School Information

Principal’s message

Dear Parents and Students,
     Education is a lifetime process in which each of us should be constantly engaged. The education of students in a formal school setting is a partnership involving parents, child and the school.
     Parents are a child's first and most influential teachers. They are the ones who help a child form attitudes toward life and learning. Parents have a responsibility to encourage and support children in their efforts to learn. Parents should assist children in discovering and perfecting their special talents and abilities by providing them with opportunities to participate in a wide variety of activities.
A healthy lifestyle with proper nutrition, rest, and exercise is a very important factor in a child's ability to learn. Parents should be actively involved in their children's learning by providing a regular time and place to do homework and by assisting children with their homework. The best way for parents to help their children to become better readers is to be avid readers themselves and to read to their children regularly.
   In order to fulfill the school's responsibility to provide children with the best opportunities to learn. Barratt Elementary will strive to demonstrate the following characteristics:
* provide a safe, orderly environment where high expectations of student behavior and learning are maintained.
* recognize the rights of each individual child and strive to always be sensitive to his or her individual needs.
* monitor student progress carefully and use the results to improve instruction and increase student learning.
* have a warm, inviting, and positive climate, where all students, faculty, and parents feel welcome and wanted.
At Barratt Elementary, we will strive to increase student learning through a team approach to planning, teaching, and evaluating. The team involves the child, parents, teachers, principal, and other resource personnel as needed.
     To accomplish this goal, we will model the qualities of a Professional Learning Community, utilizing collaboration and input from all necessary stake holders.
Sincerely,
Brent L. Palmer, Principal

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DAILY SCHOOL/BELL SCHEDULE

Monday (early out) School Schedule
    Morning Kindergarten: 9:05--11:53 a.m.
    Afternoon Kindergarten: 12:30--2:30 p.m.
    Grades 1-6—Monday only--9:05--2:30 p.m.
Tuesday-Friday
     Morning Kindergarten: 9:05-11:53 a.m.
      Afternoon Kindergarten: 12:30-3:30 p.m.
****Grades 1-6
      9:00 a.m.      First Bell
      9:05 a.m.     School begins
      3:30 p.m.      Dismissal

LUNCH TIMES
August 23--January 12, 2007               January 16-May 13, 2007
11:50-12:30      Grade 6                                  Grade 5
11:55-12:30      Grade 5                                  Grade 6
12:05-12:45      Grade 4                                  Grade 3
12:10-12:45      Grade 3                                  Grade 4
12:20-1:00        Grade 2                                  Grade 1
12:25-1:00        Grade 1                                  Grade 2

**During inclement weather, Mr. Palmer will designate IN or OUT days. Inside days will be declared if it is raining, snowing or lightening in the area. Students will also be allowed in if the temperature is 20 degrees or lower. Wind chill will be factored in for temperature. To ensure student safety, teachers are responsible to supervise their classroom on IN days.

SCHOOL WIDE RULES AND PROCEDURES

CHARACTER EDUCATION
Barratt Elementary teaches the “Seven Essential Virtues” described in the book “Building Moral Intelligence by Michele Borba, Ed. D.
These seven traits help children to do the right thing and to resist pressures that defy the habits of solid character and good ethical living.
Moral Intelligence Builders

EMPATHY – Identifying with and feeling other people’s concerns.
CONSCIENCE – Knowing the right and decent way to act and acting that way.
SELF-CONTROL – Regulating your thoughts and actions so that you stop any pressures from within or without and act the way you know and feel is right.
RESPECT – Showing you value others by treating them in a courteous and considerate way.
KINDNESS – Demonstrating concern about the welfare and feelings of others.
TOLERANCE – Respecting the dignity and rights of all persons, even those whose beliefs and behaviors differ from our own.
FAIRNESS – Choosing to be open minded and to act in a just and fair way.

SCHOOL WIDE CODE OF CONDUCT
All school rules and expectations of students behavior are based on seven Essential Virtues. They are: Empathy, Conscience, Self-control, Respect, Kindness, Tolerance and Fairness. Students are expected to comply with and agree to the following:

Be on time and be prepared.
Do my best work each day.
Respect everyone and everything.
Follow directions the first time.
Be responsible for your choices and actions.
Be a kind friend.
Behave in a way that will NOT cause harm to myself, others, and school property.

Hallway

I will be quiet in the hall.
I will use safe movements.
I will have permission to be in the hall.

Assemblies

I will enter silently.
I will use good listening position.
I will show kindness and use appropriate applause – clapping only.

