Introduction
We are excited to have you joining The Island School community. It is a respectful, interesting and fun group of people, children, teachers, staff, parents, grandparents, and friends, who care very much about the children in our care. Welcome!

Please read this handbook and refer to it over the course of the year. We've tried to anticipate as many questions as possible. PLEASE ASK any of us - teachers, seasoned parents, or staff in the office, if you have questions or suggestions. We want you to feel comfortable as quickly as possible, and we welcome your ideas and your input.

Mission
The mission of The Island School is to educate our K-5 students and inspire in them a lifelong enthusiasm for learning and an appreciation and respect for themselves and others. At The Island School, every child matters.

Activity fees
At most independent schools, tuition does not fully offset the cost of the education. Some, including field trips and the cultural study, are required. Others, milk at lunch, swimming lessons, and pizza lunch for example, are optional. An Activity Fee Form for each child will be sent home at the beginning of each school year. Families check those fees, which apply to their child and submit payment or arrange a payment plan with the Business Manager.

Annual Fund
The Annual Fund is an annual fall fundraising event. It gives each family an opportunity to help cover the difference between the cost of an Island School education and actual tuition. We must depend on annual giving and other fundraising to make up the difference. Our fundraising programs allow families with varied resources of time, talent, and money to contribute equitably.

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Annual gifts go directly to work at school, for the children. They help provide financial aid for needy students; they finance enrichment programs; they help pay teachers' salaries and are used in many other ways to expand and enrich our program.

Attendance
Keeping track of who is here and who is not is an important safety issue. PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE IF YOUR CHILD WILL NOT BE AT SCHOOL. It is important for children to be in school and to arrive on time. If your family is planning an extended absence, please let your child's teacher know in advance.

Birthdays
Classroom teachers honor the birthday child in a number of small ways, including singing and passing out treats sent from home. (Treats from home are certainly NOT mandatory, but if you do send them, send enough for ALL the children in your child's class… not the whole school.) We have an optional tradition of giving a book to the school in your child's name. The birthday child generally writes his/her name and the date in the book, and opens the gift at circle time in his/her class.

Birthday Invitations: Here is a great opportunity to work with your child on "The Golden Rule." Our classrooms are small, close communities, and the effects of exclusion are painful to experience. Please help your child be as thoughtful and respectful of other children as you would want others to be of your child. Help teach kindness at invitation time by seeing to it that every child in the class is included. Use invitation time for a chance to talk over the rich and complex variety of friendships one person can have and the importance of being an inclusive community.

ABSOLUTELY NO birthday invitations may be passed out at school unless the ENTIRE class is invited. ABSOLUTELY NO carpool birthday party pick-ups are allowed at school unless the ENTIRE class is invited. It's too painful for those who have been excluded.

Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees makes policy decisions, oversees the business and financial health of the school, and evaluates, hires and fires the Head of School. Trustees are listed in the front of the Directory. The Board is not involved in educational or personnel issues. The President of the Board works closely with the Head of School. Board meetings are open to the public and are generally held the last Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm at the school, in the Art room.

Book Orders
Thanks to wonderful parent volunteers (one for each classroom), we are able to order from several children's book clubs every month. Order forms are sent out about a week before they are due. WE CANNOT SEND IN LATE ORDERS, so please watch the deadlines. Each book club needs a separate check. Please add carefully and recheck your order for accuracy, especially if your child has filled it out.

Communication
Open, honest and direct communication is the foundation of any strong relationship. Classroom concerns should be brought to the attention of the appropriate classroom teacher or specialist. If a parent feels he or she has not been heard, or is uncomfortable approaching the teacher, he/she may speak to the appropriate Team Leader. Depending on the problem, the Team Leader may then go to the Educational Director, the school's Counselor, or the Head of School who will help facilitate communication between the people concerned. We also ask that you encourage your children to address issues with classmates directly or with the help of the teacher or teacher's assistant. To do otherwise sends the message that you have no confidence in your child's ability to address these challenges and denies the child an opportunity for growth and learning. However, if the issue persists, please contact the teacher.

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You may always make an appointment through the Administrative Assistant or the Head of School to talk to the Head of School about any question, suggestion, concern or idea. You may drop in for spontaneous visits if she is free.

