Parent/Student Information

 

Guiding Principles
To realize this goal, the faculty and staff will work in partnership
with the home and the military community to:

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School Improvement Plan
Each DoDDS school develops a plan to improve the educational program offered to its students. The faculty assesses student's academic and social needs, set goals toward meeting those needs, and determines the resources available. A committee of faculty members and parents guides this process of school improvement, monitoring and assessing progress toward goal attainment. Our two school improvement goals are:

Goal 1: All students will improve their english writing skills across the curriculum.

• Writing correct English sentences (GUMS).
• Writing effectively for a variety of purposes (expository, narrative, persuasive, as dictated by grade level standards).
• Expressing complete thoughts that make sense and are logically organized (conventions, syntax,vocabulary).
• Following the rules of the writing process.

 

Goal 2: All students increase their reading comprehension skills across the curriculum.

• Reading, understanding the elements of, and responding to a variety of literary texts.
• Reading and understanding information text materials.

To view a more detailed description of our School Improvement Plan for each goal:

1. Goal #1--Problem Solving (COMING SOON)
2. Goal #2 --Reading Comprehension (COMING SOON)

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School Accreditation
Killin Elementary School is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). This is an accrediting program that includes an actual team visit by NCA members every five years to review the development and implementation of the school improvement plan. It also includes a documentation review visit every five years. Killin Elementary School was visited in school year 2003-2004 for their development and implementation visit and again in school year 2005-2006 for their documentation visit. As a point of interest, most stateside schools are evaluated against the standard of their state only; DoDDS schools are evaluated against both DoDDS standards and the standards of NCA.

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Required Immunizations
No student will be permitted to register for school until immunizations are updated and verification is obtained from local military immunization personnel or the Killin ES Nurse. School officials require DSPA Form 122.1 (Jan 94)-DoDDS Certification of Immunization at the time of registration. This form will be placed in the official school records. DSPA Form 122.1 can be obtained at the school office.

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Illness Policy
When a student is sent to the Health Room because he/she isn’t feeling well, the nurse will take the child’s temperature. If the temperature is 100.0* or greater, the nurse will contact the parents to let them know that their child needs to go home.

If the nurse calls you to come and pick up your sick child, please do so as soon as possible.If the student’s temperature is less than 100.0*, he/she will be allowed to rest for 15-20 minutes or more as needed. At the end of that time, the nurse will reassess the student and return him/her to class if possible. If after resting, the child is still unable to return to class, the parents will be called.

The decision to send a student home becomes primarily the parents’ when there is no fever, serious illness or disturbance to the classroom (such as excessive coughing). If a student has vomited MORE than one time, he/she will also need to go home.

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Medication Policy
If your child will need to take medication during school hours, please notify the nurse. The nurse will be happy to administer the medication as prescribed to your child within the guidelines of the following DoDDS policy concerning the administration of medications at school. Please do not give the medication to your child to deliver to the nurse.

• The nurse may not administer medication to students unless prescribed by a physician. This includes Tylenol.
• Medications to be given at school must be labeled “For School Use Only” by the pharmacy.
• A “Hold Harmless” form must be on file at the school before the medication can be given. The form may be obtained at the clinic or the nurse’s office and must be signed by both the physician and parent.
• Self-administered medication is not allowed. Students found with medications in their possession will have them taken away.

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School Transportation
Bus passes are required for a student to ride the school bus. The School Bus Office is located on Camp Foster in building 5821, phone 645-7820. Bus monitors are under the direct supervision of the 18th Support Group Bus Office. Parental concerns should be reported to the School Bus Transportation Office. The school supervises only the loading and unloading of the buses on the school grounds. Misconduct at the bus stop must be reported to the School Bus Office. The senior commanders on Okinawa have established the following bus rules:

• First incident of student misconduct, regardless of the type offense committed, as
  recorded on cameras and/or reported to Bus Barn supervisors by adult monitors or local national drivers, will result in 10 days suspension from riding the bus.
• Second incident of student misconduct documented on the same child will result in 30
  days suspension.
• The third incident of student misconduct documented on the same child will result in
  the child being permanently suspended from riding the school bus for the duration of
  the sponsor's tour on Okinawa.

Sponsors of children who ride the school bus must discuss proper bus conduct with their child and explain any consequences resulting from inappropriate behavior. Questions about discipline can be addressed to the school bus monitor supervisors at the School Bus Office. Students who fail to get off the bus at their assigned stop will be taken to the School Bus Office for pickup by the parent.

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School Registration
The following are items of information that parents need to bring with them in order to register their students for school. 

