Parents - Murdock Elementary School

APPEARANCE

Public school education is considered formal education, and students should dress appropriately. It is our desire in LSC to see students “dress for success.” Appearance, including make-up, dress, and hairstyles, within the prevailing rules of modesty, decency, safety, and health, are the responsibility of the student and his/her parent.
Student appearance, including dress, make-up, and hairstyles, must conform to the requirements of law and must be conducive to the educational process. The administrator will make the final determination regarding appropriateness of clothing.
It is expected that students will wear clothing that is neat and clean while attending classes and school functions. Appearance, including dress, make-up, and hairstyles, may be regulated by the school when the health or safety of a student is endangered; the appearance is disruptive, and thus, distracting to the educational process; or there is an existing ordinance or law. Teachers, administrators, coaches, and activities sponsors may take disciplinary action against students whose appearance is not consistent with expectations of school officials.

Below is clarification of clothing, jewelry, or hairstyles, but is not limited to the following:

1. Shoes must be worn at all times. Special purpose shoes that may pose a safety hazard, such as “Wheelys”, “Heelys”, flip flops and high-heeled shoes are not permitted at school.

2. Jackets, coats, hats and other headgear are not to be worn in school by male or female students without prior administrative approval.

3. Shorts and skirts should extend to finger-tip length (finger-tip length is determined by having the student stand with their arms fully extended downward at their sides).

4. Shirts should be long enough and pants should be high enough that one’s stomach does not show. Spaghetti straps, halter tops, bare shoulders, bare backs, low neck lines, etc. are not appropriate for school. Pants should be worn at or above the hip bone and covering all underwear. Clothing should be free from holes. Shirts that cover leggings must be fingertip length. No pajamas will be permitted.

5. Clothing or accessories which draw negative attention to the individual are not permitted. Students should not wear items of clothing which advertise or promote actions or products which are illegal or against school rules. This includes, but is not limited to, the mention of alcohol, tobacco, and other controlled substances, obscenities, and cartoons or captions of a sexual nature. Symbols or slogans which may be considered racist or ethnically derogatory are not to be worn to school or school events.

6. Body jewelry deemed disruptive to the educational process or poses a threat to student safety is prohibited.

7. Appearance, including dress, make-up, and hairstyles, deemed disruptive to the educational process will not be permitted. Hair color that is disruptive to the educational environment will not be allowed.

8. It is expected that while at school or at school functions or activities, students will not wear, possess, use, distribute, display, or sell any clothing, jewelry, emblems, badges, symbols, signs, graffiti, or other items deemed to be evidence of membership or affiliation with a gang.

Arrival / Dismissal Procedures

Morning Car Rider Procedures:

The best way to drop off students that are coming to school in a vehicle is using the drop off line by the gym door.

Do not stop on Cason Street to drop off your students. This is not safe. The line to drop off is in the bottom parking lot. This is a continuous line and only takes a few moments.

Drive down to the back parking lot. Follow the arrows and someone will be there to help your child out of the car.

The gym doors will open at 7:45. Please do not let your child out of the car until an adult is outside directing the flow of traffic. The gym doors close at 8:22.

Cars should pull up the “Drop Off” zone as far as possible to allow more than one car to drop off at a time.

For safety reasons, students should exit the vehicle on the passenger side ONLY.

Please do not pull around another car unless instructed to do so.

If you forgot a note, lunch box, etc. Please exit the car rider line and park in a spot on Cason Street in front of Murdock to take care of those issues.

After your child is out of the car, you will go back up the hill (same way you came down).

If your child is arriving tardy to school, PLEASE park in front of Murdock and walk your child to the front door. You will need to use the buzzer to enter the building. You must sign in your child in the binder at the front office. Unaccompanied children will not be able to enter the building without an adult after 8:25.

Morning Walkers:

Walkers will enter the main doors. These doors will not open until 8:00.
Students that are here before 8:00 will not be supervised.
Walkers will enter the main doors and proceed down to the gym.
Parents will drop off their child outside the doors. Parents will not enter the building.
If your child is arriving tardy to school, 8:25 or later, PLEASE park in front of Murdock and walk your child to the front door. You will need to use the buzzer to enter the building. You must sign in your child in the binder at the front office. Unaccompanied child will not be able to enter the building without an adult after 8:25.

Pick Up Procedures

Focus:

Students will go to a designated area after school to wait for FOCUS to start.
When you pick up your child from FOCUS, please park in the spaces in front of the building. You will walk up to the building, hit the call button and tell us who you are picking up. We will radio for your child to come to the main lobby. Please have your ID with you, we may ask you for identification purposes. You will also need to sign your child out. There will be a binder in the front office.
Focus pick up is between 3:15-6:00

Afternoon Walkers:

Students will have a designated place to go after school. Students that walk towards 18th Street a staff member will walk them a short way down the sidewalk so they can carefully pass where the cars are entering and exiting for the car rider line.
Do not park on Cason street and walk to the building to pick up your student between 2:35-2:50
If you drove to the school to pick up your child, use the car rider line. The car line is working out great and we are getting through all the cars by around 2:52.
If you need a car rider number, please email ddesenfants@lsc.k12.in.us or stop in the main office.

