Dr. Joey Pirrung Elementary

1500 Creek Valley/Mesquite, Texas/75181972-882-7170

SHOW YOUR LION PRiDE!

2015-2016

Welcome back to a new and exciting school year. We hope that you have had a relaxing and restful summer. We are excited and eager to get started with new programs, meet new friends, and greet old friends. As an aid to our parents and students, we have compiled some facts about school policies and procedures at Pirrung. We hope that you will keep this newsletter available for answering any questions that you may have about events that occur during the year.

Before SchoolWhen your child comes to school each morning, he/she is to enter the building immediately. All students should report to the cafeteria. We begin serving breakfast at 7:15 a.m. Those students who are not eating breakfast should report to the cafeteria and be seated quietly on the floor in their assigned area. School personnel will be available to monitor students in the cafeteria at 7:15 a.m. Adult supervision will not be available before that time. The front doors will be unlocked at 7:15 a.m. The class bell rings at 7:45. The tardy bell rings at 7:55. Students who arrive between 7:45 and 7:55 may report to their classrooms. Please also refer to the separate handout regarding the “Hug Zone” for morning procedures.

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School VisitsWe encourage you to visit our school during the school year. There are certain procedures that must be followed when you come into the building during class hours. For the safety of our students all visitors will be required to provide identification to the office staff each time you visit. You will receive a sticker to show that you are an approved visitor in the building. This is a safeguard for personnel to monitor all persons that might be in the halls or on the playground. If you are not wearing a sticker, you will be stopped by staff members and asked to visit the office for check-in. We value your visits and appreciate your efforts to share responsibility in this safety measure.

Please feel free to join your child for lunch. Lunch visitors should take their child and enjoy a more private lunch on the stage or at the designated tables. This should be a special time for you and your child, so friends or family members from other classes should not be invited to join you.

Pirrung P.T.A.We invite you to become part of our PTA and to participate in our parent night programs. Membership forms are available from the classroom teacher and are also available in the school office. We hope that you will join and become involved.

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School TimesClasses begin promptly at 7:55 a.m. Students will be considered tardy at 7:56 a.m. Students will be picked up by their teachers in the cafeteria at 7:45. Classes will end at 2:55 p.m. Arrangements should be made so that all students are picked up from their designated areas at 2:55 p.m. Students not picked up on time will need to be signed out in the front office.

District Early Release DaysStudents will be dismissed at 11:55 a.m. on District Early Release Days. Please make sure you and

Lunch and Breakfast PricesBreakfast: $1.50 for students and $1.85 for adultsLunch: $2.20 for students and $3.20 for adults and visiting children

Our cafeteria uses the automated accounting system. Parents usually prefer to write a check for one to two weeks. Students should give lunch money to their teachers at the beginning of the school day. The money is deposited into your child’s account and can be accessed during breakfast or lunch. This system operates with a student PIN number. Students returning to Pirrung will have the same number as last year. New students will be assigned a PIN number.

We also use the PAMS prepay system so that you can make payments to the cafeteria online or on the phone with a credit card or debit card. You may also check the activity on your child’s account. Setting up the personal account is easy. Parents only need to go to http://www.PamsLunchRoom.com or call 1-888-994-5100 to register with PAMS. There is a nominal fee of 5.6% per deposit, per student. A minimum of $25.00 per student is required per deposit. More detailed information can be found on the district website.

AttendanceYour child’s attendance is vital to the success of his/her education. Please refer to your Student Handbook for our attendance policy. The state compulsory attendance law requires that school employees must investigate and report violations of the state compulsory attendance law. In order for a child to receive credit, he/she must attend at least 90% of the days the class is offered. A letter of concern will be sent to parents if the student:

Is absent from school 10 or more days or parts of days within a six-month period.

