ABSENCES

          Students shall be expected to be in attendance every day scheduled by the St. Tammany Parish School Board. Refer to the St. Tammany Parish Handbook on Attendance, Discipline and Student Records for additional guidelines.

          Absences and tardies are closely monitored.  5 or more unexcused absences or tardies within a month may result in a phone call, letter, conference or referral to the truancy office.

           Immediately upon returning to school after a period of absence, the student must bring a note to his/her teacher, which should contain the following information:

  • Date
  • Child's full name
  • Reason for absence
  • Day(s) child was absent
  • Parent/guardian signature

This note will be sent to the front office to be kept on file.

          Students are responsible for making up all missed assignments in a reasonable amount of time. Parents may request assignments for extended absences by calling the school office. A 24-hour notice must be given prior to picking up missed assignments.  These assignments may be picked up in the school office.

 

ARRIVAL POLICY

            Students may begin arriving on campus 30 minutes prior to the first bell.  Students may only be dropped off in car line when a faculty member is on duty.  Please do not drop of your children in other areas.

          Late arrivals must report to the office with a parent/guardian.  The parent/guardian must sign the child in and the child will be given a tardy slip to report to class.  Excessive tardies to school shall be reported to the St. Tammany Parish Supervisor of Attendance.

          *Perfect attendance cannot be earned if a child reports late to school or is checked out early.

 

BEFORE & AFTER-SCHOOL CARE

            Before-school care will be offered in the gym on regular school days starting at 7:00 a.m.  for a charge of $3.00 per day.  After-school care will also be offered on regular school days until 5:30 p.m.  The cost is $25.00 per week or $6.00 per day. It will be held in Mrs. Kirchoff's room.    *A late fee of up to $10 will be charged for pickups after 5:40 p.m.  After care will be offered on half-day until 5:30 p.m. at a charge of $12.00 per day.  After care will NOT be offered on the last day of school.  All checks should be made payable to Folsom Elementary School. Please put your child’s name on the check.  The phone number for before and after care is 630-6088 (this number will only be answered during before and after care hours).

 

BUSES

The bus driver and the St. Tammany Parish School Board's Transportation department will handle bus transportation arrangements.  However, students must remember that the bus driver is responsible for their safety while they are on the bus, and students who violate bus rules will be referred to the principal for disciplinary action.  Such referrals may result in the student being suspended from the bus.

 

CAFETERIA POLICIES

BREAKFAST

The cost of breakfast for school children is $.60 ($.30 for reduced.)  The weekly cost for breakfast is $3.00 ($1.50 for reduced.) 

If a child is planning to eat breakfast at school, he/she should immediately upon arrival at school report to the cafeteria and should NOT go to the playground first.

LUNCH

            Lunch times will vary by grade level.  For school children the cost is $1.00 ($.40 for reduced). The weekly cost for lunch is $5.00 ($2.00 for reduced.)  

 

 

PAYMENTS

Payments should be made in advance.  Please make checks payable to Folsom Elementary School. Put in an envelope marked CAFETERIA with the student’s name, teacher’s name, and amount of money enclosed. Contact the Cafeteria Manager, Mrs. Rainey, for additional information.

CAR RIDERS

Students arriving in cars must be dropped off or picked up ONLY in the car line.  Parents are NOT to drop off children in the middle of the parking lot, nor should they park and walk to pick up their child.  We feel that the safety of your child is worth the short wait you may experience in car line. 

Car riders may be dropped off and picked up ONLY on the gym side of the school. Under no circumstances should students be dropped off or picked up on the library side of the school.    

          To help keep things moving smoothly, please place a card with the student’s last name in the front window on the passenger side of the car.  Please use this card all year because duty teams rotate.

 

DISCIPLINE POLICY

            Folsom Elementary School has established a Positive Behavior Support Plan.  It includes school-wide behavior expectations/rules; procedures for encouraging expected behaviors; procedures for discouraging violations of school-wide expectations/rules, and a plan for monitoring effectiveness.

          It by no means replaces the school board policy.  The St. Tammany Parish School Board policy on discipline can be found in the St. Tammany Parish Handbook on Attendance, Discipline and Student Records.

          The school-wide behavior expectations/ rules are:

·         We are respectful.

·         We are responsible.

·         We are prepared.

·         We are in school every day.

 

Procedures for encouraging expected behaviors include:

·         Each classroom has an F.E.S. Tiger Poster displayed.  Students who exhibit outstanding effort to follow the rules, demonstrate kindness, and show good character will be given a tiger paw to write their name on and display on the Tiger Poster. 

·         Students who receive a specified number of paw prints will have their names displayed on a Tiger Paw bulletin board in the front of the school.  Additionally, those students’ names will be put into a box for a drawing at the special event, Tiger Roar.

