Elementary School Operations

Regular Day

9:00 a.m. Students may enter buildings & go to classrooms  

9:10 a.m. Classes begin 

3:40 p.m. Dismissal 

9:10 a.m. AM Kindergarten classes begin

11:50 a.m. AM Kindergarten dismissal

1:00 p.m. PM Kindergarten classes begin  

3:40 p.m. PM Kindergarten dismissal 

9:10 a.m. AM Extended ELI classes begin 

1:00 p.m. PM Extended ELI  classes begin  

8:45 a.m. AM Preschool classes begin 

11:15 a.m. AM Preschool dismissal  

12:45 p.m. PM Preschool classes begin 

3:15 p.m. PM Preschool dismissal 

There will be no District staff supervision of students until 9:00 a.m. or after 3:40 p.m.  However, the Dublin Latchkey program is an option for parents who need supervision for their child. Dublin Latchkey operates independently from Dublin City Schools as a non-profit organization, though they do utilize the facilities of Dublin City Schools.  Dublin Latchkey can be reached at (614) 793-0871.

Two-Hour Delay 

11:00 a.m. Students may enter buildings & go to classrooms 

11:10 a.m. Classes begin

3:40 p.m. Dismissal 

NO AM Kindergarten classes

1:00 p.m. PM Kindergarten classes begin

3:40 p.m. PM Kindergarten dismissal 

11:10 a.m. AM Extended ELI classes begin

1:00 p.m. PM Extended ELI  classes begin

No AM Preschool classes begin

12:45 p.m. PM Preschool classes begin  

3:15 p.m. PM Preschool dismissal  

There will be no District staff supervision of students until 9:00 a.m. or after 3:40 p.m.  However, the Dublin Latchkey program is an option for parents who need supervision for their child. Dublin Latchkey operates independently from Dublin City Schools as a non-profit organization, though they do utilize the facilities of Dublin City Schools.  Dublin Latchkey can be reached at (614) 793-0871.

Buses

Students are eligible for busing if they live one mile beyond the location of the child’s elementary school. If a student is eligible for busing, the bus number, pickup/drop-off times, and the location of the bus stop will be listed on the district website (www.dublinschools.net) under “FAMILIES.”

Note that regardless of their residence, AM kindergarten students are bused home from school; PM kindergarten students are bused to school.  

Walking, riding bikes, or arriving by parent drop-off

There are certain expectations for students who choose to walk, ride bikes, or be dropped off by a parent or guardian.

1. In the morning, students should not arrive before 9:00 a.m.  Students will not be permitted to enter the building until 9:00 a.m. 

2. At some Dublin Elementary Schools, crossing guards will be on duty before school at 8:55 a.m. and after school at 3:35 p.m. to help students safely cross intersections. Students should not pass these positions unless a crossing guard is on duty.

3. Students should cross the street only at crosswalks and after looking both ways.  Please note that there are no mid-day crossing guards for kindergarteners.

4. For safety reasons, students are not permitted to rollerblade or skateboard on school property.  Bikes are permitted and can be secured in the bike racks outside the school.

5. Parents should take the time to review basic safety rules with their children, particularly regarding any interactions with strangers on their way to and from school. 

6. If a parent plans to bring a child to school, we encourage you to check with your individual school to determine drop-off procedures.

Dublin Elementary Schools participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the National School Breakfast Program (NSBP), which are governed by the USDA.  The breakfast and lunch programs base choices on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.  The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, focuses on balancing calories (fewer calories taken in and more burned with physical activity), and encourages Americans to consume more healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, a variety of seafood, and to consume less sodium, saturated and trans-fats, added sugars, and refined grains.  You can find further information on menu, nutrition, payment options, and free/reduced meals by going to the Dublin City Schools home page (http://www.dublinschools.net) and following the Departments link to Food Services.

If your child wishes to purchase lunch, you may put money on your child's lunch account online by going to our district website  (www.dublinschools.net) and clicking “FAMILIES”, then clicking on “PaySchools (Lunch Accounts)” to be transferred to PaySchools Central website.  You may also send money into the school with your child, and it will be added to the account by the kitchen staff.

Students may also pack a lunch and purchase milk from the cafeteria.

Dress Code

1. Goals

• • Maintain a safe learning environment

  • Allow students to wear clothing of their choice that is safe and comfortable

  • Allow students to wear clothing that expresses their self-identified gender.

  • Allow students to wear religious attire without fear of discipline or discrimination. 

  • Prevent students from wearing clothing with images or language depicting or advocating violence or the use of alcohol or drugs. 

