The Manchester Elementary School Community welcomes you to our school. The staff is committed to providing quality instruction for all students. The home/school relationship plays a crucial role in achieving this commitment. Honest and open communication contributes to a positive school experience for all our students and their families. If questions or issues regarding the classroom or instruction arise throughout the year, parents/guardians are encouraged to contact the teacher first with their concerns. Staff email addresses can be found on the school website, http://www.carrollk12.org/man/
Office/School Hours
The school office is open daily from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
The school day begins at 9:15 a.m. and ends at 3:45 p.m. Students are expected to be in their classrooms at 9:10 a.m. Students will be allowed to enter the building once the buses start to arrive at 8:50 a.m.
After 4:00, only employees are allowed in the building. Students should make sure they have all items needed for homework prior to dismissal.
School Visitation
Visitor Entry Protocol
All exterior doors are locked in the morning after student arrival.
All visitors must ring the main entrance buzzer to request entry.
Prior to allowing anyone to enter the building, an office staff member will ask for the visitor’s:
Full Name, Reason for Visiting, Photo ID (display to camera)
Visitors will then be allowed to come into the main office to sign in.
Visitors, including volunteers, are required to present their photo ID to sign in on the visitor system.
All visitors must be issued a visitor’s badge. (Except employees with a CCPS badge)
Visitors must return to the main office to sign out before leaving.
A PHOTO ID IS REQUIRED TO BE ABLE TO VISIT/VOLUNTEER AT SCHOOL. INDIVIDUALS NOT IN POSSESION OF A PHOTO ID WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GO PAST THE FRONT OFFICE.
Safety procedures/practices that are in place take extra time to process visitors to the building. Parent/guardians will no longer be able to walk their child to classrooms in the morning. A “Kiss and Go” area has been established in the lobby. Parents/guardians walking their children into the building will need to stop in the lobby and say goodbye from there. Staff will be on duty in the lobby to assist any students who may need some extra support and encouragement getting to their classroom.
Teachers have many responsibilities in the morning as the students are arriving. If a parent has a scheduled appointment with the teacher or is helping the teacher/school with a project, he/she may go to the classroom after reporting to the office. If an emergency arises and it is necessary to speak with a teacher during this time, parents must report to the office. Office staff will contact the teacher and see if he/she is able to meet. Under no circumstances will anyone be permitted in the building or instructional areas without permission.
Visiting classrooms for extended periods of time is permitted only with prior approval of the administration. If such a visit is deemed to be disruptive to the instructional program for the children, permission will not be granted. Teachers should be contacted in advance to schedule a visit.
Emergency Cards
Each student should have emergency contact information on file in the main office and in the Nurse’s Office. Children will bring an emergency contact card home the first day of school. This emergency contact information helps us locate parents when a child is ill or is injured. Please make corrections and return completed cards to school immediately. Please keep us informed of telephone number and address changes. Only parents or legal guardians should be listed in the parent section of the card. Stepparents who are not legal guardians should be listed in the emergency contact section. The school may not release a child to a person unless that person is a custodial parent, OR has the custodial parent’s written permission or is contacted in an emergency by the school nurse and/or office staff. Anyone other than a biological parent or legal guardian CAN NOT sign a child out of school without written permission from the parent or legal guardian, regardless of whether or not they are on the emergency card.
Medications
It is a violation of the Carroll County Board of Education Policy for students to transport medications of any kind to or from school. Medications must be brought to school by an adult and given directly to the school nurse. The nurse is on duty beginning at 8:45 a.m. Office staff are not permitted to accept any medications. Students transporting medications are subject to suspension. The complete Drug and Alcohol Policy can be found in the CCPS Student Handbook.
Transportation
CCPS Transportation Dept. requires that students have one permanent a.m. and p.m. bus stop. Stops or change in buses may only be approved in the case of an emergency. Prior approval by a school administrator is necessary to change a stop or bus. Parents/Guardians are responsible for the behavior of students at bus stops. Inappropriate behavior while on the bus may result in a suspension from the bus. Parents will be notified if their child is displaying inappropriate behavior on the bus.
Attendance
Students are expected to be in school every day. A small number of circumstances including illness are listed in the CCPS Student Services Manual as excused absences. Parents must send in a note upon the student’s return, via email , or through the link on our school website), fax, 410.751.3439 or phone, 410.751.3410. If an explanation for the absence is not received within five school days, the absence is automatically coded “unlawful” and will be recorded on students’ permanent records. Attendance data is monitored by the school and Student Services Department. If a student’s absences approach the 15% level, the following steps are taken:
1. Parent/Legal Guardian is contacted by teacher/counselor.
2. Parent/Legal Guardian is contacted by an administrator.
3. Parent/Legal Guardian is contacted by a Pupil Personnel Worker.
Any student arriving after 9:15 must be signed in at the office. So that the late arrival can be coded correctly, please provide an explanation. Please be sure to indicate “Dr or Medical Appt.”. Simply writing, “Appt.” cannot be excused. Students arriving after 9:15 will be marked late. Students being dismissed prior to 3:45 will be coded as an early dismissal. Late arrivals and early dismissals will be reported on student Progress Reports as a tardy.
