NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL TO PARENTS:

Welcome to Riverside Elementary School’s Parent/Student Handbook.  This Handbook has been assembled to help students and parents have a written reference guide to much of the daily operation of Riverside Elementary.  Though we have doubtless omitted some items, regular parent newsletters will be sent home throughout the year.  Remember that one of the most important communications tools we have is the Student Assignment Book.  Regular, brief communication between home and school is possible on a daily basis if this is utilized properly. 

Please call the school office at 840-4422 if you have any questions about the school operation that cannot be answered by your child’s homeroom teacher.  We look forward to a successful and strong school year.  Remember our academic mission motto for this school year:  “Take it to the Next Level”.  We are working hard daily with your child to make this a reality.  A special effort is being made this year to truly “Leave No Child Behind”, the slogan of our country’s most talked about school legislation in many years.

The Maury County Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, religion, national origin, age, gender, marital status, disability, or any other unlawful area in the operation of its educational programs and in personnel administration.  If you have any questions please contact:

                                                Mrs. Mary Carter

                                                Section 504, Title II ant Title IX Coordinator

                                                Maury County Board of Education

                                                501 West Eighth Street

                                                Columbia, TN  38401

                                                931-388-8403 ext 114

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE

The early morning room in unlocked each day at 7:30 a.m.  All students who arrive before 8:00 a.m. must enter this door, which faces Carter Street between the cafeteria and gym.  The main entrance is unlocked at 8:00 a.m.  No students, parents, or other visitors should be in the main school area before 8 a.m.  All other school doors remain locked during the day for security purposes.

Kindergarten car riders are dismissed just before 3:15 p.m.  Walkers and remaining care riders are dismissed at 3:15 p.m.  Afternoon bus room is in the gymnasium. 

It is critical that all car riders be picked up before 3:30 p.m.  Parents arriving to pick students up after 3:30 p.m. must come into the office area and sign the child out of the office.

CHANGE IN TRANSPORTATION

Any time a child is to change the way he/she normally goes home, a written request from the parent/guardian is required.  This note must be received at school early in the school day so it can be approved by the principal.  If the change involves a bus, it must be faxed by the school office to the Transportation Office for approval.

Please do not call on the phone to change transportation.  This procedure is designed to protect your child and we are very strict in the enforcement of this policy.

TELEPHONE CALLS

The school office is happy to answer all incoming phone calls and it is hoped that calls are handled quickly and professionally.  However, due to safety and security concerns, Riverside does not take calls that show up as “private” on caller ID.  Please set your phone preferences or call from a phone that is not blocked.

TARDINESS/EARLY SIGNOUTS

After a student is tardy and/or signs-out early 3 times in a nine-week grading period, parents are notified.  After 5 tardies/early signouts, the student is assigned to after school detention (Extended Learning).  Remember that most students who are tardy are car riders.  Bus riders and walkers are seldom late.  Students must be in their seat in the classroom at 8:15 a.m. to be considered on time to school.  School announcements are made at 8:15 a.m. sharp with the beginning of the academic day following immediately.  If students are dropped off late to school (after 8:15), the parent must sign the student in at the school office.

EMERGENCY INFORMATION

Please make sure that the office “blue card” has your latest phone number(s) and address.  We need to be able to contact a responsible adult any time a child has an emergency or an extenuating circumstance.  This becomes a serious problem many times during the school year.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

When students are dismissed early due to inclement weather or unusual situations, they are dismissed according to the information you have already put on your child’s registration form.  When we dismiss early, we cannot call parents.  Sometimes, we find out about the dismissal only a short time before it occurs.  Make sure the student information you have provided is accurate.  You may change it at any time by coming to the school office and speaking to the office staff.

Listen to the local radio stations when you suspect early dismissal.

MEDICATION

All medication for students must be brought to the school office by the parent/guardian, never by the student.  The administering of medication is monitored by the trained office staff or school nurse.  Parents must fill out appropriate medication forms in the office for each new medication and/or each time the medication dosage is changed.  All medication must come to school in its approved prescription bottle or packaging.

