Parent and Student Program Handbook 2020-2021 - NET

 
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Parent and Student Program Handbook 2020-2021 - NET
Parent and Student
Program Handbook
   2020-2021

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HOME SCHOOL ACADEMY PROGRAMS

The Home School Academy Mission Statement:
The mission of the District 20 Home School Academy is to enhance student learning
and to support homeschooling families through quality instruction in varied and enriched
learning environments.

The Home School Academy Goals:

Goal One:
To provide an enriched and extended curriculum that will complement the core
instruction provided by home schooling educators.

Goal Two:
To provide home schooling families access to additional resources that will supplement
home school instruction.

Goal Three:
To provide home schooling families a connection to the public school setting, but do not
offer a full array of education services, including special education services.

                                    Address:
                       Home School Academy Program Office
                              8707 Wolf Valley Drive
                           Colorado Springs, CO 80924

                           Home School Academy Website
                             www.homeschool.asd20.org

                             HSA Phone: 719-234-1900
                             HSA Fax:   719-234-1939

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Accident or Illness at School – The emergency information parents provide in Infinite Campus will be used if your
child becomes ill or in the event that an accident occurs at school. We will make every effort to notify you by
phone. If you cannot be reached, the emergency contacts you designate in the Parent Portal will be notified. It is
critically important that you:
• Keep the contact information in the Parent Portal up to date.
• Change information on-line, at the district web site: www.asd20.org, Parents/Students, Infinite Campus Parent
      Portal.

Arrival/Departure/School Hours
• STEAM and ARTS Academy hours are 8:45am to 3:45pm (students may begin to arrive at 8:40am)
• TRACKS hours are 9:00am to 3:10pm
• There are no provisions for supervision of students before and after school.
• Students who arrive late must be signed in by a parent before proceeding to their classroom.
• If it is necessary for you to pick up your child during the day, before the normal dismissal time, park your car in
     the parking lot and sign your child out through the front HSA office. Office personnel will call your child's
     classroom and have them meet you at the HSA front Office.

Student Drop Off and Pick up: Kiss N Go
We appreciate the cooperation of parents in adhering to the following procedures when dropping off or picking up
students. These procedures are designed to maximize traffic flow, minimize wait time, and provide for the safety of
our children.
    • Pull as far forward as possible when entering the “Kiss and Go” zone.
    • Please do not block the crosswalks.
    • Pick up students only in the designated areas.
    • Wait for all cars in line to come to a stop before loading or unloading students.
    • Do not leave cars unattended in the “Kiss and Go” zone.
    • Safe, courteous behavior is appreciated and expected.

Attendance
Attendance will be taken within the first 15 minutes of the school day. Please call the Home School Academy Office
the morning of the student absence or tardiness. Parents may also call any time before the absence or tardy to notify
our office staff or to leave a message on the school voicemail (234-1900). If a student has an "unverified"
absence/tardy, our office staff will contact parents to verify the absence/tardy.

Birthday/Class Celebrations
The classroom teachers have made plans to celebrate birthdays. Please contact your child’s grade
level teacher if you have questions. (No treats to be passed out this year)

Invitations to birthday or other celebrations outside of school should NOT be sent to school for
distribution unless the entire class receives an invitation.

Child Abuse/Neglect
Colorado Statute (19-10-102 to 115) requires school personnel to report suspected or detected child abuse or
neglect.

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Crisis Plan/Safety Drills
The Home School Academy staff has developed a Crisis Plan that is followed when there is a school crisis situation.
The team is made up of all of our staff members. Staff and students will practice safety procedures such as fire drills,
evacuation procedures, and lock-down drills regularly.

The school has emergency plans for fire and natural disasters. Drills are conducted regularly so that students will
know what to do in case of an emergency, and expectations for behavior during a drill are discussed and practiced
in each classroom. Fire drills are held frequently.

Dress Standards
District wide standards on student attire are intended to help students concentrate on school work, reduce discipline
problems, and improve school safety. The Board of Education recognizes that students have a right to express
themselves through dress and personal appearance, and that student dress has an effect on behavior, work quality,
and school pride. Students are not permitted to wear apparel that is disruptive or potentially disruptive to the
classroom environment or to the maintenance of a safe and orderly school.

