Lake Forest Student Handbook

Please read carefully the following information. This handbook will give you information about our school and school procedures. Should you have any questions, please contact the school office at 355-4000. We are all "partners" in the education of the children at Lake Forest.

DAILY SCHEDULES
7:30 -4:00 Someone will be available to assist parents and/or children. If special assistance is needed, please schedule a conference to meet with the appropriate personnel.

7:15 a.m. Earliest time that students may enter the building is 7:15. Teachers will be on duty to supervise students who arrive by bus. No children should be dropped off prior to 7:15 a.m. Supervision will not be provided before 7:15 a.m.

7:45 Breakfast lines close.

7:45 -7:55 School Store is open.

7:45 Classrooms are opened. Students may report to classes. Students arriving prior to 7:50 must report to the cafeteria.

8:00 School begins. After the 8:00 bell rings students are tardy and must check in at the office before reporting to class.

2:00 No early dismissals after 2:00 p.m.

2:20 Afternoon announcements

2:30 Bus riders, car riders, day care van riders, and walkers dismissed.

2:30 -2:40 Car riders are picked up. Parents whose children are frequently not picked up on time will be required to meet with the principal to discuss solutions to the problem.

**Supervision by the Lake Forest staff is provided from 7:15 a.m. until 2:40 p.m. Students may not enter the building before or after these hours.

LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP
If a parent has a court order in the school record as proof of custody and the school is notified each year, the school will do its best to honor the request of the parent concerning who has authority to pick up the mild. The school must be informed in writing as to who is authorized to pick up the child. Inform your children of the persons authorized to pick them up, and instruct them not to go with anyone else. Without proof of custody in the child's permanent record, the school has no recourse but to dismiss the child to either parent.

VISITATION IN THE SCHOOL
All visitors to our building, including parents and school volunteers, must stop by the office first and sign in using the Simple Track System so that we know that you are in the building. All visitors must also sign out in the office when leaving the school building. Visitors and volunteers must wear a Visitor/Volunteer badge. This regulation is for your child's protection. Parents are welcome at school at any time. Arrangements must be made in advance with the principal and/or the teacher before visiting or observing in a classroom. Parents may not visit with teachers on our playground during recess time. This is a time that requires a teacher's undivided attention to his/her class. If there is a special need to observe a child's social activity, it must be arranged with the teacher or principal.

A MOMENT OF SILENCE
South Carolina state law mandates that all schools shall provide for a minute of mandatory silence at the beginning of each day. Lake Forest will have a moment of silence after the Pledge of Allegiance during morning announcements.

TOBACCO POLICY
The School Board has established a No Tobacco Policy in all schools, buildings, offices and facilities in the district. This policy prohibits the use of any tobacco products in the school or on the school grounds.

TELEPHONE MESSAGES
The school telephone number is 355-4000. Messages for teachers will be forwarded to teacher voice mail. Only in emergencies will a teacher or student be called to the phone during class time. Students may use the school telephone only for emergencies as deemed necessary by office personnel. Arrangements for after school activities or transportation home should be made before a student leaves home in the morning. Forgotten homework, arrangements for after school, etc. are not considered emergencies. Phone calls may be made directly to the teacher’s classroom phone.

SCHOOL TRAFFIC
For the safety of the students, the following traffic rules are to be obeyed during arrival and dismissal of students:

1. Drive forward as far as possible before stopping.

2. Stay in a single line. Leave the left lane for cars leaving or passing.

3. Students should leave and enter cars only from the right side.

4. Obey patrol boys and girls; they are for your child's safety.

5. Students are to cross only where there is a school crossing guard or teacher.

Place the Leo large card in the passenger side windshield of your car with the names and grade levels of the students that you will be picking up in the afternoon. If there is no card indicating who is to be picked up, parents will need to park in the parking lot and come to the sidewalk to get their children. ID will be required until school personnel recognize adults picking up children.

PARKING DURING SCHOOL HOURS
Parking in the circular drive in front of the school is limited to ten minutes. This area is reserved for parents dropping off or picking up students. Parking in the primary building area is reserved for teachers. Additional parking is available in the front parking lot. Please do not park on the sidewalk in front of the school. Park on the road so that the sidewalk will be clear for our community members.

