Attendance
Students are expected to arrive at school on time. Students who arrive after 9:15 are to report to the office before going to class. We require parents to provide a written note for late arrivals or to come into the office to sign their child in as tardy.

If a student is absent, it is the parent's responsibility to notify the school by written note regarding the date and reason for the absence. Students with a fever should not be sent to school until they have been fever free for 24 hours. Students who develop a fever during the school day will be sent home.

Field Trips
Field trips are an extension of classroom instruction and enhance BCPS curriculum. We welcome parent chaperones on our field trips. As teachers evaluate and plan for trip itineraries, student safety and the instructional value of the trip is also considered, therefore, the format of the trips may vary from year to year. In addition, as tour guidelines, building restrictions and transportation limitations are met, the number of chaperones accompanying our students may be adjusted.

Permission slips and money for the trip are due prior to the date. A field trip is considered part of the classroom experience, and students are expected to go. Students may be prevented from going on a field trip of their behavior in school has been such that an administrator feels the student would create an unsafe environment on a trip away from school. In this case, parents and students will be notified in advance.

Inclement Weather
In the event of inclement weather, students and parents should listen to the radio or watch television (instead of calling the school) to learn of school closings, late openings, or early dismissals. The Baltimore County website also posts notification when schools are closed due to inclement weather. Go to http://www.bcps.org and look at the top of the page

Medications
If a student is to receive medication at school, the prescribing doctor must provide a written order for the school nurse. The medication must be in the original container with the proper label. (Pharmacists will give you two bottles for any prescription if you ask.)

Students are not allowed to bring medication of any kind to school, take them home, or carry medicines in school. This includes over the counter medicines as well as prescription. If parents come to school to give their child any medication, they must notify our school nurse.

Requests to Leave School Early
A written request to have a student excused from class early should be sent with your child to school. The time and reason for leaving must be included. We encourage parents to make medical and dental appointments outside school hours whenever possible.

A student will be released only to the parent or legal guardian unless the school has been notified in writing that permission is granted for someone else to pick up your child. The parent, or authorized person, must come to the office and present identification when signing out a student.

School Dress Code
Students are expected to dress appropriately for an elementary school. Parents should not send students to school in items of dress that will be detrimental to classroom instruction or that will create distraction. Parents are asked to use sound judgment in the choice of garments. Footwear, such as roller skate sneakers or flips-flops and sandals that will not stay on a child's foot, are not acceptable. Go to policies/5000series/pol5520.pdf to see the school system dress code. Additionally, click here to see the official Chatsworth School Dress Policy.

Visiting School
All visitors must report to the Main Office. Once you sign in you are required to wear a visitor nametag.

Volunteering
Volunteers are an integral part of the Chatsworth School. Each classroom teacher and or team solicits parental assistance as needed. Among other things, volunteers help students with their work, read to students, provide practice with math facts, monitor the media center, assist in the office, and help in the cafeteria. We encourage parents, grandparents, and community members to volunteer frequently. We believe that by working together, students will receive the highest quality education. Contact your child’s classroom teacher if you are interested in volunteering. As a school we are given credit for our volunteer hours. Please remember to sign in an out of our volunteer log which is located in the main lobby on the days you are here.