Parents of Title I students not receiving instruction from a “Highly Qualified Teacher” for more than four weeks will be notified in writing by the school.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT POLICY
It is the policy of Oberlin Elementary School to make every effort in order to secure and maintain strong partnerships with all parents and guardians of children served by our school. Parent involvement is a strategy recommended by the Kansas State School Improvement and Accreditation Team; mandated by federal law in coordination with Title I funding, and supported by research findings as an integral part of student academic improvement.
At minimum, the following activities or services will be provided, through the support of Title I or other funding sources:
The school will disseminate a Parent/School Compact that outlines responsibilities of the school, the parent or guardian, and the student to promote student learning and interpersonal skills for lifelong success.
The school will hold two individual parent-teacher conferences each year in order to provide parents and guardians with information regarding their child’s progress, as well as a Title I Parent Meeting for questions, recommendations on home-based learning strategies, issues regarding behavior, and health.
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The school will provide at minimum, quarterly reports to parents about the types of skills their students have been working on and their progress in those skills.
Above and beyond these activities, each Title I school has discretionary power to develop and implement additional activities that promote and encourage parent participation in home-based learning, school activities, volunteerism and school engagement.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 gives parents the right to get information about the professional qualification of their child’s classroom teachers. Upon request, USD #294 will give parents the following information about their child’s classroom teacher.
(1)Whether the teacher has met State qualifications and licensing
criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher
provides instruction.
(2)Whether the teacher is teaching under an emergency or provisional teaching certificate.
(3)The baccalaureate degree major of the teacher. You may also get
information about other graduate certification or degrees held by
the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree.
We will also, upon request, tell parents whether their child is being provided services by a paraprofessional and, if so, the qualifications of the paraprofessional.
The request for information should be made to an administrator in your child’s school building. The information will be provided to you in a timely manner. Finally, USD #294 will give timely notice to you if your child has been assigned, or has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who does not meet the requirements of the Act.
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NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH AND BREAKFAST PROGRAMS
Contact any office in USD #294 to obtain an application for the school lunch/breakfast program.
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-94110 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TEDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS
Federal regulations require the school to receive written instructions from an appropriate medical authority before the school can modify your student’s meals. Each school year, a recognized medical authority must complete a medical statement form to document your student’s current special dietary needs.
For assistance or to obtain a form, call the school office.
WELLNESS POLICY
Unified School District 294-Oberlin is committed to providing school environments that promote and protect children’s health, well-being and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity. Therefore, it is the policy of Unified School District 294-Oberlin that:
*Wellness guidelines will be implemented as specified in the Kansas State Department of Education’s Wellness Policy Report for each school level.
*Students, parents, teachers, food service professionals, health professionals and other interested community members will be engaged in developing, implementing, monitoring and reviewing district- wide nutrition and physical activity policies.
*All students in grades K-12 will have opportunities, support and encouragement to be physically active on a regular basis.
*Foods and beverages sold or served at school will meet the nutrition recommendations of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
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*Qualified child nutrition professionals will provide students with access to a variety of affordable, nutritious, and appealing foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students.
*Students will be provided with adequate time to eat in settings that are clean, safe, and pleasant.
*To the maximum extent practicable, all schools in our district will participate in available federal school nutrition programs.
*Schools will provide nutrition education and physical education to foster lifelong habits of healthy eating and physical activity, and will establish linkages between health education, school nutrition programs and related community services.
SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS
USD #294 will be using Power Announcements to notify parents of School closings or changes in the normal school day. Parents may sign up for e-mail, text, or voice messages. Log in to Power School to set up your Power Announcement information or contact the OES Office.
EARLY DISMISSAL POLICY
In the case of inclement weather during the school day, District 294 may dismiss students from school early. Notification will be sent out to parents at least two
hours ahead of dismissal in these situations. Any parents unable to pick up their child are responsible for notifying the office. A staff member will be available for supervision in the case of emergencies until regular release time.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOR USD #294
The schools in USD 294 have developed a Crisis Plan that is designed to minimize danger to anyone occupying a school should an emergency occur. Our main objective is to care for the health and welfare of your children in the event of a crisis.
