Visit our Transportation page's Drop-Off and Pick-Up process for all, including end-of-day standards.

Leaving and entering the building:

• With the exception of evacuation drills and end of the day pick-ups, all parents/visitors must enter and leave the building through the front door, so our office staff are able to see you.
• You must also check in with the front desk per our school safety protocols.
• This ensures that all exterior doors are secured and locked at all times and also allows us to know who is in the building at all times. Should there be an emergency, this is critical information for school and emergency personnel.

• We will send out newsletters on a regular basis, highlighting important news and events in the school.
• Teachers will send home letters discussing the specifics of their class and team.
• In addition, they post information about their class on their class/team websites.
• We encourage ongoing, two-way communication.
• If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
• The easiest way to do this is through email.
• You can reach a staff member through email by using their first initial, followed by their last name, @ewsd.org.
• We are always posting a variety of news, events, and learning on the school’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Communication of Concerns: If you have a concern, you are encouraged to first address it directly with your child’s teacher, unless it relates to bullying, sexual harassment, or abuse.

In cases of abuse, harassment, bullying, etc., you would go directly to the Principal, Wendy Cobb, or Joe Arigo, our student management specialist.

If the concern relates specifically to special education, the parent should address both the student’s teacher and the case manager/special educator.

If you feel the issue has not been adequately resolved, please bring it to the attention of the principal.

All teachers and administrative staff have email addresses and voice mail, so communication is easily accessible.

Teachers are more than happy to return communications in a timely manner. Unless it is an emergency or a safety situation, we respectfully ask that you allow teachers 24 hours to respond.

Our school uses the principles of Responsive Classroom as the guiding philosophy around student management.

We ask that students show RESPONSIBILITY, RESPECT, AND SAFETY in their interactions with each other and all adults here at school.

School-Wide Expectations

1. Take care of yourself.

2. Take care of others.

3. Take care of our school.

4. Take care of our world.

Teams will work with students at the start of the year to determine what these expectations look like and sound like.

They will set classroom and team expectations that directly connect to the above-mentioned school-wide expectations.

Adults will model, practice with students, and review these expectations at the start of the year and in an ongoing manner throughout the school year.

Discipline

As part of Responsive Classroom, all classes will be using the same series of consequences for students.

1. If a classroom expectation is not met by a student, the teacher will give the student a friendly reminder of the expected behavior.
2. If the behavior continues, then the student will be directed to move into a “take a break” area of the room. If the behavior continues, the student will have a timeout in another, pre-designated classroom, typically a teaching partner.
3. The next step would be administrative intervention.
4. Some behaviors (e.g. physical aggression, harassment, bullying) will be “fast-tracked” to administration and may be subject to in-school or out-of-school suspensions or loss of privileges.

Your classroom teacher will be communicating with you if behavior is an ongoing concern, and we will be working together to develop a plan to help the student be more successful.

We welcome and value all of our volunteers here at Founders!

• Please be sure to pick up a Visitor’s Badge at the front desk and you must sign in before you enter the rest of the school.
  • This ensures that we know who is in the school in case of fire or other emergencies.
  • It also helps us keep our students safe, by knowing who is approved to be in the school.
  • This is VERY important, and is non-negotiable.
• You should make prior arrangements with a teacher if you wish to visit the classroom.
  • The teacher will let the front office know that he/she is expecting you.
  • You must sign out when you leave the building.
  • To find out more about volunteering at Founders, please go to Volunteering at Founders or call our front office.

In September, we will convene the FMS safety committee and conduct an updated in-house safety audit and review our safety protocols.

We have monthly drills with students throughout the year related to the different drill topics (e.g. fire, evacuation, lock down, clear the halls).

In order for us to handle a crisis should one arise, our goal is to be as prepared as possible while at the same time not raising unnecessary alarm for students or staff.

The EWSD School District is committed to providing all of its students with a safe and supportive school environment in which all members of the school community are treated with respect.

We take all reported incidents of bullying, hazing, and harassment seriously.

Each school campus has at least two designated employees that are charged with receiving and investigating reports of hazing, harassment and bullying.

Any person who believes they have been the victim of hazing, harassment and/or bullying or the victim of retaliation by making a complaint of such behavior, or any person with knowledge or evidence of conduct which may constitute hazing, harassment, or bullying shall report the alleged acts immediately to

• Wendy Cobb (principal) or
• Joe Arigo (student management specialist).
• For a more detailed outline of HHB policies and procedures, see the EWSD Student-Parent Handbook (opens in a new page) on the district website.

Phones should be left at home or in backpacks turned off.

All students are instructed early on in the year, and throughout the year, on the acceptable use of technology and they are subject to a loss of technology privileges if they violate expectations.

See the EWSD handbook (opens in a new window) for a detailed outline of the acceptable use policy.

The number one priority for all students is always safety. Kindness and respect towards others is the expectation at FMS.

Like any other area of the school, all students have the right to feel safe on the school bus. Aggressive behavior and bullying on the bus is taken very seriously, just as it would be at school.

Process

• When aggressive, threatening, or unsafe behaviors are reported, the principal and the student management specialist will review video footage of the day and time in question.
• Bus suspensions may be implemented if the video reveals students are being physically aggressive, threatening to others, or unsafe.
• Depending on the severity or number of infractions, transportation privileges may be suspended for a short period of time or for the remainder of the year. Parents are responsible for arranging alternate transportation for their child if this occurs.

Video Footage

• All buses are equipped with video cameras to ensure that drivers and administration have access to objective and real-time evidence related to student behavior.
• Parents will not be allowed to view video recordings based on federal student privacy laws.
• Only the administration and designated school personnel are allowed to view the video footage, for confidentiality reasons.

Please talk with your children about expected bus behavior. It’s important for students to know the school and their family are on the same page regarding expected behaviors at school and on the bus.