Through collaboration, every child will learn in a supportive, inclusive environment

I am thrilled to be joining the Edgar Road Community this year. I am overcome with the warmth and welcome from the staff, families and students.

Partnering with families is crucial to the education and well being of our children. Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to partner in person. Webster Groves School District and I will keep you informed of any health or safety guidelines, but I am very hopeful for a year in which families may return to the building as volunteers and visitors. I value relationships and will strive, alongside this amazing staff to continue to create an inclusive, learning environment where each person feels connected and a strong sense of belonging.

Please use this Edgar Road Family Handbook for important links and information. Please also watch for the Edgar Road Paw Print, our weekly newsletter, which will come electronically to your email each Wednesday at 7:00 pm, and the Sunday Scoop, the weekly phone message highlighting important and timely information.

Please feel free to reach out with question, concerns, hopes, or suggestions. When school is in session, I will prioritize being in classrooms, and will respond to families before or after the school day. If it is an urgent matter, please call Mrs. Eckert in the main office at 314.963.6472 and she will relay the message.

This handbook is organized by first laying out WGSD missions, guidelines and resources. Following is specific information about Edgar Road Elementary

I look forward to getting to know you, your child, and this community! It's going to be a great year.

Better Together,

Tracy Nomensen

Meet our Webster Grove District Leadership

Dr. Simpson, Superintendent

Dr. Jason Adams, Assistant Superintendent for Learning

Dr. Sandy Wiley Skinner, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources

Derek Duncan, Chief Communications Officer

Tina Clark-Scott, Director of Student Learning Support

Dr. Shantay Wakefield, Director of Special Education

Dr. Shane Williamson, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

MEET OUR BOARD OF EDUCATION

Kita Quinn, Director

Allen Todd, Director

Alex Kahn, Director

Jo Dahl, President

Kristine Keller, Vice President

Tara Sheer, Director

David Addison, Secretary

Problem Solvers

Respectful

In Control

Determined

Empowered

School Hours

7:50 am - 2:50 pm

Principals

Dr. Tracy Nomensen

Dr. Betsy Moppert

Staff Directory

ABSENCE, LATE AND EARLY DISMISSAL PROCEDURES

For the safety of each child, we appreciate your assistance in the following:

Early Dismissal of Child:

• If a child (ren) needs to leave school early, a parent/guardian needs to go to the office to sign out their child (ren). The school secretary will call your child to the office for you. Please do not go to the classroom to pick up your child. We ask that you not pick up a child between 2:25 and 2:50; this is a busy time as we prepare for end of the day dismissal.

Late to School

• While each minute matters, we all have late days. Children who arrive after school has begun (7:50 a.m.) must sign in at the office before they proceed to class. Please help your children arrive on school on time. Being on time helps your child and the other students have a good start to their day. Depending on the student’s arrival time, attendance and lunch selections will be taken in the office and/or the cafeteria.

Change in daily routine:

• If a child is to have someone other than his/her parents pick him/her up at school, please send a note to the school office to inform us of the change. Without notification, a child will not be allowed to change his/her daily routine. If parents need to get a message to his/her child, they may call the school office and leave a message with the school secretary. It will be delivered to the child’s teacher.

Illness

• If at all possible, please call 963-6472, and leave a message on the clinic’s answering machine or email both the teacher and Mrs. Eckert before 7:30 a.m. the day of your child’s absence. When leaving a message please leave the following information: your name, child’s name, teacher’s name, date, and reason for absence.
• If we have not been notified of the reason for the child’s absence by 8:30 a.m., we will call the parent, guardian and/or emergency numbers.
• If a child is to be absent for an event planned ahead (dentist, etc.), please send a note to the school the day before.

Make Up Work

• Homework may be requested for a child after two consecutive days of absence.
• If parents request homework after the two consecutive days, please do so early in the morning so the teacher has time to gather homework to be ready by the end of the day. Teachers will also provide homework to help a child keep up during an extended illness.

Vacation

• Some families may decide to take children out of school for an extended vacation at various holiday times or other occasions during the school year. Though we realize the educational value of such an experience, we discourage such vacations because there is no effective way for a child to make up the experiences missed at school during his/her absence. Therefore, please do not ask teachers to make up packets prior to a child’s absence; instead, please encourage your child to keep a journal and to read every day.