Afternoon Car Rider Procedures:

Please make sure your number is visible through the front window.
When you arrive in your car please enter at the yellow gates and follow the drive. We ask that you not enter this drive until 2:15. A staff member will radio your number so your child is ready when you get to the gym doors.
Pull up to the ‘Drop Off’ zone if you are the first car being loaded. This assists us in loading more than one car at a time.
For safety reasons, have your child enter on the passenger side of the vehicle. DO NOT exit your vehicle to assist your child.
As cars approach the student car rider line, a staff member will alert the student by calling his/her number. The student will proceed to the designated boarding area to be dismissed.
While students are waiting in the gym, the noise level is to be quiet so each student can hear their number being called. Please help us by reminding your child of this matter.
If a student is not ready for any reason, we may ask you to go around the parked cars and re-enter the car rider line. This keeps the flow of traffic moving as well as everyone safe.
Keep the car-rider line moving. Do not stop to have a conversation with the car-rider staff. If you need to speak with your child’s teacher, you will need to call the school and set up an appointment or email your child’s teacher.
Do not pull around another car unless instructed to do so.
To help the flow of traffic, please turn right towards 18th Street.
For safety reasons, please do not talk on your cell phone while in the car-rider line and in the school zone.
If you arrive at school after 2:52, you will need to pick up your child at the front office. Park in the spaces in front of the building. You will walk up to the building, hit the call button and tell us who you are picking up. Please have your ID with you, we may ask you for identification purposes. You will also need to sign your child out. There will be a binder in the front office.

Attendance Policy

PROCEDURES FOR NON-ATTENDANCE

Our goal is to work together with families to help improve attendance. Please help your child have the opportunity to become academically successful by having them at school on time each and every day. It’s one of the most important things you can do for your child!

1. Any time a student has an exempt absence, the documentation must be turned in to the school office to be filed upon return to school. For a medical excuse, Indiana law states that, a student must have a note regarding illness signed by an Indiana physician, chiropractor, osteopath, or Christian Science practitioner who resides in Indiana and is listed in the Christian Science Journal. The note must be turned into the school office within six days of the student returning to school. (Indiana Code 20-33-2-18)

2. After a student has reached 6 absences, the parents will receive an attendance letter from the principal notifying the parent of attendance concerns. “Exempt” absences identified in 1-13 above in this section do not count toward this total of 6 absences.

3. After the student has reached 6 absences, the principal will send notification to the Office of Elementary Education. Parents will receive an invitation to attend Attendance Education Class to give them strategies to improve attendance. Parents will be notified of the state attendance law and further actions that may be taken if attendance problems continue. Parents are expected to contact the school principal to set up a conference regarding their student’s attendance. The principal may report the student’s absences the the Department of Child Services (DCS) for further action if the parent does not contact the principal. “Exempt” Absences identified in 1-13 above in this section do not count toward this total of 6 absences.

4. After 9 days of absences during the school year, a letter will be sent to the parent/guardian notifying them of their child’s ninth absence. “Exempt” absences identified in 1-13 above in this section do not count toward this total of 9 absences.

5. Habitual absences, 12 or greater, shall be reported to the Department of Child Services (DCS) as possible educational neglect.

REPORTING ABSENCES, SPECIAL ABSENCES AND REQUESTING HOMEWORK

1. To report absences, the parent or legal guardian must call the school on the day of the absence after 7:30 a.m. and before 9:00 a.m. giving the reason for the absence. Parents may be asked what symptoms their child is having if reported as being sick. If a phone is not available, please send an explanatory note when your child returns to school. A student returning to school during the day should report to the office.

2. Appointments: Because your child will miss valuable learning opportunities, please schedule all medical or dental appointments outside the school day, if possible. Should your child be late or absent for medical or dental reasons, please send a note prior to the appointment or call the school office. Appointments must be made before/after school during state assessments, as students will NOT be released during testing.

3. Students do not need to have completed and submitted assignments or tests the day they return following an exempt absence. Parents of students are responsible for contacting the teacher to schedule make-up work.

4. When homework is requested from the school and not picked up as scheduled, or if assignments are not completed and returned to the teacher, this service will not be available to the student during future absences.

5. If a student is suspended out-of-school, his/her parents may pick-up assignments in the office per directions of the school administrator. The student must complete the assignments by the time he/she returns to school. If work is not completed, further disciplinary action may result.

TARDY AND TARDY-TRUANCY PROCEDURES

1. A student is tardy to school if he/she is not in the classroom by 8:25 a.m. (The recommended time to be at school is 8:15 a.m.) If the student arrives after 8:25 a.m., students will be considered tardy (overslept, missed bus, etc.). All tardies (T) are unexcused unless the parent provides approved documentation, i.e. doctor note, dental note, etc.

2. If the student arrives after between 8:40 – 11:35 without an exemption, he/she is considered to be half day absent (A-A) will be subject to the attendance procedures above and the accompanying truancy mediation procedures.

3. Any student leaving school after 11:36 and before the end of the school day without an exemption will be considered absent for a half day (A-P) and will be subject to the attendance procedures above and the accompanying truancy mediation procedures.

4. If a student is excessively tardy (accumulates 10 tardies during an academic year), a letter may be sent home notifying parents of the number of tardies along with an invitation to an Attendance Education Class meeting. A consequence may be assigned for continued tardies.

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