North Warren Elementary School
Student/Parent Handbook
2024-2025
6110 State Route 8
Chestertown, NY 12817
Phone: (518) 494-3015 ext. 704
Fax: (518) 494-2611
Updated: 8/1/24
Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year. The North Warren faculty & staff members are looking forward to another rewarding and productive year.
The North Warren Elementary Student/Parent Handbook contains information about our school that you and your child(ren) will need to be familiar with for a successful school year.
Table of Contents
Elementary Faculty & Staff Directory
Disciplinary Procedures and Consequences
Elementary Faculty & Staff Directory
2024-2025
Principal: Erika McGourty
Secretary: Holly Palmer
Pre-Kindergarten: Billie Jo Pratt
Kindergarten: Stephanie Geller, Marissa Rose
First Grade: Andrea Little, Kelsey Scherer
Second Grade: Sarah May, Stacy Miller
Third Grade: Anne Campbell, Ashley Truax
Fourth Grade: Stacy Cooper, Melissa Pandillo
Fifth Grade: Alexandra Della Bella, Lori Korniak
Sixth Grade: Todd Lawson, Amy Zarczynski
Reading & Math: Heidi Blanchard, Nicole Eddy, Karen McDermott, Deanne Peters, Nicole Rushlow
Physical Education: Lynn Lewis, Shannon Phelps
Library: Leeann Hamm
Art: Janelle Beaulieu
Music: Maria Swartz
Computer Instruction: Cheryl Erickson
Guidance: Holley Bedell
School Social Worker: David Parisi
School Psychologist: Susan Kearing
Special Education: Jennifer Farmer, Jessica Graves, Cynthia Meddaugh
Special Education Office Specialist: Maggie Hill
English as a Second Language (ESL): Jennifer Lawson
Speech: Kira Studler, Andrea Winchip
Occupational Therapy (OT): Jill Primeau
Physical Therapy (PT): Robert Gautreau
School Nurse: Samantha Badgley
Support Staff: Jennifer Belrose, Jessica Coyle, Rena DeFranco, Laura Dygert, Sara Griffen, Karen Hilton, Nancy Koenig,
Kyle Rubado-Judkins, Janeen Scorzelli
School Safety & Security
Building Access
The building is accessible to students and the public during school hours and during school-sponsored activities. Students may not enter the building until 7:30 a.m. when staff supervision begins.
Drills
Fire and lockdown drills are conducted in accordance with New York State regulations. At the beginning of each year, specific instructions are given in each classroom regarding the use of the nearest exit. In the event of a true emergency, it is essential that students can hear directives from teachers and staff members so directions of “quiet” and “no talking” are enforced during drills.
Bus drills are also held regularly, in conformity with New York State regulations. Students will exit the bus using emergency exits with the help of the driver and other students and adults.
Emergency Early School Closing During the School Day
It may be necessary to close school early because of weather conditions, lack of water, etc. It is important to have procedures in place to ensure that the closing goes smoothly. The time frame within which the superintendent makes the final decision to close and the buses arrive to take students home is less than one hour. If the school is closed for an emergency, the district will notify parents via a Schoolmessenger robocall.
Parents are encouraged to discuss a plan for what they should do if school is released early unexpectedly with their child(ren).
Arrival and Dismissal
The elementary school instructional day is from 8:00 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Arrival:
- Students arriving by bus will be released from the buses after arriving at school.
- Parent Drop off begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends promptly at 8:00 a.m. using curbside dropoff. Parents must follow the traffic pattern and remain in the car.
- Students arriving with a parent after 8:00 must be signed in at the front desk and will be marked as a late arrival.
Dismissal:
- Buses depart by 3:00 p.m. each day and Parent Pickup follows.
- Parents MUST create an 8.5x11” sign in bold print with the first/last names of their child(ren) on it. Place it on the passenger side dashboard or window so that the security team will know which children have come out based on your order of arrival.
- Parents/guardians are not allowed to stand outside of the building to pick up students. All parent pickups must take place in the parent pickup vehicle lineup.