For more information please see WGSD Student Absence and Excusal Policy

EDGAR ROAD ARRIVALS AND DISMISSAL PROCEDURES

• For the safety of our children, please wait for your child/children outside the building. In the a.m. and dismissal time, it is very important that those dropping off or picking up children follow the parking and drive-through procedures as depicted on the signage in the front driveway. Please do not park or plan to pick up children anywhere except where designated. It is not safe for the children to cross traffic except at the crosswalks. If children stay after school to play on the school grounds, they must be supervised by an adult and use the north playground/side of the building
• Supervision begins at 7:35 am.
• To insure your child’s safety, please see that your child arrives at school no earlier than 7:35 a.m. From 7:35 am to 7:50 am children may go directly to their classrooms. This is a time for the children to settle in and prepare for their day.

WGSD VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS:

• We are excited to invite visitors and volunteers into the building. We will keep you updated on health and safety guidelines that may affect this. Visitors are required to check in at the school office. ERS has a monitor/buzzer system at the center and south doorways. All visitors will be “buzzed” in and asked to come directly to the office. All visitors will be asked to show their ID once in the office in order to be scanned into the system and receive a visitor sticker.
• If you'd like to visit a classroom, please schedule a time ahead of time with the teacher and office. Likewise, if a visitor wishes to have time to talk with the principal, and/or teachers, scheduling an appointment is advised. We are proud of our students, our school and our commitment to achievement; and welcome your interest in Edgar Road.
• If you would like to volunteer, please follow the process outlined here.

DAY TO DAY BUSINESS:

Celebrations and Birthdays

• Each classroom may have three celebrations a year: Fall, Winter and Spring. Children may have a special. You will get more information from your child's teacher as the parties approach.
• We encourage celebration of birthdays using alternatives to food, including but not limited to an extra recess, game, or dance party. Birthdays will be recognized on the morning announcements. on the Please note – if you send flowers, balloons, or other special recognitions to school, we will hold it/them in the office until the end of the school day.

Dress for Learning:

• Children should come to school reading for learning. Please be sure children have shoes that allow then to run and play. As well, closed shoes are recommended to avoid mulch bothering them at recess.

Lost and Found

• Each year many valuable items are not claimed from our lost and found. Due to the similarity of items, it is important that all belongings brought to school be clearly labeled with the child’s FIRST and LAST name. Items are placed in the lost and found area. Small items (such as jewelry) are kept with the school secretary. Items left in the lost and found areas will be taken to a charitable organization at the end of each term.

Lunch

• Children may choose to bring their lunches from home or to purchase lunches from the school cafeteria. At Edgar Road, children have cafeteria accounts and a pin number to access their money for each purchase. You may send money at any time during the week to the cashier in the cafeteria. Please take care of lunch balances as soon as possible. Please see WGSD's Food Site for more information.

Bicycles, Scooters, Skateboards

• For the safety of our students, it is our practice that students may ride a bicycle, scooter or skateboard to school.
• The student has a padlock and a chain to secure his/her bicycle or scooter on the racks provided (we will not store scooters in the office, classrooms, etc.)
• Skateboards must be labeled with students name and kept in the main office.
• Students need to WALK their bicycles, scooters and skateboards on school property due to traffic congestion at arrival and dismissal times. Please dismount at the school property and walk your bicycle to the bike rack in the morning. At dismissal, please walk your bicycle from the bike rack to the edge of the school property before riding home. The wearing of bicycle helmets is NECESSARY for safety reasons.

Toys and Electronics

Toys, including cards, are not to be brought to school without the consent of the classroom teacher. Toys may be lost or broken and need to be enjoyed at home. Electronic devices (anything that can communicate outside of school), such as cell phones, iPods, Apple watches, hand-held games, etc., are not to be brought to school. When exceptions are needed for children to have a device for after school, it must be kept in the main office during the school day.

ART

• All students receive art instruction on a weekly basis. Our students paint, draw, weave, and sculpt with a variety of art media. They experience the importance of art history and the principles of critique and aesthetics. More information can be found here.

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

• Each classroom in our building is unique in its own way. Our teachers use their strengths, skills and strategies to develop a positive climate to encourage learning for all children.

COMMUNICATION

• Communication between parents and teachers is a vital part of our endeavor to educate our children in the most effective manner. We encourage parents to share whatever is necessary to create a positive environment for their child. Teachers need to know about a problem at home or at school.