If your child is ill and does not attend class, please call for homework assignments. Within three days of the student returning to school, please send a note stating the reason for and date of the absence (even if you have called earlier). The state’s attendance policy requires that each student must attend 90% of the days in a year in order to pass. Please read about this requirement in your Student Handbook. If a severe

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problem arises due to attendance, the situation should be discussed with the teacher, principal, or assistant principal. We realize that there are days when children are too ill to attend school. We are not encouraging you to send any student to school with a fever or other symptoms of illness; however, we are stressing that all students must be in school if possible. If your child has a medical appointment and still attends part of the school day, your doctor can provide a doctor’s note that will allow us to mark your child present. A doctor’s note is required if the student misses three or more days in a row. Family vacations are not considered excused absences.

If state compulsory attendance laws are violated, you will be contacted. We will report attendance concerns to the appropriate court when necessary.

TardiesWe expect our students to arrive on time. Our school day begins promptly at 7:55. If a child is tardy, he/she begins the day behind. We will work to reward those students who arrive on time and are ready to begin work at 7:55. Our campus/district clocks operate using The National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) Official U.S. Time and can be accessed at http://www.time.gov. The following guidelines will apply:

1-2 tardies: tardy slip sent home, verbal warning, parent contact, or e-mail. 3-4 tardies: before school detention 5 tardies: PST/ARD/504 conference with parent to discuss tardiness, before

school detention 6 or more tardies: ISS, principal discretion, parent contact, or consideration of

truancy filing

We will hold detentions before school for those students who are tardy so that they can make up the lost instructional time.

Instruction begins immediately following the announcements. Tardies affect student success. All persistent tardies will be addressed by an administrator.

Further information regarding MISD Attendance and Tardy policies can be found in the MISD Student Handbook at: http://www.mesquiteisd.org/studentsparents/policies/docs/handbook.pdf

School DismissalAll classes are dismissed at 2:55 p.m. Teachers have required obligations after the school day and are held accountable to meet these obligations. Please help us by picking your child up promptly. If you are unable to arrive on time, make arrangements with a babysitter or day care center to pick up your child. If an unforeseen emergency arises, please notify the office. We will relay the message to your child so that he/she will not worry. If someone other than the regular babysitter is providing transportation on a particular day and the child doesn’t know this, please contact the office or the teacher so that we may inform your child. Please try to have afternoon plans finalized each day before you send your child to school.

District early release days often cause confusion. Students are dismissed on these days at 11:55 a.m. Please make sure you and your child have discussed afternoon transportation for these early release days.

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PARKING LOTThe flow of traffic is critical to the safety of our Pirrung children. Please park your car in a parking spot or at the street curb if you need to get out. Do not leave your car unattended in the lanes. This blocks the traffic flow for others. Please let your child out of the car at a curb. Do not allow children to exit your car while you are in the parking lot entrance or exit. Only Day Car Buses and School Buses should use the circle by the gym. This is for the safety of our students moving between the building and the portables. Children and adults should only cross the street at the crosswalks and with a crossing guard. Do not encourage students to cross between cars or through traffic. Your child’s safety is our priority, and we appreciate your support.

In our parking lot: The far lane, closest to the street, will be a drive through lane only. Please do not

drop off students, park, or leave your car in the far left lane. The lane closest to the school will be the drop off/pick up lane. Again, please do

not leave your car. We cannot block the bus entrance/exit by the portables. The buses will need to be

able to make the turn and drive through the parking lot. Please do not block the buses in.

Please do not let your children cross the parking lot. When they walk through cars, the drivers may not see them. Students should cross with crossing guards and walk up the sidewalks, or you may let them out by the flagpole.

When crossing the parking lot, please use the marked cross walk and wait for traffic to stop before crossing. This will help the flow of traffic.

MedicineIf your child must take medication during the school day, permission forms are available in the school clinic. All medication must be in the original container and must be administered through the school clinic. Prescription medication, including inhalers, must have a prescription label and it must have been prescribed within the last calendar year. A supply of only two weeks of medication may be sent to the clinic. Medication is counted upon delivery to the clinic. When the container is emptied of medication, it is sent home with the student. The student then returns the next two-week supply in the prescription container to the clinic at the beginning of the next school day. Liquid medication and inhalers are exceptions to the two-week rule. MISD policy prevents the school nurse from giving any over-the-counter medication without written instructions from your child’s physician and written permission to administer the medication from a parent. This includes pain relievers, cough drops, allergy medication, etc. If you bring medication to school for your child, report your intentions when you come to the office. Your child will be located and directed to the clinic where you may give the medication.

