TABLE OF CONTENTS
Content / Pg. # / Content / Pg. #
Absentee Form / 36 / Lateness – Student / 11
Activities- Student / 27 / Literacy- Reading, Writing, Spelling / 23
American Education Week / 27 / Lost and Found / 14
Asbestos Regulations / 12 / Lunch / 14
Arrival / 5 / Map-Arrival & Dismissal / 39,40
Attendance / 10 / Map- Classroom #’s / 41
Attire / 16 / Mascot-School / 4
Back to School Night / 28 / Medical Appointments / 14
Behavior- Student / 18 / Medication / 13
Birthdays / 27 / Mid-day Pickup/Drop-off Kindergarten / 6
Bullying Information / 20 / Mission Statement / 4
Bus Behavior / 17 / Moving / 12
Character Counts / 25 / Newsletter / 28
Child Care Forms / 9 / Notification of Pest Management / 13
Chorus / 24 / Nurse / 24
Closing-School / 12 / Parent Concern / 30
Colors-School / 4 / Photographs-School / 16
Computers / 26 / Pillars of Character / 18
Conferences / 28 / Policies CSD / 9
Contact Information / 30 / Property-School / 16
Contacting Teachers / 28 / Recess / 15
Counselors / 23 / Safety and Security / 10
Crisis Response Plan / 13 / Special Subject Areas / 24
Delay- 2-hour / 4 / Speech, Hearing & Vision / 24
Dismissal / 6 / Student Information Sheet / 8
Diversity Pledge / 25 / Student Recognition / 25
Early Release Form / 37 / Supplies- School / 17
e-Folder / 29 / Telephone-School / 16
Family Trips / 11 / Title 1 Program / 23, 31-34
Field Trip Information / 26 / Transportation / 7, 17
Family Trip Request Form / 35 / TV Studio / 25
Golden Spoon Award / 15 / Twenty Five Book Standard / 27
Health Services / 13 / Valet Sign / 38
History / 3 / Vision Statement / 4
Home & School Association / 29 / Visitors / 9
Homebound Instruction / 24 / Volunteers / 29
Homework / 22 / Walker & Bike Rider Behavior / 18
Hours-School / 4 / Wednesday Express / 28
Instructional Support Team / 23 / Welcome / 2
Instrumental Music / 24
Lateness- Student / 11

McDONALDELEMENTARY SCHOOL

666ReevesLane

Warminster, PA 18974

PHONE 215-441-6157 FAX 215-441-6006

WELCOME INFORMATION

The staff of McDonald Elementary School would like to welcome you to our school family for the 2015-16 school year. We prepared this handbook for your information and use throughout the year. We want our students to be successful in school and in life. Understanding the expectations and procedures of school life will help our students reach their academic potential. We also stress Character Education which not only increases student safety and achievement, but also helps the students become kind and responsible classmates who are integrally involved in our school community.

The information contained in this handbook answers the most frequently asked questions about the operation of our school. We ask that older students, parents and guardians read the handbook carefully at the start of the school year. This will help everyone navigate interactions with our school staff and support each other in following school expectations.

Additional information can be found on the Centennial School District website, the McDonald School webpage, the monthly McDonald Elementary School calendar and newsletter, and on the district cable channel. This year we’ll continue our goal to be eco-friendly. Parents should expect to utilize our webpage as the first means of communication for school guidelines and activities.

We want you to feel free to contact the office, the building administrators or the teachers whenever you have a question or a concern about your child. Teachers are usually able to return your phone calls within 48 hours. Since they often have before and after school meetings and duties, teachers are given the allotted time to return phone calls and e-mails. If you have not received a return phone call or e-mail response after 48 hours, please call the main office and speak to one of our secretaries or building administrators.

We encourage you to get involved with the many school activities, programs and community organizations in the CentennialSchool District. We welcome the opportunity to discuss any problem and to work toward its solution. Here at McDonald we view parents as partners and it is through this joint effort that we can achieve our common goal…the best possible education for our students.

Best wishes for a healthy, successful 2015-16 school year!

