Cedar Ridge Elementary
HandbookOur Mission and Vision
Our mission is to educate students for success in a changing world.Our vision is to provide an equitable, challenging, meaningful, and well-rounded educational learning experience in a measurable way, so all students can be safe, respectful, responsible, and work to achieve.
The School Day
The first bell rings at 9:00 every day.
Bell schedules are as follows:
All Day Kinder-6th grades: 9:05-3:35 Monday-Thursday, 9:05-2:20 Friday
AM Kindergarten: 9:05-12:10 Monday-Thursday, 9:05-11:35 Friday
PM Kindergarten: 12:30-3:35 Monday-Thursday, 11:50-2:20 FridayFOR SAFETY PURPOSES, VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS MUST ENTER THE BUILDING THROUGH THE FRONT DOORS AND CHECK IN AT THE OFFICE. ALL OTHER BUILDING DOORS ARE LOCKED. Please Note: You will ring the doorbell and present a photo ID towards the camera.
In case of bad weather, listen to KVNU 610 AM, or KBLQ 1390 AM to receive information about school being closed. Decisions should be announced about 6:30 A.M. You will also receive a text message, email, and/or phone call if you have accessed the Power School Announcement system.Absences/Tardies
Valuable instruction time is lost when students miss school, arrive late, or leave early. Please make arrangements to pick up missed work when students are absent. If students are out of school for more than three days due to illness or accident, homebound teacher services are available, and arrangements can be made through your child’s classroom teacher by calling the school (435-563-6229). To meet state attendance reporting requirements, please call the school if your child is absent for any reason. Attendance letters will be sent home after 10 consecutive absences. Students who arrive at school late must check in at the office before going to class. Daily attendance is vital. Please make sure your child is attending school. Please attempt to schedule vacations and appointments around school breaks.Classroom Interruptions
Please try to make any necessary scheduling arrangements with your children before they leave home. It is important to keep classroom interruptions to a minimum.
Clothing and Dress
Students should look good and feel comfortable at school. Students should be well groomed, and wear modest clothing. Shorts should reach mid-thigh and skirts should be near the knee. Pants should be worn securely around the waist and shirts should cover the tops of pants in the back when sitting down. Bare midriffs, tank tops, see-through or net fabrics, halter-tops, off the shoulder, low cut tops and muscle shirts are discouraged. Pants and shirts with large holes are not appropriate school dress, nor is clothing that distracts from learning. Shoes must be worn at all times. Athletic shoes are suggested for PE days. Hats are not to be worn in the building, exceptions may be made for special activities.
Lunch and Breakfast Information
Payment envelopes are in a basket on the office counter. Fill out the information on the envelope and put it in the payment basket on the counter. You will be notified through PowerSchool when lunch money is running low. If you would like to try for Free and Reduced lunch, forms can be filled out on the district website: https://www.ccsdut.org/Page/160LUNCH COST PER DAY: Child $2.05 Adult $3.50 Milk $0.35
BREAKFAST COST PER DAY: Child $1.40 Adult $2.00The cafeteria doors will open at 8:40 for breakfast. Lunch times for classes and a lunch menu can be found on our website. We also have menus available in the front lobby of the school and send the menu home via email monthly, with our newsletter. Please make us aware of any food allergies your child has. A doctor's note will be required if your child needs a purchase a special diet meal. We love having parents join their students for lunch. We ask that parents call the school before 9:30 to let us know if they are planning on buying a lunch so we can adjust our lunch count. We want to make sure we have prepared enough food for everyone.
Students are not permitted to have any type of medication at school unless they have a doctor prescribed Health Care Plan on file in the office. Once this is in place, medication can then be administered by school personnel or carried by the child. It is important that the school/ teacher(s) are made aware of any special medical needs your child may have.Birthdays and Special Occasions
Please do not send or bring treats, including homemade food, for birthdays as it can be harmful for the students with allergies. The teacher recognizes the students on their birthdays and the PTA gives treats to students who have birthdays during the month. Please do not send balloons, flowers, etc., to school, as it is disruptive to the learning environment. If these items do come to school, they will be kept in the office and given to your child after the school day is over.Phone Use
School Telephones: for official school use and student emergencies. Students should not use them to arrange playdates.
