elementary handook 2011
DESCRIPTION
CCS Handbook for elementary studentsTRANSCRIPT
2011-2012
Elementary
Student/Parent
Handbook
CHATEAUGAY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Mr. Scott Henderson President
Mrs. Susan Jones-King Vice President
Mr. William Harrigan Member
Mr. John McCormick Member
Mr. David Roach Member
Mr. John Swanston Member
Mr. William Wood Member
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT
Mr. Dale Breault
BUILDING PRINCIPALS
Mrs. Loretta D. Fowler, Elementary Principal
Mrs. Donna André, High School Principal
I
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE(S)
School Mission Statement…………………………….………………..1
Message From the Principal…………………………………...……….2
General School Procedures……………………………….....……...….3
Before and After School………………………………..….…………...3
Double Dismissal……………………………………………...……..3-4
Latchkey…………………………………..……………..……………..4
Field Trips………………………………………….…………………..4
Dress Code…………………………………………….……………….4
Leaving School Early…………………………….…………………..5-6
Absences……………………………………………...………………...6
Late or Tardy…………………………………………..……………….7
School Hours…………………………………………..……………….6
Visitors to School……………………………………………...……..6-7
Sickness/School Nurse…………………………………….…………...7
Medicine in School……………………………………….…………….7
Grades………………………………………………………………..7-8
Emergency School Closings………………………...………………….8
Lost and Found…………………………………….…………………...8
Choosing Your Child's Teacher………………………………………..8
Student Retentions…………………………………………….………..9
Attendance Policy…………………………………………………..9-11
Birthday Party Invitations…………………………………………….11
Student Code of Conduct…………………...……………………..12-17
Computer Acceptable Use…………………………………………….17
Release Form……………………………….……………………...18-19
Important Information…………………………..…………………20-21
School Calendar…………………………..…………………………...22
II
CHATEAUGAY CENTRAL SCHOOL
MISSION STATEMENT
T he Mission of Chateaugay Cen-tral School, in partnership with the community, is to provide a safe environment in which each student,
including those with disabilities, succeeds in reaching his/her potential as a lifelong learner. We envision a community of learners who achieve state benchmarks at all levels and have a mastery of the essential knowledge, skills, and dispositions outlined in the New York State Learning Standards. We believe all students at Chateaugay Central School have the ability to learn. We, the faculty, staff and administration, have the responsibility to develop each student's potential to learn.
Page 1
2011-2012 SCHOOL CALENDAR
Page 21
6 -Day Cycle
We use a 6 day cycle for scheduling special area classes. The students
will continue to attend art, library, music, physical
education and second step counseling. The classes are scheduled by
letter name vs. day of the week. The cycle is continuous for school
days that students are in session. You may check the Chateaugay
W e b s i t e ( w w w . c h a t e a u g a y . o r g ) f o r t h e
A-F monthly schedule.
The color/subject key is as follows:
Reading = Red
Math = White
Science = Yellow
English/Writing = Green
Social Studies = Blue
Spelling = Purple
Elementary ELA and Math Assessment Dates: Grades 3-6
The New York State Education Department will continue to administer the
English Language Arts (ELA) and Math assessments in the spring. This
year the assessments will begin in April.
ELA Tuesday, April 17 – Wednesday, April 18
Math Monday, April 23 – Tuesday, April 24
Students in grade four will continue to take the NYS Science Assessment.
Science Wednesday, May 23 Performance Test
Grade 4 Monday, June 4 Written Test
Please do not schedule appointments or vacations during these dates.
MESSAGE FROM THE BUILDING LEADERSHIP TEAM
Welcome to Chateaugay Central School! Beginning a new school
year is a very exciting time for children, parents, teachers, and
administrators.
The Student Handbook describes the rules and policies students
need to know for participation in school. Please familiarize yourself
and your child with the contents and help your child understand that
you will help him/her follow the rules and procedures at Chateaugay.
We strongly encourage parents to be involved in their child’s
educational experiences and look forward to working with your family.
The policies of this handbook and the services of the school system
have been designed to protect the well being of students and the rights
of all students to a quality education at Chateaugay Central School.
Once you have reviewed this Student Handbook, please feel free to
contact us with any additional questions that you may have. We will be
more than happy to spend as much time as necessary with you to help
insure that the upcoming school year is a successful one for you and
your child.
