Progress Elementary Handbook
Table of Contents
Progress Elementary Parent Handbook 2022-2023
“Preparing Students to Explore Their Passions”
Principal Message…............................................................... page 2
District Policy
- Rights & Responsibilities............................ page 4
- Dress Code…................................................... page 5
PBIS......................................................................................... page 6
Daily Schedule....................................................................... page 7
Arrival/Dismissal................................................................. page 7
Attendance/Tardiness........................................................ page 7
School System Information............................................... page 8
Breakfast & Lunch................................................................ page 9
Visiting the School............................................................... page 10
Transportation...................................................................... page 11
Parents as Partners….......................................................... page 12
Progress Elementary Staff................................................ page 13
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Dear Progress Families,
On behalf of the Progress staff, I would like to welcome you to our school. One of the many benefits of being a Progress Panther is its small size, we serve roughly 230 students K-5. Feedback that we continually hear from parents is that Progress “feels likes a small community where they are welcomed into the school.” When walking through the doors of Progress, students are surrounded by caring staff members who are dedicated to providing a safe and productive environment for every child. Progress staff works together, as a team, to provide your child with an education that meets his/her individual needs and where we are “cultivating a curious and caring community of learners”. Your child’s school experience here will be a positive one.
Progress is a PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) school. This means that we believe students should be taught expected behaviors and recognized for making good decisions. As part of our PBIS process, teachers and other staff members use evidence-based practices to increase student learning and decrease classroom disruptions. We do the following when teaching academics and behavior:
- Consistently teach and refer to our school-wide
- Provide students with more praise than
- Use pre-correcting, prompting, and redirecting as we
- Look for the positive first and provide positive, immediate, frequent, and explicit feedback.
Having children myself, I know the expectations you have that a school be safe and provide your child a quality education. The staff at Progress values the whole child, which means we look at the social and emotional well-being of your child, as well as their education. We welcome you into the school and view you as a partner in educating your child.
Our staff’s responsibility is to provide the very best educational experiences possible for your child. By attending Progress, your child is afforded an exciting opportunity. Every student will participate in
inquiry-based learning, where they will be given choice of taking part in inquiries that interest them. Explorations will be offered multiple times a week in which students will have choice in what most interests them to explore more deeply. Through these courses, students will be exposed to future career opportunities and develop 21st Century skills. Our goal is to spark an inner curiosity that will lead to increased student engagement.
We cannot accomplish this task alone. Progress is developing business partnerships with local Spokane businesses to assist with the school to career connection. We count on your help and support, too. A child’s school success is highly dependent upon the relationship between parent and teacher. Cooperation between the home and school is of utmost importance. We hope you will become involved in your school and that together we can demonstrate to your child the importance and significance of a successful school life. With the help of parents and community, our goal is to build a partnership that will help every child become:
- a skilled, knowledgeable learner
- an effective communicator
- a self-directed learner
- a collaborative learner
- a quality worker/producer
- a complex thinker
- a community contributor
I consider myself extremely fortunate to be a part of this wonderful family at Progress. The staff is dedicated and works extremely hard to make sure that your child is successful. I hope you find Progress to be a safe, welcoming school where your child is excited to come. If at any time you have any questions, concerns, or comments, I invite you to stop in or call (558-4500).
Sincerely,
Eric Dobney
Principal
Progress Elementary
BELIEFS ABOUT THE PROGRESS LEARNING COMMUNITY
- All children can learn
- Learning is an important, valuable, lifelong
- Successful learning and positive behavior occur when students are held accountable through the combined support of parents and
- Maximum student learning occurs when families, the school, and the community work together to provide a variety of educational
- Students will be most successful when the learning environment feels emotionally secure and all individuals show respect for themselves and others.
- Achievement increases when learners see the connection between their learning and their
- All learners have the opportunity to excel when high expectations are established and diversity is Students and community will be most successful when tradition is honored, change is valued, and the future is anticipated.
BEHAVIOR PHILOSOPHY/ GOALS RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES
At Progress, we have developed a philosophy that promotes a safe, caring and positive learning environment for all children. We seek to foster a sense of belonging, self-discipline, responsibility, mutual respect for every individual and appreciation for their differences. This will be accomplished through a partnership of students, parents, school, staff and community.
