The Welby Way School Handbook for 2009-2010
Welby Way Elementary SchoolContact Information
23456 Welby Way
West Hills, CA 91307
Dustin Merritt, Principal
Audrey Burdinski, Assistant Principal
Adria Metson, Magnet Coordinator
School Office: (818) 348-1975
Magnet Office: (818) 992-8229
School Fax: (818) 704-8726
District 1 Office: (818) 654-3600
Our Welby Way Mission Statement
We envision a responsible student who attends school regularly and completes class work and homework, and who ultimately has cultivated the ability to make wise choices.
We envision a strong-willed student who perseveres in the face of adversity, retains independence in the heat of a battle, and whose self-esteem permits him/her to accept worthy challenges with boldness and certainty.
We envision a motivated student who strives to compete academically in the classroom and athletically on the field, a student who shows initiative, a strong sense of community spirit, and never hesitates to take the lead; an evolving student who risks trying the unknown, who satisfies his/her curiosity rather than inhibit it, who recognizes right from wrong and admits mistakes as easily and quickly as he/she celebrates triumphs.
At Welby Way, We Believe…
Every student should be and has a right to be challenged to reach his/her highest potential, and our curriculum must provide that opportunity.
Successful teaching is a collaborative, creative process which relies on the cooperation and contribution of all stakeholders.
Small achievements empower students to reach greater heights.
Intellectual achievement should be coupled with personal, emotional growth.
Every student can be lifted up and empowered to achieve his/her personal best, and if we, as teachers, achieve our personal best, they, as students, shall achieve their personal best.
Audrey Burdinski, Assistant Principal
Adria Metson, Magnet Coordinator
Grades K-5:
Mon., Wed., Thurs. & Fri.: 8:01 AM—2:30 PM
Tues. (Professional Development Day): 8:00 AM—1:28 PM
(9/15/09-6/22/10)
Recess:
Kindergarten: 10:00 AM—10:20 AM
Grades 1-3: 10:15 AM—10:35 AM
Grades 4&5: 9:50 AM—10:10 AM
Lunch:
Kindergarten: 11:45 AM—12:30 PM
Grades 1-3: 12:15 PM—1:00 PM
Grades 4&5: 11:30 AM—12:15 PM
School is not in session on the dates listed below. You will receive notification from the school office prior to these non-school days.
9/09/2009: First Day of Instruction
9/28/2009: Unassigned Day
11/11/2009: Veterans Day
11/26 & 11/27/2009: Thanksgiving Holiday
12/21/2009 - 01/08/2010: Winter Recess
1/18/2010: Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.’s Birthday Observed
2/15/2010: Presidents’ Day
3/29 - 4/02/2010: Spring Recess
5/31/2010: Memorial Day Observed
6/24/2010: Last Day of Instruction
In addition to the above days, minimum days will be added to the school calendar as allowed by the school district. You will be informed when these will take place. School holidays and minimum days will also be noted on the Welby Way school calendar.
Banking time is designated as common planning time for professional development and its aim is to improve the academic curriculum for all students. The first Professional Development Day will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 and will take place each Tuesday through to the last Professional Development Day, which will take place on June 22, 2010.
ATTENDANCE
Welby Way receives money to operate the school from the state of California. Funding is based on each student’s daily attendance. Any absences, including excused absences, result in a loss of funding to Welby Way. We ask that you try to reschedule trips or other non-illness related events that would cause your child to miss school to non-school days.
When your child returns to school after an illness, s/he should have a note, signed by you, the parent or guardian, giving the specific reason for the absence. A child who has been absent five or more days must be readmitted through the nurse’s office. If a child has had a communicable disease, surgery, is wearing a cast, or is on crutches, s/he must have a physician’s note allowing him/her to return to school.
Parents are encouraged to request homework assignments for their children who have missed school. Call the office at (818) 348-1975 before 10:00 AM to request the homework assignment. Please remember to pick up the work at the office after school.
If you plan to pick up your child early, please send a note to the teacher. Come into the office five minutes before the arranged time to sign your child out of school, and the office staff will call the classroom to have your child brought to the office. Students will not be called to the office to go home early until the parent arrives at school to sign their child out.