·         At the end of the nine weeks, those students who have no more than one detention referral and/or assignment to Second Chance are invited to the Tiger Roar.  Tiger Roar is a celebration event which includes games, treats, prizes, etc.

·         In an effort to encourage students to “Be In School Every Day” we will be awarding students with perfect attendance each quarter (this includes having no tardies and checkouts) a perfect attendance t-shirt.  If they continue to have perfect attendance, they will receive an iron-on PAW patch to add to their shirt each quarter.  Students who earn these shirts will be allowed to wear them to school.

Procedures for encouraging expected behaviors in the classrooms:

  • Teachers have 4-5 simple rules in their classroom.
  • Each teacher has a plan that includes tangible rewards for positive behavior such as:  treasure chest, treats, stickers, happy notes, etc.

V.I.P. (Very Important Person) – Fifth Grade:

  • Fifth grade students can earn the privilege of being a V.I.P. and assisting with the younger students around the school.  The V.I.P.s wear a V.I.P. sash (for identity), and assist in car line, bus line, the lunch room and the library.

Procedures for discouraging violations of school-wide classroom expectations/rules:

1)     A classroom teacher, duty teacher, or school administrator may assign students not following classroom or school rules a noon detention. 

  • The detention slip must be signed by a parent/guardian and returned to school the following day.
  • Missing a noon detention may result in being assigned two (2) noon detentions. (If either of these detentions is not served, the student will be referred to the principal for disciplinary action.)

2)     After the 4th noon detention a day in Second Chance (In-School Suspension) may be assigned.

  • Misconduct in Second Chance may result in additional days of Second Chance being assigned or a possible referral to the principal for administrative action.

3)     An 8th noon detention may result in a referral to the principal’s office for disciplinary action.

4)     Additional noon detentions may result in referrals to the principal's office for disciplinary action.

Disciplinary action by the principal may include an Administrative Conference, Saturday School, In-School Suspension (ISS), Out-of-School Suspension, or Recommendation for Expulsion.

 

ANTI-BULLYING POLICY

          Our school defines bullying as unfair and one sided.  It happens when someone keeps hurting, frightening, threatening, or leaving someone out on purpose.  Examples of bullying include, but are not limited to: hurting someone physically by hitting, kicking, tripping, pushing; stealing or damaging another person’s things; ganging up on someone; teasing someone in a hurtful way; using put-downs, such as insulting someone’s race or making fun of someone for being a boy or a girl; touching or showing private body parts; spreading rumors about someone; leaving someone out on purpose or trying to get other students not to play with someone. 

          Students at our school will do the following things to prevent bullying:  treat each other respectfully; refuse to bully others; refuse to let others be bullied; refuse to watch, laugh, or join in when someone is being bullied; report any bullying to the staff.

          Consequences for violating the anti-bullying policy are in accordance with the school-wide positive behavior plan.

          The St. Tammany Parish School Board policy on bullying can be found in the St. Tammany Parish Handbook on Attendance, Discipline and Student Records.

CLASSROOM RULES

            The teachers will post classroom rules and consequences in the classrooms. Teachers will handle minor infractions with a warning, noon detention, parent conference, etc. Serious infractions, such as defiance toward the teacher or continuous class disruptions will be referred immediately to the principal for disciplinary action.

Students should not bring toys, valuable jewelry, electronics, trading cards, or any other valuable items to school, including large amounts of money.  Any such items picked up by a staff member and sent to the office will have to be retrieved by the parent.  A student violating this rule may be disciplined.

PLAYGROUND RULES

            The following rules are general playground rules to be followed by all students.  Duty persons may establish additional rules and guidelines.  Duty persons will handle minor infractions with warnings, noon detentions, etc.  Serious infractions, such as fighting, injurious act, destroying school property, or defiance toward duty personnel will be referred immediately to the principal for disciplinary action.

1)     Rough play is NOT allowed.

2)     Stay within the playground boundaries.

3)     Use equipment properly.

a.      Go down the slide on your bottom, feet first.

b.      No jumping off the swings.

c.      No sitting on top of the monkey bars.

d.      Do not run in front of people on the swings.

4)     No throwing objects such as sticks, rocks, pine cones, and sand.

5)     Chasing games are not allowed except in organized play.

6)     No ball playing around equipment.

7)     Permission is needed to leave the playground for any reason (water, bathroom, and to go to the office)

8)     Walk to your line quickly and quietly when the bell rings.  All play should end.

9)     Water fountains and restrooms are off-limits once the bell to end recess rings.

UPPER PLAYGROUND RULES

1)     Only 2 kick-balls on the playground at each backstop.