• Birth Certificates ( for all students entering Sure Start, Kindergarten, or 1^st grade)
• Passports (all students entering 2^nd – 6^th grades)
• Immunization Form 2942.0-M-F1 ([pages 1-4] This form can be obtained at either the Kadena AB or Camp Lester Hospital Immunization Clinic – Parents should bring their student(s) and their shot records in order to ensure that all shots are current).
• Immunization Record
• Social Security Card for verification
• Housing information ( Copy of Lease, if off base; or Housing Assignment Letter, if on base)
• Copy of Orders
• Area Clearance or Dependent Entry Approval (for USMC & Navy only)
• School records from previous school or address of previous school so that they can be obtained

 IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU ARE IN TEMPORARY QUARTERS AND HAVE NOT BEEN ASSIGNED OFF-BASE OR ON-BASE QUARTERS, YOU CHILD WILL HAVE TO ATTEND THE SCHOOL THAT IS ZONED FOR THOSE TEMPORARY QUARTERS. IN ADDITION, ONCE PERMANENT QUARTERS ARE ASSIGNED, THE STUDENT MAY HAVE TO TRANSFER TO ANOTHER SCHOOL BASED ON ZONING. TO VERIFY ZONING INFORMATION YOU MAY CONTACT KILLLIN ELEMENTARY OR THE SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION OFFICE AT 645-7820.

Upon arrival at the school, there is also a registration packet that has to be completed for each student in order to complete the registration process. All packets must be completed by 10:00 am in order for the student(s) to start school the following day. If after 10:00 am, there will be an additional day wait time before the student can begin school. For more information you may also view the Okinawa district registration checklist/information.

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Standardized Testing
All DoDDS students in Grades 3-6 are administered the TerraNova Multiple Assessment Test during the second semester. Academic subjects tested include reading, math, social studies, science, and language arts.

Click here for Pacific Test Results

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(SAC) School Advisory Committee
Each DoDDS School has a School Advisory Committee (SAC) composed of parents and teachers. They serve as a link between the community and the school. The agenda for each meeting with exact times and dates of the meetings will be publicized through the Parent Newsletter. This committee is advisory in nature and not a policy making board. It advises and assists in examining matters such as school policy, staffing needs, educational programs, educational resources, facilities and maintenance, and other related areas of education for children. The SAC is a means through which parents may present their concerns. Parents are urged to become active participants and to attend the SAC meetings. Parents who cannot attend, but wish to submit an item(s) for consideration, may contact any School Advisory Committee member.

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(PTO) Parent Teacher Organization
The ECK PTO is a volunteer organization that consists of parents and teachers who are
interested in the welfare of all children at ECK. Our main objective is to foster a closer
relationship between the home and school, so that parents and teachers may cooperate
intelligently in the education of our children. We actively support the School Advisory
Committee (SAC), School-Home Community Partnership (SHP), Drug Abuse Resistance
Education (D.A.R.E.), extracurricular activities, school store, T-shirt sales, and before and
after school activities. Please join us in making ECK a wonderful experience for our children.

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Parent Newsletter - Gecko Gazette
Killin Elementary School makes a concerted effort to communicate with all parents.
The Gecko Gazette, our Parent Newsletter, is one way that we communicate with
you. You will be advised of school happenings and important dates to remember
through this newsletter. The parent newsletter will be emailed, where available, every other Friday.

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School Volunteering Opportunities
American Red Cross, community and school volunteers are an integral and highly valued part of the school program. These valuable volunteers are always needed. Their contributions provide teachers with more time to devote to student instruction. Volunteers assist by working with small groups of children, checking papers, preparing materials, working in the library, helping on the school playground/cafeteria and in many other essential areas. Volunteers who work under the direct supervision of DoDDS teachers are classified as temporary volunteers. To be a temporary volunteer, you must fill out a volunteer application and agreement form. Volunteers who work with students not under the direct supervision of a DoDDS teacher ie: school study trips, must fill out a request for a background check as well as volunteer agreement and application. For more information on volunteer opportunities at EC Killin Elementary School, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at 645-7760.

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School Hours
Sure Start thru 6th Grade 0835 - 1500
School Office 0730 - 1600

Students should not arrive at school prior to 0825 hours. In general, students are not
authorized on the campus except during school hours, or to attend a school sponsored
afternoon or evening function. Students need to be reminded to go directly home from school at the end of the school day.

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Student Rights and Responsibilities
The Department of Defense Dependents School says that you as a student have certain rights and responsibilities.

