Absences

For your child’s protection, please call the school health office at 482-2481, extension 3624 or email to ogattendance@dist102.k12.il.us before 8:20 a.m. for a morning or all-day absence or before 12:15 p.m. for an afternoon absence (11:55 on Wednesdays). If a student does not report to school, and we have not been notified of an absence, the attendance officer will call each person listed on the student’s First Aid Information form. The parent must call each day that a student is absent unless the parent notifies the school that the student will be absent for a certain number of days.  If we are unable to contact anyone regarding an absent student by 10:00 AM or 1:00 PM, we may notify the police to assist us in locating the child.

Arrival Time

The morning session will start at 8:20am. Students should plan their arrival to school between 8:10am and 8:15am. Students may enter after 8:15am and go directly to their classes. Parents are requested to please not send children to school before 8:10am as the doors are closed until that time and no playground supervision is available. Likewise, students who go home for lunch or eat lunch away from school are requested not to return until 12:10pm (11:50 on Wednesdays). At that time they may enter the building and go directly to their classrooms. Students returning early at lunch time will not be allowed on the playground. See "Tardy" section.

Bicycles at School

Students in grades 3 - 6 may ride bicycles to school under the following provisions and upon completion of the Bike Safety Test offered each fall:

1. Parental permission is obtained.
2. Bicycle must be registered with the village and school office.
3. Each student must have his or her own lock.
4. The school will assume no responsibility for lost or damaged bikes.
5. Proper bicycle safety is adhered to.
6. Student successfully participates in the Annual Bike Safety Program.
7. Wearing a bicycle helmet is strongly encouraged.

See All Bike Norms listed in the August School Newsletter.

Birthday Celebrating

Due to student diet restrictions and food allergies, student birthdays at ALL grade levels, are celebrated by the child donating a new or gently used book to their classroom library. This is optional. If you would like a suggestion of a book title, contact your child's teacher. Treats brought to school will be sent home. Personal birthday invitations are not to be distributed at school.

Communicable Diseases

According to the rules of the Illinois Department of Public Health and District 102, children must be kept out of school if they have the following illnesses:

• Chicken Pox - At least six days after the onset of the skin rash, or until the scabs are crusted.
• Measles - At least 5 days after the onset of the rash. Students with measles should have a physician’s permission to return to school.
• Mumps - Seven days, or until all swelling is gone.
• Strep Infection - At least 24 hours after antibiotics have been started.
• Skin Rashes - Until they are diagnosed.
• Conjunctivitis (pink eye) - At least 24 hours after medication has been started.
• Fever and Vomiting - A student who has a cold, sore throat, earache, upset stomach, or a temperature of 100 degrees should not be sent to school and should be kept home for 24 hours following fever and vomiting.
• Head Lice - A student with head lice may not return to school until treatment has been started and all lice removed. The district nurse will provide treatment information to parents.
• Fifth Disease - A lace like rash with reddened cheeks; no need to miss school unless the student has a fever. Rash may come and go for days. Notification to the health office is necessary. Notification of pregnant staff and parents will occur if there are multiple cases.

Parents should notify the school if a child has a communicable disease; the school in turn will notify parents when their child has been exposed to a communicable disease.

Conduct Expectation for Students

Point of View
Just as school is a place to learn and practice various academic concepts and skills, so is it a place for students to learn and practice appropriate behavior. Appropriate student conduct is based, to a large degree, upon students learning to exercise self- discipline, i.e. learning to respect the rights of others and doing whatever is necessary to follow reasonable rules and regulations to ensure a better life for themselves and those around them.

Differentiation of Instruction

Differentiated instruction is a way of thinking about and approaching the planning and implementation of curriculum and instruction with an understanding that learners differ in important ways. Differentiation instruction responds to these learner differences:

• readiness levels, by varying rates of instruction as well as the complexity of the targeted content
• learning profiles, by providing access to and interaction with information in numerous ways and across multiple dimensions
• interests, by incorporating the learner's affinity, curiosity, and passion, for a particular topic or skill.

