Student Handbook

2025-2026 Student and Parent Handbook

This handbook has been developed for the purpose of informing students and families about the policies, procedures, and organizations of Federal Heights Elementary School. It is the responsibility of each student and family to read, understand and abide by the guidelines in this handbook.

Federal Heights Elementary School
2500 W 96th Ave.
Denver, Colorado 80260

Office phone: 720-972-5360

Attendance Line: 720-972-5377

Fax Number: 720-972-5379

OFFICE HOURS

7:00 am – 3:00 pm

Monday through Friday

Important Phone numbers

Attendance Line: 720-972-5377 Preschool: 720-972-6964 / 720-972-6965 Health Office: 720-972-5365

Cafeteria: 720-972-5367 Social Worker: 720-972-5371 Transportation: 720-972-4300 P.E.A.K.: 720-972-6551

PRESCHOOL HOURS- 7:50 am - 10: 50 AM Class & 11:35-2:35 PM Class (Tuesday- Friday) No School On Mondays for preschool

Enrollment

New enrolled students must enroll at their home school. Please contact the main office or the registrar to obtain and complete an enrollment/registration package.
Returning students will need to have their information verified online through Parent Portal found at https://ic.adams12.org/campus/portal/adams12.jsp. If you need access to a computer you can use one in our school.

Arrival/Dismissal

Before School Drop-off

Breakfast begins at 7:40 am.
School days begins at 7:50 am.
Students may enter through the north, south or cafeteria entrance.

After School Pick-Up

School days end at 2:35 pm.
Students are released through exterior classroom doors.
An ID is required to pick up students at any time before dismissal.

Late Pick-Up Protocol

1^st late pickup

Front office calls the contact on student’s registration card.
Guardian is advised about before and after school care.

2^nd late pickup

Front office calls the contact on student’s registration card.

Guardian is advised that a pattern is emerging and picking up a student late is considered “dependency and neglect”.

3^rd late pickup

Front office will not call parent but will call both:

Federal Heights Police Dept: 303-428-8833

Adams County Social Services: 303-412-5212

If an emergency occurs, please call the main office at 720-972-5360.

safety

A valid photo I.D is required to enter the school building at any time.
Please present your photo ID.D upon request.
For the safety of children, please only cross the street at crosswalks. Please adhere to the STOP sign at 96^th and Zuni St. and at 96^th and Bryant St.

Attendance & Activities

Prompt and daily attendance is extremely important to your child’s education and academic achievement. At Federal Heights Elementary School, we highly value healthy daily attendance. Please call the attendance line at 720-972-5377 as soon as you know your child will not be in school. You may leave a message anytime. Please provide a note to the office for any doctor's appointments schedules during school hours. If the attendance line does not receive a call, it will be marked as unexcused absence.

All Absences – “Excused” and “Unexcused” – Are considered as absences: Any day your student does not attend school is an absence. Excused absences include:
Observance of a religious holiday or service that is recognized as such by members of the student’s faith
Death in the family
Subpoena by law enforcement agency or mandatory court appearance
Other student absences beyond the control of the parent or student, as determined and approved by the Principal or Principal’s designee
Pre-arranged absences with administrative approval

Families are responsible for helping students get their missed assignments from their teacher on the day they return to school. Students will have make-up time equal to the number of days absent to complete all assignments, unless another arrangement is made with the teacher. Please make these arrangements with the classroom teacher (translators are available for doing this through our front office staff).

2. Unexcused Absences

All absences, which have not been specifically identified as excused, are unexcused absences.
Students cannot have more than 10 unexcused absences in a school year or 4 in a month. For the safety of your child, please be sure to call in or email all absences before 8:30 am. Please refer to the Attendance Intervention chart below for more information on supporting students’ attendance.
Students will be expected to make up all work in a time frame equal to the number of days missed. Family vacations are not excused absences. They must be pre-arranged through the office and may not necessarily count as an excused absence.

Tardies
All students must arrive at school before 7:50 am. When a student arrives at school after 7:55 am, they are considered tardy. Once the main doors are closed, the student needs to come to the main office to check in and receive a tardy slip before going to class. Tardiness is disruptive to the learning environment and has a negative impact on student achievement.

Truancy
Students who habitually miss school due to unexcused absences and/or excessive tardies/early releases could be considered truant. Truancy proceeding is a legal action taken by the school board in order to ensure that all students are in school.

Phase I

Acceptable or Low Risk

3-5 absences (excused or unexcused)

Parents will receive an attendance reminder

Phase II

Medium Risk

6-10 absences (excused or unexcused)

-Parent will receive an attenade letter from an administrator.

- Parents may be required to start and sign a school attendance contract.

Phase III

High Risk

11 or more absences

-Student will be referred to the Office of Intervention Services.

-Students may be referred to truancy court

Health Issues

Our goal is to help students be in class, everyday, ready to learn; however, sometimes illness or chronic health issues can make this a challenge. Please follow the following protocols to help your child be as healthy as possible during the school day:

An ill child needs to be at home. The following symptoms are used to help determine when a child should not be brought to school:

- A child has a temperature of 100 degrees or higher (may not return until they are fever free for 24 hours)

- A child has excessive coughing, fever, vomiting or diarrhea lasting 24 hours or more.

