School Handbook

 

 

Chester Parent Handbook

 

3525 S. Pines Road

Spokane Valley, WA 99206

 

Chester believes in developing the hearts and minds of our students by providing opportunities for all to succeed.  We help students succeed by providing intentional instruction in a fun and secure environment.  Student exploration is encouraged by modeling lifelong learning.  Chester Elementary is a caring school, promoting high expectations in the Central Valley School District. 

Chester Elementary…developing the hearts and minds of our students!

 

 

Revised August  2023

Welcome

       We are beyond thrilled to welcome you to this amazing school.  It is our belief that the partnership between school, families, and community is vital to the success of our students.  We look forward to all the work we will do together to ensure our Chester Coyotes reach their full potential.

      Please read through this handbook to learn all the ins and outs of our school.  If you ever have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

 

 

Principal: Christy Swan.......................................................... 558-3152

Assistant Principal: Moe Weisbeck...................................... 558-3164

Secretary: Karly Carroll......................................................... 558-3150

Asst. Secretary: Diane Hutchens........................................... 558-3151

Counselor: Christina Seybold................................................ 558-3192

STRIVE Counselor: Jaime McMaster..................................... 558-3156

 

Hours

Our office is open from 8:00am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday. The school day begins at 8:57am and finishes at 3:15pm. Every Thursday is teacher collaboration; school begins at 9:57am.

 

P.A.W.S.

At Chester, we show P.A.W.S. All students are expected to demonstrate the following:

P: Positive Attitude

A: Always Act Respectfully

W: Work with Effort

S: Show Kindness

Students are also “Caught being a Coyote” for demonstrating the above traits and given a coupon to enter in a drawing. We positively reinforce students daily and teach them our expectations explicitly for all areas in our building. We so appreciate your support!

Discipline Referrals

Chester practices Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). We have developed expectations for each environment in our building that explain what P.A.W.S. looks like and sounds like. Occasionally, when students do not demonstrate these expectations, they will receive a minor discipline referral form. If the incident is of greater issue, they may get a major referral form. Minors are typically handled by the classroom teacher or supervisor and majors come to the office. Three minor referrals of the same offense will result in a major referral. For major issues, you will receive a phone call.  We will always follow our district’s Student Rights and Responsibilities.

 

Morning Supervision

Supervision begins at 8:40. Please do not drop off your student before that time. Students will go out on the playground before school.  They will need to put their backpacks in line and then they may safely play until the bell rings. Breakfast begins at 8:40 in the Multi-Purpose Room/Coyote Cafe. On Thursdays, supervision and breakfast start at 9:40.

 

Tardy

The tardy bell rings at 9:00am. If you are arriving after this bell, please park and walk your child into the office. They will need to be checked into the office to ensure they are not marked absent. Parents must accompany tardy students to the office in order for them to be excused.  If you are in valet at 9:00, you do not need to walk them in.  Our staff will ensure they get in.

 

Absences

We ask that you please call the attendance line (558-3160) to report any absences beforehand. This will ensure that you do not receive a phone call mid-morning stating that your child is not in school. If you know your child will be absent for an extended amount of time in advance, please fill out the Pre-Excused Absence Form available in the office.  We cannot express how important it is that your child be at school daily.  When students have excessive (excused or unexcused) absences we see a negative impact on their academics.  Additionally, students with anxiety tend to get more anxious about school when they have missed a day or days.  If you need support in getting your child to school please let us know.  We would love to support you. 

 

Morning Drop Off/Afternoon Pick Up

We have three main parking lots.

1. The lot south of the school is for our valet.
2. The loop on the north side of the school is for buses and daycare only. If you choose to park in this lot you MUST walk your child through the parking lot. This is for everyone’s safety. It is very hard for bus drivers to see pedestrians.
3. The front lot is not available for drop off or pick up. This is only for visiting the school during the day.  

Morning

When dropping your child off for school, please pull into the valet parking lot. We only use one valet lane during our morning drop-off. Students may exit the car on the driver-side once they are at the fence line with our Coyote Message.  They will walk straight to the playground for line up.  Students getting off the bus will enter the playground through the north gate.

 

Afternoon

When picking up your child, please pull into he assigned lane for your child’s last name.  Lane 1 (right hand lane) is for last names beginning with A-M.  Lane 2 (left hand lane) is for last names beginning with N-Z.  When you get to the front of the line, a supervisor will escort your child to your vehicle and help load them. This process goes very smoothly when drivers have their visor signs visible with the child’s FIRST NAME & LAST INITAL and CLASS CODE (1B for first grade, Mrs. Brooks) and they watch for the car in front of them to move. It also helps when students get to the front of the school quickly. Please encourage your child to walk immediately to the pick-up area. Cars waiting for students may be asked to circle back around. Students waiting for the bus will line up in the cafeteria.

