Parent Handbook
The school day begins for all students at 8:45 a.m. A bell is rung at 8:40 to alert children that it is time to line up outside with their class in their designated area (there are alternative line-up locations inside the building in the event of bad weather). Teachers meet their classes at that time and escort them into the building. Children should not be dropped off at school before 8:30 unless they are participating in a supervised morning activity or the morning breakfast program. There is no before-school supervision of students.
Children who are late must sign the late arrival book at the main office.
School is dismissed at 3:15 p.m. Students leave from various exits, both on the front and back sides of the building. Please designate a location on school grounds to meet your child.
Parking is not permitted on the east side of Broad Branch Road (in front of the school) and the north side of Northampton Street (the side next to the Early Childhood wing) between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Please do not park there for “just a minute.” It creates congestion for buses and other cars trying to pass in front of the school, and dangerous conditions for children crossing the street. The Metropolitan Police will ticket your car.
If an emergency occurs and you will be late picking up your child in the afternoon, please let the office know immediately. Children at Lafayette are instructed to come to the office if they can’t find the person who was to pick them up.
 Attendance Policies
The District of Columbia’s compulsory school attendance law requires that children from the age of five be enrolled in and attend school regularly. Student attendance is monitored daily. The District specifies the following as valid reasons for absence from school:
- Illness of the student
- Death in the immediate family
- Court summons
- Hazardous weather conditions
- Observance of a religious holiday
- Suspension
- Other absence approved in advance by the principal upon written request by the parent.
An excused absence is still recorded as an absence. A student with an excused absence receives the opportunity to complete any assigned work or assessments that occurred during the absence without penalty. Teachers are not required to allow students to make up work when an unexcused absence occurs.
Please do not ask teachers to prepare work packets for children who will be absent from school for trips or vacations. The work missed will be available after your child returns if the absence has been approved.
If your child is absent from school, a note to the teacher is required on the day of his or her return explaining the reason for the absence.
Leaving School During the School Day
Children are not permitted to leave the school during the day unless picked up by a parent, guardian, or designated adult. Students must be signed out in the early dismissal log at the main office. Note: Children will not be called for early dismissal between 3:00 and 3:15 pm to avoid disrupting the classroom routine.
Emergency Evacuation
If the school needs to be evacuated due to an emergency, we will walk to Blessed Sacrament School, 5841 Chevy Chase Parkway, 202-966-6682.
School Closings
When a decisionis made to close the entire school system or individual schools, information will be provided through a variety of resources. Area radio and television stations will make announcements. The DCPS website will post information. You can also register with www.schoolsout.com which sends emails and text messages when schoolsclose.
Health Services
A registered nurse is on duty every school day from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
DCPS policy requires that parents and physicians complete appropriate health forms before any prescription or over-the-counter medication can be administered to a child. These forms are available from the nurse. Please do not send any medications to school with your child. All medications should be taken to thehealth suite by a parent, where they are checked in.
Parents of children with a history of chronic illness (food allergies, asthma, etc.) that may impact school performance should meet with the school nurse to develop an individual health plan (IHP).
The school nurse will contact parents in case of a student’s illness or accident. Please keep work numbers and other emergency contact numbers current. If emergency transportation is required, a staff member will accompany a student if the parent is not present.
Communication
 The school telephone number is 202-282-0116. All staff members have a mailbox in the yellow cabinet located in the main office area, where you may leave written communication. The Home and School Association has a grey mailbox cabinet in the Great Hall for messages for officers or committee chairs.
Please check backpacks and your email every day for important information from Lafayette.
Parent-teacher conferences may be requested at any time. A note requesting a phone call or meeting may be given to a teacher by your child or placed in the teacher’s mailbox.
Scheduled parent-teacher conferences for the 2009-2010 school year are:December 7, March 1, and May 17. Report cards are issued November 13,February 5, April 19, and June 18.
Lafayette is also part of the Connect-Ed system. This system sends automated telephone messages (“robo-calls”) directly to homes informing parents about events or schedule changes at school. Please make sure the school has your current phone numbers so that you will receive all communications.
