You can expect that your child will be safe from harm while at Second Creek. However, accidents sometimes occur. Our health aide is certified to administer basic first aid to injured students. In case of a serious accident, parents will be contacted. If the parent cannot be reached, we will contact the emergency person recommended by the parent. It is critical that parents keep the school updated on all phone numbers and emergency contacts.

In order to meet the educational demands of all children, it is essential that your child be at school. Research has proven that there is a direct correlation between a child’s attendance and his/her success at school. Please try to schedule events, vacations, and appointments around school hours whenever possible. We recognize circumstances arise which may prevent your child from coming to school. When your child cannot attend school, please call the attendance line only (720-685-7595) to report the absence by 7:50 AM. You may also submit the absence via Second Creek’s website (secondcreek.sd27j.org) and clicking on the tab at the left entitled “Report an Absence.” If you fail to report the absence by 7:50 AM, you can expect a call from the office verifying the reason for your child’s absence. Communication between parents and school helps track your child. Please help us by communicating whenever your child will be absent. In the event you have scheduled a vacation, homework will not be given prior to your departure. After three (3) consecutive days of absence, homework may be provided; however, this is at the teacher’s discretion.

Our expectations at Second Creek Elementary are as follows:

1. A parent or guardian must notify the main office by calling into the automated attendance line (720-685-7595) or through the link provided on our website (secondcreek.sd27j.org). This step should be taken any time a student is absent.
2. If a student is not present in the classroom at the time the bell rings (7:50 AM), the student will be marked as absent. The student will then be required to obtain an approved pass from the main office and the absence will then be changed to “tardy” or “partial absence.”
3. Excused absences are defined as absences due to one or more of the following:
   1. Illness, injury or disabling condition
   2. Family emergency such as a serious illness or death of an immediate family member
   3. Legal proceeding requiring the presence of the student
   4. Approved pre-arranged absences - planned, non-emergency activities should be scheduled for days or times when students are not scheduled to be in school. Requests for absences to be excused for non-emergency reasons will be approved only if the student has a 95% or higher attendance rate over the prior two (2) grading periods and if the student is otherwise meeting academic performance expectations as determined by school administration. For students who do not meet the criteria noted, pre-arranged absence requests will be reviewed at the discretion of school administration. Unless the pre-arranged absence is approved and signed by the administrator prior to the absence, you will continue to receive calls advising you that your student is absent.
   5. Religious observations
4. When a student has missed over eight (8) days, we will require a meeting with parents and staff to establish a Student Success Plan supporting the student and family needs. This is in accordance with Colorado Revised Statutes § 22-33-107.

Please note, there is no differentiation between an excused absence and a non-excused absence. Colorado law requires a student to have nine hundred sixty-eight hours of teacher-student contact (four hundred fifty hours for half-day kindergarten students) (CRS § 22-33-104(1)(a)(ii) and (iv)). If your student is tardy, it will be considered unexcused unless there is a valid reason, i.e., medical appointment, accident, court hearings, illness or family emergencies.

According to state law, it is the obligation of every parent to ensure that every child under his/her care and supervision receives adequate education and training and, if of compulsory attendance age, attends school. As you can see, we take our attendance policy very seriously. If your child has other problems (besides health which has been verified by a physician), we recommend you call our school counselor or school psychologist for additional help. They will do problem-solving and attempt to expose the root problem of his or her school absences.

Colorado state law (CRS § 22-33-101, et. seq.) establishes that any student who has more than four unexcused absences in a month or ten in a year may be declared “habitually truant.” The law further directs school districts to establish policies and procedures up to and including referral for judicial proceedings in cases of continued habitual truancy. It is never our desire to take such extreme measures. However, because attendance is one of the most critical factors impacting a student’s academic success, we do not hesitate to refer habitual truancy cases to appropriate court officials when other interventions have not been successful in addressing the concern. The School District’s primary interest is ensuring that all children maintain appropriate educational progress.

Student use of cell phones is prohibited during school hours (7:50AM-3:30PM). If a student is asked to carry a cell phone by parents (i.e., the student walks home and the phone is for safety), the phone must be kept in a secure location until the end of the day.

It is the District’s position that camera or picture cell phones pose threats to freedoms of privacy. Additionally, picture phones can be used to exploit personal information and compromise the integrity of educational programs. Accordingly, the camera function of a cell phone or other electronic device is strictly prohibited on school premises at all times. Students who violate this provision of the policy will have their cell phone confiscated and a parent/guardian will be required to meet with the building principal or his/her designee before the phone will be returned.

