FIRST DAY PACKETS 

First Day packets are sent home with students within the first few days of school. We encourage parents to go through the packet, in a timely manner, as it includes valuable information and forms to fill out and return to school. Included in this packet will be the Family Privacy Rights, Student Rights and Responsibilities booklet, the District School Calendar, forms for joining the PTA, volunteer opportunities and free & reduced lunch forms. 

SCHOOL SCHEDULE 

  9:00 am - 11:30 am Preschool Morning (AM)   

12:55 pm -   3:25 pm Preschool Afternoon (PM)  

  9:00 am -   3:25 pm Grades K—5th  

Friday there is no preschool.  

Friday is Learning Improvement Time for teachers. Grades K-5 dismiss at 2:10 pm 

Students who arrive prior to 8:45 AM will be asked to call a parent to make other arrangements for childcare. At dismissal, students are expected to go home immediately. 

LUNCH SCHEDULES 

Typical lunch times are as follows: 

BACKPACKS 

All students in grades K-5 are expected to bring a backpack without wheels or other schoolbag. Students are encouraged to carry only those items immediately needed for school. 

DRESS CODE 

Masks are expected to be worn in the building. 

Outside, masks will be worn when students are in close contact.  

Students should maintain an appearance that is clean, modest, and not disruptive to the educational process. Appropriate shoes and socks for running and climbing aid your child in safe vigorous exercise. Clothing that is disruptive in nature, obscene, offensive, or a possible health or safety problem should not be worn at school. Students who wear inappropriate clothing to school will be asked to change. Open- toed shoes, flip-flops, and sandals are discouraged for safety and mobility reasons. Make-up, colored hair paints and/or gels are inappropriate for the learning environment. Wheeled shoes may only be worn without wheels attached. If worn, they will have to be removed before going to class. 

Attendance 

Reporting student absent/late to school. When your child is absent or late to school the State law requires documentation that the parent has called or sent in a note stating the reason for the student’s absence or tardy. Without this documentation, your child’s absence/tardy will be recorded as unexcused. Please contact our 24-hour attendance line before 9 am @ (425)366-2605. If you do not report, you will receive a call from our automated attendance line. You can expect an automated attendance call by 10:20 AM for morning sessions/full day classes, and by 1:30 PM for afternoon sessions (preschool only). This is to ensure student safety. 

Absences/tardies/dismissals are considered excused for the reasons stated below. Late arrivals must check in at the office for a tardy slip. 

Picking up your student during school day: To pick up your student early, please send a note with them ahead of time so that the teacher may plan accordingly.    Parents must sign-out their student in the office prior to departure. Avoid 3:10 – 3:25 pm requests for dismissal.  This is a high traffic time. Your child’s dismissal may be delayed. 

Under the laws of the State of Washington, attendance in school is mandatory. Absences are excused under this law for the following reasons: 1) Student illness; 2) Family emergency; 3) Doctor or dentist appointments; 4) Religious observances; 5) Absences agreed appropriate by the school principal, provided that such absences do not cause a serious adverse effect upon the student’s educational progress. 

BUSES 

Daily Bus Schedules 

Transportation Services will send out postcards with printed bus schedules prior to the start of school. For the most accurate information on schedules, check the postings on the Mukilteo School District website. All students are expected to follow safety rules and bus driver’s instructions. 

Musical Instruments 

Unfortunately, some musical instruments cannot be safely trans-ported on school buses. Cases larger than 38” X 12” X 9” are not allowed. Cases must be held between student’s legs and cannot encroach or take over another student’s seat. 

TRANSPORTATION CHANGES 

To ensure student safety, any change in your student’s normal transportation from school requires a note from a parent or guardian. The student should bring the note to the office where a transportation pass (bus or pick up) will be issued. We are unable to interrupt teaching time during the school day to relay messages to students. Any play dates or other changes should be made prior to the start of the school day. 

* All after-school arrangements should be made with your student before school ends. 

GUEST PARKING 

Visitors may park in the north lot in the front of the school, but spaces are limited. Guests are not permitted in the south front lot by the gym. 

CROSSING GUARDS/SAFETY PATROL 

To/from school routes are mandated by the Mukilteo School District Transportation Department. All students who walk home must follow the directions of the school Safety Patrol and Crossing Guards. All students are required to walk with a supervisor, unless otherwise approved. Fifth graders who are interested in becoming Safety Patrol members may contact the Safety Patrol Supervisor during the school year. 

DROP OFF/PICK UP STUDENTS 

Morning drop-off is curbside ONLY. Before school, students must be dropped off at the north parking lot. The only exception to this rule is YMCA daycare students, who may be picked up and dropped off in the south lot, but only if parking spaces are available. Guests may never park along the fire lanes or “No Parking” areas in the south lot. Be cautioned, lines in the north lot may be long during these times. Proper north lot etiquette is to get in the line, quickly drop off/pick up your child when you reach the curb and proceed around the parking area and back out to Harbour Pointe Blvd. 

