Yorkville School
YORKVILLE SCHOOL STUDENT HANDBOOK
BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL HOURS
(a) School hours are from 7:50 a.m. until 3:15 each day. The school doors will
open at 7:20 a.m. each morning. Children should NOT arrive earlier than 7:20
a.m. or remain on the campus later than 3:15 p.m., unless they are participating
in a supervised activity. Students entering the building each morning in grades
PreK-3 should immediately report to the library and students in grades 4-8
should report to the gym. The students will remain in their assigned locations
until the 7:50 bell rings to report to their classroom.
(b) If a student is not in their homeroom by 7:50, they will be considered
tardy. The front door will automatically lock at 7:50 a.m. Students will need to
ring the buzzer to enter the building and sign in at the office.When a student is tardy, he/she must have a parent/guardian to report to
the main office to sign the student in for the day. Once on campus, NO student
shall leave without permission until the end of the school day.
(c) Students who become ill or are injured while at school shall be dismissed
only after parents/guardians have been notified. Exceptions to this policy shall
be made only in case of emergency. Students shall be dismissed before the school
day officially ends only when a parent/guardian sends a written request, calls
the school office to explain the reason for early dismissal, or appears in
person requesting the student’s dismissal. Parents/guardians must report to the
office, sign the child out, and wait there while your child is sent from the
classroom. Do not go directly to your child’s classroom to pick them up. All
requests are subject to verification. When your child has to leave early for any
reason he/she will be counted absent for the time he/she is away from the
school. Keep in mind, this time can add up to days. All of the above procedures
are designed for the safety and well-being of your children.
(d) ***Parents/guardians may walk your children to the library in the mornings.
No one is allowed past the library doors without first receiving a visitor’s
pass from the office. Do not walk your child to the classroom. Parents/guardians
who are picking up their children in the afternoon must wait outside the school
building for dismissal. Car riders will be dismissed daily at 3:10 p.m.
(e) When you think school may be out or dismissed early due to weather
conditions, please listen to 97.7 FM radio station, WBBJ channel 7 in Jackson,
or channel 3 in Memphis. Please do not call the school or stations. Classroom
and homeroom teachers will enact the “Emergency Dismissal Procedure”, therefore;
phone lines need to be kept open so we can get in contact with parents who pick
up their children. It is important for us to have the numbers where you, or
other responsible persons, may be reached. In case of early dismissal have a
plan made for your child and be sure he/she know what to do. If you want your
child delivered to an alternate place in case of early dismissal please notify
our office as soon as possible. Make sure our contact lists are up to date.
ATTENDANCE
(f) The Gibson County School District adopted a policy which recognizes that
good attendance is considered a necessity to achieve at the elementary/middle
school level. Therefore, the following policy regarding absenteeism and
tardiness has been adopted.
Each student will be allowed to submit a maximum of 5 parent notes (that
represents 5 days or one note per day missed) throughout the school year to be
considered excused absence. After these 5 parent notes, only a doctor, dentist,
or funeral note will be accepted as an excused absence. A dentist note will NOT
be accepted for an entire day unless there was extensive work done and the note
must state the extent of the work. After the third unexcused absence, a phone
call to the parent or a certified letter through the mail will indicate a
warning of truancy danger. Upon the 5th unexcused absence, a
child will be reported to the Gibson County Truancy Board. High absenteeism is
not allowed for ANY student unless they are seriously ill and/or hospitalized.
Student CAN and WILL be retained for high absenteeism.
(a) The principal has the authority to waive any case that violates this policy
due to unusual or exceptional circumstances. Any administrative decision
regarding attendance may be appealed to the director of schools and ultimately
to the Board. The appeal shall be in writing to the director of schools within
five (5) days following the action or the report of the action, whichever is
later.
A parent/guardian MUST phone the school (643-6598) on the day of the absence no
later than 10:00 to inform the secretary/principal of the reason the student is
absent. When the child returns to school, he/she is required to bring a note to
the office explaining the absence in order to receive an admit slip to enter the
classroom.
(b) Make up work will only be allowed for excused absences. In order to receive
an excused absence, the above procedures must have occurred on the day of the
absence and the reason must be one that is acceptable. A phone call may be made
to the office requesting make-up work and can be picked up the next day in the
office or sent home with a sibling.
