Absence Reporting

Starting/Dismissal

Bicycles/Scooters

Bus Rules

Bus Transfers

Communication


Discipline/ Behavior Policy

School Rules

Dress

Emergency Procedures

Homework

Lost and Found

Lunch Program

Playground Usage

Review of Curriculum

School Closings

Security

Tobacco

Unnecessary Articles

Use of Building

Pet Visitation

School Procedures

Absence Reporting

When a student is absent from school, we ask parents to call and report the absence. Messages can be left on Woodland's voice mail. If you have a touch tone phone, you may call our voice mail number 24 hours a day at 651-683-6969, box 95010, to report your child's absence. If you do not have a touch tone phone, please call our office at 651-683-6990. If we do not hear from you by 9:30 a.m., we will be calling you to verify your child's absence.

Starting and Dismissal Times

School starts at 9:25 a.m. Buses will begin unloading at 9:10 a.m., at which time all youngsters will be allowed in the instructional areas.

Morning kindergarten will be dismissed at 11:55 a.m.

Afternoon kindergarten will begin at 1:15 p.m. Afternoon kindergarten classes dismiss at 3:40 p.m. and the remaining classes dismiss at 3:45 p.m.

If you plan to take your child out of school before the day ends, please sign the "Student Release Sign Out Sheet" in the office.

Bicycles and Scooters

Students may ride bicycles or scooters to school. Bicycles are to be placed in racks and scooters stored in the coat areas in the school.

Students should walk their bikes or scooters on the sidewalk while they're on school grounds.
Bikes must be locked/chained during the school day.
Rollerblades, skateboards, and roller shoes are not allowed at school.

Bus Rules

The following are the rules that will be used on our buses this year. Parents are asked to discuss these rules with their child(ren). Obeying these rules will insure a safe bus ride to and from school.

  • Always listen and obey the bus driver.
  • Always take a seat promptly and remain seated while on the bus.
  • There will be no shouting, yelling or abusive speech on the bus.
  • There will be no fighting, scuffling or moving around in any way on the bus.
  • Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself.

Bus Transfer Procedures

The following procedures will be used when parents request to have their children ride a bus not assigned to them.

  • The student must have a note dated and signed by his/her parent or guardian for each request to transfer buses.
  • Notes should be given to the classroom teacher by the student in the morning. At that time, the note will be approved or not approved by the office after checking the list of available seats. The note will then be returned to the student.
  • "Blanket" notes cannot be honored, and the approval of one note does not imply that future notes will be approved.


Communication Reminders

If you have a question about anything that has happened in school, please call. Start with the teacher if it is classroom related. The best time to reach a teacher is before 8:50 a.m. at Woodland. Our school office opens at 7:30 a.m. and closes at 4:30 p.m. Contact the principal's office if the question is related to the playground, lunchroom, school policy or any other unresolved issue. Please call while the issue or problem is current. Behavior concerns are so much easier to handle if dealt with immediately.

Discipline/Behavior Policy

It is our belief that positive reinforcement should be the focus of our building. Therefore, each classroom teacher will be rewarding the students and class for appropriate behaviors. Rewards may include, but are not limited to, verbal praise and recognition, special privileges, class points and celebrations.

We have set some behavior expectations for our students in both the classroom and the building. Those expectations will be discussed the first week and students will also be told ahead of time what will happen if they forget or choose not to follow a rule. Students will be given warnings and parents will be notified if there is a problem. All parents will be notified of the grade level/classroom expectations.

School Rules

Hallway/Building

  • Walk in the building.
  • Talk softly.
  • Be courteous to others.
  • Use lavatories appropriately.


Playground

  • Stay on approved areas.
  • Be respectful of others.
  • Only safe play allowed.
  • Permission needed to enter the building.

All children review our playground rules at the beginning of each school year with their teachers. Any inappropriate behavior on the playground could result in a child losing playground time. The only playground equipment which may be brought to school from home is any kind of soft ball (tennis balls, Nerf balls, volleyballs), baseball glove, and jump ropes. This equipment is your child's responsibility and should be labeled with his/her name.

Cafeteria

  • Use a quiet tone.
  • Keep hands, feet and objects to self.
  • Stay seated until excused.
  • All food must be eaten in the lunchroom.
  • Respect others and property.

A booklet entitled Rights and Responsibilities, A Handbook for Elementary and Secondary Students will be sent to each home. Teachers explain and review the contents with the students. Parents are asked to review the booklet with their child(ren) also.

