Student Handbook

Cell Phones and Smart Watches

We discourage students from bringing cell phones to school.  However, we understand that many families rely on them for communicating with each other after school.  Therefore, if cell phones are brought to school, they must remain OFF and in backpacks during the school day, including recesses, lunch, and bus rides.  Smart watches can be worn during the day but should be silenced.  Students should not be accessing apps on the Smart watch.  Additionally, state testing in grades 3 -5 requires that phones and smart watches be in backpacks.  If a child needs to call a parent during the school day, they can use a phone in the office or classroom.

If a cell phone poses a consistent disruption to the learning environment, school staff will contact the family to develop a plan.

Please remember that cell phones brought to school are brought at the owner’s own risk and families need to understand that the phones and watches are easily lost.  If a loss occurs at school, it is not the responsibility of the school.

Classroom/Birthday Treats

Teachers may have specific requests regarding birthday treats and celebrations. Therefore, it’s always important to discuss your desire for a birthday celebration with your child’s classroom teacher ahead of time.

• If a birthday is celebrated at school, plan on a short duration (5 minutes).
• If your child’s classroom teacher allows birthday treats, they should be healthy and nutritious and must follow the procedures of the school district policy for the prevention of anaphylaxis (food & substance allergies). (See appendix for the Bellevue School District Nutrition Policy: POLICY 3420 AND PROCEDURE 3420P (ANAPHYLAXIS PREVENTION AND RESPONSE)
• There is no refrigeration available for birthday treats at school.
• Birthday invitations must be emailed/mailed and cannot be handed out at school.

* A new popular idea for celebrating a child’s birthday or special accomplishment is to donate a favorite book to the school library or classroom in the child’s name. Kids LOVE this gift! Ask your child’s teacher or our librarian, Ms. Lee, for title suggestions.

Dress Code & Shoes

Dress for school should allow for students to move around comfortably and safely as classes often include movement within instruction. Additionally, please be sure to consider the weather, as recesses are held outdoors rain or shine.

Footwear should be chosen with safety in mind, considering running outdoors and climbing on playground equipment. A non-skid, non-marking soled shoe with closed toe is recommended for PE days.

Emergency Contact Numbers

Call or send a note to the office promptly with changes in home address, home and work phone, or names and phone numbers of emergency contact persons.  This information is vital in the event of an accident, illness, early school closure or other emergency while the child is at school.

Emergency Information

Please complete and return the “Student Profile/Emergency Release” form which is sent home mid-September.  This form will be kept on file in the office and in our emergency supply storage room.  The form will be used when your child is sick or if there is an emergency at school.  In either of these cases, we will first call the parents/guardians listed at their home/work numbers.  If we are unable to reach them directly, we will leave a message whenever possible and proceed down the emergency contact list in the order given.  We often face the dilemma of not being able to contact anyone because the phone numbers have changed or are no longer in use, or we simply don’t have any other numbers to call.  We would appreciate your listing as many alternative emergency contacts as possible.  Contact the school office when any of the emergency contact information you wish to have on file changes.

Emergency Plan

In the event of an emergency, we have an emergency/disaster plan.  Students and staff are instructed on emergency procedures.  We practice monthly safety drills such as fire, earthquake, and lockdown drills.  We have an emergency supply storage room on campus that contains supplies to provide food, water, and shelter for the students and staff.  We also have a number of staff trained in First Aid and CPR.  In the event of an emergency, our power may be lost and we may not be able to contact you.  For that reason it is even more essential for you to complete the “Student Profile/Emergency Release” form.

During an emergency, your child will only be released to their parent/guardian or those you have designated on their emergency contact sheet. Also, during an emergency, if you come to the school site, look for signs or school personnel at the student check out station. The most secure and safe way to get your student is to check them out at the sign-out station – this is where you will find the quickest information and action to get to your child. Please be sure to fill out the “Student Profile/Emergency Release” form, to help expedite the process for everyone’s benefit.

Enatai PTSA

Enatai Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) is a major program facilitator and economic resource for Enatai Elementary students and staff.  Some educational programs, most financial classroom support, and many social activities would not exist without the support of Enatai PTSA. You can join Enatai’s PTSA in the front office using the family computer kiosk or on Enatai’s PTSA website:  http://www.enataiptsa.org.

Health Information

Students who become ill at school are sent to the health clinic for observation.  Your child will need to be picked up immediately if an elevated temperature is present, or if your child vomits at school.  If the school is unable to contact parents, the person designated by parents as an emergency contact will be called to arrange care until a parent is available.  It is recommended that if a child has vomited in the last 12 hours, or had a fever, he/she stay home sick for the day.

