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2007-08
This parent handbook contains general information which will be
helpful to you as a parent of a student at Red House Elementary
School. Many policies, regulations, and services are explained;
please keep this handbook available for ready reference throughout
the school year. Close cooperation between home and school
is essential to promote the best interests of the child. We
hope this handbook assists in beginning, or continuing this cooperation. If
you have questions about the material contained in the handbook,
please feel free to call the office for clarification.
The School Day
School Hours
Morning Prekindergarten 8:45
a.m. – 11:15 p.m.
Afternoon Prekindergarten 12:45
p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Kindergarten – Grade 5 8:45
a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Arrival
The entrance bell rings at 8:30
a.m. Students should not arrive before 8:30 a.m., as there
is no supervision available until the bell rings. Students
may not enter the building prior to this time unless they are having
breakfast, which begins at 8:25 a.m. All students, including
those from the Pavilion, must enter the building
by the front door of the main school building. Students
should be in their classrooms and ready to begin their school day
by 8:45 a.m. Parents who drop their children off in the
morning are requested to remain outside the building or in the
lobby during morning arrival; children need to begin establishing
independence and responsibility for themselves. An important
step in this process, especially for young children, is entering
the school building on their own and handling the morning routine
in a timely fashion. Most of our kindergarten students are
already capable of finding their way to the classroom and putting
things in their lockers. Other students should be more than
capable of handling these tasks.
Late Arrival
Students arriving after 8:45
a.m. will be considered tardy and must report to the office
to obtain a late slip before going to their classroom. Parents
are expected to come to the office with their child to sign him/her
in.
Dismissal
Afternoon announcements begin
at 3:10 p.m. Walkers will be dismissed immediately thereafter,
followed by bus riders. All students, including those from
the Pavilion, will exit the building by the front door of the main
school building. During afternoon dismissal, we ask that
parents who pick their children up make arrangements to meet them
outside. Parents will not be allowed in the hallways or classrooms. The
last five minutes of the day are extremely important, as it is
a time when students are receiving last minute instructions about
many things, such as homework assignments for the following day. When
parents are waiting in the halls, their conversation and/or their
appearance through the classroom doors and windows are a distraction
to the students.
Early Dismissal
Students being dismissed early
(before 3:10 p.m.) must be signed out in the main office by a parent
or legal guardian only. Please do not go directly to
your child’s classroom. Please come to the office,
sign your child out, and we will call for your child to meet you
in the office.
If it is known in advance that the
child will be leaving early, it would be appreciated that a note
be sent to his/her teacher that morning. The child will be
sent to the office when the parent or guardian arrives. If
the child will be returning, he/she is to come back to the office
to be signed in.
Parking Lot and Driveway
Our parking lot can become very congested at
arrival and dismissal times. In the interest of the safety of our children,
we request that you adhere to the following:
- Traffic must flow in one direction only, following the arrows.
- Students who are being dropped off or picked up must get in
or out of their cars at the curb at the entrance to the parking
lot. Parking is not allowed along this curb.
- Parking is available in the spaces marked and along the outer
curb only. Please do not park in the lot. Additional
parking is available on Weyburn Road. Parents are asked
to observe the “No Parking” signs which are posted
in front of the Pavilion.
- The lane nearest to the school is reserved for buses only.
- Students may only cross the bus lane at the crosswalk, where
a teacher will be on duty at arrival and dismissal times. Students
may not cross the parking lot without a parent.
Your cooperation is greatly appreciated and will help us maintain
the safe arrival and dismissal of our students.
The School Building and Grounds
Office Hours
The school office is open from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00
p.m. on weekdays only. It is closed during school-year vacations.
Parent or Visitor Check-In
For the safety of our children, it is important
for someone in the front office to know when visitors are in the building. Please
check-in on all visits and obtain a Visitor’s Pass from the office.
If you need to deliver anything
to your child during the school day, such as a forgotten lunch
or book, please leave it with a secretary in the office, and she
will see that your child gets it.