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Office TelephoneThe use of the telephone in the office must be very limited due to the heavy volume of calls coming into the school. We ask that students use the phone only with office approval. Also, we cannot call a student to the telephone. We will deliver a message for students or teachers. Please help us protect our learning time.

Current Contact NumbersAn update of all information concerning students will be sent home in the next few weeks. Please complete it and return it as soon as possible. It is of extreme importance to keep all telephone contact numbers current. If there is an emergency or illness, the office will need a number to contact the parent or a designated person. If your telephone number or your employment changes, please notify the school office as soon as possible.

Classroom ProceduresOn Thursday, August 27, we will hold a Parent Orientation for all parents with students in Grades K-5. Parent Orientation will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. There will be three sessions that are repeated so that you may attend more than one child’s presentation. You may choose from 5:30-5:55, 6:00-6:25, and/or 6:30-6:55. We encourage all parents to make arrangements and attend this important meeting. During this meeting, information will be provided concerning policies and procedures for the classroom. Please take time to review and discuss the policies and procedures with your child. It is our goal to see that each parent is an informed, involved, and active partner with our school.

During Parent Orientation, should you need to discuss information pertaining to your child specifically, a conference can be scheduled so that confidentiality can be maintained.

ConferencesDuring the school year, your child’s teacher will contact you to schedule a fall and spring conference. In addition, weekly work samples, a progress report, and a report card will be provided so that you can monitor your child’s progress. We are always eager to talk with you concerning your child. A conference can be scheduled by telephone or note at any time. Please do not try to conference with teachers while other students are in the

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Pirrung CalendarDuring the first part of each month, a calendar will be sent home to inform you of important events for the month. Included on the calendar will be information concerning holidays, early dismissals, PTA meetings, field trips, testing, etc. It is very important that you are aware of all special events that involve your child.

classroom. Our goal is to ensure the success of your child, and we want to be available for communication.

Dress CodeStudents are allowed to wear shorts to school. Shorts must be at least fingertip length. Girls, please do not wear halters or have bare midriffs. Shoulder straps on shirts need to be at least three inches wide. Boys’ hair should be out of the eyes. Please---no startling or disruptive haircuts, excessive hairstyles, or unusual hair colors. Boys’ shirts should have sleeves after third grade. Extremely baggy clothing will not be allowed and jewelry should be kept to a minimum amount and size. Pajama pants or pants with writing/graphics on the seat area are not appropriate for school. Students may not wear shoes with wheels or cleats. Remember, no earrings for boys. An appropriate learning environment is our priority, and we don’t want students distracted by what others are wearing. We want our students to be comfortable, modest, and neat. Please check the MISD website for examples of appropriate and inappropriate dress.

Parent VolunteersWe are so pleased to have your family at Pirrung Elementary. We encourage you to become active partners in your child’s education. Our parents and volunteers are vital to the success of our school. Information providing opportunities on how to become involved, will be sent during the first few weeks of school. We value your support as we continue to pursue the tradition of success at Pirrung.

Respect for AllMesquite ISD has a very diverse student population and strives to maintain an environment of respect and acceptance in its schools. Students are expected to treat other students, district employees, adults, and parents with courtesy and respect. Threats, verbal or physical, offensive statements or language, or offensive actions will not be tolerated. At Pirrung we will continue to work hard to establish an environment of trust and respect, and we appreciate the support of our parents and community.

Promotion RequirementsParents should read the information in the Student Code of Conduct regarding promotion. In addition to the district criteria, the state has specific promotion expectations for students regarding their performance on STAAR. The Texas Education Agency requires that the STAAR test be administered to all eligible students in the third through fifth grades. The test is designed to assess mastery of the state curriculum.

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ChecksAll personal checks written to the district must include the current address of the account holder. The account holder’s name should also be legible and printed on the check. Any returned check will be collected through CheckSmart.

