Procedures

Arrival Times for Students

The earliest time that students may arrive at school is 7:30am, as as no supervision is provided before this time.  We thank you for holding to these procedures and supporting student safety.  

Attendance, Tardiness, and Time Away from School

Please refer to our "Attendance Policy" on the Policies page.

Bicycles and Scooters

Upon arriving on school grounds, walk your bikes, scooters or skateboards on the sidewalks.  Park bicycles/scooters in a bike rack area and secure them with a lock.  Students must provide their own locks.  The school is not responsible for the security of bicycles or scooters parked on school grounds. 

Busing

All students that live EAST of the Jordan River in the Cranberry Farms, Pointe Meadows, Sunset Hollow, and Thanksgiving Village subdivisions are eligible for district-provided bus services to Liberty Hills.  Bus stops and times are determined by the Alpine Transportation Department and are available on their website by clicking here.  For more information, please refer to our Drop-off and Pick-up Procedures and our School Access Route Plan.

Checking Students Out of School

Liberty Hills School is a closed campus.  This means that students may not leave the school grounds during the regular school day unless checked out by a parent or other authorized designee as noted on the student’s Emergency Health and Information sheet.  Students will be called from class only after the parent or designated adult has entered the office, positive identification is made, and the formal check-out process has taken place.  We follow these procedures for the safety of your child and appreciate your understanding and cooperation.  

Please be aware that a student cannot be prevented from leaving school with either parent or guardian noted on the child’s birth certificate unless the school has a legal document designating custody and/or a restraining order that prohibits contact with the student.  Please provide court documents that may restrict or otherwise limit an adult's access to a student in a timely manner.  (See also Custody and Guardianship).

Custody and Guardianship

Copies of legal paperwork should be submitted to the office if there are any changes to the legal guardianship and custody of a child.  We will follow the stipulations outlined in the most recent court order that we have on file, so it is important to provide us with new court orders right away (see also Checking Students Out of School).

Discipline

Please refer to our "Discipline Policy" on the Policies page.

Donations

We welcome any donation amount to support the educational experiences of our Liberty Hills students.  Donations can be made directly to the school or through the Alpine Foundation, a charitable organization that allows patrons to make a tax-deductible donation.  Donors may designate their contributions to a specific classroom, a particular program, or to the school in general. Donations can be made throughout the year, and all donations are promptly receipted.  

If you would like to donate through the Alpine Foundation, you can donate online or you can make a check payable to the Alpine School District Foundation, 575 North 100 East, American Fork, Utah, 84003.  

Electronic Devices

Electronic devices include but are not limited to: cellular phones, smart watches, tablets, cameras, radios, mp3 players, CD players, lasers, laser pens or pointers, video games, and any other device that allows a person to record and/or transmit sound, video, voice, still images, text, or other information.  

Cellular phones are allowed at school, but they must be turned off or placed on silent mode during school hours and kept inside the student's backpack.  Students should not have a cellular phone in their immediate possession during school hours. The only exception to this rule is if a teacher allows for personal electronic devices in a lesson as an instructional tool or in the event of a school emergency as indicated by school personnel.  In these instances, students must follow all guidelines regarding appropriate device usage and the device must be put away when indicated to do so.   

Smart watches that allow children to communicate with parents via calls and text are allowed, but their communication ability may not be used while at school.  Smart watches can be worn by students for the purpose of telling the time, but no other type of use is allowed during school hours.  Parents, please do not contact your child via a cell phone or smart watch during school hours, as it is very disruptive to the learning process.  Please contact the school at 801-610-8735, and we are happy to connect you with your child or pass along any information.

With advances in technology, small electronic devices are becoming increasingly capable of receiving, sending, capturing, and recording images, video, voice, and other information.  No device of any kind should be used in a manner that might reasonably create in the mind of another person an impression of being threatened, humiliated, harassed, embarrassed, or intimidated.  All forms of cyber bullying will be addressed as outlined in Alpine School District’s Safe Schools Policy.

