Parent-Student Handbook - Harford County Public Schools

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Admission Into Prekindergarten/Kindergarten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Early Entrance into Kindergarten. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Gradual Entrance For Prekindergarten/Kindergarten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Advanced Placement Into First Grade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Alcohol/Metal Detectors & Surveillance Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Alternative Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Attendance Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Aligning Enrollment With Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Boundaries (Attendance Areas) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Boundary Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Child Abuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 “Child Find” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Discipline Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Behavior Which Has Taken Place Off School Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Defi nitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Verbal Or Physical Threat And/Or Physical Attack On Staff, Dangerous Weapons, And Arson/Fire Policies And Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Student Possession, Use, Or Transference Of Controlled Dangerous Substances, Medicines, And Alcohol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Use Of Tobacco Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Meaning Of Key Words And Phrases In Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Penalties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Discrimination/Harassment Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Sexual Harassment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Prohibition of Gang Related Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Portable Communication Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Drug Detecting Dogs In Secondary Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Educational Field Trips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Eligibility Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Food & Nutrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Graduation Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Exceptions to the Regular High School Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Health Services Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Guidelines For Medications For Students While In School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Home And Hospital Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Homework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Hours of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Inclement Weather Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Integrated Pest Management And Notifi cation Of Pesticide Use In A Public Building And On School Grounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Notifi cation Of AHERA Inspection & Management Plan Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Notifi cation Of Planning For Incidents At The Peach Bottom Power Station . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Notifi cation Of Sampling For Lead In Drinking Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Parent/Community Involvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Personal Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Policy For Instructional Grouping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Policy For Internet Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Handbook Table of Contents Preparedness Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Privacy Rights Of Parents And Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Policy And Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Defi nitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Privacy And Disclosure Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Notifi cation of Rights Under the Protection Of Pupil Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Maintenance Of The Educational Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Inspection And Review Of Educational Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Additional Rights Of Parents Of Children With Disabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 FERPA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Directory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Promotion And Retention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Registering Your Child For School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Immunization Compliance Criteria For Maryland Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Proof Of Residency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Reporting Student Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Rights And Responsibilities of Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Use Of School Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Patriotic Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Dress Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Student Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Student Search And Seizure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Grievance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Student Discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Corporal Punishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Nondiscriminatory Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Parking Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Student Lockers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Student Backpack Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Special Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Student Accident Insurance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Student-Parent Survey To Identify Federally-Connected Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Student Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Student Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Transportation Rules For Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Discipline Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Parental Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Responsibilities Of Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Title IX Complaint Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Visiting Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Wellness Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Where To Get Answers To Your Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Telephone Directory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 The contents of this handbook are meant as a summary of frequently used Board of Education policies. For a detailed list of Board policies, please access the Board Policy Manual on our website, www.hcps.org.