Students should dress in a manner that is appropriate for school and the weather.  Certain clothing types and styles are deemed as inappropriate for school day attire: clothing that reveals private body parts, underclothing, midriffs, cleavage or buttocks, i.e., tube tops, spaghetti straps, single strap shirts, backless shirts or blouses, halter tops or tank tops; skirts, dresses or shorts above 2” below the length of the middle finger when extended down from your side; skin-tight clothing, pants or shorts that hang below the hips or with tears or holes above the knee, hats, caps, bandanas, sweatbands, hoods, or other head coverings, except for those worn for approved and accepted medical or religious purposes; and footwear or clothing that poses a safety hazard, i.e., flip-flops, backless sandals, heelies, etc. Modes of dress, hairstyles, and personal grooming habits will be accepted provided they are not disruptive, offensive, or contain any inappropriate logos or mottos that could deter the health, safety, or morals of individuals. Students who are not dressed appropriately will be asked to comply.  On days when students attend physical education, they should bring tennis shoes and girls should not wear dresses.

The Superintendent will make the decision regarding the closure of school in emergency situations or the implementation of the delayed start schedule.

After arriving at the decision to close schools for a specified day or time period or a delayed start schedule, the communication of the school closure or delayed start schedule message will be accomplished by a telephone tree established by the Superintendent and disseminated to appropriate District officials. News media will also be alerted.

NOTE:  As early in the morning as possible the District office and all school offices will change the recording on the phone system to announce school closures or delays.

Activities during school closure. In the event school is closed, during the day or at the beginning of the day, all scheduled activities in the school building will be canceled for the day. If weather permits, it will be the building administration’s decision if any practice will be permitted during the day.

Delayed Start Schedule: TWO (2) HOUR DELAY.  If a delayed schedule is announced, the following schedules will pertain:

1. MORNING SCHEDULES - Bus pickup and school starting time will be approximately two hours later than usual. THERE WILL BE NO A.M. PRESCHOOL CLASSES on a delayed start day.
2. MIDDAY SCHEDULES - Depending on weather conditions, buses will depart elementary schools at the regular time and should arrive at their stops as normally scheduled.
3. Afternoon pre-school classes may be canceled. If there is school, students will be picked up at the Normal time and transported to school as scheduled.
4. AFTERNOON SCHEDULES - Depending on the severity of conditions, field trips and athletic trips may be modified or canceled. Elementary Schools will be dismissed at regular times.

• Immunizations and Exclusions - Colorado law C.R.S. § 25-4-902 requires all students attending any school in the state of Colorado to be vaccinated against certain vaccine-preventable diseases as established by Colorado Board of Health rule 6 CCR 1009-2, unless an official exemption form is filed (which must be completed and renewed at the beginning of each school year). This law applies to students attending all public schools beginning with preschool through 12th grade. An official non-medical exemption form must be filed every year during the student’s school enrollment/registration process. Students with an exemption may be kept out of child care or school during a disease outbreak.

• Medicaid, Release of Information - As a Medicaid provider, 27J will access Medicaid eligibility information for students enrolled in 27J from Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF). HCPF is the designated Medicaid agency in the state. Directory information of name, date of birth, and gender will be released to HCFP to verify Medicaid eligibility of students in the District. The description of health and health-related services delivered to Medicaid eligible students will be released to Medicaid and/or the District billing agent for proper administration of the program. A dated record of all transactions will be kept on file at the 27J District Office, Student Services Department.

• Medication - Any student who needs to take medication at school, whether it be a prescription or over-the-counter medication, MUST have a written permission slip signed by both the doctor and the parent before any medication can be distributed by the school. The medication must be provided by the parent in an individual pharmacy labeled bottle with the student’s name who is to receive it. The label must include the student’s name, name of the medication, the dosage, and the time for administering the medication. The office will keep records of any and all medication distributed. NO MEDICATION WILL BE ADMINISTERED WITHOUT THE PROPER DOCUMENTATION. This includes cough drops, inhalers, etc. For more information, please contact the Health Para by calling 720-685-7553.

If you are providing snacks or treats for holiday parties, your item must contain a label bearing a list of all ingredients.

Students who have lost items should first check with their classroom teachers. Then, they should check the lost and found area outside the main office. Students who find an item should bring it to the office and place the item on the lost and found table. Valuable items will be handled and kept in the office. Outer clothing, lunch boxes and water bottles must be labeled to help identify the owner.