• You have the right to an education. However, it is your responsibility to follow school rules and respect the rights of others. It is also your responsibility to come to school (unless you are sick), to respect school property, and to complete the assignments the teachers give you.
• You have the right to say what you think and believe. It is your responsibility though, to be sure that this does not hurt others or stop them from saying what they think and believe. It is also your responsibility to tell the truth and use language appropriate for school.
• You have the right to ask questions about the school. It is your responsibility to act politely and respect others' rights also.
• You have the right to go to a school that is safe and to learn as much as you are able. It is your responsibility to respect the rights of others and follow all school rules so others can learn and feel safe.
  

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Attendance
An accounting of each student's attendance is kept in the teacher's class register. The student's attendance will be checked formally at the opening of each school day, and informally after lunch. Any student wishing to leave early on a regular school day should present a note from parents to the teacher, requesting early dismissal. The parent must complete a sign out register located in the Main Office before a student can be taken from school during the day.

We request that parents please try to schedule medical appointments at times other than during school hours. When a child is tardy or has an early dismissal, he/she is missing an important part of his/her educational program. Students who are dismissed from school for a half-day are missing out on valuable class work. The clinics are cooperative about scheduling routine appointments after school hours.

Family trips are often invaluable to a child's development, but loss of school time should be taken into consideration before making plans. Prior to departing on an extended trip, parents should notify the classroom teacher. It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure their child completes all make-up work or assignments if required by a teacher. School textbooks should not be taken on trips. Other assignments may be made.

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Discipline
There are four (4) school wide rules. They are:
1. Follow directions of school adults.
2. Do nothing which causes injury to yourself or others.
3. Do nothing to disrupt the learning of others or school activities.
4. Do nothing to harm or destroy school or personal property

Management of student behavior is a responsibility shared by students, parents, the school, and the community, and consists principally of teaching and reinforcing positive student attitudes and behaviors.

Discipline is handled first by classroom teachers/specialists/paraprofessionals. For repeated offenses or more serious infractions, the student is referred to the administration. Often, the counselor(s) is called upon to suggest intervention strategies and conflict resolution/peer mediation.

Infractions are categorized as minor and major and consequences are established by each school. These consequences range from verbal warning, conferences, “time out” rooms, school service programs, community service, counseling programs, lunch detention, work detail, after school detentions, and other behavior modification techniques that are within the experience of the teacher, to in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, and in extreme cases, expulsion. The above mentioned behavior modification techniques must be exhausted prior to resorting to disciplinary consequences that remove a child from the
school, except when a child poses an immediate threat to his or her safety or the safety of others in the school.

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Dress Code
Students’ dress and personal grooming are expected to be neat, clean and appropriate. Clothing that distracts other students and/or interrupts the learning process is inappropriate. Short shorts, halter straps, spaghetti straps, bare midriffs, see-through shirts or blouses, tank tops, T-shirts designed as underclothing or with offensive or inappropriate language or graphics to include anti-social messages, sagging pants, hats of any type, headbands, bandanas, berets, sunglasses, and clothing which is excessively torn, house shoes, slippers, flip-flops, Zories, open toed shoes of any kind, cloth or plastic shoes or slippers, clothing that promotes violence, alcohol, drugs, or tobacco use, is racially or sexually offensive, bears logos of musical or other groups that convey an anti-social message are examples of inappropriate school attire.

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Homework
Studies show that student achievement increases when parents and families become more involved and committed to the education of their children. Instilling a respect for education, and creating within the home an environment conducive to learning are essential for success. As parents participate in the homework process at each grade level, their children feel comfortable learning and come to school willing and prepared to study. Good homework assignments help students:

• practice newly learned skills
• do more in-depth work
• expand their interest in the subject
• develop management skills

Study time should be part of a daily routine. Even when there is no homework assigned, time should be spent on reading for pleasure or working on an upcoming assignment. This procedure needs to be made a regular school night practice.

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Counseling Services
The school counselor coordinates and provides direct guidance and counseling services to
students and consultation services to administrators, teachers, students, and parents. The
counselor also provides student evaluation services for individuals and groups. Individual, small group, and classroom presentations are available through the counseling office.
Killin counselors teach Peer Mediation at every grade level. They are involved in inclusion teaching and role modeling for our students during their lunch and recess periods, a time when "appropriate" behavior is sometimes forgotten. But our counselors are there to teach inclusively on-the-spot application of good character and how to talk through & maintain win-win situations. This is another step to ensure a safe environment for all children.

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English as a Second Language
Many of our students have had exposure to a language other than English, and some live in environments where at least one of the primary caregivers speaks English as a second language. Realizing this, Killin Elementary School offers an instructional program for English as a Second Language (ESL). It is designed to aid the student in functioning confidently and successfully, both academically and socially, where English is the language of instruction and communication. Entry to the ESL program may be based on registration information or teacher/parent referral. Please contact the school counselor or ESL teacher for further information.