Transportation Information
Bus Garage
63 Cougar Lane, Chestertown, NY 12817
(518) 494-3727
Robert Hill, Director of Transportation
Helen Miner, Transportation Supervisor
Parents should contact the bus garage if they have questions about bus routes, pickup/dropoff times, etc. Parents are encouraged to work closely with the bus drivers on any issues of concern.
Bus Rules
Parents are asked to review the bus rules with their children. This will help ensure that all children will have a safe and pleasant trip to and from school each day.
Please note that riding the school bus is a privilege. This privilege may be revoked if a student does not follow the bus rules. Video cameras are used to monitor student behavior on school vehicles transporting students to and from school, field trips, etc.
North Warren only transports from one destination in the morning or afternoon. (If a child goes from home M-F mornings then goes M-F afternoon to the sitters, that is fine). No bus notes for changes will be accepted. Custody paperwork will be honored if days are specified.
- Cooperate with the bus driver.
- No pictures or videos may be taken on the bus.
- No smoking, vaping, fighting, shoving, pushing, shouting, bullying or use of profane language.
- Keep the bus clean (no littering).
- Students must remain in their assigned seats at all times.
- Arms, head and hands must be kept inside the bus at all times.
- Sit facing forward with feet, arms, etc. away from the aisle. Bus aisles must be kept clear at all times.
- Personal speakers may not be used on the bus.
- After exiting the bus, all students must walk 15 feet in front of the bus and wait for the bus driver to give them the signal to cross the road.
- Parents/adults are not allowed to board the bus for any reason. If you need to speak to the bus driver, call the office to make an appointment. This is for the safety of students.
- Cell phones and electronic devices can be a disruption and are encouraged to be left home. Be aware that North Warren Central School is not responsible for lost or stolen articles. If electronic devices are a disruption, the driver may require that the device be left at the front of the bus until the student arrives at school/home.
- Students must be outside and ready for the bus 10 minutes before their scheduled bus time. If the bus arrives and students are not ready, the bus will continue driving and parents will be responsible for transporting their child(ren) to school.
- An adult must be visible at time of dropoff for the afternoon bus run. If an adult is not visible, students will be returned to the school building and parents will be required to come to school to pick them up.
The District will run late buses Monday-Thursday at 4:00 for all students who stay after school for an organized event, activity, extra help, or disciplinary reasons. No students can stay after school unless supervised by a staff member. To be eligible to ride the late bus, students are not permitted to leave school grounds or be unsupervised from dismissal to 4:00. Buses will depart promptly at 4:05. Parents please be aware that due to the geographical size of the district and the number of late buses, students can expect to arrive home approximately between 4:15-5:30 PM. All bus rules apply to the late bus.
Food Service
David Scroggins, Food Service Director
(518) 494-3015 ext. 236
Breakfast and lunch are provided for FREE to all students.
Visit our website for more information about food service:
http://northwarrencsd.org/Cafeteria.html
Cafeteria Rules
To make lunch more enjoyable for everyone, students must:
- Respect the lunchroom staff by listening and following directions.
- Speak at an appropriate volume. Students must refrain from yelling.
- Remain seated in their assigned seats/areas.
- Refrain from pushing, running, throwing food or banging lunchboxes on the table.
- Throw away all garbage in the receptacle and return the empty tray to the dishwashing window.
- Students may only bring ready to eat meals but may use the microwave to heat them (ex. already cooked mac and cheese, leftovers, pizza slice, etc)
- Do not accept any food from any other student or ask to borrow money.
- Remain seated throughout lunch. Students may get up only once to throw away garbage and return their lunch trays.
- Raise their hands and ask for permission to use the restroom.
- Remain seated until dismissed by a staff member.
As a reminder: All North Warren CSD students are entitled to a free breakfast and lunch! We encourage students and families to take advantage of this opportunity.
School Rules/Expectations
General Expectations for All School Activities:
- Use appropriate language toward staff and students (no swearing, threatening, etc.).
