David Cox Dolphins

David Cox Dolphins

Welcome to another great year a David Cox! We are excited to start a new year! Please find valuable information about the school on the following pages. These pages are intended to serve as a resource for students and families to keep you connected with the school and your child’s teacher. Thank you!

- Celeste Spears-Ellis, Principal

Daily Schedule

8:45 AM – School open for students

8:45 – 9:10 – Breakfast

9:10 – David Cox News Show

9:15 – Instruction Begins

4:10 - Dismissal

·  If participating in school breakfast, please drop students off by 9:00.

·  Vacations during the school year are discouraged and considered an unexcused absence.

Tardies

·  Students are tardy after 9:15 AM.

·  Tardy students must be signed in at the office by a parent.

WCOX News

·  WCOX News starts promptly at 9:10 AM.

·  Students, assisted by the Media Specialist lead the morning broadcast.

·  The news show is an important communication tool for students and staff.

·  Students should be settled and ready for the news show by 9:10 each day.

Student Transportation

·  It should be communicated to your child’s teacher if your child will be a car rider, bus rider, van rider or in the After School program.

·  A written note must be sent to change your child’s transportation and is the only way we are able to accept transportation changes.

·  Students picked up for early dismissal must be picked up before 3:30 PM.

·  Due to safety concerns, we are unable to accept transportation changes during the school day via text, email or phone. Please be sure to handle all transportation concerns before your child reports to school.

Bus Transportation

Bus Rules:

·  Ride only the assigned bus.

·  Keep hands, feet, and other objects to yourself.

·  Stay seated and quiet.

·  Talk quietly to the person next to you.

·  No food or drink.

Car Riders

·  Please follow all carpool procedures provided during carpool registration.

·  Please use the crosswalk when entering the school from the front.

Morning Arrival

·  Staff is present to assist with drop off from 8:45 – 9:15. Please be sure that your students are supervised by having students remain in your vehicle until 8:45AM when adults are ready to receive your students.

·  Students are tardy after 9:15 and MUST report to the office, accompanied by a parent for a tardy slip.

·  Exterior doors remain locked for safety. For the safety of our students, please walk your child into the building after the 9:15AM tardy bell.

Afternoon Dismissal

·  Early dismissal ends at 3:30PM

·  Dismissal begins at 4:10PM.

·  Car Riders must be picked up by 4:15.

·  For the safety of our students, all parents are to remain in cars during the dismissal process in order to ensure all students are dismissed accurately.

·  Please be patient with us as we work to keep our students safe.

Early Dismissal Due to Weather

·  Buses will operate on the published schedule.

·  All students will be required to submit emergency plans for early dismissal. This will determine how we dismiss students.

·  Please listen to the radio/TV and Connect Ed for district wide announcements pertaining to early dismissals.

Cell Phones

·  Student cell phones must be in the off position and kept in the child’s book bag during the school day.

Appropriate Dress

·  Hats, headgear, and sunglasses are prohibited.

·  Shorts must be mid-thigh (fingertip measure) and fit loosely.

·  Halter tops, tank tops, and spaghetti strap shirts are prohibited.

·  Pants and shorts must be worn at the waistline.

·  Flip flops or backless sandals are unsafe and are prohibited.

·  Graphic T-shirts with inappropriate references are prohibited.

·  Gang related clothing or symbols as identified by local law enforcement agencies are prohibited.

·  Tennis shoes/sneakers should be worn on PE days.

Homework

·  Reading is expected to be a part of homework every night.

·  Homework should be written in the student agenda each day.

·  Agenda Books are purchased by the school to serve as an important two way communication tool. Parents are asked to sign the agenda books each night.

·  Questions regarding homework should be directed to your child’s teacher.

Awards Day

·  Awards Days are held following report cards each quarter.

·  Students will receive awards for academic success, character, and attendance.

·  Parents are strongly encouraged to attend and support our students.

Instructional Program

·  Students are provided daily instruction that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards.