Cell Phone/ GABB (text) watches: Kindergarten-6th grade student possession/use of cell phones/ watches is prohibited as stated in the District policy. Medical plans may call for an exception to this policy. Cell phones must remain off during the school day and be in the backpack/ locker of the child. If cell phones come out of the backpack/ locker they will be taken away and parents will need to pick up the phone. This policy protects all students from harmful material that they could be exposed to on the internet. If watches become a problem, teachers reserve the right to ask the child to keep the watch at home. Please help your child understand this policy.Focus Attention on Learning
Students should not bring toys, trading cards (Pokemon), gum, candy, electronics, or anything that distracts from learning. Students should seek the teacher’s permission before bringing P.E. equipment and label personal equipment with their name. Students should not sell or trade personal items at school.CARPOOL ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
South Parking Lot
The south parking lot is for drop-off and pick-up. If you are dropping your child off somewhere else, or telling them to meet you in a different place, the safety liability is transferred to you. The post office has asked that we not use their parking lot unless we are one of their patrons. We have set up a plan to keep students safe, but we must have parents following rules to make that happen. If you feel like you must park in the south parking lot to walk your child in or out of the school, please use the designated crosswalk, which is in the center of the parking lot. Parents should not just cross anywhere you think there is an opening. Parents should hold your child’s hand, regardless of their age.No Left Turns into the Carpool Lane or Parking Lot
If you are coming from the south on 200 West, please make arrangements to go around the block and make a right-hand turn only. (See attached map)Morning Drop-Off
Please do not let your children out of the car until you reach the curved area of the parking lot, and please pull as far forward as possible around the curve. Please be mindful of drivers behind you. We want as many cars off of 200 West as possible. (Please see attached map)Afternoon Pick-Up
The pick-up area is along the “U” of the south parking lot. Please stay in the carpool lane when dropping off or picking up students. Please do not park your car along the red curb and leave it unattended. Cars need this lane to get out of the parking lot after students have been picked up. Please wait patiently and take your turn in line. Pick up usually lasts no longer than 10 minutes.Along 200 West please leave spaces for our buses to pull out.
PLEASE SLOW DOWN! Please slow down to 5 miles per hour when traveling through the parking lot. Please follow the directions of the crossing guard and move your car ALL the way AROUND the “U” shaped drive.North Parking Lot
The North parking lot is for employee parking only. Please DO NOT use it as a drop off or pick up area. We do not want traffic to pull out from the parking lot onto the road when children are walking north to the crosswalk and crossing guard.STUDENT EXPECTATIONS
Students must stay on the school grounds from the time they arrive, until they are properly released from school.Halls
Students should walk quietly in the halls and not disturb other students' learning.Restrooms
Students should use a quiet voice in the restroom and not use it as a play area. In order to maintain a healthy and clean area, students should flush the toilet, wash their hands with soap and water, and put paper towels in the trash can.Playground
Playground equipment should be used properly. Students using the swings should sit on their bottoms and swing forward and back. Tag games and playground balls are not permitted in the woodchip playground area. During winter students are not allowed to throw snowballs. Students must stay in the play areas assigned by the school. These rules apply during recess with teachers and during lunch recess with the aides.Lunchroom
Students should walk quietly into the lunchroom, get their lunch, find a place at their assigned tables and not move from seat to seat. They should use good table manners and keep conversations quiet. They should not throw food, or take food out of the lunchroom. They should leave the table area clean, and obey the school staff.Lunch Recess
Students will be expected to go outside for lunch recess unless the weather/air quality is poor. Good behavior is expected during all recess times. Students should obey the aides’ requests and line up quickly and quietly when their class is called in.Assemblies
Students are expected to sit quietly with their teacher in an assigned area and pay attention. They should applaud at appropriate times, and not yell rude things or boo. Whistling, shouting, screaming, or stomping is not appropriate unless instructed to do so by the performer or the teacher.BEHAVIOR
At Cedar Ridge, we believe that students have the right to attend school without being threatened, intimidated, embarrassed, harassed, provoked, or intentionally harmed. They should feel that school is a safe place to be. Our students follow The Falcon Code.