- Progress will be a safe place to learn and
- Progress will promote self-esteem.
- Progress expects behavior that is respectful of
- Progress students will respect school and personal
- Progress students will be taught skills to promote appropriate social behavior and become self-
- Progress students will understand that their decisions have natural and logical
- Students and staff have the right to a safe, non-threatening
Therefore: Hurting, threatening, bullying, or creating a harmful situation are not acceptable. Possession of illegal substances and dangerous objects will not be tolerated.
- All students and adults have the responsibility to treat self, and others with
Therefore: Defiance of authority, swearing, unfair treatment due to race, looks, ability or gender, disrespectful gestures or comments, violating personal space, or harassment are not acceptable.
- Students and staff have the right to a positive learning
Therefore: Disruptions to the learning process are not acceptable.
- Students and staff have the responsibility to treat property with
Therefore: Stealing, damaging, littering or defacing school or personal property is prohibited.
DRESS CODE
The Central Valley School District Board of Directors has adopted a common set of age-appropriate, district-wide dress code standards* for elementary, middle and high school students. The standards were developed by a community-based committee to promote the educational mission and ensure a safe and healthy learning environment. The dress code relies on two legal concepts -- disruption of the educational process and student safety.
Setting the Standard for Elementary School Dress
The following standards are designed to prepare students for transition to the next educational level. Principles of cleanliness and appropriate attire and appearance are necessary to establish an atmosphere conducive to successful learning. The basic responsibility for appropriate attire must rest with the student and his/her parent/guardian, and be consistent with the educational mission of the school district. Each school’s administration and staff are responsible for recognizing cultural factors to determine when a student’s dress does not conform to district policy. This policy is in effect at all school activities.
Elementary School Dress Code Policy:
- Caps or headwear must be removed upon entering the school building (except for religious observance or medical reasons)
- Apparel/accessories (e.g.: including chains, jewelry, bandanas) that can damage school property, be considered gang-related, or be used as a potential weapon, are not acceptable school attire
- Dress that communicates the promotion of tobacco, alcohol, drugs, violence, vulgarity, profanity, or that is disparaging to gender, ethnicity, religion, or that has a sexual connotation is not acceptable school attire
- Midriffs must be covered
- Revealing clothing is not acceptable school attire
- Shorts and skirts must be below fingertips
- Underwear shall not be visible
- Sagging pants are not acceptable school attire
- Long belts must be tucked into belt loops
- Safe footwear is required (flip-flops are not safe footwear) Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of dress code
Administering Dress Code Standards
The standardized Central Valley School District discipline policy includes guidance for principals when administering the dress code. According to this policy, a student’s dress and appearance may be regulated when, in the judgment of school administrators, there is reasonable expectation that:
- A health or safety hazard is presented by the dress or appearance
- The dress or appearance promotes drug, alcohol or tobacco
- The dress or appearance causes a disruption of the educational process
- The dress or appearance otherwise violates the building standards
PBIS
Progress Elementary continues to fully implement the school-wide behavior framework known as PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports). PBIS is a process for creating safer and more effective schools. It is a systems approach to enhancing the capacity of schools to educate all children by developing research-based, school-wide, and classroom behavior support systems. The process focuses on improving our school’s ability to teach and support positive behavior for all students. PBIS includes school-wide procedures and processes intended for all students and all staff in all settings. PBIS is a team-based process for systematic problem solving, planning, and evaluation. It is an approach to creating a safe and productive learning environment where teachers can teach and all students can learn.
At Progress Elementary, we have adopted a unified set of classroom rules. These rules define our expectations for behavior in our school. You will see these rules posted throughout the school and your child will be learning about them during his or her first days at school. Our unified classroom rules can be found in every classroom and non- classroom setting in the school, as follows:
Be Respectful
Be Responsible Be Safe
As part of our PBIS process, teachers and other staff members use evidence-based practices to increase student learning and decrease classroom disruptions. We do the following when teaching academics and behavior.
- Consistently teach and refer to our school-wide
- Provide students with more praise than
- Use pre-correcting, prompting, and redirecting as we
- Look for the positive first and provide positive, immediate, frequent, and explicit feedback.