Injuries are handled in a similar manner.  The school will administer basic first aid, but if there is any question as to the seriousness of the injury, parents will be notified immediately.

Keep in mind Public Health rules designed to safeguard children:

1. Stay at home with a severe cold for several days.
2. Do not come to school with a fever.
3. Do not come to school if unable to participate in both indoor and outdoor activities, including PE and recess.

Administering Medication at School

School personnel are not allowed to administer medication without written authorization from a physician.  If medications are to be given at school, the school nurse must be notified and an Authorization to Administer Medication form must be filled out and on file in the school office.  All medications must come to the school office in the original container, labeled by the pharmacy or physician with the medication name, amount to be taken, frequency of administration and name of physician.

The State of Washington Code requires that schools maintain up-to-date immunization records for measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), diphtheria, and polio for all students unless there are medical or religious objections. Additionally, all students are required to complete a series of three Hepatitis B inoculations and kindergarten-4th grade students need a second MMR. Should the school be missing any of these immunization records, your child may be asked to stay home until the information has been received in the office.

Items From Home/Class Sharing

Toys, trading cards, electronic games, stuffed animals, money, and other personal items of value should remain at home so they are not misplaced, lost, or broken.  If a child wishes to bring a special item to share with the class, they must first get permission from the teacher.

Library

The library is open to students during the school day.  Classes in grades K-4 visit the library each week to meet with the librarian, listen to stories, engage in research projects, and check out books.  Students in fifth grade visit the library as needed for book borrowing and research.  Checking out library books for home use is encouraged.  Please help students become responsible for returning library books on time.  Be mindful of the books your child brings home so that they may be returned when due for use by others.  Parent volunteers are welcome and needed to help shelve and repair library books. Contact our librarian to offer your assistance.

Lost and Found

If your child misplaces an article of clothing, water bottle, or lunchbox, please visit our Lost and Found located near the main office. As a friendly reminder, please label student items which helps us reunite the item and owner.

Each year, numerous jackets, sweatshirts, lunch boxes, and other items are never claimed.  Three times a year (winter break, spring break, and again in June), items from the Lost and Found will be donated to charity, so please claim missing items promptly.

Meal Program 

We use a computerized meal accounting system.  Each student is issued a Personal Identification Number (PIN) which is used to purchase a meal or milk.  Students who purchase meal key in their PIN and their account is debited accordingly.  Students who purchase milk write their PIN and name on a sheet of paper and their account is debited accordingly.  We encourage you to send a check for several lunches at a time, if possible, made payable to the Bellevue School District.

When sending a check for lunch payment, make sure you include your child’s first and last name on the check.  If you have more than one child, you may use one check, but please indicate the amount of money to deposit into each child’s account.  If you pay with cash, place it in an envelope, clearly labeled with your child’s name and teacher.  All lunch money must be delivered to the office in the morning. You may now also make prepayments to your student’s account using a credit card. 

Menus are available on the district website. Free and reduced-price lunches are available to children whose family’s income falls within eligibility guidelines. You may complete the eligibility form online at any time (including using the family computer kiosk in the main office); however, you must reapply each year. This information is kept confidential.

 

Snack

Many students choose to bring a snack from home to eat mid-morning.  These snacks should be healthy choices such as crackers, cheese, granola bars, or fruit.  Candy, gum, and soda should not be brought to school for snack or lunch. Classroom snacks should follow district policy and procedures (POLICY 3420 AND PROCEDURE 3420P (ANAPHYLAXIS PREVENTION AND RESPONSE). Teachers appreciate donations of boxes of graham crackers, saltines, fish crackers, pretzels, or other non-perishable snacks that can be kept in the classroom and shared with students who may have forgotten their snack. If you are interested in donating, please check with your child’s teacher to see if they are interested and of what types of snacks.

Parent Volunteers

Enatai has a positive reputation for the number of volunteers that assist staff and students each day, week and month! Enatai continues to need volunteers to help provide quality educational and enrichment activities for students. Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference in our children’s education and is vital to the success of our school.  If you are interested in serving as a volunteer at Enatai (in a classroom, library, field trip volunteer, etc…), you need to be cleared once during your child(ren)’s elementary school years.  This can be done by contacting the Enatai main office either in person or via phone at 425-456-5200.