Please sign and return the form in the back of the Student
Handbook indicating that you and your child have reviewed the
handbook and understand the rules, policies and expectations contained
within. You may keep the handbook and use it as a reference tool
throughout the year.
Sincerely,
CCS Building
Leadership Team
Page 2
Helen Boyea Karen Hesseltine
Kim Cartier Jason LaPlante
Shelly Cook Mary Lobdell
Loretta Fowler Mary Ann Pageau
Mary Jones Chris Reynolds
Cyndi Hanley Lisa Swanston
GENERAL SCHOOL PROCEDURES
We have all learned that the success of anything done by several
people depends on cooperation. In order to make sure that we all know
how to cooperate, certain rules must be stated. Some people think that
rules take away their rights, but most of us know that rules allow us to
enjoy equal rights. Our school rules have four main purposes:
1. To help us make school more enjoyable
2 To help us learn as much as we can.
3. To make sure our property and that of the school is
properly cared for.
4. To help us cooperate to make the school operate more
successfully.
Let us all become acquainted with these basic rules so that we will
know what to expect of each other as we learn and grow with the
Chateaugay Central School district.
WHAT SHOULD MY CHILD DO BEFORE AND AFTER
SCHOOL?
Students who arrive at school by bus are expected to go directly to
his/her classroom or to the cafeteria for breakfast. Students are
expected to walk in a calm and quiet manner. Students who walk
or are dropped off by a parent should not arrive any earlier than
7:30 am.
At the end of the school day, it is the responsibility of students to
bring everything that they need with them when they leave the
classroom.
WHAT IS DOUBLE DISMISSAL?
The official school day at CCS runs from 8:20 am-3:20 pm.
Students who do not have any additional academic obligations may
leave on the first bus run at 2:20. Oftentimes, teachers will request that
students stay during our double dismissal period to do additional
academic work or to serve a detention. This is not “staying after” and
parents are not to excuse their children from these obligations. Any
absences from double dismissal that are unexcused will be treated
Page 3
Important Information
School Phone Numbers:
Elementary Office (518) 497-6290
High School Office (518) 497-6611
Bus Garage (518) 497-6613
Fax (518) 497-3170
Head Start (518) 497-6218
Hours of Operation
Switchboard opens at 7:00 am.
Breakfast line opens at 7:45am.
Official start of the school day K-12 is 8:20 am.
(8:00 am is preferred.)
End of 1st dismissal is 2:15 pm.
Double dismissal runs from 2:15-3:15 pm.
Switchboard closes at 4:00 pm.
School Website
http://www.chateaugay.org
In Case of School Closure Tune In To:
TV: WPTZ Channel 5
Radio: Martz Communication Group
WICY 1490 AM
WVNV 96.5 FM
WYUL 94.7 FM
North Country Public Radio
WSLO 90.9 FM
Alert Notifications through home/work/cell phone and
e-mail addresses. Always keep your contact information
current to receive Alert Notifications.
Page 20
PLEASE FILL OUT
THE OPPOSITE
SIDE OF THIS
SHEET, DETACH
IT, AND RETURN
IT TO SCHOOL
WITH YOUR
CHILD.
Please keep this
booklet as a
reference.
Page 19
accordingly in compliance with the school’s attendance policy. Also,
families who have children in both elementary and high school, need to
make accommodations for the possibility of two different dismissal
times. Oftentimes, a high school student may need to stay for the
double dismissal period when a younger sibling does not need to. In
those cases, the younger sibling must either go home or go to latchkey.
IS THERE A LATCHKEY PROGRAM?
CCS currently runs a latchkey program for students in grades K-6.
The hours of operation are from 2:15-5:30. While in latchkey, students
are provided with a snack and are encouraged to do their homework.
Parents are expected to pick their children up from latchkey in person
and need to strictly adhere to the hours of operation. The 2010-2011
cost for the latchkey program is $4.00 per child, per day with a
maximum of $10.00 per day for a family. Latchkey applications can be
picked up in the elementary office.
The Board of Education recently updated the payment procedures.
Parents are asked to pre-pay the latchkey bill weekly. Any unpaid bill
that exceeds $20.00 or 5 days of payment must be paid prior to a child
attending latchkey. The updated policy also includes an additional
charge for late parent pick-up. If a parent picks up a child/children
after the 5:30 pm closing, the parent will be charged $10.00 per child
during the time period between 5:30 - 6:00 pm. Late parent pick-up is
discouraged.
