Family Handbook
Queen Anne Elementary School Student Handbooks
Queen Anne Elementary Student Handbook
Dan Warren, Principal
Karen Alvarez, Secretary
Melissa Carroll, Office Assistant
Main Office Phone – 206-252-2480
Main Office Fax – 206-252-2481
Office Hours are from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
QAE Daily Life
Social and Emotional Learning is a foundation of Daily Life at QAE. Our staff are trained in Positive Discipline. From the playground to the classroom, our students are always employing a variety of practices and strategies to problem solve, advocate for themselves and their peers, and successfully navigate both big and small problems.
School Bell Times
2024-2025 School Year: 7:55 a.m. – 2:25 p.m.
Drop-Off Procedure
Students should arrive at school prior to 7:50 a.m. Children may be dropped off at school as early as 7:30 a.m. Playground supervision and breakfast (served in the cafeteria) begins at 7:30 a.m. Students line up behind a cone on the playground displayed with their teacher’s name. Their teacher will escort students into the building at 7:55.
For Student Safety & to Avoid Parking Tickets
> Do not block or park within 20’ of crosswalks
> Do not park within 30’ of intersections
The Bus Zone is located on Bigelow Ave between Boston & Crockett. The bus zone is a No Parking Zone from 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Please do not block our neighbors’ driveways or double park.
Pick-Up Procedure
At the 2:25 p.m. dismissal bell, teachers will escort their students to the playground. Please pick up non-bussed students immediately after school by being on site no later than 2:25 p.m. If you are late, your child will be taken to the school office to wait. Please be prompt; our office staff cannot provide childcare.
Buses depart QAE at 2:25 p.m. Students are escorted to the bus by a staff member. At the beginning of the school year, teachers and staff will assist all students until they are familiar with the routine.
Drop Off and Pick Up Zone on 4th Avenue:
Drivers come to a full stop in the drop off zone before children leave the vehicle.
Drivers stay in their vehicle as children exit the car.
Children exit and enter the vehicle from the sidewalk side only.
To be safe and efficient, children keep belongings with them in the back seat at all times, not in the trunk. PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN THE PARKING LOT. THESE SPACES ARE NEEDED FOR STAFF
Pick-Up or Bus Change
Contact the office before 1:30 p.m.; to help our office staff communicate changes to staff. Calls after 1:30 p.m. may not be delivered to the teacher in time. We encourage you to meet other parents and use the classroom directory to help with any end of day delays or changes.
Bus Change (Temporary)
Temporary changes in bus routines are allowed if parents/guardians send a note to school with child on the day the change is requested. Please include the following information:
- Students name and room number or teacher’s name.
- Number of your child’s regular bus route and stop.
- The change you are requesting (e.g. to go home with Robert Louis Stevenson on Bus#123).
- The day(s) the change should be in effect.
Health Information
Our school nurse, Kim Chin, is here every Tuesday and every other Monday.
>> Medications
Any medication, including over the counter drugs, cannot be administered without a Medication At School form, signed by the health provider and you. This form is also available in the QAE office. Medication must be in the original container with the prescription label attached.
>> In Case of Illness
We will call all of the numbers you provide on the emergency card if your child becomes ill at school. Please make sure to give emergency numbers of family/friends who can pick up your child during the day. If your child has been ill during the night you may wish to consider keeping him/her at home the next day. Children who have vomited or have a fever must stay home until 24 hours has passed since the symptoms stopped. While we will love and care for your child at all times we likely cannot give your child the special care needed when she/he does not feel well.
Supply & Technology Fee
Some schools send a list of items for families to procure. Instead of having each family shop for items, we ask families to donate $65 per student. This allows our school and teachers to purchase items in bulk, reducing the cost and extending our purchasing dollars. The only thing your child will need for school supplies will be a backpack.
Note: If you are not able to pay the full amount, please give what you can. If you can give more it will be appreciated. Please direct any questions about School Fees to the Main Office. If your student qualifies for Free and Reduced Lunch, these fees are waived.
“Other” School Supplies
Donations of Paper towels, Kleenex, zip-locks, wipes and hand sanitizer are always welcome.
Teacher Wish Lists
Many of our teachers have a wish lists for classroom materials such as books, materials related to special projects, or other supplies or items your child’s teacher feel will enhance the classroom and learning environment.
Communications
The home-school connection is very important to us! We use paper, email, and telephone calls to communicate school news, classroom news and specials events to our families.
Orange Folders
Each child is given an orange Queen Anne Elementary folder. This folder should be brought to and from school every day. It is a valuable tool for parent/teacher communications throughout the year. You will be asked to check your child’s orange folder each night for important notes, school assignments, newsletters and school work. If you need to send something (notes, permission slips, homework, checks) please use the folder; your child’s teacher will check them every day.
Website, Website, Newsletter, Social Media
The Queen Anne Elementary PTSA provides several ways for parents to keep informed about school news and events.
School Website, queenannees.seattleschools.org
School Newsletter, “ The Rocket Reader”
Social Media: Facebook and Twitter
School Messenger
SPS has a “School Messenger” system that is used centrally to announce closures, in-service days, holidays and other special events. It can also be used by QAE administration / staff for special announcements by voice and email. Please make sure your phone numbers are current and report any changes to our school office for entry into the database.
Homework
Your child’s teacher will share their homework policy with you and post it on their website.
Snacks
Each classroom has mid-morning snack. Some teachers set up a snack schedule for parents to contribute snacks, some teachers have families send a snack each day. Your student’s teacher will communicate this information to you.
No sugar or low-sugar snacks are preferred. When contributing snacks to the classroom, please avoid items with peanuts or tree nuts.
