Handbook

• Project Based Learning and a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM)
• Growth Mindset
• Tacoma Whole Child Initiative
• Mindfulness (Mindfulschools.org)
• Professional Development
• Use of ROAR values (Respect, Open Hearted, Achieving, Responsible)
• Outdoor Learning
   

Allowable Dress & Grooming
Students must wear both a shirt with pants, shorts, or skirt, or the equivalent (leggings, dresses, etc.) and shoes.  

• Wearing Sherman Gear is encouraged!
• Closed toe shoes are required to support safety of student’s feet. Tennis shoes are required for PE days.
• Shirts and dresses must have fabric in the front and on the sides and back.
• Clothing must cover undergarments and stomach area.
• Hats and Hoods are to be removed when in the building. 
• Clothing must be suitable for all scheduled classroom activities including physical education.
• For bathroom accidents parent/guardians are welcome to pack a change of clothes in backpack. 

Non-Allowable Dress & Grooming

• Clothing may not depict, advertise, or advocate the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or other controlled substances.
• Clothing may not depict profanity, pornography, nudity, or items of a similar nature.
• Clothing may not use or depict bigotry, hate speech targeting groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, or any other protected groups.

Student Absence

Please notify our office if your child will be absent:

• Phone: 253-571-5488
• Email: ShermanAttendance@tacoma.k12.wa.us

Planned Absence Form

If you are planning on an extended absence (more than 3 days) for your student, please complete the form below and submit it to our office.

PlannedAbsenceForm.pdf

Washington Attendance Laws

According to Washington State Law (Chapter 28A.2725 RCW) all school- age children are required to be enrolled and attend public school unless the superintendent approves permissible exceptions. State law requires that parents/guardians be informed annually of the school districts responsibility to enforce this compulsory attendance requirement. 

When a child has 7 unexcused absences in a month, or 10 unexcused absences in year, the school district is obligated to file a truancy petition with the Pierce County Juvenile Court alleging that the child has failed to attend school, and/or that the parent has failed to cause his/her child to attend school. 

The compulsory attendance laws can be found here:

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=28a.225&full=true

Sherman Elementary Attendance Goals

• Less than 5 Tardy occurrences/Less than 5 Absences in a school year.
• Arrive to school on time, don’t leave early.  First bell rings at 9:00 a.m., tardy bell rings at 9:05a.m.  Dismissal bell rings at 3:30 p.m.

Students are to arrive at school between 8:45 -9:00a.m. Exceptions must be pre-arranged with the office.  

School is dismissed at 3:30 p.m.  Parents are asked to wait near the covered play area for their children at the end of the day.  Parents are asked not to enter the building, as this causes a distraction and congestion at dismissal time.

Student education is extremely important. Classroom learning occurs though dismissal time. Please avoid removing your child early when possible. If a child must be dismissed early, the student will be called to the office when parent or guardian arrives for pick-up. Parents/guardian must sign their student out. 
 

Late Start Frequently Asked Questions

(Standardized throughout all TPS schools)

1. What is the late-start schedule?

Tacoma Public Schools will have a one-hour late start for grades kindergarten to 12. Bell schedules vary from school to school, but the start time will be one-hour later than your school's regular daily start time. For example, if your school's regular daily start time is 9 a.m., your student will start at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays.

2. Does the change to late start Wednesdays affect all Tacoma Public Schools?

No, SOTA, SAMi, IDEA, Willie Stewart Academy and Remann Hall will not have late start Wednesdays. All other schools will have late start Wednesdays.

3. Does Preschool have late start?

No, preschool students, except Montessori, will NOT have late starts on Wednesdays. This includes HeadStart, ECAEP, Peer Inclusion, and Dual Language preschool programs.  Montessori preschool students at Bryant and Geiger WILL have late starts on Wednesdays, because their full-day classes follow the regular school schedule.

4. Where can I find the bell schedule for my school?

Each school will release an updated bell schedule each year. This information will be on each school's website and sent via email to families.

5. What will the bus schedule be on Wednesdays?

Every bus route will run on a one-hour delay Wednesdays.

7. Will there be childcare offered during late start Wednesdays?

Childcare will not be provided. We have communicated the late start Wednesdays to community partners who provide before school programs in our schools and to daycare providers in our community, so they can determine what services, if any, they will provide on Wednesdays. Please speak with your child's care provider to learn more.

