General School Operating Procedures

Enrollment/Withdrawal Information: Parents enrolling their students in Paterson Elementary School are required to provide immunization records and other basic information. Parents needing to withdraw their child from Paterson must contact the office in person or in writing. The student will be required to return all materials, and to take care of any charges and/or fines prior to checking out of school.

Attendance: Students are required by law to attend school on a regular basis. Illness, medical appointments, funerals and court requirements are really the only acceptable excuses for missing school. Parents and guardians will want to check with the office about any other types of absences to insure that they do not conflict with Washington State attendance laws.

In all cases, parents are required by law to make contact with the office when the child misses school (in person, by note, or phone). The child's name, date and reason for absence(s) is required. The laws require the school to track each absence and the reason for the absence.

Schools are also required to report attendance law violations. Please see Appendix A for specific information about attendance laws. We appreciate the parents’ help in meeting the expectations of this law. Children arriving late to school need to stop by the office for an admit slip.

Prearranged Absences: Parents are encouraged to plan family vacations and trips during non-school days. Much of what happens at the elementary level is direct instruction provided by the teacher and/or interactive activities. It is not possible to effectively make up this type of instruction. In addition to a legal responsibility, regular attendance is a critical component in a child's success in school.

Occasionally, an emergency may make it necessary for a student to be gone for a few days during the school year. Parents are asked to notify the school if their child needs to be gone. The school staff can help to determine compliance with the attendance laws, and help arrange for homework when possible. This is a time-consuming task, so parents should provide as much advance notice as possible. Assignments for prearranged absences should be completed and turned in before the absence when possible, or turned in on the first day upon returning to school.

Make Up Work: It is the responsibility of the student to request and turn in make up work following an absence. Parents are asked to call the school in the morning when requesting work for a child who is home ill. This material can then be ready for pick up after school.

Conferences: Parent/teacher conferences are scheduled twice during each school year. A letter will be sent home to provide more detailed information regarding the conference schedule and directions for making conference appointments. The staff of Paterson recognizes the importance of parent involvement for student success and strongly encourages parent participation at conference time.

Report Cards and Grades: Student achievement is one of our school's most important goals. Because grades are one indication of achievement, students are encouraged to work hard to be sure they are doing their very best. Report cards are issued at the end of each trimester.