Lincoln PTO Program Guide:
Shared Expectations for Students, Families & Volunteers

Thank you for participating in a Lincoln PTO-sponsored program, event, or activity. To ensure our programs run smoothly, maintain a safe and supportive environment, and ensure every student has a positive experience, parents/caregivers, students, and club sponsors must adhere to the following guidelines. By registering for a PTO program, families agree to these guidelines.

1. CLUB SPONSOR & VOLUNTEER RESPONSIBILITIES

Club Sponsors, Event Leads, and Volunteer Instructors serve as the primary facilitators of PTO programs and are responsible for setting and reinforcing clear standards of expectations:

• Upfront Communication with Students: Sponsors should explicitly review classroom rules, safety guidelines, and behavioral expectations directly with students during the first session and periodically throughout the term.
• Parent & Caregiver Engagement: Sponsors are responsible for sharing and following up on this document with families and caregivers prior to or at the start of the program term to ensure shared expectations between home and school.
• Consistent & Fair Enforcement: Sponsors will apply behavior and dismissal guidelines consistently, maintaining open lines of communication with parents regarding any warnings or disciplinary steps.

2. STUDENT EXPECTATIONS

Students are expected to treat teachers, sponsors, and volunteer leaders with the same respect required in a Lincoln classroom during school hours. Expected behaviors include:

• Listening attentively and allowing others to speak without interruption.
• Raising a hand to speak or ask a question.
• Keeping all comments, feedback, and interactions kind, inclusive, and constructive.
• Obeying teachers' and volunteers' quiet signs and safety directions immediately.
• Refraining from physical contact, horseplay, hitting, or wrestling.
• Treating school facilities, equipment, and materials with care and respect.

3. DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS

If a student fails to follow these expectations, the event lead, teacher, or volunteer sponsor may take the following steps at their discretion:

1. First Offense: Provide a verbal warning directly to the student restating the rule(s).
2. Second Offense: Provide an additional verbal warning restating the rule(s) and a brief time-out if necessary. The caregiver on file will be notified via email and/or phone call documenting the warning. PTO leadership and the school principal may also be notified.
3. Third Offense: If the student continues the disruptive behavior, begins a new disruptive pattern, or fails to respond to previous warnings, the student will be formally removed from the PTO program without a refund. PTO leadership and the school principal will be notified immediately.

Serious Infractions: If a student commits a severe infraction that threatens physical safety or well-being, sponsors are not required to follow preliminary warning steps and may initiate immediate dismissal. Removal from a program due to behavioral violations may result in the PTO barring the student from participating in future PTO-sponsored activities.

4. PICK-UP POLICY & PROCEDURES

Prompt pick-up is mandatory. Volunteer sponsors and event leads are not required to stay longer than 10 minutes past the posted end time of the program.

• Late Pick-Up Notification: If running late due to an emergency, parents/caregivers must contact the Club Sponsor (listed on Lincoln’s Webstore/Revtrak) as soon as possible.
• Procedure After 10 Minutes:
  • The sponsor will attempt to reach the primary and emergency contacts on file.
  • If contacts are unreachable, the student will be placed with a school administrator (principal or office staff) if one is on site.
  • If no administrative staff is on site, the child will be placed under the care of the River Forest Police Department.
  • A detailed voicemail/message will be left for the parent explaining who the child was left with.
• Disciplinary Action for Late Pick-Up:
  • First Offense: Verbal and/or written warning restating the pick-up policy.
  • Second Offense: Formal written notice and removal of the student from the program without refund. The PTO reserves the right to bar students with repeated pick-up violations from future PTO programs.
• Absence from Programing
  • If a student is going to have to miss the before/after school activity they are registered for, the caregiver(s) are required to let the front office know as soon as possible. If a student is unexpectedly absent from the program it will lead to the River Forest Police being engaged to locate the student.

5. HEALTH & SAFETY POLICIES

• Nut-Free Classroom Snack Policy: If snacks are permitted, they must be strictly nut-free and manufactured in a nut-free facility. Snacks must be small, self-contained, eaten independently without adult assistance, and require no utensils.
• Medical Disclaimer: Clubs take place outside standard instructional hours, therefore, a school nurse or administrator is not guaranteed to be on site at Lincoln during PTO meeting times.

6. Emergency Protocols

• Fire and Inclement Weather Policy: In the case of a fire alarm, it is expected that all people inside the building evacuate at the nearest exit and stay away from the building until an all clear from the River Forest Fire Department. The Instructor will be responsible to ensure all students are accounted for and reunified with the student’s caregiver(s) as appropriate.
• In the case of a tornado siren all students and adults are expected to go into a hallway away from any windows and enter the brace position until tornado sirens stop
• In the case of a significant injury such as a possible broken bone, concussion, severe allergic reaction, etc. a vendor is encouraged to call 911 and then call the provided emergency contact information captured at registration. Keeping in mind there is no School Nurse on the premises during before and after school activities.