ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL TIMES FOR … · Web viewBurton-Pack Elementary School Parent-Student Handbook "When You Believe..." 2017-2018 “Building a Strong Foundation for College and

Burton-Pack Elementary School

Parent-Student Handbook

2017-2018“Building a Strong Foundation for College and Career Readiness”

Message from the Principal

"When You

One of the most important components of a great school is the partnership between the school, its parents, and the community who work together for the best interest of all children. The close partnerships between home, school, and the community is one of the strengths we desire to enhance at Burton-Pack Elementary School. Burton-Pack is a Title One School. This federally funded program provides supplements to the district’s instructional program for all students. Some of the support given to Title One schools are tutors, reducing class size, and parent and family engagement activities . The goal of Title One is to provide Burton-Pack with highly effective teachers to improve student achievement in all content areas and to provide teachers with research-based professional development to improve teaching and learning. A copy of our 2017-2018 Title One plan is available upon request. This year, 2017-2018, we will begin implementing a new instructional program call AVID, Proven Achievement; Lifelong Advantage. Although AVID is a school wide program, we will begin implementation in grades 4th and 5th this year and add on additional grade levels each year. AVID’s instructional framework incorporates the WICOR foundational tools, Writing to Learn, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading to Learn.

Our goal is to challenge your child academically, grow them socially and emotionally, and guide them toward independent thinking and problem solving. Students will be encouraged to display good character and to make good choices that will result in successful outcomes. We are looking forward to a great school year filled with enriching activities and learning experiences that will help your child display “Bulldog Pride!”

To our Students: We are looking forward to a successful school year at Burton-Pack Elementary. Our staff look forward to working with you and providing you with rigorous learning activities to prepare you for college and career readiness. It is never too early to begin learning about what you want to become. We want you to come to school every day ready to learn. Bring your materials to class daily, work hard, ask questions, and be prepared to take weekly assessments to show us improvements. We care about your safety and well-being as a student at Burton-Pack. We strongly encourage you to communicate anything that is not right or makes you feel uncomfortable to a caring adult. Remind yourself not to follow the crowd. Follow school rules and always do the right thing even when no one is watching. Help us keep our school clean by properly putting your trash away. With your help, Burton-Pack will continue to be a school community which continues to build on its strong learning foundation.

We look forward to working with our parents and students throughout the school year to provide a productive and safe learning environment that supports student success.

Go Bulldogs!!!

Dr. Sarah G. Smith, Principal

Derrick Theirse, Assistant Principal Monique Jackson, Assistant Administrator

Richland One Mission Statement

We are Richland One, a leader in transforming lives through education, empowering all students to achieve their potential and dreams.

OBJECTIVES

Students will master numeracy and literacy skills.Students will demonstrate higher-order thinking, social skills and character traits necessary to be contributing citizens in a global society.As lifelong learners, students will be empowered to continue exploring their interests and passion.

STRATEGIES

Strategy 1: We will ensure a variety of innovative, transformative, personalized learning experiences for each student from early childhood through graduation.Strategy 2: We will foster an environment that embraces change and leads to a responsive culture of accountability, communication, and stakeholder engagement.Strategy 3: We will build/grow capacity for individual and system-wide productivity to accomplish our mission.

It is our responsibility to provide all students with stimulation, opportunity and experiences to grow and to develop at their own rates. We will accept all children as individuals and totally dedicate ourselves to assist them in developing according to their individual talents and needs. We believe that our school will help all students develop a positive idea of self-worth. If every student can develop the idea that he/she is important, is a good person, and has worth; we can do a better job in helping him/her develop the necessary academic and social skills. Our program will provide a variety of experiences so as to help all students develop to their maximum potential. There shall be constant assessment and evaluation of our program to allow for necessary modification(s).

We believe that the success or failure of the children is dependent on a largely upon the school by providing appropriate experiences for all boys and girls.