Students who have a perfect attendance record for the entire school year may
skip ‘one’ semester exam, mid-term and final.
SCHOOL BREAKFAST AND LUNCH
(c) Lunch money is collected on Mondays. To expedite the breakfast and lunch
procedures, we request that each child send their check or money in a sealed
envelope to the cafeteria on Monday mornings between 7:30a.m. and 7:50 a.m. for
the entire week. If writing a check for more than one child, list each child’s
name on the envelope. If a child is absent during the week, the unused days will
be applied to the next week. Students, staff members, or visitors are not
allowed to charge lunches. This is necessary as only 3 types of student lunches
are authorized: free, reduced, and paid. Forms for free or reduced lunches are
available throughout the year.
Meals may be purchased on a daily basis. The money will be taken up as the
student travels through the lunch line with each meal. It is requested that if a
student pays by the day, he/she remains at the end of the lunch line (of their
assigned class) to expedite the line process.
If paying by check, please make separate checks for breakfast and lunch. We
cannot and will not accept the check if anything else is added on. Please send
ice cream/snack money separately as this is handled separately from the
breakfast and lunch accounts. If we have 2 of your checks returned due to
insufficient funds, then only cash will be accepted for payment of school
lunches and/or school fees.
The cost for school meals will be $.75 for breakfast and $1.50 for lunch each
day. Free and reduced breakfast and lunch prices are available to students who
qualify. The cost for a student who qualifies for reduced breakfast will be $.30
and reduced lunch will be $.40 each day. Adult lunches will be $2.50 per day.
Other optional items to purchase are: additional milk-$.30, ice cream- $.50.
Students are not allowed to bring soda drink cans inside the cafeteria.
Breakfast is served for K-3 at 7:40 each morning, 7:20 a.m. for grades 4-8.
Any child arriving after 7:50 in the morning will not be served breakfast. Lunches begin at 11:00 for K-3rd grades and 11:55p.m. for grades
4-8.
(a) Grades K-4 are offered a snack time each day. Gibson County School District
uses the G.C.S.D. Wellness Plan as a guide for a healthy environment. Grades 5-8
are offered snacks sold from our bookstore. Various healthy snacks are available
at $.50 each; flavored bottle water, $.75; fruit drinks, $.75; and orange juice,
$.75.
CODE OF CONDUCT
• (b) When a student misbehaves, disciplinary action will be taken. The type of
punishment will depend on the nature of the misbehavior with the philosophy of
being fair to each student at all times. Punishment will never be given for the
sake of punishing alone, but in hopes of teaching the student responsible
behaviors. On behalf of the faculty and staff members, we look forward to your
cooperation if any encounter occurs that involves disciplinary actions with your
child. The punishment is selected depending on the nature of the behavior, age
of the student, and the number of prior incidents.
• The methods of punishment are listed in no particular order:
Parent Notification
Breaks and/or privileges taken away for a period of time
A written report/assignment given in a subject area
Corporal punishment (paddling)
In-school detention/suspension
Out-of-School suspension
Assigned to an alternative school setting (Alternative or Behavior School)
• From time to time, a student’s behavior may require that a paddling be
administered. This will be only after other methods of punishment have proven
ineffective.
1. A conference (by phone or in person) with the parent.
2. The student will be paddled with another teacher present to serve as a
witness.
3. The paddling will be documented by the principal.
If you do not wish for your child to receive corporal punishment, we must have
written notification on file in the office. If you have submitted a request in
the past, please resubmit notification for your request each new school year.
These parents/guardians and students must understand by refusing a paddling when
deemed necessary to correct a behavior, other means will be taken possibly
leading to the parent/guardian picking up the student immediately from the
school grounds resulting in an UNEXCUSED absence.
GENERAL SCHOOL RULES
(c) To ensure that students have a positive learning environment, it is
necessary to enforce rules. These rules must be simple, clearly defined, and
understood by all students, parents, and staff members. When a student violates
one of these rules, the above disciplinary measures will be taken. Disruptive
behavior takes away from instructional time and infringes upon the rights of
others. Therefore, each child’s behavior should reflect self-respect and
consideration for the rights, feelings, and property of others.
