Powhatan Elementary School

Powhatan Elementary School P ositive R elationships I nvestigating D iscovering E xploring #wearepowhatan 3145 Vinson Road Clayton, NC 27527 Telephone: (919) 553-3259 Fax: (919) 553-6349 Student / Parent Playbook 2017-2018 Principal: Dan Kerwin Assistant Principal: Julie Johnson Welcome to Powhatan Elementary School

Powhatan Elementary School s faculty, staff and administration wish you a wonderful and productive school year. This handbook will serve as a guide in communicating school-wide rules, procedures, and policies at Powhatan Elementary. This handbook is not all inclusive and the school may need to alter procedures as necessary. We thank you in advance for assisting us in ensuring a safe and productive learning environment for our students. At Powhatan Elementary, we will continue to focus on high student achievement and strong school pride. Please refer to our website and the Johnston County Schools website for additional information. Dan Kerwin, Principal Julie Johnson, Assistant Principal Crystal Jackson, Secretary/Treasurer Brenda Brinkley, Data Manager/Attendance/Enrollment Teresa Scott, Receptionist Wendy Richters, Cafeteria Manager Support Staff at Powhatan Elementary Vision/Mission Statement of Johnston County Schools

Nondiscrimination Policy Educational activities in the Johnston County Schools are governed by the philosophy of simple fairness to all. It is policy of the Johnson County School System that all educational programs and services be conducted without discrimination by gender, race, age, or handicapping condition. Employees or students who feel that they have been discriminated against because of their gender, race, age, or handicapping condition should contact: Dr. Ross Renfrow Johnston County Schools P.O. Box 1336 Smithfield, NC 27577 Telephone: 919-934-6031 8:00-4:30 Office Hours 6:30 AM Early Care Only 8:20 AM Morning Drop Off Begins 8:20 AM First Bell 8:50 AM Tardy Bell/Instructional Day Begins 3:40 PM Instructional Day Ends I. GENERAL SCHOOL INFORMATION School/Office Hours: If a child arrives after 8:50 AM, he/she is tardy and must report to the office to be signed in by the adult that brought him/her. At Powhatan Elementary, we strive to maximize instructional time and encourage our students to arrive at 8:20 AM. This is a valuable time for students to receive individualized assignments and morning activities that prepare them for the rest of the school day. Students should remain in school for the entire day (3:40 PM) unless for necessary doctor appointments or emergencies. Before School Care/After School Care Before school care is available on student attendance days. The hours are from 6:30-8:20 AM. Call our office at 553-3259 for more information. The cost per month is $95 with a $10 registration fee. Students will enter through the cafeteria side door. After school care is also available, from the end of the school day until 6:00 PM. The cost is $113 per month with a $10 registration fee. For both before and after school services the cost is $188 per month with a registration fee of $15. Carpool/Parent Parking All parking should be done in the designated parking lot in front of the school. All cars should enter through the drive that says Powhatan Elementary off of Vinson Road. Buses will pick up students at the back of the school. Cars entering by the bus road will be required to turn around and go to the assigned parking areas. Be sure to drop off and pick up students in the designated lane with a school employee. Dropping off students in the parking lot is never allowed as this is a safety concern. Car Dismissal Parents should not arrive on campus before 3:30 PM for student pick-up to allow emergency lanes to be open. All car riders will be dismissed from the front of the building. Students will wait in the designated areas until they are called out by a staff person as their parent pulls up. Students will not be called to the office for the 3:40

