Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the school dress code?
- What is the Glacier Peak Homework Policy?
- How do I pick my child up before the school day ends?
- What are some other general guidelines at Glacier Peak?
- How can I get a message to my child?
- What is the Glacier Peak Cell Phone Policy?
- What Has Glacier Peak Done To Ensure Student Safety?
- What time does my student have lunch?
- Where can I find Nutrition Services Information?
- What should I do if my child breaks or loses their Chromebook charger?
- How Can I Sign Up To Receive Priority Text Messages?
- What Are Student Fees And Can I Pay Them Online?
- How Does Standards-Based Grading Work?
- How Is Standards-Based Grading Different?
- Why Aren’t Grades Just Averaged?
- How Will Student Progress Be Measured?
- So Is A 4 Like And A, A 3 Like A B And So On?
- How Will IEP Students Measure Their Progress?
- How Will ELL Students Measure Their Progress?
- How Will I Know If My Student Is On Track To Meeting The Standard?
- How Does Homework Fit Into Standards Based Grading?
What is the school dress code?
2.1 Shirts must be fitted and long enough to naturally touch the top of the lower garment and/or be tucked in;
2.2 shirts must cover the shoulders;
2.3 all attire should be sized to fit
2.4 shorts and skirts must be fingertip length when arms are resting at sides
Last spring, Superintendent Policy #5060: STUDENT DRESS was changed to prohibit only professional athletic team JERSEYS. This means that non-jersey professional athletic/sports attire is now permitted for students. This also means that all students can wear non-jersey professional team (any team) athletic/sports attire to school.
Just remember, no professional athletic team JERSEYS.
What is the Glacier Peak Homework Policy?
Classroom teachers have developed grade level expectations and procedures for homework.
Each teacher will send home information that is specific to the particular grade level during the first few weeks of school. Generally, all homework expectations at Glacier Peak follow common guidelines. The purpose of homework is to give students opportunities to practice skills, to prepare for a new topic, or to elaborate on material that has been previously introduced. The amount of homework depends on the grade level, subject, and the individual needs of the student or class.
Each teacher will provide clear and timely feedback to the student regarding his or her performance on homework.
It is our expectation that students complete the homework and turn it in on-time. If you or your child have questions regarding the homework, please contact the teacher for clarification and/or assistance.
How do I pick my child up before the school day ends?
Parents may come to the front office and sign their student out. Office staff will then call the classroom for the student. It is Glacier Peak policy that we will not call a student to be dismissed until the parent arrives to sign him/her out. Emergency contacts (or an adult other than a student’s parent) who arrives to pick up a student will be asked to show proper identification before the student will be called to be released. Parents are asked to notify the office if an adult other than the parent will be picking up their student.
What are some other general guidelines at Glacier Peak?
SCHOOL PROPERTY
Students are encouraged to take pride in themselves and their school. Should loss or damage occur to equipment or the school building, responsible individuals will be contacted to pay for those damages or losses.
PERSONAL PROPERTY
Students must not bring toys, electronic equipment, Gameboys, PDA’s, etc. to school. If an electronic item is stolen, damaged or lost, the school will not investigate the problem as per district policy. Glacier Peak is not responsible for these items.
BICYCLES/SCOOTERS
Bicycles and scooters should be locked at the bike rack until school is dismissed. For the safety of all children in and around the school, children must walk bikes and scooters on the school grounds.
LOST & FOUND
Lost and found items are located in the cafeteria. Small items such as glasses, keys, jewelry, etc. are located in the main office.
BIRTHDAY/CLASS TREATS
Students providing birthday or special day treats are encouraged to consider non-food or healthy treats. Please check with your child’s classroom teacher for the best time to bring these types of items. Please do not send birthday party invitations to school . Our teachers will not distribute these.
We also ask that children not receive delivered items such as flowers and/or birthday balloons. These items will not be delivered to classrooms at any time during the school day.
How can I get a message to my child?
What is the Glacier Peak Cell Phone Policy?
Student use of cell phones and other personal electronic
devices is outlined in District Policy Code 5030.
At Glacier Peak we understand that many of our elementary students carry a cell phone for communication with parents. We would ask that parents and students adhere to the following guidelines regarding cell phone use at Glacier Peak Elementary.
Cell phones are to be off and stored in the student’s backpack during school hours.
Cell phone use will not be permitted in the building.
Use of cell phones will be allowed upon school dismissal when a student has exited the building.
Text messaging as well as cell phone camera use is not allowed during the school day.
Text messages relating to school situations that affect the school environment in a negative manner will be dealt with by Glacier Peak Administrators. This includes messages that are sent after school hours.
What Has Glacier Peak Done To Ensure Student Safety?
In our ongoing efforts to provide the safest and secure environment for our students, please review the following:
- Our main entrance exterior door is open from 7:30 am to 3:30 p.
