School Handbook

Good attendance is critical for steady academic growth, and, by law, children are required to attend school. 

Please call the school office any time your child will not be in school. 

If you are asked to leave a voice mail, please give the following information:

• Name of the parent or guardian calling
• Student's name and grade
• Date(s) of absence
• Reason for absence; please be specific

Absences will only be excused for the following reasons:

• Illness
• Medical or dental appointment
• A family death or serious illness
• Court/judicial appearance
• Religious observations
• School-sponsored activities

Students who are late to school will be considered tardy. Please make every effort to have your student at school on time. 
Additionally signing your child out in the afternoon prior to the end of the school day affects their attendance and learning. 
Students who become truant (inexcusably absent three consecutive days or five school days in any semester or seven days in a school year) will be reported to the Kansas Department for Children and Families in accordance with Board of Education Policy 1461. 

Students must live 2.5 miles or more from their assigned school to qualify for transportation to that school.

For questions about WPS transportation and busing, call 316-973-2190.

The district does offer the FirstView app that helps families track their student's school bus. Families will need a security code from the school office to use the app.

The following traffic guidelines are being shared in an effort to ensure the safety and well-being of the Griffith Elementary community. Please review these procedures and share them with all adults who transport children to and from Griffith.

• For cars on Bluff Street, children must exit and enter cars on the EAST side of the car closest to the curb (not from doors that open into the street).
• Loading/unloading in the middle of the street is against the law. Please pull over to the curb before students enter or exit the vehicle.
• The front of the school is for loading and unloading only. DO NOT leave your car parked or unattended.
• Pedestrians must cross the street at the crosswalks. DO NOT walk or cross in the middle of the street. Please model safe and legal practices for our students by crossing at the crosswalks.
• Children should NOT be dropped off or picked up in the staff parking lot which is north of the building.
• Handicapped parking spaces should be left for designated patrons.
• Use courtesy when parking in front of neighborhood homes. DO NOT block driveways.

Please help us keep things moving in an orderly fashion by going to the end of the line and finding your place to move forward as the line moves forward.

It is dangerous and discourteous to others when vehicles cut into the middle of the traffic line and slows the process down for those who have been waiting patiently.

Children should arrive at school between 8:45 and 8:50 a.m. and be prepared to go directly home at 4:10 p.m.

Please do not bring students to school early as there will not be supervision provided.

Students arriving early or being picked up late excessively will be encouraged to utilize our Latchkey Program.

• Students will line up with their class at their grade level location.
• Students will enter the building between 8:50-8:55 a.m.

Students who would like to eat breakfast will pick it up on the way to class and breakfast will be eaten in the classrooms.

Dismissal: The school day ends at 4:10 p.m. each day.

Arrangements should be in place so that students leave school grounds immediately after the bell rings at 4:10 p.m.

Students who are not picked up in a timely manner each day will be referred to our Latchkey program in which (for a fee) students will be provided with after school child care.

Students who continue to be picked up late and are not enrolled in Latchkey will be placed in the care of the Wichita Police Department.

Students will not be permitted to wear the following:

• Clothing items that advertise drugs, alcohol and/or tobacco products; contain references to sex or profanity; show suggestive, vulgar, obscene writing or pictures, weapons or display negative comments.
• Halter tops, shirts with no sides, cut off tank tops (straps must be three fingers wide), bare midriffs, tube tops, or spaghetti straps.
• Any shorts, or dress that does not fall below the fingertips.
• Headwear in the building (hats, caps, bandannas) unless this restriction has been lifted for a special event.
• Underwear worn as outside attire, i.e. boxer shorts and/or underwear exposed, such as sagging.
• Any clothing or item that gives the impression of any gang affiliation.

The above dress code will be applied fairly and equally regardless of gender.

The decision of the building principal will be final in all disputes concerning student dress.

If the student is not following the dress code they will be asked to change.

Parents should notify the school nurse if there are any health conditions that may require medical attention, such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, etc.

If a student becomes ill during the school day, they should request a pass to see the nurse. 

Students who exhibit fever, sore throat or tonsillitis, any eruption of the skin or rash, any respiratory symptoms accompanied by a fever, severe cough or cold, or any eruption of the scalp, will be sent home.

Parents will be notified to pick up their student and must do so in a timely manner to limit exposure to other students and school staff.

Please keep your emergency contact information up to date with both the teacher and office staff.

School board policy (BOE P5316) restricts school personnel from giving students any medication, including over-the-counter medication.

Medication is given only upon written request from both the parent/guardian and the student's physician. Students must also have received one dose of medication without an adverse reaction prior to any doses being given at school.

