Chestnut Mountain
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
The after school program will be operated by the Georgia Mountains YMCA. It will be held from 2:25pm to 6:00pm on student school days. Please visit www.hallcountyymca.org or call 770-297-YMCA for more information.
ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL
Student Arrival:
Students are permitted into the building at 7:15 A.M. Students who eat breakfast will go to the cafeteria, then proceed to their classrooms. All other students will be directed to their classrooms when they enter the school. The tardy bell rings at 7:45am.
Student Dismissal:
All K-2nd grade students will be dismissed at 2:20pm; students in grades 3-5 will be dismissed at 2:22pm. For the safety of all students, parents who are picking their students up must go through the car rider line and have a CMCSI car rider tag. If you need to check your child out of school for an appointment, please do so by 2:00pm.
If you need to make an emergency same-day transportation change, please call the front office. The front office may ask you to fax or email the transportation change request so we will have the change in writing. Please do NOT email same-day transportation changes to your child’s teacher.
ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT PLAN NOTIFICATION
The Hall County Board of Education schools AHERA Management Plan is available for public inspection upon request at the Hall County Board of Education Department of Facilities. This notification is provided to fulfill the requirement of section 763.93(4) of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, 40 CFR part 763, October 30, 1987. All interested parents, teachers, employees or other persons are invited to review the plan, which includes the following items:
1. Location, amounts and types of asbestos containing materials.
2. Response actions to the asbestos containing materials.
3. Plans for re-inspection, periodic surveillance.
4. Public notification procedures.
Anyone interested in reviewing this plan please call the Department of Facilities at (770)534-1291. Ask for Pam Cravero.
ATHLETICS
Teams in various sports are sponsored by the Hall County Parks and Recreation Department. Jr. Knights and Jr. Falcons
Organizations administer the local basketball, baseball and football programs and provide coaches, equipment and leadership for the teams in the Chestnut Mountain community. The football program is administered by the Jr. Knights. Questions relative to this program should be directed to the Booster Club or Hall County Parks and Recreation Department. State law prohibits discrimination based on gender in athletic programs of local school systems (Equity in Sports Act).The school provides facilities but is otherwise not administratively involved with the sports program. In order to ensure that all students are properly supervised when practices are scheduled, parents should not leave students unattended if the coach is not present. Children should also leave campus immediately after practice is over. Students and parents should stay in the designated practice areas and should not be in any other part of the building. Siblings of students attending practice should remain with the parent and be watched closely.
ATTENDANCE
School hours are from 7:45am to 2:20pm. Students will be admitted into the building at 7:15am and will need to be picked up no later than 2:45pm. Instruction begins at 7:45am and children need to be seated in class and ready to start the instructional day. If a child arrives late or leaves early, a parent should come through the office with the child to sign in or sign out. Please keep late arrivals and early departures to a minimum. The car rider line will be closed at 7:45am.
Excused absences are identified in Georgia Law and Hall County policy as the following:
The child is ill.
There is a death in the child’s immediate family.
The child is observing a religious holiday.
The child is a Page in the Georgia General Assembly.
Weather conditions prevent the child’s attendance.
The child has a pre-arranged medical appointment.
Upon returning to school, after each and every absence, parents are asked to send in a note explaining the reason for the absence.
Regular attendance in school is essential to a quality education. We encourage your child to be present every day. Daily attendance will help your child feel more closely associated with his/her classmates and will dramatically improve his/her educational progress. The time missed from class results in loss of valuable educational experiences. Make 100% attendance a goal for your child this year.
Students who arrive in their classroom by 7:45am will be able to pre-order ice cream. Students who arrive to school on a late bus will not be marked tardy.
BUS RIDERS
For the safety of your child and all children riding the bus, students should follow the bus driver’s rules at all times. Rules such as staying seated, facing the front, and keeping hands to self are enforced to keep all students safe while on the bus. When a discipline referral is written by the bus driver, the incident will be investigated by a school administrator. Rules and Consequences for incidents will follow the Hall County Board of Education policy:
First Offense: The principal or Assistant Principal shall take proper disciplinary action, which may include suspension from riding the bus, based on the nature or severity of the offense.
Second Offense: The principal shall suspend the student from riding the bus for at least five (5) school days.
Third Offense: The principal shall suspend the student from riding the bus for at least ten (10) school days.
Fourth Offense: The principal shall suspend the student from riding the bus for at least twenty (20) school days.
Fifth Offense: The principal shall suspend the student from riding the bus for sixty (60) school days.
Sixth Offense: The principal shall suspend the student from riding the bus for one hundred eighty (180) school days.
Unserved suspension will carry over to the next school year.
CAR RIDERS
Parents who pick their child(ren) up from school are required to have a CMCSI car rider tag. Parents must display this tag when picking up their child. Please help your child memorize this number. If you need someone without a tag to pick up your child, please ask that person to park and enter the front office to check out the student. The person must be on your check out card for us to release your child.
For the safety of all students:
· Please do not enter the office to check out your child to avoid the car rider line. Remember, all check-outs must occur by 2:00pm.
· Only cars with CMCSI carpool tags displayed are allowed to pick up a child.
