8808 Old Stage Road
MESSAGE
FROM THE PRINCIPAL…
Greetings and best wishes to you
and your family as we begin a new school year.
The 2009-2010 school year finds us with many new families joining us
from
Again, welcome and thank you for
the opportunity to work with you and your child. The staff and I look forward to your
involvement as we forged the strong home and school partnership needed for
student success.
Don Rose
Principal
SCHOOL HOURS- Please note
the CHANGES for 2009-2010
8:25 AM Early
Arrival Students Eat Breakfast
8:45 AM Students
Enter Building
8:45 – 9:05 AM Bus and Car Rider Students Eat
Breakfast
9:05 AM Classes
Begin
3:45 PM Dismissal
on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
2:45 PM Dismissal on Wednesday
4:00 PM Latest
Time for Car Rider Pick-up (3:00 pm on
Wednesdays)
Beginning this 2009-2010
school year, all WCPSS schools will add 10 minutes to every day and release one
hour early on Wednesday every week.
Students are admitted
into the building at 8:45 AM. Students who arrive prior to 8:45 a.m. MUST
be enrolled in the Early Arrival Program.
Students will not be allowed to enter the building if they arrive at
school prior to 8:45 a.m. School buses
will not unload until 8:45 a.m.
It is extremely important
that your child arrives on time and remains at school for the entire day.
Volunteering
Parents and
interested community volunteers are encouraged to become involved in our
school’s programs. Volunteers must
register EVERY year. Applications
are completed online from a school computer.
Office staff will assist you with this registration if needed. We recognize and appreciate the valuable role
volunteers play in the success of each school and encourage all to join with us
in our efforts to enhance learning opportunities for students.
We need and encourage
parents’ help and participation throughout the school and in the classroom. Volunteers should check with the teachers for
specific times when special projects or instructional situations could benefit
from their help. Teachers may develop
schedules for volunteers (dates and times) that will allow them to know when
they will have assistance in the classroom.
Visitors
All persons entering the building must
sign in at the office and get a visitor/volunteer badge with a number to wear
while on school property. ALL visitors, including parents
and volunteers, are required to sign in at the main office whenever they are in
the school during school hours. After
signing in, guests will receive a visitor badge. Please wear the badge while in the building
and return to the front desk to sign out before leaving.
Student Sign-in/out Procedures
Sign-In If your child is late reporting to
school, a parent must accompany the
child to the office to sign them in. The
student must have a signed pink slip from the office to enter class. Instruction begins at 9:05 a.m.; parents may
not go to the classroom after 8:45 a.m. unless they have an appointment with
the teacher. Office personnel will take
a message and place it in the teacher’s mailbox.
Sign-Out
Early Dismissals MUST be
handled through the office. Parents
report to the office, sign out the child using the computer, provide your ID
and wait for your child in the lobby.
Students will not be permitted to leave without following this
procedure. Students that are checked out
prior to 12:30 will be counted absent for the day. Early check-outs should be for medical or
emergency situations only. Students with
afternoon appointments should be checked out prior to 3:15 p.m. (2:15 p.m. on
Wednesday). All dismissals after 3:15 p.m. (2:15 p.m. on Wednesdays) will be
through the normal car rider procedures.
If you arrive after this time to pick up your child, please follow the
normal car rider procedures. Please
refer to the “Car Rider” section for details.
Bus Riders will be dismissed from their homeroom when their bus route number
and/or bus color is announced. Leaving
the room to go outside and wait is not allowed.
Any changes in the bus route assignments must be made with the Assistant
Principal. Students may ride only the
bus they are assigned and may not ride a different bus to or from a friend’s
home. Students not assigned to a bus
cannot ride a bus to “go home with a friend”.
Buses will park in the area at the back of the school for loading and
unloading. School transportation service is a privilege, not a right. Students shall observe the directives of the
school bus driver at all times while riding a school bus or other school
vehicle. All misconduct on the bus or
disregard of the bus driver's instructions should be reported promptly to the
principal or assistant principal. They
may suspend a student’s privilege of riding the bus.
