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TLCA - Abilene CAMPUS GUIDE 2016-2017

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Welcome to TLCA Abilene! We are so glad to partner with you as we strive to be the difference. We believe this is accomplished through Servant Hearts, ABCs – Academic Excellence, Building Leaders, Character Development, and Parent Partners. As a staff, we are very proud of what we as a community have accomplished with the support and encouragement of our parents and families! As we enter our second year in Abilene, it is amazing to see how we have grown, exciting to dream about what will occur this year, and humbling to know that you trust us with your children. We take that responsibility very seriously – but plan to have lots of fun as we make it happen! In partnership and cooperation, we can make this year extraordinary. Help us by reading this campus guide and all handbooks which outline policy, procedures and other important information. The Student Code of Conduct is required by State Law, and is intended to promote school safety, excellence in education and a positive learning environment. The Student-Parent Handbook contains policy and procedures approved by the district. This campus guide is intended as a quicker reference for some things that you may want or need to know throughout the year. As changes or updates occur throughout the year, you will be notified in as reasonable timeframe as possible through our website, mass communication and notices in backpacks. Let us know how we can better serve our most valuable resource – OUR children. We may not be able to give you what you want, but will always strive to provide what our children need. Respectfully, Melinda McCarty, M.Ed. Principal And the mighty TLCA-Abilene Faculty and Staff

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Contents Campus Phone Numbers:.................................................................................................................................. 4

Communication: ............................................................................................................................................... 4

School Day Schedule ........................................................................................................................................ 4

Morning Arrival ................................................................................................................................................ 5

Breakfast in Cafeteria (7:00 - 7:55 a.m.) .......................................................................................................... 5

Early Morning Gym Time (7:00 a.m.-7:50 a.m.) ............................................................................................. 5

Morning Assembly ........................................................................................................................................... 5

Tardy ................................................................................................................................................................. 5

Building Security .............................................................................................................................................. 6

Visitors On Campus .......................................................................................................................................... 6

Lunch Time ....................................................................................................................................................... 6

Lunch Guests: ........................................................................................................................................... 7

Transitions ........................................................................................................................................................ 7

Release of Students During the School Day ..................................................................................................... 7

Return of Students During the School Day ...................................................................................................... 8

Dismissal........................................................................................................................................................... 8

Inclement Weather ............................................................................................................................................. 9

Emergency Relocation/Reunification ................................................................................................................. 9

Telephone Use and Messages ............................................................................................................................ 9

Traffic ................................................................................................................................................................ 9

Lost and Found Items ..................................................................................................................................... 10

Student Gifts/Deliveries .................................................................................................................................. 10

Class parties .................................................................................................................................................... 10

Celebrations and traditions ............................................................................................................................. 10

Discipline ........................................................................................................................................................ 11

Parental Involvement/Volunteers ................................................................................................................... 11

Community Partners ........................................................................................................................................ 12

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Important Contact Information

Campus Phone Numbers: Main Office: (325) 480-3500 Attendance / Receptionist – Regina Barton ext. 6452 Campus Secretary- Belinda Lara ext. 6400 Principal- Melinda McCarty, M.Ed. ext. 6401 Assistant Principal- Carmen Crane, M.Ed. ext. 6414 Nurse- Erin Newman, RN ext. 6403

Note: In an effort to reduce classroom disruption, please contact teachers by email. You are also welcome to contact the office and we will get you in contact with the teacher.

Communication:

From us to you:

Website: www.texasleadershipabilene.com.

Download the app – Texas Leadership Charter Academy to quickly access the website and receive alerts.

Mass call out/text/email alerts- Blackboard is our online system that uses the information provided on enrollment to reach everyone quickly. Please notify the office any time phone or email changes so that we may stay in touch.

Facebook – utilized on limited basis to share approved photos and messages regarding social or fun events

Teachers may also utilize ClassDojo, newsletters, planners and more!

From you to us:

Call or come by for an appointment. It may be old-fashioned, yet face-to-face, personal communication works best. We will do our best to provide as much time as you require, being ever mindful that our 400+ students and staff need our attention by being in classrooms and ensuring that learning is occurring. Best times will always be before or after school, yet we want to work with you. Let us know how we can help.

School Day Schedule

The school office is open from 7:45 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

The student school day is as follows: 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

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We highly encourage our students to be at school by 7:50 a.m. to participate in morning assembly in the gym.

To report an absence for the day, please call Mrs. Barton as soon as possible. If we don’t hear from you, a call may be made home to verify the absence. Excessive absences may become reason for dismissal from TLCA-Abilene, per board policy, as well as fines from the court.

Morning Arrival

Drop off in front or back begins at 7:00am. No adult supervision is provided before that time and doors are locked.

