Parent/Student
Handbook – School Year 2006-2007
Welcome to the 2006-2007
School Year!
As we enter another year as a community of
learners, the staff of
It
is the intention of this handbook to outline policies and procedures to be used
at
ATTENDANCE POLICY
The primary responsibility for good
attendance for the students in Grades K-5 rests with the parents. Parents are required under § 20-5-103, MCA,
to assure that their children attend school regularly. The District recognizes the importance of
monitoring the parental responsibility for their child’s attendance. Further, the District is committed to taking
whatever action is necessary, up to and including legal action, to assure that
students attend school regularly.
Advance makeup work is not required, but is encouraged. If you know that you will be absent from
school, please bring a note from parents or guardian to get the makeup work.
·
Reporting Student Absences ~ When a student must be absent for illness
or other unforeseen emergencies, parents must inform the school of the reasons
for the student’s absence by
·
Excused Absences & Tardies ~ In cases where doubt
occurs concerning the validity of an excuse, the administration may require
verification of medical conditions contributing to the absence. In the event the principal determines an
absence or tardiness is unnecessary, the absence will be considered
unexcused. The administrator may request
that parents communicate directly to him regarding the reason for the absence
or tardiness. The school secretary will
maintain a record of the nature of student absence for school use
purposes. A permanent record will also
be maintained. It will include a record
of the student absences and tardies.
·
Absence/Student Performance ~ Once the teacher observes that the
student’s absences or tardiness are having an adverse effect on the student’s
progress, he/she will make parental contact to express concern and to explain
the problem. If the absences have been
unavoidable because of illness, bereavement or other reasons, the teacher will
request a meeting to develop a plan so that the absenteeism has minimal effect
on the student’s academic success. In
the event that reasons for absences have been questionable, the teacher will
explain that the student will not get credit for work missed during those
absences. Additionally, the teacher will
not be required to provide make-up work.
Absences and excessive tardiness
may be a significant factor in decision of retention.
·
Dealing with Excessive Absences ~ Parents who allow students to be
absent from school without a proper excuse may be reported to the District
Attendance Officer. Before
making the report, however, the principal shall comply with the following
administrative procedures:
1.
In
the event a student has 10 excused or unexcused absences per semester, the
principal or designee will document contacts with the parent regarding
attendance, including telephone calls, written communications and
meetings. Documentation should include
times, dates, and the matters discussed.
2.
After
10 absences per semester, the principal or designee will send a letter to the
parent calling attention to the consequences of poor attendance on school achievement. The letter will include a copy of the
District attendance policy and a copy of the student’s attendance record.
3.
After
15 absences per semester, the principal will send a second letter to the parent
expressing concern about the student’s poor attendance, and establishing a
meeting with the parent & teacher to discuss the student’s attendance
patterns. The letter will require the
parent to respond within 5 days. The
letter will also explain that the principal may be filing a complaint of neglect
with the Department of Family Services & Youth Probation. Copies of this letter will be sent to the
District Attendance Officer. This letter
will be sent certified mail.
4.
If
after 5 days after mailing of the second letter, the parents or legal guardian have
ignored communications, and if attendance has not resumed, the principal shall
send a letter requesting the involvement of the District Attendance Officer to
secure the student’s attendance in school.
Copies of this letter will be sent certified to the parent. Copies will also be sent to the Department of
Family Services and/or Youth Probation.
5.
When
the school principal or designee has exhausted all procedures described in this
policy to secure the attendance of the student, he/she hall enlist the assistance
of the District Attendance Officer.
6.
The
District Attendance Officer shall serve the student’s parents or legal guardian
with the required written two days’ notice as prescribed in § 20-5-106, and begin an investigation in the
case. If the parent does not comply with
the revisions of the notice, the District Attendance Officer shall submit a
request for prosecution to the Richland County Attorney. The request shall contain a written report of
the investigation, supporting documents, and a list of witnesses, including
names, addresses, and work and home telephone numbers. The documentation must show evidence that the
administrative procedures of the school district and statutory procedure of the
attendance officer have been followed.
Documentation shall include all efforts taken by the District to solve
the problem with the student and parents.
- Tardies: When a student comes late to school he/she
needs to report to the office Please do not go to your classroom
first. You may be required to stay
after school if you are tardy.
- Suspensions: You may be suspended and ultimately
expelled for your conduct.
Remember, you are responsible for you actions while you are under
school supervision. This is your
school; take care of it and yourself.
A letter, phone call, or both, notifying parents of an infraction,
will accompany all suspensions.
Only the principal or his/her designee can issue a suspension.
a.
As a general rule the first major offense
will result in a suspension for the remainder of the day the action took place
and the following school day.
b.