DRESS CODE
The dignity of our school will be reflected in the dress and manners of our student body. Students are required to wear shoes at all times. Flip-flops are not allowed. Shoelaces must be tied at all times. Hats and caps may be worn only on the playground. All straps and hooks on clothes must be fastened. Clothes should not be worn backwards. No mesh- type see-through shirts, tank tops, halter-tops or halter dresses are permitted. Bare midriffs, cropped tops, and off the shoulder tops are not allowed. Pants should be worn at the waist level and belted. Pants should not be hanging down under shirts or tops. Clothing advertising alcohol, drugs, sex and/or obscene or questionable messages are not allowed. On the days that your child has physical education, please be sure that he/she is wearing tennis shoes and appropriate attire for outside activities. Shorts may be worn but may be no shorter than mid-thigh. Skirts must also reach to mid-thigh and be no shorter. Extraneous articles hanging from clothing, such as chains or other articles are considered inappropriate, and will not be permitted. Clothing should be such that a child is warm/cool and appropriate for a learning environment. No "heely" shoes with roller skate wheels are permitted.

STUDENT RECEIPTS
All receipting of school funds is done through the classroom or office. When a student pays for any activity -field trips, pictures, etc. -the student will receive a printed receipt. If you have any questions about a receipt or if you have already paid for any activity, call the school secretary at 355-4000.

RETURN CHECK POLICY
Our school and/or the cafeteria are charged a fee when we receive a check that cannot be processed due to insufficient funds. The Secretary and the Cafeteria Manager will notify anyone whose check is returned for this reason and request that the matter be resolved as soon as possible. A service charge currently charged by the bank will be added to the original amount of the returned check. We do reserve the right to accept only cash for any future payment.

PLACEMENT OF STUDENTS
The administrators work closely with the classroom teachers, guidance counselor, and resource teachers to assign students to an appropriate homeroom. At the beginning of the school year, the placement of all students is considered a tentative assignment. Changes in enrollment at the beginning of school may necessitate assigning students to different classes, but every effort will be made to limit the changes that are made.

REPORT CARDS/PROGRESS REPORTS
Report cards are sent home every nine weeks. This report will grade children in reading, language, spelling, mathematics, social studies and science/ health. If a report is not received at the end of each nine-week period, please notify your child's teacher. Parents will be asked to send a stamped, addressed envelope to school with their child at the end of the year to mail the final report card. Interim progress reports may be sent at any time during the grading period to inform parents of a lack of progress in certain areas. Interim progress reports will generally be sent at mid-term of each nine-week period.

    GRADING STUDENTS

    The grading scale for students in grades 2-5 set forth by the state and school district is:

    A = 93-100     B = 85-92     C = 77-84     D = 70-76    U = below 70

The report card indicates whether your child is working on or below grade level in mathematics and reading. Students must have all A's and B's and satisfactory marks in ungraded subjects to make the Honor Roll.. Kindergarten and first grade students are not graded. Parents will receive a report quarterly indicating the student’s progress in academic development areas. These areas will also be discussed at the fall conference.

**Kindergarten and first grade students will not participate in the school Honor Roll program.

HOMEWORK/CLASSWORK
Homework is an extension of classroom activity, and the assignments should be meaningful. Homework and classwork will be counted as a part of a student's nine-weeks grade. If the student fails to complete homework/classwork assignments, the teacher will notify parents. If the student continues not to complete assignments, he/she may receive a failing grade. The teacher may require a student to complete classwork or homework during recess time on an occasional basis if there is a consistent problem of completing or returning work. Teachers at each grade level will explain their homework policy. We encourage parents to provide assistance if needed, but expect their child to be responsible for the assigned work. If your child is spending more than one hour per night on a consistent basis, it is advisable to contact the teacher to discuss this matter. Homework assignment notebooks may be purchased at the school store. All students are expected to keep up with their assignments on a daily basis.

If your child is ill and unable to attend school, you may arrange to pick up his/her daily assignments by calling the school office at 355-4000 no later than 8:30 a.m. This will enable the teacher to make arrangements throughout the day to gather the assignments. You may pick up these assignments in the front office after 2:45 p.m.

Make-up work must be turned in within 5 school days of the absence unless other arrangements are made with the teacher.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
There will be a scheduled conference between the child's teacher and parent at the end of the first 45-day reporting period for all students. Teachers in all grades will also schedule conferences throughout the year as needed to share information about a child's progress. Parents are encouraged to initiate conferences at any time by writing a note or calling the teacher for an appointment. When teachers observe the need for additional parent-teacher conferences, they will request that parents come in for special conferences.

PROMOTION/RETENTION POLICY
The promotion/retention policy adopted by the School District of Greenville County assures that students reach minimum academic standards at each grade level before they are promoted. Students must meet the criteria set by the district in order to be promoted. Parent conferences will be requested to inform parents of the academic concerns about their child. Parents will also be notified in writing if there is a possibility that their child may not meet the standards. Parent conferences will be scheduled to discuss the academic progress the child has made and to share ways parents can help their child at home.

