2015/2016
PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK
601 W Union St
Allentown, PA 18101
Administration and Office Staff
Executive Director:Joanna Hughes
Principal:Jacqueline Vogel
Business Administrator:RafeScheinblum
Director of Facilities/Technology:Brandon Leydic
Director of Special Education:Gwen Ayers
Guidance Counselor:Nicole Thomson
Community Liaison:Cynthia Mota
School Nurse:Tina Shelton
Executive DirectorAssistant:Tammy Eisenhart
Office Manager:Karin Detres-Cardenas
School Administrative Assistant:Tracy Wilder
Security Guard:Matthew Medina
DaytimeCustodian:George Hernandez
Mentor:Barbara Fuentes
Vocal Mentor:Rosemary Haber
Theatre Mentor:JoAnn Basist
ELEMENTARY FACULTY
KINDERGARTEN:Alana Andreyko
John Miller
Karen Miller
Heather Thomas
FIRST GRADE:Juliana Krupka
Karen Guth
KalliTrumbauer
Michael Wrecsics
SECOND GRADE:Brittney Newman
Amy Seals
Nicole Smale
Keri Greenawald
THIRD GRADE:Maria Perna
Kristen Smith
Jamie Wisniewski
Jared Wolfe
FOURTH GRADE:Christopher Antosy
Jessica Webster
Mary Dunlap
Elizabeth Story
FIFTH GRADE:Whitney Blair
Nancy Horvat
AaronKnepp
SPECIAL EDUCATION:Kimberly Schiffert
Nancy Geyer
SPECIAL ED. AIDE:Barbara Smyth
ESL:
VISUAL ART:Tatiana Hernandez
Anne Cullen
THEATRE:Kristin Cichowski
Benjamin Phillips
MUSIC:Nathan Galloway
Cynthia Vinovskis
DANCE:Angie Lichtenwalner
ElissaStreng
DAILY SCHEDULE
STUDENT ARRIVAL TIME:8:45AM
STUDENT DISMISSAL TIME: 3:15PM
Children who walk or ride in a car to school should not arrive at school more than ten minutes before student arrival time. After school, children should go directly home when dismissed. If a parent/guardian needs to make a change in the way his/her child is to go home, a note of explanation must be sent to the child’s teacher. If the teacher does not get a note, he/she will follow normal dismissal procedures and send your child home as indicated in the paperwork on file in the school.
TWO HOUR DELAYED START SCHEDULE
STUDENT ARRIVAL TIME:10:45AM
STUDENT DISMISSAL TIME: 3:15PM
CANCELLATION OF SCHOOL PRIOR TO START
1.The Executive Director or designee decides on cancellation or delay of opening.
2.The Executive Director or designee will contact local media and call parents.
3.The First Call Now System will notify parents via phone with weather related cancellations/delays.
4.All students, parents, faculty and staff should monitor local radio and television stations for announcements.
EMERGENCY EARLY DISMISSAL PROCEDURE
The Executive Director, will notify on-site administrators that school is to be dismissed early and of the time the dismissal should take place.
1.The Executive Director/designee will notify local radio and television stations of the early dismissal.
2.The Executive Director/designee will notify all school districts about the early dismissal in order to facilitate bus pick up.
3.First Call Now will be activated.
4.A 100% accounting of students/staff will be completed by teachers and verified immediately preceding the dismissal.
DROP OFF/PICK UP PROCEDURES
The Arts Academy Elementary School enforces very strict parent drop off and pick up procedures. Parents must obey all traffic signs. There is only one way to enter the premises and one way to exit. Violators will be putting our children in danger. If you have any questions about the drop off and pick up procedures once school begins, please do not hesitate to speak to an administrator.
GUESTS
To gain access to the building, ring the “buzzer”located at the front entrance to our school. All guests MUST report to the school office. A “guest badge”will be supplied after signing in and showing ID, which will be kept in the office until you leave the building. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES may a parent visit a classroom without signing in at and receiving permission from the office.
MARKING PERIODS
The Arts Academy Elementary Charter School Marking Periods are as follows:
Marking Period 1: September 8, 2015 –December 7, 2015
Marking Period 2: December 8, 2015 –March 21, 2016
Marking Period 3: March 22, 2016 - June 16, 2016
LUNCH
Children are encouraged to eat breakfast at home and to bring a bagged lunch. Please do not pack items that contain nuts. The Arts Academy Elementary Charter School will offer a cold lunch to children who would like to purchase. A cold breakfast will also be offered for purchase. Children may arrive at 8:35AM if they are purchasing breakfast.
NUT-AWARE
The Arts Academy Elementary Charter School will enforce a nut-aware environment. Please keep this in mind when packing a lunch or snack for your child. There will be a nut-free table in the cafeteria for students with nut allergies.
