Lawsonville Elementary School an Honor School of Excellence

LAWSONVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENT HANDBOOK

2016-2017

4611 NC 8 Highway North Lawsonville, NC 27022 336-593-8284 FAX: 336-593-2290 Email to Lawsonville Staff: [email protected] (example: [email protected]) Website: www.lawsonville.stokes.k12.nc.us Twitter: https://twitter.com/LESJackets Stokes County Schools Website: www.stokes.k12.nc.us

Table of Contents 2

Parent Letter from Mr. Ottaway……………………………………………………………………….…….. ……….…………...….3 Student Letter from Mr. Ottaway…...... 4 2016-2017 School Calendar……………..………………………………………….…………….. …………………………….……5-6 Daily School Schedule/Lunch Schedule and Lunch Prices…………………….…………….. …………………….….……7 Lawsonville Staff………………………………….………………………………………….. …………………………………..…………8 Lawsonville-A Title I School………………….………………………..………………. ………………………….……………..9-10 Tobacco Free Schools…………………………………….……………………………………. ………………………………………10 Policies and Procedures………………………………..…………………………………………. ………………………………….….10 After-School Detention……………………………………….……………………………. …………………..……………10 Attendance………………………………………..……………………………………………….. ……………………………..11 Balloons and Flowers……………………………………………………………………………………. ……………………11 Bus Information………………………………………………………………………………………………… …..……..…..12 Change of Address………………………………………………………………………………………………………. .…...12 Child Custody……………….…………………………….. …………………………………………………………..…..……12 Counselor Services………….…………………………….. ……………………………………………………………..……12 Discipline Plan………………………………………………………………….………. ………………………………….12-13 Dress Code…...... 13 Early Dismissals………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………..……….14 Emergency Contact Information……………….………. ………………………………………………………….……..14 Emergency Procedures……………………….…………………………………….….. ………………..………………14-15 Field Trips……………….………………………………………………………………….. ……………………….…………..15 Homework …………………………………………………………………………………. ………………….…………………16 Inclement Weather………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………16

2 Injuries at School……………………………………………..………………………….. …………………………………….16 Instructional Day for Students………………………….. …………………………..…………………………………….16 Invitations………………………………………………………………..………………….. ……………………………………16 Lost and Found………………………………………………………………..………….. ……………………………………16 Lunches at School…………………………..………………………………………..….. ……………………………………17 Lunch Charges…………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………….17 Media Center……………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………17

Medications………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……….…………...17 Money at School……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……..….17 Morning Arrival/Afternoon Dismissal Procedures……………. ……………………………………………………18 Parent Conferences………………………………………………………………..……….. …………………………………18 Parent Involvement Policy…………………………………………………………………. ………………….……………19

Parties……………………………………………………………………………………………………. …………………………19 Promotion Standards…………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………19 PTA/PTA Officers………………………………………………….…………………………. ……………………………..19 School/Parent Communication………………………………………….…………………. ……………………………..20 Student Progress Reports…………………………………………………………………………………………………….20 Super Citizens with Character………………………………………………………………. ……...... 20 Telephones……………………………………………..………………. ……………………………….……………………….20 Toys, Games, Cell Phones, Etc…………………………..…….………………………….. ………………………..……20 Visitor Procedures………………………………………………….…. ……………………………………………………….21 Volunteering at Lawsonville………………………………….…………….……………….. ……………………….21-22 Other Important Information…………………………………………………….………... ……………………………..22 Parent Verification Form……………………………………………………………………. ………………………………23 4

August 29, 2016 Dear Parents and Guardians:

Another summer has come and gone and we eagerly await the start of a new school year. Many folks have worked hard to prepare for your child’s arrival today. We anticipate a GREAT year of learning and growing!

We have made some changes to our daily schedule. Our first bell will ring at 7:55 a.m. Our instructional day will officially begin at 8:00 a.m. The tardy bell will ring at 8:05 a.m. Our instructional day will end at 2:40 p.m. Our dismissal bell will ring at 2:40 p.m. Students should not be dropped off earlier than 7:30 a.m.

As with other years, it will be important for you to be actively involved in your child’s learning. Educating a child is a team effort. I have included important information regarding our status as a Title I school.

A major component of the Title I program is parent involvement. Lawsonville has strong parent-teacher organization. I encourage you to be involved in this parent group. We also hope to increase our number of parent volunteers this year. Please contact your child’s teacher if your schedule will allow you to help us in this area.

I look forward to a successful and rewarding school year. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. I’ve included a form at the back of this handbook for you to sign, stating that you’ve gone over this student handbook with your child. Please complete the form and return to your child’s teacher.

Lawsonville is a great place for learning. It is my honor and privilege to serve as the principal in such a wonderful learning environment. I look forward to working with you this year!

