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JAMES N. THORP

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

STUDENT/PARENT HANDBOOK

2018-2019

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“Tigers ROAR their way to success”

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Absences/Tardies

Athletics

Attendance/Citizenship Award

Behavior Expectations

Birthday Parties

Book bags and purses

Breakfast

Cell Phone Use

Classroom Treats/Parties

CPS Promotion Policy

Detention

Field Trips

Grading Policy

Graduation Requirements

Gym Uniform

Homework

Honor Roll

Illness

Lunch

Lunch Forms/Applications

Local School Counsel

Meeting with Teachers

Parent Connection

Parent Volunteers

Plagiarism

Prohibited Items

Registration

Report Card Pick-Up/Distribution

Spirit Days

School Hours

School Security

School Uniform

Student Code of Conduct

Supplies

Thorp School Code of Conduct

Vacations

Visitors

J.N. THORP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

8914 S. Buffalo

Chicago, IL 606

773-535-6250

Ms. Sharrone Travis Mrs. Julianne Kortz

Principal Assistant Principal

PARENT/STUDENT/VISITOR HANDBOOK

ABSENCES/TARDINESS

Parents/Guardians must call the school before 8:15 a.m. (773-535-6250) whenever a child will be absent. Upon return to school, please send a note or your child will be marked truant. Children with 10 or more unexcused absences are considered chronic truants by the State of Illinois. Truancy officers from CPS will contact you if your child is chronically absent. If a student comes to school tardy and it is after 9:00am, they MUST be escorted into the office by a parent and provide a valid excuse as to their tardiness.

Excused Absences: illness, death of family member, valid family emergency

Unexcused Absences: inclement weather (unless stated by CPS), overslept, lack of transportation, vacation

ATHLETICS

To participate in extra curricular activities/athletics, students must have grades of a C or better in all subject areas. Students with a D will be given a chance to pull their grade up so they can participate Any students receiving an F, in any subject area, will be unable to participate in practices and/or games and may be removed from the team if the student does not improve their grade. Students who receive more than 2 misconducts, in groups 1-3 of the CPS Student Code of Conduct, will not be allowed to participate in one practice and one game. If a student receives 3 or more misconducts, the student will be removed from the team. Students who receive misconducts in groups 4-6 of the CPS Student Code of Conduct will NOT be able to participate on a school team, and/or will automatically be removed from the team.

ATTENDANCE/CITIZENSHIP AWARD

Students that receive A’s or B’s in Conduct, and/or students who have perfect attendance and no tardies, will be acknowledged for good citizenship and/or perfect attendance throughout the school year and at the end of the year awards ceremony.

BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS

In an effort to maintain a safe, welcoming, and productive learning environment for all students we adhere to the expectations and guidelines stated in the CPS Student Code of Conduct. In doing so we have multi-tiered systems of support for students’ emotional and behavioral needs. We have clear school wide expectations, teach social emotional learning, and foster positive relationships among all members of the school community. We take all behavioral matters that threaten student and staff safety, or severely disrupt the educational process seriously, with a goal of minimizing the impact of the incident, repairing the harm, and addressing the underlying needs behind the negative behaviors. All disciplinary responses will be respectful, fair and consistent.

All Classroom teachers will provide parents with their classroom behavior expectations and their classroom procedure for handling inappropriate behaviors.

BIRTHDAY PARTIES

Students will not be allowed to bring in edible treats to celebrate their birthdays. However, the classroom teachers will recognize their students’ birthdays by allowing them to wear a special birthday crown, birthday pin, and/or giving them a special job for the day.

BOOK BAGS AND PURSES

For safety reasons students will not be allowed to carry book bags and/or purses with them during the school day. Students will be required to hang up their bags/purses in their coatroom upon arrival to school. If a student brings a bag lunch to school they will be allowed to retrieve it from the coatroom upon transitioning to lunch. Girls will be allow to retrieve their purses from the coatroom for personal items during restroom breaks. It is highly recommended that students DO NOT bring money or valuable items in their bags/purses as the school will not be responsible for lost or stolen items. Book bags should be used solely for carrying school books and materials to and from school.

BREAKFAST

Breakfast is available for all students. Breakfast begins upon arrival at 7:45 a.m. and ends at 8:00 a.m. Students who are tardy, and enter the building after 8:00 a.m. WILL NOT receive a breakfast. Students ARE NOT allowed to bring food from home to eat for breakfast during the school breakfast period.

CELL PHONE USE

Students are NOT permitted to carry or use cell phones during the instructional period at any time! If a student brings a cell phone to school they are to turn it in by putting it in their classroom’s container. Security will collect all cell phone containers from the classroom and lock them up in the main office. At the end of the school day, security will return all cell phones containers to their classrooms, and cell phones will be passed back upon dismissal. If a student is caught with a cell phone during the school day it will be confiscated and a parent will be required to pick it up from the main office. If a student’s cell phone is confiscated two times, they WILL NOT be allowed to bring the phone to school for the remainder of the school year. NO EXCEPTIONS! Students are NOT allowed to use phones during the school day except in extreme emergencies, in which the office phone will be used.

