Idaho City Schools - Basin District # 72

Welcome to Basin Elementary! The teachers, parents and students at Basin Elementary all work together as a community of learners to provide the best education possible for all students. All preschool through sixth grade students are offered an exceptional education with enriching activities and educational support in a safe and nurturing learning environment. We are focused on student achievement and personal growth.

The staff works diligently to meet the diverse needs of its students by providing leveled times for reading and math. Each student participates in a supplemental reading block time where students can be challenged with instruction at their personal level. Students in grades four through six are also placed in leveled math groups. These leveled opportunities increase student achievement by allowing students to either review missed content and skills or be challenged with material that is beyond their grade level.

At Basin Elementary, students are expected to model behavior based on four guiding principles: responsibility, citizenship, respect and integrity (see the attachment on our guiding principles). Throughout the year, students learn about these character traits and how they are applied in our school environment. Our school environment encourages students and staff to be our very best in all ways.

Basin Elementary is fortunate to have a dedicated staff that works diligently to provide students with meaningful learning experiences that will help each student make academic and social growth, which will lead to a solid educational foundation.

This handbook is published to ensure that all learners and those associated with the learners can have an easy reference to information that will assist them in having a successful year at Basin Elementary School. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call (392-6631). Basin District 72 office and Idaho City High School phone number is 392-4183.

Academics are the basis of our program. It is important that parents, students, teachers and the community at large emphasize the importance of success in this area. You may request reports on your child's academic standing, and may also get materials from the teachers, library or your own sources to extend or supplement what is being taught. We encourage you to help us make your child’s academics important.

When enrolling in Basin Elementary School, you will need to bring the following items:

1. Emergency information card
2. Request for records from prior school
3. Current enrollment information forms

The student must clear with the following people upon withdrawal from Basin School.

The legislature passed a bill (I.C. 39 4801) requiring the immunization of all school children. The following chart is one recommended schedule for accomplishing the desired immunizations. The school requires documentation of your child's immunization record at time of registration.

Basin Elementary School policy states that all children from the age of six through age sixteen must be in attendance. Grades K-6 students must be reviewed before promotion if they have missed more than ninety percent of the school days. Students leaving prior to 10:30 a.m. are absent a full day, before 1:00 p.m. a half day.

Whenever possible, please inform the teacher or office before the absence. If it is not possible to prearrange the absence, then please send a doctor's excuse or a note signed by a parent or guardian. The office will be calling on the days of absences. If contact is made notes are not necessary.

Perfect attendance means just that, perfect. No absences for any reason, illness, funerals, doctor's appointments, etc. Even if a student leaves more than once after 1:00 p.m., he/she will not receive perfect attendance. Example: a student who leaves at 1:45 p.m. for the second time is no longer eligible for perfect attendance.

Parents will be notified when students miss nine or more days. Students missing more than ninety percent of the school days may be denied promotion and are in danger of being charged with habitual truancy. The building attendance committee will review each case. Parents will be asked to explain extenuating circumstances through a written explanation and documentation. If the committee determines that the student’s absences are not warranted or the student exceeds 30 absences, the student and his/her parents will be referred to the ICAN program for attendance monitoring. ICAN is a county-wide prevention program.

Students are responsible for completing their missing work when they are absent. Students will have 24 hours to complete missing work. Teachers will develop individual plans if students are absent for longer periods of time.

The tardy bell rings at 8:15 a.m. Three (3) tardies equal one (1) absence. This absence will be counted towards the total allowed per student.

Students will be participating in regularly scheduled P.E. classes. They will need to wear athletic shoes (absolutely no sandals or open toed shoes) and appropriate loose fitting clothing to get the most from these classes. Students who are unable to participate in P.E. classes for medical reasons must provide the instructor with a written excuse from a doctor. If the student is unable to participate in class for personal reasons a note from his/her parent/guardian must be provided. If this becomes a chronic problem, parents will be contacted. Unexcused absences from class will be dealt with in the same manner outlined in the discipline section of this handbook.