dismissal. Calling students to the office at this time creates an unsafe and chaotic situation. All car riders must be picked up in the car line for the 3:40 dismissal and 1:40 for early release days. Please remain in your cars while waiting. Staff members will assist your child to the vehicle. Carpool usually lasts 20 minutes, please try to stagger your entry to assist with traffic on Vinson Road. Be sure that you have your PES car tag on your windshield or window to ensure safety and to keep the line moving. Students will not be released to anyone while they are waiting in the designated area for safety reasons. Early Departures If a student is to leave school during the school day, a parent must come to sign him/her out. Teachers may only release a student with permission from the office. Only doctor appointments or an emergency will allow a student to be dismissed after 3:10 PM. It is essential that students be present during the last 30 minutes for teachers to provide quality instruction without disruptions. Please do not come to get your child early for convenience. Identification must be presented when picking up a student. If the early dismissal is planned, please send a note to the teacher with the time of dismissal and name of person picking up the student. We cannot release a child to a non-parent without written consent from the parent. A student will be counted absent if he/she leaves prior to 12:15 PM and does not return. If a child returns to school during the same day, please bring the child to the office to sign in. Bus Information Students must follow all bus rules for their own safety and the safety of others. Riding the school bus is a privilege and that privilege can be removed if the student continues to not follow the bus rules. The bus driver is in charge of the school bus and students must be respectful of their driver. If a student is suspended from the bus, it is the parent s responsibility to provide transportation to and from school. The child must be picked up at regular car dismissal time. All bus drivers will have assigned seats on the bus for safety reasons. Bus drivers must adhere to assigned stops and the assigned route as set forth by the Johnston County Schools transportation office. If you have a concern about your child s stop, please complete a bus concern form at the office and it will be faxed to the transportation office. All other concerns should be addressed to the Assistant Principal. Your child must have a note to ride a different bus than regularly assigned or to get off at a different stop. Send a written note giving your permission, the bus number, address of the stop, and include a phone number where you can be reached for verification. The administration will sign the note indicating approval. Guidelines for Walking and Bike riding Parents of students that walk or ride bikes to or from school must accept full responsibility for the welfare and safety of their children. Parents must follow the required guidelines as follows: Parents must provide adult supervision of students walking or riding to school by escorting them to the front entrance of the school building each morning. Students may enter the building between 8:20-8:50 and a parent is expected to remain with the students until 8:20. Parents must go into the school office and sign students in as tardy if they arrive after 8:50.

Parents must sign up for a walker pass in order to be a walker. This system is for the safety of the students and will allow staff to safely identify parent / guardians. Designated supervising adults must pick up students from the fire hydrant located outside the fourth and fifth grade hallway. Afternoon dismissal for students walking home will begin after carpool. Students walking to or from school must enter and exit campus by the paved sidewalk that connects to Vinson Road. Students may not enter or exit the school campus through parking lots or field. Parents who desire to transport by car must drop off or pick up in the carpool line. Parents may not park in the parking lot and pick up walkers. Parents may not drop students at Vinson Road. Pets are not allowed on campus so please do not bring your pet with you when you walk to school. If there is inclement weather, please call the front office to change your transportation for that day and go through the carpool line. Only students that live in close proximity to Powhatan can be issued walker tags. Per student reassignment, students who are reassignment can only use carpool. Thank you for helping keep all of our students safe! We will continuously monitor these procedures and notify parents if we need to make changes. Transportation Changes All transportation changes should be made in writing and given to the teacher. Please be sure to write student s first and last name, teacher s name, and a phone number where you can be reached. Please refrain from phoning in transportation changes with the exception of emergencies as our office staff is unable to ensure the safety of our students with last minute changes. All transportation changes must be done prior to 12:10 pm. Visitors and Volunteers Visitors and volunteers are welcome at Powhatan Elementary. In order to ensure the safety of our students, all visitors must report to the main office to sign in and to receive a visitor s pass. Visitors must enter through the front door and park in the parking lot in front of the school rather than the bus lot. Please be sure that you and the teacher have communicated about visiting or volunteering in the classroom. These procedures must be followed by all visitors and volunteers: Go to www.jcsvolunteers.com or click on the tab on our website and complete the registration form for either Level 1 or Level 2 status. It is necessary to be a Level 2 volunteer to chaperone on a field trip and volunteer in the classroom. Updating this status must be done each school year. Sign in at the office as a visitor or volunteer. Provide identification to the receptionist. Wear a Visitor or Volunteer badge within the building. Sign out upon departure. Entering with Students The first two weeks of school parents may escort their students to the classroom. After this point, parents will be required to sign in at the front office to receive a completed visitor tag, if they wish to escort their students to the classroom. This may be necessary if the student has a project or another special event. Parents are always welcome to walk their students into the school building and release them at the directional guide near the office door. Thank you in advance for helping us to ensure the safety of our students.