Visitor Badges

We are fortunate at Enatai to have the strong commitment by families and other volunteers to assist in the school.  In keeping with state laws, Bellevue School District policy, and as a safety measure, we require that all visitors and volunteers sign in at the office when arriving at the school. We truly appreciate your support of Enatai and want you to feel welcome here. Thank you for realizing that the safety of all students is a high priority.

Photographs and/or Recordings

Photographs and recordings of students at school are not allowed without permission from the parent/guardian.  Please note that this is one of many reasons that students are not allowed to use phones and smart watches during the day.

Occasionally, your student might be included in a recording and/or photograph used for appropriate district-authorized purposes possibly outside the district.   Permission forms have been sent home and are available in the office for you to sign only if you do not want your child included in these recordings or photographs.

Examples of uses include but are not limited to:

• Highlight for the Bellevue community what we do in our school
• Use for broadcast media and newspaper articles
• Include in the Annual School Performance Report
• Publicize Bellevue Schools Foundation programs
• Make presentations to other audiences at workshops
• Support other appropriate district-authorized purposes

Please remember that when attending a school performance, videos and pictures taken on personal devices that include other students should not be posted on social media without consent from all guardians of these students.

Building Balanced Classes

The goal of student placement is that each student be placed in a positive learning environment.  Staff members work collaboratively to build balanced classes that best meet the needs of each learner.  Many factors are considered when placing students.  Academic strengths, needs, social and emotional characteristics, as well as parental input are thoughtfully considered.  Should a parent feel that a child’s placement is inappropriate, a request  should be made to the Principal either by meeting* with the Principal or by using the “Request for Change of Placement” form found in the main office.   Changes in classroom assignments will only be considered after the second full week of school and will involve meeting with the classroom teacher.  Please note a change of placement during the school year is rare.

*Meetings may include, but are not limited to, meeting in person, meeting online, and/or a phone call.

Student Progress Reports

The chief purpose of reporting student progress to parents it to provide the information necessary for a solid collaborative partnership between school and the home in guidance of the student.  Parents will be kept informed about the growth and progress of their children in all aspects of school curriculum, including observed student behaviors in the intellectual, emotional, physical and social development areas.  Written progress reports will be sent during two reporting periods: January and June. These reports are accessible to families via ParentVue.  If you need help accessing ParentVue, please contact the main office during regular hours of operation.

Weather, Emergencies, and School Delays/Cancellations

For current announcements regarding Bellevue School District closures and hours of operation due to weather conditions or natural disasters, call the Bellevue School District School News Hotline (425-456-4111).

• In the event of an emergency, please do not call the Enatai school office as the school lines must be kept open for emergency communications.  In the event of an emergency, school staff will be working with Bellevue School District Communications Department to send information to families as soon as possible.
• Snow can create confusion for all of us when it affects the school schedule. Since our school buses serve several schools in the district, decisions to close or delay school are made at the district level.  Snow and ice conditions can vary across our school district.  For this reason, it is important to check the BSD website (www.bsd405.org), BSD social media accounts on Facebook or Instagram, or call the BSD’s 24-hour recorded School News Hotline at (425) 456-4111 for announcements regarding school closures or late starts.

After School Plans

After-school plans need to be made at home—not during the school day. Should your child wish to go home with a friend or anywhere else other than the normal after school destination, those plans should be made in advance. Students will not be allowed to make phone calls to arrange after school plans with friends.

Children who do not typically ride the bus will be allowed to ride the school bus home with a regular rider by showing the bus driver a permission note signed by the office. Students should bring these notes to the office in the morning before school starts to have them stamped. Then they can show them to their classroom teacher.

Students will NOT be dismissed early or released to anyone other than their parent or guardian without prior arrangement with school office personnel. These measures are taken in a partnership between home and school to ensure your child‘s safety.

Please avoid calls or emails to school regarding changes in after school plans.  Please make sure all after school plans are set before your child comes to school in the morning.  In the event of a change of plans, you need to contact the front office, NOT the classroom teacher.  The message will then get to your child before the end of the day.

Please know that we are not able to interrupt classes to send reminders to students about after school activities.

If you reside outside the walking perimeter and require transportation, you will be notified by the Transportation Department prior to the start of the school year. You will be told your designated pick-up and drop-off point and time. Transportation will also send you information regarding policies and procedures for bus riders. We expect all Enatai students to follow Enatai rules and expectations, whether on campus, in the classroom, on a field trip, on the bus, or waiting for the bus. If you are in doubt about whether your student may ride the bus, please call Transportation at (425)456-4512.

