WEST SALISBURY ELEMENTARY STUDENT HANDBOOK Principal: Ms. Antionette Perry Assistant Principal: Ms. Keoshia Warner Chaibou Dean of Students: Ms. Rene S Morris S1a3l i2s 1b uWr ye,sMt RDo2a1d8 0 1 P hF oa xn:e4: 14 01 .06. 76 77 .75. 85 78 01 6 Website: https://wse.wicomicoschools.org/o/westsalisbury Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wcboewse
page 2 WELCOME TO WEST SALISBURY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL! The staff of West Salisbury Elementary School are pleased to have you as a member of our school family. Your time with us will be a pleasant and rewarding experience. West Salisbury Elementary School is a Title I school that instructs approximately 350 students in grades Pre Kindergarten-4 through 2nd grade. This handbook provides information that will answer questions you may have about school policies and procedures. We encourage you to read it and file it for future reference. We also welcome feedback from you that will help us make this handbook more “user friendly”. MISSION STATEMENT The mission of West Salisbury is to prepare students to be ready to learn, respectful to all, and become responsible and contributing citizens in our community and beyond. BELIEF STATEMENTS ✔ Student development is the foremost priority of our school. ✔ Education is multicultural. ✔ All students can learn and will be challenged to reach their full potential becoming confident, selfdirected, life-long learners. ✔ Each student is a valued individual with unique physical, social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual needs whose diversity and talents will be respected. ✔ Students learn in different ways and will be provided with a variety of effective instructional approaches to support learning. ✔ Students learn best when they have appropriate opportunities for success. ✔ Positive relationships and mutual respect will be the norm between students, parents, educators and the community. ✔ A safe and physically comfortable environment promotes student learning. ✔ Students learn to make appropriate decisions given a supportive and challenging learning environment. ✔ Students need not only be able to demonstrate their understanding of essential knowledge and skills in meaningful ways, but also need to be involved actively in problem solving and producing quality work. ✔ Students, parents, educators, and the community share the responsibility for advancing the paired school mission. SCHOOL SCHEDULE School Building Opens 8:15 AM Instruction Begins 8:45 AM Dismissal Begins 3:15 PM School Building Closes 3:45 PM
page 3 ATTENDANCE Regular and prompt attendance is necessary for a student to maintain satisfactory progress. According to Maryland law, it is a parent's responsibility for their children to attend school. Excessive absences and tardiness from school are detrimental to the educational process. A doctor's note or parent note is required for an absence to be excused. Notes for 5 absent occurrences are accepted per school year. Parents will receive a formal letter from the school following 3 and 5 unexcused student absences. A meeting with school administration and an Attendance Improvement Plan will be required, each marking term, once a child has accrued 5 unexcused student absences. Unsuccessful completion of the Attendance Improvement Plan could result in failure for the marking term. After all school level intervention attempts are exhausted, a referral to the Truancy Reduction Program will be initiated. DAILY CYCLE Wicomico County Public Schools operate on a six-day schedule. Days are identified as A, B, C, D, E, and F. The daily cycle will always follow sequentially regardless of day(s) missed due to inclement weather closings, holidays, etc. Your student’s teacher will send home information at the start of the school year regarding the letter days your student has special area classes such as PE and Art. This will allow you to ensure they wear appropriate attire and shoes. CODE OF CONDUCT Wicomico County Public Schools uses the Code of Conduct as its policy for handling inappropriate and unacceptable behavior in school and at school-sponsored activities. Each family receives a copy of this Code to read and reference throughout the year. It is the guide of consequences used when inappropriate behaviors occur. We ask parents to support this Code of Conduct, thus increasing its effectiveness at school. This Code of Conduct will be used routinely by the administrators when assigning consequences for unacceptable behavior. PROOF OF RESIDENCY It is the responsibility of all parents/guardians to provide the school with proof of their current residency. This may be done in the form of a tax bill, rental lease, or utility bill. If you are new to the West Salisbury community from the previous year or have moved over the summer, you are required to provide the school with the proper documentation indicating your current mailing address. The school has the right to request updated documentation at any time. If you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact the office. After all school level intervention attempts are exhausted, a referral to the Wicomico County Truancy Reduction Program will be initiated. ARRIVAL OF STUDENTS School doors are unlocked for students to enter at 8:15am each school day, except in the event of a 90-minute inclement weather delay. The car rider drop-off/pick-up area is in front of the school. When dropping students off please pull to the designated area so students can safely exit the car. If you need to get out of your vehicle and walk with your child, please park in our parking lot to escort your child. For the safety of your child, please see that they do not arrive before 8:15 am as supervision of students is not provided by the staff until 8:15am. Arriving at school at the proper time, being well-rested, and well-groomed are critical factors to the success of all children. Students who arrive late for school, after 8:45 am, MUST BE SIGNED INTO THE FRONT OFFICE BY AN ADULT and a note provided to the office. They will receive a late slip before going to the classroom that must be