SCHOOL DISCIPLINE
Lake Forest Elementary School will be an orderly, disciplined school where students are responsible and accountable for their actions. Students are expected to act with respect for themselves, others,  and property. Most discipline can be handled between the teacher and student. If the offense is serious or if inappropriate behavior persists, the student will be referred to the administration. Appropriate disciplinary measures will be determined by the administration. Parents will be informed of the inappropriate behavior in writing, by phone, or a parent conference.

Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS)

Lake Forest Elementary has implemented PBIS school-wide.  Below is some information about PBIS.

l      PBIS is a proactive approach to school-wide discipline.

l      It promotes direct instruction of behavioral expectations and social behaviors.  

l      It promotes maximizing student engagement through the implementation of prevention and intervention strategies. 

l      It is research and evidence based.  All decisions and practices regarding discipline are data driven.

l      It is the redesign of environments, not the redesign of individuals.

l      School climate is improved through positive feedback, the acknowledgement of exemplary behaviors, and the decrease of strain on teachers and administrators. 

l      It allows staff to identify problem areas and make program decisions based on data. 

l      All stake-holders are “on the same page” with common rules, routines, and arrangements.

l      It maximizes teaching time, academic engagement, and academic achievement by decreasing disruptions.

l      It decreases office referrals, classroom disruptions, and the severity of behavior problems. 

l      It offers behavioral support to everyone.

l      It teaches, encourages, and reinforces appropriate behaviors.

Lake Forest Leopards ROARRR!

The 3 R’s represent our 3 school-wide expectations for student behavior.

RESPECT Yourself      RESPECT Others      RESPECT Property

Students are acknowledged in a positive way for meeting the expectations.  The students receive Prowl Paws for following the expectations.  The Prowl Paws can be exchanged for Leopard Loot (prizes).  Class Prowl Paws are also given to classes that are following the expectations.

We are very excited about PBIS at Lake Forest!

HARASSMENT AND BULLYING
District Policy JCDAG requires schools to discuss harassment and bullying with students. At Lake Forest this discussion is a part of the school’s annual review of the Student Behavior Code held in August with all students.

Elementary students may be recommended by the principal for expulsion for possession of any weapon; possession, sale, or distribution of alcoholic beverages; illegal drugs or narcotics, toxic substances, or drug paraphernalia; threatening to inflict or inflicting bodily harm, however slight, upon any school employee; ganging or participating as a member of a gang in threats to inflict or infliction of bodily harm, however slight, upon another person. Any infraction of the above will also result in referral to the superintendent of schools and referral to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

Non-students on school grounds:

Persons who are expelled or suspended and those who are not students shall not be allowed to come on school grounds or loiter around schools, to interfere with students and/or teachers, or to disturb the school in any way.

Corporal Punishment is not administered in District schools.

To insure the safety of everyone it is important to remind your child that no items resembling a weapon (toy guns, knives, Chinese stars, etc.), will be allowed at school for any reason. If your child has a "real" or "toy" weapon in his/her possession, he or she will be suspended from school. Any items of this nature will become the property of the School District of Greenville County.

SPECIAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
Please make your child's teacher and the School Nurse aware of any SPECIAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. A statement of the nature of the special health problems is required in writing. A doctor's statement is required to outline procedures that need to be taken in the event your child requires any special attention.

HEALTH INFORMATION FORM
A health form must be completed for each child. This information helps the school contact parents in the event of an emergency. It is most important that you make your child's teacher and the school aware of any SPECIAL HEALTH PROBLEM. Please inform the school nurse in writing if there are any changes in your address, phone number at work or home, and/or persons to contact in the event of an emergency.

HEALTH ROOM
The Health Room is open daily from 7:40 -2:30 and is under the supervision of an LPN or RN. Our Health Room number is 355-4007. Minor First Aid will be administered for injuries and for illnesses occurring at school. If our nurse or your child indicates he or she is too ill to remain at school, every effort will be made to contact you. If parents cannot be reached, the school will follow directions on the student's health card. In the event of a serious situation when no one can be reached who can assume responsibility for the child, EMS will be called. The parent will be responsible for any cost incurred. The school nurse and/or school employees are the only ones who can administer medication sent by parents. Listed are guidelines for medication to be given in the Health Room:

SPECIAL SERVICES
Special education services are available to students who qualify according to South Carolina and federal criteria. Psychological evaluation, speech, hearing, and vision testing is provided at no cost to the parent. If you feel that your child could benefit from these services, contact his/her teacher or the principal. It is important to understand that the school is required to follow a specific process in referring students for special services.

