School Handbook

Good attendance is critical for steady academic growth, and, by law, children are required to attend school. 

Please call the school office any time your child will not be in school. 

If you are asked to leave a voice mail, please give the following information:

• Name of the parent or guardian calling
• Student's name and grade
• Date(s) of absence
• Reason for absence; please be specific

Absences will only be excused for the following reasons:

• Illness
• Medical or dental appointment
• A family death or serious illness
• Court/judicial appearance
• Religious observations
• School-sponsored activities

Students who are late to school will be considered tardy. Please make every effort to have your student at school on time. 

Additionally signing your child out in the afternoon prior to the end of the school day affects their attendance and learning. 

Students who become truant (inexcusably absent three consecutive days or five school days in any semester or seven days in a school year) will be reported to the Kansas Department for Children and Families in accordance with Board of Education Policy 1461. 
 

Students must live 2.5 miles or more from their assigned school to qualify for transportation to that school.

For questions about WPS transportation and busing, call 316-973-2190.

The district does offer the FirstView app that helps families track their student's school bus. Families will need a security code from the school office to use the app.

Arrival Procedures

ALL parents entering the building will need to go through the main office and receive a hall pass.

This process is designed to help secure the building and maintain a safe environment for our students.

We continue to use multiple entrance points to ensure students can safely and quickly access breakfast and begin learning.

 

• 5th and 4th Grade: Enter through Door 3.
• 3rd and 1st Grade: Enter through Door 2.
• Kindergarten: Enter through Door 1.
• 2nd Grade and Pre-K: Enter through Door 20.

Please note that there is no school supervision before 8:50 a.m. when the first bell rings.

If you need before-school care, please reach out to us for information about our latchkey program.

A quick reminder for parents dropping off in front of the building: Please remain in your car in the drop-off lane.

If you need to give extra hugs or prefer to get out of the car, please find a parking space.

Dismissal Procedures

We are organizing student dismissal based on your preferred pick-up method:

• Car Riders: If you prefer to stay in your car, please follow the team stationed in front of the building.
• Walk-Up Pick-Up: If you prefer to park and walk to pick up your student, please refer to the attached map for the designated location.
• Bus Riders, Walkers, and Latchkey Students: Dismissal procedures for these students remain the same.

Additionally, we have implemented car loader tags to help staff quickly identify which students belong to which cars.

Please ensure your tag is displayed in your front window with your child’s name and grade level clearly marked.

This helps speed up the dismissal process.

If Parent pick-up siblings are being picked up together, please communicate with classroom teacher. 

Siblings will walk inside the building and exit with their younger sibling’s class.

Please avoid walking in front of the car loading area, as safety is our top priority.

If there is a change in dismissal plans, please communicate this with us prior to 3:30 p.m. to ensure we can relay the changes effectively.

At Chisholm Trail Elementary, we want all students to feel comfortable and ready to learn!

To help everyone stay focused and respectful, we ask that students follow these simple dress code guidelines:

• Comfortable and Covered: Students should wear clothes that cover their body properly. This means no crop tops, very short shorts, or ripped clothing that shows undergarments.
• No Inappropriate Messages: Clothing with words or pictures that are mean, scary, or talk about things like violence or bad language should not be worn at school.
• Hats and Headwear: Hats and hoods are for outside play only, not for inside the classroom, unless for religious or medical reasons. For any other circumstances, please have approved by the principal.
• Weather-Appropriate Clothing: Make sure to dress for the weather. Jackets in the winter, and light clothes in the warmer months, so you can be comfortable all day. For students that come to school in the months of December – February without proper outerwear two options will be offered: Students will be offered a coat to wear during outdoor play or students will remain indoors for the recess time.

If you are needing assistance, please contact our school social worker Andrea Zimmerman at 973-9400.

By following these guidelines, we can make sure everyone is ready to learn and have fun!

Parents should notify the school nurse if there are any health conditions that may require medical attention, such as asthma, diabetes, seizures, food allergies, etc.

If a student becomes ill during the school day, they should request a pass to see the nurse. 

You should keep your child home if they have a temperature of 100.4 or higher, until they are fever free for 24 hours without medication.

