Rio Grande Elementary School
5555 East Rio Grande Avenue
Terre Haute, IN 47805
Phone: 812-462-4307
Fax: 812-462-4309
Mrs. Susan Lewis, Principal
Mrs. Kathy Ellis, Secretary
Mrs. Mary Lynne Wiggins, Secretary/Treasurer
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School Hours—Grades K-5
Students may arrive 8:00 am
Breakfast 8:00-8:15 am
Tardy Bell 8:15 am
School dismissal 2:40 pm
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Welcome
The staff at Rio Grande Elementary is
excited to welcome all students and their families.
The Rio Grande staff is committed to helping all
students develop educationally, emotionally, and
socially. Establishing high academic expectations
for achievement, promoting positive self-esteem,
and encouraging responsible citizenship are
important goals.
This booklet is prepared to provide you
with information concerning our school. We hope
it will be helpful to you throughout the school year.
It provides information, but in no way answers all
the questions that arise during the school year.
I encourage you to call the school office or stop by
the school anytime when you have a question or
concern regarding your child.
The Rio Grande staff appreciates the
opportunity to work with you in an educational
partnership. Together, we can enhance your child’s
academic progress. We look forward to a
successful and enjoyable school year.
Rio Grande Elementary School Mission/Vision
Statement
Mission Statement
Students are provided with a nurturing
environment, an atmosphere that allows them to
discover, explore, grow, and learn while accepting
and valuing uniqueness and individuality. Students
are encouraged to fully develop their capabilities
and become lifelong learners. Students are
prepared to live in an ever-changing society as
productive and caring citizens. The staff, students,
families, and school community accept the
responsibility to work together in this educational
endeavor.
Vision Statement
Quality education with active engagement
while accommodating differences in learning.
School Improvement Goals
1. All students will improve problem-
solving skills across the curriculum.
2. All students will improve reading
comprehension across the curriculum.
VCSC Mission Statement
“The Vigo County School Corporation will
equip students with lifelong learning skills and
prepare them to become productive and
responsible citizens.”
School Policies and Procedures
Listed are policies formed by participating
parents and staff at Rio Grande. The school is
guided by the rights, responsibilities and
regulations as set forth in the “Student-Parent
Guide” of the Vigo County School Corporation.
Support and cooperation in adhering to policies
ensures a safe learning environment for our
students. The “Student-Parent Guide” is now
posted online with paper copies available in the
school office if requested.
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Reaching Staff Before and After School
Teaching staff are here from 8:00 am until
3:15 on most days. On Fridays, teaching staff may
leave after the buses depart.
Mrs. Kathy Ellis (Secretary) is in the office
from 7:30 until 3:00 pm and Mrs. Mary Lynne
Wiggins (Secretary/Treasurer) is available from
8:00 until 3:30. Mrs. Susan Lewis (Principal) is
available from 7:30 – 4:30.
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Absence and Tardiness
Students are expected to be in school each
day school is in session. An emphasis on excellent
attendance will benefit students as they will have
the maximum opportunity for achievement in
school and they will gain valuable life skills to be
used beyond their school experience.
Parents are asked to call the school before
10:00 a.m. to explain a student’s absence. This is
for your child’s safety.
If a student has a communicable disease or
should need to be absent for an extended length of
time, the parent should notify the school as soon
as possible.
Please see the 2021-2022/2022-2023
attendance plan published on the corporation’s
website.
Any student who is tardy must report to the
office before going to class. The tardy bell is at
8:15 am.
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Medication
The student-parent guide posted online has
rules for bringing medications to school. In general,
medications must be brought to school by a parent
with doctor’s instructions for administration.
Students must have a “Taking Medication at
School” form on file in the school office before
prescribed medication will be administered.
Medicines that need to be refrigerated will be
refrigerated in the Health Room after a note is
received from the student’s parent. Students are
not permitted to carry any medication, over the
counter or prescription, with them except in
accordance with State Law.
