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Academy at Carrie F. Thomas Home of the TigersA Guide for Our Families and Students11303011430School Mission: Our fundamental purpose is to provide outstanding academic instruction for all students in order to prepare them for a bright future. We will consistently strive to meet individual needs so each child will experience success in such a way that he/she is inspired to be a life-long learner. We expect all students to be productive citizens in our ever changing and growing global community therefore we will do everything possible to give our students the necessary skills to make the world a better place. Academy at Carrie F. Thomas Elementary“Home of the Tigers”August, 2013Dear Parent/Guardian,Welcome to the Academy at Carrie Frances Thomas (ACFT) Elementary! We love children and we love watching them learn! ACFT is the best school for children as we have some of the most talented educators in the state—quite probably, in the universe! We believe that all children can learn and will learn under our guidance and instruction. Our staff members genuinely care about our students and their families—we know that children are more successful in school when their families are actively involved with the educational process and we are excited to work closely with all of our ACFT students and their families!In order to maintain a safe and productive school environment, ACFT has set guidelines, rules and procedures. I encourage you to become acquainted with the Guide for Families and Students. In addition, please refer to the Elementary Parent Handbook and Code of conduct online at . ACFT’s faculty and staff strive to provide a positive warm working relationship and mutual understanding between teachers, administrators, parents, and students. Together we will achieve academic excellence for each of our students. We encourage the channels of communication to be open at all times. If problems should arise or you have question and/or concerns, please contact our office at 817-547-3000. Sincerely,Sabrina Lindsey, Ph.D.PrincipalAcademy at Carrie F. ThomasGENERAL SCHOOL INFORMATIONBEGINNING SCHOOL INFORMATIONSchool starts on Monday, August 26, 2013 at 8:10 a.m. We will serve breakfast and lunch on that day. OFFICE PERSONNEL Principal: Sabrina Lindsey, Ph.D.Assistant Principal: Susan NallCounselor: Joan HeffnerNurse: Kathy Cheek, RNDiagnostican: Grisel CamachoASPIRE Coordinator: Daniel PeltierAdministrative Assistant: Kim McIntireAttendance Clerk: Debbie NovielloOffice Clerk: Rebecca WongOffice Clerk: Melissa Perez-RodriguezSCHOOL SCHEDULE7:30 - 8:00 a. m.The building will open at 7:30 a.m. Breakfast will be served from 7:30-8:00 each morning. Students arriving to their classrooms after 8:10 will be counted tardy. Therefore, please allow sufficient time for your child to eat breakfast. All students arriving before 8:00 a.m. must go to the cafeteria for breakfast or go to the appropriate place for their grade level. Kindergarten – 2nd graders will go to the gym and 3rd—5th graders will be seated in the cafeteria. The tables in the cafeteria are assigned by grade. Those eating breakfast have assigned tables until they have finished breakfast.All parents/guardians entering the building must enter through the front doors or the back doors (nearest the garden) before 8:10 am. After 8:10 all visitors must be buzzed in through the front doors only. Please do not ask staff members or students to open a door for you—this is for the safety and security of every person at ACFT. 8:00 a.m. First Morning BellAll students go to their classrooms.Teachers will be at their door to greet the children as they enter the classroom and to help monitor the halls. Please do not conference with the teacher at that time. They are on duty with students. If you need a conference with the teacher, we will be glad to set one up in the office. After the first week, parents should allow students to walk to their classes on their own except for our Kindergarten students, whose parents will be expected to allow them to walk to their class after the second week of school.8:10 a. m. Tardy Bell All students must be in their rooms by 8:10 a.m. For your child’s safety and security, parents and visitors will not be allowed past the blue doors after the second week of school. All students arriving after 8:10 a.m. must be escorted into the office by a parent to sign in and receive a Tardy Pass, as they must be buzzed in through the Security System. Academic instruction begins at 8:10 a.m. It is crucial for your child’s academic progress to be on time and not miss morning work. Any student with more than three (3) tardies per six weeks grading period, may be subject to detention. Notices will go out to inform parents if your child has detention. Consistent tardies may lead to more severe consequences. (Refer to the Code of Conduct and Elementary Handbook for district attendance policies at ). 