Booth Hill School 2025 - 2026

Full Day -- 9:00 AM --3:45 PM

Early Dismissal -- 9:00 AM -- 1:50 PM (2-hour); 9:00 - 12:50 (3-hour)

Delayed Opening --11:00 AM -- 3:45 PM (2 hour delay), 12:00 PM --3:45 (3 hour delay)

Students who arrive at school after 9:00 will be marked tardy (unless arriving via Shelton School Transportation).

Studies show that students who have the support of their parents and families have greater academic success, a more positive attitude, and enhanced social skills.

• Make sure your children are in school on time every day, and make it clear that school attendance is not optional.
• Show interest in your children's education by asking what they are learning in school. Your words and actions show them that education is very important.
• Encourage your child to complete homework and classwork to the best of their ability. Let them know that you are always available to help, and encourage them to aske the teacher whenever they need help.
• Stay informed. Attend Back-to-School Night, parent conferences, read the Bulldog Bulletin weekly, and attend PTO events.

You don't have to be a super hero to be engages and involved; it's the little, everyday things that are the most important!

• Set aside time regularly to spend with your child, doing things that you both enjoy. Use this time to connect and bond.
• Maintain open communication with your child. Encourage them to express themselves, and listen to their thoughts, concerns, and feelings without judging.
• Be present mentally and physically. Put down the phone and give them your full attention.
• Set clear, age-appropriate boundaries and enforce them consistently. Explain the reasons for your rules to your children.
• Show responsible online behavior by finding websites that relate to your child's interests and hobbies, and show them some of yours. Keep online activity in a public area, and be attentive to your child's online activity.
• Celebrate your child's achievements, big and small!

Establishing a homework routine will help your child be successful now and set them up for future success.

• Every night should have a quiet reading time of at least 20 minutes.
• Make homework a daily part of your child's after-school routine.
• Show your child how to organize and prioritize assignments. Ask them what needs to be done and help them to develop a homework plan.
• Make homework time a quiet time in your home away from the computer, phones, TV, and other distractions.
• If needed, break assignments into smaller, more manageable chunks.
• If your child rushes through assignments just to get it done, insist that you review it together. Have them correct and revisit anything that is incorrect or illegible.

Once homework is done, be sure to spend some time with your child doing something together that you can both enjoy. The most important lesson to teach your child is that they are important to you.

BOE policy requires that parents inform the school when a student will be absent. Please call 203-929-5625 to leave a message or email Mrs. Vetro cvetro@sheltonpublicschools.org, csavino@sheltonpublicschools.org AND the homeroom teacher.

Please give child's name, grade, homeroom teacher and reason for absence. Please be specific. A call will go out to the parents/guardians of any student who is marked absent without any prior notice. Students who are absent without any notification will be marked as "unexcused".

Students are expected to attend school each day school is in session for the entire day. Students arriving after 9:00 will be marked as tardy, unless on a bus. Being late to school is disruptive for all in the classroom. Please have your child to school on time each day. Students have 9 excused absences allotted to them. After the 9th absence, all absences are considered unexcused unless accompanied by a doctor's note.

Students who miss school due to family vacations will not have any work sent with them ahead of time. All work will be made up upon return to school.

​ATTENDANCE AND DISMISSAL PROCEDURES:

If your child will be absent:

• Call 203-929-5625 (preferred) OR
• Email (all three) cvetro@sheltonpublicschools.org, csavino@sheltonpublicschools.org as well as the homeroom teacher

If your child is tardy: 9:01 AM is tardy!

• Walk your child to the main entrance and sign them in on the form in the vestibule.
• If you had a medical appointment, please ask for a note from the doctor/dentist and hand it in.
• Your child will be given a late pass to give to the teacher.

If you are picking your child up early OR changing their dismissal procedure for the day:

• Send in a signed note with the details, OR use the form below.
• Call 203-929-5625 by 1:00 with the specific details of the change. You will be asked to confirm with an email.
• ONLY contacts in IC are approved for pickup, and all must have photo ID.

CHANGES IN DISMISSAL PROCEDURES SHOULD BE PUT IN WRITING TO THE HOMEROOM TEACHER IN THE MORNING. TO AVOID CONFUSION AT THE END OF THE DAY, PLEASE SUBMIT ANY CHANGES IN WRITING TO THE SECRETARIES BEFORE 1:00 PM.

