Getting to and from Greenfield

Safety is a top priority. The information below is intended to keep everyone safe. Students should arrive at school no earlier than 8:10 AM. There is no supervision on school grounds or crossing guards until that time.

Walking:

• Walk on the sidewalk at all times. 
• Cross at the canal with the crossing guard. Cross at Poinciana and the front entrance to Greenfield with the crossing guard.
• Students should leave the school grounds immediately after dismissal unless they are taking part in an organized after-school activity.
• Please inform the office and teacher well ahead if your student will be changing their regular means of coming to or from school.

Riding bikes/scooters:

·            All students are allowed to ride their bike/scooter to school.

·       Helmets are strongly encouraged.

·       Walk your bike/scooter in crosswalks.

·       Follow the directions of the crossing guards at the canal, Poinciana and the front entrance to Greenfield. 

·       Bikes/scooters are to be stored at the bike racks on the east side of campus.

·       Bikes/scooters need to be walked once you enter campus

·       GPS does not allow bikes to be ridden by anyone on campus (this includes adults)

·       Lock you bike or scooter. The school is not responsible for the protection of students’ bikes or scooters.

·       Motorized scooters and shoes with wheels (ex: Heelys) are not allowed.

Not withstanding the above, the principal may alter the above guidelines because of a localized safety situation. The requirement of helmet use would be one such alteration.

Parent drop-off/pick-up:

·            Students should be dropped off and picked up in the “parent pick up” area along the south driveway on campus. 

·           Parents dropping off/picking up students should turn right at the marquee and proceed through the turnaround.

·           Students should be dropped off at the sidewalk by the ramada. Students then proceed through the gated grassy area and into the schoolyard.

·          Please do not drop students off at the big gate on the turnaround.

·          After dropping off/picking up students, vehicles will need to turn right at the marquee and proceed through the Greenfield Elementary parking lot to wrap around and  exit back onto Elliot Road. Vehicles exiting Greenfield Elementary must turn right onto Elliot Road. Signs and arrows will assist in directing traffic.

·          Please display a bold, easy to read sign with your student’s name on your dashboard when picking up your students. This speeds up the process!

Riding the bus:

• All students should be able to recite their address, phone number, and the location of their bus stop.
• Students riding the bus to school are dropped off on the sidewalk and enter the schoolyard through the main gate.
• Students riding the bus home line up in their bus line within the fenced area north of the building.

• Transportation provided by the District is a privilege.  Inappropriate conduct at bus stops, on district vehicles, or in the process of boarding or exiting from a vehicle may result in student disciplinary action including, but not limited to denial of transportation privileges.

• GPS provides bus transportation for elementary students who live one mile or more from school.  For safety reasons, the District encourages parents to supervise their children at the bus stop.
• Students are not allowed, without a written request from a parent and approval from the principal or principal designee, to ride a bus other than their assigned bus.

Attendance

Regular attendance and punctual arrival at school are two habits that dramatically impact student achievement.  Absences and tardiness are disturbing for all students: both disrupt their schedules and require readjustment to the class routine.
Absences:

• All students should be in class every day unless they are ill.  It is very important that the office be notified as soon as possible if a student will be absent.  If a call is not received, school personnel will attempt to contact parents as to why the child is not in school.  
• If notification is not received, the student will be given an unexcused absence.  The student must then present a note, signed by the parent, to the school attendance clerk stating the date and reason for the absence.
• Parents are urged to schedule doctor, dentist, and other appointments for students at times outside the school day.  This will reinforce the importance of school and will prevent the student from getting behind in class work.
• When requesting work missed during an absence please contact the school office before 11 a.m. to provide adequate time for the teacher to prepare materials to be sent home or picked up at the end of the school day.

Tardy/Early Departure:

A grade K-6 student will not be considered absent if the student is present at least three-quarters of the school day.  However, if the student is absent up to one-quarter of the school day, the student will be considered tardy or an early departure. Five tardies or five early departures will count as one absence.

