Family Handbook
2008-2009
Table of Contents
Introduction........................................................................................................................... 2
Registration
& Attendance Guide........................................................................................... 3
Hot
Lunch Program............................................................................................................... 3
Health
Related Information..................................................................................................... 4
Transportation....................................................................................................................... 5
Questionable
Weather News................................................................................................. 6
General
Rules and Information............................................................................................... 6
Promotion/Retention
Policy.................................................................................................... 9
Public
Notices..................................................................................................................... 10
Green Mountain School is nestled
between the tall trees in rural North Clark County, Washington. Built in 1932-1933, the school began as a
two-room schoolhouse serving approximately 37 children. As a functional K-8 school, we now have a
student body of over 120 students and a staff of 20.
In 1993, a remodeling project
left the original b
In 2005, two more updated modular
buildings greatly expanded our educational abilities. Also added was a library and science room,
and an improved administration center to better serve our public. In addition, expansion of our lunchroom,
complete facility painting, and a new school bus and expanded garage rounded
out our expansion project.
This Green Mountain School handbook is intended as a
reference document for all parents. It
contains rules, guidelines, explanations and procedures for building a school
community in which the best interests of all are furthered and safeguarded.
We ask that all parents and guardians study this document
closely and refer to it on a regular basis.
If you have any questions, please
feel free to contact the school office at
STUDENT REGISTRATION &
Only
students new to Green Mountain School and those entering school for the first
time need to register. Several parents
of students completed the enrollment process last spring or late this
summer. Those students do not have to
re-register.
Parents
of students entering kindergarten must present a birth certificate as evidence
of the age of their child. When parents
register their child they must also complete an Immunization Status Form. Parents should bring their child’s
immunization information with them so they can complete the Immunization Status
Form.
REPORTING
ABSENCES
All pupils are expected
to be in attendance whenever school is in session. Absences, lateness or parent requests for
early dismissal are not authorized except for
sickness, medical treatment, death in family, religious observance, or
presence in court. Upon return to
school, pupils are required by State law
to present a note signed by a parent or legal guardian.
The
school office phone number is
Students
who leave school during the school day must have written parent permission
prior to leaving, and must check out through the main office.
Students
who know in advance that they will be absent from school, should follow the
prearranged absence procedures. This
entails contacting the teacher with a parental note and having each of the
student’s teachers sign it. Parents will
be notified if any teachers have a concern over the absence.
Students
will be held responsible for class work missed during all absences. You may request homework for your child after
a two day absence by calling in the morning and arrange to pick it up in the
office by
TARDINESS
Any student arriving at school after
SCHOOL RELATED
ABSENCES
Athletics, field trips, performances,
competitions, club/class responsibilities, conferences, etc., are considered
school related absences provided they have been pre-arranged by a
teacher/administrator.
This year we will again be having a hot lunch program at Green Mountain
School. The cost of school lunches is
$2.50. Free and reduced lunches are
available, as are adult lunches. Milk
only may also be purchased for 50 cents. Reduced lunches are determined by
income. Application forms are enclosed
with this packet, and are available in the school office and will be send home
by request. If you qualify, please
complete the form and return it to
All lunch money will be paid first thing in the morning in the office. Lunches are ordered at
All students have a food service
account that functions like a debit account. Cash or checks may be
deposited into a student's account at any time and any denomination is
acceptable. Please make all checks payable to the Green Mountain School
District. The student's debit account cannot accommodate charges. Students
must have money in their account to cover the cost of the meal.
The Green Mountain School Lunch Program is operated in accordance with U.S.
Department of Agriculture policy which does not permit discrimination because
of race, color sex, age, handicap, or national origin. Any person believes that he or she has been
discrimination against is any USDA related activity should write immediately to
the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250.
Nurse Available
Green Mountain School has a visiting school nurse
on campus once a month to provide health services for our district.
SCREENINGS
All students will be screened for vision, hearing,
and will be weighed and measured.
Additionally, fifth and seventh grades will be screened for
scoliosis. Parents are notified only if
the student fails to pass the screening.
Prescriptions
Over-the-Counter Medications
If your
child requires medication in school, the office will cooperate with the
family physician and the parents. The
parent MUST submit a written request together with a written request from the
family physician which indicates the diagnosis, the name of the medication,
exact dosage, time of administration and length of administration. The office will then administer the
medication during school hours if necessary.
All medication taken in school must be brought to the office by an adult
in its original container. Medication is
taken under supervision.
Communicable Diseases
When a child is absent from school due to a
communicable disease, the parent should call the office with that
information. This is particularly
important if the child has chicken pox, measles, strep throat, impetigo,
etc. A written excuse must also
accompany your child when he/she returns to school.
