Austin Peay Elementary School

Student Handbook

2009-2010

Home of the Patriots

474 Academic Drive

Covington, TN 38019

Mrs. Leisa Bennett - Principal

Mrs. Sabrina Sneed-Matthew - Assistant Principal

The mission of Austin Peay Elementary is to provide students with the skills necessary to be successful lifelong learners in a positive, safe learning environment.

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students:

Welcome to the home of the Austin Peay Elementary Patriots! We are happy to have you with us, and we are eager to help you while you are here. Education at Austin Peay Elementary School is designed to meet the needs of each individual student. The staff and learning community believe that every child is a unique and special individual who can learn. We believe that our responsibility is to facilitate the nurturing and developing of every child’s maximum potential: academically, physically, socially and emotionally. We are committed to providing opportunities to enable each student to make self-directed, realistic and responsible decisions when solving problems in our ever-changing world.

Ultimately, each student will gain from school according to the effort he/she applies. To increase the degree of educational success, it is very important that teachers, parents and administrators communicate openly and frequently concerning the progress of students.

We all want the best for your children, but we are not enough. You, the parents, must play a key role in the education of your children. Your words of encouragement, hugs when the day has been rough, your interest in your child’s work, and your presence at school is vital!

Parents count! Come to school, schedule meetings with us, join PTO and volunteer your time and energy. Your involvement will show your children that you value their education. Let’s work together!

Sincerely,

Leisa M. Bennett

Principal

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING POSITIVE:

Much has been written and spoken about the power of positive people. The research is clear. When we expect the best behavior we are more likely to get it. This is especially true of students. When we set high expectations and reward good behavior, we are more likely to see students doing good things for themselves and for others.

At Austin Peay Elementary, believing in ourselves is the first step toward success in other fields of endeavor. The staff believes that when students see themselves succeeding, they will strive for a higher level of expertise each day. Our goal is to teach our students self-management skills that are based on success. We will be working with our families to maximize each student’s opportunities for reaching his/her goals.

We believe in encouraging consistent behavior by rewarding positive student behaviors. Our effort is to catch them following rules. In this way, we seek to enable our students to become positive, self-confident people who will become credits to their families, school and community.

To this end, the staff of Austin Peay Elementary pledge ourselves to making every opportunity available for students to be successful each day and to developing student behaviors which are appropriate for themselves and others. We further pledge ourselves to making sure that every day each student will have something of which to be proud when he/she goes home.

The following are the general rules of conduct for all students at Austin Peay Elementary:

• Students have primary responsibility for their actions. We encourage self-control.
• Students shall follow classroom rules established by the teachers.
• Students must observe the safety rules of the school for their own safety and for the safety of others.
• Students shall respect the person and property of others around them.

ATTENDANCE POLICY ADOPTED BY THE TIPTON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION :

The Tipton County Board of Education recognizes that good attendance is considered a necessity to achieve success at the elementary level. Therefore, the following policy regarding absenteeism has been adopted:

• Elementary students will be permitted a maximum of 20 days absences during a school year. Any student who exceeds the maximum may be retained in his/her present grade. A hearing committee will be established in each school to deal with appeals due to unusual circumstances.
• Students with an aggregate of five unexcused absences will be in violation of the compulsory attendance law. Parents of these students will be notified that they are in violation of the law and will be referred to the Covington-Tipton County Truancy Board.
• A truancy prevention meeting will be held after 8 th absence or 5 th if student has previously been before truancy board.

AUSTIN PEAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE POLICY:

School attendance constitutes one of the most important phases of a student’s school record. Not only does it indicate individual dependability, but it is also necessary for the smooth functioning of the school’s educational program. Inconsistent attendance is recognized as having a disruptive influence on the regular classroom activities. In order to meet the educational needs of the individual student and to best serve the overall school program, all available resources will be used to encourage students to attend regularly.

• Following an absence from school, students are required to present a parent/guardian signed note to the child’s homeroom teacher, stating the reason for the absence. For a student to be excused by a parent/guardian note, the note has to be turned in no later than two (2) days starting the day that the student returns to school following his/her absence. No limitation on time is necessary for excused absences from health providers: however, the health provider statement must specify the day(s) to be excused.
• The homeroom teacher and principal excuse the absence from school. Make-up work will be permitted for the following reasons: personal illness, death in the family, doctor/dental appointments, religious observances and school related activities. (See Tipton County Schools Student Handbook)
• An unexcused absence from school results in no make-up work for students.
• Students should know how they will be going home BEFORE they come to school each day. If the routine has been changed, send a note stating your child’s name, the person’s name and address to which they are going, a phone number to that address and a phone number where you can be reached. The principal must sign this note and a copy kept in the office. If a change needs to be made during the school day, please notify the school office before 1:00 . Please do not leave a voice mail. Without this information we will not be able to let your child go.

