Van Raub Family Handbook
2023-2024 School Year
Welcome to Van Raub Elementary School and to the 2023-2024 school year.
This handbook is designed to help both new and experienced parents understand the school’s procedures that enable our children to get the most out of their years at Van Raub Elementary School. This handbook is a working document that will be added to throughout the year as needed and will remain linked at the bottom of the weekly "Roadrunner Rundown" newsletter. We ask that you please review this informational handbook and the Boerne ISD student handbook and refer to them when needed. We are of course always available to answer any questions you may have. We feel confident that you will find Van Raub Elementary School an awesome place to be!
Summer Gault, Principal
MISSION STATEMENT
VAN RAUB CAMPUS LEADERSHIP TEAM
Summer Gault, Principal - summer.gault@boerneisd.net
Michael Joannou, Assistant Principal - michael.joannou@boerneisd.net
Heather Maloney, Counselor - heather.johns-maloney@boerneisd.net
Stacey Walker, Instructional Coach - stacey.walker@boerneisd.net
SCHOOL HOURS
7:25 am - 1st bell - Students walk to class
7:35 am - Tardy bell - Class begins - late students are tardy
3:00 pm - Dismissal bell
SCHOOL LUNCH TIMES for 2023-2024
10:25am - 10:55am - KINDERGARTEN
10:55am - 11:25 am - PREK and 1st GRADE
11:25am - 11:55 am - 2nd GRADE
11:55am - 12:25pm - 3rd GRADE
12:25pm - 12:55pm - 4th GRADE
12:50pm- 1:20pm - 5th GRADE
LUNCH DROP OFFS
DROPPING OFF OF LUNCHES
If a family member is dropping off lunch, please be sure it is received before the student's lunchtime.
No delivery food for students will be accepted by someone other than a family member for the safety of our students. This includes but is not limited to Chick-fil-A, Uber Eats, Grubhub, etc.
START OF SCHOOL TIPS
- Please label all of your child's belongings with his/her name.
- Have your younger children continue to practice using their lunch box, and opening their food items.
- Have your student practice eating lunch in a 25-30 minute time frame.
- If your student does not know your phone number or address, it would be could to start teaching that to them for safety purposes.
- If they are bus riders, make sure they know their bus number and stop. They should know how to get home from that stop. Also, encourage them to learn their bus driver's name.
- If they are a walker, make sure that you have practiced the walk with them and that they know how to get where they are going.
ATTENDANCE - VAN RAUB ATTENDANCE GOAL - 97%
Our campus goal this year is 97% school-wide attendance. Regular attendance is extremely important. If your child is absent from school, please email your child's homeroom teacher and our Attendance Officer, SHAYA FLUGENCE, as soon as you know they will not be attending school that day. Please include the reason for the absence.
Excused absences are illness, medical appointments, or death in the family. If a student is temporarily absent due to a documented appointment with a health care professional, a document such as a note from the health care professional is required upon the return to school. Notes, calls, or emails must be received within 3 school days of the child's return.
Unexcused absences may result in your child being placed on an attendance plan, prevent your child from being promoted to the next grade level, and may result in truancy charges being filed. Attendance is taken each day at 10:00 AM. A student must be on campus at that time to be counted as present.
Van Raub Attendance Officer - Shaya.flugence@boerneisd.net
AFTER SCHOOL CARE
After school care is provided on-site for a fee by YMCA. The school does not handle any of this organization’s information or questions. Please contact them directly at (830) 815-1040.
There are other after school options in the area that provide transportation from school such as Apple Tree, Children's Lighthouse, Country Home & Inspiring Hearts. Please contact all those organizations directly to inquire about transportation and fees.
ARRIVAL PROCEDURES
ARRIVAL
Breakfast begins in the cafeteria at 7:00 AM
Gates open for students at 7:00 AM to report to morning areas to wait for the 7:25 AM bell to be released to class.
Student Morning arrival locations until the 7:25AM bell:
Kinder, 1st & 2nd - CAFETERIA
3rd ,4th & 5th - GYM
Class begins PROMPTLY at 7:35 AM
**Parents may walk their children to the entry gate to drop them off but may not enter the campus. To enter the campus parents/guardians must bring a valid ID and check in through the office.
Car drop off-
1. Please refrain from getting out of your vehicle in the drop-off line and from parking in the way of traffic.
2. For safety purposes, PLEASE have your children only exit your vehicle on the curbside of whatever traffic line you are in (inside or outside).
