All children entering the Shutesbury Elementary School must be registered in our office. This includes:
Release of Records Form (to be faxed to the prior school)
Enrollment Form (basic information)
Emergency and Health Form
Home Language Survey (U.S. Department of Education requirement)
Proof of immunization (to be reviewed by the school nurse)
Birth certificate (for entering kindergarten students)
Students will ordinarily be placed with other students of the same grade level but may be placed in another group by the Principal with approval of the Superintendent.
Children must be five years of age on or before September 1 to enter Kindergarten.
The principal may from time to time make exceptions to the age requirements for admittance of an individual child to Shutesbury Elementary School (School Committee Policy: JEB, 5111L). A request for early admission must be made in writing to the principal. In the instance when a request for early admission for a child has been made, an evaluation process will be followed. The principal will consider both the complete developmental readiness of the child as well as the available space/capacity to accommodate an additional child in the appropriate grade. Developmental readiness includes social-emotional, cognitive and language development. The final decision on whether or not to admit the child will rest with the principal and will be based on the recommendation of the evaluation team and other factors that s/he may deem relevant.
Children, who might otherwise be admitted to kindergarten because they are ready developmentally, but not chronologically, may be refused admission under certain circumstances. Children may be denied early admittance to kindergarten or higher grades if there is expected to be an average of eighteen children in classes for that grade or if there are already one or more children with special needs in the kindergarten. Children may be denied early admittance to pre-school if there is expected to be an average of 14 children in preschool or if there are already one or more children with special needs in the preschool. The final decision on whether or not to admit the child will rest with the principal; the decision will be communicated to the parent/guardian in writing. Final determination of early admission will be made no sooner than August 1st for the coming school year. Once a child is admitted, effective upon the date of the admittance notification, other changes in enrollment will not affect that child’s admission status.
Children new to Shutesbury Elementary School, all 3 year olds, 4 year olds, kindergarteners and those children entering 4th grade require a physical examination. This should be within one calendar year, but if no exam has taken place, we must have a scheduled exam date submitted in writing no more than one week after entrance into school. Please let us know if you need a School Record Physical Form for your child’s physician to record her/his finding for submission to the school.
By Massachusetts’s law, we must have proof of immunizations, or proper waiver, for your child to enter school. For a medical exemption we need a physician signature, and for a religious exemption, we need a letter signed by a legal guardian, stating that due to a religious belief a child will be excused from immunizations. These exemptions need to given to the health office annually. If we do not have this information within one week of entrance it may be necessary to exclude your child from school. Immunization records or a signed handwritten exemption must be on file in the Nurse’s Office in order for students to attend classes.
The following is the list of mandatory state immunizations:
• Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
• Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Acellular Pertussis (DTaP) or combination vaccine
• Polio
• Hepatitis B or combination vaccine
• Varicella (chickenpox)
Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) Pre-K
Lead screening Pre-K and Kindergarten
In assigning students to classes, the principal, along with the staff, will normally consider a variety of issues to ensure that each child will have a successful school year. Examples of such issues include but are not limited to the following: a fair distribution based on gender, specific health needs, required special services, inter-personal relationships, learning style, and academic and social needs. The principal will also place significant priority on teacher recommendations.
Teachers play a key role in the assignment of students but will make no commitments to parents during conferences or otherwise, as it is the principal who makes the ultimate decisions.
The school does not accept requests for individual teachers and final placement decisions, if necessary are mailed in August. While the school welcomes parental/guardian input about a child’s individual learning needs, those comments constitute just one of the many factors that we consider in forming classes. The final decision takes into account all factors that staff and administration analyze in the best interest of all children.
Each spring, there is considerable discussion about placing students in classes for the next school year. These discussions include staff such as: classroom teachers, special educators, the school psychologist and the principal. Our highest priority is to honor the learning needs of all students. In placing the students in appropriate classes, teachers play a crucial role as the most knowledgeable participants in the process of creating classrooms to meet:
The educational needs for all students including balance of all ability levels of students, small class instructional groups, and appropriate groupings according to individual learning needs and development.
The social and emotional needs including balanced girl-boy ratios, and differing developmental needs, with the goal being to build a socially compatible community of learners.
Teachers work together to meet this challenge in making the most suitable classes possible for all students. We use skilled observations of the students and our experience to make these decisions, again with the goal to create the most successful school experience for each child.
The process honors the decisions the teachers and principal make and may include parent input on how to meet each child’s needs. All families are treated as fairly and equitably as possible.
All records and files of students in grades kindergarten through grade 6 are kept in the main office at Shutesbury Elementary School. Parents have the right of access to these records. Access is obtained by written request to the principal. Release of student information or transfer of records may take place only with the written consent of the parents in accordance with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Massachusetts State Law on Student Records Access for Non-Custodial Parents (General Laws chapter 71, Section 34H) specifies a clear process for non-custodial parents to be able to request the school records of their children (i.e. report cards, discipline notices, etc.). Please contact the principal for information regarding this process and the request form that must be submitted. Non-custodial parents must submit this request form annually.
Federal and state regulations protect the right to confidentiality. Teachers do have access to all information contained in the student file of any student they currently teach, that access however, is surrendered when the student leaves the teacher’s class. Discussion, by school personnel, of a student with anyone who does not have legal access to the student’s file is strictly prohibited, unless there is a written release of information provided by the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) to disclose information to another individual.
There are no exceptions to this policy. The right to confidentiality does not extend to the following situations and the appropriate individual or authorities notified if:
A staff member learns that a student is a danger to himself/herself or someone else.
A staff member learns that a child has been abused or suspects that they may be abused in the future.
A staff member is required to divulge records or information by a court. This would typically involve situations concerning the need for hospitalization, child custody and visitation rights, or personal injury lawsuits.
The above situations rarely happen, but it is important to understand the right to privacy and the limits on those rights. For those individuals or families who have been referred for special education evaluations from public school systems, physicians, or agencies, it should be understood that staff members may be asked to provide written and/or verbal feedback in the evaluation process. This information becomes part of the student record. Questions regarding confidentiality should be directed to the principal.