Frequently Asked Questions

Schedules:

What is the daily schedule?

Students arrive between 9:00 and 9:10. Class begins at 9:10. Students are released at 3:40.
A.M. Kindergarten: 9:10 - 11: 55
P.M. Kindergarten: 12:55 - 3:40
Please see our schedule for additional information.

What are Early Release days?

Early Release days are designed for Staff Development. Early Release days have the same start time with dismissal at 1:10, lunches are served. There are also three professional staff development days when students do not attend school. Early Release and staff professional development days are listed on the Tahoma calendar.

Staff:

Who are the administrators, office staff, and their roles?

Mr. Chris Thomas is our principal. He provides leadership, teaching and learning instruction, staff development, personnel support, oversees district projects, and community relations. Mr. Thomas also coordinates academic interventions for students needing extra support in reading, writing and math. Mrs. Stewart is our Dean of Students. She also provides leadership, oversees support programs, school wide discipline and climate, assemblies, student council, personnel and community relations. Mrs. Haytack is our building manager and does that job for Rock Creek as well. She provides leadership and is responsible for resource management, facility/emergency preparedness, scheduling, Zero Hour, personnel, facilities and community relations. Mrs. Haytack is also the district director of Camp Casey, our grade 5 outdoor education program and Summer School.
Our incredible office staff include Robin Lawler, administrative assistant, Diane Giles, Registrar and Chrystal Shields, office support. When you call our office one of these women will be happy to assist you.

How can I contact a staff member?

We all have email addresses listed in the directory. Call 425-413-3700 and the office will take a message or direct your call.

Transportation:

What bus does my child ride?

This information is online on our Tahoma website. Neighborhoods are listed in detail along with times the buses expect to be at your stop. As well, the local newspaper, The Voice of the Valley, publishes the complete list for our schools each August. Another great source is a neighbor with like aged children. You can call transportation and they are happy to assist you. 425-413-3220.

Do students walk to school?

Many students from the surrounding neighborhoods are walkers. Glacier Park provides crossing guards before and after school in the front of the building.

What is protocol for daily drop off and pick up?

The Glacier Park parking lot does get congested with vehicles so we have created a system for Parking Lot Safety.

What if I need to drop my student off later than 9:10 or pick them up before 3:40?

For arrivals later than 9:10, please park and accompany your child to the office. They need to check in at the office window. Students who are not in the classrooms by 9:10 are marked absent by their classroom teacher. Once that has been done the office has to change it from an absence to a tardy.
Occasionally students will have reason to leave early. Please come to the office and Mrs. Giles or Mrs. Shields will contact your student's teacher and have them released. You will be asked to sign them out.

Where can we park?

Our main parking lot is for parents and visitors. Only staff park in the bus lane and they do this to provide more parking in the main lot. The bus lane is for bus traffic only.

What if I need a friend to pick up my child?

We can only release children to their parent or to an individual who is listed on the student's emergency release form. If need changes from what you have written on the emergency form, please contact us.

Kindergarten:

My child is starting kindergarten and we have many questions!

Click here to view the Tahoma School District Kindergarten Fact Sheet.

Lunch:

How can I pay for school lunches?

Students can pay daily at the lunch counter or families can prepay with any amount. When your credited amount is near $0.00 our cafeteria clerk (Mrs. Olson) will send a note home with your student.

What does it cost for breakfast and lunch?

Current prices are listed on our food service site.
What if we cannot afford school lunches?
We have applications for free and reduced fee lunches. The applications are available at all school district offices and processed daily throughout the school year. If you have any questions, please contact Food Services Supervisor Sheri Melewski at 425-413-3450. Additional information is available through Food Service.

Where do the children eat lunch?

Students eat in the lunchroom. All Day Kindergarten students and Extended Enrichment children eat as a group. All others in grades 1-5 sit at a table of their choice with friends. At the very beginning of the year the first graders sit with their class until the lunch time routine is familiar.