Signing Students Out:

• For the safety and protection of the child, a student will only be released from the classroom before the regular dismissal time when the parent comes to the office and signs the child out.
• Students will not be released on the basis of a telephone call.
• Students will only be released to persons authorized by the parent and those individuals specifically listed on the Emergency Information Card

Custody:

• It shall be the responsibility of the parent who has a court order restricting the rights of the other parent to notify school officials of the conditions and to provide school officials with a current copy of the court order.
• In cases in which a person other than the parent has been granted guardianship, the legal guardian shall be responsible for notifying school officials of the conditions of the guardianship and for providing school officials with all pertinent written documentation of changes.

School Communication

The Gator Bite, our school newsletter, is sent home with each student at the start of every week. An electronic copy is also distributed via email and should be available on the school website.
The Greenfield Elementary website is likewise used as a communication tool.   It should be the first place you look for information from the school.

Each teacher and grade level will communicate with parents using a variety of methods.

School Lunch
Students who choose to use the District’s school lunch program may deposit money to their cafeteria accounts by giving the money to the school or using the online account (www.mylunchmoney.com) or they may buy their lunch on a daily basis. Deposits to cafeteria accounts may take about 24 hours to post. Gilbert Public Schools participates in a federally subsidized program, which offers free and reduced prices on meals to students who qualify based on family income. Information and an application are provided to each student.  We encourage all families to fill out this form and send it to the school office.   If you send money to school, please do so in a sealed envelope with the student’s name on the envelope.

Pets and Other Animals

Pets are only allowed at Greenfield for educational purposes with permission from the principal.  Animals will not be transported on school buses.

Visiting Greenfield:

• Greenfield welcomes adult visitors.  
• All visitors to campus are required to sign in at the office and receive a visitor’s badge.
• Visits to classrooms must be pre-arranged with the teacher.
• One popular way parents visit campus is to join their student(s) for lunch!
• Children from other schools are not allowed to visit or attend school with Greenfield students during school hours.

Health Information

·            Any student with a temperature of 101.0 degrees or more must not attend school. When a student is sent home from school with a fever, the student will not be allowed to return to school until fever free, and without fever medication for twenty-four hours.

·           Parents are requested to keep students home if the following symptoms are present: nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, elevated temperature, yellow or green nasal discharge, red or inflamed eyes, cold symptoms, skin rash unless it has been diagnosed by a physician as noninfectious, headache or other pain.  If any of these symptoms occur while at school, the parent will be contacted and the student sent home.

·           State law requires that students be excluded from school if they are suspected of having a communicable disease.

·           All medication must be brought to the health office by a parent and picked up from the health office by a parent.

·          The medication must be in the original prescription container labeled by the pharmacist or in the original factory container with all warnings and directions intact. Medications in envelopes, foil, or baggies will not be accepted.

·          The school must have written permission from the parent for the medication to be administered at school.

·          Only medications needed to treat an existing ailment are stored in the health office.

·          Medication will not be given the first and last hour of the school day to avoid any possibility of overdose.

·          Any student who has crutches, a wheelchair, or another assistive walking device must have signed permission from a medical doctor.

Teaching and learning
Gilbert Public Schools has designed curriculum based upon State Standards, which identifies specific objectives in the following subject areas: reading, written communication, social studies, mathematics, science, health, music, physical education, and art. Greenfield Elementary School follows the Gilbert Public Schools’ designed curriculum.

Instructional time:

·           Each grade level has designated uninterrupted instructional time.  During this time the school protects instructional time by ensuring classes are not interrupted with announcements or messages from home.

·           Messages, materials, lunch money, shoes, instruments, etc., brought to school are to be left in the office. Office staff will deliver items to classrooms or relay their presence to the classroom.

·          Please try to schedule appointments outside of the instructional day.

As a note of consideration, especially for parents of intermediate students, students often learn to not forget items if they are not brought to school by a parent. If parents consistently bring forgotten materials to school, students often become reliant upon that process.

Homework:

Your student’s teacher will provide guidelines for homework.

