THOMPSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
2015-2016
HANDBOOK POINTS OF INTEREST
Morning Arrival Procedures
· There is no adult supervision at Thompson Elementary prior to 7:30 AM
· No student should be left unattended prior to 7:30 AM
· Instruction begins promptly at 8:00 AM. Students arriving after 8:00 AM are considered tardy and must be signed in by a parent or guardian
· Excessive tardiness will result in loss of privileges for the student
Visitation/Lunch Procedures
· Parents/Guardians are always welcome at Thompson Elementary
· Parents/Guardians and authorized adult family members are allowed to visit and have lunch with students
· Visitors can only have lunch with the student they are here to see
· Visitors must have valid identification and check into the front office prior to being admitted to campus
Dismissal Procedures
· School ends at 3:00 pm and students must be picked up by 3:30 pm
· Note: All students will be dismissed according to their established method of dismissal unless there is a valid change of transportation
· There will be no student picked up from 2:30 until 3:30 from the front office. There are no exceptions to this rule, so please plan accordingly
· Walkers
o Students will walk with their appropriate color group
o Students who are 2nd grade or younger will not be allowed to walk home alone and must be released directly to an adult or previous designee at the rendezvous point
o If the adult/designee is not present, the student will be taken back to campus and will only be released to an authorized adult with valid identification
o Students 3rd grade or older, or have siblings/cousins/designee who are 3rd grade or older, will be allowed to walk home after being released at the rendezvous point
o Students who misbehave during walker dismissal will be warned once and will no longer be allowed to walk after the second incident of misbehavior
o There is no “Rainy Day” dismissal procedure for walkers. If there is rain in the forecast, please ensure that your child has the appropriate rain attire (umbrella, rain coat, boots, etc.). In the event of a severe weather notice from the National Weather Service, parents will be notified and modifications will be made to dismissal
· Car Riders
o All car riders are assigned a specific number. Students and parents are each given a numbered placard which is used to match the student to their parent/guardian
o If EITHER the student OR the parent does not have the car rider placard, the student will be escorted to the front office and released with valid identification from an authorized adult or designee NO EARLIER than 3:30 PM. Students will not be released earlier than 3:30 under any circumstances without a Thompson placard
o There are no left hand turns into Thompson’s Parking Lots. Please move to the end of the line of cars so that students can be picked up in the order in which parents arrived in the line. Cars that violate this procedure will not have their numbers called and their child will be sent to the front office for pick up after 3:30 PM.
· Day Care/Private Transportation
o Day care transportation must be set up with the provider and then communicated to Thompson Elementary School
o There are designated parking areas for these vehicles. Parents/Guardians are asked not to park in these areas
· Afterschool/Weekend Activities
o Students must have a valid permission slip on file in order to be allowed to stay for afterschool activities and an invitation to come for Saturday School
o Students must be picked up at the conclusion of any activity. The first time a student is late being picked up will be a warning; the second time will result in the revocation of student’s privileges of participation in extra-curricular activities
· Late Student Pick up
o Dismissal begins daily at 3:00 pm and students are expected to be picked up no later than 3:30 pm
o All extra-curricular activities end at 4:30 pm
Change of Transportation
· Transportation changes have to be done in writing
· Only the parent/guardian is allowed to make transportation changes
· Changes can be submitted through the Thompson Elementary School website or they may be faxed in and must contain a valid phone number
· Upon receipt of a transportation change, a call will be made to verify that the parent/guardian did indeed make the change. If the parent cannot be contacted, the student will go home per their usual method of transportation
· Transportation changes are only valid before 2:30 PM. Changes requested after 2:30 PM will not be honored and the student will go home per their usual method of transportation
Emergency Contacts and Information
· It is imperative that your information is continually updated as it changes so that school personnel are able to contact parents/guardians in the event of an emergency. Please remember to update phone numbers, addresses, and adults who are allowed to pick up your child as soon as they change
· If in the event of a medical emergency, every attempt will be made to contact a parent/guardian. If we are unable to contact anyone (invalid numbers), Thompson reserves the right to make a decision to call 911 in the best interest of the child. Parent will assume any financial obligations
Extra-curricular/Field Trip Participation
· Students must not have an N or U for conduct grades in the grading period of the event in order to be eligible to participate
· Students being suspended/written up/referred to the office are automatically ineligible for participation in events for 9 weeks after an incident’s occurrence
· Students must be clear of all fines and money owed to but not limited to the TES cafeteria, TES Library, TES PTO, etc in order to be eligible for participation in Extra-curricular activities and/or field trips
· Although special circumstances may be considered, the final decision regarding participation rests with the TES Administration Team under the guidance and recommendations of the Committee/Event Organizers
· Flowers/Balloons will not be delivered to students for special occasions.
Meeting Requests
· Teachers and Administrators at Thompson are more than willing to meet with parents, guardians and community members
· Since teachers and administrators are in classrooms supporting student learning, it is necessary to make an appointment for any meeting or conference. To schedule a meeting please see the campus receptionist or secretary
Student Dress Code
· Thompson students are required to participate in standardized dress
· Student tops should be solid red, white, blue, navy blue, or yellow, with a collar and no logos or trim
· Student bottoms should be solid jeans (with no holes), khaki, or navy blue uniform pants, shorts, or skirts
· Shirts are REQUIRED to be tucked in at all times
Assembly Protocol
· School programs and assemblies are unique opportunities for students to showcase their hard work
· Thompson Elementary Administration explicitly reserves the right to ask any participant to leave the campus if they are not displaying proper etiquette
Clinic Information
· Any medications to be administered to your child, must be brought in the original container and given to the nurse by an adult. The student cannot bring their own medication(s).
Technology
· The district permits students to possess personal devices. Cell phones and other electronic devices shall be silenced and not in use while in the instructional setting without authorization. Cell phone usage is strictly prohibited during testing
· The use of mobile telephones or any device capable of capturing images is strictly prohibited in restrooms
· If a student uses a telecommunications device without authorization during the school day, the device will be confiscated. Each time personal technology is confiscated, it shall not be returned until after the $15.00 administrative fee is paid, and the parent, guardian or nonstudent owner demonstrates proof of ownership. Unclaimed devices will be discarded ten days after the last day of school
· The district is not responsible for damaged, lost, or stolen telecommunications devices or personal electronic devices
Teacher/Parent Contact
· Teachers must return phone calls/emails to parents within 24 hours.