We encourage you to have your child ride the bus or walk to school with a group of other children. You can also carpool with neighbors. Traffic around Enatai is very congested during pick-up and drop-off times. Fewer vehicles make the transition easier for everyone!

Student Drop Off and Pick Up

If you need to drive to school to drop your child(ren) off, please follow these guidelines:

• Use the designated drop-off/pick-up lane when dropping off/picking up children curbside.  Children should exit the car curbside as cars continue to move in the left-hand lane.
• When using the drop off / pick-up lane:
  • Pull as far forward as possible in the right drop-off/pick-up lane.  Drop off/pick up your child(ren) on the curbside and pull back into the left lane to exit.
  • Remain in your car at all time, and refrain from using your cellular telephone at this time.
  • If your child needs help in unbuckling a carseat, please park your car in a parking space as adults should not be exiting vehicles in the pick-up/drop-off line.
  • Please keep the line moving!  If you need to talk with another parent or a teacher, park your vehicle in a parking space.
• If you choose to park your car, park only in designated parking spaces. DO NOT PARK IN OR BLOCK THE DROP OFF/PICK UP LANE.
• Have patience!  Plan for a few extra minutes in your morning or afternoon routine if you drop your child(ren) off or pick them up.

If you have someone new picking your child up, please take a moment to share with them how the drop off/pick up lane works.

Student Arrival/Dismissal Procedures

The front doors of Enatai unlock at 7:40 for breakfast service.  Students and staff may enter Enatai without signing in.  Families are encouraged to walk students to exterior doors; however, families do need to sign in at the main office before entering the building, this includes walking students to classrooms.

Arriving at Enatai:

Students arrive at Enatai Elementary School via school bus, car drop-off/pick-up, walking, and biking.  Students are asked to use the doors closest to their classroom and/or their arrival point.  Gates around the field will be unlocked for arrival and locked once the school day begins.  The field will be unlocked shortly before dismissal if families wish to use the field/playground/covered play area as their meet up point.

• When students arrive on campus, they are asked to either go to the cafeteria if they are getting breakfast or head to their grade level cluster to wait for teachers to open their classroom door.
• Students can enter Enatai either at the front doors or at the side doors which are located on the north side of the building near the “yellow cluster” and labeled as “North Field Entrance” on the map above.  Please note that unlike past years, the back doors at the “blue cluster” will no longer be open.
• Each cluster will be supervised by staff and expected to follow the expectations of the cluster.
• Kindergarten students will wait outside the exterior door of their classroom until rainy weather returns (often mid-October). At that time, kindergarten students will begin meeting in the hallway outside of the cafeteria by their teacher’s name which will be posted on the windows.
• Preschool teachers will provide specific information to their families about arrival and dismissal procedures. Preschool students and families enter their classrooms through the exterior doors located on the preschool playground on the south side of the school near the parking lot.  Please note that the gate to the preschool classrooms/playground has a latch located near the top of the gate.  Families are asked to make sure the gate closes securely behind them as they enter and exit the gate.

Departure From Enatai

Enatai uses a staggered dismissal process at the end of the day.  This means that teachers will be leaving their classroom prior to 2:30 to ensure students arrive to the front of the school by 2:30 PM.  Teachers will communicate with their families about their class’ specific dismissal procedure.

All teachers will walk students to the front of of the school and provide supervision until GSAs and the car-pick up team are present.

Departing Enatai:  Students and Families Who Walk/Bike

Students and families who either walk or ride bicycles should exit campus immediately after school dismisses.

• Please walk bicycles through areas where students are being dismissed and students are meeting their parent/guardian.

Departing Enatai:  Students Riding the Bus

Enatai staff will be at buses to support students as they arrive at the buses.  K-5 general education buses depart at 2:35.  Buses for special education and/or preschool also depart at 2:35 or earlier if all students who ride the bus are present.

Departing Enatai:  Students Who are Picked Up by Car

Students who depart Enatai by car pick-up will be asked to wait near the car pick-up area.  Staff who supervise car rider pick-up will announce names of students being picked up to support connecting students with their adults.

Bicycle Safety and Security

Students are encouraged to ride bicycles to school when families determine they are ready!  We have three bicycle racks located at the front of the school.  Please make sure your child has a helmet.  Students should take helmets with them to their classroom as the bike racks are not monitored throughout the school day.  If your child is using a bike lock, please practice using the lock at home.   Students need to walk their bicycle on and off of campus to ensure safety for pedestrians.