3. Students should only cross at the crosswalk.
**Parents may park in the parking lot and walk their children to the crosswalk at drop-off in the morning.
BIRTHDAY INVITATIONS
Teachers or students may not pass out invitations to select children in a homeroom class. Either all the class must receive one or all the boys or all the girls must receive one. It is never pleasant to be the one who is not invited.
BIRTHDAY TREATS
Birthday treats may be brought and must be store bought with a food label including an INGREDIENT LIST. This is a BISD procedure that has been in place since 2018. Treats from bakery's also must include food labels including ingredient lists. Without the store’s ingredient label, teachers and staff cannot identify food allergens of food that is brought to share throughout the class. This is particularly important if there is a class that has been identified as an allergy awareness classroom, or for example, a classroom that should not have nuts in the classroom.
Please view the BISD Severe Food Allergy Management Plan for more information at https://www.boerneisd.net/Page/8985.
Page 13 states: All foods brought to campus for special occasions such as birthday parties, holiday parties, any special occasion MUST have an FDA approved label with ingredients and allergens legibly listed.
Please note that this is not an opportunity for a full-scale birthday celebration at school. We ask that provided treats do not require being cut and are easy to distribute since there is limited time for your student's teacher to do so at the end of the instructional day. Please do not send favors or decor as we do not have the resources or time to manage that in the classroom. Flowers and balloons are not to be sent to school for delivery for any student.
BIRTHDAYS ON THE VRES MARQUEE
Please try to put in your marquee request at least a week prior so that we can get it scheduled and set up to display.
BUS INFORMATION
BISD BUS TRANSPORTATION
Van Raub Buses for 2023-24
Bus # 85
Bus # 86 - P1
Bus #106 - P1 & P2
Bus # 116
Bus # 125 - P1 & P2
Bus # 222
Bus # 230
Bus riders are only allowed to ride to and from their designated stop. ***Transportation will not be able to support “ride-along” on the buses anymore. This is when parents call wanting their student to ride a bus with a friend or to a babyistter's house. If a parent has an emergency and needs service to another location, please have them email Transportation@boerneisd.net with “Transportation Location Exemption” in the subject.
Students Assigned to the P1 or P2 of a route may NOT get on the “other” bus.
Students may only get on their assigned bus to and from their home address at this time.
Students on ISD transportation are expected to follow all rules and expectations.
1. Follow the directions of the Bus Driver.
2. Stay in your seat, no standing or moving. ***If the bus has seatbelts, they must be worn. All new buses have seat belts.
3. Keep hands, feet, and other objects to yourself.
4. No food/no drinks.
5. No object out the windows.
**Failure to follow these rules and expectations can result in disciplinary action and even bus suspension.
Bus routes can be found at the link below. If there are questions please reach out to transportation by email transportation@boerneisd.net , by phone at (830)357-2970 or check out the BISD transportation website https://www.boerneisd.net/transportation.
Cafeteria Information
- You will find the lunch menu and mobile ordering information at the BISD child nutrition website. https://www.boerneisd.net/Page/11966
- The cost of lunch is $3.30 and breakfast is $2.30 for students. Adult lunch is $5.00. You can bring cash or check to the cafeteria or add with credit card at: https://www.lunchmoneynow.com/lmnboe/splash.php.
- Parents can find the application for free and reduced lunch program at https://www.boerneisd.net/Page/11968.
- Many ala carte items have had a price increase vs last year. Please review the list at https://www.boerneisd.net/Page/13362. Students are not allowed to purchase a la carte items without money in their account. We will not be putting any a la carte rules in place to the number of snacks or amount your child can spend. Please review your individual rules at home. You can also contact the cafeteria manager at Kendra.Hirth@Boerneisd.net to add a comment to your child’s nutrition account and we will do our best to remind them at the register.
CAMPUS VISITORS
ALL VISITORS and volunteers must check into the office with a valid picture ID before entering the campus even if the VRES staff knows you. Once you are checked in you will be given a yellow visitor sticker to be worn for the duration of your visit in a visible location. We ask that when your visit is complete you exit through the office to check out by returning your sticker to the main office.
CELL PHONES
We understand that some students may have a need to carry a cell phone or other device to communicate with parents before or after school for several reasons. As a standard practice across our district, student cell phones should be off / silent and be put away during the instructional school day.
The Student Code of Conduct has further details on disciplinary procedures.
