Information For Parents
EMERGENCY CLOSING
Please refer to the district website - www.ksd140.org
EMERGENCY PROCEDURE DRILLS
Helen Keller Students participate in a variety of emergency drills during the school year. The type of drills include, fire, severe weather, intruder, and bus evacuation. The drills will occur unannounced and at various times of the day throughout the school year. Students learn the different sounds for alarms so that they are prepared in the event of a real emergency.
In the event of an actual school evacuation in which Helen Keller Students would have to vacate school, students will be bussed to and housed in Grissom Middle School at 17000 S. 80th Avenue, Tinley Park. The phone number at Grissom is 429-3030.
AHERA PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
Based upon the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) requirements, it is the responsibility of Kirby School District 140 to inform each parent/guardian that our asbestos management plans are available for review.
Asbestos Management Plans, six-month inspections, three-year re-inspections, and past abatement projects that have occurred during the summertime or on an emergency basis are available for your review at the District Office.
INSURANCE
It is strongly suggested that parents take out some type of insurance for your child. The School District does not have individual
coverage for the students who might be injured at school. Insurance Applications are sent home at the beginning of the school year. These
insurance applications and payment should be mailed directly to the Insurance Company and that coverage is effective the date of postmark
through August of the following year.
MARKET DAY
A monthly Market Day Program is conducted by our P.T.O. Information is sent home each month detailing items available for purchase.
OBJECTION TO CERTAIN INSTRUCTION
No student shall be required to participate in any instruction in comprehensive sex education, family life, AIDS or diseases, or in
avoiding sexual abuse, if the student's parents or legal guardians submit written objection.
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
District 140 has annual Parent-Teacher Conferences in November at which time you are invited to come and meet with your child's teachers
and discuss current progress. If you have any questions during the school year, please feel free to call school, and either a telephone
conference or a visit can be arranged.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Once a month, a monthly calendar of Keller events and a school newsletter will be published. This newsletter contains information about our school. A District 140 calendar of events for the entire year will be available on Parent Information Day.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Helen Keller Elementary School will comply with all state mandated Quality Assurance standards.
SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS
Meetings of the Board of Education, which are open to the public, are generally conducted monthly at the Administration Center. Please check your District Calendar for confirmation of the meetings.
Committee meetings of the Board of Education are scheduled periodically during the school year. Please check the school bulletin board for the posted meeting time and dates. These meetings are also open to the public.
SCHOOL PICTURES
School pictures are taken in late September and spring pictures are taken in March. This is optional. If you do not like the original picture, a retake at a later date will be scheduled. At the time of the retake, the original picture package must be returned.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers may be needed during the school year for various activities. Please contact your child's teacher, if you would like to volunteer
for a specific program.
TELEPHONE MESSAGES
ONLY IN EXTREME EMERGENCIES is it possible to deliver telephone messages to individual students. It is very disruptive to the students when classrooms are interrupted during a lesson.
TRAFFIC FLOW
Cars are prohibited from driving on the school premises during the hours of 7:55 A.M. to 8:05 A.M. and 2:10 P.M. to 2:40 P.M. Students are to walk on the sidewalks to their respective areas. With this procedure, we will eliminate any unnecessary risk.
Please remember that the safety of our children should always be a priority. Parents of Kindergarten students during arrival and pick-up time should adhere to our policy of parking and walking to entrance to pick-up or drop-off students. Safety is our major concern not convenience!
TRANSFER OF STUDENTS
Notify the Keller School office if your child is transferring to a school out of Kirby School District 140. We request notification three or four days in advance. The Keller School office has records and forms that need to be signed by the parent.
TRANSPORTATION
Kirby School District 140 may provide free transportation for pupils to and from the school attended provided that the students live more than one and one half miles from the attendance center as measured by the customary route of travel from the student's home to the attendance center and/or if the route to and from the school has been deemed hazardous as determined and consistent with the rules and regulations of the Illinois Department of Transportation.
TRANSPORTATION TO CHILD CARE PROVIDERS
Transportation may be provided to the location of a day care provider who is within the student's attendance area as long as there is space on
the bus. Fees for this transportation will be assessed to the parent. Contact Keller School if more information is needed.
FIELD TRIPS
Field trips are an important part of curriculum. No student shall be kept from a trip because of financial limitations. If a parent refuses
permission for their child to participate in the field trip, that student is expected to come to school and an educational program will be
planned for the day.
HOMEWORK
Students at Keller School will receive varying amounts of homework depending upon their grade level. It is very important that parents
become aware of the homework policy of their child's teacher.