- In order to enter the building, you will need to press the button located in the vestibule between our exterior and interior doors. An office member will release the doors, allowing access to the building.
- Once entering the building, ALL visitors must check in at the office to obtain a visitor pass. Please remember to bring a government issued ID to be scanned into our Raptor system at the office.
- We ask parents and students to take extra care:
- Always use designated crosswalks and sidewalks. Use extreme caution when approaching these areas in your vehicle as children can dart into the crosswalk unexpectedly.
- Follow all traffic and parking signs around Glacier Peak. Do not make u-turns.
Supervision of Students Before and After School
• Students are not to arrive at school before 7:40 AM. There is no adult supervision available until 7:40 AM.
• Please do not allow your child to come to school early.
• Students who are not walking home need to be picked up promptly when school is dismissed.
The school office does not have the facilities or personnel available to supervise children after school.
Home/School Communication
You can assist Glacier Peak staff in providing for the safety of all students by providing up-to date information.
• Call the school attendance line by 8:00 a.m. when your child will be late to school or absent
What time does my student have lunch?
At Glacier Peak our students have recess before lunch. The lunch schedule is as follows:
Kindergarten: 10:40-11:20
1st Grade: 11:05-11:45
2nd Grade: 10:15-10:55
3rd grade: 12:20-1:00
4th Grade: 11:55-12:35
5th Grade: 11:30-12:10
For school lunch menus click here.
Online lunch payments : PayForIt.net
Where can I find Nutrition Services Information?
Nutrition Services
Adams 12 Five Star Schools Nutrition Services serves lunch each day or students may choose to bring meals from home. In addition to meals, a variety of a la carte snack selections are offered for purchase at additional costs. Prepayment for meals is encouraged via cash, check, or online at https://www.payforit.net. Parents are encouraged to set low balance notifications or auto replenishment at PayForIt.net to ensure funds are available for purchases.
Free and reduced meal benefits are available to households that qualify, applications must be completed annually and can be submitted online at https://www.myschoolapps.com. Paper applications are also available in the kitchen office. Students approved for free or reduced meal benefits receive meals at no cost.
Additional detailed information about Nutrition Services can be found, including current menus, meal prices, free and reduced meal benefits, special dietary needs, and meal charge standard practice. You may also contact the kitchen manager at 720.972.5986.
What should I do if my child breaks or loses their Chromebook charger?
Students can purchase a new charger in the library for $35 or families can order a charger from Amazon by clicking here.
How Can I Sign Up To Receive Priority Text Messages?
What Are Student Fees And Can I Pay Them Online?
Adams 12 Five Star Schools has voluntary and mandatory fees in place to defray or recover costs associated with classroom learning and other school-sponsored programs or activities. Parents may also login to PayForIt.net to pay fees online.
How Does Standards-Based Grading Work?
Traditional grading averages a student’s achievement data with other criteria, such as work habits. Standards-Based Grading removes extraneous factors and focuses solely on a student’s academic achievement and continued mounting evidence that indicates a true assessment of the student’s present attainment of learning. Other characteristics are reported separately.
How Is Standards-Based Grading Different?
The student’s grade more accurately represents the progress toward proficiency of standards than traditional grading does. Subject areas are subdivided into big ideas related to standards and their respective learning outcomes that students need to learn or master. Each target is assessed. Scores from activities that are provided solely for practice will not be included in the final assessment of the learning outcome. The influence of positive and consistent work habits on student learning is reported separately from the academics.
Why Aren’t Grades Just Averaged?
Because the purpose of standards-based grading is to report what students know and are able to do, averaging does not represent an accurate picture of where a student is in his/her learning. A student who struggles in a class at the beginning of a grading period and receives poor grades, but who keeps working and by the end of the grading period can clearly demonstrate competence in the subject, should receive a grade that reflects that competence. The average is a fixture in most grading systems, but the average does not always represent the data accurately. Consider two students, Stewart and Maria. Stewart earns the following scores: 85, 85, 85, 85, 85, 85, 85, 85 and 85. The average is not difficult to calculate, and Stewart’s grade is posted as a B. Maria struggles in math and turns in this performance: 50, 60, 65, 70, 80, 85, 90, 90, and 90. Her mean score of a little over 75 would result in a C on her report card, but it is obvious that Maria now understands the math even though she struggled in the beginning.
How Will Student Progress Be Measured?
The District Standards were synthesized into major learning goals (Gradebook Reporting Criteria, or GRCs) to provide clear and concise information to parents regarding student progress. Teachers collect evidence of student understanding through observations, class work, projects, and test data then evaluate overall performance using the following scale: 4 – 3 – 2 – 1.
So Is A 4 Like And A, A 3 Like A B And So On?
