Sanislo Parent Handbook

Adult Visitors vs. Adult Volunteers

Adult visitors are the occasional visitors to school who may only interact with their child (grandma visiting from out of town; a parent attending a writing celebration during school hours).  Adult volunteers have completed the volunteer paperwork (see below) and may chaperone field trips, volunteer for Field Day, volunteer in the classroom, repeatedly visit their child for lunch, etc.

Adult Visitors

Visitors are defined as anyone who has not completed all the paperwork necessary to be a volunteer.  Visitors should only interact with children who are not their own when Sanislo staff are present.  Visitors in the school on a regular basis will be asked to complete all the volunteer paperwork so that a background check is completed.

Parents are always welcome to visit their child’s room.  However, prior arrangements need to be made with the teacher.  All visitors must sign in at the office.  Teachers or Principal must approve the presence of any visitor (other than a parent) at least 24 hours prior to the visit and have the right to decline to accept any unannounced visitor other than a parent.  

All adult visitors are required to use the adult bathrooms located at the end of the hallway the past front office.  No adult visitors are allowed to enter the student restrooms.   Visitors with younger children should use the adult restrooms. 

­Adult Volunteers

Volunteers may interact with students under the direction of staff. 

Volunteers over the age of 18 must complete the following requirements before interacting with students.  Field trip chaperones must be at least 21 years of age.

Volunteer Application Process

Step 1: Online Training – Preventing Sexual Abuse of Children and Youth

Nationally, 1 in 4 girls & 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before age 18. Through this course, you will help protect children by learning to recognize and respond to sexual abuse.

• Complete the 20-min Adult Sexual Misconduct Prevention training.
• Answer test questions during the training and on your volunteer application.

Step 2: Volunteer Handbook

Carefully review our online Volunteer Handbook to learn about laws and policies volunteers are required to follow, volunteer rights, and tips for successful volunteering. 

Step 3: Volunteer Application (includes Background Check)

Complete the volunteer application

• Volunteer applications are processed online. Every year SPS volunteers save 14 trees by completing and/or updating their applications online. Thank you! 
• Once you are approved as a volunteer in our online system, your application materials will stay active for as long as you volunteer with SPS. Every two years, we will ask whether you would like to stay active and, if so, request your permission to complete a new background check.
• If you experience problems creating your volunteer application, visit our volunteer portal guide for tips.

Volunteer guidelines for Sanislo:

1. Sign in at the office.
2. No weapons of any kind are permitted on school grounds. This includes pen knives, mace, and firearms – even if you have a permit to carry the weapon. 
3. Respect the students and staff.   If the teacher has students present, please allow the teacher to be fully present with students.  Teachers are unable to discuss issues/concerns with parents when students are present.  Please schedule a time to speak to the teacher when students are not present.
4. All adult volunteers are required to use the adult bathrooms located at the end of the hallway past the front office.  No adult volunteers are allowed to enter the student restrooms.    Volunteers with younger children should use the adult restrooms.   
5. Please turn your cell phone off or set it to silent while in the building and do not use it in locations where you could be observed by students. 
6. All field trip chaperones must complete all volunteer paperwork and be 21 years of age.
7. If you are unsure or uncomfortable about any student’s behavior, consult with a staff member.  No adults should have any contact with children other than their own child unless a teacher has asked for him/her to do so. 
8. Maintain the privacy of students. Don’t discuss academic or discipline issues that you may have observed while volunteering in the school.
9. All adults (visitors or volunteers) must enter the main doors and sign in at the office. 
10. Finally, thank you for volunteering.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Anti-Bullying Policy

Sanislo Elementary is committed to making our school a safe and caring place for all students. The Sanislo Elementary definition of bullying is as follows:

Bullying is unfair and one-sided. It happens when someone repeatedly hurts, frightens, threatens or leaves someone out on purpose. 

Bullying behaviors include the following:

• Hurting someone physically by hitting, kicking, tripping or pushing
• Stealing or damaging another person’s things    
• Ganging up on someone
• Teasing someone in a hurtful way
• Using put-downs, such as insulting someone’s physical characteristics, or making fun of someone due to their skill in a game
• Touching or showing private body parts
• Spreading rumors or untruths about someone
• Leaving someone out on purpose or trying to get other kids not to play with someone
• Using the internet/technology to harass another person

To prevent bullying, students at Sanislo are expected to:

• Treat each other respectfully
• Refuse to let others be bullied
• Refuse to bully others
• Try to include everyone in play, especially those who are often left out
• Report bullying to an adult

Teachers and staff at Sanislo will do the following:

