Springmill STEM Elementary

Dear Springmill STEM Parents and Families,

Welcome back to another great year at Springmill STEM! Our staff has been hard at work getting the building reading for this school year. Our custodian Jen Vanderpool worked miracles this summer to make sure that the floors are clean, the furniture is safe, the rooms are set up, the walls are painted, and so much more.

Our staff has spent time this summer preparing amazing STEM activities for your children. These activities encourage your students to think creatively, persevere when things get hard, work together and communicate. They've worked with each other to build projects that include solving real-world problems in the community. I can't wait to see the work they do this year!

Please pay attention to the information below for some of the changes to the policies and procedures for this school year. We want to make sure everyone is prepared for a successful year from day 1.

Yours,

Principal Cara Will

PS - Note from the kindergarten staff - PLEASE write your child's name on ALL of their belongings!!!

Please note, school at Springmill STEM starts at 8:55am this year (not 9:00 as in the past).

Students that arrive after 8:55am will be tardy. As a reminder, in the state of Ohio, school attendance is counted in minutes and hours. Every minute a student is tardy counts toward their absences.

Parent Drop Off Begins at 8:35 AM and ends at 8:55 AM.

Parents must drop students off on Everett Lane in the car line:

1. Please stay in line until you are asked to pull forward by the staff. (do not pull around other cars unless you are asked to by a staff member)
2. Please only go in the direction that the other cars are going (North to South).
3. Kids need to exit the vehicle on the side of the car facing the school (not toward the road).
4. When you pull away, PLEASE BE CAREFUL AT THE STOP SIGN. We do have students walking to school this year and this is our crosswalk.

After 8:55 AM, please bring your child to the window in the front office to sign your student into school.

Parent Pick up Begins at 3:25 and ends at 3:45 PM.

Pick Up follows the same pattern as parent drop off.

1. Please pull all the way up to where the adult indicates.
2. Do not get out of your car, adults will help your child get into your car.
3. Do not pull out of the line when your child gets in the car. Wait until you are asked to pull forward.

After 3:45 PM, your child will be at the front of the building for pick up. If you are going to be later than 3:45 PM, please contact the office as soon as possible, because staff leave at 3:50pm.

Please send a note or call the office the morning of the change. We will not take the word of a child on how they are supposed to get home. We have to have a note from a parent or a phone call in the office from a parent.

CHANGES TO TRANSPORTATION ARRANGEMENTS MUST BE MADE BY 2:30 PM! Otherwise we cannot guarantee that we can make a change in the arrangements in time.

If someone other than a parent is coming to pick up your child, that person must be authorized in FinalForms and the MUST bring a photo ID. We will not release a child to anyone that is not listed as an authorized person or anyone that does not have an ID with them at the time of pickup. We realize this may be inconvenient, however, it is to ensure the safety of all of our children.

General Guidelines:

1. Clothing should not be too tight or too baggy.
2. Clothing should not be see-through and undergarments must be covered.
3. No Pajamas/sleepwear, costumes or swimwear (unless it is a special day)
4. Students are not permitted to wear outdoor coats or jackets in class. (light jackets are ok)

Shirts:

1. Must have sleeves, reach the top of pants, skirts or shorts, and must cover the midriff on all sides
2. Sleeveless shirts, shirts with spaghetti straps and muscle shirts are not permitted.
3. The neckline must not be lower than the collarbone.

1. Shorts, skirts and skorts must be no shorter than mid-thigh.
2. Students that wear leggings must have a top worn over the pants that reaches at least mid-thigh.
3. Cannot be excessively tight.

1. Closed toe shoes are required.
2. Shoes must have a back strap.
3. Crocs are strongly discouraged, but if worn, must be worn with the backstrap on the back of the foot.
4. Students must have athletic shoes for physical education class.

Accessories:

1. Hats/caps and other head coverings are not permitted in the building and must be kept in their bag or locker.
2. Students wearing a hoodie must keep the hood down while in the building or they will be asked to take the shirt off.

Over the summer the Mansfield City School Board updated policy 5136 regarding personal communication devices (formerly Cell Phone policy). The updated language states that students are not permitted to have or use any personal communication devices at school during the school day. This includes cell phones, smart watches, smart glasses, etc. It also includes kid/toy watches that are able to communicate with friends via bluetooth or other methods. Any device that is brought to school must be powered off and stored in a container with the teacher until the end of the school day. (The school assumes no responsibility for devices brought to school.) Devices are not permitted to be kept in student lockers at any time. Additionally, students are no longer able to use headphones or earbuds that connect wirelessly (bluetooth) to any device. All listening devices must be connected physically by a wire to the source.

Students that violate this policy are subject to the board's discipline policy regarding personal communication devices.

At Springmill STEM Elementary, we believe that the best time to correct behavior is before it happens. The PBIS system rewards students when they show the behaviors we teach them and expect of them, which encourages them to continue to behave in a positive way. We teach students the behaviors we expect frequently and remind them often. (TYGER High Five = Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Ready, Be Safe, Be Proud) However, we are dealing with children who have human impulses and emotions, so they do make mistakes. In those cases, we use corrective feedback, private conferences, and parent communication to correct the behavior. If this doesn't work, we progress to loss of privileges, lunch or recess detentions, in-school suspensions, or out-of-school suspensions.

Teachers may send a "Documentation Report" about a situation with a student that they handled in the classroom. This report is kept electronically in the student's file. Teachers may also submit an "Office Referral" for students that do not respond to classroom discipline after multiple attempts to correct the behavior, or if they behavior was severe enough to require a direct office referral.

Students that ride the bus are expected to behave in a manner that maintains a safe environment for the bus driver and other students. Because it is critical for the safety of all of the students on the bus, an behavior that threatens the lives and safety of the other passengers is taken very seriously. Examples: hitting, kicking, screaming, fighting, throwing objects in the bus or out of the bus, standing/walking/moving when the bus is in motion, not listening to directions from the adults, defiance, eating/drinking, cussing, bullying, weapons, controlled substances/tobacco products.

If students are given an office referral for bus behavior, it will be taken very seriously. The steps of discipline are as follows:

• First Referral: Warning from Administrator + Lunch/Recess Detention
• Second Referral: 1 day bus suspension + 1 lunch/recess detention
• Third Referral: 3 day bus suspension + 3 lunch/recess detentions
• Fourth Referral: 5 day bus suspension + 1 day of in school suspension.
• Fifth Referral: 10 day bus suspension + 3 days of in school suspension
• Sixth Referral: Loss of bus privileges for the remainder of the semester. Will be allowed on the bus 2nd semester, however, if there is even 1 referral, the student will not be permitted on the bus for the remainder of the year.

*If the behavior that is submitted in the referral violates another code of conduct, such as fighting, students may be suspended from school and/or the bus according to the more severe code that was violated.

5:30 - 7pm Open House

Kindergarten's Only Start Date!

All Other Students Start 1st - 6th Grades

No School Labor Day

STEM Only 2 Hour Delay for Teacher Training

*This year, our STEM Only 2 Hour Delays will be on the 2nd WEDNESDAYS of the month.

9/10, 10/8, 11/12, 12/10, 1/14, 2/11, 3/11

No School for Students

1 Hr. Early Release

Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7:30pm

1 Hr. Early Release

Parent Teacher Conferences 4:30-8:00pm

Fall Break - No School