TARDINESS
Students must arrive at school on time. Tardiness is disruptive to others in the classroom. Lost minutes turn into lost hours over the period of a year. Students with chronic tardiness or absenteeism will be reported to the district’s Pupil Services and Accounting department.
CLASS ASSIGNMENTS
Classrooms are organized by the Welby Way administrative and teaching staff. We do not accept parent requests. We believe we provide a positive learning environment in every class at Welby Way . The individual differences between teachers and their teaching styles will only serve to enrich and expand your child's life experience. We put in a tremendous effort to determine appropriate placement for your child. Every attempt is made to balance the classes. Class placement is final. Changes will only be made for the necessary reorganization of classes that may occur after school begins.
PARENT TO STUDENT COMMUNICATION
Only call the office to get a message to your student in an emergency.
Connect-Ed is our new outgoing phone message system which allows all Welby Way families to receive important messages simultaneously on their home phone. Please make sure the school office has your current phone number, and notify the school office of any phone number changes, so you will receive these messages.
SCHOOL HOMEWORK
Homework is an important part of the student's educational program. Beginning with Kindergarten, students will have regular assignments Monday through Thursday. It is your child's responsibility to bring home daily/weekly homework assignments. Any Welby Way student who misses a homework assignment will receive a “WAM” - Work Assignment Missing. WAMs will be sent home for parental signature. In addition to their regular homework assignments, students are required to read at home on a regular basis and document their reading and correctly total their number of pages read on the “Readers are Leaders” home reading record. The home reading record will be distributed at the beginning of each month and must be returned to your child’s teacher upon completion. Lost “Readers are Leaders” forms are available online here. Please see “School Programs—Readers are Leaders” in this handbook for more information regarding the reading program. The following is a general guide of daily homework time allotments for Monday through Thursday. Actual times may vary.
Kindergarten: 10-20 min.
1st grade: 20-30 min.
2nd grade: 30-45 min.
3rd grade: 45-60 min.
4th grade: 50-85 min.
5th grade: 60-85 min.
TEACHER CONFERENCES
Each November, Welby Way teachers will schedule individual parental conferences to discuss each student’s progress. It is expected that all parents will meet with their child’s teacher at this time. Additionally, throughout the school year, conferences may be scheduled as necessary by either the teacher or the parent. Please contact your child’s teacher for an appointment if you wish to have a conference.
Keep in mind that scheduled conferences as well as drop-in conferences are not available on Tuesday afternoons due to professional development training for teachers.
CLASSROOM VISITATION
You are welcome to visit your child’s class. Parents need to come into the office upon entering the campus for a visitor’s pass. This pass allows you a 20 minute visitation in the classroom. Remember, at this time the teacher will be unable to conference with you. To request a conference, please send a note to your child’s teacher.
CLASSROOM ROSTERS
At the beginning of each school year, you may receive a request for information to be included in a grade-wide or classroom student roster. This roster may be used for social functions only, such as play dates and parties, or school-related business. It is not to be used for business solicitation purposes. If you choose to be included in the roster, you will be given a copy of the roster for your child’s classroom or grade level. If you decline to participate, you will not receive a roster. If your information has changed from the previous year, you will need to notify the school office in addition to submitting a roster response.
BIRTHDAY AND PARTY INVITATIONS
Any birthday or other party invitations parents wish to distribute to Welby Way students MUST be mailed to the students’ homes and not distributed at school. Please do not send invitations to school with your child. Additionally, in-classroom birthday parties must be approved by the teacher and are limited to a small food treat.
PICTURE DAY & SCHOOL YEARBOOK
School pictures (individual & class) are scheduled to be taken September 25th & 26th (Picture Make-Up day is scheduled for November 4th). You will receive a reminder prior to school pictures being taken. All orders are pre-paid. Photo packages are priced reasonably. Welby Way also publishes a school yearbook and prepaid orders for the school yearbook are taken each winter. The yearbook is delivered at the end of the school year.
THE WELBY WAY NEWSLETTER, THE BEE LINE
The Bee Line is Welby Way’s monthly newsletter. Published by the school toward the beginning of each month, the Bee Line holds valuable information for both you and your children regarding upcoming school events and activities. The Bee Line includes a school calendar complete with cafeteria menus and school events. Please keep watch for your copy of the Bee Line. The Bee Line is also available online here.
