Policies
School District Dress Code
School-wide uniforms are a part of our student culture at Vare-Washington Elementary. If a student is not able to obtain the required pieces of the uniform, every effort will be made to provide a uniform for the student. Please contact our counselor, Ms. Edwards, at cedwards@philasd.org if you need assistance securing a uniform.
School Uniform
Tops: GREY polo-style collared shirts (long or short sleeved) or Vare-Washington T-shirts (NO hooded sweatshirts are permitted in class.)
Bottoms: NAVY BLUE pants, knee-length skirts, skorts, jumpers, or capri pants
Gym Days Only: GREY T-shirts and NAVY BLUE sweatpants
Shoes: Sneakers preferred. No open-toed shoes, please!
School Hours
School begins promptly at 8:15 AM and ends at 2:54 PM, and every second counts! Please be on time for morning arrival AND afternoon pick-up. It’s much appreciated! (Note that the school opens at 7:45 for students in need of breakfast and/or early morning care.)
Lateness Policy
Classroom instruction begins as soon as school starts so it is important for children to arrive on time. When a student is not able to arrive on time, the student must first report to the office to fill out a late slip and then proceed to the classroom. Excessive lateness will result in disciplinary and/or truancy action. Any student arriving after the daily morning entrance at 8:15am into the building is considered late.
Please note that School District Policy states that any student who arrives after 10:00am OR leaves before 1:00pm shall be marked as a half-day absence. This will be either ‘half-excused’ if there is a note from a doctor or ‘half-unexcused’ without a note from a doctor. No handwritten notes are accepted for these two types of absences.
Absences
When a student is absent, a note explaining the reason for the absence is required in order for the child to be excused. Send the note within three (3) days upon the child’s return to school. If your child does not submit a note, then the absence will be marked as unexcused on his/her report card. After eight unexcused absences, only notes from a physician will be accepted. It is important to contact the teacher or another student to find out what class work or homework has been missed.