·  David Cox has developed a Mastery Grading plan that provides for additional instruction and assessments to provide students more opportunities to be successful.

·  David Cox uses a data drive instructional model to ensure we are personalizing learning to help each student reach their greatest potential.

Class Celebrations/Birthdays

·  Class parties are held twice each year – Winter Parties and End of Year Parties

·  Teachers will organize the parties with parent support.

·  All food must be store bought.

·  Cake/cupcakes for student birthdays can be served at lunchtime.

Classroom Rules

·  Students are held to high behavioral expectations to allow for optimal teaching and learning conditions.

·  Expectations are detailed in the school’s Behavior Matrix (included with the Back to School Packet)

·  Students are rewarded for following school and classroom expectations with our Dynamite Dolphin system for positive behavior. (Yellow, Purple and Blue Dolphins)

·  We thank you in advance for your support in maintaining a pleasant learning environment for all students.

Lost and Found

·  Please label your child’s belongings (book bags, lunch boxes, coats, etc.)

·  Unmarked items will be placed in the Lost and Found.

·  Items are held for one month and then donated to a local charitable organization.

CMS Behavior Guidelines

·  David Cox Elementary supports and enforces the CMS Code of Conduct. This specifies the levels of student misconduct along with the tiered consequences for each offense.

·  If a student is referred, parents will be contacted by phone.

·  If the parent cannot be reached by phone, a letter will be sent or a home visit will occur, depending on the severity of the referral.

·  For more information or to obtain a copy of the CMS Code of Conduct, please visit the CMS Website and navigate to the Parent Toolkit at http://parents.cms.k12.nc.us/Pages/default.aspx

Health Services

·  If a student receives medical attention, the parent will be contacted immediately.

·  Students with a temperature of 99.6˚or higher or is vomiting must be picked up from school.

·  Parents must make the school aware of any medical conditions that require special care or attention.

·  Although we certainly want student to attend school each day, please keep sick children at home.

Medication

·  If your child needs to take medication during the school day, a medical release form must be signed by a parent AND physician and must be on file in the office.

·  All medication is to be kept in the nurse’s office, under lock and key.

·  No medication will be given without proper documentation. (inhalers, antibiotics, eye drops, cough syrup, etc.)

·  PLEASE do not send medication to school with your child.

School Communications

School communication will be maintained through the following channels:

Newsletter Schedule

·  1st Thursday of every month – Pertinent PTA Information

·  2nd Thursday of every month – Grade Level Newsletter

·  3rd Thursday of every month – Connect Team Newsletter

·  4th Thursday of every month – David Cox School Newsletter

Connect Ed

·  ConnectEd is a mass phone messaging system that will be sent weekly, on Sundays, to keep families informed.

·  Please contact the front office if you are not receiving the calls or need to change your contact information.

·  Each family is able to connect one phone number.

Telephone and Email Communications

·  David Cox operates on a 24 Hour response time to all phone and email communications. David Cox main phone line is 980-343-6540. Individual teacher email addresses can be located on the David Cox Website at http://schools.cms.k12.nc.us/davidcoxroadES/Pages/Default.aspx

Thursday Folders

·  Thursday Folders are another means of communication used at David Cox.

·  Thursday Folders should go home with your student each Thursday and will contain the following: Student work, Newsletters from the school, Newsletters from the Community, Report Cards and other measures of academic progress.

·  Please remove all papers from the Thursday Folder and return the folder to school the next day.

Reporting Student Progress

·  Report Cards – Distributed at the end of each quarter

·  Mid-Quarter Progress Reports – Distributed in the middle of each quarter.

·  Parent/Teacher Conferences are held with every parent near the end of Quarter 1.

·  Teachers and/or parents may request a conference at any other time during the school year.

·  Teacher conferences must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.

·  Students who are performing significantly below grade level will be provided a PEP (Personalized Education Plan).

·  If you have academic questions about your child, please contact the classroom teacher.

