Student/Parent Handbook |
Student/Parent Handbook 2011-2012 The mission of McDermoth School Roster Principal: Marc Anderson, maanderson@asd5.org Secretary: School Phone Number: 538-2120 Grade Name E-mail Address Kindergarten Mrs. O’Donnell kodonnell@asd5.org Kindergarten Mrs. Yakovich jyakovich@asd5.org 1st Mrs. Parker bparker@asd5.org 1st Mrs. Richie rrichie@asd5.org 2nd Mrs. Earley kearley@asd5.org 2nd Mrs.Kloempken akloempken@asd5.org 3rd Mr. Moir hmoir@asd5.org 3rd Mrs.Talevich jtalevich@asd5.org 3/4 Mrs. Peterson cpeterson@asd5.org 4th Mrs. Schmidt kschmidt@asd5.org 4th Mrs.Templeton etempleton@asd5.org 5th Mr. King bking@asd5.org 5th Mr. Anderson manderson@asd5.org 6th Mrs.Powell jpowell@asd5.org 6th Ms. Woodward lwoodward@asd5.org Resource Mrs.Weiberg mweiberg@asd5.org Resource Mrs.Grun agrun@asd5.org Title I/LAP Mrs.Durney sdurney@asd5.org PE Mrs. Draper kdraper@asd5.org General Music Mr.Peterson epeterson@asd5.org Orchestra Mrs. Meikle kmeikle@asd5.org Band Mrs. Koski wkoski@asd5.org Counselor Mrs. Sixiengmay hsixiengmay@asd5.org Nurse Mrs. Easter jeaster@asd5.org Library Technician: Mrs. Lentz vlentz@asd5.org Para Educators: Mrs. Black pblack@asd5.org Mrs.Everitt sstead@asd5.org Mrs.Hall nhall@asd5.org Mrs.Oliver doliver@asd5.org Mrs.McAllister smcallister@asd5.org Mrs.Stanton pstanton@asd5.org Mrs.Tikka mtikka@asd5.org Mrs. McCloskey amccloskey@asd5.org Mrs.Jernstrom ljernstrom@asd5.org Mrs.Richey crichey@asd5.org Mrs.Beard kbeard@asd5.org Custodians: Mr.Conklin Mr.Larsen Cooks: Ms.Fleming Mrs.Eaton Ms.Abbott DistrictSuperintendent: Mr. Tom Opstad Phone: 538-2002 SchoolDistrict Office Number: 538-2000 SchoolBoard The AberdeenSchool District Board of Directors is made up of five at-large representativeswho are elected from the citizens who reside within the school districtboundaries. A current listing of theBoard of Directors can be found on the Internet at www.asd5.org or by calling the Aberdeen School District office at538-2000. The school board representsthe people of the school district. Boardmembers welcome comments and questions from the public. The Board of Directors meets the first andthird Tuesdays of each month during the school year at 7:00 p.m. at thedistrict office, located at 216 N. G Street in Aberdeen. A copy of the summer meeting schedule can beobtained from the district office. A Message from the Principal Dear Parents, McDermoth Schoolstaff members are honored to be a part of your child’s education. We make every effort to provide a caring,safe, and challenging environment for every child. The mission of McDermoth School is to preparestudents academically and socially in a respectful, safe learning environmentto be positive, contributing, and productive members of the worldcommunity. This is best accomplishedwhen parents, students and staff work together, focusing on learning opportunitiesfor each child. I believe my role asprincipal is to facilitate cooperation among all members of the McDermothcommunity. If you have any questions,please contact me at school and I will be happy to discuss the information withyou and hear your ideas. Together, wecan make school a great place for children to learn and grow. Thank you, Marc Anderson McDermoth Schedulefor the 2011-2012 School Year 8:15 - 8:40 Breakfast 8:40 School Begins - Kindergarten -Grade 6 9:00-9:45 Walkto Read – Grades 3 and 4 9:45-10:30 Orchestra (T andTh) 10:10 - 10:20 Recess– Kindergarten 10:25 - 10:40 Recess– Grades 1, 2 and 3 10:45 – 11:00 Recess– Grades 4, 5 and 6 10:45-11:25 Walk to Read –Grades 1 and 2 11:45 - 12:20 Lunch& Recess – Kindergarten 11:50 - 12:25 Lunch& Recess – Grade 1 11:55 - 12:30 Lunch & Recess –Grade 2 12:00 - 12:35 Lunch & Recess –Grade 3 12:05 - 12:40 Lunch& Recess – Grade 4 12:10 - 12:45 Lunch& Recess – Grade 5 12:15 - 12:50 Lunch & Recess –Grade 6 1:00-1:45 Walk to Read –Grades 5 and 6 1:20 – 1:30 Recess – Grades K, 1 & 2 2:00-2:30 Beginning Band 2:40 Dismissal – Grades K, 1 & 2 2:30-3:00 Advanced Band 3:05 Dismissal – Grades 3-6 Procedures Welcome to School!!! The staff ofMcDermoth Elementary welcomes you to our school. We are dedicated to providing each of ourstudents with the best education possible. If you have any questions or concerns of anykind, we invite you to come to school or give us a call. We hope this handbook will answer many of yourquestions about how McDermoth operates. Ifyou have any questions, please ask. Meal Accounts Students needto deposit their lunch and milk money before school in either the cafeteria or theschool office. Student lunch cost is$2.25, breakfast is $1.50, and milk is $.35. Please be aware that students cannot chargelunch or milk. Forms to request free orreduced-price meals are available in the office. These must be filled out annually. Parents maypurchase an adult lunch ticket and eat with their child. Please let the office know by 9:00 a.m. ifyou would like to eat with your child. Ifyou plan on having lunch with your child, please