Student and Parent Handbook

KIPP EAST COMMUNITY PRIMARY STUDENT AND FAMILY HANDBOOK

LETTER FROM THE SCHOOL LEADER

Dear KIPP East Community Primary Families,

Welcome to the 2018-19 school year at KIPP East Community Primary! This is an especially exciting year. We have grown to include PreK and 4th grade at our school, added music and theatre to our enrichment programming, started our first basketball team, and received our first state test results. I am excited to announce that we are included in the top 10 elementary schools in the city according to LEAP results. Our 3rd grade students outperformed both the city and the state!

At KIPP East, we promise that we will always do our best to support your child to and through college. While college may seem a long way off, we believe it is our shared responsibility to ensure that our students are set up with the knowledge, skills, character, and habits necessary to graduate from college and positively shape our community and our world. We recognize that reaching this goal will take a tremendous amount of teamwork on the part of our families, our staff, and our students, and we appreciate your support of the school.

This Handbook is designed to provide you with the important information you need to understand the school’s policies and procedures. We want to ensure you understand that we’ve designed these structures to help us provide a consistent, safe, and excellent learning environment for our students.

If ever you have any questions or concerns, please call the school. We are always happy to assist in any way that we can. Thanks for your continued support and we welcome you to KIPP East Community Primary, where we look forward to a successful school year!

Love and Thanks,
Jenny Carey
School Leader

KIPP EAST COMMUNITY PRIMARY POLICIES

MISSION, VISION AND VALUES

It is the mission of KIPP East Community Primary, to grow, in each and every one of our students, the intellect, character, and habits necessary to graduate from college and positively shape our community and our world.

At KECP we believe in not only teaching our students the academic skills they will need for college and beyond, but also the values and habits they will need for a life of happiness and success.

The following values will be explicitly modeled and taught to students at KECP. Please bring these values into your home and try to use this language often. For example, tell your student to have grit when they are struggling with a homework problem, or to show gratitude by saying thank you when someone helps them. Ask your students how they demonstrated the values each day in school, and help them reflect on how they can continue to grow and improve.

VALUES

Grit = Never gives up.

• Finishes what he starts.
• Tries hard after failing.
• Works independently with focus.

 

Self-Control = Makes good decisions about what you say and do.

• Pays attention.
• Resists distraction.
• Remains calm.
• Stays focused.

 

Zest = Approaches school with excitement and energy.

• Actively participates
• Shows enthusiasm/pride
• Smiles.
• Wants challenging work.

 

Kindness = Acts friendly, considerate, and generous.

• Says nice things to teachers and teammates.
• Hugs a teammate when they are sad.
• Shares their materials.

• Says thank you.
• Recognizes when others are being helpful.

 

HOURS OF OPERATION

Our regular school day is from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. We release early, at 1 p.m., every Wednesday and during certain circumstances, such as state testing. Please review the region calendar in order to plan for vacation days and early release days.

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL PROCEDURE

Students should not be dropped off at school before 7:30 a.m., as there will not be anyone to supervise your students and keep them safe. Students who are dropped off between 7:30 a.m. and 7:50 a.m. will report straight to the cafeteria for breakfast. If a student is dropped off after 7:50 a.m. they will not have time to eat breakfast with their class. Students dropped off after 8 a.m. must be signed in by a family member at the front desk and will be marked tardy. It is important they are signed in to ensure they are not marked absent by their teachers.

In the afternoon, we start dismissal at 3:45 p.m. If your student is a car rider, they may get picked up anytime between 3:50 and 4 p.m. (12:50 and 1 p.m. on Wednesdays).  Families are welcome to greet their students in the cafeteria, or to stay in their cars in the carpool lane. Please do not go directly to classrooms, as this can cause a disturbance at the end of the day.

If you must pick your student up early, please sign in at the front office and be prepared to present a government-issued identification. No student may be checked out after 3 p.m. (12 p.m. on Wednesdays), as it creates a hectic end to the school day.

Communication is the key to a smooth dismissal. If your student is changing modes of transportation in the afternoon (for example, usually rides the bus but will get picked up that day), please call the front office at 504-301-2964 by 3 p.m. (12 p.m. on Wednesdays) to ensure we have time to communicate changes.

Drop off and pick up map

• Please make a single file line along the fence on E. Hermes so students do not have to cross in front of
  cars.
• Please drive slowly and watch for children.
• Please do not honk or listen to loud music.
• Please ensure you are not on your phone during this time.

BUS BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS

Buses are the only time of day when students are not supervised by a teacher. Therefore, we take even “little” bus behavior issues very seriously.

There are four simple bus rules for all students:

1. Listen to the driver and follow all directions immediately.
2. Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.
3. Keep your bottom in the same seat the entire ride.
4. Use nice words.

We use the following table to address any poor bus choices:

Action Taken By School Administration	Consequences
Discussed Behavior with Student	Level 1: Phone call home
Note home to Parent/Guardian	Level 2: Loss of Recess for a day
Phone call to Parent/Guardian	Level 3: Loss of Recess for a week
Student Received School Consequence	Level 4: Bus Suspension (1 day)*
Conference with Parent/Guardian	Level 5: Bus Suspension (2-3 days)
Student Suspended from Bus	Level 6: Bus Suspension (5 days)

*Physical altercation = automatic level 4

Bus Stop Expectations

KIPP New Orleans Schools follows the following process when the parent or guardian of a student under the age of 10 or with a relevant transportation accommodation in the student’s IEP is not at the bus stop.

A student’s parent, guardian or designee is required to accompany their child to the bus stop for pick-up and drop-off each day. Parents/guardians are required to be present at the assigned bus stop 10 minutes before and after the designated pick up or drop off time to account for unexpected traffic conditions.

If a parent, guardian or designee fails to meet a student, the student will not be allowed to exit the bus and will be transported back to their school or to the transportation company headquarters until a family member is reached. Repeated incidents of child abandonment at the bus stop will result in the family losing their bus riding privileges for a probationary time. If a child is placed on probationary bus suspension, it is the parent’s or other authorized person’s responsibility to ensure the child has transportation from school at the regular dismissal time. Absences due to lack of transportation will not be excused. If incidence of Bus Abandonment continues, the parent may be referred to an outside social services agency for intervention.

Students riding buses will observe the route schedule published. Under no circumstances shall a parent/guardian make arrangements with a driver and vice/versa with regard to the published stop.

RULES AT KECP

At KECP we use a positive approach to student behavior—teaching students how to behave, rewarding them for excellent choices, and modeling the behaviors we expect to see from our students.

Every classroom at KECP uses a consistent behavioral color chart system. Our behavior system reinforces the concept of choices and student agency over their actions. The behavior management system will appear as follows:

4. Green = Great day. Great habits.
3. Yellow = Good day. Good habits.
2. Orange = Okay day. Learning from my mistakes.
1. Blue = Rough day. Turn it around.

Each student will have a Daily Log documenting the choices they made at school that day with a check indicating the color they ended the day on.

Students in 2nd-4th grade use an online system called Class Dojo that encourages and rewards specific behaviors. It can also be used to communicate with families: we can share messages, updates, and photos from the class.

To get access to daily reports, teachers will share information during our first week on how to download a simple and free mobile app or access via computer. Families will also receive a report each Monday regarding the previous weeks behavior.

DRESS CODE & UNIFORM EXPECTATIONS

Top

• Kelly Green or Marigold Polo with KECP logo.
• Additional shirts for purchase at LOGO Express for $15.

 

Bottoms

• Navy pants, shorts, skirts, or rompers (Dickies preferred).
• Plaid pants, shorts, skirts, or rompers may also be worn.
• Plaid bottoms may be purchased wherever uniforms are sold locally (Soul Train Fashions or Logo Xpress).
• Request the KIPP East Plaid number 61.
• All bottoms must be an appropriate size and fit—baggy pants and short skirts are not allowed.

 

Fall/ Winter Gear

• Sweatshirt and cardigan will be available for purchase at Logo Express in the fall.

 

Shoes

• Students are allowed to wear any color/style of comfortable sneakers and socks. Please keep in mind that students will run around each day at recess and in movement class.

 *On Fridays students may dress down and wear any school appropriate outfit.

HOMEWORK POLICY

We believe completing homework each night helps our students form habits that will be helpful in older grades. All students will receive a packet of homework each Monday in their green folder. They have the entire week and weekend to complete their homework and as for help. Having this amount of time allows for families to choose how and when they get their homework completed (for example, if a student is exhausted it allows them to go straight to bed and not stay up working).

We highly recommend having a set routine for homework in your household. For example, some families have found success in having students do 20 minutes of homework each evening in order to complete the entire packet by the next Monday. It is also helpful for students to have a designated place in your home to do their work, like a dining or coffee table, and a few pencils at home that are always stored in the same place (away from younger siblings!).

CELL PHONE POLICY

Students may bring cell phones to school but must keep them turned off and out of sight in their backpack until the end of the school day. KNOS is not responsible for lost, damaged or stolen cell phones. If a teacher or administrator confiscates a cell phone it will be turned into the front office and will only be returned to a family member.

Please remember that cell phones can be incredibly distracting to students and their teammates. Families can always reach their student for emergencies by contacting the front office at 504-301-2964.

 

ATTENDANCE

The most important thing that you can do to help your student is ensure they are at school EVERY single day. Students simply cannot learn if they are not at school. Because of this, we take attendance very seriously at KIPP East.

If you know your student is going to be absent due to sickness or a family emergency, please inform the school as soon as possible. Whenever possible, please bring a letter from the doctor in order to make the missed day an excused absence.Please note, however, an absence is still an absence. If your student is not here, they have missed learning.

Tardiness can be as troubling as absenteeism on student success. Our days are consistent, so if students miss the first 20 minutes of each school day, they have missed the same part of their day all year.

We track attendance by semester. If your student has five unexcused absences in one semester (this means they have lost a whole week of school or approximately 40 hours of learning), we will send home a letter from the principal and request a meeting to discuss a plan moving forward. If your student reaches 10 unexcused absences in one semester (this means they have lost two whole weeks of school and approximately 80 hours of learning), we will request a Municipal Court Summons.

Please ensure your student is at school whenever possible.

GETTING INVOLVED

Families are always welcome to stop by our building and pop in on their students. There are also many ways you can get involved…

• Attend family conferences. Three times a year this is a great way to get one-on-one time with your student’s teacher and hear more about their strengths and what they are working on.
• Attend fun family events. This year we will be having family events throughout the year like Movies in the Park, Mom, Dad, and Grandparent breakfasts, open houses and end of year parties. Please come, meet other families, and enjoy the fun.
• Chaperone field trips. Please reach out to your student’s teacher regarding chaperoning for trips. This is a fun way to spend the day with your student and meet some of their friends.
• Volunteer. Reach out to your student’s teacher and ask how you can help. There are certain times of the day when this is best, so please schedule this opportunity to make it most helpful. You can also reach out to Ms. Bailey, our Business Operations Manager, to ask for more specific opportunities.
• Bring your feedback. Please know you can always schedule a meeting with your teacher or school administration. Please call ahead of time to ensure we have plenty of time to talk.

BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND SNACK

Students will receive free breakfast, lunch, and snack each day (no snack on Wednesdays). Menus are available in the front office at the start of each month. 

If you choose to pack your student’s lunch, please make sure it is a healthy and balanced meal. If students bring only snacks or drinks, they will be told to bring their snacks home and take a school lunch.

POLICY ON BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS AND FOOD

• Ensure there are enough treats for the entire class.
• Communicate with the teacher by letting them know at least 1 day in advance so they can make changes to their schedule.
• Birthday celebrations can only happen after 3 p.m.