Student Handbook-Immersive Reader

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Dear Families and Students,

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year at Benjamin Rush Elementary School. We are looking forward to another exciting educational year in which we have the opportunity and privilege of working with your children. We have enjoyed welcoming students back to Rush and meeting our newest students, so we can begin a year of learning and growing together. 

The purpose of this handbook is to communicate to families our expectations for the behavior of every student at Rush. We want everyone to be successful, have a safe and fun school year, and enjoy learning. Bullying, harassment and/or intimidation, in any form, are not tolerated here. There are three behaviors students are expected to follow: 

• BE SAFE 
• BE RESPECTFUL 
• BE RESPONSIBLE 

Everyone in the Rush community is committed to achieving these expectations and making sure that Rush Elementary is a place where every student is challenged to reach personal success in a safe, fun, and inclusive environment. We believe that each student is unique and deserves to be valued, accepted, and inspired to learn and grow. 

We would like to invite family members to volunteer and be a part of our community whenever possible. Families are a critical component of a child’s education, and we would love to have you participate in the various roles we have for volunteers here at Rush. Some opportunities include – working in classrooms, reading with small groups of students, helping to supervise our Safety Patrol in the mornings and after school, and helping in the library. There are also many opportunities to support our amazing PTA such as volunteering to help with the fundraisers, Movie Nights, Ice Cream Social, Science Fair, International Night, and many more. There are so many ways you can have a positive impact by being involved at Rush! Look for information in our school’s weekly newsletter in ParentSquare and from your child’s teacher. 

We would like to thank you for making this such a great school surrounded by such an amazing community. We feel honored to be on the administrative team at Ben Rush Elementary and look forward to working with all of you to make this a safe, happy, and rigorous year of learning. 

Sincerely,

Lucy Davies and Moya Hines-Yates
Administrative Team at Benjamin Rush Elementary

 

 DAILY SCHEDULE

School Hours: 8:40 AM - 3:10 PM (M, T, Th, F) Students may arrive on campus beginning at 8:25 AM. 

Office Hours: 8:10 AM – 3:40 PM (M, T, W, Th, F) 

Learning Enhancement and Academic Planning (LEAP) occurs every Wednesday beginning on September 13th. All students will be dismissed at 1:40 p.m. to provide time for teacher collaboration and focused team-based efforts to improve student achievement. 

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays

1^st & 2^nd grade recess 10:22 AM - 10:37 AM

Kindergarten recess 10:40 AM - 10:55 AM

3^rd grade lunch 11:00 AM - 11:25 AM

3^rd grade recess 11:25 AM - 11:55 PM

4^th and 5^th grade lunch 11:27 AM - 11:57 AM

4^th and 5^th grade recess 11:57 AM - 12:27 PM

1^st grade lunch 12:00 PM - 12:25 PM

1^st grade recess 12:25 PM - 12:55 PM

2^nd and Kindergarten lunch 12:27 PM – 12:57 PM

2^nd and Kindergarten recess 12:57 PM - 1:27 PM

3^rd, 4^th, 5^th grade recess 1:55 PM – 2:10 PM

 

Wednesdays

3rd, 4th, 5th, grade recess 10:05 AM - 10:20 AM

1st & 2nd grade recess 10:22 AM - 10:37 AM

Kindergarten recess 10:40 AM – 10:55 AM

3^rd grade lunch 11:00 AM - 11:25 AM

3^rd grade recess 11:25 AM - 11:55 PM

4^th and 5^th grade lunch 11:27 AM - 11:57 AM

4^th and 5^th grade recess 11:57 AM - 12:27 PM

1^st grade lunch 12:00 PM - 12:25 PM

1^st grade recess 12:25 PM - 12:55 PM

2^nd and Kindergarten lunch 12:27 PM – 12:57 PM

2^nd and Kindergarten recess 12:57 PM - 1:27 PM

 
SCHOOL BEHAVIOR
Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS)

At Rush Elementary, we believe that discipline does not mean punishment. Discipline is proactive, restorative, and instructive. Appropriate discipline helps all students succeed in a positive and supportive environment. PBIS is a framework for creating positive student behavior and addressing potentially problematic behavior in a proactive way. PBIS supports a positive learning environment and helps to create clear behavior expectations for students. The behavior expectations -- Safe, Respectful, Responsible -- will be taught to students and reinforced consistently. Students are expected to exhibit safe, respectful, and responsible behaviors in all school settings throughout their day. Students will be earning “gotcha tickets” and praise notes to encourage positive behaviors. Talking with your student about making safe, respectful, and responsible decisions is a good way to support their school success. Please view our schoolwide expectations for each area of the school. 