These variables are attended to when teachers plan and thoughtfully vary the content, process, and/or products associated with a particular unit or lesson of instruction. In District 102 each teacher strives to acknowledge that children learn in different ways and with differing capabilities. Our teacher's respond by doing something about that through modified or extended curriculum and instruction. If you have any questions about your child's learning needs being met, contact your child's teacher.

Dress Code

While there is no formal dress code, parents are asked to be sure that students are dressed appropriately for school. It is especially important that students are dressed warmly in the winter since they may go outside during P.E. and for lunch recess. Students may not wear clothes or accessories that are distracting to other students or disruptive to the educational process, or any item, which may somehow threaten the health or safety of other students. Hats are not worn indoors.

Examples of inappropriate clothing include tee/sweat shirts, caps, etc. with profanity, vulgarity and drug/alcohol related advertisement. Appropriately modest shorts (mid-thigh or longer) and shirts (no bare midriff) may be worn, in warm weather. We ask that tennis shoes be worn during all physical education classes. Roller shoes if worn to school may not be used in or on school grounds.

Student Spirit and Service Club sponsors some special “spirit days” and students are encouraged to appropriately participate in those school sponsored events

Early Dismissal Requested by Parents

Students may be dismissed early from school on a regular basis only with the permission of the superintendent. In order for a student to be dismissed early on a given day, the parent must send a note to the principal stating the reason, date and time of dismissal. Students will not be dismissed from school to anyone other than a parent or guardian without the parent's written permission. Parents need to allow time to come to school and sign their child out. After the parent arrives, the student will then be called down from class.

Electronic Devices

Student use of electronic equipment including, but not limited to, paging devices, games, music players and cellular phones while in a school building is prohibited. Student use of audio listening devices while at school is restricted to listening to instructional materials during class time under the direction of the teacher. The school cannot be responsible for the damage or loss of such items. Possession or use of laser pointers is prohibited at all times.

Emergency Closing

When schools are closed because of an emergency, a calling tree will be put into effect. Please be sure to keep your phone number updated with the school office. You may also listen to radio stations WGN-AM 720 or WBBM-AM 780. Parents are encouraged to also check the District 102 website for immediate and updated information.

First Aid / Trauma Registry

Each year parents are required to fill out a First Aid Information form for each family at the school the children attend, giving parents' home and business phones, name of persons to contact in case of an emergency, and names of physician, dentist and preferred hospital. We will not release a child to anyone who is not listed on this form. It is the parent's responsibility to notify the school whenever there is a change in any of the above information so that the proper people may be notified in case of an emergency. District 102 has a place on our First Aid Information form to indicate if the child is registered at a hospital and which hospital. In the event that a child is injured and we cannot reach the parent, we would then take him/her by ambulance to the hospital where he/she is registered for treatment. (See Trauma Registry)

Homework

Homework is assigned for educational purposes, not punishment, and requires the cooperation of teachers, students and parents.  Students in grades 3 through 6 use assignment notebooks to assist in the development of their personal responsibility for the completion of home assignments.  The assignment notebooks also serve as a communication tool between home and school.

If at any time you feel your child is working too long on their homework, please contact the child’s teacher. As a rule of thumb, 10 minutes of homework each night multiplied by the grade level (i.e. 3rd grade = 30 minutes). Parents should help by encouraging students, but keep in mind it is the child‘s homework – not the parent’s. Homework may not be faxed to the school office. Reading 20 minutes each day should be in addition to any homework assigned at the grade level. Reading to your child can be counted into the 20 minutes. Reading to a child helps them develop vocabulary, gives them background knowledge, exposes them to more difficult age-appropriate materials and creates a special family time together. Look for reading tips in the monthly newsletters.

Lost and Found

Students should have their major items of clothing and school supplies labeled, particularly coats, hats, gloves and boots. The Lost and Found is located in the small room near the Northeast corner of the multi-purpose room. Students should check the Lost and Found frequently. Any small valuable items such as glasses, wallets, jewelry, are generally turned into the office and held until the end of the school year. Any items left at school a week after school has ended for the year will be given to a local charity for distribution.

