Handbook

P.A.W.S Expectations

Kennydale’s mission is to deliver on the promise of ensuring learning for all our students. We will provide all of our students with the academic and character skills they need to succeed in college and career. We strive to build a culture with a strong sense of belonging, purpose, and support to achieve at high levels. To accomplish this, we work hard to provide a safe, caring, and positive environment for everyone. Kind and sensitive words and actions create a climate in which we can all focus on learning and growing.

At Kennydale, we follow these general P.A.W.S. expectations:

Be a Problem Solver

Act Responsibly

Make Wise Choices

Be Safe

Students are expected to follow directions given by any Kennydale staff member – on the playground, in the classroom, the lunchroom, the hallway, or the bus line.

Students are asked to follow P.A.W.S. when at school or on school sponsored trips or at school events. Expectations for classroom behavior and for behavior in common areas such as lunchroom, playground, hallways, and restrooms are taught to students and posted for their reference.

Specific examples of behavior expectations

Be a Problem Solver

• Organized games are open to everyone. Make sure anyone who wants to play may do so.
• Use problem solving strategies to try to solve disagreements, and seek an adult if you need help.

Act Responsibly

·      Respect the school’s equipment by treating it with care – library books, walls, desks, etc.

·      Respect personal property at all times.

Make Wise Choices

·      Use appropriate, respectful language.

·      Respect others’ personal space and belongings.

·      Use supplies wisely without waste –  erasers, pencils, toilet paper, etc.

Be Safe

·      Go down the slide on your bottom only, feet first.

·      Walk in the building and use the handrails on the stairs.

·      Keep your hands, feet, and other body parts to yourselves.

The purpose of discipline in our school is to build and reinforce safe, inclusive, community-oriented behavior. We aim to proactively teach and model expectations, fostering a sense of community and belonging. With discipline, guided by restorative practices, students learn to work through conflict productively, are supported in maintaining relationships, caring for our school building, and contributing to a vibrant learning environment, with an emphasis on dignity, healing, and community. Families are included in the community and are partners in supporting student growth. 

Progressive discipline is utilized if behavior is not safe, inclusive, or community-oriented and is persistent. Progressive discipline methods we may use to help improve student behaviors may include:

• Clarification of expectation
• Reminder or verbal warning
• Restorative Conference
• Logical steps to repair harm done, if necessary
• Loss of recess, equipment use, or other logical consequence
• Phone call or email home
• Parent conference or other form of parent support
• In School, Short Term, or Long-Term Suspension (repeated or serious misbehavior)

Serious misbehavior may result in an immediate suspension. This would include actions such as: Fighting or causing bodily injury, stealing, extremely disruptive classroom behavior, vandalism, sexual harassment or bullying, use or possession of weapons, and use or possession of alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. We reserve the right to refer to the appropriate non-school agency any act or conduct of pupils, which may constitute a crime under federal, state, county or local law.
 

Restorative justice is a relational approach to conflict. When someone does not meet our behavior expectations, it’s not simply that a rule has been broken, but more so that a relationship has been harmed and will need to be repaired. It’s a shift from rules and punishments towards relationships and repair. Please know that traditional systems of discipline are still in place as well.
 
At Kennydale we are also focusing on relationship building circles, which is a practice of intentional relationship building that systematically connects all members of a community. We will also continue utilizing restorative conversations. This involves a series of questions that support self-reflection, support the relationship, and encourage problem solving in moments when behavioral expectations are not met.

Our school is committed to providing a safe and civil educational environment for all students, employees, volunteers and patrons – one that is free from harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB).

“Harassment, intimidation and bullying” means any intentional written message or image, including those that are electronically transmitted, a verbal or physical act including, but not limited to one shown to be motivated by race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or mental, sensory, or physical disability – or any other distinguishing characteristic when the intentional written, verbal or physical act:

1. Physically harms a person or damages their property
2. Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s education.
3. Is so severe, persistent or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or threatening educational environment or
4. Has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school.

Harassment, intimidation and bullying are NOT tolerated at school. For additional informational & forms, please visit our school office. 