  • Ensure that students are treated equitably regardless of gender/gender identification, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, body type/size, religion, and personal style.

2. Dress Code Responsibilities

• • The primary responsibility for a student’s attire adhering to the school dress code resides with the student and parents or guardians. 

  • The school district and individual schools are responsible for seeing that student attire does not interfere with the health or safety of any student and that student attire does not contribute to a hostile or intimidating atmosphere for any student.

3. Dress Code Policy

• • Students Must Wear

• • • Shirt

    • Bottom: pants / sweatpants / shorts / skirt / dress / leggings

    • Shoes (activity-specific shoes are permitted...for example sports and P.E.)

• • Examples of items Students May Wear

• • • Religious Headwear

    • Hoodie Sweatshirts (with hoods down)

    • Fitted pants, including leggings, yoga pants, and “skinny jeans”

    • Ripped jeans as long as underwear is not exposed

    • Tank Tops (sleeveless blouses are OK, spaghetti straps are not)

    • Shorts (length and fit should be appropriate for school)

    • Athletic attire

• • Items Students Cannot Wear

• • • Violent language or images

    • Images depicting drug alcohol (or any illegal item or activity) or use of the same

    • Hate speech, profanity, or sexually explicit images

    • Images or language that creates a hostile or intimidating environment based on any protected class. 

    • Visible Underwear (Visible waistbands or straps on undergarments worn under are not a violation) 

    • Headgear of any kind that obscures the face, this includes scarves, bandannas, etc.. (except as a religious observance)

    • Sunglasses indoors

4. Dress Code Enforcement

• • Enforcement should be consistent with a school’s overall discipline plan. (Rule 22)

  • Violations should be treated as minor on the continuum of school rule violations. 

  • Best practice would indicate that students do not miss academic instruction for violations that solely have to do with the dress code. 

  • Best practice would indicate that students are given “school clothing” as a last resort. When possible students should be allowed to use their own jackets, extra clothing, etc.. to resolve dress code issues or call parents to bring in appropriate clothing.  

  • No student population should be disproportionately affected by dress code enforcement because of gender, race, body size, or body maturity

  • These guidelines are not to be considered all-inclusive. Administration reserves the right to deal with any apparel determined to be inappropriate. 

***Acknowledgement is given to the Oregon NOW Model School Dress Code creators for inspiring language used in the Dublin City School Middle School Student Handbook. 

Dress for Physical Education

All students are required to participate in physical education class. Failure to participate will result in a loss of points.  If students are ill and cannot participate, they must secure a note from the school nurse or their parents.  A doctor’s excuse is required if the student is unable to participate due to physical limitations. Students are required to wear proper footwear and are encouraged to wear appropriate clothing for physical activity. The students will have the opportunity to change clothes for PE class if they need or want to before and after class.

Note:  Individual exceptions to the dress code are acceptable if authorized by the building principal or designee.

In addition, it is very important that students are dressed appropriately for the weather.  During the winter months, we do our best to continue with outdoor recess, but it is important that students come with the appropriate hats, coats, and gloves.  

There are times we must have lunch/recess indoors.  The following guidelines help us determine if lunch/recess will be indoors or outdoors (all temperatures include the wind chill effect):

• 20 degrees or below – all lunch/recess will be indoors.

• 21 degrees and warmer – all recess will be outdoors.

The Board of Education believes that the schools should help students learn to respect property and develop feelings of pride in community institutions.

The Board charges each student with responsibility for the proper care of school property and the school supplies and equipment entrusted to their use.

Students who cause damage to school property shall be subject to disciplinary measures, and their parents shall be financially liable for such damage to the extent of the law. 

The Board authorizes the imposition of fines for the loss, damage or destruction of school equipment, apparatus, musical instruments, library material, textbooks, and for damage to school buildings.

The District may report to the appropriate juvenile authorities any student whose damage of school property has been serious or chronic in nature. 

A reward may be offered by the Board for the apprehension of any person who vandalizes school property.

The Board will assume no responsibility for any personal property that students bring on to District premises.

At times, a student may bring personal property to school to share with friends or to use in the classroom. The Board assumes no responsibility for any personal property brought to school. Each school has a Lost and Found that students and parents should check for any lost items.  Unclaimed items are given to charity on a regular basis.  

Parents are encouraged to clearly mark their children’s coats, rainwear, sweaters, hats, gloves, boots, lunch boxes, backpacks, and other personal items so that they may be easily identified and may be easily returned if they are, in fact, misplaced.    

