Policies and Procedures
Dear Parents/Guardians:
This handbook is intended to
serve as a reference to the day-to-day policies/procedures of Scotchtown Hills
Elementary School.
The staff is confident you
will find the school instructional program exciting and challenging, assuring
quality and equity for all. Many hours have been spent creating a curriculum
that continues to enhance instruction through the incorporation of critical
thinking skill
Sincerely,
Tracie Prevost
Mrs. Tracie Prevost, Principal
SCHOOL HOURS
7:45
a.m. - 1:55 p.m. – Grades Head Start, Pre K - 6
ATTENDANCE
We
encourage all students to be in attendance and
on time
each and every day, unless they are ill. We are required to monitor attendance
very closely. The following is a synopsis of the law in our state:
STATE OF MARYLAND
DUTY OF PARENT OR GUARDIAN
Each
person who has under his control a child who is 6 years old or older and under
16 shall see that the child attends school regularly.
UNLAWFUL ABSENCE
Unlawful
absence and/or truancy is defined as the act of a pupil being absent from school
for a day or any portion of a day or from any individual class or portion of a
class for any reason other than those defined as a lawful excuse for absence
from school.
LAWFUL ABSENCE
Death in immediately family.
Illness of the child – A physician’s certificate will be required for continuous absence for illness.
Quarantine - A physician's certificate certifying the time of absence necessary as a result of the quarantine.
Court summons.
Violent storms - Only those conditions of the weather which would endanger the health or safety of the child when in transit to and from school.
Observance of a religious holiday.
State of emergency.
PENALTY
Any parent or guardian
violating the Compulsory Attendance Law is guilty of a misdemeanor and on
conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $50.00 for each day their child is
unlawfully absent from school.
If your child will be absent, please call the office at (301) 497-3994 between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m.
In addition to the call,
please send a note when the child returns to school so we can credit him/her
with a legal absence. The principal and Pupil Personnel Worker will be
following up on students who are absent excessively.
Make-up work may be requested
after an extended illness of 3 or more days.
Many incentives and awards
are provided for attendance, since it is so vital to your children’s learning
process.
ARRIVAL AT SCHOOL
Students
may arrive at school at 7:20
a.m. and line up
at the front of the building (We will let students eating breakfast inside at
7:20am). If you transport your child to school by car,
please turn into the side parking lot and pull up along the school sidewalk in
order to drop your child off where a staff member will be waiting until 7:50am.
Please do not park here. Your child can then proceed to the entrance. For
safety reasons, the semi-circular bus lane will be closed to cars
during school
hours. Students will be admitted at 7:30 a.m. Breakfast program will begin at
7:20am until 7:45am. If your child arrives after 7:45am (unless a bus is
late), they will not receive breakfast. In the event of inclement weather
(precipitation or temperatures below 32 degrees F), all students will be
admitted to the building prior to 7:30
a.m.
DISMISSAL
Walkers
and car riders are dismissed after 1:50pm. Bus students are dismissed beginning
at 1:55 p.m. so they can board buses and leave the grounds as soon as they are
loaded. For student’s safety, the circle and parking lot will be closed to cars
from 7:20 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. We must insist for safety reasons, that you pick up
car riders at the side parking lot. Instruct your child to exit the building
and walk to the left. You may either pull-up alongside the sidewalk or park in
the lot and walk to meet your child. A staff member will be present to help
supervise your child as he/she enters your vehicle. Some parents prefer to park
and meet their children there. In the interest of safety, no child will be
permitted to cross into the lot unless accompanied by an adult, unless he/she
crosses at the corner where a crossing guard is in attendance. Please be
patient during the first week of school, because students are learning new
routines and dismissal takes much longer. By the second week of school,
routines are generally established and departure occurs in a much more timely
fashion.
SAFETY OF STUDENTS
If your child rides the bus,
please remember that the school system does not have the facilities for
monitoring bus stop behavior. It is the parents responsibility. Bus drivers
will monitor behavior of riders as best they can while paying attention to
traffic and driving. Volunteer student bus patrols serve on each bus. If a
problem occurs on the bus, the bus driver will write a discipline referral and
the principal or assistant principal will confer with the student to resolve the
problem. You can also contact the bus driver's supervisor in order to
express a concern ( Laurel Bus Lot 301-497-3665). Riding the bus is a privilege and bus suspension can occur if a
student exhibits behavior problems on the bus.
For walkers, a crossing guard
is posted at Dorset Road. Volunteer student patrols assist in crossing
children.
Students riding bicycles to
school must have written permission on file in the office. Scotchtown Hills
Elementary School takes no responsibility for stolen bikes. There are bicycle
racks in the front of the school.
