WE WILL S.O.A.R 2020 2021 - Clover School District / Homepage

[Pages:22]WE WILL S.O.A.R

2020-2021

PARENT & STUDENT HANDBOOK

Shavon O'Brien, Principal ? Maurice Thomas, Asst. Principal 6000 Hwy 55 E., Clover, SC 29710

PH: 803-631-8300 ? FAX 803-631-2996

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Table of Contents

Mission Statement Vision Statement Greetings from the Principal Arrival/Dismissal Information--Bell Schedule Returning to class after dismissal Parking

Attendance Information Tardies Perfect Attendance Interruptions to Instructional Time Student Activities

Visitor/Volunteer Check-In Policy for Background Check Bus Transportation Information Transportation/Contact Changes for Students Change of address/Emergency Information

Food Services - Meal prices - Outside Food - Lunch with students - Student Birthdays Medication Policy Weapons Policy

Report Cards Grading Systems Parent/Teacher Organization (PTO) Book Bag Policy Items Brought from Home

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Custodial Rights Siblings attending school functions Closing School Parent-Teacher Conferences Student Record Requests Care of Textbooks/Library books Care of iPads Internet Access Availability Lost and Found Items

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School Dress Code Directory Information Bullying

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Discipline Communications

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Residency Requirements Bible Studies Release Program Emergency Drills

Attachments:

* Bethel Elementary Info Sheet * Teacher & Staff Listing

* 2020-2021 Calendar dates

* PTO Officers * Code of Conduct * Students Rights & Responsibilities

REOPENING PLAN: SC01001948/Centricity/Domain/4/REOPENING--DIGEST-FINAL.pdf

IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Bethel Elementary Office 803-631-8300

Transportation Office

803-810-8190

YMCA

803-222-9622

Oakridge Middle School 803-631-8000

Clover High School

803-810-8200

Clover School District Office 803-810-8000

District Attendance Office 803-810-8000

MISSION STATEMENT The mission of Bethel Elementary School, in partnership with the parents and community, is to prepare students to become productive,

confident and responsible citizens by creating a safe, friendly, child-centered environment which effectively addresses the social, emotional and intellectual needs of each child.

VISION STATEMENT Our vision at Bethel continues to be maintaining academic excellence and a community feeling while embracing change and

taking risks to enable our students to become productive citizens in our ever changing world. Each Child, Each Day....Excellence

- Dr. Sheila Quinn, Clover School District Superintendent

GREETINGS FROM THE PRINCIPAL

As we enter the 2020-2021 school year, the faculty and staff of Bethel Elementary look forward to welcoming your child to our school. Although this year is starting quite different from usual, we want you to know that we will do everything we can to make sure your child is safe, loved, and learning. As part of the Clover School District, we hold high expectations for all children's success and achievement. We will work to ensure our beliefs are lived

each day at Bethel Elementary. On behalf of the staff, I would like to welcome you to Bethel Elementary School.

- Shavon O'Brien, Principal

ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL INFORMATION

Bell Schedule: 7:05am 7:25am 7:30am 2:05pm 2:15pm

Doors Open First Bell Rings - Students report to classroom Tardy Bell / Instruction Begins Bus/Daycare Dismissal Car Dismissal

Our building does not open until 7:05am. Teachers and staff will be on duty every morning at 7:05am to supervise students and maintain safety. Students should be dropped off in the car circle. Students should not be dropped off at the front office entrance door prior to 7:35am. Classes will begin promptly at 7:35am and dismissal will begin at 2:05pm. Students are tardy if they are not in class by 7:35am. Parents cannot park along Highway 55 or in the horseshoe parking area in the front of the school during dismissal.

Parents should make every effort to minimize the number of times that students leave school before the dismissal bell rings. Students who leave school early miss instruction, reviews, end of the day announcements and assignments. It also disrupts the classroom when teachers have to stop teaching class in order to dismiss students early. Students will not be allowed to be dismissed from their classrooms after 2:00pm since we are starting dismissal. Please pick your child up prior to 2:00pm if he/she has an appointment.

RETURNING TO CLASS AFTER DISMISSAL Students will not be allowed to go back to their classrooms after dismissal to pick up forgotten items such as jackets, books, iPads, etc. Teachers are often in meetings after school and can leave at 3:00pm. Classroom doors are locked and we have to pull custodians from their jobs to unlock doors for students wanting to pick up forgotten items.

Do not wait by the buses to get students off of the bus. They must be checked out in the office prior to 2:00pm. If they are car riders, please pick them up in the car line.

