Just a few reminders regarding pick up and drop off procedures:

Parents are able to park on both sides of Kendall Street up to the crosswalk. For your convenience, in between the crosswalk and bus-loading zone there is a space for you to quickly drop off your child in the morning.  This space is not intended for parking during pick up time. Please do not park past the fence because buses will need to pull in and out. Please drive slowly and be prepared to stop, even after the crossing guard has left.  Parents have expressed a concern that after the crossing guard leaves it is difficult to cross the street on Kendall.  Please be prepared to stop for pedestrians.  Also, there are students coming over from Dyer that need to cross on Kendall and Hwy 36.  Stopping and allowing them to cross would be appreciated.

The following are some additional concerns from parents, city officials, and district office administration when observing the morning and afternoon procedures: 

For safety reasons, parents are asked to not stop in the middle of the road and block traffic to drop off or pick up their child.  Please do not make a U-turn in a driveway where traffic is congested by the crosswalk.  Also, please do not stop at a stop sign and let your kids out of the vehicle while in traffic. The safest thing to do for your child is to pull over to the side of the road, next to the curb, so your child can exit safely onto a sidewalk.  We have also observed parents parking in the no parking zones by the crosswalks.  This is not a safe situation for the children trying to cross the street.  

In addition, parents should not be picking up or dropping off children in the parking lot before or after school. This is a loading zone for buses and you may be ticketed. You may park in the parking lot after 8:30 in the morning and up until 2:30. The parking lot will be closed to parents during the hours of 7:30-8:30 and again from 2:30-3:30. Sometimes you may have to wait past the 8:30 time if the buses are running late.  Please be aware that when the buses are in the parking lot visitors should not be pulling in to park their vehicles.  If you need to pick up your child during the times where buses are being loaded and unloaded, you may park your vehicle on Conkey Street. All students should enter and exit the playground doors if walking or getting picked up/dropped off.  Regardless of the weather, the aides will be on the playground until 8:30.  If a student arrives after 8:20 but before 8:30, please have him/her enter the playground doors.  The aides will have the child go up to the office and check in with the health aide.  Any student arriving after 8:30 will need to be accompanied by an adult using the parking lot entrance.  

Please understand that it is important for all parents to consistently follow these procedures to ensure the safety of all students at Cooper School.  All staff members are mandated to follow these procedures as well.  Please do not put them in a predicament where they are not following the rules. Overall, these new procedures have helped to curb some of the traffic congestion, as well as, providing a better means to keep students safe as they enter and exit the building.  We truly appreciate the wonderful comments and support from parents in our school community.  The system may not be perfect but please remember that these procedures were developed over time with the input from parents, city officials, and district administration.  

Change is very difficult and we do appreciate your assistance. The staff and I have gone over these rules with the students at the beginning of the school year.  The children know that they should be coming in the playground doors and that all visitors need to have on a visitor's badge.  If you are a visitor we ask that you report directly to the office before going to a classroom.  It is wonderful to have parents helping out in the building but it is important for us to know who is in the building during the school day.  When visiting, parents are asked to not be in a classroom until a teacher is present.  In addition, please do not walk your students into the building in the morning.  If you have business in the office, please report directly to the office.  This is for safety and a privacy practice for our students and teachers at Cooper.  These procedures are being mandated at the other elementary schools as well.  Our goal in setting up these guidelines are to provide safety for our students both within and around the school community.  Thank you again for your continued support and cooperation.  Together we CAN make a difference!

 

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Due to the unfortunate event that occurred last week in Connecticut, I want to ensure you that the staff at Cooper, as well as Burlington Area School District officials, are doing our best to provide the safest possible learning environment for your child.  Burlington Area School District has a district crisis plan and we will be revisiting the procedures with staff members throughout this week.  Cooper staff met this morning and took a critical look at some of our routine procedures with students; therefore, some changes to our daily routines will go into effect this week.   Please feel free to ask questions if you have any comments or concerns regarding these changes.    

As we mentioned in our December newsletter, we have added lockdown drills to the type of drills we normally do with students every year (i.e. fire and tornado drills).    After the holiday break, students and staff members will practice a lockdown drill.  Please know that we will be very sensitive to student needs when discussing these procedures, just as we are when doing any other type of drill. 

We would like to extend our gratitude to all Cooper parents, guardians and to the Burlington Area Police Department for the continued support of our students and staff members.  Some changes you may immediately see this week will be visible police presence on school grounds, as well as where the students line up and enter the school building.  For safety reasons, no parents will be allowed to enter the building from the playground doors.  Please know that parents are always welcome in the building; therefore, if you have business in the office or would like to meet with a teacher, please park on Conkey Street and stop in the office for a visitor’s badge. 

Today I had to speak with several students regarding threatening behaviors.  Please talk to your son or daughter about our Cooper rules: Be Safe, Be Responsible, and Be Respectful.  Serious threats will be dealt with through the school office and parents will be notified.      

Again, I cannot thank you enough for your continued support. Every effort will be made here at Cooper to re-evaluate and implement additional safety precautions for your children.  We appreciate your cooperation in this matter and, as always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.  Have a safe and relaxing holiday break! 

Mrs. Anderson

 

The Burlington Area School District, in accordance with Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and other Federal and State regulations, hereby declares that it is committed to the principle of equal education and employment opportunity and, accordingly, does not discriminate as to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, or physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability. Any inquiries or complaints alleging non-compliance with Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 or other Federal and State civil rights or nondiscrimination regulations shall be referred to the Title IX Coordinator of the Burlington Area School District.

 

 

Affordable health insurance is available to many Racine and Walworth County families

 

Does your child have health insurance?  Do you?  If you answered NO to either question, you are not alone.  Many families in our community do not have health insurance for one or all family members.

 

Fortunately, BadgerCare Plus now offers an affordable health insurance option to Wisconsin families!

 

BadgerCare Plus is a health insurance program for families and children and covers virtually all children*, regardless of income.  Parents may also be eligible for BadgerCare Plus, depending on their income.  In addition, BadgerCare Plus also offers coverage for pregnant women, self-employed parents and farmers, and youth aging out of foster care.

 

BadgerCare Plus has two major health care plans. There are also several limited plans which cover different services, each with different income limits.  The plan you’re enrolled in depends on your family’s income.  Some plans will have deductibles, copayments and reasonable monthly premiums.  You may not have to pay at all, but if you do, the amount you pay depends on your family’s income.

 

Depending on which health care plan you are enrolled in, BadgerCare Plus may cover services such as:

« Doctor Visits                                                  « Hospital Stays and Surgery

« Dental Care                                                   « Eye exams

« HealthCheck and Check-ups                     « Immunizations

« Hearing Services                                          « Prescription Drugs

« Emergency Room Care                               « Mental Health Services

« Lab Tests and X-rays                                   « Alcohol/Drug Addiction Care

« Family Planning                                            « Prenatal Care

 

If you or your children do not have insurance, the most important thing to do is apply for BadgerCare Plus!

 

It is easy to apply for BadgerCare Plus and you can do so through one of the options below. 

• Simply go to www.access.org to apply online. 
• If you live in Racine County, contact Racine County Human Services Department at (800) 794-7057 or 209 N. Main Street in Burlington, Wisconsin, to learn more about the application process and/or to receive an application. 
• If you live in Walworth County, contact Walworth County Health and Human Services Department at (262) 741-3200 or (800) 365-1587 or W4051 County Road NN, Elkhorn, Wisconsin to learn about the application process and/or to receive an application. 

 

For additional information about BadgerCare Plus, visit www.badgercareplus.org

 

 

* Children and parents must be U.S. Citizens or are lawfully present immigrants in the U.S.