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Excusing a Student from Class
No student shall be released from school
into the custody of any individual other than the
parent or guardian or those who are listed in
Skyward without permission from the parent or
guardian. Special circumstances for release shall be
considered by the principal or administrative
designee.
When a parent must pick up a child during
school hours, the parent must come to the school
office rather than going directly to the room. If
possible, a note should be sent to the teacher prior
to the release.
When students must be absent for medical
or dental appointments, please bring them back to
school as soon as possible. A partial day of
attendance is better than absence for the entire
day. Please provide a note from the doctor or
dentist upon child’s return to school.
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Dress
Students are encouraged to dress neatly
and appropriately each day. Appropriate dress for
school has a positive effect upon the attitude of a
student toward school and learning. Help of
parents in maintaining appropriate standards of
dress is greatly appreciated.
Please remember the building is air-
conditioned.
Often students have identical clothing and
other personal items. It is very difficult to
determine the ownership of these items. Students
should have names written on coats, hats, gloves,
umbrellas, lunchboxes, and school supplies.
Elementary Dress Code Guidelines
1. No shorts or skirts are to be worn that are
shorter than the extended fingertips. If
fingers touch skin, the skirt or short is too
short. This includes slits in skirts.
2. Sleeveless tops are allowed if shoulder
areas are covered. No shirts of sheer
materials are to be worn. No tank tops, no
cut-off shirts or tops with bare midriffs, low
necklines or bare backs are to be worn.
3. No coats or jackets/headphones, backpacks,
or purse backpacks are to be worn in the
building.
4. Backpacks must be placed in designated
areas when entering the building.
5. No hats, sunglasses, bandannas, caps, or full
head coverings are to be worn in the
building before or during school hours. This
does not include headwear worn for
religious purposes (unless on specified
days).
6. No article of clothing or accessory will be
allowed that promotes, encourages, or
advertises alcohol, drugs, tobacco products,
violence, and/or sexual content. Clothing
that intimidates, threatens, or disgraces a
fellow student or staff member by means of
a symbol or sign is not allowed.
7. Students are not allowed to wear spiked
chains, bracelets, belts, etc. In addition,
pocket or wallet chains are also not to be
worn.
8. No jeans/pants with rips, tears, or holes or
long fringe are allowed. No leggings
underneath holes (bike pants, etc). Jeans
are to be worn no lower than hip level.
Apparel is to be appropriate and not
present a danger to other students.
9. No sagging is permitted.
10. No sleep-wear clothing or slippers (unless
on specified days).
11. The administration reserves the right to
judge any student’s dress appropriate or
inappropriate and the prerogative of
handling the situation as deemed
necessary. After considerable distribution
and discussion of the dress code,
appropriate disciplinary action will be taken
with those students who fail to comply with
the guidelines.
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Money
Students should not bring money to school
except for meals, extra milk, school supplies, or
special events. Money should be kept in a purse or
a pocket and is the responsibility of the child.
Parents will be informed if a child brings an
unusually large amount of money to school.
Immunization (PL 150 Senate Enrolled Act
#197208.1-7-10)
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Parents should have students immunized
according to current state law and students may be
excluded from school for non-compliance. A list of
required vaccines is posted on the nurses’ page of
the VCSC website. The only objections that the
State of Indiana will accept are religious or medical
objections. Proof of immunizations must be
presented at the time of student registration.
State law requires that students shall be
immunized against diphtheria, whooping cough,
tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, and
chicken pox. In addition, all 9th and 12th grade
students, and students entering first grade and
kindergarten must be immunized against Hepatitis
B virus.
Details are available in each school or from
the School Nurse’s Office 462-4465.
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Emergency School Closing
A School Emergency Closing form must be
on file stating a plan for your child to follow if
school is closed during the day. This must be filled
out on Skyward. When it is necessary to close
school because of an emergency, children are sent
home on the bus if that is their regular mode of
transportation. It is not possible to call the parents
of every child when the school is alerted of an
emergency closing. The after-school program is
canceled when emergency closings occur. It is
essential you inform your child what procedure to
follow for going home and discuss a plan for what
to do when he/she arrives at home.