· Parents may pick up their child in the car pool line only during dismissal time.
· All students must be picked up by 2:45pm. If you are stuck in traffic, please call the front office.
CAFETERIA
Chestnut Mountain’s cafeteria offers lunch and breakfast daily. Lunch can paid for by the month, week or day-by-day. You may pay for your child’s lunches using our on-line system at www.hallco.org/foodservices or send a check to your child’s teacher. You have a standing invitation to come eat lunch with your child during his or her lunch time. Please remember, guests must pay in cash only ($3.50). You may join your child’s class at their assigned table or sit at the parent café which is immediately outside the cafeteria. Please do not ask students, other than your child, to sit in the parent café.
“Fast Foods” are strongly discouraged. If you must bring this type of meal for your child, the food must be eaten outside the lunch room with a parent. A lunch bag and baggie will be provided by the front office if the food is left for the student to eat in the lunchroom.
Free and reduced priced meals are available for those who apply and qualify under the guidelines of the Federal School Lunch Program. For more information, contact the cafeteria manager Mandy Lee at . It is best to apply online @ schoolmeals.hallco.org.
CELL PHONES
Students in Kindergarten – Second grade should not bring electronic devices to school (including cell phones).
Students in 3rd – 5th grade may bring electronic devices to school if their parents have signed a user agreement. All devices are to be kept in the student’s book bag unless they are being used for educational purposes as directed by the teacher. If a child chooses to use a cell phone/electronic device outside the classroom (lunch, recess, hallway, bathroom, etc) the device will be taken and returned to the student at the end of the day. Upon a second offense, the device will be delivered to the front office and a parent/guardian will need to pick it up.
CHECKS
There will be a $10.00 NFS fee for checks returned due to insufficient funds.
CLINIC
A school nurse is available to provide first aid assistance to students. Parents/guardians will be called if a child is too ill to remain at school. Students need to be fever free, without fever reducing medication (Tylenol/Advil) for 24 hours before returning to school. The school nurse is authorized to dispense medication when the proper paperwork is completed.
When a child is injured or becomes ill at school, every effort will be made to immediately contact a parent or other designated person. Parents are requested to keep teachers and office staff informed concerning who should be contacted and how the contact can be made in emergency situations. We are very sincere in our desire to take good care of all children and especially students who are ill or hurt.
Whenever possible, medications should be given at home. However, the school system realizes that for student to maintain school attendance, certain medications may be required during school hours. With the safety of the children and staff being our priority, the system has revised policies and procedures for medications administered at school.
NO medications will be given without prior written permission. For your child to receive medication at school, you will need to complete:
"The Parent Medication Permission Form." This form provides parent permission for over-the-counter and short-term (less than 10 days) medications, and physician-prescribed long-term (more than ten days) to be administered at school.
"The Health Care Provider Medication Information Record." This form provides for information from your health care provider about medications that is to be given for more than 10 days or regularly during the school year.
Please take the time to read the guidelines below carefully. These policies will require greater cooperation and communication between parents and school personnel.
Medications received at school in un-labeled bottles, pills in zip-lock bags and aluminum foil WILL NOT be administered.
Non-prescription medications (over the counter medications) must be brought to the school in the Original container along with a written parental request that includes parent contact phone number and directions for administering that states the frequency, dose and length of administration.
Prescription medications must be brought to the school in the Original prescription container labeled with the student's name, date prescribed, instruction for administering, name of drug, name of issuing Health Care Provider, expiration date, and route medication is to be given.
Schools will dispense medications only as directed on the original, labeled container. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to notify the school if changes in the medication, dosage, and/or time of administration are requested and a new Original container must be provided.
For ALL medications to be administered for more than 10 school days, the parent/guardian must provide specific instructions, including related equipment needed if necessary, by completing a "Parent/Guardian Medication Permission Form" and by having your health care provider complete a "Health Care Provider Medication Information Record".
It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to inform the school, in writing, of any changes in pertinent data. A new "Medication Permission Form" must be provided indicating requested changes.
It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to deliver ALL medication to the principal's office or other designated school personnel.
A "Parent/Guardian Medication Permission Form" and if pertinent, a "Health Care Provider Medication Information Record" shall be kept relative to each medication taken by the student during the school day. This record will include student's name, name of medication, time, route, and correct dose.
Long-term medications usually need to be refilled on a monthly basis. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to keep the school supplied with adequate amounts of medication.
If you have questions regarding medication administration at school, please call your child’s school or the Director of Student Services at 770-534-1080, Ext. 242 or 244.
CLUBS
Students have the opportunity to be involved in various clubs and activities. Clubs must have a staff member serve as the sponsor. Clubs include Running Club (Melissa Beverly and Katie Hunter), Chorus (Josh Manfroni), FCA (Betsy Elrod) and the Jr. Master Gardener’s Club (Lori Lehmer, Lana Norris, Tamara Benefield). These clubs may meet before or after school hours if they are under the direction of the club sponsor. Parents must provide transportation home from after school clubs. Other additional extracurricular offerings, are Championship Chess and Dreambox Theatre (www.dreamboxtheatre.com).