8. Why are we having late starts?

The goal is improving student achievement. Through collective bargaining negotiations between the Tacoma Education Association (TEA) and Tacoma Public Schools (TPS), school calendars are now set for the next three school years.  One of the goals negotiated into the new Collective Bargaining Agreement was to incorporate more professional development time for teachers in the school calendar so they can more effectively and regularly collaborate to improve instruction for students.

Additionally, families, staff and students were surveyed in 2019 and Wednesdays were indicated as the preferred day of the week for most respondents.

15 districts across the South Sound region have successfully implemented district-wide late start or early release days for teacher development. Tacoma used best practices from those districts in developing our plan.

9. How is this time used by school staff?

This time will be used as professional development and learning time for teachers and school leadership. We believe we can improve student achievement by having frequent and consistent time for teachers to meet in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to review and analyze data, revise teaching strategies, and collaborate.

10. Can students receive additional instruction during this time?

No. Late start time will be dedicated to teacher professional development and collaboration time.

Please schedule family vacations around our school breaks when possible. Active attendance is critical to student success. If they miss a large amount of school time, they will miss critical discussions which cannot be recovered. Your understanding and support in scheduling your vacation time is appreciated. The district allows 5 days of excused family vacation time per year. If your child has a planned absence of more than one day, you need to fill out the Planned Absence Form found on our school website at www.shermantigers.com under the Quick Links or you may request one from the office.

Please call our office each time your child is absent or going to be tardy.  The main office number is 253-571-5488.  Please call before 8:45 A.M. the day of the absence.

Tardiness may result in loss of valuable learning time and is a disturbance to the class. Students whose bus arrives late need to check in at the office, they will not be considered tardy. If students are tardy, a parent needs to accompany them into the school and sign them in at the office.

Students who enter their classroom after the 9:05 A.M. bell will be considered tardy and will be sent to the office for a tardy slip.  Excused tardiness could include medical/dental appointments, significant illness, and/or counseling sessions. 

Students will be allowed three (3) unexcused tardiness per trimester. A warning notice will be sent home after the 3^rd tardy.

Each teacher develops and maintains a discipline plan for their classroom that is sent home with children at the beginning of the school year. It is the teacher’s responsibility to manage discipline concerns within the classroom. If a student creates a serious problem, the teacher may consult with the principal, counselor, parent, or other school staff. Student behavior and expectations are clearly defined. Students are taught acceptable conduct standards and are assisted toward self-discipline.

• Students are responsible for their choices. 
• All students can behave appropriately when they know and are taught what is expected of them. 
• When structure, teaching of desired behaviors, supervision, positive interaction, and immediate correction occur, students have the greatest potential to behave appropriately. 
• Communication between teacher, parent, and office is essential. 
   

Respectful

Hallway:

• Voice Level 0
• Walking Feet

Cafeteria:

• Voice Level 2
• Use Kind Words 

Open Hearted

Hallway:

• Be Polite
• Think of Others

Cafeteria:

• Use Manners
• Invite others to Sit

Achieving

Hallway:

• Be an Example
• Listen to Adults
• Walk with a Purpose

Cafeteria:

• Eat your Lunch
• Follow Directions
• Listen to Adults

Responsible

Hallway:

• Keep Hands & Feet to Yourself
• Be a Self-Manager

Cafeteria:

• Clean Up After Yourself
• Walking feet

Discipline for misbehavior is differentiated to be appropriate for the situation. Sherman’s procedures comply with Student’s Rights and Responsibilities and delineated by Tacoma School District Policy and Washington State Administrative Code. 

• Classroom consequences will be determined by the teacher and may include using a check system, playground restriction, parent contact and referral to the Principal. 
• Bus and playground misbehavior consequences may begin with a warning, time-out, or referral to classroom teacher and/or Principal. 
• Consequences for more serious or chronic misconduct may include restriction from non-academic activities, parent-school conference, in-house suspension, service work, or suspension. 
• Student misbehavior and consequences may be recorded on a Sherman Discipline Referral Form. 
   

