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2022-2023 Benjamin Rush Elementary School Student/Family Handbook

Welcome!

Dear Families and Students:

Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year at Benjamin Rush Elementary School! We are looking forward to yet another exciting educational year in which we have the opportunity and privilege of working with your children. We are pleased to welcome students back to Rush and start the school year with in-person learning.

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

• BE SAFE
• BE RESPECTFUL
• BE RESPONSIBLE

Everyone in the Rush Community is committed to help achieve these expectations and make 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 of our students are special and deserve to be accepted where they are 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 once it is safe to do so again. In a typical school year, some opportunities include: working in classrooms, reading with small groups of students, helping to supervise our Safety Patrol in the mornings and after school, participating in our Watch D.O.G.S. program, helping in the library, and monthly opportunities to help us create math games are all ways to help our students and staff. There are also many opportunities to support our amazing PTA such as volunteering to help with the Read-a-thon, Movie Nights, Ice Cream Social, Science Fair and many more. As safety guidelines are updated, we will announce opportunities to volunteer as they become available. 

We would like to say thank you for making this such a great school surrounded by such a tremendous community. We feel honored to be the administrative team at Ben Rush Elementary and look forward to working with all of you.

Sincerely,

Lucy Davies and Moya Hines-Yates
Administrative Team at Benjamin Rush Elementary
 
Office Hours: 8:20 AM – 3:50 PM (M, T, W, Th, F)

School Hours: 8:50 AM - 3:20 PM (M, T, Th, F)

Learning Enhancement and Academic Planning (LEAP) occurs every Wednesday. All students will be dismissed at 1:50 p.m. in order to provide time specifically designed to improve student achievement through teacher collaboration and focused team-based efforts.

 
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 and 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.

PEACEBUILDERS
The Peacebuilders program promotes a culture of peace and positivity throughout the school. Ben Rush was the 1st Peacebuilder school in Washington State. We strive to incorporate the concept of building peace into all of our academic and social activities at Benjamin Rush.
PEACEBUILDERS PRINCIPLES:

• Praise People
• Give Up Put Downs
• Seek Wise People
• Notice and Speak Up About Hurts
• Right Wrongs
• Help Others

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
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 working in the school, you have the authority and responsibility for helping 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 outing 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 after school.
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 in or outside of school.

Tips for Volunteers:

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

2.    Let the child 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!
 
COMMUNICATION
The following methods give our families updated information about classroom activities, curriculum and special events:
•    The Rush eNews sent by e-mail weekly
•    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
•    Teacher emails sent out at least once a month

CONFERENCE WEEKS
Parent/teacher conferences provide time for parents to meet with teachers and discuss their child’s progress in school. Parents are welcome to request additional conferences at any time.
1st Semester Conferences    October 17, 18, 20
2nd Semester Conferences    January 24, 26, 27

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. 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.

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 parent/teacher conference. If you would like to speak with a teacher, please email or call to set up a time that is convenient for both parties.
In accordance with Lake Washington School District policy, all classroom visitations and conferences must be set up with teachers in advance. Sign-in procedures must be followed when visiting for a conference with your child’s teacher.
 
SAFETY
The safety and security of students is a top priority of our school and district. One of our safety enhancements, implemented during the 2018-19 school year, was the installation of entry control systems at all schools in the district. These controls allow schools to keep all exterior doors locked and require all visitors to use a video call system to request access. 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:
1.    Maintain control of access to the building interior, and
2.    Maintain knowledge of persons entering the building interior. Here’s what to expect when you come to Benjamin Rush Elementary:
•    All exterior doors will be locked.
•    Visitors will need to use the entry control system video unit to request permission to enter the building.
•    Visitors will be asked their name and the purpose of their visit.
•    Visitors must then proceed to the office to show picture identification and sign in.
•    Visitors must wear an identifying badge while in the building.

This has been a crucial step towards enhancing 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. (*Please note that Safety Patrol will not open car doors for students. This is a change due to Covid-19 safety policies). You’re 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 leave lots 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 more 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 and International Night. These events are community gatherings where we celebrate our accomplishments, enjoy camaraderie, and make connections with our other Rush Families.
Guidelines:
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 do not park in fire lanes
**At this time, there will be no evening events or large schoolwide gatherings due to Covid-19 safety guidance.

BICYCLE AND SCOOTER RULES
Students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade are allowed to ride bikes/scooters to school 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 student 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
Due to ongoing public health concerns related to Covid-19, when students return to the school building guidance around when to keep your sick child home from school will be updated to reflect the most current information and policies at that time.
Lake Washington School District works with King County Department of Public Health to help protect children from spreading communicable diseases. Keeping children home when they are too sick for school protects other students and staff from potential illness.

Symptoms that child is too sick for 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.

BREAKFAST/LUNCH PROGRAM
The following are lunch prices for the 2022-23 school year. 
Student breakfast: $2.25      Student lunch: $3.75        Individual student milk:  .50 

Students will have a lunch account and a plastic card that works in a similar way to a debit card. Though school breakfasts and lunches are at no cost, student accounts will be charged if student by individual items, such as only milk. If that is the case, it is important that money is put in the student’s account prior to buying a la carte meal items. It is the responsibility of parents or guardians to prepay for the individual school meal items, provide a meal from home, or complete an annual application establishing eligibility for free or reduced-price meals.