The following shall not be worn in school buildings, on school grounds or at school activities: Any clothing,
paraphernalia, grooming, jewelry, accessories, or body adornments that are disruptive or potentially disruptive to
the educational environment as determined by the Home School Academy Administrator, including but not limited
to items that:

    •    refer to drugs, tobacco, or alcohol;
    •    are obscene, profane, vulgar or defamatory in design or message;
    •    advocate drug use, violence, or disruptive behavior;
    •    threaten the safety or welfare of another person;
    •    reveal all or part of the stomach, buttocks, or chest;
    •    are backless;
    •    reveal underwear;
    •    are inappropriately sheer, short, tight, or low-cut.

All tops worn to school must have a shoulder strap at least 3 fingers wide and the armholes must be regular size.
Shorts must be at least fingertip length. Hats may not be worn indoors but are permitted outdoors. Heelys are not
to be worn. Be sure clothing is appropriate for the weather conditions.

Drug and Alcohol Free Schools
Policy JICH prohibits the use, possession, sale or distribution of alcohol or any controlled substance (or any
substance represented as such) on school property, or at any school sponsored activity (on or off school property.)
Expulsion is mandatory for the sale (including giving as a gift) of such substances. It may also be a punishable
offense pursuant to Colorado state statute C.R.S. 22-33-106.

Communication
Each week, a 20Alert communication will be sent via email that contains pertinent school information, including
information and notices on upcoming events and school newsletters.

Field Trips
The Home School Academy will not be taking field trips the 1st semester. We will
reevaluate to see if we can take a few trips in the springs. We believe that field trips are
an excellent avenue for extending student learning beyond the classroom. When space
permits, parents will be invited to join the experience provided they arrange their own
transportation and entrance fee. Parents will not be permitted to ride District 20
transportation unless the parent is serving as a chaperone/volunteer.

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Forbidden Items
These are defined as those that may create a safety hazard, may be stolen, or may create a distraction to the learning
environment. The following items should not be brought to school:
    • Weapons of any kind, knives, lighters, matches;
    • Toy guns, water guns;
    • Skateboards, roller blades, Heelys;
    • Beepers, laser pens.

Illness/Injury
The emergency information parents provide in Infinite Campus will be used in the event that your child becomes ill
or in the event an accident occurs at school. We will make every effort to notify you by phone. If you cannot be
reached, the emergency contacts you designate on your child's emergency information in IC will be called. It is
critically important that you update Infinite Campus with any emergency information changes.

Health
Illness Guidelines for Academy School District 20 – Students with one or more of the following symptoms will be
sent home from school until symptoms have resolved.

    -    Temperature of 100.5 Fahrenheit or higher. Temperature must be normal for 24 hours without the aid of
         anti-febrile medications before returning to school. Flu-like symptoms- should be free of symptoms for 48
         hours before returning to school.
    -    Constant runny nose.
    -    Abnormal color or consistency of nasal or eye discharge.
    -    Uncontrolled cough or unusual cough.
    -    Frequent sneezing other than allergy related.
    -    Lung or nasal discharge.
    -    Vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours. Symptoms must be resolved for 24 hours before returning to
         school.
    -    If antibiotics are prescribed, student must receive the antibiotics 24 hours before returning to school.
    -    Undiagnosed skin rashes and/or open lesions.

    Infectious Diseases in School Setting- Guidelines for School Nurses and Personnel (Revised Dec. 2004) per
    Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Students should be allowed to return to school once
    the exclusion period is met, or a health care provider clears the student. Generally, if any of the following
    conditions apply, exclusion from school should be considered:

                  • If the student does not feel well enough to participate comfortably in usual activities.
                  • If the student requires more care than school personnel can provide.
                  • If the student has a high fever, behavior changes, persistent crying, difficulty breathing, lack of
                  energy, uncontrolled coughing, or other signs suggesting a severe illness.
                  • If the student is ill with a potentially contagious illness and exclusion is recommended by a
                  health care provider, the state or local public health agency, or these guidelines.