Dress for the school day should contribute to a positive learning environment. We ask the students to dress for safety, for comfort and for the job of being a productive student. We encourage families to talk with their students about appropriate clothing for the “work” of school.  In addition, families and students should plan clothing based on weather forecasts. Students do go outside for recess on rainy or snowy days and need clothing to stay warm and dry. 

Remember to follow the guidelines listed below:

Students must wear:*

• Shirt (with fabric in the front, back, and on the sides under the arms), AND
• Bottom: pants/sweatpants/shorts/skirt/dress/leggings, AND
• Shoes– appropriate for recess and PE activities (Flip-flop type sandals are discouraged for safety reasons.) 

Students may wear:*

• Headwear, hats or hoodies which do not obscure the face (except as a religious observance). 
• Activity specific clothing for special events, such as pajama day or other special themes. 
• Umbrellas for travel to and from school.  Umbrellas are not allowed at recess. 

students cannot wear clothing with:

• Violent language or images
• Images or language depicting drugs or alcohol (or any illegal item or activity)
• Hate speech and profanity
• Images or language that creates a hostile or intimidating environment 
• Costumes or costume masks covering the full face
• Shoes with cleats or wheels.  Flip-flop type sandals are discouraged due to safety reasons.  

School administrators will have final say on what is inappropriate or disruptive to the learning environment. Our goal is to resolve any dress code violations in a manner respectful to the student and to prevent the violation occurring again.  

Kennydale Elementary School and Renton School District are not responsible for any lost clothing such as hats, coats, or backpacks.  We encourage families to check the school lost and found if students are missing items.

 

General Items Not Allowed at School

Students are not to bring toys, electronic devices, video game devices, MP3 Players, CD players, I-Pods, etc. to school. Items of these types may become stolen, broken, or lost and can be a distraction to learning. Permanent markers, white out or correction type markers, trading cards, and stickers also can become a problem. Valuable jewelry, cameras, radios, and playthings are not to be brought to school. Because of the danger of loss, students are not to bring more money to school than is needed during the school day.

If expensive items are brought to school, the Renton School District and Kennydale Elementary are not liable or responsible for them.

Please do not bring your dog or pet to the school or playground even if it is on a leash. In general animals are not to be brought to school.

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

Gum and Candy

Gum is not allowed at school. Snacks are permitted only during a teacher-directed snack or activity time.  Candy can only be eaten in the lunchroom during the lunch period or as determined by the classroom teacher. Water is available to students throughout the school day and milk is available during lunch.  Specialty drinks may be part of a student’s lunch and can be consumed only during the lunch period in the cafeteria.

It is the expectation at Kennydale that, if a student brings a cell/smartphone to school, it  must be turned off and kept in the student’s backpack. If a student is using a cell phone on school property during school hours (8:40 AM-3:35 PM), staff will follow the discipline procedures, such as providing a reminder of the expectation and contacting the family.  The only exception would be if the use of a cell phone was pre-approved for a learning activity. Students are not allowed to text, call, or communicate with their smart watch during the school day. A student using their smart watch for anything other than to tell time will be asked to turn it off and place it in their backpack.  Taking photos, videos or sound recordings with your phone, camera, or any other device while on the school campus at any time is prohibited.

Any device that is a continuous distraction to the learning environment (3 or more offenses) will not be allowed at school.
 

 

Kennydale Car Drop Off Procedures 

Thank you to our school community for committing to a safe and orderly arrival and dismissal via car. Kennydale Elementary school is situated in a bottleneck and can be challenging to enter and exit.  With that said, we often average about 10-15  min for the majority of our students to exit the building safely after dismissal.  We thank you for supporting our efforts for a safe and efficient car drop off.  Below are the procedures that we ask families to follow to keep drop off safe for all our students, staff and families.  Thank you for your support! 

