Fairmount Elementary Handbook

Fairmount Elementary Handbook

2015-2016

1725 Thoele Rd.

St. Peters, MO 63376

636.851.4500

Fairmount Elementary Administration

Dr. Sue Sharp, Principal

Dr. Pat Wilson, Assistant Principal

Dr. Tracey McAllister, Assistant

Fairmount Elementary School Hours and Contact Information

Students may enter the building: 8:00

Start time: 8:15

End time: 3:15

Early release: 12:20

Information

Phone: 636.851.4500

Attendance line: 636.851.4485

Fax: 636.851.4107
Website:

FRANCIS HOWELL SCHOOL DISTRICT

BOARD OF EDUCATION

2015-2016

Fairmount Elementary

Mission and Vision

Mission: Fairmount Elementary; where effort leads to excellence

Vision: Fairmount Elementary; providing a community where children, families, and staff learn and grow together academically, socially and emotionally so that students can reach their full potential.

Values: The Fairmount Elementary learning community is committed to:

• Promoting Positive Character
• Increasing the implementation of Technology in classrooms
• Reducing occurrences of bullying incidents
• Integrating Parent Involvement/Community opportunities
• Promoting high levels of student achievement
• Showing Fairmount P.R.I.D.E.

FAIRMOUNT PLEDGE:

Today I pledge to show my Fairmount P.R.I.D.E. by being:

Positive and Accountable

Ready to learn, by

Insisting upon my personal best, being

Dependable and respectful, and always

Encouraging others to do the right thing.

I have Fairmount P.R.I.D.E!

Fairmount Elementary Achievement

ACADEMIC TESTING: The Francis Howell School District conducts local assessments for all elementary grade levels in the areas of Communication Arts, Math and Science.

Academic testing is administered each year to assess school curriculum and determine student progress. Francis Howell School District currently participates in the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) each spring in the following areas:

Grade 3 - Communication Arts, Math

Grade 4 - Communication Arts, Math

Grade 5 - Communication Arts, Math and Science

CLASS LISTS: Fairmount teachers spend hours creating the right learning environment for your children as they transition to the next grade level. The grade level teachers work together to ensure that the classes have a mix of abilities and that the students’ personalities are compatible with each other and the teacher. This work is generally completed in April. As of 2015-2016, parent requests for teachers by name will no longer be accepted. However, you may provide Dr. Sharp with a list of characteristics describing a teacher your child would work well with. This needs to be submitted via email or in writing by 4:00 on the last calendar day of March.

FIELD TRIPS: Field trips are educational activities scheduled to compliment curriculum being taught in the classroom. The parent must sign a student permission form. Students are expected to ride to and from the field trip on the bus. There is a student fee for the cost of the bus. Only parents who have completed the FHSD background check for volunteers are permitted to be a field trip chaperone. (Note: Background check information can be obtained from the main office). On some trips, the number of parents needed to attend may be limited. If you do accompany the class on the field trip, make sure to park in the designated areas and not in the front of the building, as it is the bus loading area in the afternoons. Pre-schoolers and students not involved in the class cannot attend field trips. Field trips are school activities and all school regulations will apply. No smoking or drinking is allowed during any portion of a field trip.

GEOGRAPHY BEE: The Geography Bee competitions will be held for 4th and 5th grade students. Each classroom will submit two candidates for the school’s final competition based on individual classroom competition.

GUIDANCE COUNSELING: The intent of the guidance counseling program is to provide a comprehensive guidance curriculum for all students. The guidance counselor is involved in implementing small group and classroom guidance activities aimed at promoting positive social and emotional growth. The activities relate to self-concept, decision-making, dealing with peer pressure, responsibility, stress, and understanding yourself and others.

INTERNET: Fairmount Elementary School endorses the use of technology to promote the mission of the Fairmount community and the Francis Howell School District. Use of innovative resources such as the Internet will provide opportunities for our students and faculty to gather the most recent information available, which will support the curricula and enhance learning opportunities. Careful monitoring of the use of the Internet is essential and will be a component of the technological growth of our school. Specifically, the Internet will be used to:

1. Research programs and educational opportunities.
2. Tap into community resources for referrals.
3. Update curricular areas regarding current topics, trends, philosophies, and methods.
4. Provide primary resources for student research.
5. Access other professionals.
6. Increase technology skills of students and teachers.
7. Keep students informed of current events.
8. Research classroom strategies, lessons and activities.
9. Provide professional development.
10. Supplement the library’s collection of books and magazines.

For specific details see Elementary School Code of Student Conduct.