MAY I GO ON FIELD TRIPS? Field trips are designed to supplement the educational program of
our school. As with many other activities, we ask for a limited number
of helpers at times. Chaperones on field trips are limited to the number
required by education law, board policy, and the field trip venue.
Chaperones are expected to ride the school bus and maintain constant
supervision of students. The number of chaperones required per field
trip is limited to the number dictated by the building principal. If
parents are asked to chaperone or choose to drive themselves to the
field-trip site, we strongly discourage the bringing of younger siblings
as they have proved to be a distraction to the educational benefit of the
trip.
Since field trips are a part of our educational program and
conducted during the school day, students are required to ride school
buses to and from field trip sites and are considered to be in attendance
at school during that time.
Page 4
IS THERE A STUDENT DRESS CODE?
All students are expected to give proper attention to personal
cleanliness and to dress appropriately for school and school functions.
Students and their parents have the primary responsibility for
acceptable student dress and appearance. Teachers and all other district
personnel should exemplify and reinforce acceptable student dress and
help students develop an understanding of appropriate appearance in
the school setting.
A student's dress, grooming and appearance, including jewelry,
accessories, make-up, shall:
Be safe, appropriate and not disrupt or interfere with the
educational process.
Recognize that extremely brief garments such as tube tops, net tops,
halter tops, spaghetti straps, plunging necklines (front and/or back)
and see-through garments are not appropriate.
Ensure that underwear is completely covered with outer clothing.
Include footwear at all times. Footwear that is a safety hazard will
not be allowed.
Not include the wearing of hats, except for medical or religious
purpose.
Not include items that are vulgar, obscene, libelous or denigrate
other on account of race, color, religion, creed, national origin,
gender, sexual orientation or disability.
Not promote and/or endorse the use of alcohol, tobacco or illegal
drugs and/or encourage other illegal or violent activities.
When a building principal deems that a student’s attire is
interfering with the learning process, he/she shall deal with the students
in accordance with the student conduct policy. Students, however, may
wear special dress or costume for specific events or on special
occasions when approved by the principal.
WHAT SHOULD MY CHILD DO IF HE/SHE HAS TO LEAVE
SCHOOL EARLY?
Students should only be excused from school during the day for
legal reasons, such as doctor/dentist appointments, attending religious
instruction, immediate family emergency, etc. It would be to your
child’s benefit if these appointments could be made after school hours
so that a minimum amount of instructional time is lost.
Page 5
ONCE YOU HAVE DISCUSSED THE ITEMS ENCLOSED IN THIS
BOOKLET WITH YOUR CHILD, PLEASE SIGN BELOW, REMOVE
THIS SHEET, AND RETURN IT TO SCHOOL WITH YOUR CHILD.
I have read the information in this booklet and have discussed it
with my child/children. I understand that I may request full
copies of the school’s attendance policy and/or student code of
conduct if I wish.
_________________________ __________________________
Parent (print) Parent (sign)
LOCAL FIELD TRIP AUTHORIZATION From time to time, teachers may take their classrooms on a “local
field trip.” A local field trip is one where the class would walk to
the destination at a distance no greater than 1/2 mile. Some
examples of this are visiting the post office or treating the kids to
ice cream at Stewart’s on a warm day.
Please sign below to authorize your child to participate in a local
field trip at the principal/teacher’s discretion.
_________________________ __________________________
Parent (print) Parent (sign)
PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION
Often, parents request contact information of other students in the
classroom for the purpose of inviting classmates to parties.
Please sign below to authorize your address and phone informa-
tion to be shared with parents of other students in the classroom.
_________________________ __________________________
Parent (print) Parent (sign)
PLEASE KEEP THE REMAINDER OF THIS BOOKLET FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
Page 18
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
CODE OF CONDUCT OR WOULD LIKE A FULL COPY OF
THE CODE?
Parents are encouraged to call the principal whenever they may
have a question about any school policy. The school’s number is
497-6611 or 497-6290. As with any school policy, you can always call
the school or stop by to obtain full copies of the documents.
