FROM THE OFFICE

610-869-9803

Absence Guidelines / Attendance / Birthdays / Bringing Items to School / Bus Passes / Dress Code / Dropping Off Your Child / Early Pick Up / Lunch-Forgotten / Late Arrivals/ Pick up after school/ Safety / School Day / Toys / Visitors in Classrooms / Y Care

ABSENCE GUIDELINES

Students are responsible for submitting excuses on the day that they return to school. If a student has returned to school without bringing an absence excuse, s/he shall be granted three (3) days to submit it. The absence becomes unlawful or unexcused if no absence is submitted to the Attendance Office.

If your child will be absent for an educational trip, please refer to your child's handbook for the procedure regarding this type of absence.

ATTENDANCE

It is not necessary to call the school to report your child’s absence. Attendance is tracked using a computerized system. When a child is entered as absent, an automated dialer calls the home to confirm the absence. Even if you call to report your child’s absence, there is no way we can stop the dialer from calling you. This is a safety measure. The only time we request a call from the parent is if you believe your child is in school, and you receive a call saying that he/she is absent. Under those circumstances, we then check to verify the presence or absence of the child. If your child was signed in late, it is possible that you might receive a call because the dialer activated before the absence was changed to tardy.

BIRTHDAYS

Birthdays may be celebrated with a simple healthy treat, during a time designated by the classroom teacher. We may not host birthday parties in school. Please arrange with the classroom teacher the time and date that you will drop off a treat, in the office, for your child’s class. Do not send party invitations to school for the teacher to distribute.

BRINGING ITEMS TO SCHOOL

When bringing your child in to school or bringing items in for your child or child’s classroom, please remember to stop in the office. Parents and other visitors are reminded that they may not go to the classroom for any reason unless you are expected by the teacher to be the classroom volunteer that day. This is for your child’s safety. Thank you for your cooperation.

BUS PASSES

Please remember to make sure there is a note from both sets of parents when requesting a bus pass for your child (see page 5 of the student handbook.) We are finding that the office staff is having to make numerous calls to confirm the request , because parents are not sending in the required notes. Without both notes, there is a chance your child will be sent home on the bus. FOR SECURITY PURPOSES WE CANNOT ACCEPT TELEPHONED OR FAXED REQUESTS

When sending in a bus pass request, please send separate notes for each day your child is to follow a different dismissal procedure. If you send one note to cover multiple dates, we cannot guarantee that your child will be given a pass for more than one day. Also, please do not send a bus pass request prior to the day the pass is needed. This is for the childrens’ safety. Thank you for your cooperation.

DRESS CODE

DROPPING OFF YOUR CHILD/ARRIVAL:

EARLY PICK UP PROCEDURE

When writing a note to pick your child up early, please do not ask the teacher to have him/her waiting in the office for you. There may be circumstances that prohibit you from being at the school at the scheduled time, therefore causing the student to miss instructional time. The office staff will call the classroom to have your child sent down as soon as you arrive. Thank you.

LATE ARRIVALS

When bringing your child in late, it is very important that you come into the school office and sign him/her in, and see that the child is issued a late pass. Please do not drop the child off at the door and expect the office staff to sign your child in for you as this creates a backlog in the office and even further delays the child getting to class. Children arriving after 8:30 AM, or 12:30 PM for afternoon kindergarten, are considered tardy.

LUNCH - FORGOTTEN

Children who forget their lunch/lunch money in their classroom will not be allowed to return to the classroom to get it. They will have to charge their lunch in the cafeteria, even if they have a packed lunch. The amount charged will have to be repaid to the cafeteria. Teachers have their planning period, meetings, etc. while the children are at lunch and the children may not go to an empty classroom. This is for their safety.

PICK UP AFTER SCHOOL

It is very important that you give your child a written note each day that he/she will not be riding the bus home. The note serves as their “ticket” to be picked up or to go to another area of the building at dismissal time.

SAFETY

Sneakers with wheels are not permitted at school for safety reasons.

THE SCHOOL DAY

Doors are open at 8:10 AM. No student will be admitted to the school prior to that time, as there is no supervison. EXCEPTION: Those students registered in the YMCA Before School Program. Those doors open at 7:00 AM in the cafeteria. The school day begins at 8:30AM. If your child arrives after that time, he/she must be signed in by a parent at the main office. PM Kindergarten classes are admitted after 12:15 PM,with class beginning at 12:30 PM. WHEN DROPPING OFF OR PICKING UP STUDENTS, PARENTS MUST COME TO THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING. FOR THE SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN THERE ARE TO BE NO CARS IN THE REAR OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING.

TOYS

ALL toys and/or electronic games should be left at home. The school will not be responsible for these items should they be lost, broken or stolen. Please refer to your student handbook for the official policy.

VISITORS IN CLASSROOMS

Parents and other visitors are not permitted to go to classrooms at any time unless they have an appointment with the teacher and/or they have an appointment with the teachers and/or are scheduled to volunteer. This is for the safety of the children and to be sure that confidentiality issues are not violated. All visitors are reminded to sign in at the main office.

Y-CARE

If your child attends after school Y Care at PLE and will not be attending on any given day, it is important that you call the Y Care staff (610-869-7117). If your child is not at Y Care and you have not notified them, they must check with the PLE office to see if he/she is absent, was picked up, or received a bus pass. The end of the day is a hectic time, and the office staff will greatlyappreciate your cooperation with this matter.