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New Visitor/Volunteer/Student Sign-Out
Procedures
Effective Monday, October 29,2007
visitors and /or volunteers coming to Dare will use a
computer to sign in and out of school. Badges will have names, pictures,
purpose for being at school, destination, and time signed in printed on
them. In addition this process will be used for student sign-out. We hope this new process will help us keep better records on the
number of visitors and volunteers we have as well as providing an
improved way of identifying non-employees in our building.
Communication
Two way communication between the school and home is of utmost
importance for you, your child, and school personnel. We will use a
wide variety of methods to keep you informed about your child and the
activities here at Dare. Some of these methods include, notes in agenda
books, conferences, interims, report cards, emails, including teacher
and school websites and the Y-line, newsletters, and phone calls
including Connect Ed.
You may subscribe to the Y-line by using the YCSD External Site.
Our website address is
www.yorkcountyschools.org .
Please take advantage of all of these mediums to help you stay abreast
of the many things that affect our students’ academic and social life at
Dare.
PTA
Our PTA Executive Board members for
2007-2008 are President Geretta McClave , Vice President Robyn Long,
Secretary Jodi Ward, and Treasurer Erin Tapajna.
We are very fortunate to have a very
supportive and active PTA at Dare. Research has shown that there is a
high correlation between student achievement and strong parent
participation in their children’s education. Membership dues are only
$5.00. Your involvement with our PTA in this process is encouraged.
Student Agendas
Each student in grades one through five
will be required to have a student agenda book to use to keep track of
homework assignments, communication to parents, special events, etc.
Dare will sell agenda books for $3.00 or you can purchase one from an
outside source. Student agenda books will be on sale during open house
or you may purchase one beginning the first day of school in your
child’s classroom. Students will be expected to use their agendas
daily so be sure to review it with your child regularly.
Proof of Residence
Parents are required to prove that they
are residents of York County, living in the Dare Elementary School
attendance zone. Telephone bills, electric bills, rental agreements,
sales contracts, or tax receipts may be required at any time to verify
your residence. Parents whose children live outside the Dare attendance
zone must have written permission from the York County School District
office for their child to attend Dare.
Transporting Students
Students who do not walk to school will
be assigned bus route numbers, which will be displayed on the side of
each bus.
If you choose to transport your child
to school occasionally or on a regular basis, please note the following
guidelines.
Arrival time for students is between
8:45 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. not before. This includes walkers from Grafton
Station. Since teachers and staff are preparing the best day possible
for their students, there is no supervision for students before 8:45
a.m. Therefore, please do not drop students off at school before
8:45 a.m. unless they are enrolled in the privately operated Champions
day care program (872-8168) or an early morning Dare program.
Parents who transport their children
are not to drive, stop, or park on the entire driveway parallel to the
school. This area is identified by the yellow curbing and is
reserved for buses and emergency vehicles at all times.
Vehicles should only be parked in the
spaces that are identified by solid white lines that are designed for
head in parking. EXCEPTION; in the afternoons only, parents may also
park in the middle of the parking lot identified by yellow hash marks.
In the morning this area is designated for student drop off only, not
for extended parking. Additionally, please use designated crosswalk and
sidewalks whenever possible.
If your child is to
ride a bus to a different location other than their usual bus stop, we
must have a signed note from you. Bus drivers will not transport
students to a different location without a parent’s note that has been
approved by the school. When students are going to the home of another
student, the parents of each student must send permission notes to
school for confirmation. Only in emergency situations will the school
accept a phoned in bus change request.
Requests for an alternative pick up or
bus stop because of a sitter must be submitted in writing to the
Director of Transportation Services, 505 Cook Road, Yorktown, Va.
23692.
Dress Code
Students are
expected to dress appropriately and safely for all school activities.
Student dress (see Student Conduct Code Handbook) appearance will be
neat, clean and conducive to the educational process. Examples of
inappropriate clothing items include, but are not limited to:
halter tops, tank tops, spaghetti straps; clothing which exposes the
midriff; tight or suggestive clothing; clothing which promotes drugs or
alcohol; clothing which leaves undergarments exposed; and head coverings
of any type. When worn, the hemline of shorts must be long enough so
that the fingertips of the wearer touch the bottom of the hemline when
arms are held at ones side. Additional guidelines may be issued by
individual school principals.
Attendance
Students who are to be successful in
school must have regular attendance, including being at school on time
and not leaving early. Students who are frequently late, absent, or
leave early, may have more difficulty keeping up with their assignments,
have poor grades, and low scores on tests such as the Standards of
Learning. Please avoid family trips and arrange medical appointments
after school hours.
If applicable, a note from you or a
physician concerning your child’s legitimate tardy, or absence may be
required.
Dismissal From School
Student dismissal is
at 3:26 p.m. Students who leave school early miss valuable
educational time. In addition, instruction is interrupted for all
students in a class each time the intercom is used to call students to
the office. If at all possible, please wait until after 3:00 p.m. to
pick up your K-5 child. If you come to the office before 3:00 p.m., we
will ask you to sign out your child and he/she will be called to the
office. If you come to the office after 3:00 p.m., we will ask you to
sign your child out with a departure time of 3:26 p.m. You will be
given a ticket to present to your child’s teacher at the bus loading
area where you can pick up your child. This will allow you time to leave
the school prior to the bus departure. Exceptions to this
non-interruption of classes will be made in emergency situations. We
believe that you will appreciate and support this effort to improve
instructional time for all of our students.