STUDENTS SHOULD LOCK THEIR BICYCLES.
EARLY
DEPARTURES
Please send a note if you
will be picking up your child before 1:30 p.m. or if someone other than the
parent or guardian will be picking up your child. We encourage you to pick your
child up
before 1:30pm so that we will be able to focus on bus dismissal and
end-of-the-day routines. If you come
after 1:30pm, you will have to wait
in the vestibule
until after bus dismissal to receive your child. For safety reasons, we
will not be able to release students to persons other than the parent or legal
guardian without a note from you.
CHANGE IN STUDENT’S DESTINATION
Whenever your child will be
leaving school, for another destination other than his home or regular sitter, a
note is mandatory.
If he/she will be riding a bus to go home with another child, we need notes
from both parents so we know both parents approve of the situation. No student
will be allowed to alter his/her normal departure without the above procedures.
We will not be able to accept permission by the telephone for safety reasons.
VISITORS AT SCHOOL
We
encourage you to visit the school and observe or volunteer. Please
remember that observing does not mean that a teacher will be able to hold a
conference in reference to your child. We have “Back to School
Night” in the beginning of the year and “Open House” during American Education
Week. If you would like to visit your child’s classroom in order to hold a
conference or discuss an issue, please phone his/her teacher in advance to
arrange a convenient
time. We reserve classroom privileges for parents and guardians. Grandparents,
relatives and friends are most welcome to attend Honors Assemblies, PTA,
Programs and American Education visitations.
ALL VISITORS TO THE SCHOOL MUST FIRST SIGN IN AT THE
OFFICE AND OBTAIN A VISITORS’ PASS.
ACADEMIC PROCEDURES
HOMEWORK
Homework
is a part of our school program and also a part of the grade for the subject.
Each grade-level has procedures and policies pertaining to Homework. These
procedures and policies are presented to parents at Back-to-School Night.
The procedures and policies were also sent home with students at the start of
the school year. We use homework to reinforce learning and develop responsibility. Students
should be able to do the homework assignments with ease. If there is a problem,
please let the teacher know.
Guidelines for approximate
amount of time spent on nightly homework are as follows:
Pre K - 1
grade 10 - 30 minutes
2 - 3 grade 30 - 45 minutes
4 - 6 grade 45 - 60 minutes
However, please remember that
students vary greatly in their working pace. Some children will be able to
finish an assignment very quickly, while others work more slowly. It helps to
provide a quiet spot for your child to work.
Sometimes long term projects will be assigned. Students will need to plan their time carefully, rather than leaving everything until the last moment. If you have questions about homework, please discuss them with the teacher.
REPORTING
PROCEDURES
Report cards are issued
quarterly for grades K-6. Parents are invited to at least one conference yearly
and additional conferences may be scheduled by contacting your child’s teacher.
Report cards for grades
K-2 use a number system to indicate progress. Letter grades are used for Grades
3 - 6. A check is used to indicate skills needing more work.
INTERIM
PROGRESS REPORTS
By
carefully monitoring your child’s papers which are sent home and by
communicating with the teachers, you will be able to stay informed about his/her
progress. Periodically interim progress reports are issued for students who
might receive a D or E to indicate that a problem exists and work needs to be
done right away to affect improvement. These reports are not part of the
child’s permanent record, they are simply a vehicle to keep parents informed.
Please see the county's calendar for the dates of interim progress reports.
HEALTH ROOM (301) 497-3994
The medical care of students
is, of course, the primary responsibility of the parents. Therefore, specific
regulations limit the school’s treatment of students who are ill or injured at
school.
(1) First aid, consisting of
cleaning and covering the wound is the
ONLY treatment
allowed.
(2)
A student needing medication (prescription or
non-prescription) must administer it to himself/herself under a staff member’s
supervision. It must be in its original
(3)
A PARENT OR RESPONSIBLE ADULT MUST BRING ANY
CONTROLLED
(4)
Medication not retrieved by parents by the
last day of school will be destroyed.
(5)
Notify the school of any allergies your child
may have (foods, bee stings, etc.).
Students who are ill should
not be sent to school. Contagious conditions such as pink eye, impetigo,
scabies, ringworm, etc. require a statement from the doctor before returning to
school.
IN
CASE OF INJURY OR ILLNESS, THE SCHOOL MUST BE ABLE TO REACH PARENTS OR
GUARDIANS, THEREFORE, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE HAVE CORRECT PHONE NUMBERS.
Please remember to update these numbers immediately whenever there is a change.
A physical, with form SR-6
completed, is required for all students entering Prince George’s County Public
Schools for the first time.
