Student Handbook

A “school closing” may be announced either before the start of a school day, or an early closing may be called after a school day has started. In either case, the Welch PTA calling tree does not replace the District 204 procedure of notifying parents via radio stations. The calling tree is supplemental to radio notification, as the PTA cannot guarantee that all parents will be reached by phone.

The calling tree will use home phone numbers only. Work or other alternate numbers cannot be used due to time constraints. Please make sure that your correct home phone number is on record at school.

In the event of an early closing (sending students home after they have already been at school), we will use the following procedure:

• As soon as the district-wide decision is made to close school early, radio stations will be notified. As extreme weather develops, you should monitor one of these stations: WBIG 1280 AM, WMAQ 670 AM, WGN 720 AM, WPCB 1610 AM, WSPY/WAUR 930 AM/107.1 FM or WKKD 1580 AM/96 FM.
• The PTA volunteers will be notified to start the calling tree.
• The calling tree can only be used effectively for a limited amount of the time, as the volunteers must report back the names of parents not notified before the designated dismissal time.
• Students whose parents have not been contacted will be kept safely at school beyond the dismissal of those students whose parents have been contacted. This includes bus riders whose parents have not been contacted.
• Car pool parents who state that they need to pick up a child whose parents have not been contacted will be allowed to do so; however, they will be required to sign the child out.
• After the dismissal time, school staff and/or PTA volunteers will resume attempts to contact parents whose children are still at school. The amount of time this takes will be determined by the number of students still at school and a limited number of phone lines.
• Students will be kept safely at school until a parent is contacted and arrives at school.

Please limit phone calls to school during an early closing/dismissal as we will need our phone lines and school staff available in order to continue contacting parents whose children have been kept at school. Our goal is student safety during early closings. Your patience and consideration of these procedures during an early closing will greatly help our school staff and minimize negative impact on our students.

Information on School Closings

In cases of severe weather or dangerous road conditions, school closings or early dismissals may be announced. Do not call the school; rather, tune your radio to one of the following stations: WBIG 1280 AM, WMAQ 670 AM, WGN 720 AM, WPCB 1610 AM, WSPY/WAUR 930 AM/107.1 FM or WKKD 1580 AM/96 FM. If severe weather develops during the day, please listen to the radio for instructions. Your child will be safe at school.

Fire and Tornado Disaster Drills

A sufficient number of drills will be held during the year in order to familiarize the students with the fire and tornado alarm sound and procedures. The school is equipped with an emergency radio system.

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Student Attendance & Health Issues

Expectations for Regular Attendance

Welch’s educational program is built on the premise that regular attendance and punctuality are vital to a student’s success in school. Seeing that a student maintains regular attendance requires a cooperative effort by the student, parents/guardians, and school personnel. The student who is frequently absent misses class instruction, discussion, and related social interaction, even though written work may be completed at a later date.

District #204 and Welch School staff expect parents/guardians to make reasonable efforts to ensure the regular attendance of their children, consistent with Section 26-1 of the Illinois School Code, and to inform the school of any absences and their causes. Welch staff will monitor each student’s attendance and punctuality and contact parents/guardians regarding any attendance problems or chronic tardiness.

Reporting an Absence

A parent should call the school office each day his/her child will be absent. An “absence hotline,” 428-7202 is provided for this purpose. Please call between 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 a.m. during the school week, and at anytime during the weekend. State your child’s name, grade/teacher and the reason for the absence. If you need to speak to a staff member regarding an absence, call our regular office number (428-7200) after 7:45 a.m. and until 4:15 p.m. In the case of a known extended absence, you may report all days with a single phone call. If we are not contacted about an absence, and the child is not in school, we will call a parent/guardian to verify the absence as soon as possible in the morning.

Excessive Absenteeism

In accordance with guidelines of the County Superintendent of Schools, Welch staff considers absenteeism excessive when it significantly interferes with a student’s learning, as reflected in academic performance or social development and/or exceeds 10% of the days school during which school has been in session. Excessive absenteeism includes excessive tardiness.

Related Resources and Supportive Services

Resources and supportive services are available to students with attendance problems and their parents/guardians, including consultation with school personnel and referral to community agencies as appropriate.

Early Dismissal/Late Arrival

Students who arrive after 9:05 must report to the office for a pass before going to class.

A request to have a child dismissed early should be sent in writing with the child on the morning of the early dismissal. Parents must come to the school office to meet their child. Office staff will send for the child as you sign him/her out for dismissal. A child will be released only to his/her parent/guardian unless other arrangements have been made.

