School Handbook

Cache Valley experiences some inversion weather that can sometimes limit or prohibit outdoor activities. Providence Elementary will monitor the Utah Division of Air Quality website during these inversions, and follow their guidelines, to determine whether or not students should go outside.

• When the Particulate Matter (PM2.5) is 35.5 ug/m3—55.4 ug/m3 we will accommodate sensitive students to avoid outdoor physical activities.
• When the Particulate Matter (PM2.5) is 55.5 ug/m3—90 ug/m3 we will accommodate sensitive students and students experiencing respiratory symptoms which may include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.
• When the Particulate Matter (PM2.5) is above 90 ug/m3—we will keep all students indoors.

Regular, on time, attendance is essential to achievement. Children who are chronically absent are at higher risk for falling behind academically or dropping out altogether.  Utah Compulsory Attendance Laws (Code 53A-11-101-105) requires that every school age child (ages 6-18) be enrolled in school and attend regularly. Parents and students are responsible for regular attendance. Attendance is checked daily by the classroom teacher. If students are missing at that time, they are recorded absent. Our goal is a minimum 95% attendance for all students which complies with the Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements from the state of Utah. Notices to parents whose child is failing to comply with attendance policies will be sent at intervals after 5 days, 10 days and 15 days of absences without a verified excuse. A parent meeting may be requested to resolve habitual truancies. Failure to resolve truancy is a Class B misdemeanor. Truancy will also result in a low Citizenship grade at school and students will not be eligible for quarterly celebrations.

A verified or excused absence means an absence resulting from:

1. An illness
2. A death of a family member or close friend;
3. A documented medical appointment;
4. A family emergency;
5. An approved school activity;
6. A pre-approved family activity or travel, consistent with District policy
   • A family activity or travel must request a form from the office seven (7) days prior to the first day of vacation.  No more than 7 days a year will be permitted for vacation purposes as an excused absence, except for extenuating circumstances as determined by the school principal.

All other absences will be considered Unexcused.

Students arriving after 9:05 a.m. are marked tardy on PowerSchool. The beginning of the day is valuable instructional time and when students are tardy, they not only start the day behind their peers, but they also disturb the learning process already in progress in the classroom. Please make every effort to get your child to school on time. Parents will be contacted by the school regarding excessive tardies and students will not be eligible for quarterly Citizenship celebrations.

Unexcused Tardies include:

1. Missing the school bus
2. Experiencing transportation problems at home or on the way to school
3. Remaining home to complete school assignments
4. Oversleeping.  Alarm clock (student’s or parent’s) failed to work.
5. Babysitting
6. Late night with family

Both breakfast and lunch are served at Providence Elementary School. Applications for free and reduced price meals are sent home at the beginning of the school year. It is important that students start the day with breakfast. If this is difficult to arrange at your home, please encourage your child to eat when they arrive at school. Breakfast is served as soon as the first bus arrives and ends at 9:10 when students are expected to be to class on time. Students are allowed to bring their own lunch and beverage from home. We encourage these meals to follow nutritional guidelines. Students may also buy milk at school.

• Daily Breakfast: $1.40
• Daily Lunch: $2.05
• Extra Milk: $0.35

Students will eat breakfast and lunch each day in the cafeteria. While eating students are expected to:

1. Show respect for others;
2. Clean up after themselves;
3. Eat only their food
4. Talk quietly.

Please DO NOT send or bring treats, balloons, flowers, etc., to school.  If these items do come to school, they will kept in the office and given to your child after school

Bullying and Hazing are against school and district policies.  Detailed information about these policies can be found on the Cache County District (CCSD) website at http://www.ccsdut.org .  Faculty and staff will discuss and utilize the “Cool Kids” program to address appropriate social skills and anti-bullying with students.  If incidents of bullying or hazing are occurring at school, students should report these incidents to classroom teachers, principal, or anonymously in the “Buddy Box” located near the office.  The principal and/or school secretary will investigate and respond to these reports in an appropriate manner following CCSD policies.

The bus driver has the responsibility for the safety and conduct of students riding the bus to and from school. Students are to obey the driver at all times. Failure to abide by bus rules could result in a bus referral, suspension or revocation of bus riding privileges.

Class parties and activities are planned jointly by teachers and the PTA. For safety concerns all treats must be store-bought. Home-made items will not be allowed in the classrooms. 

As per Cache County School District policy, all outer clothing worn by students must be clean, neat, length near the knee, and modest. Distracting or abbreviated clothing is not acceptable (no bare midsections or bare backs, etc.). Profane or obscene slogans, and pictures or advertisements of alcohol, tobacco, or drugs will not be allowed. Students not in compliance may be sent to the office to call home. Shoes are required at all times. Hats will not be worn in the building. Hair should be clean and well groomed. Flip-flops are discouraged. Please review the following website for additional student policies: http://www.ccsdut.org  

Each Friday, school ends at 2:20 for the purpose of Professional Development for staff members. Morning kindergarten ends at 11:35. Please keep these times in mind if you are picking students up after school.

