TRINITY ELEMENTARY
PARENT-STUDENT HANDBOOK
HISTORY OF
In 1883, several prominent citizens of the Trinity
community applied for a charter to start a
The first public school was in the
The third location for
The fourth location for
Trinity Elementary is a
caring family in which all members have the
opportunity to learn and
grow to their potential.
PHILOSOPHY AND OBJECTIVES
Trinity Elementary is to be recognized as a model
for educational excellence by producing citizens who are literate,
self-confident, responsible, cultured, well-versed in basic skills, creative
and critical thinkers, value-oriented, and who are capable of living and
contributing in a competitive, complex, and diverse universe.
Our program is enhanced by the strong
parental support and involvement that supports us in every area of our school
community. Parental support reflects
effective communication of school goals and objectives. Students and staff are aware and appreciative
of the vital role that parents play in the total program.
DRESS
CODE
Children
will be sent to the office if clothing, accessories, etc. are potentially
disruptive to the educational atmosphere in the classroom or dangerous to
students. Make sure that your child’s
clothing is modest in nature so as not to distract from learning, especially
for our older students. No
see-through garments will be permitted. Regular mid thigh length shorts are
permissible. Top and bottom garments must meet. (No halters, spaghetti straps,
midriffs, etc.) No suggestive or offensive T-shirt or garment. (such as
advertisements pertaining to beer, cigarettes and improper language) Students need to wear shoes that are
conducive to recess and walking. The
children are very active and it’s important that we keep them in safe,
practical shoes. Tennis shoes are
required on the days that they have P.E..
Heelies are not allowed at school. Students need to remove their hats upon entering
the building. Each circumstance will be
reviewed by the appropriate personnel and acted upon according to guidelines
established by the Williamson County School Board.
SCHOOL HOURS AND
TRANSPORTATION
School hours are 8:35 to 3:35. All
students arriving late or leaving early MUST report to the office. Students should not arrive prior to 8:05. There is no staff to supervise children until
8:05 AM. Students who arrive between 8:05 and 8:25 will wait in the gym or
walk. Each day we post whether the
children are walking outside on the track or within the building. Children arriving after 8:35 need to come to
the office with their parent, and they will be given a tardy slip. Drop off should be made only through the car
pool line, not from the parking lot or bus lane. Students
need to be in the classrooms ready to start their academic day by 8:25. Please plan to arrive by 8:25 in order to start your day off on the right foot.
A systematic plan is used for car rider
dismissal. Car riders are to be picked
up promptly at 3:30 and only through the car pool lines. During car pool, two lanes are formed in the
loop and two in the parking lot. Parents
in the first group of cars within the parking lot limits may meet their
children at the flag pole and walk them to the car. After the first group is loaded, parents are
to remain in the cars and the children will be called and escorted by teachers.
When all children are safely loaded, the lines will be dismissed one at a
time. Please stay in your lane and never
pass. The bus lane is reserved for buses
only. Cars should never be parked in the
bus lane or in the faculty lot near the bus lane. Any student not picked up by 3:45 will be taken
to the office to wait for their ride.
Any student not picked up by 4:00 will be sent to the YMCA’s after
school care in the cafeteria and the parent will be charged for their time.
If there is a
change in transportation for your child, we MUST have a note from the parent detailing the
change. For your child’s safety, we will
permit a change only after we receive a note with a parent’s signature. If there is an emergency change in plans, please call the school
prior to
Students riding any bus other than their usual bus
must have a bus note from the office.
This note will be issued only if there is a parent note and signature stating this change. Should overcrowding occur on the buses,
parents will be notified that students will only be allowed to ride on their
assigned buses.
OUT OF ZONE STUDENTS
Children who are enrolled in school on an out-of-zone basis must provide their
own transportation. They are not
eligible for bus service, even to another child’s or relative’s home. If behavior or tardiness become a concern,
the child can be sent back to their zoned school.
INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS
Please be alert to the possibility of early dismissals and late openings due to
inclement weather. In the event of early
dismissals, we strongly suggest that children ride the bus home. As a parent, you will be asked to note how
your child is to travel home in the event of any early dismissal. We will strictly adhere to the plan outlined
on this form. You will receive a phone
call through our county wide phone notification system in the event of an early
dismissal or if our buses are delayed by more than 15 minutes. If you
register for Trinity Update on our website an email will be sent once we have
notification of the change. Bus riders
will be dismissed as buses arrive in the event of an early dismissal. Bus drivers will work hard to ensure the
safety of each child. Follow the regular
car pool line procedures, in the event of an early dismissal, and please do not park in bus
lanes.
It is impossible for the office staff to let every
child call home when these situations occur because our phone lines will be on
overload already. We will only call the parents
of the children who are not picked up at dismissal time. Please do not call the school to inquire
about early dismissals or late openings.