Again, for the safety and well being of
our students, always come to the office, not your child’s classroom when
picking them up. Please remain in the office, front hall area, or
outside in the breezeway area for your child.
Delayed School Openings
During certain weather conditions or
other situations, schools may open later in the day. A one hour delay
means school opens at 9:45. A two hour delay means school opens at
10:45. Since teachers and staff are not available for supervision of
students prior to stated opening times, please do not bring your child
to school prior to these designated times.
Tardies
Students who come to school late miss
valuable educational time. In addition, as with early dismissals,
instruction is interrupted when a student enters a classroom late. If
possible, please bring your child to the office for a pass to class if
he/she comes to school after 9:00 a.m. If you cannot bring him/her to
the office, please write a note and have him/her report to the office
with the note prior to going to class.
Walkers
Only students who live at Grafton
Station Apartment Complex are permitted to walk to and from school. No
student is to cross Dare Road at any time without supervision from the
crossing guard, a school designated person, or a parent or guardian.
Arrival time for students is between
8:45 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. There is no building or grounds supervision
for students prior to 8:45 a.m. Therefore, for the safety of your
child, students who will walk to school are not allowed to be on
school grounds prior to 8:45 a.m.
Students who walk home from Dare at
3:26 p.m. must leave the building and grounds immediately after they are
dismissed. Proper identification will be required of those persons who
pick up student walkers.
Visitors to School
All visitors are required to wear a
visitor’s identification badge while tutoring, volunteering for special
activities, field trips, visiting for classroom presentations, teacher
conferences, etc. Upon entering the building, please report to the main
office and sign in. You will receive a visitor identification badge
that must be displayed at all times. When leaving, be sure to return to
the office, sign out and return your badge if applicable. Students,
faculty and staff members may ask any person not wearing a badge to
report to the office. As a safety precaution, all doors, other than the
main entrance may remain locked during the school day.
These procedures will assist us in our efforts to
maintain a safe environment for our children and staff members. Thank
you for your support and assistance.
School Safety
National events remind us that we are
not immune to school violence and the importance of school safety
plans. We will continue to lock outside doors during the school day,
have fire and tornado drills, and conduct periodic safety drills to
practice the procedures we will follow in case an “intruder” enters the
building. Please help us by signing in at the office each time you
enter the building and by wearing a visitor’s badge. Also, we ask that
you remind your children that verbal and/or physical threats made by
them must be taken seriously and may result in severe consequences.
School administrators must take corrective action when students threaten
classmates or school staff. If you have any concerns about school
safety issues, please contact the school or call the crisis hotline at
890-1096.
Student Handbook
Pay special attention to the sections
related to Student Behavior, Release of Information to the Media,
Internet Policy, and Removal of a Pupil from Family Life.
If parent and/or
student signatures are required on any of the aforementioned documents,
please sign the documents that are applicable and return them to your
child’s teacher ASAP.
Meals
The cost of lunches will be $1.90.
Milk may be purchased for $.40. Students who buy or bring lunch may
purchase one ice cream for $.40. Beginning Tuesday, September 4,
student breakfast will be available for $.95. Applications for reduced
price or free lunch are available at school. You may open an account
for your child’s lunch for up to $99.00. Checks should be made out to
Dare Elementary with a statement of the amount of money you would like
in your child’s breakfast, lunch, and ice cream or milk accounts.
Undesignated money will automatically be placed in lunch accounts.
Money cannot be moved from one account to another without a request from
a parent.
If your child has a specific food
allergy or dietary concern, please contact our school nurse. Students
who finish their lunches early will have an opportunity to go outside
until the end of their lunch period.
Please remember that it is the
responsibility of the parent to pay for the child’s meals at the time
they are served. Help us avoid what can sometimes be a stressful
situation for your child by assuring that he/she has the necessary money
for meals.
Toys/Games/Cell Phones
Please help us to ensure a positive
learning environment by reminding your children that toys and other
items such as trading cards, C.D. players, cell phones, video games,
etc. should be enjoyed at home. These items can be a distraction at
school; often requiring teachers to stop instruction because of their
use.
Physical Education
In addition to the academic development
of your child, we are also interested in his/her physical well being.
Regular, planned physical education class will be held several times
each week. Because of the nature of this program, students will be
requested to wear tennis type shoes each class session. This is a major
safety concern. Students without the proper footwear will not be
allowed to participate in physical education activities, which may
result in a lower mark in the class.
Family Life
Family Life lessons for students in
grades four and five will be taught by Dare’s fourth and fifth grade
classroom teachers. Kindergarten, first, second, and third grade
lessons will be taught by the Dare guidance counselors. If you wish to
exclude your child from any or all lessons please sign and return to
school the Removal of a Pupil from Family Life form found in
the Student Handbook and Student-Conduct Code before
September 10. You may preview Family Life materials at Dare
Elementary on Thursday, September 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Discipline
Fortunately, discipline issues have not
been a significant issue at Dare Elementary. Cooperation and a shared
commitment to excellence between Dare’s parents and staff have helped us
provide a safe and orderly school environment. However, we do find that
even minor behavior problems interrupt the learning time for our
students.
We believe that students need to
understand the expectations, which ensure that this safe and orderly
climate for learning is maintained. Please review the conduct code
outlined in the Student Handbook and check with your child’s
teacher concerning these or any other rules pertaining to proper school
behavior.
Students will be held accountable for
their behavior in all areas of the building, on school grounds, and on
the buses. Your continued support and assistance in this area is
greatly appreciated.
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