SMA SURVIVAL GUIDE
Dear SMA Parents,

Welcome! This Parent Survival Guide, while it may appear lengthy, provides you, as a parent, with everything you'll need to know in order to feel ready for the High School (HS). Designed specifically for parents of students who are new to the HS, it is intended to complement the Student Handbook (put out by the school administration) in which you will find full descriptions of school programs and policies. This guide is written by SMA and Gifted Community and contains what we hope is useful information that will make your years at the HS more enjoyable and less mysterious.

Contacts: On the last page of this Parent Survival Guide, you will find phone and fax numbers as well as e-mail addresses for the HS administrative Offices. This information is also provided in the initial pages of the Parent/Student Directory. Immediately following the administration information, the Directory also contains the names and contact information for the HS Coordinators, who can assist you with any questions that you may have concerning parent service at the HS, along with those of the staff and faculty, who coordinate parent volunteer activities for the entire school, 7-12. More information can be found online at the SMA website under the Parents tab:

To get started, let’s go to where it all begins – the SMA Mission Statement, which reads:

The mission of the Science and Math Academy is to challenge our community of learners to reach global standards through engaging and challenging experiences and opportunities in a safe and nurturing environment.

At the core of fulfilling this mission is the fundamental principle that the SMA community should provide children with a diverse and just environment in which they are treated as individuals. Teachers, parents, and administrators continually strive for mutual respect and understanding among all community members. Living up to this principle is a continual challenge and animated discussions take place about the best way to do it, but we are all committed to working together.

Please support these goals, treat teachers, staff, and fellow parents with respect, and of course, teach your children to do the same. Those of us who have been here a while have found that SMA is a unique and extraordinary place that stimulates and challenges our children. We trust you will grow to love SMA as much as we do.

Best regards,

Pamela Bourgeois

Director, SMA

SMA PARENT SURVIVAL GUIDE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Welcome Letter 2

Table of Contents 3

INS AND OUTS – Where IS Everything? 5

Getting In and Then What? 5

How Do I Contact My Child While at School? 5

Absences and School Closings 5

Student Spaces 5

Online Resources 5

Newsletters 6

Ideas for Parents 6

Daily Announcements 6

Monthly Notes 6

E-mail Communications-Be Sure to Register-and Update-Your E-mail 6

Official E-mail List for School Use 6

Calendars 6

Online Calendar 6

What’s Happening 6

SMA Parent/Student Directory 7

School Closings 7

Staff E-mail Addresses 7

Online Staff Directory 7

Contacting Teachers, Administrators and other Staff 7

Student E-mail Addresses 8

Moodle Online8

PowerSchool 8

Daily Notice 9

NUTS AND BOLTS -- How Does Everything Work? 9

Orientation Activities 9

New Student Orientation 9

Gifted Buddy 9

Breakfast with the Principal 10

SMA Operations 10

Hours the SMA is Open 10

Transportation 10

By Bus Shuttle 10

By Car 10

Traffic 11

Hours and Shape of the School Day 11

Student Counselors and Other Resources 11

Parent-Teacher Conferences 11

After-School Activities 12

Fall Sports 12

Theater/Drama/Clubs 12

EVENTS ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS 12

Curriculum Night/Open House 12

Parent Coffees 13

Parent Seminars 13

Parent Potluck Suppers 13

Which Ones to Attend? 13

Will I be an outsider? 13

The Benefits of Volunteering 14

Administrative Support14

Office Volunteers 14

Development Activities Conducted14

SMA’s Annual Spring Benefit 14

Student Celebrations (assisted by parents) 14

Drama Cast Parties 14

Receptions for Music, Dance and Other Performances

or Special Activities of School Clubs 15

Science Fair Awards/Banquets15

Senior Banquet/Senior Celebration 15

Teacher and Other Staff Appreciation 15

Curriculum Night Supper 15

Teacher/Staff Appreciation Luncheon 16

SMA TELEPHONE AND E-MAIL DIRECTORY 17

DISTRICT AND PARISH DIRECTORY18

INS AND OUTS -- Where IS Everything?

Walking through the entrance of any high school can be daunting. You often are surrounded by a sea of students who are going about their very busy HS lives. Once you make it through the bodies and backpacks, opportunities abound for you to get involved.

Getting In and Then What?