be sure to check in to theoffice when you arrive and check out when leaving. Temporary Dismissal Students mustbring a note or parents may call the school office if a student has a doctor ordentist appointment for which they will need to leave school during the day. No student will be allowed to leave the schoolgrounds without first checking with the office. Parents need to report to the office to sign studentsout. Please do not pick your child upfrom their classroom. Students will becalled to the office when the parent arrives. Insurance Our schooldistrict offers an optional student insurance plan. We will send home information on this plansoon after school starts. If you do nothave insurance for your child, we urge you to review this policy. Bicycles, Scooters and Skateboards If parentswish, students may ride bicycles, scooters or skateboards to school. We have bicycle racks for storage. Students are urged to lock their bikes in theracks that are provided. Students withscooters and skateboards are to keep them in their lockers during schoolhours. The school is not responsible forlost or stolen bikes, scooters, or skateboards. All students must follow the laws regarding bike, scooter, andskateboard riding. This includes wearinga helmet. Failure to obey the Aberdeen Citylaws regarding the riding of bikes, scooters, or skateboards will result in aloss of privilege to ride them to and from school. No bicycle, scooter, or skateboard riding isallowed on the playground during school hours. Lost and Found A lost and foundarea is provided in our school for unlabeled, unclaimed clothing. During conferences, items are placed on tablesfor easy identification by parents. Unclaimeditems are given to the local clothing bank. Items that are labeled with the student's name are returned to thestudent. Music Band isoffered as an elective to our 5th and 6th grade students during the schoolyear. Orchestra is an elective for our5th and 6th grade students. Ourinstrumental music teachers will be sending home more information on theseprograms. Vocal and general musicinstruction is provided for all students in grades K - 6. School Records Update Pleaseprovide our office with your correct contact information. We need to know where you can be reachedduring the school day in case of emergencies while your child is inschool. Many times we cannot reachparents when their child is sick or in need because of incorrect and out ofdate contact information. We appreciateyour keeping us informed so that we can better serve you. Student Arrival Time Students arenot to arrive at school before 8:15 in the morning. We have no supervision or activities at anyplace on our site prior to that time. Ifstudents arrive to school early, they will be asked to remain outside until8:15 a.m. Children of staff members mayarrive with their parents as long as the parent can provide supervision priorto 8:15 a.m. If parents bring childrento school early they are welcome to sit with their child in the front lobbyonly to provide the necessary supervision until the bell rings at 8:15 a.m. Picking Up Students After School If you pickup your student after school, please make arrangements to meet him/her outside. As you know, McDermoth Elementary islocated in the middle of a residential area and we therefore face somedifficulties with traffic. It would helpour traffic problem if students were picked up away from the bus/daycare vanareas on 4th Street. Children shouldmeet their parents on 3rd Street or L Street. Students who are not picked up on time are allowedto wait in the office. If a parent doesnot arrive before 3:30 p.m., Child Protective Services and the Aberdeen Police Departmentmay be notified. Please makearrangements to pick up your child at 3:05 p.m. as we do not have staffavailable to supervise them after that time. Students Late to School It isimportant that each student makes every effort to be on time to school. Most teachers begin with critical instructionat the start of the school day. It is aninterruption in the school program when students arrive late to class. Students who are tardy may be required to makeup time during recesses on the day that they are tardy. Students will either work on missedassignments or read. In the eventstudents are late coming to school, they need to check in with the office. Students will not be admitted to class unlessthey have checked in with the office. Students who are late from eating breakfast are considered tardy unlessthe bus they came on arrived after 8:30 a.m. Medical, counseling and court appointments do not count as a tardy, butall other late arrivals do count as a tardy regardless if the parent hasexcused the child or not. Yourcooperation in this matter is appreciated. Birthday Parties/Invitations/Items tobe Sold We ask thatinvitations to after school and weekend parties not be passed out at school. Pleasework with your child on alternate ways to pass them out. Pleasebe aware that