Emergency Situations

Our school maintains plans for various emergency situations, including procedures for earthquake, fire, lockdown, in-house sheltering, bomb threat, and emergency evacuation.  Our school-wide emergency plans are reviewed on an annual basis. A summary of our emergency plans can be reviewed by clicking here. 

Fees

The Utah Constitution prohibits the charging of fees in elementary school (Utah Code 53A-12-102.4) for providing access to the general curriculum.  We uphold this policy and will not require fees for textbooks, classroom equipment, supplies, assemblies, field trips, snacks, or anything else that takes place during the school day.  However, donations for school activities (e.g. field trips) are always welcome (see also Donations).  Exceptions to this policy are when a child participates in an extracurricular activity that requires a fee to offset program costs or in the event a child loses or destroys school property.  The cost of repair or replacement to school resources is not a fee and cannot be waived.

Free and Reduced Lunch

Children from households that meet certain federal income guidelines are eligible for either free or reduced meals.  Paper forms are available in the office, though the use of the online application is encouraged for a faster processing time.  The online application can be accessed by clicking here.

Husky High Five

Students learn best when they feel safe, and safety is best achieved when we explicitly teach and encourage positive behavior.  To accomplish this objective, we implement principles of the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework.  PBIS principles are the driving force behind our Husky High 5 and our 3-step student and bystander response plans. 

Simple and straightforward, the Husky High 5 expectations apply to all situations and settings throughout the school, thus ensuring greater understanding and consistency in their implementation.  We believe that teaching expectations and recognizing students for their follow-through is a more successful approach than waiting for misbehaviors to occur before responding.

Illness and Accidents

Each family must submit an Emergency and Health Information Sheet to the school annually (over the coming years, this form will be completed online through Skyward family access).  This sheet provides essential information that is invaluable in the event of an injury, illness, or accident. We will do everything we can to contact either a parent or a person named on the sheet if an accident or illness occurs.  Under no circumstances will a student be sent home unless the parent or person listed as the emergency contact gives permission and/or takes the student home. Please keep the office informed of any and all telephone number changes. In the event of an extreme emergency, appropriate medical assistance will be sought. 

Students are expected to attend school unless they are ill.  Please respect the health of other students by keeping your child home when he or she is not well.  This will reduce the spread of infection at our school. If your child will not be in school please let the office know by 8:15 am.  In general, a child should stay home from school if he/she exhibits:

• • A fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit

  • Vomiting

  • Diarrhea

  • Persistent pain (ear, stomach, etc.)

  • An unexplained rash

  • A reddened eye or eyes with a cloudy or yellow discharge

  • A runny nose (thick green/yellow discharge)

  • Sore throat, acute cold or persistent cough

Children should remain at home until they are symptom free for at least 48 hours.  

Immunizations

Utah State Law requires all children enrolled in a public school to complete immunizations prior to admission to school.  For an up-to-date list of all required immunizations, please refer to this page.

Lost and Found Items

Our school maintains a lost and found for unidentifiable student items.  To make it easy to return items to their owners, please label (inside) all clothing, backpacks, lunchboxes, hats, and other clothing accessories with your child’s name.  Small items such as jewelry will be kept in the office. Please try to claim lost items as soon as the item is found to be missing. Unclaimed items will be donated to a local charity after each Parent/Teacher conference window and at the end of the school year.

Meals

Liberty Hills lunch and breakfast programs are available beginning the first day of school. Breakfast is served from 7:30-7:55am.  Students eating breakfast should go immediately to the cafeteria upon arriving at school through the northeast doors of the school. 

Lunch will be served before recess by grade level as outlined on our school homepage.  Please be aware that an additional table will be provided for children that require a bit more time to finish their lunches.

