School Policies

Absences
1. Call in Policy
If your child will be absent, please call the school office at 721-7013 and follow the prompts on our voice mail system to leave a message on extension #135. This voice mailbox is dedicated for our call in absence system and is checked by Mrs. McDonough each morning. If your child is absent and the school has not been notified, the school will contact you.

2. Excused absences
Absences are excused only for the following reasons:
· illness, 
· death in the family,
· approved religious holidays,
· emergency medical or dental treatment.

Family vacations should be scheduled to coincide with school vacations. When this is not possible, the school must be notified. Make-up work is usually provided upon return. However, with sufficient notice, work may be given at the teacher’s discretion prior to departure.

3. Early Dismissals
 - Although we do not encourage the early dismissal of students, we recognize that, at times, this becomes necessary. Children may be dismissed early upon the written request of the parent/guardian. This note should indicate the date and time of dismissal and the name of the person accompanying the child. This note must be given to the student’s homeroom teacher at the beginning of the day and will be forwarded to the Main Office where it will be kept on file. Arrangements must be made for the child to be picked up from the school office by a parent/guardian or an authorized person known to the child. In the case of specific custody arrangement, parents should have a copy of the custody agreement on file in the school office. The person picking the child up from the office must sign our “Early Dismissal Log” on the counter in the Main office which will indicate the date, time, name of the adult accompanying the child, and the relationship of adult to the child.

4. Late Dismissals / Detentions
If a student is to remain at school for any reason, the teacher and /or principal will notify the parent/ guardian to make appropriate arrangements. Tardiness

Children arriving after 8:50 are considered late. If the child will be late, school personnel should be notified. The child should check in at the school office upon arrival. Tardiness is acceptable only in emergencies.

Snack, Lunch, and Recess
Snacks should be packed daily for all children (Preschool - 5). All grades 1-5 children should bring a lunch or purchase lunch tickets.
 Winchester schools participate in a federally subsidized lunch program for qualified families. Information is provided at the beginning of the school year.
 Lunch tickets are available on Tuesdays before school in the Lynch School dining hall.

Costs

Type A Lunch Price: $3.00
Reduced Lunch Price: $.40
Milk Choice: $.60
Lactaid Milk (reg/choc): $.60
Soy Milk: $1.00
A-la-carte: $1.25


The lunch menu is distributed monthly and is posted in the school office and published in the Winchester Star.
 A 25-minute lunch period is followed by a 20-minute outdoor recess. Indoor recess is held on days of inclement weather.




Dress Policy
Dress should be neat, comfortable, and suitable for recess.
Snowpants, boots, gloves, hats, and jackets are recommended for cold weather. Children who do not have boots or snowpants will not be allowed to play in the snow. 
Sneakers are required for gym class.

Lost and Found
Please label all backpacks, lunch boxes, and clothing. Lost items are placed in “Lost and Found,” located by the main entrance, in the lobby, near the school office. Unclaimed items are donated to charity. Please check frequently.

Visitors and Classroom Visits
Parents, visitors and volunteers during the school day should report to the school office, sign the visitor log and wear a visitor’s badge for the duration of the visit.

Because classroom visits during the school day are potentially disruptive of the educational process and environment, we do not encourage them as a way of getting to know the Lynch School. Parents who do wish to visit classrooms are allowed to do so under the following conditions:

1. Appointments must be scheduled at least 2 days in advance of the proposed visit. The class to be visited and the purpose of the visit must be stated at the time the appointment is made. A designated Lynch School staff member, unless otherwise agreed to by the principal or the teacher, will escort visitors to classrooms.
2. Visits will be limited to 30 minutes.
3. Young children may not accompany parents on classroom visits.
4. The frequency of classroom visits will be at the determination of the principal.

Field Trips
Periodic field trips and/or enrichment programs may complement the curriculum. Bus transportation is arranged by the school. Permission slips are sent home with each student before the trip. Parent chaperones are coordinated by the teacher and/or the room parent.

Telephone Use 

Students may use the school telephone to call home. There is also a pay telephone located inside, next to the gym door entrance.


Parties and food allergies
Invitations to home birthday parties should be mailed. Student-to-student delivery is not always reliable and children who are not included may feel hurt.
Due to the increasing number of students with life threatening food allergies, staff would prefer non-food treats for classroom celebrations (i.e. birthdays). Some suggestions would be: pencils, stickers, bookmarks, etc. Please take note of your child’s classroom policy regarding food vs. non-food treats for celebrations.
Room parents help organize holiday parties for their classes.

Computer and Internet Use
Use of the internet at Lynch is subject to the Winchester Public Schools Acceptable Use Policy. All students using the internet are required to sign an acknowledgement of rules governing their activities including restrictions on sites accessed and respect of others’ documents as well as a prohibition on giving out personal information. The full Policy is distributed at the beginning of the school year and is available in computer labs and in the Principal’s office for parent and community viewing.

Tests and MCAS
There are a number of tests which are administered during the school year across grade levels. A screening test is given to all Kindergarteners within the first 6 weeks of school. All first grade students are tested in reading in September. Based on the results of these tests, first grade students receive extra reading support from our Reading Specialists within the Early Intervention Reading Program. In addition, MCAS tests are administered at grades 3, 4, and 5 (a schedule of these tests will be provided through the school newsletter). Finally, diagnostic reading tests may be given at the teacher’s discretion in Grades 1, 2, or 3.

Custodial Parents
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has instituted new regulations regarding the rights of custodial parents. A copy of this regulation is sent home to each family in the Fall.

ADK - http://mail.winchester.k12.ma.us/~wps/Kindergarten