Handbook

Honey Dew Attendance

Phone:  425-204-4810

Email: honeydew.attendance@rentonschools.us 

Regular and punctual attendance is extremely important to your child's success in school.  However, when absences, late arrivals, or early dismissals are necessary, please do the following:

• Call or email us at any time to report your child's absence.  A short message with the student's name and teacher is necessary. If we do not receive a morning call, we will attempt to reach you to verify the child's absence. 

• To excuse an absence, this must be done within 48 hours. 

• Homework for your child can be requested when you call.  Please arrange to pick it up or have it brought home with another child.

Students are not to arrive at school more than 15 minutes before the school day begins.  The playground is supervised beginning at 8:15am. There is NO additional supervision after school.  Doors open at 8:27 AM to let students in the building. Arriving after 9:30am will be considered a ½ day absence.

Pets occasionally accompany children to school and can constitute a nuisance or at times a menace to the safety of children and staff.  Please do not bring your pet to school even if it is on a leash.

Honey Dew Hornet Expectations:

• Be Safe
• Be Responsible
• Be Respectful
• Be a Problem Solver

Specifically, we expect that students will:

1. Observe safety regulations for walkers, buses and cars.
2. Obey members of the school safety patrol.
3. Arrive at school and leave school on time. 
4. Use lavatories in a sanitary and socially acceptable manner with respect for others and preservation of the facilities.
5. Leave all potentially dangerous, distracting or valuable items at home.
6. Eat food only in designated areas.
7. Enter the building, move through the hallways, and leave the building in a quiet, orderly manner.
8. Carry visible hall passes whenever they are in the hallways if they are not with a staff member.
9. Respect the authority of teachers/staff members and obey their directions.

Classroom Rules:

Classroom rules and disciplinary procedures will be developed in each classroom and shared with students and families at the beginning of the year.  The basic components of the rules include, but are not limited to, safety, maintaining a positive learning environment, and respect.

On the playground, we expect that students will:

1. Make appropriate use of playground equipment, sharing and taking turns.
2. Play safe games or activities. Rules for specific games/activities will be reviewed at the beginning of the year.
3. Play in supervised areas.  The boundaries of the playground are the fence and the upper play area next to the school building.  Areas beyond the building are off limits.  Permission must be given by a playground supervisor to exit the boundaries for any reason. Cones are placed to signify the boundary line on the field.
4. Line up quickly and quietly at the end of recess and move into the building in an orderly manner.

In the cafeteria, we expect that students will:

Enter the cafeteria in a quiet manner, sit at the assigned table, and remain seated while eating and until dismissed. 

1. Talk in a conversational tone and volume to other students sitting nearby.
2. Clean up after themselves.
3. Use appropriate table manners.
4. Request permission before leaving to use the restroom.  

For safety and security reasons, students are not permitted to ride bicycles, skateboards, or scooters to school. This is a recommendation from the local police. Hoverboards are not permitted. If these items are at school, a call will be placed to families for pick-up and discontinued use.

Birthdays may be celebrated in the classrooms. If you want to bring something for your student’s birthday, please contact your student’s teacher at least 2 days in advance to arrange a time and confirm appropriate items to bring based on food allergies and teacher’s expectations. Balloons, balloon bouquets, and items such as party hats, noisemakers, etc. are not allowed in the classrooms. Be sure to sign in at the office before going to the classroom.

The breakfast program runs Monday - Thursday (8:15am), and Friday (9:45am). Menus and Pricing can be found on the Nutrition Services Webpage

Please do not park in the bus loading zones.  Upon dismissal, bus students report to the bus loading zone at the back of the building.

Cell phones are permitted but must be kept turned off and in the student’s backpack during the school day.  The district will not be responsible for loss, theft, or destruction of the devices brought onto school property.