ARE THERE ANY SPECIAL RULES PERTAINING TO COM-
PUTER USE IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
Chateaugay Central School, like most schools, does have a
Technology Acceptable Use Policy. The policy covers many areas of
computer use and appropriate and inappropriate use of school
technology and computers. Some of the main points in this policy are
as follows.
The primary focus of district technology is to support instruction as
well as the orderly operation of all district offices. Any use of
technology that is not directly related to the district’s technology
philosophy is strictly prohibited.
All information transmitted through CCS computers is the property
of the school and is subject to school control and inspection at any
time.
CCS does use internet filtering software, but the technology is not
perfect. Students still have to use care in only going to acceptable
internet sites.
Prohibited student conduct related to technology include but are not
limited to areas such as:
-viruses -electronic vandalism -unsupervised use
- “hacking” -downloading inappropriate software/content
-using instant messaging -altering computer settings
Please call the school or stop by the main office if you would like
to see the full Technology Acceptable Use Policy.
Page 17
Parents are to report in person to the elementary office in order to
pick their child up. Parents should not go directly to their child’s
classroom as this can be disruptive. All students leaving school early
must be signed out by their parent/guardian in the elementary office.
This policy is to assure the safety of the children and will be strictly
enforced.
Please send a note with your child each time your child will be
excused along with the reason for the early dismissal. If your child has
a doctor or dental appointment, please ask the receptionist for a medical
note.
If you have a change in after school plans for your child and you did
not send a note to school, please call with the change prior to 1:30 pm.
This gives Chandra time to contact the teacher and ensure your child
gets to his/her destination safely. Any calls after 1:30 pm will be di-
rected to Mrs. Fowler, the elementary principal.
WHAT SHOULD MY CHILD DO IF HE/SHE IS ABSENT FROM
SCHOOL?
The more school days your child misses, the harder it becomes for
he/she to become successful. Therefore, your child should miss school
only when it is absolutely necessary; for example, if he/she is ill, there
has been a death in your immediate family, or a medical emergency.
When returning from a day’s absence, your child must bring a note
from home, It is important that the note have:
1. your child’s full name on it;
2. the days he/she was absent;
3. the reason he/she was absent; and
4. A parent/guardian’s signature.
On the day your child returns, he/she should give the note to his/her
classroom teacher. If the written excuse is not received within 5 days,
the absence (s) will be counted as unexcused. (Always send a note.)
Page 6
WHAT SHOULD MY CHILD DO IF HE/SHE IS LATE FOR
SCHOOL?
If your child is late for school, he/she must have a note from home
explaining the tardy. When your child arrives at school, it is necessary
for him/her to report to the elementary office so that we can note that
he/she is in attendance, but has arrived late. School begins promptly at
8:20 am. As soon as the announcements begin, any student arriving at
school is considered tardy. Any child who has a scheduled double
dismissal class and is dismissed, that portion of the day will be
considered as an absence. (We would enjoy having all students arrive
by 8:00 am.)
HOW LONG IS MY CHILD’S SCHOOL DAY?
The school day at CCS begins at 8:20 am and concludes by
3:20 pm. Students may ride the first bus home at 2:20 if they do not
have academic/disciplinary obligations. If your child arrives at his/her
classroom later than 8:20 A.M. he/she is counted tardy.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO IF I WANT TO VISIT SCHOOL
DURING THE SCHOOL DAY?
All visitors are expected to report to the office and register before
proceeding to a classroom or other area. Each visitor will receive a
badge. Any visitor without a badge will be asked to report to the office.
Parents wishing to talk to teachers or other staff members should call
school or send a note to make an appointment before they arrive.
All staff and students are expected to treat visitors to our school in a
courteous, friendly and helpful manner. Visitors are also expected to
behave in a manner that is courteous and non-disruptive to the
educational process.
WHERE CAN MY CHILD GO IF HE/SHE IS NOT FEELING
WELL?
A student who needs help due to illness or accident may visit the
school nurse, if it is necessary. If a student cannot return to a class, a
parent or person designated by the parents will be notified. Please note,
the school nurse can only provide basic medical care and screening.
The school nurse is not meant to replace regular visits and exams to a
family doctor, pediatrician, eye doctor, or any other medical
Page 7
Student Right
A student has the right to be transported safely to and from school.
Student Responsibilities
To follow all rules of safety and courtesy at all times.
