ILLNESS
If your student is ill, please do not bring your student to school until they have FULLY recovered. Signs of illness include but are not limited to:
runny nose failure to thrive fever
watery eyes rash diarrhea
poor appetite cough vomiting
frequent crying
If your student is exhibiting any of the above symptoms of illness we will call you to pick up your student and ask that you keep the student out for at least 24 hours. Although we have given some examples of signs of illness above, these are not the only signs of illness a student may show. Students who are sent home due to fever may not return to school until the fever is gone, without medication, for 24 hours.
It is our goal to do what is best for all students in the classroom and school as well as what is best for our teachers. Bringing a student to school sick does not help them recover any faster and may slow their recovery. Bringing a student to school sick can also lead to the spread of illness among other students and teachers and can spark a relapse of illness in your student.
If your student is ill, please do not bring your student to school until they have FULLY recovered. Signs of illness include but are not limited to:
runny nose failure to thrive fever
watery eyes rash diarrhea
poor appetite cough vomiting
frequent crying
If your student is exhibiting any of the above symptoms of illness we will call you to pick up your student and ask that you keep the student out for at least 24 hours. Although we have given some examples of signs of illness above, these are not the only signs of illness a student may show. Students who are sent home due to fever may not return to school until the fever is gone, without medication, for 24 hours.
It is our goal to do what is best for all students in the classroom and school as well as what is best for our teachers. Bringing a student to school sick does not help them recover any faster and may slow their recovery. Bringing a student to school sick can also lead to the spread of illness among other students and teachers and can spark a relapse of illness in your student.
SAFETY
We have taken the following steps to make our school as safe as possible:
1. Installed a card access system to allow parents to enter the main building, and keep strangers out.
2. Maintain locked doors in Ms. Kami and Ms. Bea’s building in order to monitor who enters their classrooms.
3. Installed a camera system that monitors the outside of the school, the hallway of the main building and all four classrooms in the main building.
4. Installed a speaker system in Ms. Kami and Ms. Bea’s building in order to speak to a visitor at the door, prior to allowing them into the classrooms.
6. Installed a speaker/camera system at the main building door in order to talk to, see, and check I.D.’s prior to allowing visitors into the main building.
7. Fenced in our entire school grounds, making SJDS a “closed” campus. Fencing in our grounds will let us assign one way out and one way in for all visitors and families, allowing us to monitor entrances/exits more efficiently.
It is up to us (families and teachers) to use the security system to its fullest potential. We are asking families to follow the rules below:
1. Have your access card with you every day.
If you find that you are someone who tends to forget to grab it on the way out of the house, put it in your wallet. Most times, the card can be read through your wallet without taking it out.
Why? Each time you forget your card, someone has to allow you in. Sometimes it is a parent holding the door open, most of the time it is myself or a teacher who has to come open the door. If a teacher has to come open the door, this requires her to either leave her students alone to open the door, or line them up to go open the door. Can you imagine trying to line up ten 2 year olds, 6 or 7 times every day to open the door for a parent who has forgotten their access card?
Parents forgetting their cards is a safety concern. Please! Use your card every day for pick up and drop off.
2. Do not let other people in that you do not know.
We assume anyone coming to the school is supposed to be here and is here for the same reason you are, to pick up their student. This is not always the case. We have had individuals follow parents in and NOT belong in the building.
Each time you are being nice and polite allowing someone in behind you, security is being breached.
However, if someone you know or recognize as being part of the SJDS community is following behind you, you may use your judgment as to allowing them in or not.
We must all understand that it is not out of rudeness that we do not hold the door open or allow others in, it is a safety precaution, and done for the benefit of all of our students.
3. Do not allow your student to push the green button by the front entrance of the main building.
Each time the button is pressed it unlocks the door and then can allow anyone to come in without an access card. The green button is a safety feature that is not meant to be taught to students.
Pushing the green button releases the lock for anyone leaving and coming in.
4. Do not give your card to anyone else to use, even if they have permission to pick up your student that day. They must ring the doorbell.
We have taken the following steps to make our school as safe as possible:
1. Installed a card access system to allow parents to enter the main building, and keep strangers out.
2. Maintain locked doors in Ms. Kami and Ms. Bea’s building in order to monitor who enters their classrooms.
3. Installed a camera system that monitors the outside of the school, the hallway of the main building and all four classrooms in the main building.
4. Installed a speaker system in Ms. Kami and Ms. Bea’s building in order to speak to a visitor at the door, prior to allowing them into the classrooms.
6. Installed a speaker/camera system at the main building door in order to talk to, see, and check I.D.’s prior to allowing visitors into the main building.
7. Fenced in our entire school grounds, making SJDS a “closed” campus. Fencing in our grounds will let us assign one way out and one way in for all visitors and families, allowing us to monitor entrances/exits more efficiently.
It is up to us (families and teachers) to use the security system to its fullest potential. We are asking families to follow the rules below:
1. Have your access card with you every day.
If you find that you are someone who tends to forget to grab it on the way out of the house, put it in your wallet. Most times, the card can be read through your wallet without taking it out.
Why? Each time you forget your card, someone has to allow you in. Sometimes it is a parent holding the door open, most of the time it is myself or a teacher who has to come open the door. If a teacher has to come open the door, this requires her to either leave her students alone to open the door, or line them up to go open the door. Can you imagine trying to line up ten 2 year olds, 6 or 7 times every day to open the door for a parent who has forgotten their access card?