STANDARDIZED TESTING PROGRAM
Lake Forest follows the district and state testing programs. Standardized achievement and aptitude tests are administered and test results are available to parents. Standardized test data are used to identify those areas in which students show academic strength or weakness and to help us improve our instructional program. Parents will receive a copy of their child's test results. Our counselor is always available to answer any questions or provide an explanation about your child's test scores.

Grades 1-5 MAP Testing (Measures of Academic Performance: September, December, and April)

Grade 2 - CogAt & ITBS Achievement Testing

Grade 4 ITBS Achievement Testing

Grades 3-5 PASS

The School District or State Department of Education may add other tests. Parents are requested to mark these dates now. Students should not be absent during these testing dates.

PERMANENT RECORDS
A permanent record is maintained in the school office for each student. All information in the permanent record is confidential and is accessible only to the professional staff, and the student's parent or guardian. Please schedule an appointment with the counselor if you desire to review your child's permanent record. When a student transfers to another school outside Greenville County, the records will be forwarded to the new school upon receiving a written request from the new school.

FIELD TRIPS
Field trips are an extension of the instructional program. The Lake Forest teachers spend many hours planning and preparing for an exciting and enriching experience for our students. Students are expected to fulfill their responsibilities, i.e. homework, behavior, classwork, and monetary obligations, in order to participate. Students are also required to have a signed permission slip from their parents or legal guardian. THE PERMISSION SLIP AND FIELD TRIP FEE MUST BE TURNED IN TO THE TEACHER 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE FIELD TRIP IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE. ANY EXCEPTIONS MUST BE APPROVED BY THE ADMINISTRATION.

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES/PROGRAMS
Special Activities, plays, programs, field trips, etc. help to make learning exciting at Lake Forest. Students must earn the privilege of participating in these special curricular events by completing their schoolwork, meeting the expectations and responsibilities established by the classroom teacher and/or administration, and exhibiting good behavior. Children are made aware of the expectations for themselves and their responsibilities and are encouraged continuously and helped to do their best to fulfill their responsibilities. Parents are made aware if and when a child has not fulfilled his/her responsibilities. Some of the things students are responsible for are returning library books, completing classwork/homework, and returning parent correspondence. It is the parent's responsibility to provide the funds for the student to repay borrowed lunch money, return or pay for school pictures, and pay for any lost/damaged books. Parents will be made aware of responsibilities or expectations that have not been fulfilled before a child loses the privilege of participating in special curricular activities.

SCHOOL PARTIES/BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
Two school parties will be held each year. The two parties will be on the last day before winter holidays and on Valentine’s Day. A child's birthday may be recognized by the classroom teacher, but will not be celebrated with a party, cupcakes, balloons, etc. during the instructional day. Invitations for private parties may not be passed out in the classroom unless all students are receiving invitations. Parents may bring cupcakes, cake, or cookies to be eaten at lunchtime to celebrate a child's birthday. However, the teacher needs to be notified in writing prior to the items being brought to school. In the event that two children have the same birthday and cupcakes are brought for both, the teacher will use his/her discretion as to when the cupcakes will be eaten.

Items such as flowers, balloons, etc. that are delivered to the front office for a child will be given to the child at the end of the school day. It is strongly encouraged that these kinds of deliveries be made to the home rather than the school.

MEAL PROGRAMS
The cafeteria staff provides a nourishing, well-balanced meal each day according to National Guidelines. While students are encouraged to eat the lunches prepared at school, they may bring a lunch from home. Students will have 25 minutes for lunch each day.

Parents are requested to put lunch money in an envelope with the child's name, amount, and teacher’s name on the front. This will aid the food service staff in crediting your child's account. Money should be sent only on Monday mornings. All checks should be made payable to Lake Forest Cafeteria. The cafeteria phone number is 355-4008.

Food and Nutrition Services expects payment either in advance or at the point of service. Students at elementary schools are allowed to charge meals on an emergency basis only. If parents or guardians find it impossible to pay for student meals, please apply for free/reduced meals by completing an application available from our Cafeteria Manager.

The Free and Reduced Meal Program is available under the National School Lunch Program. An application form will be given to enrolling students and to everyone at the beginning of the school year. Parents will be notified in writing of eligibility. Parents will need to pay for their child's meal until their application has been approved.

