HAWKINS MILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK

2016-2017

Dorsey Hopson, Superintendent

4295 Mountain Terrace

Memphis, Tennessee 38127

901-416-3944

Shelby County Schools does not discriminate in its programs or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, handicap/disability, sex, or age. For more information, please contact the Office of Equity Compliance at (901) 416-6670.


Dear Parent,

It is with much excitement that I welcome you (back) to Hawkins Mill Elementary School. I hope you all enjoyed a restful summer with family and friends. In the past two months, I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet with teachers, staff, parents, community members and students to listen to feedback and to have them share their expertise and working knowledge of the school. Through those conversations, I was able to identify some emerging themes about our school. From all my conversations, it is evident that the greatest strength of the Hawkins Mill School lies in its supportive, dedicated and caring teachers and parents, who work tirelessly on a daily basis in the best interest of kids. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be a part of this team and to continue to work within a community that I have grown to love, and I look forward to a fantastic year. Over the course of the year, the staff and I will be at work getting to know your kids, and continuing to follow district and school-wide initiatives: creating common and/or equivalent assessments across all grade levels and disciplines; collaboratively looking at student work and progress to inform our instruction and curricula revisions; and most importantly, adhering to our shared belief that what makes our school great is what occurs within the walls of our classrooms. I remain committed to supporting and promoting the best teaching practices across all grades and levels, such as active student learning, problem-solving and critical thinking, creativity, inter and intrapersonal reflection, effective communication, reading and collaboration in all classes. This work is ongoing and defines us as a school community. With this primary focus on instruction and student learning, we will continue to ensure that we offer the best opportunities and learning experiences for all students to be successful and to be well prepared to meet any challenge. In closing, we at the Hawkins Mill Elementary School remain dedicated to advancing your child's academic, social and personal development in a supportive, safe and challenging learning environment. We welcome your active participation in your child's education, and we urge you to be proactive in communicating with our administration, counselors and teachers, and, as time allows, to volunteer in our various programs and events. By working together, we will ensure success for your child.

Respectfully,

Antonio T. Harvey - Principal


Mission

Our mission is to develop responsible and productive learners who can function in a global society.

Vision

Our vision is to create critical thinkers, life-long learners and productive citizens.

Beliefs

  • We believe all children can learn.
  • We believe parents must partner in the learning process.
  • We believe a climate of respect must exist.
  • We believe learning experiences should be differentiated.
  • We believe the use of data is essential.
  • We believe in shared decision making.
  • We believe students must experience the use of 21st Century technology.
  • We believe teachers are responsible for ensuring success for students academically and socially.

HAWKINS MILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL POLICIES

REGISTRATION & CLASSES:

The teacher who registers your child may not be his/her teacher. Classes will be balanced as soon as possible.

PLEASE BE ADVISED:

Children who will be entering the first grade in the 2016-2017 school year will be required to have completed kindergarten prior to enrollment.

SCHEDULING TEACHER CONFERENCES:

If you would like to schedule an appointment with your child’s teacher, appointments should be scheduled after school or during the teacher’s planning or support time. You may call the teacher or main office @ 416-3944 to schedule an appointment. It is important that conferences not be allowed to interfere with instructional time. Conferences should not be scheduled during the Instructional Blocks on any given school day.

SCHEDULING PRINCIPAL CONFERENCES OR CLEARING SUPENSIONS:

If you would like to schedule an appointment with the principal, appointments should be made with the office secretary. Appointments can be made between 9:30 A.M. – 10:30 A.M. or 3:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.

Suspensions must be cleared on the date/time scheduled. Once again, suspensions are scheduled to be cleared between 9:30 A.M. – 10:00 A.M. daily. If you are unable to make the scheduled date or time, please call to reschedule.Parents will not be able to meet with the principal to clear suspensions after 10:00 A.M. Students are not allowed on school campus until the suspension is cleared. Parents MUST accompany student when the suspension is cleared. Please try to make your scheduled appointment to alleviate unnecessary absences for your child. Attendance is vital.