Make-Up Work

Students who miss classwork because of illness or school activities are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the missed work. After two days of illness, parents may request homework assignments for a child by calling the school office one day in advance of expected pick up. Homework assignments will only be issued after the second day of illness. Students will have as many days as they were absent to make up the missed assignments. All assigned make-up work will carry the same grade weighting as when originally assigned.

Parents are strongly discouraged from taking students out of school for vacations and teachers are not required to provide detailed assignments for those students. Students will be allowed to bring their textbooks home and work ahead on their own. Students will be given the opportunity to make up missed assignments when they return. Students are not expected to make up work that is missed due to the observance of religious holidays.

Medication at School

Sending medications (prescription and over the counter) to school is discouraged unless absolutely necessary. Should it be absolutely necessary for a child to receive medication while in school, either on a short or long term basis, the child's parents must, in accordance with district policy, provide the school with the following three items prior to administration:

• Written orders from the doctor giving the school permission to administer medication. The name of the medication, the dosage and the specific times the medication is to be administered must be included within the doctor's orders.
• Medication must be brought to the health office in an official pharmacy labeled container for prescription medication or original packaging for over the counter medication stating student's name, name of medication, dosage and the name of the doctor. Students are not allowed to carry or keep medication in their desk, locker and/or room.
• Parent's written permission for the school to administer the medication and the time they would like it administered. (Phoned messages cannot be accepted.) All medication permission forms must be renewed each new school year. Permission forms for the administration of medication are available from the Health Office and are available on the District’s website.

Students are not permitted to have medication (prescription or over the counter) in their possession. Cough drops, if medically needed, can be sent to school with a parent note only and will be kept in and distributed from the health office. Students may carry their inhalers ONLY if their physician writes that the student is medically at risk and needs to have the inhaler in their possession at all times.

New State law allows students to carry their own Epi-pen, however, the health office and teacher should be made aware of these instances.

Parent Parking

For the safety of our students, parents who transport Kindergarten children should drop them off on the Waiola (west)side of the building. Kindergarten students ONLY may wait outside the kindergarten door on Waiola. This is Door #2.

We encourage that all other grade level students be dropped off and picked up on Spring Avenue. All drop off is on the street with the exception of handicapped STUDENTS who must be dropped off in the handicap parking spaces. The STAFF PARKING LOT IS NOT TO BE USED FOR A STUDENT DROP OFF OR PICK UP AREA. Students are to enter the playground at the fence opening near the intersection of Spring and Brewster. At NO TIME is a child to cut across the STAFF PARKING LOT.

It is essential that all posted parking, loading, and speed zone signs be obeyed. Please do not block crosswalks, make U-turns, double park, or use the staff parking lot or playground for picking up and dropping off students. Observation of posted signs and directions of school personnel will avoid ticketing by the police department who frequently monitor our parking and traffic rule compliance.

Parties

We recognize that special celebrations create wonderful social times and memories for our students.  We ask that when room parents plan all parties they go over every aspect of the party with the classroom teacher.  So that all grade levels enjoy similar events, please follow these K - 6 guidelines:

• Halloween Party is 1 hour with treats and games.  Only room parents are present.
• Winter Party is 1 hour with a treat and simple craft project.  Only room parents are present.
• Valentine Party will be opening of valentines and enjoying a treat that the parents provided.  Parents do not stay for this party.
• End of year Party
  • Grades K - 3 typically hold individual classroom parties.  Kindergarten party is based at school, whereas other grade levels may choose to go to a nearby park. 
  • Grades 4 - 6 typically hold grade level parties at a local park. 
  • All parties are not to exceed a morning or afternoon time, excluding lunchtime.  A balance of structured and unstructured activities are appreciated by the teachers.

Special Note:  Please check with the teacher regarding all plans, and also for food allergies.

