Bates Family Newsletter

Greetings Bates Community, and happy weekend!

Since we've been talking about ways we know we are safe at school, it seems appropriate to address a safety-related concern that has recently been an issue at Bates. We had two, unplanned evacuations this past week, so I thought I'd take a moment to explain what I know:

1. Safety is our number one priority. While we are happy that the students and staff are always able to evacuate the building safely, we never want to cause our community members any undue stress with repeated evacuations in response to false alarms.

2. Salem Fire is mandated to respond to every alarm and treat it as true emergency. If a staff member witnesses a student pull the alarm, however, I immediately call dispatch and let them know it's a false alarm. We also have a fire panel in our front entrance that tells us exactly which pull station was activated. This allows us to narrow down who might have been in the area during the time of a pull.

3. Many community members are asking if the student has been identified who pulled the alarm. In the interest of transparency, there were two small humans who mistakenly pulled the alarm, and the pulls were completely unrelated. These were honest mistakes. Children, as we all know, are curious and sometimes want to see what happens when one pushes or pulls something. In this case, now they know, and hopefully, won't do it again.

I've spoken with the Superintendent and our Director of Buildings and Grounds. We will soon have covers installed over the alarms as you might see in hospitals, for example.

Please rest assured that the students and staff are safe. I hope I've answered your questions, however, if you need further clarification, please reach out.

HUGE shout out to the PTO for an amazing event! I heard that approximately 160 families were in attendance. Wow! There was a glow party, awesome raffles, a haunted hallway completed with "jump scare" room, and a super creepy classroom complete with terrifying teacher. A good time was had by all, and we thank everyone who attended and contributed.

Please reference pages 13 and 14 of our Bates School handbook for the following information:

DRESS CODE:

With respect for self-expression, students should wear clothing that is safe and comfortable for school and learning, and that allows for active participation in all school activities. Parents and guardians are responsible for managing their students’ clothing choices in accordance with the stated dress code policy.

Our values with respect to the dress code are:

● To support student safety and protection.

● To promote student comfort and well-being in the learning environment.

● To promote student participation in all activities.

● To treat each student with fairness and compassion.

Enforcement of the dress code will not reinforce or increase marginalization or oppression of any group based on race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, household income, gender identity or cultural observance. Bates School is committed to guiding staff in the fair and sensitive enforcement of the dress code with respect to these stated considerations.

Basic Principle:

● All students must have certain body parts covered at all times.

● Clothes must be worn in a way such that genitals, buttocks, and breasts are fully covered with opaque fabric. All of the policies to follow reflect this basic principle.

Students Must Wear:

● A shirt (with fabric in the front, back, and on the sides under the arms), AND

● Pants/jeans or the equivalent (for example, a skirt, sweatpants, leggings, a dress or shorts), AND

● Shoes (shoes should, whenever possible, be appropriate for the weather and for play; sneakers are the preferred footwear for all school activities, but any shoe should be comfortable and, whenever possible, have non-skid rubber soles).

Students May Wear:

● Religious head coverings or those for disability-related accommodations

● Fitted pants, including opaque leggings, yoga pants and “skinny jeans”

● Ripped jeans, as long as underwear and buttocks are not exposed.

● Tank tops, including spaghetti straps and halter tops (with straps around the

neck)

● Athletic attire

Students Cannot Wear:

● Sneakers or shoes with wheels on them

● Flip flops or other footwear without backing

● Head coverings that disrupt the learning environment for student or classroom

● Violent language or images

● Images or language depicting drugs or alcohol (or any illegal item or activity)

● Hate speech, profanity, pornography, or gang-related imagery

● Images or language that creates a hostile or intimidating environment based on any protected class or marginalized group

● Any clothing that reveals visible undergarments (visible waistbands and visible straps are allowed)

● Swimsuits

● Dangling or large hoop earrings (earrings that sit close to the ear are acceptable as they do not present a safety hazard)

● Accessories that could be considered dangerous or could be used as a weapon

● Any item that obscures the face or ears (except as a religious observance)

● Costumes, masks, or pajamas, unless associated with a special school activity

Considerations for Parents and Guardians:

● Children may want to avoid wearing special clothing that cannot be ripped, stained, or lost, as the school day is active and often messy.

● Parents and guardians are strongly encouraged to apply sunscreen to children before school to protect their skin during recess, gym, gardening, and other outside activities.

● Children are encouraged to wear sneakers so that they are not limited in their ability to participate in school activities, including fire drills and gym.

● Children may want to save makeup for special occasions outside of school (makeup may not be brought to school).

Bates is committed to supporting any family or child who cannot meet the above dress requirements. Families or children who need support in following the dress code should contact the principal or nurse for assistance.

This week’s focus was “safe schools”. Safe schools have policies as well as a culture that promote not just the physical safety, but the emotional safety of all members. Recently during a restorative circle the counselor assisted with, some students were giggling together while other classmates were sharing. The teacher explained that when students did that it made those who were sharing not feel safe, as they may feel that they were being laughed at (even if the giggling wasn’t about classmates).

One student responded “Safe? What do you mean people don’t feel safe?” At this point, Ms. Amanda reframed that safety can refer to keeping our bodies safe from harm, like getting out of a dangerous situation or not being physically hurt, and added that our “emotional safety” is important as well and this resides on the inside.

There will be no school on Monday, October 30th, and Tuesday, October 31st. We'll be back in action on Wednesday, November 1st!

We're up to 135 followers! Great job, Bates community. For those who haven't joined us yet, follow us at bates_elementary. Do you think we can get to 150 followers by the end of this week? Let's give it a try!

Please visit the Salem Public Schools webpage here for guidance on the district's homework policy.

Did you know you can earn money for our school just by scanning your grocery receipts? All you need to do is download the Boxtops app, and scan those receipts! Don't want to scan? No worries, you can always send receipts into school with your student in an envelope marked, "PTO Boxtops".

Our Bates spirit rock is available for weekly rentals. Celebrate your student's birthday or other accomplishments by painting a message on our rock. Please click here to rent the rock!

Bates Elementary School, in partnership with our families and community, will provide all students with a culturally responsive, student – centered, and equitable learning experience that celebrates our students’ diverse backgrounds, creative pursuits, and their academic, social, emotional success.