CHECKING IN AND OUT DURING SCHOOL HOURS ( 7:50-2:35 ):

EMERGENCY INFORMATION:

In case of an emergency, each student is required to have on file in the school office the following information:

• Parent(s) or guardian(s) name with complete up-to-date address and home/work phone number
• Emergency phone number of a relative or friend authorized to pick up your child
• Physician’s name, address and phone number
• Medical alert information

ILLNESSES:

• If a student becomes too ill to remain in class, we will reach you by phone and recommend that you come to school and pick up your child. We must have an updated, working phone number on the emergency contact card. We have some temporary facilities to help comfort the sick child while he/she is waiting. However, transportation cannot be provided for sick children. If your child is ill, please do not send him/her to school.
• A student that contracts a contagious disease or condition, such as pink eye, chicken pox, ringworm, or impetigo will be sent home from school and must have a doctor’s statement stating that the condition is corrected or the disease is cured before returning to school.
• Any student sent home with head lice may not ride the bus to school to be rechecked. A parent/guardian

must bring the student in to be rechecked. Students must be nit free before returning to school.

• Students must have been fever free for 24 hours before returning to school.

MEDICATIONS:

Some students may need medication during the school hours. The following procedures must be followed:

• An Authorization for Medication form must be completed and signed by the parent and physician (if medication is a prescription). This form is available in the office from the school nurse or in the Tipton County School Handbook.
• If your child is to be given medication during the school hours, all medication must be brought to the school nurse by an adult. All medication, prescribed or over the counter must be in the original unopened container prepared by the pharmacist.

SCHOOL INJURIES:

Students injured at school should report to a teacher for any needed assistance and an accident report should be submitted by the supervising teacher as soon as possible. As a matter of school record, all injuries occurring at school and requiring professional medical attention must have been properly reported to school officials before insurance claims can be verified.

SCHOOL AGE CHILD CARE:

School Age Child Care (SACC) is available at a reasonable cost for students who need supervised care before and after school. It operates mornings from 6:00-7:15 and in the afternoons from 3:15-6:00 . Please check with the office for further information and rates. All students arriving before 7:00 must be enrolled in SACC.

PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION (PTO):

The AES PTO actively supports the school program through fund raising, a volunteer program and by sponsorship of special events. All parents are urged to join the PTO.

SCHOOL VISITORS:

• Parents are always welcome to visit the school. Conferences with a teacher should be prearranged with a 1-day notice. Teachers and students work on a planned schedule and program. Unnecessary interruptions consume time and hinder learning.
• Any person entering the building during the school day should come to the office, sign in, show proper identification and obtain a visitor’s pass before going to any other part of the school. No students will be permitted to leave the building with a visitor unless the parent has given prior permission.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES:

The Bookstore is open from 7:35-7:55 daily. No rolling backpacks areallowed.

LIBRARY AND MEDIA CENTER :

Library books may be checked out for one week. Reference books should be used in the library. A fine may be charged for lost or damaged books. All fines must be paid before report cards are released.

TEXTBOOK COMPLIANCE FORMS:

Textbook Compliance Forms must be signed by parent/guardian before textbooks can be issued to students.

PROMOTION AND RETENTION:

Promotion and grade placement are based on the recognition that each child is unique. Therefore, when the teacher is considering promotion or retention, attention is given to all aspects of the student’s development of the learner’s potential. For promotion, the student must demonstrate:

• Mastery of at least 70% of the current grade’s tested basic skills in reading and math
• Satisfactory grades in the other subject areas
• Satisfactory attendance in compliance with the Tipton County Board of Education (no more than 20 absences)
• Acquisitions of the work habits and maturity for successful performance at the next grade level, according to the teacher’s judgement based on documentation

STUDENT DRESS CODE:

While the school does not wish to dictate to parents how to rear their children, we do feel a keen sense of responsibility to offer the very best educational climate, free from distraction. Extreme methods of dress and “unusual” grooming habits are distracting to the best educational program. In extreme cases of dress the student will be sent home to make corrections.

