Troutman Elementary School

Parent and Student Handbook 2012-2013

This handbook has been prepared as a ready source of information for students and their parents. The information will enable you to answer, for yourself, many of the routine questions that you may have with regard to Troutman Elementary School.

Principal: Kimberly Cressman

Assistant Principal: Susan Fail

Instructional Facilitator: Candice Austin

Office Staff:

Tammy Menster: Bookkeeper

Sherry Sigmon: Data Manager

Tammy Blankenship: Receptionist

Sara Cardwell: Bus Coordinator

School Colors: Royal blue and white

School Mascot: Tornado

TroutmanElementary School Traffic Patterns

In an effort to maximize the efficiency of the current roadways, decrease personnel cost, and decrease the amount of time parents spend on campus while dropping off or picking up their student car riders and increase efficiency of our traffic patterns, the school and district recommends that all parents utilize the following procedures.

Approaching TroutmanElementary School traveling North on Highway 21:

Traffic should proceed past TroutmanElementary School to the intersection of Wagner Street, turn left onto Wagner Street and proceed to Era Street, turn left onto Era Street and proceed to Rumple Street, turn left onto Rumple Street and proceed to Thomas Street, turn right into TroutmanSchool property. Upon arrival on school property merge into the center lane to the car rider drop off area at the school. When your student has exited your vehicle, proceed to exit right from the student drop off area and proceed to Rumple Street to exit the school.

Approaching TroutmanElementary School traveling South on Highway 21:

Traffic should proceed to Wagner Street, turn right onto Wagner Street and proceed to Era Street, turn left onto Era Street and proceed to Rumple Street, turn left onto Rumple Street and proceed to Thomas Street, turn right into TroutmanSchool property. Upon arrival on school property merge into the center lane to the car rider drop off area at the school. When your student has exited your vehicle, proceed to exit right from the student drop off area and proceed to Rumple Street to exit the school.

Approaching TroutmanElementary School traveling from Perth Road:

Traffic should proceed to Wagner Street, turn right onto Era Street and proceed to Rumple Street, turn left onto Rumple Street and proceed to Thomas Street, turn right into TroutmanSchool property. Upon arrival on school property merge into the center lane to the car rider drop off area at the school. When your student has exited your vehicle, proceed to exit right from the student drop off area and proceed to Rumple Street to exit the school.

***During AM car rider drop off: Please do not enter TES from Cedar Lane. A roll gate will be in place to block all AM traffic from 6:45 AM – 7:30 AM

***Please DO NOT turn directly onto Thomas Street from Wagner Street as this causes a conflict in the flow of traffic; especially with the school buses

***Please DO NOT attempt to make a left turn from Rumple Street onto school property as this causes conflict in the flow of traffic.

***Please adhere to the direction given to you by Troutman police or other school paid personnel who are directing school traffic.

K-5 Student Hours: 7:30 AM - 2:15 PM

Car Rider Dropoff: 7:05 - 7:30 AM

Office Hours: 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Adult Supervision Before/After School

Supervision is provided beginning at 7:05 AM. Students are not allowed in the school before that time unless enrolled in Prime Time. Dismissal begins at 2:15 PM. By 2:35 PM, allcar rider students must be picked up.

Arrival to School

1. Student Drop-off

Student drop-offs are in the car rider line ONLY. Please do not drop your child off behind the school, where the buses are parked, by the gym, or in the front of the school. Please use the car rider line. This will ensure that your child gets inside the school building safely.

2. Walking Students in the Front Doors for AM Drop Off

We highly recommend dropping students off in the car rider line. If you must walk in with your child, please enter through double doors at front of buildingand obtain a Visitor’s Pass until 7:30 AM. After 7:30 AM, your child will be counted tardy. You must park your car in a designated parking spot and walk your child into the building using the crosswalk. Please note that after the first week of school, we encourage independence in our students and expect them to walk to their classroom without the daily assistance of a parent or older sibling. We certainly understand there are times when a parent must walk a child to the classroom and in those cases, it is school policy for the parent to check in at the office and obtain a Visitor’s Pass.

3. Tardy Students

After 7:30 AM, students are counted tardy.If you arrive after 7:30 AM, please come into the office with your child to sign-in. We highly recommend that you do not send your child into school unattended. Staff that assists students in the car rider line leaves their supervisory positions at 7:30 AM. At that time, the doors that car riders enter are locked. Make every effort to get your child to school on time EVERY DAY! Please remember 10 tardies equal 1 absence.