LEARNING COMMONS: The Fairmount Elementary School Learning Commons contains approximately 10,000 print and digital books for use by students and staff. The collection is varied in subject and level of difficulty and is suitable for Fairmount’s diverse student body. Students find these books with the help of the computerized catalog. Students also have access to a class set of iPads. They use the iPads to search the catalog, research, do class projects and read eBooks. The library learning commons is open for student and faculty use from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. These hours allow patrons and teachers access to materials and services. All students visit the library learning commons each week for a class checkout. Students may also attend academic lessons that correlate to content that is taught in the classroom. The library learning commons also offers many individual reading programs depending on the age of the student. Students are allowed to check out either one or two books depending on their grade level. There is no charge for overdue books. Students may not check out another book until overdue books are returned. Overdue notices are sent approximately every four weeks. Lost books must be paid in full before checking out other materials. Please visit our webpage on the school website for more information:

PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE): Fairmount’s physical education curriculum provides challenges, fitness, opportunities to succeed, and cooperative learning experiences for all students. Students are expected to attend and participate in regular physical education classes.

Medical Excuse Policy:

A parent’s note is acceptable for two consecutive classes. If your child needs to be excused for more than two classes, please have your child’s physician write an excuse stating the nature of the illness and the specific amount of days the child is to be excused from physical education. If your child has a limb in a cast, they will be excused from participating in physical education class until released from the physician’s care. This release must be in writing and signed by the physician.

All requests for excused physical education must be in writing. An excuse from physical education requires your child to observe classmates in physical education.

Appropriate Dress Code Guidelines:

Footwear: Socks and tennis shoes are required to participate in PE class. Please do not allow your child to wear sandals, crocs, boots, heels or cleats to PE class. Students will not be able to participle in PE class without the required tennis shoes.

Jewelry: Necklaces, bracelets, watches, and dangly earrings should be removed for PE class. Students may wear stud and starter earrings.

Clothing: Clothing should be comfortable and conducive to physical activity including shorts under skirts, fitted waistlines and appropriate pant length.

*Failure to comply with the above may result in a lower PE grade.

REPORT CARDS: There will be four formal reporting times (report cards) during the school year. Each report card will note progress in all subjects being studied. Two formal parent-teacher conferences (fall and spring) will be scheduled. Additional conferences may be scheduled at any time during the year upon request by the parent, teacher or building administrators.

STAT (STUDENT-TEACHER ASSISTANCE TEAM): The STAT team is designed to assist teachers and parents in helping children who are experiencing difficulties by supplying ideas, strategies, and modifications that can be used in the regular classroom and at home. Its function is also to screen and provide assistance with referrals to other resources.

SPECIAL EDUCATION: Special education services are available to eligible students from ages 3 through 21 who experience disabilities and require specially designed instruction. Individual special education programs are cooperatively developed by an individual education planning (IEP) team which includes parents, teachers, administrators and, when appropriate, other specialists. The IEP team reviews an individual student's functional and academic performance to develop appropriate individual long term goals and short term objectives for the child to achieve during a one year period.

SPECTRA: This program was initiated to help meet the needs of our intellectually gifted children who range in the top five percent of our student population. Students qualify when the scores on norm intelligence tests, abstract reasoning, divergent thinking, and learning characteristics are within the mentioned range. The program provides differentiated instruction through the development of higher level thinking skills, with the goal of the student becoming an autonomous learner.

SPELLING BEE: The Spelling Bee competitions will be held for 4th and 5th grade students. Each classroom will submit two candidates for the competition based on the classroom competition.

Videos (BOE Policy 6330 Rating Limits): Movies with the following ratings may be shown in Francis Howell schools if they relate to the curriculum and approval has been received by the building administrators:

G (General audiences, all ages admitted)

G rated movies may be shown in any school to any age student without signed parental permission.

PG (Parental guidance suggested, all ages admitted)

PG rated movies may be shown to students at the elementary school with signed parental permission (Permission slip 6330)

STUDENT RECOGNITION PROGRAMS

P.R.I.D.E. Tickets: This is an individual student program that recognizes students for good character, good behavior and academic achievement. Any staff member can issue P.R.I.D.E. tickets to any student. Students are responsible for keeping track of their P.R.I.D.E. tickets. Once they have received 10 tickets, students are recognized through announcements and assemblies.

Presidential Academic Excellence Award: This award will be presented to 5th grade students who meet the following criteria:

1) Maintain a B+ average for 4th and 5th grades.

2) Maintain a total battery percentile of 85% or better in reading or math on achievement tests in 4th and 5th grades.