While dropping off and picking up by car, please remember to: 

• Drive slowly 
• Avoid using a cell phone 
• Use crosswalks at all times 
• Please follow all directions below 

1. Follow the green arrow off Kennewick Pl NE into our drop off area. Please drop & pick up your student at the curb/sidewalk and not the exit lane (green highlight). Please make sure your car has come to a complete stop & remain in your vehicle. Do not park in the pickup lane or leave your car unattended. Please refrain from using a cell phone while driving in this drop off area. Once your child has exited the car you can use the exit lane. Please do not drop off in the front parking lot (marked “P” in the picture).  
2. Once you exit the school, you must turn south onto Jones Ave for dismissal. This allows for the flow of traffic to continue moving. Not adhering to this step, backs up our car drop off and can delay our bus pick up.   
3. We ask families not to park in the staff parking lot as this is our bus pick up area and it contributes to congestion.  In addition,  please avoid walking across the bus lanes as these are not intended for pedestrian crossings. 
4. We ask families not to park alongside the SE side of Kennewick Pl NE as this limits visibility for cars coming around the corner
5. Please avoid dropping off or picking up on NE 28th St as it can contribute to congestion. 
6. We encourage our families to consider walking (if close) or having their student ride the bus to support dismissal congestion. 

Bus Riders

Bus service is available to students living one mile or more from school. The transportation department provides a publication on rules and regulations regarding student behavior and conduct. They also present an emergency safety drill rehearsal for all students. Upon receiving the rules, you are encouraged to review the guidelines and procedures with your student. 

Written guardian permission is required for any changes to bus transportation i.e.. for a student to ride the bus home with a friend, to ride a different bus home or get off at a different stop. Students need to bring the written request to the office to obtain a bus pass before dismissal time. This is for daily changes. Permanent changes must be discussed and approved by transportation. Please report to transportation if your child is having issues on the bus (425) 204-4455.
 

Bicycles

Students in grades 4 and 5 are allowed to ride bicycles to school. Students must complete a bicycle contract and have guardian permission in order to ride. Helmets are mandatory. Please contact the Kennydale school office for a bicycle contract.

Kennydale’s school hours are 8:55 am - 3:35 pm on Mondays-Thursday and 10:35 am - 3:35 pm on Fridays.  Students may arrive at school for breakfast at 8:40 am on Mondays - Thursday and 10:10 am on Fridays. Arriving students line up in the playground area beginning at 8:40 am.  For safety reasons, please do not drop students off earlier than 8:40 am (or 10:10 on Friday) unless the student is attending the before or after school care program.  The first bell will ring at 8:55 am and students will be escorted into school by teachers.  

Tardiness

Students arriving late to school must report to the office and sign-in to be admitted to class.  Please remember, arriving on time to start the school day is important, because students that are frequently late to school miss out on important opening class announcements and academic activities.  

Absences

Regular attendance is expected at school. Excused absences, tardies and early dismissals include, but are not limited to personal illness, family emergencies, observances of religious days, medical/dental appointments and school sponsored activities. Families need to send a note with their student when he/she returns to school following the absence.

Absence Verification  

Families should call the school attendance line at 425-204-4710 available 24/7 or email at kennydale.attendance@rentonschools.us if your student will be absent or tardy.  Please leave your student’s first and last name along with the reason for the absence. If a student is absent and the school has not been notified by a guardian, the absence will be unexcused.  If you do not call Kennydale each day your student is absent, you will receive an automated call/email notifying you of your student’s absence at 11:00 am. When you contact Kennydale regarding his/her absence you will not receive the automated phone call/email.

Homework is not required for students.  Teachers may offer home learning activities to extend their learning & practice valuable skills.  Some ways parents can help with homework:

• Support your child to read at least 20 min every night. Children who read 20 minutes a day/5 days a week are exposed to 1.8 million words in one school year.
• Establish as much routine as possible and hold your child to it. For example - some students are successful working on homework from 4:00 to 4:30 PM everyday while others do better directly after dinner each night.
• Limit time spent watching TV/video games.
• Have supplies that your child might need available and a quiet place to work. Be interested and involved but let your child take responsibility for their work.
• Communicate with your child’s teacher if you have any concerns or questions about home learning opportunities.

Parent/Guardian-Teacher conferences are very important and 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 to discuss academic progress and/or social-emotional concerns.

Field trips are class experiences away from the school that are an extension of the academic program. Parents are welcome and encouraged to help chaperone students on these outings. For safety reasons, Washington State Patrol Background Checks must be cleared for all volunteers before attending. If you wish to volunteer for a field trip, allow for 2-3 week for processing of background checks.