Our goal in BISD is to teach our students appropriate digital citizenship, treat and allow them to be self directed by giving them ownership of their actions. It is important students know the when and how to use devices as well as for all to remain engaged and focused in each of their classes.
CHECKING STUDENTS IN & OUT OF SCHOOL
Students entering the school after 7:35 AM must be signed in through the office by a parent or guardian. After 7:35 AM students must enter the classroom with a pass from the office.
If you must check your student out for an appointment or something, you will need to provide a valid picture ID so that we can confirm your identity. Students may only be checked out by authorized individuals who are approved parents, guardians or other adults listed in Skyward. Keeping this information up to date is the responsibility of the parent. If you need assistance our registrar can help you. Once parent identification is verified or confirmed by office staff, the student will be then called down to the front office. Teachers are not allowed to release students at their classroom doors or send students up to wait.
If possible we discourage students from being picked up early from school. When students leave early they miss valuable classroom interactions, lessons, and instructions and it is a disruption to the classroom.
It is the parent’s responsibility to update this information with our registrar as changes occur.
CLUBS and ORGANIZATIONS at VRES
Student involvement is very important. Here at VRES, we have several clubs and organizations that students can be a part of. AS CLUBS BEGIN WE WILL SHARE THAT INFORMATION IN THE VRES WEEKLY NEWSLETTER - STAY TUNED!
COLOR GROUPINGS for SPECIALS
The color grouping concept has numerous benefits:
1. It allows for specials classes to be balanced.
2. It allows students to have the opportunity to make additional friends and be with students from other classes.
3. It gives students a break from being solely with their homeroom classmates all day.
4. It allows for flexible movement between groups if an issue arises where that may be necessary.
5. Students seem to like it once they get the hang of it.
COMMUNICATION FROM SCHOOL
- Each week we send out a weekly newsletter to parents on the last day of the school week. This communciation is called the "Roadrunner Rundown" and is a SMORE newsletter sent by email through Blackboard to the valid emails that are in Skyward for each student. This newsletter is also usually posted on the school facebook page.
- Classroom teachers will send out newsletters, emails, make phone calls and visit with parents in person throughout the school year. They may use SeeSaw, Google Classroom and other methods to share information wtih you.
- Important information is shared on our website and VRES Facebook page (@VanRaubES) and often on the school X and Instagram feeds.
- Our VRES PTO will also post important information on their website and Facebook page.
COMMUNICATION TO SCHOOL
You may contact your child’s teacher by sending a note, an email or a phone call. Teachers typically listen to any voice mail or check their email during their conference period and/or at the end of the school day. Sometimes they may not see or hear these things until after dismissal. Please note that our staff may not be able to respond to you immediately as they are busy with instruction and caring for our studnets but they will be happy to return your communication with 24 hours (of a school day).
We do try to discourage our teachers from working in the evenings and on the weekends if possilbe. We feel that is time is important for them to be with their families and encouage a work life balance.
You can also call the VRES fron office if you have a question, we will be happy to try to asssit you. If you have an emergency situation, please call the office for more immediate assistance.
CONFERENCES /CONCERNS
If as a parent you have concerns we ask that you first reach out to your student's teacher. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, then the next step is the assistant principal.
COUNSELOR INFORMATION
DISCIPLINE
The campus will continue to follow the BISD Student Code of Conduct for disciplinary measures. Our campuses uses a restorative approach and often involves the Assistant Principal, Counselor and SRO working together to help our students work to become their BEST selves. We all make mistakes- it is how we learn and grow. What is most important in the discipline process is that we learn from our mistakes, we make things right and we move forward not repeating the same mistakes. Behavior is a series of skills that we must all learn and practice.
DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
BUS RIDERS:
Backpack Tag Color: YELLOW
Bus riders will be escorted out to the bus loop with VRES staff members and will be loaded on the appropriate bus number for their destination. Buses are typically dismissed from VRES between 3:05 pm -3:10 pm.
***Bus riders may only ride to and from their designated stop. Students may not ride with a friend without permission from the BISD transportation department.
DAYCARE:
Backpack Tag Color: PINK
Daycare students will be escorted out by VRES staff members with the bus students to the bus loop and will be loaded onto the designated daycare transportation. Daycare van pick-up is located directly in front of the bus loading zone along the curb. Currently, VRES has the following daycares picking up:
Appletree
Children's Lighthouse
Country Home
Inspiring Hearts
CAR PICK UP:
Backpack Tag Color: GREEN
1. Please stay in your vehicles and travel through the pickup line. Cars line up in both lanes and cars will be loaded from both sides of the drive.