KELSO’S CHOICES
Students learn about Kelso’s Choices to help promote problem-solving, cooperation, and teamwork. Kelso, the green frog, has 10 strategies that students can try when they need help making a good choice in a situation. Our goal is to have students learn and then practice making the best choices possible with Kelso’s problem-solving strategies.

VOLUNTEER GUIDELINES

LWSD Volunteer Website 

Family members of Rush Elementary students, as well as community members, are welcome and encouraged to volunteer at our school. To become a volunteer and work with students, the LWSD district requires people to complete a Volunteer Application form, which can be picked up in the office or found online. This application is good for two years. For security reasons, we require that all volunteers and visitors sign in on the appropriate sheet in the office when they arrive and wear a name badge for identification. Please sign out when you leave the school. 

When you are volunteering in the school, you have the authority and responsibility to help students learn and work together cooperatively. Please be available to help them learn and solve problems they may be having. In addition to guidelines found in the Volunteer Handbook, the following are guidelines for volunteers at Rush Elementary: 

1. No alcohol, controlled substances or tobacco will be consumed or used on school grounds or when attending school outings with students. 

2. Volunteers may act immediately on judgments of student safety. 

3. Volunteers are encouraged to ask for direction, clarification, or assistance from staff. 

4. Volunteers should wait until class time is over to discuss concerns that occurred during the day about their child/program. Sometimes teachers will ask volunteers to make a separate appointment to discuss concerns as they may have prior commitments. 

5. Volunteers in the building during school time should refrain from conversing with each other in a way that might disrupt classroom activity. 

6. When visiting classrooms, volunteers are expected to actively assist students or to participate in activities as a learner. 

7. Volunteers should not discuss other student issues regarding behavior or academics inside or outside of school. 

Tips for Parents: 

1. Respect each child’s right to privacy. As a guest in the lives of children and their families, confidentiality is expected at all times. 

2. Let students know that you care. 

3. Be a good role model. Children will be looking up to you and learning from you. When you demonstrate positive behaviors, they will follow your lead! 

Volunteers provide important contributions to Rush students and staff. Thank you in advance for your time and support. Our volunteers are greatly appreciated. 

 
COMMUNICATION

The following methods give our families updated information about classroom activities, curriculum, and special events: 

• The weekly Rush eNews sent by ParentSquare  

• The Cheetah Chat is the PTA newsletter with information relevant to PTA members and parents, published by the PTA each week 

• Rush Website http://rush.lwsd.org/ 

• Rush PTA Website http://benrushpta.org 

• Rush Reader Board (sign at the parking lot entrance) 

• Teacher newsletters or messages to the classroom sent out at least once a month 

CONFERENCE WEEKS

Family/teacher conferences provide time for families to meet with teachers and discuss their child’s progress in school. Families are welcome to request additional conferences at any time. 

Family Connection Conferences - September 5, 6, 7 

2nd Semester Conferences - January 23, 25, 26 

You will have a chance to sign up online for conferences prior to conference week. 

COMMUNICATING WITH CHILD DURING SCHOOL

If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call the main office. Urgent and emergency messages will be communicated to students by the office staff. To alleviate classroom interruptions and protect learning, we do not have students answer phone calls. Cell phones should remain in the student’s backpack and powered off completely. Please discuss after-school arrangements (going home with a friend, riding the bus, etc.) before your child comes to school. 

BUS PASS

A written note from a parent/guardian is required if your child is to ride the bus home with another student. This should be brought to the office or given to the teacher before noon to receive the appropriate Bus Pass for the driver. A bus pass will be provided if there is room on the bus. 

