Stanford Montessori

Principal

Melva Stricklin

Stanford Montessori Handbook &

School-Wide Discipline Plan

2006-2007

Our Mission … The mission of Stanford Montessori is to meet the individual needs of each child as he/she develops into a self directed learner.

Stanford Montessori Elementary School

District’s Vision Statement

“Our vision is to become the top performing school district in the nation.”

School’s Vision Statement

The vision of Stanford Montessori is to facilitate the child’s development into a whole person who is able to contribute positively to a global society.

District’s Mission Statement

“Our purpose is to do whatever it takes for all students

to acquire the knowledge and skills to become

productive, responsible citizens.”

School’s Belief

BELIEFS of Stanford Montessori Elementary School:

· When challenged with high expectations, students will improve academic and behavioral performance.

· A high-quality instructional program will include a variety of learning activities designed to meet individual needs.

· Positive education involves students, parents, teachers, and community.

· The learning process is most effective when teachers, parents, students, and members of the community effectively communicate and are active participants.

· Student learning is supported by a safe, clean and accessible facility.

General Information about Stanford Montessori Elementary

Program Highlights

• Stanford follows the philosophy of Maria Montessori in providing our students with engaging, hands-on materials and working with each child at his/her own level of understanding. Except for the fourth grade transition class, all classes are comprised of three age levels.
• Stanford incorporates the Accelerated Reader program for grades K-4 and the Accelerated Math program for grades 1-4 into our course of study.
• Stanford students in K-4 participate in three related arts classes: music, art, and P. E.
• Stanford strives to help each student become a peaceful child in his environment.
• The guidance counselor works with each class on issues pertinent to elementary age students
• Our reading specialist works with lower performing students to give them an extra dose of reading to catch up with their peers. The reading specialist also manages the reading and math data gleaned from the tri-yearly district assessments. Assisting teachers in using reading strategies is also a part of the reading specialist duties.

Absences

· Always bring a note when you return to school to explain your absence. A note must accompany your child upon his/her return to school if the absence is to be excused.

· Excused Absences: student illness, death in the family, religious holidays, or family emergency when student is needed to help with family responsibilities

· Vacations are unexcused. Teachers are not required to give make-up work.

Regular attendance is extremely important! Please make every effort to have your child at school each day. If a student has five or more unexcused absences, a referral will be made to the Metro Schools Attendance Office or to the Attendance Review Board, an arm of the Metropolitan Nashville/Davidson County Juvenile Court.

Make up Work – Students with an EXCUSED absence shall be provided the opportunity to receive assignments missed during the absence and to make up the work upon their return for the full grade. Make up work must be requested by the student or parent no later than three days after returning to school. The work should be turned in at a mutually agreed time frame between the teacher and the student. The attendance record is not changed when missed work is completed. At the K-12 level, students with UNEXCUSED absences shall not be given the opportunity to make up the work. A suspension is an unexcused absence.

Arrival/Dismissal

Instruction begins at 8:00 a.m. and students are considered tardy if they are not in their rooms at that time. Students arriving after 8:00 are tardy and must be signed in by an adult in the office. Students consistently reporting early will be placed in Fun Company and you will be billed for that time.

Pre-school and Pre-kindergarten students should be delivered to the front and Kindergarten-fourth grade students arrive and depart from the side door drop off area of the school building. Children should remain in the car until a staff member is outside for supervision. This is for the safety of your child. For those needing to drop off children before the designated times, Fun Company is available for before and after school care. Call 391-3829 for information. Children who eat breakfast should be here by 7:45 and go directly to the cafeteria. We will see that your child has enough time to eat if he is here on time. Please time your arrival so that your child is neither early nor tardy.

Preparation for 3:00 p.m. dismissal begins at 2:55 p.m. each day. Please make sure that your children understand how they are to get home. If there is a change from the normal routine please send a note or call the office so that we will know how your child should be dismissed. If we do not receive a note, it will be necessary for your child to take his/her routine method of transportation home. Students who are not picked up by 3:15 will be put in Fun Company and a fee will be charged.

