ABCs of Chávez
ABCs for Parent Information
A
Absence Reporting – Absences can be reported either electronically (preferred) at https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/attendance-information or by calling the Chávez Attendance/Safe Arrival line at (608) 442-2085 prior to 7:50 a.m. Not reporting an absence will result in an unexcused absence. For absences not related to illness, medical appointment or bereavement (immediate family) a Planned Absence Form must be completed prior to the absence. Students are allowed up to 10 days for these types of absences. The Planned Absence Form can be completed electronically at the above site or a paper form can be picked up at the office.
After-school care is provided by Wisconsin Youth Company. They run an after-school program in our cafeteria for students enrolled in their program. There are limited scholarships available. Information about the program can be found at http://www.wisconsinyouthcompany.org/ or by calling (608) 276-9782.
Animals – To maintain the safety and health of all students and adults, dogs and other pets should not be brought into the building or onto school grounds without first obtaining approval and providing the needed documentation. Please do not bring dogs onto school property at arrival or dismissal time.
Anti-Bullying/Harassment Procedures – Chávez strives to provide a safe environment where every student feels safe, respected and welcomed. MMSD defines bullying as, “the intentional action by an individual or group of individuals to inflict harm when there is an imbalance of real or perceived power.”
Appointments – If you will be picking your student up early from school, please send a note to school to inform the teacher. Parents must come to the office to sign out their child. The office will call for your student to meet you in the office only after you arrive to pick them up.
Art Class in all MMSD elementary schools is 60 minutes per week. Students complete a variety of projects using assorted media and techniques during their art class.
Attendance – MMSD has an attendance goal of 94% and we encourage parents to work hard to meet this goal. We carefully monitor the attendance of our students, as habits started in kindergarten tend to last over the course of a school career.
B
Back to School Night is usually held within the first month of school. This event is an opportunity for parents/guardians to visit the classroom, talk with the teachers, hear about what your child will be learning and to socialize with other families, friends and staff.
Behavior Education Plan (BEP) – A plan which provides students the opportunity to learn positive behavior skills. The district also uses this to provide guidance on consistent consequences for behavior. For more information visit https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/student-staff-support/behavior-education-plan.
Breakfast – Breakfast starts at 8:05 a.m. Students will eat their breakfast in the classroom. Students are also welcome to bring a healthy breakfast from home to eat in their classroom. Please also see additional information under “Food Service” in this document.
Building use after the school day is coordinated through Madison School Community Recreation (MSCR). To obtain a building permit, please visit https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/facility-rentals.
Busing – Badger Bus is our carrier for transporting students to and from school. Bus attendance is taken prior to the bus leaving school at the end of the day. Please inform the school office if you’ll be picking your child up so we know they won’t be riding the bus.
C
Calendar – Visit https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/about/calendar-of-events for the current MMSD school year calendar which lists all early release dates and times, holiday breaks and other important dates for the year.
CC, the Chávez Cheetah, is our school mascot. Our school colors are red and black. The PTO will communicate information about cheetah apparel sales in the fall.
Chávez Courier is our family newsletter that is sent out every other month to parents/guardians electronically. If you prefer a paper copy, please let the office know. When completing the annual on-line enrollment, please ensure we have your correct email address.
Concerns or complaints – Please contact the responsible staff member (most often the homeroom teacher) and then one of the school principals, if needed. The next step is to contact our Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education at (608) 663-1632. The link for the MMSD complaint process is https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/contact-us/lets-talk.
Conferences for parents will be held in November and April. Teachers are also available other times during the year to meet with parents. Please contact your child’s teacher if you wish to meet with them.
D
Dismissal time is 1:45PM on Monday and 3:17PM Tuesday through Friday. Classroom teachers escort their students out of the building every day after school. We ask that parents wait outside to pick up their children.
Dress Code – Student’s dress should be appropriate and comfortable. Due to the building being air conditioned, you may want to send an extra sweater or long sleeve shirt. Students may not wear clothing with Native American team names, logos or mascots that depict negative stereotypes. A list of prohibited team names, logos and mascots is available at https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/families/district-policy-guides.
Drop off begins at 8:05 a.m. Students are to be in their classroom and ready for learning when school starts at 8:20 a.m. Upon arrival students should enter the building and put things away in their locker. Students should not arrive before 8:05 a.m.
Dual Language Immersion (DLI) is a form of bilingual education that leads to the development of academic and social language skills in two languages. Spanish speaking students learn side by side with English speaking students. More information can be found at https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/multilingual-global-education/dual-language-immersion-dli.
E
Early release is every Monday at 1:45 p.m. There are dates throughout the year when there will be early release at 10:55 a.m. due to parent/teacher conferences, grade reporting or staff development. Please refer to the MMSD calendar for these dates.
Email – We encourage our staff to check their email during the day, however, they may not immediately see your email as they are busy teaching. Please allow at least a one to two day turnaround for response. A complete directory can be found at https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/contact-us.