Car Riders will be
dismissed to the cafeteria following afternoon announcements. Students will meet their transportation
outside the cafeteria and be assisted into their cars by staff members. Students will not be allowed to go to their
cars until it has arrived in the “pick up zone”. It is important to display carpool tags on
your vehicle’s rear view mirror. Parents
are requested to remain in their cars and proceed cautiously in the carpool
line. Parents need to drive through the
car rider lane to pick-up their child after school and not walk up to the
building to get their child. Children
may not be checked out of school after 3:15 PM; 2:15 PM on Wednesdays. This practice is in place for the protection
of all Vance students. It is necessary
that parents comply with this safety practice.
Students not picked up at or before 4:05 PM will be directed to the
office. A warning will be issued. Should this problem continue the WCPSS
Security Investigator will be contacted to problem solve.
Cafeteria
Students are encouraged to purchase
meals in advance on Mondays, 8:45 – 9:05 AM in the cafeteria. Once the meals are purchased the amount is
recorded and meal prices are subtracted from the account each time the student
purchases a meal. You may also add money
to your child’s cafeteria account online by visiting www.mylunchmoney.com . You will need your child’s student ID # to
access the account. This information is
available in the office. Please allow 48
hours for money to appear on account at the school level.
If you purchase meals weekly
or monthly, write your check to Vance Elementary Cafeteria or send cash. Students’ lunch accounts are only charged
when they purchase a lunch, which means money is not subtracted from your child’s
account on days he/she chooses to bring lunch.
Students who forget to bring
their lunch or lunch money will be given a lunch of fruit, vegetables and water
per WCPSS’s policy and guidelines.
Free and Reduced Lunch
applications are sent home with students the first week of school. The applications must be completed IN FULL
and mailed or returned to the student’s homeroom teacher before they can be
approved.
*Applications for free and reduced prices must be
completed each year.
Meal prices are subject to
change and Child Nutrition Services, not the school, determines the price.
Cafeteria Prices Regular Reduced
Breakfast .80 .30
Lunch 1.75 .40
Milk .50
The Wake County Public Schools Central Office personnel make all
decisions concerning school closings or delays.
Notification
will be broadcast on local news and radio stations in the viewing area. We
encourage you to listen carefully during threatening or severe weather for
details. Make-up days will be posted on Wake County Public School Systems’
website: www.wcpss.net
Make -up days
- Make-up days will be on a Saturday. (This is for
all year-round schools)
- The instructional day will be 3 ½ hours.
- There will be no lunch served, no videos, no
recess, no clubs—all time will be spent on core instruction.
- Students are encouraged to bring a snack to
school.
- Students must attend the entire 3 ½ hours to be
counted present for the day.
EARLY ARRIVAL PROGRAM
If
it is necessary for a student to arrive before 8:45 a.m., arrangements MUST be
made for the student to participate in the Early Arrival Program. This program is for grades K-5; pre-K may not
participate. The program begins at 6:45 a.m.
each day. Applications are available in
the office. Supervised activities such
as games and recreation are offered in the Early Arrival Program. Also, students will have access to the
computer lab for enrichment. Homework
may be done at this time as well. All fees
are non-refundable. Fees are not prorated.
Students may not attend on a part-time basis unless the full fee is
paid.
Fees (These prices are subject to change)
Registration - $10.00 per child is
required
Monthly Fee - $70.00 per child
If school
opening is delayed due to inclement weather, the Early Arrival Program will be
delayed the same amount of time that the opening of the school is delayed. For example, if school is delayed one (1)
hour, the Early Arrival Program will be delayed one (1) hour.
STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE
A student
accident insurance program is available to students on a voluntary basis. The premium and responsibility for completing
the forms will be assumed by the student’s parents/guardians. Forms are available in the office.
STUDENT RECORDS
It is
imperative that your child’s records are complete and up to date at all
times. Please be sure to complete and
return all forms received and any information requested (birth certificate,
health assessment, immunization records, etc.)
If your address or phone number changes, please provide the new
information to the school immediately.
SICK
STUDENTS
The
Office provides only emergency medical help.
Students who become ill or are injured during the day will be taken or sent
to the office. A student who is too ill
to remain in the classroom (temperature of 100 degrees or more or throwing up)
must go home and remain out of school until they have been fever free and/or
not throwing up for 24 hours without medication. A parent/guardian will be contacted to pick
up the child from school.