Communication is a two-way process between you and the school.  In general, you will be most successful taking care of any matter if you contact the person who is most directly involved.  We encourage you to:

Contact the teacher with questions about:

• lessons taught in the classroom
• behavior of students in the classroom
• organization or techniques used in the classroom
• grades or evaluation of your child's performance
• something your child reported occurred in the classroom
• assignments you feel are too hard or too easy
• student behavior before or during lunch or recess

Contact the principal with questions about:

• rules, regulations, and procedures 
• the curriculum used throughout the school
• communication with your child's teachers
• physical, mental, special, or emotional needs that could affect your child's performance in school

Contact the office with questions about:

• all school activities
• school facilities

Students should dress appropriately for activities in which they are expected to participate. Shoes must be worn at all times and tennis shoes are recommended for P.E.  No Heelys.  Shirts must cover the stomach and chest.  No spaghetti straps.  If a student’s attire causes a disruption to the educational program, parents will be notified, and the student will be given clothes to change into (if available) or sent home to change.  For safety reasons, clothing and accessories associated with gang dress are not acceptable on campus.  Examples include sagging pants, hanging belt, sports cap in which the bill is not forward, bandannas, or clothing with the manufacturer’s label hanging.  The list will change as gang trends change.  Other unacceptable types include:  clothing associated with death, reference to the devil, tobacco, drugs or alcohol and any with foul language.

Because we have a covered play area, students may be outside even if it rains. Please be sure your child has warm outer clothing for recess in cool weather.

Field trips are class experiences away from the school that are an extension of the academic program.  Parents are welcome and encouraged to chaperone students on these outings.  For safety reasons, a Washington State Patrol Form must be cleared by ALL volunteers before attending.  Forms are available in the office and take two weeks to process.

School Nurse: Christine Holbrook
Phone Number: 425-204-4801
Email: christine.holbrook@rentonschools.us 

• Head Lice Annual Notice

Student safety is our highest priority. We are concerned about students who are left after dismissal time. The school is not, and cannot be, staffed to provide supervision for students in these situations. Hiring extra personnel to supervise is beyond our financial resources. In addition, children can feel confused and apprehensive when they are not picked up on time.

Your child's name should be placed inside their coats, caps, lunch boxes and other belongings.  The Lost and Found is located in the school lobby. Leftover items will be donated at the end of each grading period.

Parent-teacher conferences serve two purposes.  They are a way of mutually sharing information about a child's development and a way of reporting student progress to the student’s family. A formal reporting conference is held in November in conjunction with the fall report card. Additional conferences may be requested by parents, teachers or the principal. 

When dropping off or picking up your child at school, please do not park in the driveway in front of the building. This is a drop off and pick up area only.  The parent parking lot has a circular driveway for dropping off and picking up students.  In this congested area, your patience is greatly appreciated. 

Honey Dew’s student safety patrol will be on duty before and after school. They supervise students crossing at the designated crosswalks close to our school campus.  We ask that all families and students be respectful of the safety patrol, following their instructions at all times.

School telephones are used for daily business purposes.  Student use will be limited to emergencies.  Arrangements for after-school activities should be made before coming to school.

Students are not to bring items such as toys, tablets, electronic games, trading cards, stickers, gum or candy, valuable jewelry, cameras, or radios to school. These items become stolen, lost, and can be a distraction in the school’s operation.  Because of the danger of loss, students are not to bring money to school .  If any of these items are brought to school, the Renton School District is not liable or responsible for them. Students may be asked to place items in backpacks to take home, or items may be held in the office for parent/guardian pick-up.

Items such as guns, knives, tobacco, matches and fireworks are illegal and persons in possession are subject to suspension and related legal action.

Please help us keep our student records up-to-date. If information dealing with your child has changed (i.e. a change in employment, phone number, a different person to contact in case of an emergency, or a new baby-sitter), let the office know.

Be sure to go over the following guidelines with your child.  

1. Go directly to and from school.
2. Cross at crosswalks with the safety patrol.
3. Walk on the side of the road facing traffic.
4. Do not accept rides, candy, or anything from strangers.
5. Do not provide directions to a stranger.
6. If your child is bothered on the way to or from school, tell him/her to notify the office
7. Make sure the way to school is the safest way.
8. Look both ways, up and down the street and around the corner, and listen for cars before crossing.
9. Cross only at corners or in a crosswalk.
10. Never walk between cars parked on the street.