MCDONALD SCHOOL HISTORY

McDonald Elementary School is one of three elementary schools in the Centennial School District. It is located at the intersection of Street Road and Reeves Lane in Warminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Everett. A. McDonald Jr.Elementary School is the namesake of Dr. Everett A. McDonald Jr., the first Superintendent of the Centennial School District. Dr. McDonald was a caring and talented educator, a graduate of YaleUniversity and an innovative leader. In 1964 he was the driving force behind the construction of the old McDonald building. The school was comprised of four interconnected circular buildings with two rectangular wings. The original design consisted of a gymnasium/auditorium and cafeteria connected by a stage, classrooms with special features for the physically challenged, a library, a planetarium/special experience room and a swimming pool.

In the program created for McDonald School’s 25th anniversary celebration in 1993, Rose Marie Kautz, then President of the Centennial School Board, wrote “the building we are commemorating was a ‘comprehensive elementary school’…it included the districts’ regular education students, gifted students, and physically and mentally challenged students.” It is clear that the physical plant and educational programming were created to support a philosophy that all children can learn, a philosophy we continue to embrace today in our new building.

In the spring of 2010, the Centennial Board of School Directors voted to combine Davis and McDonald Elementary Schools for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years. McDonald Elementary hosted the Davis students for those two years while a new school was being built on the Davis site. At the start of the 2012-13 school year, McDonald combined with Longstreth Elementary School and Davis students went to their new school in Southampton.

At the beginning of the2013-14 school year, we started a new chapter in a brand new school that will allow our students to be in a “diverse learning community where our students succeed through academics, athletics, and the arts.”

Today, McDonald Elementary School houses approximately 900 kindergarten through fifth grade students, including students from the district’s special education programs. We also offer an array of support services for English Language Learners (ELL), gifted students and students needing remedial reading and math. Homework Clubs and before and after school care enable parents to fulfill their responsibilities secure in the knowledge that their children are safe. Our Home and School Association is active and generous in supporting us with the resources we need to continue many excellent traditions.

We are proud of our school, students and staff. We invite you to visit us during American Education Week held in November of each year. If you would like to visit our school at another time, please call for an appointment. We try to minimize interruptions during the school day so that students can concentrate on learning.


MISSION STATEMENT

Public Education in Centennial Schools- Inspiring Students, Building Intellect, & Forging Partnerships. A Diverse Learning Community Where Students Succeed Through Academics, Athletics, and The Arts

The Centennial School District’s Strategic Plan outlines the goals and objectives for our school district. The four strands of the plan that the district will be striving to achieve are:

  • Achievement/Standards
  • Communication
  • Diversity
  • Partnerships

Standards provide us with a measuring tool to determine academic progress for each individual student. In Pennsylvania, each school uses the PSSA test to determine how successfully students are mastering the standards. In the past, the students have consistently scored well on the PSSA tests and we are proud of that tradition.

The Strategic Plan also explains how the school district will address issues pertaining to Educational Technology, Induction, Professional Development and Special Education. The plan, as well as copies of the standards in each area, our curriculum guides and district policies,is available for your review at the Johnsville Administration Building, the public library or on the district website.

VISION

At McDonald Elementary School, our vision is that students will master foundational skills to prepare them for a lifelong love of learning. Students will achieve their grade level and/or individualized academic goals.Students will develop Perseverance and Independence while exhibiting Kindness and Embracing differences.

SCHOOL COLORS & MASCOT

  • Black and Gold
  • Bulldog named “Spike”

SCHOOL HOURS

Grades First to Fifth ………………………………………8:45 AM to 3:30 PM

Scheduled Early Dismissal Days11:45 AM

Delayed Opening (2 hours-1st-5th)10:45 AM-3:30 PM

Morning Kindergarten ……..……………………………8:45 AM to 11:30 AM

Scheduled Early Dismissal Days8:45 AM-11:45 AM

(AM K in session 10/14, 11/24 & 4/8; No AM K in session on 11/6, 12/9 & last day of school)

Delayed Opening (2 hours- AM K)10:45 AM-12:45 PM

Afternoon Kindergarten ……….…………………………12:45 PM to 3:30 PM

Scheduled Early Dismissal Days8:45-11:45 AM

(PM K in session on 11/6, 12/9 & last day of school; No PM K on 10/14, 11/24 & 4/8)

Delayed Opening (2 hours- PM K)1:30 PM-3:30 PM

Note: Tot Time, a private child care service that rents space at McDonald Elementary, is not a part of the Centennial School system. It has its own schedule of operation. Please consult the Tot Time personnel to secure a listing of their hours and days of operation. The Tot Time direct line is: 1-610-272-8085.

