Handbook

Early Dismissals – All contacts with students or early dismissals must be handled through the office. Teachers are not permitted to release students without notification from the office. Please remember that all school time is used for learning and students need to be in school for the ENTIRE day. Parents will be asked to conference with the principal about repeated request for early dismissals. There will be no early dismissals after 2:45 p.m

Student Contacts – When there are family problems, we must be notified in writing of any persons that the student should not to be released to, and given copies of legal documents supporting these facts. Forms to limit contact are available in the office.

Attendance – Parents must furnish the teacher with a written excuse for a student’s absence no later than the second day after the student returns to school.  A written note from parent or guardian will excuse absences for up to but not exceeding 8 absences. A student who is absent 9 or more times must present a doctor’s excuse to the school in order for the absence to be excused. By state policy, when a student accumulates 5 unexcused absences the Attendance Officer will make a referral to the Truancy Program. Student absences may be excused for the following reasons only: illness, death in the immediate family, severe weather conditions. If a student will be absent for any other reasons, the parent/guardian must meet with the principal for prior approval in order Students who are consistently tardy, absent, or who have excessive early dismissals are also reported to the Division of Student Services and the District Attorney’s Office.

Tardy Policy – When children enter school after the tardy bell, parents are asked to walk in to the office with their child to sign them in and to receive an admit slip to class. If a student comes in after 11:35 a.m. or receives an early dismissal before 11:35 a.m., he/she is marked absent for the entire day. If a student receives an early dismissal after 11:35 a.m. he/she receives credit for being present on that day. Students will be allowed no more than 3 early dismissals or tardies to be considered for Perfect Attendance.

Educational Field Trips/Excursions

Field trips or excursions are defined as educational experiences conducted during school hours and planned by a teacher to correlate with the regular classroom instructional program. Field trips should be an integral part of classroom instruction. The experiences gained during field trips should give relevance and meaning to knowledge.

Supervision: Primary supervision for students participating in educational excursions is rendered by professional employees of the Mobile County Public School System. It is recommended that one adult accompany each group of 5 students in grades Pre K-grade 1; and one adult accompany each group of 10 students in grades 2 - 5 to assist in supervision. Chaperones are adults who accompany teachers and students with the understanding that the teacher holds the leadership position and is responsible for all decisions. Principals may determine that a chaperone be excluded from an educational excursion for the following reasons:

• Parents exhibiting inappropriate behavior
• Parents who are unable to stay for the duration of the excursion
• Parents who wish to include other small children and babies.

NOTICE: No siblings may attend field trips / excursions.

Transportation: Any educational excursion must require transportation by bus only. The Mobile County Public School System does not have insurance for vehicles that are not system owned; therefore, the use of private vehicles is PROHIBITED.

Code of Conduct: Supervising teachers are expected to discuss Codes of Conduct and appropriate rules of safety prior to each educational excursion with students and parents before the trip and to adhere to the established safety procedures throughout the trip. All system and local school Codes of Conduct will be enforced.

Student Exclusion: Principals may determine that a student be excluded from educational excursion for the following reasons:

• Students refusing to complete assignments on a regular basis
• Students exhibiting inappropriate conduct on a regular basis which may create a unsafe situation
• Students with excessive absences 

Emergency Health Information – When children are ill or injured we must know how to contact you. Make sure you list all possible means of contacting you and all persons you list as being available to deal with emergencies involving your child. Every parent must provide at least one emergency telephone number.  The health and welfare of our children IS our top priority. When you are called to come to school because your child is sick, you are expected to pick him or her up in a timely manner. We would not call you unless your child is too sick to remain at school. If your home phone, cell, or work number changes during the school year, please notify us immediately.

MCPSS Health Policy- Please see the attached policy with regard to when your child should NOT be at school.

Mobile County Public School System HEALTH POLICY

When Your Child Should NOT Be At School

Many parents are concerned about when to keep children who have been ill home from school. These are a few of the most common reasons children should stay home or may be sent home from school.

1. FEVER: Your child should stay home if he/she has a fever of 100 degrees (orally) or higher and should remain home for 24 hours after the fever has gone without medication.
2. VOMITING AND/OR DIARRHEA: Your child should stay home if he/she has vomited or has had diarrhea (more than two or three loose stools) just prior to the start of the school day and remain at home for 24 hours after the vomiting/diarrhea have subsided. If one or two loose stools are present along with vomiting or fever your child should remain at home. If diarrhea continues for more than 48 hours your child will need a doctor’s written statement to return to school.
3. PINKEYE: Conjunctivitis can be very contagious. If the white if your child’s eye is red and has a thick yellow or greenish colored drainage, you should keep your child at home.
   1. Drainage due to allergies is usually clear and involves both eyes simultaneously.
   2. Pinkeye can involve only one eye at a time.
   3. Children with pinkeye are usually light sensitive, and complain of itching, burning in the eye(s), swollen eyelids, and dried discharge on eyelids upon awakening.
4. HEAD LICE: Children with live bugs will not be allowed in school until their heads have been treated and the nits removed. All nits must be removed to prevent re-infestation.
5. IMPETIGO: Impetigo is sores that have become infected, and can be found anywhere on the body including the face. The sores can drain infected material before becoming crusty. If the sores have not dried, they will need to be covered while the child is in school. Your child can return to school once treated by a physician for at least 24 hrs. Upon returning to school the parent will need to provide a written statement from the treating physician.
6. RINGWORM: Ringworm is a fungal infection of the skin, hair, and nails. Ringworms must be covered with a clean dressing while the child is at school. Ringworm of the head (hair) will need to be evaluated by a physician.
7. RASHES: Any child that has an undiagnosed rash cannot come to school. When the child is sent home from school with a rash, a physician’s note is required for the child to return to school.
8. COUGHING/SNEEZING/NASAL DRAINAGE: Your child should not come to school with excessive coughing, sneezing, and nasal drainage. If the has been kept awake at night with these interruptions, please allow the child to recover at home.
9. STREP THROAT: If your child has been diagnosed as having strep throat (this requires a special test by a health care provider), your child should stay home for 48 hours after antibiotic therapy has been started by a physician.

Please keep emergency phone numbers in the school office current.

Remember: A doctor’s note and the completion of the appropriate forms must accompany any medications that are to be given during the school day. (See the medication policy regarding the temporary administration of medications).

Medication at School- It is very important to read the attached medication policy at school. The parent’s responsibility is to sign the MCPSS request for medication letter and to have the physician sign the authorization form. The parent must also provide the school with medication that is in a correctly labeled prescription bottle/container. Any time that the order has changed the parent must provide the school with a new signed statement. The parent/guardian is responsible for delivering and picking up the medication from school. The student may not have the medication in his or her possession while at school. The parent is also required to give the first dose of medication at home in case of a possible allergic reaction. Please know that the school personnel will refuse to administer medication when there is any discrepancy in the label i.e. label different from instructions, label is unclear, or label torn.   All requirements apply to any medication given including EPI PEN for allergies. Please see the attached policy and forms.

Chronic Ailment-Parents/guardians of any child who has a chronic ailment that may cause the child to miss school during the school year are required to provide the school, at the beginning of each school year, with a clinical or doctor’s statement verifying the child’s condition.   Please see that attached letter and form.

LICE- Please understand that no child will be allowed to come or stay at school if the child is identified as having lice or nits. Please see the attached brochure about lice infestation and how to treat your child and your house.

Allergies/Diet Prescription- If your child has any type of food allergy or a need for a special diet from the cafeteria. Please have your physician fill out the Diet Prescription for Meals at school. It is very important to inform administration, the nurse, and your child’s teacher of your child’s food allergy.

Cafeteria Information –It is with great excitement that the Child Nutrition Program will provide breakfast and lunch meals to ALL students at no charge through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision. All students will still be assigned a 5 or 6 digit PIN number and will enter this number at the Point of Sale. Student Meal applications will no longer be required and all students will be eligible to receive reimbursable meal.

School staff and visitors must still pay meal prices.

Breakfast            

Staff                 $1.50

Visitors            $1.75

Lunch

Staff                      $3.25

Visitors               $3.75

Holiday meals for adults are $5.00. (Thanksgiving luncheon, Grandparent’s Day luncheon)

*PARENTS PLEASE DO NOT BRING FOOD FROM FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS TO YOUR CHILD DURING LUNCH IN THE CAFETERIA. This is against federal guidelines for our Child Nutrition Program and our school could be fined thousands of dollars for this action. Also, other children tend to have their feelings hurt if they are not included.

Snacks- We will be selling snacks each day for $1.00. This will include chips, crackers, or cookies and a water or Caprisun. On Wednesdays, we will sell ice cream for $1.00. Snack sells are a small fundraiser for our school so we encourage all families who are able to purchase snacks with us. Of course, you may opt to send your child a snack from home. All classes will have designated snack time.

Visitors – ALL visitors are to come directly to the office when entering the school. IN NO INSTANCE SHOULD ANY UNAUTHORIZED PERSON BE IN THE HALLS OR GO TO THE CLASSROOMS. Any visitor in the building must have a visitor’s pass issued from the office. We must work consistently and continuously to protect the safety of the students as well as maintaining quality instructional time in each classroom. We welcome visitors at the appropriate times, but classes must not be interrupted and the students and staff must have a secure school. Classes are not to be interrupted for conferences. Teachers are to give attention to the entire class and cannot stop instruction to talk to individuals. Visitors must have a pass or they will be asked to return to the office for clearance. A visitor is anyone who does not work at Hutchens Elementary.