Wolves Newsletter

2024 - 2025 School Year

August 2024

Dear Park Brook Parents and Guardians,

Students are best prepared for learning and positive behaviors if they have 9 - 11 hours of sleep every day, and 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity (play time) every day. Electronic devices, including televisions and phones, should be kept out of rooms where kids sleep.

The behavior standards that we have in place are designed to make sure that every student, which includes your child, will be in a school where they feel safe and can grow both academically and socially.

Focus on Fitness at Park Brook is specifically designed to increase academic growth and positive behaviors. Opportunities for movement, Brain Boosts, are provided throughout the school day. Additionally, before school, after school, and weekend events are available to increase fitness levels.

This handbook addresses behavior expectations, which are in place to provide a safe learning environment so each student has the opportunity to learn.

The expectations and procedures of this book could be summarized in the following way, or the Wolf Way:

W…..We will respect ourselves and others,

O……Own our actions and words,

L…….Listen and Learn,

F…….Follow directions.

With the Expectation That Every Student Can Learn,

Mr. Scott Taylor

Focus on Fitness is research based and specifically designed to:

• Prepare students for learning,
• Increase positive behaviors,
• Improve the general health for all.

Brain Boosts throughout the day:

• Participation increases blood flow to the brain which increases academic growth.

Lunch:

• Encourage your child to make healthy food choices,
• Students choose either school lunch or lunch from home,
• If students are choosing a school lunch there is no need to bring extra food.

Stability Seats, Kore Stools, Hokki Stools

Stability balls, Kore Stools and Hokki Stools are used as chairs at Park Brook to increase focus.

If a stability seat is purposefully damaged or destroyed, parents or guardians will be responsible for replacement.

Stability seats increase focus, according to research, by approximately 10%.

Research on Focus on Fitness can be found on Mr. Taylor’s Webpage.

Follow Wolf Way Expectations.

Students are to be at school and on time.

When students are late to school they

miss instruction.

When students arrive they need to line up with their class:

• Pre-K inside the front doors,
• Kindergarten & 1st grades—near the main entrance.
• 2nd, 3rd & 4th Grades will line up near the trees/exercise spots, in front of the school. (3rd & 4th grades will walk to the entrance near their classrooms.)
• 5th grade by door #2.

8:30 a.m.—Supervision outside

8:40 a.m.—Students enter building

8:50 a.m.—Instruction begins. (Students arriving after this time will be marked tardy.)

Students arriving after 8:50 need to come through the front doors of the school.

Park Brook does not provide any supervision for students

prior to 8:30 a.m., therefore students should not

arrive prior to 8:30 a.m.

Follow Wolf Way Expectations.

Procedures in the hallway are designed so that students can learn in the classrooms and to keep students safe.

Being a Wolf looks and sounds like students walking directly to their destination.

• Classrooms are for learning, and therefore cell phones are not permitted to be used in classrooms.
• Communication regarding after school transportation plans MUST be communicated through the office. We will not ask students to communicate change of plans and we kindly request all transportation plans be adult-to-adult conversations.
• Cell phones are not permitted at recess or lunch.
• Cell phones are not permitted to be used in school restrooms or any restroom while on a school field trip.

If a cell phone causes an issue at school or is disruptive to the school, the phone may be confiscated and a parent/guardian may be required to pick up the phone from the school office.

ISD 279, Park Brook Elementary and ISD 279 Staff are not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged personal items such as cell phones.

Follow the Wolf Way.

1. Touch only the food/milk you are taking.

2. Sit at assigned table. If you need something, raise your hand.

3. No sharing of food.

4. Walk for safety reasons. The floor can be slippery if there is food or drink spilled.

5. Clean up after yourself:

• Pour out extra milk or drink into the bucket,
• Put trash into the trash can,
• Stack trays.

If a student is eating hot lunch (lunch purchased in the cafeteria) there is not a need to bring additional food such as chips or pop.

The free lunch for all students is an entire lunch, not individual items.

Follow Wolf Way Expectations.

1. Have fun, move, play!

2. No electronics (this includes cell phones), gum or food.

3. Line up at the end of recess when directed to do so.

Students must be prepared to play outside unless the weather is below negative 5 degrees.

A note from a physician is necessary in order to remain inside during recess.

Follow Wolf Way Expectations.

When students use the restroom they are expected to:

1. Go in, use the restroom, flush and leave.

2. Walk in the restroom. (The tile floors can get slippery if wet. Running, jumping and playing in the restroom can lead to a serious accident.)