Immunization REQUIREMENTS
The Washington State Department for Health
requires all K-12 students to be in
compliance or in the process of being compliant for the following
immunizations: DtaP (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus), OPV/IPV (Polio),
Exemptions
for medical, religious or philosophical reasons may be requested. Contact the school office for further
information.
ACTIVITY LIMITATIONS
If a student has been ill and should not go
outside for recess, a note is required
from the parents.
If a child has some
limitations to participate in school activities, it will be necessary to submit
a written notice to the office to be excused.
Continued limitations will require a medical doctor’s written excuse on
file.
CHANGE OF DESTINATION
If you wish your child to go home a different way or to a destination
different than he/she normally does the child MUST HAVE A NOTE FROM THE PARENT
indicating the change of destination. If
the child does not have a note, he/she will be sent home as normal.
EMERGENCY
RELEASE INFORMATION: THERE
We will be sending your child DIRECTLY HOME unless you
tell us where SEND your child in an emergency early out. (If you work, please make arrangements to
have them go somewhere in our district so that school buses can transport
child(ren). Please notify the school if
arrangements change at any time. Due to
the number of students and necessity of loading buses quickly, A PARENT
PHONE
When the radio or TV stations announce that Green
Mountain School will be on snow routes, this means that
the school bus will not run the route on upper Grinnell
Road or Goodnight Road mornings or afternoons. Students may be picked up at school or at the
base of Goodnight Road and Cedar Creek Road.
All other routes will be the same as usual. Please listen for late
starts also.
Please listen to
the radio or TV stations for announcements that we are having late starts or no
school. This is very important...it is
the way we communicate with you on these snowy and icy mornings!
Participating stations
are:
Radio stations Dial Location TV
Stations
KXL 95.5
FM (750 AM) KATU - Ch. 2
KKRZ 100.3
FM KGW - Ch. 8
KKCW 103.3
FM KPTV - Ch. 12
KUPL 98.7
FM (1330 AM)
KINK 101.9
FM Ch. 63 (or 55)
KKJZ 106.7
KKSN 97.1
FM (910 AM) You may also check our website or go to
KGON 92.3
FM
Flash
Alert
KWJJ 99.5 FM (1080 AM)
KVAN 1550
AM
KUFO 101.1
FM
KNRK 94.7
FM
School Rules For Students
1.
BE A LEARNER : Be in the right place, at the right time, with the right
equipment.
2. BE RESPECTFUL: With what you
say, how you say it, your body language and what you wear.
3. BE
RESPONSIBLE: Do the right thing at the right time.
4. BE
Dress Code
“All students must wear
clothing that does not disrupt or interfere with the learning environment. Outfits that are too revealing or suggestive
are not permitted (examples are bare midriff, low necklines, tank tops, shorts
shorter than fingertip length). Sagging
pants will not be permitted.”
Please wear suitable shoes at school.
No roller shoes allowed. Flip
flops, sandals with higher heals, etc. are also not allowed. The students play soccer, PE, other games,
and negotiate steep stairs that need a little more support than light sandals
give them. Thank you for your
understanding.
Green Mountain students baring too much will be asked to
cover up with an article they have at school or go home and change. Then they are welcome to come back. School leaders will deal with inappropriately
dressed students “as discreetly and privately as they can.”
Student Personal
Property
Students are cautioned not to bring valuables or
large amounts of money to school.
Students, not the school, are responsible for their personal
property. Articles of clothing and personal belongings should be marked with the
student’s name.
Students are not to bring
toys if any kind, electronic devices,
radios, tape players, electronic games, or other such objects to school unless
they are to be used in a class activity.
They are not to be used outside the classroom at any time.
Lost Property
All lost property is
located in a “treasure chest” in the gym.
Children are encouraged to check this bin regularly. Unclaimed lost property is donated to
charity each semester.
All
items of clothing should be labeled so that lost property can be
returned avoiding unnecessary expense for parents.
Community
Newsletter
One of our forms of
communication with parents, the newsletter, The Gazette, is an important
publication. It is produced and mailed
to each family. The newsletter features
items of news, announcements, examples of class news and other interesting and
informative articles.
Please read it thoroughly so that you will
be informed of the school’s activities. Also, check our website for updated
information.
Green Mountain
Web Site
Green
Mountain School’s website contains valuable, up to date information twenty-four
hours a day. From lunch menus and school
calendars to classroom information and school board minutes and agendas, it is
an excellent resource to keep informed.
Please visit our website at: www.greenmountainschool.us.
Save us as a favorite on your computer
for even faster access!