The first bell rings at 9:00 a.m. The tardy bell rings at 9:05 a.m., which begins the instructional day. School ends at 3:35 pm. Students MUST be picked up by 3:45. 

It is very important that we have a complete registration form on file for each child. All telephone numbers e-mail addresses, and street addresses should be recorded and kept up to date so that a contact can be made as soon as possible in the event of an emergency. A parent will be called to pick up a student from school if they are injured, ill (see illness below), have a 100° temperature, or lice. Parents are expected to pick up their child up as soon as possible. Students sent home with fever may not return to school until fever-free for 24 hours, without any medication. Students sent home with lice may not return until the hair has been treated and nurse sees a difference in child’s hair. The school office will not release students to individuals not listed on the registration form. Special permission for someone else to pick up your child must be sent in advance and must be in writing. Parents may stop by the school office to add or delete names as appropriate. All parents should have a telephone number where they can be reached during the school day. Persons who are picking up students must provide identification.

A safe school requires all students and staff to be ready for emergencies that may arise. An expedient response to emergencies is expected of all students and school staff. 

It is expected that students treat each other and school staff members with kindness, courtesy and respect.   We believe all students must be held accountable for conduct that is harmful or disruptive to a safe and secure learning environment. All students have a right to learn; therefore, no child is permitted to disrupt learning. School-wide rules and consequences are posted in all classrooms and communicated to parents at the beginning of each year. School-wide rules include:

1. Listening to others
2. Following directions on 1st request
3. Respecting self, others, and property
4. Making safe choices
5. Always doing your best

Parents will be notified in advance whenever children leave campus on field trips. We ask parents for donations to help cover the cost of bus transportation, but students are never kept from participating because of an inability or desire not to make a donation. When private transportation is used, students must have a permission and transportation form signed by the parent. Students who ride in Cache School District approved transportation to school sponsored activities, must return on the same transportation unless other arrangements have been made and approved prior to the excursion.

Each student is expected to practice their reading at home daily. We believe that homework can assist students in the development of self-discipline, self-direction, and study skills. It provides a vital link and ongoing communication. Homework should strike a balance between academics, family life, and the child’s needs.   Each teacher establishes the classroom policy and practice for the school year. Typically, classrooms in grades K-2 have about 30 minutes and grades 3-6 have about 45 minutes on Mon.-Thurs. and may include suggested practice on the computer for UTIPS or other helpful activities. This is a very general time frame, however, if the actual time spent is too little or too much, please speak with the teacher directly. Each student is expected to practice their reading at home daily.

If your child becomes ill at school or he/she arrives at school sick, you or someone listed on your emergency card will be contacted to pick up your child as soon as possible. Contagious infections and diseases post a significant health risk for everyone. Please keep your child home from school if during the previous 12 hours he/she has exhibited one or more of the following:

• Diarrhea or vomiting
• Measurable temperature (100° or higher)
• Yellow to green discharge from the nose
• Severe or croupy cough that has not been treated
• Infected eyes
• Ear infection/ache
• Other contagious, untreated infections: lice, ringworm, impetigo, etc.
• Contagious diseases such as flue, chicken pox, pneumonia, etc. for which the contagion has not passed or for which medical treatment has been in effect for less than 48 hours.

Providence Elementary has both morning and afternoon kindergarten classes. Some busing is arranged for students living more than 1 ½ miles from the school. All bused students will be scheduled for morning kindergarten classes. No afternoon classes will be bused.  Morning kindergarten times are 9:05-12:10 (Mon-Thur) and 9:15-11:35 (Friday).  Afternoon kindergarten times are 12:30-3:35 (Mon-Thur) and 11:50-2:20 (Friday). 

Any student leaving the building during school hours must be signed out in the office by a parent/guardian who is listed on the child’s registration form. Teachers will not release a child to a person who is not on this form. Parents are asked to NOT go to the classroom, but to pick up and sign out students from the office. No student is to leave the grounds without permission from the office. Parents are encouraged to limit early pick ups. These count as a part of state attendance requirements similar to a tardy.

A monthly newsletter (the Panda Press) will be sent home with each child. Please take time to read these over. They will contain important information to keep you current on school meetings, issues, policies and services. The school website also will provide important information regarding upcoming events and School Community Council (SCC) news. This can be accessed at: http://www.ccsdut.org/providence

Twice annually, students, parents/guardians, and teachers will meet to discuss student achievement, goal setting and other concerns. These conferences will be scheduled online for the convenience of parents. A link will be placed on the school’s website, close to the scheduled dates, to assist parents in this process. For those without Internet access, we invite you to contact the school either in person or by phone to schedule an appointment.

