Regulations for the Conduct of Pupils Riding on School Buses

• The driver is in full charge of the bus and of all pupils riding therein at all times while pupils are being transported to and from school. He/she is required to enforce all rules and regulations adopted by the school authorities for the conduct of pupils riding on the bus.
• Pupils must take a seat when they enter the bus and remain seated at all times while the bus is in motion.
• Indecent or profane language, smoking, rowdyism, loud talking, loud radios or any illegal activities are expressly prohibited.
• Pupils must not open bus windows without permission from the driver.
• Pupils must not throw any object in or out of the bus. Pupils must not, at any time, extend their arms or head out of the bus window. Pupils shall enter and leave the bus only at the front door except in cases of emergency.
• Pupils must be on time and at all times cooperate in keeping the bus on schedule.
• Pupils shall, after alighting from the bus, wait for the signal from the driver before crossing the highway, and pupils shall also look to see that traffic is halted. Pupils must not stand on the traveled portion of the highway while waiting for a bus.

Penalties for Violation:

• Parents of pupils who damage or deface any bus shall be held liable for such damage.
• When pupils do not observe the above rules, the driver shall report them on bus company forms to the school principal as soon as possible.
• The matter of suspension from riding the bus shall be determined by the principal, as a last resort, after parents have been notified. This action shall be subject to review by the superintendent. Appeals from any decision may be made in writing by parents to the Transportation Committee.

Arrival and Dismissal

No parking is allowed on the road in front of the school- it is a fire lane.  No cars are allowed in the front circle- it is a bus zone.

Arrival:

• Students cannot arrive on school grounds before 8:40 AM, as there is no adult supervision until that time.  Parents must wait with children if they arrive before that time in order to keep all children safe.
• Parents dropping off must pull to the side of the building where an adult is waiting to welcome your child from your vehicle.
• If you are dropping off your child after dismissal please park in the lot across from the office and walk to your child in to sign them in.

Dismissal:

• Children will not be dismissed earlier than the normal dismissal time (3:25) except for special circumstances.  Given a special circumstance, please send in a note with your child or call the school before 10:00 AM.
• If something unexpected arises please call the school before picking them up so we are aware.
• Students in grades 1-4 are dismissed from the gym and students will be waiting with their teacher.  For safety reasons, bus students are dismissed first, and then parents are let in.  It is okay to come by 3:35 to pick-up your child so you are not waiting.
• Kindergarten students are dismissed from their classroom.
• No child will be dismissed from school with anyone other than his or her parent/guardian unless the school has written permission.
• Adults who are picking up their children are to park in the parking lot on the side of the school closest to Spencer Street.

No one is allowed to enter the office entrance after 3:00 PM until dismissal is complete (~3:45). If you have to pick-up early (following above regulations), do so before 3:00.  It is too dangerous for people to be entering the office during the dismissal procedure.  The only exception to this rule is families with health concerns that need to check-in with the nurse at the end of the day and/or PTO officers who come in to check PTO mail.

Persons Authorized for Pick-up

Any adult picking up a child must be on our Power School list of authorized pick-ups.  Parents are automatically identified as authorized to pick-up their own child.  Persons other than those known by faculty will be asked to show identification for the safety of all children.

Schedule:

Regular School Day

• Arrival Begins 8:40 AM
• Instruction Begins 8:55 AM
• Dismissal 3:25 PM (pick-up begins at roughly 3:35)

Early Dismissal/Half Day Schedule

• Arrival Begins 8:40 AM
• Instruction Begins 8:55 AM
• Dismissal 1:00 PM (pick-up begins at roughly 1:10)

Two Hour Delayed Opening

• Arrival Begins 10:40 AM
• Instruction Begins  10:55 AM
• Dismissal 3:25 PM (pick-up 3:35)

School Cancellations and Early Dismissals

School cancellations or delayed opening announcements will be noted on local radio and television stations.  The Board of Education will also send out a School Messenger and information is posted on the District Website.  Please do not call the school as it is important for  phone lines be free during these circumstances.  Please let your child’s teacher know if dismissal procedures change during early dismissals or late openings.

Regular and punctual student attendance in school is essential to the educational process.  Connecticut state law places responsibility for assuring that students attend school with the parent or guardian.  In Naugatuck we strive for all students to have less than 5 absences in a school year.  Each school has a school attendance committee that provides support and intervention when students miss more than 5 days regardless of the reason.

Every attempt should be made to confine necessary appointments to after school, weekends and vacation periods. When a parent determines that an absence is necessary, parents are requested to contact the school according to each school’s procedures.