Sincerely,

Greg Ottaway Principal

**Please read the entire student handbook, paying close attention to the following pages. These are the areas that present the most questions throughout the school year:

6: School Calendar Page 7: Breakfast/Lunch Fees Page 9: Title I School Information Page 11: Balloons and Flowers at School Page 12: Child Custody Issues Page 14: Early Dismissals Page 16: Party Invitations at School Page 17: Medication at School Page 21-22: Visitors and Volunteers at School

4 August 29, 2016 Dear Lawsonville Learner,

Welcome to Lawsonville Elementary School. I am so glad that you are here. It is my hope that this year will be your greatest school year ever! I, along with all our staff members, have worked very hard this summer getting ready for you. I expect that we’ll do lots of learning and growing together this year.

Here’s a short list of our school-wide expectations: 1. “Bee” Respectful of Ourselves You deserve a good education. When you follow our school and classroom rules, you’re setting yourself up for a positive learning experience. 2. “Bee” Respectful of Others The “others” list includes your teachers, your classmates, your bus drivers, your servers in the cafeteria, your custodians, your principal and any other person with whom you come in contact with during the school day. These folks will respect you and they deserve the same courtesy in return. 3. “Bee” Respectful of Learning “What does this mean?” I’m glad that you asked! We work hard to create an environment that makes it easy for you to learn. You have a job to do too. Your job is to stay focused during instruction, participate in classroom discussions, complete your classroom assignments and complete any homework assignments that you are given. 4. “Bee” Respectful of Property We expect you to take care of the tools that we give you for your learning.

I do expect a lot from you as a student. I also know that you expect a lot from me as your principal. I promise you that I will give you my best everyday! I’m only asking that you give me the same thing in return! If we all give our best efforts, we will have another amazing school year!

In the pages that follow my letter to you, you will find lots of information about how we do things at our school. Please share this information with the folks with whom you live. It has lots of good information for them too! If there are any other questions that I did not answer, just ask!

Again, I am glad that you’re here! In fact, we have a number of students who are here for the first time. I hope that everyone will make our new folks feel very welcome at Lawsonville. Let’s celebrate the start of a new school year. If we all do our best throughout the year, we’ll be able to gather together in June and celebrate all that we’ve accomplished! As we stand here at the starting line, let’s keep our focus on our ultimate goal- the finish line! Learners to your mark! Get set! Go learn!!!!

Sincerely,

Mr. Ottaway Principal 6

Lawsonville Elementary School Calendar 2016-2017

August 29 Students First Day of School August 30 Reading 3D BOY Window Opens for Kindergarten September 5 Labor Day Holiday/No School September 6 Reading 3D BOY Window Opens for 1-5 September 13-19 3rd Grade Reading BOG Window September 19 School Improvement Team Meeting @ 2:45 September 27 Fall Picture Day September 28 Progress Reports October 7 Teacher Workday/No School For Students October 10 (TENTATIVE) Racing To Read/Book Fair October 10-14 Fall Book Fair October 17 School Improvement Team Meeting @ 2:45 October 25 Make Up Picture Day October 31 End of First Nine Weeks October 31 Halloween Costume Parade 8:30 a.m. November 10 Teacher Workday/No School For Students/Parent-Teacher Conferences November 11 Veteran’s Day/No School November 14 Report Cards November 15 Honor Club Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. November 16-18 Washington DC Trip November 21 School Improvement Team Meeting @ 2:45 November 23 No School for Students/Staff November 24-25 Thanksgiving Holidays November 28-December 2 Santa’s Gift Shoppe December 7 Progress Reports December 13 Christmas Musical (TENTATIVE) December 19 School Improvement Team Meeting @ 2:45 December 21 Christmas Sing-A-Long at 8:30 a.m. December 21 Early Dismissal at 11:00 a.m. December 22-January 2 Christmas Break January 3 Students Return January 9-February 17 Cognitive Abilities Test for 3rd Grade January 13 End of Second Nine Weeks January 16 MLK Day/No School For Students/Staff January 17 Teacher Workday/No School For Students January 23 School Improvement Team Meeting @ 2:45 January 25 Report Cards January 26 Honor Club Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. February 13 School Improvement Team Meeting @ 2:45 February 16 Progress Reports February 20 Teacher Workday/No School For Students February 21 Teacher Workday/No School For Students March 6 Math Madness/Spring Book Fair (TENTATIVE) March 6-10 Spring Book Fair March 20 School Improvement Team Meeting @ 2:45 March 24 End of Third Nine Weeks March 27 Teacher Workday/No School For Students March 28 Teacher Workday/No School For Students March 30 Honor Club Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. April 5 Report Cards April 10-16 Spring Break April 17 Teacher Workday/No School For Students April 24 School Improvement Team Meeting @ 2:45 May 8 Progress Reports May 15 School Improvement Team Meeting @ 2:45 May 16 Spring Musical (TENTATIVE) May 25-June 8 EOG May 29 Memorial Day/No School May 30-June 8 Read to Achieve Test/Reading Retest June 5 Field Day (TENTATIVE) June 6 Rain Date Field Day (TENTATIVE) June 7 Awards Day at 1:00 p.m. (TENTATIVE)

6 June 8 5th Grade Graduation at 8:30 a.m. (TENTATIVE) June 8 End of Fourth Nine Weeks/Report Cards June 8 Early Dismissal at 11:00 a.m. June 8 Summer Break Begins!!!