II. ATTENDANCE Johnston County Schools Board Policy 4110 Regular attendance is required by state law and the Board of Education. Johnston County Board of Education Policy states that all students must be present for a minimum of 91% of all classes. If absences from class exceed four per nine weeks, eight per semester, or 16 per year, the maximum grade a student may receive for the grading period is E or 69, regardless of the reasons for the absences. The principal may waive the 91% requirement in extremely unusual circumstances. Students must be present 3 ½ hours to be counted present for the day. Students with excessive absences will receive a letter as required by Johnston County Schools. The school social worker will review excessive absences, early departures, and late arrivals. Please contact our data manager if you have questions regarding attendance. In the event of absences, it shall be the responsibility of the student to bring a note to the teacher which has been signed by the parent or guardian stating the reason for such absence. A parent is required to come in to the office to sign the child in if the child is tardy. Excused Absences Illness of the student Medical or Dental appointment Death in immediate family Quarantine by order of the Johnston County Health Department Religious holidays Court summons Immediate demands of the home which, in the opinion of the principal, merit absences. Family Educational Field Trips Students are allowed one educational field trip per year (no more than 5 days). Parents will complete the required form and submit to their child s teacher 5 days prior to the planned trip. The teacher will then provide this to the principal for approval. Students are required to complete missed work along with the assignment(s) related to the field trip. Missed Work Students are provided twice the number of days absent to complete missed work. Please contact the child s teacher for specific timelines about classroom assignments. Unexcused Absences Any absence not meeting the qualifications of an excused absence shall be an unexcused absence. Please be sure to write a note to the teacher and send in with your child following any absences.

Transfer and Withdrawal Parents must notify the school prior to withdrawal of students. Students transferring must get a withdrawal form from the office which the teacher will complete. This will ensure student admittance into a new school with current information. Custody Arrangements Parents must notify the administration or guidance counselor when there are custody concerns or court documents relating to visitation, transportation, or communications with the school. Legal documents will be confidential and filed to alert office staff and teachers of the custody arrangements. If there are no court documents concerning the custody of the child, either parent or legal guardian will have the same rights to see the child at school and to have the child released to him or her. Registering/Transferring Only the parent or legal guardian may register a child. You will need the birth certificate (proof of age), immunization record, your photo identification (parent s driver s license), and a proof of residence (copy of utility bill, rental agreement, mortgage bill, or a lease agreement). Contact your child s teacher or our school s office. III. STUDENT SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS Student Insurance Lost and Found Please put your child s name in all coats, jackets, and lunchboxes. Lost and found items are located outside the PE classroom. Please note that unclaimed items will be given to charity organizations. Valuables at School Please refrain from sending large amounts of money with students. Students should also refrain from bringing in toys, electronic devices, cards, games, or any other personal items that are not school supplies. This will assist us in minimizing disruptions to the learning environment and keep personal items safe at home. IV. STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES Our school is served by a Public Health nurse from Johnston County Schools. The nurse is stationed at Powhatan Elementary on a rotating basis. Emergencies arising when the nurse is not present will be managed by school personnel. If a child is vomiting, the parent will be called by either the teacher or office staff for pick up. If a student is hurt on campus, a parent or guardian will be contacted and an accident report will be sent home. The only first aid that can be given at school is an ice pack, water, and bandages. In the event of a serious accident or illness, first aid will be administered and a parent called immediately. If a student has a serious

accident or injury, 911 will be called, and the parent will be contacted immediately. If the student is to be transported and the parent cannot be present, an administrator will attend. Medication Forms are available in the office for your doctor to complete when prescription and over-the-counter medication needs to be given at school. According to Johnston County School Board Policy 4520, school personnel will not administer medicine to a student, either prescribed or over the counter unless a medication form is received with the signature of a physician. An adult must transport all medications to school with medication in the original container. V. CAFETERIA SERVICE Cafeteria/Snacks Please avoid candies and junk food. Encourage fruit, cheese, and healthy food. Milk or ice cream can be purchased at school during lunch time. Students should either eat the lunch provided in the cafeteria or a lunch brought from home. Please refrain from bringing in fast food purchased from restaurants and soda along with red or purple juice. If your child has any special needs or dietary concerns please talk to the teacher so that this information can be provided to the cafeteria manager. Please be reminded that food must remain in the cafeteria unless approved by the administration. Lunch Applications Students from families whose income meet certain requirements are eligible for free or reduced meal prices. The application for these meals may be obtained from the office. A new form is required each year. Lunch Menus Lunch menus will be sent home monthly by the classroom teacher and are available on the county website. Student meal prices are as follows: Milk: $.50 Full Breakfast: $1.40 Full Lunch: $2.30 Reduced Breakfast: $.30 Reduced Lunch: $.40 Adult Meal Prices: A la Carte prices. Specific 3rd Entree items for all schools, K-12: Monday - Nacho Bento Box Tuesday - PB&J Bento Box Wednesday - Chef Salad Thursday - PB&J Bento Box Friday - BB&J Parfait You may manage your child s lunch account through the cafeteria. Please make checks payable to Powhatan Elementary School Cafeteria. Include the child s name and teacher name on the check. We also recommend the use of www.k12paymentcenter.com, an on-line system that allows for convenient payment and the ability to

