Parent Handbook

Attendance at school is vital to a student’s success. At RES, we believe our teachers know the researched-supported instructional and intervention practices to help all students. We can make a difference when we have consistent time with students. While we encourage parents to keep students home if they are sick, even missing small amounts of school can add up when it happens regularly. 

If a student misses 2 days of school each month, it can add up to missing a full school year by the end of grade 9. 

If your child is going to miss time at school, we ask that you do one of the following actions:

• Call the school to report the absence, or
• Contact your child’s teacher through Seesaw to report the absence

Parents will receive an automated phone call if a student is absent and has not been previously excused. 

If a student reaches 20% absenteeism, the school will contact parents to see how we can support attendance. 

Please be aware that having work sent home without providing instruction is not an effective learning strategy. That said, teachers will provide missed work when a student is ill, but it is nearly impossible to recreate the missed instruction and learning activities. Although some may choose to, teachers will not be required to provide work if students are going to miss long periods of time for vacations or other similar activities.

Keeping in Touch: Your Guide to Raymond Elementary's Communication Channels

Raymond Elementary School teachers use the “Seesaw” app to communicate with parents. On the first day of school students will bring home information about how to download the app and connect to your child’s teacher. Please connect through Seesaw as soon as possible as it is a vital method of our communication. 

We will also use other methods when communicating from the office.

• Please check this website often for information, as well as the calendar of events. 
• Monthly newsletters will be posted on this website.
• Information, reminders and emergency notices will be emailed and/or texted. 

If you are not receiving these messages from the school, please make sure your contact information is up to date with the school. 

It may also be useful to you to follow our school council social media pages.

Communication Guidelines for Classroom Focus

At Raymond Elementary School, we do our best to maximize the instructional time of our students. In order to do this, phone calls to the school will not be forwarded to classrooms during learning time. We will take messages and ensure students receive the information at the appropriate time. We make sure that students receive end of day messages by 3:05pm, so we ask that any student messages are given to the school by 3:00pm (11:40am on Fridays). While we will try, we cannot guarantee that any messages received after 3:00pm/11:40am will get to the student in time. While exceptions to this will exist, it is extremely helpful if a student knows how they will get home before the day begins. Thank you for helping us clean up our communication process. 

Please pay close attention to the signs along the road south of the school. For morning drop-off of students (until 9 am), the section of the road near the bus loop is designated to stop parallel to the curb very briefly to allow kids out of the vehicle and onto the sidewalk. Going west past the crosswalk into the playground is angle parking. After 9 am, the block is designated as angle parking. 

Please be aware that school doors do not unlock until 8:10am. Students dropped off before that time will need to wait outside.

It is nearly impossible to completely define rules for a dress code. Our main guidelines are to avoid:

• Clothing with references to drugs and/or alcohol
• Revealing clothing

Please avoid getting close to the “line”. If you think an article of clothing may be considered inappropriate by the school, don’t allow your child to wear it. A teacher and/or administrator will contact home and request a change of clothes if needed.