SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

                         A goal of the North Attleboro Public Schools is to provide a safe, healthy, and structured environment conducive to learning.  To accomplish this goal, all members of the school community, parents, teachers, students, and other adults must treat each other fairly and respectfully.  Aggressive or abusive behaviors will not be tolerated.

                         Harmful teasing and bullying are examples of behaviors that hurt another's feelings.  Often, words are just as harmful as physical actions.  Threatening comments, even made in a joking manner, must be taken seriously.  Students who become aware of any threat made to a person or to the school must not withhold that information.  It is every citizen's responsibility to share the information with the proper school, police, and/or fire officials.

                        Any student actions or behaviors that can be considered as harmful teasing, bullying, harassing, or threatening will result in immediate and possible serious disciplinary action that is consistent with the North Attleboro Public Schools' Disciplinary Code.   On a case by case basis, the principal will follow the due process procedure which includes notification of parents.  In cases that warrant it, the North Attleborough Police will be contacted.

                         If you have any concerns regarding the safety or welfare of any child, please contact the principal.  Confidentiality will be respected.

When school is canceled, announcements will be made by the sounding of three double blasts of 2-2-2- on the fire station horn, or radio stations WBZ (1030AM), WPRO (630AM), WSNE (93.3FM), and television stations WJAR (channel 10), WCVB (channel 5).

Occasionally, school is delayed for one hour. The delay will be announced instead of a cancellation. Also, a sign will be posted in the loop at 8:00 a.m.

You should decide whether your child should go to school on a stormy day. Please call the school secretary to inform her that your child won't be in because of the conditions. Please call between 8:15 and 9:15.

FOR YOUR CHILD’S PROTECTION, THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES WILL BE FOLLOWED:

Please write a note informing us of the dismissal time. Your child will be dismissed only from the Principal’s Office after the parent, guardian, or designated and properly identified individual signs him/her out.

No child will be dismissed unless picked up by a parent at the office.   We are not permitted to allow children to walk home alone during school hours.

Please do not become alarmed or irritated if the office staff asks you for identification. This will occur until we get to know you. If a neighbor or relative unfamiliar to us is sent to pick up your child, please inform the person of our dismissal procedures. In some cases, we’ll call the parent for verification.

No child will be dismissed unless picked up by a parent at the office. We are not permitted to allow children to walk home alone during school hours.

When any child is late for school, he/she should report in at the office before going to class.

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YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH

Dr. Daniel Brown serves in an advisory capacity.

A medical record is kept for each child from kindergarten through high school.

Periodic physical examinations are given by the school physician. You will be notified when these occur and have the option of having your own physician examine your child.

Vision and hearing screening test are given each year. You will be notified of any possible problems.

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                                                                Our school nurse is generally assigned to our school building during school hours.  You’ll be notified of any changes to her schedule.

                          If the nurse is called out of the building, often the principal or school secretary will attempt to determine the severity of the child’s illness or injury.  If we feel we should contact a school nurse, we will; or, we will contact you if we feel the child is too sick to return to class.

                      In case of accidents, we will contact the school nurse and the parent.  Please make sure a phone number where you can be reached is on the emergency card.  Please also include a number for your nearest relative/friend.

                Our dismissal policy states that a parent, relative/guardian must pick up the child at the office.  We will not allow a sick child to walk home during the school day.

 

School District policy requires that the following forms must be on file in your child’s health record before we give any medicine at school. Please note that this includes both prescribed and over-the-counter medication (i.e., Advil, Tylenol, cough medicine), with the exception of cough drops which will need a note of parental request and can only be given by the school nurse.

        1.  A completed Physician's Authorization Form

        2.  A completed Parental Request for Administration of Medical Form

All medication must be delivered to the school in a pharmacy or manufacturer’s labeled container by the parent or responsible person you designate. No more than a 30-day supply of medicine should be delivered to the school.

Asthmatics or children with severe bee sting reactions whose reactions require them to have inhalers or Pi-pens readily available need parental permission to have them. All medications will be stored in the office.

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On the first day of school, your child will bring home two emergency cards. Please make sure they are filled out completely and accurately. Please return them the next day. It is very important that we have a number where we can contact you in case of emergency. The office should be informed of any changes to your emergency information.

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Your child may bring or buy his/her lunch. If your child brings his lunch, please make sure it is in a bag or box. Please do not send or allow your child to bring breakable drink containers. Milk can be purchased for $.45. Kindergarten milk is $.40.

Hot lunch may be purchased for $2.00. A lunch ticket may also be purchased for $20.00 in the office (11 lunches, check payable to School Lunch Program). A menu will be posted in your child's classroom.  A menu may also be obtained in the office.

Ice cream and snacks can be purchased. Prices vary.