Students in K and Fourth
grade receive vision and hearing screenings, as well as any student new to
Prince George’s County or who received borderline results last year. A written
referral form to be completed by the doctor, will be sent to parents whose
children do not pass screenings.
Scoliosis screening will be
done for all Sixth grade students. If any sign of scoliosis is noted, a
referral form will be sent to the parents for further evaluation by a doctor.
READING ASSISTANCE
Since reading is such a
vital skill, we have two teachers to help with our reading program. One is a
reading specialist who monitors our instructional program, tests students new to
the school and assists students with special reading problems. Our part-time
Reading Recovery teacher works with First grade students who exhibit problems in
learning to read.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARENTS
PARENT VOLUNTEERS
Parent volunteers serve in
many capacities at Scotchtown Hills Elementary School. We encourage
volunteers to utilize their special talent and abilities either in reinforcing
basic skills or in helping with the enrichment or remedial programs. The direct
assistance given to students by parent volunteers acting as teacher assistants
is invaluable. We welcome volunteers at any time. Some work, such as typing
and telephoning, can be done at home. Interested volunteers should contact the
school office or the
PTA
President.
FUNDRAISING
Fundraising activities are
conducted to help the school. The moneys raised from these activities provide instructional
materials for science experiments,
SPECIAL SERVICES
LUNCH AND
BREAKFAST
Meals, both breakfast and
lunch, are served daily at school. Students can participate in these
programs. Breakfast costs $1.25 and lunch costs $2.00. Milk is available for those who
bring their lunch at $.50 per carton. Free and reduced price meals are
available for children who qualify. Information on qualifications is sent home
with every child. Forms should be completed as quickly as possible in
September.
Our cafeteria is
computerized and each student has a private
PIN
number. We encourage you to
send in money for several days or weeks at a time. This money goes into the
student’s account.
Menus are sent home
monthly. If lunch money is lost or forgotten, your child must notify the
teacher immediately. The school will provide a sandwich and milk. The school
will not loan money for lunches. If you wish to have other arrangements, please
let us know in writing. BREAKFAST WILL
NOT BE SERVED ON DELAYED OPENINGS OR SCHEDULED EARLY CLOSINGS.
Parents are able to join their children for lunch. Adult lunches may be purchased through the cafeteria. If parents choose to bring in a fast food lunch for their child, the parent and child must eat the lunch at the table outside of the front office.
SPECIAL EDUCATION
We have programs available
for students who have special learning problems. Any student having difficulty
with the regular instructional program is reviewed by a team of specialists.
Further testing may be recommended before an appropriate program can be
determined. Parents are kept informed about recommendations and must give
permission before placement is made.
BEHAVIOR
We believe our primary
responsibility is to help children learn. This can only be accomplished in an
orderly setting. We expect students to follow the established rules. There is
a Code of Student Conduct
that is reviewed with the
students and parents each year. In addition there are behavior standards for
the school and the classroom. The classroom teacher will share this information
with the student and with you.
If behavior problems arise
in the classroom, you will be contacted by the teacher. In the event of
recurring problems, or a severe problem, you will be contacted by the principal
or assistant principal, to enlist your cooperation in seeking a solution.
If it becomes necessary to
remove a child from the classroom and/or school for a period of time, we will
contact parents and arrange for a conference. With working together, we can
ensure a safe and orderly learning environment.
INTERNET USE
Each classroom has
computers for Internet access.
Permission slips will be sent home in the fall. All students are expected to
access only those sites sanctioned by the teacher.
TENTATIVE UNIFORM POLICY (PTA WILL BE UPDATING)
We use the instructional
program mandated by the Board of Education of Prince George’s County. The
textbooks and guides used are authorized by the system. All materials are
available for your review.
Students
are assigned to a homeroom teacher and are regrouped throughout the day for
differentiated instruction in reading and other instructional areas depending
upon their level of development. The student may have more than one
teacher if the grade-level teams have departmentalized (teachers deliver
instruction for only one or two content areas).
Groups are determined by
performance on tests as well as daily work. If you have any questions about
your child’s grouping, please contact the teacher.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAM
Lessons are provided for
students in Grades 5 and 6 two times per week. Students have the opportunity to
perform at concerts twice annually. Mr. Fitzgerald is our instrumental teacher.
He will be sending
home detailed information in September.
CHORUS
Ms. Brindamour conducts a
chorus for students in Grades 5 and 6. All students are welcome to try out.
Programs are presented at least twice a year.
Still Tentative Please! BIRTHDAY BOOKS
In order
to celebrate/recognize your child’s birthday in a special way, we encourage you
to contribute money to be used for the purchase of approved media books.
