One School, One Voice, One Student at a Time

Primary School

“One School, One Voice, One Student at a Time”

STUDENT HANDBOOK

2017-2018

Dr.Stephanie Morrow

Principal

Moranda Eagleton Joanna Hand Assistant Principal Assistant Principal

Grades 2ndand 3rd Grades K and 1st

Table of Contents

Academic Calendar…………………………………………………………….4

Principal’s Message………..…….…………………………………………….5

Mission, Motto, Beliefs……….….………………………………………… …6

Parents Right to Know………..….…………………………………………….8

Daily Schedule…………..…….……………………………………………….8

Attendance….…………………..………………………………………………9

Breakfast/Lunch Procedures…….…………………………………………....10

Arrival Procedures……………….…………………………………………....11

Checking Out Procedures……….….………………………………………....11

Dismissal Procedures……………...... ……………………………………….12

Enrollment Requirements……………………………………………………..12

Change of Address Procedures………………………………………………..13

Transportation ………………………………….……………………………..13

Withdrawal Procedures………………………………………………………..13

Academic Regulations

Grading………………………………………………………………………...13

Parent Conferences………………………………………………………….…14

Promotion/Retention…………………………………………………………..14

Testing…………………………………………………………………………14

Support Services

Clinic…….……………………….……………………………………………14

Guidance………………………….……………………………………………15

Hospital/Homebound…………….………………………………………….....15

Lost and Found…………………………………………………………...……15

Media Center…………………………………………………………………..15

Parent Teacher Organization(PTO)…………………………...………………15

Telephone……………………………………………….……………………...15

Afterschool Program…...... 16

Local School Governance……………………………………………………...16

Translator……………………………………………………….…………...…16

Rules and Regulations

Accidents………………………………………………………………………16

Custody of Children…………………………………………………………...16

Campus Maintenance………………………………………………….………16

Discipline…………………………………………………………...... ………16

Table of Contents

(Cont’d)

Disturbances………………………………………………...………………18

Dress Code……………………………………………………………….…18

Field Trips…………………………………………………………………..19

Deliveries………………………………………………………………...…19

Homework……………………………………………………………….…19

Ice Cream…………………………………………………………………...19

Parties………………………………………………………….……………19

Teacher’s Workroom………………………………………….…………….19

Visitors………………………………………………………….…..……….19

Website/Facebook/PeachJar/Infinite Campus...... ………………………..…20

Notice of Rights of Students and Parents under Section 504…….…………20

Parent Involvement……………………………………………………….....23

School Data……………………………………………………………….....25

School Climate………………………………………………………………27

Annie BelleClarkPrimary School

1464 Carpenter Road

Tifton, GA 31793

Phone: (229) 387-2410 Fax: (229) 386-1044

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am delighted that you will be attending Annie Belle Clark and look forward to personally welcoming you to our school family. The faculty and staff are excited about this school year and the new educational opportunities that your child will experience throughout.

We recognize that your child’s school years are precious and essential in building a solid foundation for happiness and success in life. Our caring and highly qualified staff provides our students with a safe and nurturing learning environment. As the demands of teaching children increase, it becomes more evident that we need to work together to ensure that our students reach their fullest potential. We believe that the school, community, and family must work together in an extended family environment to ensure success for all students. It is everyone’s responsibility to empower them to have creative, intellectual, and decision-making characteristics that are necessary for them to become socially, physically, and emotionally successful and responsible.

You are invited to be an active part of Annie Belle. Whether you are a classroom volunteer, a member of the P.T.O., special events participant, or a member of our school community, you are encouraged to be involved. It is our desire to keep you informed of all that is taking place at our school. Up-to-date information will be sent weekly through the “Thursday folder” and will appear on our newsletters, website, Facebook, PeachJar, parent conferences, and Infinite Campus. Please use this handbook as your initial resource for information. If you have any additional questions at any time, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or the office. I look forward to having a long and rewarding relationship with you and your family. Best wishes for a great 2017-2018 school year!!

