2026-2027 Student Handbook

Student Attendance

Absences must be reported on the school’s attendance line 720-972-3947, even if the student’s teacher(s) have been informed of the absence. The school’s attendance line may be called at any time to report an absence or tardy. Attendance is taken at the beginning of each class period.

District Policy 5020 provides specific guidelines regarding student attendance. 

Early Departure/Late Arrival

Students who must leave school during regular school hours must be signed out through the office by a parent or legal guardian. A student may not be dismissed from their classroom until someone has signed the student out. Students cannot be released to leave school alone. Students are involved in instruction until the end of the school day.

We request that you do not pick your students up early unless it is extremely necessary. Students who arrive late to school must check in at the office. If the student arrives after 7:50 a.m., a parent/guardian must sign them in at the front desk. Leaving the school early is considered "tardy" if it is 59 minutes or less. Anything over 1 hour is considered a "partial absence".

The Before and After School Enrichment (BASE) program serves elementary students beginning at 5 years of age.  The BASE Program is an extracurricular, optional, fee-based program. Space is limited and BASE Programs frequently have a list of families waiting for an opportunity to enroll in BASE. Capacities are in place due to space availability and staff to student ratios.

Students in the BASE Program engage in a wide variety of activities and choices providing students with opportunities to create, learn and grow through arts, physical activity and academic enrichment activities during out of school time.  All BASE activities allow students opportunities critical to their social-emotional development.  

For more information about Silver Creek Elementary's BASE program, please contact the BASE Site Director at 720-972-3986.

Find more information about our district BASE Programs

Students riding a bike or scooter to school must take it directly to the specified bike rack area and leave it there until the student is ready to return home.

For safety reasons, students are not permitted to ride their bike/scooter on school grounds. They must walk their bike/scooter to the designated bike rack area once they arrive at school.

A lock is required to be used to secure bikes and scooters to the bike rack. Bicycles and scooters will not be guarded by the school at any time, so it is the student’s responsibility to lock the bike/scooter up safely.

Birthday Treats

In support of the district’s policy on school wellness, we strive to help our students make healthy lifestyle choices. Simple steps can help children continue making healthier choices as adults. In addition to healthier lunch choices and increased physical activity during our school day, we have implemented a “non-food birthday treats” protocol. Classroom teachers will share their non-food birthday celebration information with parents. We appreciate your support in this matter.

Birthday Invitations

We understand that school is the easiest place to distribute birthday invitations; however, doing so can cause many hurt feelings which disrupt the learning environment. Please have students pass out any party invitations after school is dismissed.

There are certain basic rules that students will be expected to follow when they are in the cafeteria. 

• All food (breakfast and lunch) must be eaten in the cafeteria unless otherwise approved. 
• Breakfast and lunch are free for all students.  
• Good table manners and courtesy to others must be practiced by all.  The following expectations will be the foundation for all students in the cafeteria:
   

Respectful Behaviors:

• Use good manners
• Talk quietly

Safe Behaviors:

• Sit appropriately
• Be calm and in control
• Eat your own food

Responsible Behaviors:

• Raise your hand to be dismissed
• Clean up after yourself Use time wisely

• After you have finished eating, paras will dismiss students by table.

• Should a student cause a disturbance in the cafeteria, the student may be asked to move tables, have a restorative conversation with a para and/or have a meeting with administration.
• Constant misconduct may result in loss of the privilege of using the cafeteria.

The district’s policy on student cell phones and other personal technology devices (PTDs) is as follows:

• PTDs must be in the “off” or “silent” position and stored in your backpack or checked in with your classroom teacher.
• Students with an IEP/504 plan/health care plan are permitted to have access to their cell phone or other PTD in accordance with their plan.
• Student found with active electronic devices in their possession may have the item picked up by a staff member and possibly sent to the front office for parent pick-up. 
• Apple Watches or other similar watches are permitted for students as a time keeping device only. If an Apple Watch or other similar devices is being used by a student for a purpose other than time keeping, the watch will be collected by the teacher and kept until the end of the day. For chronic abusers, the device will be turned into administration and contact will be made for a parent to pick up the item from the front office. 
• Parents/Guardians needing to communicate with a student should call the main office at 720-972-3940. Students not feeling well should report to the health office and call parents if needed from the health office and NOT from a personal device. 

