Welcome to Novak Elementary School.  At the present time our total enrollment stands at about 325 students.

Our mission statement – We help children learn - focuses our efforts on providing your children with a quality education.

The following pages are designed to offer Novak parents and students some general information about our school. We hope you find it helpful.  If you have any questions or anything is unclear don’t hesitate to give us a call.

To help maintain a safe learning environment, we do ask that all parents, visitors and guests sign in at the main office.

Once again, welcome to Novak.

Promote positive attitudes

Respect yourself and others

Insist upon your personal best

Discuss and listen actively

Expect honesty and be trustworthy

When new families visit Novak Elementary School for the first time they often ask us to tell them about our school.  What makes Novak, Novak? 

The staff at Novak has made a commitment to help children learn.  We have dedicated ourselves to helping children become successful.  We understand that for children to be successful, we need to focus on more than just their academic growth.  We need to focus on behavioral and social growth as well.  To that end we have implemented a number of programs and procedures to help children become a part of the Novak community.

We have a very dedicated and caring staff at Novak.  In addition to our quality classroom teachers and secretarial/assistant staff, we have additional “support” teachers whose job it is to help students learn reading and math skills.  These teachers work with individual students or small groups of children on a variety of reading and math skills.

We have made a commitment to make Novak an inviting place for students, staff and parents.  Each and every school day staff members are stationed throughout the building to greet students as they enter Novak at the beginning of the day.  Students who ride to school in cars or on the bus are greeted by up to 6 staff members by the time they reach the hallway by the main office.  Adults also greet students who walk to school as they enter the south end of the building and on each floor.  We want students to know that we are glad they are here.

Every school day 4-5 students come to the office to lead the rest of the building in the Pledge of Allegiance.  After the Pledge the students say their name over the intercom.  Each student has 1-2 opportunities during the year to lead the building in the Pledge.

Following the Pledge of Allegiance we announce the names of Novak students and staff members who have a birthday on that day.  For students who have birthdays during the summer months we announce half-birthdays.  In addition, each student receives a birthday card and a happy birthday pencil on his/her birthday.

We also have a student jobs program at Novak.  Students “apply” to do one of a variety of jobs including; Flag Helpers (help the custodian raise and lower the flag), Trash Team (help the custodian pick-up trash at the end of the day), Music Assistant, P.E. Assistant, Art Assistants, Library Assistants (Assistants do jobs as needed for art, music, P.E. or Library), Lunchroom helpers (help out in the lunchroom) or Ambassadors (take new families on a tour of Novak).  Last year approximately 325 students at Novak participated in the student jobs program.

We hope that by doing these “little extras” students will want to come to school at Novak.  If we can help children understand that Novak is a safe, inviting, caring school, they will want to be a part of the Novak community.

If you have any questions about any of these programs please feel free to give us a call.

We, the Linn-Mar community, are dedicated to the development of lifelong learners by equipping them with the knowledge and skills to confidently meet life’s challenges as responsible, productive citizens.

The Linn-Mar Community School District, where students are the top priority in all decision-making, will be characterized by the following:

      •     high expectations for all students and progress based on demonstrated knowledge and use of skills;

      •     success for all;

      •             academically balanced and technologically proficient students;

      •     a continuous improvement process utilized by the entire Linn-Mar School District;

      •     a quality, caring, well trained staff;

      •     flexible academics in a developmentally appropriate curriculum;

      •     active learning, student centered learning, self directed learning;

      •     a customer service orientation demonstrated by all Linn-Mar staff;

      •              graduates with acquired skills and knowledge to meet life’s challenges;

      •     lifelong learners who are adaptable to change;

      •     students who respect others and are interdependent;

      •     a comprehensive academic curriculum that is internationally competitive;

      •     a mutual partnership that exists between schools, students, parents, and the community;

      •     a financially responsible and efficient school system;

      •              comfortable, safe facilities;

      •              evidence of cultural literacy and multicultural awareness;

      •     a school community that is substance abuse free; and

      •     a disciplined, orderly, secure setting.

The operations of the Linn-Mar Community School District are continuously measured against the following beliefs:

      •  We believe an educated population, capable of thinking independently and working together, is critical to democracy.

      •    We believe all individuals have the right to privacy of their beliefs and values.

      •   We believe all people have equal worth and deserve equal opportunity.

      •    We believe there is value in diversity.

      •     We believe quality schools measure what they do and act upon the results.

      •     We believe quality schools have clearly defined expectations.

      •     We believe responsible decision making requires a knowledge of the past, an understanding of the needs of the present, and a vision of the future.