items to be sold by students at school for non-school fundraisersare not permitted. Use of the Telephone Our schoolphone is for business and emergencies only. Before coming to school, students need to makearrangements about where they are to go after school and what activities theyare going to attend. We do not allowstudents to use school phones to arrange after school activities. Cell Phones and Other ElectronicDevices The use ofcell phones and other electronic devices is strictly prohibited while at schoolunless permission has been given to the student by the principal or principaldesignee. Students who bring cell phonesor other devices are responsible for them. The school assumes no responsibility or liability if such items arelost, stolen or destroyed. All devicesbrought to school need to be silenced before coming onto school property andnot turned on until after the student has left the property. Devices are to be strictly out of sight. Devices found or visible at school will beheld in the office. The device may bepicked up by a parent in the office. Messages to Students from Home While we arehappy to deliver messages from you to your child during the school day, pleasebe aware of the fact that any messages called in or left on our school voicemail may not reach your child before school ends. PLEASE make after-school arrangements withyour child before sending them to school in the morning. Student Absences Please callthe school each morning before 10 AM if your child is absent. As time permits, we try to contact parents of studentswho do not call, but this is not always possible due to the level of activityin the office. Students who are absent may not participate in any school-sponsoredactivities on the day of their absence. On occasions, there are exceptions to this policy. Exceptions must be cleared in advance withthe principal. Medicines The parentand physician must complete “Permission to Administer Medication at School” formsif your child is to take medication of any type, including over-the-counter medicationssuch as Tylenol or Claritin-D, during school hours. All medication (including over-the-countermedication) in its original container and completed forms must be turned intothe office with the medication form. Schoolstaff will supervise the administration of the medication to your child. Copies of the required form may be picked upin the office. Please do not send yourchild to school with any medication (such as aspirin, cough syrup, etc.). Parents must personally drop off anymedication in the office. Communicable Diseases/Parasites Please notifythe school if your child should contract a communicable disease, such as; headlice, fifth's disease, measles, MRSA or chicken pox. If your child attendsschool with head lice he/she will be sent home. A notice is sent home with thestudent explaining the situation and how the child may return to school. Thestudents in a class with a student with head lice will also be notified so theparents can be looking for signs of head lice on their child. Head lice are acommon problem that can be kept in check if the school and parents worktogether cooperatively. If a student issent home with head lice they need to return to school as soon as treated,either that day or the next. Treats at School The healthand nutrition of our students is one of our primary concerns. We have numerous children and adults whosuffer from various allergies; some are life threatening. In addition, our district has adopted apolicy to limit the number of non-nutritional snacks offered at school. Before you bring a treat for your child’sbirthday, please check with your child’s classroom teacher to see what ispermissible in that particular classroom. In some cases, teachers have opted to not have birthday treats and havelimited the types of treats that may be served at their parties during theschool year. If a treat is permissible,please remember that all treats to be distributed at school must becommercially made and fruit must be cut and processed in a commercial kitchen. We cannotdistribute home baked goods or home cut fruits due to potential problems withHepatitis and other infectious diseases. Weapons Free Zone By state law,schools are drug and weapons free zones. Weapons include but are not limited to the followinglist: knives (of any sort or size), guns (real or look alike), martial artsinstruments, and common items used with an intent to inflict bodily harm toanother person. Any student who bringsdangerous objects to school is subject to discipline as outlined by state law,which includes but is not limited to expulsion. Weapons Policy It is aviolation of district policy and state law for any person to carry a firearm ordangerous weapon on school premises, school-provided transportation or areas ofother facilities being used exclusively for school activities. It is also a violation of district policy forany person to carry or use in a threatening or disruptive