You may leave notes for teachers and staff in their boxes in the workroom, e-mail them, or leave a message with the front desk. We will all do our best to get back to you in a timely fashion.

Sign-up sheets for various projects, activities and fundraisers will be posted on the bulletin board outside the workroom. There are also notices of things of interest and articles or activities grown-ups want to share. The bulletin boards in the workroom have a school calendar, educational sorts of news, and other bits of interesting information.

Community
We are a community of students, teachers, staff, parents, grandparents and friends working together. We affirm that children and adults do their best learning and living together when respect and consideration for others are valued and honored by all members of the community. We expect that children and adults will treat each other in a manner that is thoughtful, sincere and respectful. We look forward to working with students and families who share these values and model them.

Conferences
Formally, teachers meet with parents twice a year to communicate about children's academic progress: the first occurs shortly after school begins; the second, during winter term. Teachers offer a variety of meeting times to accommodate our families. Written progress reports detailing your child's progress are sent home late in the fall and again in the spring. School is usually dismissed at noon during conference week, in order to allow teachers time to visit with every family.

If you unable to attend conferences, please contact the teacher(s) well in advance. Teachers try very hard to schedule conferences in a way that works for parents, fits around a teaching schedule, and doesn't overwhelm their own families. We are glad to work with you to make conferences as convenient as possible for everyone.

A parent may schedule a conference or meeting with a teacher, specialist, the Counselor, Team Leaders, Educational Director, Business Manager, or the Head of School at any mutually convenient time. The teachers and staff will also arrange a conference or meeting, if they feel one is needed.

Conference lunches
An old and valued Island School tradition has parents bringing lunches to the faculty and staff during conference week. Several parents bring different parts of a meal, which actually often also serves as dinner, for those teachers who hold conferences during the evening. This is a tradition much beloved by the faculty and staff and makes a week of teaching and conferencing infinitely easier for our faculty. A sign-up sheet will be posted on the bulletin board outside the workroom.

Counselor
Our School Counselor is here two days a week to work with children, families, faculty and staff. Her office is down by the first grade classroom. You may make an appointment with her or drop-in. If her door is closed, please respect the privacy of her office and leave a message in her box or call the school and leave a private voicemail for her.

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Cultural Study
Usually between Mid-Winter Break and Spring Break, each year, The Island School engagers in a school-wide study of another country or culture. This culminates in an evening celebration where the children perform and share what they have learned, made, and experienced over the month. The Cultural Study is a wonderful and fun way to broaden our horizons, to learn how people live, what they believe in, how they talk, dress, work, sing and dance. The study offers a series of presentations directed by parents, community members and sometimes alumni and teachers. Children love seeing their parents in the role of teachers. It is a great model of our mission, as we all become life-long learners.

Discipline
Please see the page in this section titled "Guidelines for Discipline".

Dress Guidelines
We encourage students to wear clothing that permits them to participate in all activities. Clean and casual is the norm. One of the founders' original goals was to create a school "where children can get dirty". On PE days, Tuesdays and Thursdays, please send your child to school in sturdy, non-slip shoes (no boots or sandals). Also, on PE Days, please know that the temperatures vary outside from morning to afternoon, so make sure you dress your children in layers.

LABEL EVERYTHING. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE WHAT A CHILD MIGHT DECIDE TO TAKE OFF AT SCHOOL.

Emergencies
Emergency Release Forms go out at the beginning of each year. We require a new form every year to stay up-to-date on your family's emergency contact information. These are turned into the front desk and kept on file there and with each classroom teacher. These also accompany teachers on field trips.

Should it be necessary to end school early due to an emergency situation, weather or otherwise, we will make every effort to contact you or the people you have listed as emergency contacts. It is extremely important that at least one of your contacts lives on Bainbridge Island in case people are unable to leave or come onto the island. Be sure to let your friends or relatives know that you have given us their names. If we are unable to reach you or any of your contacts and it is necessary to close the school, we will leave information about where you can pick up your child on our answering machine and on the door of the school. The Head of School will also have that information.

In case of a major disaster and local phone lines go out, we ask you to always include an out-of-state contact. Often we can call long distance and not locally.

