DOES Parent Student Handbook 14-15

Dayton Oaks Elementary School Parent/Student Handbook 4691 Ten Oaks Road Dayton, Maryland 21036 Main Office: 410-313-1571 FAX: 410-313-1572 http://www2.hcpss.org/does/ Principal: Mrs Carol DeBord Assistant Principal: Ms Heather Tracy Welcome to Dayton Oaks Elementary School Contents Message to Students Mission Statement Arrival and Dismissal Procedures Attendance Banking Birthdays Bus Safety Cafeteria Information Calendar Communication Counselor Dolphin Dive Expectations Drugs, Tobacco, Alcohol, Weapons E-mail Guidelines Emergency Cards Health Suite Information Hours Lost and Found Media/Technology Information Middle School Information PTA Executive Board Members Policy 9270-PR Reporting Acts of Bullying, Harassment of Intimidation School Improvement Team Supply Lists Toys Visitors/Parking/Sign-in Procedures Volunteers Message to Students Dear Students, It is a pleasure to welcome you to a new school year at Dayton Oaks Elementary Our theme is “Islands of Imagination.” Your teachers have many exciting things planned for you this year and with the support of your parents and teachers you will be a huge success Don’t forget to work hard and follow the Dayton Oak’s Expectations Many of you will use your Agenda Books to record your assignments and assist you in staying organized Often, your agenda book and take home folder will have important information that you will need to share with your parents as well We hope you have a wonderful year at DOES We look forward to greeting all of you in August Mrs DeBord and Ms Tracy Mission Statement The Dayton Oaks School Community will provide a safe, nurturing environment that fosters individual potential through academic excellence, appreciation of diversity, commitment to college and career readiness, and life-long learning Arrival and Dismissal Procedures Students should be in their homeroom class and ready for morning announcements by 9:00 AM Classes will begin at 9:10 Students should arrive no earlier than 8:50, unless it is for a scheduled activity supervised by an adult Students that are dropped off at the school should remain in their car with an adult, until the 8:50 bell rings All car-riders must be dropped off in the carpool loop For safety reasons, parents parking in the lot must escort their children across the crosswalk When using the carpool loop, students should be ready to depart as cars pull to the curb and must exit curbside Please maintain a single line of traffic as passing is extremely unsafe and is not allowed Dismissal Car riders are dismissed to the carpool loop at 3:20 They are walked to the loop with an instructional assistant Bus Riders are dismissed from 3:22-3:30 Students may not ride an unassigned bus for a play date Any changes in dismissal procedures must be submitted in writing We cannot take the word of a child to change their dismissal routine In cases where there is no note from the parent requesting a change, a child will be sent home following his/her normal dismissal routine Additionally, we will require a written, parental consent if your child is to be picked up by someone other than a parent or guardian A legal document will be required if a child is NOT to be released to a parent due to custody issues Students attending the after-care program at DOES will be dismissed to the cafeteria at 3:20 Before and After-care can be arranged by contacting the Howard County Department of Parks and Recreation If there is an unscheduled closing, the aftercare programs will NOT be held You will need to make arrangements for your child(ren) Attendance Students are expected to attend school daily On the first day back to school after an absence, please send a note with the reason for the absence, the date, and the student’s full name to your child’s teacher Include any activities in which students should not participate due to recuperation time Parents of students with excessive absences or tardiness will receive a phone call and/or a written notice from the school Good attendance is directly related to school success and academic achievement Banking Dayton Oaks is pleased to announce its partnership with Sandy Springs Bank Your children are given the opportunity to open a savings account and deposit money right here at the school Information is presented at the beginning of the school year for those students who have established accounts or are interested in starting a savings club account Birthdays Birthdays are celebrated in various ways by individual teams (Information will be sent home from each team) Due to the school system’s Food and Nutrition policy, homemade foods are not permitted during these monthly celebrations Birthday and other party invitations may not be distributed at school Because we value equity, it is important that feelings are not hurt because some children receive invitations while others not All private party arrangements must be made outside of school School cannot release private information regarding names, phone numbers or addresses of students Our PTA publishes a Student Directory that is distributed to all families This is a great resource for contacting classmates Bus Safety Specific student behavioral expectations are established for the safe and efficient operation of the school district transportation system School bus drivers may present a bus referral to the Assistant Principal for further investigation if bus expectations are not being met All students must remain seated while the bus is in motion Follow directions from the driver the first time they are given Keep all body parts inside the bus and out of the aisle Keep hands, feel, legs, arms, and personal property to themselves Keep voice level to a minimum Please keep all toys, ipods, and