I. Attendance and Truancy

A. Definitions for Section I

1. “Absence” - any day during which a student is not considered “in attendance” at his/her assigned school, or on a school sponsored activity (e.g. field trip), for at least one half of the school day. 

2. “Disciplinary absence” - Any absence as a result of school or district disciplinary action. Any student serving an out-of-school suspension or expulsion should be considered absent.  Such absence is not considered excused or unexcused for attendance and truancy purposes.

3. “Educational evaluation” - for purposes of this policy, an educational evaluation is an assessment of a student’s educational development, which, based upon the student’s presenting characteristics, would assess (as appropriate) the following areas:  health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status, general intelligence, academic performance, communicative status and motor abilities.

4. “Excused absence” - a student is considered excused from school if the school has received written documentation describing the reason for the absence within ten (10) school days of the student’s return to school, or if the child has been excluded from school in accordance with section 10-210 of the Connecticut General Statutes (regarding communicable diseases), and the following criteria are met:

a. Any absence before the student’s tenth (10^th) absence is considered excused when the student’s parent/guardian approves such absence and submits appropriate written documentation in accordance with this regulation.

b. For the student’s tenth (10^th) absence and all absences thereafter, a student’s absences from school are, with appropriate documentation in accordance with this regulation, considered excused only for the following reasons:

i. student illness (verified by an appropriately licensed medical professional);

ii. religious holidays;

iii. mandated court appearances (documentation required);

iv. funeral or death in the family, or other emergency beyond the control of the student’s family;

v. extraordinary educational opportunities pre-approved by the district administrators and in accordance with Connecticut State Department of Education guidance and this regulation;

vi. lack of transportation that is normally provided by a district other than the one the student attends.

c. A student, age five (5) to eighteen (18), whose parent or legal guardian is an active duty member of the armed forces who has been called for duty, is on leave from or has immediately returned from deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting, shall be granted ten (10) days of excused absences in any school year, and, in the discretion of the administration, additional excused absences to visit such student’s parent or legal guardian with respect to the parent’s leave or deployment.  In the case of such excused absences, the student and parent or legal guardian are responsible for obtaining assignments from the student’s teacher prior to any period of excused absence, and for ensuring that such assignments are completed by the student prior to his or her return to school.

5. “In Attendance” - Any day during which a student is present at the student’s assigned school, or an activity sponsored by the school, for at least half of the regular school day.

6. "Student" - a student enrolled in the Naugatuck Public Schools.

7. "Truant" - any student five (5) to eighteen (18) years of age, inclusive, who has four (4) unexcused absences from school in any one month or ten (10) unexcused absences from school in any school year. 

8. "Unexcused absence" - any absence from a regularly scheduled school day for at least one half of the school day, which is not excused or considered a disciplinary absence.

The determination of whether an absence is excused will be made by the building principal or his/her designee.  Parents or other persons having control of the child may appeal that decision to the Superintendent or his/her designee, whose decision shall be final.

B. Written Documentation Requirements for Absences

1. The first nine (9) days of absence will be excused upon receipt of a signed note from the student’s parent/guardian, a documented excused absence in PowerSchool by a school official who spoke in person with the parent/guardian, or a note from a licensed medical professional, as appropriate.

2. For the student’s tenth (10^th) absence, and all absences thereafter, documentation of the absence must be submitted for each incidence of absence within ten (10) school days of the student’s return to school.  Consecutive days of absence are considered one incidence of absence, and must also include the reason for the absence and the following additional information:

a. student illness:

i. a signed note from a medical professional, who may be the school nurse, who has evaluated the student confirming the absence and giving an expected return date; or

ii. a signed note from school nurse who has spoken with the student’s medical professional and confirmed the absence, including the date and location of the consultation.

b. religious holidays.

c. mandated court appearances:

i. a police summons;

ii. a subpoena;

iii. a notice to appear;

iv. a signed note from a court official; or

v. any other official, written documentation of the legal requirement to appear in court.

d. funeral or death in the family, or other emergency beyond the control of the student’s family: a written document explaining the nature of the emergency.

e. extraordinary educational opportunity pre-approved by the district administrators and in accordance with Connecticut State Department of Education guidance and this policy: written pre-approval from the administration, in accordance with this regulation.

f. lack of transportation that is normally provided by a district other than the one the student attends: none.

4. Neither e-mail nor text message shall serve to satisfy the requirement of written documentation.  In rare and extraordinary circumstances, a building administrator may, in his/her own discretion, accept the delivery of written documentation through a scanned copy sent by e-mail.

5. The Naugatuck Public Schools reserves the right to randomly audit written documentation received, through telephone and other methods of communication, to determine its authenticity.