The main entrance to the SMA is at the carport where the students are dropped off and picked up. When you walk in, you’ll be greeted by Lisa Alleman who sits at the front desk. She is a liaison to your students and a source of infinite knowledge about the workings on this campus. She is always willing to help you find your student or to answer a question. Please note that all guests, including parents, are requested to sign in/out and wear a name tag while in the school building.

How Do I Contact My Child While on campus?

Parents may call the front office. A message board is maintained for students, on the glass information center on the outer office wall. Office staff will post messages from parents on the board. In emergency situations, messages will be delivered to students. Remind your child to check the message board periodically. There is a telephone available for student use in the main office. Cell phones may be brought to school for after school use. Phones must not be seen, heard or on while on campus during the school day.

Absences and School Closings

If your child will be absent due to illness or some other appointment, please call the LHS or SJHS campus no later than 8:oo a.m. Gifted Students’ parents should call us directly. For updates on School Closings, go to the website or call any campus.

Student Spaces

Vending machines are available for the purchase of candy, snacks, and drinks. In addition, the gym is a gathering area for students prior to the opening bell.

Online Resources

Keeping up with what is going on at SMA is easier than you think. Make it a habit to visit frequently. In fact, make it the home page on your computer. There is a special Parents tab which contains a copy of this Parent Survival Guide, the SMA Handbook, daily announcements, information on how to get involved, and much more. If you find that you or your children are having trouble accessing the school's resources from home, please contact any member of the Technology department or Rob Logan, Director of Technology, at or 225.258.4528.

Newsletters

There are three newsletters you will receive as a SMA parent/guardian.

• Ideas for Parents, is an electronic newsletter written specifically for HS parents with the purpose of demystifying the HS. It provided by the district and is issued approximately once a week and provides a quick tip of the day and longer discussions of timely topics to help your child succeed in school. The most current issue, as well as an archive of past issues, can be found at in the right hand section under “High School Parents Click Here”.

• Daily Announcements are issued by the site via yellow sheet, information center and website each morning and afternoon and provides a listing of LHS, SJHS and SMA events and activities with up-to-date times and locations as well as the HS daily class rotation schedule changes. These announcements can also be found under the Parent tab at the SMA website.

• Monthly Notes is posted online. It contains a monthly calendar of events for the entire school. The notes contain highlights of events, letters from the Director, as well as information from the offices of superintendent, community service, various clubs, and gifted center. It is posted in the form of a calendar online.

E-mail Communications – Be Sure to Register - and Update - Your E-mail

You may register your e-mail lists to be used at SMA for official school communications.

 Official E-mail List for School Use: Although you may have included your e-mail information with registration materials at your home based school, we suggest you email to be added to the SMA parent alias list. That way you are assured of receiving newsletters as well as other site generated e-mail communications.

Calendars

 Online Calendar: Since events can change, an online calendar is maintained with up-to-date information for each month. Just click on the “Calendar” box located on the right-hand side of the top banners of the SMA website.

 What’s Happening is a special section within Daily Announcements which gives summary information on parent-related events scheduled to take place during the subsequent two-three weeks. Date, time, location and contact information are always provided.

SMA Parent/Student Directory

In August we will post another copy of this directory with updated information. In the back you will find a list of important school numbers, information on faculty e-mail addresses and contact information for school coordinators and committee chairs. Please let the Admissions Office know if you did not receive one. The names of the members of the St. James Parish School Board are listed on the inside front cover of the book. You may also wish to refer to the last page of this guide for phone numbers of key Central office staff. Two numbers that you might wish to take note of right away are:

Pamela Bourgeois---225-258-4602

Office line ---- 225-258-4601

 School Closings. To obtain information on school closings due to weather, call any HS campus or go to

Staff E-mail Addresses

Most staff e-mail addresses are comprised of the person’s first initial and full last name, plus “@stjames.k12.la.us” (e.g ., ) but check the SMA Parent/Student Directory or the online staff directory for exceptions. In the Parent/Student Directory there will be an asterisk after the faculty member’s name if his/her email is an exception. The list of e-mails for staff whose address is an exception can be found immediately following the staff telephone listing.

Online Staff Directory

You can find additional information about faculty in the online staff directory. This site provides information on the staff member's department as well as phone and e-mail information. To access this directory go to click on “Staff” in the middle of the right hand column of the home page.

Contacting Teachers, Administrators and other Staff

If you have a question or concern, for a teacher, administrator, or other staff member, give him or her a call or write an e-mail. A few have individual preferences for one mode of contact over the other. You may want to find out this preference during your first contact. An e-mail can be a great communication method. Most teachers check e-mail before and after school. Messages that require quick attention might best be left on voice mail. For general questions or concerns, other resources are the secretary, assistant principal, or your child’s counselor.

