GREETER POLICIES:

• Outside (restaurant) purchased lunches are not permitted to be brought to school, except for birthdays. 

• If you need to pick up your child early for an appointment, you should email the greeter and homeroom teacher by 8 am the day of (greeter@strita.net).

• Early pick-ups for appointments at the greeter area are not permitted close to dismissal time. Any early pickup must be no later than 2:45 pm. As safety is our priority, the greeter needs to be focused on regular carpool and walker dismissal after this time.

• Chromebooks are not necessary to bring up to school as there are loaners for students to borrow. In addition, everything is saved in the cloud, so they do not need their personal device to access previously finished work.

WATER BOTTLES/CUPS

Please note that water bottles brought by students to school must be able to be fully sealed so as not to spill when knocked over. Stanley cups with straws are no longer permitted. 

AFTER-SCHOOL EXTENDED DAY PROGRAM

The school offers an Extended Day program after school hours. This program is managed by the school. Descriptions of the Extended Day program and procedures, as well as enrollment forms, are available online at  www.strita.net. https://www.strita.net/apps/pages/AfterSchoolProgram 

BICYCLES

For the safety of all students, we ask that electric bikes, motorized scooters, and other motorized vehicles not be used by students to travel to or from school. Motorized transportation of any kind operated by students is not permitted on campus.  The school provides bike racks, but accepts no responsibility for bicycles parked there or anywhere else on campus. Only students in grades 2nd-8th are permitted to ride their bicycles to and from school and must comply with the following rules: 

• Students must walk their bikes across the traffic lanes of the school campus. 

• Students must walk their bikes across the plaza of the school campus. 

• Students must wear bike helmets. 

• No passengers are allowed on bikes. 

• Bikes must be locked at all times on the school campus. 

• 2nd graders who bike to school must ride with a parent or an older sibling.

STUDENT BIRTHDAYS 

Birthdays are a special time in a student’s life, and they are acknowledged at school in the following special ways: 

• Parents of children in PreK-4 may send store-bought refreshments to school with their child to celebrate a child’s birthday. If a parent wants to join in the celebration, this is only permitted on Fridays at lunchtime. All arrangements must be made in advance with the child’s teacher before treats are sent. Please email your child’s homeroom teacher before the day of the birthday. 

• Students in 5-8 may bring in store-bought birthday treats for their advisory group. 

• Every birthday child is mentioned during morning announcements. 

• Every birthday child is given a birthday ribbon to wear in school on the day the birthday is celebrated. 

The school reminds parents that sponsoring a birthday party that excludes a small number of children in a homeroom or class is hurtful to the excluded children and destructive to the development of community spirit. Accordingly, students may not pass out invitations to birthday parties on campus unless every child in the class is invited. Birthday gifts may not be exchanged at school. Thank-you notes after parties should not be distributed at school.

Due to safety and quality control, students may only bring in store-bought treats to share with peers in their homeroom class (PK-4) or advisory (5-8).

FIELD TRIPS

Field trips are planned to enrich students’ educational and cultural experiences. Parents must provide written consent for the field trip by signing the school’s field trip permission slip; otherwise, the student may not attend. No verbal or emailed permissions will be accepted. Participation in a field trip is a privilege that can be revoked by the school if the student fails to meet academic or behavioral requirements. Students who are not attending a field trip should stay home unless it is for medical reasons. Any student who may require the accompaniment of a nurse on a field trip may be required to pay for a substitute nurse. 

Transportation of students to and from field trips is provided by bus. A field trip fee is collected at the outset of each school year. The fee covers the cost of the field trips and the cost of transportation not paid by the school. (The school pays for the expense of buses for one field trip per grade.) Parent volunteers are asked to assist the teachers in chaperoning the students during field trips. There should be an adequate number of chaperones, ideally following a ratio of one adult for every 4 to 6 students. Parent volunteers for field trips will be selected through a lottery of those who have expressed interest and have cleared the Safe Environment process. Certain field trips may require more supervision. However, due to insurance limitations, siblings of students may not accompany them on a field trip with parent volunteers. 

Students who participate in overnight field trips or retreats (such as The Pines or Sky Ranch) are expected to stay the entire duration. Only students who are ill will be allowed to leave early.

GIFTS

No exchanging of gifts among students, including those for Prayer Buddies, Secret Santa, Valentine’s Day, and birthdays, is permitted while at school. Gifts created as a class for prayer buddies are allowed. 

HOLIDAYS AND CLASS PARTIES

Students in grades PreK-4 participate in parties to celebrate Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and other holidays. The homeroom parents of these students organize a simple, thirty-minute party with a small treat for each student. Parties dates and times are set with the grade-level teachers and administration and will be communicated to parents.

LOCKERS

Lockers are available for use by students in grades 5-8. Lockers remain unlocked at all times. The school reserves the right to open student lockers at any time without probable or reasonable cause. The appearance of the outside of the locker, as well as a neat and orderly inside, is essential. Remember, the purpose of a locker is to store school supplies and coats or jackets. Students are not allowed to decorate the outside of their lockers or put stickers or writing on other lockers. The labels with names should remain on the lockers the entire school year. Magnets and other non-permanent decorations that do not reduce locker functioning may be placed inside the locker. Students are responsible for keeping their own lockers clean and orderly. Locker doors should be able to close at all times. 

LOST AND FOUND

Please label all items brought to school. We do our best to return all labeled items to their rightful owners. Many unlabeled items are turned into the school’s greeter area. We do our best to advertise the lost items to the students. However, unclaimed items are donated to charity on the last Friday of each month.

OUTDOOR PLAY

Weather permitting, all students are expected to go outside with their classes. (See “Health Policies-Exclusion from Physical Exercise” for exceptions to this policy.) Students should be dressed appropriately for the weather every day. If there is any doubt about the weather, please send a coat, jacket or sweatshirt with the student. No student may be left in a classroom during recess. 

SOCIAL FUNCTIONS

Children of elementary age need continual guidance and help from their parents in developing social graces. Parents are encouraged to arrange opportunities for family gatherings and activities. Such activities encourage open communication and trust. 

Attendance at school-related functions is also encouraged. Students in grades 5-8 have the opportunity to attend school-sponsored socials at certain times throughout the year. No school-sponsored dances are permitted for students below the 7th grade. 

FOOD PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

At various times throughout the year, the school may provide food for students. It is not possible to provide alternatives to every dietary restriction. If your child requires an accommodation for a dietary restriction, please provide an alternative.