Attendance

Your child’s attendance plays a very important role in their education. We ask that you do your best to make sure your child attends school each day. To make sure you are aware of your child’s absences you will receive an attendance letterwhen your child is out 3, 5, 6, and 10 days. Please remember that 10 absences may put your child at risk for grade retention. IF you have any questions about your child’s attendance please contact Mrs. Sigmon. Students must be in school until 11:45 AM in order to be counted present for the entire day.

Students who leave prior to 11:45 AM will be counted as absent. This could impact perfect attendance guidelines if not adhered to closely.

Any time your child is absent, the parent/guardian or a physician must submit a written excuse that states the date(s) of absence and the reason for the absence. Verbal and/or email communication is not a valid form of communication for a student absence.

There is a Student Absence Form located on the school/system webpage which can be downloaded and electronically submitted to Sherry Sigmon, school data manager.

Reasons a child should stay home (for at least 24 hours): fever, upset stomach, diarrhea, conjunctivitis (pink eye: requires diagnosis by a physician). If your child displays any of these conditions, please refrain from sending him/her to school. We want to reduce the spread of germs among students and staff.

Once your child is enrolled in public school, it is your responsibility to make sure your child attends school daily. The school may require a doctor’s note in cases where a student has excessive days of absence. And in extreme cases, the school has the option to pursue truancy court for those students who lack proper documentation for the absences.

Breakfast and Lunch Program

Students who eat breakfast tend to be more alert and less fatigued during the school day. Breakfast is served from 7:05-7:30AM each morning with students exiting the cafeteria when finished or by 7:30 AM. Lunch is served between 10:50 and 1:00. Please check with your child’s homeroom teacher for the exact lunch time. Free and reduced lunch applications are available in the cafeteria and the front office during the entire school year.

  • Breakfast Charges: Students ARE NOT permitted to charge breakfast; this is a policy set forth by Children Nutrition. Please ensure that your childhas breakfast at home, has adequate funds in their account to purchase breakfast, or is receiving a free breakfast.
  • Lunch Charges: Your child will be allowed charges up to $10.00. The school will contact parents when charges are over $10.00. Students who accumulate over $10.00 worth of charges may be served a cheese sandwich and water if an attempt is not made to pay off charges. Your child will be given a notice one time per week of any charges that are due to the cafeteria. Please be sure to check your child’s homework folder for this information.

Cost for: / Regular Price / Reduced Price
Breakfast / $1.25 / $0.30
Lunch / $2.10 / $0.40

Students are expected to practice good manners and socialize quietly in the cafeteria at lunch (breakfast time is silent). Students should:

  • Leave the table and surrounding area clean and orderly;
  • Return trays to designated area, place trash in proper containers:
  • Remain seated unless given permission by teacher or cafeteria employee to do otherwise;
  • Not take any food purchased in the cafeteria back to the classroom.

The lunch room phone number is 704-528-0331. Any questions regarding your child’s account should be directed to the Cafeteria Manager, Sherry Saunders.

Please note: Due to allergies, any food that is brought into the school for classroom celebrations, student birthdays, or other activities must be store purchased and contain the ingredients/nutritional information. Items that have been prepared at home cannot be distributed to students. Please contact the homeroom teacher to inquire about any food allergies in the classroom when providing food for the entire class.

Purchasing a School Breakfast or Lunch

When sending money for the lunchroom it is best to send checks for the exact amount each week. This keeps students from using cash to purchase supplemental items offered in cafeteria. Parents can put a block on their child’s account which prevents the student from buying supplemental items.

If you are paying in cash or by check, please send money in an envelope with your child’s name on it, their homeroom teacher, and lunch number.

Child nutrition will allow you to pay on-line using a Pay-pal account. This information can be accessed on the school system website, under the Child Nutrition department.

The school office and cafeteria are operated on separate accounts. In order to ensure accurate credit for money sent to school, we ask that you do not combine lunch money with other monies such as field trips or pictures.

***Parents with more than one student attending TES: any time you write a check for field trips, pictures, yearbooks, etc, please do not combine all fees for all your children into one check. In other words, write a separate check for each individual student. Our teachers are required to write a receipt for any money collected from a student. Separate checks allows for a clean accounting of all monies turned into the school.

Dismissal

Dismissal time for students begins at 2:15 PM. Please do not go to the classrooms topick students up at the end of the day.