Parents are welcome to visit the school throughout the year. When visiting classrooms, however, making an appointment with the teacher at least a day in advance is not only  a courtesy, but also enables you to schedule the visit or maximum benefit (the class may be taking a test or going on a study trip). Teachers cannot stop instruction to visit with parents who “pop-in.”  Please sign in at the office and get a visitor sticker before going to any classroom teaching area. Teachers will be happy to discuss your observation with you at a mutually convenient time. You are always welcome to visit and eat lunch with your child or volunteer in the classroom. Please arrange your volunteer time with your child's teacher. Video taping other students while visiting is not allowed. Any classroom observation for the sake of student placement is disruptive to the teacher and students and is not allowed.

Parent cooperation in limiting the amount of unnecessary items such as toys, radios, playing cards, CD players, electronic games, sunglasses, etc. is greatly appreciated. These interfere with the learning process. The school will not be responsible for any personal property brought to school, including jewelry. If taken away by administrators, these items will only be returned to parents. You will be informed by the classroom teacher of dates when personal items would be appropriate for “Show and Tell”.

Students may get permission from their teacher to use the phone in case of an emergency, but all other calls may be restricted if they are not of a school matter. Arrangements for visiting friends, appointments and other engagements should be arranged in advance.

*District policy prohibits students from carrying or using cell phones at any elementary school.

Student attendance and scores are recorded regularly by teachers and made available to parents online through the district’s PowerSchool program. In order to access this program, parents/guardians must receive a username and password form from the school secretary. 

Reading Counts (RC) helps students build a lifelong love reading and learning by providing opportunities practice reading and manage their independent reading. Students read books and take quizzes on those books.

Getting children to and from school safely and keeping them safe while at school is our primary concern. Any visitor who is not a student or staff member MUST SIGN IN at the front office and get an identification sticker. If a family has special custody or security concerns, it is the family’s responsibility to inform the school in writing and provide copies of court orders that give or deny permission to specific parties.  A link is provided on the school web page.

For smooth and safe student drop-off and pick-up times, all parents/guardians are asked to comply with the following safety rules:

• Students are reminded to walk on all sidewalks and cross only at crosswalks.
• Follow the directions of the Crossing Guards at all times. They are there to keep children safe.
• DO NOT park in the fire lanes, even if for brief periods of time.
• DO NOT park in the bus lanes.
• DO NOT stop your car in the crosswalk area. The crosswalk is utilized by all of our students and parents during drop-off and pick-up. Stop your car before the crosswalk when a crossing guard is bringing your child to your car.
• When the weather is bad, it is especially important that we follow all the traffic safety rules. It will take a little longer, but it will ensure the safety of everyone. Our students participate in regular evacuation drills (fire/earthquake drills) and periodic lockdowns. To ensure student safety, staff reviews procedures regularly. 

The SCC provides opportunities for the school and community to come together to improve student learning. Parents and school staff are elected as representatives to discuss and make decisions that benefit all students. The SCC plays a key role in writing our annual School Improvement Plan (SIP).  Our SCC meets the third Friday of each month at 2:30.

Utah participates in several assessments throughout the school year.   DIBELS is given three times annually to students in all grades to measure reading fluency and growth.  Kindergarten through 3rd grade will participate in Student Learning Outcomes.  Baseline data will be taken at the beginning of the school year in Reading and Math.  Student progress will then be measured at the end of the year in these same areas.  3rd through 5th grade students also participate in the Student Assessment and Growth Excellence (SAGE) each spring. All testing information is shared with parents once it is available. Please do not plan vacations during testing.

It is the responsibility of the school and the principal to issue, collect, care and account for all state-adopted textbooks. All textbooks and library books that are lost, damaged, or destroyed by a student are paid for by that student.

Visitors are asked to sign in at the office and receive a badge before proceeding further to classrooms or other facilities. Friends or relatives from other schools may not attend school with our students. However, teachers may invite special guest for educational purposes.

We encourage volunteers to help strengthen our school programs. Parents have the opportunity to volunteer in several areas such as: in-classroom, library, clerical, at-home and other. In-class volunteers assist teachers in the classroom with small groups of students. There are many other events in which volunteers are needed.

When parents wish to withdraw a child from school, they should contact the school office at least one day before the date of withdrawal. Before a student can be cleared to withdraw, he/she must return all textbooks, library books, and pay meal balances, and for lost or damaged books. School records will be sent upon request from the new school.