- A child’s illness is suspected of being contagious. (pink-eye, influenza, etc.)

Please call the health office before 8:00 am or bring a doctor’s note to the health office when the child returns in order for the absence to be excused.

If a child becomes ill during the day, the health clinic para-educator will care for that child until a parent or other authorized (must be on emergency card) adult can arrive. We call the first contact on the emergency card and if they cannot be reached we will continue to contact the emergency contacts listed on your student’s card in the order you have provided. We request that the ill student be picked up within an hour of the call.
All parents must have emergency plans established to care for ill children.
If a child gets hurt during the day, the health aide will make all attempts to inform the parent of any injuries, are considered significant ( i.e. a bump to the head, visible marks, bruising, etc.)

Make sure that every child you have enrolled has a current Health Form on file/on line and please inform the school of any health changes.
Medication can be given to students at school when the proper paperwork is received from the doctor and completed at the school. Please see the health aide.

Recess

Students should come to school prepared to go outside for recess. During the colder months, they should bring:

● Warm coat

● Hat

● Gloves

Indoor recess will be held if:

● Significant snow, rain, sleet or hail is falling

● Lightning is occurring

● Temperature with wind-chill is 27° or less

● Playground conditions are poor (mud, snow, ice, or standing water)

Moving out of District/ Withdrawing a Student
If you find that you need to move out of our school district, but would like to remain at Federal Heights please speak with the main office for additional information. In some cases we are unable to accommodate your request but we will help you as much as possible to enroll your student in their new school. A withdrawal form must be completed by the student’s parent/guardian. Please contact the school office for more information.

Phone Calls to/from Students

To minimize classroom interruptions during the school day so that students can focus on learning, students will not be able to receive calls and/or messages during class time. Please make sure to make and communicate any important arrangements to your student before he or she leaves for school. Students are encouraged to leave cell phones at home; however, we understand that some students must have cell phones to communicate with family members before or after school. Therefore, we ask that cell phones be silenced during the classroom day. If cell phones are a distraction to the student or others, it will be held in the office until the end of the day and must be picked up by a parent/guardian.

Late Start and School Cancellations

All school cancellations or a 1- hour delay start will be kept up to date on the front page of the district website www.adams12.org. Please check the website in case of inclement weather or other emergency.

One Hour Delay Schedule

8:40 am - 2:35pm

School/Home Communication

We value strong home/school communication and have a number of ways that we try and
keep families informed.

School Updates will go out via messenger once a month or as needed.
Every student receives a “Thursday Folder” once a week filled with great information, graded work, community flyers, etc. Please check it and clean it out every week.
In addition to the school updates, individual classroom teachers will also be sending home information on a regular basis and communicating as needed through class dojo. .
You may speak with your child’s teacher after school or request an appointment. No phone calls will be transferred to classroom phone lines during instruction. If your teacher is not bilingual you may call or email our front office at 720-972-5360 so that you may communicate in a timely manner with your teacher.

Volunteering

Federal Heights Elementary School offers parents many opportunities to become involved in school life. Regardless of your time availability, there’s a task that’s right for you. Volunteering provides a great way to learn more about your child, meet other parents, and get to know the school and faculty better while doing a good deed. Regular volunteers are required to complete the background screening program. Approved volunteers will be permitted to volunteer in the school and go on school field trips. You may not chaperone a field trip without background check approval. If you would like to just volunteer out of your home and not complete the background check that is fine, you will still be recognized for your time, but will not be able to volunteer on campus. Please speak with your student’s teacher about opportunities to volunteer from home or contact our parent liaison.

Chaperones/Visitors Pass

All chaperones and visitors will be Raptor (Sex offender database system) checked. Photo ID is required, no exceptions. Visitors must sign in at the front office and receive a “Visitor” badge/sticker. This badge/sticker must be worn and visible at all times during your visit to ensure the safety of our school.

Classroom Parties

Classroom parties should not be a regular occurrence. Pre-approved parties (Valentine’s, Halloween, winter break, and last day of school) will be organized by the teacher, and a note home will be sent home. We encourage you to bring healthy snacks at all times. Approved parties will be in individual classrooms during the last 30 minutes of the school day in the homeroom.

Birthday celebrations: Birthday treats should be pre-arranged with the classroom teacher to be dropped off at the main office. Please note that homemade baked goods are not allowed at any time. Birthday celebrations will last no more than 10-15 minutes of the day in the homeroom classroom. Classroom instruction will continue therefore visitors are not permitted during this time.

Problem Resolution

If a situation arises that causes concern either between the teacher and the child, or between the teacher and the parents, we suggest the following procedure:

The parent(s) should schedule a conference with the teacher so the concern can be discussed and resolved. A discussion, in private, is generally the easiest and most effective way of dealing with matters of concern.
If, after the conference, the parent(s) feel the situation is still unresolved, the parent(s) should contact the Assistant Principal or the Principal.
They will review the concern, talk with parties involved, review policy, and take additional action, if needed, to resolve the issue.