Assessment of Learning:
In order to ensure that Gilbert Public School students are being challenged academically, their performance is assessed continuously using a variety of measures:

·           SAT 10 for grade 2

·          AIMS Dual Purpose Assessment (DPA) for grades 3-6

·          Quarterly bench mark testing

·          DIBELS reading assessments

Report Cards:

A report card’s primary function is to communicate information to parents about their student’s current achievement status in regard to learning objectives in each curriculum area.  Progress indicators or grades represent the degree of progress toward learning objectives rather than a comparison of achievement to other students.

Grades:

·            Parents have access to their student’s grades via Snapgrades, an online grade reporting system.  

·           Greenfield teachers are expected to update Snapgrades on a bi-weekly basis.

·           Parents are encouraged to check their student’s progress regularly.

Parent Conferences:

·           Parent/Teacher Conference dates can be found on the District calendar.

·           Parents who would like to talk with their child’s teacher during non-scheduled conference times should call to schedule a conference.

·           Concerns are best addressed at school with the teacher and principal.

Student placement

·             Students are placed into classrooms via a deliberate process that takes into account a number of variables, including parent input. 

·            Placements take place in late spring.

·           Parents wishing to provide input on their student’s placement should complete the Optimal Learning Environment form.

·           The final decision on student placement rests with the principal.

Field Trips:

·            Educational field trips are designed to augment instruction in a class.

·            It is the philosophy of the District that all field trips meet the educational objectives of the District.  The trips are carefully planned and coordinated and do not    seriously disrupt the educational program.

·           Prior to each trip, the teacher shall provide parents with information concerning the purpose and destination of the trip, date, and time of departure and estimated time of return.

·           Parental permission slips must be signed by a parent and turned in to the teacher in charge before the trip takes place.

Academic Night / Gilbert Golden Scholars

·            Academic Night acknowledges and honors students in grades 4-6 who have achieved and maintained high academic standing.

·           The following are Academic Night guidelines:

o   A student must have earned no more than one “B” in all core subject areas within the first three grading periods.  All other grades must be “A.”  Core subjects include Reading, Language, Math, Science/Health and Social Studies.

o   ALP students shall meet the same criteria as stated above, although ALP grades are weighted as follows B=A, C=B however D’s are not weighted.

o   Students must have earned an “E” or “S” rating in all self-management skills.

o   Students must be working at or above grade level in all subject areas.  Special Education and ELL Plan students must be working at or above the learning level identified on their IEP/Plan.

o   Special Education Students (IEP)- Achievement Grades are based on goals and objectives.  A “#” sign indicates an achievement grade that correlates to the IEP.

Additional Programs for Students

Before and after school care:

·           Greenfield Elementary has a VIK (Very Important Kid) Program on campus.

·           Before and after school care is available to all Greenfield students.

·           For further information regarding the VIK Program or to enroll your student, please contact GPS Community Education at 480-892-9089.

Accelerated Learning Program (ALP):

·            In first through third grade, students are identified for content-based enrichment programs.  

·            Identified students in grades four through six participate in an accelerated daily language arts and/or math program.  

·            Referral for evaluation can be made by parents and/or classroom teachers.

·            Students are identified for ALP by achieving at a certain level on the Cognitive Abilities Test.  

·            Tests are conducted in the fall and spring.

·            Students may only test once per year

·            For further information regarding ALP, contact Educational Services at 480-497-3347.

  English Language Learning Program (E.L.L.):
The English Language Learning Program serves children who need assistance in learning English.  Arizona law requires that children with a home language other than English be assessed for proficiency in oral language, reading comprehension, and written communication.  Following parent notification, students who are identified as limited English proficient may receive various forms of instructional support on English acquisition.

Student Conduct

Please read and review the Gilbert Public Schools Elementary Family Handbook available here: http://www.gilbertschools.net/board/board_policy.php

Greenfield Gator Goals:

1.) Be prepared for class

2.) Speak when it is appropriate

3.) Stay in your seat

4.) Follow directions

5.) Be respectful with your words and actions

Greenfield Elementary students are encouraged to adhere to our Gator Goals. Each student is provided with an agenda that is used to communicate student behavior performance. The process followed is as such:

·              Students start the day with their agendas open to the month.

·             Teachers stamp the current day of the month

·             Students turn to the day/week

·            Agendas remain on the student’s desk all day

·           Agendas accompany students to special areas classes, resource classes, speech, reading, and the office if sent for discipline.