CHARACTER TRAITS: LIFESKILLS

During the course of the school year, we will use our character traits/Lifeskills to recognize our students for exhibiting those traits. Each classroom will have a posted LifeSkills Guidelines as our guide for student behavior and expectations. The LifeSkills are as follows:

LIFELONG GUIDELINESPERSONAL BEST NO PUT-DOWNS ACTIVE LISTENING TRUTHFULNESS TRUSTWORTHINESS

LIFESKILLS Respect- Showing consideration and honor to someone Honesty- Being able to be truthful and trustworthy Organization- Being able to arrange things in an orderly way Friendship- Treating someone nicely Responsibility- Taking charge; to be trusted with things that are important Effort- An achievement; doing your best Caring- Feeling and showing concern for others Cooperation- Working together to accomplish a goal Perseverance- Working towards a goal and not stopping until it’s finished Resourcefulness- Thinking of new and creative ways to work on challenges and opportunities Pride- Satisfaction of doing your best Common Sense- Using good judgment Patience- Staying calm in a trying, tedious or annoying situation Flexibility- Being able to change plans without getting upset Curiosity- Being able to discover and learn new information Problem-solving- Being able to figure out the best way to fix difficult situations Courage- Being able to face danger or a problem with confidence, bravery and control of yourself Initiative- Doing something with determination because it needs to be done.

Character PledgeCharacter is what a person is inside.

My character is revealed by how I act when I think no one else is looking.It is how I treat people who I think cannot help or hurt me.

I am a person of character with good ethical values.I can distinguish right from wrong and

I have a strong commitment to do what is right even when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable

I know I can do my PERSONAL BEST .

PERSONAL BEST MOTTO:DOING WHAT IS RIGHT ISN’T ALWAYS EASY, BUT IT’S ALWAYS RIGHT!

BURTON-PACK STUDENT PLEDGE

I Am SomebodyI am somebody,

I am capable and lovable,therefore, I can learn.

I can do anything when I try,I can be the best that I can be,

Each dayI will not waste time,

Because it is too valuable,And I am too precious and bright,

I am somebody.

FREQUENCY CALLED SCHOOL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

MAIN OFFICE: (803) 691-5550OFFICE FAX: (803) 691-5555

HEALTH ROOM: (803) 691-5583GUIDANCE: (803)

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL TIMES FOR STUDENTS

Regular school instructional hours are from 7:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. each day.

Students may not arrive at school before 7:00 am. School personnel are not available before this time to adequately supervise students. Students may not wait outside the school doors unsupervised. School office hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Early dismissal days ends at 12:00 noon for staff development and parent conferences a schedule is attached. Breakfast is served from 7:10 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Students must be in their classes no later than 7:30 a.m. each day to avoid being marked tardy. Students need to be in class, not just walking in the building, at 7:30 am. Students who arrive late do not have the opportunity to prepare and organize themselves for the school day. When a student arrives after 7:30 a.m. he or she is considered tardy and should report to the attendance table to get a pass to class. Parents must sign students in when arriving at or after 7:30 am. It is important that parents bring students into the building and sign them in to ensure student safety. Students should NOT arrive earlier than 7:00 a.m. as they cannot enter the building until 7:00 a.m., and they must not remain on campus later than 2:45 p.m. unless they are participating in a supervised activity. Students will not be dismissed early after 2:00pm. Parents would need to arrive to before 2:00 p.m. to enter the building.

Arrival (Mornings)

Upon entering the building all students, pre-k, K, 3rd, 4th, & 5th are asked to report to the cafeteria and wait to be dismissed along with their grade level. First (1st) and second (2nd) graders will report to gym upon arrival to school and will be dismissed as a grade level to report to their classes.

Breakfast is served daily even during early dismissal days and late start due to inclement weather.

Early Dismissal Days for 2017-2018:

November 2, 2017 dismissal is 12:00 Noon for Parent/Teacher Conferences from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

March 29, 2018 dismissal is 12:00 Noon for Parent/Teacher Conferences from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

ATTENDANCE

Students are expected to attend school every day unless they are sick or there are unusual circumstances that must be reported to the school. When students are absent from school auto dialer automatically call the parents to notify them of their child’s absence. If your child is absent, please send a note explaining his/her absence the first day back in school. The written Excuses from parents or a licensed medical doctor must be sent to the school within 48 hours, (2) days after the student returns to school. Failure to send a written explanation will result in an unexcused absence. We encourage doctor’s appointments after school. Parents/guardians of elementary students are also required to complete an Attendance Intervention Plan (AIP) when a student has over 10 unexcused absences during the school year.

Unexcused absences will be handled in the following way:

Three days in a row or five days at any time-the school will contact the parent.

The school guidance counselor, and on occasion, district social workers, may be asked to assist with contacting the parent/guardian and developing an attendance plan.

If student absences continue after an intervention plan has been developed, the school will complete a petition and the parent/ guardian and student will be summoned to appear before a judge in Family Court.

REMEMBER: After three (3) consecutive or five (5) cumulative unexcused days or ten (10) days at any time, the school must file a petition against the parent in Richland County Family Court.

ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBERSThe school office must have a parents, and/or guardian’s current address and telephone numbers. This is extremely important in case of an emergency. Please notify the school when there is any change in address, phone number, or place of employment. The information can be sent to school with your child and given to your child’s teacher. The information is needed IMMEDIATELY. AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Students in grades Pre-K and Child Development will be recognized for their special achievements in specific categories, not limited to but may include reading and math improvement, perfect attendance, and good citizenship. 1st and 2nd grade will be recognized for receiving 4’s and 3’s in their content areas. Students may celebrate their achievement through special field trips, ice cream social, and teacher selected special incentives. All students will receive certificates of achievement. Parents of students receiving awards will be notified.

Nine Weeks Honor Roll for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Graders

Congratulations to students who receive all A’s and B’s on their quarterly report card, including related arts, to be recognized as an Honor Roll students for their academic achievement. Students may be recognized in various ways: Special Field Trips, Ice Cream Social, Honor Roll Assembly Program or student selected special incentives.

BICYCLES Students who ride bicycles to school are required to store their bicycles at the bike rack provided for them on them. The school will not be responsible for stolen property.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS AT SCHOOL

Student’s birthdays are recognized in their homeroom classes. Parents wanting to recognize their children’s birthday may do so during the lunch only; not during classroom instructional time. However, THE PARENT MUST CONTACT THE TEACHER in advance to make arrangements. We cannot hold birthday parties at school. Please do not send/bring lots of food and drink to celebrate a birthday. Also please do not bring/send birthday presents, balloons, or flowers to children at school, as this disrupts the school day. Children and teachers may not distribute invitations to birthday parties held away from school to

individuals in a class, unless all children in the class are receiving the invitations. Teachers may not give out addresses or phone numbers of other students to parents.

CAFETERIA MEALS/FOOD SERVICE

Burton-Pack Elementary participates in the Community Eligibility Program which provides free meals to all students in Richland One. All students are expected to eat breakfast and lunch daily. However, food allergies should be reported to the school nurse, teacher, and cafeteria staff so that alternative meals will be served to the student. Beginning in September students will be allowed to eat Fruits and Vegetables in their classes as part of the Fruits and Vegetable grant program at Burton-Pack. This program encourages students to eat healthy and learn about the different fruits and vegetables available in other regions of the US and other countries.

CONFERENCES

Parent-Teacher conferences are scheduled twice a year and parents are strongly urged to meet with the teachers. Additional conferences can be arranged by parent or teacher any time during the school year. Teachers do a much better job of meeting students’ needs when they communicate their academic progress in order to enhance the home/school connection. November 2, 2017 and March 29, 2018. Parent conferences are held from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

EARLY DISMISSAL (Pick-Up)

In case of an emergency or unusual need to leave campus before the end of the school day, students must be signed out in the office by a parent or legal guardian by 2:00 pm. Students will be called to the office once parents arrive and document reason for early dismissal. The office staff will not call students for early dismissal after 2:00 pm on full days and after 11:30 am on half days. New this year, all late arrivals and early dismissals will be coded to determine if a child would be mark present if he/she is not in school over 50% of the instructional day. All students are expected to be in school every day for the entire instructional day; however, if a child has to leave early parents and/or legal guardians should send a note to the child’s teacher and report to school before 2:00 p.m. to sign the student out. When early pick-ups becomes a pattern parents will be required to have a conference with our guidance counselor or school social worker.

DISMISSAL FROM SCHOOL (ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION HOME)

All students are dismissed at 2:30 p.m. following the announcements. Visitors may not enter the building between 2:00 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. At the beginning of the school year, parents are to identify the method of travel a student will take home. If the plans for transportation change, it is required that the parent sends a note to the teacher stating with whom and how the child will leave school. If the change involves riding a different bus, the transportation

department must receive and approve the alternate arrangement. Unless transportation, teacher or principal receives a written notice of change, the student may be held at school for the parent to pick up or sent home by the usual method of transportation. For the safety of our students, we will no longer take transportation requests/changes by telephone. Dismissals are extremely busy times for students and staff therefore parents will not have access to the classrooms to pick up children during these times. For the safety of our students, parents or adults who come pick up students are to wait in their cars as students are dismissed from school.

FEESParents will receive notices throughout the year for fees owed to the school and are urged to pay debts as they occur.

