Policies

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SCHOOL POLICIES

While these policies are included in the PTA website, they are set by the school rather than by the PTA.

OFFICE HOURS: The school office is open from 8:00 am until 4:30 pm. An answering machine is available to leave messages when the school office is closed at (301) 469-1038.

SCHOOL HOURS: The school day for students is 8:50 am until 3:05 pm. Students should not be dropped off before 8:30 am and may not enter the building before 8:30 am, as adequate supervision is not available. On early dismissal days, all students are dismissed at 12:35 pm with regular bus service.

ABSENCE: If your child is absent from school, please call the 24-hour school telephone recorder and leave a message. Unless the school is notified of a child’s absence, parents will be telephoned if their child is not in school. Upon the child’s return to school, a written excuse is required that explains the reason for the absence.

ATTENDANCE: Students are expected to attend school daily. Interruptions for family excursions or business are discouraged. As outlined in Maryland law, only the following are considered excused absences: (1) death in the immediate family; (2) illness of the child; (3) quarantine by the local Board of Health; (4) court summons; (5) violent storms; (6) activity approved by the school, MCPS, or the State Department of Education; (7) observance of a religious holiday; and (8) state of emergency.

RECORDED ATTENDANCE: Effective July 1, 2007, the recorded attendance policy implemented by MCPS is as follows:
Students will be recorded as a.m. absent if they arrive at school more than two hours late. Students will be recorded as p.m. absent if they leave school more than two hours early. Students will be recorded as either a.m. or p.m. absent if they are absent from school for more than two hours, but less than four hours during the school day.
Students will be recorded as full-day absent if they are present for less than two hours of the school day. Students will be recorded as full-day present if they are present for more than four hours of the school day.

LATE ENTRY: Children arriving at school after 8:50 am must first report to the office to sign in and receive a tardy slip. The child gives this tardy slip to the classroom teacher.

EARLY DEPARTURE: The instructional day ends at 3:05. Children must bring a permission note stating the date, time and reason for any departure before that time. The parent should come to the office at the early departure time to sign out the child. Your child will be called to the office for early departure. Please do not pick up your child from the classroom. Your assistance is requested in limiting the number of early departures for your child. When your child leaves early, he or she is missing valuable classroom instruction. Early departures also disrupt the instruction for all students in the class.

AFTER SCHOOL PLANS: Parents must provide a note when a child has any change in his/her after-school routine. Please make sure your child has a clear understanding of that change.

SCHOOL CLOSING – EARLY DISMISSAL – DELAYED OPENING: School closing, delays and early dismissals due to inclement weather are announced on local radio and TV stations beginning at 5:30 am. You may also call the Board of Education (Taped news/information) line at (301) 279-3673 or go to www.schools-out.com. Please do not call the school directly as it is not equipped to handle the large volume of calls.
When school closes on scheduled early dismissal days, students will be dismissed at 12:35 pm. Students will be fed lunch and regular bus routes will operate. Please note the scheduled early release days on the School Calendar.

EMERGENCY EARLY DISMISSAL: When it is necessary to dismiss school early in emergency situations, the plan will be made public via local radio and TV stations. Buses will be summoned for their usual routes. Every effort will be made to follow the emergency plan submitted by the parents/guardian.
In case of emergency, students may be released only to those persons listed as emergency contacts on their yellow emergency cards or on their Authorization for Release of Student form completed at the start of each school year.

MEDICATION: No medications (prescription or over-the-counter) will be administered in school by the Health Department or MCPS staff during school or school-sponsored activities without written authorization from the parent/guardian and a physician’s written order. Any prescribed medication that needs to be administered at school must be in the original bottle and must be accompanied by MCPS form 525-13 (Authorization to Administer Prescribed Medication). All medications, written instructions and signed waivers must be hand-delivered to the school by a parent or guardian. Under no circumstances will school personnel administer medications brought to school by a student.

IMMUNIZATIONS: All public school students must present proof that they have completed or updated required immunizations. Check with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, School Health Services, for specific requirements. Exceptions to the immunization requirements will be granted only for medical or religious reasons.

