Policies and Procedures at John Muir

Before School Begins

• Children arrive at school no earlier than 7:40 am, when playground supervision begins.
• Children enter through the playground gate and remain there until the bell rings at 7:55.
• Children eating breakfast may enter from the outside playground doors. They return to the playground when finished.
• When the bell rings at 7:55 children line up with their class. ARC children exit through the lunchroom and line up on the playground with their class. Teachers escort their classes into the building.

After School Ends

• When the bell rings at 2:25 pm, staff escort children out of the building to the playground.
• Children boarding buses go to the lunchroom where they are supervised by staff.
• ARC children go directly to that room.
• When the second bell rings at 2:35, ALL students must either walk home or be picked up by an adult.
• Children may remain in the building after school only when:
• They participate in an after school sanctioned activity (participation requires prior parental approval).
• They remain in the classroom only with the teacher’s permission. The teacher notifies the parent if the child stays beyond 2:25.

Food/Celebrations/Parties

Since healthy eating and active living are a foundation for learning, John Muir Elementary will have healthier foods provided at the following events.

• Birthdays/Holidays: Your child’s birthday comes only once a year, so it’s understandable how special it is for your family. At school we have birthdays every day with potentially an endless supply of frosted cupcakes and sweet drinks. Celebrating birthdays in this manner is expensive for families, time-consuming for classrooms, and not as healthy as our environment could be. Parents bringing balloons and presents into the classroom interrupts the classroom instruction for the entire class. For these reasons, sugary treats, balloons, presents and family visits into the classroom for birthday celebrations are not allowed. Healthy treats include pretzels, yogurt, string cheese, fruit, low salt popcorn etc.
  • For holiday celebrations such as Valentine’s Day, sweet treats like cupcakes, candy, etc. will not be accepted by classrooms at John Muir.

• Classroom Snacks: Because of the large number of students with life threatening nut allergies, snacks with peanuts and/or tree nuts are unsafe and not allowed.
• Lunch: Bags of chips larger than one serving size or approximately one ounce will not be allowed at lunch. Please pre-portion any chips being sent to school with your student. Teacher’s schedules do not allow for heating food. Send lunches that do not need to be microwaved.

Student Possessions

School District policy forbids weapons and other dangerous objects on school grounds. Unless the staff provides the student with written permission to do otherwise, the following items remain at home:

• Cards
• Candy
• Games
• Gum
• Toys
• Electronic devices
• Heelys (sneakers with wheels)
• Personal sports equipment (skate shoes, balls, ropes, bats, etc.)

Should a child bring any of the above to school the teacher will hold onto the item, and the parent will arrange with the teacher for the item’s return. Parents also arrange for the return of accepted items (jewelry, watches, pens, pencils, etc.) used inappropriately by the student. Children bringing special items to school for authorized activities (projects, show and tell, etc.) must keep them in their backpacks. The item(s) remains there until used in the classroom. Children keep any item received at school (awards, etc.) in their backpacks until they arrive home. Staff determines the appropriateness of any item.

• Cell Phones: Students may bring cell phones to school, but they must remain off and in their backpack during school hours.

Guidelines for Playground

All games are played for fun and to practice good sportsmanship. The emphasis is not on winning or losing but on having fun, being a good sportsman and making friends. Game rules may be different from community-organized programs. School game rules will be taught during Physical Education classes or by classroom teachers. The Playground Supervisors are the final judge in playground rule disputes.

The following expectations are designed to help students practice responsible, positive behavior on the playground:

• Stay outdoors unless you get a pass from an adult to enter the building.
• Solve problems peacefully and seek help if needed. Share problems with person in orange vest.
• Use language appropriate for the school environment.
• Games are open to all students.
• No food on the playground.
• Children play in areas where staff sees them.
• Children stay off fences and railings.
• Children stay in the playground area. Staff retrieves balls that go over fences or out in the street.
• Children leave wood chips and gravel on the ground.
• Unsafe (prohibited) activities include tackle football, chasing, and “play” fighting.
• Possible Consequences for Infractions on the

Playground:

• Verbal reminder
• Positive practice
• Guided use of the Wheel of Choice
• Reflective Recess
• Restorative Circle
• Time-out

Office referral

Lunchroom Procedures

Breakfast:

• The children enter the lunchroom between 7:40 and 7:50 through the playground door.
• If buses are late, the children eat their breakfast as soon as they arrive, even if it is after the 7:55 bell rings.
• Children eat breakfast before playing outside to avoid missing breakfast.
• When finished eating, children return to the playground. Children with passes go to their destination.
• Breakfast will not be served after the 7:55am bell.

Lunch:

• Escorted by their teacher, the classes arrive at their assigned time and sit at their assigned table until dismissed by the classroom teacher.
• While in the lunchroom, children walk and use quiet voices.
• After receiving their lunch, children go their assigned table and remain there until finished eating.
• When children finish eating, they raise their hand to receive permission to:
  • Recycle, compost food, and throw away trash from the table and floor.
  • Return their trays or lunchboxes to the designated area.
  • Clean their eating area of the table.
  • Go outdoors.

Unless provided with a pass, children exit to the playground when dismissed.

When the adult supervisor asks for attention, the children:

• Stop talking and moving.
• Look at the speaker.
• Listen to the information and follow any directions given.

Bus Procedures

Arrivals

When arriving at school, children go directly to the playground or the lunchroom.

• At 7:40, bus riders who eat breakfast enter the lunchroom through the playground door. They return to the playground when finished.
• If the bus arrives after 7:45, students go directly to the lunchroom to eat breakfast, then to the playground when finished.

Departures

At the end of the school day, bus riders walk directly to the lunchroom, get their bus ticket, and sit at their assigned table to wait for their bus.

On the Bus

All Seattle School District transportation rules and procedures apply to John Muir Students. The Transportation Department distributes these to parents at the beginning of the school yea