Bathroom

I will flush, wash with soap, and turn off the water.
I will use the bathroom quickly and quietly.
I will keep the bathroom clean and neat.

Lunch

I will use an inside voice and stay seated.
I will clean up my mess by picking up anything that is left on or under the table.
I will be respectful and follow the instructions of those in charge.

Recess

I will use all playground equipment safely and properly.
Once outside, I will not re-enter the building without permission from the teacher/staff member on duty.
I will not behave in a way that could cause harm to myself or others.

Barratt Elementary is committed to maintaining a safe and orderly environment for our students and employees. Please help us by making sure that your child knows that bullying and/or harassment for ANY reason is not acceptable behavior and will not be tolerated. If your child is ever harassed or bullied, they should contact their teacher, or the principal for assistance.

Students and parents need to be aware that school officials (all school employees) play a role in student discipline and in maintaining a safe school environment. Personal property including backpacks, coats, desks, totes, etc. are liable to be searched in order to maintain discipline, ensure a safe environment, enforce school rules and accomplish the mission of the school

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DRESS CODE
Experience indicates there is a real and reasonable connection between proper dress/grooming and the successful operation of the school with respect to discipline as well as student learning and behavior. There are also safety factors and sanitation issues directly related to proper dress and grooming.

All students are required to wear clothing that is clean. Clothing which is so conspicuous, extreme or odd that it may draw undue attention, disrupt, or interfere with the learning atmosphere at the school will NOT BE ALLOWED.
Students are NOT allowed to wear clothes that are mutilated, cut off or immodest such as short shorts, or skirts, bare midriffs, halter tops, tank tops, spaghetti straps, pants with large holes, low riders, or similar attire. Skirts and Shorts MUST come below the students fingers when their arms are down to their sides.
Clothing with vulgar words, profane or obscene slogans, pictures, gang connections, promoting illegal drugs or violence , etc. are NOT allowed.
Hats, visors, beanies, and sweatshirt hoods are NOT to be worn in the school building unless it is designated as a student “Hat Day”.
Flip Flop sandals are STRONGLY discouraged as they are unsafe in some normal student activities and prevent students from fully participating in some activities.
Please monitor what students wear to school. When there is rain, lightning, or when the temperature is below 20 degrees students will have indoor recess. Recess will be held outside on all other days. ON most snow days, students will play outside, therefore they need to be dressed appropriately.

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ACCIDENTS AND ILLNESS
When a serious accident or illness occurs, we will do everything within our power to contact a parent. If this fails, we will notify one of the people listed on your Health and Emergency Information form. A new Health and Emergency form is required every year to insure that all contact information is correct.
Calls will be made in the following order:
1. The home and/or cell phone numbers if listed.
2. The father’s or mother’s work place
3. Other persons listed on the Emergency Health form.
4. In extreme emergencies, when we are unable to contact any of the above, we will take necessary steps for emergency medical treatment.
(Students need to be picked up by a parent or person designated by the parent)
We cannot send a sick or injured student home, they MUST be picked up. Please keep us informed of any changes in telephone numbers so that we will be able to contact you in an emergency.

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ATTENDANCE
Unexcused absences are in violation of “Utah State Compulsory Education Law” (Utah code section 53A-11-101.2 Policy 408) Student success in school is directly tied to attendance. Alpine School District Board of Education and Barratt Elementary School recognizes that regular attendance at school provides students with the best opportunity to learn. Frequent absences from the day to day classroom experience disrupts the instructional learning process for the child. The benefits of every day instruction once lost, are often difficult to regain. The school will make an Ernest and Persistent effort to improve the attendance of students. The following policies should be followed.
Absences
- Please call the school whenever your child is absent.
- Teachers will contact the home after three consecutive student absences.
- Excessive absences (more than 10 total absences) will be referred to the principal, who may contact you by letter to determine if further action is needed. This could include a Division of Family Services referral, etc.
         Tardiness: It is important that the habit of punctuality be developed. Late arriving students not only miss important instruction for the day, but also interrupt teaching and student learning. Students should arrive on time, ready to begin the learning tasks for the day. Students arriving late are required to go to the school office for a late slip, before going to the classroom. Students who accumulate excessive tardiness maybe required to make up the time that they have missed after school or during recess time.

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ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE TIMES
     The school day begins at 9:05 a.m. Promptness is crucial to a smooth start of each school day. Under no circumstances, should children be dropped at school earlier than 15 minutes before school starts.
     Students are expected to proceed home immediately after school ends. The only exception would be for approved school activities (Chorus, Tutoring) or if prior arrangements have been made with a teacher.
     For your child’s safety, please see that they do not arrive 15 minutes before school or stay any later than 15 minutes after school. The school does not have faculty members supervising students beyond these times.