As part of the PBIS Framework, students will be recognized for demonstrating positive behavior throughout the building by receiving a “PANTHER PRIDE” ticket. Your child will have the opportunity to use the tickets they collect throughout the week to earn a classroom or schoolwide reward. In addition to the reward, he or she will also bring a slip showing you the positive choices they are making here at Progress Elementary.
CLASSROOM PLAN
Each classroom will develop a classroom behavior plan. The plan will include:
- Behavior expectations
- Teacher/ home communication plan
It is our belief that all students are capable of being cooperative and productive students. Student misbehavior is a choice and will be addressed as an opportunity for students to learn norms of school behavior through appropriate consequences.
DAILY SCHEDULE
Student School Hours 8:55 AM to 3:15 PM
(Thursday- Collaboration) 9:55 AM to 3:15PM
School Office Hours 8:00AM to 4:00PM
MORNING ARRIVAL TIME
Due to the fact that there are no playground supervisors on duty before 8:40AM (9:40AM on Thursdays), Students should not
arrive before that time. Students eating breakfast at school should not arrive before 8:40AM (9:40AM on Thursdays).
LATE ARRIVAL or EARLY PICK-UP
If your child arrives late to school, please walk them into the office and sign them in. We do this in order to assure that children were accounted for on the way to school. For the safety of all our students, children are not to leave school during school hours without checking out through the office. Parents/ guardians must check their child out with the office staff. The office staff will call your student down to the office. A child will not be released to any individual who has not been designated on our records by the parent, unless written permission or phone contact has been made with the office staff. A child will not be released to walk home on their own. Please make every attempt possible to not pick up students until the end of the
day.
ATTENDANCE / TARDINESS POLICY
Our purpose at Progress Elementary is to assist students in reaching their potential through effective teaching. We believe attendance is crucial to their success at school. Progress students will be expected to attend classes punctually and regularly. Parents/guardians and students will be held accountable for this on a daily basis. In the event of tardiness or absence, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to contact the school by phone (558-4500) or provide a written note before 9:30 AM. In the event that a student is absent, the student must have a written excuse or phone contact made with the school office by a parent or guardian upon the first day of returning to school. Written excuses will be sent to the office. Children who cannot participate in a full day’s activities, including outdoor recess play, should be kept home until they are healthy.
DISTRICT PARENT ALERT SYSTEM
PowerSchool has an alert and notification system across all schools in the Central Valley School District. PowerSchool enables our district and schools to personally communicate with parents by phone, email and text message in the event of an emergency. The system also notifies parents about student attendance and important school activities. We will be able to reach everyone in the district within minutes! If your child is absent from school and has not been excused you will receive an attendance call automatically. The system will allow us to quickly reach out to parents regarding absent children, an important safety enhancement for our school. As a reminder, our Attendance Line is available 24 hours a day at 558-4540 for you to report absences and
also to let us know your child is excused. You will receive an attendance call if you child’s absence has not been reported.
CHANGE OF PLANS
If your child’s mode of transportation changes for any reason, send a note to the teacher or call the office about this change so we are
assured of parent approval. The notes need to be shown to the crossing guards and/or bus aides for the safety of your child. Without this communication, the child will be sent home in the
normal manner of transportation.
HOME ADDRESSES, PHONE #s, and E-MAIL
It is very important that the school be kept informed at all times of your student’s home address, home telephone number, and your email address. We also must have emergency telephone numbers where parents or other authorized adults can be reached. Please notify us if there are any changes in address, phone numbers or persons to call in order that we may have authorization and information as to what we are to do in case of emergency. More and more, we are communicating via e- mail and would like to have your updated e-mail address, as well.
PHONES
The school is served by business phones in classrooms. Students are not allowed to use the classroom phones. If a student needs to use the phone, they will be directed to the office. If you need to contact your child during the school day, please call the office at 558-4500. It is possible for us to deliver messages to your child during the school day. However, we try to protect the learning environment as much as possible and ask that you make plans with your child before the school day. Calling the classroom disrupts the learning for all students in the class.
