WELCOME TO DOVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL!

Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year at Dover Elementary! This handbook has been designed and written by members of the Dover Elementary staff in collaboration with parent representatives from our School Improvement Team. The purpose of the handbook is to help you become acquainted with procedures and policies which are followed throughout the school year.

We recognize the value of parental involvement in our students’ education. Studies have indicated, time and time again, that students who are successful in school come from homes where education is valued and where parents actively involve themselves in the day-to-day routine of school. Your participation is not only welcomed, it is essential.

Please review this handbook with your youngster as soon as possible. It is important that the students, parents, and school staff understand clearly what is expected this year. With one common understanding, we will work together toward the common goal of providing the best education possible for each and every student at Dover Elementary. Please keep this handbook handy at home so that you may use it as a quick reference. After reading this handbook with your child, please sign the form provided below, and return that portion to school on or before Friday, September 18, 2009.

PLEASE SIGN AND RETURN THE PORTION BELOW THE DOTTED LINE.

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RETURN TO CLASSROOM TEACHER ON OR BEFORE 9/18/09

My child and I have reviewed and agree to abide by the 2009-2010 Dover Elementary School Handbook.

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Parent’s Signature Student’s Signature

______

Date Signed Date Signed

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

We recommend you read the entire Handbook to become familiar with our headings and the relevant information described. We have done our best to arrange the information in a format useful for readers. Please keep this in a convenient place, and refer to it when questions arise. If you need anything explained in greater detail, we will be happy to discuss your questions.

www.doverschools.org

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Dover Elementary School (845) 877-4700

FAX # (845) 877-3460

Dover Elementary School Nurse (845) 877-4707

Dover Union Free School District Office (845) 832-4500

Office of Special Education (845) 832-4540

First Student Transportation (845) 832-3472

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DOVER UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Dover Plains, New York 12522

(845) 832-4500

2009-2010

BOARD OF EDUCATION

Mr. Sam Shufelt, President

Mrs. Kathleen Schibanoff, Vice-President

Mrs. Brigid Casson

Mrs. Penny Dye

Mrs. Pat Hoag

Mr. Russell Infantino

Mrs. Gail Rohr

Mrs. Marie Spencer

Ms. Lisa Seifts

* * * * * * * * * *

Superintendent of Schools

Dr. Craig T. Onofry

Assistant Superintendent for Business

Mr. Christopher Prill

Assistant Superintendent for

Curriculum and Staff Development

Mr. Michael Tierney

Director of Special Education

Ms. Pamela O’Neil

Dover Elementary School Principal

Mr. Herman A. Harmelink

DOVER UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Dover Union Free School District advises students, parents, employees, and the general public that it offers employment and educational opportunities without regard to sex, race, color, national origin, or handicap.

TITLE IX COORDINATOR

Dr. Craig T. Onofry

Superintendent of Schools

Dover Union Free School District

2368 Route 22

Dover Plains, New York 12522

and/or

SECTION 504 COORDINATOR

Pamela O’Neil

Director of Special Education

Dover Union Free School District

2368 Route 22

Dover Plains, New York 12522

TITLE VI COORDINATOR

Mr. Christopher Prill

Assistant Superintendent for Business

Dover Union Free School District

2368 Route 22

Dover Plains, New York 12522

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DOVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

2009-2010

Principal: Mr. Herman Harmelink

Grade 3 Room Special Area Subjects Room

Debbie Ruppel 200 Art Sue Jennings 213

Sally Schroeder 201 Library Annie Davis Library

Summar Razvi 206 Mathematics Colleen Avery 021

Linda Lasko 207 Music Alicia Civiok 014

Lisa Allsopp 209 Physical Education Jason Wessels Gymnasium

Donna Stein 210 Reading Kathy Nace 117 Reading Mechele Palmer 016

Grade 4 Room

Jacqueline Torino 100

Susan Johnsen 109 Special Services Room

Marlena Gault 105 Nurse Ann Spaeth 118 Dana VanDeBogart 106 Occupational Therapist Karen Finnerty 221