 School
Store
Children can purchase school supplies on Tuesdays
and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
 Smoking
Baltimore County Public Schools is committed to providing
a healthy, comfortable, and productive work environment for its students and
employees. Due to the evidence concerning the health effects of tobacco
use, smoking, and passive smoke, the use of tobacco in any form in school buildings,
on school property (including the parking lot) and at school-sponsored functions
(including field trips) is prohibited at all times.
Bicycles
 A
bicycle rack is available for students who wish to ride their
bikes to school. Please discuss with your children the
importance of securing their bicycles with a heavy duty lock,
chain and/or security device in order to ensure their safe-keeping,
as the school cannot be held responsible for damage or loss. Permission
slips for bike riders are available in the office. Maryland
law requires that children wear a helmet every time they ride
a bike.
Transportation
Parent’s Role in Pupil Transportation
Parents are responsible for the safety of their
children from the time the students leave home in the morning until they board
the school bus; and, at the end of the school day, from the time the school
bus departs the unloading area at the bus stop until the students reach home. Once
the student boards the school bus, the responsibility lies with the bus driver
and school administration.
Riding the school bus is a privilege. This
privilege may be revoked if the misconduct of the student jeopardizes
the safe operation of the school bus or the safety of the other
students riding the bus. Please review the following rules
with your child before school begins:
- Follow directions from the driver the first time they are given.
- Stay in your seat at all times while the bus is in motion.
- Keep all parts of your body inside the bus.
- Keep hands, feet, legs, arms, personal property and your voice
to yourself.
- Eating, smoking, drinking, and vulgar language are not allowed
at any time.
Parents should be aware of their liability for damage caused by
their children to the property of others, including the school
bus.
When students walk to and from school or the bus stop, they must
show consideration for the property of those citizens whose homes
or places of business are located along their routes.
Children are to ride their assigned buses each day. Permission
to ride a different bus or get off at a different stop will only
be granted in emergencies. Parents must send in a written
request, which must be approved by an administrator. If we
do not have such a written request, the child will be put on his
regular bus to go home. When requesting a permanent change
in bus transportation, parents must send a written request to the
office at least three days in advance.
The School Bus Rider’s Guide to Safety will be distributed
to all students in September. Please review it with your
child, as these guidelines apply to students riding buses on field
trips as well as those journeying to and from school each day.
Communication
Parent Newsletter
The Parent Newsletter will be
sent home monthly. It is imperative that you peruse the Newsletter
each month as important and timely information is included.
Work Samples
In order to keep you informed
as to your child’s progress in school, teachers will frequently
send home your child’s classroom work samples. After
reviewing the work samples with your child, please sign and return
them to your child’s teacher.
Assignment Book
An assignment book will come home with your child
each night. Please review assignments and any notes written in this book
with your child and then sign, which is an indication to your child’s
teacher that you have seen the assignments and are aware of all notes written
to you.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Conferences may be scheduled during the year
for all students at the parents’ or teacher’s request. Please
schedule conferences in advance, as teachers use the time before and after
school to prepare for the day, help their students get organized, check work,
and participate in grade level or faculty meetings. Teachers will not
be interrupted during the normal school day to confer with parents.
Phone Calls
 In
order to set up a conference with a faculty member, parents are
encouraged to call during school hours and leave a message. Faculty
members will return your call as soon as possible.
We will not disturb a class in order to call your child to the
phone to talk to you unless there is an emergency. Likewise,
students will have limited access to the phones.
Emergency Cards
At the beginning of the year,
you will be requested to complete three emergency cards; one will
be kept in the office, one will be kept in the Health Suite, and
one will be kept in an emergency mobile kit. Please be sure
to update phone numbers on these cards as needed by informing the
secretaries of any changes.
Classroom Visits
Classroom visits can be arranged any time after
October 1. We are proud to show visitors our teachers and programs. Please
call your child’s teacher in advance to arrange an appointment. As
you might expect, children and teachers can be distracted by visitors. We
prefer to limit visits to one person at a time. You can help by keeping
visits to an hour or two and coming alone. In addition, parents are encouraged
to visit during American Education Week in November.