Dismissal Plans

Please make every effort to clearly communicate to your child AND in writing to your child’s teacher any changes in your child’s standard dismissal plan PRIOR to the start of the school day. We want to avoid the confusion and anxiety that often results when a student is uncertain of his/her plan for returning home.

In the event that a situation occurs that necessitates a dismissal change after your child has arrived at school, call the main office (428-7200) to explain and authorize the change. Without a request (preferably in writing) from the parent/guardian, we will not dismiss a child to another person. The safety implications are obvious. It is imperative that parents/guardians are diligent in arranging dismissal plans in advance and informing school staff.

Make-Up Work

If a student misses one or two days of school, he/she will receive make-up work upon return to school and an appropriate due date will be determined. For extended emergencies/illness, a parent may call the office on the morning of the third day of absence to request make-up work. The following morning, make-up work will be available for parent pick-up in the main office. If the extended illness results in an absence of more than two weeks, the student may be eligible for homebound tutoring. In this event, please contact the school office for detailed information.

Vacations

Every effort should be made to schedule vacations that do not conflict with school attendance. Due to the dynamic nature of the teaching/learning process, lesson plans and classroom focus may shift; therefore, assignments cannot accurately be determined in advance.Upon return to school, students will receive make-up work and an appropriate due date.

Nurse Availability

A health aide and/or nurse will be available on a daily basis. If a student becomes ill in school he/she will be sent to the nurse’s office. The nurse or health aide will determine a course of action and contact parents/guardians as appropriate.

Procedures Regarding Illness or Accidents

1. Immediate first aid will be administered as needed.
2. A parent/guardian will be contacted.
3. The school nurse, if off-site at the time, may be summoned (depending on severity).
4. The family physician will be contacted if the parents/guardians are unavailable.
5. The local emergency hospital will be contacted or 911 will be called in the event that neither parents/guardians nor physician can be reached.

If an illness determined to be a contagious disease, a physician’s note will be required upon readmission to school.

Medication Policy

In the event that your child needs to take doctor prescribed medication during school hours, you will have the option of (1) having district personnel administer the medication, or (2) requesting that your child be allowed to self-administer.

School personnel may administer prescribed medication during regular school hours, contingent upon the following regulations:

1. The student’s physician must provide written orders to the school specifying the student’s name, the medication, the purpose of the medication, the correct dosage, the time the medication is to be administered, any side effects and an emergency number where the physician can be reached.
2. The student’s parent or guardian must request in writing that the school district comply with the physician’s orders.
3. The medication must be brought to the school office in a pharmaceutical container labeled with the student’s name, name of the medication, the dosage and all pertinent instructions. A maximum of one-week supply of medication may be sent to school at any one time. The container should be sent to the school at the beginning of each week. The empty container will be sent home with the student at the end of each week.

The student’s parent or guardian must renew written orders for continuing medication at the beginning of each school year, whenever the medication or dosage is changed, or as requested by the school nurse.

The following procedures apply when a parent/guardian chooses to have his/her child self-administer medication.

1. The responsibility for administering medication rests with the student’s parents/guardians.
2. Parents are requested to inform the school in writing that their child will be self-administering mediation, indicating the type of medication and the time it will be self-administered.
3. A one-day dosage of the medication may be sent to school in a labeled pharmaceutical container.
4. The medication will remain in the possession of the child at all times.
5. The child will be responsible for taking the medication at the prescribed time.
6. The classroom teacher will give the child the opportunity to take the medication.
7. There will be no monitoring or other involvement by school personnel concerning the self-administration of medication.

Insurance

Optional student insurance is available for purchase through the school office.

Withdrawal/Transfer From School

Please notify the office as soon as you know that your child will be withdrawing from school. The office will request the following information in writing: the student’s last day of attendance, the student’s new home address, and the name and address of the student’s new school.

A student transfer form, immunization records and the current physical exam are given to the parent to deliver to the new school. Upon receipt of a request for records from the new school, the office staff will send the student’s academic and health records.

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Behavior Expectations

The underpinning of our approach to behavior management at the individual, classroom and building level is respect. All expectations build on the premise that respect for oneself, other individuals and property is key to establishing a safe, positive school climate.

Our school-wide focus is on positive behavior. We continually promote positive behavior by recognizing respectful and appropriate choices. A variety of building-wide and individual classroom recognitions are in place.