WHAT TYPES OF CONSEQUENCES CAN BE HANDED OUT
WHEN MY CHILD BREAKS A SCHOOL RULE?
According to education law, the following consequences may be
imposed on students:
Warning
Detention with the teacher (Tier I Detention)
Principal’s detention (Tier II Detention)
In school suspension
Suspension from school
Expulsion
In addition to the above list, the following disciplinary measures may
also be used under certain circumstances.
Restriction of a student’s social interaction within the building
Financial restitution
Referral to the department of probation or law enforcement
Referral to a counselor
Other items agreed upon by the principal and parents
WHAT ELSE CAN I FIND IN THE CODE OF CONDUCT?
The CCS code of conduct contains several other sections including:
Legal definitions used in the code
A full list of all essential partners in your child’s education
Specific examples of irresponsible student behaviors with specific
consequences
Special rules for the discipline of students with disabilities.
Corporal punishment
Student searches and interrogations
Regulations pertaining to the use of “drug sniffing” dogs
Visitors to the school
Public conduct on school property
A dissemination and review section
Page 16
Student Right
A student has the right to attend school and all classes daily.
Student Responsibilities
To be present in class on time in the morning
To attend all assigned classes
To follow required procedures
To remain in all classes until dismissed
To supply excuses for absence or tardiness within 5 days of
returning to school
Student Right
A student has the right to have his/her property and privacy
respected by others.
Student Responsibilities
To respect the rights and property of every other person
Student Right
A student has the right to attend all classes for the purpose of
studying and learning without disruption by other students.
Student Responsibilities
To behave as a mature, responsible person
To wisely use class time for learning
To honestly prepare all assignments and complete all required class
work
Student Right
A student has a right to a clean, safe area to eat lunch.
Student Responsibilities
To help maintain a clean and safe eating environment
To refrain from throwing objects or food in the cafeteria
To refrain from sitting on tables
Follow the cafeteria procedures for serving students
Student Right
A student has the right to a clean building, facilities, and grounds.
Student Responsibilities
To place trash and litter in appropriate container
To have respect for school and personal property
To have pride in the facilities provided by the public and to use
these facilities with care and respect
Page 15
professional.
MAY MY CHILD BRING MEDICINE TO SCHOOL?
Under certain circumstances, when it is necessary for a child to take
internal medication during school hours, the school nurse can cooperate
with the family physician and the parents to do so. A parent must
submit a written request from the family physician in which the
frequency and dosage of a prescribed medication is indicated.
HOW IS MY CHILD GRADED? The students who attend CCS have varying needs, interests, and
abilities. Every effort is made to report the individual progress of each
student fairly and accurately.
Throughout the year, teachers will be giving daily, unit and other
subject area tests. These will become part of the student’s quarterly and
final grade. In grades 2 through 6, 70% is the passing grade. Students
in grade 1 and all special subject grades for
students in grades K-6. will receive letter and/or number grades on the
report card. Those are: O - outstanding, S - satisfactory, U - unsatis-
factory, X - not evaluated this marking period. 3 - meeting all
expectations, 2 - partially meeting expectations, 1 - not meeting expec-
tations. Students in Pre-K and Kindergarten have a separate progress
report card. The markings are self-explanatory.
Report cards are sent home with the children at the end of each
marking period. All report cards are sent in an envelope that parents
are asked to sign. Please return the report card envelope the next school
day. Classroom teachers appreciate the quick response!
HOW WILL I KNOW IF THE SCHOOL WILL BE CLOSED
DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER OR EMERGENCIES? There may be times when school may have to close early or not
open because of adverse weather, water problems, low temperatures,
etc. Mr. Breault will use the Alert Now notification system to alert
parents of any changes in the school day. You can be contacted at
home, work, cell phone, and/or e-mail address. Please make sure
Chandra has current contact information if you would like to receive
these notifications.
In the event of an early go home drill or emergency, it is very help-
ful if parents do not change the emergency plans they have in place for
their child. If you do not have a safe place to send your child everyday,
you may use the Latch Key program.
Page 8
MY CHILD’S TEACHER WANTS TO RETAIN MY CHILD. I
DISAGREE. WHAT CAN I DO?