**All end of year activities are subject to change. Inclement weather could affect our school calendar.

Daily Schedule (NEW!!!)

7:30 a.m. Students begin to arrive 7:55 a.m. First Bell Rings 8:00 a.m. Instruction Begins 8:05 a.m. Second/Tardy Bell Rings 2:40 p.m. Dismissal Bell Rings/School Day Ends

Lunch Schedules 10:50-11:20 Wright 10:55-11:25 Collins 11:00-11:30 Brown 11:20-11:50 Marshall 11:25-11:55 Robertson 11:30-12:00 11:50-12:20 Gilbert 11:55-12:25 Hester 12:00-12:30 Beasley 12:25-12:55 Davis 12:30-1:00 Conner

Breakfast/Lunch Fees Student Breakfast Fee: $1.10 Free/Reduced Breakfast Fee: Free Adult Breakfast Fee: a la carte Student Lunch Fee: $2.40 Reduced Lunch Fee: $0.40 Adult Lunch Fee: a la carte Milk: $0.50 8

Staff Directory Principal: Greg Ottaway Office Manager: Susan Martin

Kindergarten: Brandy Davis- Teacher Ronda Fulcher- Kindergarten Assistant Kindergarten/First Grade: Amy Conner- Teacher Sharon Gravely- Kindergarten Assistant First Grade: Anna Brown- Teacher Second Grade: Julie Collins- Teacher Third Grade: Ashley Marshall- Teacher Third Grade: Donna Robertson- Teacher Fourth Grade: Cody Beasley- Teacher Fourth Grade: Sherry Hester- Teacher Fifth Grade: Lindsey Gilbert- Teacher (NEW!!!!) Resource/Enrichment: Judy Wright- Teacher (NEW!!!!) Tina Moore- Assistant Media Coordinator: Rita Anderson Enrichment/Resource: Annette Turner- Teacher Enrichment/Resource: Cody Beasley - Teacher Physical Education: Tommy Branch Music: Aja Brim ESL: Anita Magera Speech/Language: Karen Ring (3-5) Amy Jeurgens (K-2) Occupational Therapist: Amy Pace Physical Therapist: Lena Gough School Counselor: Stacy Stargardt Custodian: Melissa Smith Bill McHone Child Nutrition: Kim McKinney- Manager Renee Fulks (NEW!!!!) Transportation: Anna Tilley (Bus 33) Susan Tucker (Bus 37) James Wood (Bus 5) Tammie P. Lawson (Bus 38) School Nurse: Karen Bean Instructional Coach: Stacy Buck (NEW!!!!)

8 Stokes County Schools Title I Parental Involvement Policy Revised August 1, 2016

The Stokes County Board of Education believes that the education of children should be a cooperative effort between the parents, the schools, and the community. Parents are their children's first teachers. Parental involvement positively impacts the effectiveness of the Title I program and contributes significantly to the academic, social, and emotional success of the children. The Stokes County Title I staff, in compliance with all State and Federal requirements of Section 1118 of the Title I No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, will:

 Provide parents a copy of the Stokes County Schools Title I Parental Involvement Policy;

 Invite parents to attend an annual meeting to be informed of the Title I Program and activities supported by the program;

 Provide Parent/Teacher/Student Compact to outline the responsibilities and roles of each stakeholder;

 Provide opportunities for participation in school activities for all parents and legal guardians, including parents with disabilities, and limited English proficiency;

 Offer a number of meetings, workshops, and parent conferences at flexible times to promote improved student achievement;

 Involve parents in the planning, review and improvement of programs;

 Assist parents in understanding State academic content, student performance standards, and state and local assessments;

 Keep parents informed about curriculum, assessment, and student progress;

 Provide opportunities for parents to volunteer in their child's class or school as well as observe/participate in classroom learning activities;

 Ensure that information related to school and parent programs, meetings, and other activities is sent home in a language that both parents and students can understand;

 Inform parents of the Parent's Right to Know about teacher and paraprofessional qualifications;

 Coordinate, to the extent possible, parental involvement activities with Head Start, Smart Start, and More At Four programs; 10

 Educate administrative and instructional staff in the value of parental involvement, how to implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between parents and the school.

10 Additional Title I Information for Lawsonville Parents

 We will hold our Title I Annual Meeting during our annual Racing to Read Parent Night in October. Mr. Ottaway will lead this session. Parents will receive additional information at a later date.  All students will receive a Parent/Teacher/Students Compact. This document should be completed and returned to your child’s classroom teacher.  The Lawsonville Elementary Parent Involvement policy was revised on June 27, 2013.

