Student Attendance Expectations
The following reminders are helpful to keep students safe:
Plan to get to school when school staff are scheduled to watch over students.
Elementary students should arrive no more than 20 minutes before the first school bell.
Secondary students should arrive no more than 35 minutes before the first school bell.
Treat adults and students with the respect you deserve.
Stay on school grounds and in the areas you are assigned during the school day.
Help others when you can, especially younger students.
Visitors: Do not let people you don’t know belong at school into the building. All visitors must go through the front office.
Walk on the sidewalk. Walk on the street only when there is no sidewalk. Walk facing the traffic if there is no sidewalk.
Before crossing he street, stop and look left, right and left again to see for cars.
Make eye contact with drivers before crossing and always cross streets at crosswalks or intersections.
Pay attention and don’t get distracted.
Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, and in a single file.
Come to a complete stop before crossing the street; walk bikes across the street.
Pay attention and don’t get distracted.
Wear a helmet that fits well and bright clothes.
Students in grades 3-12, you can ride their bike to school. Students cannot ride bikes on school property. Upon arrival, students must walk their bike to the parking area and lock it, and keep it parked until school is out. The school and district are not responsible if the bike is lost, stolen, or damaged.
Get on and off the bus only at your assigned stop.
Make sure you're on the right bus.
Stand 6 feet (about three big steps) away from the curb.
If you cross in front of the bus, walk on the side of the road until you're 10 feet ahead of it. Always make sure the bus driver can see you.
Follow school zone speed limits and school's drop-off procedure.
Make eye contact with children crossing the street.
Never pass a bus loading or unloading children.
The area ten feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children;. sStop far enough back so they can get on and off safely.
Crossing guards are stationed at hazardous intersections as assigned by the Oklahoma City Traffic Control Division and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Crossing guards are normally on duty 30 minutes before and after school. Parents/guardians are asked to stress with students the importance of cooperating with the school safety crossing guards. Call 297-1142 for more information.
Please make sure the school can always reach you or another trusted adult if you get sick or hurt.
Call the school office if your phone number changes, or update it in Parent Portal.
The school should have at least four emergency contacts.
If your child needs immediate medical help, the school will call 9-1-1. Parents are responsible for these costs.
Schools regularly practice different emergency drills to keep everyone safe. OKCPS does even more drills than required by law to make sure you're safe and uses. The I Love U Guys Foundation: Standard Response Protocols found at www.iloveyouguys.org.
Regular drills include:
Evacuation and Fire Drills, for leaving the building
Shelter Drills for severe weather,
Secure Drills for threats from outside the building,
Lockdown Drills for threats from inside the building,
Hold Drills for medical emergencies.
Drills are required to be reported to the Oklahoma School Security Institute (OSSI)
Oklahoma City Public Schools has adopted the National Incident Management System (NIMS) standard in order to promote preparedness and response efforts within the school district, and to develop Site Specific Emergency Response Guides for each District location.
During a crisis or emergency, any staff member can activate an emergency response protocol. Administrators and school staff will then focus on managing the emergency situation.
In an event that poses threat or potential for serious injury or loss of life, staff will call 9-1-1 & 587-SAFE (7233) immediately.
Families and community members will receive timely, accurate, and useful information about an unfolding situation through the District Communications Department.
Please refer all media inquiries to the District Communications Department 405-587-NEWS.
School staff can only touch students in certain situations, such as:
Giving first aid
Breaking up fights
Protecting themselves from harm
During emergencies
While coaching physical skills
Gently holding a student to stop them from hurting themselves or others
Staff are instructed not to put their hands or body on a student in an attempt to calm them down. If a student has an IEP or 504 plan for behavior, staff will follow the plan.
OKCPS is committed to school being safe for all students and seeing that their cultural, religious, and personal needs are respected.
Students, parents/guardians, teachers, neighbors, and anyone concerned about safety at school or for a student can report their concerns anonymously through TIPS (Threat Assessment, Incident Management and Prevention Services).
To Report:
Call TIPS Hotline at 587-STOP or fill out an online TIPS report from www.okcps.org.
TIPS can be used to report:
Assault
Bullying or threats
Violence or weapons
Bus incidents
Parent complaint
Drugs or alcohol
Cyberbullying
Vandalism
Self-harm or suicidal thoughts
Suspect abuse/safety concern
Threats of violence
School and district personnel are notified immediately when your incident is submitted and your case will be investigated and appropriate action taken.
District policy does not allow or tolerate bullying, harassment, or discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, alienage, and veteran, parental, family and marital status or for any other reason. Bullying fosters a climate of fear and disrespect that can seriously impair the physical and psychological health of its victims and create conditions that negatively affect learning, thereby undermining the ability of students to achieve their full potential.
Behaviors that place another student or group of students in fear of harm, or insult or demean any student or group of students will not be permitted. Bullying behaviors are prohibited on school premises, at school-sponsored or related activities, events or functions, or anywhere that students are under the supervision of school personnel. Bullying is not considered normal conflict.