If students have a temperature of 100.4 or higher at school, they will be sent home until they are fever free for 24 hours without medication. Parents will be notified to pick up their student and must do so in a timely manner to limit exposure to other students and school staff.

Please keep your emergency contact information up to date with both the teacher and office staff.

School board policy (BOE P5316) restricts school personnel from giving students any medication, including over-the-counter medication.

Medication is given only upon written request from both the parent/guardian and the student's physician. Students must also have received one dose of medication without an adverse reaction prior to any doses being given at school.

All medicine must be in the original container and be presented by a parent to the school nurse for safe keeping and scheduled administration. The container should be labelled with the following:

• Name of student
• Name of medication
• Directions for use
• Name of physician
• Name and address of pharmacy
• Date of prescription

 

The district uses the ParentVUE online portal to give parents to access information about their student's attendance, assignments and grades.

ParentVUE allows parents to quickly and easily update their family contact information, which is vital in order to maintain strong home-to-school connections. 

Keeping students emotionally and physically safe at school is our number one priority.

All students have the right to learn in an orderly environment that is free of disruption.

We understand that from time to time, students may need additional practice meeting these expectations.

We are trying to teach students academic and behavioral skills they will be using in the real world that will help them be successful adolescents and adults.

Our staff will work closely with parents to ensure students learn to be responsible citizens and develop strategies for resolving conflicts.

We provide breakfast for all students free of charge.

Lunch fees can depend on family income. Complete the Free and Reduced Meal Application annually to qualify for free lunch and adjustments to school fees. 

The district uses an app called School Cafe to allow families to see menus.

The district uses LINQ Connect to pay for meals.

For special dietary restrictions, please contact the school nurse. 

Field trips with our city and nearby sites of interest are scheduled by classroom teachers throughout the school year.

These trips are designed to supplement different aspects of the classroom curriculum and intoduce students to resources within the community.

Parents will be notified of the planned trip at least five days in advance and must sign a trip waiver for students to attend.

If a student does not have a signed permission slip to attend the trip, they will not go. We will not accept verbal permission over the phone.

If there is a fee for the field trip, the money needs to be submitted at least three days prior to the scheduled trip.

All field trips require the use of school buses. Parents are not able to transport students on field trips.

If a parent serves as a chaperone, they will need to complete the school district's volunteer registration process prior to the field trip.

If your student is missing an item, remind your student the lost and found box can be found by the front office. If items are not claimed by the end of the year, items are donated. 

Elementary schools will provide daily recess periods for students with time for supervised unstructured physical activity.  One 15-minute period and a 20-minute lunch will be allowed daily for unstructured physical movement. Unstructured refers to:  Recess time will allow student choice. This can be through active play and/or social interactions with peers and adults, similar to what schools do at lunch recess.

The safety of students, staff and parents is the Wichita Public Schools' greatest priority during the threat of dangerous conditions.

Emergency plans are in place should tornadoes, lightning, hail, snow or other dangerous circumstances present a safety concern.

If schools are to be closed or activities cancelled or rescheduled due to weather conditions, the information will be posted on the Wichita Public Schools' main website and displayed on all school websites.
 

Parent-Teacher Conferences are a great way to stay involved in your child's education.

Parents have the opportunity to discuss their child's progress, review assignments, learn about future projects and to strengthen the connection between home and school. 

Parent-Teacher Conferences are held twice a year in October and February. 
 

Progress reports are provided to parents every quarter.

Reviewing these reports is an essential component of parent involvement in their child's education.

Please look for these reports and discuss them with your student.

You may also log on to ParentVue for an ongoing list of grades provided by the teacher.

If you have any concerns about these reports, contact your student's teacher.

All visitors to the building, including parents, must sign in through our visitor management system HallPass.

Parents, caregivers and other relatives wanting to volunteer in the school or for field trips are required to register every year as a volunteer. Visit the Volunteer Registration page to complete your annual registration.

Parents need to contact the student's teacher at least 24 hours prior to the day they want to bring treats to schedule a time and learn if there are any food allergies.

Parents must stop by the office to receive a pass if they want to go to the student's classroom.