page 4 presented to the classroom teacher before being admitted to the class. Teachers take attendance promptly at 8:45 a.m., and students not in the classroom at that time will be considered late and must be signed in at the front office. DISMISSAL OF STUDENTS Car rider dismissal begins at 3:10pm. Bus rider dismissal begins at 3:15pm and students are dismissed as their bus arrives. If you are picking up your child, please come to the office and your child’s classroom will be called for dismissal as no students will be released to an adult directly from the classroom. Anytime a student is picked up from the office, the adult must present valid identification to ensure student safety. West Salisbury Elementary School utilizes a computer-based system to scan identification against a national registry to ensure student safety. Students who are car riders will receive a bookbag tag and 2 vehicle car rider tags with corresponding numbers. The car tag must be displayed from the rear-view mirror when picking up your student(s). If a transportation change needs to be made for the day, a note must be sent in writing to the school office indicating the adult picking up. Unless we receive a note from the documented parent/guardian or the parent/guardian is onsite by 3:10pm, students who ride a bus will ride it home. Thank you for your understanding and support as we ensure the safety of all our West Salisbury students. PARENT/COMMUNICATION We strongly believe that on-going and positive communication between home and school is crucial for your student’s success. We have several ways to keep you informed: ● Automated Phone Calls & Emails: We utilize an automated phone call, sms, and email alert system through ThrillShare. This system is used to alert parents of upcoming events within our school and district. Please share the number that should receive these messages with the office. Phone numbers must be accurate and up to date to receive the message. Be sure to notify the front office any time your home, cell, or work phone number changes. The system is also utilized to inform families of messages from the school district, inform families of student absences, and in the event of a weather-related delay. In addition to the phone calls, an email also goes out which includes the information shared in the call. Be sure to have your email on file with the school office. ● Tuesday Folder: Each student will bring home important information provided by the office or Central Office, and other important information to keep each parent/guardian informed in their Tuesday Folder. We ask that each parent/guardian keep all informative papers but return any signed forms or needed notes. ● School Facebook: Be sure to look for us on Facebook by going to https://www.facebook.com/wcboewse! School celebrations with pictures are frequently published along with important information and upcoming dates. ● School Website: Our school website is https://wse.wicomicoschools.org/o/westsalisbury . On the school website, you will find Title I information, important documents, parent resources, our School Improvement Plan, upcoming events, staff directory, and other announcements. ● Agenda: Agendas will be provided for all students in 1st and 2nd grades. The agenda serves important functions including parent-teacher notes and homework assignments. Teachers check agendas daily and we ask that families check their student’s agenda every night. PARENT-TEACHER COMMUNICATION
page 5 The relationship between parents and teachers is important to each child's success. Maintaining a positive, open line of communication is essential to facilitating common expectations between home and school. All teachers have been encouraged to contact parents frequently by phone, Class DoJo, and/or email. At the beginning of the school year, please share with your child's teacher the most efficient way to contact you. Please feel free to contact the classroom teacher to address any concerns that you may have regarding your child's success in school. Remember that even though you and your child's teacher may not always agree, both parties are committed to your child's success. CLASSROOM VISITATION We have an open-door policy and encourage parents to visit your child’s classroom. Visitors must report directly to the school office to obtain a visitor’s pass. A state-issued driver’s license or identification card must be used to check into the Passage Point System to gain access to the school. You are required to wear the visitor’s pass throughout the duration of your visit. To maintain an uninterrupted instructional environment, kindly note that siblings and non-school aged children that are not enrolled at West Salisbury will not be permitted in the instructional areas. We request that you refrain from talking on your cell phone during your visit. BIRTHDAYS Children love to celebrate their birthdays with classmates. Families may provide a treat that is store-bought, individually wrapped, and the box/container unopened. This is for the safety of all students and staff. The treat will be shared during the student’s lunch period or snack at the teacher’s discretion to ensure there are minimal interruptions to instruction. NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH/BREAKFAST PROGRAM Breakfast is served in all homeroom classes from 8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. All students that attend West Salisbury receive free breakfast and lunch. Students will only need money if they desire to purchase ice cream. Scholars are required to eat their lunch before purchasing ice cream. CAFETERIA BEHAVIOR 1. Table manners are a must and are to be displayed at all times. 