- Bring only safe and appropriate items to school. The following are NOT allowed in school: sharp objects, weapons (or toys that might resemble a weapon), tobacco or tobacco products, vapes, any substance used to ‘get high,’ alcoholic beverages or illegal substances (possession or being under the influence of), inappropriately using or sharing prescription and/or over-the-counter medications or obscene material
- Never engage in physical fighting, bullying or threatening behavior. Bullying behavior includes, but is not limited to, physical threats and/or verbal harassment based on gender, race, religion, physical characteristics or disability that is repetitive.
- Report any serious disagreements to a teacher or staff member
- Remember the difference between tattling and telling:
- Tattling is reporting something with the goal of getting someone else in trouble.
- Telling is reporting something if you or someone else is getting hurt (physically OR emotionally).
Classroom Expectations: Students will adhere to the expectations established by each classroom teacher.
Hallway Expectations:
- Use quiet voices in the hall
- Walk quietly in a straight line
- Keep hands and feet to yourself.
Assembly Expectations:
- Enter in a calm, quiet and orderly fashion with your class.
- Sit quietly and listen for instructions.
- Show appreciation and enthusiasm by clapping (no rude noises).
- Raise your hand for audience participation.
- Feet are on the floor and not on the chair in front of you.
- Represent your school with pride and good manners.
Playground Rules:
- Use equipment safely as instructed by teachers.
- Never leave the playground area without permission.
- Report all injuries to the teacher immediately.
- Do not play any contact sports.
- Understand that all students have a right to feel they belong; classmates may not exclude other classmates from their play.
- Line up promptly when recess is over.
- Return any borrowed equipment.
Disciplinary Procedures and Consequences
Consequences are a necessary part of learning, appropriate behavior and developing good self-discipline. Disciplinary action must be firm, fair and consistent to be effective in changing student behavior. Whenever possible, consequences are restorative in nature, allowing students to identify what happened, who was harmed, how to repair the harm and, most importantly, how to change the behavior.
Teachers and the principal will make every attempt to match the consequences to the inappropriate behavior based on:
- The age of the student.
- The severity of the offense.
- The number of times the behavior has recurred.
Consequences include, but are not limited to:
- Verbal warning
- Recess privileges revoked
- Parent/guardian contacted
- Sent to the principal’s office
- Lunch detention
- Space for a break
- Letter of apology written
- An act of restitution performed
- Written warning to parents
- Suspension from special activities such as parties, assemblies, field trips, etc.
- After-school detention
- Loss of bus privileges (with notice to parents/guardians)
- In-school suspension (with notice to parents/guardians)
- Out-of-school suspension (with notice to parents/guardians)
The principal is available to meet with parents, guardians, and students to discuss disciplinary procedures and individual issues of misconduct.
Searches and Interrogations
Students are protected by the Constitution from unreasonable searches and seizures. A student may be searched and contraband seized on school grounds, in a school building or at a school function by a school district employee only when the school district employee has a reasonable suspicion to believe a student is engaging in proscribed activity which is in violation with school rules and/or illegal.
Factors to be considered in determining whether reasonable suspicion exists to search a student include:
- Age of the student
- The student’s record and history
- The predominance and seriousness of the problem in the school where the search is directed; and
- The urgency to conduct the search without delay
If reasonable suspicion exists to believe that a student possesses a weapon, it is permissible for a school district employee to frisk that student.
Lockers
Lockers may be provided by the school for student use and the administration has the right to search lockers, including the use of the police canine unit for searches.
Questioning of Students by School Officials
School officials have the right to question students regarding any violations of school rules and/or illegal activity. In general, school officials may conduct investigations concerning reports of misconduct including, but not limited to, questioning students, staff, parents/guardians, or other individuals as may be appropriate and, when necessary, determining disciplinary action in accordance with applicable due process rights. Should the questioning of students by school officials focus on the actions of one particular student, the student will be questioned, if possible, in private outside the presence of other students, by the appropriate school administrator(s). The student's parent or guardian may be contacted; the degree, if any, of parental or guardian involvement will vary depending upon the nature and the reason for questioning, and the necessity for further action which may occur as a result.
Elementary Dress Code
The district does not use fashion or taste as the sole criterion to regulate student dress, but the district will regulate student dress to ensure that students attend school in clothing that meets health and safety standards and that does not disrupt or interfere with the educational process.