2. Please make sure to have your car tag/student dismissal card with your child's information clearly displayed.
3. If your student needs assistance buckling ask a staff member or pull into the parking lot after you are loaded. Please stay in your vehicle at all times.
We ask that you continue to practice patience with us as we get to know your vehicles, your students and become more efficient with our procedures. Our focus is that all children are dismissed safely. Please be cautious as you travel the nearby streets and our dismissal area for pedestrians. We REALLY appreciate your patience and support!
WALKERS:
Our walkers will gather in their designated groups and will be escorted by VRES staff to the sides of the property.
BACK WALKERS:
Backpack Tag Color: ORANGE
The BACK of the school walker group will meet on the back blacktop and depart the school towards the Front Gate subdivision from the rear of the school. This group will travel past the bus loop with a staff escort and out to the end of the portables to either meet a parent or continue walking on their own.
FRONT WALKERS:
Backpack Tag Color: PURPLE
The FRONT of the school waker group will meet in the courtyard and depart the school by the arrival/dismissal area at the front of the school. This group will be escorted to the pole at the end of the small front playground on the side of the property to be released to a parent or to continue walking on their own.
BACK WALK-UP / CAR PICK-UP:
Backpack Tag Color: RED
The BACK of the school walk-up/pick-up group will meet on the back blacktop until the buses depart. Once all buses are released and the BACK walkers have departed. The students in this group will be escorted to the gate and will be dismissed one at a time to their parent or guardian by a VRES staff member. ** Parents must park in a parking spot and wait on the parking lot side of the bus loop until all buses clear, then may cross to receive their child.
YMCA:
Backpack Tag Color: BLUE
Students enrolled in the YMCA on-campus afterschool program will be escorted by a YMCA staff member or VRES staff member to the cafeteria for check-in.
FIELD TRIPS
Often on field trips, we will need parental support to come along as chaperones. Please note that the number of chaperones may vary by location. To be a chaperone you must have completed and cleared a volunteer background check form. These must be done annually. As a chaperone you usually with other students besides your own and have some responsibility in helping to manage a small group. Chaperones must take their own vehicles or carpool with other chaperones, BISD transportation is not provided for anyone but the teachers and students. We appreciate our parent volunteers.
FOOD ALLERGIES
Any student who suffers from food allergies should contact the school nurse, the classroom teacher, and the cafeteria manager.
At Van Raub, there are several students and some staff members who have various food allergies. Certain classrooms may be designated as a "peanut free" classroom or other food allergy. Signs will be posted on the classroom doors to warn about the potential for anaphylaxis of a student. We will also send classroom letters home to inform parents that a student in the class has this known allergy. If your class is designated as a free zone for certain food, please do not send that item in as a snack item. Thank you for helping us keep our students safe.
FOOD NUTRITION LINKS
Nutrislice (preorder lunches for your student) this service begins in SEPTEMBER 2023
https://boerne-isd.nutrislice.com/menu/
Lunch Money Now to add money into student accounts throughout the school year:
https://www.lunchmoneynow.com/lmnboe/splash.php
**Families are encouraged to complete the Application for Free and Reduced-Price School Meals. Please return the completed form online or to any school office.
For more information please click here. If you have any questions please contact the Child Nutrition Department.
Online Application for Free and Reduced Lunch -
IMMUNIZATIONS
If you received an email and/or a phone call from Nurse Penny regarding your child’s immunization status, please get your child’s immunizations updated and email or bring in the updated records to the office or clinic.
LOST & FOUND
A “Lost and Found” is located in the main hallway. Parents are welcome to check in and search the lost and found periodically. To help avoid lost items, please label all lunch boxes, book bags, notebooks, balls, removable clothing (caps, jackets, sweaters, gloves, etc.) and supplies which personally belong to your child for easy identification. Valuable and small items are kept in the office. If your child is missing an item and cannot locate it in the lost and found, please have them check in the office. Every effort is made to return found items to the student. Prior to long breaks such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring Break all unclaimed items are donated to Family Services, Hill Country Daily Bread or other organizations.