manner any device,which resembles or is intended to look like a dangerous weapon. Any such violations shall be taken seriouslyby school officials and will be subject to corrective action orpunishment. School officials shallnotify the student’s parents or guardians and the appropriate law enforcementagency of known or suspected violations of this policy. Students who violate this policy shall besubject to discipline, including a one-year expulsion for a violation involvinga firearm. The superintendent may modifythe one-year expulsion on a case-by-case basis. Tobacco Policy Districtpolicy prohibits the use of tobacco by students, staff or visitors on schooldistrict property. Possession ordistribution of tobacco products by minors is prohibited. School district property includes alldistrict buildings, grounds and district-owned vehicles. Students are subject to discipline forviolations of this policy. McDermoth Parent/Teacher Organization TheParent/Teacher Organization at McDermoth is a busy, dedicated group. You are welcome to be a part of the group andwe welcome each of you. This group is directly responsible for our Carnival.They also sponsor our Library, Family Bingo Nights, Assemblies, Field Trips,Playground Equipment, and MORE! Meeting times are 6:00 p.m. the second Tuesdayof the month. If you would like to helpor want more information, please contact one of the officers listed below orthe school office. President – Missy Smith Vice President – TBD Secretary – TBD Treasurer – TBD Staff Representatives – TBD Student Government We electstudent body officers twice each year. Theyparticipate in our Associated Student Body affairs. These students meet and decide special eventsfor our school. School Mascot/Colors Our schoolmascot is the bulldog and our colors are red and white. We encourage students to wear these colors on Fridays. Volunteers We welcome parentsand community members to volunteer in our school. Volunteers are needed for both long- andshort-term projects. We also have waysfor volunteers to help from home. If youwould like to volunteer your time and talents, please contact the school officeor ask a PTO representative. Schoolvolunteers must complete a Washington State Patrol background check prior tobeginning to help at school. Informationand the forms are available in the school office. All volunteers must check in at the office andpick up a visitor's button before entering the classroom. The visitor's button identifies authorizedvisitors for our staff and students and provides a way for us to ensure safetyat McDermoth. Special Programs McDermothoffers programs for students who need special assistance in their learning. One program is Resource, which providesassistance for students with a broad range of disabilities which impact theirlearning at school. Students who qualifyfor this program receive assistance through the resource room in qualifiedsubject areas. To qualify for resource,students must be referred for testing and meet state standards determinedthrough individualized testing administered by the school psychologist. The second program offered is Title 1/LAP,which offers assistance to students who are not performing up to grade levelstandards in the areas of reading or math. To qualify for Title 1/LAP, students must bereferred by their classroom teachers and meet a predetermined criteria based onthe student's performance on reading or math assessments. Internet and District Network Usage The school district network is provided for students toconduct research and receive instruction from the worldwide web. Thedistrict will provide Internet access for your child unless parents show theirobjection to their son or daughter using Internet at school. Parents or guardians need to notify thebuilding principal by the last day in September or within 10 days of enrollingtheir child. An opt out formwill be sent home early in school year. Counseling Services Counselingservices are available to all students. Our counselor provides a number of classroom lessons and guidance activities. Students may also see the counselor from timeto time in a group or individual setting. The focus of group or individual meetings is to help a student acquirethe skills needed to succeed in a school setting or to help resolve aconflict. Please remember if a childdiscloses information that they or someone else is being harmed or harmingothers, school personnel have a duty to report to the properauthorities/agencies. If requested by the court systems, information maybe released. Information gained during counseling sessions may be sharedwith parents/guardians or other necessary school personnel when deemedappropriate. Information will not be shared with other students or otherfamilies. Additionally,parent resource materials are available in our school library and the counselorhas a variety of materials for parents to borrow. Dress Policy School dressstandards set a tone that impacts the learning environment. Students should be dressed appropriately eachday for the variety of activities in which they may participate, including PEand recess. Dress standards for schooldiffer from what students might wear to the mall or at home. Clothing that directly or indirectlyadvertises gangs or suggests the use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco products or whichattracts undue attention can be considered disruptive to the educationalprocess and therefore may not be worn. Theseguidelines must be followed:
Students willbe asked to change if their clothing does not match the school dresspolicy. We have a limited amount ofclothing for students to borrow if their attire is not appropriate for school. Sometimes what we have does not fit thechild. In those cases, the parent willneed to bring a change of appropriate clothes before the student may return toschool activities. Parents will becontacted if their student's dress interferes or disrupts the overall learningatmosphere at school. General Information
Emergency Preparedness Information
Student DisciplineGuidelines and Procedures District Wide Discipline Procedure All studentswill be expected to obey all rules at school. When a student breaks a rule,he/she can expect to be disciplined. Depending on the rule that has been brokenand the circumstances surrounding the problem, one or more of the followingwill occur: 1 Anindividual conference with teacher or para-educator is the first step.Punishment may be a verbal warning, loss of school privileges (i.e. recess,lunch playtime), after school detention, suspension or expulsion. The principalwill be involved in all cases requiring suspension or expulsion and most casesinvolving detention. 2 Incase of detention after school, the parent will be notified 24 hours inadvance. 3 Thestudent may be referred to the principal (this option can be exercised byteachers or para-educators). The adults will then work together to determinethe best plan. 4 Generalguidelines: The Aberdeen School District believes that schools and familieswork together for the good of the students. Early involvement of parents when discipline issues arise is essentialto a student's successful school career. When students know that home andschool expect the same behaviors and believe the student capable of goodbehavior, the more likely the student is to make good choices. The principal’s role in supporting thestudent is also essential. 5 Always,if any parents have concerns or questions, they are encouraged to contact theprincipal or classroom teacher. Building Rules At McDermoth School,we have 4 (four) simple building and playground-wide rules. We expect these rules to be followed by everymember of our school community, including students, staff, and any visitors toour building. These rules are learnedand practiced in each classroom, and are posted in each room and classroom inthe building. They are in place in classrooms,on the playground, in the hallways, lunchroom, and bathrooms. In addition, McDermoth uses the CHAMPs modelfrom Safe and Civil Schools to specifically indentify and teach behaviorexpectations to students. We followthese rules:
Somedefinitions: Respect andresponsibility for SELF means: I do my bestand make good choices, play and work safely, and take good care of myself. Respect andresponsibility for OTHERS means: I treatothers as I wish to be treated, with kindness and compassion. It means I acceptdifferences in others and value those differences. Respect and responsibility for PROPERTY means: I take careof our school and our materials. Itmeans I clean up after myself, and help others take care of our home, schooland community. General Expectations
Playground Expectations On theplayground we expect that everyone does the following:
We also havesome specific game rules made to helpkeep everyone safe and having fun! These will betaught to all students by Mrs. Draper, our P.E. teacher, the first two days ofschool. Mrs.Sixiengmay will go to each classroom to review the Recess Rodeo game rules,check for questions and then have each student sign a Recess Contract which isa pledge that they understand and will follow all rules. If you wouldlike a copy of the specific game rules, please let the office know. We can email them to you or send home a papercopy. Student Cafeteria Expectations In order forlunchtime to be pleasant for everyone, I will show respect and responsibility formyself, others and property by:
Student Bus Expectations Whilewaiting for the bus I will show respect and responsibility for myself, othersand property by: 1. Liningup in the covered area as soon as school is dismissed. 2. Keepingmy hands and feet to myself. 3. Beingpolite to others. 4. Notfighting. An Important Reminder In life,natural consequences face us each day, in every decision we make. School is asafe place where children learn which decisions are the most productive: thosewhich produce positive natural consequences. Thus, even playground and social situations are vast learning groundsfor making good decisions. Therefore,logical ‘natural consequences’ are used when less positive decisions aremade. This could include being “out”,receiving a short time-out, a conference with a supervisor, the counselor,teacher, or sometimes the principal. Allof these consequences have the same positive goal: to help each childlearn to make good decisions. In the eventwhen a child participates in bullying, intimidation and harassment notcorrected by discussion or the above measures; parents will be involved anddistrict discipline procedures will be used. While these instances are rare; they are taken seriously and handledimmediately. The policies and procedurespertaining to this are covered in the District Policy and Procedure manual whichis sent home each year. McDermoth HomeworkPolicy Philosophy The purposes of homework are: 1. To provide students with opportunitiesto practice and reinforce acquired skills. These should be skills that areunderstood by students and that are within their ability to completeassignments using these skills with minimum supervision and frustration. 2. To develop personal study habits andresponsibility. 3. To give parents opportunities to talkwith their child about current learning and thus foster ongoing communicationabout school activities. 4. To provide additional time forstudents to complete assignments and projects. TimeGuidelines The followingguideline is offered as an average for typical students and most days.Occasionally, students may have more homework due to unusual circumstances. Kindergarten- Up to 15 minutes a day. TypicalActivities The followinglists of activities are examples of typical work expected by teachers.Completing some or a variety of these activities on a daily basis will help toensure your child will reach their full potential and help your child to meetthe challenges of junior high school and high school. Kindergarten: Reading to your child daily, practicing thealphabet, playing number games, and practicing writing their name. Review and discuss papers they bring home. FirstGrade: Doing StoryTown Reading Homework(this includes site word practice, mini-books, vocabulary and spelling),completing math homework, and reading with your child. Review and discuss papers they bring home. SecondGrade: Doing the StoryTown ReadingHomework (this includes vocabulary and daily spelling work), completing mathhomework, and reading with your child. Review and discuss papers they bring home. ThirdGrade: Complete any assignment notcompleted in school that is due the next day (this could be math, reading,spelling, social studies or science activities), study spelling words, practicebasic math facts, and read independently. Review and discuss papers they bring home. FourthGrade: Complete any assignment notcompleted in school that is due the next day (this could be math, reading,spelling, social studies or science activities), study spelling words, practicemath facts, and read independently. Review and discuss papers they bring home. FifthGrade: Complete any assignment notcompleted in school that is due the next day (this could be math, reading,spelling, social studies or science activities), study spelling words, reviewmath facts, and read independently. Review and discuss papers they bring home. SixthGrade: Complete any assignment notcompleted in school that is due the next day (this could be math, reading,spelling, social studies or science activities), study spelling words, reviewmath facts, read independently, and as needed, work on required projects. Review and discuss papers they bring home. Please do nottry to complete all the activities each day. Work down the list as time permits. If, on a regular basis, your child is havingtrouble completing the expected work in a reasonable amount of time (no morethan twice the recommended time); please contact your child's teacher. Homework activities should strengthen thepartnership bond between home and school. Adjustments may need to be made for some students. Working together, we can help your childto reach their full potential. Other Activities: The followingis a brief list of activities parents could do with their children if theparent is looking for other academic related activities: 1. Keep ajournal of daily activities, or news events or other areas of interest. Aberdeen SchoolDistrict Parent Involvement The school board believes that theeducation of children is a joint responsibility, one it shares with theparents and the community. To insurethat the best interests of the child are served in this process, a strongprogram of communication and/or collaboration between home and school must be maintained. The board believes that it is theparents who have the ultimate responsibility for their children's in‑schoolacademic achievement and behavioral conduct. During school hours, the board, through itsdesignated staff, shall strive