Homework is an extension of daily class work and is usually unfinished work. Homework may also be an extension of learning concepts for
the day that may need to be completed at home to reinforce various new facts. Reports or long range projects may also be assigned and are
necessary to help reinforce reading and writing skills. If you have questions regarding your child's homework, please contact your child's
teacher.
RETENTION OF STUDENTS/NO SOCIAL PROMOTION
A child will be placed each year at that grade level which is most appropriate to that level of his or her academic skill. Consideration will be given to the child's age, ability to work appropriately at a given grade level and other factors that affect his or her educational progress. Students shall not be promoted to the next higher grade level based upon age or any other social reasons not related to academic performance of the students. Retention may be determined appropriate. All reasonable interventions shall be considered before a decision is made to retain.
The final decision to retain a student shall be made by the Building Principal, in consultation with appropriate staff members. Students determined by the staff to not qualify for promotion to the next higher grade level shall be provided with such remedial assistance as may be determined by staff. The Superintendent shall establish administrative procedures to implement this policy and to establish administrative procedures that are to be followed by teachers when retention of a student is considered.
STUDENT SAFETY
The safety of students is of paramount importance. It is better assured through proper supervision of students in all school buildings and
grounds and through instruction to students for the development of courteous and safe habits particularly with regard to safe bus riding
practices. Proper student supervision is of particular importance with regard to participation in P.E. and field trips. In addition, school
personnel shall be constantly watching for suspicious strangers loitering in or near school buildings or seated in parked automobiles nearby.
Teachers should notify the building principal if circumstances warrant it.
Teachers shall instruct students not to accept gifts or automobile rides from strangers. School programs must include information relating to
exercising proper safety measures in regard to bicycle safety, personal safety, fire safety and bus safety.
SECURITY PROCEDURES
The safety of the students and staff are of paramount importance. The building doors are to be locked at all times. Visitors need to
be "buzzed" into the building and report to the office.
During recess times teachers and aides supervise students. Teachers are to take a two-way radio outside for communication with the
office in the event of an accident. Visitors should not approach students at outside recess times but need to report to the office.
SAFETY PROGRAMS - PROJECT DARE
Students will be involved in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program conducted by the Tinley Park Police Department during the school year. The fifth grade is the area in which primary emphasis will be placed. However, our Tinley Park Police officers will be visiting all grade levels.
SEX OFFENDER NOTIFICATION
Upon receipt by the School District of notification from a law enforcement agency that a sex offender required to register under the Sex
Offender Registration Act is residing in the School District, each school principal shall be provided with a copy of the name and address
of each such person. No such person shall knowingly be allowed to serve in any volunteer or other capacity that would result in such person
coming into any contact with students. Further, the student-parent handbook or other such appropriate School District publication distributed
to parents shall contain a notice to parents in substantially the following form:
SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION ACT
Under the provisions of the law, the School District is to receive notice from local law enforcement agencies of the name and address of any
person residing in the School District who is required to register under the Sex Offender Registration Act. If, as the parent or guardian of
a School District student, you desire to know whether the School District has received a notice that any such person is residing in the School
District, please feel free to contact your building principal. Upon request, the building principal will inform you as to whether the School
District has, as of the time of your request, received any such notification. You will also be directed to the local law enforcement agency
that gave the School District the notice so that you may obtain from that agency any further information concerning the identify of such person
to which you are entitled under the law.
Except as it may be otherwise determined appropriate in a particular case in the discretion of the Superintendent, the School District will not
directly disclose the name, address, or other information concerning persons who reportedly reside in the School District and who are required
to register under the Sex Offender Registration Act. Nothing contained in this policy nor the action or inaction of any School District
representative or employee with regard to this policy is intended to create any right or interest in any person nor to in any manner give rise
to any claim against the School District that would otherwise not exist under law.
VISITORS
SAFETY of the students is our prime concern. Our doors are locked at 8:10 A.M. and will re-open at 2:40 P.M. A doorbell/intercom/video system is
provided at the front doors to gain entrance during this time. If you come to school, PLEASE REPORT TO THE SCHOOL OFFICE AND OBTAIN A BUILDING PASS. Please do not stop into a teacher's classroom without an appointment. It is very difficult for teachers to talk to a parent while class
is in session. We want the students to obtain the best education possible and only authorized personnel will service your child. If you have anything
to be dropped off, please report to the school office and our office personnel will be more than happy to accommodate you.
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