When there is a need for a delay in the start
of the school day, students may still be dropped off
at the school at 7:45 a.m. if there are no other child
care options for the student. The children will wait
in the cafeteria until the 10:00 a.m. start of school.
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Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up
Morning Arrival: All children transported to
school by car should arrive between 8:00-8:10 a.m.
The absolute earliest students may be dropped off
is 7:45 a.m. Parents/guardians should drive to the
North side of the school to the car unloading zone
and pull up to the sign to let your child out. Your
child needs to get out of the car on the curb side. A
school official will be on duty at the door. Children
are not to be unloaded in the bus loading zone in
front of the school. It is important that safety
procedures be practiced at all times. Bus drivers
cannot always see cars behind them.
Evening Dismissal: All children not riding
home on a school bus must be picked up on the
main drive. They will be escorted outside by an
adult.
Cars must go around the traffic island
behind the school. Cars need to wait at the stop
sign. Students should enter the passenger side of
the car. Adults will load four to five cars at a time
at the north entrance.
Children picked up during the school day
may not meet parents outside. They must be
picked up and signed out in the office.
Bus Transportation
Since all students will be able to ride school
buses, no student should walk to school. If a child
needs to ride a different bus for any reason, the
student must have a note to show the principal and
the bus driver. Because most buses are filled to
capacity, children may only change buses with the
principal or designee’s approval. Changes may not
be allowed if the bus is overloaded. Sometimes
Transportation must also give their approval.
Bicycles
Due to the nature of the traffic, roads
around our building, and the lack of secure storage,
children are not permitted to ride bicycles to
school.
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Parking Facilities
Parking facilities during the school day are
limited. Observing the following guidelines will
help with parking. The bus loading zone is for
buses only between 7:30-8:30 a.m. and 2:00-
3:00pm. Signs are posted indicating times and Bus
Load Zone. The bus loading zone is available for
visitor parking during other times of the day, but all
cars must be moved out of that area by 2:00 p.m.
Please keep this in mind when attending events
that may go past 2:00 p.m. or visiting the school
later than 2:00 p.m. Staff and visitor parking will
be available on the east side of the parking area
and east of the drive off the blacktop at all times
during the day.
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Student Arrival/After School Child Care
Children are not allowed in the classrooms
before 8:00 a.m. If students should arrive a few
minutes before 8:00 they will be required to sit
quietly in the cafeteria until the first bell at 8:00
a.m.
Please call YMCA for information regarding
Rio Grande’s Before and After School Child Care
Program. YMCA’s number is 812-232-VIGO.
School Meals
Our cafeteria provides a tasty, well
balanced breakfast and lunch program for
students. Cafeteria menus are published on our
website.
At the time of this publication it is unknown
whether breakfast and lunches will be free for
students again this school year. Students wishing
to have breakfast at school should arrive by 8:05
a.m.
Children should remain seated while eating.
They are expected to use good table manners,
speak in conversational tones, and conduct
themselves in a responsible manner.
Parents wishing to apply for free or reduced
meals must complete a community assistance
application online. Children participating in the
program last year eat free or reduced until
September 30. Parents will be notified when
applications are approved or denied.
Adult guests for lunch are required to sit
with only their child at the designated visitor’s
table. And only those listed on Skyward with pick-
up rights may eat lunch with students.
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Textbook Rental
Book fees need to be paid as soon as
possible. Parents experiencing difficulty paying
fees should complete the free meal/textbook
assistance available online or in the school office.
Even if the family qualifies for free/reduced
textbooks, the family is still responsible for paying
consumable fees. If paying the whole amount at
the start of school is difficult for your family, the
school office can work with you to set up a
payment plan. Kindergarten fees are not allowed
under textbook assistance by the State of Indiana.
If rental textbooks, Chromebooks or library
books are lost or destroyed, parents will need to
replace them.
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School Supplies
A list of needed supplies is sent home with
your child from his or her teacher. Each child
should come to school with necessary supplies.
Pencils and paper are in the school office. Children
must buy supplies before going to class.
