District and School Policies

Anti-Discrimination

District 196 complies with state and federal laws prohibiting discrimination, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991 and the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

No person protected by these laws shall, on the grounds of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation or age, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity operated by the district. 

Behavior Policy

Board of Education Policy 503, Student Rights and Responsibilities, (student behavior and discipline) spell out the behavior expectations for all students in Independent School District 196. A booklet entitled, Rights and Responsibilities: A Handbook for Elementary and Secondary Students is mailed home at the beginning of the school year.  The principal and teachers explain and review the contents of this booklet with students.  Parents are also asked to become familiar with the contents of this booklet. 

Birthdays

Students are not allowed to bring birthday treats to school. 

We believe that birthdays are special days for young children and classroom teachers provide a variety of age-appropriate acknowledgement for students on their birthday.  Students will receive a birthday pencil from Mrs. Henderson or Mrs. Bartosh.  Please do not send gifts to your child at school.  Balloons and latex items are not permitted. Any birthday invitations should be sent with your student and given to the teacher to distribute in backpacks/Friday Folders. 

Communication

School/home communication is crucial.  District 196 believes that parents play an essential role in laying the foundation for learning about literacy. A parent is a child's first teacher in unraveling the fascinating puzzle of communication and language. Parents are partners in establishing an expectation that school activities are supported and practiced at home. All of us at Glacier Hills Elementary School of Arts & Science are very interested in promoting communication between the teaching staff and parents.  We encourage you to call or contact any staff member when you have concerns or need questions answered.  Calls placed during the instructional day will not be forwarded to the classroom.  If messages are left for staff, please allow 24 hours for a response.  

Other methods of communication used by ISD 196 and Glacier Hills Elementary are:


Emergency Procedures

Fire, tornado, and lockdown drills will be held regularly during the school year. Procedures for these drills will be reviewed with students so they are aware of what action is necessary. Glacier Hills Elementary also has a parent/child reunification plan on file to over the procedures followed for parents signing their children out of school during an emergency situation. 

Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting by School Officials

Under Minnesota Statute 626.556, persons in designated professional occupations are mandated to report suspected child abuse or neglect. A professional is considered to be someone who is engaged in the practice of the healing arts, social services, hospital administration, psychological or psychiatric treatment, child care, education, law enforcement, or employed as a member of the clergy.  When a mandated reporter knows or has reason to believe that a child is being neglected or physically or sexually abused by a person responsible for the child's care, or has been so within the previous three years, a report must be made.  A person responsible for a child's care includes family members, teachers, daycare providers, and coaches, and can include anyone lawfully entrusted with a child's care. 

If a mandated reporter fails to report, the person could be prosecuted. This crime ranges from a misdemeanor to a felony, depending on the harm suffered by the child. Also, depending upon the mandated reporter's position, the person may be disqualified from having professional contact with vulnerable people in the course of their work. However, mandated reporters are immune from liability for any report made in good faith.  Dakota County, Minnesota Child Protection Mandated Reporter (2016)

School Social Worker

The School Social Worker provides proactive educational support, as well as individual and group supportive services to help students overcome barriers to academic achievement.  The School Social Worker works directly with individual students, students in small groups and in the classroom settings to enhance social and emotional skills, teacher problem solving skills, cope with family changes and loss, teach anger management coping strategies, present harassment and anti-bullying curriculum, and to help students respect themselves and others. 

The overall goal is to work directly with students and their families, teachers, and other support staff to provide the guidance, support and nurturance so essential to academic success.  The social worker also consults and advocates for families regarding parenting strategies, connects families with community resources and provides information and referral during times of crisis.

Christine Kroeze - Glacier Hills School Social Worker
christine.kroeze@district196.org
651-683-8573

Home Alone? Student Supervision Guidelines for Parents

The Dakota County Social Services Department has provided information on supervision guidelines for children who are home alone. The supervision guidelines are as follows:
 1. Children 7 years old and under cannot be alone for any period of time.
2. Children 8-10 years old can be alone for up to 3 hours.
3. Children 11-13 years old cannot be alone for more than 12 hours.
4. Children under 11 years old cannot babysit younger children. 

