Student Handbook

I would like to welcome you to Wyandotte Elementary!

Wyandotte Elementary is committed to making your child's school experience positive, safe, and successful. Our staff is dedicated to helping each child reach his or her fullest potential. Wyandotte Elementary provides students with a creative and enriched learning environment. The curriculum reflects a commitment not only to educating children, but also to their total welfare and success in life.  

To support the Social and Emotional Growth of our students, Wyandotte Elementary School has a facility dog named Cash.  Cash is certified as a therapy dog and has been here at Wyandotte for 4 years.  We implement Cash manners and he has become a beloved member of our staff.  I encourage you to check out Cash's webpage.

Wyandotte Elementary celebrates its rich and diverse student population. We have over 500 students in grades K-5. In addition to their daily curriculum, students receive art, music, physical education, media (library), and computer lab each week. We offer Highly Able 2/3 and a 4/5 multi-age classrooms. Our school also utilizes an inclusion setting for students with special needs. Teachers incorporate many wonderful enrichment and reinforcement activities into their daily instruction to help students learn and master academic skills.

To find the up-to-date COVID guidelines please refer to the TSC home page.   

Again, welcome to Wyandotte Elementary School. We are so excited to meet our new kindergarten students, students who are new to our school, and to welcome back our returning students!  I encourage you to go to the website of your child's teacher and view his/her welcome video as well as mine.  Go Hawks!

Sincerely,
Ms. Mary Beth Fitzgerald
Principal

Wyandotte Elementary School

5865 East 50 South

Lafayette, IN 47905

(765)772-7000 telephone

(765)447-5463 fax

http://wye.tsc.k12.in.us

Office information

Kay Cohernour, School Secretary

Molly Howe and Julie Bushman, Office Clerks 

Ashley Gamble, School Nurse Sam Park, Health Assistant

Effective July 1, 2021, students and staff are not required to wear masks in school, masks are optional in school and on school grounds. The TSC recommends consultation with your family medical provider regarding your decision to wear a mask. Please be considerate of others' personal choices regarding face masks and face coverings. 

Wyandotte has purchased break away lanyards for each student.  Student ID badges will be attached to them and students can also attach their mask so that it does not get lost.

Students will need to bring a reusable water bottle with them daily. Please consider purchasing one with an attached straw or flip top.  Also, write your child’s name on the bottle for identification.  Teachers will have your child bring his/her water bottle home to be cleaned and returned the next school day.

At this time parents and volunteers will be allowed in our building. 

If you have pre-arranged, with the school office, to pick your child up during school hours then you will ring our doorbell and your child will be delivered to you outside the main entrance.

Student absences must be reported to the school office by 10:00 a.m. daily.  Call Wyandotte’s Office 765-772-7000 to report your child’s absence.

If your child has a medical appointment during school it is helpful to call the office to let us know you will be picking up your child.  While at the appointment, please obtain an excuse from the doctor to give to the school upon your child’s return.

If you have a change in your child’s dismissal arrangement call the school office before 3:00.  From 3:00 to 3:30 the office staff is very busy helping with bus and car rider pick up.  Please help us keep your child safe by calling before 3:00 pm! 

Attendance areas of districts are fixed by the school board. Students are assigned to the school district where they reside.

It is the policy of the Tippecanoe School Corporation that all students enrolled in its schools shall be in attendance during each regular school term.

Tippecanoe School Corporation’s attendance policy requires a student to be present 90% of the school days to qualify for promotion.

Indiana law mandates compulsory attendance as stated in Section 20-8.1-3-17

Indiana Code. Any student who demonstrates excessive absences or tardiness and is in violation of the stated school attendance policy will be referred to Truancy mediation. Truancy mediation will determine what court action is warranted.

Due to Covid guidelines students arriving late to school will ring the school's doorbell at the main entrance. Students should sign themselves in. No student is to leave school early unless officially excused and signed out at the office.

The TSC Homepage will usually have pop-up information about closings & delays, but you can access and receive official alerts and notifications from Wyandotte and Tippecanoe School Corporation by using the TSC2GO App.

Directions for the app can be found HERE

Please do not call the school to give your child a message unless it is an emergency. Effective schools have a lower number of interruptions during instructional time.

There will be NO Bus passes. If you have any questions please call the office. 

You can get bus information using the HERE COMES THE BUS app.

Students who are being transported to school by parents may NOT arrive before 8:45 a.m. School begins at 8:50 a.m. and students arriving after 9:00 a.m. will be considered tardy and should be signed in at the office. Dismissal is at 3:25 p.m. for car riders. Parents should wait in the car rider line for their student. Bus riders will be dismissed at 3:30.

Car Rider Arrival

• Doors will remain locked until 8:45 a.m.

• All students will enter their respective doors at 8:50 a.m. and will go directly to their classrooms. 