Expressing Concerns
We hope you and your child will
have a happy, rewarding year. We can help that happen if
you share with us small issues before they grow into larger concerns. Please
contact the person most directly involved with your concern, beginning
with your child’s teacher. We need your feedback to
help us do our job well, and we rely upon your candor and good
suggestions.
Academic Guidelines
Classwork Expectations
It is expected that students
will come to class prepared to learn. It is important to
this end that they have the necessary materials, supplies, and
completed homework. Classwork activities in which students
will be expected to participate include reading, participating
in discussions, completing independent work, and completing group
projects.
It is virtually impossible for a
child to “catch up” on missed classwork because of
the interactive nature of the classroom. When possible, written
assignments will be sent home in the case of illness. When
a child misses school due to vacation, classwork may not be sent
home. Instead, the child will be requested to read an assigned
book (or portion thereof) and maintain a daily journal of his trip
experiences.
Homework Expectations
We feel homework is important. It
reinforces skills, builds study habits, and encourages independent
thinking. We also believe students should have time for sports,
hobbies, and personal interests (preferably other than TV). We
think our homework expectations are full but fair. Some
children will consistently need more time, others less. Some
days will be busier than others, too. If you think your child
is assigned too much homework, please discuss it with the teachers.
The County recommendations are as follows:
- Grades 1 – 3: Maximum of 30 minutes a day
- Grades 4 –5 : Maximum of 60 minutes a day
- Weekend homework is permitted in grades 4 & 5.
- Homework is not assigned over holidays.
We do not require homework assistance
by parents, but encourage your interest. You can help by
seeing that all work is done, and by withdrawing when you sense
you are doing the work. Mistakes can help the teacher know
where the child needs extra help. The goal is for each child
to become independent and competent. Unless a teacher specifies
a collaborative assignment, we expect all work turned in by each
student to be his or her own. You can help by setting up
a time schedule and providing a good place to study, free of distractions
such as TV or radio.
Reading
 Research
has shown that the most successful students are those that read
well. Our at-home Nightly Reading Program requires students
to read at home on a nightly basis. We encourage students
to read for 15 uninterrupted minutes. This can be in the
form of silent reading, reading aloud to your child, or a combination
of the two. Each term, we will celebrate the efforts of our
students who have completed their nightly reading requirement.
Tests
Generally, no more than two tests
will be scheduled on the same day. Quizzes need less preparation
than tests, so they may be additional. If your child regularly
devotes the same study time to quizzes as tests, please let us
know, as he may need help with study skills.
Special Area Classes
Art
Students will have art at least
once a week. They are  encouraged
to keep a smock in their locker to protect their clothing.
Computer
Students will use computers as a part of their
regular academic program. They will have access to computers both in
their classroom and in the Computer Lab.
Guidance
The development guidance program at Red House
Run has been designed to assist each child in developing his/her unique potential
as an individual. The counselor will work toward helping each child become
more responsible for him/herself by gaining a better understanding of the factors
which motivate behavior. The counselor works in classrooms as well as
with individual and small groups of children to achieve these goals.
Instrumental Music
 Instrumental
music is provided for all fourth grade students and is an elective
subject for fifth graders. For those fifth grade students
who are interested, instrumental music lessons are offered as a
regular part of the school day. The Instrumental Music teacher
will suggest an appropriate instrument for your child and will
send home information regarding rental/purchase payment plans. These
students will also be in the Band.
Library/Media
 Students
will visit the library/media center at least once a week. They
may borrow up to two books at a time. All students are on
their honor to return books when they are due. Students will
be expected to pay for books they lose or damage.
Physical Education
Students will have physical education at least
once a week. Students must dress appropriately for physical education
for their safety and comfort by wearing tennis shoes and removing jewelry. You
may want to consider having your child remove his/her glasses or providing
safety glasses as well.
Reading
 The
responsibility of the school reading specialist is to help students
become successful readers. The reading teacher works directly
with students who have deficiencies in reading. The special
reading program reinforces skills, vocabulary and comprehension
strategies. You will be notified by the reading specialist
if your child is receiving these services.