District Policy 5030 defines the term “Personal Technology Devices” to include any privately-owned portable technology device, including but not limited to cell phones and wearable technology such as smart watches, smart glasses, wireless earbuds, and wireless headphones.

The school is not responsible for any lost, stolen or destroyed PTDs on school property or at a school-sponsored activity away from campus. School administration, teachers, or staff will not investigate incidents.

Students who violate the district’s policy on student use of cell phones and other personal technology devices may be disciplined in accordance with District Policy.

Connect with your school and teachers.

The Oliver Outlook will be sent by email every Monday to remind parents of important information, dates and events. Please make sure to keep your email address updated through Infinite Campus so you receive these important messages. We try to send all communication home in Friday Folders each week, but on occasion, it may be necessary to send home other notes and memos. Please check with your child each day to see if there are any additional notes that came home that day.  You will also find information on our social media platforms. All of our social media is used to “celebrate and communicate”.

Twitter

Facebook

Students will not be allowed to use the office phone to make after school social arrangements. Students will be allowed to use the phone only in the following situations: 

● When requested by their teacher 

● When requested by an administrator 

● When requested by the health aide, nurse or office staff 

School office staff will only deliver emergency messages to students. Please assist us by making arrangements for after school pick-up and daycare prior to your child leaving for school in the morning. Response to parent phone calls/emails will be made within one business day.

Communication with your student’s teacher

Although teachers have telephones located in their classrooms, they have been directed to keep their ringers turned off during instructional time. If you want to reach your child’s teacher, you may do the following:

• Call the classroom teacher and leave a voicemail. Teachers have been asked to check voicemail before and after school, and over their lunch break.
• You may call the office, and they will deliver messages to your student’s teacher at the end of the day.
• You may call the classroom teacher before or after school.

You may also reach your student’s teacher via email. Your student’s teacher will provide you with the teacher’s email address, and you may email them at your convenience. You may expect to hear back from them within one business day.

The free Adams 12 Five Star Schools mobile app makes it easier than ever to stay connected with your school community. Get the latest school and district news, event updates, student highlights, and important alerts—all in one place. Learn more.

Download the app:

Field trips to nearby points of interest may be scheduled by various classroom teachers throughout the school year. These trips are designed to supplement different aspects of the classroom curriculum and to introduce students to resources within the community. Parents will receive notice of scheduled field trips well in advance.

Parents must sign a permission form for all field trips. Students without a signed permission slip will not be allowed to accompany their class on the field trip. Teachers will select volunteers as chaperones on an equitable basis, dispersing the opportunity among as many parents as possible.  

If a parent is not selected for this particular field trip they are asked to NOT show up at the field trip venue.  This is very disruptive to the educational nature of the field trip and creates confusion for the teacher and students.  Volunteers are responsible for the safety of all children assigned to their group and are responsible for making sure all students get their snacks, drinks and lunches on the field trip.  

Only registered Silver Creek students, in that particular grade level, will be allowed to attend the field trip.  All students attending the field trip will be dismissed from school grounds and will not be allowed to leave from the field trip location unless arrangements have been made with the administrator and teacher prior to the day of the field trip.  All participants must be back to the bus at the designated time so that buses can return on schedule.  Younger siblings may not attend with a parent who is supervising a group of children from the school. 

 Parents are expected to follow the Safe Schools Policy for dress when serving as a representative of the school on a field trip.  Parent volunteers are expected to follow the district’s Tobacco, Nicotine and Controlled Substance Delivery Mechanisms (code: 5045) and Tobacco Policy (code: 5050) which states that tobacco products and delivery devices are prohibited at any school-sponsored event or activity.  

This policy applies to all students, employees, and members of the public.  All parents must be checked in through the Raptor System prior to the field trip.

Free and Reduced Benefits help families and their schools.

Here's How:

• Boosts School Funding: Schools receive additional funding from the state to enhance the educational experience for all students. Your child's school can receive more than $1,100 per qualifying student, directly enhancing the educational experience for all.

