Principal's letter | School District Information | Thompson Elementary Office Administration | Vision/Beliefs/Mission | School Information | Bus Information | Breakfast/Lunch Program | Attendance | Health Room Procedures | Medication At School | School Records | Textbooks/Library Books | Homework | Parent/Teacher Conferences and Grade Reports | Performance Assessment | General Rules and Information | Student Dress/Appearance | Playground Rules | Site Council | PTA | Visitors | Volunteers | Voter Registration

Dear Parent/Guardian and Student:

Welcome to Thompson Elementary! This handbook has been written for your convenience and to acquaint you with Thompson Elementary's policies and procedures. We hope you will use it to become familiar with our beliefs and expectations.

Thompson Elementary is a very exciting and special place for students, parents, and staff-a school that will provide a sound basic education. It is a place for learning and growing. Our staff is committed to providing you with the very best learning opportunities possible. We would like to ask you to take your responsibility in maintaining a pleasant and safe atmosphere conducive to positive attitudes and actions.

We have four principles for life long success:

Be prepared

Be on time

Be respectful

Do your best

Our rules and expectations are explained in this handbook. We want you and your student to learn and remember them. The staff at Thompson will expect your student to maintain appropriate behavior which means they should always be courteous, respectful, and behave in a manner that shows they are a good citizen.

We hope you enjoy attending Thompson Elementary and we are sure you and your child will have many positive and productive experiences here. We encourage you to be involved in all aspects of the programs offered at our school and we look forward to making this a great year for you and your child as we learn and explore!

Suzanne Gayda,

Principal

 

Jill Jacoby	Superintendent	(253) 539-6000
Chris Boynton	Assistant Superintendent, Elementary Schools	(253) 539-6000
Terry Pullen	Assistant Superintendent, Secondary Schools	(253) 539-6000

Ken Blair	(253) 537-1486
Alice Dunn	(253) 537-4160
Tom Weathers, Pres	(253) 847-1565
Joy A. Cook, VP	(253) 893-6393
Dennis Townsend	(253) 879-5151

Bethel Transportation			(253) 539-6640
Bethel Child Nutrition			(253) 539-6199
Elk Plain Family Center			(253) 846-7694

 

Suzanne Gayda	Principal	(253) 539-6800
Amber Barker	Secretary	(253) 539-6800
Nancy Kennedy	Office Clerk	(253) 539-6800
Lorna Stern	Health Clerk	(253) 539-6800
Pam Peterson-Korn	Social Worker	(253) 539-6746

Thompson Elementary Office Hours are from 7:45 AM TO 3:30 PM. If you would like to contact a member of our staff outside of these hours, please call the school at 539-6800 and leave a message for that staff person on the school answering machine.

If you have changes for information for enrollment such as new phone number, new work number, new emergency contact, or daycare etc. Please let the office know as soon as possible. The information could be vital in an emergency situation.

We have a vision of Thompson Elementary where the atmosphere is safe for students, parents, staff, and business partners to work together to produce healthy, emotionally stable, and productive members of society.

o All students can enjoy learning and demonstrate knowledge; where risk and innovation are embraced and expectations are high and realistic.

o Learning is experiential, providing opportunities for maximum personal and intellectual growth.

o Children are individuals, developmental readiness as well as age must be considered.

o It is important to present new and innovative instruction in both traditional and nontraditional settings. A variety of resources and educational experiences are used to achieve success and connect learning with daily living.

o Learning to act with interdependence and responsibility in a democratic society enhances life for all.

o Students, staff, and parents must develop strategies of interaction, teaching, and learning with each other in a technological and information management world.

o There is a body of essential learnings all students can master.

o Staff, parents, and community contribute to the students' social and academic learning of life skills in order to succeed in a changing world.

The mission of Thompson Elementary School is to nurture the physical, creative, intellectual, and emotional growth of all who enter it's doors. Independence, thinking, respect, and pride are developed in a child-centered environment. Thompson nurtures success.

SCHOOL HOURS:

START: 8:40 AM (Students should not be on school grounds before 8:20 am.)

END: 2:45 PM(Students should leave school promptly at 2:45 pm)

EARLY DISMISSAL: 11:00 AM - NO LUNCHES WILL BE SERVED

AM KINDERGARTEN / PM KINDERGARTEN

Kindergarten sessions will run half days. AM Classes run from 8:40 am to 11:17 am. PM Classes run from 12:05 p.m. to 2:45 p.m..

Thompson is served by ten buses. Bus schedules are available in the office as well as the transportation department handbook with information on discipline policies.