100% Tobacco Free Schools As mandated by state law, as of August 1, 2008, all Stokes County Schools are 100% Tobacco Free. The School Board approved the policy (may be found on the Stokes County Schools website: choose School Board; Policy Manual; policy # 5026/7250 Tobacco Free Schools effective August, 2008) that prohibits the possession and use of any tobacco product by anyone, anywhere on any school campus or property at any time, including after school hours and on weekends. The purpose of this policy is to protect our students, staff and visitors from second hand smoke as well as to provide a clean, healthy environment for everyone. Please be responsible by being a positive role model in implementing this policy and helping to promote healthy life choices. After-School Detention Our After-School Detention Center has two purposes: It serves as the consequence for a Fourth Daily Offense in our School-Wide Discipline Plan. (This plan will be discussed later under the “Discipline” heading.) The second purpose is a consequence for not completing classroom and/or homework assignments. Students will be expected to turn in class work and homework on time. Students who have missing assignments at the end of any given week will stay for After School Detention on the following Tuesday. Students will be notified on Thursday of any missing assignments for that week. A list of missing assignments will be sent home to parents. If the student does not return all completed assignments on Friday, he or she will be assigned to our After School Detention Center the following Tuesday. Parents will be notified of the consequence. Detention will be from 2:40 p.m. to 3:40 p.m. Parents will be responsible for transportation. Students gain the biggest academic benefit from class work and homework assignments by doing the work when it is assigned. If our staff senses that a student is purposefully waiting until Thursday each week to complete the weekly assignments, After School Detention may also be assigned as a consequence. We realize that, from time to time, things come up that prevent students from completing homework assignments. That’s the purpose of the friendly reminder each Thursday. Since implementing this procedure during the 2010-2011 school-year, our amount of incomplete assignments has drastically decreased! The benefit: increased student achievement! 12

Attendance Please make every effort to come to school. When you miss school, it places you at a disadvantage and keeps you from making the progress you are capable of making. By the way, you must be at school until 11:00 a.m. for the day to be counted as present. When you are out of school, your parents are welcome to come by school to pick up your work. They should call the school by 10:00 a.m. to let your teacher know so that your assignments will be ready to be picked up at 3:00 p.m. The Stokes County Board of Education Policy #6132 says that the following are valid reasons for excused absences: 1. Personal illness or injury 2. Quarantine 3. Death in the immediate family 4. Medical or dental appointments 5. Court or administrative proceedings 6. Religious observation 7. Educational opportunity You may receive an excused absence for a prearranged absence. Upon the written request of your parent or guardian and in a reasonable period of time in advance of the absence, a student may be excused by the principal for a good and substantial cause such as a documented educational trip. In these special cases, you would be asked to share your experiences with the class once you return from the education trip. After you have been absent from school, you have three days to bring in a written excuse from your parent or guardian which states your full name, the date(s) of the absence, and the reason for the absence. If you do not bring in an excuse note within three days, your absence will be counted as unexcused. An unexcused absence will not be changed to excused unless you bring the excuse note within the three day period. Please ask your parents or guardians to make medical and dental appointments after school whenever possible. The more time you spend in your classroom doing good work and participating in quality activities, the more you’ll learn and grow!

Tardiness Children must arrive before the start of school each day. Our second bell rings at 8:05 a.m. Students who report after 8:05 a.m. are considered tardy and must be signed in by a parent or guardian. Failure to “sign in” will result in an absence . Punctual arrival is important to the child and the teacher. The first few minutes of the day are extremely important to the student and the teacher. It is at this time that directions are given, daily schedules discussed, and daily lessons begun. Missing this time puts your child, the other children of the class and the teacher at a disadvantage. Late arrivals are unexcused unless your student had a medical/dental appointment or was ill. Balloons and Flowers At School Students should not receive balloons and/or flowers at school during the school day. If these items are delivered to the school, they will be kept in the main office until the end of the school day. If the child is not a regular car rider, a parent will be contacted to pick up the balloons or flowers. We do not permit students to take these items on our buses because of the distraction and danger they may cause.

12 Bus Information Bus information can be found in the Stokes County Schools Student and Parent Handbook. Change of Address/Phone Numbers During the School Year It is very important that you let the school know your new address and phone number if it changes during the school year. Please let Mrs. Martin know if one of your parents changes jobs or if your home phone number changes during the school year. Child Custody Issues Child Custody information can be found in the Stokes County Schools Student and Parent Handbook. If your family has any type of official custody documentation, we need a copy of those documents on file at our school. Please give this information to Mrs. Martin or Mr. Ottaway. Counselor Services Our school counselor is Mrs. Stargardt. She has been trained to help you with personal, school, and career problems. You can schedule an appointment with Mrs. Stargardt by going by the Guidance Office. You must always inform your teacher of a guidance appointment and bring a note from the Guidance Office after the appointment is completed. Please tell your parents that they may arrange appointments by telephoning 593-8284 and asking for the Guidance Counselor. Discipline Plan The objective of Lawsonville’s discipline plan is to promote positive behaviors while encouraging improvement to behaviors that may be considered inappropriate. Universal Quiet Signal Lawsonville has a school-wide “quiet” signal. The “quiet” signal will be a raised hand. All staff members will use this signal in their assigned area. When the staff member uses the “quiet” signal, all students will be expected to raise their hand as well. Once all students participate, the staff member will proceed with the activity or duty. This will be used consistently throughout the school and on our buses. Mr. Ottaway will visit each classroom during the first week of school each year to explain this procedure. The Classroom Plans Teachers have flexibility with their classroom discipline plans; however, the school-wide expectations are included in each classroom plan. Teachers will also have the flexibility to determine their own method of “tracking” student’s violations of the school-wide expectations. (ex. Flags, sticks, etc.) 14

The Consequences Consequences will be enforced uniformly throughout the school.