• -Be prepared and on time for class each day--bring books, paper, pencil and
completed assignments. Parents should check periodically to ensure your child
has the supplies necessary.
• -Show respect and be courteous to all teachers, staff members, substitute
workers, classmates, and any guests who visit the school. Treat others the way
you want to be treated.
• -Respect the teacher’s right to privacy. Do not look in their desk, grade
books, or files. Do not sit at their desk or be in the copy room without written
permission from a teacher.
• -No running or unnecessary noises in the hallway. This disrupts all classes.
• -Do not have possession of or the use of drug(s) and/or tobacco products at
school. The possession or use of such items by a minor is in violation of state
law and will result in strict punishment.
• -Disorderly conduct; the illegal possession of weapons; and
the illegal use, possession, distribution and sale of tobacco, alcohol, and
other drugs by students is prohibited.
• -No foul language. The use of profanity or making obscene gestures is a
serious rule violation and will not be tolerated. No inappropriate books or
magazines are allowed at school.
• -No threatening, fighting, (This includes horseplay which ultimately leads to
fighting.) or extortion will be tolerated at any time.
• -No verbal threats. To say to a student “I am going to kill you” or “I’ll hurt
you” is taken by the school as serious and will be treated as if the student had
the intent to harm someone. Students even in fun cannot use these words.
• -Bullying will not be allowed and will be handled under the direction of the
principal.
• -Bullying is defined as: 1. physical bullying: harm to another’s body or
property 2. emotional bullying: harm to another’s self-worth 3. social bullying:
harm to another’s group acceptance
• -No CHEWING GUM in the building. No eating candy or food during classes.
• -No CD players, ipods, cell phones, radios, etc., toys, collector cards, and
the like are allowed in the building unless specified by a teacher. These items
will be taken from the student and held in the office for a parent to pick up.
If brought, the school will not be held responsible for any lost or stolen item.
Students may have cell phones for use after school hours only. They must be
turned off during the school day. If there is a problem with a student using his
or her cell phone during the day, the phone will be taken to the office for a
parent to pick up.
• -Students will be RESPONSIBLE for keeping up with their own belongings. All
textbooks and materials are to be placed in their assigned locker when not in
use. DO NOT LEAVE ITEMS IN THE GYMNASIUM, HALLWAYS, ETC. The lockers must remain
neat and orderly at all times. NO STICKERS are to be placed on the inside or the
outside of the lockers. You may purchase a lock for your locker, but it MUST be
a lock opened by a key and not a combination lock. the student must report to
the office that he/she has a lock and the spare key will remain in the office.
All lockers may be searched or inspected at any time.
• -Students will be required to take pride in the school building and with the
use of school equipment. Students will be expected to pay for unnecessary damage
to the school building and equipment.
BUS PROCEDURES AND CONDUCT
(a) Buses are considered as a privileged means of transportation for your child
to the school. All students must show respect for others while riding on the
bus. Any problems on the bus should be reported immediately to the bus driver.
Students must obey the bus driver and abide by the following rules at all times.
1. Remain seated at all times while the bus is in route.
2. Arms and feet should remain inside the bus.
3. No horse playing (hitting, pushing, etc.)
4. No loud or foul language used at any time.
5. No smoking or using tobacco products.
6. No drugs or alcohol.
7. No destructive damage to the bus while riding (writing on the seats, tearing
the seats, etc.)
8. No food or drinks are allowed to be eaten on the bus.
Failure to follow school bus rules may result in your child receiving
appropriate disciplinary actions. The time your child
rides on a school bus, whether morning or afternoon, is considered “school time”.
Students must ride their assigned bus only, unless a note signed by a
parent/guardian giving permission to ride another bus to a designated place
other than their home is given to the principal and a copy given to the bus
driver.
DRESS CODES
Yorkville School dress code restrictions include but are NOT limited to the
following:
STUDENTS ENTERING GRADES 5-8
• Shorts and/or skorts can only be worn during the following time periods:
• August 7, 2007 through September 29, 2007 and again starting
• April 3, 2008 through the end of school
• Shorts must be as long as the student’s arms when stretched down to their
side. They may be no shorter than the fingertips.
