The Later Elementary Office Hours are 8:00AM to 3:15PM Monday through Friday.

Main Office Phone Number: (269) 415-5400

Absence Hotline: (269) 415-5498

Fax Number: (269) 415-5401

If your child will be absent from school, please be sure to call our absence hotline outside of school hours or directly to the main office during school hours.

Please be aware of the following expectations for drop-off and pick-up of students:

• There is no parking in the bus loop or staff parking lot on the back (west) side of the schools.

• Please follow all posted signage for traffic flow in both the Early and Later Elementary parking lots.

• The right (curb-side) lane of the drop-off drive is for student drop-off and/or pick-up. The drop-off lane is considered a fire lane. There is no parking in the drop off lane except to allow your child to quickly exit the vehicle. **It is acceptable for vehicles to line up in the right lane at the end of the day to pick up their child. Please allow space between vehicles to allow other vehicles to exit once they have picked up their child. This will allow families to move up in the line and others to join the end of the line.

• Students should only exit the vehicle from the passenger (curb) side. Exiting from the driver’s side is not allowed as it is dangerous and creates a potential risk of harm to your child from vehicles leaving the drop-off lane.

• If parents want to walk their child to the school entrance, they must first park their car in the visitor lot and then walk their child into their building.

• The left lane of the drop-off drive is a traffic lane only for leaving and passing families that are dropping off / picking up children.

• The drop off area is supervised by staff on a daily basis. As your child exits the vehicle, we ask that families throw a kiss, give a wave, and exit the drive promptly to help us minimize congestion.

Please remember that doors open at 8:55 a.m. for drop-offs. Classes begin at 9:00 a.m. Student dismissal is at 2:45 p.m. Due to our current safety restrictions, there is not an indoor space for students to line up. Please make sure that your child dresses appropriately for the weather with a raincoat, poncho, or umbrella.

Please remember that the north lot will be reserved for our 3rd grade families to drop-off. 4th & 5th grade families can proceed through the north lot into the main parking lot for their drop-off locations. Everything is singed clearly to help our families navigate the drop-off and pick-up areas. There are a significantly higher amount of families dropping off and picking up children, so we need patience and flexibility from all that are involved.

Families can help to alleviate congestion by working towards a quick goodbye at the curb in our Kiss & fly zone. Families that insist on an extra minute should park their car in a parking space and walk their child safely to the curb before sending them on their way into the building. We really need your help to keep our drop-off and pick up traffic moving. With the increased traffic and congestion, We want to make sure that we maintain the safety of your children.

Staff members will be supervising the drop-off drive every morning and afternoon throughout the school year. Our staff will provide reminders and guidance to help promote clarity for our procedures so that this process works effectively. Your courtesy and respect are greatly appreciated in helping our staff ensure the safety of all children on our elementary campus.

The Paw Paw Public Schools Foodservice Department is so excited to announce that all students in grades K-12 will now be reiving free breakfast and lunch through December 31st, 2020

This will help in many ways the overall health of our students. With 100% participation we will

give access to free nutritious meals for all students, no stigma, and less time spent in cashier lines and more time to eat nutritious meals. This could also help with classroom behavior, focus and increased test scores, knowing that all our kids have had a nutritious breakfast and lunch every day.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please reach out!

Thank you so much for your help and patience this year!

Sincerely,

Korrie Perkins

Foodservice Director

The success of our school year will start at home each and every morning. Please make sure that you are referring to our Student Daily Screening Checklist at home as a reference to review each morning before sending your child out the door for school. By following the checklist, it will help us all make decisions that promote the health and safety of our pack. The screening tool is subject to change based on the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and our local health department. We will make sure that we communicate those changes if/when they happen.