Never allow students to bring over-the-counter or prescription drugs to school.

VISITOR INFORMATION/CLASSROOM INTERFERENCE

A concerted effort is made to protect teacher’s teaching time, including starting the academic day beginning at 8:15 a.m.  Parents who need to see teachers must schedule an appointment with the teacher through the office.  We will no longer be able to let parents sign in and go to the teachers’ room while the teacher is teaching or fulfilling classroom responsibilities.  This is necessitated by several occurrences in previous years where learning was interrupted and misunderstandings developed because teachers were mistakenly viewed as unfriendly to parents because they didn’t have time to converse with the parent.  Please notify the office when you need to schedule a time with a teacher.  Teachers will be happy to meet under scheduled conditions.

We are more than happy to have parents eat lunch with their children.  Simply enter the office, sign in, display the stick-on label/badge on the front of your upper outerwear, and you’ll be instructed when and where to join your child in the hallway entering the cafeteria.  Please do not conceal the label/badge.  It is the staffs’ way of knowing that you have properly signed into the office.

SRO OFFICER

Riverside has a full-time School Resource Officer (SRO).  He is a member of the Sheriff’s Department and is a fully commissioned officer of the law.  Among other duties, the SRO will:

1.     Not allow visitors to enter the building without having signed in properly in the office and display the stick-on label/badge properly.  Neither will he allow visitors to be in the classroom areas when deemed inappropriate.  Necessary action will be taken on anyone who becomes unruly, argumentative, or defiant in the school building.

2.      Assist the crossing guard in maintaining a safe flow of student and automobile traffic both mornings and afternoons.

3.     Warn and/or issue citations to persons not wearing seat belts or for infants or children not properly restrained in appropriate restraint devices in automobiles arriving at or leaving school at any time.  This not only applies to school property but to public streets as well.

4.     Help maintain good order on the school campus.

USE OF TOBACCO

Smoking or other use of tobacco is prohibited in public schools and on the campuses.  If not properly enforced, schools and the administration can be fined for violation of this Tennessee Code Annotated Law.  Please refrain from tobacco usage on any part of the school campus.

BUS BEHAVIOR

Parents of students who ride buses must sign a Transportation Form.  These are kept on file at school with a copy sent to the Bus transportation Office.  Violence including but not limited to fighting, slapping, punching, tripping, bullying, or harassment will not be tolerated.  Students who engage in these activities will have their bus riding privileges suspended for a period of time.

DRESS CODE

Maury County Dress Code Policy 6.310 recognizes that student dress and grooming has an effect on student behavior and learning.  Maury County Public Schools require all students in grades K – 12 to exercise good taste with regard to personal appearance.  Attire considered disruptive or risky to health or safety is not appropriate.  Riverside requires its students to adhere to the following:

1.     Clothing must be size appropriate.  No sagging or bagging is therefore allowed.  Parents must be certain students’ pants (clothing) are the right size for the child when they dress for school each day.  Belts should be worn if clothing is subject to sagging.

2.     No undergarments shall be exposed.

3.     No holes or rips or see-through or cutout clothing is allowed.

4.     All writing, symbols, or logos on clothing may not be vulgar, obscene, or deemed disruptive to the school environment or to individuals or groups.

5.     Nothing gang related is allowed.

6.     No dyed hair or sprayed hair in unnatural colors and no spiked or Mohawk types of hair styles are allowed.

7.     No hats, sunglasses, bandanas, sweatbands, or gloves may be worn except for medical reasons.

8.     No tank tops.

9.     No sandals, flip flops, or other loose fitting shoes are allowed as they pose a safety hazard especially during recess and P.E. class.

10. No body piercing except for the ears.

Other matters of judgment will be ruled on by the principal or designee.

MEALS

Breakfast and lunch are available to all Riverside students.  Breakfast begins at 7:35 a.m. for students arriving early and continues until 8:05 a.m.  Students may bring lunches from home, but may not bring in or have food brought in to them from restaurants or fast food stores.  This is in accordance with MCBOE policy.  To assist parents who wish to eat lunch with their children, times given below indicate the approximate time the first class in each grade enters the cafeteria.

          Kindergarten          10:35                     Third Grade          11:33

          First Grade            10:59                     Fourth Grade         11:48

          Second Grade       11:16                     Fifth Grade            12:05

Elementary students may only charge up to 5 days of either lunch or breakfast.  According to MCBOE policy, students cannot be served a regular meal if charges are in excess of 5 days.  Also no meals may be charged during the month of May.

          Breakfast Prices:    Students      $1.20

                                      Adults         $1.65

                                      Reduced      $  .30

          Lunch Prices:        Students (K-5)                 $1.85

                                      Reduced Lunch               $  .40

                                      Teachers                         $2.55

                                      Visitors  - child                $2.50

                                                    - adult                $3.00

                   Thanksgiving Meal for Visitors            $5.00

RETURNED CHECKS

Any check which is returned for insufficient funds will incur a fee of $15.00.  Additional checks will not be accepted until the fee has been paid.

BEHAVIOR AND DISCIPLINE

Riverside Elementary follows the Elementary Code for Discipline of Maury County Public Schools Student Handbook subtitled “Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, Rules, and Due Process Procedures”.  Parents receive a copy of this booklet at the beginning of each school year and are required to sign the Statement inside the front cover.  This sheet is then submitted to the school and kept on file.

Various punitive measures are imposed according to the frequency and severity of the offenses.  Administrators have some discretion in these matters.  After-school detention (Extended Learning) is often utilized.  Also available for 2007 – 2008 is an elementary alternative setting for chronic or severe infractions.  Please keep your Maury County Student/Parent Handbook handy for reference.

PTA

Riverside maintains a very active Parent Teacher Association (PTA).  Please become involved as a room mother, parent volunteer, or a committee chairperson.  Several opportunities for service will be made available during the school year.  Regular meetings are held September - May (except for October, December, and January) on Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m.  Family Reading Night is scheduled in the library from 3:45 – 6:45 p.m. before all PTA meetings with the exception of the May meeting.

Scheduled PTA meetings for 2007 – 2008:

          September 11, 2007                  March 11, 2008

          November 13, 2007                   April 15, 2008

          February 12, 2008                     May 13, 2008

SAFETY DRILLS

Riverside Elementary regularly conducts practice drills for fire, tornado, natural disaster, intruder, or any other unsafe or dangerous threat to the school and its occupants.  Sometimes these events are actual events and not just a drill.  Since these drills are unannounced, sometimes parents are either in the building or are entering or exiting the building.  Please realize that during a drill or lockdown, students will not be released to parents until an all clear signal is given.  This may occur quickly or may take quite some time.  Please be patient and realize that the inconvenience is designed with the safety of all students and building occupants in mind.  If you get caught in the middle of a drill, please join in the drill.  Staff members will know how to assist you in doing this.  Thank your for your cooperation in this important matter. 

504 NOTICE

It is the policy of the MCBOE to provide a free and appropriate public education to all handicapped students within its jurisdiction, regardless of the type or severity of the handicap.

Students who are handicapped consistent with the definitions set forth in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1974 will be identified, evaluated and provided with appropriate instruction and educational services.  Persons thought to be handicapped should contact Mary Carter at 931-388-8403.

DISCRIMINATION/HARASSMENT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

All discrimination/harassment allegations will be taken seriously and will be investigated.  The contact persons for the school system in such complaints will be either Mary Carter, Supervisor of Attendance and Discipline, or Jerry Wilson, Supervisor of Human Resources and the Maury County Board of Education, 501 West Eighth, Columbia, TN  38401, Phone 931-388-8403.