3. Thoroughly wash hands.

Paper Towels: Use only one or two paper towels. Always use two hands when taking a paper towel so that you get the whole towel, instead of a small piece of the paper towel. Place the paper towel in the trash receptacle after drying your hands.

Students may use the restroom during instructional time if it is an emergency. Please review with your child what constitutes an ‘emergency’. (Classes take restroom breaks during the school day.)

A good way to determine if it is an emergency is to have your child think about whether they would get out of a line at Valley Fair to go use the restroom, or if they would come in from recess during a fun game to use the restroom.

Read—Students should read at home every day. (Students can read to themselves, or be read to.)

Sleep — Elementary age students need 9—12 hours of sleep every day.

Eat together as a family.

60 minutes of exercise every day outside of school.

Technology—Supervise and limit. (Keep technology out of rooms where students sleep.)

60 minutes of exercise (play time) every day,

Sleep 9—12 hours every day,

Drink water,

Limit and/or reduce sugary drinks & snacks.

If there is a change in the way your child will go home at the end of the day – an adult must send a note or call the office by 2:45 p.m. to inform of the change. If a phone call or note is not received, the child will go home as usual.

When students are dismissed they need to observe the following expectations:

1. Leave the building and board the bus immediately, walk home if they are walkers, or wait for their ride near the front door.

2. Students are not permitted to walk between cars or to the middle of the parking lot. Parents/guardians, please park/stop so students can enter car from curb.

3. Once students leave the building they are not permitted to return to their classrooms; teachers are outside on door duty.

4. Students will meet siblings outside.

Students are expected to be clean, neat and dressed appropriately for the school day. Clothing must not interfere with the educational process, and must comply with requirements for health and safety

Parents, please monitor your child’s choice of dress by adhering to the following guidelines:

• Shirts must cover the entire midsection, have no language or illustrations that are offensive. Straps should be at least 1.5” wide.
• Shorts/skirts must come to the bottom of the finger tips when the student is standing.
• Jackets and coats may not be worn during the school day.
• Hats, caps, or headwear (including hoodies) is prohibited, except during school-sponsored special events and/or for cultural, religious or medical reasons, with the principal’s approval.
• Pants must be at a length so that the student will not trip on them and fit so that the student can run during recess and physical education without having to hold their pants with their hands. No undergarments should be showing.

Park Brook Elementary does not have a supply of clothing for students dressed inappropriately or for use during physical education or recess.

ISD 279, Park Brook Elementary and staff members are not responsible for the loss of personal items or items that may get broken. Cell phones are not allowed to be used during the school day. If your child needs to or chooses to bring a cell phone or other technology they need to keep it in their backpack turned off; students will be reminded to turn off their phone if it rings in class.

Items that become a distraction in the class or on school grounds may be taken and held for a parent to pick up.

District 279 technology is for educational purposes. Inappropriate use may result in consequences.

District owned technology is issued to students for educational purposes. Families should choose a place in their home to use, charge and store district-owned technology. Please keep technology out of children’s bedrooms at night so that they can get the rest they need. Monitoring of use at home (time on device and websites) is a parent/guardian responsibility.

Technology is expensive. If equipment is lost or broken, families may be held responsible.

District issued iPads and Chromebooks need to come to school charged and ready to use.

Social Media, texts, and emails that cause a disruption to learning or the well-being of other individuals in school can result in disciplinary action at school, regardless of where the message was created.

If a message must be delivered to your child, please call the office prior to 2:45 p.m. and the message will be delivered to your child.

Students are expected to follow the behavior expectations outlined in this handbook. When students do not follow the expected guidelines, the following consequences, but not limited to, may be used to guide the students back to the expected behavior. The staff in the school determine the consequences.

• Take-A-Break chair—this is a chair or space in the classroom for students to take a few minutes to think and change their behavior so that they are ready to learn and so that others around them can learn.
• Loss of privilege—a student loses a specific privilege because they have not demonstrated responsibility with a specific privilege.
• Intervention room (I-Room)—a separate room to process behavior concerns.
• Recess detention—students serve a detention during all or part of their recess. (With parent/guardian approval.)
• Lunch detention—students eat their lunch in a separate room.
• After-school detention—students stay after school from 3:30-4:00. During this time students are expected to sit. Parents will be notified and it is the parents responsibility to pick up their children.
• In-school-suspension—students are removed from their class to a separate location for all or part of the school day. Students are expected to complete school work. Parents will be notified.
• Administrative Dismissal—a student is sent home for the remainder of the school day. Parents are expected to pick up their children if a staff member calls.
• Suspension—a student is sent home and can not return to school or be on any ISD 279 property until the day indicated on the suspension form.