You are welcome to visit your child’s classes. Schedule your visit with your child’s teacher at least a full day ahead of time and be sure to stop first in the office to sign in and pick up a visitor’s pass.

Parent and family volunteers provide important assistance to us at school. Contact your student’s teacher or the office to let us know that you would like to volunteer.

For safety reasons, volunteers (including field trip chaperones) are required to fill out a Washington State Patrol Clearance Form which must be processed for clearance of ALL volunteers. The clearance is valid for two years and is required by law. This service is provided at no charge, please fill out the form online. Allow for 2-3 weeks for processing.

Federal law and school district regulations allow schools to release directory-type information (student name, address, phone, date/place of birth, dates of enrollment, awards received, and previous schools attended) to such agencies as school news or PTA unless parents notify the school of their wishes to the contrary. Information other than Directory Information is considered confidential.

Our school’s student safety patrol is made up of 4th and 5th grade students and supervised by a staff member. Students are on patrol at 8:40-8:55 AM and 3:30-3:45 PM. They supervise students crossing at the designated crosswalks close to our school campus. Students are expected to follow the crossing directions of the Safety Patrol.

Schools are 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.

A registered nurse is available at Kennydale two days per week. Our school nurse is responsible for health screening, individual health care plans for students with health conditions, managing immunization, status of students, communicating with health care providers & working with the special education team. The nurse assesses health problems that arise at school, supervises health room procedures, consults & instructs on health-related issues. In the case of a medical emergency, staff will call 911.

Please keep us informed if your child has any health concerns we should be aware of, such as bee stings, specific allergies, etc. Each fall parents are requested to fill out forms alerting us to any health concerns of their children. You may contact the school nurse with any questions (425) 204-4702.

Please notify the school if your child is diagnosed with a communicable disease (e.g. chicken pox, ringworm, measles, impetigo, etc.). Confidentiality will be respected, and we appreciate the opportunity to be able to control any further spread in the classroom and school. 

Other Health Concerns

 Head lice are an occasional annoyance for children in schools.  Please check your child’s head every few weeks for signs of lice, particularly around the ears and at the nape of the neck. It is easier to tackle the issues when lice are found early. To prevent lice, instruct your children not to share combs, brushes, or clothing. Please notify the school if your student has head lice. Once a student has received treatment for head lice they will be checked by trained school staff before returning to class.

Hearing and vision screening are done annually. If your child needs a referral, the school nurse will contact you and provide assistance.

Before sending your student to school, be sure your child is feeling well enough to participate in the full school program, including recess and physical education (unless we have a physician’s note stating otherwise). 

In general, your child should stay home from school when these symptoms are present: vomiting, diarrhea, elevated temperature, ear ache, sore throat (especially associated with fever), head lice, inflamed or draining eyes, sores or rash (not obviously associated with an allergic reaction).

If your child’s temperature is 100 degrees or higher OR they are vomiting, they may not remain at school. Parents are asked to pick up their child if a health problem occurs. A student with an oral temperature of 100 degrees or over should remain at home until free of fever for 24 hours. 

When returning after an illness they should be free of a fever (without use of fever reducing medication) for at least 24 hours before returning.

Washington State law requires that all students, kindergarten through grade twelve, must be fully immunized before they can attend school. For a complete list of vaccine requirements and recommended immunization schedules, please visit the Washington State Department of Health.

The law states that parents must complete and sign a Certificate of Immunization Status giving the month, day and year of each dose of vaccine. When a student lacks full immunization we require evidence of initiation of the immunization schedule or a properly completed Certificate of Exemption.

Medication includes both prescription and non-prescription (over-the-counter) drugs.

• Medications are allowed at school only when they are in the original container in which they were purchased.
• All medication, even Tylenol, aspirin and cough syrup, must be registered with the school nurse and kept in the clinic.
• The law requires schools to have a written request from the parent/guardian and instructions from a physician or dentist for any medication to be taken at school. This includes over-the-counter drugs.

Please make sure that the school has an up-to-date Emergency Form on file at all times. It is especially important that the school has the following information on file and current.

• EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER
• CURRENT CONTACT PHONE NUMBER 

In the event that your child becomes ill or injured at school we will need to be able to contact you or an alternate person of your choice. Please request a new emergency contact form from office staff should your emergency telephone number change during the school year.

Emergencies (windstorm, earthquake, power loss, etc.) may arise making it difficult to dismiss your child following normal routines. No child will be released without contact with you or your emergency designee. It is helpful to include names and numbers of additional adults to whom your child could be released to (neighbors, family members) in your emergency plan.

The counselor provides services to classrooms, small groups and individuals as needed and works to create a positive school climate. Students may refer themselves or staff and parents may make referrals to the counselor for assistance with particular concerns such as friendship issues, family changes, grief, and/or managing emotions, such as anger. Our full-time counselor works with parents and staff to help students be more successful in & out of the school environment. Our counselor is also available to help families connect with community resources to support clothing, food mental health & homelessness. 

Children who excel academically and/or who display strong creativity may qualify for the Discovery Program beginning in third grade. Currently, this program is located at two district schools, Kennydale Elementary and Talbot Hill Elementary.  If you feel your child should be referred for highly capable services, please discuss this with your child’s teacher or the principal. Referral forms are available in the office, or by calling the Discovery Program Office at 425-204-2401.  Additional information regarding the program can be found at Renton School Districts Highly Capable Program webpage.

The Multilingual (ML) Program serves students whose first language or home language is a language other than English. They are first identified by the Home Language Survey and then eligible for the program by taking the English Language Proficiency assessment. They may be newcomers to the country and learning English as a new language or students who need support in academic language and literacy skills. MLs may receive small group instruction to develop skills in four language domains (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) based on their domain levels. They are supported primarily by the ML teacher and ML para-educator. Additional support is provided by classroom teachers and other support staff.

Programs provide experiences for all students in grades K through five, primarily in singing, rhythm activities, music concepts, and performance skills.

Our Learning Assistance Program, or LAP, is an intensive intervention program for Kindergarten – fifth grade for students who are performing below-standard in reading. Students served in LAP work in small groups with a reading teacher or classified staff member to develop foundational reading skills and improve reading comprehension.

The school library supports classroom instruction and provides books for students' recreational reading. Each class visits the library once a week for instruction in using resources and to check out books. Students are responsible for returning books in good condition and in a timely manner. No charges are made for overdue books, but fines are assessed for damaged and lost books.  Fines may be paid through the  Online Payment Portal.

Physical Education Programs are offered to all students. The curriculum includes individual fitness activities, team sport skills, the awareness of physical fitness benefits, and the importance of safety and sportsmanship during activities. When your student is scheduled for P.E., please be sure they wear clothing and shoes which allow for full and safe participation in physical activities.

Children with fine motor, gross motor development, or communication needs (e.g. articulation, stuttering, expressive language) can be tested to receive therapy provided by specialists at the school.

The school psychologist provides a variety of services including: psychological testing, assessing students for disabilities, classroom observations, parent education, referral to outside agencies, and writing reports to parents and teachers.

The purpose of special education is to provide a free and appropriate public education to children with disabilities. It is accomplished through a range of services that can be provided in different ways and in different settings. Individual needs are supported as defined by the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). In order to qualify for the services, Evaluation Team meetings are used to review our support for students having academic and/or behavior challenges in the general education classroom. This team is composed of the building administration, school psychologist, special education teachers, speech and language pathologist, occupational therapist, nurse, counselor, and classroom teachers. Teachers and parents can request students who are having academic and/or behavior challenges to be considered by the Evaluation Team. It is the team's responsibility to determine if further testing needs to occur and to aid the classroom teacher and parents in developing the appropriate program for that child. There are two different special education programs at Kennydale Elementary School:

• RLC (Resource Learning Center):

Resource Room is a special education program for a student with a disability who is qualified for special education services. Specially designed instruction is provided to achieve the expected educational outcomes in an individual or small group setting for part of the day. 

• ILC (Instructional Learning Center):

ILC is a self-contained special education program that serves students whose social, emotional or behavioral needs require highly supportive services throughout the school day. A small staff-to-student-ratio allows students to receive both behavioral and academic interventions in a highly individualized and supportive environment.