Nerge Family Handbook

While we understand unexpected life events may occur, absence from school for any reason disrupts the educational process. Consistent school attendance is essential for academic and social progress. We appreciate your efforts to schedule vacations and appointments outside school hours or on days when school is not in session. If a vacation exceeds 15 days, the child will be unenrolled. Upon return from an extended vacation, the parent must provide two current bills to re-enroll their child.

Communication from families is vital in keeping accurate attendance records. If absences reach 5% or more of the school year or if your child misses multiple days due to illness, a note from a doctor may be required for the absences to be excused. Without such notes, your child could be considered truant, and school administration may work with the school resource officer to resolve the issue or provide support.

Parents should call the absence line (847-357-5776) between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. to report their child’s absence or late arrival. Necessary information includes the child’s name, your name, the teacher’s name, the reason for absence, and the absence date(s). When no call is made, the school will follow up using the contact information and preferences provided by the family.

Students missing more than 150 minutes of instruction will be marked absent for the entire day.

Please note that absent students will not be permitted to participate in after-school or evening activities on that day. Additionally, students must attend at least half the school day to be eligible for after-school or evening activities on that day.

Tardiness

A student arriving after the start of school must report to the office before going to class. If more than five minutes late, a parent or guardian must sign the student in at the office. Tardiness is considered a form of truancy. Students who are tardy twenty or more days may be referred to the Cook County Truancy Officer, and the administration may collaborate with the school resource officer to address the issue.

District 54 Truancy Policy

All visitors gain entry by ringing the main front doorbell and stating their purpose for visiting the building. At that time, visitors are expected to immediately report to the front office, sign in, and receive a visitor’s badge before proceeding elsewhere in the building. Students who leave before the final bell must be signed out by a parent, guardian, or designee on the log in the office. Thank you for refraining from holding doors open for others, as we ask each visitor to wait for their admission into the school. 

If you need to pick up your child before the end of the school day, please inform your child’s teacher and the main office in advance. Students will not be released to individuals not listed on their emergency contact list unless parents or guardians have made prior arrangements. Anyone signing a student out must come into the school, show identification, and sign the student out.

With written verification from a parent or guardian, your child may be excused from physical education or outdoor activities for one to three days after an illness or accident. Any restriction lasting longer than three days must be supported by written verification from your doctor that states the duration and type of restriction.

Students are advised not to bring valuable equipment, collections, games, or personal items to school. Large sums of money beyond what is needed for school purchases should not be brought to school.

We love celebrating birthdays at Nerge School! We acknowledge student birthdays daily during morning announcements to honor these special days. If you choose to celebrate your child’s birthday with a classroom treat, please remember that it must be non-edible to ensure the safety and health of all students.

Nerge complies with the District 54 dress code policy. The Board expects students to dress and groom themselves neatly and cleanly, following health and safety standards. Clothing or appearance that disrupts the learning environment is not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to, offensive logos or words on clothing, exposed midriffs, inappropriate length, and similar issues. Students who do not follow the dress code must adjust their clothing before returning to class.

Problems can occur when students bring objects or articles to school that are unsafe for others or disrupt learning. Items that are offensive, dangerous, or disruptive will be collected and returned to parents upon request.

Students are responsible for any items they bring to school. According to school district policy, students are prohibited from using non-school-issued electronic devices on school property or buses unless authorized by the building administration. This policy includes cell phones. When the electronic device policy is violated, the device may be held in the office to be picked up by a parent or guardian during office hours. If an administrator permits using an electronic device, the school is not responsible if the item is lost, broken, or stolen.

Please note that all District 54 schools prohibit weapons, as indicated by the sticker on the front door.

Nerge School follows the District 54 Student Behavior policy. The goals and objectives of this policy are to provide effective discipline practices that: (1) prioritize the safety and dignity of students and staff; (2) maintain a positive, weapons-free, and drug-free learning environment; (3) keep school property and others’ property secure; (4) address the root causes of student misbehavior and offer opportunities for all involved in an incident to participate in resolving it; and (5) teach students positive behavioral skills to help them become independent, self-disciplined members of the school community and society.

Nerge uses a progressive discipline approach focused on restorative practices and logical consequences. Students are expected to behave responsibly to ensure a safe environment for everyone. They are expected to respect the rights, needs, and property of others. All federal and state laws regarding student conduct and other district policies related to student behavior will be enforced. Students should act safely, respectfully, and responsibly both within the school and on school buses or at bus stops. The schoolwide PBIS matrix details behavioral expectations, including the following district-wide standards:

• Students will act safely and promote health for themselves and others.
• Students will treat school property and others’ property with respect.
• Students will respect the rights and needs of others.
• Students will take responsibility for their own learning.
• Students will be respectful of the learning environment and avoid disruptive behavior.
• Students will demonstrate digital citizenship on all electronic devices.

Children facing difficulties in meeting these expectations will work with staff to correct their behaviors. They will be given time with a staff member to reflect on their actions and develop a plan for improvement by exploring alternatives. Parents or guardians will be notified of any behavioral issues and asked to support their child’s efforts. All consequences will be educational, logical, and in accordance with School Board policies.

Nerge follows the District 54 Homework Policy. This policy states that homework should be purposeful and meaningful. The purpose of homework is to enrich or extend school instruction, provide students with the opportunity to reinforce new learning through independent practice, and encourage self-directed learning. It can also be used to highlight the importance of learning outside the classroom. Homework may be graded and factored into the overall grades. Students may face logical consequences for late or missing assignments.

District 54 strongly encourages all parents and guardians to register for the District 54 Infinite Campus Portal. This website allows parents and guardians to log in and view information about their children’s grades, assignments, immunizations, test scores, and more. It also provides access to the Whole Child Profile (report card) each trimester and facilitates registration for the upcoming school year. The District 54 Parent Portal can be accessed here.

Bicycles must be parked in the bicycle rack. Bicycles should be walked on the driveway and/or walkway from the entrance at the street to the rack. When going home, bicycles should be walked from the rack to the street and across the street at the crosswalk. A chain or cable lock is strongly recommended to secure bicycles at school. Please ensure your child can lock and unlock his or her own bike. Skateboards and roller blades are not allowed when arriving at or leaving school grounds.

Electric bikes, scooters and skateboards are not permitted on District 54 property, due to safety concerns including the potential for accidents and the possibility of fire associated with such devices. This applies to students, as well as to family members and friends who may be picking up or dropping off students at school.

To promote a safe, respectful, and responsible digital experience, students follow these expectations:

• Keep your password private and secure.
• Use devices for academic purposes only.
• Keep devices in a case while traveling.
• Keep food and drinks away from devices.
• Follow the teacher’s directions for device use.
• Ensure all digital interactions are school-appropriate.
• Bring devices to school every day.
• Charge devices each night.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a school-wide framework that promotes positive behavior, creates a safe and supportive learning environment, and helps all students succeed socially, emotionally, and academically. At its core, PBIS highlights the importance of clearly teaching behavioral expectations, recognizing positive choices, and applying consistent, proactive strategies to support student behavior.

Through PBIS, students learn to be respectful, responsible, and safe in all school settings. Staff members model, teach, and reinforce these expectations while using data to guide decisions and support students who need extra help.

PBIS fosters a school culture where students feel valued, connected, and eager to learn by emphasizing prevention, consistency, and positive reinforcement.

Knight Tickets (“blue tickets”) are used to promote positive behavior for all students. The tickets are small pieces of paper. When students demonstrate expected behavior, they may be given a ticket by a staff member and verbal praise. Students can then use tickets to earn rewards throughout the school year.

We enjoy celebrating successes at Nerge! All students have opportunities to participate in classroom and school-wide celebrations throughout the year. Classrooms implement their own reward and goal-setting systems to recognize and celebrate positive student behavior. As a school, celebrations are held each month to honor the completion and application of parts of our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum, the 8 Keys of Excellence, and/or our students’ achievement of specific goals. We look forward to many celebrations happening this year!