All medicine must be in the original container and be presented by a parent to the school nurse for safe keeping and scheduled administration. The container should be labelled with the following:

• Name of student
• Name of medication 
• Directions for use
• Name of physician
• Name and address of pharmacy
• Date of prescription
   

The district uses the ParentVUE online portal to give parents to access information about their student's attendance, assignments and grades.

ParentVUE allows parents to quickly and easily update their family contact information, which is vital in order to maintain strong home-to-school connections. 

Keeping students emotionally and physically safe at school is our number one priority.

All students have the right to learn in an orderly environment that is free of disruption.

We understand that from time to time, students may need additional practice meeting these expectations.

We are trying to teach students academic and behavioral skills they will be using in the real world that will help them be successful adolescents and adults.

Our staff will work closely with parents to ensure students learn to be responsible citizens and develop strategies for resolving conflicts.

CHAMPS is a positive approach to classroom management that allows students to have a high structure in the classroom and in common areas.

Teachers and staff have worked together to make sure that routines and procedures that are in place spell out exactly what our expectations are so that students have a clear understanding of what is expected of them while in the classroom, when transitioning from one location to another, during lunch recess, etc.

The CHAMPS guidelines and expectations clearly explain the procedures for students to follow throughout the day to be successful. You will see evidence of CHAMPS expectations all throughout the building.

You may see posters for the common areas or flip charts for an activity in the classroom.

By following CHAMPS, everyone works together to create an atmosphere of respect and a positive learning environment.

We provide breakfast for all students free of charge.

Lunch fees can depend on family income. Complete the Free and Reduced Meal Application annually to qualify for free lunch and adjustments to fees. 

The district uses an app called School Cafe to allow families to see menus.

The district uses LINQ Connect to pay for meals.

For special dietary restrictions, please contact the school nurse.

Field trips with our city and nearby sites of interest are scheduled by classroom teachers throughout the school year.

These trips are designed to supplement different aspects of the classroom curriculum and intoduce students to resources within the community.

Parents will be notified of the planned trip at least five days in advance and must sign a trip waiver for students to attend.

If a student does not have a signed permission slip to attend the trip, they will not go. We will not accept verbal permission over the phone.

If there is a fee for the field trip, the money needs to be submitted at least three days prior to the scheduled trip. All field trips require the use of school buses. Parents are not able to transport students on field trips.

If a parent serves as a chaperone, they will need to complete the school district's volunteer process prior to the field trip. 

Students should not bring personal belongings from home to school, such as toys, dolls, balls, electronics, fidget toys, toy guns*, etc.

Griffith Elementary will not be responsible for items that are brought that become lost, stolen, damaged, etc.

Students will be asked to place personal items brought to school in their backpacks for the remainder of the day or the teacher may hold on to the item until he/she speaks with a parent/guardian.

Additionally, candy and gum are not a necessary part of the school day.

Please help us keep students safe by not allowing students to bring candy and gum without expressed permission for a specific activity.

*See BOE Policy 1466

The safety of students, staff and parents is the Wichita Public Schools' greatest priority during the threat of dangerous conditions.

Emergency plans are in place should tornadoes, lightning, hail, snow or other dangerous circumstances present a safety concern. 

If schools are to be closed or activities cancelled or rescheduled due to weather conditions, the information will be posted on the Wichita Public Schools' website main page and displayed on all school websites.

Parent-Teacher Conferences are a great way to stay involved in your child's education. Parents have the opportunity to discuss their child's progress, review assignments, learn about future projects and to strengthen the connection between home and school. 

Parent-Teacher Conferences are held twice a year in October and February. 

Progress reports are provided to parents every quarter. Reviewing these reports is an essential component of parent involvement in their child's education.

Please look for these reports and discuss them with your student. You may also log on to ParentVue for an ongoing list of grades provided by the teacher.

If you have any concerns about these reports, contact your student's teacher.

All visitors to the building, including parents, must sign in through our visitor management system HallPass.

Parents, caregivers and other relatives wanting to volunteer in the school or for field trips are required to register every year as a volunteer.

Visit the Volunteer Registration page to complete your annual registration.

We want to celebrate your child’s birthday!

Treats should be sent with the student to school in the morning and birthdays will be celebrated during the last 20 minutes of the day.

Please communicate with your child’s teacher prior to the day to make arrangements and check for allergies to consider.

At the discretion of the teacher, your child may bring a snack to school to eat either in the morning or the afternoon depending on when they have lunch.

Please make sure the snack is healthy!

Also at the teacher’s discretion, students may bring non-glass water bottles with water only.

No other drinks should be sent.