GAMEBOYS at home Cafeteria/Lunch/Recess Information The Board of Education approved the following prices for School Meals and Milk for the Elementary level 2008/09 school year Lunch $2.75 Milk $0.50 Adult Regular Lunch: $4.50 Reduced Lunch $0.40 Menus are sent home monthly and can also be accessed on the school system’s website at www.hcpss.org Some ala carte items are also available and include: milk, juice, snacks, and ice cream Our cafeteria manager is Mrs Carol Isenstadt Calendar Each August, students receive a copy of the Howard County Public School System’s Calendar and Handbook The Calendar and Handbook contain many useful and important facts about the school system’s policies and procedures, programs, services and supports, student’s rights and responsibilities It should be used as a reference if questions arise during the school year Please visit the Howard County Public School System website for a complete showing of all calendar dates: www.hcpss.org Communication We encourage open, honest, and respectful communication and appreciate your input and ideas If you have a concern, we encourage you to first discuss it with your child’s teacher The administrative team is also available as an additional resource We have an open door policy and welcome your comments and suggestions The Weekly Wave is our newsletter that highlights school and community activities These newsletters are sent via HCPSS news and can be accessed on our school’s website (http://does.hcpss.org) A hard copy is sent home if requested Classroom work and school-wide information will be sent home in the student’s THURSDAY folder All class-work will be saved until Thursday except for Kindergarteners They will bring their class-work home daily HCPSSNews emails will be sent throughout the year as information becomes available and needs to be presented to the community (We will send an alert if a bus is running late as soon as we receive any information) Our school’s website address is http://does.hcpss.org Counselor The school counselor is available to support children at school to be successful in their daily routines Our counselor, Mrs Jodi Enzman, provides a variety of services and activities working with individual students, small groups, parents, teachers, and lunch bunches She presents lessons throughout the school year that reinforce our school-wide expectations and good citizenship Mrs Enzman also serves as a resource for and provides referral assistance to other programs and services in our community She can be reached at 410-313-1571 or (jodi_enzman@hcpss.org) Dolphin Dive Expectations Dayton Oaks Elementary follows the DIVE expectations for school-wide behavior D- Be Dependable I- Be Involved and Organized V- Be Very Respectful E- Everyone Succeeds School Psychologist The school psychologist is also available to support children at school and to help develop their social and academic skills Our school psychologist is Ms Jill Schindler Ms Schindler leads our Instructional Intervention Team and is an integral part of our Special Education Team as well Ms Schindler serves as a resource for the students that may need emotional and academic support throughout the school year You may reach her by calling the school’s office or emailing her at jill_schindler@hcpss.org Drugs, Tobacco, Alcohol, Weapons According to state law, schools are drug-free zones and the use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco is prohibited on school property Firearms or any kind of weapon, including pin knives, are strictly prohibited Look a-like weapons, such as toy guns or knives are also prohibited Please review this policy with your child(ren.) E-mail Guidelines The Howard County Public School System believes that communication between home and school is an important component to student success The HCPSSS Collaborative Learning Community or CLC is an email system that school system employees can access and it is often a preferred, form of communication The school system has provided staff members the following guidelines (This is just a partial listing) Some General E-Mail guidelines • Staff members should respond to e-mails in a timely fashion, just as they would to a phone call or handwritten message, but the response does not have to be by e-mail One may choose to respond in other ways (e.g., e-mail, telephone call, note, conference) • E-mail should not be used to discuss contentious, emotional or highly confidential issues These issues should be dealt with face-to-face of by phone E-mails should be brief and must be civil • When appropriate, include the sender’s original message for clarity of content Acceptable Staff/Parent E-Mail • Informing parents about their child’s academic performance (e.g., grades, improved performance and/or class participation, missing assignments) • Informing parents about class activities (e.g., curriculum, homework, special events, assignments, and important dates) • Disseminating class/school announcements to a parent e-mail group maintained at the school level • Arranging a meeting/telephone call regarding a student issue including a general description of the issue (e.g., “I would like to arrange a meeting to discuss your son’s attendance.”) • Following up on a non-sensitive issue that has previously been discussed via e-mail (e.g., status of homework) Unacceptable Staff/Parent E-Mail • Any discussion of or information related to other students • Any sensitive student information that would normally be discussed face-to face or by phone • Any negative discussion related to other staff, parents or community members • Any information not related to school system business Emergency Cards Each child is required to have an emergency card on file in the front office and health room