    -    General vital sign guidelines for students to be in school setting: (American Heart Association Guidelines-
         Pediatric Vital Signs last editorial review 3/10/08)

                                       3-6 yrs                    6-12 yrs                    12+yrs
          Heart Rate                   65-110                     60-95                       55-85
          Blood Pressure               95-110 systolic            100-120 systolic            110-135 systolic
                                       60-75 diastolic            60-75 diastolic             65-85 diastolic
          Respirations                 20-25                      14-22                       12-18
          Pulse Oximetery              = or > 92%                 = or > 92%                  = or > 92%

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Inclement Weather Policies
At times during the year, it might be necessary to delay the start of school, cancel school, or dismiss school early due
to bad weather or other factors.

SCHOOL CANCELLATION: If the decision is made to cancel school, local radio / TV stations will be asked to announce
that the District will be closed by 5:30 am. You may also check the D20 website at www.asd20.org. or you may sign
up for alerts on the IC parent portal.

TWO-HOUR DELAYED START: If adverse conditions appear to be developing during the 5:30 a.m. decision time frame,
the Superintendent may delay the start of school for two hours. Local radio / TV stations will be informed by 5:30
a.m. that the starting time for District 20 will be delayed by two hours. The decision relative to whether schools will
be open or closed will be made prior to 7:30 a.m. If the decision is to hold school, the two-hour delayed start
will be honored, and no additional radio announcements will be made. If the decision is to cancel school, local
radio stations will be informed by 7:30 a.m. The Home School Academy Programs will begin 2 hours late on delayed
starts.

EARLY RELEASE: If school is in session and a storm develops during the day, a decision may be made to send students
home early. The procedure will be as follows: On the days when the weather at 5:30 a.m. may not be bad enough
to cancel school, but weather reports and other indications are that perhaps a storm may develop during the school
hours, school personnel will be notified that it is a "storm alert" day. Should the decision be made to release students
early, school will be dismissed at 1:45 p.m. Please follow HSA ‘s “Kiss n Go” procedures.

Infinite Campus
Infinite Campus is the District 20 database for student information and our primary source for data such as parent
names, addresses, telephone numbers, and emergency contacts. Parents are encouraged to establish an Infinite
Campus Parent Portal and update this information as necessary. Parent Portal access is necessary to sign your
student’s Network Acceptable Use Agreement. Access to Infinite Campus can be found at www.asd20.org. If you
require additional assistance, please contact the D20 Help Desk at help@asd20.org.

Lost and Found
Please place your child’s name on all items such as boots, jackets, gloves, caps, lunch boxes and water bottles. These
are the items that are most likely to be lost or misplaced. Marked clothing allows the school to return the misplaced
items to the child without delay. If we have items left at school, we will place them in the “Lost and Found” area in
the front office. If the items are not picked up before our scheduled breaks, they may be donated.

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Lunch Information (NOTE: subject to change)

         SCHOOL LUNCH PRICES:
         Daily Student Lunch                  $ 2.60
         Second Entrée                        $ 1.50
         Daily Adult Lunch                    $ 3.55
         Milk or Juice Price                  $ 0.75

A nutritious and well-balanced hot lunch, including milk, is served. Menus are available on our website at beginning
of each month. Children may also bring lunch from home, purchasing milk or juice if desired. Teachers will collect
lunch and milk money. Please send a check or correct change in an envelope with your student’s name or you can
add money to your child’s account on payforit.net.

Guidelines to follow for payment of lunches are: Try to purchase monthly rather than weekly meals and make checks
payable to Academy School District 20 for the exact amount of the purchase. At the end of the school year, all
balances will be advanced to the next school year’s account and all negative balance must be paid in full by the last
day of school. (Deposits for lunch accounts should be sent in an envelope indicating your child's name and that of
their teacher. Purchases will be deducted and your student will be notified when the account is approaching a low
balance.) Parents can restrict their student's purchases to a meal or milk only; just attach a note to your check.

FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH PRICES:
Free or reduced lunch is available for qualifying students. Applications are available on the district website.

ONLINE PAYMENT PROCEDURES:
Online lunch payments may be made at www.payforit.net. You will need your students ID # to register.

HSA IS A NUT FREE SCHOOL:
Please alert the HSA staff regarding your child’s allergies.

Medication
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
Academy District 20 will require the signature of a health care provider with prescriptive authority as well as the
parent/guardian for medications to be given at school. This applies to both prescription and over-the-counter
medications including cough drops, Tylenol/Advil, any type of vitamin or enzyme, etc. You will need to complete
and sign a form for each medication and have your health care provider with prescriptive authority sign each form
as well.

