Hickory Point Student Handbook

This elementary student handbook has been prepared through the combined efforts of parents, staff and administration to provide you and your child(ren) with necessary information concerning Hickory Point School and District 27. The handbook is designed to guide parents and students in better understanding the policies and procedures to assist children’s educational experience. Additional information will be mailed or sent home with your child(ren) as needed during the school year. However, the information contained in this handbook should answer most questions you may have. Please carefully review this book with your child(ren) so their rights and responsibilities are understood.

Our Mission

Educating Students to Succeed in a Changing World

Our Core Values

• Pursue learning that develops individual growth, potential, and leadership to the fullest of our capacity.

• Commit to performance excellence as a learning community.

• Use performance results to honor our accomplishments, determine our needs, and improve learning experiences and achievements.

• Share the responsibility to learn and work in a collaborative environment.

• Adhere to the highest standards of ethical behavior, both personal and organizational.

• Treat others with respect and value differences.

This mission statement was developed by a steering committee of parents, teachers and community members. It was approved by the Board of Education on April 21, 2005.

Regular and faithful attendance is a prerequisite to successful school life. Students should be absent only in cases of illness or emergency. The Board of Education directs the school administration and staff to enforce all school regulations relative to school attendance consistently. These regulations require that all absences be verified by phone or by the student’s parent or legal guardian. When a student is ill and unable to attend school, parents are asked to call the school office that morning (847.498.3830) by 8:00 am to report the absence or use the attendance email, HP.Attendance@nb27.org. Students absent for three or more consecutive days due to illness must submit a written statement from a physician, which includes the diagnoses for the extended absence.

If the office staff cannot personally answer the phone call, please leave a message including your child’s name, teacher, and the reason for the absence. Parents who do not notify the school when their children are absent will receive a phone call from the office staff. This telephone message policy has been implemented to ensure the safety and security of your children

Board of Education policy requires all students to attend for the entire school day fully. State attendance reporting regulations require a student must be in attendance for 2.5 hours in both the morning and afternoon or be reported absent for the respective half day. Students arriving late, but within the 2.5-hour limit shall be considered tardy.

For example:

1. A student who arrives at 8:40 a.m. and attends more than 2.5 hours in the morning between 8:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. is considered tardy.
2. A student who arrives at 9:25 a.m. and attends less than 2.5 hours, between 8:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m., is considered absent half day morning.
3. A student who arrives at 1:40 p.m. and attends less than 2.5 hours between 11:45 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., is considered absent half day afternoon.
4. A student who is present until 2:45 p.m. and attends more than 2.5 hours in the afternoon between 11:45 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., is considered an early dismissal with written parent authorization.

This policy complies with the ISBE attendance regulations and is strictly enforced. Children with chronic absences will receive a truancy letter from the Director of Human Resources and Student Services office.

Board Policy 7:70, Attendance and Truancy

The reasons for an excused absence shall include a student's illness or a family emergency, such as a death in the family or a religious holiday. All other absences are unexcused, even if the school office or teacher has been notified. Students absent for three or more consecutive days due to illness must submit a written statement from a physician, which includes the diagnoses for the extended absence.

Physical Education and recess are considered a part of the regular school day. If your child has been ill and returned to school, they may be excused for up to three consecutive days from PE and recess by a written parent request. If an absence for more than three consecutive days is necessary, a note from a physician stating the reason is required. 

If a child has been ill or disabled in any manner, a physician must verify any physical education limits upon that child’s return to school. If a physician feels that the child can participate in a physical education setting with limitations, those limitations must be identified in the physician’s note. Once those restrictions have been lifted, a physician's note is required so the student can resume normal physical education activities.

Students who are late to school must report to the office for a “tardy slip” before going to class. An excused tardy may be given for any written verification for medical purposes or family emergencies. Excused tardies are given for late buses. Unexcused tardies are defined as all other reasons.

Student in kindergarten through grade two receive report cards three times a year. In addition to the teacher's comments, skill achievement is evaluated as follows: 

• Meeting district expectations.
• Making progress, but not meeting district standards.
• Not making expected progress towards meeting district expectations.

Students, teachers, administrators, and parents must work together to promote a healthy and productive learning climate. A solid partnership between the home and the school is essential for the student's well-being.

We believe each student has the right:

• To live and learn in a school environment that is conductive to learning.
• For physical and emotional safety.
• To be recognized as an individual and be treated with dignity and respect.
• To take a risk, accept responsibility for the action, and learn from the experience.
• Due process with fact-finding.
• To take pride and ownership in the school.
• To discipline that is developmentally appropriate.
• Consistent attention to the rules and consequences by staff, administration, and Board.

The teachers, administration and Board are responsible for communicating and working cooperatively with parents regarding student school behavior. Still, it is recognized that the school is responsible for taking appropriate measures to ensure order and the safety of students and staff.

Students are expected to dress appropriately and exercise good personal hygiene concerning their daily appearance. Please remember shirts should cover the midriff and be of the appropriate length during warm weather months. School officials may regulate dress and hairstyles when such styles present a health or safety hazard or a disruption to the educational program.