BIRTHDAY & OTHER CELEBRATIONS:  At Sherman our main emphasis is on learning.  For birthdays we ask you to refrain from bringing / sending / asking about parties / cake, etc. in the classroom as having a birthday party for every student minimizes the instructional time we have with our classes.  Alternatively, you may send a goodie bag for each student in the class that can be passed out at the end of the school day.

District Policy 6700 states:  For school parties, schools shall encourage parents and teachers to offer no more than one food or beverage that does not meet or exceed the nutrition standards for foods sold individually. Use of non-food rewards is strongly encouraged. When food is used as a reward it must meet or exceed nutrition standards. All food and beverage fund-raising projects are encouraged to meet nutrition standards and if sold and consumed during the school day, shall meet or exceed nutrition standards. 

Students are placed in classrooms based on student needs.  Every attempt is made to create diverse classrooms to help each student realize his/her full potential.  Teacher requests are not accepted.  Classroom placements are finalized by the principal and reviewed by the teachers.  

Sherman has developed, trained and practiced emergency procedures to ensure we are prepared for any emergency that may arise. We have identified specialized teams (Emergency Operation Center, First Aid, Search and Rescue, Office and Custodial) that would swing into action in the event of a fire, earthquake, windstorm, bomb threat, building intruder, etc. If you would like to review our detailed plan, contact the building principal.

Ensuring the safety of our students is a top priority here at Sherman Elementary, all gates to the playground will be locked during school hours.  We also kindly request that there be no animals on campus, except registered service animals.
 

Snow, heat, water, and power emergencies occasionally create a need to close our schools. We encourage you to become familiar with the procedures followed during snow, inclement weather and emergencies. All student records should be kept up to date with emergency contact information.

School closures & delays

Students will only be released to adults that the parents/guardians authorize on the student’s emergency forms.

Please send a note to your child’s teacher explaining an absence upon his/her return to school. For everyone’s protection, it is advised that children with a fever remain at home for 24 hours after the temperature has returned to normal without the aid of medication. Children should also remain home if there are signs of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, heavy nasal discharge, skin rashes, pink eye, or other symptoms of a communicable disease, including lice. Every child will be expected to participate in all school activities, including P.E. and recess. 

Every effort should be made to schedule doses of medication outside of school hours. Washington State Law requires that medication given at school must have the permission of the parent and of the health care provider. These forms (Physician’s Order for Medication at School) are available from the school or health care provider’s office. We cannot administer any type of medicine at school unless this form has been completed by the child’s physician and we have the form on file in our office. A NOTE WITH THE PARENT’S SIGNATURE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. This includes all medications/ointments: i.e., lip balm, Vaseline, aspirin, Advil, Tylenol, salves, decongestants, antihistamines, cough syrup, cough drops, etc.

Medication must be sent in the original container with the pharmacy label.  Most pharmacies will gladly give you an additional container for school if you ask.  Medications should be brought to school by the parent and not sent with the child. Medications must be kept in the office to ensure safe storage and correct administration. Medications should be picked up at the end of the school year.  New medication forms need to be updated at the beginning of each school year.

A certified school nurse, Health Technician, or office staff will assist children who are ill or injured. If minor first aid or a few minutes of rest is not enough to help your child return to class, we will call you to pick up your child. If we are unable to reach you, we will call the person you have designated as the emergency contact person. 

There are some traditional holidays, i.e., Halloween and Valentine’s Day, that are observed with parties or festivities at school. Please contact your child’s teacher and explore alternate activities. 

Approval of Prop. 2 by voters in 2022 allowed access to technology and up-to-date learning for every K-12 student.  This technology included the district providing laptops for every K-12 student and staff member to use at school and at home.

For additional information and a quick FAQ  on the Student Laptops, please refer to the district website:  Student Laptop FAQ's - Tacoma Public Schools (tacomaschools.org)

The student's laptop is a vital learning tool and is for educational purposes only. Students are required to accept the following responsibilities: 

As a TPS student, I will:  

• Comply with TPS Acceptance and Liability guidelines and the Acceptable Use for Digital Resources policy and regulation 6973R 
• Use the equipment for educational purposes only.  
• Abide by district policies and federal/state laws, including copyright laws.  
• Use good behavior; using district technology for political, personal, or private gain, individual business, or commercial advantage is prohibited.   
• Use digital resources in a legal, moral, and ethical manner.  
• Not use digital resources for illegal purposes to harass, intimidate, or bully or to access or possess obscene pornographic or other inappropriate materials.    
• Never share or swap laptops with another student. Keep your password CONFIDENTIAL. 
• Not mark the laptop in any way with markers, stickers, etc. 
• Not remove Tacoma Public Schools labels or asset tags. 
• Not insert foreign objects into openings of the laptop. 
• Not eat or drink near the laptop. 
• Bring the laptop to school fully charged with power cords daily. 