All students will receive art instruction in a variety of formats. Art will be integrated into the other areas of the curriculum in the regular classroom. In addition, teachers will be working with the high school’s certified art teacher to design and implement formal art lessons and curriculum.

First through sixth grade students will attend music class once a week. Students will be exposed to a variety of music. Instruction will be provided in the areas of singing, musical instruments and dancing. Students will have the opportunity to perform in a concert at least once a year.

Every first through sixth grade student will receive a supplemental reading time three to four days per week for 40 minutes. These groups are designed to focus instruction on students’ instructional levels and not necessarily just the curriculum at their current grade levels. The curriculum and instruction given is in addition to their regular grade level curriculum and instruction. Therefore, students needing to review concepts and skills are given the instruction they need as well as students who need enrichment beyond their grade level curriculum. Students are grouped by instructional levels rather than by grade levels. First through third grade students are grouped together as well as fourth through sixth grade students.

Accelerated Reader provides an essential practice component to our core reading curriculum. In addition to making reading practice fun and exciting for every student, AR gives you continuous feedback to personalize instruction so every student achieves maximum success. Accelerated Reader helps teachers create excitement for reading in three easy steps. At the same time, it helps them continuously guide students to books that will maximize growth and help them work towards a goal. Accelerated Reader is reported on the trimester skills reports and is calculated as part of the fourth through sixth grade students’ reading grades.

This program provides for students who qualify by meeting testing requirements and whose needs are not met in the regular classroom. This is a supplemental program to expand and develop individual interests. If you feel your child may qualify, discuss it with his/her teacher and request testing.

Special Education Teacher adapts the teaching style to the needs of the students. Our policy is to provide for individual needs in the regular classroom. Our special education teacher and aides assist the learners, their parents and teachers in designing and implementing a program that allows each student to achieve success. If your child needs special help, please conference with his/her teacher and ask about our special education program.

Title I began in 1965 under President Lyndon B. Johnson as part of his “War on Poverty.” Title I money was intended to help close the achievement gap between schools in affluent and poor neighborhoods. Title I money is used to provide extra staff, materials or professional development. At Basin Elementary Title I provides tutoring for students with needs in the areas of reading and math. The Title I program works closely with the classroom teachers to help provide students with supplemental instruction. Students will be referred and assessed to determine eligibility. The types of services offered include: short 30 minute pull out sessions for reading or math, in class assistance, and or short 10 minute individual instruction.

Parents play a critical role in the Title I program. The district has a Title I Parent Involvement Policy which outlines how parents can be involved in the program. Parents are encouraged to give input on the program design, participate at Parent Nights, and assist their children at home. Parent workshops are intended to give parents strategies to help their children with school work at home and facilitate lifelong learning. They will be offered throughout the school year. If you are interested in participating on the Title I Program Committee or would like to give us input, please call Ms. Pilkerton.

The Response to Intervention Model or RTI is a process for meeting students’ needs. It is intervention and results focused. RTI uses resources and collaborative teams to problem solve solutions for individual students. RTI strives to catch student concerns early by being proactive. After a child is identified, interventions are put into place and the child’s progress is closely monitored.

We have a SLP for language development and speech disorders therapy. She spends two days each week working with students. If you feel that your child may need assistance, please talk this over with the classroom teacher.

The following is a suggested range of minutes for homework per student, recognizing that some students may require more and some less time to complete assignments.

Grade Core Subjects Reading to Self or with Parent

Gr. K 5-10 minutes/day or 20-40 minutes/week 10 minutes/day
Gr. 1 15-20 minutes/day 60-80 minutes/week 10 minutes/day
Gr. 2 20-25 minutes/day 80-100 minutes/week 10-15 minutes/day
Gr. 3-4 25-30 minutes/day or 100-120 minutes/week 15-20 minutes/day
Gr. 5 35-40 minutes/day or 140-160 minutes/week 20 minutes/day
Gr. 6 40-60 minutes/day or 160-240 minutes/week 20 minutes/day

**Some days students are given time to work in class on these assignments. Therefore, the time fluctuates. Students may also have more homework, if they do not use their time wisely on their in class assignments.