Patti Zangle 108 Psychologist Dawn Rossano 119

Amy Zmyndak 101 Speech Pathologist Adele Kricheff 213

ESL Gloria Caviglia 215

Grade 5 Room

Scharrion Austin-Kieves 122

Katherine McKeon 123 Special Education

Aimee Bartolomeo 224 Grade 3, 4, 5 Neil Fleming 111

Tessa Setaro 225

Kimberly Knittel 220

Maryanne Herzog 020 Teaching Assistants and Aides

Linda Brady Lyn Lavallee

Secretaries Cari Buffone Theresa Muccioli

Kristine Daversa Jeryl Fontana Sue Ollivett

Ronda Vinci Gerald Herbert

Technology Director Custodial Staff

Stephen Haneman Holly Cestone

Ray Cowan

Cafeteria Staff Deochan Surju

Lisa London

Michele Bouton

Johanna Esposito

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WELCOME, STUDENTS!

from

THE DOVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAM

and

THE DOVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STAFF

Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year at Dover Elementary! We are looking forward to an exciting and successful school year.

We hope that this year will be a great one for you. Your teachers and other staff members want to help you do well in your schoolwork and in your other activities as well. You are part of an important team – the Dover Elementary School Team! This team includes your parents, all the members of the school staff, and, most importantly, YOU! A team has to work together to become a winner. We also have to work together in order for you to be a success in school. Your job as a member of the Dover Elementary Team is to:

1.  Treat everyone with respect.

2.  Attend school every day, unless you are sick.

3.  Accept responsibility for each day’s work

Your parents are going to review the Handbook with you to be sure that you understand everything in it. If there is anything in the Handbook that you don’t understand, please ask your teacher to explain it. We are all here to help you and one another.

Let’s have a terrific year!

AGENDA BOOKS

In order to provide a consistent method for parents and teachers to communicate, every student will receive an agenda book for the 2009-2010 school year. Students are required to record all information concerning assignments, particularly homework assignments, in their agenda books. Notes from the main office will be in their agenda books also.

Students are to bring their agenda books home every day. We request that you, the parent or guardian, look at the assignments noted in the book and make sure your child completes assigned work. Your signature in the book every day will let us know that you are informed and aware of your child's progress and performance. In the event your child refuses to complete an assignment, you are requested to sign the book and enter a short note to the effect that he/she would not/could not finish the work. This will let us know that you did check the book, even though the work was not done or was not completed.

Parents and teachers must work as partners in our students' education. Statistics and logic indicate that frequent communication between home and school is a key ingredient in helping students succeed. Please help us to help your child by checking the agenda book on a daily basis.

ARRIVAL /DISMISSAL

The school day begins at 8:30 A.M. and ends at 3:00 P.M. Students enter the building at 8:25 A.M. Students who walk to school or are dropped off should not arrive before 8:15 A.M. when personnel are on duty outside to supervise. When there is a 2 hour delay, the school day begins at 10:30 A.M., students enter the building at 10:25 A.M., and students who walk to school or are dropped off should not arrive before 10:15 A.M. ** When students arrive late to school they must be signed in by an adult. **

ATTENDANCE

To accommodate new state regulations, attendance figures will now include instances of absences for any part of a day. Reasons for lateness, early sign-out, and absences during any portion of a day must now be recorded to determine legal status of the absence. Students who arrive to school late should report to the Main Office with an adult to sign in before going to their classrooms. Students who must leave school during the school day must be signed out in the Main Office, where the staff will record the reason and report it to the Nurse. Parents should send a note with their child indicating the planned sign-out time, and teachers will send students to the Main Office at the pre-arranged time. If an unexpected situation occurs and no note has been sent in, parents should notify the Main Office by phone before 1:30 P.M.. Whenever a child is absent from school, parents must send in a note describing the reason for the absence when the child returns to school.

AWARDS

Each marking period, students in the 4th and 5th grade may qualify for two special honors. Students in 3rd grade may qualify for these after the end of the 2nd marking period.

