Dear Students and Parents,

Welcome to Briarcliff Elementary School. We are excited to launch into the 2016-2017 school year. Enclosed are guidelines and procedures that will help you navigate our school.

Thank you for the opportunity to partner with you to ensure your child’s success at Briarcliff Elementary.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Raiford

Stephanie Raiford, Principal

Briarcliff Elementary Information

2016-2017 Policies and Guidelines

SCHOOL DAY

  • The instructional day for students begins at 8:30. We begin unloading cars and buses at 8:00 a.m. The thirty minutes between 8:00 and 8:30 are used for eating breakfast in the cafeteria, morning work, unpacking backpacks, and preparing materials for the day. Every minute of the school day is important to the learning process and students need time to prepare in the morning, please bring them on time.All students are expected to be in their classroom prepared to begin the day by 8:25. School is dismissed at 3:00. Students riding buses stay in the classroom until their bus arrives on campus. Car riders and walkers are dismissed at 3:00.

ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL PROCEDURES

ARRIVAL

Staff members are often in meetings and conferences before school begins; therefore, students should arrive no earlier than 8:00 a.m. Do not drop off your child before 8:00 a.m. because we do not have extra personnel available to supervise prior to that time. When the bell rings at 8:00, students go directly to their classrooms.

  • TARDIES/LATE ARRIVALS: Any student arriving on campus after 8:30 a.m. is considered late. A parent or guardian must come to the office with the student to sign in; please do not send your child to the office unaccompanied. We keep track of tardies and notify parents/guardians when they reach an unacceptable level.
  • EARLY ARRIVAL PROGRAM: We offer an Early Arrival Program that begins at 7:00 a.m. Information about registration and fees for this program is available in our office. Registration for the program takes place in the fall. If you are interested, please call the office and ask to speak with the Before School Coordinator.

DISMISSAL

School is dismissed at 3:00. Carefully planned safety procedures have been established for dismissal. Kindergarten students are dismissed a few minutes earlier to allow them to safely move to carpool, walker, or bus zone before the older students enter the halls but may not leave campus before 3:00.

  • LATE PICK-UP: Parents/guardians and daycare vans are asked to be in the afternoon carpool line by 3:00. Doing this will prevent you from having to park, come into the office, and sign your child out. Teachers are responsible for their students until they leave campus. However, please know that it is not acceptable for students who are supposed to walk or ride carpool to still be on campus after 3:30. Parents/guardians will be required to make other arrangements for afternoon transportation if late pick-up becomes a chronic problem.
  • AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM: We offer an After School Program that begins at 3:00 p.m. Information about registration and fees for this program is available in our office. Registration for the program takes place in the fall. If you are interested, please call the office and ask to speak with the After School Coordinator.

LEAVING DURING THE SCHOOL DAY

If you need to take your child out of school during the school day, you must come to the office to check them out of school. It is also helpful to send a note to the office and/or to the teacher to let everyone know that your child will be leaving early that day.

  • We cannot permit students to leave school during the day unless they are accompanied by a parent/guardian or an official designee. If you plan to have someone else pick up your child plan to send a note and make sure that person is on your child’s locator card as being someone with permission to pick up your child. We will be checking identification for those who are checking children out of school.
  • Please remember that students may not be dismissed from the classroom after 2:30 in the afternoon.
  • Teachers are not allowed to dismiss a child from their classroom, as prior approval from the office is required. Please don’t put our staff in an uncomfortable situation by asking to take children from the classroom before going to the office to sign them out.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

The first notifications of early school dismissal, delayed opening, or school closing will be made to the radio and television stations. If the weather appears threatening, please turn on one of these and wait for further word. (WRAL TV and radio station 101.5 are recommended.)You may also subscribe to the WCPSS Inclement Weather notification system to receive email updates or on Twitter.

  • If during the day there is concern about a student's safety because of the weather, parents should feel free to come to school for her/him. It is not necessary to telephone the school.
  • If an early dismissal is announced, please do not telephone the school and request that a student be "pulled from the bus." In inclement weather situations, it is extremely important that the students leave as soon as possible. Keeping them at school can cause a dangerous situation for them and the staff.
  • If after school programs are cancelled, the After School Program will be closed and parents will need to pick up their children at dismissal.

GUESTS ON CAMPUS: VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS

Visitors are welcome! To ensure the safety of students and staff all visitors must enter through the front school entrance and “check in” at the office and get a badge before going into other parts of the building. All visitors are required to wear a badge and sign out before leaving. Instructional time is highly valued at Briarcliff, and we are diligent in preventing interruptions to classroom instruction.