APPOINTMENTS
Children may be excused during school hours for appointments. Parents should request in writing that their child be released at a specific time. If you wish to excuse your child and did not write a note, it will be necessary for you to phone the office and request a release. It is necessary for you to come into the school office and check your child out upon leaving and check them back in upon returning to
school.
MEDICATION
According to state law and district policy, if it is necessary for your child to receive medication during school hours, a Medication Request Form must be filled out and signed. These forms are available in the school office. Any prescription, over the counter medications (including cough drops), or pills of any kind must be stored in the office and have a signed form from a physician that indicates the dosage and instructions for administering the medication.
INCLEMENT WEATHER
In case of severe weather or other emergencies, a “no school” announcement will be made over local radio and TV stations by 6:30AM. You can also check www.cvsd.org
for updated info.
Toys
All toys are to remain at home as they are a distraction to the learning environment.
Breakfast
Mon, Tues, Wed, & Fri: 8:40am-8:55am Thursday: 9:40am-9:55am
Lunch & Recess
Kinder 11:55-12:15
Grade 1 11:55-12:15
Grade 2 11:55-12:15
Grade 3 12:20-12:40
Grade 4 12:20-12:40
Grade 5 12:20-12:40
CONFERENCE WEEK SCHEDULE
Student School Hours 9:00AM to 12:30PM
(Thursday- Collaboration) 10:00AM to 12:30PM
Lunch Recess
|
Kinder |
11:20-11:40 |
11:40-11:55 |
|
Grade 2 |
11:30-11:45 |
11:45-12:05 |
|
Grade 3 |
11:35-11:55 |
11:55-12:10 |
|
Grade 1 |
11:45-12:05 |
12:05-12:20 |
|
Grade 4 |
11:50-12:05 |
12:05-12:25 |
|
Grade 5 |
11:55-12:10 |
12:10-12:25 |
BREAKFAST AND LUNCH
School breakfast and lunch are served daily. A complete menu may be found on the district website. Milk is included in the price of the meal, but may also be purchased separately.
The cost of breakfast and lunches are subject to change. You will be notified of any change when it takes place.
Breakfast and lunches may be paid for in advance by cash, check made out to CVSD or pre-pay (two days in advance at www.cvsd.org. Students use a computer system just like a debit account at a bank. The pre-paid amount is deposited into the account and each time their student eats a meal, the price of that meal is deducted from the account.
Free Breakfast and Lunch for the 2022-23 School Year, but please still fill out the Free and Reduced paperwork whether or not you believe you qualify. Our funding depends on everyone filling out this paperwork.
SCHOOL VISITATIONS/VOLUNTEERS
Parents are encouraged to visit the school. Please sign in at the office and wear a visitor badge while you are in the building to visit, have lunch or volunteer. All volunteers need to register on the new Central Valley School District volunteer registration system at www.cvsd.org. Click on Parent Resources, then click on Volunteer, then click on Online Volunteer Registration. Parents will need to have an approved volunteer registration/background check, if they would like to attend CLASSROOM PARTIES, field trips, help in the school, etc.
SCHOOL EVENTS AND UPDATES
Teacher and Principal Newsletters outline upcoming class and school events. Another way to stay connected to Progress is to access our school website at: http://pres.cvsd.org/pages/Progress_Elementary_School.
Birthday Celebrations
As a common courtesy to the learning environment, we have reserved the last 15 minutes of the day where your child can bring store bought treats to share with their peers. If you could please call the teacher ahead of time to check for any allergies, we would greatly appreciate it. Please do not send/bring balloons as they can be a health concern. If
your child has personalized invitations to pass out, we ask that they give them to their teacher to place in Friday folders.
PARENT- TEACHER CONFERENCES
Parents will be invited two times during the year to meet with the teacher to discuss their child’s school performance. The conferences are an integral part of the school’s reporting program and are intended to be more than informal visits. They are designed to give parents an accurate and objective report of a student’s progress and behavior. Parents should not hesitate to ask questions about any concerns they may have. Parents are encouraged to bring to the teacher’s attention any information that may assist the teacher in meeting a child’s needs. It is not necessary to wait until conference week for a conference. Conferences may be scheduled at any time deemed appropriate by either the teacher or the parent.