FIELD STUDIES/FIELD TRIPS As a part of our students’ learning experience, field studies are planned throughout the school year. These trips are planned so the students can have academic and social enrichment activities outside of the school building. Parents of participating students must complete a permission slip and return it to the teacher in a timely manner. Students will be assigned to another classroom for the duration of the field trip if proper permission has not been obtained. Due to the nature of some field trips, a fee may be required. Students with a pattern of inappropriate behavior may not be allowed to go on a field trip. In order for parents to accompany students on field trips and ride the school bus with them, parents must complete a volunteer form and be approved to volunteer. Contact the school’s volunteer coordinator in order to receive the volunteer form. Parents should be notified two weeks in advance if their child will not be able to attend field trips so that other arrangements could be made to provide adult supervision if needed. Various field trips vendors have adult limitation policies that the school must follow.

HOME/SCHOOL COMMUNICATION In order to communicate with all stakeholders adequately, Grade level teacher will provide each student with a home/school communication folder that will be sent home daily for instructional and school information. Teachers will send home grade level newsletters to keep parents abreast of upcoming events. In addition, the auto-dialer, school marque, website, posted easels, school newsletters, along with individual phone calls will be used to communicate timely information to parents.

GUIDANCE Burton-Pack has a full-time guidance counselor. The guidance counselor at Burton-Pack presents a developmental guidance program. The elementary guidance program is an integral part of the total educational process addressing important issues faced by children and their families. The counselor is involved in classroom presentations. The counselor may hold small group and individual counseling sessions that can deal with grief, anger management, and

conflict resolution. The guidance services can also include consultation with parents, teachers, and administrators. The counselor is also involved in crisis intervention when necessary. Please call your school guidance counselor at (803) 691-5550 to discuss any concerns you may have about your child.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTSState law requires that each child grade CD through 12 meets state immunization requirements. All students must have a valid birth certificate and immunization record to remain in school. If the student comes to the school without immunizations, the nurse can give the student a 30 day waiver to get their immunization records. After the 30 day waiver, if no records are provided the student cannot remain at school. Although not required, it is highly recommended that the student has a physical checkup before starting school each fall. The teacher or nurse should be informed immediately of any new development concerning the student’s physical condition.

HEALTH ROOM

The health room is operated under the supervision of a registered nurse. Minor first aid will be administered for illnesses and injuries occurring at school. A record of each child is maintained. It is requested that students be kept at home when they are sick, have fever, or undiagnosed rashes. A child should be fever free without medication for 24 hours before returning to school.

The school nurse is not permitted to supply medication to students. Only medication prescribed, brought to the school in the original container, and accompanied by written permission may be administered in accordance with the instructions for appropriate use. Verbal permission in person or via telephone is not sufficient.

If a student must take medication that requires a physician’s prescription (i.e. antibiotics) during the school day, it must be left in the health room with written instructions from the physician and permission from the parent. This must be done before any prescribed medication will be dispensed. Students may not have medication of any type in their possession on campus during the school day.

HEALTH ROOM (MEDICATION):

Medication should be generally given to students at home. Ask your doctor if your child’s prescriptions can be taken before and/or after school. If not, the doctor’s instructions and signed permission from the parent must be on file at the school before any prescribed medication will be given. The doctor’s instructions must include the student’s name, name of the medicine, dosage, how it is to be administered and anticipated reactions of the student to the medicine. Whenever the medicine is changed, the parent is responsible for notifying the school. Parents are asked to bring medicine to the nurse, rather

than sending it by a child. Over-the-counter medicine must be in the original container and a medication form must be completed, as well. Forms are available in the health room.

ILLNESSES AND ACCIDENTS

If a student becomes ill or is hurt at school, parents are notified as soon as possible. Parents may need to seek medical attention for students. Our health room is only a place for students to wait for parents to pick them up. Children with fever will be sent home and should remain home until they are free of fever for 24 hours. We recognize that special arrangements must be made in order to care for sick children, but please cooperate to have your child picked up as soon as possible. We do not have the staff or facilities to care for sick children and must operate within our guidelines for the health and safety of all of our students and staff.

HOMEWORK

Homework is an extension of the learning that takes place in school. Homework can provide practice and drill that reinforces classroom learning and can provide opportunities for independent study, research, and creative thinking. Parents can help their children by arranging a quiet and comfortable place for them to work, providing reasonable support and seeing that assignments are completed. Parents should contact teachers if students show a pattern of not knowing how to complete homework or need too much assistance. Teachers will assign homework each day Monday-Friday. Some projects may require students to work over the weekend. Students are required to read nightly and have a parent sign his/her reading log. Student’s homework is recorded in his/her agenda book or homework folder and parent’s/guardian’s signature is required daily.