Students are expected to exercise good taste in addressing each other and their teachers in written and oral communication. Vulgarities and disrespectful language will not be tolerated, and students who use this type of language will be subject to disciplinary action.

The school nurse assists in protecting and improving student health at the school.

District 27 health services are designed to serve the following purposes:

1. To determine the health status of individuals within the school community;
2. To counsel students, parents, and staff personnel in health matters;
3. To help prevent or control the spread of communicable diseases;
4. To provide care for sick or injured students;
5. To provide a vision and hearing screening program;
6. To administer medications as directed by individual physicians;
7. To help ensure updated health records and emergency contact forms.

The emergency health form is essential to the safety of all students at school.  It serves as the school district’s primary source of information should an injury occur, or a student becomes ill at school. The emergency health form must be completed and returned to the nurse’s office before school begins. The health form serves as an annual health appraisal to inform school officials of health conditions, medications, and restrictions, if any.

Parents who will be out of town and plan on their child staying with another adult should inform the office by telephone and provide written communication regarding the names of the temporary guardians and additional emergency telephone numbers where they can be reached. The school office needs to be informed when addresses and phone numbers (home, cell, or work) are changed or added.

Northbrook School District 27 nurses and school personnel will administer medications and prescribed drugs to students at the schools only upon receipt of written instructions from the physician and the parents. The following guidelines for administering medications and prescribed drugs to students have been established:

1. A written request from the parents, together with a letter from the physician indicating the need for medication during the school day, the type of illness, benefits of medication, side effects (if any), physician’s description of medicine, the pharmaceutical trade name, and the telephone number where the physician may be reached, must be filed with the school health office.
2. Medication must be brought to the school in a container labeled by the pharmacy or the physician. The amount or dosage to be brought to the school at any time shall be at most two weeks.
3. Medications such as aspirin, cough drops or syrup, ear, nose, eye drops, or other drugs not prescribed by the physician will not be permitted or administered at the school.
4. School District 27 maintains the right to reject the administration of medicine. Under no circumstances shall it assume liability for any act or omission in carrying out the instruction of any physician.

Students who have medication in their possession, whether or not prescribed by a physician, and who have not notified their building principal or nurse are subject to discipline.

Asthma inhalers and EpiPens are the exceptions; however, the regular physician’s form must be completed and filed with the health office, just as with any other form of medication.

For a complete copy of the medication policy, please visit www.nb27.org.

If schools should be closed because of an emergency, parents will be notified through the District’s emergency notification system before the start of the school day. Parents can expect automated phone calls, emails, and text messages. The parent is responsible for providing the schools with updated contact information. Emergency closing information is also available through the district website, WGN’s Emergency Closing website, local major radio and TV sources, and the district’s social media sites. Please do not call the school during these emergencies.

If an emergency occurs during the school day while children attend, the Superintendent of Schools will initiate the District emergency notification system. Additionally, appropriate action will be taken to ensure the safety of students. 

Safety is our top priority. Ongoing safety threats to schools exist, and our district is challenged to evaluate our safety protocols, practices, and training constantly. Northbrook School District 27 has created a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan to protect the students and staff and respond to a critical incident. The emergency preparedness plan follows the National Incident Management System (NIMS), which incorporates the Incident Command System protocol, which includes training, drills, practices, and procedures to create a comprehensive emergency response plan. Emergency response drills are practiced with students and staff throughout the school year.

Northbrook School District 27 operates video monitoring systems for safety and security. With Board approval, the Superintendent or designee shall determine all locations where video cameras will be placed. Video cameras may record activity in areas where individuals have no reasonable expectation of privacy. Cameras will be placed to monitor building exteriors and entrances. School buses are equipped with video cameras.

Hickory Point students have a morning snack break. Each child is responsible for bringing a snack if they wish, but it must be a snack of fruit or vegetables. Water bottles are the only beverages allowed in the classroom. Due to concerns over various food allergies or sensitivities, children are not allowed to share snacks or lunches.

Students are expected to remain in school during lunch unless prior arrangements have been made for them to leave school. Students will be walked to the lunchroom at the beginning of their lunch period with all the items they need to eat. Classrooms are off-limits to students during lunchtime unless the student has permission from a teacher to spend time with that teacher. Lunches are only to be consumed in the lunchroom.

The time allotted for lunch and recess is 45 minutes. Children spend half of this time in the lunchroom and the other half at recess. 

On occasion, parents bring a lunch to school for their children. We ask that sack lunches be brought and left on the lunch cart at Door A in the foyer. The school office will not accept food deliveries from restaurants in a child’s name. Please do not arrange food deliveries to the school for your child, as that delivery will be refused. Parents are not allowed to provide lunch for anyone other than their child.

The school staff provides supervision during the lunch and recess periods.

The school provides supervision for the lunchroom and recess. If students go home for lunch, they should have a note in the school office, which must be signed out and returned to the school office by a parent.

Birthdays are special days at Hickory Point. However, edible treats are not allowed at the school due to allergies. Each classroom teacher will share specific details for their class with parents during Back-to-School Night.

Gum chewing is not allowed at Hickory Point. Students should get rid of their gum before arriving at school.