• Supervise students in all areas of the school and playground
• Watch for signs of bullying and stop it when it happens
• Respond quickly and sensitively to bullying reports
• Investigate reported bullying incidents
• Assign consequences for bullying based on the school discipline code
• Provide immediate consequences for retaliation against students who report bullying
• Teach the children who are “victims” how to stop the bullying
• Work closely with the children who bully others to teach them other ways to exert their leadership and power in a positive direction
• Ask for parental support in hopes that you will work with us to help all the children

We expect parents to:

• Report bullying behavior to the classroom teacher, head teacher, social worker, or principal
• Not confront/talk to the alleged bully themselves but rather refer the issue to a staff member

Harassment

Malicious and intentional intimidation, unwelcome conduct or harassing another person because of that person’s race, color, sex, sexual orientation, ancestry or national origin is strictly prohibited.  Any such acts will be dealt with according to School District Policies.

Attendance Policy

As school attendance is legally required for children, the following guidelines are set for the 2024-25 school year.  Excused absences include when students are ill, at a medical or therapy appointment, have a family emergency that requires an absence, or any event that cannot be rescheduled. 

If you know ahead of time that your child will be absent two or more days due to a medical situation, if they will be absent for a funeral, religious holiday or other one-time special events or if they will be out of town, please email sanislo@seattleschools.org.

Please note that family vacations are not considered an excused absence. They will be marked as an unexcused vacation. The teaching schedule is tightly packed with little room for alterations to accommodate extended student absences. Classroom teachers are rarely able to supply make-up work that adequately replaces missed learning experiences. 

Students arriving to their classrooms after 7:55 a.m. are marked tardy.  Medically related reasons or family emergencies are excused.  Any student who arrives at 7:55 or later will need to check in at the front office and get a slip in order to be admitted into class.

Reporting an Absence

Please call the office or email sanislo@seattleschools.org and report that your child will not be attending school due to illness or medical appointment. We are legally required to make contact with a parent or guardian regarding all absences. All unreported absences are marked as unexcused until we hear from the parent. The school has a message machine so absences can be left during all hours. 

Children with fevers should be kept home until 24 hours after the fever has broken. Children should also remain home for 24 hours after vomiting or having diarrhea.

Bus Expectations

Following this paragraph, you will find expectations of students who ride the bus to/from Sanislo.  Please go over the bus expectations with your child. They are important to follow because they involve the safety and well-being of your child and others.

In the event your child receives a bus conduct notice (write-up) for violating bus expectations, these are the procedures which will be followed:

• First Notice – The student will talk with an administrator about the incident.  Bus expectations will be discussed.  The citation will be sent home.
• Second Notice – The student will talk with an administrator about the incident.  The citation will be sent home.
• Third Notice – The student will talk with an administrator about the incident.  The parent/guardian will be contacted.  The student will be suspended from the bus for 1 day.
• Fourth Notice-   The student will be suspended from the bus for 1 to 5 days.
• Fighting – Students engaging in fighting on the bus will automatically be suspended from the bus for 1 to 5 days.

If the student engages in exceptional misconduct, the child will be suspended/removed from the bus.

Bus Loop

The bus loop is available for families to drop off their child in the mornings only.  The gates are closed and locked from 8:15 a.m.-2:15 p.m. for student safety. The loop front of the school is restricted for buses in the afternoon.  Please do not park there or drop off students in the bus loop in the afternoon.   

Cell Phones

Students are only permitted to use cell phones and electronic devices outside the building before and after school. All cell phones should be put away when students enter the building. During the school day, cell phones and electronic devices should be kept in backpacks and not brought out for any reason. These items will be confiscated if these rules are not adhered to and parents will be asked to retrieve them from the school office. The only exception to this rule is electronic readers such as Kindles and Nooks that are used in the classroom if approved by the teacher.  If students take the bus, electronic devices should stay in the student’s backpacks until they are on the bus.  Lost or stolen items are not the responsibility of the school.

Chain of Communication

The classroom teacher is the first point of contact for all parental concerns unless it is an immediate safety or health concern.   This includes any concerns about classroom dynamics and academic/social-emotional/behavioral needs of your child.  Talking first with the teacher promotes a healthy working relationship between parents and teachers.    Administration become involved only when the issue cannot be resolved with the teacher.  (The only exceptions to this would be immediate health or safety needs of a child.) 