• NEW Car Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

In order to ensure that all of our Wyandotte students are safe and socially distanced, the new guidelines must be followed.  When you enter our driveway there are two lanes.  KDG-2nd grade cars will be on the left lane of the driveway.  Grades 3-5 cars will be on the right lane of the driveway.  If you have multiple students in multiple grades, you will follow the KDG-2nd grade  line first, and then you will merge into the Grades 3-5 lane.  Cars that have only students in grades 3-5 will continue on the right lane of the driveway to door 15.  We request NO parents get out of their car while in the car rider line.  Students will wear a mask as they exit the vehicle and enter the school. (diagram below).

It is important that car duty helpers be at their doors by 8:45.  We expect a lot of car riders and need your help.

Afternoon Dismissal

Parent Car-rider Pickup

• No parent enters the school building and all doors are locked.

• K-2 Parents will wait in cars in line until 3:20 at Door 3.  (area is marked)

• 3-5 Parents will wait in their cars until 3:20 at Door 14. 3-5 grade car riders will go to the gym to wait for their ride. (if they have a k-2 student they will pick up that child first and proceed to Door 15 to retrieve their older child.)  

• Both Car Rider Pick Up and Wonderful Weekdays Daycare (WWD) students will be dismissed at 3:20.

• Wonderful Weekday students will report to the cafeteria.

• K-2 grade students will go to Primary Pod for dismissal. They go out Door 2 and 3.   3-5 grades students will report to the gym and social distance to wait for the parent.  They will be guided out Door 14 by an adult.

• We again will use Google sheet to notify if a parent changes transportation.

• Plan to clean up for the day  at 3:10 (clearing desktops, floors, chairs, etc.) so that dismissal can occur at 3:20.

• Parents will not enter the building. Parents will not leave their vehicle.

• Staff will be present to adequately supervise this process. 

Be patient and think SAFETY first!

The HawkTalk newsletter is emailed monthly from the school office to our families.  This communication contains important information about the school, calendar of upcoming school events, holidays, and activities.  It is also available on the Wyandotte Elementary School website under "About Us"-->Newsletters.

Parents may send in pre-packaged, individually wrapped treats.

Currently: For the 2021-22 school year Breakfast and Lunch is free to all TSC students.

We prefer lunch and breakfast payments to be made weekly or monthly. Money may be deposited into a student’s account on-line www.myschoolbucks.com with a credit card or by sending a check or cash to school in an envelope labeled with the student’s name

It is the practice of TSC to allow a maximum of 3 charged meals before an alternative meal is given to a student. Elementary school students will be allowed to charge $5.70 until their balance is made current.  In the event that a student’s lunch account has not been made current after 3 charges, a courtesy lunch consisting of a cheese sandwich and a carton of white milk will be provided.

Students who bring their lunch to school will be permitted to buy milk upon entry into the cafeteria. Students should not bring soft drinks to school.

No fast food or soda is permitted.  Wyandotte defines fast food as any food ordered and carried out of a restaurant. Thank you for helping us create a healthy  and active learning environment for your child!

Student hot lunch $1.90

Student Breakfast $1.15

Student hot lunch weekly $9.50

Student Breakfast weekly $5.75

Student hot lunch monthly $38.00

Student Breakfast monthly $23.00

Reduced hot Reduced lunch $0.40

Reduced Breakfast $0.30

Reduced hot lunch weekly $2.00

Reduced breakfast weekly $1.50

Reduced hot lunch monthly $24.00

Reduced breakfast monthly $6.00

Adult hot lunch $2.70

Milk a la carte $0.50

Child guest lunch $2.10

Fire, tornado, and security drills will be held periodically to familiarize each student with a safe and efficient exit or place of security. Every student must cooperate fully by moving quickly and quietly to ensure the safety of all students. Fire drills occur once a month, tornado drills occur twice a semester and security drills occur once a semester.

The Tippecanoe School Corporation is against bullying. Please refer to the Student “Rights and Responsibilities” pamphlet available at each school.

*At this time all students will wear a mask per Federal Transportation Guidelines.  Bus Drivers will have a few masks for students that forget their mask at home.

1.  No Bus Passes at this time due to Covid-19 safety procedures.

2.  Students should do the following:

a. Arrive at pick-up point before the bus arrives.  There is no recognized waiting time for the bus. Students should inform drivers if they do not intend to ride the bus on a given day.

b. Wait their turn to load and unload, and do not push or shove.

c. Be seated promptly, and avoid blocking the aisle. No one is permitted to save seats. Assigned seats are to be occupied each day.

d. Obtain permission from drivers to open and close the window.

e. Refrain from using loud, boisterous language.

f. Make other arrangements for transportation of animals, glass materials, or objects which obstruct the aisles, doors, or the view of the bus driver.  Objects which may be held in a student’s lap, below the seat without visual obstruction to the driver or under the seat may be transported.  Items which prove potentially hazardous or dangerous to other students or the driver may be eliminated from the bus at the discretion of the driver.

g. Remain seated until the bus has come to a full stop.

 Parents and students are reminded that school bus transportation is a privilege. Failure to comply with the rules and regulations established the TSC transportation department may result in the loss of this privilege.