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BRINGING FOOD INTO THE SCHOOL
     The Health Department regulations require all foods that are brought into the school to be commercially purchased and prepared. “No homemade” food can be given to students at school for birthday treats, holiday treats, etc.

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BRINGING BIRTHDAY GIFTS TO THE SCHOOL
     Please do not bring gifts, flowers, balloons, etc to your child on their birthday. Many times they become lost or stolen, or disrupt the classroom. If these items are sent to school, we will notify the student and have them pick them up from the office after school. Please contact your child’s teacher prior to bringing birthday treats for your child’s class.

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CLASSROOM VISITS
     We welcome all parents who would like to visit their children’s classes. Please make prior arrangements with the teacher, indicating the day you would like to visit. All visitors MUST check in at the school office and wear a visitor badge during their visit.

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EMERGENCIES/DISASTERS
In the case of an emergency. Alpine School District policy states: “Release of a child below ninth grade at other than regularly scheduled hours is prohibited unless the parent and another responsible person has been notified and has assumed responsibility for the child.”
KSL 1160 AM/FM is our Emergency Broadcast system. Parents should tune to this station for emergency information.

SCHOOL EMERGENCY PLANS contain measures which assure adequate supervision of children during an emergency which may occur during school hours. The school specific emergency plans are available by request. Each classroom contains Emergency Kits to keep students warm and dry during an evacuation. Kits also contain a small portion of food, water and other emergency supplies. If it becomes necessary to evacuate the building while school is in session such as inclement weather, students will go to an alternate site. The first site is the Dan Peterson School. The second is the LDS chapel on 300 North 900 East. If the weather is good, students will remain on the grounds at Barratt and will remain with their assigned classes in their assigned areas. Students will not be permitted to leave unless they are checked out by a parent or responsible adult. A command post will be located at the flag pole area to assist parents in locating and securing their children.

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FIELD TRIP
     In most cases field trips will be considered as part of the academic program, with all students participating. However, because of special circumstances, some students may not be able to participate. Students who are not allowed to participate will be assigned to another teacher for the instruction time during the field trip.

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FOOD SERVICES
Breakfast --$.85 per child ($17.00 per month)
Lunch --$1.50 per child ($30.00 per month)
Milk --$.25
Adult lunch—$2.50
Breakfast begins at 8:35 am. Students who are participating in school breakfast who are well behaved, may remain in the lunchroom until the 9:00 am bell.

AUTO-Payment Plan - We have an auto payment plan for parents. This program allows parents to sign up for electronic funds transfer from their checking or savings account into their child’s lunch money account. This is a wonderful program for busy parents.
Free or Reduced Meals – Applications for free or reduced meals are available in the school office or at the Alpine School District. If your children were on free or reduced meals last year, you will still need to reapply and the application will need to be approved.
Student Walking Home for Lunch – For safety reasons, we discourage students from walking home for lunch. If parents want to have their child to walk home they need to have a permission note on file in the office.

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HOMEWORK
Homework is a valuable part of learning. All students can expect to have some homework to complete in order to fulfill class requirements. The amount will vary according to the age of the students, the amount of study time allowed at school, and how the child uses the study time available. Daily homework should not exceed 1 hour. There should be little or no homework on weekends and Holidays.

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MEDICATIONS
Some students may need medication during school hours. The following procedures must be followed:
1. An ‘Authorization for Medication’ form MUST be filled out by the physician and also signed by the parent. This form is available in the school office.
2. Parents should make the school aware of any medical problem the student has. School employees are not able to administer medication to any student unless the school has the appropriate form signed by the doctor. School employees are not permitted to apply ointment to cuts or abrasions. Employees are not permitted to give a pain reliever to students without personally speaking to parents.
3. Medications should be brought to school in the original container by a parent with the Authorization for Medication form. Children should not bring any medication to the school.

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PERSONAL PROPERTY
Alpine School District is not responsible for any personal property which is lost or stolen, or vandalized or which may have been entrusted for storage and/or safekeeping by Alpine School District or any employee of Alpine School District. There is no provision which allows payment for any personal item which is taken from Alpine School District property.