SCHOOL HOURS:

Normal hours are 9:15 A.M. to 4:15 P.M. Doors will not be opened before 8:45 A.M. Teachers are not expected to be at school before 9:00 A.M. Students and parents who enter the building between 8:45 A.M. and 9:00 A.M. must report to the cafeteria for opening activities.

Arrangements MUST be made before a student comes to school for the afternoon pickup. Unnecessary interruption of classes with instructions for how students are to get home disturbs instructional time. Students must be picked up no later than 4:25 P.M. Security will be called for any student remaining on school grounds after 4:25 P.M.

If you need to check your child out before the dismissal bell at 4:15 P.M., it will be necessary for you to come into the office and sign your child out. NO STUDENTS WILL BE CHECKED OUT BETWEEN 3:45 P.M. AND 4:15 P.M. We will not release a student to anyone other than the guardian listed on the registration card. We will not allow a child to leave school during the day unescorted. For your child’s safety, please cooperate with us on these procedures.

GRADING SCALE FOR GRADES 4-5 CONDUCT SCALE

A - Excellent 93-100 E - Excellent

B - Good 85-92 S – Satisfactory

C – Average 76-84 N – Needs Improvement

D – Below Average 70-75 U – Unsatisfactory

F – Failure Below 70

GRADING SCALE FOR GRADES Pre-K – 3 CONDUCT SCALE

EE- Exceeds Expectations ES- Exceeds Standards

ME- Meeting Expectations MS- Meets Standards

NME- Not Meeting Expectations NMS- Not Meeting Standards

Report cards will be sent home every nine weeks. They are to be signed by a parent/guardian and returned to school the following day. Progress reports will be sent home to parents/guardians of all students every 4 weeks.

BOOKSTORE:

The school operates a bookstore for the benefit of the students and the teachers. The only items sold in the bookstore are pencils, paper, tablets, folders, crayon, glue/glue sticks, pencil sharpeners, erasers and poster board. The bookstore is open from 8:45-9:15 A.M. only. Children must purchase their supplies during open hours.

ABSENCES:

Each day a child is absent, a note MUST be brought to the teacher giving the reason for the absence. If a child is absent without the parent’s knowledge, the child is truant. Students on the streets during school hours may be picked up by the Memphis Police Department for truancy. Students absent with the knowledge of the parent may be considered as having an excused absence or an unexcused absence.

State law recognizes ONLY five reasons as excused absences…illness, court appearance of pupil, recognized religious holiday, death in immediate family, or away at a school activity. Baby-sitting, family business, or family vacations are NOT excused. Students having an unexcused absence will NOT be allowed to make up work missed and will receive zeros on all work missed. Unexcused absences will probably affect a student’s grades.

ATTENDANCE:

Attendance is important. We will be recognizing students and classes having good attendance with special events, certificates and other incentives.

Start NOW with perfect attendance. Each year we have some disappointed children who do not get certificates for perfect attendance because of tardiness.
Tardiness and early checkouts count against perfect attendance. Attendance is recorded on your child’s permanent school record. Only the total number is recorded-regardless of whether the tardiness or the absences are excused or not. Attendance is a good habit to develop early.

Student Attendance is vital to a child’s academic progress. The district has set a goal of 95% attendance for all students. If a child has excessive absentees, parents will be referred to Juvenile Court.

We will adhere to the following referral checklist at Hawkins Mill Elementary:

*  3 days absent……………………………………Phone Call from School Personnel

*  5 days absent………………………………………SART Team Warning /PSAP Developed

*  10 days absent……………………………………..… Attorney General Letter

Delivered/Juvenile Court Appearance Requested

*  (SART-Student Attendance Review Team, SARB-Student Attendance Review Board, PSAP- Parent Student Attendance Plan)

TARDINESS:

STUDENTS MUST BE IN THEIR ROOMS BY 9:15 A.M. Teachers mark students tardy when they arrive at the classroom between 9:16 A.M. and 9:30 A.M. Attendance records are in the office by 9:30 A.M. All students arriving after 9:30 A.M. should stop by the office to receive a tardy slip to be admitted to class.