No. While it may feel as though standards-based grading performance scale scores are easy to translate to the traditional A, B, C, D, F, it is actually quite difficult, and should be avoided in Standards-Based Grading. Think of the two grading methods as totally different languages. For example, Mandarin Chinese has words and phrases that cannot be translated accurately into English because no English equivalent exists. It is like that with Standards-Based Grading.
In Standards-Based Grading, a 1 is a very narrow range which communicates that the student has made little or no progress toward the standard. A 2 tends to have a larger range because it includes student performance that ranges from just a little closer to the standard than a 1, to just a little short of meeting the standard of a 3. A 3 indicates that the student has met the standard, and is right where we expect the student to be. A 4 is quite narrow because it indicates that not only has the student met the standard, but has also taken the skills and concepts and transferred them with greater complexity and depth into other areas and disciplines. In traditional grading, letter grades report the number of points earned in a subject, and doesn’t report very much about what the student has learned.
How Will IEP Students Measure Their Progress?
Standards-based grading principles and tenets are equally as applicable and appropriate for students with disabilities as they are for their typical peers. IEP teams, inclusive of general educators, should determine what, if any, adaptations are needed for students to master grade-level expectations. Some students on an IEP have accommodations that support them with making progress to grade-level standards. These students will be instructed with these accommodations and then graded on the GRCs as written in the GRC rubrics. Other students may have modified grade-level expectations (standards) written into their IEP. If a student has a modified grade-level expectation as part of his or her IEP, the GRC that represents the modified standard should be noted on any report card or progress report and parents should be aware that their student is working toward a modified standard.
How Will ELL Students Measure Their Progress?
Standards-based grading principles and tenets are equally as applicable and appropriate for students who are learning English as they are for their native English speaking peers. English Language Learners may have modified grade-level expectations for any oral language and/or communication standard within various content areas. This includes all Reading, Writing and Communicating Standards, as well as any communication standards within other content areas. The modification within these standards should be adjusted based on the student’s current placement along the language acquisition continuum. The GRC that represents the modified oral language or communication standard should be noted on any report card or progress report and parents should be aware that their student is working toward a modified communication standard, including knowledge about their student’s current language development on the continuum.
How Will I Know If My Student Is On Track To Meeting The Standard?
In order to know what progress students are making, parents should begin with talking to their student’s teacher to understand what assignments, assessments and/or student work products are most important for their student in regard to the GRCs in any given content area. Schools using the IC gradebook with the parent portal, will have certain assignments, assessments and/or student work products listed in the online gradebook with a 1, 2, 3, or 4 score. Parents should look at these scores over the course of the semester and pay attention to trends in these scores, knowing that they will not be averaged, but that over time, students should be progressing toward 3’s and 4’s by the end of the semester. Teachers will be using assignments, assessments and student work products as a body of evidence to make a final mark at semester. Some elementary schools are not yet using the IC online gradebook and will be communicating with parents about these assignments, assessments and/or student work products through conferences, and regular and timely parent communications.
How Does Homework Fit Into Standards Based Grading?
Homework is practice. Therefore, let's re-think the question to be, "Does practice count?" To use a sports analogy, or a knitting analogy, or a painting analogy, or an accounting analogy or pretty much any other analogy you can think of... Practice is extremely important and valuable as it prepares you to perform. Let’s take Peyton Manning as an example. Manning is known for his dedication to practice and study. He's one of the first ones at practice and he's one of the last to leave. He works incredibly hard while practicing, but his work on the practice field or during preseason games doesn't "count" at the end of the season. What "counts" is his performance in actual games - in our case, the assignments, assessments and/or student work products.
Here Are Some Examples:
Law School is practice. The Bar Exam counts as performance against the standards of practicing law. There are examples of people passing the Bar Exam with very little formal law study, and there are lots of examples of people who attended numerous law school classes and may have even earned a law degree, but they never passed a bar exam.
Driver's Ed is practice. The driving exam “counts.”
Cosmetology school is practice. The cosmetology state board exam “counts” – serving satisfied clients as a cosmetologist “counts.”
Studying accounting is practice. The CPA exam "counts" - performing your accounting job well once you've landed a job "counts."
Homework assignments need to be aligned to GRCs in order for students to utilize homework as practice toward proficient performance on grade-level standards. Students should be able to articulate how a homework assignment helps them practice toward performance at a 3 or 4 in any given GRC. Teachers should NOT use homework completion as an indicator of student proficiency on a GRC or standard and instead should use student assignments, assessments and/or student work products from class to determine proficiency. However, teachers SHOULD use homework completion as an indicator of a student’s progress toward Scholarly Habits (Respect, Preparation, Risk Taking, Perseverance, and Excellence). Progress on Scholarly Habits will be reported each semester.