Parents forgetting their cards is a safety concern. Please! Use your card every day for pick up and drop off.
2. Do not let other people in that you do not know.
We assume anyone coming to the school is supposed to be here and is here for the same reason you are, to pick up their student. This is not always the case. We have had individuals follow parents in and NOT belong in the building.
Each time you are being nice and polite allowing someone in behind you, security is being breached.
However, if someone you know or recognize as being part of the SJDS community is following behind you, you may use your judgment as to allowing them in or not.
We must all understand that it is not out of rudeness that we do not hold the door open or allow others in, it is a safety precaution, and done for the benefit of all of our students.
3. Do not allow your student to push the green button by the front entrance of the main building.
Each time the button is pressed it unlocks the door and then can allow anyone to come in without an access card. The green button is a safety feature that is not meant to be taught to students.
Pushing the green button releases the lock for anyone leaving and coming in.
4. Do not give your card to anyone else to use, even if they have permission to pick up your student that day. They must ring the doorbell.
DANGEROUS STREET
The street in front of the school is dangerous. There are frequent accidents at both corners of our block, traffic has increased, speed limit signs are not followed, crosswalk signs are not observed, just to name a few of the problems. In addition, many of you have a hard time ensuring the safe crossing of the street for you and your children, as well as trouble safely getting children into cars.
We have talked to the City of Alamogordo in reference to this problem. They have informed us there are several things we need to do in order to create a safer street for our families.
The first requirement is that complaints need to be written and put on file. Without written, dated, timed, and signed complaints, we are unable to do anything.
We are asking our parents to do the following:
Anytime you see someone speeding past, ignoring of the crosswalks, or any cars behaving in a way that may cause danger to you or your children, please write it down.
We are providing a “form letter” to make this a little easier. All you will need to do is fill it out and bring it back to the school and give it to anyone here. They will make sure I get it. I will copy each complaint and turn one in to the city and keep one for our records. You are also welcome to drop your complaint in the mailbox attached to the main building. The mail is checked every day.
Once complaints are on file, we can move on to petitioning the city for a remedy before someone is hurt.
Feel free to fill out as many complaints as you see fit. Extra forms will be located in the main building on the hallway cubbies.
SIGN IN/SIGN OUT PROCEDURES
Your access card serves as your way of signing in and out. If someone holds the door open for you as you come through, just hold your card up to the sensor as you would if you were opening the door yourself. The sensor will record your entry.
Some rules/hints regarding access cards:
1. Use your card every day. Teachers are very busy and cannot always get to the door in a timely manner to open it should you forget. You could be standing outside waiting for a looong time.
2. Keep your card in your wallet with your driver’s license. You can just bring your wallet to the door with you and hold it up to the sensor. The sensor should be able to read your card through your wallet.
3. Come by the office for a cover or lanyard for your access card.
4. Do not write on, punch holes in, bend, or otherwise mutilate or change your access card. You will have to buy a new one if that happens.
5. Do not put your card in your wallet if it goes in your back pocket and is sat on. It will eventually bend/break and be unusable. You will have to buy a new one if that happens.
6. Do not leave your card in your car. The heat will ruin the card and you will have to buy a new one.
7. Put your card in with another id holder you have for work.
IF YOU FORGET YOUR CARD 3 TIMES, WE WILL AUTOMATICALLY CHARGE AND ISSUE YOU A NEW CARD!
Your access card serves as your way of signing in and out. If someone holds the door open for you as you come through, just hold your card up to the sensor as you would if you were opening the door yourself. The sensor will record your entry.
Some rules/hints regarding access cards:
1. Use your card every day. Teachers are very busy and cannot always get to the door in a timely manner to open it should you forget. You could be standing outside waiting for a looong time.
2. Keep your card in your wallet with your driver’s license. You can just bring your wallet to the door with you and hold it up to the sensor. The sensor should be able to read your card through your wallet.
3. Come by the office for a cover or lanyard for your access card.
4. Do not write on, punch holes in, bend, or otherwise mutilate or change your access card. You will have to buy a new one if that happens.
5. Do not put your card in your wallet if it goes in your back pocket and is sat on. It will eventually bend/break and be unusable. You will have to buy a new one if that happens.
6. Do not leave your card in your car. The heat will ruin the card and you will have to buy a new one.
7. Put your card in with another id holder you have for work.
IF YOU FORGET YOUR CARD 3 TIMES, WE WILL AUTOMATICALLY CHARGE AND ISSUE YOU A NEW CARD!
MEDICATION
We do not dispense medications. We will keep Asthma inhalers and Epi-Pen’s on hand in case of emergencies. These will be labeled with the students name and placed in a safe location that is inaccessible to students.
We will place sun block on your student. A form must be filled out and sunblock of your choice must be provided, clearly labeled with your student’s name.
ABUSE/NEGLECT
If we suspect that a student is being abused or neglected, we are obligated under state law to report it immediately.
We do not dispense medications. We will keep Asthma inhalers and Epi-Pen’s on hand in case of emergencies. These will be labeled with the students name and placed in a safe location that is inaccessible to students.
We will place sun block on your student. A form must be filled out and sunblock of your choice must be provided, clearly labeled with your student’s name.
ABUSE/NEGLECT
If we suspect that a student is being abused or neglected, we are obligated under state law to report it immediately.