Any school attire must be at least knee length regardless of any other clothing worn on the lower portion of the body. The following items are not acceptable school attire:

• Caps, hats or head coverings of any type;
• Sunglasses;
• Any apparel made from spandex material;
• “Mesh shirts”, tank tops, “cut off” tops or see through shirts. Midriffs must be covered at all times including when students are seated and/or raising their hands. Cleavage is NOT allowed to be shown at anytime.
• Clothing that promotes the use or consumption of alcohol, drugs or conveying suggestive or inappropriate messages.
• Clothing which denotes possible gang affiliation;
• Articles of clothing that are ripped or torn;
• Body piercing with the exception of ear piercing;
• No wording across seat of pants;
• Sandals are acceptable, but no flip-flops or house shoes.
• All pants must be the appropriate size and must be worn at the waist. Pajama pants are not acceptable attire.

The above list is not all-inclusive. For the orderly and efficient operation of the school, the school administration may determine other attire to be inappropriate as situations arise. Please contact the school if there is a question about whether an article of clothing is appropriate for school wear.

Please place names in all loose clothing items that could end up in lost and found.

FIELD TRIPS:

Field trips within our area and to nearby points of interest are scheduled by various classroom teachers throughout the year. These trips are designed to supplement different aspects of the classroom curriculum and to introduce students to the resources of the community. Parents will receive notices of field trips well in advance of the scheduled trip date and must sign a field trip permission form for their child to attend. Sometimes a fee may be requested from each student to help defray the cost. No money will be refunded.

Parents are encouraged to attend field trip outings with their children. No other siblings may attend. Permission slips must be turned in 2 days prior to the trip. There will be no exceptions made. Those students who do not meet this deadline will not be allowed to participate in the trip. Students may go on field trips with their club or class only. All children must ride to and from field trips with the classroom teacher.

BOOKKEEPING POLICY:

1. Separate checks must be written for each school related item. You cannot combine Cafeteria, PTO and School General Fund in one check. Please write separate checks for students in separate homerooms (teachers must receipt per their own classroom).

2. Checks cannot be cashed and change cannot be provided to accommodate individuals.

3. Insufficient funds or closed account returned checks will be charged a $20.00 fee if arrangements are not made with the bookkeeper 3 days after you are contacted.

4. There will be no refunds for field trip monies paid for students or chaperones who cannot attend.

5. Student report cards and/or records may be withheld by the school for any unsettled debts.  

HOMEWORK:

Homework is assigned to give students extra practice in their studies. Our staff plans well-designed homework assignments that relate directly to class work and extend student learning beyond the classroom. You are encouraged to help your child set a time and place for completion of homework assignments. You may also help by listening to your child read and by taking an interest in the school day happenings.

SCHOOL-WIDE DISCIPLINE PLAN:

We believe that all students can behave appropriately while at school. We will not allow students to stop the teacher from teaching or prevent other students from learning.

Each classroom establishes rules, rewards and consequences. There are also guidelines for out-of-class behavior in the hallways, bathrooms, cafeteria and on the playground.

The choice of behavior is the student’s. Appropriate behavior will be rewarded. Students may receive praise, special activities or positive phone calls to parents.

STUDENT BEHAVIOR:

Education cannot proceed without good discipline. It is imperative to the success of the entire school program. As a working definition, good discipline may be described as the absence of distractions, friction and disturbances that would interfere with the optimum functioning of the individual, the group and the total school program. The following are local school rules and regulations which are intended to provide the proper educational atmosphere.

All students are under the supervision of all school personnel during the school day and its related activities.

Permission: All students have a daily schedule to follow. Any exception to this schedule must have specific teacher/office permission such as going to the restroom, water fountain, etc.

SCHOOL RULES:

• Follow directions the first time they are given
• Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself at all times
• Walk at all times
• No name calling or teasing
• No fighting

Students who do not follow the general guidelines outside of their classroom will be corrected immediately by the observing staff member. Students are expected to always respond with respect in reference to guideline number one.

SCHOOL AND CLASSROOM RULES:

• No personal grooming in any area except the bathroom
• Good posture is expected
• Each student should have an assigned seat
• No playing or trading cards
• No radios, CD players, or computerized games
• Textbooks, paper, pencil and other materials as required by the teacher are to be brought to class by each student
• No chewing gum
• No writing instruments in the restrooms
• No loitering in the restrooms

PLAYGROUND RULES:

• Use equipment properly
• No harmful objects will be thrown
• Play in assigned area only

1 st offense…..warning

2 nd offense…..benched for rest of recess

3 rd offense…..benched for 2 recess period

4 th offense…..benched for 5 recess periods

5 th offense…..conference with parent/guardian, teacher and principal

BREAKFAST/LUNCH PROCEDURES:

Free lunch applications are issued to all students entering school for the first time during the school year. Applications must be filled out completely and signed before the final approval. The regular price of breakfast is $1.00 and lunch is $1.75. Money may be placed on students lunch tickets on a weekly basis.