CAR LINE PICK-UP **Vehicle name tags issued by the school are available for you (to write your students name on) to place on the dashboard of your car for use during student pick-up in the car line. Please place your vehicle name tag with the name(s) of your child(ren) written on it on the dashboard of your car. Please follow instructions for the car line so that everyone can get through in a timely matter.

PARKING Please do not park in the round-about located in the car line entrance between 1:30pm and 3:00pm. Do not park in the yellow area right beside the front office. If you park by the flag pole/bus loop for an event at school, you must move your car by 1:45pm because our buses will start arriving. Also, if attending a field trip with your child where you will not be returning until after 1:30pm, please do not leave your car parked in the round-about or in the bus loop.

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ATTENDANCE It is very important for parents to understand that Clover School District will address excessive absences and tardies aggressively. The instructional day begins promptly at 7:30am and ends at 2:05pm. Our expectation is for children to be in their classrooms at this time and ready to remain at school all day. Please send a written note in anytime your child is absent. If you take your child to the doctor, please request a note from the doctor. Trips and family vacations are not excused absences. Please do not ask teachers to provide work in advance of a trip. Students will be expected to make up missed work once they have returned to school. Also, please make note of student holidays and arrange vacations to coincide. All days (even 1/2 days) are counted in attendance. School is in session for 180 days. If you have any questions, please contact Marguerite Chisholm, District Attendance Office, at 803-810-8014.

A crucial part of academic achievement at every grade level is regular school attendance. When a student is absent more than 10 days, attendance will be one of the factors used in determining promotion/retention for K-8 grades. Chronic absenteeism will now be counted by the school district. Chronic absenteeism includes all absences (excused and unexcused). You can find the Clover School District Attendance Policy on the Clover School District website at clover.k12.sc.us.

Students will not be allowed to participate in any after school extra-curricular activity such as a music performance if they are absent on the day of the activity. Students must be present for at least 1/2 of the school day to be counted present. Letters are sent home to all students missing 3, 5, 7, and 10 days. Also, in Prekindergarten, two unexcused tardies or 2 unexcused early dismissals equal one unexcused absence. Having more than 10 unexcused absences in a Prekindergarten class could result in your child being removed from the program.

Lawful Absences:

Student illness that poses a health risk to others Death or serious illness in the immediate family Recognized religious holiday of the student's faith Activities approved in advance by the principal Medical appointments

Unlawful Absences

Family vacation Skipping Missed bus Overslept Absences without acceptable cause with the Knowledge of the parent/guardian

Grades K - 5: If a student accrues three unlawful absences in a row or five total unlawful absences within a school year, the student is considered truant and the school will initiate an Attendance Intervention Plan to determine the reason for the absences and solutions to improve attendance. If attendance is not improved, the parent/legal guardian may be referred to our District Attendance Officer and face court intervention and a referral to the Department of Social Services.

TARDIES Your child will be marked tardy if they are not in class by 7:30am. Instruction begins promptly at 7:30am. Please leave home in time to get your child in the building prior to 7:30am. You can drop your child off as early as 7:05am. When your child is late, not only has the student missed instruction, but the late arrival also interrupts the instruction of other students. Being on time gets students started off on a positive note for the school day. Please note that two (2) unexcused tardies or (2) unexcused early dismissals equal one unexcused absence for our Pre-Kindergarten students. If you have any questions, please contact Marguerite Chisholm, District Attendance Office, at 803-810-8014.

PERFECT ATTENDANCE Students will be recognized for perfect attendance at the end of the year. In order to receive this recognition, a student cannot have any absences for the year and cannot have more than six (6) unexcused tardies or six (6) unexcused early dismissals. If your child is late due to a doctor's appointment, please bring a note so the tardy can be marked as excused. Students must also have a note verifying they had a legitimate reason for leaving early such as a doctor's appointment. Letters and notices regarding attendance will be mailed home regularly.

INTERRUPTING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME We value instructional time from 7:30am - 2:05pm. Classrooms will not be interrupted for the following reasons:

- To deliver dropped off items throughout the day: A staff member will deliver dropped off items by 10:00am each day. Items dropped off after the 10:00am deadline will be placed in teacher's boxes and the teacher will be emailed. Please understand that teachers may or may not retrieve items prior to the end of the day. Ultimately, it is the child's responsibility to be prepared for school each day.

- To hold unscheduled Parent/Teacher conferences: Please email your child's teacher to schedule an appointment to discuss your child's performance.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES Students at Bethel will have the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular activities, when we go back to the Traditional Model, such as Student Council, Yearbook Club, Scrambled Legs Running Club, Honors Chorus, Art Club, Engineering Clubs (fee associated with these engineering clubs), Robotics, etc. Students cannot attend any afterschool activities if they were not in school on the day of the activity.