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR EMERGENCY NUMBERS ARE ALWAYS UP TO DATE.

Enrollment Agreement
Families whose child or children have been accepted and who wish to enroll their student(s) at The Island School must sign and return an Enrollment Agreement each year. Re-enrollment agreements will be sent out in February and are due back in March with a non-refundable deposit, which will be applied towards tuition for the upcoming year. Pertinent dates will be in the school calendar.

Evening Meetings
There are various evening meetings over the course of the year, including Back-to-School Night, parent education presentations, and performances by the children. We generally schedule these at 7:00 p.m. in order to accommodate parents who commute, and to get people home by 9:00 p.m. We realize that this will not always work for every family, and we hope it works for most of you most of the time. We are always open to suggestions about evening scheduling.

Extended Day
Extended Day offers a safe, fun place for children, after school is dismissed, from 3:15 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Kindergarten Extended Day begins at 12:30 p.m. on kindergarten short days and joins the older children at 3:15 p.m. Children will enjoy a general program including outside play, snacks and various exciting activities.

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Families can commit for a term- fall, winter, or spring. You can sign up for one day, two, three, or all five. Drop-in is also an option. Pre-registered families will pre-pay by term. Drop-in families are asked to pay when you pick up your child. A schedule of activities and fees will be distributed at the beginning of each school year.

Children who need to arrive between 7:15 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. will go to Breakfast Club, run by the kindergarten teacher in the kindergarten classroom. Parents may either make arrangements with the teacher ahead of time or drop in. Families using Breakfast Club pay the kindergarten teacher directly.

All questions, registration forms, and payments should come to the front office.

Field Trips/Travel
Field trips typically relate to units of study. Teachers will make every effort to notify parents of upcoming field trips in a timely fashion and to arrange for parent accompaniment, if necessary. The annual cost per child for field trips is included on the Activity Fee Form.

Island Schoolers wear RED on field trips (making it easier to see children!), must bring a brown bag lunch, and be dressed appropriately for the weather and for walking that may be required.

Washington State law requires that children under six years or sixty pounds ride in a booster seat. If your child fits into this category, or if you require that your child be in a booster seat, you must send your child's booster seat, labeled with his/her name, to school on field trip days.

Participation in field trips and/or school-sponsored travel presupposes that students have conducted themselves according to The Island School expectations. The school reserves the right to exclude any student from participation in trips for behavioral reasons or to require that the child's parent accompany the class as a requirement for that child's participation. Any student asked not to participate will need to stay home, unless other arrangements have been made. The school is not responsible for non-refundable deposits that may have been paid already.

We must have proof of adequate auto insurance from each family in the school. This serves as protection for each family and the school. We ask that each family complete an Automobile Insurance Form at the beginning of each year and turn it into the front office.

Financial Aid
Any new or returning family may apply for financial aid to assist with tuition. Applications and information are available from the Business Manager. Applications must be submitted every year. We have a strong commitment to financial aid and do not want tuition to be the reason a child cannot attend The Island School. Please talk with the Business Manager if you think financial aid might be helpful to your family.

Forms must be completed and sent to School and Student Services (SSS) in Princeton, New Jersey, by the end of February, and a copy of each family's prior year tax return must go to the Business Manager by the end of March. SSS makes a determination of what a family can pay. The Business Manager and the Head of School review the information and make a determination of financial aid based on financial need and available funds. The process and the results are confidential. Neither the teachers nor the Trustees know who receives financial aid.

Financial aid is sometimes available for other school activities such as the fourth and fifth grade overnight educational experiences. These trips are not included in the Activity Fee Form.

If you would like to know more about financial assistance, please contact our Business Manager.

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Fundraising
As with most independent schools, tuition at The Island School covers only a part of the cost of educating a student. In order to keep tuition as affordable as possible, the school depends on fundraising to make up the difference between tuition income and actual cost. Some of our fundraisers include selling giftwrap during the first month of school, a family Carnival and Silent Auction in early October, the Annual Fund in the fall, and an evening Live and Silent Auction adult party in the spring. There are other opportunities for supporting the school financially. Please talk to the Head of School or the Business Manager if you would like more information.