Hot lunch is provided for all children from Kindergarten through 5th grade. Students will have the choice of purchasing a hot lunch or bringing their own sack lunch. No soda or candy will be allowed. Milk is available for breakfast and lunch. If your student has dietary restriction, i.e., food allergies or religious reasons, please provide written documentation to our Health Para. Any note concerning food allergies must be signed by a doctor.  Our Health Para will enter this information in Infinite Campus and will share the restrictions with the cafeteria.

Breakfast will be available for students beginning at 7:15 a.m. The costs are as follows (subject to increase):

                   Students      Adults

Breakfast     $1.75           $2.80

Lunch           $2.50           $3.90    Extra Milk  $.65

Please contact the cafeteria at 720-685-7599 for more information.

The purpose of this organization is to encourage an active partnership between the parent community and the school. All parents are welcome to attend monthly meetings and actively support the various school programs offered throughout the year.  Please visit the school calendar by clicking here for dates and times for our PTO meetings

Parents are always welcome to come and visit Second Creek at any time. However, all visitors are required to come into the main office, present a valid photo ID in order to obtain a Raptor “VISITOR” badge prior to visiting any part of the building, other than the office. Please return the visitor badge to the office before leaving. Parents or visitors who are not wearing a badge will be asked to report to the office. Parents joining their students for breakfast or lunch will also be required to follow this procedure.

The drive-through lane is reserved for emergency vehicles and may only be used for drop-off/pick-up. As with any public facility, parking in the red zone is prohibited during school hours. Vehicles parked and unattended in the loading zone or along the outer lane could result in a parking citation by law enforcement officers. Over the years, we have worked with our local police department to patrol our neighborhoods to keep our school and community safe. We understand our parking lot barely accommodates the parking needs of our school. Therefore, if you wish to “wait”, it is best to find parking in either of our lots, streets that surround the school’s campus, or the Lewiston Street east access to our building.

Remember, to pull forward. When you don't pull forward and leave a gap in front of your car, you are denying the use of that space to others waiting to load and unload.

The waiting zone is not very long; please use it efficiently and be considerate of the parents waiting in line behind you. So, when waiting in line to drop off or pick up children in the unloading and loading zone: 

• Please have your child(ren) prepared to step out of the car with all of their items (backpack, lunch, coat, etc.) prior to stopping in the "drop off zone". Traffic slows down if you have to get out of the car to get backpacks. Remain in your car, be ready to load or unload and leave cautiously. Do not get out of your vehicle to open the doors or to hug your student. Staff is available to assist from 7:30-7:50 AM.

• Stopping or parking is prohibited by law anywhere other than in a designated parking spot or along the public streets. Please do not stop in the crosswalk where pedestrians are crossing.

• Students may only exit the car when the vehicle stops in the right-hand lane of the drop-off zone exiting on the passenger side. Your vehicle must come to a complete stop before opening the door to allow the student to exit the vehicle on the passenger’s side. Dropping students off in the middle of the parking lot and/or center of the drive-thru lanes is hazardous for all students, drivers and employees. Although this appears to be common sense to most, we have encountered these situations on a daily basis.

• Pedestrians in the crosswalks ALWAYS have the right of way and should only cross in designated crosswalks. Students are taught at school to cross the street only in designated crosswalks; so when adults cross just anywhere, students receive the message that breaking the rules is a grown-up thing and they are to follow this example. Please consider the safety of others, ultimately. Drivers trying to exit the loading and unloading zone are looking at the road and may not see you and/or your children when you try to pass between those cars. 

Students may be dropped off between 7:30 and 7:45 AM. Many of our carpools realize how the parking lot becomes very congested between 7:45 and 7:50 AM. We ask that you make the necessary arrangements to get your students before the rush. If you are late due to traffic or any other reason, you are required to check in your student in the main office. This will require you to find a parking spot and physically come into the office to sign them in. Students love to arrive when they have time to play on the playground before lining up with their class.

To continue to protect our students, we require our Preschool, Kindergarten and First Grade students be handed off to a designated pick-up person; therefore, parking arrangements need to be made that do not involve the fire lane or any illegal parking practices. Lewiston Street is a convenient location to accommodate additional parking and accessible via the walkway.

