Your child’s regular and prompt attendance at school is crucial to his/her success. Students who are absent are required to make up any missing work. Please refer to the Student Handbook for questions about the ISS attendance policy. If your child is absent, tardy, or needs to leave school early, you must send in a note explaining the reason. Our attendance policy states that parents have 48 hours to send in an excuse or the absence is unlawful. Having your child at school is important so that he/she will not fall behind. However, students should stay at home if they have had a fever or stomach virus within the last 24 hours.

If you wish to change your child’s method of transportation you must send a written note or your child will go home the usual way. Do not rely on your child to tell me this information because children often become confused and relay information incorrectly. We strive to keep your child’s safety in mind at all times. (Also, if your phone number changes
during the year, please let us know so that we can reach you in the event of an emergency.) If your child is a car
rider, please beprompt inpicking up your child at the 2:15pm dismissal time. Teachers need the time after dismissal to attend meetingsand plan for instruction.

Your child will receive a special treat and recognition on their birthday. We do not have birthday parties at Shepherd Elementary or pass out invitations however, if you would like to send in a special treat such as cookies, popsicles or cupcakes on your child’s birthday please let us know. School Board policy states that all food be commercially prepared.

Students may bring a nutritious snack and juice pack each
day. (Examples: fruit, pretzels, crackers, cereal, vanilla wafers.) I’ll also
be asking an assigned group to bring in community snacks on a rotating basis
for those students who forget. We will also have water breaks, so your child
may bring a water bottle to have on warm days.

Your child will have a WOW book (We Organize Work) that will go home each night.
This book will need to be returned to school each day and kept all year.
It will include the following items:

·  Money bag: Please place all money in an envelope and label it with your child’s name, teacher name, and what the money is to be used for. This will be placed in the money bag.
· Daily Behavior Report: Please review and sign the behavior report each day. Each day your child will be given a star. Their goal is to keep their star for the entire day. Students will be given a warning before they are asked to replace their star with a shape that matches the behavior they are displaying. Each shape after the star will result in a consequence.

This will include the homework to be completed at home. We will have homework Monday-Thursday nights. Typically there will be a short activity in phonics, math and spelling to complete. Students are required to read 15-20 minutes each night and parents will sign the reading log daily. (If at all possible I would like students to read at least one day over the weekend.)

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