First Daily Offense: Warning Second Daily Offense: Note home to parents Third Daily Offense: Office referral/phone call to parents/note home to parents Fourth Daily Offense: After-School Detention. Parents will be given 24 hours notice to arrange transportation. The Rewards Rewards will also be uniformly distributed throughout the school.

No offenses at the end of the day: 2 Yellow Jacket Bucks One (1) offense at the end of the day: 1 Yellow Jacket Buck Two (2) or more offenses at the end of the day: NO Yellow Jacket Bucks

Students may choose to “spend” their bucks or “bank” their bucks. Students may spend their bucks at the end of the week on classroom incentives such as lunch with a friend, lunch with the teacher, lunch with the principal, etc. Students may choose to “bank” their bucks to spend at the end of the month at our School Store. Dress Code You should wear comfortable, modest clothing that will best enable you to participate in all school activities. Your teacher and/or Mr. Ottaway will determine if your clothing is disruptive. You may not wear clothing or jewelry that contains any words or pictures that are vulgar, profane, or sexually suggestive. You may not wear clothing, which advocates prejudice, the use of alcohol or drugs, violence, or other disruptive behavior. You may not wear shorts that are shorter than 3 inches above the knee. Skirts must be as long as the required length of shorts. This also applies to slits in dresses and skirts. Clothing should not be sheer, mesh, have holes, or designed in such a manner as to reveal the body or undergarments. All tops, shirts, or blouses must extend to the top of your pants, shorts, or skirts. Tank tops, shirts with spaghetti straps, halter tops, etc. may not be worn unless the top of the shoulder is covered or a shirt with sleeves is worn over this type of clothing. You may not wear hats in the building. You must wear shoes at all times. We also suggest that you limit your wearing of flip flops. You will be involved in PE activities everyday. Flip flops increase your risk of injury during these activities. Mr. Branch requires tennis shoes during his PE classes. We want you to take pride in yourself and your school. Just use common sense and dress properly at all times.

14 Early Dismissal Days On early dismissal days, students are dismissed at 11:00 a.m. Parents are encouraged to prepare for special transportation needs in advance. Please inform grandparents, babysitters, etc. of our pick up and drop off procedures. 2016-2017 Early Dismissal Days: December 21 June 8 Emergency Contact Information Emergency contact information must be on file for all students. If that information changes during the school year, please contact our main office to inform us of the change. Please make sure that we have multiple ways to contact a parent in case of emergency. Emergency Procedures Students should report all emergencies to their teacher or the staff member who is on duty in the area of the situation. We will conduct emergency drills throughout the school year. This is to prepare us for an actual emergency. The following are our various drills, the procedures the drills and frequency of the drills.

Tornado Drill Tornado drill procedures are explained to our students and practiced as a class. An actual drill is conducted in March.  It is important to act quickly and calmly in the event of a tornado warning. Stokes County Schools require that schools assume the “lock down” position when a tornado warning is announced.  Please observe the following guidelines when we are conducting a tornado drill.  If you are inside the building, do not go outside.  If you are outside of the building, come inside the school building immediately.  The students are to occupy areas that are structurally sound and free from windows and other glass.  If caught in the classroom, students should get under chairs, desks, or anything that will protect them from falling debris. If enough prior warning is given, students should occupy their assigned areas. 16

Fire Drill A fire drill will be held once each month. The fire alarm will sound to initiate the drill.  Students should line up quickly and walk quickly upon signal from the teacher to the appropriate exit.  The teacher is the last one to leave the room, closing the door and turning off all lights.  Do not delay to get coats or personal belongings.  There should be no talking or playing during the drill.  In the event you are in an area of the building other than your classroom, you should leave by the nearest exit. If the regular exit is blocked, use the nearest available one.  Exercise caution when crossing parking lots or the gravel access road.