HEALTHY SNACKS
If you send in a snack with your child, please make every effort to provide a healthy item. Healthy snacks would include such things as fruit, vegetables, pretzels and granola bars (nut-free).
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
We recognize that birthdays are a very special time, especially for a child. Your child’s teacher will celebrate each student’s birthday by honoring him/her on that day. Parents are not required to send in anything with their child. However, if parents would like to send in an item to share with their child’s class, please do not send in a food item. Only non-food items will be permitted. Thank you for understanding.
ATTENDANCE
THE ARTS ACADEMY ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL STUDENT ATTENDANCE POLICY:
A.Students have the responsibility to comply with the attendance procedures of our school in addition to those regulations established by the Board of Education and the School Code.
B.Parents are required to call the school office or submit a written explanation for the legal absence of their child within three school days from the date of child’s return to school. Failure on the parent’s part to provide said explanation does not in itself qualify the absence as excused. The absence must be for a legal reason according to the law.
C.Legal absences include, but are not limited to, illness of student, quarantine, physical or mental incapacity, death in the immediate family, court summons, violent weather, school-related work, observances of a religious holiday by bonafide religious groups, religious instruction or a State emergency.
D.The responsibility for making up work missed during legal absences rests with the student.
E.Written notification may be sent to parents of a student who has been absent for 10 consecutive days. Absenteeism beyond ten consecutive days may require a doctor’s excuse. After a student accumulates 20 school days of absence, a parental conference will be held. After a student accumulates 30 school days of absence, the parents of the absent student may be scheduled to meet with the Executive Director, and the student may forfeit all credit for school work completed that year, depending upon the number of days absent and the subject grade.
F.Illegal absences for students under 17 are those due to truancy, parental
negligence and unlawful employment. By Pennsylvania Law, the parents of a student who has accumulated three illegal absences and is within the compulsory age limits are to be served a first offense legal notice. Any subsequent illegal absence then makes the parents liable for a fine.
G. Chronic truancy will be refereed to the proper agency for further legal action or, after all reasonable avenues have been explored, expulsion may be initiated.
H. A student may be excused during school hours to obtain professional health care or therapy by a licensed practitioner, if the service cannot be received outside of school hours.
L. Students may be excused to participate in a non-school sponsored educational tour or trip if the student’s parents submit a written request for the excusal on the district trip request form, the trip has been approved by the Executive Director, and if an adult who is supervising the pupils is acceptable to both the parents and Executive Director.
REQUEST FOR EXCUSED ABSENCE
Regulations of the State of Pennsylvania provide that, upon written request from the parents/guardians of the pupils involved, pupils may be excused from school attendance to participate in an educational tour or trip not sponsored by the school when the trip is evaluated by the Executive Director as educational and if the adult supervision is acceptable to both the Executive Director and the pupil’s parent/guardians.
The Arts Academy Elementary Charter School building principal has been designated by Executive Director to make the initial decision, based on the information provided. In order to clarify such absences, the following procedure for non-school educational trips/tour is established:
1. The proper form must be submitted to the principal a minimum of five (5) school days prior to the trip (except in an emergency). Parents/guardians will be notified in any case in which the request is denied.
2. Requests will be approved only if it can be determined that such trip/tour is of educational value to the student.
3. Unless there are unusual or emergency circumstances, such requests will NOT be approved for the first ten (10) school days of the year or during the district’s standardized testing period or the state’s testing periods.
4. If more than one child in a family will be taking the trip/tour, a separate request for each child shall be made to each child’s principal 5. No more than ten (10) requests in any school year. (Special requests with unusual circumstances or exceptional opportunities for learning should be discussed personally with the building principal well in advance of requested dates for absence.)
6. Satisfactory academic achievement will be considered in the approval of such a request.
7. All schoolwork missed during the trip/tour must be made up at the initiation of the student immediately upon returning to school.
PSSA TESTING
The Arts Academy Elementary Charter School will administer Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) achievement tests. The testing window for the 2015–2016 PSSA and PASA is as follows: Grades 3, 4, 5: April 11 to April 22nd (Reading and Math) and April 25th–29th (4th grade Science). No vacation request will be granted during testing periods.
BUS SAFETY AND DISCIPLINE
It is the responsibility of all bus drivers to obey all traffic laws and regulations. Of
particular concern is ensuring that all school buses, loaded or unloaded, stop at all railroad crossings designated by appropriate signs, signals, or markers. The Arts Academy Elementary Charter School requests that any violations of traffic laws and regulations by a bus driver be reported to the Executive Director and/or Principal.
