Rowen Student Handbook
2020-2021 Student Handbook
for William Rowen Elementary School
A Message from the Principal
Dear Parents:
Welcome to William Rowen Elementary School. While we will begin this year in a virtual learning environment, my staff and I stand committed to providing your child with a rigorous educational experience that is engaging and effective.
This handbook contains information that will be useful to you throughout the school year. Please review this handbook with your child. Frequent correspondence will be sent to you to keep you informed of school activities and events. Teachers, students, and parents working together will make the school year successful for every child.
Sincerely,
Dr. James G. Murray, Jr.
Principal
Mission Statement
We exist to create a responsive school environment that inspires students to dream and motivates them to acquire basic skills and knowledge. We promote a student-centered curriculum that holds teachers, parents, and students accountable for themselves and their community while fostering the love and passion of life-long learning. This passion for life-long learning is summed up in our school quote, which is inscribed on our building: “Education is not a mere means to life. Education is life.”
Our vision is a community of learners who function with consistency, work collaboratively, and promote a high level of achievement in a variety of academic pursuits and activities.
Welcome to Rowen
The purpose of this handbook is to promote cooperation and understanding between the home and school for the benefit of the child. Utilize this Rowen handbook:
- If there is anything that you want to know about our school
- If there is anything that concerns you or your child about school
- If you want more information you are always welcome to call, visit, or write to your child’s teacher, the counselor, the school based teacher leader, the special education liaison, or the principal. Our school website (www.philasd.org/rowen) contains the most up to date information
What Kind of School is Rowen?
Rowen is a school committed to children. At Rowen, we are concerned about the whole child. We promote a standards-driven, inquiry-based approach to learning rooted in big and transferable ideas. We believe that it is the job of the teacher to facilitate learning and promote mastery of discrete knowledge and skills. Our teachers are concerned about the whole child (social, emotional, and academic). We demand that each child is allowed to reach his or her highest potential.
We believe that education is a lifelong process. One of our principles of learning is effort produces achievement. This means that student achievement is based primarily on student motivation and effort, not IQ score. At Rowen, our goal is to provide students with the motivation and encouragement necessary to maximize achievement and success. We remind our students every day that Education is not a mere means to life. Education is life.
Virtual Meetings with Your Child’s Teacher
Our teachers are committed to building strong relationships with parents. Our teachers are available to set up Zoom virtual conferences to meet with you before school, during their preparation time or after school.
The School Day
The school day begins at 8:30 AM each day. Students should use the Zoom link provided to them by their teacher to log on each day. The school day ends at 3:09 PM.
Absence or Lateness
The School Laws of Pennsylvania state that a child must attend school every day. If he/she is absent from school, upon return, a written note signed by the parent must be presented to the child’s teacher within 3 days of the absence.
A child who does not log on to the Zoom meeting by 8:40 AM will be considered late. at 8:30 a.m. and arrives at school after his or her class enters the building is considered late. It is the parent’s responsibility to send a digital message (email, Google Classroom, etc.) to the teacher when lateness occurs.
Progress Report Cards
First Term Report Cards will be available on November 23, 2020
Kindergarten through 5th Grade Conferences:
November 23-25, 2020 (Virtual Afternoon Conferences)
Second Term Report Cards will be available on February 3, 2021
Kindergarten through 5th Grade Conferences:
February 3-5, 2021 (Virtual Afternoon Conferences)
Third Term Report Cards will be available on April 3, 2021
Kindergarten through 5th Grade Conferences:
April 7-9, 2021 (Virtual Afternoon Conferences)
Fourth Term Report Cards will be available on June 11, 2021 to non-graduating students. Fifth-grade students will receive their report cards on graduation day.
Encouraging Student Success at Rowen
You can ensure your child’s success:
- By seeing that your child attends school regularly and promptly.
- By making sure they are well-groomed and appropriately clothed in the virtual environment.
- By respecting and cooperating with the school principal, teachers, nurse, and other staff members.
- By participating in and developing respect for adherence to rules of conduct developed by the school.
- By encouraging your child to have a definite time and place for learning and by checking homework regularly.
- By teaching respect for the authority of parents, teachers, and elders.
- By impressing upon your child, the seriousness of learning, and the importance of going to school.
Recognition of Student Accomplishments
We, at Rowen, are proud of the many accomplishments of our students. We know that praise and recognition of a child’s effort are important.