Sincerely,

Dr. Stephanie Morrow, Principal

Our Mission

Annie Belle Clark Primary School Motto

Annie Belle Clark Primary School represents:

Unique

Lifelong

Learners

Dedicated

Observers

Gaining

Success

WE ARE THE BULLDOGS!!!

Annie Belle Clark School Beliefs

We believe:

All students are capable of learning.
A variety of motivational and instructional approaches should be provided to all students.
Students should be respectful and tolerant of all individuals and understand moral and ethical responsibility in society.
Faculty, parents, students, and community members share in the responsibility for providing a safe and supportive learning environment within our school.
All students are valued individuals with unique intellectual, emotional, physical, and social needs.
The teacher should utilize assessments to develop a variety of opportunities for students to demonstrate their achievement.
That continuous parental involvement in the child’s education is vital to his/her lifelong success.
That it is imperative that the faculty, parents, and community share in the responsibility to enable students to become confident and productive citizens and lifelong learners.

Right to Know

In compliance with the requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the Annie Belle Clark Primary School would like to inform you that you may request information about the professional qualifications of your student’s teacher(s) and/or paraprofessionals. The following information may be requested:

• Whether the student’s teacher—

o has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction;

o is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which State qualification or licensing criteria have been waived; and

o is teaching in the field of discipline of the certification of the teacher.

• Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

If you wish to request information concerning your child’s teacher’s and/or paraprofessional’s qualifications, please contact Stephanie Morrow, Principalat 229-387-2410.

Annie Belle Clark Primary Daily Procedures

School Hours

7:15 Unload Buses/Breakfast Begins

7:30 Building open for car riders (use the front entrance near the gymnasium)

7:50 Breakfast Ends

7:55 Students may enter classrooms

8:05 Tardy Bell

8:20-8:50 Extended Learning Time

3:00 City Bus Dismissal and Kindergarten/1st Grade Car Rider Dismissal

3:05 2nd / 3rd Grade Car Rider Dismissal

3:20 K-3 Bus Dismissal (remainder of the bus riders)

ALL STUDENTS MUST BE PICKED UP BY 3:30 EACH DAY

ATTENDANCE POLICY

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

Absences

It is the policy of the Board to excuse students from school for the following reasons:

1. Personal illness or when attendance in school endangers a student's health or the health of others.

2. A serious illness or death in a student's immediate family necessitating absence from school.

3. A court order or an order by a governmental agency, including pre-induction physical examinations for service in the armed forces, mandating absence from school.

4. The observance of religious holidays, necessitating absence from school.

5. Conditions rendering attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety.

6. Registering to vote or voting in a public election, which shall not exceed one day.

7. A student whose parent or legal guardian is in military service in the U. S. armed forces or National Guard, and such parent has been called to duty for or is on leave from overseas deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting, will be granted up to 5 days of excused absences per school year to visit with his or her parent prior to the parent's deployment or during the parent's leave.

8.Any other absence not explicitly defined in this policy but deemed to have merit based on circumstances as determined by the Superintendent or his/her designee.

Students with excessive absences will be referred to the School Social Worker. Student and parent(s)/guardian(s) will be notified by School Social Worker of their responsibilities relating to school attendance.

An Appeals Process shall be established by the administrative staff to consider extenuating circumstances which may need to be addressed based on individual needs.

Procedures for Absences: Notification

A written excuse from a physician, parent or guardian, stating days missed and reason for absence, shall be provided to the designated person at each school on the third day the student returns to school after an absence. Only three (3) written excuses from a parent/guardian will be accepted per 9 weeks.

Parents of students from ages 6-15 (including kindergarten students, which have been enrolled 20 consecutive school days) who have five (5) unexcused absences will receive notification from the Tift County School Attendance Support team for a parent meeting. Upon the 6th unexcused absence, a warrant will be taken out against the parent. At such time, the student and parent/guardian will be expected to appear before the Magistrate Judge and the Judge of State Court, to show cause for the six (6) or more unexcused absences.