Students absent from school are responsible for all work and information missed in each class. Upon returning to school on the first day after an absence, it is the student’s responsibility to seek make-up work from the teacher. Generally, students have one or two days to submit all make-up work as required by the teacher. However, the teacher is permitted to arrange a longer period of time if he/she deems it necessary. Make-up work not completed and unsatisfactorily submitted to the teacher may result in an unsatisfactory grade.

The state of Indiana requires that no student can begin school without a current immunization on file.

Student Medication:

1. All prescription and over-the counter (OTC) medication (FDA approved) must be kept in the school health office.

2. Written instructions from the parent/guardian are required for all

prescription and OTC medication.

3.  Prescription and OTC medication must be in the original container affixed with a current pharmacy or package label.

4.  Medication ordered three times a day or less should be given before and after school or at bedtime.

5. As directed in IC 20-8.1-722, no medication of any type may be sent home with student in grades K-8.

 Vision and Hearing screenings are done periodically throughout the year.

Questions regarding any of these health matters should be directed to your school nurse.

Student with vomiting, diarrhea, undiagnosed skin rashes, eye infections, or fever over 100 degree should not attend school.  Students should not return to school until symptoms have resolved, or they are fever free for 24 hours.  Students being treated with antibiotic medications should receive the medication for 24 hours before returning to school.  Student will be sent home from school with temperatures over 100 degrees, and may be excluded from school with vomiting, diarrhea, skin rashes, eye infections or other symptoms of illness.

Our policy on appearance and dress has been adopted with the main interest of creating a positive learning atmosphere and wholesome attitude for each individual and the school as a whole. School is preparation for adult life and life’s work. Our policy is designed to form proper appearance and dress habits for one’s future, as well as creating a daily positive attitude.

If a manner of dress, grooming and/or appearance disrupts the normal educational process or presents a physical hazard, school administrators shall take necessary action to correct the situation.

There shall be adequate coverage of the body. No muscle shirts, tank tops, spaghetti-strap tops, spandex shorts, or bare midriffs are permitted. Dresses, skirts or shorts must be fingertip length or no less than three inches above the knee. Clothing items (or wording or pictures upon same) which, in the opinion of the principal or designee, tend to disrupt the educational atmosphere are not permitted. No hats or hoods may be worn in the school building unless a part of “Spirit Days”.

No flip flops or baggy hooded sweat shirts can be worn in school.

Plagiarism, as defined by the Random House Dictionary, is “to steal (the language, ideas, or thoughts) from (another) representing them as one’s own original work.”  Intentional or not, when a student fails to acknowledge the source of words and ideas that are not his or her own, the result is plagiarism, that is, theft. Penalties-Elementary School-While no official penalties exist for plagiarism offenses, it is expected that classroom teachers would use such occasions as education opportunities for all students. Time should be devoted to discussion and explanation of plagiarism.

A student will not be subject to seclusion or restraint unless the student’s behavior poses an imminent risk of injury to the student or others.  As soon as possible after any use of seclusion or restraint, the student’s parent or guardian will be informed and provided with a detailed account of the incident, including the circumstances that led to the use of seclusion and restraint.

Students should not bring valuables, large sums of money, or expensive technology/toys to school. If it is necessary to bring such items, make arrangements with a teacher for safekeeping. Do not leave money or valuables in the classroom.

*Students are not permitted to have cell phones, smart watches, or personal electronics in their possession during instructional hours. All cell phones and personal electronics need to be placed, and kept, in the student's backpack.

Devices are subject to confiscation by school personnel and returned to the student or the parent at the end of the school day.

TSC is highly supportive of educational opportunities that athletics, performing arts, and other academic-related programs contribute toward accomplishing the stated mission of the school district. These activities assist students to develop confidence, competence, and the ability to deal with success and adversity. We acknowledge the need for reasonable limitations to the time and resources that the school district devotes to such pursuits. As the elected representatives for our school patrons, we endorse the following principles:

1.  Successful completion of the approved course of study is a primary objective for each TSC student.

2. We will not compromise our integrity to gain a competitive advantage.

3. We will follow the rules and guidelines of the Indiana High School Athletic Association and the Indiana Division of Student Activities. Proposed participation in activities not endorsed by either of these organizations will be given great scrutiny.

4. We will attempt to be a supportive partner to those non-exclusionary community organizations that provide meaningful educational opportunities to our resident students. First priority for use of school district resources and facilities will be given to school sponsored programs.

5.  The school Corporation will not promote student activities sponsored by “for profit” groups.

6.  CO-Curricular programs will focus on providing a well-rounded and cultural experience rather than inter-school competition.

7.  High school sports teams are competitive by nature. Selection of student participants is a subjective process. Final selection and assignment of team members are the purview of the coach.

8.  Interschool athletic competition will begin at grade seven.

9. Academic expectations, student enrollment numbers, and available staff and other resources limit the number of athletic and other activity programs TSC can reasonably sponsor.

10.  The school district will, whenever possible, employ faculty members to serve as sponsors and coaches.

11.  Participation in any extracurricular activity is a privilege. Staff members, students and parents are expected to demonstrate exemplary behavior.