When does my student eat lunch?

Please refer to the daily schedule.

What happens if we forget lunch money one day?

Our students can charge lunch. Mrs. Olson gladly allows the students to charge and she sends a reminder when accounts are due.

How do we know what the lunch is each day?

Lunch menus, along with prices and additional information is posted on the Tahoma web on the Food Services pages.

Do the students have choices?

Elementary students can order a day prior if they want an alternate lunch. Generally there are 3 or 4 standard alternates that are available. The students can do this in the lunchroom before they leave for recess. Adults are there to assist if needed.

Specialist Schedules:

When do students have Physical Education, Music, Computer Lab and Library?

All K-5 classes attend specialists classrooms. Your child's teacher will be sharing this information with you or call the office and we can assist you.

Do all students have P.E. and Music?

All students participate in Physical Education and Music. We are on a Blue/Silver schedule. Students in grades 1-5 and All Day Kindergarten will have P.E. one day, music the next. Half day Kindergarten students have both P.E. and music one a week.

What is a Blue/Silver schedule?

Specialists rotate every other Friday. One week your student had PE on Friday, the next they will have music.

Student Absence:

What number should I call if my child will be absent?

Our Safe Arrival Program depends on parents/guardians to contact the school when your student is absent. Please call 425-413-3795. Please do not email your child’s teacher to report an absence or request a bus/pick up pass. If the teacher has a substitute or the server is down, the office will not receive the information.

What if I do not call Safe Arrival?

We will attempt to reach you, calling home and work numbers. If we cannot reach you we must document the absence as unexcused unless you send a note with your student upon their return.

Do all of the schools in the district have the Safe Arrival program?

Yes, each building has their own number.

Do I need to send a note when the child returns?

Only if you did not call Safe Arrival or have not spoken to us about the absence. No contact for student absence requires us to document it as unexcused.

What if we plan a vacation when school is in session?

We ask that you notify the office (Diane Giles) as soon as you know this information. We will send a form home for your completion. The form explains our policy for prearranged absences longer than three days.

Before and After School:

What kind of extracurricular opportunities are there?

We have many! Zero Hour begins in October with many choices. A list and sign up sheet will be sent home, with everything from reading to drawing, chess, book clubs and pottery to track and math class. Our building manager, Mrs. Haytack, oversees Zero Hour. Each year our fourth and fifth graders perform a musical. Some of the musicals we have produced include Annie, Guys and Dolls, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and The Sound of Music.

Do you provide before/after school child care?

We do provide extended care before and after school hours. Please call the district office (425-413-3400) for information about enrolling, costs, etc. Current hours are 6:00 a.m. until school begins and after school until 6:30 p.m.

Student Expectations:

What are Glacier Park's rules?

We have four expectations that we all follow:
We respect ourselves and all people.
We respect our school.
We take responsibility for our own actions.
We act in safe ways.

Do you have a student handbook?

Each student in grades K-5 are given a copy either in their planner or as a stand alone booklet.

Do you have a discipline policy?

Our student expectations and discipline policy are outlined in our Student Handbook. We want all students to know Glacier Park as a safe and positive learning community. We work cooperatively with parents to ensure this. Glacier Park teachers, Mrs. Hard and Mrs. Stewart contact parents when there are concerns. If you have concerns we want you to contact one of us.

Parent Volunteers:

Are parents active at Glacier Park?

We encourage and appreciate our parents to volunteer in our school. Our PTSA is very active and a integral part of our school community.

What is required of volunteers?

It is a district requirement to view our vounteer videos. The training includes district required videos, forms and office machine procedures. Please, no younger siblings, since the subject matter of the videos is inappropriate for young children. Please call our office schedule a time to complete the volunteer requirements. 425-413-3700.

What if I want to volunteer for a field trip?

All volunteers need to complete the district requirements.

How does a back ground check expire?

It is good for six years and is transferable between building in our district.

Can we accept out of district background checks?

Sorry, we cannot.