This information is used in case parents need to be contacted at any time Please make sure all telephone numbers and addresses are accurate and clearly written Remember to put the name of a person who can be contacted in case you cannot be reached Please notify the school throughout the year if there are any phone number or address changes All information on the emergency card must be filled in to assure that we can reach a responsible party in case of an emergency Current and accurate information is essential if an emergency arises and the school must locate the parent due to injury, sickness, or emergency event A copy of custody agreements must be filed with the school if there are any special custodial arrangements Health Suite Information Mrs Kim Watts, Health Assistant, works under the direction of a cluster nurse, Ms Donna Lyman Health Assistants will help students in case of an accident or illness Students leaving early due to an illness must be signed out by their parent or guardian in the main office Hours The school hours are 9:00 through 3:30 daily Children are not permitted in the building, unsupervised, until the 8:50 bell rings Children must remain with an adult until school begins In the afternoon, dismissal begins at 3:20 It is extremely important to notify the office of any transportation changes before 2:50 in the afternoon This alleviates any confusion for your child and the child’s teacher Lost and Found If you lose something, you may find it in the “Lost and Found” container located in the cafetorium closet Please put your child’s name on all clothing, jackets, hats, lunch boxes, etc that are brought to school Unclaimed items will be donated to charity Media/Technology Information The Media Center is open daily from 8:50am to 3:20 each school day The media center provides many services/activities for the parents, staff, and students When visiting the media center Mrs Jane Slattery Mrs Jean Huber, and Mrs Kathy Boeckl may greet you: Ms Lori Jones and Ms Rachel Gelinas our the Technology Resource Teachers The Technology Resource Teachers will address six main goals throughout the year: To develop foundations in the understanding and uses of technology systems; to demonstrate an understanding of the history of technology and its impact on society, and practice ethical, legal, and responsible uses of technology to assure safety; to use a variety of technologies for learning and collaboration; to use technology to communicate information and express ideas using various media formats; to use technology to locate, evaluate, gather, and organize information and data; and, to demonstrate the ability to use technology and develop strategies to solve problems and make informed decisions All students, grades K-5, will receive direct instruction to meet these goals through curriculumintegrated lessons on a weekly basis Middle School Information Dayton Oaks feeds into the following middle schools: Folly Quarter Middle School: Lime Kiln Middle School: 13500 Triadelphia Road 11650 Scaggsville Road Ellicott City MD 21042 Fulton MD 20759 410-313-1506 410-880-5988 PTA Executive Board Members President Name: Kristi DeIuliis e-mail: president @daytonoakspta.org 1st Vice President Name: Angie Norris e-mail: firstvicepresident@daytonoakspta.org 2nd Vice President Name: Kathi Estes e-mail: secondvicepresident@daytonoakspta.org Recording Secretary Name: Stephanie Dapko e-mail: recordingsecretary@daytonoakspta.org Corresponding Secretary Name: Kim Miller e-mail: correspondingsecretary@daytonoakspta.org Treasurer Name: Linda Peletski e-mail: treasurer@daytonoakspta.org PTAC Delegates Names: Diane A Minni and Cindy Baker e-mail: delegates@daytonoakspta.org PTA Website www.daytonoakspta.org Policy 9270 Policy Statement The Board of Education recognizes the need for a school environment that is safe, secure, and nurturing This environment must allow staff to be free from any assault and/or battery by students Therefore, any assault and/or battery by a student directed towards a staff member or service provider is strictly forbidden II Purpose The purpose of this policy is to help ensure a safe and secure environment for all staff members by outlining the process that administrators must use if a student engages in assault and/or battery directed towards a staff member or service provider III Definitions Within the context of this policy, the following definitions apply: A Assault – Any willful attempt or threat to inflict harm upon another person or any display of force or expression that would give the victim reasonable fear of harm An assault may be physical, oral, or written B Battery I – The unlawful touching of another person by the aggressor or by some substance or force put in motion by the aggressor, which is not consented to by the other person C Battery II – Battery I accompanied by circumstances which reflect the student’s blatant disregard for the safety of staff members or other persons evidenced by, but not limited to, the student’s intentional conduct, disregard of directions, or the fact that the battery resulted in serious bodily harm D Extracurricular Activities – School-sponsored activities other than regular class activities in which the student represents the school E Regular Class Activities – Activities which are countywide expectations for a particular class and in which all students in the class must participate as a part of their grade F Service Provider – An individual who provides services to the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) through contract or volunteer service, including student teachers and interns G Suspension – The denial of a student’s right to attend regular classes or school (including extracurricular activities) for a specified