3:25 p.m. –Kinder—5th grade classes are dismissed from their designated places outside. PARENT INFORMATION A-ZABSENCE AND TARDIESDoctor’s notes are required for medical appointments resulting in a student’s early dismissal or late arrival. If your child is absent from school you need to:Call the school on the morning of the absence to report itSend your child to school with a doctor’s excuse or a parent note so that we can file the letter within 3 school daysWithout this information you may receive a truancy letter after five (5) unexcused absences. This could result in a fine from the state of Texas. Refer to the Elementary Handbook online @ offers the ASPIRE program before and after school. This is a federal grant program intended for at risk students. Please contact the ASPIRE coordinator, Danny Peltier, for grant eligibility, schedule and registration.ARRIVALCafeteria doors open at 7:30 a.m. Office doors open at 7:45 a.m. Kindergarten – 2nd graders will wait in the gym and 3rd—5th graders wait in the cafeteria until the 8:00 a.m. bell dismissal to class. Breakfast is available for all students at 7:30 a.m. in the cafeteria.Do not drop off students earlier than 7:30 a.m. as they are left outside MUNICATIONParents may visit the school website at .Should you need to contact your child’s teacher by phone during the school day, you will be directed to the teacher’s voicemail and he/she will return the call during the planning period or after school. For emergency calls that need immediate attention or questions, please call the main office at 817-547-3000. DISMISSALKindergarten -3rd grade students will be picked up at the front of the school which is located on O’Brian Way. We ask that older siblings wait with younger siblings to reduce the number of parent stops. Travel East on O’Brian Way and enter front drive. Kindergarten & 1st grade students are picked up in the right lane closest to the building. 2nd & 3rd grade students are picked up in the left lane closest to O’Brian Way. Please wait patiently as school personnel will safely put your child into your car. Our 4th and 5th grade students are dismissed at the back of the school by the blacktop gate on Emerald Hills Way. Travel West on Emerald Hills and pick up at south gate.Any K – 3rd grade child who has an older sibling in 4th or 5th grades will be picked up by their older sibling and taken to the 4th/5th grade pick up location.Please make visible the colored Pick Up Card in your car window with your child’s name, grade and teacher’s name. No Card—No Child…this is for the safety of all students.For student safety, parents will not be able to pick up students from buses. School personnel in charge of placing students in the correct buses do not have a means of identifying adults that attempt to pick up students from buses. If you choose for your child not to ride the bus that day, please check him/her out through the front office and send a note with your child so the teacher is also aware ahead of time. Any adults checking out students for early dismissals need to be on student’s emergency card and have proper identification with them. We will not release a child to anyone who is not listed on the child’s emergency card.EARLY DISMISSALSWe know that there are times when your child will need an early dismissal from school. You will need to come to the front office and sign them out using the computer on the front counter. We will not call students to the office to wait for you if you call ahead. Therefore, plan to come in with enough time to wait for your student. ALL LATE AFTERNOON DISMISSALS NEED TO OCCUR PRIOR TO 3:00 PM. Only adults listed on student’s emergency card will be allowed to pick up your child. Please call the office and notify school personnel if you plan to have someone different pick up your child(ren) that day.FOOD SERVICEMenu Prices 2013-2014Meal PricesBreakfast5 Day20 DayK-5th Grade$1.00$5.00$20.006-8th Grade$1.00$5.00$20.009-12th Grade$1.00$5.00$20.00Reduced$0.30$1.50$6.00AdultA-la-carteMeal PricesLunch5 Day20 DayK-5th Grade$2.30$11.50$46.006-8th Grade$2.50$12.50$50.00Reduced$0.40$2.0$8.00Adult$3.00$15.00$60.00Breakfast will be served from 7:30 am– 8:00am. My Payment Plus is available online on the district website and allows parents to deposit money into students’ lunch account. All free and reduced lunch applications expire on October 1, 2013. Please make sure you have completed a new one for the 2013-2014 school year before this time. All applications must be renewed annually. Parents are welcomed to eat with their child during breakfast or lunch times. The lunch times vary per classroom. Parents may obtain a class schedule from your child’s teacher. All guests must check in through the office for lunch. Therefore, please allow time for check-in. You will be allowed to eat with