Free and Reduced Lunch: Even though school meals are at no cost to families this year, 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 throughout the school year if a family’s income changes. Information about The School Meal Benefit plan and application are available online at http://www.lwsd.org/students-families/breakfast-and-lunch-menus

What happens when there is no money in a student’s lunch account?
Under no circumstance do we 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 shows insufficient funds or when the student does not have sufficient funds in the form of cash or a check. The purchase of a la carte items including 2nd entrees, milk or juice and snacks are strictly prohibited when an account is negative or will become negative due to the charge. This information does not apply at this time since school meals are at no cost to families for the 2021-2022 school year.

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 you when an account balance reaches a certain point. This is managed strictly by the parent.

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 enrolling 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. OR 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 (Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.)

If you have any questions about the lunch program or account balances, you may also contact Rushes@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 maximize student attendance. 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. Classroom attendance is positively correlated to student achievement.

Safe Arrival Program: In accordance with the compulsory attendance law RCW28A.225, the Safe Arrival Program at Ben Rush Elementary will be utilized. A written excuse or safe arrival phone call from a parent or guardian is mandatory for every absence or late arrival to school. Please call the Safe Arrival number (425- 936-2691) before 8:50 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 to confirm your child is with you. For attendance recording purposes, a TARDY is recorded if a student arrives to school after 8:50 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.

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 send a note or email to the teacher informing them of the early release. When arriving to pick up your child, report to the office, sign your child out, and request your child be called for dismissal. Students are released only to parents, guardians or those having parent permission and student 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 consult the school calendar when making your vacation plans. 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. When a child misses school for an extended time, parents/guardians assume the responsibility for the child’s education. We are not able to duplicate the teaching and learning from the classroom by providing lessons and assignments to occupy their time. Homework is generally used to reinforce learning from the classroom, but without classroom instruction, a child can get frustrated easily; therefore, teachers will not provide work ahead of time for students who will be missing school. Provisions need to be made by the families for students not to be too far behind when they return. If you must take a student out of school for an extended period of time, please let your teacher know, and contact the principal (ldavies@lwsd.org) for information on how to make sure the absence is excused. You will need to complete a form about the absence and submit it to the office.

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.

HOMEWORK RESPONSIBILITIES
Students, teachers, and families share responsibility for homework. By working together, communicating clearly, and following through on our responsibilities, we help students gain the most from their homework experiences.

Student Responsibilities
•    Get homework assignment
•    Take homework home
•    Complete homework to classroom standards
•    Return homework on time

Parent Responsibilities
•    Provide quiet workplace
•    Establish consistent homework time
•    Sign and return paperwork on time
•    Read information sent home regarding curriculum and homework
•    Review/discuss homework and corrected work
•    Communicate questions, concerns, or successes to child and teacher

Teacher Responsibilities
•    Inform parents of classroom homework expectations and policy
•    Establish clear and consistent homework routines
•    Teach students how to complete work to classroom expectations
•    Assign appropriate and purposeful homework
•    Correct, record, and return homework in a timely manner when applicable
•    Communicate questions, concerns, or successes to student and parents

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 damage is so extensive as to render the book unusable, the full price will be collected to replace the book. Each student shall 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 are not permitted to be worn at school.

5.    No flip-flops or sandals without heel straps should be worn at school due to safety requirements.

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 hard 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. Cell phones are not allowed at recess or lunch. Cell phones that cause a distraction to learning 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 be respectful, responsible, and safe. Students are encouraged and, when necessary, assisted, to solve conflicts on their own. Playground supervisors do have the right and responsibility to determine that some play, games, or actions are not allowed and will stop such play/actions immediately.

Benjamin Rush students are supervised during the school day in the classroom, on the playground 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 8:35 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 (1:50 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 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
•    Raise your hand for help
•    Follow lunchroom bathroom routine
•    Keep lunch area clean
 
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
    Practice PeaceBuilders™, and Kelso Choices
    Solve small problems on your own by following PeaceBuilders Principles, or Kelso Choices

Parent 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 in attendance everyday
    Read, sign and respond to any communication about your child
    Participate in conferences and other activities at the school
    Communicate with teachers and staff often and in a respectful manner
    Honor and trust the professional judgment of school staff

Staff responsibilities include:
    Teach and model safe, respectful, and responsible behaviors
    Implement PeaceBuilders™, 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 often and in a respectful manner
    Honor and trust that parents know their children well
 
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 principal 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 and come up with a plan to right their wrong based on the Peace Builders Guidelines. The following reflection form will be used to help students with this process. The principal or associate principal will communicate actions taken with the teacher and will communicate with families when it is appropriate. Serious offenses may result in suspension or expulsion. 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

STUDENT PROFILE
The knowledge, skills, and attributes that every student needs to be future ready.

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