**If a child falls behind on turning in his/her work, he/she may be required to complete it in lunch detention or Saturday school.

The following suggestions are meant to help parents support their child's studying:

Kindergarten through third grade students will receive a progress report style report card at the end of each trimester. The report card will outline the student’s performance on specific skills in relation to district and state level benchmarks. Fourth through sixth grade students will receive both a traditional report card and a skills progress report card at the end of each trimester. In addition, mid-term grade reports will be sent home midway through each reporting period.

98%-100%---A+
93%-97%---A
92%-90%---A-
88%-89%---B+
83%-87%---B
80%-82%---B-
78%-79%---C+
73%-77%---C
70%-72%---C-
68%-69%---D+
63%-67%---D
60%-62%---D-
0%-59%---F

Bus riding is a privilege with boundaries set by safety standards. The State Department of Education formula allows for walking distances up to one and one half miles to school or the nearest bus stop. This policy also limits bus routes to roads maintained by city, county or state for all season travel.

It is the responsibility of the student to get on their appointed bus at the departure time. All elementary buses need to exit Basin Elementary by 3:20 p.m. in order to meet their return schedule times. Students who fail to get on their buses by that time are to report to the office. Their parents will be contacted and expected to pick up their son or daughter at the school.

The school has a school closure phone tree to notify parents of emergency school closures. However, we also recommend you call the school’s information line at 392-9948. The message will announce if school has been closed. The following television and radio stations will also be announcing school closures.

We have a very fine kitchen staff and facility. The lunch program has been expanded and redesigned over the past few years. We feel we are serving lunches that meet our students needs and are keeping the prices below other school districts. Our prices for this year will be:

If you would like to join us for lunch, please call the office, 392-6631, before 9:15 in the morning so that the cooks can include you in the count. The High School number to call to order your lunch is 392-4183. You are always welcome.

Only five charges will be allowed per person, per year. After five charges, your child will receive a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and milk until charges are paid. There will be a $5.00 charge for each check returned from the bank for insufficient funds.

Each student is a unique individual with special personal, social, and educational needs. As a result, every disciplinary situation becomes an opportunity for learning when the consequences are matched to the unique student and unique situation. The odds for children learning from their mistakes increase dramatically when children see a reasonable connection between their behavior and the resulting consequences.

Our school staff dedicates itself to following a set of core beliefs that provide a guide for dealing with student discipline. These core beliefs provide a guide for dealing with student discipline and provide a framework for attempting to individualize disciplinary actions and procedures to help them better understand the connections between their behavior and the resulting consequences.

As we work to follow these guidelines and create a safe and welcoming environment, we encourage parents to bring concerns and questions to us.

The following list of core beliefs outlines the professional actions and attitudes of all staff members in this school:

DISCIPLINE PROCEDURES AND CONSEQUENCES

Basin Elementary expects students to take responsibility for their actions and learn from their mistakes. We also believe that all children are different, and all actions and reactions are very personal in nature. Effective discipline involves establishing a few overriding expectations rather than a long list of specific rules. At Basin Elementary situations are dealt with as they arise, with the focus on enabling the child to grow and learn from his or her actions. We have developed a discipline policy that sets clear expectations and a range of consequences for inappropriate behaviors. Equal is not always fair and appropriate consequences will be designed to fit the problems of individual students, which means they may be different even when the problems appear to be the same. We will make every effort to ensure that students understand the expectations as well as the consequences when they are not followed.

SCHOOL EXPECATIONS AND RULES

Although there are specific safety rules that students must follow, Basin Elementary has set forth a few key expectations for how students will conduct themselves while at school rather than a long list of dos and don’ts. These expectations include the following:

Parents will be notified if issues arise or if their child has received a behavior referral. The Student Behavior Referral form will explain the infraction and outline the consequences. The form will be sent home for the parents to initial. The initialed form will need to be returned the next school day. If the form is not returned with initials or a signature, the student will owe recess.