ATTENDANCE

Students enrolled in the Paw Paw Public School District are expected to be in attendance each day that school is in session, except in cases of illness or other situations of personal nature which are unavoidable. The Principal reserves the right to determine if an absence should be exempt. It is the State of Michigan’s expectation that all students be given the opportunity to attend school at least 1096 hours (approximately 175 days) each year. Regular attendance is a necessary part of a student’s education. It is also the school’s goal, in cooperation with parents, to teach promptness and responsibility. We strongly urge parents to support us in reaching this goal by scheduling appointments for students during non-school hours and planning family vacations to coincide with the school calendar. Lack of consistent attendance is one of the most common causes of poor student performance. Frequent absence or repeated tardiness will be grounds for the school to take action to resolve the problem in order to ensure the student’s academic success in school. An attendance officer may be utilized to assist with this process.

Absences must be documented either by a telephone call or in writing by a parent/guardian and submitted to the school before or when the student returns to school.After 10 absences, medical absences (documentation provided by a physician) will be the only form of excused absence.

Our attendance policy will generate truancy letters based on the following:

5 absences - 1st attendance letter. Warning

8 absences - 2nd attendance letter. Restates warning and expectations.

10 absences - 3rd attendance. Final warning letter issued. Mandatory meeting with

Principal to discuss absences and next steps in the truancy process. Expectations will be thoroughly reviewed.

A truancy referral will be filed at 10 unexcused absences. A meeting will be scheduled with the truancy officer and administration.

This policy is based on the whole school year, not semesters. Documentation must be received within 30 days of an absence for it to be excused.

TARDINESS

Tardies are a disruption to the educational process and interrupts teaching and learning.

Students are not counted tardy if their bus is late. Students are expected to be in their rooms by the start of the school day. Students interrupting class by arriving late will find that tardies become absences after every four tardies, four early dismissals, or a combination of the two. Students will need a pass (issued by the office) to enter class after the 9:00 a.m. bell rings. Tardies and early dismissals are considered unexcused unless the school receives appropriate documentation from a physician to excuse them.

Parents are requested to call the Early Elementary absence line (269-415-5398) by 9:00 a.m. Later Elementary absence line (269-415-5498) by 9:30 a.m. Voicemail is available if you would like to notify us the night before of your child’s absence. If no call has been received by this time; the office will place a call to your home or work asking to verify the student’s absence. Once contact has been made with a parent, the student’s absence will be marked as “Excused.” If no contact is made, the student’s absence will be left as “Absent.”

STUDENT RELEASE (DURING SCHOOL HOURS)

Any student leaving the building during school hours will be required to be signed out by a parent or designee THROUGH THE OFFICE ONLY. Please do not go directly to your child’s classroom. Your child will be called to the office when you arrive. This procedure will guarantee the accountability of all children during the regular school day. Unfamiliar parents, guardians or designees will be asked for identification and the student’s emergency card will be checked before release is approved. Please contact the office if anyone other than someone approved on your student’s emergency card will be picking up your child.

Students returning to school must sign-in at the office to return to class. It is necessary for parents to come in with the child when they return.

Upcoming Events:

September 21st - Picture Day

September 25th - Teacher Professional Development - No Students

October 7th - Fall Student Count Day

October 30th - Teacher Professional Development - 12:25pm Release

October 30th - End of 1st Marking Period

November 4th & 5th - Tentative Parent Teacher Conferences - 1:00pm-7:15pm

November 4th & 5th - Tentative Parent Teacher Conferences 12:25pm Release

November 25th - Conference Release - No Students

November 26th & 27th - Thanksgiving Break - No School

December 21st - January 1st - Winter Break - No School

January 18th - Teacher Professional Development - No Students

January 22nd - Teacher Work Day - No Students

January 22nd - End of 2nd Marking Period and 1st Semester

February 10th - Spring Student Count Day

February 19th & 22nd - Mid Winter Break - No School

March 24th & 25th - Tentative Parent Teacher Conferences - 1:00pm-7:15pm

March 24th & 25th - Tentative Parent Teacher Conferences 12:25pm Release

March 26th - End of 3rd Marking Period

April 2nd - Conference Release - No School

April 5th - 9th - Spring Break - No School

May 31st - Memorial Day - No School

June 10th - Next to last day - 12:25pm Dismissal

June 11th - Last Student Day - 12:25pm Dismissal