Students who bring lunches may buy milk or fruit juice. Please encourage your child to participate in the school lunch program because of the many benefits of nutritional education.

CAFETERIA RULES:

• Speak in quiet voices
• Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself
• Find a seat in your assigned area, remain seated and raise your hand for assistance

CONSEQUENCES FOR INAPPROPRIATE CAFETERIA BEHAVIOR:

• Warning by monitor or teacher
• Eat by yourself at time-out desk for one lunch period
• Go to principal or assistant principal

PRINCIPAL’S DISCIPLINE PROGRAM:

When a child is sent to the principal for disciplinary consequences, it is regarded as a serious matter. There will be a record of the student’s visit made by the principal or assistant principal. Procedures andconsequences outlined in the Tipton County Student Handbook will apply . It is in the best interest of elementary students that home and school work together for the child’s education. We will be in close contact with parents concerning the progress of their children in school.

SCHOOL DISMISSAL:

Students will be dismissed daily by an announcement from the office. There will be two types of dismissal. There will be dismissal for car riders and a dismissal for those students who ride the bus.

All car riders must be picked up and dropped off at the parent pick-up area. Vehicles using this area must obtain a Parent Pick Up pass to be placed in the car window.

SCHOOL BUS CONDUCT:

Proper behavior on the bus is required of all students in the interest of safety for all passengers. The cooperation of parents is required to assure students a safe ride to and from school. Procedures and consequences outlined in the Tipton County Student Handbook will apply.

SAFETY PROCEDURES:

• All staff members wear identification badges.
• All visitors are required to sign in the office, show proper identification and wear a visitor’s badge throughout the school.
• No one is allowed to pick up your child from school unless you have listed him/her on the student information card.
• Custody papers are kept on file and carefully reviewed.
• All exterior doors with the exception of the front doors will be kept locked.
• Our nurse who is LeBonheur employed and certified must administer all medications. The “authorization for medication” form must be submitted to our office. An adult should bring all medication to school.
• Fire drills are conducted monthly as mandated by the state.
• Tornado, earthquake and intruder drills are conducted in a calm, orderly manner as set forth in the Tipton County Policy manual.
• Our students realize that adults are in charge in this school. Any unsafe condition or incident should be reported to an adult.

26. STUDENT DROP OFF/PICK-UP GUIDELINES:

• Student Drop-Off is open and staffed with greeters from 7:00-7:50 A.M. Student Drop-Off will be located at Wing 1 ONLY. The door will close promptly at 7:50 each day. Students arriving after 7:50 are considered tardy and must be accompanied to the office by parent/guardian to receive an “admit to class” slip.
• Student Pick-Up is open from 2:40-3:00 P.M. Please do not enter the Student Pick-Up area until 2:30 .You can not block the lanes behind the building. The Student Pick-Up area is located off Wings 1 and 2 ONLY. Wing 1 for grades PreK-2 and wing 2 for grades 3 -5. Wing 3 is designated for the Tipton County Preschool Only. As you circle around the back of the building entering from Austin Peay Highway remain in the right lane if you pick up at wing 1. If you pick up at wing 2, 3 or the gym remain in the left lane. If your child is in one of these grades you will pick him/her up at the designated wing. If you have more than one child at AES the oldest sibling will join the youngest on his/her wing. If you have not picked up your child by 3:00 P.M. he/she will be waiting in the main office.
• The Student Pick-Up area is designated for students loading in vehicles parked in the Student Pick-Up only. Students cannot be dismissed from Student Pick-Up to cars parked in the front of the building.
• IMPORTANT! No vehicles will be allowed to drop off students in the front of the building from 7:00-7:50 A.M. Vehicles attempting to do so will be redirected to our designated Student Drop Off/Pick Up area. Remember students need to be in their classrooms by 7:50 A.M. or they are late to school.
• Display your Student Pick-Up identification tag from your rear view mirror. Also, please display the student name card in your front windshield until the Pick-Up crew has become familiar with the students and the person who picks them up each day.
• Please have your children ready to exit the car on the right side when you arrive.
• Please pay attention to the safety of the pick up crew. Refrain from the use of cell phones. Make sure agenda books have been signed and lunch/ice cream money have been given to your child before arrival to school.
• Do not move your vehicle while children are loading. The Student Pick-Up crew will direct you.
• Remain in your car. The Student Pick-Up crew will assist the children to your car.
• Send a note with your child if someone other than the usual person will be picking them up. Students will not be allowed to leave in vehicles not displaying the Student Pick-Up Identification tags unless a note has been sent to school.
• Buckle your child in his/her seatbelt!
• Give your child a big hug at the end of his/her busy day!

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