Grading Scale (K-2nd Grades) Grading Scale (3rd-5th Grades)

90-100 4 The student consistently understands the concepts 90-100 A

80-89 3 The student frequently understands the concepts 80-89 B

70-79 2 The student has a developing understanding 70-79 C

60-69 1 The student needs more time and support 60-69 D

60-Below Parent Conference (PC) 60-Below F

Pre-K and Kindergarten report card have different scales of reporting students’ academic progress.

Interim Reports

All students in grades K-5 will receive an interim report during the midpoint of each reporting period. Parents must review the reports, sign and return them to the teachers. Parents may use information to determine the academic progress of their child(ren) and contact the teacher to asked for assistance before the end of the marking period. Each teacher has a voice mailbox attached to their telephone extension. If you need to get in touch with your child’s teacher, please leave a message in his/her voicemail box.

INSURANCE

STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE2017 – 2018 ENROLLMENTS

Voluntary Student Accident Insurance enrollment and payment methods for the school year 2017– 2018 are as follows:

INTERNET USERS

Enroll by accessing Markel’s website at http://markel.sevencorners.com :

1. Scroll down to the Student Insurance Information pdf file.2. Click on the http://markel.sevencorners.com : link, again.3. Click on APPLY NOW.4. Begin the enrollment and payment process.5. Pay by debit card or credit card.6. Receive on-line confirmation.

NON-INTERNET USERS

Enroll by calling 1-877-444-5014 to speak to a Customer Service Representative.

1. Pay by debit card or credit card.2. Receive the confirmation number from the representative.3. Parent Advisory Assistance Team (PACT) 4. The is new to Burton-Pack this school year. We are building parental support beginning at Pre-K and Kindergarten. We want our parents to take

part in meetings and school events to build a strong learning foundations for their children. Through our Books and Breakfast program (Title I) we will provide make and take items for our parents monthly. This team will meet with the administrative staff to building strong community school partnership.

Lost and Found Clothing (sweaters, coats, caps, etc) and personal belongings that are brought to school should be labeled with the child’s name. Unlabeled found articles are placed in the Lost and Found Box in the closet in the cafeteria. The school will not assume responsibility for lost or stolen items. Please contact the school within three (3) days if items are missing. Unclaimed property will be donated to Goodwill at the end of the first and second semesters. Parent Teacher Association (PTO) All Burton-Pack families will be automatically enrolled as members in the PTO. There is no membership fee to participate in this important partnership. The PTO provides support and sponsors events and activities to enhance the school’s learning environment. Elections for new members are held annually in September.

PERSONAL ITEMS AT SCHOOL

Personal items should be kept at home. Items such as excessive jewelry, computer games, toys, sports equipment, iPods/MP3 players, cell phones, radios and any food items not in a lunchbox/bag should not be brought to school. Items will be confiscated by the administration and/or staff if they are brought to school. Confiscated items will be held and returned to parents on the first offense and may be kept until the end of the school year for repeated violations. The possession of electronic devices in school is a level one violation and students will receive a discipline referral. The school will not be responsible for stolen personal property.

PERMANENT RECORDS

Permanent records are an accumulation of the student’s individual academic work and health information. These records, kept current by the teacher and database specialist, are required for each student in Richland One. All information in the permanent record is confidential and is accessible only to the

professional staff and the student’s parent/guardian. A parent may never leave the school grounds with child’s records. If a child transfers, the school will forward the records to the receiving school.

REGISTRATIONAll registration must be done online. Please contact our school database specialist to obtain your parent portal account number and any questions you might have. The appropriate development ages for enrollment are as follows: Any child who becomes four years old on or before September 1 is eligible for screening for the Pre-Kindergarten Program. The eligibility requirement for Kindergarten is five years old on or before September 1, and First grade is six years old on or before September 1. All other enrollment will depend upon appropriate grade level documentations.