·            If during instruction a student fails to meet a Gator Goal, the teacher instructs the student to write the # of the Gator Goal that was not met in the agenda in the area  corresponding to the subject being taught at the time.

·            At the end of instruction for each of the listed subjects, all students who achieved the Gator Goals are told to make a check or a star for success!

·            Consequences for not meeting a Gator Goal are consistent across each grade level. Teachers will share the consequences with parents.

Gilbert Public Schools School Rules:

·             Use equipment properly and safely.

·            Stay in designated areas.

·            Walk on all sidewalks and in buildings.

·            Follow instructions of all staff members.

·            Take turns using playground equipment.

·           Stop playing when the bell/whistle sounds and go directly to class or designated area.

·          Use appropriate language and voice volume.

·           Remain on school grounds until dismissed or given permissions to leave.

·           Settle differences peacefully, without fighting, threats, name-calling or put-downs.

·          Do not play dangerous games, such as tackle, penny drops, rugby and red rover: no tag or running games in the sand or playground equipment.

·          Electronic devices (i.e., iPods, MP3 players, cameras, digital recording devices, electronic games, etc.) are not allowed at school. Gilbert Public Schools and its employees are not responsible for any damage, loss, or stolen electronic devices nor will school personnel time be used to conduct searches or investigate the incident.

·           The possession of cell phones at school is discouraged. I signed permission slip is required for a student to have a cell phone on campus.

Violations of school rules may result in consequences from the classroom teacher and/or the principal.

Scope of the School’s Authority:

Policies and regulations pertaining to student conduct are extended to include, but not limited to:

·             School campus

·            Going to and from school

·            At or near school bus stops and in District vehicles

·            Off campus during the normal school day, including release periods

·           At school events on or off campus

·           In the District's drug-free zones

School Related Criminal and Civil Laws:

Upon complaint of the Governing Board, the parents of minors who have damaged school property shall be held liable for all damage caused by their children.
Abuse of School Employee:  

It is a violation of the law for a person to knowingly abuse a school employee on school grounds or while the employee is engaged in the performance of school-related activities.

Interference with the Peaceful Conduct of an Educational Institution:

A person commits interference with the peaceful conduct of educational institutions by knowingly:

·             Going upon or remaining upon the property of any educational institution in violation of any rule of such institution, or for the purpose of interfering with the lawful use of such property by others or in such manner as to deny or interfere with the lawful use of such property.

·           Refusing to obey a lawful order given by school officials.

Student injuries:
Even with the greatest precautions and the closest supervision, accidents can and do happen at school. Parents need to be aware of this and be prepared for possible medical expenses that may arise should their child be injured at school. The school district does not provide medical insurance to automatically pay for medical expenses when students are injured at school.  This is the responsibility of the parents or legal guardians.  The district carries only legal liability insurance. 

The district does make student medical insurance available to families for individual purchase.  Brochures outlining the coverage and premiums are handed out at the beginning of the school year, and are available at the school office.

Parents, please be prepared to pay for your child’s possible medical expenses.

Child abuse reporting:

Arizona Revised Statute 13-3629 states that all school personnel are obligated to report suspected abuse, including teachers, support staff, and administrators. This obligation arises when observation or disclosure provides “reasonable grounds to believe” that a minor is a victim of child abuse, non-accidental injuries, physical neglect, or sexual abuse.  All school personnel must “immediately report or cause a report to be made” of suspected child abuse to the police and/or Child Protective Services (CPS).

Concerns regarding the notification and questioning of students at school by CPS (Child Protective Services) social workers and law enforcement authorities regarding suspected child abuse/neglect need to be addressed with the agency conducting the interview.  A school official may be present only if such presence is necessary to the investigation.

Additional information

This document is meant to be a “brief” overview of the Gilbert Public Schools Elementary Family Handbook as it applies to Greenfield Elementary. Parents are encouraged to review the Family Handbook. It is available at the link below:

http://www.gilbertschools.net/board/board_policy.php

For more information, please contact your student’s teacher or the front office.