to serve the interests of parents in providingfor the safety, health, and welfare of their children. The board directs the superintendentto develop activities that will enhance home‑school cooperation. Suchactivities may include, but not be limited to: A. Conductingparent‑teacher conferences which facilitates two‑way communication between homeand school; B. Holdingopen houses which provide parents with the opportunity to see the schoolfacilities, meet the staff and review the program on a first hand basis; C. Disseminatingbuilding and room newsletters to parents on a regular basis; D. Conductingmeetings of parents and staff members to explain and discuss matters of generalinterest with regard to child‑school, child‑home, or child‑school‑homerelationships; E. Conductingmeetings of staff member(s) and individuals or groups of parents of thosestudents who have special abilities/aptitudes, disabilities, needs, orproblems; F. Sponsoringor co‑sponsoring special events of a cultural, ethnic, or topical nature, whichare initiated by parent groups, involve the cooperative effort of students andparents, and are of general interest to the schools or community; G. Collaboratingwith parents, students and staff in school improvement planning, developmentand implementation; and H. Providinginterested parents of preschool children with information and/or training onsuccessful parenting practices. For the benefit of children, the boardbelieves that parents have a responsibility to encourage their child'sperformance in school by: A. Supportingthe schools in requiring that the children observe all school rules andregulations, and by accepting their own responsibility for children's willfulin‑school behavior; B. Sendingchildren to school with proper attention to their health, personal cleanlinessand dress; C. Maintainingan active interest in the students' daily work and making it possible for thestudent to complete assigned homework through providing a quiet place andsuitable conditions for study; D. Readingall communications from the school, and signing and returning them promptlywhen required; E. Cooperatingwith the school in attending conferences set up for the exchange of informationon the child's progress in school; and F. Participatingin in‑school activities and special functions. McDermothParent Involvement PolicyAnnual Title 1 Parent MeetingDuringa Parent/Teacher Organization meeting in the fall, the Title 1 building planwill be presented. Changes in the planfrom the previous year will be highlighted. Yearly Parent Meetings and ActivitiesWestrive to involve families in a variety of meaningful meetings andactivities. These meetings include butare not limited to: Open House PTO Meetings Family Activity Nights School Concerts and Performances Assemblies Biannual Conferences School PerformanceProfiles Aschool performance profile is sent home to parents in June. Also available is a more comprehensiveprofile using information gathered by the building Curriculum,Assessment and Proficiency Levels Eachgrade level has a pamphlet explaining the curriculum for that grade level. These are distributed during Open House. A description is also available on thebuilding web site: www.asd5.org/asd/mcd/mcd.html. Assessmentresults are shared and explained during parent-teacher conferences. Letters are also sent home inviting parentsto arrange conferences with the principal for further explanation and planningregarding assessment results. Testing,curriculum, and student standards are reviewed during Open House, PTO meetingsand specially called meetings. Student-Parent-SchoolCompact Duringthe fall of each school year students, parents and school staff will be askedto sign the student-parent-school compact. The compact explains the responsibilities of each party in regards tostudent achievement. As a school, we will: …know your child’s needs and try to meetthem. …communicate regularly with families. …provide a safe and positive learningenvironment for your child. …provide meaningful learning activities bothin and out of school. …assist your child in the selection ofreading materials. As a parent/guardian,I will: …attend one eveningschool function and all regularly scheduled student-parent-teacher conferences. …help my child readat least 15 minutes at the minimum of four nights a week. …visit the library ona monthly basis with my child or provide a source of new reading material formy child. …send my child toschool on time and make sure he/she is well rested. …talk to my childabout school and assist with all homework. As a student atMcDermoth School, I will: …respect myself, my school and all others. …read at least 15 minutes a day or more. …complete and turn in all my schoolwork ontime. …go to bed at a reasonable hour and eat ahealthy breakfast and lunch. …come to school on time and ready to learn. Studentswill have the greatest opportunity to succeed in school when we work togetherto accomplish these things. |
