Where Great Teachers Work with the Best Little Bulldogs in All of Georgia

Primary School

“Where Great Teachers Work With The Best Little Bulldogs In All Of Georgia”

STUDENT HANDBOOK

2015-2016

Mrs. Stephanie Morrow

Principal

Moranda Eagleton Joanna Hand Assistant Principal Assistant Principal

Grades K and 1st Grades 2nd and 3rd

Table of Contents

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

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

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

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

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

Attendance……………………………………………………………………8

Breakfast/Lunch Procedures…………………………………………………9

Arrival Procedures………………………………………………………….10

Checking Out Procedures…………………………………………………...10

Dismissal Procedures……………………………………………………….11

Enrollment Requirements…………………………………………………..11

Change of Address Procedures……………………………………………..12

Transportation ……………………………….……………………………..12

Withdrawal Procedures……………………………………………………..12

Academic Regulations

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

Parent Conferences……………………………………………………….…13

Promotion/Retention………………………………………………………..13

Testing………………………………………………………………………13

Support Services

Clinic…….…………………………………………………………………14

Guidance……………………………………………………………………14

Hospital/Homebound…………………………………………………….....14

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

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

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

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

Afterschool Program…………...…………………………………………...15

School Council……………………………………………………………...15

Translator………………………………………………………………...…15

Rules and Regulations

Accidents……………………………………………………………………15

Custody of Children.………………………………………………………..15

Campus Maintenance……………………………………………….………15

Discipline………………………………………………………...... ………15

Table of Contents

(Cont’d)

Disturbances………………………………………………...………………20

Dress Code……………………………………………………………….…20

Field Trips…………………………………………………………………..20

Deliveries………………………………………………………………...…20

Homework………………………………………………………………..…20

Ice Cream……………………………………………………………….…..20

Parties………………………………………………………………………20

Teacher’s Workroom……………………………………………………….20

Visitors……………………………………………………………..……….20

Website/Facebook………………………………………………………..…21

Notice of Rights of Students and Parents Under Section 504………………21

Parent Involvement………………………………………………………....27

Title I School Designation Parent Letter……………………………………34

School Data………………………………………………………………....36

Annie Belle Clark Primary School

1464 Carpenter Road

Tifton, GA 31793

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

Dear Parents,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to Annie Belle Clark Primary School! The highly qualified teachers look forward to providing a safe and enjoyable learning environment for all students. We believe that it is imperative that the faculty, parents, and community share in the responsibility of educating our students to enable them to become confident and productive citizens in our community.

We realize that cooperation between home and school is essential to a successful school year. We will provide opportunities to meet formally and informally with teachers throughout the school year. In addition, we will utilize our website, newsletters, and call-outs to keep you informed of school activities and news. This handbook is our first effort to communicate to our families. It is designed to assist in developing a better understanding of school procedures and expectations. Please be sure to take time to review these procedures carefully. In the event that some issues are not specifically addressed, refer to the Tift County Schools Code of Conduct handbook.

Again, we extend a warm welcome to Annie Belle Clark Primary School. Please feel free to contact us at any time if you have any concerns about your child. We look forward to an exciting 2015-2016 school year with great learning experiences.

Sincerely,

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 No Child Left Behind statute, the Tift County School System is informing parents that they may request information about the professional qualifications of their child’s teacher(s). The following information may be requested:

Certification.
College major/graduate certification or degree held by the teacher.
Qualifications of the paraprofessional, if paraprofessional services are provided.

If you wish to request information concerning your child’s teacher’s qualifications, please contact the principal (Stephanie Morrow) at 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

8:00 Tardy Bell

8:15-8:45 Extended Learning Time

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

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

3:10 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

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 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.
In the event of prolonged absences due to extenuating circumstances, the student, parent or guardian, may request the case be reviewed by the attendance appeals committee. (See Attendance Appeals Committee)

Make-up work for un-excused absences may be approved by the building principal for extenuating circumstances. This request for make-up work must be made PRIOR TO the un-excused absence. Students will be granted three (3) days to make arrangements to make up work missed.

(See Board Policy 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). 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 8:00 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 Option (CEO) 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.

Adult/Non-student breakfast$1.40

Adult/Non-student lunch$2.40

Extra entrée$1.75

Extra milk$.40

Tea$.50

Arrival Procedures

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

Students who ride to school in cars should be dropped off at the front entrance nearest the gymnasium. 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 8:00 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.

Parents must provide written authorization for other family members or friends to pick their children up from school. Please be advised that the office will request to see identification before releasing a child to a parent, family member, or friend.

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; therefore, in the case of transportation emergencies, we ask that you call our front office by 2:00 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. 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 school or 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

A current residential property tax statement or deed to the home, 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.

Change of Address Procedures

If a student is already enrolled in a Tift County School and changes residence within the county at any time during the year, the parent/guardian will be asked to register their child in their zoned school. Parents mustcomplete a new information sheet when registering.

Transportation

All pupils are eligible for transportation by school bus provided they live more than one and one-half miles from their assigned school. A pupil may forfeit the privilege for transportation for violation of the Student Code of Conduct. Students who receive permission to attend school out of zone/county will not be eligible for transportation without prior written approval from the Superintendent or the Superintendent's designee. (Tift County Board Policy EDDB)

Withdrawal Procedures

A parent or legal guardian must contact Annie Belle Clark office to withdraw their child from our school. All library books and textbooks must be returned prior to withdrawal. Failure to return books and other Annie Belle Clark materials will result in a delay of student records being sent to your new school. After all records have been cleared, student records will be transferred to the new school upon a written request from the new school.

Academic Regulations

Grading

Report cards will be issued at the end of each nine-week grading period. For the first nine weeks, no report cards will be issued until parents attend a mandatory conference, to be scheduled after the first nine-week grading period. A mid-quarter progress report is issued at four and one half weeks. Each mid-quarter must be signed by a parent and returned to school. Mid-quarter reports will not be issued during the first nine weeks.

The grade policy for Tift County is as follows:

Grades K-3

4 – Extending 3 – Achieving 2 – Developing 1 – Beginning

4- Extending- Applying concepts/skills independently and /or utilizing them in innovative ways, exceeding basic grade level expectations.

3- Achieving- Demonstrating basic grade-level expectations while achieving independence.

2- Developing- Progressing toward understanding concepts/skills with assistance from teachers, peers, and/or parents.

1-Beginning- Emerging awareness of concepts/skills

ESTABLISHED GUIDELINES SHALL BE FOLLOWED IN AWARDING A GRADE OF 1, 2, 3, OR 4 in the CORE ACADEMIC AREAS to include Reading, Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies.

For Grades K-3, Art, Music, and Physical Education grades are recorded as:

3 / Satisfactory
2 / Some Effort
1 / Little Effort

Parent Conferences

The faculty welcomes the opportunity to discuss classroom performance and behavior with parents and guardians. We will make every attempt to schedule a time that is conducive to your schedule. Conferences will not be scheduled during a time that interferes with instructional activities. Please note that if you come without a scheduled conference time you may not be able to meet with your teacher. Teachers will not be allowed to conduct hallway conferences while their students are in the classroom. The administrative staff will be more than glad to assist you in helping to develop a positive relationship between home and school.