Students report to the gym unless eating breakfast.

Breakfast in Cafeteria (7:00 - 7:55 a.m.)

Breakfast will be quickly and quietly eaten. Once finished with breakfast, students will be released by school staff to walk to the

gym for morning assembly. If after 7:50am, students will remain quietly in cafeteria until classes move from gym to classroom to begin school day.

Early Morning Gym Time (7:00 a.m.-7:50 a.m.)

Students choosing not to eat breakfast will go the gym for morning assembly. Students will sit by class and may visit quietly. Students are encouraged to read during this time. Some reading materials are available,

and students may bring books from home. Morning Assembly

Students sit by classroom. Adult and student leaders review Habit of focus and provide general

announcements. Birthdays and other special events are recognized. 3 students are invited to hold the flags and lead the pledges, moment of silence and

leadership creed. Typically these are students celebrating birthdays, and/or summer birthdays. Every student will have an opportunity to participate throughout the school year if an attendance at morning assembly.

Tardy

Tardy bell rings at 8:00 a.m. Students must be in their classroom by the bell or they are counted tardy. Students who are not in their classrooms by the tardy bell must report to the office

for a pass. Excessive tardies can affect student learning and grades. Tardies are recorded on the

report cards each six weeks and chronic tardies are subject to attendance committee review.

Tardies may also be taken into account in whether or not students will be recognized for perfect attendance awards as applicable.

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Building Security These safety precautions are not meant to be a problem, but safeguards for our students. TLCA-Abilene staff at all times will do everything possible to ensure the safety of our students. In order for us to do that, the following procedures will be followed:

All entrance doors and gates will remain locked. Please ring the doorbell on the front porch to gain admittance. Come directly into the front office.

Access will not be permitted between 3:15 and 3:30 on a typical school day to allow us to transition students. Access will not be permitted during alternate pick up times unless permission granted by an administrator. Mutual cooperation in this area will allow us all to get home in a safe and timely manner.

If access is required anywhere on the campus other than the front office, state identification will be required and left in the office. You will receive a Visitor’s Badge. Permission is granted to go only to and from your meeting location. As you leave the building, remember to retrieve your ID and surrender the Visitor’s Badge.

When waiting for your child to be released from school, please wait outside the school building.

Visitors On Campus

Parents and other visitors are welcome to visit our campus and see the wonderful things occurring at TLCA Abilene. All visitors must first report to the main office and will be asked to show and surrender state photo identification. The identification will be electronically checked against registered sexual offender databases. Visitors refusing to show acceptable identification may be asked to leave the school.

All guests will be asked to present your driver’s license, State issued I.D., or Military I.D.….NO EXCEPTIONS. After scanning the license/I.D. into our system, we will keep your license/I.D. in a secure location until you check out in the office. This is just another safety precaution letting us know who exactly is on our campus at any given time. Remember….the safety of our students is one of our #1 priorities!

Visits to individual classrooms during instructional time are permitted only with the principal’s and teacher’s approval and such visits are not permitted if their duration or frequency interferes with the delivery of instruction or disrupts the normal school environment. All visitors are expected to demonstrate the highest standards of courtesy and conduct and also be respectful of our school dress code. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated at any time. If this does occur, you will be asked to leave the campus and appropriate measures will be taken.

Lunch Time

Cafeteria Expectations for Students: We expect our students to exhibit leadership behavior in all areas of the campus,

including the cafeteria. We want our students to enjoy their lunch and be able to visit

appropriately with classmates. Students are expected to have controlled behavior and

good manners during breakfast and lunch, and at all times. They are expected to follow

the instructions of lunch monitors or any adult in a supervisory role.

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Lunch Guests:

- Classrooms have scheduled lunch times. Guests for lunch must come to the office first to receive a visitor’s badge (see “Visitors on Campus” info.) and verify permissions to be with child. Parents/Guardians and “authorized guests” will be the only guests allowed to eat lunch with students.

- Enjoy eating lunch with your child/children at the Guest Tables located in the cafeteria

- Students will not be allowed to bring friends to the Guest Table. These tables are provided for you to eat with your child only. For the benefit of all, no other student(s) will be allowed to join you and your student(s) at the guest table. This is quality time for your child plus this arrangement serves as protection for all.

- When lunch is over, your student will be expected to leave with the teacher and classmates. No extended lunch time is allowed. Guests will check out in the office.

- The cafeteria monitor and assigned staff in the cafeteria will be glad to assist you as needed.

Lunch lasts 30 minutes. If you are bringing lunch to your child, please be on time so that they do not purchase a school lunch and can enjoy the full 30 minutes with you.