Birthday Parties

Birthday parties are not allowed during school hours. If parents wish, they may send in a healthy snack (See Health and Wellness District Policy at www.mnps.org) to be eaten during lunch time in the cafeteria. Birthday party invitations may not be given out at school, unless they bring one for every child in the classroom. Our teachers have a special birthday celebration for your child called Walk Around the Sun. Please do not send balloons or cupcakes.

Before and After School Care

The YMCA Fun Company provides before and after school care on campus. You may reach them at 391-3829.

Breakfast and Lunch

Breakfast is served daily in the cafeteria. The cost is $1.25 per day. Students should arrive by 7:45 a.m. if eating breakfast.

Student lunches are $2.00 per day. A weekly ticket may also be purchased for $10.00. Please make checks payable to Stanford School Cafeteria. (Should a check be returned to the school, your family will forfeit this privilege and only cash will be accepted.)

The cost of lunch for adult visitors is $3.50 and adult holiday meals are $4.00.

Healthy snacks are also available at an additional cost. These purchases are limited to one per meal. Too much sugar can limit a child’s ability to perform well in school.

Reduced price and free meals are available to those who qualify. If your child has not participated in the Free or Reduced Lunch Program before, he/she will not receive free or reduced priced meals until your application has been approved. Please send money with your child until we receive notification of the approval.

Lunch charges are not allowed.

Bullying

MNPS strives to provide a positive educational environment that prohibits any type of intimidation or bullying of students. Intimidation or bullying should be reported to any staff member, who must report the incident to the principal. The principal must take prompt action to prevent future harm. Guidelines for investigating bullying allegations will be followed and appropriate actions will be implemented to address and alleviate bullying behavior.

Conferences

The faculty is ready to discuss any concerns you might have about your child and his/her experiences at our school. To protect the instructional time of our students, please call and arrange a convenient time to meet with your child’s teacher.

Custody

Custodial parents are encouraged to provide the school with all current and relevant legal documentation showing any restrictions to a natural parent’s visitation. If this is not provided, a parent proving legitimate connection to a student has parental rights under the non-custodial legal provisions of access. This includes all student records and could involve release of the student, if we have not received documents proving otherwise.

Early Dismissal

Early dismissals are discouraged. Teachers use every minute of the instructional day and early releases create a disruption for students. No students will be dismissed after 2:30. Exclusions to this policy include religious training, doctor/dentist visits, guidance sessions, or other activities approved by the principal. Early dismissals for convenience are strongly discouraged.

Our school cares about the safety of your children. Therefore, children will not be dismissed from their classrooms. All parents and visitors must come to the office to sign a student out of school. Office personnel will then call the appropriate classroom, and have the child dismissed to the office. Students will only be dismissed to adults listed on the student profile form. Anyone picking up a child must show identification.

Emergency Information

The Student Emergency Information card is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Please return it as soon as possible. Telephone numbers, cell phones, work phone, pagers, and emergency contacts are especially important in the event of illness or emergency. Should these numbers change during the school year, please notify the school office immediately, so that we may update our records.

Fees

Parents may be asked to pay for field trips, donate items used for special activities, or class snacks. If your child is on reduced or free lunch and you feel that you cannot pay the requested amount, complete the “Request for School Waiver for Fees” form.

Homework Policy

Homework is an extension of classroom learning. All classes will have the possibility of homework at least four nights each week. It is suggested that the amount of homework not exceed 30 minutes for grades K-2 and 45 minutes for grades

3 - 5.

Illness

• Your child’s health is extremely important to us, and we need your help in maintaining a healthy environment for all of our children. Please be protective of your child and other children by not sending your child to school if he/she exhibits any of the following signs of illness: fever above 100 degrees, diarrhea, vomiting. Any child with these symptoms must be kept at home a full 24 hours without symptoms before returning to school.

• Head Lice – If your child should become infested with head lice, it is the policy of the district that he/she may not return to school until you have obtained a statement from your physician or the Health Department stating that your child is nit free. You may visit Lentz Health Center for a health care release (free of cost). A student’s absence will only be excused for three days following being sent home for infestations.

• Strep Throat – Students should not return to school until at least 24 hours after beginning antibiotic therapy and being fever free.

• Communicable Disease – If a child develops chickenpox, mumps, measles, strep throat, or “pink eye”, your child must have a doctor’s statement stating the child is not contagious and may return to school.

Liability for Textbooks

It is the responsibility of the school principal to protect school properties including textbooks. The principal or principals’ designee may apply any or all of the following sanctions against pupils who refuse or fail to pay for lost or damaged textbooks at the replacement cost less reasonable depreciation:

· Refuse to issue any additional textbooks until restitution is made

· Prohibit the student from taking semester examinations and/or year-end examinations in the subjects in which the textbook(s) is damaged or lost until restitution is made

· Withhold grade card in all subjects, diplomas, certificates of progress,

or transcripts until restitution are made.

Lost and Found

Ÿ Place lost article in the lost and found

Ÿ Report articles as soon as they are missing

Media Permission

Throughout the school year, television, radio and print reporters may cover activities at our school. Students may only be taped, interviewed, or photographed with parental permission. While we will make every effort to secure parental permission for each occasion, this is not always possible. Please complete the media permission on the signature page so that we may abide by your wishes.

Students will also be given the opportunity to visit educational websites. Students will only be able to participate in these activities with your written permission. Please complete this form, if you would like for your child to participate.

Medication

A student may not take medication at school without WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE PARENT AND A DOCTOR. SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS OF THE AMOUNT AND TIME OF DOSAGE MUST BE CLEAR. THE MEDICATION MUST ALSO BE IN ITS ORIGINAL CONATINER. Permission slips are available in the office. We discourage bringing antibiotics to school. Most can be given conveniently before a child comes to school and then immediately after getting home in the afternoon.

Money

Please do not allow your child to bring money to school for anything other than lunch, supplies, field trips, bookstore purchases, or school-sponsored fundraisers. When sending money to school, please secure it in a sealed envelope with the following information on the outside on the envelope:

· Child’s name

· Teacher’s name

· Amount enclosed

· Purpose of sending the money

Checks are permitted. Any checks returned for insufficient funds will eliminate that family’s privilege of writing a check to the school or the cafeteria. A significant fee will also be charged by our check collection agency.

Office Routines

· Come into the office quietly without disturbing others and their work

· Come with written permission or an office pass

· Wait for someone to assist you if you need medication

· Ask permission from your teacher and the secretary before you use the telephone

PTO

Our School’s Parent Teacher Organization needs your support! Please join us for the meetings. An important component of the Montessori philosophy is parent involvement. We request that parents commit to 35 hours of volunteer service. This involvement may be attending PTO meetings, volunteering at school during the day, taking work home, tutoring students under the direction of a classroom teacher, participating during work days, grounds clean up, etc. There truly is something for everyone. Let the PTO know how you can help. Our greatest need is for volunteers during lunch and outside time.

The PTO will keep a record throughout the year. Please be sure to record your hours. This record helps with data that the district uses for parent involvement. The benefit of your involvement is twofold. Research shows that students whose parents are involved do better in school and the school will be better off for the help you give.

Stanford has an active Parent Teacher Organization. General meetings are held quarterly, and parent education nights are held at least twice a year. Please join the PTO, attend the meetings, and let them know how you can be of help. The vision of the District Office is for Nashville to become the top performing school district in the nation. One of our visions is that Stanford will be the top performing school in Metro. We cannot achieve that vision without the help of our parents and teachers working together.

School Visitors

We welcome visitors to our school! Please report directly to the office, sign in, and obtain a visitors badge. Faculty and staff members are to challenge anyone who does not have a visitor’s pass.

Tardiness

Students are expected to arrive on time for school each day.

Toys

Toys, games, trading cards (of any kind), tape players, tapes, headphones, and other like items, should not be brought to school unless requested by a teacher IN WRITING for special purposes. If an item of this nature is brought without the teacher’s permission, the item will be held at school until picked up by a parent. At the end of the school year, all unclaimed items will be discarded.

Uniforms

Stanford students wear uniforms of khaki or navy blue slacks, shorts, skirts, or jumpers with a collared shirt that is red, white, or light blue.

2006-2007 School Calendar

August 14 Half day for all students

August 15 Half days for PreK and K; Full Days for 1st to 5th

September 4 Labor Day Holiday

October 2 First report card

October 9 Parent/teacher conference, students do not report

November 3 Planning Day, students do not report

November 6 Fall Break

November 7 Inservice Day, students do not report

November 13 Second report card

November 22-24 Thanksgiving Holidays

December 21 Half day for all students

December 22- Jan. 5 Winter Break

January 8 Students return, full day for all students

January 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

January 16 Third report card

February 19 Planning Day, students do not report

March 5 Fourth report card

March 19-23 Spring Break

April 6 Spring Holiday

April 23 Fifth report card

April 30 Planning/Inservice Day, students do not report

May 24 Last Day of School; Half day for all students (Sixth

report card)

Stanford Montessori’s Elementary Discipline Plan

Target Area: School-wide Discipline:

In an effort to comply with the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Strategic Plan, which addresses a safe and orderly environment, Stanford Montessori Elementary will implement a School-wide Discipline Plan.

District’s Expectation for Positive Student Behavior:

Stanford Montessori Elementary will provide a school-wide discipline plan to each Executive Tier Director by the 2^nd week of August annually. It is expected for the Discipline Committee to convene twice during the school year at the end of each semester to review and revise the school plan as needed.

Stanford Montessori Elementary Expectations:

The school staff will:

· Notify Students and Parents of Discipline Plan verbally and in writing at the beginning of each school year and upon enrolling at the school during the school year

· Implement Plan (August 15 2005-2006)

· Monitor Plan / Evaluate Plan (December 2005 and April 2006)

· Revise/Update Plan (July 2006)

Discipline Committee should consist of:

· Faculty Representation

· Parent Representation

· Community Representation

Behavior Expectations*

We expect all learners at Stanford Montessori to:

· Be honest and trustworthy.

· Use courteous, respectful language and good manners.

· Be in control of yourself, so you and others can learn.

· Work and play safely.

· Listen and follow directions.

· Dress in a manner appropriate for school.

· Treat school equipment and property with respect.

*For more details see the MNPS Code of Conduct.

These expectations will help make Stanford Montessori Elementary a safe place to learn.

There are many benefits for following these expectations.

· You will be respected by yourself and others.

· You will be given more privileges-opportunities to extend your learning

beyond your classroom.

· You will learn that cooperating with others is fun, easy to do, and has

many benefits.

· Others will value your thoughts and ideas.

Consequences

Our faculty and staff continually strive to recognize the good behavior of

students. Students will be given a choice: abide by school expectations or

appropriate consequences will be enforced.

(Consequences are not listed in any particular order.)

· Verbal reprimand and feedback to explain why the behavior is

inappropriate, and its impact on others

· Parental involvement-most often a phone call and/or a note sent home

· Time out

· Loss of privileges

· Restitution, when appropriate

· Contract or behavior plan outlining behavioral or performance

expectations

· Involvement of support personnel (psychologist, social worker,

guidance counselor, youth guidance)

· Suspension

Positive Reinforcement

• Verbal acknowledgement of cooperative behavior
• Parental phone call or note acknowledging cooperative behavior
• Participation in class activities
• Positive visit to the counselor or principal
• Special job privileges

Procedures

Classroom General Rules

Each classroom teacher will establish general rules, negative consequences

and positive reinforcement for the classroom that is specific to their grade

level.

Example:

1. Follow directions the first time they are given.

2. Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself.

4. Work very quietly.

5. Walk, do not run.

Cafeteria Rules

1. Enter the dining hall quietly

2. Talk with soft voices to other students at your table only

3. Eat your own food

4. Quietly throw away trash and take your tray to the dishwashing bay when you are dismissed

Hallway Rules

1. Walk quietly down the halls with both or one hand behind your back

2. Remain in line and smile when acknowledging others

3. If you must speak, use soft voices

Restrooms Rules

1. Respect the privacy of others

2. Leave the restroom clean

Playground

1. Follow the teacher’s directions

2. Stay in the area designed for play

3. Include all students in play

School Environment

1. Put trash in the trash can

2. Pick up loose paper

3. Leave your classroom orderly, clean, and neat each day.