If the laptop is stolen, lost, or vandalized, students must immediately report the incident to their school administrator. The Purchasing department will review all reports and determine a replacement cost. Using optional insurance may cover all or some of the replacement costs; however, you must purchase the insurance when you receive the laptop. 

On School Property: 

1.     Report the loss/theft to the main office/principal, who will follow District Loss Reporting Procedures.  

Off School Property:  

1.     File a police report.  

2.     Report the incident to your principal or school administrator. Provide a copy of the police report.  

Students may be required to pay a fee if their laptop is intentionally damaged, stolen, or lost. The cost is based on the age of the computer and the specific repairs required. 

Our school has a lost and found rack available during school hours throughout the year except during summer closure. It is located near the cafeteria. Parents are invited to claim their children’s lost articles at their convenience. A helpful reminder for parents is to see that their children’s possessions are labeled with name and phone number (i.e., sports equipment, lunches, and clothing) to ensure proper identification.  Unclaimed items will be donated each winter break & at the end of the school year.

Students may bring a lunch from home or purchase one from school. School breakfasts & lunches are free of charge currently in Tacoma Public Schools.

Tacoma Public Schools has implemented a new online payment system starting in the 2021-2022 school year.  All student charges (supply fees, field trips, fees, etc.) can be paid through your MySchool Bucks account.  You can access your MySchool Bucks account through COMPASS Family App.  You can also pay in the office with a check, credit card or exact cash.

If you plan on picking up your child during school, we request that you do the following: 
1.    Send a note with your child regarding the parent pick-up time. 
2.    During school hours, sign your child out in the office when you                 arrive at school. Office personnel will call your child out of class. 
3.    If you need to make changes to your child’s regular pick-up routine, please send a note to the teacher indicating the changes.

For the safety of all children, no child may be picked up from the playground during school hours. Students are not permitted to leave the school grounds during school hours without permission from the office. Again, the office personnel will retrieve your child for you during school hours. 

In cases of early dismissal, students will be called to the office once a guardian has signed out the student in the office.  The office staff will not call a child out of class for dismissal without guardian being present.

Messages received after 3:15 P.M. cannot be guaranteed to reach your child before dismissal time. Late calls, such as team practice changes or cancellations, cannot be assured of reaching the students. 
 

Members of the PTSA are parents or guardians of children who attend Sherman Elementary, teachers, students and interested community members. Our purpose is to benefit the students and the school. 

The PTSA provides volunteer help for the school, serves as liaison between the school, the parents, and the community, and raises funds to help provide beneficial materials or services to the students and/or school. 

Our elected officers run the PTSA. The president presides over the monthly meetings from September through June. The PTSA communicates with its membership through their Facebook page, webpage and bulletin board located in the main entry. 

Students are not allowed to sell, trade, or give personal items to other students.  Students are to leave all personal toys, electronics, and cell phones at home.  If your child brings personal property to school (e.g., cell phone, balls, toys, electronic devices, cards, etc.) he/she does so at his/her own risk. Cell phones, personal toys and electronics often get lost or broken. Due to student rights and responsibilities laws, Sherman personnel will not become involved in any disputes or searches regarding missing personal property.  Please leave toys, balls, and electronic devices at home.  If cell phones are brought to school, they are not to be used on school property or on school buses.  They will be taken away from students if they are seen at school.

If you provide for your child’s transportation, please keep in mind the intense traffic situation that often develops in the neighborhood before and after school. Parents are asked to meet their child behind the school by the covered play area.  Please do not block other vehicles or enter the bus loading area. Please drive slowly and safely on streets around our school.

