School Policy Guide

Lowell Elementary works to assist students to develop positive social and emotional skills through specific programs, engaging learning experiences, and relationship building. When students struggle with their behavior, appropriate staff members work together with students to address issues through identification and reinforcement of desired behaviors, and at times through consequences. Our responses to behavior are developmental and focused on supporting students to repair any harm to their community. When students exhibit behaviors that jeopardize the ongoing safety of themselves or others, parents will be contacted and consequences up to and including in-school suspension can be considered. This work is guided by MMSD’s Behavior Education Plan.

An MSCR Afterschool program currently operates at Lowell Elementary, providing an after-school program for interested families (204-6616). Many Lowell families also take advantage of off-site after school programming provided by the Salvation Army (250-2275) and the Goodman Community Center (241-1574).

Lowell Elementary, working in conjunction with the Lowell Community Organization (LCO), provides many opportunities for family engagement. Newsletters, our Facebook page, Open House, Ready Set Go conferences, parent-teacher conferences, and report cards all provide vehicles for communicating student progress. Events such as picnics, monthly LCO meetings, movie and science nights, rummage sale, carnival, and our annual Lowell Variety Show are just some of the ways families can become engaged in our community.

Teachers frequently plan field trips and excursions to provide students with educational experiences, which are extensions of the classroom. These trips are essential to the educational program, and all students are expected to participate. Parents will receive written notification about field trips and should take care to sign all forms and send money if requested. Scholarship money is available if payment of field trip fees creates a hardship for a student’s family.

Lowell Elementary schedules parent/teacher conferences at the end of the first and third  quarters to give parents and teachers an opportunity to share information about the child.  Written report cards are sent home at the end of each semester in February and June. When  parents are divorced or separated, both parents have the right to receive information about their  child’s progress. Please contact our office to confirm if duplicate information is needed.

To ensure a smooth and safe transition at the end of the day dismissal, early student pick up is discouraged during the last 15 minutes of the school day.

If you are going to pick up your child early, please alert the Main Office:

• Leave a message on the Safe Arrival line (608-204-6602); OR

• Submit an Absence Request in your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account; OR

• Send an email to lowell@madison.k12.wi.us; OR

• Call the Main Office at 608-204-6600 if this is an unexpected early pick-up.

When you arrive at Lowell to pick up your child:

• Please ring the doorbell at the Maple Ave entrance, and state your name and your student’s name.

• When the door is unlocked for you, please report directly to the Main Office (down the hallway to the left).

• Please complete the Student Sign-Out form, and your child will be called down to meet you in the office.

Families play a key role in school safety. You can read about our emergency procedures here. You’ll find more information on district safety and security, including how we communicate with you in an emergency, at madison.k12.wi.us/safety.

Each year, Lowell Elementary goes through a process of writing and rewriting its School  Improvement Plan, or SIP. The SIP focuses on instructional goals, services that extend beyond  the classroom, and family and community engagement. There are several opportunities during  the year for parents and community members to give feedback and input to the Lowell SIP.

Each student is provided a locker to store personal property. Cell phone use is not allowed during the day. Students who require cell phones for before or after school communication purposes must store their phones in their lockers and keep them turned off during the school day. Use of roller blades, scooters, skateboards, and wheelie shoes is not allowed at Lowell. Students using these items for transportation purposes must have a plan to store the items upon arrival to Lowell.

Students should not arrive at the Lowell campus prior to 7:20am. Supervision begins at 7:20am each school day, and the bell rings at 7:35am. School releases at 1:10pm on Monday, and 2:35pm Tuesday through Friday. Lowell Elementary does not provide supervision of students following the end of the school day, unless students are participating in a Lowell sponsored activity, or in a program as provided by after school fee-for-service organizations.

Lowell Elementary employs a school psychologist and social worker who work to support students and families with needs that extend beyond the classroom. Lowell Elementary also employs a variety of special education and English language service providers who work to meet the identified needs of students qualifying for these types of services. Lowell staffs its nurse’s office for the entire school day with a nurse and/or nurse’s assistant.

Lowell’s arrival and dismissal procedures can be found here.