Breakfast and lunch are served daily unless there is early dismissal. When students are dismissed at 11:00, only breakfast is served. Students are encouraged to purchase tickets for a five day period (week) or for the month. The school cafeteria is unable to allow students to charge meals.

Some students are eligible for the free and reduced meal program. The eligibility are determined by federal guidelines based on income and family size. Information is distributed by our Child Nutrition Department in late August. Forms can be picked up at the district office or at the school office.

There are two ways a student may purchase lunch.

1) A student may purchase lunch tickets for two or more days only on Monday or the first day we return to school after vacation or break.

2) If a student prefers to buy lunch only occasionally, fails to purchase lunch tickets on Monday, or the first day after vacation or break, or does not want to purchase more that one ticket, that student must bring money on the day they plan to buy lunch.

***If sending money for more than one student in the family. Please note on the check or envelope each child's name, teacher, the number of breakfast and lunch tickets desired and the amount of money. We want to do an accurate job and with your help we can.****

If you have any questions about the purchase of lunch tickets, please call Thompson Elementary food service at 539-6800 or Bethel Child Nutrition at 539-6199.

Attending school every day and coming on time are the first steps to school success. Attendance is required by state law (RCW28A.27.010). Many times it is impossible to make up "missed" school time since active participation and group involvement during the regular day are a vital part of the learning experience. Bethel Public Schools accepts the following as excused absences: illness, professional appointments, bereavement, and unforeseen emergencies. Any other absence must be discussed with the principal before the absence.

When your child will be absent please call the school at (253) 539-6800 before school begins at 8:40, if possible. After we receive attendance from each classroom we will try to call homes of students not reported absent by parent/guardians for safety reasons. Parents can send a note within three (3) days of the absence. The State Becca Law requires that after five (5) unexcused absences in one month or ten (10) in one year the school must file a petition with the court. The school will send out unexcused absence notices. The first will be informational and the second will be to schedule a conference. If a student misses ten (10) or more days per trimester, an absence letter will be sent to the student's home. Exceptions: chicken pox, extended illness etc.

Late arrivals interrupt everyone's education. Therefore, we expect you to be on time to school each day. If you are late, go immediately to the health room to receive a late slip. If you are late to class, be sure to go in quietly and make sure all missed work is made up.

The only excused reasons for tardiness are doctor, dental appointments and family emergencies. Tardies due to oversleeping and/or missing the bus cannot be excused. You will be marked tardy if you arrive after 8:40 am.

State law requires a written excuse for absences or tardiness. Please make sure if you haven't communicated to the school by telephone that you send a written excuse with your child's first and last name, date, reason, and a signature.

Students coming to the health room will be treated with ice packs, Band-Aids, and have their temperature taken when feeling ill. The health room is staffed by office people except on Tuesday when the school nurse is usually here. Parents will be notified with a note/phone call as needed for injuries or concerns. Office staff are not allowed to "treat" student illness in any manner. If a child has a temperature of 100.4 or over they MUST be sent home. Temperatures should be normal for 24 hours before returning to school.

All medication must be kept locked up. Medication is given from the health room by order of a physician. A form is available in the office. This would include antibiotics and any over-the-counter medications (cold tablets, cough drops/syrup, Tylenol, etc.) Please do not send medication with your child. Parents must transport medication to and from school with the exception of inhalers that have physician permission to carry the inhaler with the student.

The district shall maintain those student records necessary for the educational guidance and/or welfare of students, for orderly and efficient operation of schools and as required by law. All information related to individual students shall be treated in a confidential and professional manner. Student records are the property of the district, but shall be available in an orderly and timely manner to parent/guardians/students. Apparent or adult student may challenge any information in a student record believed to be inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the privacy or other rights of the individual student.

Student records shall be forwarded to other school agencies upon request. Written parental consent shall be required before the district may release student records other than to a school agency or organization, except as otherwise provided by law.

Your student will be issued textbooks for use in the classroom and loaned textbooks for some of your studies. As a Thompson Tiger you are responsible for keeping books and other classroom materials in good condition. Library books may be checked out from the library also. Damage or loss will result in fines that your student will be required to pay. To avoid fines for lost or damaged books, remember to:

 o Keep books covered.

o Put your name and your teacher's name in the inside front cover.

o Keep track of your books and don't lend them to anyone else.

Homework is defined as "work to be done on your own time after school hours" and can be an important part of learning. We know that students who complete their homework regularly learn more effectively and develop good study habits.

Homework at Thompson Elementary is developmentally appropriate and determined by the classroom teacher. This may include, but is not limited to, work resulting from classroom work not completed during the school day, month assignments, gathering materials for a class project, and long term reports. Homework is not "busy work" and is not punishment or punitive.