Pledge of Allegiance/Moment of SilenceIn the summer of 2003, the 78th Legislature mandated that each school district shall require students during each school day at each school in the district to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Texas state flag. In addition, each school is required to provide for the observance of one minute of silence following the recitation of the pledges. All students are required to be respectful during the pledges and moment of silence.

Early DismissalParents should bring their driver’s license into the office when checking students out early. We will ask to see it before we release your child. This is a safety precaution, and we ask that you support us in this policy. Many of you we know well, but will still ask to see your driver’s license. Please come in prepared with your license in hand and the process will go quickly. Thank you for your support.

Checking students out early may be necessary on occasion. Instruction continues until the very end of the day. Repeated early dismissals will be treated as instructional time lost and will need to be made up in the same way tardies are addressed.

Physical EducationWe expect all students to participate in our physical education class. Students should wear or bring appropriate foot attire. If, for health reasons, your child will not be able to participate for three or more days, we need a doctor’s note.

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Food Regulations-Texas Department of AgricultureThe USDA has issued the guidelines for Smart Snacks in Schools. The guidelines promote a healthy school environment and apply to all foods provided to the student during the school day including a la carte, vending machines, school stores and fundraisers. is online at www.squaremeals.org. Generally, it states that we are allowed 6 exempt days for foods given away to students where there are no restrictions as to calories, fat, sugar, etc. The exempt days do not apply to fundraisers. Foods given away on regular school days must follow the Smart Snacks regulations. We greatly appreciate your support of these guidelines.

Student Birthdays: We will not be allowed to consume any treats for student birthdays. If you’d like to send birthday treats for everyone in the class, these will be passed out at the end of the day for students to take home.

PBIS PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support. It is a process for creating safer and more effective schools. It is a systems approach to enhancing the capacity of schools to educate all children by developing research-based, school-wide, and classroom behavior support systems. The process focuses on improving a school’s ability to teach and support positive behavior for all students. Rather than a prescribed program, PBIS provides systems for schools to design, implement, and evaluate effective school-wide, classroom, non-classroom, and student specific plans. PBIS includes school-wide procedures and processes intended for all students and all staff in all settings. PBS is not a program or a curriculum. It is a team-based process for systemic problem solving, planning, and evaluation. It is an approach to creating a safe and productive learning environment where teachers can teach and all students can learn.

We are beginning our 3rd year of PBIS. During the first year of PBIS, we began with the common areas of the restrooms, hallways, cafeteria and playground. We adopted a unified set of behavior guidelines for success for the common areas last year. These guidelines defined our expectations for behavior in our school. You will see these guidelines posted throughout the school on a matrix poster, and your child will be reviewing them during his or her first days at school. Our unified guidelines for success use the acronym, PRiDE, and are as follows:

Prepared Respectful integrity Determined Encouraging (The i in PRiDE is set apart to emphasize “I” show PRiDE by….)

Each word has a set of criteria of how to demonstrate the characteristic in different common areas. For example, how do students show that they are Prepared when going to the cafeteria? The matrix that has been put up around the building explains the criteria.This approach to managing behaviors is also a positive one. Students are acknowledged for exhibiting the behaviors that we expect by receiving a ticket. Those receiving a ticket will be rewarded with a positive phone call home and their name will be placed on the Principal’s 200 board outside the cafeteria. A special reward will be given to the students who make “10 in a row”. This will continue on throughout the year. Also, individual students can be rewarded for showing his/her PRiDE and have his/her Pride Card initialed by another staff member throughout the day. Recognition will be given as students move up the levels with their PRiDE cards.

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Please take this opportunity to talk to your child about the expectations at school and the importance of continuing to demonstrate PRiDE behaviors. With your continued support and involvement, Pirrung will remain a school where students can excel.

QuestionsIf you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. It is going to be a great year!

Paige Brison, Principal

Kaci Carpenter, Assistant Principal

www.mesquiteisd.org/pirrung

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EXCELLENCE ALWAYS

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