Pets at School

If a child wishes to have a pet visit their classroom they must secure the permission of the classroom teacher and the principal. It is preferred that pets are to be cased or leashed during their visit, that the parent of the child bringing the pet be present throughout the visit and that the pet be taken home after the visit. If any child in a classroom is allergic to pets, pets will not be allowed to visit.

It is prohibited to have dogs on school grounds at arrival times, during school hours and at dismissal. Please do not bring the family dog (or puppy) to school when you walk your child to school. With the number of children at arrival and dismissal times this can be a potentially dangerous situation. Even well behaved pets can become nervous around this extreme amount of activity, as well as some children are frightened or allergic to dogs. We appreciate your cooperation.

Phone Requests

The following procedure should be used by parents, who have special requests while their children are in school:

1. Restrict all phone messages for children to emergency or extremely important matters.
2. We will not accept phone calls of any kind requesting that children be sent to a place (barber, store, library, street corner, etc.) as opposed to the personal custody of an adult.
3. If you wish your child to go to a certain place after school, please send a signed written note to his/her teacher in advance and she/he will make every attempt to remind your child before dismissal.
4. If you find it necessary to call the school and have your child go to another party's home or into the personal custody of another adult after dismissal, the following procedure will be required:
   • Call the school as soon as possible and notify us of your directions.
   • Provide us with the name and phone number of the receiving party.• Have the receiving party call the school to verify their knowledge of your circumstance and their willingness to accept and be responsible for your child.
   • If the receiving party fails to call the school, no notification will be given to your child.
   • When the receiving party calls the school, we will then counter verify that information before releasing the child. No calls for this purpose will be accepted within 15 minutes prior to a dismissal time.
   • If an emergency call is necessary within the 15 minutes prior to dismissal, your child will automatically be held in the office until such time as the above procedures have been met.
5. If a parent sends someone to school unannounced and/or without prior notification to the office to pick up his/her child, we will not release the child until parent verification has been established.
6. We reserve the right to request personal identification and a written signature from anyone whom we do not personally know or recognize before releasing any child, even though phone verification has been made.
7. Urgent information that must be conveyed prior to the end of the school day should not be left on the voice mail of a teacher but communicated directly to the school secretary.

Photographing Students

Parents who do not wish to have their children photographed, televised, videotaped or interviewed by the media should mark this on the annual first aide form. Parents of special education students must notify the office in writing if they do not want their child’s photograph in any media publication other than the school newsletter and yearbook.

Playground Equipment

The school playground equipment is reserved for school students only on school days during school hours. After school use is reserved for BASE students until 5:30PM on school days.

Release During School Hours

From time to time it may become necessary for your child to be seen by a doctor or dentist during school hours. For safety reasons, to protect against heavy traffic and undesirable strangers, we require that all children be personally picked up by an authorized adult at the school office whenever it is necessary for the child to leave the school at times other than dismissal. The staff appreciates advance notice when children are released early. Please make sure you allow sufficient time for your child to be called from the classroom. They will be called to the office upon your arrival to sign them out and not before.

Safety Drills: Disaster / Fire / Lockdown

Disaster drills and fire drills are held frequently throughout the school year as required by State mandates. If a tornado warning is in effect at dismissal time, students will not be released until the all-clear signal is sounded. Parents may enter the building to take cover.

Emergency Exit Procedures
If a fire alarm sounds during a public event, everyone is expected to exit the school immediately, without locating their children. Before entering a school event, parents should talk with children about a good place to meet once the family is safely outside of the building.
Our smoke detectors are very sensitive and have been set off at events in the past by such things as burnt popcorn. Do not put yourself and others at risk. As hard as it is to do, in the event a fire alarms sounds, exit the building at the nearest exit and meet your family once you are outside. Our students are well trained to leave the building quickly, please help us follow our guidelines.

Lockdown drills are now required by new State mandate. Staff and students will practice a lockdown drill in conjunction with the local police and emergency departments. Parents will be notified when these drills are to take place. If you arrive at school during a lockdown, you will not be allowed to enter the building and your child will not be allowed to exit the building. During lockdown situations, the school is to appear as empty as possible. Police officers will not draw weapons during drills.