Basin School District has specific penalties or consequences for dangerous or criminal acts. These rules cannot be excused or changed. These include acts such as:

Possession or use of illegal drugs
Possession or use of alcohol
Acts or threats of violence
Possession of weapons
Possession or use of dangerous articles
Acts or threats of bullying
Acts or threats of sexual harassment
Use and misuse of district facilities or equipment
Use and misuse of the internet

GENERAL PLAYGROUND SAFETY RULES

Rocks and snow stay on the ground.
Swings must only be used to swing back and forth in a seated position.
No “King of the Hill” or pushing on the tires
Stay within sight of the playground monitors. Do not go in front of the building or behind the school or modular classrooms.
Students must have a pass to be in the building at recess.
No kicking balls at or over the building roofs.
Respond to any playground monitor’s requests quickly and without arguing.

BULLYING

Bullying will not be tolerated. Bullying is the repeated aggressive behavior or frightening of others with an apparent intent to dominate. Bullying may include, but is not limited to:

Physical (hitting, pushing, or attacking another person’s property)
Verbal (name calling, obscene gestures, malicious teasing, or electronic threats)
Indirect attacks (hurtful notes, or spreading of false rumors)

If you believe that your child has been a victim of bullying, please report it to your child’s teacher or the principal.

CHEATING

It is the philosophy of Basin School to encourage good study and work habits and to encourage students to be prepared for class assignments and/or tests. As regards this philosophy Basin School has a "Zero Tolerance" policy for cheating. This means that if a student is found to be giving or receiving information during a testing activity his/her paper will be picked up and an automatic "0" will be given as a grade. There are no second chances or retaking of the test. Your support of this philosophy is appreciated.

STUDENT DRESS CODE

Students shall practice good hygiene, grooming and dress, which are socially acceptable to the parents, teachers, and fellow students. Each student's appearance shall enhance and not detract from a normal educational atmosphere and learning process.

1. Students shall dress in good taste in keeping with accepted standards of modesty.

2. Students' hair shall be clean, neatly groomed, and shall not obstruct or impair vision.

3. Clothing, jewelry or accessories with inappropriate lettering, decorations or advertisement, are not acceptable. i.e. advertisements for alcohol, tobacco, etc.

4. Bare midriff tops, halter tops, or shirts considered to be undershirts, spaghetti strapped tank tops, or muscle shirts are not acceptable.

5. Students will be allowed to wear long shorts that are fingertip length or longer if the activities or excessive heat require cooler and less restrictive clothing. "Shorts" must be neat and clean and well maintained. Students who wear clothing that is too short and revealing will be sent to the office to call home for more appropriate clothing.

TOYS

Children may bring toys or games for show and tell. Only small toys such as stuffed animals and matchbox cars can be brought to school and used on the playground. They are to be kept in the child’s backpack and not to be seen in the classroom. If the toys are seen in the classroom, they will be confiscated. No electronic devices or trading cards are to be brought to school.The school cannot be responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged toys that students bring from home. All confiscated toys or devices will be kept in the office. They will only be released to the parents. If they are not picked up within 1 month, they will be thrown away or donated. Some exceptions to the no electronic devices may be allowed…the most common is when bus drivers allow the use of them on the school bus. All electronic devices must remain off and in student backpacks while on school property.

TRANSPORTATION SAFETY RULES

To maintain safe conveyance of our students, the rules listed below have been established.

The bus driver is responsible for the conduct of students while riding the bus. Having that responsibility along with safely driving the bus is a difficult task. We cooperate very closely with the bus driver in maintaining good discipline. If the driver feels a student's behavior is too disruptive and the student does not respond to the driver's efforts to discipline him/her, the driver has been instructed to send a discipline report to the principal. A copy of this report will be sent to the parent. If another report is given on the same student, the principal will contact the parent, and the student may be denied transportation until further notice.

When the student follows the rules, one of the following may occur:

Praise by the driver.
Positive note home.
Positive phone call to parent.
Special privileges (music, free-seat day)

If the student breaks the rules, the following will occur:

Driver writes referral on student.
Student must see principal or his/her designee and parents are called at home or work and
parents sign the referral that evening.
Fighting on the bus is an automatic suspension from transportation services.

