ARRIVAL OF STUDENTS ON CAMPUS
Students are supervised at school from 7:30 am until 2:30 pm. Children should not be on campus before 7:30 am. Upon arrival, students should go directly to the cafeteria if eating breakfast; otherwise they should go to the classroom. Car riders are dropped off on the car ramp which is located on Turkey Creek Road. There is an adult and patrols on duty each morning to greet children as they arrive. Please refrain from parking across from the school and on Turkey Creek Road as that is all private property. It is also unsafe for you and your child. Children may arrive to school by one of the 8 buses that serve Walden Lake Elementary. Bus service is provided for those children who live in our attendance area more than 2 miles from our site. Children may walk or ride their bike to school. There
is a pass-through located just off Barrett Avenue. This sidewalk leads to the back of our property. All bikes must be walked once you enter this path and once you reach our campus. For the safety of all of our children, we ask that parents do not use this location as a car drop off point. There is no adult supervision and children often dart in between cars. Bikes may be chained with a padlock at our bike rack during the school day. The school is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged bicycles.
School Visitation
During school hours, a valid photo ID is required to enter the campus for any reason. Please see the following: SafeNet
DISMISSAL
Children are dismissed each day at 2:15. All students are escorted to their dismissal points (walker/path, bus ramp and car ramp) each day by their teacher. Parents who wish to sign their child out of school must do so in the main office prior to 1:50 in the afternoon. We ask that parents not attempt to remove their children from a school bus once placed there or take their child from the teacher's line. These procedures have been established for the safety of all of our children. Buses typically leave our campus between 2:20-2:25 each afternoon. Car riders remain outside on the car ramp, with supervision, until 2:30. After 2:30, you will need to park and come sign your child out in the main office. Your child will either be in the main office or with their teacher in the classroom.
CHANGE OF TRANSPORTATION
Occasionally it becomes necessary to change the method of transportation your child will have in the afternoon. We are happy to accommodate all parents’ requests provided the following is done:
> All changes must be done in writing. This note is sent to the office from the child’s teacher, and therefore cannot be written in the student agenda planner.
> If your child is going home with another child, both parents must write a note.
> For the safety of all of our students, changes of transportation will not be taken over the telephone.
RAINY DAY DISMISSAL
Rainy days happen and Walden Lake Elementary has established the following routine to make dismissal on a rainy day smooth. Please remember that all parents were asked to complete the rainy day dismissal form at the beginning of the school year. On a rainy day, teachers will dismiss your child according to these written directions. The school indicates that we are implementing our rainy day dismissal plan by placing a tall "bicycle flag" at the fence by the walkers’ path.
Bus/Daycare Riders - Children will be dismissed 3 buses at a time to load their bus. The last buses typically leave our campus at 2:30 on a rainy day.
Car riders are dismissed at 2:15 to the Music Suite where they are assisted in getting into your car. Kindergarteners will all move to the Multi-Purpose Room at 2:05. Their teacher and paraprofessional will dismiss them from that location. Walkers/Bike Riders remain in the classroom until the rain/storm subsides enough to send them home without the danger of lightning or too much rain. At 2:30, if the rain is still too much, these children will be escorted to the cafeteria and will remain there until such time they can be sent home.
ATTENDANCE
All students are expected to be present and on time each day. If your child must be absent, please call the 24-hour attendance line (813-757-9433 opt 1) as soon as you are aware that he/she will not be at school.
Please share the following information:
"This is ________________. My child _____________ is in grade ____ in Ms/Mr _______ class.
He/she is absent because ________ and will return to school on _______ (Date)
I can be reached at ________ (telephone number) for verification.
Attendance is extremely important. Please contact your child's teacher if there is a problem. Excessive absences and tardiness does not provide for a consistent educational program. Children absent more than 20 days in the course of a school year are referred to our School Social Worker.
TARDIES
Children who arrive after the 8:00 am bell must be signed in by an adult in the main office prior to going to the classroom. If an adult is not present at the front car ramp, your child will be tardy and will need a pass to go to class.
FAMILY VACATIONS
Our school requests all families to plan their family trips and other obligations around the school calendar. The county calendar can assist you in your plans. If your plans require your child to miss a day of school, a letter must be sent to the principal a week prior to your trip for pre-approval. If your child is not meeting grade level expectations and benchmarks, or already has been absent a substantial number of days, your child’s absence may not be approved.