Retaining a child at the end of a school year is one of the most diffi-
cult decisions that a teacher has to make. It is always done after a lot of
careful consideration based on sound educational philosophy. Teachers
usually communicate with parents throughout the school year to
express academic concerns, and the announcement of a retention should
not be a surprise to a parent.
The Chateaugay Central School Board of Education has a specific
policy that states that the classroom teacher has the final word in
determining retentions.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
The following Q & A has been developed to serve as a “plain
language” summary of the CCS Attendance Policy. Please read it over
carefully. If you would like to see the full policy, please feel free to
contact the school to request a copy.
WHAT DO “EXCUSED,” “UNEXCUSED,” AND “EXEMPT”
MEAN?
All student absences, tardiness, and early dismissals (ATEDS) must
be coded as being either “excused,” “unexcused,” or “exempt.” These
terms replace the long used “legal” and “illegal.” The most common
Excused ATEDS are those due to personal illness, illness or death in
the family, or attendance at health clinics/doctor’s office. Exempted
ATEDS are school-related absences that are not counted for this policy.
They include things like music lessons and field trips. All other
absences, tardiness, and early departures are considered unexcused.
Some examples of unexcused ATEDS include, but are not limited to,
“woke up late,” “needed at home,” “picking up early,” “family
vacation,” and “personal reasons.”
DO I NEED TO WRITE AN EXCUSE?
All student ATEDS need to be verified in writing by a parent/
guardian. If you are dropping your child off late or picking them up
early, you can take care of the written excuse by using our student log
book and providing a reason. A process has also been developed to
Page 9
The principal is responsible for:
Promoting a safe, orderly and stimulating school environment,
supporting active teaching and learning.
Ensuring that students and staff have the opportunity to
communicate regularly with the principal and approach the
principal for redress of grievances.
Evaluating all instructional programs on a regular basis.
Supporting the development of, and student participation in,
appropriate extracurricular activities.
Enforcing the code of conduct and ensuring that all cases are
resolved promptly and fairly.
WHAT ARE THE RULES?
Section VI of the code of conduct outlines all prohibited student
conduct. The first part of this section highlights irresponsible behavior.
Irresponsible behavior includes:
Harassment
Fighting
Tobacco use
Use of drugs and alcohol
Selling, giving or passing drugs or alcohol at school.
Bullying
School safety and security (bomb threats, false alarms, weapons,
etc).
Also in this section is a list of students’ rights and responsibilities as
they relate to behavior. Those are:
Student Right
Each student has the right to attend school and school functions
without the fear of intimidation, bodily harm, or endangerment of
health or welfare by others.
Student Responsibilities
To be respectful and reasonable
To demonstrate courteous behavior to students and teachers
To refrain from fighting with anyone
To refrain from using illegal drugs, tobacco products, and/or
alcohol on school grounds
Page 14
WHAT ARE MY RESPONSIBILITIES AS A PARENT?
Parents are expected to:
Recognize that their child’s education is a joint responsibility
between themselves and the school.
Send their children to school ready to participate and learn.
Ensure that their children attend school regularly and on time.
Ensure that absences are excused.
Insist that their children are dressed and groomed in a manner
consistent with the school dress code.
Help their children to understand that rules are necessary in a
democratic society in order to maintain a safe, orderly environment.
Know school rules and help their children to understand them.
Convey to their children a supportive attitude toward education and
the district.
Build good relationships with teachers, other parents, and their
children's friends.
Help their children deal effectively with peer pressure. If the
problem can't be corrected at home, notify the school.
Inform school officials of changes in the home situation that may
affect student conduct or performance.
WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SCHOOL
STAFF?
Teachers are expected to:
Maintain a climate of mutual respect and dignity, which will
strengthen students' self-concept and promote confidence to learn.
Be prepared to teach.
Demonstrate interest in teaching and concern for student
achievement.
Know school policies and rules, and enforce them in a fair and
consistent manner.
Communicate to students and parents:
Course objectives and requirements
Marking/grading procedures
Assignment deadlines
Expectations for students
Classroom discipline plan
Communicate regularly with students, parents, and other teachers
concerning growth and achievement.
Page 13
remind students and parents if excuses have not been sent in, but it must
be remembered that if no written excuse is provided, all ATEDS will
automatically be counted as unexcused. (Please note that providing an
excuse does not automatically make an ATED excused. The reason still
has to meet the definition of excused.)
