Attendance: Absence Information: Please phone our absence awareness hotline at #850-6202 or contact Miriam Parks, our clinical aid, at mlparks@washoe.k12.nv.us for daily absences.
District Absence policy: Whenever a student is not in school for any reason, he or she must make up the work within a set period of time (the number of days he/she was absent plus one day) in order to have the absence "excused" from the record. If a student misses 10 or more school days without making up the work, he or she will be retained (elementary). Absences excused by a doctor are considered excused absences, but medical absences excused by a parent are not. In fact, it no longer matters why a student was absent; the absence counts toward chronic absenteeism if the make-up work is not completed.
In the classroom, a summary of the day missed and make-up activities/assignments will be sent home with the absent student with a due date to be returned for excused credit.
Birthday celebrations: Personal invitations for family/friend parties are to be mailed from home. Please do not bring invitations in to school to be distributed in class.
Carpets: We work hard to keep carpets clean as possible with all the wear they get. To help out, please no colored punch in the classrooms, water and clear liquids such as lemonade are fine. During messy projects such as Spectra Art we will be careful about spreading protective cloths on floors and furniture. If you notice spills or stains, please alert the office immediately.
Celebrations are Nevada Day, the Thursday before the Holiday Break, and Valentines "Friendship" day. Healthy recommendations from WCSD to help influence life-long healthy lifestyle habits are: apples, orange wedges, pineapple, bananas, kiwi, grapes, strawberries, dried fruit, carrots, pepper strips, pea pods, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, hummus, guacamole, bean dip, trail mix with no sweets, seeds, yogurt parfaits, smoothies with lots of berries, cheese and whole grain crackers, air popped popcorn, applesauce, yogurt splits with bananas, granola, fruit/vegetable kebabs, cheese pretzel kebabs, hard boiled eggs, fruit bars.
Classroom supplies: Check quarterly with your child to ensure he/she has the necessary supplies at school. Consumables get used, some items tend to break or they can be misplaced and unable to access when necessary. Thank you for replenishing what your student needs to achieve success in the classroom. Children should have access to scissors, colors (crayons, colored pencils, or markers), eraser, sharpener, Expo marker/eraser, sharpie in his/her desk.
Delayed Start Information:
In the event of a delayed or canceled school day due to bad weather, radio and news stations will be broadcasting this information. In addition you will be notified by phone message and possibly email message. If you have additional need of information, the WCSD Parent line is available at #334-8373 to help keep everyone informed.
Principal: Mrs. Molly Lauf
Vice Principal: Mrs. Nikki Capovilla
Counselor: Mrs. Ellen (Lou) Eftimoff
Secretary: Mrs. Michelle Brown
Clinical Aid: Mrs. Miriam Parks
School Nurse: Mrs. Hillary Anthony
Office Helper: Mrs. Pickett
Librarian: Mrs. Lisa Schoenfeld
Computer Tech: Jamie Gajek
PE Teachers: Mrs. Nicole Maine
Music Teacher: Mrs. Terry Thompson
Fundraisers to support our school -
Box Tops: We collect and redeem Box Tops for Education. As you clip these labels, thanks for sending them into the classroom to add to the collection.
Labels for Education: Look for these on Campbell's soup labels, Pepperidge Farm cookies and crackers, and many other products. Send them into the classroom or drop them off in the box outside the office.
Gifted & Talented (GT) education: Students participate in a universal computer screening in second and fifth grades to be considered for the GT program. For information about gifted children, view HowDoIKnowIfTheyreReallyGifted and CommonMythsAboutGiftedStudents. Find information about WCSD Gate Elementary on-site pull-out program information, nomination and information forms here.
MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support): MTSS is a mandated and research-based practice designed to intervene and/or enrich students’ skills in academics and behavior. It's framework is a leveled three-tiered system designed to provide specialized instruction and monitoring tailored to students’ needs. Assessment data and team input are used to identify students needs and outline support and instruction with research-based programs and practices.