WELBY WAY ONLINE—WWW.WELBYWAY.ORG
Welby Way has its very own website—www.welbyway.org. Here you can find school schedules, staff profiles, and lots of important school information. The Welby Way Bee Line, School Calendar, Welby Way Café menu, and assorted school forms are also available online. Check it out regularly!
AFTER-SCHOOL PLAYGROUND
The after-school playground will open the first day of school in September. Only children in grades 1-5 may attend unaccompanied by an adult. Kindergarteners and First Graders may not stay and play on the yard after school dismissal. Kindergarteners and First Graders left on the yard after 2:30 PM will be escorted to Welby Way Daycare at a cost of $10 per child per day. The playground hours are from 2:30 PM—6:00 PM. All students remaining on the school grounds after 3:00 PM must stay only in the designated play areas and be under the direct supervision of our staff. Our staff must vacate the school by 6:00 PM, so please insure that your children are picked up prior to this time.
CAMPUS ENTRY AND EXIT TIMES AND LOCATIONS
All campus gates will open at approximately 7:30 AM at the start of each school day. The gate located on Kittridge Street next to the school garden will be locked by 3:00 PM each school day with the exception of Tuesday, when the gate will be locked by 1:45 PM. The kindergarten gate will be locked by 3:00 PM each school day. Students will not be allowed to wait unsupervised in front of the school. After 3:00 PM, you will need to select one of the following gates to enter the campus to pick-up your child: the three gates located on Callicott Avenue, the gate near our Child Care Center on Kittridge Street, or the school’s main gate.
RAINY DAYS
Unless your child is enrolled in our Welby Way Day Care program, please arrange for him/her to be picked up at school dismissal time on rainy days. Children who must remain after school will be held in the auditorium, and space is very limited.
DRESS CODE
Students are expected to dress appropriately while at school. Examples of inappropriate dress include exposed-midriff tops, “spaghetti strap” tank tops, open-toed shoes, baggy pants, short shorts, and inappropriate logos on clothing. Students dressed inappropriately will be sent to the school office and parents will be contacted.
ELECTRONIC SIGNALING DEVICE/CELL PHONE USAGE BY STUDENTS ON CAMPUS
LAUSD policy prohibits the use of cellular phones, pagers, or any electronic signaling devices by students on campus during normal school hours, or during school activities. Students are permitted to possess electronic signaling devices (cell phones, etc.) on campus provided that they are “off” and stored in the student’s backpack. Students may use these devices after school hours; however, students must comply if requested by school personnel to cease the use of the device. If an electronic signaling device is observed by staff during school hours, it will be confiscated until retrieved by a parent. The District is not responsible for students’ lost or stolen electronic signaling devices.
Welby Way follows a Traditional school calendar. New student registration for the home school normally begins in June. Early registration is strongly recommended.
FOOD SERVICES
Student cafeteria lunches are $1.00. Lunches consist of a well-balanced meal, including ½ pint of milk and dessert. Milk is sold individually at noon in ½ pint cartons for 30¢. Breakfast is served at 7:30 AM and at recess each school day for 60¢. Meal tickets are pre-paid lunch credits and are available for purchase each morning at the cafeteria window. Menu items appear on the Welby Way calendar, which is sent home on a monthly basis (menu items may change as necessary). Information about the school food service program and an application for free or reduced price meals is sent out in September. Neither the school office nor the cafeteria loans students money for lunch, however, the staff will provide a healthy snack in the event a student forgets his/her lunch. Additionally, the Welby Way Café cannot make change for large bills. Please send small bills for your child to purchase breakfast and/or lunch.
SCHOOL EVENTS
BACK-TO SCHOOL NIGHT
This event is designed for parents only and will be held normally in late September or early October. Teachers meet with their students’ parents in the classroom to discuss their instructional program, daily schedule, homework assignments and opportunity for classroom parental involvement. Also discussed are the expectations for your child while in the classroom for the upcoming year.
OPEN HOUSE
This event, held in the Spring, welcomes all family members, as this is the children’s opportunity to share their classroom accomplishments with the entire family. Open house also provides the chance to visit the next grade level.