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PETS AT SCHOOL
Parents PLEASE do not allow your children to bring their pets to school with them. If their pet is a show-and-tell item, and the teacher has been notified, an adult should come with the child so that the pet can be taken home immediately after the presentation. Because of student allergies, it may not be possible to bring pets to some classrooms. If a pet follows a child to school, the child will call home to ask a parent to come pick the animal up. If a parent cannot pick the animal up, Animal Control office may be contacted by the school.

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PROHIBITED ITEMS
Students MAY NOT possess any the following items on school property or at school events without the explicit permission of a teacher or administrator.
1.     CD Players, cell phones, beepers, cameras, television sets, or any other electronic items that may cause a distraction to the learning climate.
2.     Trading cards, dice, playing cards, etc.
3.     Alcoholic beverages, narcotics, over-the-counter medications, cigarettes, tobacco products, inhalants, cigarette lighters, matches, weapons, and look-a-likes.
4.     Toys or any type of electronic games.
5.     Roller blades, roller shoes, skateboards, or any motorized scooters are NOT
        allowed at school.

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WEDNESDAY FOLDERS AND NEWSLETTERS
Look for homework and notes from teachers in the Wednesday Folders. Family rep (or the youngest child in your family) will get the PTA newsletter. Other children in your family will get information from the teachers and other activities. Please check for the folders each Wednesday, sign them, and return them on Thursday.

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TELEPHONE CALLS
Please help us keep classroom interruptions to a minimum by communicating necessary information (such as appointments, babysitters, etc.) before your child comes to school. It is very difficult to bring children to the office to answer telephone calls without disrupting classes and teachers typically set their classroom phone in a message-taking mode during class. Please do not call and ask to speak to your child except in an emergency.

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STUDENT INSURANCE
The Board of Education requires that all students have insurance. If your child is covered under a private insurance plan or a plan from your employer, please sign the insurance waiver, which is at the bottom of the emergency and Health Information form. If your child does not have insurance coverage, please plan to purchase student insurance. It is relatively inexpensive, and can be obtained quite easily. IF you need additional sheets for children, please pick them up at the school office. The State of Utah also offers the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). For more information, call the Help Resource Line at 1-888-222-2542.

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LOST AND FOUND
In order to help us return lost items, please label all clothing, backpacks, etc. with your child’s name or phone number. For your child’s safety, we encourage you to label clothing and backpacks on the inside. All lost items will be donated to charity at mid-year and again at the end of the school year.

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BICYCLES, BLADES, AND SCOOTERS
Bike racks are provided at Barratt. All bikes should be placed in bike racks, and must be left there until time for students to return home. The school cannot be responsible for bikes. We suggest that students lock their bikes to prevent theft. Also, please remind your student to walk all bikes and scooters on school grounds. No roller blades, roller shoes, or motorized scooters, or skateboards are allowed at school.

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STUDENT CHECKOUT
Parents must come to the school office if they need to pick up their children during school hours. Teachers will allow students to leave the classroom only after being contacted by the office. Students will be released to a parent or guardian after the checkout log is signed. Please do not check students out of school early except in the case of an emergency. It not only takes learning time from the student, but also disturbs the learning of the class. Do not call and ask that your child walk home, or meet you at your car. This is an Alpine District Safety directive. For your child’s protection please do not ask otherwise.

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WITHDRAWAL OR TRANSFER OF STUDENTS
Should it become necessary to transfer your children to another school mid-year, we ask that you alert the office ahead of time so that all necessary forms can be completed. All text books, library books, and lunch money must be returned or paid for before leaving. Student records will be sent upon request to the next school in which your child is enrolled.

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Parking Lot at Barratt Elementary
Our parking lot is designed for the safety of our students. Please review this information with your children. Please exercise caution and patience as we familiarize parents and students with our parking and drop-off procedures.

Students are to be dropped off only on the A curb.

Students are to be picked up on the A or B curb only. Students may NOT be picked up from the drive through zone or the staff/visitor parking area.

Students picked up from the B curb are allowed to cross only at the crosswalk leading to this area.

Cars picking students up from the A curb must turn right and go north after leaving the parking lot. Cars picking students up from the B curb must turn left and go south after leaving the parking lot.

Do not stop and block the middle lane. The middle lane is designed for cars to drive through the parking lot.

Please use caution when in the loading and drive-through lanes.

We will work with students as they learn the pick-up and drop-off procedures.

Students may not be picked up or dropped off in the staff/visitor parking lot in front of the school or on the south side of the school.

Parents are encouraged to have their students walk to school, thus helping to cut down on the number of cars in the parking lot.

Some parents may not want to go through the parking lot. If this ist he case, students must be picked up from a street curbside, and may only cross at crosswalks.