Harrison

This year we are really focusing on our attendance. We are doing important things every day, and we do not want students to feel behind or overwhelmed when they miss school. Please read below about our policies and thoughts on how to determine how sick is too sick. Also, please remember to call in to the office or contact the teacher each day your child is going to be out.

Time is flying already. We have been in school almost two full weeks. The students are adjusting so well and it has been a very smooth start. We are always so excited to see the students and they seem so excited to be back. We do know that the transition and getting back into a routine can be hard for some students, so please remember that we are here to partner with you! If there is something we can do to make things easier or if your student is struggling with something, please let us know. We want to make sure that we are keeping our lines of communication open and working as a team for your student.

The beginning of the year is full of assessments that will help us track how your student grows from the beginning to the end of each grade level. Most classes have already taken the iReady benchmark assessment for Reading and Math and have been screened for reading fluency using DIBELS and CORE phonics.

Still to come is the state IRI/Amira tests. This year the official IRI by Amira will be administered beginning on September 8th. The dates below are when we are planning these assessments as a school. Your child's teacher will be sending home specific dates as they get near. Please help your student by making sure they are well rested, get a good breakfast either at school or at home and get to school on time on these days.

Amira/IRI dates: September 8th - 11th

School Picture Day will be Tuesday, September 15th.

Mark your calendars!

And bring your best smiles!

SEPTEMBER

September 4: First Spirit Day and Assembly - Wear your school gear!

September 4: Early Release at 12:45

September 7: No School - Labor Day

September 8-11: State IRI/Amira Testing for all grades

September 15: Picture Day

September 18: No School for Students - Data Day

OCTOBER

October 1: Harrison 70th Birthday Celebration & Multicultural Night

October 9: DIBELS Iditarod

October 16: Spirit Assembly & Early Release at 12:45

October 19-22: Parent Teacher Conferences

October 22 and 23: No School for Students

October 30: Halloween Parade & Harvest Celebrations

We have learned that students who miss even two days of school each month are at far greater risk of academic failure and dropout than students who attend regularly.

We have set a goal that every student in our school attends regularly (has nine or fewer absences in a year). Please send your child to school every day unless he/she has a contagious illness or is running a fever. Please see the attachment below titled “How Sick Is Too Sick” when deciding to keep a student home.

What do I need to do if my child is not feeling well

1) Notify child's teachers prior to the school day beginning

2) If your child saw a doctor for illness, please provide doctor's note when student returns

*Students with chronic absences (students who miss 10% or more days school is in session) will receive attendance letters and communication from the Assistant Principal, Mrs. Kenyon.

Possible recommendation to truancy court can take place for chronic absences, especially those that are not verified.

See Below for How Sick is Too Sick to come to school.

Click on the buttons below to see what is for lunch and breakfast this month.

Our cafeteria also provides fruits and veggies to our students multiple times per week as snacks. This is part of a grant. The students are given the opportunity to try fruits and vegetables that they may not always get, new things and old favorites. One rule of the program is that the food is not to go home or leave the school. Please encourage your student to try the fruits and vegetables and ask them what it was for the day. It is a great conversation starter!

The Kindness Academy will go into effect immediately this school year. Please talk with your student about keeping their language appropriate and showing respect for others at school.

Our goal at Harrison is to create a culture of respect, responsibility and safety. We want all students to feel respected and safe and to take responsibility for their actions when mistakes occur. As part of this goal, we need your help. Many students on our playground are using inappropriate language, swearing at other students and adults and being increasingly disrespectful to each other and the adults of our building. This is leading to verbal altercations between students, and generally mean and/or rude behavior interfering with every child’s ability to learn and feel safe at school. It needs to stop!

We will no longer tolerate foul language, blatant disrespect or being verbally abusive to others at Harrison. Moving forward we are implementing a Kindness Academy. This academy will serve to educate our students about the importance of appropriate behavior and language and allow them to practice those skills. We will use the Second Step curriculum designed for “nurturing positive relationships, managing emotions, and setting goals”. Kindness Academy will happen from 2:00 to 3:15 on Monday afternoons after regular school hours. As parents and guardians we will notify you of any behaviors that fall into the above categories and discuss your child attending Kindness Academy prior to them attending. This academy is intended to help students understand the importance of being respectful and kind to others and to practice how to manage emotions without resorting to inappropriate language or verbal aggression. We want to help our students feel safe and a part of a culture of positivity. The intent is a one time attendance to the academy, not long term, however, we will work with each individual student and their parent/guardian to determine the best learning path for each situation. Below are a few of the guidelines for Kindness Academy.

• All placement at Kindness Academy will be from administration.

• If incidents occur on the playground or in class, teachers and aids will refer the student to administration.

• Administration will track incidents.

• A student’s first offense will be a warning. If it happens again within the same week a student will be referred to the Kindness Academy. Or, if a student has three warnings in the course of a month, they will be referred to the Kindness Academy.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we work together to make Harrison Elementary the best it can be. We strive to make things safe and encourage all students to be respectful and responsible. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Larson at larsonmi@tfsd.org or 208-733-4229.

Volunteers:

You are welcome at Harrison! All parents wishing to volunteer in the classroom, help with class parties, or chaperone field trips need to have a background check completed at least two weeks prior to the event.

Click the following link to complete your background check. https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/MjYyOmVuLVVT

The teachers at Harrison are using Class Dojo again to increase communication with our families. Teachers will have their class info at Open House. It is free and easy to use.