HOW MANY DAYS CAN MY CHILD MISS?
Our school has determined that the maximum number of student
absences will be 18. This number includes all excused and unexcused
absences but not exempted absences. If a child misses more than 18
days of school, he/she may be retained in his/her grade.
IF BOTH EXCUSED AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES ARE
COUNTED TOWARDS THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF 18,
WHAT IS THE POINT OF HAVING UNEXCUSED ABSENCES?
According to the regulations published by the state education
department, a school has to do everything in its power to discourage
unexcused ATEDS. With this in mind, we have had to connect
unexcused ATEDS to our student code of conduct. This means that
students may receive some form of school disciplinary consequence for
an unexcused ATED. In order to further discourage unexcused
ATEDS, our policy also states that student work missed during an
unexcused ATED may be made up but not included in the students
grade calculation. Therefore, if a student misses some important tests
or assignments due to an unexcused ATED, his/her grades may suffer.
In extreme circumstances where a student accumulates an unusual
amount of unexcused absences, a referral may be made to child
protective services or the probation department.
DOES DOUBLE DISMISSAL COUNT TOWARDS STUDENT
ATTENDANCE ALSO?
Yes. Double dismissal is considered to be part of the regular school
day. If a student has been assigned to stay, it is most often for required
Academic Intervention Services. (another state requirement) Therefore,
if a student misses a scheduled double dismissal session with his/her
teacher, they can be held accountable through the attendance policy.
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WHAT IF MY CHILD MISSES A LOT OF SCHOOL DUE TO A
SERIOUS ILLNESS OR ACCIDENT?
There are many safeguards built in to the attendance policy. If a
student can not attend school due to an extended illness or other
approved reason, the school will provide home instruction. Also, for
instances where a serious, chronic health problem exists, certain
exemptions can be made in connection with home instruction. The
building principals also have the authority to approve exemptions to the
attendance policy for any other unforeseen or unusual circumstances
that may occur.
ARE THERE ANY ATTENDANCE INCENTIVES?
Yes. Student achievement and learning are the greatest rewards for
having outstanding attendance.
WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION ON THE
ATTENDANCE POLICY?
As with any school policy, you can always request a full copy by
stopping by the main office at school, and you can, of course, call the
elementary office anytime at 497-6290.
A NOTE FROM THE ELEMENTARY FACULTY REGARDING
BIRTHDAY INVITATIONS
As an elementary faculty we are concerned about a situation that
arises each year in many classrooms. When a child has a birthday party
that occurs during the school year, bringing invitations to school to
hand out can cause hurt feelings as well as an uncomfortable
atmosphere in the classroom. We have often seen tears, arguments, and
hurt feelings among classmates. There is no tactful way to distribute
invitations in school. In order to avoid this, we ask parents to mail or
call fro all party invitations.
As we work toward a cohesive, accepting environment within each
classroom, we appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
Often parents ask the teacher to give contact information of all
students in the class. Unfortunately, we are unable to supply phone
numbers and addresses of our students.
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STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT
The following Q & A has been developed to serve as a “plain
language” summary of the CCS Student Code of Conduct. Please read
it over carefully. If you would like to see the full policy, please feel
free to contact the school to request a copy.
INTRODUCTION
Chateaugay Central School has a long-standing set of expectations
for conduct on school property and at school functions. These
expectations are based on the principles of civility, mutual respect,
citizenship, character, tolerance, honesty, and integrity.
Unless otherwise indicated, this code applies to all students, school
personnel, parents, and other visitors when on school property or
attending a school function.
WHAT ARE MY CHILD’S RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
AT SCHOOL?
Students have the right to:
Take part in all district activities on an equal basis.
Present their side of the story before being disciplined.
Get a copy of school rules and an explanation of them, if necessary.
Students have the responsibility to:
Contribute to the safe and orderly operation of the school while
showing respect to other people and their property.
Follow all school rules.
Attend school every day, be on time, and be prepared to learn.
Work to the best of their abilities in all school areas.
Follow all directions given by school personnel in a respectful man-
ner.
Ask questions when they do not understand.
Seek help in solving problems that may lead to a discipline issue.
Dress appropriately for school.
Accept responsibility for their actions.
Represent our school in a proud, respectful manner when attending
activities off school grounds.
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