If your child has more than one and one half miles to the nearest bus stop or school, you may be eligible for in-lieu payment from the district. See the District Office to find out if you qualify.

Our buses are operating near capacity. By law we are not allowed to exceed that capacity. Only students who are assigned to ride a school bus are allowed on the bus. Special permission regarding after school day care can be obtained from the Director of Transportation (Maggie Graham) in emergency situations only. Usually we can be accommodating but we ask your cooperation in letting us know beforehand.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF PUPILS ON THE BUS

Riding a school bus is a privilege in which each rider is responsible for retaining by maintaining appropriate behavior, while loading, riding and unloading.

Safety . Each student shall be responsible for the safety of self and others
Bus Safety . The student shall enter the bus with the least possible confusion, be seated and remain seated until the bus stops for pupils to unload.
Physical Behavior . The student shall keep all parts of body inside the bus.
Crossing Road . If necessary to cross road, cross fifteen (15) feet in front of bus and wait at right edge of roadway for signal from the driver before proceeding into traffic lanes.
Clearance . The student shall stay away from the bus except when loading or unloading.
Schedule . The student is responsible to be on time for the bus.
Traffic and Safety Requirements . The student shall observe traffic and safety requirements when walking to and from the bus stop.
Response to Driver’s Requests . The student shall respond to the driver’s requests promptly.
Orderly Behavior . The student shall wait in an orderly line and avoid “horseplay.”
Seating . Each student shall go directly to an available, or assigned, seat when entering the bus.
Profanity . The student shall not use profane language on the bus.
Controlled Substances . The student shall not use tobacco, alcohol or drugs and controlled substances.
Throwing Objects . The student shall not throw or pass objects on, from or into buses.
Carry-on Objects . Except when prior approval is granted, pupils are to carry on only objects that can be held on their laps.
Hazardous Materials . The student shall not carry hazardous materials, objects, or animals on the bus.
Boarding . The student shall not leave or board the bus at locations other than the assigned home stop or assigned school unless such arrangements have been approved by the transportation supervisor.

SCHOOLWIDE DISCIPLINE CONSEQUENCES

Detention

Students may be assigned a detention as part of his/her consequence. Depending on the severity of the offense a lunch detention or after school detention will be assigned. Lunch detentions will be served during their lunch time and recess. Students will be required to eat in the detention room. If a child receives a lunch detention he/she may bring a sack lunch from home or if he/she plans to eat a school lunch, the cafeteria will make the student a sack lunch. The sack lunch will meet all federal nutritional requirements.

Parents will receive at least one day of notification for after school detention before time is to be served. Parents will need to make arrangements to pick students up from the school. During the detention students will need to complete homework, read or work quietly. If a detention cannot be served, the student and his/her parents will need to make arrangements with Ms. Pilkerton.

Saturday School

Saturday school will be from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on regularly scheduled Saturdays each month. Students are expected to work on academic assignments for the duration. There will be one 5 minute break each hour. Parents will receive at least one day of notification for Saturday school. Students will be responsible for their own transportation to and from the school. Students who fail to show up for Saturday school or are removed for behavioral reasons will be assigned 2 days of in-school suspension.

If the student’s actions are severe, one of the following methods shall be used.

Suspension:

This can be an in-school or out-of-school removal from the classroom. In-school suspensions may require the student to spend work time in another classroom, the office or other supervised area. Students will be expected to do academic work during all in-school suspensions.

Out-of-school suspensions may be made when the student is disruptive to the learning environment or the actions prompting the consequence may be a poor influence on other students.

Expulsion:

A final action to be taken when all else has failed will be expulsion from the school. This action will require the Board of Trustees approval.

BASIN SCHOOL ATHLETIC OBJECTIVES

Sixth grade students may have the opportunity to participate on the Idaho City Middle School athletic teams, if there positions available. This may vary year to year and sport to sport. If your child is interested in playing on a middle school sports team, contact the high school.

The Basin School Athletic Program exists as a curricular learning program with the following major objectives:

1. To enable as many students as possible (within safe and reasonable limits) to represent their city and school through the experience of participation in an inter‑scholastic athletic event.