FAMILY MEETINGS

Rush teachers view the education of students as a partnership between families and teachers. There will be times when family members have questions or concerns that require a conference with the teacher. If you would like to speak with a teacher, please email or call to set up a time that is convenient for both of you. Lake Washington School District policy states that all classroom visitations and conferences must be set up with teachers in advance. Sign-in/sign-out procedures must be followed when attending a conference with your child’s teacher. 

SAFETY

The safety and security of students is a top priority of our school and district. There are entry control systems at all schools in the district. These controls allow schools to keep all outside doors locked and require all visitors to use a video call system before entering the building. These types of systems are similar to how visitors gain access at many apartments or condominiums that keep all entry doors locked. The district now has Entry Control System hardware installed in all schools. The goal of the system is to keep control of access to the building and be aware of all the people entering the building. 

Here’s what to expect when you come to Benjamin Rush Elementary: 

• All outside doors will be locked. 

• Visitors will need to use the entry control system video unit to ask permission to enter the building. 

• Visitors will be asked their name and the purpose of their visit. 

• Visitors must then proceed immediately to the office to show picture identification and sign in. 

• Visitors must wear an identifying badge while in the building. 

This has been a important step towards increasing the safety and security of our school campus. Please allow for extra time if you need to pick your child up early due to a medical appointment, or if you plan to volunteer in the classroom. For more information about safety in LWSD, visit the safety webpage: www.lwsd.org/safety. 

PARKING LOT SAFETY AND PICK-UP/DROP-OFF PROCEDURES

Ben Rush has a wonderful group of students, called Safety Patrol, who help when students are being dropped off and picked up. Please be respectful and follow their instructions. When dropping off and picking up, please pull forward outside the front of the school. When your vehicle has pulled past the first crosswalk, your child may safely exit the vehicle. Students should exit the car on the sidewalk side of the car. Once your child has exited the car, please wait for the cars in front of you to move before driving forward. Please do not go around cars in our drop-off and pick-up area as this is very dangerous. Also, please drive slowly and watch for people crossing at all of our crosswalks. If you choose to park and walk your child into school, please use the crosswalks to cross all of the streets. Do not drop students off in the parking lot area. We work hard to be respectful neighbors to the families who live close to the school. Please do not use the cul-de-sacs near the school to drop off or pick up students. Not only is it difficult for our neighbors, but we do not have a crossing guard in that area, so it is not safe for our students when multiple cars are dropping off students. Most importantly, please be patient and allow plenty of time to get students to school on time. We are a large school, and many parents drive their children to and from school. 

 
EVENING EVENTS AT RUSH

Over the course of a typical school year, there are many opportunities for families to participate in PTA and school events in the evening. Examples of these events include the Science Fair, International Night, and Ice Cream Socials. These events are community gatherings where we celebrate our accomplishments, enjoy camaraderie, and make connections with other Rush Families. Guidelines include: 

1. Accompany your children to these events. These are not “drop off” events. 

2. Students need to participate in the event. This is not a time to leave the event space, move about the school and grounds, or run through the hallways and gym. 

3. Adults need to supervise their children and know their whereabouts at all times during the event. 

4. Please be respectful of our neighbors and park legally. 

BICYCLE AND SCOOTER RULES

Students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade are allowed to ride bikes/scooters to and from school and keep them at school during the school day under the following conditions: 

• Students MUST wear safety helmets. 

• Bicycles/scooters are to be walked on school property. 

• Bicycles/scooters must be parked and locked in the racks provided. 

• Each bicycle/scooter must have its own lock. 

• Bicycles/scooters may not be used during recess. 

• Bicycles/scooters are brought to school at the risk of the owner. The school cannot accept responsibility for bicycle security. 

To be eligible to ride your bike/scooter to school, you must be in 3rd – 5th grade, and must live within the one mile, walking boundaries of the school. Students in K-2nd grades are asked to leave bicycles/scooters at home unless they ride while accompanied by parent. Due to safety concerns, we advise that students living west of 148th NE or south of 51st should take the assigned bus and not ride bicycles/scooters to school. 