10:50am Kindergarten 11:15am 1st grade 11:30am 3rd grade 11:45am 2nd grade 12:00pm 6th grade 12:15pm 4th grade 12:30pm 5th grade

Transitions

If transporting your child to/from school by car, please plan for extra time due to two way traffic, construction and more.

For the safety of our students and campus, parents/guests are asked not to regularly walk your children to the cafeteria, gym, or classrooms. We want to make sure that our hallways are easily accessible for our students to walk to their classrooms. This also allows for our staff to clearly monitor the campus for the safety of our students. During early days of school, we will work with parents to provide smooth transition time.

We realize there will be special circumstances. The front office will assist you to meet the needs of your situation and the smooth operation of the instructional day.

No students will be allowed to wait on the school grounds or in the hallways before school.

Helpful hint: students who exhibit “separation anxiety” in the front drop off area often jump right out the car with a smile when using the back drop off area

Release of Students During the School Day

Because class time is important, doctor’s appointments should be scheduled, if possible, at

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times when the student will not miss instructional time. If a student must leave for an appointment, once you come to the office to sign your child out of school, we will

Notify your child’s teacher to send him/her to the office. Parent or guardian must be present in order for the child to be released from class. Please do not call and request that your child be waiting for you at the office. Children will not be allowed to wait at the office before the parent/guardian arrives.

As a safeguard for our students, teachers have been instructed not to release students to adults unless notified by the office.

If a student becomes ill during the school day, our nurse will contact the parent/guardian to come to pick up your child.

Unless the principal has granted approval because of extenuating circumstances, a student will not be released on a regular basis before the end of the instructional day.

Return of Students During the School Day

Upon return from a doctor’s appointment, a doctor’s excuse will be required for documentation. The student will be then be given a pass to return to class.

Dismissal

The school day ends at 3:30pm. Parents/guardians are asked to wait outside the buildings. The faculty and staff will supervise students as they leave the campus.

All grade levels are dismissed at 3:30 p.m. Bus students will be checked onto the bus for departure at 3:30pm for transport to our

south side staging location at Southern Hills Church of Christ. (invitation only, determined by home distance from campus)

Back valet students and offsite afterschool students are staged in the gym and loaded into the car by staff members. All cars must have a pick up sign with family number visible (provided by the school) in the front car window that is clearly visible to school personnel.

Front walk up students are staged in the cafeteria. Students will be escorted to the front by staff. Please wait on the front lawn until all students and staff are ready for release. Please memorize and keep family number handy in case of alternate pickup implementation. (see student/parent handbook for more information)

Walkers will be staged in cafeteria and released when front pick up students exit building. Students are not allowed to re-enter the building after dismissal without

teacher/staff permission. Any changes regarding how a child is to get home should be discussed with your

child/children before school and a note sent for the teacher. If last minute changes need to be made, call the office 480-3500. Please call changes in by 2:00 p.m. to ensure that we have enough time to get the message to the child and teacher.

Late pickup should be rare. It is a good idea to call and let us know if you will be late (480-3500). Students not picked up by 3:45 p.m. will be brought to the office. Calls will be made to people on the contact’s pickup list.

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Every effort will be made to follow our normal pickup routines. In the event of alternate pick up (through front traffic circle) being implemented, please cooperate with school personnel and each other as we work to safely exit all students from our care to yours.

Inclement Weather

In the event of severe inclement weather, TLCA will advise local media whether school will be open, closed, or on a delayed schedule. We will follow the same protocols as Abilene and Wylie ISD as a courtesy to parents with students in multiple locations.

An alternate pickup plan may be utilized on days where weather or other factors such as construction provide campus specific need to be flexible. Refer to Student Parent Handbook for more information.

Severe weather requiring Shelter in Place – we practice and train students and staff on various scenarios. Should a Shelter in Place occur at the end of the instructional day, we will remain with your children until the event occurs. Any persons needing shelter will be provided admittance to the front office area only and will remain on campus until the event passes and students are all released.

Emergency Relocation/Reunification

In the event of a campus or community emergency requiring evacuation from our site, we will stage students at Second Baptist Church when possible. Parents will be notified through mass communication of the details of the event and plans for reunification. Parents, please do not come to campus during this time. We will be working with law enforcement and other responders to ensure safe, orderly evacuation. A reunification plan for the specific site and event will be given as available from emergency responders and campus personnel. We hope to never need this, but rest assured, it is in place.

Telephone Use and Messages

It is extremely difficult for the office to handle “last minute” messages for students regarding pick up arrangements. We will do our best to accommodate changes in pick up plans. Please do not call school to deliver non-school related messages to your child.