THE FALCON CODE:
I will keep my hands and feet to myself.
I will use kind words.Bully Prevention Training
Every year students receive Bully Prevention Training. Here is a sample of what students are learning:-
What bullying actually is. The definition of bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated over time.
What their role is at school to make sure that all students can learn, plan, and feel safe at Cedar Ridge.
About verbal, physical, and social bullying. Students are given examples and all students should understand that this type of behavior is NOT allowed at Cedar Ridge. We will NOT tolerate unkindness or bullying.
How to be an "upstander" and not a "bystander". An Upstander is a person that does not tolerate watching another child be bullied. A bystander is a person who stands by and watches bullying happen. At Cedar Ridge, we are upstanders, NOT bystanders.
What to do if they are bullied:
Students are learning to problem solve and resolve conflict on their own first. They should tell the individual bothering them to STOP directly and confidently. Students are taught that the way they say STOP is very important.
They should not continue to play with the person that is picking on them. This sends the wrong message.
Play near adults or other groups of kids.
IF THIS DOESN'T WORK STUDENTS MUST TELL AN ADULT IMMEDIATELY. Waiting a couple weeks to share with teachers will not be effective. Students have the responsibility to report bullying to their teachers.
CEDAR RIDGE SCHOOL-WIDE DISCIPLINE PLAN
Our goal at Cedar Ridge Elementary is that all students have a successful and meaningful school experience which includes a learning environment that is challenging, safe, and enjoyable. To provide this experience, students will be expected to follow our school wide rules: BE RESPECTFUL, BE RESPONSIBLE, and BE SAFE. Students will be given instructions in the first days of school about these rules and what the expectations of these rules are in various settings. Classroom teachers will each have their own set of rules/ procedures which correlate with our school wide rules.
PRINCIPAL 200 Club:
The 200 club provides an element of positive variability to keep students motivated. It includes dynamic feedback, continually informing students and staff about who is following school rules. Students are never quite sure when they might be “caught” and recognized for good behavior. The backbone of the 200 club consists of a system of “All school rules” or expectations with a positive phone call made home to parents and a chance to be a part of our “Bingo” board Principal 200 club party. Parents will be notified via permission slip if their child is part of a “Bingo” and invited to participate in the 200 club party.
In situations where a student has moved through their classroom discipline procedures to inappropriate or disruptive behavior which impacts learning and/or the safety of others, the following disciplinary actions may take place:
REFOCUS FORM: Students will be given "think time". During this time, students will be asked to go to another room to complete a form regarding their behavior choices. Parents will be notified of this "think time" by being asked to sign and return the Refocus form to school.
PARENT CONFERENCE: Parents may be asked to come and conference with the teacher and student based on frequency and severity of behaviors.
SCHOOL COUNSELOR REFERRAL: Students may be referred to the School Counselor to learn skills which may assist in changing his/her behavior. Parents will be notified and permission must be granted prior to the Counselor working with students. Parents can also initiate the counselor working with their child. Our counselor is Kirsten Farrell. You can contact her at firstname.lastname@example.org
BEHAVIOR CONTRACT: Based on frequency and severity of behaviors, the student may be put on a behavior contract/plan which will be developed by the teacher, school counselor, administration, and parent.
OFFICE REFERRAL: An automatic office referral will be made in situations where the safety of the student or others is compromised, such as bringing a weapon or facsimile of a weapon to school, fighting or aggression, physical/verbal conflict, vandalism, leaving school grounds, or threat of physical harm.
All individual student behavior plans supersede this school-wide behavior plan.