Discipline

The foundation of Seattle Public Schools’ discipline policy is one of prevention, by establishing a positive school climate that includes shared behavioral expectations and a common language for talking about expected behavior that is inclusive of students, families, teachers, administrators, volunteers, and other staff (within a Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework).  Discipline procedures and strategies aim to maximize instructional time and reduce out of school consequences for behavior. This document applies to all students and is designed to apply to all students and is designed to educate all members of the educational community as to the rules, regulations, and due process procedures.  We encourage families to review the Student Rights & Responsibilities with their student. It describes our expectations at school as well as what students can expect from adults at school.  This document was in the first day packets but is also available in the front office.

Dress Code

It is the policy of the Seattle School Board that the student and their parent/guardian hold the primary responsibility in determining the student’s personal attire, hairstyle, jewelry, and personal items (e.g. backpacks, book bags).  Schools are responsible for assuring that student attire, hairstyle, jewelry, and personal items do not interfere with the health or safety of any student and do not contribute to a hostile or intimidating environment for any student. 

Core Values

In relation to student dress, the district’s core values are the following:

• Students should be able to dress and style their hair for school in a manner that expresses their individuality without fear of unnecessary discipline or body shaming;
• Students have the right to be treated equitably.  Dress code enforcement will not create disparities, reinforce or increase marginalization of any group, nor will it be more strictly enforced against students because of racial identity, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, gender nonconformity, sexual orientation, cultural or religious identity, household income, body size/type, or body maturity;
• Students and staff are responsible for managing their personal distractions; and
• Students should not face unnecessary barriers to school attendance.

Universal Dress Code

Students must wear:

• Top (shirt, blouse, sweater, sweatshirt, tank, etc.);
• Bottom (pants, shorts, skirt, dress, etc.); and
• Footwear.

This policy permits additional student attire requirements when necessary to ensure safety in certain academic settings (e.g. physical activity, science or CTE courses).  Additionally, this policy allows for reasonable variation in required student attire for participation in activities such as swimming or gymnastics.  

Students may not wear clothing, jewelry, or personal items that: 

• Are pornographic, contain threats, or that promote illegal or violent conduct such as the unlawful use of weapons, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or drug paraphernalia; 
• Demonstrate hate group association/affiliation and/or use hate speech targeting groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, or other protected groups;
• Intentionally show private parts (nipples, genitals, buttocks).  Clothing must cover private parts in opaque (not able to be seen-through) material;
• Cover the student’s face to the extent that the student is not identifiable (except clothing/headgear worn for a religious or medical purpose); or
• Demonstrate gang association/affiliation.

Attire worn in observance of a student’s religion are not subject to this policy

Email

All staff members have district email addresses.  Staff will make every effort to return emails within 48 hours.  Teachers are often unable to check email during instructional hours.  For timely needs, always contact the main office.

Emergency Building Lockdown

Sanislo’s building lock-down plan assists in maintaining order and safety within the school building. In the event of an intruder or some other issue that requires a lockdown to maintain safety, students and adults are expected to go to a pre-designated safe area, remain quiet and try not to be seen from windows and the street. In a lock-down, parents and visitors will not be allowed to enter the building. “Lock-down” means all inner and outer doors are locked, including classroom doors. No one may come in or out.  “Shelter in Place” means that the outer doors are locked but staff and students may move within the building and instruction continues as normal.

Emergency Drills

Emergency drill are conducted each month.  Drills include: fire/evacuation, lock-down, shelter-in-place and earthquake.

Field Trips

Several times throughout the school year, your child’s teacher may take his/her class on field trips. Field Trip Permission Forms will be sent home for parent/guardian’s signature.

If your child has not returned the Field Trip Permission Form to school, your child will not be permitted to participate on the field trip. If your child is unable to attend a field trip, he/she will be placed into another classroom until his/her class returns.

If you plan to chaperone a field trip, a background check must be completed prior to the day of the field trip. In a perfect world, volunteer paperwork will be completed by September 30.

If you plan to drive on a field trip or chaperone, you must complete the volunteer approval process and also complete a field trip chaperone form that the teacher will provide. 

Homework

Homework will be assigned according to the age and maturity level of students by the individual teacher for: 

• Emphasizing practice in skill previously taught  
• Make-up work following absences from school  
• Remedial work  
• Enrichment activities that extend classroom learning activities.  
• Enhance school to home connections 

Additional Projects may increase time. 

Homework should be coordinated by grade-level teams to avoid unreasonable workloads.  Homework may be given Monday through Friday.  Homework must be monitored regularly.  Homework will not be used as a disciplinary measure. 