Admission Into Prekindergarten/Kindergarten Age of School Attendance Prekindergarten programs are provided to support qualifi ed four-year-olds with formal schooling. A child admitted to the prekindergarten program in the public schools shall be four years old on or before September 1st of the school year in which he/she applies for entrance. For entrance to kindergarten, children admitted to the kindergarten program in the public school system shall be fi ve years old on or before September 1st of the school year in which they apply for entrance. Exceptions to the age entrance policy are considered only in very extraordinary circumstances. The standards are rigorous to ensure that children are not frustrated by the advanced placement. The request for Early Admission into Kindergarten may be made beginning the fi rst Friday in May through the fi rst Friday in June. Parents should communicate with the school to obtain the specifi c procedures for initiating the early admission process. Early Entrance Into Kindergarten Although not encouraged, exceptions to the age of entrance policy are granted by the Harford County Public School system when it is clearly evident that the precocious four-year-old will be effectively served by a rigorous, standard-based curriculum in kindergarten. A child with exceptional abilities may be considered for early entrance into the kindergarten program upon the request of a parent/guardian. Exceptional abilities refer to your child being able to read the newspaper, magazines or books. For mathematical ability, word problems should be solved without prompting. Word problems indicate the child’s ability to construct abstract thought. The procedure for early entrance into kindergarten is as follows: 1. For the child to be eligible for early entrance into kindergarten assessment, the child must turn fi ve years old by October 15th and be a resident of Harford County. 2. The application process begins the fi rst Friday of May and ends the fi rst Friday in June. Assessments will be administered in May and June of the current school year. 3. Obtain the Early Entrance into Kindergarten packet from the attendance area school and complete the Parent Information Profi le and other forms. The parent/guardian composes a letter stating reasons for consideration and obtain a letter of recommendation from a professional (pediatrician) qualifi ed to judge the child’s developmental capabilities. If the child has attended a preschool program or special program, a letter from the school teacher is required. Employees of HCPS may not supply a recommendation or reference for this process. 4. Send this information to the Executive Director of Elementary Education, 102 S. Hickory Ave., Bel Air, MD 21014. Upon review of the Parent Information Profi le and related documents, the Executive Director will forward the application package to the Offi ce of Early Childhood for a response to the parent/guardian. 5. If the information provided indicates that a child is to be considered for early entrance into kindergarten, a specialist will contact the parent/guardian to schedule a language and mathematics assessment. 6. For early entrance consideration, the child must achieve a score of at least 90% on both parts of the assessment. Assessments are administered by the specialist without parent/guardian presence and lasts approximately two hours. A child may be assessed only one time for early entrance determination. *It is important to note that if early entrance is denied, the denial is not an automatic acceptance into the prekindergarten program. 7. If early entrance is recommended, the principal or designee of the attendance area school will schedule a conference with the parent/guardian to discuss the request. At this conference, the parent/guardian should be prepared to share information about the child’s previous group experiences and special strengths and needs. A plan for early entrance will be developed at that time. 8. Placement will be for a thirty (30) day probationary period pending the child’s satisfactory social-emotional adjustment as determined by the classroom teacher. 9. Upon completion of the probationary period, a fi nal letter of placement will be sent to the parent/guardian from the Offi ce of Early Childhood. If acceptance into kindergarten is recommended, all relevant kindergarten policies and procedures will apply including daily school attendance. The intent of the above procedure is to make kindergarten available to younger students who are capable of working in a classroom setting with children one year older. The standards for entrance to the program are very high to ensure that children are not frustrated by the advanced placement. Gradual Entrance For Prekindergarten & Kindergarten Gradual entrance for prekindergarten and kindergarten is a procedure that began with the addition of these programs to the educational continuum. There are two purposes for gradual entrance: (1) to provide time for parents to meet their children’s teachers and learn about the program, and (2) to provide the opportunity for children to adjust to the school setting. The procedure for gradual entrance for prekindergarten and kindergarten is the same; however, prekindergarten will begin TWO DAYS AFTER the opening of school. FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL - FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. - One-half of the kindergarten class will attend. 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. - Remainder of the kindergarten class will attend. Children will be accompanied by parents; NO BUS TRANSPORTATION WILL BE PROVIDED. SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL Regular schedule for all kindergarten children. BUS TRANSPORTATION WILL BE PROVIDED; the professional staff will assist children in getting on the buses. THIRD DAY OF SCHOOL 9:00 - 10:15 a.m. - One-half of morning prekindergarten children will attend. 10:15 - 11:30 a.m. - Remainder of morning prekindergarten children will attend. 1:00 - 2:15 p.m. - One-half of afternoon prekindergarten children will attend. 2:15 - 3:30 p.m. - Remainder of afternoon prekindergarten children will attend. Children will be accompanied by parents; NO BUS TRANSPORTATION WILL BE PROVIDED. FOURTH DAY OF SCHOOL Regular schedule for all prekindergarten children. BUS TRANSPORTATION WILL BE PROVIDED; the professional staff will assist children in getting on the buses. Advanced Placement Into First Grade Although not encouraged, exceptions to the age of entrance policy are granted by Harford County Public School when it is clearly evident that the precocious fi ve-year-old will be served more effectively in the fi rst grade rather than in kindergarten. A child with exceptional abilities may be 1
Page 1 and 2: Parent-Student Handbook and Calenda
Page 3: Mission The mission of the Harford
Page 7 and 8: designees, as reason for excusing t
Page 9 and 10: Step IV. If parent(s)/caretaker(s)
Page 11 and 12: • Any weapon which will, or which
Page 13 and 14: thorough investigation of the matte
Page 15 and 16: Additional Requirements • English
Page 17 and 18: Hours Of Operation Starting Time Di
Page 19 and 20: Policy For Internet Use Harford Cou
Page 21 and 22: meeting regarding an IEP or due pro
Page 23 and 24: sponsored or school affi liated mus
Page 25 and 26: Parking Policy Parking on school pr
Page 27 and 28: 9. Students may not eat, drink, or
Page 29 and 30: Aberdeen Middle School . . . . . .
Page 31 and 32: 2010 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesda
Page 33 and 34: www.hcps.org 2010 Sunday Monday Tue
Page 35 and 36: www.hcps.org Sunday Monday Tuesday
Page 49 and 50: 2011 www.hcps.org Sunday Monday Tue
Page 53 and 54: Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thu
Page 55 and 56:
Emergency Communications How to get
show all

Parent-Student Handbook - Harford County Public Schools

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?