MAJOR POWW AND SCHOOL-SPONSORED EVENTS
The following events are normally held each year, coordinated by the school and the Parents of Welby Way Association (POWW). Dates are subject to change.
Back To School Picnic: Held each fall prior to the start of school.
Magazine drive: Will begin in early September
Back To School Night: This event will be held in last September or early October, and it is for adults only.
Red Ribbon Week: A program dedicated to Anti-Drug education, held each October.
Welby Way Dinner Dance: The date of this important event will be announced early in the school year. The Dinner Dance benefits numerous school programs.
Welby Way Fall Festival: The date of this fun event will be announced early in the school year.
Spring Fundraising drive: Held annually each spring.
Book Fair: Held annually with proceeds benefiting the school library.
Open House: This family event is held each spring.
Welby Way Read Across America/Welby Way: Held annually each March, emphasizing student reading.
Melody of Words: This annual El Camino family of schools event is a celebration of books and reading. Authors of books from different genres and for different age groups share their work.
Career Day: Held each spring. Parents are asked to come to school to share their career experiences with Welby Way students.
Volunteer Tea: Held each spring recognizing Welby Way volunteers.
Teacher Appreciation: A national event held in May.
HONORS ASSEMBLIES
Every month, students who excel in a variety of areas are recognized for their achievement. Students are presented to their peers and given a keepsake certificate. If your child is selected to receive an award, you will be notified by your child’s teacher.
FIELD TRIPS
Teachers will send home approval forms for any scheduled field trips. Please return your completed forms as soon as possible. Lost field trip forms are available online here. If teachers do not receive completed forms when needed, students will be unable to attend the field trip. Parents who volunteer to serve as a field trip chaperone should keep in mind that they may not bring other children who are not Welby Way students on any classroom or school-sponsored field trips. Additionally, parent volunteer field trip chaperones will be required to complete and return our “Field Trip Chaperones Guidelines” form, located online here.
HALLOWEEN COSTUME PARADE
This event is normally held on Halloween or the last school day before Halloween. Students may dress up in costume to celebrate. Costume and masks should be appropriate to an elementary school setting. Replicas of weapons are not permitted on campus. Students and teachers participate in a Halloween Parade, after which each classroom usually celebrates with a class party. You will be informed by your child’s teacher as to times and details prior to this event.
SCHOOL PROGRAMS
THE PARENTS OF WELBY WAY ASSOCIATION (POWW)
The Parents of Welby Way Association consists of dedicated groups of parents who assist the school office and staff in various ways throughout the year. They hold an annual Back-to-School Picnic for students to meet their new teachers and greet old and new friends. They host a Dinner Dance and Silent Auction each year, benefiting many of the school‘s programs. The Parents of Welby Way Association raises money for classroom supplies as well as funding physical education, music, and computer instruction. They coordinate other fundraising activities, including Open House, the Book Fair, the Magazine drive, as well as many other activities. In addition, hospitality functions are hosted by the Parents of Welby Way Association.
Please see below for information on volunteering at Welby Way. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and help your child and Welby Way Elementary School.
If you would like to leave a message for POWW, please call the school office at (818) 348-1975.
VOLUNTEERING AT WELBY WAY
Welby Way families have the opportunity to become actively involved in the many different volunteer opportunities available at Welby Way. You will receive a Parents of Welby Way Association volunteer opportunities form and a classroom volunteer form at the start of the school year with a variety of volunteer options.
The School Site Council is composed of parents, community members and school staff members. Half the members represent the parents and community, and half the members represent the school staff. The School Site Council meets monthly to develop and implement the School Improvement Plan. An agenda is sent home a week prior to each scheduled meeting. Please contact the school office if you are interested in becoming involved the School Site Council.
Welby Way has a well-equipped computer lab, including sixteen new computers. All classes visit the Welby Way computer lab on a regular schedule. After-school computer classes for Welby Way students are also available. Parent volunteers are always welcome—please see “Volunteering at Welby Way.” In order for your child to have internet privileges at school (in the lab or the classroom), a student signature and parental release form is required each year. Your child’s teacher will send the release form home near the beginning of the school year.