see your child s food purchases. If you choose to not use the system, please send lunch money in on Mondays for the week or month. Please be reminded that we are unable to charge lunches. Students without lunch money will be provided a vegetable and fruit tray. Please be sure to review your child s lunch account which will be sent home on a weekly basis. VI. STUDENT ACTIVITIES Student Celebrations Parents may bring in a birthday snack for the whole class with teacher permission. Please be sure these snacks are store purchased rather than homemade in an event of a food allergy or food poisoning. Please avoid snacks that have peanuts or other allergens to help keep our students safe. Other celebrations may be coordinated as approved by the administration. Classroom teachers and volunteers are responsible for cleaning up after classroom celebrations with all trash bagged and set outside the classroom door. This will allow our custodians to stay on their usual schedule to clean all assigned areas. Student Recognition Students will receive individual recognition from their teachers and administrators. Students will also be recognized for perfect attendance and character traits. All grade levels will participate in End of Year Awards Assemblies. We are very proud of our students and want to reward them for their hard work! VII. SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS Student Code of Conduct Policy Code 4200 Our students at Powhatan Elementary are expected to have excellent behavior and display fine character traits throughout the year. Our rules and procedures are consistent with Johnston County School Policy 4200. Administration conducts an Expectations Assembly for grades 1-5 to review the Student Code of Conduct and school-wide expectations. Teachers are also required to develop discipline plans within their classrooms that are clear and consistent with appropriate consequences to ensure a positive learning environment. Students shall abide by all directions from principals, assistant principals, teachers, substitute teachers, teacher assistants, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and all other school personnel while on the school s campus. When the teacher has exhausted the classroom behavior plan, a written discipline referral form is necessary. The administration will choose a consequence for the infraction, such as, verbal and written warnings, lunch detention, time out, conferences with parent/guardian, Alternative Learning Center (ALC), Out of School Suspension (OSS), and any other consequences that are appropriate for the misbehavior. Parents will be contacted if there are behavior issues and a parent conference may be arranged. Character Education Our guidance counselors lead our students in character education lessons and activities. They are also involved in classroom instruction as well as individual or small group counseling sessions. Our counselors will address needs that are brought to their attention by administration, teachers, parents, and students. Johnston County Schools also employ Behavior Specialists who serve the schools and students who need additional support.

Policy Code 4220 Student Dress and Appearance Students should adhere to the Johnston County Schools Dress Code Policy which is distributed on the first day of school. The administration and staff are required to enforce the policy during the school day and at all school functions. Some examples from the policy include: Clothing cannot be disruptive to the teaching-learning process. Clothing cannot promote alcoholic beverages, tobacco, or the use of a controlled substance, or depicts violence, etc. Hats, sweatbands, bandannas, or sunglasses will not be worn inside the building. Shorts must be no higher than 4 inches above the knee. No sagging pants. No spaghetti straps or tank tops. Special Note: Students must wear athletic shoes for PE class for their safety. VIII. SCHOOL COMMUNICATION Communication between home and school allows for a positive learning environment and enhances the academic and behavioral success of the student. Effective communication can provide consistency with meeting objectives and monitoring the student s progress. Folders/Student Agendas The school provides every student a take-home folder that contains work samples, graded assignments/tests, homework feedback, conduct information, either a weekly or monthly newsletter, and other important school information. We encourage parents to read through this information and send back items that need to be signed or completed. The school also provides student agendas for students in grades K-5. The agenda is an excellent tool for your child to begin to develop organizational skills and to be used as a form of communication between the parent and teacher. Conferences Parent conferences can be arranged anytime during the school year by a parent or teacher. Parents must attend at least one conference during the school year. Please note that more than one conference may be requested by the teacher if there is a need. Please make sure that if you wish to have a conference with the teacher that it is scheduled in advance so that the teacher can be prepared to provide pertinent information for the success of the child. Messages to Teachers Written messages can be done through notes, emails, or correspondence in take-home folders. Teachers are also able to conference by phone with parents before or after school or during their planning period. The teacher will provide you a time when it is best to talk or to schedule a conference. Please refrain from calling during instructional time as this time is crucial for student success. If there is an emergency situation, please let the receptionist know and she will direct your call.