  • Arrangements for getting home should be made prior to the child arriving at school.
  • Please do not come to the office to sign out students after 1:30 PM.

Students released from school at times other that the regular dismissal time must be signed out through the office and will be released only to a responsibleparent/guardian or designated adult as listed on the student pick-up form. Any child custody issues must be brought to the attention of the administration along with the legal documentation that indicates the custody arrangement. For your child’s safety, the office staff will not take phone requests for changes in transportation

Parent’s Role and Follow up in Discipline

Parents play a major role in the behavior of their children in school. Please communicate with your child and stress the importance of the positive behavior and work habits to getting a good quality education. Set high expectations with your child and provide appropriate recognition when he/she has followed through. Talk with your child each day before school, setting guidelines that are fair, consistent, and enforceable. Communicate regularly with your child’s teacher. Each evening talk with your child and ask questions such as what did he/she learned in school today.

***TroutmanElementary School will follow the disciplinary guidelines and consequences set forth in district’s Student/Parent Handbook 2012-2013. When determining consequences, the school administration reserves the right to consider aggravating and mitigating circumstances in each disciplinary incident. Any changes in school policy will be sent home with the student and posted on the school webpage. The principal and assistant principal will maintain the most current copy of the Student/Parent Handbook in the office, with addendums notated in red and the date in which the addendum was added.

Preparing Yourself as a Parent

  • See that your child arrives to school on time and stress the importance of regular attendance.
  • Be sure your child has the necessary supplies daily
  • Learn the names of all teachers working with your child and the room location.
  • Know the school calendar; holidays, early release days, conference dates, progress reports, and report cards.
  • Communicate regularly with your child’s teacher(s) and commit to attend school events such at PTO family nights, curriculum nights, Fall Festival, etc.
  • Learn the school and the bus schedules.
  • If you have a classroom concern, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher FIRST.
  • All bus related questions should be directed to Sara Cardwell, Transportation Coordinator for Troutman Elementary.

School Telephone

School telephones are to be used by students only in emergencies. The teacher/office will determine the validity and need for a phone call. Calls should not be made to arrange for a student to go home with another student or to bring forgotten homework. Please do not call the school to ask to talk to your child. Classroom interruptions affect all children.

Students and Cell Phones

Elementary students are permitted to possess cell phones on the school campus. However, students are permitted to use cell phone prior to and at the conclusion of the instructional day. Students are not permitted to use cell phones during the school day.

Administration strongly recommends that student refrain from bringing cell phones, other electronic equipment, and toys to school. The school administration will not be responsible for searching for lost or stolen electronic items.

Student Dress

  1. Shorts – 1” below fingertip length, shoulders down
  2. No tank tops
  3. No baggy clothing
  4. Clothing cannot promote alcohol or tobacco products or contain any inappropriate or vulgar language
  5. Pants and shorts must be worn on the waist at all times.
  6. Shirts must cover stomach when student raises arms over head.
  7. Tie or velcro shoes should be worn daily (no flip-flops please).
  8. No sheer or see-through clothing.
  9. No shoes with wheel inside them (heelies).
  10. Flip-flops are not permitted.

In the event the administration determines that a student’s clothing is in appropriate, he/she will be asked to not wear the clothing again, given the option to call home for the parent to bring other clothing, or the student will be given an alternate set of school donated clothing to wear for the remainder of the day.

Parents of K-2 students: please consider sending an extra set of clothing (underwear, pants/shorts, and socks) to keep in the student’s cubbie at school. Sometimes our students have accidents and while we do keep extra clothing on campus for emergencies, having a child’s clothing on hand will be more beneficial for the student.

Snacks

Based on our master schedule, the only grade levels that will have snack in the classroom this year will be kindergarten, first, and second grade. Parents will be asked to purchase approximately 25 store-bought healthy snacks about one time a month (each homeroom teacher will develop a monthly snack calendar and provide some ideas of appropriate snacks). This will ensure that every child has a snack. Of course, if your child has a documented medical condition that requires a special diet, please be sure to inform both homeroom teacher and the school nurse so an appropriate health care plan can be developed. In addition, for all students, water will be the only acceptable drink allowed in the classroom setting if the teacher wants to include this as part of the classroom.

Transportation Information

1. Consistent Transportation

It is helpful to both teacher and student if your child has a consistent afternoon pick-up schedule. Sudden or constant changes to a student’s form of afternoon transportation sometimes leads to confusion.

2. Communicate Changes in Transportation in Writing