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Gifted Education
Students found eligible for gifted education services have demonstrated areas of unusual strengths. Services are provided because the identified students have a documented need for differentiation in their instructional program. This differentiation provides daily academic challenges and social-emotional support to ensure continued intellectual growth and development. The gifted education program at E.C. Killin considers individual strengths in matching students to services because each student has a unique profile of strength. Amount the program service options are: regular classroom with differentiation, regular classroom with cluster grouping and differentiation, regular classroom with grade acceleration of specific content, resource sessions outside the classroom, grade acceleration for specific content, grade acceleration, individualized services and additional opportunities.

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Compensatory Education
The Compensatory Education program at ECK is set up to provide immediate remediation and support for students in grades 1-4.   These programs emphasize varied instructional strategies, and utilize a variety of instructional materials, which help students gain a deeper understanding of Math concepts being taught. Referrals are based on teacher recommendation and low test scores. Please contact the Compensatory Education teacher for further information.

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Pacific Literacy Project
This is a DODDS Pacific initiated program that was incorporated to build a strong literacy program in all elementary classrooms.   Teacher training and a 3 Tier model of student identification play an important role in this project.   The advantages will be evident. The teirs that the program utilizes are as follows:

• Tier 1: This teir will continue to ensure the implementation of a strong, literature based core curriculum for all readers by providing training for classroom teachers in reading instruction and assessment using a balanced literacy approach.  It will also be strengthened by assigning a school base-literacy facilitator (staff developer) to provide consistent, strategic and on-going staff development in literacy  assessment and instruction for the classroom teacher and specialists who provide reading instruction at this school.

• Tier 2: Services are provided for students who are unable to perform at the standard in the core curriculum programs and/or have partially met standards on initial assessments.  Within this tier, individual and small group instruction is provided for these students as identified as struggling readers.  Instruction models for this tier are Consultation, Co-teach, Inclusion and/or Pull-out.  The instruction is to supplement not supplant the core reading program.

• Tier 3: Services are provided for those students who are unable to exit Tier 2 within a specific time frame and/or are below standard on initial assessments.  Students falling within this tier have a greater significant need thus long-term intensive services will be needed for students that are identified as Tier 3.  

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Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES)
We at E.C. Killin are happy to announce that our school has been selected to be a part of DoDEA's worldwide foreign language initiative to offer Spanish to students in kindergarten and first grade. Beginning in the fall of 2007, a FLES certified teacher will teach Spanish to these two groups for 90 minutes a week. The new plan includes extending the program to grades two and three in SY 2008-2009. FLES is NOT a "Special" like art or PE, but is rather a part of the core curriculum. Research indicates that the earlier we learn a language, the easier it is and the better we are at doing it! So in our effort to assure that E.C. Killin children play productive roles in a global society, we are excited to bring foreign language proficiency and knowledge of other cultures to our elementary school.

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After School Activities
There are a variety of after school student activities available for ECK students. Most activities are held after school from 1500 to 1555. On Tuesday and Thursday, after school activity buses are provided to take students home. If your child is interested in participating in one of these clubs, please consider the time commitment and other outside activities. Further information and details will be published under separate cover by the activities' sponsors.

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Study Trips
During the school year, students go on study trips as class projects. Students must have a permission slip signed by a parent/guardian before they can go on a study trip. Permission slips are sent home with the student before the trip is scheduled to prevent conflict with appointments and family plans. Please return slips promptly. You are encouraged to volunteer as a chaperone on these educational experiences. Study trips are considered an integral part of the curriculum and are designed to enhance/reinforce student learning. Parent chaperones are to support student learning. Therefore, younger siblings are not permitted on study trips. This requirement applies even if parents choose to drive to the location the class is visiting.

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School Store
The PTO School Store, run by parent volunteers, provides a service to our students and funds for the PTO. Items sold include: school T-shirts, as well as smaller items such as pencils, erasers, rulers and holiday specialties.

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History of Edward C Killin Elementary School
Killin Elementary School is dedicated to Dr. Edward C. Killin who was the Director of Department of Defense Dependent Schools, Pacific Region from 1972 to1987. Dr. Killin served in the DoDDS Community for over 35 years as a teacher, school administrator,
military education officer, and education and management consultant. He was the Deputy Director, DoDDS in Europe from 1967 to 1972 where he received the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal and the Exceptional Civilian Service Medal. Dr. Killin served
as the Executive Secretary for East Asia Regional Council of Overseas schools from January 1987 until his passing in October 1990. He was also a member of the United States Army Air Corps during WWII. Edward C. Killin Elementary School opened to the
Department of Defense Community in August 1991.

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