Classroom observations and drop-in visits with the teacher are not allowed including during morning arrival, as that interrupts instruction. Therefore, visitors entering any area of the school beyond the office or cafeteria area should have a prearranged appointment or designated volunteer time.

All volunteers will be required to register and be approved for volunteering status with the school system before they can begin volunteering for school activities. (Please know that WCPSS requires a criminal background check for volunteers who will work with students in situations where a staff member may not be present such as tutoring, field trips, etc.) We must follow this WCPSS policy, as it is intended to protect our children. The volunteer registration is done in the main office daily.

ATTENDANCE

Consistent attendance in school is necessary for student success. If a child comes to school and more than half the instructional day has passed, they will be considered absent. The WCPSS policy on attendance is listed in the Wake County School Parent Handbook. Please comply with the policy.

Prior administrative approval is needed for education related absences; the related approval form is available at the front desk. Please read the guidelines on the approval form regarding what might be considered an excused “educational” absence. (Absences for vacations are unexcused.)

Briarcliff’s Attendance Review Committee will meet regularly to review attendance reports and to develop strategies for improving attendance. After an absence, please make sure you send your child’s teacher a note within two school days.

1)Each absence-automated phone call home

2)3 unexcused absences-letter Call From the Teacher

3)6 unexcused absences-letter sent home regarding increased absences

4)10 absences (excused & unexcused) – phone call made home to determine if previous letters were received

5)25 excused or unexcused absences – letter sent home noting the risk of retention if absences continue

6)30 total absences – teacher and administrator determine if retention is necessary

CUSTODY/VISITATION AGREEMENTS

Judges’ orders regarding custody and visitation are kept on file in the school office so that staff is aware of who is authorized to pick up a child. Please make sure that the school receives an official copy of the judge’s ruling, as we are not required to honor a parent/guardian’s interpretation of a court order. However, it is not the responsibility of the school staff to enforce visitation agreements. The family member who has visitation for a given weekend or period of time needs to make the necessary arrangements for pick-up outside of the school setting. Any changes in court orders should be given to the office personnel as soon as possible.

COMMUNICATION

  • WEEKLY FOLDERS: A student folder and/or data binders will be sent home weekly. PTA information and classroom newsletters may also be sent through weekly folders, so be on the lookout for these important communications. Parents/Guardians should review the included work samples and weekly progress of the child and, when necessary, make arrangements for a conference with the teacher. The work folder should be returned to school the next day so that the teacher will know that you are aware of the child’s progress. The materials in the folder should be kept at home.
  • CLASSROOM NEWSLETTERS: Teachers send newsletters home to keep you informed about the instructional program and any special events occurring in the classroom. Please know that some teachers send their newsletters home in the students’ weekly folder, while others choose to email their newsletters to families. These letters are very informative, so please take time to read them.
  • CONFERENCES: Appropriate communication between the school and home is essential for the success of all of our children. Teachers will schedule a minimum of two conferences per year. Parents/guardians may request a phone conference if attendance is inconvenient. We believe that parents/guardians and teachers need this communication to best serve students, so our staff is committed to providing time for the conference. The first parent/guardian-teacher conference is held within the first nine weeks. Student work reflects both practice (formative) and evaluated (summative) evidence of student performance against the standards.
  • WEBSITE: In this digital age, we update our website calendar of events to reflect what is happening at Briarcliff. School-wide events including PTA sponsored events are posted. The PTA also hosts a site where families can learn how to be involved.
  • TWITTER: Follow Briarcliff Elementary on Twitter to keep track of events and bus departures.
  • REMIND: Parents receive a brief text with weather or school updates.

SCHOOL GRADING PLAN

In the Wake County Public School System, we are committed to maintaining rigorous performance and achievement standards for all students and to providing a fair and consistent process for evaluating and reporting student progress that is understandable to students and their parents and relevant for instructional purposes.

The information below shares specific information about grading at our school

The following are school-wide expectations for homework:

  • Students will know what is expected of them, and the task will be within the student’s abilities. Prior to leaving school, questions pertaining to the completion of homework will be answered and clarified to ensure students understand the assignment.
  • Homework assignments will not require the use of books or materials which are not readily available in the home or accessible to the students at school.
  • All students will be provided with an agenda, assignment sheet and/or instructions for homework. Parents/guardians will be notified if their child is having difficulties keeping up with homework assignments.
  • All teachers in grades 3-5 will establish procedures and routines for using the school agenda. It is an effective communication tool with parents.
  • Having the support of parents/guardians is very important if homework is to be helpful and meaningful to the child.