Celebrating Birthdays
Birthdays are celebrated in many ways at Queen Anne Elementary. Staff and student birthdays are announced in our classrooms and there are several ways student birthdays are celebrated meaningfully. In some classrooms students are encouraged to bring a favorite book to share as a gift for the classroom and others have similar quiet ceremonies that honor a special day for each child.
Volunteering at Queen Anne Elementary
“We Learn Everywhere, We Learn Together” is one of our school pillars. We know how important it is that parents, guardians and extended family members get involved in their child’s academic life! We look forward to having you volunteer with us.
Interested in Volunteering? Please visit our volunteer pages.
The Cafeteria | SPS Culinary Services
Meals, Times and Payment
School Menus
Breakfast is served from 8:25 a.m. to 8:50 a.m. daily.
Our cafeteria offers a hot meal service and a la carte lunch option.
Your child may bring a meal from home or buy lunch or milk only.
Meal Cost:
Breakfast: $2.25
Lunch: $3.25
Milk/Juice: $0.50
Soy Milk: $0.75
Payments
Each child will be assigned a PIN (Personal Information Number) during the first week of school that is linked to an individual debit account. If you would like your student to be able to purchase beverages or food at school, you may make a deposit into your child’s meal account by submitting cash, check or money order (payable to Child Nutrition Services) to the Cafeteria Manager at QAE. You may pay in person (by going to the cafeteria) or send payment in your child’s orange folder. Student meals can be paid for with a credit card online at MySchoolBucks, effective Aug. 7.
Free or Reduced Meals
Before school starts in the fall all families will receive a form from the Seattle School District’s Child Nutrition Services that outlines how to apply for free or reduced lunch prices. These forms must be mailed back as soon as possible. We want every child to have a healthy breakfast and lunch every day! Additional forms will be available in the School Office or online on the SPS Free or Reduced Meals page. If you are not sure if you qualify or if you choose not to take advantage of the free or reduced meals we encourage you to complete the paperwork to apply as it has a positive impact on our school budget. The information is always confidential.
Lunchroom Supervision
Our staff supervise the lunchroom. During the first two weeks of school we would love to have volunteers help students, particularly helping kindergartners. Students often need help opening items in their lunch. Together we take care to help our newest students learn to navigate and feel at ease in our very busy cafeteria.
To volunteer, please contact our Parent Volunteer Coordinators at qaeptsa.parent.volunteer.coord@gmail.com
Lunchroom Visitors
We encourage parents, guardians, siblings and extended family members to join students for lunch or breakfast. We do ask that you hold off visiting your child until after the third week of school. This will give your child time to get comfortable enough to be able to teach you all the lunchroom procedures and expectations. You may bring your own meal or purchase one at school. Don’t forget to sign in at the front office.
Seattle Public Schools: General Information
Website
The SPS Website has been changed and enhanced significantly over the last year. It is generally much easier to find what you need and navigate through the site. You will find very useful information there and we recommend visiting the site to familiarize yourself with it. The first place to visit is The Source.
Calendar
The Seattle Public Schools Calendar has event and other helpful information for families. It includes holidays, teacher in-service days, beginning and end of year information and general district events. We recommend adding important dates to your personal calendars.
Emergency Closure
School closure takes place only during extraordinary circumstances (e.g. weather related). Notice of a closure will be communicated through local TV and radio and School Messenger, the auto-dial system. When school is cancelled during the day, QAE staff will make sure all students have satisfactory transportation and supervision at home before dismissing them from school. Please indicate on the Emergency Contact Sheet the names of those you authorize to receive your children.
Attendance
Attendance is taken at the start of each day. Please call the school office 206-252-2480 to notify us if your child will be absent. If your student is absent and we have not been notified, the school office will call you to verify that your student is at home.
Below is a list of excused absences:
- Personal illness
- Family illness
- Death in the family
- Religious holiday
By law, RCW 28A.225.010, your failure to report absences on a regular basis will require legal proceedings. If your child has two unexcused absences you will be notified by letter. If there are more than 3 unexcused absences, the principal will notify you by phone. You will then need to attend a conference with the Principal and together we will develop an Attendance Agreement.
Chronic absenteeism due to illness must be documented by your family physician so that our nurse and Principal can develop a home study program for your child.
Prompt arrival at school is expected of all students. Any child who arrives after 7:55 a.m. (late bell) will be considered late. Chronic late arrivals will prompt a call from the Principal to arrange a conference. Together we will develop a plan to help your child be in the learning environment more consistently.
SPS Code of Conduct (Seattle Public School-District Policy)
To ensure the safety of your child, please review the following safe travel requirements. On the bus, your child should:
- Ride their assigned bus and leave the bus at their assigned stop unless given written permission to do otherwise.
- Talk quietly with the closest seat neighbor and stay seated until exiting the bus.
- Obey the bus driver in a courteous manner.
- Avoid loud behavior, teasing, eating, name-calling, and throwing objects on/off the bus.
- Keep bodies inside the bus.
- After exiting the bus, look both ways after the driver puts out the STOP bar and if you must cross the street, cross in front of the bus.
When Children Need Reminders About Bus Behaviors
If children cause an unsafe bus ride, the driver will write up the problem. Copies are distributed to the Office of Transportation, parents/guardians and the Principal. After the first warning the Principal will confer with your child and notify you by phone. If the unsafe behavior persists, the Principal or Office of Transportation may suspend your child from the bus as a warning.
Zero-Tolerance Behavior on the Bus (Seattle Public School District Policy)
Fighting on the bus; disruptive behavior. Consequences: 1-5 DAY suspension off bus. Throwing objects on/off the bus; getting out of seat. Consequences: Warning; 1-5 DAY suspension off bus.
Student Internet Handbook & Family Resource Guide
View the Student Internet Handbook & Family Resource Guide (draft).