Grades 1-3 have lunch from 11:40 to 12:00. Grades 4-5 have lunch from 12:20 to 12:40.  Students are required to finish their lunch before proceeding to the playground.

Effective in September 2003, there will be a "peanut-free/food allergy free" table in the cafeteria reserved for students with severe food allergies.  Any special precautions or procedures will be shared in writing with all grade 1-5 parents.

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Our recess policy has been that the children go outside for recess unless the temperature and/or playground conditions do not permit it. Please see that your children are dressed properly. A winter coat, hat, gloves, and boots, when necessary, are suggested. Slacks are suggested for the girls. Sneakers and rubber-soled shoes are suggested.  Sandals, "flip-flops", etc. are not conducive to running, jumping, etc. 

If your child walks or you drive him/her to school, please plan the arrival as close to 8:15 as possible. Although a teacher is on duty at 8:05, please remember that the entrance bell does not ring until 8:20. Arriving at 8:15 will prevent anyone from being outside for the full fifteen-minute period.

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At the close of school, please don’t park in the loop so that the school buses can pick up the children safely. Please refer to the separate notice regarding parking and dismissal procedures.

Please adhere to the parking signs posted near the school and the No Parking areas in the loop itself. Please don’t block our neighbors’ driveways. Also note that parking on the "non-school" side of Roosevelt Avenue is prohibited.

Please do not drive, under any circumstances, into the playground areas in the rear of the building or park in the driveways leading to them.

Please follow the flow of traffic. The loop is one-way.

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Bus transportation is a privilege granted to those children who are eligible for bus transportation. Any student’s privilege to ride the bus may be withdrawn for a designated period with or without parent notice. This would only be done if the child were not acting properly. We will make every effort to inform you of any problems.

Your child will be required to ride the bus unless the parent has called or a note is sent from home.

A detailed list of bus rules is attached.

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With parent permission, students in grades 4-5 may ride their bicycles to school from September to the first significant snowfall and from April to the close of school. After their Bike Safety Unit in late May/early June, third graders may also ride their bikes.  Please provide a lock and chain so the bike can be secured to the bike racks located in the front of the building. Please inspect the condition of the bike and review safety and traffic rules with your child. For your child’s safety, please discourage your child from riding a skateboard, scooter or roller blades to school. If you allow your child to use a skateboard or scooter, it must be noted that once the child is on school grounds, he/she must carry it and not ride it. Roller blades are to be removed when the student reaches the school grounds.

It is also strongly recommended that those students riding bicycles, skateboards, or rollerblades wear helmets. Please remember that, by law, helmets are required for children under 12 years of age.

Mini motorbikes will only be allowed on North Attleboro School Department property when operated by drivers who are 16 years of age or older and in possession of a valid driver's license.  Drivers who meet that criteria will be required to follow the rules of the road, such as staying off sidewalks and bicycle paths, driving on the proper side of the road, and using turn signals.  A student who chooses to drive a mini motorbike will not be allowed to bring the vehicle into the school building.

Motorized skateboards and powerboards may not be operated on North Attleboro School Department property.  A child who chooses to ride one of those vehicles to school must stop the vehicle prior to entering school property.  The student may then carry the vehicle to the school, but the vehicle must remain outside of the school building.  Upon dismissal from school, the student must then carry the vehicle until off school property.

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Please make every effort to keep your dog away from the school. If it is bothering the children, we will try to contact you. If we are forced to call the Dog Officer, we will in order to protect the safety of the children.

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Your child’s class will visit the school library, staffed by parent volunteers. Each week, he/she will be allowed to take out books provided the previously borrowed book has been returned. Students will be expected to pay for any damaged or lost books.

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If your child loses or damages a school book, you will be asked to help reimburse the school to cover the cost of a replacement.

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Please discourage your child from bringing in large amounts of money or valuable toys or games. Musical equipment such as radios or headsets are not allowed in school. The school cannot be responsible for such valuable items.

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Liability insurance is offered through a private company for a fee. It will insure your child against any accidents going to and from school, at school, or while involved in a school activity. Information will be sent home in September. In case of a claim, forms can be obtained at the office.

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Individual and class pictures are taken by a private firm. They are usually taken in the early fall, and you will be notified in advance.

 

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Students at the elementary level participate in music, art, health, and physical education classes weekly. Please make sure your child wears sneakers on the physical education days. Students in Grade 4 and 5 will participate in chorus.

DOORS

All secondary exit doors are locked and entrance to the building is not possible through these doors.  Only the front main entrance doors are open during school hours.  Children disembarking from the school buses or from private vehicles must use the main entrance doors. All parents and visitors must report to the office immediately upon arrival.

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Primary Wing – Grade 1-3 walkers are dismissed via the rear exit door near the Nurse's Office door at 2:39 p.m.  P.M. Kindergartners are dismissed at approximately 2:37 P.M. via this rear exit door also.