All of these guidelines assume that children know how to reach a parent or adult, are not afraid to be alone, and have average behavior, health and maturity levels for their age. Occasionally other circumstances are considered on a case-by-case basis. Questions about these issues may be directed to the Dakota County Social Services Department at 952-891-7459.

Homework

Homework is not assigned as a daily requirement, but rather a growth or continuation of a school project.  Homework is the child's responsibility, not that of the parent.  Being aware of and interested in what your child does at school and on papers and projects he/she brings home is vital to the child's success in school. 


Homework as it Relates to Short Term Illness

If a child is ill one day or less, we request that the child wait until they return to pick up missed assignments. If a child is out of school for two or more days, the parent may request daily homework assignments. Parents should call the office before 10:30 a.m. to place this request. Homework may be picked up in the office after school (4:00 p.m.) by parents or a sibling.  Requests made after 10:30 a.m. will be ready for pick up the following day. 


Homework Requested Prior to Vacation

Discussions, explorations, discovery through experiments, social interactions, formal and informal evaluations, and the learning of new concepts are all missed with a student is not in school.  For these reasons, we ask that vacations be planned, whenever possible, during times when school is not in session. Since that is not always possible, our policy for these occasions is as follows:

If your student will be gone from school for more than 5 days, please contact the principal prior to the leave. 

Dress Code

Students should be dressed appropriately for the season and specific weather. Children go outside for recess daily.  Exceptions require a note from the parent/guardian or doctor.

When a student's dress is deemed inappropriate by a staff member, the students will be offered the opportunity to change or call a parent/guardian for appropriate clothes.

Electronics

Students are required to leave cell phones or other personal electronic devices at home, as these items tend to distract or interfere with the learning process and are at risk of being stolen or lost. If brought to school, these items should not be used on the school bus or in school, and should remain in the student's backpack.  

Please visit the Digital Citizenship section for more information. 

Lost and Found

Please label all your child's belongings so that they may be identified when misplaced.  Lost and found boxes are located outside the cafeteria. Valuable items such as radios, electronic games, and expensive jewelry should not be brought to school. Unclaimed items are on display during conferences and if not claimed, are donated to a charitable organization. 

For items left on a bus, please contact the Department of Transportation at 651-423-7865.

Minnesota Free Universal Meals, Snacks/Food from Home, and Healthy Habits

Healthy routines, including a consistent bedtime for adequate sleep and balanced nutrition, result in academic and social success for your child. Minnesota public schools are providing students free universal access to breakfast and lunch every school day. Students wishing to take a breakfast will go directly to the cafeteria upon arrival to eat their breakfast. Students wishing to eat a school lunch may sign up for a lunch option after arrival in their classrooms. Students will use a school lanyard that they will have scanned upon going through the school lunch line. 

To access our school's menu for breakfast and lunch, click this link. Students wishing to bring a lunch from home may do so and asked to follow the expectations listed below. 

Glacier Hills encourages healthy eating habits and that is reinforced daily. The following are expectations all students must follow:

Weather Related Information

Recess During Cold Weather -  Students do not have outside recess if the windchill or temperature is 0° or below, or if the weather is inclement. Children are expected to go outside of recess, so please send your child/children with the proper outdoor clothing. 

Delayed Starts and School Closing - The district superintendent will inform families of school closings via a recorded phone message. In the event of a late start or school being closed due to inclement weather, please check the district website: www.district196.org/, or call the District 196 Information Line (651-423-7777).  Announcements will also be posted on WCCO-AM (radio 830), WCCO-TV (channel 4), KSTP-TV (channel 5), and KARE-TV (channel 11) under Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan - ISD 196. Frequently, a school in Starbuck, MN, Glacial Hills Elementary is confused with our school.  Be sure to look for the district name in the closings, not the school name. 

If there is a delayed school start, morning School-Age Child Care (SACC) is cancelled.  Buses will operate their normal routes on a delayed schedule.  After-school and evening activities, including Community Ed and SACC, will take place as scheduled unless otherwise noted. 

If school is cancelled for the day, all regularly scheduled classes are cancelled; all daytime and after-school elementary education activities are cancelled; SACC programs are cancelled; and all elementary after-school and evening activities are cancelled.