Handbook

Arrival/Dismissal

Arrival

• Supervision at the Main Entrance begins at 8:45. Please do not drop off students prior.
• Doors open at 8:50
  • SUCCESS and Specialized Preschool enter through the Northeast side door, closest to Mason St.
  • Head Start and TK-5^th grade students will enter through the main doors
  • Students who ride General Education busses will enter through the cafeteria doors (closest to the bus ramp on Mason St.)
  • Students who ride Special Education busses will enter through the doors closest to Mason St. when they are dropped off at the main loop.
• School begins at 9:00
• Doors will close at 9:05. At this time students will be marked tardy and will need to stop by the Main Office to receive a slip before heading to class
• If you drive your student to school, please drop them off and continue driving to eliminate congestion in our Main Loop. We have a small drop-off zone and a portion of it is a bus zone. It’s imperative that cars do not park or idle in the loop.
• If you need to come into the building or would like to wait with your child before they enter the building, please park in the lot or in the neighborhood.

Dismissal

• School ends at 3:30
• Students who do not ride the bus will walk with their teacher to the playground to their designated location (as determined and communicated by your child’s teacher) for parent/guardian pick-up or may walk home from there.
• Students who ride the bus will load by 3:30.
• Classes will remain on the playground until 3:35. Students not picked up by this time will be brought to the Main Office.
• SUCCESS and Specialized Preschool will exit through the same door as arrival (Northeast side door, closest to Mason St.)
• If your child’s typical dismissal plans change, contact their teacher and/or the main office prior to 3:00. We will not change a student’s regular plans unless we hear from a guardian.

• Please notify our school ASAP regarding any known severe/life-threatening allergies so that we can create/implement a care plan for them. By the first day of school, we must receive medication and/or treatment orders as well as the medications and supplies to carry out those orders.
• To promote students’ safety around allergies, we ask that students do not share/trade snack or lunch items with their classmates.
•  If you would like to contribute to classroom snacks and/or bring a treat to school, please check with your child’s teacher regarding known allergies and please ensure that snack items are store bought.
• We cannot serve homemade food and drink items at school: Policy 6700 & Regulation 6700
• Despite our best efforts, we cannot guarantee a completely allergen-free environment. Reference district Policy 3423 and 3423R – Anaphylaxis Prevention.

• Please send your school every day they are able. Attendance at school is essential to their learning.
• If your child is sick and you’re unsure as to whether or not you should send them, you may refer to the following guidance from the Health Department: When to Keep your Child Home from School
• We ask that you notify the school if you know your child will be absent (e.g. sick, doctor appointment, planned upcoming absences, etc.) You may email jefferson@tacoma.k12.wa.us, call 253-571-4000, or enter the absence in ParentVUE.
• Students who arrive after 9:05 will be marked tardy and will need to check in with the Main Office before walking to their classroom.
• If you need to pick your child up early, please notify the school no later than 3:00. This ensure we are able to communicate dismissal changes.

• Please adhere to the same snack/treat guidance above and ensure that treats are store bought, commercially processed and pre-packaged.
• To avoid distractions and alleviate storage issues, we ask that items such as balloons and large celebratory items are not brought to school.
• If you wish that your child not participate in birthday celebrations, please contact your child’s teacher to discuss a plan.
• Teachers will not be involved in distributing birthday invitations in the classroom unless the entire class is invited.

• Ideally, students will refrain from bringing cell phones & smart watches to school.
• Personal tablets and other electronic devices (e.g. personal gaming systems) are not to be used at school.
• If your child must bring their cell phone to school, they will be expected to have them turned off or on silent mode between 9:00-3:30. They should be stored in their backpack and/or turned into the Main Office.
• Cell phones will not be used during the school day to support academic success, remove distractions, and to promote face-to face social connection.
• If a student or guardian need to contact one another during the school day, please call the main office and/or students may use a classroom or office phone to call you.
• For non-emergent calls, students will be asked to phone home during recesses and scheduled breaks throughout their school day.
• Communication regarding school emergencies will come from Administration and/or TPS District Offices.
• Jefferson and its staff are not responsible for any damage to or theft of a student’s cell phone or personal electronics.
• If students are found to be using their cell throughout the school day, it will be brought to the Main Office and may be picked up by your student at dismissal.
• Repeated violations of this policy will result in a meeting between administration, the student, and their family.
• Smart watches with cellular plans will be treated as cell phones.