This is accomplished by sending a contribution of $10.00 (cash or a check
payable to Scotchtown Hills Elementary School) to purchase one book. A
book sticker will be
placed in the book recognizing the student and his/her birthday and a colorful
bookmark will be given to each child to keep.
Following this, he/she may
share the book with the family and return it to the Media Center so that others
may enjoy it. This procedure will take place in lieu of birthday parties.
BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL EXTENDED LEARNING PROGRAM
The Before and After School
Extended Learning Program
provides daycare for children of working parents. The
program operates in our school building. Please call
(301) 498-6589
for further information.
GUIDANCE SERVICES (301) 497-3994
There are guidance services
available for students and parents. The counselor provides counseling for
children in understanding one’s self, making decisions, solving problems and
communication. Parents may use this service to help with parenting problems.
It is important to
call the school for an appointment. If the counselor is not available at that
time, a return call will be made as soon as possible.
RECOGNITION OF STUDENTS (Subject to changes)
Progress is celebrated for grades 3 - 6 at quarterly honors assemblies. Awards are as follows:
Perfect Attendance: May not include students who are tardy or dismissed early from school (Check office for current guidelines).
Honor Roll: A's and B's only with no checks. Includes all grades.
Citizenship: Students must have an A in both Social Skills and Work Habits
Most Improved: Teachers decide who earns this award
Principal's Award: TBA
You will be invited to attend these celebrations. Please feel free to bring relatives and friends to honor and support your child.
Tentative: Every month a student from
each class is selected as “Student of the Month” and a tea is held in honor of
his/her achievement. Parents are invited and you may bring grandparents or
other relatives to participate in this joyous occasion.
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
EXCUSES FROM
RECESS
Because
recess is an important part of a child’s day, it is stressed that a child
participate in outdoor play. In the event of inclement weather, indoor play is
provided. Notes from home requesting that a child remain indoors are
discouraged because of supervision problems. A doctor’s note is required for an
extended (3 or more days) excuse from recess. Recess is held for 15-30 minutes
daily.
EXCUSES
FROM PHYSICAL EDUCATION
All requests for children
to be excused from the physical education program must be in writing from the
parent to the physical education teacher.
Any request for more than 3
days must be accompanied by a doctor’s certificate (STANDARD COUNTY FORM).
Please inquire at the office.
PERSONAL
POSSESSIONS
Students are not permitted
to bring toys, games, radios or other personal possessions to school. These are
distracting to the instructional environment. The school system provides play
equipment for use while at school. If personal items appear in school, they
will be held by the teacher or principal until their return is requested by the
parent or until the end of the school year.
LOST AND FOUND
The lost and found
department is located in the main hallway underneath visitors table. Parents are urged to check the
lost items. Please label all articles that might be lost or left in school;
especially coats, jackets, hats, gloves and lunch boxes.
TEXTBOOKS
The school system
supplies textbooks for the student’s use. All school materials must be returned
at the end of the school year or when a student withdraws. Textbooks are
expensive. Please assist your child in covering the books and caring for them.
Fines will be assessed for lost and damaged books.
SCHOOL RECORDS
All school records
concerning your child are available for inspection by parents. Please call the
office and arrange an appointment with the principal if you wish to review them.
TALENTED AND GIFTED PROGRAM (TAG)
We have a program for
students who meet the county’s definition of talented and gifted. The
TAG
program will be grouped for
pull-out instruction.
There are definite
admission criteria. Students who appear to meet the criteria are tested and the
results are viewed by a committee. Parents and teachers are encouraged to
recommend students for testing. Parents will be notified before placement in
the program is made.
MONEY AT SCHOOL
Please do not give your child excess money to carry to school. Money for field trips, lunch, pictures, etc. should be sent in an envelope labeled with your child’s name, teacher and purpose. Cash or Money Orders only accepted.
SCHOOL CLOSINGS
INCLEMENT
WEATHER
School may close early or
open late because of severe weather conditions. If it is excessively hot or
snowstorms are predicted, keep your radio tuned to
WMAL
or
WTOP.
Many television stations also
carry the news of changes in schedule.
PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL.
Breakfast will not be served in the event of a delayed opening. If schools are
closed for the day, afternoon and evening programs scheduled to be held at the
school will be canceled.
EMERGENCIES
Our school may not be able to continue classes if there is a problem with
heating, power or water. If such emergency occurs , the students will be
transported to Laurel High School. It is impossible to contact all parents if
an emergency occurs. Please understand that the safety of the children is our
first concern. If the children and staff are relocated, they will be dismissed
and transported as soon as possible.