Students are expected to understand and record homework assignments. Take home all necessary materials to complete the assignment. Schedule time for homework that is compatible with family and/or after school activities. Complete and return homework on time.

Teachers are expected to communicate homework expectations with your student. Assign, monitor, correct, acknowledge, and return homework in a timely manner. Be available outside class time to assist you if necessary. Confer with parents/guardians if there are any homework concerns.

Parent/guardians may help by providing encouragement, support, and an interest in student work. Provide a study area as free of distractions as possible. Make sure the student has time for homework. Discuss the student's progress with the teacher as needed and to monitor homework assignments.

The school year is divided into three reporting periods. Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled during the first and third trimesters to give parent/guardians an opportunity to speak with the student's teacher and look at student's work. Subject areas taught at Thompson are: reading, language arts, spelling, handwriting, mathematics, science, social studies, computer literacy, physical education, health, art, and music. At kindergarten level student readiness for each area is provided.

At parent/teacher conference a collection of work will be shared with parent/guardians. The work can be reviewed together to review the student's academic progress. The classroom teacher will point out specific strengths or areas of concern by discussing your portfolio samples, and they will share their plans for your continued progress. Report cards will be sent home at the end of each trimester.

The staff at Thompson Elementary believes the primary purposes of assessment are to determine what each student has learned, to build student self-esteem, to improve instruction, to assess curriculum goals, and to examine the student learning process. Our staff thinks of assessment as collecting samples of student work and making judgments about the information collected. They feel:

o Assessment should be child-centered and classroom based.

o Assessment must be an ongoing, natural part of everyday instruction.

o Assessment emphasizes student strengths: what students know, what they do, and how they have grown as learners.

o Teacher observation of how children learn and interact with one another is important to assessment.

o Formal assessment(i.e., standardized tests, basal tests); informal assessment (i.e., anecdotal records, student samples); and input from other teachers, specialists, students, and parents/guardians are all important

o Samples of student work in a portfolio that is meaningful and authentic reflects the capabilities of the whole child

Portfolios are one organizational method the Thompson Staff is moving toward. It is a method for documenting and collecting a history of student performance. The purpose of a portfolio is to create an informative and accurate picture of your child's personal development and academic growth. They may contain a collection of your child's work samples from all academic and specialty areas, and informative materials like checklists, questionnaires, and evaluations.

Using student portfolios as well as standardized skill tests will allow a balance and show a more accurate picture of your student's educational growth. Effective assessment could answer these questions:

1. Where did the student begin and where is the student going?

2. Is the student finding success?

3. If not, what changes need to be made to meet the needs of the student?

Assessment should indicate your child's strengths, diagnose any weaknesses, and offer suggestions for helping your student to improve academically. When assigning grades, teachers will take into account effort and accomplishments , as well as, academic performance. Teachers will try to include written commentaries to give parent/guardians specific evaluative information which centers on personal accomplishments rather than group comparisons.

Telephone use:

Telephone use by students is reserved for emergency purposes only. Be sure your child knows everyday what he/she is to do and where they should go after school. Any after school social arrangements should be made before the school day begins.

Arrival at school:

Students should not arrive at school earlier than 8:20 am for breakfast unless a prior arrangement has been made with the teacher. School begins at 8:40. There is no supervision for students outside before 8:20. Parent/Guardians should arrange for before school care and should not expect students to sit in the office for supervision before school.

Departure from school:

Students should either get on the bus, walk home, or be picked up from school by 2:45 p.m.. If a student will be delayed by a staff member, you will be notified in advance. There is no adult supervision/care for students after school. Parent/Guardians should arrange for after school care after 2:45 and should not expect students to remain at school to be supervised in the office.

Weapons at school:

Weapons or anything that may be construed as a weapon are not allowed at school. Toy guns, knives, yo-yo's and other toy weapons are included in this ban. Laser pointers are not allowed on school grounds. Weapons at school will be reason for suspension.

Language at school:

Profanity or vulgarity on school grounds is prohibited. This could be reason for suspension.

Fighting:

Physical altercations at school are not allowed. Students can be suspended for fighting.

School property:

Students are prohibited from climbing on fences, building roofs, bus safety rails, or standing on benches. If a recess ball should go on the roof or over the fence students should contact an adult.

Gum:

Gum should not be brought to school or on the bus. Unsanitary disposal habits as well as removal of gum from carpets etc. are the school's concern.

Personal toys:

Due to the number of conflicts toys can create at school, students are not allowed to bring toys or other personal items to school without written permission from the teacher. Permission may be granted for academic reasons only. Under no circumstances should those items be taken to the playground during recess.