Dress

In general, the rule of the season and good taste should prevail with regard to student dress. Clothing decorated with tobacco, alcohol or inappropriate language is not allowed. Except on special days, caps/hats are not to be worn during the school day. Students are expected to go outside each day unless we have inclement weather. During the winter months, students should be dressed appropriately. The wind chill factor and temperature are checked prior to students going outside for recess.

Emergency Procedures

Fire drills and tornado drills will be held regularly during the school year. Procedures for these drills will be reviewed with students so they are aware of what action is necessary.

Homework

Homework is not assigned as a daily requirement, but rather as an outgrowth or continuation of a school project. Homework is a child's responsibility, not the parent's. Being aware of, and interested in, what your child does at school and in the papers and projects he/she brings home is vital to his/her success in school.

Homework Requested Prior to Vacation

We have many families who plan and take vacations during the school year. When this happens, we appreciate being notified in advance; however, it is impossible to collect and prepare all the homework the child will miss. We are taking the following position in regard to school work missed due to vacation

The work that is assigned on a regular basis or is in a workbook can be taken on the vacation to be completed.
Other work missed will be made up upon the child's return. The teacher will collect and hold the materials for the student as it is prepared and used.
Homework Requests When a Child is Ill

Teachers will not prepare homework for students on the first day of their absence. When your child returns to school after missing a single day, we will give them any missed work that can be made-up and additional time for completion. If it becomes necessary for your child to miss more than one day of school, we would prefer that you speak directly to your child's teacher to request homework or leave a message in the office with one of the secretaries. If you choose to use voice mail or email for homework requests, be aware that the message may not be retrieved in time to have homework prepared by the end of the day.

Lost and Found

Please label all your child's belongings so that they may be identified when misplaced. Lost and found items will be placed in the wooden box found in the main hallway. If items are left on a bus, check with the Transportation Department. Lost items are kept on each bus.

Lunch Program

Parents are always welcome to join their child(ren) for lunch. Students can purchase hot lunch and milk credits on any day of the week. Prices are:

Student Lunch $2.05
Milk $0.40
Adult Lunch $3.25
All checks should be made payable to ISD 196. Please write student's full name and lunch identification number on check.

Low balance notices will be sent to parents when the child's account goes below $1.85. Students should bring their lunch money, milk money, etc., to school in an envelope clearly marked with their name, their teacher's name, amount of money, lunch identification number and what it is for.

Playground Usage During Cold Weather

Woodland uses 5 degrees windchill as the guide for use of the playground for recess. Children are expected to go outside for recess unless they have a medical excuse.

Review of Curriculum

Please note that parents have a right to review any curriculum materials used in instruction of students, and/or request that students be excused from instruction on specific topics and/or lessons. If you wish to have more information on this, please contact the building principal.

School Closings/Late Starts

On mornings when the weather appears to be severe, listen to one of the following radio or television stations or contact one of the district information sources about delayed starts or school closings:

  • WCCO (830 AM)
  • KSTP-TV (Channel 5)
  • District Information line, 651-423-7777
  • District 196 website: www.district196.org


In the event that school is closed early, we encourage you and your children to develop a plan as to where they are to go when released. It is often very difficult to reach us by phone on these days.

Security in the School

In order to insure the safety of the children at all times, the following procedures are in effect at Woodland:

  • All visitors to Woodland School are to report to the office before entering instructional areas and must wear a name tag while in the school.
  • For safety reasons, a child is not allowed to take a ride with any person, other than a parent/guardian, without written permission. If you want your child to be involved in any car pooling, the note must specify when the child is to be released. One note for the year or the duration of the activity is sufficient in this case.
  • When checking a student out early, parents must come into the building prior to 3:30 to sign students out. It is not necessary to sign a child out after the dismissal bell has rung
  • Students, including walkers, will not be permitted to leave the school property during the school day unless a parent/guardian picks them up and signs them out.


Tobacco-Free Environment Policy

District 196 supports the growing national movement toward a tobacco-free environment. Use of tobacco in district buildings or on district grounds is prohibited. Thank you for your cooperation.

Unnecessary Articles Brought to School

Please do not permit your child to bring unnecessary articles to school such as toys, knives, look-a-like weapons, radios, video games, and tape players.

Use of Building and Grounds by the Community

Organizations or groups of people are welcome to use the gymnasium, multipurpose room or the ball fields. If you are interested in scheduling an activity, contact the Community Education Department for details at 952-431-8780.

Pet Visitation

Due to the number of students with allergies, plus other health and safety issues, family pets cannot be brought to school for Show and Tell.