The following number of minutes will be used as a guide for daily or weekly homework assignments for students:

Grade	# of minutes
K-1	20 minutes of reading/day; other homework/10 minutes maximum/day
2-3	30 minutes of reading/day; 10-20 minutes of other homework/day
4-5	Maximum of 60 minutes/day

Library

The Sanislo library is working to build a library and information technology program that supports literacy and critical thinking skills. The library is a learning hub in the Sanislo community, we enthusiastically welcome all students, staff, and families.

Students come to the library once a week with their class for a library lesson and to check out books. Kindergarteners check out one book which stays in their classroom. First through fifth may check out books to take home.

The librarian is in the library all day Monday and Tuesday and every other Wednesday. If you would like to contact her, please email at reshipe@seattleschools.org.

Lost and Found

The Lost and Found will be located in the hallway past the front office. To reduce the amount of goods that are deposited on the lost and found racks, we ask that parents put names on the label of all coats, sweatshirts, jackets, lunchboxes, and any other items your child is likely to leave sitting around on the playground or hallways.  This helps to ensure the items are returned to the owners.  Lost and found items will be donated to charity; parents will be notified when this occurs. 

Lunchroom

We are required to compost and recycle all student waste.  It is helpful for students to use reusable containers for lunches from home.  No glass bottles/containers are allowed in the lunchroom due to concerns over broken glass.  Students should not bring pop or large bags of “snack food” to the cafeteria.  Any snacks should be single serving size only.  Due to allergy concerns, students are expected to eat their own lunch.  Parents and adults are always welcome to join their children for lunch and recess.  No prior notice is required.  Just sign in when you enter the school and come directly to the lunchroom.  Due to allergy concerns, we request that adults who join their children for lunch do not share food with any other children.

Lunchroom Expectations:

• Eat only your food and clean up your messes
• Remain seated until dismissed to clean up
• Use a level 2 voice

Medications at school

If your child must take either prescription or non-prescription medication during school hours, a written permission slip for the school to administer the medication must be signed by the parent/guardian and doctor, and the medication kept in the nurse’s office as a safeguard for all. Medication permission forms are available in the front office. Non­prescription medication must be in its original sealed container. Children should never carry or hold thier own medication during the school day.  All medications must be checked in at the nurse’s office.

Morning Drop off/End of the Day Student Pickup

Due to our challenging location and the safety of all children, the following procedures are in place for students: 

Morning drop-off:

• No Sanislo students should arrive before 7:40. There is no adult supervision before 7:40
• Buses and families are welcome to utilize the bus loop for morning drop-off.  The bus loop is for buses only in the afternoon.
• Please DO NOT use the parking lot for drop-off.
• At 7:40, students will be welcomed into the building where they are encouraged to eat free school breakfast.
• Students who have completed breakfast or who do not participate in school breakfast will head directly to the gym.
• Teachers pick up their students in the gym at 7:55

Afternoon pickup:

• Children will be dismissed from the playground.  Parents may line up in their cars on the east side of 21^st to pick up their children at the north gate of the playground.  Your child will be brought to your car when you are in the front of the line.  If you would like to park, please do so on 18^th.  If you would like your child to walk home without an adult, please send a note to your child’s teacher.
• The front circle is for buses only in the afternoon.  The parking lot will be closed off during arrival and dismissal for safety.

Ombudsperson

The District Ombudsperson serves as an independent liaison to assist SPS parents and community members in helping to resolve problems, complaints, conflicts, and other school-related issues when normal procedures have failed. The Ombudsperson office does not have authority and can only make recommendations. Information will be kept confidential at your request.

The mission of the District Ombudsperson is to ensure the process is followed and that all members of the Seattle Public Schools; community receive fair and equitable treatment in matters of concern or complaint.

District Ombudsperson

Pets

Animals are not allowed on school grounds at any time. Dogs are not allowed on the playground or the playfield.  For both your own legal protection as well as the safety of our students, it is best that dogs be left at home. 

Picking up Your Child Early

If your child needs to leave early from school, please come into the office to sign them out.  Please ensure that any adults picking up your student, are listed on your child’s form. We cannot accommodate early dismissal after 2pm unless we are notified by noon that day.

Play Dates

Play dates need to be arranged before students arrive to school.  We do not allow students to miss class time to go to the office to call home for such arrangements.

Progress Reports

Progress reports are available on The Source at the conclusion of each trimester.  A formal conference with your child’s teacher will be scheduled in November.