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Appropriate Student Behavior
Responsible student behavior underlies the
whole educational structure. To guarantee a good
social and educational climate in our school, it is
important students understand acceptable
standards of behavior will be expected at all times.
Discipline will be administered fairly, but
firmly when a student’s action interferes with the
right of teachers to teach and students to learn. All
school staff members have the right and
responsibility to correct inappropriate behavior.
Good conduct is primarily each student’s
responsibility. The entire staff at our school cares
about each student, respects each other as an
individual, and expects each child to do his/her
very best.
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Recess
Children benefit from being outside
whenever possible for recess during the
instructional day.
During the winter, please send children to
school with warm coats, hats, heavy shoes or
boots, and gloves.
The temperature, wind chill factor, and
moisture (rain, mud, snow) will be considered
before a decision is made for outdoor recess.
Please do not ask your child’s teacher to
allow him or her to stay in because he or she
prefers to stay indoors. New state guidelines
encourage physical activity each day.
Parents will no longer be able to accompany
students to recess. This is due to safety concerns.
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Bobcat Trail
A walking/jogging half-mile trail was
developed to encourage wellness and a healthy
lifestyle. Fitness has become a national goal for
our Country. Use of the trail will be encouraged
and rewarded.
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Physical Education and Playground Equipment
Students should not bring play equipment
from home unless notified otherwise. Rio Grande
has two playgrounds that have ample equipment
for student use.
Students need to wear tennis shoes with
non-marking soles during physical education. The
gym floor has a surface that requires a rubber soled
shoe. If tennis shoes are not available, students
may wear socks in the gym.
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School Visitation and Conferences
Parents are encouraged to visit the school.
However, visitors must stop at the School Security
Officer’s desk to sign in and get a badge. The
School Protection Officer program in Vigo County
employs special police officers at each school. The
goal is to provide a safe and effective learning
environment at every school. The officer has
training that is provided by the Law Enforcement
Academy or the Sheriff’s Department and a special
orientation involving school rules and procedures.
Visitors to our schools are asked to follow the
school procedure for checking in and using
courtesy when visiting. The police officer is present
to deter crime or violence but also to maintain a
calm and civil atmosphere. We ask your assistance
in this matter. The badge the officer gives you must
be worn at all times. After signing in come to the
office to get further assistance before going to any
area in the building.
Please call to make an appointment twenty-
four hours prior to visiting a classroom. Siblings or
other students are not to visit school unless
accompanied by a parent, and they may not disrupt
the learning environment.
Parents who desire a conference with a
teacher need to make prior arrangements to confer
with the teacher before 8:00 a.m. or after school.
Teachers are not available to conference when
they’re working with students. No parent will be
allowed to meet with a parent after 8:00 a.m.
without prior arrangements being made.
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Student Use of Telephone
A student may use the office telephone only
in case of an emergency with the permission of the
teacher or office personnel. Children may not call
home to ask permission to go to another home
after school or to stay for a club meeting. Those
arrangements should be made at home prior to the
school day. We discourage parents from calling
children out of class to come to the phone.
Instead, leave a message, and it will be given to the
child.
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Parties
The Vigo County Wellness policy
encourages limiting edible treats during the school
day. Due to this, birthday parties will no longer be
celebrated with treats in the classroom.
When giving out invitations at school, for a t
home parties, all children of the same gender (from
the class) must receive an invitation. Being left out
at this age is very disappointing. It is even better
when all children, regardless of gender, in that
class, can be invited.
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Pets
Students may bring pets to school when
they have permission from the teacher and the pet
is in a suitable carrier. Parents will need to
transport the pet as they may not be carried on the
bus.
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School Related Organizations Meeting At School
Various organizations, clubs, and teams
meet at the school. Information about these
groups will be sent to you when available. Groups
wishing to use school facilities are arranged on a
first come, first served basis and must comply with
the VCSC Policy.