Reflection Room (Formerly called ISS)

The Reflection Room is an opportunity for students to have time out to reflect on behaviors that are not aligned with the PAWS and Lifelong Skills. Students will be able to return to class when they have completed their intervention model and post conferences. This year we are implementing a new system that is district-wide call the ABE which stands for Alternative Behavior Educator system. Built from research and designed to help students, staff, and schools succeed. ABE is nearly automated software that gives individualized, corrective instruction for the identified offense, based on discipline referral and/or maladaptive behavior. But that's not all-- ABE is also very effective student mentoring software. The ABE software program uses an enhanced LMS (Learning Management System) not only to intervene behaviorally, but also to teach many social and emotional concepts from the following skill groups: Self-Awareness - Recognizing their emotions Self-Management & Organization - Managing their emotions while setting & achieving positive goals Social Awareness - Demonstrating caring & concern for others Responsible Decision Making - Making appropriate & responsible decisions Relationship Management - Handling both interpersonal & relational situations effectively. When students display inappropriate behavior that the teacher is unable to get under control with reasonable efforts, students are required to leave the classroom and report to the Reflection Room. Students may be assigned to the Reflection Room for 30 minutes, half-day, full day, or several days depending on the situation. Parents will be notified and will receive a copy of the Discipline Referral completed by the teacher. Parents must sign the referral and send it back to school upon the student’s return to school. Some behavior problems will require parents to bring their children to school for a conference with the teacher, principal, assistant principal, or Response to Intervention Team which may include the school counselor and social worker. It is of utmost importance that parents and guardians strive to work with school personnel to assist students in demonstrating appropriate school behavior.

REPORT CARDS

A report card is prepared every nine weeks and sent home four times a year. It is recommended that parents study the grade and written comments. The report card jacket requires a parent signature and is to be returned the following school day. All students will bring their final report card home on the last day of school. Parents may request teacher conferences at any time during the school year. Teachers are expected to contact parents when students drops one letter grade. Students not meeting grade level standards, will be considered for possible retention on the 2 nd report card other students selected incentives. All Honor Roll students will receive a certificate of achievement. Parents of students receiving awards will be notified.

SAFETY PATROL - Each semester fifth grade students are chosen as members of our Safety Patrol. Their duties are to assist in monitoring the hallways and transitions for students in the mornings.

STUDENT COUNCIL – Third through fifth graders may be elected by classmates to work on activities to promote school spirit, develop leadership, and implement school events (spirit days, hospitality, and community service).

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL (SIC)The School Improvement Council (SIC) is a group of members who meets quarterly to assist in the development, implementations, and evaluation of the five-year School Renewal Plan. The specific functions of the SIC include: assisting in writing the “Report to Parents” assisting in writing the narrative report section of the State Report Card, providing feedback and recommendations to the principal for school improvement, and assisting with projects related to school improvement. Parents, teachers, and community members serve on the SIC. Elected members may serve a two year term and appointed members serve a one year term. Elections for new members are held annually in September. Elected members will send out the dates and locations of SIC meetings which usually takes place the week following the district’s SIC meetings.

STUDENT DRESS EXPECTATIONS

Students at Burton-Pack are expected to wear appropriate clothing which complies with health and safety requirements and which does not interfere with the educational process. Students are expected to abide by the district’s dress code which includes the following:

• Clothing should not be so extreme as to distract or disrupt the educational process. Clothing considered distracting includes (but not limited to) bare midriffs, halter tops, backless tops, tops with spaghetti straps, tank tops, see-through tops, sleep wear, muscle shirts, short shorts, mini-skirts, and excessively tight-fitting clothing. Leggings worn as pants should be worn with a top not shorter than the length of the middle fingertips when the arms fall naturally at the sides while standing straight. .

• Clothing must be the appropriate size and length. Shorts, skirts, and dresses should not be shorter than the length of the middle fingertips when the arms fall naturally at the sides while standing straight. Appropriate undergarments should be worn and covered by outer clothing. Undergarments should not be visible at any time. Pants must be worn at the waist and worn with a belt if designed for a belt. Boys’ shirt tails must be tucked inside their pants.

• Proper shoes/footwear must be worn at all times. Shoes must protect the feet and be appropriate for Physical Education and outdoor play. Shoes must be fully tied, strapped, or use Velcro fasteners if designed in that manner. For safety reasons, flip flops, strapless sandals, and high heels are not permitted.

• Wearing clothing or accessories that could pose a health or safety hazard is not permitted. This includes items such as heavy chains and excessive/over-sized jewelry. Clothing and accessories must not display suggestive, gang-related, or offensive language. Neither should clothing display tobacco products and/or drug paraphernalia.

• Combs, brushes, hair picks, and curlers should not be worn in the hair. Hats, hoods, head scarves/stockings, and sunglasses are not to be worn inside the school building unless necessitated by a health condition or religious requirement.

• The school administration will have the right to designate which type of dress, fashion, fads, or appearance disrupts or detracts from the educational environment and/or may be a potential health and safety problem.