2. To teach participants selflessness as they sacrifice their own comfort, time, and energy for the good of the school, their team and teammates.

3. To provide practices and competitive game situations that enhance both physical and mental skills and abilities.

4. To build a student's personal pride and positive self‑image by fostering participation in a pursuit larger than their own personal interests, with an individual goal of excellence in an athletic event.

CODE OF CONDUCT

I will:

1. Provide Basin School with a record of a physical examination prior to attending my first practice session. This is only for new players. If you have a physical on file at Basin Elementary School from a previous year's participation you do not have to have a new physical every year. However, they are required every other year.

2. Attend all scheduled practices and games unless excused, in advance, by my coach.

3. Cooperate with all Athletic Department personnel.

4. Accept responsibility for care and maintenance of school equipment and uniforms issued to me.

5. Present myself as a positive example of my school and community in my dress, attitude and behavior.

6. All cheering, rooting and comments on the court or in the stands will be of a positive nature in support of our teams.

7. Refrain from the use of alcohol, tobacco, drugs, controlled substances and foul language.

VOLUNTEERS

Basin Elementary encourages parents and community members to volunteer in the classrooms, on special projects and field trips. If you plan to volunteer at Basin Elementary, you will need to complete the Basin Elementary Volunteer Application. You will be able to volunteer once your application is processed and approved.

YOU ARE THE PTA

All activities sponsored by Basin Elementary School must have at least one staff member as a sponsor in attendance for the duration of the event. If the chaperone/sponsor is unable to attend the activity or event because of illness or emergency and no staff member is available to assume the responsibility for the event, the activity/event will be canceled.

Chaperones/sponsors are responsible for maintaining order and safety, money collection, clean up and set up of the activity/event. If clean up is not deemed sufficient by the Superintendent/Principal the class or organization will be charged on a prorated basis for the additional clean up.

Each class is encouraged to expand and explore the world around them. One way is through educational field trips. The district is reimbursed for transportation necessary for education, but not for the trips that are not based on some learning experience. Therefore, we encourage you to talk with your child's teacher about areas of interest that may be enlightened by an out‑of‑classroom experience.

Each year the classes will celebrate holidays and special occasions with parties. These parties are held during the last hour of the afternoon. If you would like to be a room parent, or assist in some way, please let the teacher know.

Entertainment for parties may on occasion take the form of a video or movie. Any video or movie, that has a rating of PG or higher, requires written notification from a student's parent or guardian. If you would rather your child not view movies with a particular rating please advise your child's teacher at the beginning of the year.

Fund raising activities conducted by a class or school sponsored association will be approved by the teacher and permission given for the event by the Principal before the activity is conducted. Further, the purpose of the fund raiser and actual plan for the money that is raised will be submitted to the Principal at least two weeks prior to the fund raising activity. All money raised by the fund raising will be turned in immediately or next working day to the district book keeper for deposit in the individual class account.

All lost and found items will be placed in the lost and found at the elementary located near they gym doors or at the high school. Lost and found items will be put out on display several times a year. Unclaimed items will be donated. Please watch in the newsletter for when we will be putting items out on display.

When filing a grievance, please follow the described procedure. Communication is the answer.

Example: Your child claims he has been "kicked out of class" because of the actions of another child. Step one would be to go to the classroom teacher for clarification.

2. Request a hearing with the administration. Present a written copy of grievance.

Example: Your meeting with the teacher was unsatisfactory. Step two would be to call the office and ask to meet with the principal.

Example: After meeting with the teacher and the principal, you feel that improper actions have been taken. Step three would be to request a meeting with the superintendent. If the issue still is not resolved call the district office for placement on the agenda of the next board meeting.

We would like to stop all problems in the simplest of manners and therefore will ask you to follow these procedures. You may be asked at any stage to put your grievance in writing so that we may expedite the process.

Even with the greatest precautions and the closest supervision, accidents can and do happen at school. They are a fact of life and a part of the growing‑up process our children go through. Parents need to be aware of this and be prepared for possible medical expenses that may arise should their child be injured at school.