School Video Systems
For the protection of students and staff,
each school has a video system to record certain
areas of the school premises. These are for internal
use and may not be released to outside agencies or
individuals without specific approval and only in
line with FERPA guidelines. The Vigo County School
Corporation will cooperate with law enforcement,
however, if a crime is suspected and the law
enforcement agency requests to view the
information in line with legal requirements.
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School Counseling Service
The elementary guidance and counseling
program in the Vigo County School Corporation is
based on the belief that guidance services are to be
provided to all students. Every student should
have the opportunity to develop his or her learning
potential to the fullest. Students at risk of school
failure are often beset by a number of personal
problems that interfere with their ability to benefit
from instruction. School counseling can attend to
special needs and help children cope with stressful
life events. Academic success is determined by
many factors including one’s self concept, social
skills and problem-solving abilities.
The developmental guidance model is one
effective means of developing these characteristics
in each child. Parents interested in their child
receiving counseling services for some specific
reason should contact the school.
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Report Cards
Report cards are issued four times during
the school year. They will be sent home one week
after the end of each grading period in the Tuesday
folders. The envelope should be signed by the
parent and returned to school promptly. The paper
card should be kept at home.
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Field Trips
Field trips within our city and to nearby
points of interest are scheduled by various
classroom teachers throughout the school year.
These trips are designed to supplement different
aspects of the classroom curriculum and to
introduce students to the resources of the
community and state.
Parents will receive notices of field trips
well in advance of the scheduled trip date and will
be asked to sign field trip permission forms. Field
trips must be approved by the principal and they
must cover our state standards. Because they are
educational, it is hoped that all students attend.
Students who aren’t in attendance will be counted
absent that school day. If a parent doesn’t give
permission for the child to attend the trip, the child
will participate in another classroom that day and
won’t be counted absent.
Parents may be invited to attend a field trip
if the school feels that such involvement is
warranted or is necessary. The decision of inviting
parents on field trips rests with the school. Any
parent attending as a participant or chaperone is
subject to a criminal history check prior to such
attendance. Criminal history checks may be
required yearly or at any time the principal feels
that such a check is necessary. Attendance will be
approved or denied through the central office. All
school rules are in effect on a field trip.
Students may go on a field trip with their
class only. No student visitors will be allowed to
ride the bus.
All students must ride the school bus to the
field trip. If their parent drives separately, and it is
the end of the school day, the child may ride home
with their parent, but the parent must sign the
child out with the child’s teacher.
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Student Records
Records that are maintained by the school
may only be released to parents (natural biological
parents) or legal custodians under FERPA
guidelines. The records are not available to
grandparents, other relatives or step-parents
unless those individuals are legal custodians or a
legal adoption has taken place.
Permits and Out of County Cash Tuition
Students are required to attend the school
in the district of their legal residence. If a parent
wishes for a student to attend another elementary
school, a permit application is required. Specific
guidelines must be followed to apply for a permit.
Forms are available at the elementary school and
principals of both the sending and the receiving
school must agree to the permit. In addition, no
school bus transportation is furnished for a student
on a permit. Cash Tuition for an out of county
student will be waived if:
The student’s legal residence is in Indiana
The student is enrolled prior to “official”
enrollment day in September.
Any enrollments after the “official”
enrollment day in September are subject to
full tuition (between $5,000-$6,000 per
year).
Any student from another State will be
charged the full tuition regardless of when
that student enrolls in VCSC.
Unanswered Questions
When a school patron has a question
involving the operation of the school, he/she
should contact the office or person most
responsible for the area in which the problem
exists. When the question involves an individual
student or class, the classroom teacher and/or the
principal are the proper persons to contact. The Rio
Grande phone number is (812) 462-4307.
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Parent Organization
The purpose of the PTO is to develop a
partnership between the home, school, and
community. Families and staff join together for
meetings, conferences, committees, and projects.
Officers of the PTO are nominated and voted on
annually.
Notices of PTO meetings are sent home
with each student prior to meetings. Selected
programs are scheduled to provide informative and
interesting sessions. The PTO encourages all
parents to become members ($1 per member).
Your support is valued and will be appreciated.