In most emergencies your children will remain and be cared for at the school he/she attends. In the rare event of an emergency affecting the school your child attends that prohibits re-entry to the building (such as broken gas or water main, a fire or toxic chemical spill) students will be transported via school transportation to a safe location.
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We ask that you follow this procedure if you hear of any school emergency:
1.Turn on your radio or television. We will keep the media informed of any emergency.
2.Please do not telephone the school. We have limited phone lines. These MUST be used to respond to the emergency.
3.Please do not come to the school unless requested to pick up your child at school. Any emergency involving your child’s school may mean emergency vehicles and workers must be able to get to the building. If the emergency necessitates relocation of staff and students, you will be informed via the media.
In also keeping with a crisis plan, the doors to the OES buildings will be locked at 8:30 a.m. each morning. The only door that will remain unlocked after 8:30 a.m. will be the middle door on the west side of the building.
We ask that everyone please check in at the OES Office when entering the building for any reason.
BULLYING POLICY
STAFF
The board of education prohibits bullying in any form either by any student, staff
member, or parent towards a student or by a student, staff member, or parent towards a staff member on or while using school property, in a school vehicle or at a school-sponsored activity or event. For the purposes of this policy, the term “bullying” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Kansas law.
STUDENTS
Prohibition of Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying
Unified School District 294 is committed to a safe and civil educational environment for all students, employees, volunteer and patrons, free from harassment, intimidation or bullying. “Harassment, intimidation or bullying” means
any intentional written, verbal, or physical act, including cyber bullying while on or off campus, when the intentional written, verbal, or physical act:
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Physically harms a student or damages the student’s property; or
Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s education: or
Is severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or threatening educational environment; orHas the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school.
Nothing in this policy requires the affected student to possess a characteristic that is a perceived basis for the harassment, intimidation, or bullying, or other distinguishing characteristic.
Harassment, intimidation or bullying can take many forms including: slurs, rumors, jokes, innuendo’s, demeaning comments, drawing cartoons, pranks, gestures, physical attacks, threats, excluding, or other written, oral or physical actions. “Intentional acts” refers to the individual’s choice to engage in the act rather than the ultimate impact of the action(s).
This policy is not intended to prohibit expression of religious, philosophical, or political views, provided that the expression does not substantially disrupt the education environment. Many behaviors that do not rise to the level of harassment, intimidation, or bullying may still be prohibited by other district policies or building, classroom, or program rules.
Counseling, corrective discipline, and/or referral to law enforcement will be used to change the behavior of the perpetrator and remediate the impact on the victim.
This includes appropriate intervention(s), restoration of a positive climate, and support for victims and others impacted by the violation. False reports or
retaliation for harassment, intimidation or bullying also constitutes violations of this policy.
The Superintendent is authorized to direct the development and implementation of procedures addressing the elements of this policy, consistent with the complaint and investigation guidelines as adopted.
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OES Faculty and Staff
Duane Dorshorst ...... Principal
Krickit Ketterl ...... Pre School
Jeni Henningson/Carol Brown ...... Kindergarten
Cindy Sattler ...... First Grade
Kady Howard ...... First Grade
April Farr ...... Second Grade
Kimberly Witt ...... Second Grade
Kerrie Wahlmeier...... Third Grade
Debbie Withington ...... Third Grade
Judy Elwood ...... Fourth Grade
Sandy Ketterl ...... Fifth/Sixth Grade
Carol Dixson ...... Fifth/Sixth Grade
Linda Glaze...... Librarian
Sheila Jansonius ...... Counselor/Title I
Carol Wasson ...... Title I
Jennifer Tally ...... Vocal Music
Terri Woolsey ...... Art
Brandon Gehring ...... Physical Education
Janelle Solko ...... K-4 Resource Room
Mardi Lohoefener ...... 5-8 Resource Room/Assistant Principal