Scooters, Skateboards, and Rolling Shoes

Skateboards, rollerblades and scooters are prohibited at school. The school bears no responsibility if these items are left around the school unsecured.

Snowballs

For the protection of all students, throwing snowballs is prohibited on school grounds and on the way to and from school. Disciplinary action will be taken, with possible suspension for repeated offenses.

Tardy

Once again we will be attempting to reduce the number of tardies. We will be talking with the children about the importance of punctuality and would be most appreciative if you would also emphasize this at home. Children are considered tardy to school if they are not in their classroom by 8:20 A.M. for the morning session and by 12:15 P.M. for the afternoon session (11:55 on Wednesdays). By law, all tardies are recorded and become part of a child's permanent school file.

State of Illinois requirements for student attendance is as follows:

• Kindergarten students must attend 2 clock hours to be considered in full attendance for that day.
• First grade students must attend 4 clock hours to be considered in full attendance for that day and 2 clock hours to be considered in half day attendance.
• Second through Eighth grade students must attend 5 clock hours to be considered in full attendance for that day and 2.5 clock hours to be considered in half day attendance.

There are two kinds of tardiness, excused and unexcused. An excused tardy is due to a personal decision made by the parents relative to their child's schedule. We need to be notified either by phone or letter regarding all excused tardy situations. If a child is tardy without an excuse for the third time, the parent will be notified by phone and asked to discuss the problem with the child in order to help eliminate the problem. In the event a child has a fourth unexcused tardy, disciplinary action will occur. Consequence for repeated tardies may include a child being detained after school or at lunch recess; parent will be notified. It is important that children realize their responsibility for being on time and ready to learn in their classrooms. This policy reinforces the importance of punctuality for our students.

Trauma Registry

Parents may sign a Trauma Registry Card for either LaGrange Memorial Hospital or Hinsdale Hospital.  These cards must be updated and renewed every two years.  LaGrange Memorial requires a separate card for each child, whereas Hinsdale has a family form in which you list all of the children.  Trauma registry cards are available at each school health office and at each hospital.  The parent should return these cards to the hospital of their choice in person or by mail.

Illinois law prohibits hospitals from providing medical treatment to minors without written or verbal authorization from the parent or legal guardian only.  Through this system of advance authorization, children brought to the Emergency Department by school personnel, relatives, etc. are treated immediately.  The hospital staff utilizes information from the card to treat the patient, while trying to reach the parent.

Visitors to School

Parents and members of the community are encouraged to visit school. For the safety of students and staff, all visitors are required to check in at the office and to wear an identification badge while in the building.

Fees

Visit the District website for up to date fee information. 

PTC Registration Information

NOTE: Registration packets will be mailed to your home in August. Please complete all necessary forms and return them, with checks, as soon as possible.

• Completed Student Directory Information and E-Mail Sign-Up Form

• Check payable to Ogden PTC for PTC and Classroom Activity Fee, Yearbook Order and orders for additional Calendars and Directories.(one check per family).

• Completed Volunteer Sign Up Form.

Volunteering

Volunteering at Ogden is a great way to get involved in our school as well as meet parents and staff. Would you like to volunteer at Ogden, as 250+ parents did last year? Visit our Committee Descriptions page for a listing of some of the opportunities available.

Complete the Volunteer Opportunity form and return it with your registration materials to confirm your participation.

Room Parent Sign-up is now online - submit your request early.

Contact the PTC Volunteer Coordinator for more information.

Bike Riding Norms

--Walk your bike on all blocks right around the school. Walk your bike on Waiola from the playground equipment to Ogden Avenue, along Ogden Avenue, along Spring from Brewster to Ogden, and as you go through the playground area. There are many pedestrians and younger children in these areas and walking your bike will keep everyone safe.

--NO riding in the streets along these blocks either.

--Only cross your bike with the crossing guards and then you may ride to and from school.

--We encourage you to wear a bike helmet.

--Be kind and considerate to all other bike riders and pedestrians.

--Always listen to the crossing guards, patrol guards, and adult staff.