WALKERS (Crossing guards on the corner of Progress & Broadway) We are most concerned about the safety of students to and from school. Students are to stay on sidewalks and only cross busy streets at intersections where patrols are present. Students are not to cross Broadway until adult crossing guards are present in the morning (8:40am
for breakfast and 8:45am if not eating breakfast). Crossing Guards will be present until 3:30 at the end of the day. Please talk to your child about the dangers associated with walking to and from school and especially walking in all types of weather. It is particularly
dangerous during the winter months when ice and snow make stopping distances for cars much greater.
MOTOR VEHICLES
If you drive your student to and from school, please use the parking lot located on Progress Road for loading and unloading. In order to keep all our students and in particular your child safe, please adhere to the following guidelines:
- Always pick your child up in the parking lot off of Progress Road. If you park on the street, please exit your vehicle and walk to meet your child at the front of the building. This will keep students from running across traffic to enter the
- Drop off students in designated areas only. Please stay clear of the bus loading zone even when busses are not present when you arrive. Busses arrive quickly and need access to students in order to stay on
BUS TRANSPORTATION AND CONDUCT
Many of our Progress students ride the bus to and from school. In addition, all students may at one time or another ride the bus to take
advantage of the educational opportunities offered by the school. When riding the bus, certain rules must be observed in order to assure the safety of everyone on the bus. All students should be familiar with these rules and must follow them in order to help maintain a safe environment for all bus riders. Please review these rules with your child(ren).
- Driver is in
- The student will obey the driver promptly and
- Student will sit properly in his/her seat and remain there until the bus has
- Talk
- Keep his/her hands to him/herself and will be courteous to others on the
- Driver can assign seats, issue warnings or request removal from
- The student will ask permission before opening a window and will keep his/her body inside the
- Keep the area where he/she sits
If you have any concern regarding the transportation and safety of your family and community, please call 558-5491.
PARENTS AS PARTNERS
Research shows that students who have involved parents have greater success in school. Therefore, we ask that you as
parents, guardians, and family members do the following to help ensure your child’s success:
- Send your child to school on time and ready to learn each Students need to attend every day and be on time to get the full benefit of the school experience. Being ready means that your child has the necessary supplies and materials, a good breakfast, and a full night’s sleep.
- Check homework each night to verify it has been Homework is a way for students to practice newly learned skills. It is also an opportunity for parents to see what is being taught at school during the week. Provide an appropriate and quiet work space with necessary materials to complete work each night. Help your child learn that it is their responsibility for completing homework.
- Ask your child each day about the things they learned at By asking what they “learned” instead of what they “did” will continue to keep the focus on the primary goal of attending school.
- Volunteer some of your time to the school each year. Students take school more seriously when parents are involved and willing to volunteer. If you give volunteer time to school, the message to your child is that school is All volunteers must complete a volunteer application every two years. Complete the online application early in the year as it takes time to process.
- Talk positively about the importance of school. When parents talk about school and the importance of working hard to do well in school, students realize the importance school plays in their growth and student achievement
- Keep communication open with school. When questions or concerns arise about school, please contact your teacher first to clarify the Working with your child’s teacher will help keep the school year running smoothly.
STUDENT STUDY TEAM
Progress Elementary has a Student Study Team that meets once a week throughout the school year. The team is comprised of a Speech and Language Pathologist, School Psychologist, Principal, Nurse, Resource Room Teacher, classroom teachers and Specialists. Students are referred to this team by classroom teachers and/or parents. The team analyzes student data and brainstorms appropriate interventions to be attempted. Through this process, students may also be referred for further testing to qualify for additional services. We consider parents to be an important component to this team process and we value their input. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher.
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PROGRESS ELEMENTARY STAFF
School Assistant
Jeanie Eastman School Assistant
Debbie Depriest School Assistant
Mary Nicholls Resource Para
Janae McGregor Cook
PTA OFFICERS
President: Kyndra Bunkelman
Secretary: Melissa Merrifield
Treasurer: Heather Geense
*If you would like to help the PTA with anything, it does not take a huge commitment. We can use help with a single event and would love to have you. Please call the school (558-4500) if you are interested.