• Skirts must also follow the fingertip rule.
• Tank tops, tops with spaghetti straps, halter tops, or tops that are
excessively low cut or tight are not allowed at any time.
• Tops/Blouses must be long enough so that the child’s belly is not showing at
any time.
• Rule of Thumb If a child raises his/her arm and their belly shows, their shirt
is too short.
• Pants must be worn with the waistband around the waist and not hanging below
the waist.
• Flip flop sandals or sandals without a back strap MUST remain on the
student’s feet at all times. If problems occur with such, the student will NOT
be allowed to wear such shoes again.
• No skate shoes allowed.
• On scheduled P.E. days the student should come prepared by wearing tennis
shoes. Other types of shoes will damage the gym floor.
• Hats or caps are NOT allowed at any time unless specified “HAT DAY”.
• Clothing that advertises drugs, alcohol, or displays profane or suggestive
language may not be worn.
• No earrings worn in body piercing or boy’s earrings are allowed.
• Anything that is distracting to the normal school day will not be allowed.
This includes large chains, large necklaces, and excessive earrings.
STUDENTS ENTERING GRADES PreK - 4
If your child is entering grades PreK-4, he/she may wear shorts/skorts and tank
top style shirts any time during the school year. They do not have to be knee
length as long as they are acceptable in their appearance. However, they are not
allowed to wear shirts with unapproved advertising in the opinion of the
principal.
VISITORS
It is STATE LAW that anyone (including parents) visiting the school are required
to come in the office to receive a visitor’s pass and sign a log book. Everyone,
except school employees and students, must have a visitor’s pass to enter the
classrooms, go on the playground, or anywhere else in the school building.
Please abide by this law and do not go directly to your child’s classroom when
entering the building. If you need to speak with a teacher, you may make an
appointment with the teacher. Should you need to phone a teacher
for some reason, please leave a message in the office and the teacher will
return your call during their planning time. It is very important we do not
disrupt instructional time.
TEXTBOOKS
The Gibson County School District furnishes textbooks to all students on a loan
basis and should be treated as borrowed property. These textbooks are the
responsibility of each student If textbooks are damaged or lost in the course of
the school year, the student is required to pay the noted amount. No books shall
be issued to a student until all books previously issued to him/her have been
returned or paid for, including payments for damaged books. The student’s report
card or transcripts will not be issued until restitution is made. This policy
also includes any books checked out of the library.
HOME AND SCHOOL COMMUNICATIONS
(a) From time to time, notes are given to students to take home to their
parents. Please stress upon your child that it is important that notes be
brought home and given to you. Have a specific place for your child to put notes
and papers to be signed on a daily basis. In addition, check backpacks regularly
and pockets for notes children have forgotten. We place great emphasis and
efforts in informing you of any change in schedule and/or special school events
taking place. Students in grades 5-8 are required to buy a school planner.
(b) Children will not be allowed to take incoming phone calls while in class
unless upon emergency. We consider an emergency a sudden illness. Please stress
to your child that the telephones are for school business only. If an emergency
arises and a student needs to use the office phone, he/she must obtain
permission from the secretary or principal.
(c) Please make your child aware in the morning whether he/she will be a bus
rider or a car rider and who they will be riding with. Only in case of emergency
should this ever change. No phone calls!!! If your child is going home with
someone else or in a manner other than usual, please make the office aware by
sending a note with your child.
PARENT /TEACHER CONFERENCES
(d) The date for Parent-Teacher conference has been set for the 2007-2008 school
year. On Friday, October 12th, parents/guardians of children in grades K-8
will have the opportunity to meet with their child’s teacher from 11:30a.m.
until 5:30p.m. to discuss educational/behavioral issues within the classroom
setting. Please make note on the school calendar that the children will NOT
attend school on this day. We encourage ALL parents to attend this conference
even if your child is making satisfactory progress. Parents of children who are
having difficulties are especially urged to attend.
If you feel that you need a conference at any time, please call or e-mail the
teacher for an
appointment. If there is a classroom problem, please ask for a conference with
the teacher(s) involved. If conflicts remain, a conference may be scheduled with
the principal.