Intruder in the Building In the event that an intruder enters our building, staff and students will follow the “Lock Down” procedures that are in place in your classroom. (Red and Green cards) Classroom doors should be locked. Students and staff should not be visible from windows in the door or regular classroom windows. A “Lock Down” drill will be conducted once per semester. Field Trips Field trips are taken at the discretion of the teacher in conjunction with the curriculum. Some trips will require bus transportation. Students participating in field trips will bring home permission slips. These permission slips must be signed by parents and returned to your child’s teacher in order for the child to attend the field trip. Students cannot leave campus without parent permission. On some field trips, parent chaperones may be needed. If you wish to assist with field trips, please contact your child’s teacher. Some trips have a limited number of chaperone spaces available. If you express an interest in those trips, your child’s teacher will contact you if you have been selected to go. Stokes County Schools Board policy will not allow chaperones to ride activity buses. Parent chaperones must follow the buses or meet the bus at the trip destination. Parent chaperones are allowed to ride chartered buses that may be contracted for certain trips. (Washington, DC, Outer Banks, etc.) Parent chaperones are, however, discouraged from following the bus on these types of trips. If a limited number of chaperones are needed for one trip, parents who are not selected will be given first priority on the next trip. Classes are permitted to take two off-campus field trips per year. A personal transportation form must be completed if a parent wishes to transport a student from a trip destination. Parents and grandparents are allowed to transport students from a field trip. Transportation forms must be completed PRIOR to the trip. These forms can be picked up in our main office or from your child’s teacher. Chaperones who smoke are asked not to smoke in the view of students while on school sponsored trips. Siblings are not permitted to go on school field trips. A criminal background check must be completed each year .

16 Homework We believe that you should have some things to do at home in connection with your school work. We want studying and learning to become a part of your life which continues even when school is out for the day. We think that a reasonable amount of homework can reinforce what you have learned in school. Believe it or not, it will also help you plan and budget time better. If your parents have a question about the quantity or quality of homework you are doing, they can check with your teacher. All homework assignments are due the following day or upon the day of return in the event of school cancellation, personal illness or any other legitimate excuse. Your teacher will determine the legitimacy of excuses. Extended assignments will be due at a date established by the teacher. You should hand in your homework at the beginning of the class for which it was assigned. The consequences for not turning in homework and/or class work were discussed under our After-School Detention section.

Inclement Weather Procedures Inclement Weather information can be found in the Stokes County Schools Student and Parent Handbook. Injuries At School Always tell your teacher first if you get sick or hurt at school. If we need to let your parent know, your teacher will write a note for you to bring to the office. Mrs. Martin will call for you. You may not leave the school grounds until your parent comes into the school and signs you out. Also, it is impossible for us to know every parent, relative, and/or guardian for every child. Our office staff and our teachers can ask for identification at any time they think it is necessary. Instructional Day For Students School begins at 8:00 a.m. each day. Please ask your parents not to bring you to school before 7:30 a.m. Students who arrive prior to 7:30 a.m. are not supervised. Parents who drop their children off early will receive a friendly reminder from Mr. Ottaway. Please help us with this. Students will be dismissed from school at 2:40 p.m. Invitations (Birthday party, etc.) Students may not distribute invitations to parties and other personal events at school. This often leads to hurt feelings by those who are not invited. Students are permitted to extend an open verbal invitation to ALL students in their class at a time deemed appropriate by the classroom teacher.

Lost and Found If you lose something, check with your teacher and then with the secretary in the office. Please leave a description with Mrs. Martin of anything missing so that you can be notified if it is found. The school is not responsible for items (including textbooks) left unattended or loaned to another student. 18

Lunches at School School Meals information can be found in our Stokes County Schools Student and Parent Handbook. Your parents are encouraged to have lunch with you but are asked not to bring in “branded” food items, such as McDonalds, Papa Johns, etc. unless it is packaged in generic packaging. Carbonated soft drinks, such as Pepsi, Coke, Sprite, etc. should not be brought into our cafeteria. Students should not bring carbonated beverages as a part of their lunches from home. Juice drinks are permitted. Lunches from home should be “ready to eat.” School staff members will not heat lunches brought from home. Lunch Charges Parents of students who have lunch charges will be notified periodically of those charges. If you receive a Connect Ed call from Mr. Ottaway regarding this matter, please take care of the charge balance as soon as possible. Parents are encouraged to take advantage of the online pre-pay service or our school pre-pay services. Students who have unpaid lunch charges may lose the right to participate in various school-related activities, such as field trips, field day, etc. All students/families are encouraged to apply for our free/reduced lunch program. More information can be found in the Stokes County Schools Student/Parent Handbook as well as the school system’s website. (www.stokes.k12.nc.us) Media Center You may check out one or two books at a time from the media center. Books are due one week from the day they are checked out. Speak with Mrs. Anderson if you would like to renew a book. The media center has encyclopedias for overnight checkout. If you lose or damage a book through neglect or abuse, a small appropriate fee will be charged. If you damage a book beyond repair, you will be charged a fee to replace the book. This charge will be the list price for any book that has been purchased within the last five years, or less for older books. Medication Policy The Medication Policy can be found in the new Stokes County Schools Student and Parent Handbook. Over the counter medications must be accompanied with a medication administration form. A note from the parent is not sufficient. Prescription medication forms must have a signature from the prescribing doctor. Medications WILL NOT be given without the appropriate forms being completed and returned to the office. Money at School Please bring to school only the money needed for that day. We will not be held responsible for large amounts of money that is misplaced or lost. Please be sure to label all money that is sent in to the school. Example: lunch money, book fair money, etc.