Reading Circle Certificates: Students are awarded Reading Circle Certificates at the end of the year if they complete the reading of the following number of books:

Grade K 1 2 3 4 5

Fiction 11 12 13

Non-Fiction 5 6 7

Total10 12 14 16 18 20

Fairmount Elementary Attendance

Attendance: Regular attendance is a key factor to school success. When a student is absent, please call the school office by 9:00 A.M. If parents have not contacted the school an automated call will be generated. Parents/Guardians have a legal and moral responsibility to require regular attendance at school to achieve the highest possible academic success. See the Francis Howell School District Attendance Policy for specific details.

Tardies: It is very important that students arrive to school on time. Students arriving after 8:15 A.M. are considered tardy. Excessive tardies means the student is missing the instruction taking place at the beginning of the day.

Tardy / partial absence / late arrival / early dismissal: Students are required to be in class on time. Students will be counted tardy or receive a partial absence for late arrival or early dismissal from school.

Half-Day Attendance: Students, who leave early on early release days, will have their attendance record adjusted accordingly to reflect their absence—including the last day of school.

Illnesses: Children with any of the following symptoms should be kept home from school: swollen glands, nausea or vomiting, skin eruptions or rashes, red or discharging eyes, acute cold, signs of weakness, drowsiness, flushed skin, chills, fever, or chronic cough.

The school nurse will contact you should your child become ill. Please make arrangements for transportation to be available should your child need to leave school early. The school cannot transport ill children.

Fever of 100.0°F or higher: Your child must be fever free for 24 hours, without the use of medication, before returning to school. It doesn’t help your child’s health to give medicine for fever and send them to school; that only reduces the fever for a short time and doesn’t take care of the illness causing the fever. Once the medicine wears off and the fever returns, your child must be picked up anyway and valuable healing time has been lost.

Special Health Conditions: Please notify the school nurse if your child has a special health condition such as epilepsy, allergies, hemophilia, diabetes, heart condition, hearing or vision problems, physical limitations, etc.

Homework for Absent Students: If a child is absent, homework will be given to the child when they return. If a child is going to be absent for an extended period of time, please contact the child’s teacher to make alternate arrangements. Students will be given one day for every day of absence to make up homework.

Homebound: Homebound instruction is available to students who, because of the nature of their condition, are unable to attend school.

When a student will be out of school for more than three weeks, the parent should contact Alternative Learning at the Administration Building (636-851-4007) to request a Homebound Application form, eligibility information and guidelines.

Once Homebound Application has been completed, a homebound consideration meeting is held with the student’s educational team and parent. Communication between the classroom teacher and the homebound teacher is essential that the student is progressing satisfactorily with their studies.

Please refer to the District’s Website for more detailed information regarding Homebound.

Fairmount Elementary Behavior

Code of Conduct:

Students at Fairmount Elementary are required to adhere to the Francis Howell School District’s Code of Conduct and the Safe Schools Act. The Francis Howell School District Code of Conduct Handbook is on-line at the beginning of school. It is the intent of the office that behavior conferences be used as a learning experience that will prevent future referrals. Students in violation of the Safe Schools Act will be sent to the office immediately. Parents will be contacted either by telephone or by note regarding discipline administered by the office.

Fairmount Elementary Climate

SPECIAL OCCASSIONS

Field Day, Parties, and Volunteering: Everyone must have a background check to go anywhere in the school except to have lunch, attend an assembly, or go to the Book Fair. The following website contains the instructions to complete a background check: Background checks do expire every four years. You may contact the Fairmount office with any questions.

Pledge Assignments: Students will come to the office on their birthday to do the pledge. If their birthday is on a Saturday, they will come to the office the Friday before; if their birthday is on a Sunday, they will come to the office the Monday after. Children with birthdays during the extended break will pick a day to come to the office the week before the break begins.

Balloons: Only balloons that are latex free can be used at school.

Birthday Treats: Children have the opportunity to bring individual treats on their birthday to share with the class. Please include one treat for each person in the classroom. Please notify your child’s teacher in advance due to severe student allergies. Note: due to severe allergies, only purchased snacks are allowed with all ingredients listed. When treats are planned, please send them with your child or drop off in the office. The office has been directed not to let parents bring party treats directly to their child’s classroom unless the teacher gives prior approval.

Gifts / Flowers/Balloons: Gifts, flowers, or balloons should not be sent or delivered to school for a student’s special occasion. Student(s) will not be allowed to pick them up until the end of the day. Flowers and balloons cannot be taken home on the bus.

Party Invitations: If your child is having a birthday party, invitations will only be distributed at the school if all classmates of the same sex are invited.

Party Days: Please notify the teacher in advance as to what food will be served during a party. Note: due to severe allergies, only purchased snacks are allowed with all ingredients listed. We would like to encourage you to limit the amount of treats consumed by the children during parties and to have healthy food choices. You must have a background check to attend the classroom parties. Also, due to limited space and insurance requirements, siblings may not attend classroom parties.