PTA

This year the PTA would like to focus on building and fostering relationships so that we can meet our vision and goals for the year. We are looking forward to collaborating with parents, teachers, administration, and community partners to find the best fit for the needs of our small, diverse, and unique community.  Your voice and ideas are vital to our community and we would not be able to do this work without you. There are numerous ways to get involved and if you would like to volunteer your time, we look forward to hearing from you. Please reach out to us with any questions, comments or concerns at sanisloelementarypta@gmail.com

Reading Partners

Reading Partners is a national education nonprofit that opened its Seattle chapter in 2014.  We work to help close the opportunity gap by mobilizing community members to provide proven evidence-based one-on-one tutoring at Title I elementary schools. 

Recess

With the exception of major downpours, we go outside for recess.  Students should have proper outdoor apparel.  For safety reasons, umbrellas are not allowed at recess.  If your child walks to and from school, they may bring a collapsible umbrella.  All K-5 students have a lunch recess for 20 minutes and another afternoon recess for 15 minutes.   

Our goal is to send all students outside to every recess.  Exceptions are made when a child is non-compliant, disrespectful, or harming others.    Teachers may opt to keep a child inside in order to address such behaviors.   

Parents often ask if a child can remain inside should there be a health reason.  That child will be allowed to go to the office during recess.

Playground Expectations

1. Wetlands off limits
2. Respect the trees and plants
3. When bell rings, grab equipment and line up with equipment.  Return equipment to cart as you walk past
4. Walk on the bark, run on the grass and pavement
5. Walk on paths
6. Feet first on slide – down only
7. One way on the monkey bars
8. No tag on big toy
9. Stop at the tall tree on the hill
10. Jump ropes are used for jumping
11. Follow teacher in line on the right side of path

Restorative Practices

At Sanislo, we believe that a strong, supportive community is the foundation for student success. That’s why we’ve embraced restorative practices as part of our approach to building relationships, resolving conflicts, and creating a positive school environment.

Restorative practices empower students to take responsibility for their actions, understand how their behavior impacts others, and work collaboratively to repair harm. Through tools like community circles, restorative conversations, and collaborative problem-solving, we help students develop critical skills like empathy, communication, and accountability.

By focusing on relationships and respect, restorative practices create a culture where every student feels valued, heard, and supported. Together, we’re building a thriving school community where learning and growth happen every day.

RULER (Social Emotional Learning)

RULER is a Social/Emotional program from Yale University which uses a framework for teaching students about how to name their feelings and understand them so they can ultimately become better at regulating their emotions and developing a deeper sense of empathy for others. RULER is utilized school-wide.

RULER is an acronym for the five skills of emotional intelligence:

• Recognizing emotions in self and others
• Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions
• Labeling emotions accurately
• Expressing emotions appropriately
• Regulating emotions effectively

Social Worker

The social worker at Sanislo supports students individually, in small groups and provides class lessons for Social-Emotional Learning (Second Step/Bullying Prevention).  Both individually and in small groups, the social worker works with students on building skills for success including: social/friendship skills, working out conflicts, managing emotions, and strategies for problem solving.  The social worker also partners with parents and teachers to address individual students’ social-emotional, academic and behavioral needs.  The social worker is available to meet/consult with parents/guardians to find options that would best support the student, including one-on-one counseling, classroom support or referrals to outside services and resources.  Building a positive and welcoming schoolwide culture is an important part of our social worker’s role.

Student Intervention Team (SIT)

Staff members or parents, who have a concern regarding a child’s academic, social or emotional growth, may refer their concerns to the school’s Student Intervention Team (SIT). This team is made up of the classroom teacher(s), the principal, the school psychologist, and other specialists. A meeting is held at school to determine what we can do to best support the child. Our aim is to work together as a staff, with parents, to help the child learn and grow to his/her greatest abilities. Parents may request a SIT meeting by contacting their child’s teacher. The SIT typically meets weekly.  

The Source

The Source displays attendance, assessment scores, and library books students have currently checked out.  SchoolPay, Students Verification forms, Schoology Access Codes and other family resources are also found on the Source.

Learn more about The Source

Toys

Sports equipment and toys (including playing or trading cards) from home should not be brought to school.  All necessary playground equipment will be provided to students

Weapons at School

Common sense and district policy say that students should not bring guns, play guns, pocket knives, throwing stars, laser-light pens, weapons, or any other device that might injure another person at school. The district penalty for possession of a weapon, toy or real, will be strictly enforced.   Please have a conversation with your child as to why we do not joke about weapons or sneak toy weapons to school. 

Ultimate Frisbee

Sanislo 3rd-5th grade students have the opportunity to play in an Elementary Co-ed Ultimate Frisbee league.  The students practice twice a week after school starting in March and have games against other Elementary Schools in Seattle.  It is the only Elementary League in the country.  Ultimate is a non-contact sport with no referee or umpire.