Note: Motorized scooters, mini-motorbikes, skateboards, rollerblades and wheelie-type shoes are not to be worn or used at school or on school grounds for safety reasons 

 

HEALTH ROOM/MEDICATION
Schools rely on the cooperation of parents/guardians to administer medication safely and effectively to their students at school.

Parents/guardians are responsible for:
•    supplying all medications (schools do not supply medications for students)
•    transporting medication to and from school
•    completing all required medication authorization forms Forms can be found at http://www.lwsd.org/about-us/forms-library
Requirements for all medications: prescription, non-prescription and homeopathic
•    Parents/guardians must complete the Authorization to Administer Medication form for each medication. The form must be signed by the health care provider and parent/guardian. Medication cannot be given without the completed form.
•    Parents/guardians must bring all medications to the school office for the student. Students cannot bring medication to school and medication cannot be transported on school district buses.
•    All medication must be in the original prescription bottle, container, or package.
•    All non-prescription medication must be labeled by the parent. The label should include: student name, date issued, name of medication, name of health care provider, exact dosage, time of day medication is to be given.
•    Directions on the authorization to administer medication form must match the directions on the prescription bottle/container.
•    If half doses have been prescribed, the parent/guardian must break medication tablets in half before bringing to the school.
•    Medication which is to be given three times a day should be given at home before school, after school, and at bedtime.
•    Homeopathic medications will only be accepted if the authorization to administer medication form is signed by a health care provider.

Inhalers
The Authorization to Administer Medication form is to be completed for inhalers. If an exception is made allowing the student to carry his/her own inhaler, written permission from parent/guardian, health care provider, and school nurse is required.

Insulin
Parents must complete the Diabetes Health Care Provider Medication Order form to allow their students to take insulin at school.

Administering Medication at School
Medications are given between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The school is not responsible for documentation of medication use or monitoring of expiration date, if carried and self-administered by the student. If a student self carries medication at school, they still need a health care provider’s order on file at the school. Note: Medication left at school will be destroyed at the end of the school year, according to district policy.
 
What is a life-threatening health condition?
A life-threatening health condition puts the child in danger of death during the school day without medication or treatment and a nursing plan is in place (see Washington state law RCW 28A.210.320). This includes: diabetes, severe asthma, severe allergies (bees, peanuts, etc.), cardiac/heart conditions, epilepsy/seizure disorder.   

Reporting the condition or illness
Parents/guardians of students with life-threatening conditions must inform the school and work with the school nurse and the student’s health care provider to create a health care plan. Planning ahead helps schools to be equipped and prepared to care for students in emergency health situations. Parents/guardians must:
•    report the life-threatening condition on the nurse alert form
•    complete the authorization to administer medication form if student needs medication at school
•    complete the health care plan that is specific to the student’s illness, if applicable. All student health forms are available at http://www.lwsd.org/about-us/forms-library. Required documentation must be completed before the child attends school.

When to keep your sick child home from school
If your child has any of the following symptoms, please keep him/her home, or make appropriate childcare arrangements. It will be necessary to pick your student up from school as soon as possible if he/she shows any of the following symptoms at school:
•    Fever: temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Child must not have a fever for 24 hours before returning to school.
•    Vomiting: child should not return to school for 24 hours following the last episode of vomiting
•    Lice, scabies: Children may not return to school until they have been treated and no live lice are present. Children with scabies can be admitted after treatment. All students with head lice will be sent home until treatment is completed. According to district policy, no child will be readmitted to school unless first checked by a nurse or district representative in the health room and no live lice are present. An adult must accompany students when they return to school.
•    Diarrhea: more than one watery stool in a 24-hour period, especially if the child acts or looks ill
•    Chronic cough and/or runny nose: continual coughing and greenish nose discharge. Conditions may be contagious and may require treatment from your health care provider.
•    Sore throat: especially with fever or swollen glands in the neck
•    Rash: body rash, especially with fever or itching
•    Ear infection: with fever. Without fever can attend school, but the child may need medical treatment and follow- up. Untreated ear infections can cause permanent hearing loss.
•    Eye infection: Eye infection: pink eye (conjunctivitis) or thick mucus or pus draining from eye
•    Unusual appearance, behavior: abnormally tired, pale, lack of appetite, difficult to wake, confused or irritable. This is sufficient reason to exclude a child from school.