Honey Dew Elementary has adopted Sound Discipline (www.sounddiscipline.org). Sound Discipline maintains that effective discipline:

1. Helps children feel a sense of connection. (Belonging and significance)

2. Is mutually respectful and encouraging. (Firm and kind at the same time)

3. Is effective long-term. (Considers what the child is thinking, feeling, learning, and deciding about himself and his world – and what to do in the future to survive and thrive)

4. Teaches important social and life skills. (Respect, concern for others, problem solving, and cooperation as well as the skills to contribute to the home, school or larger community)

5. Invites children to discover how capable they are. (Encourages the constructive use of personal power and autonomy)

www.PositiveDiscipline.com

When a student is to be corrected for inappropriate behavior, it is the responsibility of the staff member taking the action to discuss the incident with the student.  The purpose of corrective action is to teach the child to make better choices in terms of their behavior at school, and to provide support in developing necessary skills, and repairing relationships.

If a consequence is appropriate, we strive for it to be logical and natural.  We work through the R’s of Recovery – Recognize (Oops, I made a mistake), Reconcile (“I’m sorry”), and Resolve (“How can I fix this?). Examples include: develop a plan describing how the child will behave without breaking the rule when s/he is in similar situations; practice the appropriate behavior; or write a letter describing the situation and elaborate on the choices available to the student.  

Misbehavior that is repetitive in nature and continues after staff have provided support through reteaching, modeling, and/or practice will be communicated with families. Communication may come through a phone call, email, or documented on a “Minor Notification” slip. Often, the student will have already worked through the R’s of Recovery at school. Your support in reviewing the concern and supporting your student’s growth is appreciated.

Should the misbehavior continue, the family will be contacted and a plan may be developed jointly to facilitate the necessary changes in conduct.  Consequences for continued misbehavior will also be discussed. 

If a student is referred to the principal or assistant principal for misbehavior, students will conference with school administrators. A system of progressive discipline will be applied as appropriate. 

Some behaviors may result in immediate suspension and/or expulsion. Examples include possession of a firearm, malicious display of a firearm lookalike, dangerous weapons, violent offenses, controlled substance/liquor violations, property crimes.

Update for the 21-22 School Year Coming Soon!

When a District received Federal Title I funds it allows us the opportunity to provide supplemental support programs for Title I eligible students. As a recipient of these funds we are required to inform you that if you have a complaint about the services offered under Title I and have not been able to resolve them through the District process, you may file a citizen complaint to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

 A citizen complaint is a written statement that alleges a violation of a federal rule, law or state regulation that applies to a federal program.

• Anyone can file a citizen complaint

• There is no special form

•  There is no need to know the law that governs a federal program to file a complaint

http://www.k12.wa.us/TitleI/CitizenComplaint.aspx

Schools are meant to be safe and inclusive environments where all students are protected from Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB), including in the classroom, on the school bus, in school sports, and during other school activities. Our District Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) webpage defines HIB, explains what to do if you see or experience it, and our school and district process for responding to it.

Discrimination can happen when someone is treated differently or unfairly because they are part of a protected class, including their race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, creed, disability, use of a service animal, or veteran or military status. Renton School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of any of these protected groups and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.

Read more about Non-discrimination, including what it is and how to report it.

In Washington, all students have the right to be treated consistent with their gender identity at school. Our school will:

• Address students by their requested name and pronouns, with or without a legal name change
• Change a student’s gender designation and have their gender accurately reflected in school records
• Allow students to use restrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity
• Allow students to participate in sports, physical education courses, field trips, and overnight trips in accordance with their gender identity
• Keep health and education information confidential and private
• Allow students to wear clothing that reflects their gender identity and apply dress codes without regard to a student’s gender or perceived gender
• Protect students from teasing, bullying, or harassment based on their gender or gender identity

Read our full commitment to Gender-Inclusive Schools.