Universal Breakfast Program – Free to all students

Student meal for a day $ 2.00

Student meals for a week $ 10.00

Student meals for 20 days $ 40.00

Extra Milk $ .65

Reduced student daily $ .40

Reduced student weekly $ 2.00

Reduced meal tickets must be purchased on a weekly basis. These will not be sold on a daily basis.

Adult meals -Lunch -$3.25 daily. Breakfast -$2.00 daily. Tea without a meal is $ .50. Tea refills are $ .50.

Parents are invited to have lunch with their children at any time. Parents eating in our cafeteria should purchase a school lunch (regular meal or salad). If a parent plans to eat lunch with his/her child, it is necessary to send a note so he or she will be included in the lunch count. Parents are encouraged to be aware of the exact time their child eats lunch. Upon arriving, please SIGN IN at the office and get a VISITOR'S BADGE. If parents arrive early, please wait in the cafeteria, office or on the front walk rather than going to your child's room. Parents may sit at your child's table. Please observe our cafeteria rules. Parents are asked to say good-bye to your child in the cafeteria. Please sign out in the office when leaving campus.

HOMEWORK FOLDERS
Red homework folders are sent home everyday. It frequently includes important information about your child's progress, PTA and school events, field trip permission forms. Please review the information in this folder carefully.

1. All fall and spring and group pictures must be returned or paid for in full.

2. All fees for lost/damaged South Carolina textbooks must be paid in full.

3. All activities, materials, etc. that have not been paid for during the year must be resolved.

4. All borrowed lunch money must be repaid.

5. All NSF checks and service charges must be cleared.

All library books must be paid for or returned.

All After-school fees must be paid.

AFTER SCHOOL CARE PROGRAM
Lake Forest operates an after school care program on school days. The hours of operation are 2:30 p.m. -6:00 p.m. The rates charged for after school care are comparable to area day cares. Our program is structured for the entire afternoon and students receive a snack each day. The after school program does not operate on holidays or other days in which students do not attend school. As with regular school, the after school program will close in the event that school is closed due to inclement weather. Questions about the after school program should be directed to Mrs. Patti Munroe, Director at 355-4979, or to the school office.

BICYCLE SAFETY
All students who ride a bicycle to and from school should be appropriately safety conscious when riding on the street or on school grounds. Bicycle safety helmets are required for student protection. Please make sure your child wears a helmet when riding his/her bicycle to and from school.

THE SCHOOL’S CHANNEL
School system programming airs on Charter Cable 99 for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and on charter Cable 14 (Greenville Education Network) on Monday through Sunday, 5:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., plus Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Watch for school closing announcements on these channels as well as local television and radio stations. You may also call 355-3100 for school closing announcements.

EARLY DISMISSALS FROM SCHOOL
All students who need to be dismissed early from school for an appointment should bring a note from the parent on the day of the dismissal. The note should include the date of the dismissal, time, and who will be picking up the child. We also need to know if the child will be returning to school that day. The parent must come into the school office and sign out the child before leaving campus. No early dismissals are permitted after 2:00 p.m. Please make arrangements accordingly. Students must be present for at least half the school day to be counted for perfect attendance.

PARTICIPATION IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Student participation in extracurricular activities is a privilege (not a right) that a student earns through proper conduct and academic achievement. A student may be denied the privilege of participating in an extracurricular activity and/or an event when the student’s conduct is not consistent with District Policy; the District’s Behavior Code and/or academic standards; the conduct expectations and/or academic standards of Lake Forest Elementary School; and/or the conduct expectations and/or academic standards of the particular activity. Extracurricular activities include, but are not limited to. Athletic teams, academic clubs/teams, proms, graduation exercises, and attendance at any school function outside of the normal school day.

IF YOU HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE...
Believe it or not, everything you hear through the grapevine is not always accurate!!! We strongly encourage anyone who has a concern or a question about something you've heard from a neighbor, your child, a parent volunteer, or in the community, to call Ms. Coggins, Mrs. Watson, or Mrs. McCuen at 355-4000. We will be glad to discuss any concerns, answer any questions and provide the most up- to-date information available to us.

Your input is very valuable to the Lake Forest staff and administration. We are always open to suggestions of how we can continue to make Lake Forest the best school it can be. We also hope that you will let us or our staff know the activities, programs, events, etc. that have been a positive experience for your child.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN EDUCATION
No student in the School District of Greenville County shall be denied equal opportunity to participate in any district program or activity on the basis of race, sex, religion, marital status, or national origin; and no student shall be denied a free, appropriate education on account of any handicapping condition.