School Handbook

Welcome to Cloud Elementary School!

In the section below, we've provided comprehensive information to help you and your student thrive as valued members of the Cloud Elementary family. Whether you're new to our school or returning, this guide covers essential policies and resources designed to support your child's academic growth, social-emotional development, and overall well-being.

At Cloud Elementary, we believe that strong partnerships between home and school create the best environment for student success. We're committed to fostering a welcoming, inclusive community where every student feels valued and supported, maintaining open communication with families through regular updates, conferences, and accessible staff, and providing high-quality instruction that meets students where they are while challenging them to grow. Our goal is to support the whole child—academically, socially, emotionally, and physically—so that every student can reach their full potential. We encourage you to reach out with questions, concerns, or ideas at any time. Together, we can ensure your child has an excellent elementary school experience and a strong foundation for future learning.

Getting Ready for School

Attendance Expectations

Regular attendance is essential for your child's success in school. When students attend class consistently, they build strong foundations in reading, math, and other subjects, develop positive relationships with teachers and classmates, and stay on track with their learning goals. In addition to supporting academic growth, good attendance helps children develop responsibility and good habits that will benefit them throughout their lives. By law, all children are required to attend school, and we ask for your partnership in making sure your child arrives on time and ready to learn every day.

Please call the school office any time your child will not be in school.

If you are asked to leave a voice mail, please give the following information:

Name of the parent or guardian calling
Student's name and grade
Date(s) of absence
Reason for absence; please be specific

Absences will only be excused for the following reasons:

Illness
Medical or dental appointment
A family death or serious illness
Court/judicial appearance
Religious observations
School-sponsored activities

Students who are late to school will be considered tardy. Please make every effort to have your student at school on time.

When you pick up your child early from school, it interrupts their learning for the day and counts as an absence. Each time a student leaves early, they miss important instruction and classroom activities.

Students who become truant (inexcusably absent three consecutive days or five school days in any semester or seven days in a school year) will be reported to the Kansas Department for Children and Families in accordance with Board of Education Policy 1461.

Transportation

To qualify for bus transportation to Cloud Elementary, your child must live 2.5 miles or more from the school. If your home is less than 2.5 miles away, your child will need to be picked up and dropped off by a parent or guardian.

For questions about WPS transportation and busing, call 316-973-2190.

The district does offer the FirstView app that helps families track their student's school bus. Families will need a security code from the school office to use the app.

Health Services and Medications

Parents should notify the school nurse if there are any health conditions that may require medical attention, such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, etc.

If a student becomes ill during the school day, they should request a pass to see the nurse.

Students who exhibit fever, sore throat or tonsillitis, any eruption of the skin or rash, any respiratory symptoms accompanied by a fever, severe cough or cold, or any eruption of the scalp, will be sent home.

Parents will be notified to pick up their student and must do so in a timely manner to limit exposure to other students and school staff.

Please keep your emergency contact information up to date with both the teacher and office staff.

School board policy (BOE P5316) restricts school personnel from giving students any medication, including over-the-counter medication.

Medication is given only upon written request from both the parent/guardian and the student's physician. Students must also have received one dose of medication without an adverse reaction prior to any doses being given at school.

All medicine must be in the original container and be presented by a parent to the school nurse for safe keeping and scheduled administration. The container should be labelled with the following:

Name of student
Name of medication
Directions for use
Name of physician
Name and address of pharmacy
Date of prescription

During the School Day

Behavior Expectations

Creating a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment is our top priority at Cloud Elementary. Every student deserves the opportunity to learn without disruption, and we work hard every day to make sure all children feel secure—both emotionally and physically. We believe that discipline is an opportunity to teach, not to punish. When students struggle with behavior or choices, we see it as a chance to help them learn important skills they'll need for success in middle school, high school, and beyond. Our staff partners closely with families to support each student in developing responsibility, respect, and problem-solving skills. Together, we help children learn how to handle conflicts peacefully, make good decisions, and become caring members of our school community. If your child needs extra support or practice with our school expectations, we'll work with you every step of the way to help them succeed.

Bullying

We take bullying very seriously.

Bullying is defined as 1) purposeful behavior that intends to cause harm or distress, 2) is usually repeated over time, and 3) occurs in a relationship where there is an imbalance of power. Forms of bullying are: 1) Physical, 2) Cyber, and 3) occurs in a relationship where there is an imbalance of power. Forms of bullying are: 1) Physical, 2) Cyber, and 3) Relational Aggression. Witnesses of bullying are to tell the bully to stop, tell and adult, and reach out in friendship to the victim.