DAY CARE
Welby Way currently offers an on-campus before-school and after-school daycare program. Welby Way kindergarten through second grade students are eligible on a space-available basis. There is a competitive fee for placement in the program. Daycare is available from 6:30 AM, and available after school until 6:00 PM. If you are interested in enrolling your student in the daycare program, please call (818) 486-6962.
ELL—ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
This is a program at Welby Way that is designed for students with limited English proficiency.
MUSIC EDUCATION
Music instruction is provided to all students here at Welby Way. Students receive instruction from credentialed music teachers during class hours on a regular basis.
CHORUS
Try-outs for the Welby Way Chorus are open to all fourth and fifth grade students. Students will be notified when try-outs will occur.
WELBY WAY SINGERS
Welby Way has a wonderful singing group—the Welby Way Singers. Applicants must audition to participate. Flyers will be sent home to notify parents as to when auditions will take place.
OTHER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Science Life Lab: Welby Way has a garden where students learn about horticulture.
Noontime Student Clubs: A variety of clubs are available, according to student interest.
Academic and Art Contests: Students participate in a variety of community-sponsored academic and art contests, as selected by their teachers. Areas in which students compete may include music, mathematics, art, and essay.
Wee Deliver: This is Welby Way’s internal post office. Students may send mail to other students at Welby Way via this program.
GATE—GIFTED AND TALENTED EDUCATION
The Welby Way home school students who have been identified as gifted or high-achieving are clustered together and participate in a rigorous academic program. As mandated by the state, there are no longer “pull-out” programs during the school day. Parents will be notified if their child is eligible.
Welby Way Magnet School is a full-day differentiated instructional program for students who complete an application and verification process prior to enrollment. Applications are processed by the Office of Student Integration between the months of November and January.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
We have an excellent Physical Education program at Welby Way. P.E. classes are scheduled in 30 minute blocks throughout the school day. Each class has appointed times during the week during which the class participates in P.E. activities. To ensure your child receives the maximum benefit from P.E. and is able to participate comfortably and safely, we recommend that children wear athletic shoes and appropriate clothing.
California State Law requires each student to participate in Physical Education each week, and students are expected to be regularly involved and properly prepared. The state has adopted the Fitness Gram to be the test for physical education for 5th grade students. The requirements are as follows:
One mile run/walk—11 minutes or less
Sit-ups—minimum of 9 or whatever the child can do with no time limit
Trunk lift—raising their body from the waist 6 inches or better
Flex arm hang—4 seconds or until the child drops from the bar
Shoulder stretch—one hand over head, one hand below, fingers must touch, both right and left
If, for some reason, you need to excuse your child from P.E., you will need to send a written note to the school office before school begins stating why your child is excused. An excuse pass will be given to your child, which excuses him/her from all recesses as well as P.E. For your child to be released from P.E. for more than a week, a physician’s note is required.
LIBRARY
All classes visit the Welby Way library on a regular schedule. First through fifth grade students borrow books and magazines and conduct research for classroom projects. Kindergarteners participate in story-time programs. Library staff teach the students library and literary skills. Parent volunteers are always welcome. Please see “Volunteering at Welby Way.”
HOMEWORK CLUB
The school library is the home of the Homework Club and provides students with a quiet, supervised environment in which to work on their homework. The School Library is open for one hour after school. Please make sure your child understands the Library Rules, located near the end of this handbook.
READERS ARE LEADERS
Welby Way’s reading program is called “Readers are Leaders.” Each student is expected to read or be read to at home each day for a period of time. The minimum period of time is based on the student’s grade level. Minimum daily reading times are as follows:
Kindergarten: 10 minutes
1st Grade: 15 minutes
2nd Grade: 15 minutes
3rd Grade: 20 minutes
4th Grade: 30 minutes
5th Grade: 30 minutes
Each month your child will bring home a “READERS ARE LEADERS LOG” to be filled in by you and/or your child on a daily basis. At the end of each month, the form is to be turned in to your child’s teacher. Student reading greatly enhances their educational experience. Help your child experience the joy of reading.
“Readers are Leaders” forms are available online here.
STAR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM
The STAR program consists of on-site after school enrichment classes for students. A wide range of classes are available, and the fee is competitive and reasonable. Look for STAR Program brochures to come home early in the school year.