Grading: Grades are similar to first grade and reflect academic Standards progress:
Exceeding Standards: 87.5% - 100% = 4 = S+
Meeting Standards: 68.75% - 87.4% = 3 = S
Approaching Standards: 43.75% - 68.74% = 2.5 = S-
Not meeting Standard: 0% - 43.74% = 2> = I
Assignments: It is very important students complete and submit assignments in a timely manner. Adequate time and direction is given in class to complete assignments and there are many opportunities for students to seek assistance. For quarter grades to adequately reflect student learning and progress, ALL assignments need to be turned in to be accounted for. A missing assignment counts as a ZERO (0%), not an I (55%) within grading parameters. Missing assignments significantly lower quarter report card grades.
Health alerts & concerns: During annual registration we all fill out a medical alert form to notify the school of student health issues and concerns. Because of FIRPA privacy laws, these records are purged each year so medical information can be accurately updated yearly. If your child has any allergies, health problems such as asthma, carries an Epipen, or has any other medical needs, PLEASE communicate this information to the office clinic and your child's teacher in the beginning of the school year.
Homework: Students are assigned up to 30 minutes of homework which usually consists of reading, spelling and math for each school day. This may be assigned paper/pencil or online. Homework is not assigned during weekends or holidays.
Homework Helpful hints:
*Continually practice computation speed and accuracy for addition, subtraction, and skip counting up and back.
*If homework is not understood, write a note and leave it. Practice an alternate method for that evening.
*Check and praise your child's homework for neatness, proper procedure, and best effort.
Homework & Vacations: If your family is planning on being away from school for more than three school days, Hunsberger policy is classwork is not given prior to your trip. Instead, your child's teacher may assign our Independent Study Contract to be completed by your student while you are away, or give your child make-up assignments upon return. Per school district policy, students are permitted an equal number of days as absent plus one (1) additional day to complete make-up work, i.e., five (5) days absent, six (6) days to make-up the missed work. If make-up work is not completed within the designated time frame, the work will receive a zero on each assigned task and the absence will be considered unexcused and can count toward "chronic absenteeism". The student must request the missed work the day they return, the teacher then has two (2) days to provide the work. Make-up work is not provided prior to the absence.
Husky Arts: The goal of this Art program taught by our parents is to teach students to recognize works of great and modern masters and to understand and properly use art related vocabulary, skills and techniques. We want students to understand that the process of creating art is far more important than the finished result. Objectives for the 18-19 year:
· There will be 6 or more quality art projects taught by Husky Arts volunteers.
· April is clay month for 2nd grade.
· At least 3 of the 6 projects (if not all 6) should be connected to a classic or modern master artist.
Lunches: Elementary hot lunch price is $2.80 for students. These prices are reflected on the nutritionservices department homepage and all menus posted online. Families need to reapply each school year for free/reduced meals. If you wish to participate in this program, please ensure your application has been filed at https://rocket.washoeschools.net/.
Notification: Open communication is important. Parents are continually updated in multiple ways. All grades are posted on Infinite Campus at least bi-weekly. If your child is receiving instruction as "Tier 2" or "Tier 3" for adjusted instruction considered to be "Interventions", you will be notified. Aside from a simple visit to the clinic, anytime your child is injured you will also receive notification. We will let you know on the calendar, through fliers (which can be downloaded here) when field trips are planned. If students have an extremely unusual day a note/call from school may also be coming your way. School news is always available on the most recent "Paw Prints" as well.
Nut Free School: Please send in classroom snacks that are "nut free". Field trips MUST also be "nut Free" for every child. During lunch we continue to have a "Nut free" table.
Phones: Students may use an office phone to contact family members when necessary. If your child has a cell phone or I-Phone watch, it must remain off and in the backpack during the school day.
Privacy Procedures: We are all familiar with FIRPA privacy laws when related to medical information, but these laws also apply to public education and schools. We are very careful to keep all personal information private in our district.