Intermediate Wing – Grade 4-5 walkers are dismissed via the rear exit doors near Rooms 7 and 8 at 2:39 p.m.

Bus Students – All bus students are dismissed via the front main doors at 2:44 p.m.

If you are picking up your child at dismissal and wish to wait in the building, please wait near the All-Purpose Room or in the lobby. Please do not wait outside your child’s classroom door.

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Should an emergency or disaster situation ever arise in our area while school is in session, all North Attleborough Public Schools have made preparations to respond effectively to such situations.

With the assistance of the North Attleboro Police and Fire Departments, plans have been formulated to respond to various emergency situations.  While the schools have had fire and bomb threat procedures in place for many years, school and system responses to other situations such as severe weather, hazardous materials accidents, gas leaks, intruders, etc. have been devised.

Reponses to the various situations vary, but the students will either evacuate the building or they will shelter in place.   Some circumstances will call for relocation of the students to another building.

Beginning this school year, all scenarios will be discussed and practiced with the students.  This will be accomplished in a low key, business-like, age appropriate manner without alarming the students.

Each faculty member in every school has an Emergency Procedures Guide and it has been reviewed carefully.  Every attempt to be ready for various emergency situations will be made but, of course, we hope never to use any of them.

Some situations will dictate that the students need to remain at school (at least temporarily), while others will allow parents to dismiss their children to take home. Our regular dismissal procedures will be used.   A parent, guardian, or other adult listed on the emergency card will sign out the child in the office.

In the event of any emergency response, a sign will be posted in the front window in the lobby designating the nature of the response.  If we need to relocate to another building, the sign will indicate the relocation site.  The Amvet and Community Schools are nearby relocation sites, while the Middle School and High School are the more distant sites.

If you care to examine the Emergency Procedure Guide, please come to the school's office and you may review the office copy.   If you have any questions or concerns, please call Mr. Ventura.

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CELL PHONES

Parents are asked to please refrain from using cell phones in or near the school's instructional areas.  Please use the cell phone's inaudible ringer anytime you are visiting a classroom, attending a conference, etc.  Please go to the lobby or step outside to make or receive emergency or very important calls.  Students are not allowed to have or use cell phones, walkie-talkies, or other radio devices on school grounds.

MCAS

All students of the North Attleboro Public Schools participate in the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System.  Students from grade 3 to grade 10 are tested in specific areas.  You may obtain information from the Department of Education website: www.doe.edu/mcas/cal.htm  Information for specific grade levels is shared with parents as the school year progresses.

Parent/Adult Volunteers and Chaperones/Criminal Record Checks

Massachusetts State Law, Chapter 385, requires a criminal record check for all School Department new applicants, current employees, and any parent/adult volunteer.  Therefore, a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) Request Form must be completed and submitted to the Criminal Record History System Board for any parent/adult who wants to volunteer in the schools or act as a field trip chaperone.  The process must also be renewed every three years.  Forms are made available in the First Day Information Packet and are also available in the school's office or at the  Human Resources Office at the John Woodcock  Administration Building.  Please return the forms to the school's office immediately upon completion.  The forms are then forwarded to the Director of Human Resources.

SNACKS

During mid-morning the students are given an opportunity to have a snack.  In grades 1-3 in the primary wing, the students have snack time at their desks in their classrooms.  In grades 4 and 5 in the intermediate wing, students have their snacks at 10:30.  During an inside recess, the students have snacks at their desks.  During an outside recess, the students may eat the snack only in a specific snack area and will not be able to play until they have finished their snack.

Consumption of food, candy, and drinks is not allowed on the playground (except for grade 4 and 5 snacks in the snack area)   and especially during play.  Effective September of 2003, the students are not allowed to bring any food, candy , snacks, or drinks from the cafeteria to eat or finish on the playground.  On the grade 4 and 5 playground, leftover food or drink may be placed in the lunch bags or lunchboxes that will be brought home at the end of the day. 

The grade 1-5 classroom teachers may provide more class-specific information regarding snack procedures at the annual Parent Open House in September.  Our kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Sullivan, always provides kindergarten parents with information about snacks in the kindergarten classroom.  The following list represents our general suggestions:

1.  Snacks should be of a small quantity that can be finished in a short amount of time.  Large bags of snacks should not be brought into school. 

2.  Nutritious snacks are suggested. 

3.  Plastic bottles (no glass) please.  

4.  Snacks should not be shared.   

5.  Unfinished snacks should be disposed of or placed in the lunchbox to be brought home.

Please note that there is an increasing  possibility that a child with a severe allergy may be a member of your child's class.  It may be necessary to implement various snack precautions to help prevent serious health matters.  The situations will be handled on a case-by-case basis, and parents will be informed in writing of the special measures needed.  If you have any questions, please contact the school nurse.

 

 

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