6. Any absence that is not documented in accordance with this regulation within ten (10) school days after the incidence of absence will be recorded as unexcused.  If documentation is provided within ten (10) school days, but is incomplete, the building principal may, at his/her own discretion, grant up to a five (5) school day extension for provision of the completed documentation.

See Naugatuck Student and Family Handbook for full policy.

When your child is absent you must do the following:

Call the school at 203-720-5221 or email the office at (donna.foster@naugatuck.k12.ct.us) with a reason for absence.

Invitations for birthday parties may not be distributed at school unless all students in the class receive an invitation.  If that is the case, invitations must be given to the teacher to distribute.  In addition, we recognize students like to celebrate birthdays in school, however, we try to keep interruptions to a minimum.  Keep in mind the amount of instructional time lost if 20 students celebrated their birthday during school hours.  If you arrange with the teacher prior to a brief celebration, please send in a healthy snack, or even better, come read to your child’s class.

The school nurse must check and approve all food items before they are sent down to the classroom.  The item must be made in a facility with no contaminates in addition to not having the particular food item causing the allergy.  No homemade items are allowed regardless of allergies.

The Board is committed to creating and maintaining a physically, emotionally, and intellectually safe educational environment free from bullying, teen dating violence, harassment and discrimination.  In order to foster an atmosphere conducive to learning, the Board has developed the following Safe School Climate Plan, consistent with state law and Board Policy.  This Plan represents a comprehensive approach to addressing bullying, cyberbullying and teen dating violence and sets forth the Board’s expectations for creating a positive school climate and thus preventing, intervening, and responding to incidents of bullying.

Bullying behavior and teen dating violence is strictly prohibited, and students who are determined to have engaged in such behavior are subject to disciplinary action, which may include suspension or expulsion from school.  The district’s commitment to addressing bullying behavior and teen dating violence, however, involves a multi-faceted approach, which includes education and the promotion of a positive school climate in which bullying will not be tolerated by students or school staff.

I.     Prohibition Against Bullying, Teen Dating Violence and Retaliation               

A.  The Board expressly prohibits any form of bullying behavior and teen dating violence on school grounds; at a school-sponsored or school-related activity, function or program whether on or off school grounds; at a school bus stop; on a school bus or other vehicle owned, leased or used by the Board; or through the use of an electronic device or an electronic mobile device owned, leased or used by the Board.

B.  The Board also prohibits any form of bullying behavior outside of the school setting if such bullying

(i) creates a hostile environment at school for the student against whom such bullying was directed,

(ii) infringes on the rights of the student against whom such bullying was directed at school, or

(iii) substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school.

 C.  The Board further prohibits any form of teen dating violence outside of the school setting if such violence substantially disrupts the educational process.

 D.  In addition to prohibiting student acts which constitute bullying, the Board also prohibits discrimination and/or retaliation against an individual who reports or assists in the investigation of an act of bullying.

E.  Students who engage in bullying behavior or teen dating violence in violation of Board Policy and the Safe School Climate Plan shall be subject to school discipline, up to and including expulsion, in accordance with the Board's policies on student discipline, suspension and expulsion, and consistent with state and federal law. 

II.     Definition of Bullying

A.  “Bullying” means the repeated use by one or more students of a written, oral or electronic communication, such as cyberbullying, directed at or referring to another student attending school in the same district, or a physical act or gesture by one or more students repeatedly directed at another student attending school in the same school district that:

1.   causes physical or emotional harm to such student or damage to such student’s  property;

1.   places such student in reasonable fear of harm to himself or herself, or of damage to his or her property;

1.  creates a hostile environment at school for such student;

1.  infringes on the rights of such student at school; or

1.  substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school.

B.  Bullying shall include, but not be limited to, a written, verbal or electronic communication or physical act or gesture based on any actual or perceived differentiating characteristics, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, socioeconomic status, academic status, physical appearance, or mental, physical, developmental or sensory disability, or by association with an individual or group who has or is perceived to have one or more of such characteristics.

Introduction to PBIS

What is PBIS?

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) involves a proactive, comprehensive, and systematic continuum of support designed to provide opportunities to all students, including students with disabilities and second language learners, to achieve social, behavioral, and learning success.  This is accomplished by examining the factors that impact behavior as well as the relationships between environment and behavior.