• In order to work together effectively, concerns should first be addressed with the teacher. Contact your child’s teacher to schedule a conference, by calling the teacher’s classroom phone. During instruction, your call will go to voice mail. The teacher will return your call. If you need additional assistance, the principal is available to help in any way possible.

COMPREHENSIVE BALANCED LITERACY

• The Comprehensive Balanced Literacy program is dedicated to ensuring that every child will be able to read proficiently. More information can be found here.
• CBL goals are:

• To provide ongoing, systematic professional development to enhance the quality of instruction and student performance.

• To examine research in reading and demonstrate strategies for applying it to the classroom practice.

• To assist with the integration of available resources into a comprehensive reading program.

• To stay abreast of and disseminate the most current information on research and best practices in the field of reading.

CONFERENCES

• A conference between a child’s teacher and his/her parent or guardian will be held two times a year. It is very important that a parent attend these conferences. Every effort will be made to schedule the meetings at a convenient time. Other conferences may occur as the need arises at the request of the parent or the teacher.

DISCIPLINE GUIDELINES, PHILOSOPHY AND WGSD POLICIES

• The School Discipline Plan is prefaced by the Mission Statement because the school mission drives the environment we work to create.

Edgar Road Mission Statement:

• We believe that every child has a right to learn in a safe supportive environment that encourages collaboration of staff, students, parents and community for the benefit of each individual learner, as well as the celebration of all our achievements.

Discipline Statement:

At Edgar Road, we provided a positive learning environment where students are encouraged to reach their full potential, both academically and socially.

At Edgar Road School we:

• Encourage respect for self and others

• Develop a sense of social responsibility

• Guarantee a variety of quality learning opportunities

• Acknowledge everyone’s right to learn

• Reinforce positive behaviors and self-discipline

• Offer a variety of strategies that meet student’s needs

• Anticipate and promote student growth and risk taking

• Demonstrate kind, caring, respectful attitudes

Students are expected to:

• Be prepared to learn each day

• Show respect to self, others and property

• Make good decisions/choices

• Take responsibility for decisions/choices

• Demonstrate manners and kindness

• Keep hands and feel to self

• Display sportsmanship

The logic of discipline…

• The building principals are charged with the responsibility of establishing expectations for all students and enforcing the discipline guidelines, as established by the Safe Schools Act and the Webster Groves School District’s discipline policy. Consequences for infractions are logical to the incidence and will result in one or more of the following actions.
• To achieve a “safe, supporting, learning environment"... we will utilize teaching, re-teaching, parent communication and restorative practices. In a safe and caring community of learners, students feel they can freely express themselves and risk making mistakes because they know they will be accepted.

FINE ARTS GIFTED PROGRAM

• The WGSD is unique in that it is the only Missouri District that offers a Fine Arts Gifted Program that includes music, art and drama. Students selected for the program attend once a week for a half-day. The curriculum for the program seeks to nurture and build a community of artists where the exchange of ideas and talents are encouraged. Students cannot be in both the Academic and Fine Arts Gifted programs due to the amount of time each program requires.

GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS

• Grade level curriculum expectations for children can be found on the WGSD web site. If you would like a hard copy, please let your child’s teacher know. These guides outline the curriculum goals for each grade level. Teachers will differentiate curriculum and instructional strategies to meet the individual needs of the children.

HOMEWORK GUIDELINES

• Homework is an assignment to be completed at home and returned on a particular due date. This might include practice or extension of a lesson or skill, completing classwork, long-term projects and other skill building. The purpose of homework is to provide students with opportunities for continued academic growth and the development of responsible learning behaviors.

LIBRARY AND TEXTBOOKS

• All textbooks and library books are the property of the Webster Groves School District. The child who was responsible for their care must pay for lost or damaged books. Library fines must be paid before the child will be allowed to check books out. More information can be found here.

MOCAP

• Because virtual instruction can be an effective education option for some students, there may be courses available either through a district-provided virtual option or through the Missouri Course Access Program (MOCAP). More information about virtual courses can be found on our website,

MUSIC

• All Edgar Road students participate in a variety of musical experiences and develop performance and appreciation skills. Classes meet on a weekly basis. All grade levels present a musical performance at some time during the year. More information can be found here.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

• At the elementary level physical education emphasizes physical fitness and its contribution to a healthy lifestyle. Good sportsmanship is an integral part of all physical education instruction. More information can be found here.