18 Morning Arrival /Afternoon Dismissal Procedures Morning Arrival Procedures If you eat breakfast, first through fifth grade students should go directly to the cafeteria when you get to school. Kindergarten students should report to the media center upon arrival. All kindergarten students will go to breakfast as a class. 1-2 students should leave the cafeteria and go directly to the media center. 3-5 students should report to their classroom. A staff member will be on duty in the media center and will dismiss 1-2 students to go to their classrooms. If you do not eat breakfast, you should go directly to the media center (K-2) or your classrooms (3-5) as soon as you arrive at school. Students should not be in the hallways for any reason other than walking to their classrooms. If you are a car rider and plan to eat breakfast, you should arrive at school by 7:40 to allow yourself enough time to eat breakfast and still get to class on time.

Afternoon Dismissal Procedures If you are a car rider…………….. All car riders will be dismissed from the cafeteria each afternoon. You are expected to sit quietly in the cafeteria as you wait for your ride to arrive. Teachers or other school personnel will be there to supervise you. If you have a change in afternoon transportation, you must bring a note from your parent or guardian. If you are a car rider, you will not be allowed to ride a bus without a bus note. If you are a bus rider……………………….. Regular school buses will line up in our main parking lot in front of our school. Teachers will take students to the bus lot and students will then walk to their buses. You should not board the bus until you see your driver in the driver’s seat. During the first few days of school, the buses may not be in a consistent order, but you do not have to worry. We will not dismiss the buses until every student has boarded a bus. If you have a change in afternoon transportation, you must bring a note from your parent or guardian. If you are a bus rider, you will not be allowed to wait for a car without a car rider note. If you need to ride a different bus home with a friend or if you need to get off your regular bus at a different bus stop, you will need to get a bus pass signed by Mr. Ottaway or Mrs. Martin at the beginning of the day. You must bring a note signed by your parent or guardian to the office. This note must request that you be allowed to ride a different bus or get off at a different stop. You will not be allowed to change buses without a permission note from your parent. If an emergency situation arises and you must call to change your child’s transportation, please call before 2:00pm. Parent Conferences We encourage parent-teacher conferences. This is the best way for your parents to determine if you are doing well in school. There are parent-teacher conference days, which are automatically built into the school year. These will be announced in advance. Your parents can, however, call for an appointment to talk with your teacher whenever they have questions. 20

Parent Involvement Policy Lawsonville Elementary School is committed to the goal of providing quality education for every child in the Lawsonville community. We desire to establish partnerships with our parents and with the entire neighborhood. Every student at Lawsonville will experience success if the school and the home work together to promote high achievement for our children. In today’s society, neither can do the job alone. Parents play an important role as their child’s first teacher. Their support for their child and for the school is critical to their child’s success every step along the way. Grade level curriculum and assessment calendars for the children of Lawsonville Elementary School will be distributed to all parents; with expectations that all students will work toward these goals. This will be accomplished through home to school communications, parent nights, parent-teacher conferences and our school website. We recognize that some students may need extra assistance. We will provide this assistance through the Title I program and various educational services offered throughout the district. Lawsonville Elementary School intends to include parents in all aspects of the district’s Title I Program. The goal is a school-home partnership that will help all students in the district to be successful. Parties Every class has two parties during the year, usually at Christmas and the end of the year. Class parties for birthdays are not allowed, however, parents may send a special classroom snack (cupcakes, etc,) to acknowledge their child’s birthday. These snacks must follow the Stokes County Schools food preparation guidelines. Please contact your child’s teacher to plan for this. Promotion Standards Please refer to the Promotions Standards section of the Stokes County Schools Code of Student Conduct for additional promotion information. PTA Lawsonville Elementary has an active Parent Teacher Association, which will be holding meetings throughout the year. Please have your parents watch for news concerning PTA meetings in the school newsletter. PTA dates will be announced in The Buzz, our weekly newsletter. We hope all parents will join our PTA. The annual dues are $5.00. PTA Officers President: Stacy McMillian-Smith Vice-President: Amanda Tilley Secretary: Penny Parrish Treasurer: Kim Tucker