Do Take Care: Please remember that issues concerning your child, and not the whole class, are best brought up privately. Common sense and appropriate caution are advised in crafting e-mail messages. As always, without the benefit of facial expression or voice tone, an e-mail may sound harsh even when that is not the intention. An e-mail sent in a hurry or while feeling irritated may not convey your true intent and could harm the relationship you have with a particular teacher or staff member. So please, be thoughtful about what you communicate electronically to the teachers and other faculty.

Student E-mail Addresses

Each student has his/her own school e-mail address and login name. Students are required to use their school accounts for school business. The e-mail address is usually made up of the first letter of the first name plus last name, followed by @stjames.k12.la.us. This resource enables students to log-on and then work on documents or use the web resources from home, school or elsewhere. Students can use the e-mail system and some teachers also use moodle to access conferences, chat, store files, transfer files, and post messages to conferences.

MOODLE Online

MOODLE is a web-based program used for posting homework assignments, announcements, pictures, reminders, and many other items. In some classes such as math, the formulas and notes entered on a special electronic board in the classroom are transferred onto this website, which allows a student to focus on the concepts being discussed rather than on note taking and still be able to refer back to the “board work” from class. Students can use MOODLE to transfer documents between home and school and can print items that the teacher has posted. This valuable tool also can be very helpful if your child is absent from class. A link is available on the District website on both the main page. You can also reach moodle directly from many teachers’ homework pages.

PowerSchool

Parents can easily view their child's progress in a single feed to check grades, review assignments, and more! Also included is the option for students and parents to view classroom information with real-time access to:

  • Attendance
  • Assignments Scores
  • Teacher Comments
  • Final Grades
  • Lunch Transactions (if using PowerLunch)

You can also register to receive email alerts for grades, attendance, assignments and more. Please use the web link below to see an overview.

Daily Announcements

Each morning students and faculty receive the Daily Announcements by e-mail and yellow sheet. It is also posted online. The “Daily” contains announcements from teachers and students about anything ranging from club meetings, community service trips, theater auditions, sports schedules/outcomes, special assemblies and the like. It contains LHS, SJHS and SMA announcements. It is not sent to parents but is available online on the parent link.

NUTS AND BOLTS -- How Does Everything Work?

Orientation Activities:

New Student Orientation

This two-day event, which occurs just before the start of school, is held at the homebase school to help new students become familiar with the school and its operations as well as to foster the formation of bonds with other students. All 7th graders are expected to attend and new students in the upper grades are strongly encouraged to do so.

Gifted Buddy

All new gifted students and all other students new to SMA are assigned a buddy. The job of these students is to help the new students feel at home and learn how to navigate within the building. Early in the year, your student will have snacks with his/her buddy. New students should feel free to ask questions and seek advice from their buddies.

Breakfast with the Principal

The principal hosts breakfasts for small groups of students during the year. Students learn of their invitation and the names of the others who are invited to that particular breakfast through a listing in the Daily Announcements. The breakfast is a time for students to share their experiences on the campus. They relay what’s going well, what could go better and what they want to see happen down the road. This spring board of ideas is shared with the parent volunteer group as well.

SMA Operations

Hours the SMA is Open

The building hours are 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday – Friday. Students come and go at all times during these periods and the building is often used as a gathering point.

Transportation

Bus shuttle and carpools are the predominant forms of transportation to get to SMA.

 By Bus Shuttle: Students are picked up and dropped off from the main campus of both LHS and SJHS for both the am and pm sessions. Prior to each session the students have time for eating. There is little time to socialize. If a student misses a bus, the student will be marked absent from all classes OR tardy if they can secure a ride to the SMA. The absence/tardy is unexcused.

 By Car: Student pickup and drop off is at the main entrance, just off the river road. Cars may not be driven by students to this campus during the school day. Furthermore, SMA has agreed that students, parents and faculty will not drive through the parking lot to get to the Pupil Appraisal Building. The Scholastic Academy and Gifted Center are located in the building directly behind the SMA. Only 3rd – 6th grade students may be dropped off at this location. They will then be escorted to breakfast.

 Traffic on and around school property moves fairly quickly in the mornings. Please pay close attention to the police/security personnel directing traffic and stay within lanes established.