Subject: 2018-2019 First Day of School Letter from the US Dean
From: "Michael Woods" <[email-masked]>
To: "''" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2018 12:08:42 +0000

Dear Upper School Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to a new school year from the office of the Dean of Students. We hope that the summer has been invigorating for your family and that everyone is looking forward to the opening of school on September 4. I am attaching a copy of the schedule for the first day of school. This schedule will also be emailed to students. This letter is meant to highlight a few key school policies and procedures, the details of which are outlined in the Community Handbook, found on the parent portal of the school website. https://www.sidwell.edu/uploaded/Portals/parent/all-school/2018-19_Handbook_Web.pdf

Revised Device Policy
In response to the rising distraction of portable electronic devices, notably cell phones, these devices may now be used only outside of School buildings during the academic day. To limit the constant distraction of these devices, eliminate the risks they pose to academic integrity, and enhance the quality of in-person communication within our community, we have restricted device usage during the school day. Students will need to step outside or be inside the Fox Den to use their devices. As before, violations will result in discipline points and the confiscation of the device. Laptops are not part of this restriction and may be used in the School buildings.

Attendance Policies
With our change to a new database system this year, there will be a change in how you report attendance issues to the school. Directly through your parent portal, you will now input the details of an absence, a doctor’s appointment, or a late arrival. You no longer need to email [email-masked] as you have done for many years. Please keep an eye out for an email from our Registrar on the first day of school with instructions on how to submit your attendance requests (now called a Logistics Request) through the new version of QuakerZone. Our attendance policies remain unchanged and we will still excuse or unexcused as before.

Vacation Policy
Our Vacation policy remains unchanged, but I remind you to review the school calendar to highlight the days bracketing vacations and long weekends. To preserve the integrity of our academic calendar, we very rarely excuse an absence for the days before or after a long weekend or vacation. Students who are unexcused absent will serve a Vacation LOP of three days for each day absent.

Revised LOP Policy
We have streamlined what it means to serve a LOP (loss of privilege). Gone are the green signature slips and the loss of free periods. Instead, a LOP’d student will serve a silent detention during lunch for the period of one week. Students will be allowed to eat lunch during detention, but they will not be allowed to use any devices (cell phones, laptops, etc.). The other rules remain in effect.

Health Policy for Opening Day
Please be sure that all of your required health forms have been submitted. We do not allow students to attend school if these forms are incomplete; students with incomplete health forms will be asked to wait in the Dean of Students office while waiting for a parent/guardian to be taken home. Our Health Services office has sent several email reminders this summer and this past week. Please refer to those reminders to be sure that your submissions are complete.

Thank you for your attention in these matters. It is going to be a great year.

Warmly,

Michael Woods
Upper School Dean of Students

Sep 4 2018 STUDENTS First Day of School Schedule[1].pdf

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Sidwell Friends School
3825 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016

(202) 537-8100
www.sidwell.edu