SIGNING STUDENTS OUT OF SCHOOL
Any parent/guardian wanting to sign their child out of school must show photo identification in the main office. Only people listed on a student's emergency card may sign a child out of school. Please keep a list handy of who is listed on this card.
FIELD TRIPS
Children at Walden Lake typically take a minimum of two field trips each school year to support classroom instruction. Information letters and permission slips are sent home approximately 2 weeks prior to any trip with location, cost, times etc. Please refer to your child's agenda planner and grade level newsletter for upcoming trips.
PICTURES AND VIDEOS
Throughout the course of each school year, classes engage in many activities where student pictures are taken or a video is made. Please make sure you have signed the video and picture permission slip that was sent home during the first week of school. It is important to talk with your child's teacher personally if your permission is not given.
EMERGENCY CARDS
Student emergency cards are located in the main office and can be updated, by the enrolling parent, as your information changes.
It is important to notify the school as soon as you can when contact information changes.
STUDENT USE OF TELEPHONE
Students will be permitted to use the telephone ONLY in the case of an extreme emergency. Please make all necessary arrangements regarding lunch money, after school activities and care, homework etc. before leaving home.
PERSONAL ITEMS AT SCHOOL
Students are NOT permitted to bring personal items such as cameras, toys, sports equipments, trading cards etc. to school. These items are not needed at school and can cause distractions. The school is not responsible for the damage or the loss of personal items.
CLASSROOM PARTIES AND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
In order to optimize the learning time we have with your child, birthdays are not celebrated in the classroom. Parents are invited to contact their child’s teacher about having cupcakes or cookies in the lunchroom during your class lunch time if you wish. Classes have 2 celebrations each year: one at the winter break and one on the last day of school. Please contact your child’s teacher and PTA homeroom representative to assist with these 2 celebrations.
MAKE-UP WORK
If your child is absent for an approved absence or is sick, we ask that you contact the teacher for appropriate make-up work. Please give teacher’s 24 hour notice on picking up make-up work from the front office or when asking a sibling to pick up work.
CALLING THE SCHOOL
Instructional staff can be reached from 7:30-8:00 and 2:30-3:30 by telephone. If calling at another time, a message will be left for the staff member. Be reminded that Walden Lake Elementary staff returns calls within 24 hours.
SCHOOL SAFETY
Keeping all of your children safe when they are in our care is one of our top priorities. There are signs around the entrance points that clearly request all parents and visitors to sign in when arriving on campus. It is important for the office to be aware of who is on campus.
The School District of Hillsborough County has assisted us in developing a detailed Crisis Management Plan that covers everything from dangerous weather conditions to fire drills. All of the policies and procedures outlined in this website were specifically designed for the safety and well-being of all of our children.
VOLUNTEERING
We are always open to parents volunteering on campus to assist us in the enormous task of educating your children.
All volunteers must sign in at the main office and wear a volunteer sticker while on campus. Hours are maintained by the PTA. The hours you give to our school assist the school in earning the Golden School Award and the Five Star Award each year.
In Kindergarten, parents are utilized regularly in the classroom to assist in many activities. As your child moves into the Primary Grades, they are ready to build their independence. We suggest they be allowed to get themselves to their classroom, unpack their belongings and get their day off to a good start on their own. When they can accomplish these tasks, you can see their confidence grow by leaps and bounds. In first and second grades, parents are still invited into the classroom by the teacher to assist with special activities. By the time your child enters third grade, they are more likely to want you to volunteer “behind the scenes.” There are many ways and places to volunteer at our school. Please contact the school or our PTA Volunteer Coordinator. All parent volunteers must have a current SERVE form on file. Please check with the office if you do not.
TUTORING AND MENTORING
Several years ago the school contracted with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Hillsborough County to recruit, screen, train and schedule mentors to work with our children. The funds for this contract were made available through a grant that the school wrote. Mentoring can provide children with a person to connect with when their family situation does not accommodate that need. Mentoring can provide adults with a heart-warming feeling of knowing that they have helped the children that will be the leaders of tomorrow. Contact the school if you’d like to join our mentoring team.
Each year, teachers and parents alike, request assistance from parents who can serve as tutors for students who are struggling academically. Through the SERVE program, tutors are registered. Our school holds a training session in the fall to provide assistance to adults who would like to be a tutor but need the tools and confidence to do so. Contact the school if you’d like to join our tutoring team.
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