Parking Lot

If you need to come into the school for any reason please feel free to park in the front of the building and walk your child to the destination you are heading.  Please know that parents will not be allowed in the school hallways unless they have an appointment with the teacher or the office.  The office is open from 8:00am to 4:00pm for parents who need to drop off medications or speak to administration. 

 

Walkers

We have two supervised crosswalks: one at the corner of Pines and Loretta and one on Pines at 38th.  We direct our students who walk to Midilome to walk on the sidewalk to either of these crosswalks. Students walking to Midilome East or Pine Rock Ridge need to use the paths on either side of the school.  Students are not to walk through the playground.

 

Changes to Pick Up Arrangements

We understand that plans change and often this affects how your child may be getting home at the end of the day. Please contact the office via email, written note, phone call, or in-person to inform them of any changes before 3:00pm. This helps ensure that all students get home safely. Students will not be allowed to go home a different way without parent/guardian contact. You can reach both Karly at [email protected] or 509-558-3150 and Diane at [email protected] or 509-558-3151 with this information.

 

Sign In/Out for Appointments

Should your child need to be picked up early or come in late due to an appointment, please make sure that you come into the office to sign him/her in or out. If someone other than a parent/guardian is picking up your child, please make sure you have notified the office; the person picking them up must present a photo ID. Students cannot be released without being signed out.

 

Lost and Found

Please make sure to label all your student’s belongings (coats, sweatshirts, hats, lunch boxes, etc.) with their first and last name. Items without names are hard to return. Additionally, have your child check the lost and found frequently for their missing items.

 

Dress Standard

We follow CVSD’s dress standard. Students are not allowed to wear hats in the building unless it is a designated hat day. Midriffs are covered and all shorts, skirts, and dresses are fingertip length or longer. Appropriate footwear is required for safety and all clothing must have appropriate logos or prints. Please see the Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook at www.cvsd.org.

 

Medication

Per district policy, we cannot distribute any medicine to students without paperwork from your child’s provider. Students are also not permitted to self-administer medication without paperwork from their provider. Once paperwork has been signed and filed with the office, we can receive medication along with directions for administration from a parent/adult. All medication must come in the bottle from the pharmacy with prescription/dosing information on the bottle. Provider paperwork is available in the office. Further questions can be answered by our office staff or school nurse.

 

PTO

We have a phenomenal group of parents that work together to provide fun and enriching opportunities for our students. If you are looking for a way to be involved at Chester, the PTO is a great place to start! PTO information is available on our website under “Student & Parent Resources.”  You can also visit their website at https://chesterpto.memberhub.com/w/home

 

Stay Connected

There are several ways you can stay connected with our school. Chester Elementary’s website is ces.cvsd.org or, go to www.cvsd.org and click on “Chester” under the “Schools” tab. Our site contains our bell schedule, teacher’s web pages and emails, and many other additional pieces of information. You can also check us out on our Chester Elementary Facebook page as well as the PTO Facebook page. We encourage you to “like” both these pages in order to see current happenings at the school.

 

Volunteering

For the safety of all our students, in order to volunteer you must complete/update the district volunteer form online at www.cvsd.org under “Parent Resources.” This process needs to be renewed every two years.

 

Work Room

We have a beautiful workroom that houses our copy machine, laminator, color printer, bookbinder, paper cutter and paper supplies. This is a “hub” for teachers and volunteers. We ask that you receive training on our many devices before using them. Additionally, some equipment is not safe for young children. If you have young children with you while in the workroom, we ask that you supervise them carefully. We ask that all users clean up messes in order to maintain a clean environment.

Facility Use

We are happy to provide a space to support students in their extracurricular activities. In order to reserve our gym, community room or multipurpose room you need to check availability with office staff. They will provide you with available times and the forms to complete. We ask that you follow our guidelines and expectations closely. If you need access to one of our fields, please contact the office, 509-558-3150.  You will also need to complete the liability paperwork.

 

School Cancellation/2-hour Delay

As part of the Central Valley School District, we will close or delay school per district directive. It is important to make sure that your information (phone number, email, etc.) is up to date in our system so that you receive cancellation or delay messages from our district. CVSD also posts information about school closure or delay on www.cvsd.org as well as Facebook.

In the event of icy road conditions or other safety concerns, know that you have the right to make the decision on your child’s attendance. Our goal is to keep all our kids safe. While we know a cancellation or 2-hour delay can be inconvenient, it is for the safety of our students and staff.

If buses are running late, the time given is an approximation. Please have patience, as safety is the highest priority for all.