The principal and vice principal shall have the authority to determine that a particular student’s dress on a given day is “inappropriate.” Students who violate the student dress code shall be required to modify their appearance by covering or removing the offending item and, if necessary or practical, replacing it with an acceptable item.
Any student who refuses to do so shall be subject to discipline. Any student who repeatedly fails to comply with the dress code shall be subject to further discipline, up to and including out of school suspension.
Clothing that is disruptive to the education process is not permitted to be worn by students in school or on the school premises. Clothing that interferes with student’s health, safety or limits full participation in school activities such as science laboratories, technology projects, or physical education activities, etc. will not be permitted. All students are expected to give proper attention to personal cleanliness and to dress appropriately for school and school functions.
Home-School Communication
Absences/Tardies:
Parents must send in a note or call/email the school nurse in the event of any student absence/tardy.
Parent Contact Information:
PLEASE contact the school as soon as possible should any phone numbers/addresses change throughout the year. This information is critical should we need to contact you in the event of an emergency.
Parent Portal:
All parents are encouraged to join the SchoolTool Parent Portal. Parent Portal offers access to students’ report card grades, contact information, etc.
Classroom Information:
Be sure to check your child’s backpack each night as important information is regularly sent home in folders/planners.
School Calendar:
Visit our school website: www.northwarrencsd.org to view our school calendar.
Report Cards
Report cards will be sent home 3x during the school year:
December 3rd
March 19th
June 26th
Academic Achievements:
Merit Roll: 85.0-89.9%
Honor Roll: 90.0-94.9%
High Honor Roll: 95.0-100%
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on:
December 4th and 6th &
March 20th
There will be early dismissal on conference days:
PreK– 10:30am
K-6– 11:00am
Lunch is not provided on these days.
Attendance
All compulsory-aged students are required by New York State Law to attend school full time. School attendance has a huge impact on a student’s academic success. Families play a key role in making sure that students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is important for success in school and life.
We ask that families schedule appointments outside of the regular school day when possible. Parents should only keep children home when they are sick or deemed not safe to come to school by the school nurse, medical provider, and/or health screening.
At 10 absences and/or tardies a general letter is sent home to parents/guardians as a reminder of the number of occurrences. The elementary guidance counselor also follows up with a telephone call to the parents/guardians.
At 15 absences and/or tardies a general letter is sent home to parents as a reminder of the number of occurrences. The elementary principal also follows up with a telephone call to the parents/guardians.
At 20 absences and/or tardies a general letter is sent home to parents/guardians as a reminder of the number of occurrences. A meeting is scheduled with the attendance committee to discuss ways to improve attendance.
At 21 absences and/or tardies the attendance committee will attend a home visit (if the parents/guardians didn’t attend the attendance meeting.)
At 25 absences and/or tardies the attendance committee will attend a home visit (if the parents/guardians attended the attendance meeting.)
At 26+ absences and/or tardies the attendance committee will attend a home visit with a school resource officer.
Doctor’s notes may be requested even if written excuses from parents are submitted.
Field Trips
Field trips occur throughout the school year. At times, chaperones are invited to attend. Chaperones must adhere to the following guidelines:
- Arrive on time.
- Chaperones and children must ride the bus to and from the destination unless approved by the elementary principal.
- Chaperones may not buy souvenirs for members of their group unless the trip has included souvenir shopping.
- Chaperones may not have other children accompany them on the field trip.
- High school students are not allowed to be chaperones.
- The use of cell phones on field trips is restricted to emergencies only.
- Chaperones are reminded not to leave their vehicles in visitor parking.
- Chaperones will help the children follow the Cougar Code of Conduct and support the teacher as instructed.
Student Expectations for Field Trips:
- Do not leave your group without permission.
- Cooperate fully with chaperones.
- Listen, learn, and ask questions at the appropriate time. A field trip is a learning experience.
- Be considerate of your classmates. Look out for each other and make sure everyone feels included.
- Represent your school in a positive manner by utilizing good manners, showing respect, and a positive attitude.