The Bear Essentials

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The Bear Essentials

Answers to parent questions. (Select links below.)

Absences	Phone Numbers To Remember
Address Changes	School Openings & Closings
Morning Arrival	Early Pick-up
School Bus Conduct Guidelines	Parent Pick-up
Modified Kindergarten	Forgotten Material
To Talk To a Teacher...

ABSENCES Top
If you need to take your child out of school for a religious holiday, vacation or other circumstance, you need to send written notification to school at least 10 days prior to the absence. For all other absences, state law requires a written parental excuse stating the reason for a pupil's absence from school. It must be sent in within 3 days of the absence.

ADDRESS CHANGES Top
Please notify the school office immediately of any change to a pupil's address or phone number. It is vitally important to keep emergency numbers up-to-date in case of an emergency with your child.

MORNING ARRIVAL Top
The main doors will open at 9:02. Parents may drop their child off at the front or back of the building. Parents who drop their child off in front of the building must park in the upper parking lot and walk their child into the building. Please make sure to use the crosswalks at all times. Parents who choose to drop their child off at the rear of the building are asked to please park in the yellow lines and use caution when exiting the parking lot.

EARLY PICK-UP Top
Please notify the teacher via a written letter indicating the time you intend to pick your child up. When you arrive at the school, the teacher will be contacted and your child will be sent to the office at that time.

PARENT PICK-UP Top
Photo identification is required for any person picking a student up from school. This is for the safety of all students.

A written note must be sent to school indicating the student will be parent pick-up. Without a written note, students will be placed on the school bus. If a student is scheduled to be parent pick-up for a number of days, one note will suffice.
The note must designate a name for identification purposes. No child will be released under any circumstances without written notification from a parent or guardian or the designated person must be listed on the child’s emergency form. There are NO exceptions to this rule.
The front doors of the building will open at 3:42 PM, all parents are expected to wait outside until that time. Parent pick-up students are escorted to the gymnasium and released to parents. No students are released between 3:22 PM and 3:42. This time is crucial for students in preparation for dismissal.
If there is a family emergency that necessitates a change in dismissal plans, then and only then, should the change be phoned into the school. This procedure needs to be followed by all so that we are able to respond to emergencies and our phone line is not tied up at the end of the day.

SCHOOL OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS Top
Wintry, snowy weather is a fact of life. For information regarding school closings, delayed openings and early closings please call (570) 402-1000. A recorded message will indicate whether or not school is delayed or cancelled. If no message is recorded, school will be in session as normal. Please DO NOT dial the school’s main office number for school closing information. Information can also be found at:

Television	Radio
WBRE-TV Channel 28 WYOU-TV Channel 22 WNEP-TV Channel 16 WFMZ-TV Channel 69 Blue Ridge Cable TV Channel 13	WFMZ-FM 100.7 WYNS-AM 1160 WSBG FM 93.5 WHCY FM 106.3 WVPO AM 840 WAEB-FM B104.1, AM 790 WARM AM 590 (Magic 93, Hot 97) WSUS FM 102.3 WNNJ FM 103.7

MODIFIED KINDERGARTEN Top
When kindergarten is on a modified scheduled, please follow the time frame listed below:

AM pick-up time two hours beyond normal time

AM buses arrive ~11:02 AM

AM classes begin ~11:12 AM

AM dismissal ~ 1:25 PM

PM drop-off time one hour beyond normal time

PM buses arrive ~ 1:30 PM

PM classes begin ~ 1:40 PM

PM dismissal ~ 3:57 PM

SCHOOL BUS CONDUCT GUIDELINES Top
Any infraction of the following bus regulations is considered a safety hazard and the student will be subject to disciplinary action.