Traffic

Cooperation is essential to avoid conflicts and to ensure the safety of our students. We all need to do our part by following the traffic laws and campus guidelines while everyone is getting their children off campus safely. Please use the below guidelines for the protection of all:

Use caution as you drive and abide by the school zone speed limit. Cell phone use by the driver of a vehicle is prohibited at all times in a school zone

and can result in fines by the Abilene Police Department. Do not ask your child to come to your car across the street. Crossing through traffic is

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extremely dangerous and we want to prevent such a tragedy!

Please be considerate of the No Parking traffic signs as well as other signs posted around the campus and along the streets. If cones are in circle drive, do not enter.

Please do not park on State Street.

Vehicles should not enter the “Faculty Parking Only” parking lot located on the west side of the school.

Please do not block intersections or driveways, or cut in line. Let’s be good neighbors and examples for our children.

**The Abilene Police Dept. routinely patrols the outskirts of the campus and will issue tickets if illegal parking or any other traffic violations are taking place.

Lost and Found Items

Students are encouraged to accept responsibility in keeping up with their personal belongings. Please mark your child’s name clothing and other belongings. Found articles and clothing will be stored in the shelves at the entrance to the cafeteria. Small items will be kept in the office. Items that are not claimed will be donated at the end of each semester.

Student Gifts/Deliveries

It is school policy that students will not be allowed to receive flowers, balloons, and cookie bouquets, etc. at school.

Class parties

Classes will enjoy three (3) classroom celebrations allowing Foods of Minimum Nutritional Value (FMNV) per year (Christmas/End of Semester, Valentine’s Day, and Last Day of School). These events will be held school-wide on the same days. Families may be asked to help contribute by sending items for the events and are encouraged to attend.

Invitations to personal student parties away from school can only be handed out at school if every child in the class receives one. If a gender specific party, all boys or all girls in the homeroom class must be invited. This will occur at the end of the school day.

Rest assured, there are many other celebrations that do not require off limits foods – we just must be mindful of the laws regarding food/candy and allergies of some students.

Celebrations and traditions

Honor Breakfast – throughout the year, teachers will select one student in their classrooms to receive the Soaring Eagle Award. These students exemplify the leadership and character traits that we practice. Parents of these honorees will receive invitations to attend morning assembly followed by a brief Honor Breakfast in the LRC.

Awards Assemblies – families will be invited to share end of year recognitions of our students.

Kindergarten Graduation – families will be invited to share in this milestone event

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Field Day(s) – End of year fun with water, games and treats

Field Trips – 2 per semester per grade level planned (subject to weather) including fine arts, safety, and more. Some require leaving campus, and others happen on site

Community Service – As a Leader in Me school, we are developing grade level and campus wide service projects to put our training into action

Accelerated Reader

Million Word Reader

Traditions establish very quickly with a new school. Sometimes we don’t know what students love until we try it. We will keep you posted!

Discipline

TLCA Abilene uses a series of progressive steps to best allow students to remain in the classroom where learning is occurring when possible. Conscious Discipline strategies allow us to redirect misbehaviors, learn from mistakes and self-correct or calm down. Reflection forms, buddy rooms and chats with an administrator often help students reflect on better choices and grow as self-directed leaders. Mrs. Crane has developed a strong bond with students and staff, as well as an online referral process that ensures timely and effective handling of issues. We will communicate with you as needed when your child might need more practice in self-control. Please refer to the Student Code of Conduct for policy on serious infractions.

Parental Involvement/Volunteers

We appreciate so much the efforts of parents and families and welcome you to become involved in school activities and show your support. Below are only a few ways to become involved:

Participating in Parents In Action (PIA). There are numerous opportunities to serve for men and women, day and evening, year round! PIA coordinates most fundraising activities for the school, as well as support teachers in classrooms, volunteer as monitors, and work with Parent Coordinator to expand our impact in the community.

Become familiar with all of your child’s school activities and with the academic programs, including special programs, offered throughout the year.

Discuss any questions you have about the options and opportunities available to your child with the teacher, assistant principal or principal.

Monitor your child’s academic progress and contact teachers as needed. Become a school volunteer. Read with your child 20 minutes per day. Share real world math and reading at the grocery store, while driving, etc.

If you have any questions about how to become involved, please contact the school office and we will be glad to help you!

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Community Partners

We are very thankful to community partnerships such as-

Cargill, Inc. - $7,500 grant for library books last year

School supplies for families in need this year

Member of Site Based Decision Making Committee (SBDMC)

Calvary Baptist Church – Prayer buddies for staff

Second Baptist Church – reunification site in case of campus evacuation

Bethel Temple – School supplies for families in need both years

Trinity Baptist – use of auditorium for Awards Assemblies

Global Samaritan – furniture, supplies and books

Leader.org – Grant for Leader in Me

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Region 14 Crisis Intervention Team

AM Donuts

McKay’s Bakery

Private donation of flags for every classroom

…and more.