2)     No footballs on the playground.

3)     No hard soccer-type balls.

4)     Students may bring an extra ball to play small tossing games (within a 10’ diameter area) under the trees.

5)     Students are not allowed to kick balls across the playground – this is only allowed at the two backstops.

HALLWAY/BREEZEWAY RULES

1)     Students must WALK QUIETLY at all times when in halls or on breezeways. 

2)     Students must go directly to the assigned destination. 

3)     Students should use the restroom quickly and quietly with no playing.

4)     Do not bounce balls in halls or in breezeways.

CAFETERIA RULES

            The following rules are general cafeteria rules to be followed by all students.  Cafeteria monitors handle minor infractions with warnings, teacher notification, etc. Serious infractions, such as throwing food or defiance toward cafeteria monitors will be referred immediately to the principal for disciplinary action.

1)     Each class will enter quietly in the order assigned by the teacher.

2)     When waiting in line to be served, get the correct lunch card, face forward at all times, and keep hands, feet, and other objects to yourself.

3)     Talk in a quiet voice at all times and use good manners.

4)     Each class will be dismissed as teacher directed.

5)     Follow posted cafeteria rules.

 

DRESS CODE

          Parents and students are to refer to the St. Tammany Parish Handbook on Attendance, Discipline and Student Records for the parish dress code policy. A few key areas to note are:

·         The minimum length of shorts, dresses, skirts, etc. must be at the fingertip or below when standing erect with arms extended down the sides or be not more than 5” above the knee.

·         Undershirts may not be worn as outerwear and may not be visible under the uniform shirt except at the neckline.  Underarmor and other athletic undergarments should not be worn as a uniform shirt.

·         Fun Fair shirts, regardless of color, are not to be worn as uniform shirts.

·         No skin may show between the pants and shirt in any position.

·         All pants MUST be secured at the waist with NO undergarments revealed. 

·         Beach sandals or backless rubber thong sandals are not permitted.

·         Caps, hats, and bandanas are not allowed at school.

·         The length of hair for boys may not fall below the base of a collared shirt.  Any method used to circumvent this hair length rule is not permitted.  Hair arranged in a manner detrimental to the performance of normal educational activities will be prohibited. Extreme hair styles will not be permitted; i.e. unnatural coloring, mohawks, sculpted designs, etc.

Violating the St. Tammany Parish policy on dress code or the school uniform policy could result in disciplinary action.

A student will not be allowed to remain at school if the violation is disruptive.

 

DISMISSAL POLICY

            At dismissal time:

·         Bus riders will report to a designated area.  Students must remain in their assigned area until a duty teacher calls for their bus.

·         Car riders will report to the gym side of the school for pickup.

·         After-school care students will report to Ms. Kirchoff’s room.

*Students who are not picked up 15 minutes after dismissal time will be sent to after school care, and will be charged the daily rate of $6.00.

          If changes in transportation must be made, please send a note to the teacher with specific information. Transportation changes will not be made in the last 15 minutes prior to dismissal time except in the case of extreme emergency.  It is difficult to get last minute messages to students.

Before a student may ride a bus other than his/her own, the parent/guardian must submit this request to the principal in writing for approval. The note should contain the child's name, the date of the request, the number of the bus the student is requesting to ride, and the parent/guardian's signature. The bus driver will not let the child on the bus without a letter signed by the principal.  Some buses may not allow extra riders due to over-crowding. 

The parent/guardian must send written permission to the school when the child is to ride home with another student's parent.  The note should contain the child's name, the date of the request, the person picking up the child, and the parent/guardian's signature.

 

EARLY CHECKOUT

A parent/guardian must come to the office to sign a child out for early checkout.  No exceptions will be made.  Only persons listed on a child's emergency card will be permitted to check the child out.  A person checking a child out may be required to present identification. 

We will not check students in the last 15 minutes of school.  Students will only be allowed to check out if it is an emergency.

*Perfect attendance cannot be earned if a student is checked out early.

 

FIELD TRIPS

A parent wishing to check his/her child out from a field trip must sign the child out in the school office prior to leaving school the morning of the field trip.  The parent will receive a copy of the Sign Out Permission Slip to give to the child's teacher.

In some situations a student's parent may be required to accompany his/her child on a field trip in order for the child to attend.

Siblings will not be allowed to go on field trips.  The purpose of the chaperone is to supervise a class group of 4-6 students. 

 

LOST AND FOUND

Found articles will be placed in the “Lost and Found” container in the gym. Students should also check with their classroom teachers for lost items.  Parents and students are strongly urged to clearly label all items a student brings to school. Books, book bags, and purses should not be left unattended in the halls or on the playground. The school will not be responsible for items lost at school.  At the end of the school year unclaimed items will be donated to charity.