Entrances – In an effort to maintain school safety, the entrances at Chávez are locked during the day. Due to COVID 19 policies, our visitors are limited. Visitors will need to check in at the office before entering the other areas of the school. Visitors will be required to sign in on the visitor log, wear a visitor’s name badge and will need to sign out when leaving.
English Language Learners (ELL) – Students that speak another language will receive extra support from an ELL teacher or a Bilingual Resource Teacher (BRT). ELL teachers and BRTs are trained to teach targeted language acquisition skills.
F
Facebook – One of our social media outlets. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to join the Chávez PTO Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/MMSDChavez/ or the Chávez Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/287110541303638/.
Field trips – These excursions are a part of the educational experience which are extensions of the classroom. Therefore, the field trip is part of the curriculum and all children will attend. A written notification will be sent home by the teacher prior to each trip.
Fire drills are conducted monthly per Wisconsin law. The fire drills are unannounced and everyone in the building must participate.
Food Service – Menus and free and reduced-price school meal information can be accessed at https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/food-service/. Please call the Chávez Food Service office for any questions at (608) 442-2025. Information about allergies will be shared by your child’s classroom teacher. Please also see additional information under “Lunch” in this document.
Four-Year-Old Kindergarten (4K) is a half day morning or afternoon program for students who will be 4 years old on or before September 1st of a given school year.
H
Health Office – Children who are not feeling well are sent to the health office which is located within the main office. We follow MMSD protocols in working with children and we work hard to keep parents informed of any problems with their child. We have a health office staffed by a School Nurse (608) 442-2008 and a Nursing Assistant (608) 442-2010. Please visit https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/student-staff-support/health-services for additional health services information.
I
Immunization information is available online at https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/student-staff-support/health-services/immunization-information-and-school-requirements or through our school nurse at (608)442-2008.
L
Learning concerns? Please start with your child’s teacher if you have any concerns about your child’s progress. Other resources include the School Psychologist (608) 442-2011 or School Social Worker (608)442-2012.
LMC (Library Media Center) is a wonderful resource for our students. Our media specialist is based at Chávez full-time. Our school has a wonderful collection of children’s books and children are able to check out books each week. Visit our LMC portal here: https://madison.campusguides.com/c.php?g=853359&p=6108974.
Lockdown Drill – This is a drill to make sure students and staff practice what to do in the event that the building needs to go in lockdown mode due to a threat in or near the school. We practice this drill twice each year (fall and spring). Notification letters are sent home prior to each drill.
Lost and Found is located near the cafeteria in stairwell “A”. Please stop in the main entrance and the office staff will be happy to look for your scholars' lost items. It is helpful if possessions are labeled with the child’s name on the inside of the garment or item. For smaller items such as glasses or jewelry the office has a separate lost and found.
Lunch – Students are offered one option for hot lunch each day or can bring their own lunch from home. Please note that there is no microwave for students to heat their lunch. Students bringing a home lunch are able to purchase milk. Payments should be made in advance and can be paid either online at https://www2.mypaymentsplus.com/welcome or by placing cash, check or money order in an envelope with your child’s name and turning it into the teacher or school office. Checks or money orders should be made out to MMSD Food & Nutrition. Please call our food service office at (608) 442-2025 if you have any questions.
M
Medication – We must have physician permission and parent permission on file in order to give out medication. Forms can be found at https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/student-staff-support/health-services. Contact the health office with any questions at (608) 442-2008.
Messages to students – Parents should make advance arrangements with their child so that getting messages to students is kept to a minimum. We do understand that, sometimes, things come up and you need to get a message to your child. For those rare times, the office is happy to assist parents in getting messages to students.
Music meets two times per week for 30 minutes at all MMSD elementary schools.
N
Newsletter – Classroom newsletters will provide you with specific classroom information as well as school-wide updates.
Non-custodial or shared placement parents – We want all parents to have the information they need on their child. Please be sure to let both the office and the classroom teacher know if you need duplicate copies of the newsletter, classroom newsletters, or report cards.
P
Parent Portal – Infinite Campus is where you are able to access your child’s attendance, grades, transportation and assessment information. More student information will become available to parents/guardians in middle/high school. Infinite Campus is located at https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/families/infinite-campus.
Parent/Teacher Organization (PTO) Board meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month in the LMC and/or via Zoom. Please consider getting involved! This group is a major source of support for our school and we are fortunate to have such an active parent group. The PTO website is http://chavezpto.org.
Parking – Please use the parking stalls in the front of the building or side street parking in the neighborhood. Please do not park in the staff parking lot in the back of the building or on either side of the entrance into the front parking lot (this is considered a fire lane and vehicles will be ticketed). Please review the Parking Safety Brochure sent home with students the first week of school.
Positive Behavior System (PBS) – The proactive behavior system that is used by school staff to teach and acknowledge expected behaviors. Staff members at Chávez believe that it is essential to educate the whole child which means we need to enhance the social and emotional capacities of students. As conflicts arise, students will process with staff to take responsibility for their behavior and find a way to fix-it.