SCHOOL INTERVENTION PROGRAMS
The following are school intervention programs designed to enhance student learning:
Wonder of Reading
Koreh LA
El Camino Real High School Mentoring
Cross Age Tutoring
HEALTH
All students are required to have proper immunizations before starting school. An immunization packet is available in the school office. Additionally, kindergarten parents are now required to complete and return an “Oral Health Assessment Form.” This form will be distributed at the start of school, and extras will be available here.
If your child becomes ill, do not send him/her to school. If your child is at school and feels ill, s/he should let the teacher know. Your child will be sent to the school office. The office staff will notify you if your child needs to go home. Please make sure to keep your emergency card (filed in the office) up to date so that the school can reach you or another adult you designate to pick up your child in case of sickness.
If a child needs to take prescribed medication routinely during school hours, please let the office know. A form will be given to you to be signed by your child’s physician. If your child needs to take medication during school hours for a short period, a note from your child’s physician will suffice. This includes over-the-counter medication. All medication must be labeled appropriately. All medications are kept in the school office and administered by office staff.
Our school nurse is at Welby Way one day per week from 8:00 AM—2:30 PM.
Vision and hearing screening is done by a school nurse on students in Kindergarten, second and fifth grade. If a child has an identified hearing loss diagnosed by a physician, tutoring and/or academic assistance is available.
SAFETY
Please follow the traffic pattern below. Traffic moves in a clockwise direction only around the school. When driving in your car, make sure that the school is always on the right.
There are designated areas to drop-off your child for school and pick up your child from school depending on their grade level. You can stop your car in the adjacent loading zone, but you must stay in your car. In the morning, please drop off your child(ren) at the appropriate loading gate, then safely and quickly move out of the loading zone. In the afternoon, please have your child(ren) quickly proceed to the appropriate loading gate so you can pick them up and move off safely and quickly. Please follow directions from our Traffic Safety Program volunteers.
It is illegal to commit any of the following:
Fail to come to a full stop at a stop sign
Leave a car unattended in a loading zone from 7AM to 5PM on school days
Jaywalk (dangerous and sets a bad example to the children)
Make a u-turn or a three-point-turn involving a driveway
Park in the staff parking lot
Enter or leave the school through the staff parking lot
Walk through the staff parking lot
Visitors may park on the street. Please obey all parking signs, as cars illegally parked may be ticketed.
BICYCLE PERMITS
Bicycle permits are issued to children in grades 3 through 5 who wish to ride their bicycles to school. Permits are kept on file in the school office. Students are to walk their bikes on and off of the playground and keep their bikes locked while parked in the bicycle racks. ALL STUDENTS RIDING THEIR BIKES MUST WEAR PROPERLY-FITTED HELMETS, WITH "V" STRAPS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE HEAD AROUND THE EARS AND CHIN STRAPS. DISTRICT POLICY AND STATE LAW REQUIRE THAT STUDENTS ADHERE TO THESE BICYCLE POLICIES.
SKATEBOARDS AT SCHOOL
Students are permitted to ride skateboards to school; however, they must be carried once the student enters the school campus. Students may not ride skateboards on school property. During the school day, skateboards may be kept in the student’s backpack. If necessary, skateboards may be kept in the school office. The school assumes no liability for lost or stolen skateboards.
WALKING TO SCHOOL
If your child walks to school, select a safe, regular route for him/her to use to and from school. Do not permit your child to cross mid-block or between parked cars. Crossing guards are stationed at Vanowen Street and Lederer Avenue during the following times:
7:00 AM—8:40 AM
10:50 AM—1:00 PM
2:00 PM—3:15 PM
Students and/or parents may not enter or leave the campus via the staff parking lots. Your cooperation with these important safety rules is appreciated.
There is a SAFE school plan in place to confront the issues that interfere with learning and the operation of this school. Welby Way is very well prepared in the event of an earthquake or other disaster. The classrooms and school maintain items that may be needed in a disaster. At the beginning of each school year, all Welby Way students are asked to bring in some additional supplies to prepare for such an event. You will receive a list of these items. It is important that you send in all items requested (and no additional items please, as we have limited space). If unused by your child, these items will be returned to you at the end of the school year.