*** Translators are available for all conversations and written plans. ***

Toys
At Federal Heights we are partners with you in your child’s academic success. In order to lessen distractions please help your child leave all toys at home. If a toy is brought to school the teacher may hold it in their classroom or send it to the office until school dismissal where it can then be picked up by a parent/guardian. This includes all electronics and cell phones. The school is NOT responsible for missing items if brought to school and/or left in a backpack or coat.

Dress Code
Our intent is to support the concept of free expression and personality through dress and behavior. Students are allowed to express their individual style through clothes; however, they must adhere to the following rules:

All clothing and accessories must have school appropriate images and words (i.e. no shirts promoting alcohol, drugs, cigarettes or sexuality).
All skirts and shorts must reach at least the bottom of the students middle finger when their arm is extended and all shirt straps must be at least two fingers wide. Please consider your student wearing shorts under their skirts so that she can participate in active playground activities and PE class.
No hoods may be worn in the school building, unless for a documented reason.
Tennis shoes MUST be worn for Physical Education (PE).
Pajamas are only allowed on Pajama Day or on Spirit Day.

School Breakfast/ Lunch is Free for All Students
We believe that students benefit from eating balanced and nutritious meals. Breakfast and lunch are both served daily in the cafeteria. Breakfast is served from 7:40- 7:55 am. Cafeteria doors open at 7:40 am. Lunch times vary by grade level. Please ask your student’s teacher for more information.

Students who are not interested in eating the school breakfast, still MUST be in the classroom by 7:55 am. Students who come to school after 7:55 am will be marked tardy.

Students are always welcome to bring lunch from home or they can get one from the cafeteria. If you would like to apply for Free/Reduced lunch status, please use this link https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application. Families must reapply for free and reduced price school meals every year.

Transportation

If you would like to find out if your child qualifies to ride a bus or you have any other questions about transportation please call the transportation office at (720) 972-4300.

Academics

Instructional Model and Resources

Literacy: The instructional resource for Literacy, and the basis for the reading block is Benchmark Advanced Reading. The Gradual Release of Responsibility model is followed through the Read Aloud, Shared Reading, Guided Reading, and Independent Reading. For writing, teachers follow the district’s Units of Study to plan reading instruction.

Math: The instructional resource for Mathematics is Everyday Math 4 (EM4). Teachers the district’s Units of Study to plan math instruction.

CLDE: Students who have been identified as ELLs (English Language Learners) will receive language instruction through a combination of pull-out, push-in, and co-teaching models. The ultimate goal is to prepare our English Language Learners to be academically successful participants in their classroom. Instruction will be differentiated based on student needs and language proficiency levels using the ELD district’s units of study. For full District policy, please reference adams12.org website.

Homework

Homework is considered to be a time for skill practice, enrichment, and/or more in-depth attention to a given unit of study and can contribute greatly to the learning process, as well as healthy school habits for every student. The expectations will be explained to your student by the classroom teacher and sent home in writing.

Behavior and Discipline

Philosophy
We believe that all students want to be successful in the classroom and in life. Sometimes a student’s behavior can distract themselves or others from achieving this goal. At FHE we work with each student to help them strive to achieve to the highest potential.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

Panther Pledge/School Expectations

All day long as learners

We will be RESPECTFUL towards others

RESPONSIBLE for our actions and

RIGOROUS in our learning.

We will be CARING classmates,

And make SAFE choices

To be the best students we can be!

We have defined what each Panther Trait means for each environment within the school. This allows us to have clear and consistent expectations throughout the building.

When FHE staff observe a student following our behavior and academic expectations or demonstrating exemplary behaviors, specific praise (“Great job____! That was very safe to do!”) is paired with a DOJO point. Dojo points are redeemed within students’ classrooms for rewards from the prize cart.

Discipline
School discipline is a collaborative effort by parents, guardians, students and staff. FHE promotes positive behavior choices by recognizing students who engage in consistent positive behavior. We teach and model positive behavior following our five Panther traits Respectful, Responsible, Rigorous, Caring, & Safe. However, mistakes are a natural part of student growth. We help students reflect on errors in judgment and support them in learning how to make better decisions.

When students choose to demonstrate inappropriate behavior, the following procedures might occur:

Verbal redirection/warning
Refocus/Reflection form **Parents must sign and return to school**
Teacher Assigned consequence
Parent Contact
Office Referral **Students are sent to the office**

District Policies

For more information regarding District Policies, please use this link www.adams12.org/district-policies.

After School Enrichment

PEAK Learning Center

The PEAK Learning Center offers invited students in grades 3-5 a comprehensive out-of-school time experience for approximately 15 hours each week. This program operates from 2:40 pm- 5:30 pm M- TH.

PEAK offers dynamic programming incorporating a mix of STEM activities, enrichment, recreation, and homework help. You can reach our Peak Director at 720-972-6551.

Student Clubs:

There are a variety of ways for FHE students to engage outside of the classroom. Clubs that have been sponsored in the past have included:

Girls on the Run
Battle of the Books
Student Council
Art Club

More information about future clubs will be available in the weekly newsletter.