LUNCH VISITORS
Visitors will only be able to have lunch with their child, friends will not be allowed to join. You may arrive a few minutes before the student's lunchtime, visitors must check into the office. Lunches may be shared in our courtyard, limited seating is available. When lunch is over we ask that you exit through the office to check out.
MEDICATIONS
- All medications brought on campus must be kept in the clinic.
- For any student who must take a prescription or over-the-counter/non-prescription medication during the school day, the parent must bring a written request signed by both the physician and the parent.
- The prescription medication must be in its original container and given to the school nurse by the parent. Each over the counter medication must be in its original sealed container.
- The medication will be dispensed at the proper times in the school clinic.
- Narcotic pain medication will be administered at school at the school nurse’s discretion.
- Anabolic steroids, herbals, home remedies, vitamins, and daily supplements of any type will not be administered at school.
- Medications from outside the United States will not be administered as well as medications prescribed by out of state physicians.
- Changes in directions for administering a medication can be received via telephone from the prescribing provider, but must be confirmed in writing within 3 days of the change.
- Students are not allowed to carry any medications in their backpacks or lunch boxes. Only in a special circumstance would a student be able to carry their own medication. This would require MD orders and parental permission.
NURSE & CLINIC INFORMATION
Please inform Nurse Penny if your child has any medical concerns/special needs/procedures or will be taking medication at school. You can go onto the main Boerne I.S.D. website and click on the Health Services site for general information/policies and printable medical/medication forms.
Nurse Contact Information:
Mrs. Lesha Penny
830-357-4109
Clinic Hours - 7:15 AM -3:15 PM
For the protection of all students the following will be followed.
A child will be sent home with:
- Fever 100 degrees or over
- Suspected contagious disease
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Feels too bad to remain at school
Please help us keep all of our Roadrunners healthy!
- If your child has any of the above symptoms in the morning before coming to school, please keep your child at home.
- Your child should be fever free for 24 hours prior to returning to school. This is for their safety as well as the other students.
- We have limited facilities for allowing your child to rest if ill at school, so if called to pick up please make arrangementsso that your student can be picked up to go home in a timely manner
PTO @ Van Raub Elementary
Join PTO | Van Raub Elementary PTO (vrespto.com)
Meet the VRES PTO Board Members
Co-Presidents - Megan Kokemor & Karen Tollman
Co-VPs of Teacher and Staff Appreciation - Hilda Garza & Jacqueline Ramon
- Committee Members: Erika Johnson & Lorraine Wilson
VP of Communications - Natalie Cruz
VP of Volunteers - Brandi Wright
VP of Fundraising - Natalie Samson
VP of Membership - Christine Haines
VP of Merchandise - Amanda Nicolet
Co-VPs of Sponsorship - Katrina Doran & Hannah Bowers
Treasurer - Margie Saur
Secretary - Meredith Tucker
RAVE ABOUT A ROADRUNNER
When a student is nominated for RAVE ABOUT A ROADRUNNER, their teacher or whoever nominated them writes a little blurb about them. That blurb is read aloud on the announcements, the student comes up to the office and we make a phone call home to brag about them and then take their photo, and with parental permission, we share it on our school social media sites and in our weekly newsletter.
SCHOOL CLOSINGS - BAD WEATHER DAYS
During times of inclement weather, decisions about school closings or delays will be made as early as possible. Announcements will follow via a number of communication channels such as the BISD website, Facebook, Twitter, and email/telephone message blast.
STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT & UPDATES
To view a FAQ with more information please click here.
To view the Student Code of Conduct please click here.
TARDIES
Students are counted as tardy if they are not in their class by 7:35AM. It is vital that students arrive at school on time. This time is important to help develop social skills, organization skills, and learning to begin the day prepared. Students that arrive after 7:35 often come in behind the rest of the class, causing anxiety and stress on the student. Always allow time for traffic delays due to weather conditions, construction and during the first few weeks of school. Parents are required to bring the student into the office to check them in the front office if arriving after the 7:35AM bell. Chronic tardiness will be addressed by the administration.
TOYS
Toys and elctronics need to be left at home. Please check your child's pockets and backpacks periodically for such items. Teachers will communicate with parents on special occassions.
TRANSPORTATION CHANGES
TRANSPORTATION CHANGES:
We ask that you try not to change your child's transportation if at all possible. However, if you need to make a change to your child's way of dismissal, please call the front office at 830-357-4100 BEFORE 2 pm to ensure that we can get that change made for you.
VOLUNTEERS
***These must be filled out annually.