The Rowen School Awards Program was established to motivate our students toward greater academic achievement and to encourage them to become better citizens. Various kinds of awards and recognition are given to those who meet certain criteria.
Students are cited for achievement in the following areas:
1. Lexia Reading Core 5
2. Honor Roll
3. Rowen Lion Leaders
4. Student Council
5. Extra Effort
6. Character Counts Champions
7. Outstanding Attendance – Punctuality
8. Student of the Month
9. Terrific Kids
The following are special awards given at the end of each school year:
Ruth B. Williams – Mathematics Award
Evelyn W. Bailey – Reading Award
Eva M. Roberts – Exemplary Service
Gerry Colston – Special Achievement
Dwight Evans – Leadership
Idris Amin – Art
Jenny Lee – School Service
Rowen “R” – Academic Achievement
H & S Association – Humanitarian
Mary Smith – Writing Award
Pamela Friedrich – Academic Achievement
Communication to Parents
Expect frequent correspondence from school using a variety of media, such as emails, phone calls, our web site, Facebook, Twitter, and written communication. The purpose is to keep our parents and community aware of the numerous opportunities and events at Rowen. You will also receive the “Introductory Information Letter” from your child’s teacher at the beginning of each school year.
Educational Opportunities
Reading, Writing, and Listening Program: Our goal is to bring all students up to standard levels in reading. Our emphasis at Rowen will be on total student achievement and success in the basic reading skills.
Reading Systems: No one approach or basic reading system can assure success in reading for all students. We are, however, striving for continuity in the system being used. We are presently utilizing Pearson ReadyGen, Wilson Fundations (K-2), and Lexia Reading Core 5.
The Resource Room: The Resource Room is a special education classroom for students who have difficulties in the basic skills and who are recommended for additional remedial instruction with the Resource Room Teacher. The Resource Room will take place in a virtual environment until school returns to in-person learning. Students so designated visit the virtual Resource Room for various lengths of time depending on their specific needs. They participate in the regular classroom program and attend the Resource Room to corret certain deficiencies in a reduced teacher-student ratio.
Learning Support Classes: These classes are for exceptional students whose primary identified need is academic learning.
Emotional Support Classes: This class is for students whose primary identified need is academic learning for the emotionally challenged.
Extra-Curricular Opportunities: These clubs are provided in the Basic Skills, PSSA Preparation, and Reading Olympics. These opportunities will take place in virtual environments until school returns to in-person learning.
Title I Program: The entire School District of Philadelphia meets the criteria for Title I status. Title I is a federally funded program that is governed by legislation. Our school has been so designated because the majority of our students meet the economic criteria for Title I resources. Title I supports student success in the basic skills of reading and mathematics for all of the students at Rowen without regard to their eligibility. Major uses of our Title I funds are to provide professional development for the staff and to supplement the instructional program. Included in this last category are the following:
- Full-time Kindergarten Program
- Instructional Teacher Leader
- Part Time Classroom Assistants
Mentally Gifted Program: Students identified as mentally gifted participate in a specially designed program to meet their learning needs.
School Counselor: Works directly with students to help with any problem that occurs. She meets with parents as often as needed to plan together in the interest of the child’s adjustment to his or her school and home. The school counselor will support students and families in virtual environments until school returns to in-person learning.
Speech Teacher: Instructs students who have problems of articulation or receptive and expressive language that interferes with communication and learning. The school teacher will support students in virtual environments until school returns to in-person learning.
School Nurse: Administers first aid to students who are injured in school. She also gives medical tests and conducts physical examinations. The school nurse will support students in virtual environments until school returns to in-person learning.
Specialist Teachers: Instruct students in computers, visual art, and physical and health education to help enrich the instructional program. The specialist teachers will support students in virtual environments until school returns to in-person learning.
Breakfast and Lunch Program
Every child at Rowen is entitled to free breakfast and lunch. While school is engaged in virtual learning, parents and families can secure meal packages from the district’s meal sites.
Student Health Needs
Parents of students with special medical conditions should inform the school nurse of the problem. This information is confidential, but if we are going to maximize the learning potential of all students, it is important for the school to be so informed.
Please request a virtual meeting to discuss with the nurse any medical problem that your child may have.
