Uintah Elementary and Ensign Elementary have established formal protocols to address air quality, student attendance, and campus safety as part of their school procedures. Both institutions utilize daily data from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality to determine when students should participate in outdoor activities or remain indoors to protect student health.
Air Quality and Recess Protocols
The schools' air quality protocols are designed to mitigate the health risks associated with inversions, fires, and other environmental factors that impact air quality. According to school documentation, administrators check the Utah Department of Environmental Quality air quality index (AQI) daily to guide outdoor physical activities.
Under current guidelines, if the AQI falls between 35 and 55.4, designated as Yellow, sensitive students are permitted to stay indoors. When the index reaches the Orange range, between 55.5 and 90, both sensitive students and students with other respiratory conditions, such as chest colds, will be accommodated indoors.
If the AQI rises above 90, which is categorized as Red, the schools will avoid outdoor physical activities for all children. Ensign Elementary specifically noted that recent years have seen inversions and fires affect outdoor air quality, leading to significant concern regarding the ability of children to breathe with ease.
Student Health and Wellness
To assist with air quality management, parents are encouraged to contact school staff if their child is considered sensitive to poor air quality. Ensign Elementary defines sensitive children as those with significant or poorly controlled asthma, cystic fibrosis, chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease requiring medication or having permanent effects, or those with compromised immune systems.
Both Uintah and Ensign Elementary emphasize that children need opportunities to run and expend energy outdoors when weather permits. To meet these needs, the schools adhere to Wellness Policies required by the Salt Lake City School District and the State of Utah, which mandate that elementary-aged students be provided with recess.
Because of the vast temperature swings experienced in Utah, both schools advise parents to ensure children dress warmly for outdoor activities. Uintah Elementary notes that students are permitted to go outside when temperatures are above 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Attendance and Absence Requirements
Attendance procedures at both schools require active communication between parents and the school office to ensure absences are properly recorded. At Uintah Elementary, students are marked tardy if they are not in their classroom or seat when the tardy bell rings. Late students must check in at the front office to receive a late slip for their teacher.
To record an absence as excused, parents must call the school or send a written note with the student upon their return. If an absence is not reported, it is recorded as unexcused, which triggers an automated call to parents from the school's attendance system.
Specific rules govern extended absences. At Ensign Elementary, absences of four days or less that are not due to illness must be reported to the office before the first day of the absence. Absences of five or more days require principal permission and the completion of a Request for Excused Absences During Educational Time form, which must be submitted at least one week in advance. At both schools, if a student accumulates more than eight excused absences, the principal may require a doctor's note for any additional absences.
Electronics and Personal Items
Uintah Elementary maintains a strict policy regarding personal electronics to prevent disruptions to the learning environment. Cell phones, smartwatches, MP3 players, iPods, and other personal electronic devices are generally not permitted at school.
If a parent deems it necessary for a child to have a cell phone or smartwatch for contact before or after school, the device must be turned off and kept safely in a locker. These devices may not be used to send or receive messages or take pictures during the school day. Any personal electronic devices found in violation of this policy will be confiscated and must be picked up by a parent. This policy applies even during recess and lunchtime.
Other prohibited items include toys, video games, radios, recorders, cameras, money, and pets, unless specifically requested by a teacher for a special activity.
Medical and Safety Policies
The schools also maintain specific guidelines for student safety and medical needs. Teachers and staff members are not permitted to administer medication. For medication to be administered in the school office, a student must provide written authorization from both a parent or guardian and a physician. All medication must be delivered to the office in its original pharmacy container, clearly labeled with the student's name, the medication, and the dosage.
In the event of injury or illness, a trained staff member will provide basic first aid. If the injury is minor, the student may return to class if indicated. If necessary, office staff will assist in contacting the parent via telephone.
Regarding student withdrawals, parents must inform the school office. At Ensign Elementary, this process involves a Student Withdrawal Form that the student must take to various locations, including the library, cafeteria, and music teachers, to ensure all books, cafeteria fees, and musical instruments are returned or cleared.
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