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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.
Thank you for taking the
time to review the information in this newsletter. We look forward
to a productive and rewarding year for your child.
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