BUS RULES OF CONDUCT
Riding the school bus is a privilege. Safety is our shared goal. Any conduct on the part of student, which distracts the driver and reduces the safety level, will be dealt with severely. The driver is in complete charge of the bus and students and has the authority to discipline students for less-than-serious infractions. The bus driver can assign seats if necessary. For serious infractions, the driver willimmediately report the incident to the proper school administrator who will determine the punishment which usually follows these progressive disciplines:
The following rules must be followed by all students:
1.No eating, drinking or smoking is permitted on the bus.
2.No horseplay, excessive noise or vulgar language is permitted.
3.Students must be seated, facing the front, at all times until the
destination is reached and the bus has come to a complete stop.
4. Papers and other materials are to be kept off the floor. Littering will
not be tolerated.
5. Students may not block the aisle or emergency floor with any
properties.
6. Students may neither extend arms or heads out of the bus windows,
nor throw any objects inside or out of the bus.
7. Students may not regulate windows unless given permission by the
driver.
8. Students willfully damaging the bus will be held liable for the cost of
the repairs.
9. Students are to be at the bus stop 5-10 minutes early and are to
behave properly while waiting.
10. Students may not carry any objects on the bus (instruments, sports
bags, backpacks, etc.) that cannot be held on their lap.
11. Other rules deemed reasonable by the driver.
12. Students are not permitted to use cell phones, IPODS or other technology equipment on the bus.
SPECIAL NOTE: The Arts Academy Elementary Charter School requires a signed note from a parent or guardian addressed to the principal if a request is made for a student to use a bus route or a bus stop other than the one assigned. The principal and transporter must then agree to this request. Consideration for approval will be given in emergency situations only.
CLASSROOM CONCERNS
The best person to talk to about your child’s academic progress, classroom behavior or daily concerns is the classroom teacher. You can contact the teacher easily by sending a note, email or making a telephone call. Although most situations can be dealt with effectively by the parent, teacher and child,
sometimes other people need to be included such as the principal, guidance counselor, nurse or executive director.
DRESS CODE POLICY
1.The Arts Academy Elementary Charter School does not require children to wear a uniform. Please have your child dress comfortably, especially on days when he/she will participate in dance and theatre classes. Students in grades k-2 will not change for classes, so please send your child(ren) to school with appropriate attire that allows them to move freely. Children in grades 3-5 should also come to school prepared to dance in the clothing that they are wearing unless told otherwise by the dance staff. All children will dance in their bare feet unless otherwise told. The dance teachers will communicate in greater detail with you regarding this.
2.All students must wear shirts or tops that extend to and cover the midsection of the body.
3.Sleeveless shirts may be worn; however, they must be modest in design and must not expose undergarments. Tank tops must have straps that are at least one inch wide, and the straps must cover undergarments. Shoulders and arm openings must not reveal undergarments. No tube tops or halter tops are permitted. No sheer fabrics are permitted.
4.Shorts must extend at least half-way down the thigh. Shorts or pants with words or printed messages across the seat are not permitted.
5.Underwear must be covered and not exposed. Logos or wording that relates to alcohol or other drugs (i.e. tobacco, marijuana) is not
permitted on clothing.
6.Flip-flops and loose-fitting sandals create safety issues; therefore, they are not recommended.
7.No hats or bandanas are permitted in school.
8.Attire that the administration considers to be a distraction to others’learning will not be permitted.
*Students who dress inappropriately will be sent to the office where parents will be contacted and asked to bring appropriate clothing for them.
ELECTRONICS
Students are not permitted to bring electronic devices to school unless a special request is made by a teacher to do so. Students may have cell phones but they must be powered off and stored in their back packs at all times. Students are not permitted to use cell phones during school hours. If a call home is necessary, students are required to use a school telephone. The school is not responsible for loss, theft or damage of electronic devices.
EVACUATION, FIRE & LOCKDOWN DRILLS
Various drills will be held approximately once a month throughout the school year. These drills are mandated by state law and are important to the safety and welfare of all people in the building.
HEALTHPROCEDURES
REGARDING DISPENSING OF MEDICATION
Parent(s)/guardian(s) should administer medications at home whenever possible and should collaborate with their primary care provider to establish medication schedules that minimize administration at school. Medication, both prescribed and over-the-counter, may not be brought to school unless absolutely necessary. If it is crucial for your child to take medication during the school day, please use these guidelines:
1.Students are NOT permitted to possess prescription medication or over-the-counter medication at any time during the school day or at school activities/functions.
2.A parent/adult MUST personally deliver and pick up the medication and he/she must bring the medication to the school nurse or principal.
3.Medications will only be dispensed by a school nurse or licensed health room nurse.
4.Medication MUST come to school in the originally prescribed container.
5.ALL Medication, including over the counter medication MUST be accompanied by an “Authorization for Medication”release form signed by the parent/guardian and a physician, or licensed prescriber, including instructions on administration and side effects of the medication. Verbal authorization will not be accepted.
6.It is the student’s responsibility to go to the office or health room for the medication.