School Handbook

School Closure for Inclement Weather

Beaverton Schools must sometimes  close due to extreme weather conditions.  They may also operate on  a two-hour delay schedule or snow route schedule. Snow route information is posted  on  the District website and in our school newsletter. A two-hour delay means schools will open two hours later than normal. This allows time for thawing and for heavy traffic to subside.

We encourage you to use your judgment when transporting your child to school on icy roads. You may choose to keep your child home for the day. Your child will not be penalized if you decide it is unsafe to travel to school.

In the event of school closures or snow day schedule, information will be announced on the radio and TV stations beginning at 5:00 a.m. You may also locate information at the main Beaverton School District website at. The school or District will also call and or text all SchoolMessenger subscribers. Please do not call the school office phone with unnecessary calls.

If the weather becomes extremely bad during the day, school may be dismissed early. Announcements of early closures during the school day are also made on local radio stations. If the decision is made to close schools, all evening meetings and night activities will be canceled, including all extracurricular programs and athletic events.

An early closure due to inclement weather or for any other reason are considered emergency school closures. The emergency school closure plan on your child’s enrollment or verification forms will be followed.

Emergency Closure Family Plan

We may close early because of power failure or other emergency and an announcement would not be made to the media. Please help reduce anxiety for students and staff by sharing your family plan for an early closure with us. It would be a good idea to discuss procedures with your child in the event of an early closure, to go over your family plan with your child, and ask your child to call you at work as soon as he or she arrives home or at the designated location. Enrollment verification forms will be sent home the first few weeks of school for updates and any changes to the family emergency closure plan.

In order to prevent the spread of Pediculosis (head  lice) in the school  setting, students  with suspected cases of lice will be referred to office staff for  assessment and students  found  with live lice  will  be excluded from school. Students excluded from school will be readmitted  after  re-assessment,  by designated staff, to confirm that no live lice are present. Students found with nits will not be excluded but  will be subjected to periodic checks to confirm continuing absence of live lice.

Successful treatment of head lice requires a coordinated approach and may involve the use of anti- louse products, combing, and implementation of preventative measures  recommended  by  health authorities. The school will provide parents of students found to have  contracted  head  lice  with treatment information. It is the school’s intent to not only eliminate any outbreak or infestation, but also to prevent a repeat episode.

We follow District policy and will communicate with families regarding prevention and treatment of head lice. We will notify all parents of students in a classroom upon the discovery of a single case of live lice in that classroom. In the event that three or more unrelated cases of live lice are diagnosed at a school within a two- week period, all families will be notified.

The Oregon Immunization Law requires a series of immunizations for all children entering school. If the parent does not present evidence of these immunizations, or provide a medical exemption signed by a physician or by the county health department, or sign a religious exemption, the child will not  be excluded from school until documentation is provided.

Immunizations for Students Enrolling from Out-of-State

Parents of new students enrolling from out-of-state have a 30-day period in which to obtain immunization records. The school will follow up after the grace period to see if students are in compliance with the law. Students who are not in compliance with the immunization  law  will  be  notified regarding the immunizations they need. Students out of compliance will also be given a deadline date after which  they  will not be allowed to attend school without evidence of having received the immunizations. If the immunization record is not immediately available, parents will be asked to sign for all immunizations.

Students who must take medication during school hours must comply with following State and School District requirements:

• If your child needs medication during school hours, please bring the medication in the original container and check it in with school office staff.
• For safety reasons it is critical that your transport the medication and complete the necessary forms at the school.
• Please do not send medication to school with your child.
• Prescription and nonprescription medication must be in the original container. When requested, pharmacists are usually willing to provide two labeled containers for home and school.
• A medication record/authorization card is to be completed by the parent in the school office.
• Administration of nonprescription medication by school personnel requires written instructions from the student's parent/guardian.
• Physician orders are necessary for over the counter medications when the dosage request contradicts the safe dosage directions on the bottle or container. The definition of nonprescription medication is a commercially prepared nonalcohol-based medication necessary for a student to remain in school.
• Self-medication is not allowed in kindergarten through eighth grade.
• Parents should pick up their child's medication on or before the last day of school. Any medication not picked up will not be sent home with students and will be destroyed.

With the supervision of our school nurse and the assistance of volunteers, your child will participate in a vision and hearing screening in grades K, 1^st, and 3^rd. Hearing and vision screening tools will be used to help identify those students who need a professional  examination.  You  will  be notified  if your child needs further evaluation.

School accident insurance and dental insurance are available. Applications are sent home with each student at the beginning of the school year. Those who are not covered by a family medical plan are encouraged to subscribe. If you need an application, please contact the school office.

Children who are not feeling well have a difficult time concentrating and are not able to learn. Home is the best place for an ill child.

The question of when is a child too sick to attend school is not always easy to answer. Often parents need to make a judgment call of whether to send their child to school or keep them home to rest. Below are some guidelines provided by the Communicable Disease Division of the Washington County Department of Health and Human Services. They were developed to help prevent the spread of potentially contagious diseases.

En Barnes nos esforzamos por crear y mantener relaciones sólidas con nuestros estudiantes y familias.  Apoyamos a los estudiantes con la autorregulación
introduciéndolos en el plan de estudios de aprendizaje socioemocional y herramientas tales como esquinas tranquilas, justicia restaurativa y resolución colaborativa de problemas.

At Barnes we strive to create and maintain strong relationships with our students and families.  We support students with self regulation by introducing them to social emotional learning curriculum and tools such as calming corners, restorative justice and collaborative problem solving.

We believe the safety of our students is of the utmost importance. Our parents/guardians and community require us to ensure that anyone who comes in contact with our students is appropriate to work with children. We are now requiring background checks to be conducted on all volunteers. Please visit the District Volunteer Page to complete a volunteer background check. You may volunteer as soon as the background check process is completed and the Public Safety Office has approved you for volunteering. Background checks are automatically renewed every two years. Please contact the Public Safety Office at 503-356-4444 with any questions.

Volunteer  opportunities at West TV are often coordinated through the work of the PTC and are focused  on activities that support and enrich learning. All families are automatically members of the Parent Teacher Club and are encouraged to become active supporters by sharing their time and talents.

The PTC has monthly meetings, typically on the second Wednesday of the month, at 7:00 p.m. in the library/media center. Meeting dates and reminders will appear in the school and PTC newsletters. Families of West TV students are encouraged to participate by coming to the meetings and by being a part of or leading a committee.

An Executive Board facilitates the PTC. The Board's job is to manage the PTC's financial accounts, help communicate PTC activities, assist the various committees to obtain volunteers, and act as a liaison between parents, staff, and the surrounding community. Please visit our school website for a current list of elected PTC board members or the PTC website at wtvptc.org.

Identification While Volunteering

All volunteers are required to wear a school-approved name tag at all times when in the building. Volunteers not wearing proper identification should be directed to the school office.

Sign In and Sign Out of Location

Volunteers are expected to sign in and out of the building using the Volunteer Management System. It allows staff to track who is in the building and who participated in specific activities. There is a computer to log into the Volunteer Management System in the school office. Volunteer hours and activities are reported to the Beaverton School Board annually.

Siblings & Other Children

Volunteers may not bring other children when they are scheduled to volunteer.

Confidentiality

Volunteers must protect teachers’ and students’ right to privacy. A volunteer may not disclose sensitive school or personal matters which have come to their attention. They should discuss student concerns only with the teacher with whom they are volunteering, or the principal.

Professionalism

Although the job is voluntary, the commitment is professional. Volunteers are there to complete a specific task or assignment. Volunteers are expected to support and maintain an environment conducive to student success. Volunteers should become familiar with and follow all school and classroom policies and practices, including building evacuation, fire drills, etc.

Dependability and Punctuality

Students, teachers and staff members rely on the services performed by volunteers. Volunteers should contact the school if they are unable to volunteer on their scheduled day.

Child Abuse Reporting

Volunteers should report suspected incidents of child abuse. This can include physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect. See the school principal immediately to make a report.

Art literacy provides instruction about various famous artists and their cultural contributions. Trained volunteers present this curriculum so that students gain an appreciation for artists, art history, and a variety of art techniques. It is a very hands-on way to learn about art.

Beaverton School District families with limited resources are invited to visit the Clothes Closet, a non- profit organization that provides clothing to children in need in grades K-12. Families must obtain pass from the school counselor in order to visit.

Parent volunteers run the Clothes Closet during the school year. Donations of clothing are always welcome. Donations may be dropped off at any school and a receipt for tax purposes will be mailed to donor if a stamped, self-addressed envelope, is included with the donation.

The West TV Continent Club is a  volunteer  run,  individualized,  sequential,  yearlong program  that enriches the social studies curriculum. Students learn the location of the world's countries, continents, and oceans. It is a home-based program, providing parents a chance to work with their child.

Continent Club passports are issued to all students in the fall. The passports include countries or geographic features at various challenge levels that students are to learn each month. On passport check day the students receive stamps in their passports if they are able to name the countries and other geographic features correctly. Volunteers are needed for the monthly check day.

At West TV there are many one time and  ongoing  volunteer  opportunities.  Volunteers  support community events, literacy, science, math, the library, health screenings, and PTC fundraisers. If you have  any questions, please contact the PTC volunteer coordinator.

Resource parents are assigned to each classroom and  are the  teacher’s main contact  for  volunteer support. With a budget from the PTC, resource volunteers plan and present three classroom parties each year. Resource volunteers also assist the teacher with clerical or other support work as needed. The  PTC calls on resource volunteers to coordinate others for fundraising and school wide events.