Dragon Blast
August 2024
Week two is in the books, and it feels like we haven't skipped a beat! Here at Mary C. we are empowering excellence through our School Wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWBPS). This includes teaching our school wide expectations (Respect, Responsibility, and Safety) and reinforcing positive behaviors with Dragon Dollars.
Today, students participated in lessons to review how we can show respect, responsibility, and safety at MCH. Teachers across the building led discussions and activities to showcase what positive behavior could like in the hallways, bathrooms, buses, and playground.
We look forward to a successful year for all as we work on demonstrating positive behaviors!
Principal Pavlo
As we return to school, we want to remind families of the district policy for smart watches and personal devices to ensure that students are able to attend to learning without distractions from wearable technology. Thank you for your support in keeping wearable technology at home or kept in a child's backpack.
School Board Policy 237 describes personal technology devices as:
- Cellular telephones and smartphones.
- Handheld, tablet, and laptop computers.
- Digital music players, including without limitation iPods and MP3 players.
- Still and video cameras.
- Wearable technologies including without limitation smart watches, smart glasses, or earbuds.
The Board prohibits use of personal technology by students during the school day in district buildings; on district property; on district buses and vehicles, and during the time students are under the supervision of the district (collectively "on-campus").
Interested in volunteering during lunch? Contact Linda Polito to sign up at Lpolito@wcasd.net
Please make sure your clearances are on file.
We use Pick Up Patrol for a number of things here at school. It has replaced the need for parents to phone in absences, early dismissals, and/or changes in dismissal. It is truly helpful to us. Parents can make changes to their children’s status up until 2:45pm. At dismissal time the software becomes incredibly valuable to us to help make sure all the children are exactly where they're supposed to be. We are to count how many children to expect on each bus, as walkers and as car pick up we have each day. So, please, be sure that you have the app and are making changes when needed!
Please be aware that the WCASD attendance guidelines have changed for the 2024 – 2025 school year.
*Great news! According to Board Policy 204/204AG1, excuse notes may be accepted through Pick up Patrol.
*A maximum of fifteen (15) days of cumulative lawful absences verified by parental notification (inclusive of five (5) family vacation days) shall be permitted during the school year.
When your student has ten (10) consecutive days of unlawful absence: Unless the district has been provided with evidence that the absence may be legally excused or the district is pursuing compulsory attendance prosecution, a student will be dropped from the district's active attendance roll after ten (10) consecutive school days of absence. Removal from the district’s active attendance roll does not remove the person in parental relations’ compulsory attendance obligations for a student of compulsory attendance age. The district will comply with state and federal law when disenrolling a student with an IEP.
Where the district is made aware that the family will be taking a prolonged trip exceeding the use of the allowable fifteen (15) parent notes, the student will be withdrawn from the district.
When a student is dropped from the district’s attendance roll, or withdrawn from the district, and subsequently re-enrolls in the district during the same school year, absences prior to un-enrollment will be cumulative with absences after re-enrollment. For example, if all parental excused absences were utilized prior to withdrawal, the student will not have additional parental excused absences after re-enrollment during the same school year.
As we prepare for the upcoming school year, the WCASD Activity Fee will increase by $1.00. The Elementary Activity Fee for students in grades 3-5 will now be $28.00. Once you have paid the Activity Fee, your child may participate in one or multiple-funded activities.
Please see here for more information about the WCASD Activity Fee.
Once you log into Parent Portal to see your child(ren) bus information, please download this app and select their bus to follow. This will allow you to get updates right to your phone if the bus is running early or late. Please remember the bus may always be 5 minutes before or after the assigned time. Please be at the stop accordingly.
Our school greatly values parent and community involvement. If you are interested in volunteering for various events or joining the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO), please reach out to mchpto456@gmail.com
Get a jump start on clearances!
Please click here to review the process and gain access to the links needed.
Are you interested in being more involved with PTO next year? Join us on the board! Just about all of our committees are already filled, but we need board members to ensure everything runs smoothly.
No experience is necessary! Afraid to take on the position of President? Find a friend! Any of the board positions can be co-led.