2. Quiet conversations are permissible until the last 5 minutes of each shift. 3. Students who do not follow Cafeteria Code of Conduct may be asked to change seats/tables. 4. Students must move throughout the cafeteria in an orderly fashion and cannot get up without permission. Students must sit at assigned tables/seats. 5. Each class is responsible for the cleanliness of their area. 6. Sodas, drinks in glass containers, large bags of candy, large bags of chips, and chewing gum are not permitted. 7. Students are responsible for knowing their lunch account number each day. FIRE DRILLS & SAFETY DRILLS To ensure that our students are aware of the procedures in case of an emergency, practice fire and safety drills are conducted the first week of school and at any other time deemed necessary. If you are in the school when a fire
page 6 bell rings or an announcement regarding a code is made, please follow the instructions given to you by school personnel. Drills of this nature are practiced with the children and staff in order to ensure their safety and wellbeing. EDUCATIONAL FIELD TRIPS Properly supervised and planned educational field trips are an important part of the instructional program. Field trips are taken at the discretion of the teachers at each grade level and must be curriculum-oriented with specific objectives taught prior to the trip and appropriate extension activities conducted after the trip. When trips are taken, it is most important that all members of the class attend. Cost for field trips is determined by the number of people going on the trip, the cost of buses, and the cost of any admittance fees. It may not be possible to refund money paid for trips if for any reason a person cannot participate since we assess the absolute minimum to pay for the expenses listed above. Once a teacher decides to take the class on a field trip, parents are notified in writing by the teacher, giving you all the details concerning the trip. Questions about trips should be directed to your child's homeroom teacher. A signed permission slip from a parent or guardian and payment of trip cost are required for all field trips. MEDICATION All prescriptions and all non-prescription medications that are given during school hours require a physician’s medication form signed by a doctor. This includes cough drops, cough syrup, Tylenol, etc. All medicine must be brought to school by an adult in the original medicine container and turned in to the school nurse. Students are NOT permitted to bring medicines to and from school at any time. Students are also not permitted to keep medicines in their possession during the school day. If you have any concerns regarding this policy, please contact the school nurse. MIDTERM PROGRESS REPORTS/REPORT CARDS Midterm progress reports are distributed four times per year in the middle of each marking term for grades 1 and 2. Prekindergarten-4, and Kindergarten provide midterm progress reports during the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th terms only. End of term Report Cards are distributed four times per year. Following each midterm progress report and end of term report card, families have the opportunity to conference with their student’s teacher regarding progress, strategies, and tips for home. All midterm progress reports and end of term report cards are published to Family Portal for a limited window and sent home with the scholars.. Be sure to login to the Family Portal to access these items; reminders will be posted to the school website, social media, and through the automated system. DISCIPLINE Each staff member at West Salisbury accepts responsibility for the maintenance of discipline and for the promotion of a program for the development of wholesome human relations. A student’s behavior should conform to acceptable standards of conduct as established by the Wicomico County Board of Education, administration, and teachers
page 7 Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports is a process for creating safer and more effective schools. PBIS is a systems approach to enhancing the capacity of schools to educate all children by developing researchbased, school-wide, and classroom discipline systems. The process focuses on improving a school’s ability to teach and support positive behavior for all students. PBIS provides systems for schools to design, implement, and evaluate effective school-wide, classroom, non-classroom, and student specific discipline plans. PBIS includes school-wide procedures and processes intended for all students, all staff and all settings. WEST SALISBURY CODE OF CONDUCT Expected behaviors are posted in all areas of the school. Respectful Responsible Ready On a daily basis, students will have the opportunity to earn “Tiger Paws”. If students would like to attend the monthly incentive, they must save the designated number of coupons to attend. Periodically throughout the year, students can also visit the “Tiger Cart” to buy items with their “Tiger Paws”. TIGER PLEDGE I am a West Salisbury Tiger and that I’m proud to be. You’ll know me by the choices I make and good behaviors you see. I am Ready to learn, Respectful to all, and accept responsibility. I know I can do grrrrr-eat things because I believe in me!
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTE0OTQ=