Student safety is the upmost priority for Dublin City Schools.  The following procedures are in place to ensure student safety and effective, efficient communication to parents in the case of an emergency.   

Our district utilizes a broadcast messaging and notification system to communicate with families. There are three channels within the system: phone call, email, and text message. Parents can update their contact information through the district website (www.dublinschools.net) by clicking “Families,” then “Update Student Information.”

In the event of an emergency, it is important that families and the community recognize that, if necessary, our priority is to contact first responders and secure our schools. We make every attempt to communicate with families as quickly as possible. Generally, we do not send broadcast messages for student medical emergencies, fire/tornado drills, or other situations where there is no threat to student or staff safety. First responder presence at a building does not necessarily indicate an emergency. Our first responders visit our schools regularly for drills, training, classroom visits, and more.

For large-scale incidents or dynamic situations, our district will defer to the Dublin Police Department for public communication. Parents and families are encouraged to follow the police department’s social media channels, and our district will share the Department’s messaging as it becomes available.

Others Ways to Find Emergency Updates: 

Follow Dublin Police on Twitter: @DublinPolice

Follow Dublin City Schools on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: @DublinSchools

Visit these websites:

DublinOhioUSA.gov

YourDublinPolice.org

DublinSchools.net

Parents are encouraged to discuss a  plan with their child in case of an emergency early dismissal. Emergency early dismissals will be communicated through the Parent Notification System as outlined above.

Each Dublin City School has thorough plans in place in the event of an emergency.  These plans are filed with local and state emergency and government offices annually, and school officials conduct periodic safety drills to ensure students and staff are knowledgeable of emergency practices.  

Fire: Each elementary school complies with all fire safety laws and will conduct fire drills in accordance with state law. Specific instructions on how to proceed during a fire drill will be provided and practiced by students with their teachers, who will be responsible for the safe, prompt and orderly evacuation of the building.

Tornado: Tornado drills will be conducted during the tornado season using the procedures prescribed by the state of Ohio.  

Safety: School safety drills will take place at intervals throughout the year. Staff provides students with strategies to utilize in the event there is an unsafe situation or individual in the school setting.  As is any other emergency, students, staff, and guests will be expected follow the directions of the school officials.

In order to protect Board property, promote security and protect the health, welfare and safety of students, staff and visitors, the Board of Education authorizes the use of video surveillance and electronic monitoring equipment on school property, in school buildings and school buses.  Information obtained through video surveillance/electronic monitoring may be used to identify intruders and persons breaking the law, Board policy, or the Student Code of Conduct.

If information is not viewed for law enforcement, school or public safety purpose – it should be routinely erased according to a standard schedule (i.e., they will be maintained for a period of ten (10) calendar days). If information is viewed for law enforcement, school or public safety purposes, it must be retained for a minimum of one (1) year. Prior to destruction of it, the Chief Operating Officer should contact the Superintendent and/or Board Counsel.

For additional information please reference Board of Education Policy #7440.01 and Administrative Guideline #7440.01 – Video Surveillance and Electronic Monitoring.

Dublin City Schools have a commitment to provide a formal quality education to its students.  To achieve this goal, students must consistently be in attendance at school.  Chronic absences or tardiness disrupts the learning process, and makeup work is not a sufficient substitute for physical attendance at school.  For that reason, it is important that the school and home come together as partners to assure students achieve high attendance.

Compulsory Attendance

Section 3321.04 of the Ohio Revised Code provides that every parent or guardian must enroll a child in their care full-time in a school that conforms to the minimum standards prescribed by the State Board of Education.  Such attendance must begin within the first week of the school term or within one week of the date on which the child begins to reside in the district.

The Ohio Revised Code classifies absence from school as excused or unexcused.  The statutes governing school attendance are very specific and leave limited options for school authorities to excuse children from school.  The following conditions constitute reasons for an excused absence from school:

1. Personal illness

2. Illness in the family necessitating the presence of the child

3. Quarantine of the home

4. Observance of Reglious holidays/Absence for Religious reasons

5. Death of a relative (up to 5 school days)

6. Absence during the school day for professional appointments

7. Work at home due to absence of parents or guardians (must be over 14 years old)

8. Family emergency (up to 5 school days)

All other conditions for absence are considered unexcused.

It is the responsibility of the school, not the parent or guardian, to determine whether an absence is excused or unexcused.

If a student is absent from school, a parent must call or email the school attendance office by 9:15 a.m. to report their child’s absence from school. If the parent does not contact the school, the school will make every reasonable attempt to contact the parents.