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VISITOR/VOLUNTEER CHECK-IN (Visitors will not be allowed until further notice) Clover School District values parental and community involvement in our schools. We also value daily instructional time and the security of our campuses. To this end, all school visitors must sign in at the main office and be issued a visitor's pass prior to entering the building. Please adhere to the system we have in place for visiting our school.

A STATE-ISSUED PHOTO ID IS REQUIRED FOR CHECK-IN. Other photo id may be considered.

Parents are welcome to visit students in their classrooms. Prior notification and permission from the principal will assist parents in scheduling the visitation in the most timely manner. Parent visitations should be conducted in such a way as to not impede the instructional program of the class. This helps ensure the best possible education for all students. Siblings, friends, or students from other schools will not be allowed to visit classrooms.

Parents are also welcome to sign in and have lunch with their child during their lunch period. Parents cannot go on the playground during your child's recess time. Appointments are required for teacher conferences and may be scheduled directly with the teacher or through the main office. Exceptions must be approved in advance by the principal, superintendent, or designee. Parents are encouraged to be volunteers at the school.

POLICY FOR BACKGROUND CHECKS All volunteers are required to have a state-issued Photo ID to sign in to the school. For those chaperoning a one-day field trip, those persons must stop by the front office at Bethel, one-week prior to the trip, to sign in with their driver's license or state-issued ID using the school check-in system to receive clearance. You must have identification to volunteer. Teachers will provide the front office with a list of chaperones.

If a school is using chaperones for an overnight field trip, we will run a background check for those individuals. A. For those volunteers already on the approved list, no action is necessary.

B. For those volunteers not on the approved list, they should contact the school district office (Frances at 8022; Brenda at 8000;

Tony at 8096) to receive access to the link to complete the background check. These volunteers should complete this no less

than two weeks before the date of the trip.

BUS INFORMATION (To ride the bus, you must complete the online Bus Registration for your child/ren) Bus Service and Route Information is located at clover.k12.sc.us under Transportation or you can call the Bus Phone line: 803-810-8190

Parents should confirm bus information at registration and Open House sessions. Please do not assume that all bus routes will remain the same as last school year. Any changes in bus transportation must be approved by the transportation office and administration. Requests for students to ride the bus home with a friend or that your child ride the bus for only one day will be denied. If a child rides the bus, he/she must ride on a consistent basis to maintain their seat. Students are assigned to one bus and must be dropped off at the designated bus stop.

Good behavior on buses is essential to the safety of all students and drivers. The school bus is an extension of the school day. Students are expected to conduct themselves on the bus just as they would in school. All bus riders must cooperate fully with the bus driver and observe bus rules. The Clover School District transportation office prohibits the use of technology on the bus. The bus driver is responsible for supervising students on the bus. The driver may stop the bus at any time that misbehavior poses a hazard to safe driving. Drivers will report students who create disturbances on buses. PreK-2nd Grade students must have an adult visible to the driver at the bus stop before they can be released from the bus. The principal or assistant principal may suspend or deny bus transportation to any student who violates the bus rules.

TRANSPORTATION & CONTACT CHANGES FOR STUDENTS Written notes should be sent in anytime there are changes to transportation, updates to emergency contacts, or who can pick up your child. We do not accept phone calls to make any changes regarding your child. Please make sure all notes are signed and dated by the parent. We prefer that you would not send emails for transportation changes unless there is an emergency. If there is an emergency, please call the office at 803-631-8300 and then send the change to sonya.long@clover.k12.sc.us and patricia.bean@clover.k12.sc.us. Do not send changes for transportation by email to teachers. They do not always read email before the end of the day. Students will only be released to those parents/guardians, relatives and friends who are listed in records in the front office. Those persons should be prepared to show a picture id when picking up the student.

Note should include: Date of change and if it is for the morning, afternoon, or both; Student's full name; Homeroom teacher's name; Detail of the change and Parent/Guardian Signature.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS / EMERGENCY INFORMATION It is vitally important in times of emergency that the school is in possession of information that will enable us to promptly and directly contact the parents. The office must have a parent's current address and telephone number(s) at all times. Please notify the school immediately when changing an address, phone number, or place of employment. When changing your address, two (2) proofs of residency are required within 30 days and before bus transportation can be provided. WE REQUEST AN EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER OTHER THAN THE HOME PHONE. IF EITHER OF THESE NUMBERS CHANGE DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE IMMEDIATELY. We require written notification for any changes made throughout the year.

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