Tuesday Bulletin
The Tuesday Bulletin, our weekly newsletter, is sent electronically to Lafayette families. It is also posted on the school website (www.lafayettehsa.org) for your convenience. A limited number of printed copies will be available in the kiosk outside the main office. To add or change your email address on the distribution list, please send an email to
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Lunch Program
Students may purchase lunch in the cafeteria or bring their lunch from home. Lunches cost $1.25. Extra milk costs 35 cents. Monthly lunch menus are distributed to students via backpack and can also be found online at www.chartwellsschooldining.com/DCPS/content/menus.asp. Students may pay for lunch and milk on a daily, weekly, monthly or semester basis. See the cafeteria manager for details. Checks should be made payable to “DC Treasurer.” There is a peanut-free tablein the cafeteriafor students who are allergic to peanuts and other nut products.
Lost and Found
Valuable items found in and around the school should be turned in at the main office. Items such as glasses and keys are kept in the main office. Clothing and lunchboxes, etc. are placed in the lost-and-found container located near the exit that leads to the trailers. If left unclaimed, items will be donated to charity. Please label all belongings, especially jackets and coats, backpacks, and lunchboxes. Students should not bring expensive items to school as there is no locked storage.
Morning Announcements (WLES)
The school day starts with regular announcements at 8:50 a.m. Announcements from "WLES" include news and information about the day, lunch menu from "Pearl’s Paradise Cafe," the weather report, sports scores, brief announcements by students, and a catchy tune specially selected to get everyone’s day off to a great start. If necessary, additional information is shared with teachers and students just prior to dismissal. Our intention is to keep interruptions to the learning environment to a minimum. All announcements are cleared through the main office.
Telephone
Students may use the school phones for emergencies only. In the event that a child receives a phone call, he or she will be called out of class only in an emergency. Please make all after-school play arrangements before arriving at school in the morning.
If you feel your child must bring a cell phone to school, it is to be turned off and remain in his or her backpack during school hours. Students violating the cell phone policy will have their phones confiscated. Confiscated phones can be picked up at the main office by the student’s parents.
Volunteers
Anyone arriving to volunteer in a classroom is required to sign the logbook at the main office or at the security guard’s desk before proceeding to his or her destination. Thank you for always observing this policy even if the staff knows who you are.
Visitors
We welcome visitors at Lafayette and are eager to make your visits informative and productive. All visitors, including parents, must register in the main office before entering other areas of the school building. You will be given a visitor badge to wear in the building. We ask that you comply with this policy to ensure the safety and security of the entire Lafayette School community. This DCPS security procedure is followed in all city schools.
Planned monthly tours of the school are designed for new and/or prospective Lafayette parents, real estate agents, community members, and others interested in seeing the school. Tours begin at 9:00 a.m., last for approximately one hour, and are conducted by the principal and a parent. Tours normally occur on the last Tuesday of the month. Please call the school office to ask when the next tour is scheduled.
Library
Parents and students are welcome to visit the school library before and after school. Library hours are Monday through Friday, 8:15-8:40 and 3:15-3:30. Books may be checked out for up to 2 weeks.
Websites
The DCPS website address is www.k12.dc.us. It offers a wide range of information about programs and services.
The Lafayette Elementary School website is www.lafayettehsa.org. Throughout the school year, important documents, calendars, and all the Tuesday Bulletins are posted here for your convenience. We also post pictures of events at the school. We encourage you to refer to the website often to learn about what is happening at the school.
Dress Code
Although Lafayette does not have a formal dress code, children are expected to dress in a manner appropriate to the season and occasion. On days when physical education is scheduled, tennis or sport shoes should be worn. Hats are not worn in the classroom. Students enjoy outdoor recess even in the winter, so appropriate cold weather clothes such as gloves and warm hats are needed. Please label all children’s clothing with name and grade. Even in the winter children go out for a minimum of 30 minutes of recess most days.
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