During the school year, teachers will contact parents of children who are
experiencing difficulties in order to seek a solution before the child is in
danger of failing for the year.
BOOKSTORE
(e) School supplies are available in the office bookstore. They may be purchased
before school , between classes, lunch time, or after school. The following
items are available for purchase: composition notebooks, loose-leaf paper,
pencils, posterboard, 3 prong folders and pocket folders.
MEDICATION
(f) In the event a child receives minor injuries at school, hydrogen peroxide
will be available to cleanse the wound. Should the injury be considered by the
teacher serious enough to need a doctor’s attention, a parent will be notified
at that time. It is vitally important that the information on your child’s
emergency form be
correct so that we may notify you in case of emergency. Please notify the office
immediately should any of your information change.
If at all possible, medicines should be given at home. Should it be necessary,
however, for the student to take any prescription or other medicine at school,
the parent/guardian must contact the school to complete an AUTHORIZATION FORM
from the office giving permission for the school to administer or assist in
giving medications to the student. This includes over-the-counter medications,
such as: Tylenol, Benadryl, or cough medicine. When sending medicines,
prescription drugs must be in the original prescription bottle and OTC
medication must be in an unopened bottle. Any changes in prescription medication
such as dosage or time will require a new form to be signed. Unless the office
has the form completed and signed, the student will not be allowed to take any
medication during the school day. (This procedure is from the Gibson County
School Board Policy Manual.)
At no time should a student have any kind of medication on their person.
Parent/guardians should bring the medication to school. All unused medications
must be claimed at the end of the school year or they will be discarded.
HEAD LICE
(a) If your child is sent home from school with head lice or you see any head
lice infestation, he/she must be NIT FREE BEFORE RETURNING TO SCHOOL. We require
proof of treatment after a child has been determined to have head lice. Proof of
treatment can be the box top or a note from a doctor or health department. Head
lice are very contagious and we encourage you to talk to your child about
sharing other students’ personal items. Periodic checks may be conducted. If a
student reaches an excessive amount of days missed due to head lice, he/she can
be referred to the Truant Board of the Gibson County Juvenile Judge. We
appreciate your cooperation.
ATHLETICS
(b) Athletic teams are an important part of the total education of students. We
encourage students to take part and be involved. For a student to participate in
a sport or cheerleading we require them to pass all academic subjects with an
acceptable grade. If a student fails to meet this criteria, it is possible that
they serve a probationary period where he/she will concentrate on improving
academic areas. During this probationary period, students are ineligible to
“participate” in any sporting event. However, the student will attend games and
sit with the team. If the student is successful in meeting the criteria at the
end of his/her probationary period, he/she can resume play!
All students planning to tryout for athletics must have a current physical on
file with the coach before tryouts begin.
Admission to basketball games is $3.00 for children school age through 12th
grade and $3.00 for adults.
Children grades K-4 should be supervised by a parent/guardian when attending
school events, especially ballgames. They should be kept in the gym and not be
allowed to run the hallways or play in the restrooms.
Junior Pioneer athletics includes boys' and girls' basketball, cheerleading, softball
and football. Football practice is held at Yorkville and home
football games are played at Gibson County High School. Basketball,
cheerleading, and softball practice and games will be split between Yorkville
and Spring Hill.
STUDENT PERFORMANCE/EVALUATION
(c) During each 6 week grading period, every student 5-8 will bring home a
“Mid-Six Week” progress report to their parents. This is a means of
communication to parents about their child’s progress in each subject area
during a six-week grading period. Parents must sign these progress reports for
their children to bring back to their teacher. Please feel free to contact your
child’s teacher if you have a concern regarding the progress report.
In addition to the Mid-Six Week progress reports, Report Cards will be sent home
at the end of each (6) week grading period. Students in grades K-1 are evaluated
on a checklist format that is non-graded. Their progress, or lack of, is noted
by letter grades ONLY. Their grading system is as follows:
E = Excellent
S = Satisfactory
I = Improving
U = Unsatisfactory
N = Needs to Improve
Students in grades 2 - 8 are graded by a number system that reads as follows:
A = 93-100
B = 85-92
C = 75-84
D = 70-74
E = 0-69
Conduct shall be marked as follows:
E = Excellent
S = Satisfactory
U = Unsatisfactory
Report Cards will be sent home on the following dates for each grading period K
- 8.