Make up work procedures for vacations -- For planned absences, such as vacation during the school year, teachers are NOT required to provide students or their families with advance work or assignments. It is the student's and/or family's responsibility to get and complete the work upon returning to school. Taking time from school to go on a vacation poses a risk to your child's academic growth. Families and students must understand that when school is missed due to vacations, it is not the responsibility of the school staff to provide remedial instruction for missed assignments. Before making such plans, please consider the importance of your child receiving instruction in class by their teacher.

There may be days due to weather that school is unexpectedly dismissed early. Notifications will be posted on the Shelton Public Schools website (www.sheltonpublicschools.org) as well as communication through social media. Please be sure to have alternate transportation arrangements made. See the Shelton Public School System (SPSS) calendar to view the plan for making up weather cancellations.

Delayed openings will be communicated through the SPSS website and various news outlets.

The Principal will determine when the weather is too warm or cold for outside recess; always send your child prepared to spend recess outside with appropriate outerwear.

• Students may not reenter the building after dismissal to pick up forgotten items.
• Student cell phones must remain in backpacks and turned off during school hours.
• Students should not use smart watches to text during school hours.
• Please send your child to school daily with a refillable water bottle and snack.
• Be sure to label all student items including jackets, sweatshirts, water bottles, and lunch boxes.
• Items not claimed from Lost and Found by the last day of school will be packed and donated to charity.

Birthdays are a special day for students and will be recognized during morning announcements. Celebrations of birthdays should not disrupt the school day or endanger any student with food allergies. Please see the guidelines below.

Parents should communicate outside birthday party invitations directly with parents. Teachers will only distribute invitations when an:

A. an entire class is invited, OR

B. all of the boys or all of the girls are invited so that teachers are not put in the position of answering why some are invited and not others.

BHS will not share personal contact information; the PTO may compile a list of class email contacts (that parents can opt out of if they wish) to share with the class.

Bus transportation is provided for all students. Bus route information will be posted at http://www.sheltonpublicschools.org/transportation before the beginning of the school year. Appropriate behavior is expected at all times on the bus. Failure to follow expectations may result in a bus report and possible bus suspension.

Students are expected to ride their assigned bus each day (or be picked up at dismissal by a family member). All requests for bus changes should be made to the Shelton Student Transportation Service at 203-922-1311. Booth Hill School cannot make bus changes. Changes to a student's dismissal plan should be submitted by 1:00 to avoid confusion or mixed messages.

Rear entrance doors will open at 8:45 and remain open until 8:59. All cars must use the side driveway. No cars may enter the bus loop during this time.

Cars will loop around the rear of the building in the playground area and children will exit on the right side of the vehicle near the upper wing recess door. Have your children unbuckled and ready to exit the car quickly on the right so that the process is not held up.

There is no place for parents to get out of their car in line. If you must, please park in front, walk your children to the main entrance and sign them in.

For safety reasons, only students are allowed to enter the building during morning drop off. All students are expected to be in their seats by 9:00 or are considered tardy (students who arrive on a SPSS school bus are NEVER marked tardy). If the drop off doors are closed, please drive around to the front of the school, park, walk your child to the main entrance, and sign the child in.

Dismissal begins at 3:45. Adults picking up students will park in the rear of the building after the playground rope is lowered for the safety of our students. Parents and siblings should not use the playground or walk around the fields, as students may have Physical Education or recess at this time.

If the student is leaving prior to 3:45, that change must be received in writing. Phone calls are permitted but must be followed up with an email to Mrs. Vetro and Mrs. Savino. Changes in dismissal must be submitted by 1:00 PM. All early dismissals must be completed by 3:40 at the office. Anyone arriving after 3:40 will pick up the student at 3:45 in the back of the building.

Any adult picking up a student MUST present a photo ID and must be listed as a parent, guardian, or emergency contact on Infinite Campus. Anyone not on IC will not be allowed to take the student home unless we have prior written consent.

All students are dismissed from the cafeteria.

When exiting, please be mindful of pedestrians crossing and all cars must yield to buses turning.

Using the playground after school is a great place for kids to play and connect.

However, please be aware that there is no staff supervision during these times. For safety reasons, children must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times if they are using the playground before or after school.