SCHOOL MEALS

The following are elementary breakfast and lunch prices for the 2023-24 school year.

Individual Student Breakfast: $2.25

Individual student lunch: $3.75

Individual student milk:  $0.50

Free and Reduced Lunch 

We strongly encourage families to complete the School Meal Benefit application annually to determine if they qualify for free or reduced priced meals. The School Meal Benefit application may be completed at anytime throughout the school year if a family’s income changes. The School Meal Benefit application is available on the LWSD website at http://www.lwsd.org/students-families/breakfast-and-lunch-menus 

What happens when there is no money in a student’s lunch account? 

We do not want a child to go without a meal during the school day. In a typical school year, students would be allowed to debit their school meal account for the purchase of a meal when their account does not have enough money. The purchase of a la carte items including 2nd entrees, milk or juice and snacks are not allowed when an account is negative or will become negative due to the charge.  

To help keep families informed: 

Nutrition Services will make every effort to communicate with families the status of their student’s low and negative meal account balances through the following efforts: 

Accounts with low balances of $10 or less: 

• Families will receive an automated email message twice a week (Mondays & Wednesdays) regarding their child’s meal account balance. 

• Families who utilize MySchoolBucks to manage their child’s account can set alerts that will notify them when an account balance reaches a certain point. This is managed strictly by the family. 

Accounts with negative balances: 

• Families will receive an automated phone call and an email message three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays) regarding their child’s meal account balance. Notifications will continue until account balance is paid off. 

• Families will receive a personal phone call from the Nutrition Services Office once their child’s balance reaches a negative $15. 

• If the child’s account balance continues to remain negative after these attempts, Nutrition Services will contact the school designee who will connect with the families to problem solve ways to resolve the negative balance issue. 

• Unresolved negative balances at the end of the year will be submitted to the Accounting office for collection. 

Adding Money to a student’s lunch account 

You may make deposits to lunch accounts by: 

1. Families are encouraged to enroll in the online prepayment service www.myschoolbucks.com for meal account payments and account tracking. There is a convenience fee for this payment service, however, there is no fee associated with account balance inquires through MySchoolBucks. 

2. Sending a check or cash to school in an envelope. Please include the child’s first & last name as well as the teacher’s name on the check or envelope. One check is fine for multiple siblings; just make a note on the memo line as to how the amount should be split. 

Families should contact Nutrition Services for the following: 

• If you do not want your child to purchase a meal once their account is negative or if you want to restrict the purchase of a la carte foods, an alert can be placed on their student’s account. 

• If you need assistance with payment options to address school meal charges. 

• Questions regarding negative school meal balances. 

Nutrition Services Phone: 425-936-1393 

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:10a.m.-3:40p.m. 

If you have any questions about the lunch program or account balances, you may also contact:

Tahereh Karimi, Cashier, at tkarimi@lwsd.org or by phone at 425-936-2690 

Moya Hines-Yates, Associate Principal, at mhinesyates@lwsd.org, or by phone at 425-936-2690 

 

ATTENDANCE AND TARDY POLICY

Learning time is precious. At Ben Rush Elementary we want to support families and students to attend school regularly and on time each day. While we encourage students to remain at home if they are sick and to get the rest they need to be healthy and strong, we also want to promote regular and on-time attendance, so they can be successful students. Being in class is positively correlated to student achievement. 

Safe Arrival Program: At Ben Rush, we follow the Safe Arrival attendance law. This means that a written excuse or safe arrival phone call from a parent or   guardian is required for every absence or late arrival to school. Please call the Safe Arrival number (425-936-2691) before 8:40 a.m. if your child will be absent or arriving late. If you forget to phone in your child’s absence, the main office will phone you to confirm your child is with you. For attendance recording purposes, a TARDY is recorded if a student arrives to school after 8:40 a.m. per the school wall clocks. An ABSENCE is recorded when a student misses more than 60 minutes of class time as either a ½ day AM or ½ day PM session or a full day absence. 