20 School-Parent Communication Tools The BUZZ, our weekly newsletter, will be available on our website each Monday. Your parents will receive a paper copy of The BUZZ if you do not have internet access at home. Mr. Ottaway will also send The BUZZ directly to your parent’s email address. This will include news about the entire school and specific news from your classroom. Occasionally we will send other notices home to your parents. It will be your responsibility to give this information to your parents. Mr. Ottaway may also contact your parents by using Connect-Ed, our automated phone system. Mr. Ottaway will be glad to meet with your parents to talk about any concerns. Just have your parents call him to set up a time to come by the school to talk about any concerns they may have. Student Progress Reports Student Progress Reports information can be found in the Stokes County Schools Student and Parent Handbook. Progress Report dates are included on the school calendar. Super Citizens This recognition will be presented to children who have displayed at school exceptional examples of the character traits of our Character Education program. Super Citizens will be recognized during the morning announcements at the end of each month. Super Citizens will also be recognized on our “Wall of Fame” outside Mrs. Stargardt’s office. A Super Citizen of the Year will be announced at our Annual Awards Day program. Telephone Usage The telephones at Lawsonville Elementary are business phones, so we ask that you use them only with permission from your teacher. If you need to talk to a parent because you are sick, Mrs. Martin will call for you. Any student who receives phone calls at school will not be called from class except in the event of an extreme emergency. Mrs. Martin will take the messages and pass them on to you. Toys, Games, Phones, Etc. At School All that you may bring to school are your books, pencils, paper, note pads, book bags, money for meals, and your wallet or pocketbook. Please do not bring chewing gum and candy. Never bring tobacco products, radios, tape players, cd players, MP3 players, weapons, toys, electronic games, etc. to school. These items will be taken away and Mr. Ottaway will keep them for the day. If these items are taken a second time, the items will be kept until the last day of school or until a parent comes before or after school to get them. Cell phones may not be in service during the school day nor while students are being transported on school transportation. Cell phones will be confiscated if they are powered on (even on vibrate) during the school day. Lawsonville School and staff will not be responsible for items that are brought to school that are inappropriate. Keep your toys, etc. at home because we will not replace them if they are lost or stolen. Also, please do not buy, sell, or trade items with other students while you are at school. 22

Visitor Procedures Your parents may walk with you to class the first few days of school. We then encourage you to go to class on your own. Your parents may walk with you to the building, but we ask that once inside the building, they allow you to walk to your class on your own. (Kindergarten parents should not walk their kindergarten students in the building or have breakfast or lunch with their kindergarten students for the first six (6) weeks of school. This procedure will be discussed with parents during our staggered enrollment days.) If your parents to need to speak with your teacher, we recommend that they contact your teacher to schedule a time that is convenient for your parents and your teacher. Your parents, grandparents, etc. are always welcome at our school. Please ask them to report to the office when they enter the building. They will have to sign in on the “Visitor” check-in computer in the office. Students from other schools may not visit. If you see someone at school without a visitor badge or an ID badge, please tell your teacher or another staff member right away. It’s probably not a big deal, but we need to make sure that we know who everyone is and what they are doing at our school. Also, do not open your outside classroom doors to anyone without your teacher’s permission. Volunteering at Lawsonville Volunteers provide our students and staff with invaluable services that better the education experience. Stokes County Schools appreciates the services provided to students and staff by volunteers. A school volunteer is an individual who contributes services to an educational program without compensation.

A. Volunteer Levels and the Requirements

All volunteers must complete an application, which includes a release of liability statement. Persons can volunteer at three levels, 1, 2, or 3. An application can be found on the Stokes County Schools website, www.stokes.k12.nc.us , the Parent/Student Handbook, or at the school.

Level 1: Volunteer activity does not include direct contact with or supervision of students. Examples may include clerical work at home, telephone volunteer, or beautification volunteer. Level 1 requires principal approval.

Level 2: Volunteer activity includes direct contact with and controlled access to student under the supervision of the professional staff. Examples may include lunch buddies, proctors, or in- class volunteers in a group setting. Level 2 screening requires principal approval and review of the National sex offender registry.

Level 3: Volunteer activity includes direct contact with and supervision of students. Examples may include reading buddies, instructional volunteers, before or after school tutors, or field trip chaperones. Level 3 screening includes principal approval, review of National sex offender registry and a criminal background check.

Volunteers shall notify the Stokes County Schools Human Resources Department if they are arrested for, charged with or convicted or a criminal offense other than a minor traffic

22 violation. Failure by a volunteer to provide timely notice may lead to the volunteer being barred from volunteering at all levels.

B. Denied Participation

If the school system learns that an individual is a registered sex offender, this individual will be barred from volunteering at all levels.

Volunteers, whose prior history includes criminal activity, may be denied participation in Level 3 activities. The volunteer applicant will be notified by the Superintendent’s Office of the decision to deny access or clearance and the reasons for the denial.

C. Confidentiality

Volunteers are to be held to professional standards for maintaining the confidentiality of student records. The Principal or his/her designee will advise volunteers on the issues and importance of confidentiality of student information. Volunteers shall not be granted access to a student’s education record other than directory information. Volunteers should accept the fact that all children learn differently and at different rates. Volunteers should regard all information concerning children, teacher, and school as confidential. Volunteers should not discuss student information with anyone outside of the school.

Other Important Information There are several really important things not covered in this handbook--things such as bullying, social networking, chemical substance abuse, fighting, weapons, and sexual harassment. These topics, among others, are included in the Stokes County Schools Student and Parent Handbook. You will be receiving copies of this publication. 24

Please complete the information below and return to your child’s teacher.

I, ______, parent/guardian of ______, (Parent/guardian name) (Student name) have discussed the 2016-2017 Lawsonville Elementary School Handbooks with my child.

______(Parent/guardian signature) (Date)

Teacher______