We believe and expect that Welch students will behave appropriately at school. It is unacceptable for individuals to disrupt teaching and learning. Our goal is to provide an optimal learning environment for all students.

Tiger Paws Applause Tickets

Students are given frequent opportunities to receive tickets called Tiger Paws Applause as they exhibit positive, respectful behavior throughout the building. Tickets are displayed in a prominent place at school as a means of celebrating positive behavior choices. Students also bring a duplicate ticket home.

Guest Book, Something to ROAR About!

If a staff member feels that a student deserves special recognition for a noteworthy accomplishment, the student is invited to the principal’s office to sign the guest book, Something to ROAR About! The principal will meet with the student, highlight the student’s success, and present the student with a certificate to bring home.

Classroom Expectations

Each teacher designs and implements a classroom management plan that is grade level appropriate as well as supportive of and complementary to building wide expectations. Your child’s teacher will share his/her classroom management plan with parents/guardians early in the school year.

Hallway Behavior

In order to maintain a safe and respectful learning environment, students need to walk in the hallways. A student will carry a pass whenever he/she leaves the classroom.

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Programs & Schedules

Art/Music/Physical Education

Each student will receive instruction in the following special areas:

Grades 1-5:

Kindergarten:

P.E. Clothes

It is recommended (but not required) that all children (except kindergartners) have a separate pair of gym shoes to leave at school for P.E. use only. Additionally, it is advisable for each student to keep an extra jacket or sweatshirt at school.

P.E. Participation

In the event your child is recovering from illness or you have concerns regarding P.E. participation, you may request (in writing) that he/she not participate in P.E. for up to 3 days. After the third day, a doctor’s note is required for exclusion.

Library Media Center (LMC)

The LMC is integral to full exploration of the curriculum and to the development of lifelong learners. Students will receive direct instruction regarding the effective use of the LMC and computer lab. Ample opportunities are provided for students to practice and apply their skills and explore materials and media.

Lunch/Recess

Students will have a thirty-five minute lunch/recess each day. Students need to bring their own lunches, except on Welch PTA hot lunch days. Hot lunches will be served on Mondays. PTA volunteers will distribute specific dates, menus and ordering information at the start of the school year. Milk is available and is paid for on a yearly basis. Milk can be ordered during registration or through the main office.

Lunch Schedule

Forgotten Lunches

We encourage parents/guardians to help students remember their lunches each morning as they leave for school. Calls home regarding forgotten lunches and the delivery of lunches can be disruptive. In the event that a child forgets his/her lunch, he/she will be permitted to call home. Parents/guardians who deliver forgotten lunches should bring them to the greeter stand in the main entryway. Lunches should be well labeled. Lunches will be delivered directly to the lunchroom and placed in a designated area known to students. Lunch supervisors will help remind students to check for their lunch as they enter the lunchroom. Students will not be called out of class to pick up forgotten lunches.

Playground Guidelines During Recess

Please make sure that your child comes to school each day with appropriate outerwear. During the winter months, students need warm coats, hats, mittens and boots. Students participate in and benefit from a short recess after lunch each day, unless the weather is extreme.

Teachers and recess supervisors will review expectations for safe and respectful behavior with all students on a regular basis. Consequences will be outlined and enforced for any student who acts unsafely or disrespectfully during recess.

Students are instructed to stay away from fences and private property adjacent to school grounds. If a ball or other item leaves school property, students should inform a supervisor. Under no circumstances should a child leave designated school boundaries to retrieve an item.

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Extra-Curriculuar Activities

Chorus

Chorus practice is held each Wednesday morning from 7:50 – 8:50. Welch 4th and 5th grade students are eligible to participate in chorus. In addition to Wednesday morning rehearsal sessions, Welch chorus performs throughout the year at various school events.

Band and Orchestra

Fifth grade students are eligible to participate in the band or orchestra program. Specific information regarding these programs, including rehearsal and lesson schedules, will be available early in the school year.

Intramural activities will be offered at various times throughout the year. Opportunities will be described, as they become available. Ongoing activities will include band, orchestra, and chorus. Specific information regarding extra-curricular activities will be sent home with children in grade levels eligible to participate.

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Parent Involvement & Student Progress

Contacting Welch Staff

This handbook includes a staff roster that is current at the time of printing with Welch room and phone numbers. Each Welch staff member has phone/voicemail access and a district email address. We encourage and promote communication between home and school.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Dates for parent/teacher conferences are listed on the Events Calendar in this handbook. Parents/guardians will have an opportunity to sign up for a November conference during Curriculum Night on September 14. Please plan to schedule and attend a conference with your child’s teacher.