Early Dismissal: We discourage early dismissals because learning takes place right to the end of the school day. We, however, recognize the need for doctor and dental appointments and other emergencies. Please email rushes@lwsd.org. When arriving to pick up your child, sign your child out, and request your child be called for dismissal. Students are released only to parents, guardians or those having parent permission. Students will not be called down until a parent, guardian, or those having parent permission have signed them out. Please make sure your emergency contacts are up-to-date as it specifies who can sign out your child during the school year and in case of an emergency. 

Extended Absences: Family vacations and trips are special times, and we ask that you please check the school calendar when making your vacation plans. If you must take a student out of school for an extended period of time, contact the attendance office (rushes@lwsd.org) for information on how to make sure the absence is excused. State law requires each school to track extended absences. The administration is required to meet with families whose children miss more than 5 days of school in a month or 10 days of school over the school year, unless information is submitted indicating how the learning will be continued while the children are away. LWSD does not require teachers to provide assignments during periods of illness or travel. You may work with your child's teacher to establish a plan for make-up work or any work the teacher has assigned per their discretion. BoardDocs® Policy: 3122P Procedure Excused and Unexcused Absences 

When travel extends beyond 20 consecutive days, student will be withdrawn on day 21. We will ask for address verification and then process your enrollment accordingly. Your student will have a spot in our school upon your return and proof of residency. However, there is no guarantee student will be placed in the current teacher's class due to enrollment of other students and placement processes. We will do our best to return them to the current class if there is an opening.  

Please help us increase your child’s success in school by limiting tardies and absences. Please contact your      child’s teacher, the school counselor, or the principal if we can assist in any way. 

The Washington attendance law, the BECCA bill, http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/BeccaTruancyES.pdf requires students by law to be in school. This law can apply to elementary school aged students when they are excessively absent. Even if these absences are excused. Washington State law requires that all children from age 8 to 17 attend school. This law also applies to children ages 6 and 7 if the parent enrolls the child in public school. Regular attendance is a major factor in determining a child’s success in school and helping them to perform well academically. Although missed assignments can be made up, nothing can replace valuable in-class instruction. 

TEXTBOOKS AND LIBRARY BOOKS
Students are responsible for the proper use of textbooks and library books and must pay for lost or damaged books. Students will be required to pay fines for damaged books in accordance with the amount of damage. In cases where the book is unusable as a result of the damage, the full price will be charged. Each student must return all books issued when leaving the school or at the end of the school year. 
 
DRESS CODE

What is fashionable is not always appropriate for elementary school … Some clothing or footwear can cause a safety hazard or distraction to learning. Staff judgment will be used to determine if an article of clothing or outfit worn by a student creates a safety hazard or causes serious or substantial disruption to learning. 

1. Shirts with rips, tears or holes should not be worn along with pants or shorts with holes above the knees. Pants should also be worn above the hips. 

2. Shorts or skirts worn should reach past the tip of extended fingers. 

3. Tank tops with spaghetti straps, halter tops, tube tops, and cut off shirts or other attire which exposes the midriff are not approved. 

4. Articles of clothing with designs displaying or advertising drugs, alcoholic beverages/insignias, sexuality, or other offensive or disturbing images or messages are not allowed to be worn at school. 

5. Shoes need to be safe in all settings of the school. Please be aware when you child has PE and make sure they have appropriate shoes. 

6. Shoelaces should be tied. 

7. Shoes with built in wheels are not permitted. 

8. Students should be dressed appropriately for cold and rainy weather. 

9. Hats in the classroom are up to teacher discretion. 

Rush’s Dress Code applies to all school events. As with any policy, it is challenging to detail all aspects. Please remember the Rush staff may sometimes have to use their discretion regarding student dress. 

PERSONAL ITEMS

It is NOT permissible for students to bring any personal sports equipment or toys from home for use on the playground. Personal items can be easily lost or damaged and can create a classroom distraction for students. Balls, jump ropes, and hula-hoops are provided by the school for outdoor play. Cell phones may be brought to school but should stay in a student’s backpack during the day and should be powered off during the school day. Cell phones are not allowed at recess or lunch. Cell phones and smart watches that cause a distraction to learning time or are out at inappropriate times may be taken and returned to the student or a parent/guardian at the end of the day. Selling and trading cards are not permitted at school. This includes Pokémon, baseball, and other trading cards. 