your child only at the designated dining tables. This is to be a special time for your child and we ask that no other students sit with you due to limited visitor lunch seating. GRADESParents may view their child’s grades online using the SKYWARD system. Please contact the school registrar’s office for further information at 817-547-3013. LOST AND FOUNDPlease make sure that you put your child’s name on all of his/her belongings. We always have a large number of items in our “Lost & Found” each year without names. The Lost and Found is located in the cafeteria. Please visit this area for any lost items. We donate any unclaimed “Lost & Found” items twice per year near the end of each semester—we will send messages/notes home as a reminder before we donate the items. PARKINGVisitor parking is located on the North side of the building closest to Newman Drive. Please do not park in the front drive near the red curb as this is a fire lane and you risk being fined and/or towed. PTA MEMBERSHIPOur school has a parent-teacher organization that depends on the funds from membership to provide for our students. This year the dues for PTA are only $5. You may sign-up for PTA at the time of registration, meet the teacher or during other school functions. Parents may register to be approved volunteers on the BISD website>Family>Volunteer Partnership. SAFETY AND SECURITYEntrance to the school will only be allowed through the main doors after 8:10 a.m. After being allowed access through the security system, all visitors must proceed directly to the front office and have a picture ID to check in through the security system if entering the school during regular hours. The RAPTOR system is the security identification program used district wide. No exceptions. Please do not ask staff members, other parents, or students to open a door for you—this is for the safety and security of every person at ACFT. School staff is required to follow safety and security regulations at all times. This may include escorting unauthorized guests without a visitor badge to the office. Therefore, please do not go past the big blue hallway doors, visit any of the portable buildings, or go into the garden or playground area without first visiting the office and obtaining a visitor badge. The playground area is only for staff members and students. Teachers may not talk to parents while the students are at recess as this takes their focus off the safety and security of our student.Parents will be notified of any emergency and/or severe weather and school closings through the district’s SCHOOL MESSENGER SYSTEM and DISTRICT FACEBOOK PAGE. Therefore, it is crucial for parents’ phone numbers to be kept current in the school’s SKYWARD system. Parents may update contact information directly on SKYWARD or with the school’s registrar. SENDING MONEY TO SCHOOLWhen you send money to school for lunch, school pictures, field trips, fundraiser etc., please send an envelope for each child in the family SEPARATELY. Make sure the child’s name, grade and teacher are on each envelope. This will help the teachers and office staff ensure proper credit for your student. TEACHER/PRINCIPAL/ASSISTANT PRINCIPALCONFERENCE TIMESPlease contact the school secretary @ 817-547-3011 to schedule a conference. Conferences may be scheduled before or after school or during the teacher’s conference period. Please remember when coming to meet with the teacher that you will have to follow check-in procedures, so please plan to arrive early. Parents may also schedule teacher-parent conferences directly with teachers in person, by phone or email. All teacher emails follow the following format: firstname.lastname@ . It is proper procedure to meet with your child’s teacher to discuss any issues or concerns before scheduling a conference with Dr. Lindsey or Ms. Nall. If you are still not satisfied after meeting with your child’s teacher, the administrators will be happy to meet with you and your child’s teacher to further discuss any remaining issues or concerns.TRANPORTATIONIf your child rides a daycare bus after school, please provide the school with the name of the daycare and schedule of when your child rides the daycare bus. It is the parent’s responsibility to notify the daycare when your child is absent. District bus transportation is available for students meeting eligibility. Please ask the school office for further information. VOLUNTEERSParent volunteers are welcomed and highly encouraged at ACFT. Please register to be an approved volunteer by going to the BISD website>Family>Volunteer Partnership. Need help? Please call or come by the main office. For additional information, please contact our school office at 817-547-3000. We look forward to continuing to build our partnership in maximizing your child’s educational experience. ................
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