• Principal Perkins will send out weekly communication to all families via email each Sunday. This newsletter will also be available on our school website each Sunday. Contents will include school updates, TPS news, upcoming events, and relevant school-related news. A text will be sent out when the newsletter is posted.
• If you are not receiving the newsletter and would like to, please call or email the main office.
• You can expect to hear from your child’s teacher at least once per month regarding classroom updates and news.
• All school staff are available via phone and/or email. The easiest way to contact specific staff members is to call the main office and/or to email them via ParentVUE.
• If you’d like to set up a meeting with Principal Perkins or any other staff member, please call the Main office or contact them directly to set something up.
• Formal conferences are held twice each school year for TK-5^th grade families: in October and March.

• While we hope to see our students each school day, please do help limit the spread of infectious illnesses by keeping your child home when they are sick.
• If your child is sick and you’re unsure as to whether or not you should send them, you may refer to the following guidance from the Health Department: When to Keep your Child Home from School
• Students with a fever, vomiting, and/or diarrhea who stay home or are sent home must be free from all of the above symptoms for 24 hours before returning to school.
• Please notify the school if your child will be absent.

• Please be sure to label your students clothes and accessories (e.g. hats, lunchboxes, gloves, etc.) with their first and last name.
• We will remind students and families to check the Lost & Found periodically.
• Unclaimed items will be donated to charity twice a year (Winter Break & after the last day of school).

• If your child needs to take medication of any kind at school (prescription or over the counter- including cough drops & vitamins), we must receive physician orders.
• Medications of any kind may not be administered without physician orders.
• Medications and their accompanying orders may be brought to the main office. Medication must be brought in the original container and will be kept in a locked cabinet.
• Students may not carry medications of any kind on their person.
• Personal hygiene products such as sunscreen, lip balm, lotion/cream, deodorant, etc., may be brought to school with students so long as
• The product is regulated by the FDA as an over the counter product and
• The product has been provided to the student by their parent or guardian
• Student must apply these products independently and should not share with others.

• All individuals are required to enter through the main door and check in with the office.
  • Exceptions for specialized cases may apply and will be approved by the Principal
• Upon entering the building, please check in at the Main Office
• All visitors and volunteers who will be traveling beyond the Main Office will be asked to sign-in and wear a provided badge
• All exterior doors and playground gates will remain locked during the school day
• When Beyond the Bell programming is in session, families will be asked to leave campus by 4:30 and our gates will be locked until programming is over. Since Beyond the Bell utilizes our school’s field and playground, this ensures their safety. Families who wish to socialize and play beyond 4:30 are encouraged to utilize Jefferson Park (approximately 2 blocks away from our campus).
• Known Safety Drills will be communicated via the Sunday newsletter
• In the event of an emergency and school and/or TPS District office will send out communication to families.
• For specific TPS policy and regulation regarding student safety &/or discipline, please refer to the Tacoma Public Schools District Handbook

• If you wish to visit our school to interact with your student(s), please sign in at the Main Office. You will be expected to wear a visitor badge while you’re here.
• Parents/Guardians who wish to observe a classroom or school activity during the school day are required to make such arrangements in advance with the classroom teacher, with final approval by the Principal.
• Visitors will not supervise or interact in depth with other children while in the building.
• Volunteers are always needed and are able to interact with specific groups of students.
• Volunteers must complete background check paperwork each school year. If you’ve already completed this paperwork at another TPS school, please let our office staff know and we’ll obtain a copy from them.
• Volunteer paperwork must be processed a week prior to volunteering and is available on our district website: Volunteer with Tacoma Public Schools