Attendance and Tardies/Early Dismissals for Students in Grades K-12:

Students, are expected to be on time and in attendance daily. Students in K-8 must be present at least 1/2 of the school day to be counted present. Students in grades 9-12 must be present at least 1/2 or more of the class period to be counted present for that class.
Parents are responsible for getting students to school on time, and should not make a habit of taking students out of school prior to official dismissal time.

Students in grades K-8 will be referred to the Attendance Support Team (AST) when they have received excessive tardies/early dismissals. The AST will determine whether the tardies/early dismissals are excused or unexcused. For students in Grades K-8, who have acquired 20 unexcused tardies/early dismissals, the school social worker will file a CHINS petition with the Juvenile Court Judge.

Attendance Appeals Process: Grades K-12

1. An Attendance Appeals Committee shall be established by the building administrator.

2. The Attendance Appeals Committee in each school shall be comprised of an administrator, counselor, school social worker, teacher, or any other person the principal feels necessary who has information for the Committee to consider.

3. The Attendance Appeals Committee shall meet as the building administrator deems it necessary. (The Attendance Appeals Committee must meet upon the request of a parent or student.) Minutes are to be kept of all attendance hearings.

4. Parents/guardians must be advised of their right of appeal to the Superintendent. This advice must be recorded.

(See Board Policies JBD and JBD-R (1) in the Code of Conduct for the full policy)

CHINS Intervention Protocol for Unexcused Tardies/Early Dismissals

# Unexcused Tardies/Early Dismissals / Documented Intervention
3 / Infinite Campus Call out to Parent
5 / Mail letter to Parents
10 / Referral to Social Worker for Home Visit
15 / Schedule Attendance Hearing to write attendance contract
18 / Detention (ISS, Lunch, After-School)
20 / Social Worker file CHINS petition

Perfect Attendance

Students will be recognized for perfect attendance at the end of the school year. Students who are recognized for this award should not have any tardies or early check outs. Attendance plays a key role in our school designation with our College and Career Readiness Index (CCRPI) and School Climate Rating. We encourage perfect attendance, but please know that student’s attendance rate is an indicator with the CCRPI and could result in positive or negative results when students miss 5 or more school days.

Checking In Procedures

All students arriving after the 8:05 tardy bell must report to the front office. The student will be required to obtain an admittance slip before reporting to class. Our goal is to begin instruction as quickly as possible. Please make every effort to have your child prepared to begin the school day on time. Students who are consistently tardy will be referred to the Attendance Committee. Please note that excessive tardiness and continually checking your student out of school prior to dismissal may result in your child not meeting their academic potential.

Breakfast and Lunchroom Procedures

Annie Belle Clark School serves breakfast and lunch for students, staff, and visitors on a daily basis. All students will eat breakfast and lunch at no cost. Our nutrition department was selected to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) under the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act which allows students to receive breakfast and lunch at no cost. Our lunchroom mealsare under the same regulations and compliances as far as the nutritional integrity. Parents are always welcome to come enjoy lunch with their children; however, they will have to pay the regular cost for lunch. Students really love having the opportunity to eat lunch with their moms, dads, or grandparents. Our lunchroom has a designated dining area for visiting parents. Parents and/or visitors will not be able to bring outside food into the lunchroom for students.

Adult/Non-student breakfast$2.00

Adult/Non-student lunch$3.50

Extra entrée$2.00

Extra milk$.50

Tea$.75

Arrival Procedures

Car riders should not arrive on campus prior to 7:30 a.m. Duty personnel will be on campus at 7:15 to supervise early arrivals.

Students who ride to school in cars should be dropped off at the front entrance nearest the gymnasium. If you use the front cross walk, students must be escorted by an adult to the front office. All bus students will enter through the doors located between the gymnasium and the cafeteria. All breakfast students will report to the cafeteria upon their arrival to school. All other students will report to their designated hallway and remain seated by their classroom until 7:50.

Students must be in the lunchroom by 7:55 in order to eat a school breakfast. We believe students arriving to school at or before 7:45 should have time to eat and report to class by the 8:05 tardy bell.

After reaching campus, via bus or car, a student is not allowed to leave the school grounds for any reason without permission from the principal’s office. Leaving without permission will result in disciplinary action.