Frequent and regular communication between parents and teachers leads to student success.  Please use your child’s teacher’s email or phone to stay in contact. Monday folders, class dojo media, classroom newsletters, and webpages contain information to keep you informed. The reporting process is one part of an effective communication system. We encourage an ongoing exchange of information between home and school.

The counselor consults with teachers, parents, administrators, and other professionals about resources, programs, and individual and family issues. Also, the counselor sees students individually, in small groups, or as a whole classroom. 

A certified school nurse is assigned to Sherman for 1-1/2 days per week. Otherwise, office staff or the Health Clerk will assist children who are ill or injured. During the school year all students are screened for vision and hearing. Also, 5th grade students are checked for scoliosis (curvature of the spine). After these screenings, parents are contacted if the results warrant further professional testing. Please see the “HEALTH” section for more health-related information. 

The Occupational Therapist (O.T.) is concerned with a child’s motor coordination skills and how these skills impact the child’s educational development within the classroom.  The role of the O.T. is to screen, evaluate, and provide occupational therapy services to those children who demonstrate a significant delay in sensory skills, including gross, fine and/or visual-perceptual motor skills.  Children must qualify for special education to receive O.T. services.  The O.T. is also a member of the Student Review Team. 

The primary function of the School Psychologist is to provide consultation and assessment services for students with learning difficulties, adjustment problems, or behavioral disorders.  Assessment results not only help determine program needs, but also yield valuable diagnostic (prescriptive) information about a child’s unique learning style.  Consultation services are provided to both parents and teachers regarding appropriate placement, curriculum modifications, and behavioral management strategies for the classroom and at home.  The School Psychologist is an appropriate contact person for parents who have concerns regarding their child’s school performance.

The Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP is concerned with a child’s communication skills and how these skills impact the child’s educational development within the classroom.  The role of the SLP is to screen, evaluate, and provide speech/language therapy to children, preschool through high school, who show disordered communication in articulation, language, voice or fluency areas.  In addition, the SLP consults with teachers and parents to help them provide for the child with communication differences and facilitate development of correct skills within the classroom and at home.

Sherman has one special education certified teacher who oversees the special education programs and Individual Education Program (IEP) plans for children qualified for special education services.  Some students are provided supplementary and alternative academic programs in the school’s Learning Assistance Program.

Since the demand on the school telephone is so great, we limit student calls. Generally, students may use the telephone only if there is some compelling reason to do so. We do not grant permission for students to make after-school arrangements. We ask that these be made at home prior to coming to school. 

We encourage parents to visit Sherman Elementary. Please arrange classroom visits with the teacher ahead of time.  All visitors are required to sign in at the office and obtain a visitor badge. 

Visitation by students who are not enrolled at Sherman can be disruptive in the classroom. If there is a compelling reason to visit, please contact the principal to see what arrangements may be made. 
 

Sherman Elementary welcomes all volunteers and hopes to expand our volunteer program in the future.  If you would like to volunteer, please contact your child’s teacher or the office secretary. Volunteers must fill out a district volunteer form and provide a legal form of identification each school year. All volunteers must complete a Washington State Background Review before volunteering in our school.  If you plan on volunteering for a field trip or in a classroom, be sure to turn in your Volunteer form a minimum of three weeks before the field trip to allow for processing time. It is vital to our students’ success that all parents and extended family members join us in helping our students reach and exceed learning standards and grade level benchmarks.  Know that you are a welcomed and valued member of our school.

Please visit our website at www.shermantigers.com, found on the TPS main webpage!   Essential information can also be found on the district website at www.tacoma.k12.wa.us.  You can also find school information on our Facebook page:  Sherman Elementary School.

If you will be withdrawing your child from Sherman to attend another school, we request five school days’ notice to prepare check out forms for you and your child.  Please contact us when you know you will be moving, we will prepare the necessary papers for you.  Please understand that it takes time to check in all materials and document academic levels of achievement.  Thank you for helping us make your transition to another school as positive as possible.

The school calendar can be found on the Tacoma Public Schools website at: 

Calendar - Tacoma Public Schools (tacomaschools.org)

All calendars subject to change

We frequently post pictures of activities on twitter (#shermanSTEAM), the school Facebook page (Sherman Elementary School) or the PTSA Facebook page (Sherman Tigers PTSA, Tacoma WA).  Please complete & return this form if you do NOT want your child’s picture included.