--Be aware of your surroundings and be safe.

In the bike rack:

--No saving spots, no having your own special spot.

--Park your bike front wheel into the rack; do not park across the rack.

--Park in the rack and not along the fence if at all possible. When the new additional bike rack is installed, everyone can park in the rack and no one needs to park their bike on the fence.

--No sharing locks. Everyone needs to have their own lock and each bike must be locked.

--No touching anyone else's bike. If there is a problem with a bike, report it to the office.

Thanks you for being a caring and careful bike riding student!

Designated Safe Routes

Use Crossing Guard Stations!

A priority goal of our school community is always safety. Getting everyone to school and home safely takes good planning and everyone's cooperation. Student and/or adult crossing guards have once again been strategically placed at our busiest thoroughfares to maximize this attempt.

South of Ogden Avenue: Students who live south of Ogden School would cross Ogden Avenue where an adult crossing guard has been located, at Ogden and Waiola Avenues. After school, students should proceed south on Waiola until they reach Bell and then proceed in the direction they need to go from there. Those students who live west of Brainard should cross Brainard at Bell, where another adult crossing guard is stationed.

North of Ogden Avenue: Students who live northwest of Ogden Avenue and Ogden School should proceed to and from Ogden School along Waiola and Richmond. Students going to and from the west are advised against using Brewster Alley. Too many cars use the alley as a short cut, as do the junior high students at dismissal times. Richmond may be a couple blocks out of the way for some children, but we are requesting the use of Richmond in the interest of child safety.

Northeast of Ogden: Students living north of Ogden Avenue and directly east of the school and Kensington Avenue are requested to proceed west on Brewster Avenue. Students should cross Kensington Avenue at Kensington and Brewster, where an adult crossing guard is located.

School Security Procedures

Although Ogden has long appreciated and promoted an attitude of welcomed, relaxed visitations, the number of national and metropolitan school security breaches in the last few years has necessitated a more structured and controlled visitation/entrance policy at all district schools to better ensure the health, well-being, and security of our children. Therefore, parents are reminded that:

--All doors to Ogden Avenue School will be locked during school hours.

--Visitors will have to ring a security bell at the Waiola South entrance and will be buzzed into the office to sign in. All visitors must wear a visitor's badge throughout their visitation.

Again, the only public access to Ogden School will be via the main Waiola Street office door entrance between 7:30am and 4:00pm. BASE parents who drop off and pick up their children before and after school will be required to utilize a doorbell system located at the kindergarten door that is activated and monitored by the BASE staff.

Student entrance procedures will continue in effect between 8:10 and 8:20am and 12:15 and 12:25pm under the supervised monitoring of school personnel and student safety patrol students. All late entrance students after 8:20am and 12:15pm will have to enter via the main south Waiola Avenue office entrance and report to the health office for an "Admit Slip" to class. As a reminder to students and parents, the Waiola south entrance is to be used only if a student is late (arriving after 8:20am or after 12:15pm). Otherwise, students should use either the Waiola Kindergarten entrance (Kindergarten only), the bike entrance, or either of the entrance doors off the playground.

Student departures at lunchtime and at the end of the school day continue via their assigned grade level exits. As a reminder to students and parents, the Waiola main entrance may not be used as an exit except when being dismissed from an after school activity. All students should use their assigned grade level exit:

--Grades 1 - 6, via the east Spring Avenue playground exits. --Kindergarten, via the north Waiola exit. --Bicycle students via the west Waiola bicycle lot exit.

All older students who accompany kindergarten students home are to meet them outside the northwest Waiola Kindergarten exit.

Traffic Flow Around Ogden School

Ogden School has worked in cooperation with the LaGrange Park Police Department and the Village of LaGrange Traffic Control Engineers to develop a traffic flow pattern that promotes the optimum safety for our students. There have been several meetings where parents had the opportunity to work with us on developing this traffic pattern. Parent cooperation in following these drop off and pick up guidelines is much appreciated.

Click here for a map of the traffic flow pattern around Ogden.