The following are grade/subject specific expectations for the completion and grading of homework:

  • Due to the nature of homework as a practice tool, grades are not given for homework assignments. A student’s completion of homework will be reflected in the Work Habits grade on the report card.
  • Students in Grades K-2: 20 Minutes per day plus daily reading
  • Students in Grades 3-5: 50 Minutes per day plus daily reading

CLASSWORK AND ASSESSMENTS

The following are school-wide expectations for classwork and assessments:

  • It is the expectation that students will actively participate in classwork and give their best effort to understand the content.
  • It is the teacher’s discretion as to how to go about completing unfinished work but each child will be responsible for completing all assignments.
  • A variety of assessment types will be used for the following purposes:
  • Teacher observation and short responses such as a quick written response to a question at the end of a lesson can be used by teachers to determine what instruction is needed next to complete a child’s understanding of a skill or standard.
  • Grade level teams will create common assessments to be used before and after instruction to measure the level of comprehension that students’ have on a unit of study.
  • When students take a grade level common assessment and do not demonstrate an adequate understanding of the concepts taught, PLTs will determine if an additional opportunity for students to show what they know is warranted.

The following are grade/subject specific expectations for the completion and grading of classwork and assessments:

  • Classwork and assessments may be calculated as part of Standards-Based Grading.

MISSING WORK

The following are school-wide expectations for missed work:

  • If the absence is approved in advance and/or if the work is assigned by the teacher in advance, all make-up work, including tests assigned for the day of return, is due upon the student's return to school. Teachers should use discretion and may make exceptions in the case of students whose excused absences were not planned in advance, were beyond the student's control, and the nature of which would not support make-up work the day of return
  • If the make-up work has not been assigned in advance, for absences of one (1) to three (3) days, the student will have one day for each day absent. For absences exceeding three (3) days, the student may have two (2) days for each day absent to make up work. Special consideration will be given in the case of extended absences due to injury or chronic illness.

The following are grade/subject specific expectations for the completion and grading of missed work:

  • All grade levels will adhere to the above statements regarding missed work.

For students at risk of academic failure, our school seeks to provide a prevention/intervention system that promotes successful completion and mastery of work. Details of our plan are below.

PREVENTION- INTERVENTION

The following are school-wide expectations for how we support prevention-intervention efforts:

  • Children at risk of academic failure will have a Personal Education Plan that specifically states what interventions will be used to promote success.
  • Intervention teachers are available to remediate specific needs of designated students.
  • Volunteer tutors may be used to assist a child’s understanding of concepts.
  • Teachers will communicate specific needs to parents/guardians so that the combined efforts of all can be used to promote success.

The following are grade/subject specific expectations for prevention and intervention:

  • Schoolwide, teachers identify student needs and partner resources based on those needs.

Extra credit is offered at the professional learning team’s discretion. Where it is offered, extra credit opportunities to enhance grades must be connected to learning outcomes and consistent within PLTs.

MEDIA CENTER POLICIES

The media center is open in the mornings from 8:00-8:25. Students are encouraged to visit the media center during this time to exchange their books for new reading material. Students also visit the media center weekly with their class. In order to check out new books, students must be within the limits of books allowed and have NO overdue books.

Grade Level / Number of Books that may be checked out
Kindergarten / 1
First / 2
Second / 2
Third / 2
Fourth / 2
Fifth / 2

TRANSPORTATION GUIDELINES

CARPOOL

There will be no exceptions to the following procedures-Our carpool lane is located at the side of the school, near the cafeteria. All students who carpool in the morning and/or afternoon need to be dropped off and picked up in the carpool line. Carpool tags will be provided for every student this year to ensure your child’s safety. Cars without tags will be sent to the main office to verify their Identification.

  • If you are a vehicle, you are considered to be participating in carpool and must come through the carpool line. (Do not drop your child off across the street from the school to walk to school, as this is in violation of our carpool policy.)
  • Dropping students off at the side of the school, across from the school in the street or in the parking lot is not safe. Although, the carpool line may look long on some days, it moves very quickly. When you come through the carpool line, a staff member is there to greet you, and other staff members are inside to make sure students get to class safely.

DROP-OFF (8:00-8:25)

°Please stay in the car line until you reach the designated drop-off area.

°Please follow the directions of the staff on duty.

°All students should exit the car on the passenger’s side of the car.

°If you must leave your car, even for a moment, please park in the designated parking areas across from the school.

°Please do not leave your car unattended while in the drop-off line.

°Should you arrive later than 8:25, a parent must accompany the student to the Main Office to sign-in.