Breakfast and lunch menus are set and rotate on a monthly basis. Adults, visitors, or students desiring a second meal will need to pay full price.  Parents coming to school to eat with their children will need to pay for an adult lunch with cash or check. The lunchroom computer operator will not be able to take money out of a student’s account to pay for a parent lunch.

Payment to your child’s lunchroom account can now be made online and without a fee through MyPaymentPlus.  Information about nutrition services can be found at this link. 

Media Center

Our school’s media center is available to students to check out books they can read at home.  Students are responsible to take care of materials and return them on time and in good condition. Fines are assessed for lost or damaged items. Suggestions for book care include:

• • Always use a book bag or backpack to carry books (a sturdy grocery bag will do).

  • Wash hands before handling books.

  • Do not eat or drink while reading.

  • Do not write in books

  • Keep books away from small children and pets.

  • Find a special place to keep books.

  • Open books and turn pages from the top right hand corner.

  • Inform the Media Center specialist if a book needs to be repaired.  Special book tape is required to repair torn pages. Please do not attempt to fix a problem yourself.

Medication

No school personnel may administer medication to a student unless a Medication Administration Release Form has been completed by your child’s physician and is on file at the school office.  The medication must be in the original prescription bottle with the doctor’s name (ask your pharmacist to give you a second bottle so the prescription can be split between home and school).  Parents (not students) must bring all medication to the school office. Medications should be given directly to the principal, secretary, or school nurse. The medication will be counted, documented, and stored in the school safe or locked cupboard.  These same standards apply for cough syrups or other over-the-counter medications.

If Tylenol® or ibuprofen is needed, approval must be given via telephone directly to a member of the office staff.

Money Procedures

When sending money to school with a student, please send it in a sealed envelope with the following information on the outside of the envelope:

• Student’s name

• Teacher’s name

• Amount of money included

• Purpose of the money

All checks sent to the school for items other than lunch money should be made out to Liberty Hills Elementary.  The only exception is for student book orders. All checks for student book orders should be made out to the specific book vendor (e.g. Scholastic). 

Nuisance and/or Dangerous Items

An item is considered a nuisance when it causes a disturbance.  A dangerous item is one that could potentially harm another person.  Both types of items will be confiscated by school personnel. With the exception of dangerous items, confiscated items will generally be returned at the end of the day.  Dangerous items will only be returned to a child’s legal parent or guardian. 

Out-of-Area Requests

The Alpine School District has a procedure in place that allows families living outside the Liberty Hills school boundary or the Alpine School District boundary to apply for enrollment at Liberty Hills Elementary.  This process begins by completing the district's  Out of Area Request form.  Once the form is submitted, the principal of Liberty Hills Elementary will be able to access and review your request.  

Each request will be considered; however, certain conditions that may prevent us from granting an out of area request at the time it is made.  First, if class sizes in the requested grade level are large, a request for transfer may be denied.  All transfer requests are contingent on school capacity, staff availability, and/or other circumstances under Utah Code 53A-2-207(4)(c).  Also, a request may be denied in cases where a student has a history of excessive behavior problems, been suspended or expelled, or where a school or grade level has been declared closed to out of area requests.

Generally speaking, once students are admitted to Liberty Hills on out of area requests, they will remain enrolled without the need for a renewed application in subsequent years.  Exceptions to this are if the student is no longer a Utah resident or if the district determines that the school will exceed the open enrollment threshold.  Another exception is that Liberty Hills preschool students are not automatically enrolled in our Kindergarten classes, and registration is required for each incoming Kindergarten student.  

Families are solely responsible for transportation of an out of area student to and from school.  It is important that out of area students attend school regularly and on time. 

New Students

New student out of area requests made for the school year currently in session will be immediately reviewed and considered based on our current enrollment numbers.  New student requests for future school years are generally not reviewed until late summer, as we need to ensure we have sufficient classroom space for in-boundary students and do not place an undue burden on class sizes.  We recognize that families seeking an out of area transfer may need to make childcare and transportation plans for a coming school year.  Until such a time we are able to review and make decisions on out of area requests, we recommend that families make all necessary back up plans to have their children attend their local neighborhood schools.

Existing Students

If a current Liberty Hills student moves away but desires to remain at Liberty Hills Elementary, it is our intent to honor that request to the maximum extent we are able, as the student has already been a contributing participant in the Liberty Hills student body, and teacher funding has already been granted with the student's enrollment taken into consideration.  It is essential, though, that the student come to school frequently and on time.  If transportation from one's new house will continually make the child late or absent from school, it is in the child's best interest that the family enroll the student at their local neighborhood school.  Please note that the same out of area conditions outlined above apply for existing students as well, namely a request to remain as an out of area student may be denied in cases where a student has a history of excessive behavior problems, been suspended or expelled, or where a school or grade level is declared closed to out of area requests.

Pets at School

Pets are not allowed at school unless approved in advance by the teacher and administration for a class "show and tell" opportunity.  Generally speaking, all approved "show and tell" type activities will be facilitated outside.  A parent/guardian must bring and take the pet away immediately after the “show and tell” activity.

Animals found lingering around school grounds will be picked up by local animal control in keeping with Lehi City ordinances.  An exception to this policy are service animals.  Please note that emotional support animals are currently not approved for use in the school setting in the Alpine School District.  For more information about service animals in schools, please contact the Alpine School District Student Services Department.  To learn about Lehi City's animal ordinances, click here.

Recess

Recess is provided as an opportunity for physical activity, social interaction, and as a diversion from other schoolwork. Children should wear clothing appropriate for the weather and the activities they choose to take part in. School policy requires students to be outside where there is supervision unless arrangements have been made with the teacher.  Students who request to stay inside for health reasons must have a note from a parent. 

Occasionally conditions will necessitate that all students remain inside.  Inside recess will be initiated if any one of the following conditions exists:

• Temperature – Below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, including wind chill.

• Precipitation and Inclement Weather – In the event of steady rain, sleet, hail, or snow, all students will remain indoors so as to avoid becoming excessively wet or chilled.  Other adverse weather conditions will be grounds to keep students inside.

• Particulate Matter – Students will remain inside when the air quality reaches unhealthy levels.  We follow the Recess Guidelines for Schools (v. July 2016) put forth by the Utah Department of Health and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, which outline the following actions:

  • • • All students are able to play outdoors when the particulate matter count (PM2.5 Level) is below 35.4.  

      • Students with respiratory symptoms and sensitive students stay indoors when the particulate matter count is 35.5-55.4.  Respiratory symptoms may include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.  Sensitive students may include those with asthma, cystic fibrosis, chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease, compromised immune systems, or other respiratory problems. 

      • All students stay indoors when the particulate matter count is 55.5 or above.

The school reserves the right to call inside recess for other situational factors or circumstances that pose a safety concern to students.  

Requests for Class Placements

The success of public schools can be attributed in large measure to the partnership between families and teachers.  We are mindful of this partnership as we make student track time assignments and class placements for a new school year.  When it comes to such decisions, we certainly value the perspective that parents bring to the table.  As parents are intimately aware of their children’s strengths, needs, dispositions, and qualities, they offer us important input.  Similarly, teachers acquire a great deal of information over the course of a school year about how children function in the school setting.  This information is also valued when determining track and class placements for a new school year.

Like all partnerships, the success of our school-and-home partnership relies upon teamwork, mutual understanding, and, at times, some give-and-take.  As a school, we will make every reasonable effort to accommodate patron requests.  In doing so, we ask our patrons to understand that our priority in making track and class placements is to maintain balance.  We seek to balance classes by such factors as track assignments, gender, and students’ academic, social, emotional, language, and behavioral needs.  At times this overarching aim may prevent us from being able to honor a particular patron suggestion or request.  We thank you for your understanding as we work to create the best possible learning environments for our students.  

To those individuals who wish to submit a request, please take note of the following guidelines and procedures that govern our decision making through this process:

• • In consideration of the many variables that can accompany class placement process, we ask that parents only make such requests when a true need exists.  

  • All requests are considered individually.  As input is received, we will strive to be equitable in our decision making as we maintain a child-first focus.  In making these decisions, we consider such criteria as:

    • • • Academic Balance:  Academic performance is taken into consideration to ensure each class is assigned a heterogeneous mix of students.  

        • Special Needs and Individual Support:  Students with special needs or with individual support plans are purposefully placed to meet individual student needs and maintain balance between classes.  

        • Gender Balance:  Classes were balanced by gender to ensure they are not overly dominated by boys or girls.

        • Overall Class Size:  Classes across a single grade level should have similar class counts.   

  • We reserve the right to prioritize each request we receive based on the nature of the request and our overall perspective of the situation.  As a rule of thumb, requests for friends to be with friends are typically not given high priority.  We have confidence in our students’ abilities to expand their friendship circles, and students between classes are typically able to interact at various times during the day.  

  • The principal is responsible to make a final decision on all class placements.

Families will be notified of class assignments in August.  We maintain waiting lists for situations in which we are unable to grant a particular class placement request.  Please contact the school if you would like to be added to our waiting list.  Families on our waiting lists will be given priority consideration over new submissions through our online input form for track assignments and class placement.

Sexual Harassment

Alpine School District is committed to maintaining an environment that is  (1) free of any form of sexual harassment; (2) one where students may attend school free of unwanted conduct or communication of a sexual nature, and (3) one that is in compliance with state and federal laws dealing with this form of discrimination.  If you or your child was involved in any form of sexual harassment, please contact the school principal right away.

Substance Abuse

Prohibited substances threaten safe school environments and alter a student's ability to reason and learn.  The use, possession, influence, distribution, or sale of prohibited substances by students, staff, or visitors jeopardizes a safe school environment.  The ASD School Board recognizes the benefits of helping students avoid and overcome substance abuse.  When a student incident of substance abuse occurs, we will seek to implement restorative practices and educational strategies prior to disciplinary actions that are strictly punitive.  Depending on the nature or severity of a substance abuse infraction, we may need to involve the support of our school's resource officer (SRO).  For more information, refer to Alpine School District Policy No. 5430.

Telephone Use

Use of school phone is for significant purpose only.  You must have permission from your teacher/secretary before using the phone.  (See also Electronic Devices)

Toys from Home

In general, students should not bring toys from home to school.  This includes toys in the more traditional sense, as well as such items as trading cards, collector cards, Legos, and figurines.  However, students may bring reasonable play equipment to use outside during recess, such as jump ropes or balls (hard baseballs are not allowed at school because they pose a safety hazard).  It is the responsibility of the child to keep track of anything brought from home. The school is not responsible for lost or damaged equipment that is brought to school.  For details on electronic items that are prohibited at school, please refer to the "Electronic Devices" section.

Visitors

We are pleased to welcome parents, other family members, volunteers, and community members into our school!  For the safety of our students, all visitors are required to check in at the main office to receive a visitor's pass.  As a courtesy, please inform teachers in advance if you would like to visit their classrooms. (See also “Community Involvement and Volunteers under the Involvement Tab.”)

With safety in mind, we ask that all volunteers and visitors follow these few, simple procedures—it’s EASY!

1. Enter the building through the school’s main entrance.  

2. Always check in and out at the office.  

3. Sign in.  Please have a form of picture ID available.    

4. Your visitor badge—put it on and wear it the entire time you are in the building.  

Withdrawal or Transfer

Should it become necessary to withdraw your child during the school year, please notify the office and the classroom teacher as soon as possible.  This will give the secretary time to have the necessary forms ready when you come to withdraw your child.