Children on late buses are not marked tardy. Children who miss their bus and get to school late will be marked tardy. A tardy is excused ONLY if the child is coming from the doctor’s office or has been ill. A ten or fifteen minute illness is extremely rare. Regardless of whether it is the parent or child’s fault, the tardiness is recorded. Tardiness for traffic, weather or breakfast is unexcused. The number of tardies and absences are recorded on the child’s permanent school record with no difference being made in excused and unexcused tardies.

DISMISSALS:

WE ARE REQUESTING THAT STUDENTS NOT BE CHECKED OUT OF SCHOOL AFTER 3:45 P.M. It is important that our students not be denied the final day’s instructions and activities. Early dismissal puts undue stress on our limited office staff. Adhering to this policy will make the end of the school day run smoothly for all. Students may not leave school without permission from the office. A parent/guardian must check the student out through the office. The office staff will call your child down to the office to be dismissed. Please wait for your child in the office.

ILLNESS:

If your child becomes ill at school, he or she will be sent to the office. Any child with a temperature of one degree or more above normal will be sent home. We will contact you or an emergency friend and your child will be dismissed through the school office. The office should be informed of any changes in your emergency information as soon as possible.

HEALTH RECORDS:

It is mandatory that for every child, K-12, be properly immunized and have on file a health card indicating that he/she has had all of the required doses. Please see the Immunization Checklist.

SCHOOL RECORDS:

The school records will be released upon request of the receiving school. These records may be reviewed by scheduling an appointment with the school principal for this purpose.

MOVING AND WITHDRAWING:

Many of our families move during the school year. If you move out of the area, we ask that you give office personnel at least two days notice to prepare the necessary documents. All textbooks and library books must be turned in and any debts settled before your child’s transfer papers are cleared. You will receive a Student Withdrawal/Entry Data form to take to the new school. The new school will then contact Hawkins Mill for your child’s complete permanent record.

VISITORS:

Parents are encouraged to visit classes. To help maintain a safe environment, any parent or other visitor is required to:

1.  Inform the teacher prior to the visit.

2.  Report to the office upon entering the building.

3.  Sign in and secure a visitor’s pass from the office.

STUDENT SAFETY:

To ensure a safe environment, all doors will be locked at 9:20 A.M. daily.

TEXTBOOKS:

Books are issued to all students. It is the responsibility of the student to take care of his/her textbooks. Books are issued either new or used. If a book is lost or damaged, the full price is charged for a new book and 3/4 of the price for a used book. The parents must sign the form titled “Textbook Rules” and each student is responsible for all of the books that have been issued to him or her. The textbooks should not be written in or defaced in any way. There will be fines imposed and paid by the student to whom the textbook was issued. In February each school year, the school conducts a Textbook Inventory and notifies parents who have students with lost books. If your child is identified as having a lost textbook/library book in February, they will not receive another Progress Report/Report Card until the fine is paid.

HOMEWORK POLICY:

The homework policy states that homework will count as 10% of a student’s grade. Our students are given homework every night except Friday. Please look for your child’s Weekly Newsletter in the Mighty Hawks Tuesday Folder. Homework will not be assigned on the nights of a scheduled parent meeting.

CLASSROOM PHONES:

Each classroom is equipped with a telephone. The phones are to be used by ADULTS ONLY. Your child's classroom teacher will give you the 5 digit code for the classroom. To leave a voicemail for the teacher, please dial 416-3944 and choose option 1. After choosing option 1, you may enter the 5 digit number to leave a message.

GUIDANCE:

Our guidance program provides an organized curriculum through which students may be helped to understand themselves in order to utilize most productively their individual potential. Shelby County Schools Developmental Guidance classroom components are self-esteem, social communication skills, career awareness, stress, time management, decision-making, and problem solving skills. Regularly scheduled classroom lessons are taught within these components. Individual and group counseling is available to students, parents and teachers. Students must have an appointment card and approval from the classroom teacher to attend individual and group counseling. Our counselor sends home an introductory newsletter and has a direct dial in phone number. Parents may request conferences with the counselor at any time. Periodic meetings for parents will be held during the school year. Dates will be announced during the year.