School Bus Transportation

Riding the bus is a privilege. Students must adhere to the safety rules of riding the bus to and from school. Failure to follow the bus safety rules will result in students being suspended from the bus according to the level of offense. Even though a child is suspended from the bus, he/she can still come to school. However, the parents must provide transportation to and from school. Parents are required to pick up students at dismissal or before 2:30 p.m. Students should report to the bus stop at least 10 minutes prior to the bus arrival. Once students are at the bus stop, they must adhere to bus safety rules in an orderly manner. Students must refrain from using inappropriate language towards others, running, hitting, and throwing objects. Buses may be late due to traffic, trains, or mechanic issues. Please contact the school when buses are running late. Students are not able to ride to a neighbor or friend’s house without permission from the parents in WRITING. Permission must also be received from the office. All children MUST ride the bus to which they have been assigned in order to keep our loads equalized. If your child violates these rules, the principal is authorized to administer the following penalties:

First Offense: Up to one three days bus suspension. Second Offense: Up to one week bus suspension. (Mandatory parent conference)Third Offense: Up to two weeks bus suspension. If after a third offense suspension, a student’s misconduct continues, he/she can be suspended from bus riding for the rest of the school year. You will be notified in writing of all complaints received and the actions taken. According to the seriousness of the offenses, at the discretion of the administration students could be referred to the hearing office for expulsion.

SECURITY PROCEDURES FOR ALL VISITORS

Parents and all visitors MUST be buzzed in and then report to the office to get a visitor’s pass. Visitors, patrons, and parents are encouraged to visit the school and their children’s classes; however, when visiting, please remember that classes are in session and that the educational program comes first and should not be disrupted. When visiting, please refrain from use of inappropriate language and behavior that disrupts the school. Inappropriate conduct may result in the school contacting our School Resource Officer (SRO) as well as being placed on trespass notice with limited school visitation. Please do not enter or remain in classrooms where testing is in progress.

VISITORS:

Visitors, patrons, and parents are encouraged to visit the school. Visitors must come to the front office before going into areas of the school and present a State issued picture identification. This identification will be scanned to generate a visitor’s pass and submitted to a monitoring site where it will be compared to the sex offender registry. Anyone who is listed as a sexual predator will be discreetly notified and denied access to the school. A parent or legal guardian who is listed as a sex offender is subject to supervised limited visitation.

Students may be observed for reasonable lengths of time by their parents or legal guardian only. The principal may grant permission for clinical students to observe in classes to meet course requirements.

Visitors and parents are asked to limit telephone conversations during classroom and school visits. Taking pictures or recording students are prohibited due to FERPA. When taking pictures of your child, please exclude other students.

Visitors and parents are prohibited from wearing sleepwear such pajama bottoms, bedroom slippers, robes, etc. We also encourage parents, patrons, and guests to dress for a school setting. Adults wearing sleepwear will be consulted an administration and will not be allowed to go beyond the front office.

Reminder: Students from other Richland County School District One schools who are absent from their school due to suspension or truancy are not allowed on school grounds.

BURTON-PACK PAW SYSTEM

Here at Burton – Pack, our students are challenged each year to raise their PAWS (P-Prompt and prepared, A-Act Responsibly, W-Work with Integrity, S-Show Respect) toward success. This system will teach children to make appropriate choices, accept responsibility for their behavior, and understand their behavior has consequences for themselves and others. Classroom behaviors will be monitored with a color chart, in which students will move up when making exceptionally good choices, or move down when needing redirection from the teacher. (PAWS System attached) At Burton-Pack, we believe that discipline is the key to good conduct and proper consideration to other people. Good discipline is maintained by recognizing and praising appropriate behavior and taking corrective action when necessary. Students are expected to conduct themselves at all times in a manner that will promote a safe, orderly learning environment. All students are required to follow the rules and regulations presented in the Richland County School District One Discipline Code of Conduct book. After a thorough review of the District Code of Conduct booklet with students, a copy of that booklet is sent home with each child to review with their parents. Students are asked to return the signature page of the District Code of Conduct booklet with the signatures of their parents. This signature page is mandatory and should be returned to the students’ homeroom teacher. In addition, all teachers are required to follow IEP’s and 504 plans for identified students.

BehaviorChart

Outstanding DayStudent is prepared with all learning materials (including homework).

Student is on task and meeting all PAWS expectations throughout the day.

Outstanding

Good DayStudent is prepared with most learning materials.

Student displays on task behaviors.