Please refer to the following local sources in the
event of inclement weather:
Internet: www.wcs.edu
Radio Stations:
WIZO 1380 AM and WAKM 950 AM
TV Stations: Channels 2, 3, 4, 5
To find out about delayed school openings during
bad weather, refer to the above stations.
If buses are running 2 hours late, car riders should also arrive 2 hours
late. Teachers and staff will not be
available to supervise students until 30 minutes prior to the delayed start
time. Only children who attend YMCA Fun
Company regularly will be allowed to attend day care on these days. When in doubt, please check with the local
stations about a change in schedule.
ATTENDANCE
The attendance of students is to be regular. The principal or attendance secretary shall
check all reasons offered for absences.
When a child is absent, a note must be sent to school upon the child’s
return. The note should state the reason
for the absence.
1.
The
first nine absences will be excused with a parent note.
2.
Absences
after nine must be accompanied by a doctor’s note or be excused by the
principal.
3.
One
family trip will be excused each school year up to five days, as long as those
days are within the first nine total absences.
After three (3)
consecutive days of absence, a doctor’s statement must accompany the note. Absences are considered unexcused until a
note has been sent to the office.
Letters will be sent home on a regular basis regarding unexcused absences
or excessive tardies, so we can ensure that we have proper documentation on
file. After five (5) unexcused
absences, school systems are directed by
Conditions for which a student’s absence may be
EXCUSED include:
1.
Illness
of student.
2.
Death
in the immediate family of the student.
3.
Religious
holidays regularly observed by the student’s family.
Absences for family trips
are highly discouraged but may be approved.
Factors which the principal may consider in determining whether to
excuse absences for family trips may include, but are not limited to:
1.
Academic
record of student.
2.
Attendance
record of student.
Requests must be made in
writing at least one week in advance.
Only one trip will be
permitted during the school year. No
more than five days will be excused for an individual trip. School work will not be given prior to
the trip but must be made up within three days of return to school.
A high percentage of the failures
and dropouts in school are due to irregular school attendance. We know that you want your child to have
equal opportunity with all others and this is impossible unless attendance is
regular. Regular attendance at school is
required by state law (Public Acts of Tennessee 1947, Chapter 87) for all
children between the ages of six and seventeen (both inclusive).
Arriving at school on time
each morning is crucial to your child’s academic success. Students should be in their classrooms ready
to work by 8:30 A.M. each morning.
Students arriving late must be signed in by their parent in the front
office. The tardy will be unexcused if
the child is not accompanied by an adult.
Parents will be notified if their child has an excessive number of tardies.
EARLY DISMISSALS
Students will not be released prior to the
dismissal bells unless they have a scheduled appointment. If a child is to be dismissed early, please
send in a written note or email the
morning of the early dismissal. Excused
early dismissals include: doctor’s or dentist appointments, illness of student,
or family emergency. Please provide
doctor’s notes as much as possible to document the reason for the early
dismissal. To avoid interruptions and to
protect the safety of our students, parents must report to the office. Children will not be released directly from
the classrooms. Parents will be
notified if their child has an excessive number of early dismissals. Consequences for excessive early dismissals
may include detentions or in school suspensions. Please note that all children must be picked up by 3:15 for early dismissals.
This helps us expedite a safe dismissal
process. Dismissal for extra-curricular
activities are not excused and are strongly discouraged.
DISPENSING OF MEDICATION
If a child has a medical condition that requires
medication, please drop the medication off in clinic. A Request for Medication form will be
provided by the school. This form must
contain the physician’s signature and accompany the medication to school. Required medication must be in a correctly
labeled container from the pharmacist.
The school does not administer any medications to reduce fevers.
ILLNESS
Children who are ill or
contagious may not attend school. No
child with a fever illness will be allowed to stay at school and may not return
to school until 24 hours after a fever has subsided. Children may not attend school if medication
is being taken to suppress fever. Some
contagious illnesses do not present themselves with a fever but exhibit other
symptoms. To avoid the spread of such
illnesses, children should be without symptoms for 24 hours before returning to
school. Any child who is sent home for
treatment of lice must return with evidence of treatment by doctor’s note,
health department note, or sales receipt for the shampoo.
MAKING UP MISSED WORK
If your child is sick, please call the school by
9:00 A.M. on the second day of absence to request assignments. This gives the teachers time to get the
lessons and books together during non-instructional time. These assignments may be picked up in the
office after 3:00. Students have three
days to make up work for excused absences. Any student whose absence is unexcused will not be allowed to make up
the grade credit for work missed or due on dates of absence (except for tests
and/or long-term projects).
ITEMS BROUGHT TO SCHOOL
Any money brought to school by the child needs to
be in a sealed envelope stating the name of the student, name of the child’s
teacher, purpose of money, and amount.
This will insure the proper recording and safety of the money.
Personal items brought to school are the sole
responsibility of the student.
Appropriate times for the use of these items will be designated by the
teacher. Please mark all items such as
jackets and lunch boxes to make them easier to return should they be
misplaced. Students should not bring
toys, trading cards, CD/MP3 players, iPods or personal items to school.
Trinity
Elementary has the deserved reputation as a school with a positive, yet
disciplined, learning environment. We
have a school wide discipline plan called Positive Behavior Supports or
PBS. There are 3 basic rules: Respect,
Responsibility and Best Effort. There are also school wide expectations for
every setting within the school building.
Teacher and staff will use Tiger Trait cards to reinforce positive
behavior. It is extremely important that
teachers and parents work together to maintain a positive, structured learning
environment through the following guidelines:
In
most cases, discipline concerns can be handled in the classroom by the
teacher. The teacher may send home a
SWIS form indicating that your child had a problem at school that day. They don’t necessarily come to the office
when they receive a SWIS form. It’s
simply a form of documentation. We use
this to keep track and determine if some type of intervention needs to occur
(behavior conference, behavior contract, etc.) On occasion the principal,
assistant principal, or the school counselor may need to become involved. If a child is sent to the office, the
following will occur:
1.
Talk
with all of the students involved individually.
2.
Investigate
the situation.
3.
Document
what has occurred using a SWIS and ask student to reflect on situation and
determine better choices that they could have made (Think Sheet).
4.
Determine
consequences: (may choose one or a combination)
a.
Warning
only
b.
Note
home
c.
Phone
call home
d.
Time
out in the office
e.
Work
chore
f.
In
School Suspension
g.
Out
of school suspension
CAFETERIA RULES
Students are made aware of
the cafeteria rules at the beginning of the school year. Our staff works hard to praise good behavior,
but they are also responsible for issuing consequences such as “Lonely Lunch”
when misbehavior does occur.
Parents are always welcome
to join their children for lunch in the cafeteria, but please do not bring
fast food carry-out meals, such as burgers or pizza, into the
cafeteria. Federal guidelines and food
allergies prevent us from allowing outside food other than that packed by
parents prior to school to be brought into the building. Parents may purchase a school lunch.
At
the end of each month, the school community will gather for an assembly to
celebrate students and their accomplishments. Kindergarten, first and second grade will
gather on the last Tuesday of each month at 3:00 PM. Third, fourth and fifth will gather on the
last Thursday of each month at 3:00 PM. We will highlight student accomplishments,
such as good character and honor roll.
Students often sing songs that they have been learning in music class or
present projects from the classrooms.
Sometimes we have special guest speakers. Parents are always welcome to attend. Dates will be included in the Trinity Paw
Print each month.
LIBRARY
Trinity
Library is a place for the school community to gather, to learn and to explore
interests. It is much more than
books. It is a learning hub with a full
range of print and electronic resources which support student achievement.
Kindergarten,
First, Second, and Third grades will visit the library every week for 45
minutes during their Special time. They will focus on library skills and
technology skills while in library class.
Fourth and Fifth grades will have 15-20 minute visits weekly.
The
book loan period is seven days with renewals encouraged.
Kindergarten----------------------1
book
First
Grade-----------------------2 books
Second
Grade---------------------3 books
Third
Grade----------------------3 books
Fourth
Grade---------------------4 books
Fifth
Grade----------------------4 books
Overdue
notices are given to students at school.
If a book is lost or damaged the student is expected to pay for its
replacement in CASH. An additional $5.00
reordering and reshelving fee is added to the cost of each book which has to be
replaced.
GRADING SCALE
Kindergarten:
|
STANDARDS RATING KEY |
||
|
3 |
Meets the
standard |
The
student demonstrates thorough
understanding of the standard. Performance is characterized by the
ability to apply the skills with accuracy, quality and independence. |
|
2 |
Progressing
toward the standard |
The
student has moved beyond a beginning
understanding of basic concepts and skills. Performance is characterized
by the ability to apply skills with increasing success |
|
1 |
Does not
meet the standard |
The
student is beginning to demonstrate an
understanding of basic concepts and skills but has not mastered the
standard as yet |
|
|
Not yet addressed |
The
concept/skill has not been introduced at this reporting time. |
First Grade and
·
E
= Exceeds Expectations
·
S
= Satisfactory
·
N
= Need Improvement
Third, Fourth, and
·
A
= 91 - 100
·
B
= 81 - 90
·
C
= 72 - 80
·
D
= 70 – 71
·
F
= Below 70
·
I
= Incomplete
Report cards are sent home at the end of every
nine weeks for a parent or guardian to review and sign. Students are then required to return the
signed report card to school. Mid-term
progress reports are sent out for all children.
Grades are based upon homework, quizzes, tests, and participation. The teachers are required to collect a
minimum of one grade per week during each nine week period. Formal parent-teacher conferences are offered
in the fall and spring. Students in
fourth and fifth grade are eligible for Honor Roll. Students earning all A’s will receive
Principal’s List and students with A’s and B’s receive Honor Roll. These students will be recognized at our
monthly assembly that falls near the end of a nine weeks period. They will be
given a certificate. Students may be
excluded from Honor Roll if they have earned any N’s Personal and Social
Development.
HOMEWORK
Grades 1-2 may have homework Monday, Tuesday, and
Thursday nights. Grades 3-5 may have
homework throughout the week with occasional long-term projects. Time spent on homework at each grade level
should be approximately 10 min. for 1st grade, 20 min. for 2nd grade, 30 min.
for 3rd grade, 1 hour for 4th grade, and 1 hour for 5th grade. Students may not call their parents if
they’ve left their homework at home. The
work can be turned in the following day.
Parents are encouraged to set up a homework routine for their child, so
that they can complete the assignments in a timely manner. It’s a great opportunity for parents to
reinforce their child’s learning at school.
Please work to make sure that the homework is reflection of what the
child knows and can do so the teachers get an accurate picture of their
performance. Please do not return to the
school building after 3:45 to retrieve items left at school.
STUDENT CELL PHONES
Student cell phones are
discouraged. If as a parent, you feel
it’s imperative for your child to bring a cell phone to school, it is to remain
in their backpacks turned off. If the
phone becomes a distraction to the school day, the phone may be collected by
the teacher and must be picked up by the parent at their earliest convenience.
PARTIES
Parties will be consistent at grade levels and
coordinated by room parents. Room
parents should contact their child’s teacher 2-3 weeks in advance of the party
to discuss any plans or ideas for the party.
Teachers and room parents should work together to ensure that it’s a
fun, positive and safe experience for all of the children. Please make child care arrangements for
younger siblings on party days.
Fall Party Friday, October 26th
2:00-3:00
Winter Party Thursday, December 21st 9:30-11:00
Valentine’s Party Tuesday, February 14th
2:00-3:00
End of the Year Parties May 9th
(Kindergarten), May 16 (2nd grade), May 19th (4th
and 5th grade), May 21 (1st and 3rd grade)-
See teacher for times
BIRTHDAYS
If you would like to do something special for your
child’s birthday, please contact your child’s teacher in advance. With food allergies, the concern about
childhood obesity, and new federal guidelines on what we can serve in schools,
we would like to encourage parents to consider bringing in non-food items as a
treat for your child’s classmates like special pencils, erasers, or pads of
paper. If you’d like to send in a food
item, you can send in cupcakes or cookies.
Please deliver them to the office in the morning, and the office staff
will make sure they arrive in your child’s classroom.
PARENT VOLUNTEERS AND
WORKROOM SCHEDULE
Parent volunteers are an essential part of
Trinity. Their time and efforts are
greatly appreciated. The role as a
volunteer will vary from class to class.
Teachers may ask parents to help in the classroom in various ways or to
work on projects in the workroom. Like
all visitors to the school, volunteers need to sign-in in the office when they
arrive at school. They will be given a visitor
badge that must be worn by all visitors while in the school building. Parent volunteers will be asked to sign a
confidentiality form. If any school
equipment is used, it should be kept in the workroom. Volunteers should check with the teacher
they are assisting for any supplies they might need. Please make child care arrangements for
younger siblings when volunteering.
Please note that for safety reasons, only adults are allowed in the
workroom.
FIELD TRIPS
Each grade level will take curriculum-related
field trips throughout the school year.
Parents must sign a permission slip before a child will be allowed to go
on the field trip. Payments for field
trips need to be returned with the permission slip, and all checks should be
written to Trinity Elementary. Parents
who go as chaperones should follow the buses in their own vehicle(s). Due to liability reasons, siblings of
students may not go on school field trips. All school and bus rules will apply during field
trips.
CHILD
FIND
Is your child struggling with school? Are they having difficulties understanding
new skills and retaining previous learning?
Do they struggle to stay focused at school and have difficulty completing
simple tasks at home?
Larry Gann larryg@wcs.edu 472-4855
Kelly Page kellyp@wcs.edu 472-4850
Leigh Ann White leighannw@wcs.edu 472-4850
Tami Lakins tamil@wcs.edu 472-4850
Rholanda Smartt rholandac@wcs.edu 472-4850
USEFUL NUMBERS
Trinity Elementary 472-4850
Elizabeth
Vest, Principal Laquita
Wheeler, Secretary
School Cafeteria
472-4859
Paula Yates, Manager
Dr. Rebecca Sharber,
Director of Schools
School Bus Garage 472-4950