Please remember the following:
         • If at all possible, arrange for medication to be given outside of school hours.
         • If medications must be given at school, please follow this protocol:
               • Complete and sign the Permission to Administer Medication form.
               • Have your health care provider with prescriptive authority sign the form.
               • Prescription medications must come in the original container which is labeled with the following:
                     child’s name, name of medication, dosage, time to administer, date medicine is to be stopped,
                     physician’s name and phone number, pharmacy name and phone number.
               • All over-the-counter medications including cough drops and Tylenol/Advil must be in the original
                     package and labeled with the child’s name. The dosage must match the signed health care
                     provider’s authorization.

                       Medications must be transported to and from the school by an adult.

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NO MEDICATION WILL BE GIVEN IF IT COMES IN A BAGGIE, PLAIN BOTTLE, ENVELOPE, ETC. The parent will be
notified. We feel that for the safety of your child and in fairness to those responsible for giving medications, these
policies must be followed strictly. This is not meant to inconvenience you but to ensure the health and well-being
of your child.

Non-Custodial Parents
Unless we have a current court order to the contrary, we will assume that divorced parents have equal rights to
information about their children.

Pets
For the safety of all, animals (including leashed pets) should not be brought on school grounds. Children may bring
a pet for Show and Tell when appropriate arrangements are made ahead of time with the classroom teacher, and
parents bring the pet to school. Immediately after Show and Tell, parent should transport the pet home. Teachers
        may choose not to allow pets in their class if children in the class have known allergies to certain animals.

           Recess Information
           Having students go outside for supervised recess is important for a variety of reasons. It allows the
            children a break in the day, an opportunity for informal play, and a release of energy in a positive way.
              Outdoor play during the noon hour and scheduled recesses is expected of all children.

                 Unless the weather is EXTREMELY COLD (20 degrees or less), children will go outdoors. For this
                 reason, PLEASE SEE THAT YOUR CHILD IS ADEQUATELY DRESSED FOR COLD WEATHER. In order to
                 be prepared for outdoor recess, students should wear coats, sweaters, boots, gloves, or other
                warm clothing appropriate to the weather conditions. If a child must remain indoors, a note
                explaining the reason must be sent to the teacher.

School Pictures
Individual student pictures and class pictures will be taken. Specific information will be sent home prior to the
scheduled days. HSA does not have picture re-takes. Please make sure to check the Family Folders for this kind of
information.

Snacks
Students may bring a snack to school. Please remember to send in snacks that are healthy and
NUT- free.

Student Insurance
Academy School District 20 does not carry accident insurance for students. Under the Governmental Immunity Act,
the District is immune from liability for injuries sustained by students while on District property or participating in
school sponsored activities. While there are a few exceptions to this law, you should understand that if your student
is injured, the District normally will not pay for your child’s medical expenses.

Student Records
Except as specifically provided, the District will not disclose personally identifiable information from the student
records to any individual without prior written consent of the student’s parent.

Suspension and Expulsion
In accordance with state law and District policy, suspension or expulsion may also be required.
The following may be grounds for suspension:
     • Continued willful disobedience or persistent defiance of proper authorities, policies, rules and regulations
         of the school.
     • Willful destruction or defacing of school property.
     • Behavior which is incompatible with the rights, welfare, and/or safety of others.
     • Continued behavior that is disruptive to the learning environment.

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Technology/Student Acceptable Use Policy
Students who have parental permission and who agree to the terms of the D20 Network Acceptable Use Agreement
will receive network access. Once the agreement is completed, the student is allowed to perform class-related Web
research, printing, and other network functions.

Visitors at School
All visitors, including school volunteers, must sign in and out at the HSA front desk and wear a visitor badge. All
parents are always welcome at the Home School Academy. However, for each child’s safety, we must know who is
in the building and classrooms at all times. Thanks for all of your support! Our learning community is a valued
partnership.

Volunteers
We are happy to include volunteers in most field trips. Volunteers will be required to complete the District
background check. The forms can be found on our website and must be turned into the teacher or office staff 1
week prior to the scheduled trip. For liability reasons we are not able to accommodate non-HSA siblings on trip

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