ARRIVAL

  • All students (grades AM Kindergarten,1st-5th) are expected to arrive at school by 8:40 AM each day. If your child eats breakfast here at school, please drop them off by 8:30 AM. PM Kindergarten students should arrive between 12:30 PM and 12:45 PM. Morning classes begin promptly at 8:45 AM and we want students to be at their desks and ready to participate at that time.
  • Students who use private transportation, walk, or ride bicycles to school should not arrive before 8:20 AM. There is no supervision for students before this time, unless the child is inthe Before and After School care program.
  • Provisions for childcare prior to 8:20 AM and after 3:30 PM are the responsibility of the parents and guardians.
  • Parents are asked to refrain from accompanying children to the classroom door in the morning. This creates a disruption to the classroom routine and impacts the instruction of all students. Arrival/dismissal is a busy time throughout the school. It is usually not a convenient time for conferencing with teachers, as they may have assigned duties, meetings or other scheduled appointments. If you wish to conference with a teacher, please arrange an appointment or utilize our e-mail system.
  • Students who ride the bus should enter through the bus entrance (orangedoors)at the side of the building and go directly to their classroom unless they are having breakfast.

“WALKERS”–Students who are designated Walkers may either enter the building using the Main Entrance (red doors) (must have principal permission) or the Bus Platform (orange doors) between 8:20 and 8:40 AM, where they are greeted by our teachers and directed to their classroom, unless they are eating breakfast. We ask that students use designated cross walks as they traverse the parking lot and the walking paths that lead to their neighborhoods.

  • Please make sure your child(ren) has a walking buddy and remind your child(ren) of good citizenship behavior such as respecting neighbors’ property and being courteous to other walkers.
  • If a parent chooses to escort their child to school, we ask that you enter through the Main Entrance (red doors). Please notify the office if your child(ren) are bus riders and you plan to have them walk to or from school.
  • “BICYCLE RIDERS” should enter the premises in the same manner as walkers, then park and lock their bicycles in the racks located on the side of the school by the bus platform (orange doors).
  • “CAR RIDERS”are students who arrive by private transportation and are dropped off at the main entrance (red doors). Please follow the traffic flow that is indicated on the map at the end of the handbook.
  • Parents are asked to pull up valet style so that fivevehicles at a time may unload. There are traffic cones to indicate where cars should pull up to discharge students.
  • Vehicleswill enter from Reeves Lane and will enter the driveway, and go straight to the main entrance of the school. To exit to Reeves Lane, turn left into the parking lot and exit through the parking lot.
  • Vehicles can also exit out to west Street Road (right-turn only).
  • Students will exit the passenger side doors and enter the building.
  • Please heed the stop signs at the crosswalks and follow traffic signs and markings to ensure student safety.
  • Parents who need to help their child unload or carry instruments, projects or other items are asked to park in the lot and enter the building using the main entrance (red doors).
  • NO private vehicle may enter the bus zone at the side of the building at anytime.
  • Students arriving after 8:45 AM are considered late and must be escorted into the building by a parent. Parents arriving after 8:45 AM may park in the visitor parking in the front or side of the building and escort the student(s) to the main office to sign in.

MID-DAY PICK-UP/DROP-OFF OF KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS

Mid-day kindergarten drop-off and pick-up is conducted at the main entrance (red doors)in the front of the building.