 

MEDICATION POLICY

            Children are NOT allowed to have medication with them at any time while on school grounds or while in route to school.  This includes prescription and over-the-counter medications. 

          According to St. Tammany Parish School Board policy, designated personnel are not allowed to dispense medication of any kind unless the appropriate forms have been completed by the parent/guardian AND doctor.  Any change in medication will require a new form.  All medicine must be brought in by a parent/guardian and must be kept in a prescription bottle that matches the information on the form.  All medications must be picked up at the end of the school year or they will be disposed of.

 

PARENT CONFERENCES

Communication between the home and school is an essential part of the educational process.  Parents/guardians are encouraged to keep in close contact with their child's teacher.  Conferences may be scheduled by contacting the school at 796-3820. The school guidance counselor may also be contacted to assist in this matter. 

 

REPORT CARDS

Report cards are sent home after each of the four grading periods.  Students will receive report cards on the Thursday following each grading period with the exception of the last grading period. Students in grades K - 3 will receive their final report card on the last day of school, and students in grades 4 and 5 will receive their final report card the following week in the mail from the St. Tammany Parish School Board.  Kindergarten students will NOT receive a report card for the first grading period.

 

 

EDUCATION AND (CHILD) SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION, REPORTING

            As mandated by the St. Tammany Parish School Board, students in grades   K-8 will receive instruction on the topic of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention, Education and Reporting.  All materials to be used in the instruction may be previewed by contacting the school guidance counselor.  We would also like to encourage you to talk to your child about this topic as well as other general safety issues.

 

TECHNOLOGY

            Each student and a parent/guardian must sign the St. Tammany Parish Instructional Use Agreement in order for the student to use the St. Tammany Parish School Board instructional technology and Internet services.  This form will be kept on file in the student’s permanent folder and maintained as long as he/she is a student in the St. Tammany Parish School System. Students who do not have a signed form on file in the school office will be issued one to complete and return to school.  To revoke permission once it has been granted, a letter must be submitted to the school office.  The letter should contain the following:

  • Date
  • Child's full name
  • Statement of refusal for instructional technology and Internet use
  • Parent/guardian signature

 

TEXTBOOKS/LIBRARY BOOKS

Students are responsible for all textbooks and library books issued to them during the school year.  Any lost or damaged books must be paid for.  The replacement value of most textbooks is in excess of $30.00.  Extra care should be taken in keeping up with textbooks and library books.  If a lost book is found, the money will be refunded.  

 

UNIFORM POLICY

The uniform policy that was voted in by the parents of Folsom Elementary is as follows: 

  • Khaki or navy pants, shorts, capris, skirts, skorts, or jumpers
  • Red, blue, or white polo or crew shirts

Uniform pants and shirts must be solid in color without stripes or designs. School t-shirts may be purchased at the front office and worn as uniform shirts.  Folsom Elementary Perfect Attendance t-shirts may be worn as uniform shirts.  Fun Fair shirts, regardless of color, are not to be worn as uniform shirts. 

 

VISITORS

Visitors are welcome at Folsom Elementary, but we foremost want to ensure safety for your child.  As mandated by St. Tammany Parish School Board Policy, the following must be adhered to when visiting our school.

  • No person shall go on school grounds or in any building without authority of the school office.
  • All visitors must report to the school office immediately upon arrival.
  • All visitors must sign in on our "Visitor Log Sheet."  The information to be filled out on this sheet includes the person's name, date, destination, and time in.
  • Visitors must receive an "Official" visitor's identification tag that must be worn the entire time while on campus.
  • Upon departing, visitors must report back to the school office to turn in the visitor's tag and to complete the "time out" section on the "Visitor Log Sheet."

All classroom visits for observational purposes must be scheduled through the principal.  Advance notice is required so that the visit will not disrupt instruction.  Parents should not visit the classroom unannounced for any reason. 

 

VOLUNTEERS

            We encourage and appreciate parent volunteers.  Volunteers may assist in classrooms, the library, or the workroom.  Volunteering in a classroom must be arranged with the classroom teacher at least one day in advance.  Volunteers should follow the “Visitor’s Policy”, but should remember to sign in and out in the “Volunteer Log Book.”

 

 

 

PHONE DIRECTORY

Office                                         796-3820

Fax                                           796-0165

Cafeteria                                    796-5888

Before & After Care                       *630-6088
*(
7:00-8:00a.m. & 3:30-5:30p.m.)

 

Other Important Numbers

Transportation                             898-3373

Child Welfare & Attendance            898-3370

School Nurse                               898-3370