In the event of an earthquake requiring a school evacuation, parents should NOT call the school office, but rather proceed to the Request Gate (identified on the traffic map) to retrieve your child.
Additionally, at the beginning of each school year, you will receive an emergency card, to be filled out by you and returned to your child’s teacher. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT THESE CARDS BE FILLED OUT CORRECTLY AND RETURNED TO SCHOOL IN A TIMELY MANNER. If any of this information changes, please notify the school office immediately. Submission of the School Roster form is not a substitute for notifying the office of information changes.
DOGS ON SCHOOL GROUNDS
IT IS AGAINST SCHOOL POLICY TO HAVE DOGS ON SCHOOL GROUNDS. Please do not bring your dogs onto school grounds at any time.
OPENING OF CLASSROOMS DURING NON-SCHOOL HOURS
The school custodians and office staff are unable to open classroom doors after teachers have locked their door.
SCHOOL PARTIES
Please check with your child’s teacher before planning any parties that will take place at school (such as birthday parties) or bringing any treats to school for the children to share. Keep in mind that we have students with severe food allergies.
DISCIPLINE POLICY
There is a strict discipline code enforced at Welby Way. The safety of each child is our primary concern. All children are expected to show respect for their teachers, supervising adults and other students. The following are unacceptable:
Profanity
Fighting, kicking or causing physical injury
Defiance of authority
Damage to, or defacing of, school property, buildings and/or contents
Disregard for safety rules
Stealing
Racist remarks
Sexual harassment
Smoking
Any and all types of unacceptable behavior by students will result in benching, notifying parents, a conference with the principal and/or suspension. This is a Los Angeles Unified School District policy.
WELBY WAY SCHOOL CODE
Welby Way takes pride in its high standards and exemplary educational program. Our school code protects the rights of every child to learn in a positive, safe, and nurturing environment. We welcome students who agree to follow the school code, and parents who agree to support it.
Students must be in class on time each day. It is the legal responsibility of parents to get children to school on time. Chronic tardiness or excessive unexcused absences can lead to legal disciplinary review.
Students must complete class work and homework assignments on time. A homework assignment missed form (WAM) will be sent home for each late homework assignment and must be returned the following day.
Students must use appropriate language. Vulgarity will not be tolerated. Parents of offending children will be notified.
Students must behave in an appropriate manner in the class room and on the yard. Disruptive behavior and physical or verbal abuse will be documented on a student discipline card which is kept in the office. Parents will be notified if the problems persist.
Students must use school restrooms in a proper manner.
Students must be accompanied by an adult at all times in the garden area.
Students must remain in the play areas only (not the halls) during recess, lunch and after school.
Students must not bring soda or gum onto school grounds.
Students must wear safe, close-toed sports-type shoes. District policy states that the wearing of sandals to school is not permitted for safety reasons.
We enforce the LAUSD policy which states that students will be suspended from the classroom or the school for willful defiance, disrespect, vulgarity, disruptive behavior, verbal abuse, ethnic or religious slurs, bodily harm, and destruction of school or personal property. These behaviors will not be tolerated. A first offense will institute a warning to the student, as well as parental notification by the student’s teacher or a school administrator. Further offenses will result in consequences of a more severe nature.
Using our school library is a privilege. An application for a school library card will be distributed at the beginning of each school year. The application requires a parent/guardian signature. The following rules apply to all visitors to our library:
Be quiet.
No food or beverages.
No running, jumping, or other inappropriate behavior.
Please use shelf markers when looking for books. Return books to their original shelf position when done by using the shelf marker.
Leave the book shelves neat.
Book check-out policies (distributed with the school library card application) must be followed.
Please treat all books carefully, as you will be financially responsible for any damage.
Violation of library rules will result in expulsion from the library.
LITERACY GARDEN RULES
The garden is a place to read and reflect. No food or drinks will be allowed in the garden. Adult supervision is required at all times. Please observe respect for the landscaping.
The Welby Way Library is open each scheduled school day from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. The library is available for general use during lunch hours and after-school.
Classroom groups visit the library and the computer lab for a period of 45 minutes every other week.
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Page last updated 06/15/2009