Homework

Welch staff supports the homework policy that is described in the District Parent-Student Handbook. Homework at each grade level is age appropriate (in terms of content and completion time) and relevant to the curriculum. Clearly, parent support is essential in the formation of positive study habits and the timely completion of assignments. Your child’s teacher will describe the grade level homework policies early in the school year.

Progress Reporting

Report cards are distributed four times (quarterly) during the course of the academic year. Progress reports may be issued at the midpoint of each quarter, depending on grade level policy and individual student progress. Teachers will explain specific grading and reporting policies early in the school year. Parents will be informed of significant concerns or changes in student performance in a timely manner. Parents are encouraged to monitor their student’s progress and contact the appropriate teacher with any questions or concerns.

Volunteerism

Parent volunteers are a tremendous asset to our school. Teachers will describe options for classroom volunteers during Curriculum Night. Your active participation in our school is welcome and appreciated.

PTA Participation

Many opportunities for involvement are available through the PTA and its many student-centered programs.

The Welch School PTA, an affiliate of both the Illinois and National PTAs, seeks parent membership and support in many projects, events and activities throughout the year. There will be a PTA representative at Curriculum Night. Please visit the PTA table in order to join PTA, and learn about specific opportunities for volunteers. Welch School is also represented on the District #204 Indian Prairie Parents Council (IPPC) which works toward the betterment of the entire school district. Staff and students are appreciative of the outstanding Welch PTA!

PTA Newsletter

The Welch PTA newsletter, White Tiger Tales, is published monthly.Each issue features updates regarding curricular and extra-curricular activities. Enjoy reading about and discussing school activities with your family.

Welch Spirit Days

The first Wednesday of each month has been designated as Welch White Tiger Wednesday. On these days we encourage staff and students to dress in our school colors – white, gray, and emerald green. Please know that special clothing need not be purchased. Wearing a white, gray, or green item of clothing is one way to show Welch White Tiger spirit, and celebrate being a member of a GREAT school community. Welch White Tiger Wednesdays begin with chorus members singing our school song during morning announcements. In addition, PTA volunteers provide popcorn for each student.

Parties

Currently the Welch PTA and room parents sponsor three parties during the school year (Halloween, Winter Holiday and Valentines Day).

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Additional Policies & Information

Birthdays

A student’s birthday is considered a special day. Each classroom celebrates birthdays in a manner that is grade level appropriate. (In the event of a summer birthday, a half birthday may be recognized.) Each teacher will share information with parents early in the school year regarding birthday celebrations. Any plans that you may have for recognizing your child’s birthday in class should be discussed in advance with your child’s teacher. Parents considering an alternative to treats may want to purchase a book for the LMC in honor their child’s birthday. Please talk to the LMC staff for suggestions and details.

Under no circumstances should party invitations be brought to school for distribution.

Book Fines

Students who lose or misuse textbooks or library books will be charged an additional graduated fee based on the purchase date of the book. Reasonable wear is expected; however, fines will be imposed for excessive wear or damage.

Lost and Found

Please clearly label your child’s clothing and other articles (including lunch boxes) with his/her full name. Remind your child to check the office (for small and/or expensive items such as glasses and watches) and multi-purpose room (for items such as lunch boxes and clothing). Feel free to come in to look for missing items at anytime.

Money

Money for hot lunch, field trips, book orders, etc., must be sealed in an envelope marked with the child’s name, teacher’s name, and reason for/amount of money enclosed. Please do not allow your child to bring money to school unless the amount and purpose is specified and enclosed in an envelope.

Pets

Please consider keeping pets off of school grounds when children are present. Caution and courtesy should be exercised when pets are on school grounds. Dogs must be leashed and firmly controlled by their owners. Please maintain a safe distance between your pet and exiting/entering students.

Parents should not allow pets to visit classrooms due to possible allergic reactions and other potential risks. Exceptions may be made for small, caged pets. Please discuss specific requests with your child’s teacher.

Telephone Availability

Only messages (from parents) of an important nature will be given to students during the school day. There is a pay telephone located near the west entrance for after school use.

Valuable Possessions

Parents should not allow students to bring money (except as designated above), cameras, or expensive or precious objects and toys to school. The school is NOT responsible for articles that are lost or stolen.

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