The Kindergarten Program
What does it mean to go to kindergarten? For the child it is the beginning of school life as they are helped to:
- Adjust to a larger social group
- Fulfill their personality needs as they develop feelings of security
- Understand the world in which they live
- Grow in creativeness, initiative, and independence
- Develop good habits and attitudes
- Build strong healthy bodies and achieve adequate motor development
The kindergarten program is a total language experience that encompasses reading and language arts, mathematics, science, physical education, art, music, computers, and social activities.
The kindergarten experience should not be considered merely a preparation for first grade. It has an essential place in the educational system. It has been proven that children with kindergarten experience are much more successful in their early school years.
Textbooks
- All basic texts are loaned to students for their use during the school year. Textbooks are to be kept clean and handled carefully.
- Please be sure your child’s name, grade, and school year are written on the label in case the book is misplaced. YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR LOST OR DAMAGED BOOKS, MATERIALS, AND TEMPLATES.
Who Was William Rowen?
- William Rowen’s great-great grandfather was a surveyor in the American Revolution, a resident of Kensington, and lived to be 103 years of age.
- Largely through his influence, the Penn Treaty Park was established. He served as a delegate to several conventions to nominate governors of Pennsylvania.
- Mr. Rowen was instrumental in the building of Kensington High School, Chandler School, William Penn Senior High School, and Mastbaum Vocational School.
- In 1907, the Board of Judges to the Central Board of Education appointed Mr. Rowen as a member of the Philadelphia Board of Education.
- His Philadelphia home was at 305 East Girard Avenue where he maintained a funeral home.
- Underprivileged and mentally handicapped children lost a staunch friend through Mr. Rowen’s death.
- At his death in 1933, he was 81 years of age and had been connected with the Philadelphia Board of Education for 30 years, the last 12 of which he had been its president.
School Advisory Council
The Rowen School Advisory Council (SAC) works cooperatively and constructively toward mutual understanding of the home, school, and community.
Rowen’s SAC uses Konstella to issue announcements at regular intervals concerning its activities, programs, and general meetings. The SAC welcomes your support for the benefit of the students.
Student Appearance
Students will be expected to keep themselves well-groomed and neatly dressed during virtual learning at all times.
Discipline
One of the most important lessons that education should offer is discipline. While it does not appear as a subject, it underlies the whole educational structure. It is the training that develops self-control, character, orderliness, and efficiency. It is the key to good conduct and proper consideration for other people.
All students are expected to behave acceptably and responsibly manner whether learning online or in-person.
Rowen students shall not engage in the following types of behavior:
- Purposely disobey directions of the school staff
- Disrupt any school activity or tell others to do so
- Purposely hurt, bully, or try to hurt anyone.
- Use language that is obscene, purposely disruptive, or offensive to others.
- Display a weapon, dangerous device, alcohol, or drugs in a virtual environment.
Consequences which may be used for a student who disobeys the rules are:
- Loss of privileges
- Notice to parents; conferences
- Placement on a daily report
- Counseling/Mentoring
- Referral to Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
- Class Change
- Community Service
- Suspension from School
With an understanding of the purpose of discipline at the Rowen School, a positive attitude is encouraged to enable all concerned to make our school an effective place for learning.
Computing and Internet Acceptable Use Policy
The School District of Philadelphia is providing its students (“users”) with access to computing equipment, systems, and local network functions such as the Internet. This access has a limited educational purpose for students. Parents may specifically request that their children not be provided access to the World Wide Web by notifying the District in writing.
In the event there is an allegation that a student has violated the District Acceptable Use Policy, the student will be provided with written notice of the alleged violation and will be provided with an opportunity to be heard in the manner outlined in the student Hearing Process Policy. Disciplinary action may be taken.
Hotline and Support Lines
Need help with a question, concern, or problem? Try one of these telephone numbers:
Parent Engagement
215-400-4000
Safe Hotline
215-400-SAFE
Information regarding school safety
Childline
800-932-0313
24-hour hotline telephone service to report child abuse and neglect. If
you see someone being abused, immediately call the 24-hour hotline
to make a report.
Parent & Family Portal
“Parents can check their child’s educational progress online through the Parent & Family Portal. The information includes enrollment and academic history, report cards, test scores, and the analysis of those results. There are also activities for parents and students, including resources based on benchmark testing.
Any parent can get a user name and password by going to the District’s web site at http://www.philasd.org/, clicking on the Families and then clicking on “Parent & Family Portal.” Once parents have a user name and password, they can access the Portal by going to https://sso.philasd.org/cas/login.