Effective Communication Teachers at Powhatan Elementary are honored to have your child and work to provide the best educational environment. At times, there may be differences in opinions between the parties. Most of the time, through open discussion, these differences can be resolved and working relationships can be strengthened. Teachers, parents, and staff should use the following strategies to allow for effective communication: Contact the teacher first with issues related to academic achievement, classroom behavior or expectations. If there is no resolution with this communication, the parent may make an appointment with an administrator. Direct concerns to the receptionist if there are issues with a school-wide process or procedures. She can explain or assess your concern. Please schedule an appointment with an administrator if there is no resolution. Always remain calm, think about the situation from different perspectives, and then if necessary, schedule a conference. Our goal is to provide a respectful environment for our staff, parents, and students. IX. SCHOOL SAFETY All Johnston County Schools are required to do emergency drills to be prepared in the event of a real emergency. We participate in monthly fire drills, quarterly Lock Downs, and an annual tornado and earthquake drills. Our bus-riding students also practice in bus evacuation drills. Emergency School Closing The following stations provide information related to school closing: Radio: WMPM (Smithfield), WPTF (Raleigh), TV: WRAL (Ch. 5), WTVD (Ch.11). The Superintendent will make an announcement regarding closing of school or delay of school. Please also make sure you have provided the school with your updated contact information so you will receive ConnectEd messages about any delays or closing. The Superintendent and the Johnston County School Board determine the make-up days. X. ACADEMIC INFORMATION Homework Johnston County Schools Board Policy 3460 states that homework shall be carefully planned and evaluated regarding its purpose, appropriateness, value, and timeliness and monitored for such by the principal. Recommended Homework Guidelines: Kindergarten: 15-30 minutes Grades 1 & 2: 30-45 minutes Grade 3: 45-60 minutes Grades 4-5: 60 minutes Each grade level team will review the grading policy for students with the parents at orientation.

EOG Testing and EOY Assessments All students participate in formal and informal assessments throughout the year. Students complete tests, quizzes, common assessments, and County assessments. i-ready benchmarking (K-5) and MCLASS (K-3) are also used as an instructional tool for teachers to see how your child is progressing during the school year and to adjust their instructional practices to meet the needs of students. Students in grades 3-5 participate in End-of-Grade testing in English/Language Arts (ELA) and Math related to the NC Standard Course of Study with Common Core Standards during the month of May. Students in grade 5 also participate in an EOG science test related to the NC Essential Standards. Promotion and retention is dependent on reaching grade level benchmarks, attendance, and grades earned. Parents will be provided notification if the student is not meeting these requirements and a conference will be requested. The principal will make the final decision of promotion or retention based on data and recommendations from the teachers and parents. Johnston County Schools Accountability Policies govern the decisions for promotion/retention in grades 3-5. Report Cards/Progress Reports Students receive a report card each quarter and progress reports mid-quarter. Parents will also receive information about their child s benchmark iready assessments in the fall, midyear and spring. Kindergarten - Fourth Grade - The grading period for kindergarten through fourth grade consists of a nine weeks period of instruction. Grading will reflect an ongoing process, focusing on what each child can do using developmentally appropriate assessment codes. The Johnston County kindergarten through fourth grade report card shall be used. Grades 5-8 - The grading period for grades 5-8 consists of a nine weeks period of instruction. Letter grades will be used in grade 5. Grading reflects achievement of competencies taught at each grade level as outlined in the Standard Course of Study. Parents are encouraged to arrange conferences with the teacher if there are concerns with academic progress. Academically and Intellectually Gifted Program: Students who are identified as AIG will be provided challenging work to meet their individual needs. Teachers will provide differentiated classroom instruction and will complete a DEP to provide individualized instruction for your child. Teachers in grades 3-5 will implement strategies that have been proven effective for our gifted learners while teachers in K-2 will use the PETS Nurturing Curriculum. Our GIS (Gifted Instructional Specialist) teacher will be a resource for teachers and parents during the school year. XI. PARENT ORGANIZATIONS At Powhatan Elementary we are supported by a strong Parent Teacher Association and Advisory Council. We believe it to be crucial to the student s education that open and cooperative relationships be maintained between the school, home and community. We will continue to cultivate the good working relationships that exist among these three areas to ensure that our students will be provided a stimulating learning environment in which to grow.

Our PTA will work to provide fundraising activities and parent activities during the year. The fundraising projects will be directed towards specific needs within the school. The PTA, along with the principal, will identify additional resources and opportunities for the children and their parents. Our Pledge to You: We thank you for your support of the school and look forward to a successful school year. The school staff pledges to give you our very best in providing your child with a learning environment that promotes high academic achievement and strong school pride within a clean, safe environment. Along with our school staff, our parent groups will serve the school as well. We encourage all parents to become members of the PTA. Please see board meeting dates on the school s website which will operate under the Open Meetings Law. Powhatan Elementary School #wearepowhatan P ositive R elationships I nvestigating D iscovering E xploring