Students waiting in the Health Room: Students
will only be allowed to wait in the office if they are too ill to be in the
classroom. If you are called to pick up
a sick child, please make every effort to pick the student up as soon as
possible. The only services our Health
Room can offer are bandages, taking temperatures, and soap and water.
EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS
In case
of illness, we will call you to pick up your child. We would appreciate at least three (3)
emergency numbers to use if your child should become ill. Mobile numbers are a great help.
ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION
If your child
needs to take any medication during the school day, form # 1702 must be
completed by a physician and signed by the parent/guardian. All medication must be in the original
container and the name and dosage must match the 1702. Medication is dispensed and recorded in the
office. No over-the-counter medications (cough drops,
aspirin, etc.) may be given without a physician’s order. Students are not allowed to bring any
medication in their backpacks including over-the-counter medications. Parents should transport medication to and
from school.
ATTENDANCE
Attendance in school is vital to educational achievement
and school success. Parents must ensure
that students attend and remain in school daily. Students are urged to be present daily unless
there is a valid reason for being absent.
To be counted present, a student must be present at least one-half (1/2)
of the student school day (12:30 pm).
ABSENCES
On the day the student returns to school from an
absence, he/she should bring a note, signed by the parent, to the teacher
stating the reason for the absence. The
note must be presented within two (2) days of the student’s return to school or
the absence will be recorded as unexcused.
(Please refer to School Board Policy 6103).
Excused Absences:
-
Illness
or injury of the student
-
Death
in the immediate family
-
Medical
or Dental appointment of the student
-
Religious
Observance (in accordance to school board policy)
-
Education
Absences not classified as excused in one of the
above statements are unexcused. Unexcused
absences include such behaviors as the student missing a bus, baby-sitting
problems, visiting relatives. For all
absences, the student will make up work in a timely manner at the convenience
of the teacher. The make-up work may be
specified material missed by the student, reinforcement, or enrichment. After a student has accumulated excessive or
questionable absences, the school counselor and social worker will be asked to
get involved. This could result in the
violation of the school compulsory attendance law.
Excessive absences
will have serious academic consequences and may result in class or grade
failure.
At the elementary level, excused and unexcused
absences above thirty (30) are excessive.
Students who exceed thirty (30) absences during the year will be
referred to an attendance committee
that will determine if the student should be retained. The principal has the authority to waive the
decision of the committee. Students with
documented, chronic health problems will be exempt from the policy if absences
are excused.
Tardiness - It is very important that
students arrive to school on time each day.
Class time begins promptly at 9:05 a.m. and interruptions should be kept
to a minimum. After a student has
accumulated excessive or questionable tardies, the school counselor or social
worker will be asked to get involved.
OUT-OF-TOWN TRIPS
Significant days in the school calendar are printed
in this handbook. Parents and students
are encouraged to check the calendar for dates of student holidays and
vacations prior to making arrangements for trips. (Please refer to School Board Policy
6000.1-6000.7; 6110.1-611-.2; 6111.1). In
most instances, a student’s absence from school because of out-of-town trips
will be considered unexcused for the days of school that are missed; therefore,
teachers are not required to provide make-up opportunities or to prepare work
for these students to take with them. The
WCPSS form, “Request for Excused Absence for Educational Reasons”, must be completed
when requesting approval for an absence from school and must be completed
before the absence occurs.
Behavior Expectations
The Vance Elementary Staff
is committed to providing a safe and caring learning experience for all
students. A place where students and
staff practice and model the Panther
Golden Rule - “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” Students are expected to solve problems with
the “Head and Heart” and not the Hands.
Zero physical force is the standard means in solving conflicts with others. Go for the Panther Gold - “Treat others the way you want to be
treated.”
We
PROWL at Vance Elementary
Students and Staff members are
asked to PROWL at
- All students are valuable and deserve respect
- Punishment does not work to change behavior.
- School climate is a shared responsibility among
students, parents and staff.
- Positive relationships between students and adults are
key to student success.
We have our PROWL rules
posted. We have established PROWL
guidelines for the cafeteria, restrooms, classrooms, hallways, and
playground. These guidelines provide
clear defined expectations for each of these areas.
Please take this opportunity to
talk with your child about the expectations at school and the importance of
continuing to demonstrate PROWL behaviors.