ILLNESS/INJURY: Should a student become ill or injured while at school, every attempt will be made to contact the parent/guardian. When parents cannot be reached, the person designated in the child's school records as the emergency contact will be called. Please remember to notify the school regarding any contact changes during the school year.

CAFETERIA: The price of lunch, including milk, is $2.50. Students may also bring their own lunches. Breakfast may be purchased for $1.30 from 8:30 am until 8:45am. The Student SNAP account, a pre-paid, computerized cash register system, is available for all students. Parents are notified when an account is running low so they can supplement the account with additional funds.

COMMUNICATIONS: Important school information, notices and reminders are generally sent home in students’ folders on Thursdays. Updated PTA information will also be sent via e-mail from Wildcatsmail to those who subscribe to this service.

FIELD TRIPS: Each student must return a signed permission form (completed by a parent or guardian) to the teacher before the student is allowed to participate on any field trip. The permission form will contain the date and time of the trip, the cost and destination. No student will be excluded from field trips for financial reasons - please contact your child’s teacher as necessary.

FORGOTTEN HOMEWORK, MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, LUNCH, etc.: Our teachers emphasize individual student responsibilities for coming to school prepared for each day. To support the development of student responsibility, we discourage parents from bringing items to school that the child has forgotten. We will not interrupt classroom instruction for students to come to the office to receive these items. In cases of emergency, we will call students to the office before lunch or at the end of the day to pick up any material brought by the parents.

HOMEWORK: Homework provides further opportunities for reinforcement of concepts learned in the classroom. No assignments should be given on religious observances or prior to holidays unless they are long-term projects. Individual teachers will set guidelines for their own classes about how students get assignments when they have been absent. If parents have questions about this procedure, they should check with their child’s teacher. A 24-hour notice is required for homework requests. Each returning student is given an extra day for each day absent to complete his or her work. If a trip is planned during the school year, homework from teachers should not be requested in advance.

LOST AND FOUND: The Lost and Found bin containing misplaced items, other than textbooks and library books, can be found in the all-purpose room. Please make sure that your child’s name is clearly labeled on all jackets, clothing, backpacks, lunchboxes, instruments, etc. Unclaimed items are donated to a local charity at the end of each semester.

LOST BOOKS: Lost or damaged books must be reported to the media center. Parents will be charged a replacement fee for any book that is lost or damaged beyond reasonable use. Students failing to meet their financial obligations will not be issued their report cards.

PARKING: Parking on school property is very limited. Parking is not allowed in the front driveway during bus loading and unloading between 8:00 am and 9:30 am and between 2:00 pm and 3:30 pm. When exiting the parking lot, no left turns are permitted between 8:30 am - 9:30 am and 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm. For evening meetings, additional parking is available at Emmanuel Lutheran Church on the corner of Seven Locks Road and Bradley Boulevard.

SCHOOL BUSES: Students wishing to ride a school bus other than their regularly assigned bus, or to get off at a stop other than their own, must present a note stating the request and signed by their parent. Approval of the request is contingent upon availability of space. Any transportation inquiries, other than regarding a specific child, should be directed to the Bethesda Depot of the Montgomery County School Bus Transportation Department at (301) 469-1029.

STUDENT DRESS AND GROOMING: Students should wear clothing and shoes that are safe, comfortable and appropriate for learning. Hats should be removed when in the school building. Parents will be contacted regarding dress that is not reasonable or is disruptive. Students should dress warmly for outdoor recess during the winter season.

TELEPHONE: All emergency calls to students should be handled through the school secretary - please do not ask to speak to a student during class hours. Students should make all necessary after school arrangements before leaving home each morning. Students making outgoing calls must have a telephone pass and permission from the office staff.

VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS: For the safety and security of our students, State law requires that ALL VISITORS, including VOLUNTEERS, report to the main office and sign-in. All visitors will be issued an identification badge which must be worn while on the schoo