Some practices put into place because of these laws:
*Student first names only are posted in the hallways with student work. Photos may also be posted in the hallways.
*Family notification and agreement is essential if any of your personal information is given out to other families: i.e. class roster list, Spectra/JA volunteer lists, etc.
*Class e-mails sent by teachers are primarily sent to Teacher addresses with families B.C'd as an additional receiver. Take care to not "reply to all" from any of these messages as everyone on the list will receive your message as well as your personal email address.
*Beginning of the year class lists are posted online in Infinite Campus the week prior to the beginning of school.
*Student cum files are accessible only to personnel that work directly with your child and guardians. All who access the file besides teachers sign the file.
*When volunteering in the school, classrooms, or working with kids, please adhere to the confidential agreement you signed when submitting your volunteer form.
Restroom Visits are encouraged during student breaks (5 daily). During class, students are allowed to visit the restroom during independent work times, only once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Please inform your teacher of medical concerns or situations when your child may need additional visits.
School Newsletters, & "Pawprints": All parent fliers are sent by Friday in Friday folders, and school updates in Paw Prints will be sent bi-weekly electronically. We are working hard to be "paperless" and will post a digital scan of each piece of information on our school website. All hard copies are also available by request in the office.
School Spirit Day: Fridays are school spirit days. All students can participate by wearing school colors, green and gray, a logo Hunsberger shirt, or dress up as the spirit day is scheduled. Shirts on display in the entrance hall are all purchasable through PTA.
Sickness: If your child is ill, thank you for keeping him/her home for the day so we can avoid spreading these germs. Upon return, absent students will find a list of make-up assignments along with any handouts. For each day absent, the same number of days plus 1 is allowable to complete missed assignments. For any absence to be excused, make-up work must be submitted within the allowed time. We understand how stressful it is to return and keep up while completing make-up assignments. If additional allowances need to be made, please contact your teacher.
Snacks: Students are welcome to bring a healthy nut-free snack to eat at am snack time or in the afternoon during 2:00 recess. Seal-able water bottles are helpful in the classroom to keep hydrated. Please no sugary treats, colored liquids or punch. WCSD suggestions for healthy snacks are: fresh fruit, carrots, bell pepper strips, snap peas, trail mix with no chocolate, yogurt, cheese, whole grain crackers, popcorn, pretzels, hard boiled eggs, healthy fruit bars. Please keep snacks simple, easy to eat with no utensils, and clean.
Students in the building: Students are not allowed in the building before or after school hours without a pass or an adult. Please communicate to your child the importance of walking around the building instead of through it during these times.
Teacher Hours: Teacher hours are 9:00 - 4:00 daily. Contact your teacher by email, phone #851-7095 to leave a message in the office, or ask to be directed to voice mail to leave a message, or send a note in your child's daily folder. Teachers check email before and after school daily and will do their best to respond to you within 24 hours.
Testing: Students in second grade are bench-marked in ELA and Mathematics in the beginning, middle and end of the school year. These assessments are administered to determine teaching goals and monitor growth throughout the year. Beginning in third grade, students will be assessed with the Smarter Balanced Criterion Referenced Tests.
Volunteering: Thank you for your interest in volunteering to be a part of our wonderful Hunsberger School. To maintain consistent security in the school for the safety of our students, it is important for each visiting adult to complete a volunteer application, and go to the district office to submit fingerprints. If you feel it’s a possibility you may be on campus in any capacity to interact with students, whether it be as a classroom volunteer, guest speaker, school volunteer, field trip chaperone, party planner, etc. we ask that all Applications be submitted 3 weeks prior to your visit to afford the time for WCSD approval. Each year, parents need to complete a new form as they are valid for one calendar year. Forms are available in the office and online. Upon arrival to the school, all volunteers, parents, and guests must report to the office to sign in and receive a sticker name tag before staying on property.