• Reduces School Fees: Families can receive 50% off select fees or not have to pay them at all. These include athletic fees, course fees, and activity and field trip fees tied to the curriculum. See the Fees Schedule
• Supports High Schoolers: High school students can receive discounts and/or tuition-relief when preparing for their future; which may include course fees, post-graduation planning, scholarships, state and national testing (including SAT, ACT, AP and IB), and post-secondary enrollment.

• Access to Community Resources: Families can qualify for additional resources, such as medical, food and cash assistance, and discounted services like internet

Families must reapply for free and reduced benefits every new school year.

Learn more & apply today!

Indoor recess will be called if:

• snow, rain or sleet is falling
• temperature with the wind chill is 20 degrees or less
• playground conditions are poor (mud, snow or standing water)

Students must be prepared for all types of weather. They should bring warm coats, gloves or mittens, hats, weatherproof footwear and an extra pair of shoes for PE.

If your child misplaces an item, we encourage you to look in the lost and found by the cafeteria. Often it is difficult to identify what they have lost. Please label coats, jackets, mittens, etc.

Remaining articles are donated to a local charity several times a year.

We highly discourage students from bringing valuables and toys to school. Items having value for one individual usually have an attractive appeal for others and unfortunately sometimes disappear. The school cannot be responsible for these items. Teachers may have a special celebration which allows students to bring in a favorite game, stuffed animal, etc. but please remember, at no time is it appropriate for students to bring toy guns, toy knives, or toy weapons of any kind.

All students enrolled in Adams 12 Five Star Schools can receive a FREE breakfast and lunch. Additional items such as snacks, beverages, and extra servings of our healthy entrée and side items are available for purchase a la carte.

Access menus and/or add funds for a la carte items:

SchoolCafe Family Hub

For more information about dietary needs, wellness policy and more, visit Nutrition Services.

In an effort to keep our school feeling safe for all students and families and in accordance with District Policy 1220, only service animals and therapy dogs are permitted on school property. District policy requires prior authorization from the principal to have a therapy dog on school property. We ask that all other pets remain off school grounds during school hours. We appreciate your cooperation with this request.

Students will be provided opportunities to engage in physical education (P.E.) classes. If a student is unable to participate in P.E., the student must present to the principal or principal’s designee a statement from a licensed health care practitioner stating the reason for the student’s inability to participate. A licensed health care practitioner means a physician (MD, DO), nurse practitioner or physician assistant who has prescriptive authority and is licensed to practice in Colorado.

Your child’s progress will be reported at individual parent conferences at least twice a year. Report cards can be found via the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.

Restorative Practices is a philosophical practice, not a curriculum or program.  It is rooted in the belief that wrongdoing is best addressed through collectively identifying the harm done by one’s actions and taking steps to repair that harm.  Restorative Practices focuses on the 5R’s: relationship, respect, responsibility, repair and reintegration.  Restorative Practices, unlike traditional discipline models, focus on giving both victims and offenders a voice, identify motivation and impact of action, teach alternative behaviors, repair damage done, and build empathy in an authentic way.  

Students and staff will engage in community building through restorative dialogue and proactive circles in the classroom setting.  Students and staff will also participate in responsive circles or formal conferences if there are conflicts or harm that needs to be repaired. 

Restorative Practice has been developed with one specific goal in mind; to support and facilitate the building of healthy relationships through improved communication and personal development.  When individuals have positive relationships with others, there is abundant personal growth, capacity for character building and a high level of achievement in all areas of life.

Our hope is that you will join your child/children in becoming familiar with restorative practices and what it has to offer as we strive to build a stronger and more inclusive school community.

In our ongoing efforts to provide the safest and most secure environment for our students, an additional security measure has been installed, which requires the following safety measures.

• ALL exterior doors will be locked at all times.
• Please do not open the door or hold the door open for others.
• In order to enter the building, you will need to press the button located [describe location of button for school entry].
• An office member will release the doors, allowing access to the building.
• Once entering the building, ALL visitors must check in at the office, show ID, and obtain a visitor pass.
• If you would like to wait with your child before school or wait for your child after school, you will need to wait outside.
• Your child’s safety is of utmost importance to us. It is imperative that students are dropped off no earlier than 7:35 a.m. and picked up at 2:35 p.m.  Adult supervision is only available 10 minutes before and after these times. 