1st Six Week grading period - October 1, 2007
2nd Six Week grading period - November 7, 2007
3rd Six Week grading period - December 18, 2007
4th Six Week grading period - February 13, 2008
5th Six Week grading period - April 2, 2008
6th six Week grading period - May 21, 2008
HONOR BANQUET
(a) At the end of each school year students are recognized with an honors
banquet. The following is a list of guidelines to establish eligibility for
attendance:
1. The Honor Banquet is open for students in grades 2-8 only.
2. Honors will be based strictly on averages in core courses. P.E., band, music,
writing and art, etc., will not count in the averaging.
3. The average will come from the first 5 six weeks grading periods.
4. “A” Honor Student
5. “B” Honor Student
8th Grade Class Trip Student Evaluation Process
This trip is a reward and a privilege, not a right. Each student will be
evaluated prior to the 8th grade trip by the staff at Yorkville School. (This
includes the principal, class room teachers, office staff, teacher assistants,
coaches, art teacher, physical education teacher, band director, guidance
counselor, etc.)
• 1. overall attitude
• 2. preparation for class (homework, etc.)
• 3. tardiness/absenteeism
• 4. adheres to general school rules (c/o student handbook)
• 5. adheres to general bus rules (c/o student handbook)
• 6. adheres to dress code (c/o student handbook)
• 7. subordinate with teachers and staff
• 8. hygiene issues (students with head lice or nits 2-3 days prior to the trip
will automatically be a NO GO)
• 9. conduct at school related functions (ballgames, band competitions, etc.)
• 10. grades
PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION (PTO)
(b) Over the past few years, our hard work in this area and others has enabled
us to cancel school sales and fund-raisers. We feel very good about this and
know that you appreciate this fact also. In the past, our PTO has purchased and
installed such things as new playground equipment, a lighted sign, extra funding
for classroom teachers and is currently fully funding an art program.
To become a member of our PTO, you must only donate $1.00 to our annual
membership drive. We have monthly meetings and encourage your attendance. PTO is
largely responsible for the organization and success of our one and only
school-wide fund-raiser, the Harvest Festival. This year’s Harvest Festival has
been scheduled for November 9, 2007. We, at Yorkville School, believe that our
parents are the best. We are partners in the important job of educating the
children of this community. Working together, we will be able to reach our
collective and individual goals.
MISSION STATEMENT & BELIEFS
Our mission at Yorkville School is to equip each student with the opportunities
necessary for success, by providing a positive educational experience in a safe
and disciplined environment.
We believe:
*All students can experience success in the classroom.
*All students should be taught in a safe, positive, and friendly environment.
*Lines of communication should remain open between students, parents, and
teachers.
*Promotion of positive student self-esteem is pertinent to the learning process.
*Discipline and appropriate classroom behavior are critical to the learning
process.
*Faculty and staff display a genuine concern for students.
*Community should be active in the support and success of the educational
process.
*Technology should be an integral part of the learning process.
We ask that you review the Student Handbook with your child. Please complete the
information below following your review to indicate your awareness of all
policies and procedures. (Keep in handbook.)
My Child, ________________________________and I have reviewed and understand the
Student Handbook for the 2007-2008 school year.
________________________________________
Student Signature
_________________________________________ Parent Signature
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Dear Parents/Guardians and Students:
It is my pleasure to welcome you to Yorkville School. The faculty and staff join
me in saying we are happy to have you as part of the Yorkville School family. We
are continually striving to insure that all students are exposed to every phase
of a well-structured educational environment. We hope the 2007-2008 school year
will be a successful and satisfying year for you.
It is the responsibility of each parent and student to read this handbook and
abide by the rules herein. Parents should read aloud and/or explain the contents
to lower grade students so they will know what is expected of them. In addition,
we feel that the handbook will serve as a helpful reference for parents as they
seek to provide academic support at home. Yorkville school parents are our
partners in the important job of educating the children of our community.
We welcome your participation and support during the school year and encourage
you to become involved in the P.T.O. Working together, we will be able to reach
our collective and individual goals this school year.
Sincerely,
David L. Brewer