GIFTS

While we understand the intention behind gifts is positive, the school is responsible for gifts that students exchange at school. For that reason, wrapped gifts are not allowed to be exchanged during school hours.

PLAYGROUND GUIDELINES AND EXPECTATIONS

Rules apply before, during and after school hours 

These are general guidelines to help students to be respectful, responsible, and safe. Students are encouraged and, when necessary, assisted, to resolve conflicts. Playground supervisors do have the right and responsibility to determine that some play, games, or actions are not safe and appropriate and will stop such play/actions immediately. 

Supervision 

Benjamin Rush students are supervised during the school day in the classroom, on the playground, at lunch and in PE, music, and library classes. However, we do not provide supervision before or after school. To ensure the safety of your children, we ask that students arrive at school no earlier than 8:25 a.m. and line up outside their classroom or designated area. All students not under adult supervision must leave the school grounds immediately after the 3:20 p.m. dismissal bell (1:40 p.m. on Wednesdays) 

Rush Elementary Playground Expectations  

Be Safe 

• When you hear a whistle, stop, look and listen 

• Use equipment safely 

• Get a pass to go inside 

• Play safe and nonviolent games 

• Only throw playground balls 

Be Respectful 

• Include others 

• Use kind words and Kelso’s choices to settle conflicts 

• Follow adult instructions 

Be Responsible 

• Play fairly and follow game rules 

• Line up quickly and quietly when you hear the signal 

• Leave toys at home 

• Leave umbrellas in the classroom 

 
STUDENT/STAFF/FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SCHOOL BEHAVIOR

In a school learning community, each member has a responsibility to keep the environment safe and comfortable for others. The following are ways in which each member can contribute to the success of our students and help to make Rush a productive and happy place: 

Student responsibilities include: 

• Read and discuss this behavior policy with your parent or guardian. 

• Be safe, respectful, and responsible in all settings 

• Use Kelso’s Choices to solve small problems on your own. Go to adults to help with big problems 

Family responsibilities include: 

• Read and discuss this behavior policy with your child. 

• Model safe, respectful, and responsible behavior 

• Ensure that your child is at school on time and everyday (unless they are sick) 

• Read, sign and respond to any communication about your child 

• Participate in conferences and other activities at the school 

• Communicate with teachers and staff 

• Advocate for your child in a respectful manner 

Staff responsibilities include: 

• Teach and model safe, respectful, and responsible behaviors 

• Implement Kelso Choices and Second Steps programs 

• Use school wide positive reinforcement systems (e.g., Gotcha Tickets, Praise Notes) 

• Post school and classroom behavior expectations 

• Communicate with families and students 

• Honor and trust that families know their children well 

• Advocate for students in a respectful manner 

 
OFFICE REFERRALS FOR DISCIPLINARY MATTERS

Rush teachers and support staff help our students learn to get along, follow rules, and take responsibility for their own decisions. Most of the time this is done as a normal course of our work on playgrounds, in classrooms, in the lunchroom, and hallways. At times, Rush staff may refer a student to the principal or associate principal because of the seriousness of the behavior or the chronic nature of the behavior. 

When a student is referred to an administrator, you can expect that the administrator will start by talking with the student about the importance of telling the truth and taking responsibility. Then the administration will investigate the situation thoroughly and will aim to turn the concern into a learning opportunity. Most often, the student will be given an opportunity to reflect and will be challenged to take responsibility for choices come up with a plan to repair any harm that was caused.

The principal or associate principal will communicate actions taken with the teacher and will communicate with families when it is appropriate. 

The Lake Washington School District Student Rights and Responsibilities complements the Rush Discipline process. Please refer to this document as part of our Student/Family Handbook. 

OUR MISSION
Each student will graduate prepared to lead a rewarding, responsible life as a contributing member of our community and greater society.

OUR VISION
Every Student Future Ready: Prepared for College - Prepared for the Global Workplace - Prepared for Personal Success

*The Lake Washington School District Strategic Plan and Student Profile can be found online at: http://www.lwsd.org/about-us