CLASSROOM TREATS/PARTIES

Students will have two classroom parties per school year--one before winter break and one at the end of the school year. Per CPS policy, all classroom treats must be purchased from a store or ordered from a restaurant. Students are permitted from passing out any treats that are HOMEMADE! Treats will only by allowed during the scheduled classroom party times.

CPS PROMOTION POLICY

For a detailed description of promotion policy please refer to cps.edu. Students will be retained if they are unable to meet the CPS criteria for promotion. Although grades 3, 6, and 8 are CPS benchmark grades, retention can take place in all grade levels excluding Kindergarten.

DETENTION

After various attempts have been made to restore behavior, students may receive an after school detention for acts of inappropriate behavior as stated in the CPS Student Code of Conduct. Detentions will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:45pm-3:45pm. Students will receive a misconduct form and detention slip stating the nature of the offense and the date of their detention. Parents will also receive a phone call regarding the student’s detention. If students DO NOT serve their assigned detention, they will receive a second detention. Failure to serve assigned detentions will result in an in school suspension and be excluded from extra-curricular activities. Failure to serve the in school suspension will result in an out of school suspension and a student/parent conference.

FIELD TRIPS

Field trip permission slips and money are due by the date stated on the permission slip form. Due to the requirements involved in planning and paying for field trips (ex. Purchasing tickets, transportation, etc.), NO money or trip slips will be accepted the day of the actual field trip! If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, you will need to contact administration at least 2 days prior to the date of the scheduled trip. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS to this policy. Students consistently showing negative misconduct behaviors throughout the school year will have the opportunity to attend field trips as long as they are accompanied by a parent or guardian (not aunts, cousins, siblings). Teachers will ask for parent chaperones during field trips.

GRADING POLICY

Students in grades 1-8 are given grades on a weekly basis. Students are graded on classroom assignments, quizzes, exams, homework, and class participation according to the weights below:

EXAMS 30%

QUIZZES 25%

ASSIGNMENTS 20%

HOMEWORK 15%

CLASS PARTICIPATION 10%

In addition, the following grading scale is used:

A=90%-100%

B=80%-89%

C=70%-79%

D=60%-69%

F=0%-59%

Missing, incomplete, and late assignments will reduce a child’s grade point average. It is highly recommended that you use PARENT PORTAL to check your child’s grade on a weekly basis. Questions and/or concerns with your child’s grade should be

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS (8th Grade)

Participation in the eighth grade GRADUATION CEREMONY is a privilege. Students MUST meet the following criteria in order to be invited to participate in the 8th grade Graduation Ceremony:

●Students must have less than 9 days unexcused, and no more than 12 days excused and/or unexcused, absences

●Students must have a passing grade in all subjects (grade of D or better)

●Students must have no more than 4 misconduct reports in groups 1-3 of the Student Code of Conduct

●Students must have no more than 1 misconduct report in groups 4-6 of the Student Code of Conduct

Students who are in violation of this criteria will NOT be invited to participate in the graduation activities or ceremony. They may, however, still receive their diploma by picking it up in the main office. All 8th grade students and parents will be required to sign an 8th grade contract that state these requirement.

GYM UNIFORM

Gym Uniforms will be sold each school year. On Gym days, students should wear their J.N. Thorp PE uniform. Students who do not have an official Thorp PE uniform may wear their regular school uniform with gym shoes OR they may wear BLACK sweatpants/shorts and a JAMES N. THORP tshirt. Students MUST wear their gym uniform to school on their assigned gym day(s). They WILL NOT be able to change their clothes. Gym shoes MUST be worn in order to participate in physical education.

HOMEWORK

Homework is given so that students can review and practice what has been taught throughout the school day. It is also an essential part of academic growth. Students will have homework every night. At the discretion of the teacher, students may not receive homework on Friday. Please review your child’s homework nightly to ensure that it was done to the best of their ability. Homework assignments are 10% of each students overall grade!

HONOR ROLL (GRADES 1ST-8TH)

Principal’s Honor Roll—A’s in ALL subject areas

“A” Honor Roll—Student must have A’s in all major subject areas (reading, math, writing, science, social studies), and B’s in all other subjects

“B”Honor Roll—Student must have all A’s or B’s in ALL subject areas

ILLNESS

Pupils who become ill in the middle of the day will be sent to the office. Parents will be notified and asked to pick up their child. No student will be allowed to leave the building without being signed out by a person on his/her emergency form. A student will NOT be released to anyone who is NOT on the emergency form unless the parent has stated in writing that said person has permission to pick up the student. For the safety of the student, office staff will ask to see an ID if the adult picking up the student is not recognized.

LUNCH

Lunch is available for all students. A student may bring their own lunch if they choose not to eat the school provided lunch. Students WILL NOT be allowed to bring excessive amounts of “junk” food to lunch (ex. Chips, cookies, candy). In addition, they will not be able to share food during lunch.

LUNCH FORMS/APPLICATIONS

Although all CPS students are able to receive a free lunch, it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that every family complete and return the APPLICATION FOR FREE/REDUCED LUNCH. These applications will be sent home the first week of school. Our school’s funding is based on the number of applications returned. Please return your application even if you are not interested in a school lunch.

LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL

LSC consists of an elected body consisting of six parents, two teachers, two community members, and the principal. LSC meetings are held on a monthly basis and all parents are encouraged to attend. Please visit the office to receive further information on LSC meetings.

MEETING WITH TEACHERS

We highly encourage parents to meet with their child’s teacher, however meeting with teachers during instructional time is prohibited. If you need to meet with a teacher, please work with him/her to schedule a time before 8:00, after 2:45, or during the teacher’s preparation period. You may call the main office to request a time to meet with a teacher.

PARENT CONNECTION

Parents in grades 1-8 are encouraged to access parent connect to review their child’s grades. For access to the parent portal, please contact the school office.

PARENT VOLUNTEERS

There are several parent volunteering opportunities, and parents are encouraged to volunteer at the school. Per CPS policy all parents who would like to volunteer on a regular basis must complete an online parent volunteer application. In addition, a Fingerprint Criminal Background Check, and TB test, will be required depending on the level of parent volunteering. If a parent is interested in volunteering at the school they should meet with Administration to discuss the proper procedures for volunteering. Parents who volunteer to chaperone one day field trips do not have to complete the volunteer application process.

PLAGIARISM

Students’ work should be original and reflect their ability. Students who turn in another person’s work will receive a “0” on the assignment.

PROHIBITED ITEMS

Toys, MP3 players, skateboards, rollerblades, and other electronic devices (Gameboys/IPODS) are NOT permitted in school or on field trips. Teachers and school staff will confiscate these items from students. Parents will be able to retrieve them from the office. Reports of lost or stolen prohibited items will be recorded with no action taken by school personnel in locating or recovering them. They should not be in the building.

REGISTRATION

New families to our school need to produce 3 proofs of residency along with a picture ID, the child’s birth certificate, and any records from the previous school.

REPORT CARD PICK UP/DISTRIBUTION

Parents are required to pick-up their child’s report card during the scheduled CPS parent/teacher conference dates in the 1st and 3rd quarters. Report cards will be distributed to the students in the 2nd and 4th quarters. You may schedule a conference with your child’s teacher during these quarters.

SPIRIT DAYS

On the last FRIDAY of each month Spirit Days are held. Students are permitted to wear jeans along with school colors (black and gold), school tshirts, or college tshirts/sweatshirts. There will be other “themed” spirit days throughout the school year that will be announced.

SCHOOL HOURS

Opening bell rings at 7:45 a.m. Tardy bell rings at 8:00. Dismissal is at 2:45. Students are to leave the school grounds immediately after dismissal. Students should not arrive on school grounds prior to 7:30 a.m. without parent/guardian supervision. There is NO staff supervision of students outside on the school grounds before 7:30am.

SCHOOL SECURITY

All doors are locked at 8:00am each morning after the students have arrived. If you need to enter the building, please ring the bell at the main entrance and security will let you in. You will be asked to sign in at the security desk and proceed to the main office to state your business. Please do not be offended if we ask you to identify yourself and state your business prior to opening the doors. This system is in place to provide for your child’s safety.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

The Thorp school uniform consists of BLACK bottoms and GOLD collared tops. BLACK shorts may be worn during the warm weather months, as long as they are knee length. Uniform sweaters or long sleeve shirts under the uniform shirt may be worn during the cold weather months. Hoodies, coats, and/or jackets of any type are not permitted to be worn during the school day unless an unforeseen event with our heating system arises over the colder weather months. It is the expectation that ALL Thorp students are in proper uniform daily! Students who do not wear their uniform will receive a detention (grades 3rd-8th) and may be excluded from extra-curricular activities and/or school wide incentives such as field trips, dances, etc. T-shirts, athletic pants/shorts, jeans, leggings are NOT considered as the uniform!!

STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT

A copy of the CPS Student Code of Conduct will be sent home at the beginning of the year. Any violation may result in the following consequences:

1. Parent conference

2. Detention

3. In-school suspension

4. Out of school suspension

5. Expulsion

Please refer to the Uniform Discipline Code for more detailed descriptions.

SUPPLIES

Students must be prepared with supplies such as paper, pencils, pens, notebooks and other materials as directed by each classroom teacher. Supply lists will be distributed the first day of school. Please replenish supplies as needed.

THORP SCHOOL CODE OF CONDUCT

1. Be prompt and have regular attendance.

2. Dress in the school uniform every day.

3. Come prepared to participate and learn.

4. Respect and obey all school staff.

5. Obey classroom rules and regulations.

6. Accept responsibility for the care of textbooks and materials

7. Respect the rights of others.

8. Be a positive representation of yourself, your family, and your school

VACATIONS

We DISCOURAGE family vacations during the academic year. Valuable instructional time is lost due to vacations. Teachers are not required to provide, or grade, missed work due to vacations taken during the time school is in session. Vacations will result in unexcused absence and it is the discretion of the teacher if missing work will be accepted.

VISITORS

ALL visitors entering Thorp School MUST sign in at the security desk and then proceed directly to the office to state the nature of your business and receive a visitor’s pass. Visitors may be asked to present a valid ID before entering the office.

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