	Students must cooperate with and obey the orders of the driver at all times.
	Students will not throw or shoot paper, water or other objects on the bus or out the windows or doors.
	Students will not use profane language, tobacco, matches, food or drink on the bus.
	Once a student boards a bus, the student must remain seated while on the bus until the bus stops at their destination. Heads, hands and feet must be kept inside the windows at all times.
	There will be no fighting, pushing, tripping or shouting at any time on the bus.
	Students will not willfully destroy clothing or any other property of another student or any part of the bus.
	A student will not aggravate or provoke other students on the bus.
	Radios or tape players will not be permitted on the bus. (They are not permitted in school.)
	There will be no weapons or dangerous objects that could be misconstrued as a weapon brought on the bus.

The building principal has an important responsibility with respect to pupil transportation. Health and safety factors are the principal’s concern since he/she is the first to feel the impact of any deviation. Pupil behavior on the school bus is the principal’s responsibility since infractions are to be referred to his or her office. Any student causing a disorder on the school bus will be reported by the driver. The principal will work in cooperation with parents, students, the transportation director and the bus driver.

A STUDENT WHO BECOMES A DISCIPLINE PROBLEM ON THE BUS WILL BE DEPRIVED OF THE PRIVILEGE OF RIDING ALL BUSES USED BY THE DISTRICT AS FOLLOWS.

1st offense - The student will receive a written warning from the building principal and a notice will be sent to the parent/guardian and transportation director that such a warning has been issued.

2nd offense - The discipline referral form shall be forwarded to the building principal of the student’s grade level who will suspend bus privileges for a period of five (5) consecutive days. The parent/guardian will be contacted in advance. A school suspension may also be levied depending on the seriousness of the infraction.

3rd offense - The discipline referral form shall be forwarded to the building principal of the student’s grade level. Bus privileges will be suspended for a period of ten (10) consecutive school days. A school suspension may also be levied depending on the seriousness of the regulation infraction. The parent/guardian will be contacted in advance.

4th offense - Bus privileges suspended for a period of twenty (20) days.

5th offense - A meeting may be held between the Director of Administrative Services and Safety, the Building Principal, the parent/guardian and the student. Bus privileges may be suspended for the balance of the school year.

Sixty-Day Rule: The level of an individual bus disciplinary infraction will be based on the students’ total number of accumulative infractions over a period of sixty (60) calendar days. If there are no additional infractions during the sixty (60)-day period, the level of disciplinary action reverts back to a student warning.

FINAL DECISIONS FOR ALL DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS ARE AT THE DISCREPANCY OF THE ADMINISTRATION. IN ADDITION, THE ADMINISTRATION IS AUTHORIZED TO MOVE DIRECTLY TO THE FIFTH STEP WHEN A CRIMINAL OFFENSE OCCURS SUCH AS ASSAULT, DRUG RELATED OFFENSES, DESTRUCTION OF PUBLIC PROPERTY AND SIMILAR ACTS. IN THIS INSTANCE, THE STUDENT WILL BE DISCIPLINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DECISION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.

A copy of each pupil misconduct report, with appropriate action taken, must be filed in the pupil’s cumulative folder. In no case may the denial of bus riding privileges take effect until after the parents have been informed of such denial.

FORGOTTEN MATERIALS Top
Any materials forgotten by your child may be dropped off at the office. Your child will be contacted in class and sent to the office at an appropriate time. No parents may visit the classroom during school hours. If items are left in school at the end of the day, it must remain there until the following day. Students are not permitted to return to classrooms after school hours.

PHONE NUMBERS TO REMEMBER Top
To contact the school, please call (570) 402-1000, please listen for menu options

IF YOU NEED TO TALK TO A TEACHER Top
Here are some guidelines for you to follow when you need to speak with your child's teacher.

	Make an appointment by writing a note at least one day in advance so that you do not interrupt class instructional time. Unscheduled parent conferences may not be held during the instructional day.
	Do not enter the classroom areas, always check in at the office first. Any parent in the building without a visitor pass will be asked to return to the office.
	Parents are urged to stay informed of their student's educational program by accepting invitations to visit classrooms and meet with teachers at Parent conferences.

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� Pleasant Valley School District - revised 07/20/04 03:27:16 PM