If your child is experiencing bullying at school, please contact your child's teacher or school administration and let them know about it right away. It is important to remember that we cannot act in situations that we know nothing about.

Families and students are also encouraged to use the SPEAK Up Anonymous Tip Program. The district’s Crime Stoppers in Schools program has created the Speak Up program, which allows students, staff and parents the ability to send anonymous tips through a secure website, app or phone number. The funding for this service is provided by Crime Stoppers of Wichita and Sedgwick County, a division of The Wichita Metro Crime Commission.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is words or behaviors that are sexual in nature and are unwanted and unwelcome. Sexual harassment could be touching or grabbing body parts, touching or rubbing onself in front of another, sending or delivering unwanted and unwelcome messages, notes or pictures with sexual content, sexual gestures, looks, jokes, comments or noises. Sexual harassment is not tolerated in Wichita Public Schools.

All complaints of sexual harassment will be investigated completely and when the complaint is made. All efforts will be made to provide confidentiality, to the extent possible, for all people involved. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken. False complaints will also result in disciplinary action.

Cell Phone Policy

To help students stay focused on learning and reduce distractions in the classroom, all personal electronic devices—such as phones, tablets, and gaming devices—must be powered off and stored in backpacks or designated storage areas during the school day. This policy applies to all students while they are in the school building. Additionally, items that look like or pretend to be electronic devices are also not allowed at school. We appreciate your support in helping your child follow this important rule so everyone can have a positive learning experience.

School Meals

All students are offered breakfast free of charge at the beginning of the school day.

Lunch fees can depend on family income. Please complete the Free and Reduced Meal Application annually to see if your family qualifies for free or reduced lunch fees along with adjustments to school fees.

The district uses School Cafe for families to view menus throughout the school year.

The district uses LINQ Connect to allow parents to pay for meals digitally.

For special dietary restrictions, please contact the school nurse.

Weather Information

The safety of students, staff and parents is Wichita Public Schools' greatest priority during the threat of dangerous conditions.

Emergency plans are in place for tornadoes, lightning, hail, snow and other dangerous circumstances that present safety concerns.

If weather conditions require Wichita Public Schools to close school or reschedule activities, you'll find the announcement on the main Wichita Public Schools website along with local news stations for updates. We recommend checking these websites first if you're concerned about weather. We make these decisions with your child's safety in mind, please make sure your family has a plan in place for unexpected closures.

Family Engagement

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher Conferences are an important opportunity to connect with your child's teacher and stay involved in their education. During these meetings, you'll discuss your child's academic progress, review their classwork and assignments, learn about upcoming projects and learning goals, and work together to support your child's success. These conferences help strengthen the partnership between home and school, so your child knows that both their teacher and family are working together to help them grow.

We hold Parent-Teacher Conferences twice a year—in October and March. We encourage all families to attend. If you're unable to make the scheduled conference time, please reach out to your child's teacher to arrange an alternative meeting. Your involvement and input are valuable, and we look forward to celebrating your child's progress and discussing how we can best support their learning.

Progress Reports

Throughout the school year, we provide progress reports every quarter to keep you informed about your child's academic performance and growth. These reports are an important tool for staying involved in your child's education and understanding how they're progressing in each subject. We encourage you to review these reports carefully with your child and discuss their strengths, areas for improvement, and learning goals together.

In addition to quarterly progress reports, you can check your child's grades anytime by logging into ParentVue, our online portal. ParentVue gives you up-to-date information about assignments. If you have any questions about your child's progress reports, notice a concern, or would like to discuss your child's academic performance, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher. We're here to partner with you and support your child's success every step of the way.

Visiting and Volunteering

We welcome parents and family members to visit Cloud Elementary! To keep our school safe and secure, all visitors, including parents and guardians, must sign in using our visitor management system, HallPass, when you arrive at the building. This quick check-in process helps us know who is in our school and ensures the safety of all our students and staff. When you arrive, simply check in at the main office, and staff will be happy to help you get started. We look forward to seeing you at Cloud Elementary!

Parents, caregivers and other relatives wanting to volunteer in the school or for field trips are required to register every year as a volunteer. Visit the Volunteer Registration page to complete your annual registration.