Information

WALKING OR BICYCLING TO/FROM SCHOOL       
Students may walk or ride their bike to and from school only when accompanied by a parent or guardian.
 
TWO-HOUR DELAY / SCHOOL CLOSING /EARLY RELEASE
Before and After School YMCA Program— The YMCA before and after school program will be open during their regularly scheduled hours on days that Hamilton Southeastern Schools are experiencing a two-hour delay. When Hamilton Southeastern Schools are closed for weather related issues, the YMCA school care is closed as well.
 
SKYLERT INSTANT ALERT SYSTEM
Schedules change, buses run late, emergencies occur.  Hamilton Southeastern Schools has implemented an instant alert system, Skylert, which can be utilized by district or individual building administrators, as needed.  This system allows the school to notify parents of emergencies and/or changes to the school’s regular schedule more quickly and conveniently.  Skylert brings critical and/or changing news directly to the intended audience, as parents can select how and where they receive messages.  Each year, the home phone number listed for the student is set as the default in the system.  Parents should update the information in the system annually which can include work phone, cell phone, email.  Updates to Skylert can be made at any time by logging into Skyward Family Access.
 
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Upon registration of your child, you were asked to provide the school with phone numbers of people that could be reached in cases of emergency.  If these numbers change during the school year, please inform the school so that we will always have up-to-date information on file.  Please make sure the people the school is to notify are willing to take responsibility for your child in case you cannot be reached.

BUILDING VISITORS/VOLUNTEERS
Parents are welcome to visit classrooms and our school.  Please give your child time to adjust to his/her new environment.  Per Board Policy, we ask that you schedule visits with the teacher at least one school day before any such visit to set up an appropriate time and length of visit in order to keep class disruptions to a minimum.  All visitors must check in at the office to sign in, receive, and wear Visitor’s Badge before going to other parts of the building.  Any time your destination changes, please stop by the office and make note of your new location on the sign in forms.  Stop by the office on your way out of the building to sign out.  Please silence your cell phones upon entering the building to minimize disruption to the educational environment.  Visitors should refrain from taking photos of students due to FERPA privacy.

Generally speaking, teachers as well as parents, appreciate knowing when they may expect visitors.  Most teachers like to have the day on its way before visitors arrive.  Parents can understand why the first and last weeks of each semester, days prior to vacation, and scheduled testing times would preclude visitation.

It is not just a mere courtesy, but for the children’s safety and education, we cannot allow parents and/or visitors to walk into classrooms unexpectedly.  With uncertain situations and restraining orders, it is in the interest of all that our school personnel are aware of who is in the building.  Pick up or delivery of items for students must be cleared through the office.  We ask you to drop off items at the office.  We can deliver items to students without interrupting the classroom.   We must try to keep classroom interruptions to a minimum in order to maximize learning time.

Parents are welcome to volunteer in classrooms.  Please contact the teacher to arrange the appropriate date and time.  Younger siblings are not permitted to accompany parents to classrooms when volunteering.  Any individual who volunteers in Hamilton Southeastern Schools or on a school related function must have an approved background check on file.

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
Most elementary schools publish a school newsletter and email the newsletter to parents via Skylert.  For parents without internet access, a copy will be sent home upon request.  Regular features of the newsletter include lunch menus for the upcoming week, PTO News, announcement of upcoming events, related arts rotation for the upcoming week, and more.  We encourage you to take the time to read the newsletter so that you can be better informed and aware of upcoming events and deadlines. 
 
ACCESS TO SCHOOL BEFORE OR AFTER SCHOOL HOURS
It is important to encourage student responsibility and organization of student belongings, but it is also understandable that students may forget items in the classroom from time to time.  The office staff will happily work with parents or students to return to the classrooms before or after school during normal office hours to get items they may have forgotten.  In order to maintain building security, classrooms are locked outside of school hours.  Therefore, students will be escorted to the classroom by school personnel to retrieve these items.

BACKPACK IDENTIFICATION
All students are required to have a school issued ID tag on their backpack and any other bag that is used to transport materials to school.  All lunch boxes need to be marked on the outside with the student’s first and last name.  These rules have been established to keep our students and staff safe.  It allows for school officials to quickly determine if an unmarked bag, box, etc. could be of danger to anyone.
 
BIRTHDAYS
Birthdays are a special time, but due to the number of Hamilton Southeastern students who have various food allergies, no birthday treats will be allowed at school.  Birthday party invitations should be mailed and not handed out at school.  The school will not accept flowers, balloons, or gift deliveries of any kind for students.  They not only cause a disruption in the classroom, but they also cannot be taken on the bus because they may restrict the driver’s visual field.  Instructional time cannot be used for birthday parties or celebrations.
 
CLASSROOM CELEBRATIONS
Schools may have up to two classroom celebrations during the year.  It is the decision of the individual building administrator as to what the celebrations will entail and when they will take place.  Examples of the celebrations are traditional classroom parties, presentations of student learning, or service learning projects. Treats may be provided through HSE food services in conjunction with payment by the PTO.  Students should not bring in candy or other food items during these celebrations.
 
EVENING SCHOOL EVENTS 
We ask that evening performances be events the entire family can enjoy together.  Please keep all members of your family together to enjoy our special event.  Children in the audience will be asked to sit with their parents throughout the entire performance.  As a courtesy to all performers, we request our families remain seated for the entire performance.  Please remember all HSE schools are tobacco-free and vape-free.  In addition, a student must be in attendance at school a minimum of one-half day on the day of the event to participate. 
 
STUDY TRIPS
When classroom teachers schedule a study trip for the class away from school, a permission slip will be sent home with the needed information on it.  This slip must be signed and returned.  Students without a signed permission slip, or anyone not returning the permission slip by the deadline set by the classroom teachers, will not be allowed to attend the trip.  Medications may be given by the school nurse, or their designee, when students are out of the building or on a study trip.  Before a parent is chosen to help chaperone a study trip, they must have a criminal background check approved and on file in order to accompany the class.  These forms are only valid for three years, after which time a new application may be submitted.  In addition, siblings are not permitted to attend the study trip.  Parents not chosen as a chaperone are not permitted to join the class at the destination.  This causes a major breach in our safety measures of keeping students safe while in our charge.
Administration of Medications and Treatments
to Special Needs Students on Field Trips—As a result of the growth in enrollment in our school system, there has been a corresponding increase in the number of students with special needs.  These needs often include administration of medication or treatment requiring informed judgment.  Asthma and diabetes management are examples of these special needs.
The priority of the school nurse has to remain with the greater number of students at the school campus.  Thus, on a field trip, or other student activity which takes place away from school, the school nurse will rarely, if ever, be able to accompany special needs students.  In addition, most of the teachers are not qualified to administer certain medications or treatments, or to judge the use of these for chronic medical conditions.
The parents/guardian of the student with special medical needs are expected to work with the school to arrange for an adult other than the school nurse to accompany their child on field trips or other activities when it is deemed necessary by the school nurse and school principal.  If a parent cannot accompany the child, the parent:

• May select an adult (other than the school nurse) to accompany their child; or
• May work with the school to arrange for adult supervision for their child; or
• May waive the need for an adult to specifically accompany their child; or
• May elect to decline participation in the field trip experience.

A student, trained in the use of their inhaler, glucometer, insulin therapy, or epi-pen, may be allowed to administer their own emergency medication on a field trip.  For this to occur, each student’s ability to self-administer emergency medication must be addressed in the student’s Individual Health Plan and a signed physician authorization form must be completed.