Health and immunizations
PLEASE DO NOT SEND SICK CHILDREN TO SCHOOL. If your child is running a fever (or has had a fever within the last 24 hours), has been vomiting, sneezing, or coughing excessively, please keep him/her home. Children cannot be productive if they do not feel well. Children who feel ill at school will be sent to the office. Staff members will notify parents if the child appears too sick to remain at school. It is crucial that we have up-to-date information about how to contact parents and an on-island emergency contact so that we can reach someone without delay. (Even families who live off-island need to leave the school an emergency contact on the island in case of any emergency, which may prevent people from leaving or coming to Bainbridge Island.)

Please let the office know if your child will be absent. Please inform us immediately if he/she has strep or head lice. Children who have chicken pox must remain at home until all the lesions have scabbed over. This enables us to protect other children's health.

If a child needs emergency care, the school will make every effort to reach the parents, but if necessary, we will call 9-1-1 or take the child to Virginia Mason Winslow Urgent Care.

Head Lice: As all schools do, we have an outbreak of head lice at school from time to time. If this occurs, we will send out an alert notice to parents. Please take this notice seriously and check your child's head carefully. Head lice are now a fact of life, are extremely contagious and can affect even the cleanest head. If your child has lice, please contact the school as soon as possible, and we will let you know if there is a case at school. We will check children who may have been exposed, and any child with nits or eggs will be sent home for treatment. All nits must be removed before a child may return to school. Please have your child report to the office for a check if he/she has been treated for head lice. Please remember that the main responsibility for checking your child's head and removing nits is with you. The National Head Lice information phone number (can you believe it?!) is (617) 449-6487. A recording will give you information day and night.

Immunizations: As required by law, all children must be immunized, or properly exempted, in order to attend school. Immunization Forms from the Washington State Department of Health must be on file at the school, by or before the first day of school.

Medications: Whenever possible, medications should be scheduled so they can be given by a parent. However, pursuant to Washington state law, The Island School is authorized to administer oral medications to students during school hours. We define medication to mean all drugs, whether prescription or over the counter. Students may not carry medication themselves. A parent or guardian must supply the office with the medication in its original container along with a signed parent permission sheet (located on the back of the Emergency Form). The label must include the child's name, physician's name, drug name and dosage.

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Holidays
The Island School respects all religions and faiths. Although teachers may discuss different religious or cultural practices in their classes, we do not celebrate any religious holidays as a school. The whole school enjoys celebrating Halloween and Valentine's Day.

Halloween: All students are invited to bring costumes for the all school Halloween parade. This takes place first thing in the morning. Children then change into their regular school clothes for the remainder of the day. Masks and weapons of any sort, real or toy, are not allowed. If you have a question about appropriateness, please ask a teacher.

Valentine's Day: This special day is an opportunity to share cards and good wishes with friends. Children are invited to bring valentines; however, this is optional. If your child wishes to participate, be sure that he/she brings a valentine for everyone in the class. If a child brings a valentine for a member of a different class, he/she must bring one for every member of that class as well. Please, DO NOT send in gum or candy with your valentines.

Language Learning Specialist
Our Language Learning Specialist provides remedial support for children who are experiencing speech, language or academic difficulties. The school contracts with her to work closely with classroom teachers supporting the child's regular classroom work. If a child needs additional support, which requires him/her to work one-on-one or in a small group with Leslie, parents make individual financial arrangements with the Specialist.

The Language Learning Specialist's office is located outside of the first grade classroom. If you need to reach her, please leave a note in her box.

Library
Our library is open to all Island School families. Students have Library Day once a week when they may check out a book, and the librarians (parent volunteers) read them a story. Children and parents may access the library whenever they need it.

There is a bookshelf in the living room full of books, which may be interesting and useful to parents. Please feel free to borrow these and let the office know which book you have.

Lost and Found
Please label your child's removable clothing. The Lost and Found is located in the living room. Please check it periodically. Whatever is left at the beginning of every vacation is donated to local foster children and charities.

Lunch
Children bring their own lunches to school. We encourage you to put your child in charge, to remember to carry his/her lunch to and from school. If he/she forgets, do not bring it to school. We encourage children to be responsible for themselves, but we will feed a hungry child if lunch is forgotten.

