Safety and Health
WALTER HAYS STUDENT COMMITMENTS
Parents: At Walter Hays, we are committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive and supportive community. We also work to ensure the safety and security of our students. The Walter Hays staff would like students to understand and be responsible for the following commitments. As appropriate, please discuss these with your children:
Commitments to the School
A. Keep your dogs off campus before, during and after school.
B. Know the out-of-bounds areas. Do not go there (except when it is required, or by special permission from your teacher).
- Parking lot
- Bicycle rack area
- Behind the Multipurpose Room and portables
- Rinconada Park
- Middlefield side of the buildings
- Library and classrooms during recess and lunch
- Lunch tables once lunch is over
C. Eat snacks in the lunch area - not on the playground.
D. Be safe. Don't do anything that will endanger you or others.
E. Never leave the school grounds during school without special clearance from the office.
F. Practice your character education traits:
- Self Discipline-Self Control
- Honesty
- Integrity
- Fairness
- Empathy
- Caring
- Respect
- Responsibility
G. Remember that this school (buildings, desks, books, equipment, play areas) belongs to the people of Palo Alto. It is your privilege to use school property. You are responsible to help care for it.
H. Do not wait for friends or play on the school grounds after school without parent supervision. Students should go home at dismissal.
Playground Commitments
A. Be safe in all games. Tackle games (including football) are not allowed. No karate or boxing.
B. Running is allowed on the grass and on the blacktop, not around the play structures.
C. Carrying others around (including piggy backs) is not allowed.
D. Jump ropes are for jumping only.
E. Toys, balls, and trading cards must be left at home unless special arrangements are made with the teacher or principal.
F. Play only within the playground area, marked by blue lines. Students are not allowed behind the portables or behind the earthquake bin. Always stay a "hula hoop" distance from all fences.
G. Playing in the bathrooms is not allowed.
H. Only kindergartners may play in the kindergarten play yard during morning and lunch recess.
I. Be inclusive. Do not exclude others by playing lock-out games.
J. Don't save places for friends (especially in handball and kickball).
K. Take good care of the play equipment you are privileged to use.
L. Return immediately to class when recess is over.
M. Remember the Walter Hays Solution for Conflict Resolution:
- Cool Off - Take time to cool off
- Talk - Share how you felt
- Listen - Learn how the other child felt
- Brainstorm - Think of ways to solve the problem
- Agree - Choose an idea you both like best
Solve as many problems as you can among yourselves using conflict resolution strategies. Seek help from an adult when you cannot solve the problem.
Lunchtime Commitments
A. Walk to the lunch line and to the tables.
B. Clean up your lunch place. Throw away your trash. Recycle.
C. Be seated during lunch. Walk to playground when you're dismissed.
D. Take your turn cleaning tables and the lunch area near your room.
E. Avoid negative behavior at lunch (shouting, throwing paper or food, standing on tables).
F. Do what you can to cut down on food waste.
SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Playground Supervision: is provided after 8:10 a.m.
Adult Traffic Patrol Guards: begin supervision at 8:15 guiding students at the Middlefield & Embarcadero and Newell & Embarcadero intersections.
Because accidents involving motor vehicles and child pedestrians are the leading cause of death for children aged 5-12 in California, we ask everyone to help us prevent traffic accidents involving children near Walter Hays School. Parents can help by keeping the safety of all children in mind when planning their child's route to and from school. Traffic congestion in the parking lot and neighborhood streets can be alleviated if everyone who can walk, bike, roller blade, carpool or take the bus to school, does so whenever possible. If children must be driven, avoid congestion by arriving a few minutes early, and use the Junior Museum parking lot (located right next door to Walter Hays) if you need to park your car. If you're running late, please don't try to make up time in the school area.
Whatever route you choose, help safeguard your children by teaching them the basics of traffic safety and accompanying them until you are confident that they can negotiate the route safely alone. Remember that your actions as a pedestrian, cyclist, or driver speak louder than any formal instruction in traffic safety ever can!
Students in the 3rd grade and above may ride bikes, unaccompanied, to school. All 3rd graders will receive basic bike safety training in the fall. Following basic traffic rules (e.g. stopping at stop signs, riding on the right, not darting out of driveways) will prevent most bicycle accidents for young riders. We urge parents to determine that their children are competent riders who follow the rules of the road before permitting them to ride unaccompanied to school, regardless of age. For safety's sake, bicycles must be walked on school grounds and in crosswalks. Bikes should be locked to the racks. Invest in a strong lock (we recommend a kryptonite type), to guard against lock cutting devices.
All cyclists under the age of 18 are required by state law to wear protective helmets. Bike licenses are required for all bikes ridden on Palo Alto streets, and are available from city fire stations from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. daily.
The school is not responsible for theft, damaged or vandalized personal property.
The Walter Hays parking was, unfortunately, not designed to accommodate our current enrollment. In fact, it can only handle about 8 vehicles loading & unloading at a time. To maintain a safe environment, all parents must adhere to the following rules:
1. Parking along the red loading & unloading curb between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. daily, 2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. daily except Wednesday, and 1:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday for any reason is prohibited and is a ticketable offense. During these hours, this area is for loading & unloading children only. Violators jeopardize student safety. Traffic must be able to flow steadily through the lot area to avoid back-ups that block Middlefield Road.