The PTO board meets the second Tuesday of each
month at 5:30 in the Art Room. All parents are
encouraged to attend. Mary Page is the president
of the PTO.
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Sex Offender Policy
Vigo County School Corporation has
adopted a policy prohibiting anyone who is listed
on the sex offender registry from coming onto
school property. Sex offenders may be arrested for
criminal trespass for violating this policy.
Exceptions (with restrictions) to the policy would
only be granted in specific instances and only after
following the procedures for asking for such
exception.
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Cell Phones/Pagers Policy for Elementary Students
Elementary Schools – A student may
possess a cell phone or wireless communication
device (WCD) in school, on school property, at after
school activities and at school related functions,
provided that during school hours and on a school
bus the cell phone/WCD remains off and must be
placed in a locker, backpack, or as requested by
schools staff members. When directed by a staff
member in charge of an after-school event, cell
phones/WCD must be turned off.
First Offense** The student will be issued a
warning. The warning will be documented in the
school office.
Second Offense** The cell phone/WCD will be
confiscated. The parent or guardian will be
notified. The cell phone/WCD will be sent home
with the child at the end of the school day.
Third Offense** The cell phone/WCD will be
confiscated. The parent/guardian will be notified.
The cell phone/WCD will be picked-up by a
parent/guardian at the end of the school day.
Fourth Offense** A student will lose the privilege
of having a cell phone/WCD for the remainder of
the school year.
Fifth Offense** A child may be subject to
suspension/expulsion procedures for defiant
behavior.
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Release of Directory Information
The school corporation may release certain
“directory information,” which means information
contained in an education record of a student that
would not generally be considered harmful or an
invasion of privacy if disclosed and which includes,
but is not limited to, the student’s name, address,
parents’ names and their home and work
telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, major field
of study, participation in official recognized
activities and sports, height and weight of
members of athletic teams, dates of attendance,
awards received, teacher-selected student work
with no grades displayed, pictures or video images
not used in a disciplinary manner, hair and eye
color, race, sex, date of birth, height, weight, grade
level, and other similar information, without
consent to media organizations (including radio,
television, and newspaper), colleges, civic or
school-related organizations, military recruiters
and state or local governmental agencies.
Throughout the school year, different media
groups (television stations, local newspaper, radio
stations, school production classes, and district
communications staff, etc.) will produce stories
about activities and events in the Vigo County
School Corporation. These articles may include
photographs and video that may be posted on the
internet, printed, or aired on radio shows, including
television and cable shows. In addition, the VCSC
may want to include news about school activities
and events on their Web sites.
Please refer to Policy JO-E that allows directory
information to be released to media organizations
without the consent of parent or student. In
addition, JO-E Policy provides a form for a parent
of a student less than 18 years of age or a student
who is a least 18 years of age may object to
disclosure of any of the categories of directory
information by filling form JO-E (DENIAL OF
PERMISSION TO RELEASE CERTAIN DIRECTORY
INFORMATION WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN
CONSENT) from the principal’s office at any time
during the school year.
Please refer to Policy JO-E for more specifics if
needed.
WELLNESS POLICY
Schools are expected to follow the wellness
policy guidelines for food sales at school. In
addition, the policy has certain expectations for
parents in relation to food brought to school for
holidays and celebrations. The entire policy may be
viewed on the V.C.S.C. website under Student
Services.
Social Media, school events and posting:
Social Media and websites such as
Facebook or YouTube have made it very easy to
post photos and information online. To protect the
privacy and safety of our students and employees,
we discourage individuals from publicly posting
pictures taken at school events that could identify
others. We advise you to get consent of the
individual(s) photographed before posting them
and to exercise caution about revealing personal
details including names. The Vigo County School
Corporation cannot be responsible for information
posted online in violation of these guidelines.
Bullying
In accordance with state law, “bullying” is
prohibited in the Vigo County School Corporation.
Bullying is defined as any act of threatening or
intimidating behavior with the intent to harass,
ridicule, humiliate, intimidate or harm another
student. The act of “bullying” means overt,
repeated acts or gestures that may be verbal,
written communications or physical acts or any
other behavior that fits the definition above.