A second major offense will result in a
three-day suspension.
c.
A third major offense will result in
suspension until the school board meets and determines the status of the
student.
d.
Suspensions will be served either in school
or out-of-school, as determined buy the principal.
e.
Extreme misbehavior may result in immediate
suspension until the school board meets.
f.
All suspensions will include loss of credit
for those days missed.
PASS/FAIL:
Sidney Elementary Grades 2-5 operates on a 4.0
grading system. Grades are issued each
quarter. In order to be considered
passing, a student must earn a 1.0 grade point average or better. Final grades will represent the cumulative
average for all four quarters.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS:
Completion of
homework assignments in a timely manner is the responsibility of the
student. Teachers in each classroom will
administer their policy for missed assignments.
Please contact them first if you have any questions. Parents please make sure homework is
completed before signing off that the work was done. Sign off sheets indicating work was done when
no work is forthcoming will result in zeroes for assigned work.
THE
PLAYGROUND:
Students:
1.
No
rock or snowball throwing
2.
Stand
in line and wait your turn when using the equipment. Do not push, shove, or engage in dangerous
play.
3.
Do not
jump out of swings
4.
Allow
everyone the chance to participate in activities.
5.
Enter
and leave the building for recess by the door located near the office and the
playground area. This may be different
for lunch.
6.
Do not
climb the fence.
7.
Use
the restroom before you go outside for recess.
8.
Do not
leave the playground area during recess.
9.
During
the winter month’s boots are recommended for off the blacktop activity.
10.
Enjoy
your recess time! Have fun and play
safe.
LUNCH/RECESS
TIME (Subject to Modification)
Hot lunch will be served
each day. Lunch is $1.85 daily per
student; $37.00 for 20 days. All-Day Kindergarten students have snacks and milk
is available to these children at a cost of $.25 a carton or $5.00 for 20
days. Please let your child's teacher
know if he/she cannot drink milk. Milk
will also be available to students bringing their own sack lunch at .25 a
carton. Lunch accounts must be kept current.
Any student with a lunch account owing for more than 5 days must bring a
cold lunch until the account is brought up to date.
Adult lunches are $2.65
for visitors and staff and must be included in the count recorded at
You must
indicate in the morning if you want to eat hot lunch or go to the salad bar
(for grades 4 & 5)
1. Line up in an orderly manner. Do not cut in line or push.
2. You will sit with your class after you have
gone through the line. As you go through
the line it is not acceptable to express a bad or negative opinion to the cooks
or workers. If you have a concern about
lunch please bring it to the office.
3. We have no problem with you talking during
the lunchtime. We do have a problem with
loud, obnoxious behaviors. Use good
manners.
4. Eating lunch is a privilege. If you are unable to behave properly in the
lunchroom, that privilege will be restricted.
5. Remain in your seat until you are
dismissed.
6. Pick up after yourself.
7. Breakfast is served at
RECESS
TIMES (Subject to change)
A.M. Recess P.M. Recess
1st, & 3rd
2nd, K, & Pre 1st
1st, 3rd, & Pre 1st
VISITATIONS:
Please feel free to visit
the school at any time. To make your
visit as informative as possible, we recommend that you schedule a time that
would be most appropriate for you and the staff member you wish to visit.
Should another student wish to visit a classroom, prior permission must be
granted through the principal’s office.
There will be a ˝ day maximum visit. All visitors to
ACTIVITIES:
The
ACTIVITY TICKETS FOR ALL SCHOOL EVENTS:
Activity tickets for
Grades 1 – 5 may be purchased at the office for attendance to all home
activities except tournaments. The cost
of each ticket is $25.
ENROLLMENT:
New students
will be enrolled when they arrive in the district. This will be done in the school office. Be sure to bring the following information
with you when you enroll your child:
a. 
Current Immunization Records
b. Social Security Card
c. State Birth Certificate
d. Correct Address
e. Emergency Numbers
New students
should bring their most recent report card.
All school documents will display the student’s legal name. If you have any questions or concerns please
contact the principal.
DRESS:
Students
are encouraged to use proper grooming and dress in an age appropriate
manner. Short shorts, cut-offs, ragged
clothing and clothing with decals in poor taste are not appropriate Shorts
may be worn to school if they are appropriate for the educational
environment. Everyone will remove all
hats and/or caps upon entering the building.
ADDRESS
& EMERGENCY NUMBERS:
The school must
be notified when a change is made in an address or phone number. The name of a neighbor or relative, who might
be contacted if your child is ill and you cannot be reached, should also be
provided to the school. Please keep this
information current in the office.