Safety

Students in mobile classrooms . . .

Ø  Will transition in and out of the building with an adult.

Ø  If your child is late to school, we ask that parents sign students in and walk students to their mobile classroom.

Ø  Mobile classrooms will take bathroom breaks as a class. Emergencies will be handled by teacher assistants, the office, or other staff members.

Ø  Students must be checked out in the office before being picked up from the classroom.

Ø  Parents are asked to park in the front of the school.

Ø  Parents are asked to sign in at the office and wear a visitors badge when entering the building at all times.

School Leadership Team

·  Parents and staff members work together to encourage, support, and create opportunities for involvement from parents and the community for the improvement of the school.

·  The SLT facilitates the involvement of the community in designing and implementing the School Improvement Plan.

School Volunteers

·  All Volunteers must register on the CMS website to be a school volunteer.

·  Volunteers can provide support in the following ways:

Ø  Chaperone a field trip

Ø  Tutor/mentor students

Ø  Provide materials for a class project.

Ø  Assist with Field Day

To register, please go to the following link:

www.cms.k12.nc.us/volunteersandpartners

Student Services

·  Guidance and counseling provided by the counselor.

·  English Language Learner services for students with English as their second language.

·  Talent Development (TD)

·  Speech-Language Services

·  Exceptional Children’s Services

Classroom Visit Policies/Procedures

David Cox Road Elementary School believes that education is a partnership between families and the school and encourages active participation by parents/guardians who support student success. At times, parents/guardians may wish to observe in a classroom. Charlotte Mecklenburg Board of Education Policy KI addresses Opportunities and Requirements for School Visitors (copies of this policy are available on the CMS website and in the school office). In compliance with the Board of Education policy, the principal may establish and enforce reasonable rules in regards to school visits by parents or other visitors in order to ensure a safe and positive educational environment. Guidelines for David Cox Road Elementary classroom observations and parent/teacher meetings are listed below:

Classroom Observations:

1. All observation sessions must be requested through the Principal or Assistant Principal and requests must be received at least 24 hours in advance. Visits may not occur during assessments.

2. The Principal may limit the duration of any observation in order to avoid distraction or disruption to the teacher’s schedule and classroom atmosphere and reserves the right to decline the request for classroom observation if it is determined that such an observation would cause undue disruption in the educational process.

3. For security reasons, visitors are required to sign in at the school office, to receive a visitor’s badge, and indicate the name of the teacher or destination before proceeding to contact any other person in the building or on the school grounds. All visitors are asked to sign out when leaving the building.

4. To protect the learning environment, the parent/guardian should be the only visitor in the classroom during the observation. Observers other than the parent/guardian must be approved by the principal and have written consent from the parent/guardian describing the reason for the observation. Out of respect for the teaching environment, parents/guardians are asked not to bring younger siblings or children or to utilize electronic equipment such as cell phones while in the classroom. Observers should not disrupt the learning environment by engaging students or the teacher in conversation. Observers are not to participate in the lesson or attempt to engage the teacher or students in conversation. A follow-up meeting may be scheduled to answer questions or address concerns.

5. During the observation, the principal or his/her designee may be present in the observed setting in order to accommodate follow-up discussion or clarify questions that may arise.

6. All aspects of individual student confidentiality must be preserved and respected.

Parent/Teacher Meetings:

1. Scheduled Meetings: The parent/guardian and other participants must sign in at the office, receive visitor tags, and receive directions to the meeting location. All visitors must sign out when leaving the building.

2. Unscheduled Meetings: A parent/guardian who comes to school asking to meet with a teacher must remain in the office until it is determined whether the teacher is available for an unscheduled meeting. If the teacher is available, the parent will be directed to the location of the classroom or office for the unscheduled meeting. The parent must sign out when leaving the building. If the teacher is unavailable, the parent must contact the teacher via phone or through written communication to set up a meeting. Parents may not report to any area in the school environment without proper identification and clearance.

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