Voter
Registration
All
Green Mountain residents who are 18 years old or older and are U.S. citizens
are urged to register to vote. A person
may pick up registration forms in the school office or call the Clark County
Elections at
In
order to vote in an election, a person must be registered at his/her current
address at least 30 days prior to that election.
A
person must vote once every two years or in each presidential election. If not, names are dropped from the election
rolls and individuals must re-register for voter eligibility.
Absentee
ballots are available through the Clark County Elections office. Call
School Board
The
Green Mountain School Board has regular meetings on the fourth Thursday of each
month held on the stage. Agendas for the
meetings are posted on the school’s website, as are minutes from the previous
meetings.
Green Mountain P.T.S.A.
(E-mail: GMSPTSA@tds.net)
“Our mission is to
inspire the parents and community of Green Mountain School District to make a
difference in our children’s education through financial generosity and
volunteer commitment.”
Green Mountain School PTSA
members are parents, staff, students and community members working together to
provide the school and community with special programs.
Some events are
fund-raisers that help make purchases of equipment, educational supplies and
books for teachers and students. Special
programs and events like Science on Wheels, PTSA Art Days, and field trips are
made possible with the support of the PTSA.
Throughout the year the
PTSA also helps with many other school programs and events by providing refreshments,
helping with field trips or school outings, and by lending a helping hand whenever
necessary.
Parent/Family Involvement Guidelines
Although parents are diverse in culture, language,
and needs, they share the school’s commitment to the educational success of
their children. This school district, in
collaboration with parents, shall establish and evaluate programs and practices
that enhance parent involvement. The
district strives to remove barriers to meaningful participation of all parents
in their children’s education by taking necessary measures to meet specific
needs of students and parents.
The Green Mountain School District expects each student to apply consistent
and sustained effort toward learning experiences that are assigned. Movement from grade to grade should signify
achievement of grade appropriate standards and benchmarks. The Board supports a rigorous curriculum and
high standards for Green Mountain students.
Schools, parents, and students share responsibility for achievement of
educational standards.
It is the responsibility of school personnel to:
Establish grade appropriate standards and
benchmarks at each level and communicate them to staff, parents, students, and
the community;
Monitor and report student attendance;
Develop appropriate curriculum which aligns
with the Washington State Essential Learnings;
Prescribe and provide supplemental
instructional support, if needed;
Communicate student achievement regularly
with both the student and parent/guardian through conferences and other means;
Develop and use a variety of assessment tools
to measure students’ progress.
Parents are responsible to:
Support the school’s efforts to improve their
student’s academic performance;
Insure that students attend school regularly
and arrive on time, ready to learn;
Provide an optimal learning environment at
home by creating a place and time for study, homework and other school
assignments;
Support attendance and participation in class
for the student to meet grade level standards;
Attend conferences with teachers and/or the
principal, and commit to agreements to improve student learning.
It is the student’s responsibility to:
Be aware of grade level expectations;
Attend school regularly and arrive on time,
ready to learn;
Complete assigned tasks with a level of
quality that demonstrates his/her ability;
Assume responsibility for learning.
The Board recognizes the seriousness of altering the normal progress of a
student from grade to grade, and encourages interventions designed to address
specific academic needs. The decision to
alter that progress needs to consider information from a variety of sources,
including parents, teachers and the student.
If a decision to alter routine promotion is made, the parent/guardian
may request a waiver once during a student’s K-8 career. The final decision resides with the
superintendent/principal.
Green Mountain School District is
required by law to annually inform district patrons of compliance with certain
federal and state laws and to make available the following information. Any questions or concerns regarding these
items should be directed to the superintendent.
Equal Rights Compliance
The
Green Mountain School District #103 has an obligation to provide free
appropriate public education to all school age persons within its
jurisdiction. This includes all school
age handicapped persons regardless of the severity of their handicap.
The
Green Mountain School District complies with all general and state rules and
regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national
origin, sex, or handicap in regards to all district employment and
opportunities to participate in educational programs and/or activities.
Inquiries
regarding compliance procedures may be directed to
Michael Grubbs, Superintendent, 13105 NE Grinnell
Road, Woodland, WA 98764.
Parent’s Right of Access to Student Records
The Green Mountain School District, in order to protect
the privacy of parents and students and to comply with the requirements of
Section 438 of the General Privacy Act, as amended, designed the following
categories of personally identifiable information from student records as
directory information: the student, address, telephone number, date and place
of birth, course(s) of study, participation in recognized activities and sports,
weight and height, dates of attendance, diplomas, certificates and awards
received, and the most recent agency or institution attended by the student.
It is the right of the parent/guardian of a student, or
of any student who has attained the age of 18, to refuse permit of designation
of any or all of the aforementioned categories of personally identifiable information
with respect to that student as directory information. Such student or parent must notify the school
district in writing of such refusal.