Please ensure students are dressed appropriately for the weather. Most rooms in the school are not air conditioned so it can get quite warm. For safety purposes, students should wear closed-toe shoes and must wear sneakers on Gym days (flip flops, crocs, and slides are not allowed in Gym class). Students should dress for playing outside in all temperatures and weather conditions (with the exception of rain/snow) all year long. Please label all coats, sweatshirts, etc., and notify the teacher immediately if you notice something did not come home.

The SPSS Student Dress Policy can be found below.

The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. Throughout the school year, we will conduct a variety of safety drills to ensure everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency.

Types of Drills Include:

• Fire Drills

• Lockdown Drills

• Shelter-in-Place Drills

• Evacuation Drills

At least one drill will be conducted each month. These drills are carefully planned and practiced in a calm, supportive manner to help students feel prepared-not scared.

Below are the links to Shelton Public Schools' updated Technology Agreements - Acceptable Technology Use Policy. Students in grades Pre-K - 4 are not issued devices for home use. Take time to read, become familiar with the Chromebook expectations and discuss with your child. The sign-off sheets will be sent home in the opening day packet. Return to school the following day. In-school damage to a Chromebook will result in a fine.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

BOOTH HILL SCHOOL IS A NUT-FREE SCHOOL DUE TO STUDENT ALLERGY CONCERNS.

A lost or destroyed lunch card will lead to a $15.00 replacement charge. Please encourage responsible use of student lunch cards--no bending, no biting, no breaking!

Lunch and breakfast are available each day for all students. Breakfast and lunch menus can be found in every Bulldog Bulletin. Students may also bring lunch from home. IMPORTANT: If you do NOT want your child purchasing meals or snacks from the cafeteria, email the school and we will put a notice on his or her account. Please check your child's account weekly and make sure it has money in it for the following week.

Breakfast $2.00

• Free with approved federal application

• All breakfast comes with juice or milk choice

Lunch $3.45

• Free with approved federal application

• All lunch comes with fruit, vegetable, and milk selection. A variety of fresh fruit and vegetable options are available daily.

Snacks may be offered later in the year for grades 1-4 at BHS, which must be paid for in full and do not qualify under free or reduced meals.

All families are asked to complete the free and reduced lunch forms that are sent home; some state and federal funding is determined by the percentage of students who qualify.

Safety drills such as fire drills, lockdown drills, shelter in place, and evacuations will take place at various times during the school year. At least one type of drill will be conducted monthly. Dismissal of individual students will not be allowed during these drills.

Students are NOT allowed to carry medications to and from school. All medications administered in school must be brought to school by an adult. They must be packaged in the original pharmacy container with the name of the student, doctor name, medication name and dosage. Medication must be accompanied by a signed authorization from the physician and parent/guardian with the time to be taken, reason and duration. Over the counter medications must follow the same procedure.

Medication policies and forms are below:

Before anyone can volunteer to work with students, we ask that you read and sign off on our volunteer guidelines, below. Before attending a field trip, the form below (Field Trip Volunteer Form) needs to be completed and turned into the Main Office at least 3 weeks prior to the trip for submission to our security team.

Volunteers should make appointments to work in a specific room at a specified time with the individual teacher. Volunteers should not arrive a the school unannounced. Volunteers are at the discretion of the teacher; parents will not always be allowed to volunteer in the own child's classroom. Parents should not wander the halls to "peek in" on their child.

There are many choices for parents who need child care before and after school:

Parents may make arrangements for a private daycare or family member to care for their children. In addition, students can be transported to and from The Hide Out at 49 Mohegan Road (203-929-0744) or the Boys and Girls Club clubhouse at 1 Positive Place (203-924-7462).

Before and After School Care is available here at BHS and is run by the Boy's and Girl's Club. Please contact Jen DeLeon at 203-924-9329 to answer any questions and to register your child. All communication, management, and payments are handled by the Boy's and Girl's Club, not BHS.

Dedication to Education Begins at Booth Hill School.

Email: DMARKS@SHELTONPUBLICSCHOOLS.ORG
Website: http://boothhill.sheltonpublicschools.org/home_page
Location: 544 Booth Hill Road, Shelton, CT, USA
Phone: (203) 929-5625

PTO Website: https://www.boothhillschoolpto.org/
PTO Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/517911611642322