Parents or students who suspect that repeated acts
of bullying are taking place should report the
matter to the school principal or designee. If such
bullying continues, it can be reported on the VCSC
website.
Substantiated acts of bullying another
student will be grounds for disciplinary action
ranging from direction/correction to suspension or
even expulsion.
________________
Bullying Reporting:
Parents, visitors and others should report
bullying to the school principal the same day that
the incident takes place. An investigation will take
place and consequences will be assessed
accordingly. Not all reported incidents fit the legal
definition of bullying. For more information and a
copy of the policy visit www.vigoschools.org. Due
to confidentiality, the school may be limited in how
much information can be given to anyone except
the parent of the students involved.
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Seclusion and Restraint:
The Vigo County School Corporation
supports the Seclusion and Restraint plan as
adopted by the Covered Bridge Special Education
District. The use of such is a last resort and as a
means to maintain a safe and orderly environment
to the extent to preserve the safety of students
and others. The parents of the students involved
will be notified verbally as soon as possible but
preferably by the end of the school day when the
incident took place. There are other details in the
plan that is available upon request. These rules are
subject to change.
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Firearms on School Property:
The State Law concerning the crime of
possession of firearms on school property has
changed. A person who is legally able to possess a
firearm may do so if the firearm is locked in the
trunk of the person’s motor vehicle or kept in the
glove compartment of the person’s locked motor
vehicle or stored out of plain sight in the person’s
locked motor vehicle. A person who knowingly,
intentionally, or recklessly leaves the firearm in
plain view in a motor vehicle that is parked in a
school parking lot commits a Class A misdemeanor.
A person in possession of a firearm in a school
building or at a school event or on a school bus or
on school grounds outside of the person’s locked
vehicle commits a Level 6 felony. Thus, weapons
are not permitted on school property with the
exceptions noted above by State Law.
Students and former students of the school who
are no longer students due to a disciplinary action
within the past 24 months and who have a firearm
on school property or events commits a level 6
felony.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Drone) Policy
In consideration for the safety of students,
staff and visitors to schools in the Vigo County
School Corporation (“VCSC”), the following policy
addresses the use of unmanned aerial vehicles on
VCSC property or airspace.
The Vigo County School Board of School
Trustees prohibits the use of an unmanned aerial
vehicle (“UAV”), including but not limited to those
objects commonly known as drones, on or above
VCSC property without the express, written
consent of the Superintendent or the
Superintendent’s designee. VCSC shall refuse entry
onto VCSC property to anyone possessing, using or
attempting to use a UAV without authorization.
VCSC may also confiscate any UAV that violates this
policy.
Operating or being involved in the
operation of a UAV or Drone in conflict with this
policy by a student of the Vigo County School
Corporation may be considered to be a violation of
student/parent guide rule XXI (interfering or
disrupting a school activity or function). Such
violation may be grounds for expulsion or
suspension from school.
This policy pertains to UAV’s operated on
VCSC property or in airspace above VCSC that is not
otherwise governed by state or federal law.
NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION UNDER
SECTION 504/TITLE II
The policy of the Vigo County School
Corporation is that there will be no discrimination
made on the basis of race, religion, sex, national
origin, age, disability, or handicap in the
educational services or activities which it supports.
The School Corporation does not discriminate on
the basis of disability or handicap in admission or
access to, or treatment or employment in, its
programs and activities. The School Corporation
will comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1073 (“Section 504”), 29 U.S.C. 794, and its
implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 104, or
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990 (“Title II”), 42 U.S.C. 12131-12134, and its
implementing regulations at 28 C.F.R. Part 35, in
the operation of its schools and facilities.
Questions regarding implementation of this policy
or regarding 504 or Title II should be directed to
the School Corporation’s Section 504/Title II
coordinator: For /Students, please contact:
Tom Balitewicz-Director of Student Services.
Email: Thomas.Balitewicz@vigoschools.org
Telephone (812) 462-4224.