Checking Out Procedures

We strongly encourage parents to make dental, medical, and other appointments for their children after school hours. Please consult with your child’s teacher to determine the best time for the student to miss during the day if an appointment must be made during school hours. We do realize that at times it is necessary for your children to be checked out prior to the bell. All students must be signed out in the main office. Teachers will not be allowed to release a child from their classroom without permission from the front office.

Tift County Schools shall not release students to individuals other than custodial parent(s)/guardian(s) without written permission from the custodial parent(s)/guardian(s). It is the responsibility of the custodial parent(s)/guardian(s) to notify the school when their child will be picked up by anyone other than those filed in the child's records. JBD- R (1) Picture identification will be required to pick up students.

It is important that all arrangements be made prior to the student leaving for school that

morning. This includes arrangements for transportation. All changes in transportation (how a child is going to get home from school) must be made in writing. Parents/guardians must send a note to the teacher that includes the date, the child’s name, how the child is going to get home, and the parent/guardian’s signature. If the change involves riding the bus, it must be approved by an administrator.

All transportation changes must be made in writing and given to the teacher at the beginning of the school day. We begin our afternoon transportation announcements at 2:50 PM; therefore, in the case of transportation emergencies, we ask that you call our front office by 2:00 PM with any last minute changes. If we do not have written documentation about transportation changes for students, we use the transportation method that is denoted on their information sheet.

Students who are checked out early on a continual basis will be referred to the Attendance Committee. Please make every effort to have your child in school for the entire school day.

Dismissal Procedures

All city bus students will assemble under the gym walkway and will be directed to their appropriate buses by school personnel. Students will be expected to remain in their designated lines and demonstrate appropriate conduct while waiting to load the bus.

All car-riding students will be directed to the front of the school. Students will be seated in the main lobby and will be called by a staff member when their vehicle arrives. A staff member will escort students to the vehicle. Please be advised that it is not permissible for students to report to a vehicle without an appropriate escort. Our goal is to have children safely placed in their vehicle. All parents of Annie Belle Clark students should be provided a car rider sign for their car. All parents and family members responsible for picking up children will need a sign.Be sure that your signs remain up until you have your student in the car. We will ask the driver to come inside to verify that the individual is authorized to pick the student up from school. Parents will not be able to wait for students in the front office lobby or stand in the foyer of the building to wait for children to be dismissed. Please be patient. Do NOT signal for your child to enter your car or cross the road without a staff member escort. Patience is necessary and it is better to wait an extra minute than have to deal with unexpected tragedy. All car riders should be picked up by 3:30. Please notify the office if you will be running late. We begin calling other family members at 3:30 if we have not heard from the parents.

ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS

All students attending Annie Belle Clark Primary School must meet the residency requirements. Parents or the student’s guardian and the child must reside in the zone in which their child attends school. Any time you move even if it is within the same zone, the system registrar needs a new proof of residency immediately as well as an updated information sheet.

Students not residing in Tift County must have permission to enroll from;

Tift County Schools Superintendent’s Office

P.O. Box 389

207 N. Ridge Ave.

Tifton, GA 31793-0389

(229) 387-2400

Tift County Residents, Grade Kindergarten-Grade 6

Kindergarten students must be five years old on or before September 1 of the year they are enrolling.
First grade students must be six years old on or before September 1 of the year they are enrolling.
Parent/Guardian should bring to the registration site the following materials when they accompany their child for registration.

Certified Birth Certificate
Certificate of Immunization form #3231 (Up-to-date form from Tift Co. Health Department)
Certificate of Eye Ear and Dental form #3300 (From Tift CO Health Department)
Student Social Security Card
Minor Students being enrolled by persons other than their parent/legal guardian must provide evidence of legal custody or certification setting forth the circumstances whereby the adult is exercising parental control to school officials at the time of enrollment.
Proof of residence

A valid residential written lease or rental agreement, and a current residential utility bill (gas, electric, water, telephone, or cable). These documents must contain the name and address of the parent/guardian/legal custodian, or