Lost and Found:

Please make sure all items of clothing, bags, and lunch boxes are marked with your child's name. Properly identified items are much easier to return to students when found. There is a lost and found area near the recess doors at the end of the main entrance hall. Please check for lost items prior to vacations as unclaimed items are donated to charity.

Dress and appearance are a shared responsibility of parents and students. Students appearance should be neat and clean. Dress appearance which would cause disruption to the educational process or present health/safety problems is not permitted at school. Tank tops, halter tops, half-shirts, and torn clothing are not allowed. Shorts should be of a "walking short" length, no Lycra/stretch short shorts, or "sagging" pants. Belts should be worn properly through the loops and the end of the belt should not be hanging down.

Clothing advertising drugs, alcohol, or tobacco are not acceptable. Hats may be worn to school, but students are asked to remove them while in the building. If hats should cause a problem on the playground they will be taken until the problem is resolved and then returned to the student or student's teacher. Clothing that may be gang related is also not allowed.

Private Vehicle Transportation:

Please remember to keep the disabled parking spot (at the center area of our lot facing the school) free, this includes not blocking the parking space for those who need to park in that space. It can be very difficult for someone that may be disabled to get to and from the school if they cannot park in the space designated specifically for them. It is also a law that you may not park in that spot without a disabled sticker. Also if you provide transportation for your child, please remember the amount of traffic that goes in and out of the parking lot during school hours. This includes bus traffic as well as walkers. Please take extra care and caution when driving near school grounds.

Walking:

Students that usually ride the bus but choose to walk to and from school need to have a walking permission slip on file in the office. They must also agree to follow all safety rules and precautions or they will lose the privilege.

Bicycle Riding:

Students in grades 4-6 are allowed to ride bikes to school with a signed bicycle permission form on file in the office. The form states that students must wear a helmet when riding a bicycle to school. Students that fail to abide by the rules for bike riding will lose the privilege.

Student will...

1. follow any adult direction first time given

2. settle differences peacefully using conflict managers when appropriate

3. need a pass from an adult to leave playground or use restroom

4. play only in assigned areas and stay away from fences, bushes, puddles, mud, and drain down spouts

5. leave rocks, sticks, and other dangerous and/or unsafe objects alone

6. play correctly on equipment (no jumping from swings, no walking up the slide or going down the slide head first

7. not engage in rough play(no contact sports, pushing, kicking, etc.)

8. leave personal belongings: toys, sports equipment (except mitts) at home

9. not eat candy, chew gum, bring food or drink to the playground

(exception is popcorn on popcorn day)

10. walk immediately to line up for class when the whistle blows

Consequences:

1. Verbal reprimand/redirection(have the student do it correctly)

2. time out 1 minute

3. time out 5 minutes (teacher notification)

4. loss of recess (principal and/or parent notification)

5. severe infractions (safety, illegal, insubordination) referred immediately to the principal.

Each school has a group of people who come together and meet as a Site Council. Their job is to develop a school-based strategic plan that is consistent with district visions and goals. The strategic plan creates a foundation that the school uses to implement education reform and other projects within the school building.

Thompson's Site Council is made up of representatives from parents, community, certified staff, classified staff, and administration.

Representatives are available to bring ideas and concerns to the Site Council. Please contact the school office for information.

Parents are urged to become familiar with the school, school district, and the educational process. Parents are a valued member of the educational team.

Our Parent-Teacher Association, an affiliate of the Washington State PTA, is an important avenue of involvement for parents. All parents are invited to become active members. Our PTA works for improvement of education, sponsors programs, and raises funds for school activities and improvement.

Information to join PTA will be available at Open House and in the school office.

Visitors are welcome at Thompson Elementary. Visitors are asked to check in with the teacher before visiting the classroom. They will also need to sign in the office and wear a visitor badge or sticker while on school premises.

Volunteers contribute a great deal to our school program. We have need for continuing help with short-term projects around the school, field trips, and in classrooms. If you are interested in volunteering, please let your child's teacher or the school office know. Volunteers are asked to fill out a district volunteer application and sign in the office when they arrive at school. They will be asked to wear a volunteer badge or sticker while on school premises and while volunteering at school functions.

You may register to vote in the State of Washington or make changes in name, address, and or precinct by picking up a mail-in registration form at any Bethel School or the Bethel School District Office. To be eligible to vote you must:

a. Be a US citizen

b. Have lived in Pierce County for one day

c. Register at least thirty (30) days before an election

d. Be eighteen (18) years of age before election day

e. Have transferred registration between precincts, if you have changed residence, at least thirty (30) days before an election.