Blythe Park School 2017-2018 Information Guide
Communication: To find out about current happenings at Blythe Park or district-wide, please take advantage of the following electronic resources: • School and District Website: www.district96.org • Teacher Webpages • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/D96BlythePark o Please “like” our Blythe Park Facebook Page! Information regarding school happening as well as awesome pictures of Blythe Park students can be found here each week. • Principal E-blasts o Please look for periodical messages from Mrs. Gorman regarding upcoming events, programming and general communication.
Students Leaving the Building During the School Day: In order to ensure that children are safe and accounted for at all times, District 96 adheres to the following steps when dismissing students midday: Ø Please send a note or email (email prior to 8:00 AM that day) indicating when your child will be picked up from school. Please specify the first and last name of the adult who will be picking up your child. Ø Your child will be sent to the office at your indicated pick-up time (11:25 for lunch). Ø The adult must enter the school office to sign-out the child before he/she is dismissed from the building. The child will only be dismissed with the specified adult. Ø Upon returning to the building, the adult must reenter the office to sign the child back in to school. *Please note that for lunch dismissal all students need to return to their classrooms by 12:20 PM, or they will be considered tardy.
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School Day: Ø Early Childhood o AM Session: 8:30-11:00 AM (Drop-off begins at 8:20 AM) o PM Session: 12:15-2:45 PM (Drop-off begins at 12:05 PM) Ø Kindergarten o 8:15 AM- 11:10 AM Ø Grades 1st -5th o 8:15 AM – 2:55 PM
Entrance/Exit Procedures: Ø Early Learners, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades enter and exit at south front entrance doors Ø 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders enter and exit at north front entrance doors
End of the Day Procedures: Ø A Blythe Park teacher will escort an Early Learner student to his or her parent/caregiver. Ø Kindergarten (11:10 AM dismissal) and first grade students (2:55 PM dismissal) are dismissed from the building upon viewing an adult or older sibling that will accompany the child home. Please wait for your child outside of the building. Ø An after school supervisor is on site in front of the school for a limited time. Any children not picked up by 3:05 PM will be sent to the office to phone a parent or guardian. Parents who arrive after supervision has ended will need to sign his/her child out in the office.
Lunchtime: 11:25-11:50 11:50-12:15 • • •
1st-2nd Eat 3rd-5th Eat
3rd-5th Recess 1st- 2nd Recess
Students going home for lunch should return to school shortly by the 12:15 bell. Soda and fast food lunches are not allowed in the Blythe Park lunchroom. Children should not share food with one another.
Milk is available at the cost of $0.40 a carton. Milk cards are sold in the office. Each card is $8.00 and is good for 20 milk carton purchases. Student milk cards are kept in the lunchroom to be used when needed.
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Safe School Practices: Ø Sign-in at the office and wear a visitor’s badge whenever visiting/volunteering in our school. Ø When leaving for lunch or during the middle of the school day, students must be signed out in the office by a parent or guardian. Ø When driving to school, drop children off on the school side of Leesley. This prevents children from crossing in front of moving traffic. Leesley is a oneway street on school days. Ø If parking your car or walking your child to school, use one of the two crosswalk areas located at the north and south end of Leesley in front of the school. Ø Do not move or obstruct the view of any traffic horses. Ø Refrain from parking in front of neighboring driveways/crosswalks. Ø Refrain from passing/moving around the car of a driver who is dropping off/picking up a child. This is a significant safety hazard. Ø Refrain from using your cell phone while driving. A driver who is operating a cell phone in a school zone while the car is not in park is in violation of state law. Ø For the safety of our students during drop off and pick-up times, we ask that dogs are kept off school property, remain only on the parkway areas, and be leashed at all times. Ø Students riding bicycles to school must obey safety rules and use the bike racks located by the kindergarten room. Ø Scooters, skateboards or wheeled shoes should not be used on school property.
Supervision: Before School Ø Supervision is provided in front of the school starting at 8:00 AM. Students should not be on school grounds prior to this time. During School Ø Students going home for lunch are dismissed at the 11:25 AM bell and must be signed out in the office by a parent or guardian. Students must return by 12:15 PM bell. Ø For supervision purposes, only children who remain at school for lunch may participate in lunchtime/playground activities. Students who return to school prior to 12:15 must wait in the office. After School Ø Students should leave the school grounds promptly at 2:55 PM. Ø Upon dismissal, the lawn surrounding the perimeter of the school should not be utilized for play or games involving a ball/flying objects. We certainly love to see the children playing outside after the school day ends. Please
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encourage your son or daughter to use the playground behind the school for any play or sports activities.
District Wellness Policy: Parents are asked not to send cake, cookies, toys or any treat on a child’s birthday or holiday. Please be mindful of this policy, as teachers are required to turn away any unapproved treat that is brought to the classroom. All classrooms at Blythe Park are peanut-free/tree nut-free.
Snack: Students may bring a healthy snack with them. Real fruit, real cheese or real vegetables are Blythe Park’s preferred snack choices for students. All snacks must be healthy, peanut-free/tree nut-free, and be able to be eaten without causing mess or distraction. Since this is a working snack time, your cooperation regarding the aforementioned is greatly appreciated. For the safety of students with allergies, we asked that students refrain from sharing food during the lunch hour or snack time.
Messages to Students and Teachers: Please help us avoid classroom distractions that impact students learning by making all after school plans before the school day begins. Phone call reminders to children lead to interruptions of the instructional day. • If you have items or messages to give your children, please drop them off in the office. Someone will deliver the message/item to the classroom. • If you need to speak with a teacher during the school day, you may either leave a phone message with the office (708.447.2168) or email the teacher (last name followed by first initial @district96.org). Please note that teachers will often not read an email message until the end of the school day as they are working directly with students. All staff is asked to respond to messages within a 24-hour window on school days.
Student Absence/Tardiness: Student absences should be phoned into the school office (708.447.2168) by 9:00 AM. We ask that families make a concerted effort to not schedule vacations during student attendance days.
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It is critically important that students be at school on time. Punctuality allows students to feel good about the start of their school day and avoids lost instructional time. Please help your child arrive to school on time every day.
Dressing for the Weather: Colder temperatures will be here before we know it. Students should pay attention to the weather forecast and dress accordingly. Please note that students will be outside in the morning and during the lunch/recess hours unless the temperature, with wind chill, falls below 10 degrees.
Parent Volunteers: Throughout the school year, teachers may request parent volunteers to assist in the classroom or on field trips. All parents/guardians are considered for volunteer opportunities. We are fortunate to have many parents who actively participate in their child’s education, and the staff sincerely appreciates parents’ willingness to help. Please be mindful that the staff strives to ensure that the selection of parent volunteers is a fair and equitable process. It is important that volunteer opportunities be evenly shared among all parents/guardians who offer their assistance.
Before/After School Programming: The PAV YMCA offers before and after school programming for students beginning on Thursday, August 24. For more information regarding this fee-based program, contact the PAV YMCA at 708.749.0606 x 334. Thank you for your cooperation with regard to the aforementioned information. Your consistent support will help guarantee a safe and successful school year for our students! Sincerely, The Blythe Park Staff
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