Policies and Procedures

Information from the school and district will be sent out regularly. All information from our school will be sent through School Messenger.  Twice a month there will be a school newsletter, The Jefferson Journal, emailed out with important information.  We also post regularly on our school Facebook page.   Be sure to check our website regularly for updates and information, as well.

At Jefferson Elementary we use Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to encourage and celebrate positive behavior choices from our students.  It is also a way to set explicit expectations for students.  We focus on our PRIDE Promise of being Prepared, Respectful, having Integrity, Dedication, and Excellence along with being kind.  Students may earn rewards and incentives for their positive actions on their Jag Tags, Positive Student Shout Outs Referrals, and Student of the Month parties with the principals. 

Please make every attempt to get your child to school on time as we are required to monitor students’ hours absent, due to House Bill 410.  It is important for every student in Ohio to attend school every day. Missing too much school has long-term, negative effects on students, such as lower achievement and graduation rates.  It is extremely important to always call our attendance line to let us know when they will be out.  Providing a doctor's note when applicable is helpful as well.  When students hit certain benchmarks of hours of school missed, you will receive a letter notifying you of this.  Certain benchmarks require meetings and/or intervention plans to take place. The highest of benchmarks could require further actions and local resources to be involved.  Click HERE for a link to more information regarding House Bill 410.  Please reach out to the school if you need help!

We enjoy celebrating our students on their birthday by announcing their name and providing them with a special birthday pencil. We also respect that many parents would like to send in items for their child’s class on this special day.  Sending in an item on your child’s birthday is optional, but please follow the following guidelines if you choose to provide something for the class.

Due to allergies and other health concerns, no food treats or deliveries of flowers, balloons, etc. are permitted.
If you choose to send in a non-food treat, please communicate with the teacher and provide enough for each student in the class.
In order to limit class interruptions, all treats must be sent in with the student or brought to the main office as we are unable to accommodate guests for individual birthday celebrations.  Teachers will send the treat home with students at the end of the day.
Students may not pass out any birthday invitations to other students or classes at school.

To ensure safety during recess and physical education times, we highly recommend students wear sneakers to school each day.  Students who are not wearing appropriate footwear may not be able to participate in all activities and spaces that day.  
Students will be going out to recess in many types of weather conditions.  Please ensure that they are dressed appropriately for the weather.
Please send a water bottle with a lid labeled with your child’s name to school each day.  Due to the frequency of spills, we ask that only water be sent in your child’s water bottle please. 

Student Cell Phones, Smart Watches, and Earbuds  

Student cell phones must be turned off and stored in student backpacks. Students may not have their cell phones in their pockets (pants, sweatshirts, jackets etc). Some bus drivers allow kids to use their phones on the bus, but they should not be walking in or out of school with them in their hands/pockets. 

• Offense #1 - Staff Member reminds the student to turn the phone off and put it in their backpack (notify classroom teacher for tracking purposes). 
  • Classroom teacher discretion whether to notify parents or not.
• ​​​Offense #2 - Staff Member takes the student’s phone and keeps it in their possession (or gives it to the classroom teacher to keep in their possession) until the end of the school day. 
  • Classroom teacher will notify parents of the 2nd offense and warn about the consequences of a third offense. 
• Offense #3 - Staff Member notifies the classroom teacher and brings the student’s cell phone to the office. 
  • Principal or Assistant Principal calls home and informs parents that the phone will remain in the office until picked up by the parent. 

Smart watches may only be used to tell time. If students are using them for communication or gaming purposes, they will follow the same rules above stated for cell phones. 

Students are not allowed to have their personal headphones (airpods, earbuds) during class time (unless approved by teacher for use), recess, or during ENCORE classes. Unauthorized use of these items will result in the above stated processes for cell phones and smart watches.

Student Toys/Balls/Electronics

Students should not bring their own toys, balls, or electronics to school and may not bring them out to recess.  If they do bring them to school (for before/after school use), this is at their own risk, and they need to be kept in the student’s backpack. The school is NOT responsible for lost or stolen items. 

Student Hoodies/Hats

Students may wear hoodies inside the school, but they must keep their hoods down at all times. Having hoods up makes it difficult to identify students and their actions, and often leads to academic disengagement. Hats are not permitted inside the school unless it is a designated “hat day”.

Birthdays/Invitations

Students may not pass out birthday invitations. If the family is having a party and wants to invite the entire class, the parent may contact the teacher and request for the teacher to pass the invitations out to all students in the class. NO FOOD BIRTHDAY TREATS MAY BE SENT IN TO SCHOOL THROUGH THE STUDENT OR DROPPED OFF IN THE OFFICE. We will contact the family to pick these up. Thank you for your cooperation!

Lunch

Outside Food Deliveries are Prohibited (Uber Eats, GrubHub, etc). If a student forgets a lunch, and the family can’t drop one off prior to the student lunch period, we will provide them with a school lunch and charge the school lunch account.