Good Day

Think About ItStudent has not completed all assignments and activities.

Student is exhibiting off task behaviors.

Think About

It

Parent ContactStudent is not participating in class activities.

Student is displaying disruptive behaviors.

Parent Contac

t

August 2017

August 3rd - Back to School Teacher Retreat

August 15th , 16th, 18th - District Professional Development

August 17th – Student Orientation

August 17th , 21st – Teacher Workday

August 22nd - First Day for Students

September 2017

September 4th- Labor Day (No School)

September 7th- Open House (Teacher Presentations)

September 20th- Interim Reports Issued

October 2017

October 8th-14th Fire Prevention Week

October 13th - Professional Development

October 13th-Student Holiday

October 23rd – 31st – Red Ribbon Week/Spirit Week

October 25th – End of First Marking Period

October 30th – Familty Game Night

November 2017

November 1st – Report Cards Issued

November 2nd – Parent/Teacher Conferences (Early Release)

November 13th-17th –American Education Week

November 22nd – 24th – Thanksgiving Break

November 16th – Academic Night (Are You Smarter Than a _ Grader?)

TBA Dates: School Thanksgiving Lunch

December 2017

December 6th – Interim Reports

December 18th – January 1st - Winter Break

January 2018

January 2nd- Teacher Workday (Student Holiday)

January 15th- Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

January 18th- End of 2nd Nine Weeks

January 25th – Report Cards Issued

February 2018

February 14th – Lunches of Love

February 19th – Professional Development (Student Holiday)

February 21st – Interim Reports

March 2018

March 23rd- End of 3rd Marking Period

March 28th – Academic Literacy Night

March 29th – Report Cards Issued

March 29th – Parent/Teacher Conferences (Early Release Day)

March 30th – Parent/Teacher Conferences a.m.

Teacher Workday

April 2018

April 2nd – 6th – Spring Break

April 20th – Field Day/Spring Carnival

May 2018

May 6th – May 12th – Teacher Appreciation Week

May 9th – Interim Reports

May 28th – Memorial Day (School Closed)

May 30th – 5th Grade Dance

DISTRICT SC READY AND SCPASS CALENDAR 2017-2018

Dates Assessments Student Population

May

May 8 SC READY Writing Grades 3-5

May 9 SC READY Reading Grades 3-5

May 10 SC READY Writing Grades 6-8

May 11 SC READY Reading Grades 6-8

May 15 SC READY Math Grades 3-5

May 16 SC READY Math Grades 6-8

May 17 SCPASS Science Grades 4, 6, and 8

May 18 SCPASS Social Studies Grades 5 and 7

May 21-31 SC READY and SCPASS Makeups Grades 3-8

June 2018

June 1st – 5th Grade Senior Trip

June 4th – 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony

June 5th – Last Day for Students (Early Release)

June 5th – Report Cards

June 6th – Teacher Workday

All Monthly Assemblies will be sent home in the school and grade level Newsletters.

Burton-Pack Elementary

Car RidersPick up and Drop off Safety Expectations

To ensure the safety of our students at Burton-Pack Elementary School please adhere to the following:Speed Limit: Please adhere to an appropriate speed limit when children are presentSchool Business:

- If you need to take care of any school business, or have a morning conference please park in the parking lot not in the unloading and loading zone.

Park & Escort - When you need to walk your child in the school, please park in the parking lot and walk your child in the

building.- Parking in the parking lot is not a drop off, it is to park and walk your student in. We do not have supervision to

walk your child through the parking lot and between the cars.Drop-off and Pick-up Zone:To ensure the safety of our students at Burton-Pack Elementary School and to respect the time of all parents, please adhere to the following:

- Stay in your cars for drop-off and pick-up to ensure a smooth and timely flow.- We will not dismiss students when you park to avoid staying in line. It is unsafe and unfair to parents waiting in

line.- Do not park in the drop off and pick up zone. If you need to get out of your car, please park in the parking lot.- Avoid going around cars as students may be getting in and out.- Please make sure your child is safely on the curb or in the car with the door shut before pulling off.

Be prepared to unload and load:- Make sure your child is ready to unload when you pull up.

Please ask for Ms. Jackson if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions.We look forward to a great year of learning at Burton-Pack Elementary!

Special Notes:

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As school events change or are added, we will send home updates. Please check the district website for updates as well.

Burton-Pack Elementary School111 Garden Drive

Columbia, SC 29204 Main Phone: 803-691-5550

Fax: 803-691-5555