period of time for cause IV Standards A Information regarding assault and/or battery by a student on staff or service provider will be made known to students, parents/guardians, and staff members at the beginning of the school year and when deemed necessary by the principal B It is a violation of this policy for any student to assault and/or batter a staff member or service provider at any time or any place C Any student who violates this policy will be suspended from school and may be subject to transfer or expulsion D If a student receives special education services or has a 504 plan, procedures consistent with COMAR 13A.08.01.11 and HCPSS Policy 9200 Discipline Implementation Procedure VIII must be followed V Compliance A The Superintendent/Designee is responsible for publishing information on the standards and penalties of this policy B Principals are responsible for disseminating information on the standards and penalties of this policy at their school VI Delegation of Authority The Superintendent is authorized to develop appropriate procedures to implement this policy VII Reference A Legal The Annotated Code of Maryland, Criminal Law Article, Section 3-202 The Annotated Code of Maryland, Criminal Law Article, Section 3-303 The Annotated Code of Maryland, Education Article, Section 26-101 COMAR 13A.08.01.11 B Other Board Policies Policy 1000 Civility Policy 1040 Safe School Environments Policy 1060 Bullying, Cyberbulling, Harassment, or Intimidation Policy 9200 Discipline C Other Student Code of Conduct ADOPTED: June 14, 1990 AMENDED: September 6, 1996 August 27, 1998 June 10, 2010 EFFECTIVE: July 1, 2010 Reporting Acts of Bulling, Harassment or Intimidation As a result of legislation passed in 2008, the Board of Education has developed Policy 1060, Bullying, Cyber bullying, harassment or Intimidation, which establishes expectations for maintaining a safe and respectful school climate where bullying, harassment, or intimidation are not tolerated Policy 1060 requires compliance with the Maryland Safe Schools Reporting Act of 2005 which provides for any student, staff member, parent/guardian or close adult relative of a student to report any incident of bullying, harassment or intimidation that occurs on school property, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored activity or event off school property Reporting forms are available in all HCPSS front and guidance offices as well as on the HCPSS website RECESS before LUNCH As Dayton Oaks Elementary school focuses on Goal 2: Each school will provide a safe and nurturing environment that values diversity and commonality, we have implemented the procedure of participating in recess before eating lunch We have found the health room referrals have decreased, discipline referrals have decreased, and healthy, hardy appetites and water consumption has increased! Schools that schedule recess before lunch find that children come to lunch less distracted and ready to eat! School Improvement Team Dayton Oaks has a School Improvement Plan that contains school-wide goals and lists strategies used to address these goals The School Improvement Team is composed of team leaders, parent representatives, classroom teachers, and administrators Supply Lists Supply lists are sent home at the end of each school year with your child’s report card If you did not receive a copy of this year’s supply list, please call the front office to receive another copy Lists are also posted on the school website, http://www2.hcpss.org/does/ Toys All students love toys They are fun and interesting, but they are not allowed at school Please enjoy toys at home unless there is a special day or activity in which the teacher permits students to bring them to school Examples of toys include cards, balls, games, GAME BOYS, Ipods, etc Visitors/ Parking/ Sign-in procedures Visitors: For the safety of our students and in order to create a safe environment, any parent or visitor coming into the school building for any reason is required, by law, to report to the office and sign in to the building If a parent wishes to pick a child up from school, the office will call the student from the classroom Please be sure to use our computerized check-in to make this process easier and quicker and put on a visitors badge If you are seen in the building without a badge, you will be asked to report back to the office Parking: We are fortunate at Dayton Oaks to have adequate parking for our student population If there is little parking left when you arrive to an event, feel free to park on the grass between the lot and Ten Oaks Road Be careful of the white piping Please remember that our bus loop must be cleared between 8:40 and 9:00 daily The buses also need access at the end of the day between 2:45-3:30 Volunteers We appreciate our volunteers and look forward to working with you this year Please sign in at the office whenever entering the building and obtain a Volunteer badge These are located next to the computer sign-in We value our partnership and collaboration with our parents and guests Together, we can provide our children with an outstanding education and a wonderful school environment  ... other than a parent or guardian A legal document will be required if a child is NOT to be released to a parent due to custody issues Students attending the after-care program at DOES will be... name to your child’s teacher Include any activities in which students should not participate due to recuperation time Parents of students with excessive absences or tardiness will receive a phone... numbers or addresses of students Our PTA publishes a Student Directory that is distributed to all families This is a great resource for contacting classmates Bus Safety Specific student behavioral