Additionally, students must bring written notification of the absence from the parent on the day of their return. Failure to supply written documentation of the absence will result in an unexcused absence and the student may be considered truant.  Additionally, once a student accumulates ten days of absence in the school year, a doctor’s note may be required to classify the absence as excused. 

Definitions

Unexcused Absences:  Absences by consent of the parent or with the parent’s knowledge for a reason not acceptable to the school or absences that are not followed by written documentation from the parent or doctor.  Unexcused absences may receive no credit for schoolwork.  Examples could include music lessons, hair appointments, oversleeping, traffic delays, etc.

Habitually Truant: A student who is absent

• 30 or more consecutive hours without a legitimate excuse

• 42 or more hours in one month without a legitimate excuse

• 72 or more hours in one year without a legitimate excuse

Excessively Absent: A student who is absent WITH OR WITHOUT A LEGITIMATE EXCUSE

• 38 or more hours in one school month

• 65 or more hours in one school year

For students determined to be habitually truant:

1. Written notice will be provided to the parent/guardian

2. Student will be assigned to an absence intervention team

3. If the child fails to make progress after 61 days on the personalized absence intervention plan, the district will file a complaint in juvenile court

4. Counseling will be provided

5. The student's parent or guardian will be asked to attend parental involvement programs or truancy prevention mediation programs

6. As applicable, the registrar of motor vehicles will be notified

7. Children Services will be notified as deemed necessary

For students determined to be excessively absent:

1. Written notice will be provided to the parent/guardian

2. The student will follow the district's plan for absence intervention

3. The student and family may be referred to community resources

Absence Intervention Team

State law requires districts with a chronic absenteeism rate above 5% to establish an Absence Intervention Team for students who are habitually truant. The school based absence intervention team will establish a student-centered absence intervention plan by identifying specific barriers and solutions to attendance problems. 

Membership of each team should vary based on the needs of each individual student, but each team is required to include:

1. a representative of the school or district.
2. another representative from the school or district who has a relationship with the child.
3. the child's parent/guardian.

The Absence Intervention Team may also include: 1. school psychologist, counselor or social worker. 2. representatives from a public or non-profit agency. 3. a case worker from Children Services if there is an open case or if the child is in foster care.

When a child leaves early or arrives late to school, they will be considered tardy.  Tardiness for reasons other than those listed as excused (above) will be considered unexcused.

Arriving late:  If a student is late to school, s/he must report directly to the office.  A student will be considered tardy if s/he arrives at school up to 90 minutes after the regular school day begins, any time after this the student will be considered absent for their time missed. 

Leaving Early:  Students who have a reason to leave school during the day will be considered tardy.  If picking up a child early, parents must come into the school office and sign out the child.  

If a student comes to school and goes home ill, but did not stay at school for at least 90 minutes, s/he is counted absent one full day. If a child has attended school for over 90 minutes before leaving with an illness, s/he is counted absent one half day.

Students will be granted an excused “religious absence” on days they miss school due to observing a religious holiday consistent with their truly held religious beliefs.  The excused absence shall not result in academic or extracurricular consequence.  In addition, the district has worked with faith-based community leaders to identify holy days for religions recognized within our school district community.  To the extent possible, teachers will avoid tests and major assignments on the holiday and day following for all students. For more information please visit https://www.dublinschools.net/resources/calendars/religious-holy-days.

Students are permitted to go on vacation during the school year without penalty. The purpose of this administrative guideline is to accommodate parents who must take their vacations during the school year because of company (industry) policies and the desire to enjoy that time as a family.

1. Whenever a proposed absence-for-vacation is requested, parents must discuss it with the principal or their designee. The length of absence should be made clear, and those involved should have an opportunity to express their views on the potential effects of the absence.

2. The student may be given approximate assignments and materials and pages to be completed.

3. The time missed will be counted as an unexcused absence under HB410, but shall not be a factor in determining grades unless make-up work is not completed. If lengthy, time missed may cause the student to become “excessively absent” under the HB410 attendance law.

The statutes governing school attendance are very specific and leave little option for school authorities to excuse children from school. The Ohio Revised Code classifies absence from school as excused or unexcused. Listed above are the eight (8) conditions for excused absence as defined by the state of Ohio. If the reason you wish to take your student out of school does not fall under these eight (8) conditions, the absence will be classified as unexcused. 