SCHOOL
ARRIVAL:
Dropping off
students too early for school is a cause for concern. Student arrival at school should not be
earlier than
SCHOOL
CLOSURE:
School closures, because
of inclement weather, will be announced on area radio stations; 95.1 FM, 101.1
FM, 93.1 FM, or 98 KEYZ AM. The
information is also given to KUMV-TV, KXMD-TV and KXGN-TV and they will try to
broadcast the closure if they are able to.
Unscheduled closures due to equipment failure or weather may also
occur.
SAFETY/DISASTER
PLAN:
The school
district has established a safety/disaster plan for each building in case of an
emergency. We will conduct various
drills during the school year for this purpose.
Students will be informed where to go and what to do in case of an
emergency.
SCHOOL
PHONE:
Messages for students may
be taken by the office when there is an emergency or when it is essential for a
student to receive information. After
school arrangements for students should be made in the morning before they come
to school. Students are not called
to the phone. Since office telephones
are constantly in use for school business, students may not use an office phone
to call home unless there is an emergency or is deemed appropriate by the
principal and will be required to obtain a phone pass from their teacher. Parents are encouraged to contact teachers
through voice mail or the school office when they have questions. Teachers will return calls when they have
planning time. Parents are encouraged to
use the staff E-mail system to leave messages for the teachers, please visit our
website at www.sidneyps.com.
LEAVING
THE SCHOOL DURING THE DAY:
Children
wishing to leave the school at any time during school hours must bring a signed
note from their parents/guardians to their teacher in advance. Parents need to check their child out of
school in the office. Please do not go
to your child’s classroom until you have checked in at the office. Students returning to school during the
school day need to check in at the office and get an admit slip to class. No student will be allowed to leave the
school with anyone other than a parent or guardian unless the office is
satisfied that the absence is sanctioned and appropriate.
Morning Kindergarten
students will be dismissed at
Recess
Students in grades P1 thru
3 receive a fifteen-minute recess in the morning and grades P1-5 receive a
fifteen-minute recess in the afternoon as well as all groups have recess time
after lunch. Students need fresh air and exercise whenever possible. Please be
sure that your child(ren) wears the appropriate attire according to the weather
conditions. Students need to wear warm
coats, hats, gloves, snow pants, and snow boots to school when the weather
warrants warm clothing. The Principal and the teachers on duty will monitor the
weather closely and students will be kept inside when appropriate. If your
child has a physical condition that limits the time he/she can spend outdoors,
please be sure to let the your child’s teach know.
BIRTHDAY
PARTY INVITATIONS:
Birthday invitations are not to be
distributed at school. It is very difficult to explain to a child
why one or two were left out. Feelings
get hurt very easily and we would like to avoid that as much as possible.
Please do not call the school requesting a
list of names and addresses of students in your child’s room. Due to the family privacy act we are unable
to provide this information.
SCHOOL
PARTIES:
School parties’
are planned for October, December and February, as will as other special
occasions. The teachers will organize
these events indicating what to bring, how to dress and activities planned.
School Property
Any student who damages
school property will be required to pay the district for the replacement/repair
costs. The district assumes no liability
for personal items that are lost or stolen.
We strongly encourage students to not bring valuable items to school.
HEALTH
ROOM:
If
a child is ill or experience discomfort or pain the parent/guardian will be
notified. We ask that you come as soon as possible; the best care for your
child will be provided at home or at a medical facility if needed.
Any
over the counter medication must be accompanied by a parent’s note and checked
in at the office. Any prescription
medication the child takes at school must be in the original bottle. The parent/guardian must file a medication
administration release form in the office.
Contact the office if you have any questions.
Head
Lice continues to be a concern in public schools. If a child is determined to have head lice,
the child will be out of school until the Health Department or a Doctors office
confirms in writing that the problem has been remedied.
ASBESTOS
NOTICE: This school district has completed an
extensive survey and inspection of all buildings. Based on the results of this inspection, a
management plan was prepared which details the response actions that this
district will take regarding asbestos containing material. The Management Plan is available for review
in the school office without cost or restriction during normal business hours.
It is the
policy of this school that a safe environment will be maintained for students,
teachers, and employees. Our procedures
for dealing with asbestos reflect that concern.
Please let us know if you have any question concerning these procedures.
LOST
ARTICLES:
A lost and
found area is maintained at the school.
Your child is encouraged to check that area for lost articles. Please mark or label coats, boots, backpacks
and other items to make the return process more efficient.
LIBRARY
SERVICES:
Students are
provided with approximately 30 minutes of formal library each week. Books may be checked out for two weeks at a
time. Student will be allowed to check
out two books at a time unless they make other arrangements with the
librarian. Fines for overdue books are
$.05 per day. Lost books or materials
must be returned or replacement cost must be paid before a final report card
will be issued. The library is a great
place for learning and research.