Principal's Award All Achievement Grades are A’s All Effort Grades are Outstanding

All 4’s in Special Area Subjects Honor Roll All Achievement Grades are A’s and B’s All Effort Grades are Outstanding and Satisfactory

3’s & 4’s in Special Area Subjects

All courses offered at Dover Elementary are part of our curriculum, and all achievement grades are considered for special honors. Therefore, all grades on the report card are taken into consideration in determining which students will receive awards. Students are expected to apply themselves diligently in all classes.

A Principal's Breakfast is hosted at the end of each marking period. All students who receive Principal's Awards and Honor Roll students are invited to join the Principal for a much-deserved recognition and a special breakfast.

Teachers recognize individual students during the school year in their respective classrooms through the Students of the Month Awards, Character Education Awards, and other honors. Such honors are recognized on a classroom level, building level, or special level, as appropriate.

CAFETERIA PROGRAMS

FREE AND REDUCED BREAKFAST AND LUNCH

You will receive a federal lunch program application to complete at the beginning of the school year. Please fill it out and return this form to the school as soon as possible. Students who qualify for free lunch in the federal lunch program will also receive breakfast free of charge.

BREAKFAST PROGRAM

For the 2009-2010 school year, breakfast will be available for students at Dover Elementary School. A breakfast menu is located on the back of the lunch menu. Students who eat breakfast will be allowed to get off the bus at 8:15 AM and eat before they go to their classrooms. All students are required to be back in their classrooms at or before 8:40 A.M. to start the instructional day.

Breakfast will be served on half-days. Breakfast will not be served on delayed opening days. The price for breakfast will be printed on the menu.

LUNCH PROGRAM

Hot lunches, "deli" sandwiches, soup, or salads are available in our cafeteria.

If your youngster is purchasing lunch, you may want to buy lunch tickets in advance. A discounted price is charged for lunches purchased in this manner. The regular price for an individual student lunch this year is listed on the monthly menu. Prices of hot/cold lunches and lunch tickets will be printed on the menus.

LUNCH RECESS

When weather permits, students will be taken outside for recess by their classroom teacher at some point during the day. Students will have 30 minutes of recess and 35 minutes of lunch every day.

During inclement weather, students will remain in the classroom or they may be sent to special activity areas, depending upon the availability of space and supervisory personnel.

Since students will be outside for recess, please send your children with appropriate clothing for play outside. Students who do not have warm clothing on cold days will not be allowed to go outside.

CALENDAR

The school calendar for Dover Elementary School is located in several places. Please consult your student’s agenda book, the DUFSD calendar and the district web-site at www.doverschools.org for district wide events and information. Please consult the school calendar before planning family vacations.

Occasionally the school calendar changes due to inclement weather or other weather-related emergencies. A listing of radio stations that include DUFSD in their announcements is given in the district-wide calendar. You will also be notified by our automated calling system, so it is important to keep your telephone numbers with the Main Office up to date.

Superintendent's Conference Days, both full days and half days, are listed. Occasionally dates may change, be added, or deleted. Notices will be sent home for your planning convenience.

CHARACTER EDUCATION

New York State’s new legislation regarding Safe Schools includes mandated direct instruction in Character Education for students at all levels. The Dover Elementary School is committed to creating an environment sensitive to character development and strong personal integrity. With an overall theme of Respect and Responsibility, our students will be exposed to character education curriculum through classroom discussions, “Responsive Classroom” meetings, school-wide attention to positive personal traits, and various projects.

Our teachers and staff members will help children explore personal traits such as Citizenship, Fairness, Caring, Self-Control/Patience, Trustworthiness/Honesty, Dependability, Perseverance, Cooperation, and Tolerance. Your child’s agenda book also emphasizes monthly themes that concern good character traits and personal characteristics.

At Dover Elementary, we recognize that parents are our partners in providing character education and are role models for children. We encourage you to expand upon these points in your discussions with your children at home. Parents can share the children’s focus on the various traits highlighted at school.

CONDUCT

As students of Dover Elementary School, all youngsters will be expected to act responsibly with others and with school property. Students' rights and responsibilities, as well as student discipline issues, are discussed at length in our Code of Conduct Guide, which is included on pages 22 to 23.

DRESS CODE

To provide an atmosphere that is academic and disciplined, we request that all students dress appropriately for school. Please note the following items: