Holt Elementary School

Late Students to Office

Doors close at 7:55, and any students arriving after that need to check in at the office before going to class.

There will be some grace during the first week of school, but starting the first full week of school, all doors will close promptly at 7:55.

Dismissal Procedures

At the end of the day, students will exit the building with their teacher using their designated entrance/exit doors. Bus riders will be escorted by staff to their bus. Students biking or walking will exit with their teacher. Students waiting to be picked up will wait with their teacher in the designated areas below.

Drivers should follow the one-way direction traffic flow indicated in the map below.

Parking Lot Reminders

The parking lot is for families who want to walk their child to the building entrances during arrival or who wish to meet their child at the end of the day at dismissal. Please note the following rules for the parking lot:

• ONLY cross using the crosswalk. Students and families should never cut across the driveway.
• Before using the crosswalk, students and adults must stop and look for cars.

If a student arrives before the doors open at 7:55, they will wait in their car or stand on a sidewalk spot by their assigned entrance. Families dropping students off by car are encouraged to park in the North Park Community Church parking lot across the street and walk to school. This greatly reduces traffic congestion in our parking lot.

Curbside Pausing Parking Reminders

In the mornings, students may be dropped off along the curb. At the end of the day, drivers can pause-park along the curb to pick up their students when they come out at dismissal. Please note the following rules for pause parking:

• Drivers must remain in their cars at all times.
• Drivers should pull forward as space becomes available.
• Drivers should NOT stop in marked crosswalk areas.
• When getting in or out of a car, students must use the door on the sidewalk side. Students should never get in or out of a car on the driver’s side. It’s unsafe for the students, and it slows traffic.
• Drivers must remember to ALWAYS yield at the painted crosswalks and sidewalks.

Student Attendance and Tardies

One of the most reliable predictors of school success is regular attendance. Absences for any reason result in lost instruction time. We know that students who fall behind often become discouraged learners. It is our hope that we can work together to encourage your child’s regular attendance and success at school. We understand that there are many factors in your lives that make it difficult, at times, for your child to be in school or on time. However, it is important that we work with you to reduce these to an absolute minimum. Class activities start promptly in the morning. This morning class time is one of the most important times of the day. When a child comes in late, not only have they missed valuable class time, it is disruptive to their classmates.

When your child is going to be late or absent from school, please call the attendance line at 790-6111, before 8:15 a.m. and inform the office staff. You may leave a message on the voicemail if calling before office hours. Please leave the name of your child, their teacher’s name, and the reason for the absence. It is extremely important that this be done, as every child must be accounted for on a daily basis. As a friendly reminder, according to Oregon Truancy Regulations, if your student has eight unexcused half-day absences in any four-week period, you will receive a letter from the school notifying you of our attendance concerns. Please understand that if irregular attendance continues, we will be obligated to make a referral to a truant officer for further investigation.

YMCA After School Care

Holt’s YMCA After School program is full, but it’s not too late to get on the waiting list. Visit the YMCA Website for details.

After-School Enrichment Programs

See the Holt After-School Webpage for information for info on enrichment opportunities for students, including:

• Grade 3-5 Strings with Eugene-Springfield Youth Orchestra
• Chess Club at Holt with Southside Chess
• After-School Singers at Holt with Sonare Singers

Update Your Child’s Health Information

Ensure your child’s health records are current. We want to be aware of respiratory-based diagnoses, allergies, or other health conditions. Linked here are the Asthma Assessment Form and the General Medical Profile Form, which you can email or deliver to front office staff.

FREE Breakfast & Lunches

All students will be provided with a free breakfast and lunch. No paperwork is necessary. For breakfast, students may walk to the cafeteria. When finished eating breakfast, they should walk to their designated entrance. Students arriving late will be offered a grab-and-go breakfast at the office. Lunches are also free to all students.

Nut-Free Table in Cafeteria

For students with nut allergies, we offer a Nut-Free Table in the cafeteria. Students may bring a friend with them to the Nut-Free Table if the friend has a school-provided meal, which is always nut-free.

Messages for Students

Please make sure that your child knows what they are expected to do when the school day is over before they leave home in the morning. Staff are not available to hand deliver messages throughout the day, and when the bell rings at the end of the school day, it is difficult to connect with individual children. We are happy to deliver messages in an EMERGENCY situation, but if at all possible, please make sure that your child(ren) knows who will pick them up and if they should walk home or ride the bus before they leave for school.

How do I find my child’s bus stop?

4J’s Transportation Department has a system for finding your child’s bus stop and times. The steps are as follows:

Go to the 4J District Website, select “Families” down to “Transportation.” Click “Bus Stops & Routes,” then finally click “Find My Bus Stop,” and enter your address. The link will be live soon and will give the most accurate information available.

Student Information Available to Non-Custodial Parents

Holt Elementary is able to provide all co-custodial or non-custodial parents with a duplicate copy of all district-labeled mailings. Please let the school office know if you would like the name of a co-custodial or non-custodial parent added to the student’s enrollment information.

Message from Home Safe Routes to School

As you gear up for the school year, it’s time to think about how your child(ren) will get to school. September weather and the start of the school year are a great time to set new goals for the family. Making small changes to your daily routine can lead to a surprising number of benefits for your family and community! We encourage students to walk, bike, skate, scoot, bus or carpool to school for their health and readiness to learn, the safety and congestion in our parking lot, and the environment. If you’ve got to drive but still want the health and academic benefits for your child and want to avoid the challenge of the parking lot, try parking a few minutes from school and walking the rest of the way. It’s a great time to connect with your child and could become a favorite part of your day!

If you have concerns about your route or would like help planning a walking/biking route or starting a biking or walking group, contact 4J’s Safe Routes to School Coordinator at mazze_s@4j.lane.edu or 541-790-7539. You can find tip sheets on walking and biking and more on the Safe Routes to School Regional website.

When Can My Child Safely Walk Alone?

DISTRICT NOTIFICATIONS

Title 1 Assessment Testing – The Eugene 4j School District administers both reading and math assessments to each of our students three times a year ~ fall, winter, and spring. Students scoring below the 20th percentile may be recommended, by the building-level team, to receive instructional interventions in reading and/or math. Students receiving interventions will have their progress monitored during regular intervals. At our school, all students receive 45 minutes of reading instruction and 45 minutes of instruction in the area of mathematics, each day. Parents/guardians will be notified if their child is recommended to receive additional reading or math instruction.

Regarding Bullying, Intimidation, Harassment, Discrimination, Hazing, and Retaliation – Eugene School District 4J has policies and programs to prohibit and prevent bullying and harassment, including intimidation, cyberbullying, hazing, and teen dating violence. District policy also prohibits discrimination, meaning any act that has the purpose or effect of unreasonably differentiating in treatment in any instructional program, extracurricular activity, or in the provision of any other service or benefit on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation (actual or perceived), gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, marital status, age, disability, military or veteran status, or any other factor protected by law.

The district encourages students, parents, and other patrons to share their concerns with district officials if they believe they or someone else has been the victim of bullying and harassment, including intimidation, cyberbullying, hazing, teen dating violence, sexual harassment, or discrimination. No reprisal or adverse action will occur as a consequence of initiating a complaint in good faith. 

Incidents should be reported to the school principal or other staff member.  An optional Student Safety Reporting Form is available in the front office of the school.  If the complainant has worked with the school and is not satisfied with the resolution, or if the principal is alleged to have engaged in wrongdoing, a complaint may be directed to the superintendent’s office. Complaint forms and information about the complaint process are available in all 4J school offices on the 4J website at www.4j.lane.edu/complaints and at the 4J Education Center, 200 North Monroe Street, Eugene, OR 97402. For more information, contact your school principal or the superintendent’s office, at (541) 790‑7707.

School to Inform Parents if Their Student Receives a Threat – “Oregon law requires schools to inform parents if their child’s name appears on a targeted list (i.e. a “hit list”) that threatens violence or harm from another student.” We will be using the following procedure to inform you if your student either receives or makes a serious threat of violence or harm.

If your child’s name appears on a list threatening violence or harm by another student, we will attempt to meet with you personally, or talk by telephone, within 12 hours of learning about the threat. We will tell you about the threat, who made it (if we know), and the action we are taking to respond to it. We will also send you a notice within 24 hours, stating that your child received a threat. Our number one priority will be to make sure that school is safe for your children.

If your child made the threat, we will let you know that he or she made it and the action we are taking, including informing the parents of the student who received the threat that your student made. We are also required by the district’s “Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook” to inform the police.

504 Parent Notification – See the linked 504 Parent Letter from Eugene SD 4J 504 Coordinator Della W. Thomas highlighting some of the developments that pertain to Section 504. CORRECTION TO THE LETTER: 504 Plans are reviewed annually, not just in specific grades.

Stay Connected! Holt Social Media Links

In addition to the Holt School Website and school newsletters, stay connected with Holt happenings through our social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and now Threads. These accounts are used to share information, events, and activities happening at Holt throughout the school year. Hopefully, this will become an easy way for families to stay in touch with what’s going on at our school.

Breakfast & Lunch Menus

Breakfast and lunch menus are available on the 4J Menu Website.  Make sure you filter to Holt Elementary.

Dates to Remember

More dates on the Holt Website on the Holt Family Calendar

• 8/16, Office Opens (8:00-12:00, 1:00-3:00)
• 8/24, 9:00-12:00, Holt Work Day 2024
• 8/25, 1:00-4:00, 4J Project Hope, Free Clothes, Shoes, & Supplies (Howard & ATA)
• 9/3, 2:00-3:00, Meet Your Teacher (Holt Classrooms)
• 9/3, 2:30-3:30, Kona Shave Ice Fundraiser (Playground Covered Play Area)
• 9/4, 7:55-1:10, Classes Begin: Kindergarteners Only
• 9/5, 7:55-2:25, Classes Begin: Grades 1-5
• 9/17, Holt Night Our – Menchi’s Fundraiser (Show the Flyer!)
• 9/23-27, PTO Penny War
• 9/26, Back-to-School Night (Time is TBA)
• 10/2, Monthly Walk & Roll to School Day
• 10/3, School Picture Day
• 10/11, No School