Bullying behavior is different from normal conflict between persons. The OKCPS website Resources for Families page includes information for understanding the difference, Bullying vs. Normal Conflict, and recognizing if your child may be bullied, What are the Warning Signs?. Normal conflict occurs between students with equal power.
Normal conflict happens occasionally, may be accidental, is not serious, results in an equal emotional reaction. In normal conflict, student(s):
Are not seeking power or attention
Are not trying to get something,
Usually show remorse and take responsibility, and
Make an effort to solve their conflict.
Bullying is defined as any pattern of harassment, intimidation, threatening behavior, physical acts, verbal or electronic communication directed toward a student or group of students that results in or is reasonably perceived as being done with the intent to cause negative educational ro physical results for the targeted individual or group and is communicated in such a way as to disrupt or interfere with the school’s educational mission or the education of any student. The perpetrator may be attempting to gain power, material things, or gain popularity. Bullying may include, but is not limited to, words or other behavior, such as name calling, threatening and/or shunning, or starting rumors, and may be committed by one or more students against another. Bullying may be physical, verbal, emotional, social, sexual, or by electronic communication.
Physical bullying includes, but is not limited to, punching, poking, strangling, hair pulling, beating, biting and excessive tickling.
Verbal bullying includes, but is not limited to, hurtful name calling, teasing and gossiping.
Emotional bullying includes, but is not limited to, rejecting, terrorizing, extorting, defaming, humiliating, blackmailing, rating/ranking of personal characteristics such as race, disability, ethnicity, manipulating friendships, isolating, ostracizing and peer pressure.
Social bullying includes harm to another’s group acceptance, including but not limited to, harm resulting from intentional gossiping about another student or intentionally spreading negative rumors about another student that result in the victim being excluded from a school activity or student group.
Cyberbullying includes, but is not limited to, any written, verbal, pictorial information or video content by means of an electronic device such as a telephone, a cell telephone or wireless telecommunication device or computer. Electronic communications include, but may not be limited to, communications made through social media, email, or other online forums.
Sexual bullying includes any unwelcome sexual advances, but is not limited to, sexual exhibitionism (attracting attention to yourself), voyeurism (seeing, talking, or writing about intimacy considered to be private), sexual propositioning, sexual harassment, physical contact, and sexual assault. Sexual advances may include, but are not limited to requests for sexual acts or favors, with or without accompanying promises, threats or reciprocal favors or actions, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature including, but not limited to: lewd or sexually suggestive comments, off-color language or jokes of a sexual nature, gestures, slurs and other verbal, graphic or physical conduct relating to an individual’s sex; or any display of sexually explicit pictures, greeting cards, articles, books, magazines, photos, cartoons, or electronic communication devices which adversely affect a student’s performance.
Victims of bullying will be referred to the school counselor or principal. Perpetrators will also be referred to the school counselor or principal for education regarding the significance of bullying behavior, disciplinary action for repeat or ongoing offenses. Perpetrators may also be reported to the police.
Any student or groups of students, who have been the victim of discriminatory harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, alienage, or veteran, parental, family and marital status or for any other reason, immediately report the incident to a school or district administrator, the district’s safe schools hotline at 587-STOP, or complete a TIPS Report online. If the incident is not resolved at the building level, the student may file a discrimination complaint with Legal Services:
Legal Services
(405) 587-0350
Email: legal@okcps.org
All visitors must report directly to the office when they arrive on school grounds. Once at the office, visitors who will enter the school beyond the office provide photo identification to check through the Raptor system prior to being allowed to enter the building and interact with children. Upon clearance, each person will receive a visitor’s badge which is required to be worn in a manner that is visible while on school property. Visitors who are not authorized to be on school property on a daily basis, including students suspended from school and students from other campuses, are trespassing unless they have been cleared through the office.
Parents/guardians are responsible for providing students with health or accident insurance. The Oklahoma City Public School District does not provide student insurance.
Students are released during school hours only to authorized persons. The custodial parent/guardian must notify the school of restrictions related to the release of a child and provide supporting documentation when appropriate, including custody agreements that restrict parent access to a child. Photo identification is required for release. Early pick up of students is reserved for emergencies and occasional doctor appointments. Early pick up on a daily basis is not permitted as student absences during class time result in a loss of instruction. Please understand safety is the key consideration when students are not immediately available to be checked out during a school-wide lockdown.
Early pick up of students should be reserved for excused absences such as emergencies and occasional doctor appointments.
Early pick up on a daily basis is not permitted as student absences during class time result in a loss of instruction.
Please understand safety is the key consideration when students are not immediately available to be checked out during a school-wide lockdown.
Every person having reason to believe a child is a victim of abuse or neglect has a legal responsibility to report it immediately to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Anonymous reports can be made at any time, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, to:
Oklahoma Dept. of Human Services
Abuse & Neglect Hotline
1-800-522-3511