With your continued support and involvement,
All students are responsible for complying with and are expected to be
familiar with the WCPSS Code of Student Conduct and school board policies
governing student behavior and conduct. All Code of Student Conduct policies
are contained in the WCPSS Student/Parent Handbook, which is distributed to all
students and parents at the beginning of each school year or upon enrollment in
the WCPSS. If there is a conflict between the rules expressed in this
handbook/agenda/planner and the Code of Student Conduct policies, the
WCPSS Code of Student Conduct policies shall take precedence.
Todos los estudiantes son responsables
de cumplir con y familiarizarse con el Código de Conducta Estudiantil de WCPSS
y las políticas de la Junta de Educación que gobiernan el comportamiento y la
conducta de estudiantes. Todas las políticas del Código de Conducta Estudiantil
se encuentran en el manual de WCPSS de Estudiantes/Padres, el cual se
distribuye a todos los padres y estudiantes al principio de cada año escolar o
al matricularse en el WCPSS. Si hay un conflicto entre las reglas
expresadas en este manual de Estudiantes/Padres y el manual/agenda/planificador
de la escuela de su hijo(a) las reglas expresadas en este manual deben tomar
prioridad.
Report Cards
Student evaluations are sent
home four (4) times a year – at the close of each nine (9) weeks in grades 2 -
5. The following codes are used in this
report:
Report Card Rating Scale
4 Extends targeted grade level standards
3* Demonstrates
proficiency of targeted grade level standards with evidence of application
3 Demonstrates
proficiency of targeted grade level standards
2 Needs
support to meet targeted grade level standards
1 Insufficient
performance of targeted grade level standards with support
Conduct Rating Scale
3
Meets
expectations
2
Inconsistently
meets expectations
1
Does not meet
expectations
Report Cards will go home with
students:
Track 1:
Sept. 4, 2009 (Grades 2-5, interim
for K – 1st parent/teacher conference), Nov. 25, 2009 (Grades K-5), March
5, 2010 (Grades 1-5 Interim for K) and
June 8, 2010 (final)
Tracks 2, 3 and 4: Sept. 25,
2009 (Grades 2-5, interim for K – 1st parent/teacher
conference), Dec. 18, 2009 (Grades
K-5), March 26, 2010 (Grades 1-5
Interim for K) and June 30, 2010(final)
Interim dates:
Tracks 1 and 2: Weeks of 8-3-09,
10-26-09, 2-1-10, 4-26-10
Tracks 3 and 4: Weeks
of 8-24-09, 11-16-09, 2-22-10, 5-24-10
Parent Conferences
Teachers will schedule a
conference with every parent before the end of the first grading quarter to
discuss student progress. If you would
like to have a conference with your child’s teacher at another time, please
send a note by your child.
Homework
Purpose
Homework is an important part of our students’ education
program and should be assigned on a regular basis. The same level of attention that is given to
class work should be given to homework.
Homework assignments should be purposeful continuations or extensions of
the instructional program and appropriate to the students’ development
level. Homework should help students
become responsible, self-directed learners, improve their academic achievement,
and provide opportunities for the reinforcement and application of what is
learned in school.
It is assumed that students will do homework outside of
school hours. The amount of such work
required of students shall increase as grade levels increase and shall be
commensurate with student abilities and course content. Total assignments should not exceed specified
limits each night.
|
Grade
Level |
Time |
|
K |
10-15
minutes |
|
1 |
30
minutes |
|
2 |
30
minutes |
|
3 |
45
minutes |
|
4 |
45-60
minutes |
|
5 |
45-60
minutes |
The teacher will check homework, with the student receiving
meaningful and constructive comments about his/her work efforts. Follow up activities will involve all
students. Parents will need to be
involved with homework assignments by checking and signing completed work before
the student returns it to the teacher.
Kindergarten Staggered
Entry
Tracks 1, 2, and 3 – Kindergarten Initial
Assessment – July 7-10, 2009
Meet the
Teacher July 10, 2009 @ 4:30 pm
First day of
K for all students – July 13, 2009
Track 4 – Kindergarten Initial
Assessment – July 27-30, 2009
Meet the
Teacher – July 30, 2009 @ 4:30 p.m.
First day of
K for all students – July 31, 2009