Physical Education Class
P.E. class is an important
part of a child’s education. P.E.
rotates each day with Music class.
Students are required to wear appropriate clothing for exercising and
playing games. Tennis shoes must be worn
for each P.E. class.
CONFERENCE
AND GRADING PERIODS:
Parent-Teacher
Conferences are scheduled twice during the year for grades K-5. You are encouraged to be in contact with
teachers at any time during the school year.
We invite parents to visit the classrooms throughout the year. Please schedule all visits to classrooms with
the teacher. There may be some
situations and conditions that restrict your visits to the classroom. Grading periods are every nine weeks. Mid-term reports are also sent home with each
child. Keep informed about your child’s
progress in school. Do not wait until
the last week of the grading period to fix a problem that took eight weeks to
develop.
DISCRIMINATION:
The
FIGHTING:
Students are
subject to the control and authority of the school district from the time they
leave for school to the time they return home. Fighting will not be tolerated
and will result in suspension from school.
TOBACCO,
ALCHOL and ILLICIT DRUGS:
The use,
possession or active promotion of any of these will result in:
1. Immediate suspension
2. Notification of parents
3. Referral to law enforcement
We want Sidney
Elementary to be a place free from these problems.
WEAPONS:
Students are
not allowed to bring any type of weapon to school. We will not tolerate any behavior that
threatens that safety of this building or the people in it. A student violating this rule will face
immediate suspension and possible expulsion.
BOARD POLICIES:
Realizing that
schools are operated for all, parents not only have a right but a
responsibility to question controversial issues involving their children. When possible, we ask that you attempt to
contact a teacher, if involved by phone or e-mail to set up a meeting. If you are unable to resolve the issue with
the teacher, please set up a conference with the principal.
*General
Regulations for Students – § MCA
20-5-201. Duties and Sanction:
(1)
Any
pupil shall:
a. Comply with the policies of the trustees
and the rules of the school, which he/she attends
b. Pursue the required course of instruction
c. Submit to the authority of the teacher,
principal, and district superintendent
(2) Any pupil who continually and willfully
disobeys the provision of this section, show open defiance of the authority
vested in school personnel by this section, defaces or damages any school
building, school grounds, furniture, equipment, book belonging to the district,
or harms or threatens to harms another person or his property shall be liable
for punishment, suspended, or expelled under the provisions of this tile. When a pupil defaces or damages school
property his/her parent/guardian shall be liable for the cost of repair or
replacement upon the complaint of the teacher, principal, superintended, or any
trustee and the proof of such damage.
Cellular Telephone and Electronic Signaling Device
Policy
Student
Possession and use of cellular phones, pagers, and other electronic signaling
devices on school grounds, at school-sponsored activities, and while under the
supervision and control of school district employees is a privilege which shall
be permitted only under the circumstances described herein. At no time shall
any student operate a cell phone or other electronic device with video
capabilities in a locker room, bathroom or other location where such operation
may violate the privacy right of another person.
Students
may use cellular phones, pagers, and other electronic signaling devices on
campus before school begins and after school ends. Students in grades 9-12 may also use such
devices during the lunch period. These
devices must be kept out of sight and turned off during the instructional
day. Unauthorized use is grounds for
confiscation of the device by school officials, including classroom teachers. Confiscated devices will be returned to the
parent or guardian. Repeated
unauthorized use of such devices will result in disciplinary action.
INTERNET:
Students
using the internet are required to submit the appropriate paperwork signed by
their parents. Pictures of the students
may occasionally be posted on the internet at the school web site. If you do not want your child’s picture on
the internet, please notify the office in writing.
DIRECTORY/STUDENT
INFORMATION:
At times, Sidney Elementary will disclose
directory information. Directory
information is information in a student’s educational record that is not
generally considered to be harmful, and its release is not considered an
invasion of the student’s privacy.
Examples of directory information include, but are not limited to, the
following data about a student: name,
address and telephone, date and place of birth, official activities, dates of
attendance, honors and photographs.
Parents retain the right to consent to the disclosure of directory
information; consequently, parents who wish to retain this right must notify
the school in writing
MISCELANEOUS ITEMS:
Bicycles are to be ridden in a manner that
maximizes the safety of both rider and pedestrian. You may be required to leave your bike at
home. All bikes are to be parked in the
bike racks located on the north side of the building. Walk bicycles on sidewalks surrounding the
school. Take care of your bikes and respect others.
Use
the crosswalk at all times.
Safety
of our students is our number one concern.