After school pickup: After school, students must be picked up in the north parking lot. During dismissal, students walking from the curb to a car, or across the parking lot, MUST be accompanied by a staff member or an adult. Do not leave your vehicle unattended in either parking lot unless it is parked in a designated parking space. See Attendance for information on picking up students during the school day. 

BICYCLE, SKATEBOARD, and SCOOTER 

Columbia Elementary Staff recommend that children be in the third (3rd) grade or higher before riding their bicycles, skateboards, or scooters to school. However, school staff respect the judgment of parents as to their children’s readiness in this area. All children who ride their bicycles, skateboards, or scooters to school must wear a helmet. Bicycles, skateboards, and scooters are to be locked in the bicycle rack. There is no provision for storing them elsewhere, and the school assumes no responsibility for them. Bicycles, skateboards and scooters are not to be ridden on school campus grounds. 

DISABLED PARKING: SPECIAL CONSIDERATION 

Please remember that Washington State disabled parking laws can and will be enforced in the school parking lot, and that Columbia is home to special programs which need unobstructed access to the disabled parking and bus areas for wheelchair access, especially the ones in the north parking lot.

BEHAVIOR SUPPORT 

Columbia is Positive Behavior Intervention Systems (PBIS) School. This means all staff work together to support successful academic and social-emotional behaviors through positive recognitions and reinforcements. The following are components of a PBIS school: 

Schoolwide Expectations 

Columbia students are safe, respectful, and responsible. 

Behavioral Instruction 

Columbia school wide expectations are posted throughout the school and are specific to the areas. Expectations are taught at the beginning of the school year and reinforced throughout with positive recognitions. 

System for Recognition 

Columbia recognizes students with Cougar Cards, weekly drawings, and Cougars CARE (Compassion, Academics, Respect, and Endurance) Awards at assemblies each trimester. Classroom teachers utilize a variety of positive award systems (Cougar Tracks, Classroom Dojo, Bloomz, token economy, treasure boxes). 

ParentSquare 

Parents are automatically included in school communications once the student is registered. It is very important to make sure we have your correct contact information. 

STUDENT TELEPHONE USE 

A student phone is located in the school office. Generally, students may only use the phone for school-related communications. Students are not allowed to use the phone for last minute after-school plans. 

PHONE MESSAGES 

Only EMERGENCY messages are delivered to students throughout the day. 

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER AND NOTICES 

Columbia communication notices will be sent on Thursdays. Columbia publishes a monthly newsletter at the end of each month. It is located on our website. You may request a paper copy. Community notices are sent via MSD’s PeachJar account to parent/guardians’ email on file. 

SCHOOL PICTURES/YEARBOOKS 

Within the first couple months of school, individual pictures will be taken. Photo packages from the photo company are available for purchase. Class photos are taken in the spring. Yearbooks are available for purchase and are pre-ordered in February. Yearbooks are distributed the last week of school. 

For the safety of students, staff, and families, all visitors to school assemblies and evening events will present photo ID before entering the gym. A table will be setup outside the gym for such events where you will be expected to check-in. Your name will be recorded as it appears on the ID. If you do not have photo ID, you will not be allowed to enter. If you wish to stay after the assembly, please check-in in the main office where a badge will be issued to you. 

PARTIES, HOLIDAYS and CELEBRATIONS 

Traditions and celebrations are a part of American culture and heritage; they help students understand the seasonal calendar and their place in a larger community. We are sensitive to the diverse cultures of our Columbia community and will seek to include learning about the cultures represented by our students. In the event your child will not participate in school or classroom planned activities, we will provide alternate learning activities in the library. 

PETS 

Animals are never allowed at school, even outdoors. Animals in vehicles must be secured and unable to have contact with students. 

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES 

In the event of an earthquake or other disaster, your child will remain safe under the supervision of Columbia staff members.  When it is deemed safe for families to arrive at school to pick up students, families will wait in the ‘Student Release’ line, provide your child’s name, we will retrieve your child. Families will sign the children out. Please update your emergency contact list to include those who may retrieve your child. 

PHOTOGRAPHS/VIDEO RECORDING 

Generally, photographing/video recording of students and staff is not allowed. If you wish to photograph or film, please obtain permission from your child’s teacher or the Principal beforehand. 

VOLUNTEERING (This option is currently not available) 

There are many opportunities for volunteering at Columbia. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact your child’s teacher, the librarian, our front office staff, or a PTA officer to ask how you can help. In accordance with state laws, all volunteers must: