Sheldon ISD After-School Program Parent Handbook

Sheldon ISD After-School Program Parent Handbook 2016-2017 Preface This Parent/Student Handbook contains information in addition to the Sheldon ISD Elementary Handbook that you have already received from your campus. This information is meant to pertain to the after-school programs only and is meant to answer questions concerning the program as well as give pertinent information concerning the guidelines of the program. Please read through this handbook with your child. You will need to sign the “Parent Agreement” form included in your packet. It must be returned to the Site Coordinator/Team Leader before your child attends the program. Please keep the handbook as a reference. Throughout the handbook, the term "the student's parent" means parent, legal guardian, or other person who has agreed to assume after schoolrelated responsibility for a student.

Address Change Please notify the Site Coordinator/Team Leader in writing of any change of residence, mailing address, or telephone numbers after enrollment.

Attendance Please understand that the Sheldon ISD After-School program is an after school academic and enrichment program that is supported through grant funds requiring the district to comply with certain guidelines and procedures. Daily attendance is required and the records are reviewed in order to receive continuous funding. Therefore, it is necessary that students enrolled in any Sheldon ISD After-School Program be required to stay and participate in the full program, 3 hours daily, five days per week for Elementary and four days per week for Middle School. Early pickups are disruptive to our schedule and will make it difficult for your child to receive the full benefit of the program. Please understand that should your child/children fail to do so, they may be withdrawn from the program for the remainder of the year. Attendance is monitored every three weeks to ensure that attendance standards are being met.

1

We understand that things come up from time to time, but unexcused absences or excessive early pick-ups WILL result in your child being removed from the program. If your child misses more than 4 days of the program during any four week period due to unexcused absences, they will be removed from the program. Excused absences are, Doctor Appointments (must bring Doctor Excuse), school functions that the child is participating in (plays, UIL, etc.), a death or other serious event in the family or illness of the child. Please notify your Site Coordinator/Team Leader before 3:00 P.M. if your child will not be attending the program on a given day. Follow up with written notification within 3 days that contains the date, reason for absence, and the student's parent signature. We must keep this notification in your child’s file. If we do not receive written notification those absences will count as unexcused and could result in your child’s removal from the program. We value each of our families and have no desire to lose a single one, but our grant requires that each child attends regularly. If you decide that the program is not right for your family, PLEASE notify your Site Coordinator/Team Leader in writing as soon as possible so another student on the waiting list can be enrolled.

Complaints by Parents/Students Complaints by students or parents specific to the program will be handled according to guidelines established for the program. Notify your Site Coordinator/Team Leader if you have an issue that needs to be addressed.

Emergency Information Accidents or Illness A CORRECT PHONE NUMBER SHOULD BE LISTED IN EACH STUDENT'S REGISTRATION PACKET TO BE USED IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT OR EMERGENCY. THE SITE COORDINATOR / TEAM LEADER SHOULD BE NOTIFIED IN WRITING IF THERE IS A CHANGE IN THIS PHONE NUMBER. In the event there is no home phone or work phone, arrangements should be made with a friend or neighbor for use of their phone in case of an accident or an emergency. Neither the Sheldon Independent School District, nor the After School Program will assume responsibility for accidents occurring at school or approved field trips. If your child becomes ill while participating in the after school program, you will be notified by phone of the illness and what was done to assist your child. If your child is injured during the after school program, you will be notified by phone if the injury is serious and receive in writing the nature of the injury and what first aid was administered.

2

Emergency Medical Treatment Parents must complete an Emergency Medical Form that includes a place for parental consent for After-School officials to obtain medical treatment for the student, as permitted by law. Other information that may be required in case of an emergency should be provided and updated by the parents as necessary. The cost of services provided by ambulance, private physician, clinic, hospital, or dentist remains the responsibility of the parent or guardian and shall not be assumed by the After School Program, the Superintendent, the designee, or the Sheldon Independent School District.

Disruptions by Students or Others Disruption of classes or any program activity by a student or others is prohibited and is subject to disciplinary action and/or criminal prosecution. The District may pursue a criminal charge against and/or discipline any person inciting, promoting, or participating in a protest demonstration, riot, sit-in, walk-out, blocking of entrances, threatening force, etc. We reserve the right to remove any student/parent/guardian from the program permanently or temporally that through their behavior disrupts the program in such a way that endangers others or property or prevents scheduled activities for other students.

Discipline Policy Students disrupting any class or activity will be subject to the following rules and consequences listed in the next section. These rules and consequences will be discussed with your child during the first week of programming and signed by the student. They will be reminded of them often. They are also posted in each class area. Please review them with your child.

Program Rules for Students! All rules are basic rules to protect others or property and to maintain a safe and orderly environment. 1. Students are to always to walk in hallways and use inside voices on your way to the after school program and also during the program. 2. Check in daily with program staff within five minutes of dismissal. 3. Place your backpack neatly in your assigned area. All items MUST be tucked into the backpack. 4. Take all components of the meal. Have a seat at your assigned table. All students must pick up their own trash from meal time and dispose of it in the trash cans provided. Do not touch any other student’s snack/meal for any reason! Student must eat during designated meal time.

3

5. Raise your hand if you need assistance from staff for any reason. Shouting will not be accepted to receive assistance from an after school staff member. 6. You must have a Pass to use the restroom or leave the classroom setting. 7. No hitting, pushing, poking, or other inappropriate touching. Fighting will not be tolerated, this includes play fighting. 8. Bullying of any kind is NOT tolerated and will be dealt with immediately! 9. Use respect when talking to other students and all program staff. Students will use positive language. Foul language, inappropriate language, and name calling will not be tolerated. 10. Always treat equipment and materials with respect and gentle hands! Remember, we protect our earth by recycling materials and by using our materials and supplies responsibly. 11. Students should take pride in themselves and their environment and strive to keep areas clean and neat. 12. Students will follow all staff instructions. Students must remain with group leaders in designated areas until their authorized pick-up person arrives. 13. ALWAYS, ALWAYS check-out with your group leader or the Site Coordinator/ Team Leader before leaving for the day! Your parent/guardian must always let your group leader know that you are going home and sign you out. So please stay with your class until you are officially signed out! 14. Changes in optional enrichment choices can only be made at the beginning of each semester. 15. This is the most important rule! LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY AND HAVE FUN DOING IT!

Misbehavior Consequences After-school staff will use a “Disciplinary System” to track student behavior. This system will help staff to validate students with great/inappropriate behavior. Staff will document the days students have difficulty following rules. (Warning Slips and Strike Forms).  

1st Infraction of the rules - Student receives a verbal warning 2nd Infraction – Teachers will have three options: 1. Student may receive 5 minutes time away from the group. 2. Student may lose a portion of activity time. 3. Students will complete a behavior improvement form. Both Parent and Site Coordinator/Team Leader will have a copy.

The Site Coordinator / Team Leader will determine what works for each student.

4



3rd or any serious infraction – Group leaders will fill out a Strike Form in which the parent and student must sign and a copy is sent to Campus Administrators. A conference must be scheduled with the Site Coordinator/Team Leader, After-School Group Leader, Parent, and Child after two Strike Forms to create a plan of action to improve student behavior.

Students may be removed from the program after three Strike Forms or if the incident caused bodily harm or property damage. In that circumstance, a student may be immediately and permanently removed from the program. PLEASE NOTE: THE SITE COORDINATOR/TEAM LEADER, PRINCIPAL AND/OR PROGRAM DIRECTOR MAY, AT ANY TIME, WITHDRAW A STUDENT FROM THE PROGRAM FOR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING REASONS: 1. Failure to meet appropriate behavior standards by student or guardian. 2. Refusal to follow program and district procedures and/or rules outlined in the Sheldon ISD Code of Conduct. 3. Failure of student or parent to meet attendance requirements. 4. A student’s needs cannot be met by the program. 5. Persistent late or early pick-up.

In-School Suspension: Students who are removed from the classroom and assigned to in-school suspension will not be allowed to participate in the after school program on that given day.

Rules of Conduct and Compliance for Parents! All rules are established to protect others or property and to maintain a safe and orderly environment. Parents will receive a “Warning” form if for any reason your child is in danger of being removed from the program. Non-Compliance of following rules for parents may also be considered “just cause” to remove your student from the program. 1. All parents/guardians MUST have their Current Identification available at all times in order to pick up your child. After we become familiar with our parents, we may not ask for them everyday, but you must be prepared to present them at anytime. This also applies to anyone else picking up your child at anytime. 2. All persons picking up a child MUST be on the pickup list and MUST be over the age of 18 years. Please do not ask us to make exceptions!

5

3. All persons picking up a child MUST come inside and be ready to present ID, 4. Please do not let anyone enter the building as you exit the building or prop doors open at any time. This is absolutely necessary to comply with “Safe and Secure School Rules” and it helps to keep all staff members and children in the building safe. 5. We keep all doors locked at all times. Because of the safety procedures, we have a buzzer located on the outside wall next to the double doors in case you should need to pick up your child in case of an emergency. We will open the door promptly at 6:15 P.M. to begin dismissal procedures.

Student Dress Code All program participants must remain in Sheldon ISD dress code unless otherwise notified for a special event or activity. Examples would include, but not limited to, Karate, Cheer, Dance, etc. If students must change for their optional enrichment activity, they may wear t-shirts (no inappropriate logos) and school approved length shorts. Absolutely no spaghetti straps, tank tops, or bandanas.

Nutrition We realize these will be long days for your child and we want to do whatever is necessary to make sure they are happy, healthy, and ready to learn. Students participating in the after-school program will be offered a nutritious meal daily at no charge to the student. Please do not send any outside food from home.

Dismissal We will begin dismissal at 6:15 P.M. Parents will be invited in at that time to begin checking out students. For safety reasons no one is allowed in the building until 6:15 P.M. All persons picking up a child MUST come in the building. Please do not expect your child to come to your car. They want to obey you, but we cannot let them go without making contact with you and if needed checking identification first. You MUST pick up your child from a staff member and MUST sign them out daily. This is for your child’s safety and there will be NO exceptions. Please be aware that only the persons on your child’s pickup list will be allowed to pickup your child (unless we are notified in writing) and those persons should be prepared to show ID. All persons picking up a student must be at least 18 years of age. All students MUST be picked up by 6:30 P.M. or risk expulsion from the program. If you must pick up your child before 6:15 P.M., please ring the buzzer provided and someone will be there to help you as soon as possible. From 5:45 to 6:15 P.M. we are busy gathering students and their belongings for dismissal. Parents coming in and out during

6

that time would be disruptive and a possible safety issue, so please do not insist on picking students up during that period. For Middle School only: Transportation will be provided and buses will leave at 6:20 P.M.

Early Dismissal Days We will serve students (participating in the after school program at the elementary level only) on district early dismissal days from 12:15 to 6:15 P.M. This is NOT a mandatory attendance day! We want to be open for our parents that need us, but realize that many parents plan family activities around school dismissal days. We will provide meaningful learning activities for students on those days; however, we will not be following our regular schedule. The week before the planned early dismissal day, you will receive a form that will allow you to choose if your child will be attending or how they will be going home that day instead. One exception: We will not offer after school programming on Friday, December 16, 2016. We will not offer programming for students participating in the after school program at Null Middle School on district early dismissal days.

Parent Participation Requirements Our After School Program requires parents to be involved in the program in one or more of the following ways. As a requirement for enrollment, parents must agree to participate in at least 2 Parent Workshops/Activities this year between September 2016 and June 2017. We also require that one or more parent/guardians attend a Student Showcase or other student event or serve on the Parent/Community Advisory Board. Most activities will be held during or after programing and staff will be available to provide activities for all “program students only.”

You are an important component in the success of the program. 1. Parent Workshops/Activities-You will have at least one opportunity per month to come to a Parent Workshop/Activity that will allow you to learn something new that will benefit your child, yourself, or your entire family. Workshops are designed as informative and fun activities. Activities will be provided for “School Age” students only. 2. Career Days- Parents are invited in to share information about their jobs with students. We encourage as many parents as possible to participate in this activity to give our students a wide variety of options to choose from. Please let your Site Coordinator/Team Leader know if you are interested in speaking to the children about your career/occupation.

7

3. Parent/Community Advisory Board-Parents, community members, school and program staff and a small group of students meet quarterly to share ideas and come up with new resources and ideas for the after school program. 4. Student Showcases and other Events- Your family will be invited several times per school year to attend a performance by the students, or other family event.

Homework Homework assistance will be provided Monday –Thursday based on the needs of each campus. We will provide basic supplies as needed such as notebook paper, pencils, crayons, glue, rulers, and dictionaries. Any other supplies needed must be provided by the parent/guardian. Staff will assist students with homework when needed, but will not check each assignment. We believe that children benefit from that time spent with the parent going over homework assignments together. If you would rather your child not do homework assignments in the after school program, please notify the Site Coordinator/Team Leader in writing and your child will be provided a different academic based activity.

Enrollment Packets Your child will not be considered enrolled or allowed to attend the program until all items in the enrollment packet have been completed, signed and returned. Once your packet is received, your child will be eligible to attend on the program start date unless other arrangements have been made with the Site Coordinator/Team Leader. Please include birthdates and social security numbers (if possible) for enrolled students on your application. All of your student’s information is securely handled by the after school Site Coordinator/Team Leader and used only for required after-school reporting purposes and registration. The following items are included in every registration packet. Please make sure you have all items listed and returned to the Site Coordinator/Team Leader. Yours to Keep:  After-School Yearly Calendar  After School Parent/Student Handbook Return the following documents:  Handbook Acknowledgement form- (one per student)  Emergency Medical Form- (one per student)  Student Registration Forms- (one for each student) 8

 

Parent/Guardian Agreement Form (one for each student) Student “Pick-Up” Card -(one per student)

Thank you for considering our program for your child. We welcome you and your family and look forward to an exciting year of opportunities for all! Site Coordinators – 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program: Quentessa Pool Garrett Elementary Program Site Coordinator 21st Century Program Office Hours: 10:00 - 6:30 p.m. Phone: 281-727-4271 [email protected]

Briana Gholston Null Middle School Program Site Coordinator 21st Century Program Office Hours: 10:00 - 6:30 p.m. Phone: 281-436-2895 [email protected]

Campus Team Leaders for Partnership Projects: Carroll Elementary – Janee Elmore Monahan Elementary – Jasmine Johnson Sheldon Elementary – Simona Gordon Team Leaders Office Hours: 2:30 – 6:30 p.m. Partnership Project – Contact Person: Dana Goosby After School Program Partnership Project Coordinator Office Hours: 10:00 – 6:30 p.m. Phone: 281-727-2069 [email protected]

After School Program - District Contact Person: Dr. Brenda Emanuel Director of Grant Development & Compliance Phone: 281-727-2096

9

10