      •     We believe learning occurs best in a safe and secure environment.

      •     We believe individuals are unique and learn at different rates and in different ways.

      •     We believe it is critical to the success of the learning process to apply knowledge and practice skills.

      •     We believe a changing world demands that all people be lifelong learners.

      •     We believe the entire community, working in partnership, creates the conditions for successful learning.

School Office Hours                             7:00 a.m.      4:00 p.m.

Staff Hours                                           7:30 a.m.      3:30 p.m.

Student Day                                         8:10 a.m.      2:55 p.m.

Please do not drop off students at Novak, or send walking students to school so that they arrive at Novak before 7:55 a.m.  Students who arrive at school before 7:55 a.m. will be asked to wait outside until 7:55 a.m.  At 7:55 a.m. students will be allowed to enter the building and go to their classrooms.  Exceptions will be made for those students involved in before school activities / breakfast.  All parents and guardians should be aware that our playground is not supervised before or after school.

Regular, punctual attendance at school is extremely important.  It is difficult to make-up learning that occurs during missed class discussions and interactions with peers.  Missed work can be completed at home, but so much more learning takes place at school than just what is involved when completing worksheets.  After repeated absences and/or tardies, school personnel will contact parents to develop a plan to improve school attendance and/or tardies. (That plan may include contacting the Marion Police Department.) The building principal may request evidence or written verification of the student’s reason for absence (Board Policy 501.11).  Students who wish to participate in before or after school sponsored activities must attend school on that day (Board Policy 501.11).

Parents, for your child’s safety, if your child arrives at school after 8:10, or leaves before 2:55, you must sign your child in or out in the office. For obvious safety reasons, we do not allow students to sign in or out of school by themselves.

Students who arrive at school after 8:00 will be counted as tardy.   Students who arrive at school more than one hour late will be counted as absent for half a day.   At the end of the day, students who leave school more than one hour early will be counted as absent for half a day.

If your child is going to miss school, parents are asked to call the Novak Office by 7:45 a.m. (447-3345).  When you call, we will ask for your name, the student’s name, the homeroom teacher and the reason for the absence.  If your child is ill, please give a brief description of the illness.  (This information is needed for state health reports.)  If your child is absent from school and we do not hear from you, we will call home to double check the absence.  Based on the number of telephone calls we need to make, parents should receive this call between 8:15-9:30 a.m.

In most cases, when parents are divorced, both parents continue to hold equal rights where their children are concerned.  If you have a court order limiting the rights of one parent, please bring a copy of that court order to the Novak office.  Unless the court order is on file with us, we must provide equal rights to both parents.  Parents, please notify the school office in writing if you wish to have school information sent to more than one address.

As a safety concern for our children at Novak, we ask that parents not bring pets into the building or on school grounds before, during or after school.  Thank you for your cooperation.

A crossing guard is stationed at the intersection of 10th Street and 29th Ave.  The crossing guard is on duty before school from approximately 7:55 a.m. until 8:10 a.m. and after school for approximately 10-15 minutes.  Walking students are dismissed from school at 2:55 p.m.  All walking students should use the south doors (nearest 29th Ave.) to leave school.  To help keep our students safe, we strongly encourage you to talk with your child(ren) about crossing both 10th street and 29th Ave. at the traffic light with the crossing guard.  We also ask that at the end of the day, parents meet walkers in the entrance ways and not at the classroom doors.

Bus schedules are provided to Novak students who ride the bus to and from school.  Bus students arrive at Novak at approximately 7:55 a.m. and are dismissed at 2:55 p.m.  (We dismiss our kindergarten and first grade bus riders a few minutes before the rest of the bus students.)  If transportation needs change, please notify the Novak School office and Mr. Brian Cruise at the Linn-Mar Transportation Department.  Please review bus rules with your children before the start of the school year.  (Bus rules are included in the Back To School packet available at Novak and the ESC.)

Students riding to school in cars should be dropped off at Novak no earlier than 7:55.  Car riders are dismissed from school at 2:55 p.m.  Please refer to the parking lot map at the front of this handbook.

         1.   Please pick-up or drop-off students in the designated area only (on the north side of the building).

         2.   If you pick-up or drop-off students please do not park your   car in the drop-off loop.

         3.   For the safety of our students, please do not pick-up or drop-off students on 10th Street or 29th Ave.

        4.    Parents may wish to park in the designated parking areas (parking lot north of the building) and meet their children at the door.

         5.      Parents, at the end of the day, please meet car riders in the entrance way by the media center.