Milk: We have an optional milk program, which begins the second week of school. Payment for the program is made at the beginning of the school year, as part of the Activity Fee Form.

Pizza: We also have an optional pizza lunch which occurs roughly the last Friday of each month from 12-1 p.m. Pizza lunch details are included as part of the Activity Fee Form in the beginning of the school year. This is an opportunity for all the faculty and staff to have lunch together, while parent volunteers serve pizza and chocolate milk to each class and then watch them at recess.

Lunches should not require refrigeration or a microwave, but we will add hot water to soup. We encourage "garbage free" lunches whenever possible. We appreciate your help in supporting our efforts to be ecologically friendly. Please send forks and spoons, if needed, for your child's lunch.

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Newsletter
Every Wednesday we e-mail the Review/Preview (Rev/Prev), our weekly newsletter, or send it home with your child if you prefer. The Rev/Prev highlights what went on during the week in each class, as well as news about upcoming classroom activities. This is a vital link to the school, so please check your e-mail weekly or check with your child if s/he is delivering it to you. There will be extra copies available on the table outside the front office if needed.

If you have information you would like included in the Rev/Prev, you may e-mail it to info@theislandschool.org or place it in the Rev/Prev folder on the bulletin board by the front desk, by Tuesday afternoon.

Photos
Individual and class photos are taken in the fall. Details will be in the Rev/Prev in September.

Play Dates
Out of respect for parents and each other, Island Schoolers are to make play date plans the night before (or earlier!) and NOT at school.

Progress Reports (Report Cards)
In fact, we do NOT have report cards, but teachers do mail home written Progress Reports twice a year, once in November and again in the spring, to chronicle your child's academic and social skills and challenges. Together with the parent/teacher conferences, these provide a picture of how your child is doing in school.

Snow Policy
Listen to your radio or watch TV for school closure and late start information. We do exactly what the Bainbridge Island Public Schools do. If they have NO SCHOOL, we have NO SCHOOL.

Kindergarten parents take note: If school is TWO hours late on a kindergarten "short" day, your children will NOT have school; ONE hour late start, we WILL still have kindergarten.

We only deviate from the public schools in situations like very icy roads. We are dependent on individual drivers. If we decide it is too risky for our carpools to drive, the phone tree and a faculty or staff member will notify you of our change of plans. Call a teacher if you are uncertain on snowy or icy mornings. Our main concern is your safety. Do what you think wisest to ensure your own and your child(ren)'s personal safety.

Tuition
Tuition is due by the first of each month. The Enrollment Agreement outlines payment options and tuition liability. We do not invoice tuition. You may mail your check to the school or you may put your check into the red "POST" box outside the workroom. Please do not entrust tuition to your child or put it in the hands of a busy teacher. The Business Manager will send out late payment reminders on the 10th of each month. Families falling two months behind in payment may be asked to explain their plans for meeting their financial responsibilities to the Finance Committee. Families who fall behind in tuition payment without a payment plan in place may not be issued a re-enrollment agreement for the following year.

Volunteers
Volunteers are the lifeblood of The Island School. The many ways parents, grandparents and friends give at the school are too numerous to list here. A quote from our accreditation self study states, "Volunteers… The Island School could not operate on a day-to-day basis without them." Please remember, however, that we are not a cooperative school and you are not required to volunteer. We do not keep a list of those who do volunteer and those who do not. But we love to have parents, grandparents and friends involved.

A "Volunteer Handbook," which serves as a guideline for volunteer opportunities, is available at the front office. If you ever have any questions about specific volunteer opportunities, please ask someone in the office or your child's teacher.

Volunteer sign-ups are always posted in the main hallway outside of the workroom. If you would like to help out in your child's classroom, please talk directly to the classroom teacher.

Workroom
The workroom is a sacred place in the school! This room is for grown-ups and siblings only. Please make yourself at home. Island Schoolers may not step beyond the metal boundary until they are in 5th grade, and even then, they are not invited to share in the goodies that are there for grown-ups to enjoy. Have a cup of coffee or tea, help yourself to whatever is there to eat, and chat with friends. It is a nice gathering place, and we look forward to getting to know each other in this informal setting.

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