PROGRESS REPORTS

• Progress reports are shared with parents at the end of each of the three reporting periods. Progress reports for the first and second reporting periods are written reports that accompany a parent-teacher conference. The 3rd report is the year end progress report.Tennis shoes are encouraged every day. Children will need tennis shoes for gym class, but these may be worn to school. Please – no black soled shoes, nor retractable roller shoes.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR STAFF

• The Edgar Road Staff continues to work on professional development in keeping their skills strong, learning new information and discussing implementation throughout the year. We are grateful for these opportunities for collegial time to learn, grow and share. On professional development days, students will be dismissed at 11:45 or there will be no school that day. As well, twice a month, WGSD will have a Late Start so that teachers and staff can collaborate around data and strategies for meeting the needs of each child. The district calendar outlines the dates for professional development.

PROJECT PLUS

• Project Plus is the component of the gifted program that serves the top 7% of our children. It is a state-funded program that serves the child for a percentage of his/her week, depending on his/her grade level. Children leave their regular classrooms in order to participate in activities that challenge and appeal to their strengths and interests.

READING SUPPORT

• Reading Recovery is an intervention program designed to facilitate early identification of first grade children who are likely to need extra help in reading. Reading Recovery provides individual instruction for thirty minutes daily. Reading remediation provides small group instruction that focuses on reading strategies and fluency. Both of these instructional programs are offered in addition to the regular classroom reading program by our reading specialists. Edgar Road Elementary is not a Title I School.

SCHOOL GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING

• A counselor is assigned to Edgar Road Elementary School five days a week. The counseling program is designed to promote the social growth, emotional development, and academic progress of every student. Counseling services include classroom visits, small group discussions, special programs, and some individual counseling on a short-term basis.

SCIENCE

• Students in kindergarten through fifth grade begin to develop an understanding of the four disciplinary core ideas: physical sciences; life sciences; earth and space sciences; and engineering, technology, and applications of science. In the earlier grades, students begin by recognizing patterns and formulating answers to questions about the world around them. By the end of fifth grade, students are able to demonstrate grade-appropriate proficiency in gathering, describing, and using information about the natural and designed world(s). More information can be found here.

SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES

• Special School District (SSD) staff members are assigned to Edgar Road School. Children with disabilities may qualify for services from the Special School District staff. Referrals for SSD evaluations are made after a careful assessment, which is a detailed gathering of information about a child’s behavior and/or learning concerns. The Student Success team, classroom teacher, and the child’s parent (s) will work together to determine whether a referral to SSD is appropriate.
• The Webster Groves School District has a Parent Advisory Committee. To learn more about the committee and how you can get involved, please call our Student Services Director, Dr. Scott, at 961-1233.

STUDENT PROBLEM SOLVING

• The Student Problem Solving Team meets to discuss specific issues and concerns regarding the progress of individual students. The team consists of the building principal, school counselor, specialists, teachers, and special school district personnel. Following the problem solving model, the major goal of the Student Problem Solving Team is to assist teachers in planning and implementing interventions that promote children’s success.

TECHNOLOGY

• All students use a variety of technology equipment on a regular basis. Technology is used as a tool for inquiry, research, development, and publication. Edgar Road is equipped with a variety of technology to enhance student learning.

• All technology is the property of the Webster Groves School District. All students are given specific instruction about how to handle equipment appropriately as well as how to be a responsible digital citizen. If there is negligence on the student's part in either of these areas, students may be held responsible according to the district discipline policy. Students may also be held financially responsible for damages to technology equipment.

Edgar Road School’s PTO is a volunteer organization that sponsors enrichment, social, and fund raising activities for our students, faculty and families. Your volunteer efforts make all the PTO programs possible. Volunteering opportunities are located on the main bulletin board across from the school office. All funds raised by the PTO are returned to the students and facilities through the PTO’s numerous activities and projects. PTO meetings are held once a month on Thursdays. Supporting the PTO enriches the entire Edgar Road School community. Read more at our PTO website.

ptoedgarroad.gmail.com

Asbestos Regulation

Curriculum and Assessment

Disability Services

Health Policies

Individualized Health Plans

Medical Forms

Notice of Non Disrimination

Parent Notification

Parents Right to Know

Parents Right to Know on Surveys and Exams

Privacy Rights on Student Information

Programs for Homeless Students

Special Education Services

Statewide Assessments

Title IX - Formal Complaint Form

VICC Provisions