  • Parents are asked to pull up valet style so that five vehicles at a time may unload. There are traffic cones to indicate where cars should pull up to discharge students.
  • Vehicles will enter from Reeves Lane and will enter the driveway, and go straight to the main entrance of the school. To exit to Reeves Lane, turn left into the parking lot and exit through the parking lot.
  • Vehicles can also exit straight out to west Street Road (right-turn only).
  • Students will exit the passenger side doors and enter the building.
  • Please heed the stop signs at the crosswalks and follow traffic signs and markings to ensure student safety.
  • Parents who need to help their child unload or carry instruments, projects or other items are asked to park in the lot and enter the building using the main entrance (red doors).

DISMISSAL

  • If you are picking up your child in a private vehicle, your child will be considered a “CAR RIDER”. There is a diagram at the end of this handbook to clarify these directions.
  • Vehicles will enter from Reeves Lane will make first left into the parking lot, and weave through the parking lot to the main entrance as indicated on the PM Dismissal Map at the end of the handbook.
  • The students will be dismissed through the cafeteria doors in the front of the building at 3:30 PM and are picked up using the “valet pick-up” style service.
  • Parents are requested to keep their valet name card, with the last name of the student(s), clearly displayed through the “front right passenger side” window. This will enable the staff to call your child(ren) as you arrive.
  • If the child is not at the door as the vehicle arrives, the parent/guardian will be directed to pull forward out of the way of vehicles behind.
  • Parents who will consistently be picking up their children in private vehicle will be given a Valet Sign.
  • “BUS RIDING STUDENTS”are dismissed to their bussesin three waves; one wave at 3:30 a second wave at approximately 3:33, and the third wave at approximately 3:36. They are supervised by staff members as they walk to the bus platform at the side of the building.
  • Bus Riding Students are not permitted to ride a different bus to another child’s home for a play date. Centennial buses are running at top capacity and cannot accommodate additional riders at will.
  • If you need to change your child’s dismissal plan on any given day, you must send a written note. Your child will not be released to any individual who is not listed on the Student Information Sheet or identified in a written note from you. Individuals picking up your child will be required to show proof of identity.
  • Dismissal is a very busy time in the school office. Please finalize your child’s afternoon dismissal plan before the school day begins. We cannot guarantee that a last minute phone call to change your child’s dismissal plan will be picked up and implemented in a timely manner. If an emergency occurs, please call before 2:30 PM to ensure that an alternate plan is in place well before dismissal.
  • Children often tell us that they wish or were told to go home via alternate transportation. Without a written note from a parent, the child will use their regular form of transportation.
  • Students who ride “Non-District Vans” will be dismissed through the main entrance (red doors).
  • “WALKERS” –Walkers will be dismissed from their classroom at about 3:25 and will exit from the main entrance (red doors)(must have principal permission) or the orange doors. Parents wishing to meet their student exiting from the orange doors can do so at the crosswalk by the bus circle. Please notify the office if you plan on having your child(ren) walk home from school.
  • Also, all parents should tell their children to go directly home or to the child care provider and check-in with an adult before going out to play in the neighborhood or to visit a friend.
  • Please notify the office if your child(ren) are bus riders and you plan to have them walk to or from school.
  • Parents and students are not to linger in the bus loading area. We need the area clear at 3:30 for bus dismissal
  • “BICYCLE RIDERS” –Bicycle riders will be dismissed from their classroom at about 3:25 and will exit via the orange doors.
  • All parents should tell their children to go directly home or to the child care provider and check-in with an adult before going out to play in the neighborhood or to visit a friend.
  • Please notify the office if your child(ren) are bus riders and you plan to have them bike to or from school.
  • Bicycle riders are not to linger in the bus loading area. We need the area clear at 3:30 for bus dismissal

STUDENT INFORMATION SHEET

Parents are asked to complete the Student Information Sheet, which is mailed each summer to parents. This form provides parents with room and grade assignment as well as other important information relative to emergency contacts etc. Please see that the form is completed in its entirety and returned to school. Special parent comments on this form may relate to any childcare or personal custody arrangements between parents. Be sure to include cellular phone numbers and email addresses where you can be reached during the school day. Please notify the school when changes take place during the school year. Contact information can also be updated online at the district website via Skyward.