School hours are from 7:50 AM-3:30 PM for full-day kindergarten thru 5th Grade. For safety reasons, students must not arrive at Second Creek or be on the school’s premises prior to 7:30 AM nor are they allowed to remain on the school’s premises after 3:45 PM. Student supervision will begin at 7:30 AM and end at 3:45 PM. If this schedule conflicts with your needs, please contact our before and after school daycare, New Frontier, by calling 720-685-7556.

• Crisis Plans (Fire, Tornado and Emergency Lock­-Down Scenarios) - Student safety is the first priority for Second Creek and its staff. There are several safety precautions that we take to ensure safety for all students and staff. Each staff member and student are trained in all of our safety and evacuation procedures, as these emergency procedures are practiced monthly. In all emergency situations (NOT INCLUDING PRACTICE DRILLS), we will use the automated phone system to keep parents informed. A “lock down” situation would call for the school and each classroom to be locked keeping the danger away from students. During these emergency times, parents and/or visitors will not be allowed inside the building [NA1]. We also ask that you do not call the school. Our number one priority is and continues to be, is the safety of our students and staff. We will communicate in the event of an actual emergency. Please be aware, some drills are conducted without taking the system "offline" in order to test the response time for our emergency crews.

• Crisis: Student/Parent Reunification – Circumstances may occur requiring parents to pick up their students in a formalized, controlled release. This may be due to weather, power outage, hazmat or if a crisis occurs at the school. In this event, a parent/guardian will be notified that a reunification or controlled release is needed.There are some expectations and steps that you should be aware of for the reunification process. Bring your ID. This will streamline things during the reunification process and will protect both the safety of the student and provide for an accountable change of custody from the school to a parent/guardian. If a parent is driving to the school, please be aware of the change in traffic and emergency vehicles. Parents are asked to go to the “Reunification Check-In” area and form lines based on the first letter of their student’s last name. While in line, parents are asked to fill out a reunification card. Once completed, a runner will take the bottom half of the card to the “Student Assembly Area” to recover the student or students. 

• Phone Calls and the Automated Phone Service - Second Creek will call parents for a variety of reasons: concern, praise, events, etc. We also have an automated phone system that allows us to send a message to all parents in our student database. The automated dialer will keep you regularly informed. It may sound similar to an advertisement, so please be patient with the message. 

• Planners - Students in Grades 2-5 at Second Creek will receive a daily planner. Parents are required to sign the Acknowledgement and Receipt of The Student/Parent Handbook page and return it to the office by the first Friday of your student’s first day for the school year.  This planner will help students organize their class work and homework, as well as provide the teacher and parents with a mode of communication. Parents and teachers should expect each child to bring their planners with them to class and home from school daily. Notes between teachers and parents can take place in this planner, as well as homework assignments. If a planner is lost, students may receive a replacement planner for the cost of $5. 

• Report Cards and Progress Reports - Teachers will regularly communicate the progress of each student with the parent(s) of that child. A written evaluation in the form of a report card will be shared with parents during parent-teacher conferences in October. Thereafter report cards and grades will only be viewed and printed via the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. A student’s academic standing and personal growth should never be a surprise to the parent. Parents are encouraged to regularly check in with the teacher to monitor their child’s growth. If you wish to monitor your child’s progress via the internet, please stop by the school office to obtain a user ID number and password, if you have not already done so. A valid drivers’ license or picture ID will be required. 

• Website - Second Creek is very dedicated to continually communicating with parents. You can expect to be kept informed about changes of schedules, upcoming programs, vacations, student progress, etc. All parents are encouraged to monitor the website (www.secondcreek.sd27j.org) or classroom communications very closely.

Parents who need to pick up their child must report to the office. Children will not be excused from their classrooms until the parent, or authorized individual, arrives in the office. Parents will be required to sign their child out of school. Students will not be released to individuals, other than the parent or guardian, unless previous arrangements have been made and an ID is provided. Only parents may sign students out during the school day. If a parent/guardian wishes for someone else (grandparent, sibling, etc.) to pick up their student, a handwritten note or telephone call must be received by the office no later than thirty (30) minutes prior to dismissal on the day the exception is to occur. Students are not permitted to contact their families for the purpose of leaving during the school day. Such arrangements must be made through the school office by a parent/guardian. To support our teachers and students to prepare for dismissal, interruptions to the classroom are not permitted during the final 15 minutes of the school day.

Students may not loiter unsupervised on campus before or after normal school hours. Any student remaining on school grounds once school has been dismissed will be brought into the office. Any student arriving early or remaining late will be referred to Social Services.