Peaceful Playground – A program which encourages students to have more fun at recess by spending more time playing games of their choice and less time waiting in long lines or in conflict over rules.
Physical Education class meets for three 30 minute periods each week.
Pledge of Allegiance – The pledge is said every morning during morning announcements with the preamble: “Participation in the pledge is voluntary. Those who wish to participate may stand, others may remain seated”. We will honor your family wishes for participation.
R
Reinforcing and Enriching Achievement for all Children (R.E.A.C.H.) is our STEAM class that meets weekly. Students in grades K-1 have REACH instruction for 30 minutes per week and grades 2-5 have REACH instruction for 60 minutes per week. Technology standards around Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math at each grade level are the focus of instruction. REACH is taught in collaboration with 30 minutes of library instruction per week.
Recess is an important part of the day for students. During cold weather months we follow MMSD policy and keep students inside when it is bitter cold outside https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/families/weather. We try to go outside whenever possible because having some time outside each and every day makes a big difference in learning and helps us stay healthy.
Report cards are issued two times per year – end of the 1st semester and 2nd semester. Parent teacher conferences are held in place of report cards in November and April.
S
Safe Arrival – We use a daily process to ensure the safety of every child. When a child is marked absent but we have not been notified by the parent/guardian, we contact the parent/guardian to be sure the child should be absent. You can help us by either reporting absences electronically at https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/families/attendance or by calling the Safe Arrival Line at (608) 442-2085 by 7:50 a.m. if your child will be absent.
Safety Patrols – Fifth grade students help supervise the hallways and the parking lot areas daily. They will be wearing yellow safety patrol belts. Safety patrol is a big responsibility and students are chosen because they have demonstrated the ability to make safe and responsible choices. Please encourage your children to listen to and respect the patrols.
School Supply Lists are handed out with the final report card at the end of the year and can be found at https://chavez.madison.k12.wi.us/families/school-supply-list. Your child’s teacher will let you know if anything different or special is needed for class participation.
School Visitation – We are happy to have prospective parents visit our school. A tour of the classrooms will be given and questions will be answered. Please call the school office to set up a visit. This visit will follow all COVID protocols that are currently in place.
Snacks – Snacks containing peanuts or other nuts may not be served at school. The recommended list is available at http://go.boarddocs.com/wi/mmsd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=9G5DE773B648. Food prepared at home to be served at school should be accompanied by a list of ingredients or sent with a checklist indicating whether any of the following ingredients are included: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat or soy. Snack policies can vary by classroom.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) – The process through which we learn to recognize and manage emotions, care about others, make good decisions, behave ethically and responsibly and develop positive relationships. Social Emotional Learning is integral to student achievement. When students feel safe, cared for and feel that they belong they are emotionally ready to learn.
Specials classes provide an opportunity for children to develop musical, artistic and physical skills during the school day. All MMSD elementary students have Physical-Ed three times per week, music two times per week, REACH twice per week, library one time per week and art once per week. All classes are thirty minutes except art class which meets for one solid hour each week.
Standards – Chávez uses the Common Core State Standard (CCSS) to guide our learning and instruction. More information can be found at https://www.madison.k12.wi.us/academics/common-core-state-standards.
Student teachers or practicum students are frequently placed at Chávez. We love helping the next generation of teachers.
Supervision – Students are supervised throughout the day beginning at 8:05 a.m. until the bell rings at the end of the day at which time they are escorted to buses or families for pick up. Students are expected to leave the school grounds immediately when the bell rings at the end of the day.
T
Tardy students – Students who enter the school at 8:25 or later are considered tardy and will need a pass from the office.
Telephones do not ring in the classrooms during the instructional day. Calls are automatically routed to the office. We do not connect calls to the classroom during instructional time.
Tornado Drill – We conduct a tornado drill two times per year. Once in the fall and once each spring in coordination with the statewide drill.
V
Volunteers are an important part of the instructional program. Most classroom teachers use volunteer assistance. Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) uses an automated volunteer management program called Volunteer Tracker to manage family and community volunteers. This automated program allows you to select multiple schools to volunteer at. Parents/Guardians new to Chávez or who have not completed this automated application previously will need to visit https://appgarden6.app-garden.com/VolTrackWI3269.nsf to read the general information on volunteering and to complete the Volunteer Tracker Application. Applicants will receive an email once approved and can then begin volunteering. We suggest this be completed at the start of the school year to avoid the possibility of not being able to chaperone a field trip, for example, because approval was not received in time. Volunteers are automatically sent an email to re-register when a new background check is due. Please check with your child’s teacher for any volunteer help needed. All school visitors are required to check-in at the school office prior to visiting the classroom. This is a safety measure for all visitors to the school.
** 2021/2022 School Year - We currently cannot have volunteers in the building but will update families if this changes.
W
Website – Please visit the Chávez website at https://chavez.madison.k12.wi.us/ and the Madison Metropolitan School District website at https://www.madison.k12.wi.us