Student Safety- Please help us keep students safe: 

• Remind your child to use sidewalks and crosswalks. 

• Drop off and pick up of students is along the curb only, so they don’t have to cross traffic other than at the crosswalk. Hug and Go lanes are located on the west side of the school. 

• Avoid picking up or dropping off students in the parking lots. 

• Avoid parking within 15 feet of school crosswalks. 

• Parents should encourage children to adhere to all safety rules established for pedestrians. This emphasis on safety is also a concern of the school’s staff, and is an important part of the instructional program. 

• Students are expected to go directly to and from school. They are to respect the rights and property of all people in the neighborhood.

Parking Lot, Hug and Go and Bus Lane Reminders

Do not stop in the middle of the street to drop off or pick up students.

Morning drop-off procedure:

Hug and Go lane entry in the front of the school:

1. Once in the Hug and Go lane, vehicles should continue to pull all the way forward and then let the student out of the vehicle.
2. Vehicles entering the parking lot must stay in the designated lane and proceed forward as far as possible.
3. Once vehicles have pulled all the way forward, students should exit the vehicle on the passenger side and approach the main entrance to the building. Vehicles should not stop where it is most convenient for the parent or student. PULL ALL THE WAY FORWARD.
4. The Hug and Go lane is not designated for parking or idling and parents should NOT exit the vehicle for any reason.
5. Additional cars will be allowed into the Hug and Go lane as space becomes available.
6. Vehicles leaving the parking lot will not be allowed to turn left onto Fillmore Street. Vehicles will turn right and enter The Haven subdivision as they exit the school parking lot.
7. School doors open at 7:40 am and you are welcome to drop off your student at that time. It is highly recommended that you allow enough time to navigate the traffic so your child is on time to school. Students must be in classrooms by 7:50 a.m.
8. Continue to listen to the volunteer crossing guards. They are keeping our students safe!

Bus Lane Entry:

Bus lane entry in the bus lane of the school in the morning only:

1. Vehicles using 152nd Avenue to approach the school will enter the bus lane AFTER the buses have left the lane.
2. Vehicles will enter the bus lane, go all the way forward and turn around, then let the student out once the vehicle is as far forward as possible.
3. No passing cars during drop off. Cars should remain in a single file line.
4. Vehicles using the bus lane still exit LEFT out of the bus lane.
5. No vehicles will be allowed to turn right of the bus lane.
6. Student using the bus lane will enter the building through the 1st grade flex area or cafeteria doors.

Afternoon pick-up procedures:

1. Arrange for a meeting place with your student(s) before your student leaves for school in the morning.
2. Continue to listen to the volunteer crossing guards. They are keeping our students safe!

The parking lot will be closed each day after school from 2:35 to 2:45 pm. Any cars in the parking lot will not be allowed to exit until after 2:45 pm.

District Policy 1200 requires that all parents and visitors must present a drivers license/I.D. at the front desk and sign in at the office upon entering the building. Your license will be scanned through our Raptor system and a visitor’s badge/sticker will be provided. You will be asked to wear a visitor’s badge/sticker at all times.

Parents wishing to see staff members are asked to make arrangements with the teacher ahead of time. Parents should not interrupt instruction or expect to drop in before and/or after school to ask about their child’s individual progress. Instead, please respect their time and make an appointment with your child’s teacher. We ask that when you enter the school you use the guidelines outlined in the safe school policy section of your handbook. When entering the school please turn off all cell phones and do not use inappropriate language for an elementary school setting. We want to give your child the best possible education by ensuring that all who do business with the school respect the integrity of the school instructional day.

Parents wishing to meet personally with a building administrator should call the office and make an appointment.  Also, if anyone other than a parent or legal guardian will be visiting the school (such as a grandparent coming for lunch) you must call the office ahead of time to let us know.

In the event of bad weather, Adams 12 Five Star Schools uses a variety of resources to determine if conditions exist that warrant a 1-hour delayed start or closure of schools.

Every effort will be made to announce a decision by 5:30 a.m. to close or delay opening schools. 

Alerts are ONLY sent if schools are closed or operating on a 1-hour delay. If schools are operating on a normal schedule you will not receive an alert.

Learn more about the district’s 1-Hour Delay and School Closure process.