If the absence is less than five (5) days, the teacher(s) may provide assignments and collect the completed work for full credit. For absences more than five (5) days, teachers will not be expected to provide individual instruction, as providing remote support is unsustainable for extended periods of time. Details can be discussed with your child’s principal or teacher(s). 

In the State of Ohio, House Bill 410 outlines what makes a student "chronically absent" or "habitually truant."  Using information in HB 410 and our Board of Education policy 5200, extended international travel is not considered an excused absence, even if it is pre-arranged. After the child is unexcused 30 or more consecutive hours, or 42 hours in one month, or 72 hours in a year, they are considered "habitually truant." 

If you wish to avoid your child being considered habitually truant, an absence intervention plan, and a file made in juvenile court, you should plan to withdraw your child and re-enroll with Dublin City Schools when you return to the country.

The Dublin Board of Education recognizes that in exceptional circumstances, a student may need to be absent from school for an extended period of time.  Ohio has specific compulsory attendance regulations, and Dublin City Schools must comply with those state statutes.  Ohio Revised Code Section 3321.02 states that “every child actually a resident in the state shall be amenable to the laws relating to compulsory education, and neither he nor the person in charge of him shall be excused from the operations of the sections or the penalties under them on the grounds that the child’s residency is seasonal, that the parent of the child is a resident of the other state, or that the child has attended school for the legal period in another state.”  The parent of a child of compulsory school age who is not 

employed under the age and schooling certificate must send said child through school or special education program that conforms to the minimum standards prescribed by the State Board of Education, for the full time the school or program attended is in session, which shall not be for less than thirty-two weeks per school year.  Such attendance must begin within the first week of the school term or program, or within one week of the date of which the child begins to reside in the district, or within one week after his withdrawal from employment.” (O.R.C. 3321.04)

The following procedures apply to long-term absences:

1. Any student absent for more than twenty (20) days in a school year will find that attendance records become a significant factor in a promotion or retention decision at the close of the school year.

2. Should a child be absent from school for thirty (30) days, the principal may make a referral to the appropriate social agency that may bring charges of parental neglect against the parents or guardians.

3. All absences including illness, truancy, vacation, family or personal business, or appointments to the doctor or orthodontist will be counted in the attendance tally.

Therefore, if parents are going to remove students from school for travel purposes or visitation of families in other states or countries for extended periods of time, they must follow these procedures:

1. Notify the student’s school of attendance in writing of their intent to remove their child from school for any period beyond twenty (20) days.

2. When possible, the parent/guardian must show good and sufficient cause in advance to remove the child from school.  This notification should occur two (2) weeks prior to the student’s departure.

If the parent does not comply with this policy, the school district may be obligated to report the parent/guardian to the appropriate state agencies and file charges for lack of compliance with the compulsory education rules.

In order to properly monitor the safety of students and staff, visitors are required to register their attendance upon arrival at our schools.  Visitors are asked to enter through the front doors of the school where they will be invited to register their attendance with the school’s electronic check-in system in the school’s main office.  Any visitor found in the building without a visitor/volunteer badge will be asked to return to the school office.

If parents wish to confer with a member of the staff, they should call for an appointment prior to coming to the school, in order to prevent any inconvenience to parents/staff or disruption of the learning process.

Students may not bring visitors to school without first obtaining permission from the building principal.

The Board of Education recognizes that certain programs and activities can be enhanced through the use of volunteers who have particular knowledge or skills that will be helpful to members of the classified staff responsible for the conduct of those programs and activities.

The Superintendent or designee shall be responsible for recruiting community volunteers, reviewing their capabilities, and making appropriate placements. S/He shall not be obligated to make use of volunteers whose abilities are not in accord with District needs.

The Superintendent is to inform each volunteer that s/he: 

1. is required to abide by all Board policies and District guidelines while on duty as a volunteer (including, but not limited to, the volunteer’s obligation to keep confidential and not release or permit access to any and all student personally identifiable information to which s/he is exposed except as authorized by law);

2. will be covered under the District’s liability policy but the District can not provide any type of health insurance to cover illness or accident incurred while serving as a volunteer, nor is the person eligible for workers’ compensation;

3. will be asked to sign a form releasing the District of any obligation should the volunteer become ill or receive an injury as a result of his/her volunteer services; 

4. may not accept compensation from any third party or source, including, but not limited to booster, parent or other District support organizations, for the performance of his/her official duties as a volunteer on behalf of the Board.

Many forms routinely completed by parents prior to the start of school, or during the first few days of the school year, are on the district website (www.dublinschools.net) under “FAMILIES.”  Please contact the school of attendance if you have any questions.