Such notice would be addressed to:
Michael Grubbs, Superintendent, 13105 NE Grinnell Road, Woodland, WA
98674.
Notification of Rights Under the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act
The
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Acts (FERPA) affords parents and students
over 18 years of age (“eligible students”) certain rights with respect to the
student’s education records. These
rights are:
1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within
45 days of the day the District receives a request for access.*
Parents or eligible students
should submit to the school principal (or appropriate school official) a written request that identifies the
record(s) they wish to inspect. The
principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible
student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s educational records
that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate or misleading.
Parents
or eligible students may ask Green Mountain School District to amend a record
that they believe is inaccurate or misleading.
They should write the school principal, clearly identify the part of the
record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.
If
the District decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or
eligible student, the District will notify the parent or eligible student of
the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request
for amendment. Additional information
regarding the hearing process will be provided to the parent or eligible
student when notified of the right to a hearing.
3. The right to consent to disclosures of
personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education
records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
One
exception which permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school
officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by
the District as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff
member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel);
a person serving on the School Board; a person or company with whom the
District has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney,
auditor, medical consultant, or therapist); or a parent or student serving on
an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or
assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.
A
school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to
review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional
responsibility
Upon
request, the District discloses education records without consent or officials
of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S.
Department of Education concerning alleged failures by he District to comply
with the requirements of FERPA. The name
and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:
Family
Policy Compliance Office
U.S.
Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue SW
Washington,
DC 20202-4605
*State Law Qualifications: Although FERPA allows 45 days to honor a
request, the state policy records law requires an appropriate response to a
“public records” request within 5 business days.
RCW 42.17.320 (October 22, 2002)
Compulsory Attendance Law
All
parents in the State of Washington of a child eight years of age shall cause
such child to attend public schools and such child shall have the
responsibility to attend full time when such school may be in session unless
they qualify for an exception under the law.
Such exceptions include private and home school options and other
special circumstances.
In
an effort to encourage all students and their families to comply with the compulsory
attendance law, new requirements have been added which include notification of
parents of nonattendance, scheduling of conferences, and other steps to
eliminate or reduce a student’s absences. District truancy procedures are
available at the school office; and attendance exceptions are listed in the
Compulsory School Attendance and Admission law, Chapter 28A.225, available at
the school office or the public library.
Policies and Administrative Regulations
All
school district policies and administrative regulations are available for
review at the district office, 13105 NE Grinnell Road, Woodland, WA.
Sexual Harassment Policy
Green
Mountain School District is committed to
a positive and productive education and work environment free from discrimination,
including sexual harassment. Sexual
harassment occurs when:
·
Submitting to the harasser’s sexual demands is a stated
or implied condition of obtaining an education or work opportunity or other
benefit;
·
Submitted to or rejection of sexual demands is a factor
in an academic, work or other school related decision affecting an individual;
or
·
Unwelcome sexual or gender-directed conduct or
communication interferes with an individual’s performance or creates an
intimidating, hostile or offensive environment.
The
district shall take prompt, equitable and remedial action within its authority
on reports, complaints and grievances alleging sexual harassment that comes to
the attention of the district either formally or informally.
Parents’
Right to Know
By Washington State Law all teachers and para-professionals
at a Title 1 building currently meet the highly qualified requirements of the
No Child Left Behind Act. Parents have
the right to request information on the professional qualification of their
children’s teachers. They may request
information on:
§
Whether the teacher is teaching the subject and grade
levels in which he/she is qualified and licensed;
§
Whether the teacher is not highly qualified but is
teaching in an emergency where qualifications have been set aside temporarily;
§
What degrees and certification the teacher holds and in
what subject areas; and
§
Whether the child receives services by paraprofessionals
and, if so, their qualifications.
Asbestos
All
asbestos containing materials were removed from Green Mountain School during
the past remodeling and expansion project.
In our continuing efforts
to safeguard students, staff, and public safety, and in compliance with the a
1988 state law, the Green Mountain School District has an Asbestos Management
Plan.
Pesticide Policy and Procedures
Communication
The Superintendent is
directed to develop procedures to assure that the District complies with the
requirements of law regarding pesticides notification, posting, and record
keeping. This includes procedures for
annual notification of staff and parents of pesticide application, posting of
sites of pesticide application, and records keeping, including an annual
summary report of pesticide usage,
Legal References: RCW 71.21 Pesticide Application Act
Notification signs of
applications made to school grounds will be placed at the location of the
application and at each primary point of entry to the school grounds. The posting sings will be four inches by five
inches and will state, “THE LANDSCAPE