2. Do not form a double line of cars in the "Keep Clear" lane. Children must not walk between idling or creeping vehicles to reach the curb.
3. If red "loading & unloading" curb space is occupied by vehicles, exit lot cautiously in the "keep clear" lane and loop around until curb space becomes less congested.
4. On rainy days, the parking lot is particularly congested. Please be patient and allow a lot of extra time. Please arrange for another meeting place if at all possible.
5. Pull all the way over to the red loading & unloading zone curb before allowing your child to get out of the car.
6. Load and unload on the right side of the car only.
7. If you park in one of the unmarked spaces near the exit side of the lot, make sure your child uses the pathway around the perimeter of the lot to get to or from your car. Walking across the lot is unsafe.
8. Should you wish to accompany your child to school, park in the Junior Museum lot or along Hopkins Avenue (bordering Rinconada Park).
9. When exiting the lot, observe the "no left turn between 7 a.m.- 4 p.m." sign, to avoid backups. Violation of this is a ticketable offense.
10. Areas of the parking lot marked "bus zone", "staff", "handicapped" are to be used for those purposes only
VOLUNTEER AND VISITOR SIGN-IN & SIGN-OUT
Between 8:25 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. (8:25 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday), all school volunteers and visitors sign in at the office when they arrive at Hays and wear a Walter Hays Visitor Badge while on campus. Visitors and volunteers should sign out and return their visitor badge when leaving. Parents and caregivers who are dropping off and picking up students do not need to follow this procedure during 10 minutes before and after drop off & pick-up.
In the event of an emergency, Walter Hays staff will follow Palo Alto Unified School District procedures. Each classroom is equipped with a red Backpack containing a class roster, and a disaster release tag for each child. In addition, the backpack contains basic first aid and emergency materials.
In addition, we have a site emergency supply kit that contains water, food, extensive first aid supplies, splints, blankets, cold packs, flashlights, tarps, and other important emergency supplies. We are prepared to care for the children until you or your designee can come to the campus.
Please note that in the event of an emergency your child will only be released to you or to the person or persons you have indicated on your yellow disaster tag. Please be sure to keep this information current.
Check-out Procedure:
1. Report to the Command Center to complete a Release Request slip for your child and for other children for whom you are responsible.
2. School staff will bring your child to the Command Center.
We ask for your cooperation with this procedure so that we can keep track of our students' whereabouts at all times.
Health services are provided in Palo Alto to protect the health and safety of pupils and to identify health problems that may inhibit a child's activities and ability to learn. If a pupil is to be exempted from these services, his or her parent must file an exemption card annually. School personnel are required by State Law to notify parents when pupils are suspected of having health problems.
Student Emergency Card: This form instructs school personnel as to emergency action and identifies the health needs of your child. The physical condition of your child has a direct effect upon his or her ability to learn, upon achievements in school, and upon social adjustment. Early identification and treatment of a child's health problems enable him or her to function at the highest level of ability. Please make the school office aware of any changes on your child's emergency form during the school year.
Hearing and Vision Testing: Hearing and vision testing is given at the time of enrollment and every three years thereafter through grade 8. A color vision test is given to boys in grade 4 and in grades 5 through 8 for those boys not previously tested. Parents should understand that the testing program is a screening process only and does not rule out the possible existence of certain vision problems best diagnosed by a physician.
Lice Check: With the help of PTA volunteers, a lice check will be completed three times each year on all students. To avoid exposing other students further, students with head lice must be sent home immediately for treatment. PAUSD has a no nit policy, and children can’t be re-admitted until a further inspection at school confirms that there are no nits remaining in the hair. In the event of a lice outbreak, please be sure to check your child regularly. The front office can provide you with information on how to treat lice.
Immunizations: Immunizations against poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus, measles, rubella, mumps and whooping cough are mandatory for school enrollment in any grade unless contrary to the family's religious or personal beliefs. New students transferring into PAUSD and all first graders are required to have a full physical examination and return a completed School Health Report. Immunization information may be obtained from the Santa Clara County Public Health Department (450) 299-6850. A California School Immunization Record becomes a part of the student's permanent record.
First Aid: School personnel are not permitted to render more than immediate first aid. Except in extreme emergencies, parents are contacted before a physician is called. Parents are advised that there is no school nurse on duty at Walter Hays. In case of sudden illness at school, a child will be kept at the school office only until he can be released to the care of a parent or other adult designated on the student's Emergency Card. It is urgent that this card be completed, returned to school on the first day of school, or before school starts if possible, and kept current for the school's use in case of sudden illness or injury to the child. Please make the school office aware of any changes on your child's emergency form during the school year.
Contagious Illnesses: Please keep your child home during the first few days of a cold or similar illness to avoid spreading it. If you discover that your child has a contagious illness or condition (like chicken pox, pink eye, head lice, giardia, pinworms, strep throat), notify the school office so that his or her teacher, and parents of classmates may be informed. Your child must be free of fever for 24 hours before returning to school.
Medications: If a child is recovering from an illness and is taking medication at school, that medication (including aspirin) must be kept in the office. School personnel are not allowed by state law to dispense medications, except under direct written orders from the physician. This also applies to medication for asthma, bee stings, etc. which may be needed only in case of emergency. For long-term medication to be dispensed at school, a specific form is available in the office and must be filled out and signed by both parent and doctor.