PBIS is not a program or a curriculum but rather a systems approach to enhance the capacity of schools and districts to adopt and sustain the use of evidence-based practices for all students.  A major advance in school-wide discipline is the emphasis on school-wide systems of support that include proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create positive school environments.  Instead of using a patchwork of individual behavioral management plans, a continuum of positive behavior support for all students within a school is implemented in areas including the classroom and non classroom settings (such as hallways, restrooms).  PBIS also works to improve the overall school climate, decrease reactive management, maximize academic achievement for all students, integrate academic and behavioral initiatives, and address the specific needs of students with severe emotional and behavioral concerns (Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, 2008).  SERC (State Education Resource Center)

PBIS at AAES

Here at AAES, we embrace the NPS’s Vision of the Graduate and bring it to life by embedding it within our PBIS framework.  PBIS methods are research based and have been proven to significantly reduce the occurrence of behavior problems.  One of the key elements is to focus on prevention.  It is based on the idea that when students are taught clearly defined behavior expectations and provided with predictable responses to their behavior, both positive and corrective.

Super Scholar Program

One component to implementing PBIS at Andrew Avenue School is with our Super Scholar program.  Our Super Scholar program provides a common language for all faculty to recognise students for exhibiting the Vision of the Graduate and Super Scholar behavior.  It sets school wide expectations for behavior and safety.

Each month all students earn “Super Scholar Slips” for exhibiting the Vision of the Graduate and Super Scholar behavior.  At the end of each month, students vote on their peers to choose who will be the Super Scholar of the month.  The Super Scholars of the month are then recognised at our school wide assembly. 

Andrew Avenue supports students developing life skills as described within the Vision of the Graduate.  This includes students becoming more independent and responsible citizens.  Teachers may give homework but it will not impact grades and there is no longer a homework grade on Progress Reports.  We know that it is most important for families to investigate their environments, participate in debate/discussions, exercise and enjoy one another.  Research suggests that giving students chores is a better way for students to develop a sense of responsibility.  Reading daily is an important habit to develop in order to learn and for enjoyment.

The Naugatuck School District has an “emergency procedures” policy that all schools in the district follow to maintain procedural uniformity throughout the district.  There is a color system in place that all faculty, staff and students understand the meanings and procedures of.  This system not only benefits the schools by preparing them for multiple situations that could occur, but also assists police and fire personnel should they need to respond.  The school periodically practices with drills in a manner that is sensitive to the developmental level of our students.  Family members may not enter the building and phone calls will not be answered during a drill.  Please contact the school principal for further information.

Any item that may distract from the educational process (toys, cellphones, spinners, etc.)  These items may be taken by the teacher or principal and held until an adult is able to come to school to be given the item.  At times teachers ask students to bring an item for show and tell, lesson or spirit days.

• Drugs/Alcohol
• Weapons or any facsimile 
• All food items to be shared with the class is discouraged and must be checked by the nurse for allergy reasons.

Dress should be appropriate for learning and not a distraction to your child or others.  The following is prohibited-

• Shorts or skirts above the mid-thigh;
• Tank tops with spaghetti straps; halter or strapless tops;
• Clothing which prints vulgarities, promotes illegal activity, displays pictures, words or links to websites that advertise or imply drugs, alcohol or weapons, or displays discriminatory words or gestures;
• Hats, hoods or bandanas;
• Slippers, flip flops, shoes with wheels or high heels;
• Long scarves, long ornamental necklaces and earrings, and belts with chains;
• Coats, jackets or other attire normally worn as outerwear;
• Sunglasses (unless prescribed by a doctor)

Make-up is discouraged because students often want to re-apply the make-up which becomes a distraction.

Students who violate the dress code or wear clothing that is a distraction may be removed from class until an adult can provide appropriate attire.  In the case of make-up, your child may be asked to simply wash it off.

Media Photographs

From time to time during the school year local newspaper or television stations come into the school to feature classroom and special activities.  They often take pictures of the students to complete the article.  In addition, the school, as well as some teachers, have Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts to celebrate our community. 

If you do not want your child’s picture in the newspaper, social media or on television, please notify the school in writing. 

School Pictures

Pictures are taken twice during the school year.  In the fall individual and class pictures are taken.  In the spring “personal portraits” are taken.  Purchase of picture packages is optional.  

Title IX states: no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.  If you believe that you have been discriminated against, you may file a grievance that your rights have been denied or violated.  The Naugatuck Board of Education has a complete Title IX grievance procedure.  Information, concerns, and grievances should be directed to Melissa Cooney, Title IX Coordinator.

We take the safety of our students and staff very seriously.  

All visitors should park in the lot across from the school in the designated area.   

The school has a security system, including video cameras, staff badges, and secured doors.  All visitors must be admitted to the school by “buzzing” in at the front door only, receive a visitor’s pass, and obtain permission to go anywhere in the building or on school grounds.  At the conclusion of the visit, they should return to the office to sign out and return their pass.

Students picked up prior to dismissal for any reason need to be signed out at the office and signed back in if they return.