If a student is to be dismissed early, a note should be sent to the teacher stating the time of the dismissal and the reason for the dismissal. The note must be signed by the parent/legal guardian. If someone other than the parent/guardian will be picking the child up, their name should be stated in the note. Students will not be called from class until the appropriate person arrives in the school office.
Perfect/Exceptional Attendance
Students who have not been absent or tardy the entire school year will receive a perfect attendance certificate on the last day of school. Students who have been absent or tardy a combined total of 3 days or less will receive an excellent attendance award on the last day of school.
School Safety
School safety is a priority at Manchester. Please refer to the Board of Education’s Violent Act and Threats of Serious Violence Policies found in the CCPS Student Handbook, Informational Calendar and on the CCPS Website.
Forgotten Items
Students will occasionally forget items such as lunches, instruments, homework etc. in the morning. Forgotten items are to be brought to the office. Office staff will ensure students receive the items.
Field Trips
Field trips are planned as extensions of various units of study. Chaperones must attend a Volunteer Training at least seven school days prior to the field trip and be approved in order to be eligible to chaperone trips. Only parents, legal guardians, step-parents or grandparents can serve as chaperones on field trips.
Car Riders
Students are encouraged to ride the bus to and from school each day.
When it is necessary for a student to be transported to or from school by car, drivers must follow the directions of staff members on duty. For safety reasons, students should exit vehicles on the passenger side. If transporting children by car in the morning, please be sure they arrive at school by 9:10. If your child is going home by car, please send a note that morning indicating who will be picking them up. Feel free to use the preprinted Parent Pick Up notes. You will need to park and come into the building at the gym entrance. Car riders will be dismissed from the gym. The adult picking up the child must have a photo I.D.
Celebrations/Invitations
Due to many food allergies food items may not be brought to school to celebrate birthdays, etc. Invitations to student parties may not be given out at school. Non-edible items such as pencils, stickers, etc. may be sent to school to remember a student’s birthday.
Late Starts/ Early Closings
There are 6 - two hour and forty-five minute early dismissal days scheduled throughout the year.. The dates can be found in the table below. Dismissal on these days will begin at 1:00 p.m. All of these days are also early dismissal days for middle and high schools.
Pre-K students do not attend school on early dismissal days.
October 5 / March 8November 6 / April 12
November 25 / June 15
If schools need to start late or close early due to emergencies or inclement weather, opening and closing times can be found in the chart below. When it is necessary for schools to open late or close early, a Connect5 call will go out to the primary phone number of each guardian. Announcements will be made on radio, television and cable channel 21.
Please do not call the school.
2 Hours Late Opening / 1 hour EarlyDismissal / 2 Hour Early
Dismissal / 3 Hour Early
Dismissal
K-5 / Schedule
11:15-3:45 / Dismiss
At 2:45 / Dismiss
at 1:45 / Dismiss
at 12:45
Pre-K / No
School / Dismiss
at 11:45 / Dismiss
at 11:00 / Dismiss
at 10:00
Custody
Parents should keep the school updated in regard to custody documents. It is the parents’ responsibility to produce legal documents, signed by a judge to the school. When in doubt about custody issues and how the school will respond, please contact an administrator.
Cafeteria
Students may purchase breakfast and lunch from the cafeteria. Breakfast is $1.50 and lunch is $2.50, milk $.60 and ice cream $.75. Students may purchase only one ice-cream per day and ice cream may not be available every day or to all grade levels. Menus are sent home at the beginning of each month. The sharing of food or loaning of money between students is prohibited. If a child forgets his/her lunch or lunch money, a charge will be written by the cafeteria staff. Please, make every effort to pay the charge the following school day. Parents can prepay for meals by sending a check made out to Manchester Elem. Cafeteria or by logging onto myschoolbucks.com. to set up an account. You will need your child’s five digit cafeteria PIN.
Parent Teacher Organization
Manchester has a very supportive PTA. All families of the Manchester Community are encouraged to participate in school activities. Please consider joining the PTA. Dues support educational initiatives for students.
Dress Code
Students must follow the CCPS Dress Policy. This policy can be found in the CCPS Student Handbook, Informational Calendar and on the CCPS Website. Students are encouraged to not wear flip flops or strapless sandals as they are a safety hazard.
General Information
Valuables such as extra money, sports equipment, radios, video games etc. are not to be brought to school.
The school cannot give out student names, addresses, and telephone numbers. Party invitations may not be distributed at school.
Toys, dolls, etc. are restricted to specific occasions designated by the teacher. When the item is not in use, it is to be stored in the child’s locker/cubby.
For students in PreK through Gr 2, electronic gadgets/toys should not be brought to school. This includes CD or tape players. For students in grades 3-5, please refer to the Bring Your Own Device policy in the CCPS handbook.
“Make a Buzz 4 the Bees”
Manchester Elementary is an active participant in the Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies Program. School wide behavior expectations are described in the Four Bees Program. Our “Four Bees” are as follows:
“Be Responsible” “Be Respectful”
“Be Prepared” “Be Safe”
MANCHESTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
“Where Learning Never Ends”
3224 YORK STREET
Manchester, Maryland 21102
410-751-3410
Fax – 410-751-3439
PARENT HANDBOOK
2015-2016