Vocal Music
Students will have vocal music
at least once a week. All students in grades 4 and 5 will
be in the chorus for one semester.
Student Behavior
Expectations
A belief that is integral to
the Red House Run school community is respect – for ourselves,
other students, adults, and property. This concept is the
basis for our Wolf Pack Pledge and Super Citizen program. During
the year students can be nominated as a Super Citizen by their
teachers for displaying certain characteristics. Our quarterly
themes are:
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Cooperation
- Perseverance
Wolf Pack Pledge
To be a good citizen
of the Red House Run community, I will…
- be kind to myself and others,
- be responsible for my behavior,
- take care of my property and the property of others, and
- be safe.
Discipline
All students have the right
to a good learning climate. In our efforts to support children’s
organization, behavior, and learning, it is expected that children
will behave in ways that will not interfere with their learning
or the learning of others. School, classroom, and transportation
rules are shared with and explained to each student at the beginning
of the year. Students are expected to make appropriate decisions
and be willing to accept the consequences if wrong decisions are
made. The consequences may include lunch detention, loss
of play, temporary removal from the class, or referral to the office. More
stringent consequences for severe behavior are outlined in the
Baltimore County Public Schools Student Handbook, which each student
will receive at the beginning of the year.
If appropriate
behavior is a frequent problem, teachers and administrators will
meet with parents to discuss the problem. Under no circumstances
will a student be allowed to continually disrupt a class or interfere
with the learning of others.
 Special
Occasions
Field Trips
Field trips are important educational
experiences. They broaden the child’s experiences,
interests, and understandings, and are a part of the instructional
program. As such, all students are expected to participate
in these valuable experiences and take part in the pre-planning
and follow-up activities in the classroom. Teachers send
notes home to announce trips and reminders appear in the Newsletter
calendar. A permission form will be sent home for each field
trip. We must have written permission anytime we take students
off school property. We cannot accept verbal permission over
the telephone. The cost of each field trip will be communicated
by the teacher. Children should dress appropriately for field
trips.
Chaperoning Field Trips
If you would like to help chaperone
a field trip, please tell your child’s teacher. Spaces
are limited on most trips, so please understand if the teacher
asks you to wait until another time. Older siblings cannot
serve as chaperones.
We appreciate chaperones complying
with four important policies:
- Unfortunately, siblings cannot attend. Young children
can distract our groups and may need more attention than a chaperone
can give.
- The teacher is the trip leader, is responsible for decisions,
and is in charge of students and chaperones.
- When you chaperone, we need your supervisory help. Please
be firm with any child whose behavior is inappropriate, and get
the teacher’s help, if necessary.
- Please remember that you serve as a model for our students. We
ask that you dress appropriately for your own comfort and safety,
and remember that smoking by chaperones is strictly prohibited,
as the location of the field trip is an extension of the school
boundary and school day.
Class Parties
During the last period of the
day, teachers may choose to have occasional class parties in conjunction
with holidays. The room mother helps organize parties and
will probably call you to ask for help at some time during the
year. When you send in food, please remember that most parents
and teachers prefer that you provide nutritious snacks. Snacks
should be store bought.
Student Records
Reporting System
Parent conferences will be held
twice a year for students in prekindergarten and kindergarten. Report
cards will be sent home with each student in grades two through
five quarterly. Students in grade one will receive a report
card for terms two through four; progress will be communicated
via a conference for the first term. Parents are asked to
sign the report card envelope and return it to school.
Testing
Assessments will be given to
students in grades one through five. The results of these
tests are used for diagnostic purposes, as well as a tool to measure
growth. You may wish to call for an appointment with your
child’s teacher or an administrator, who will review results
with you. Testing dates will be noted in the Parent Newsletter.
Official Files and Transcripts
Files may be read by authorized
personnel only and may not leave the office. If
you wish to see your child’s file, you may do so in the presence
of an administrator. Please make an appointment to do so.
Without your written permission, no person or
other school will have access to or release of information from your child’s
official file. It is understood that faculty, staff, and appropriate
Red House Run personnel are exempt from this requirement. Access to or
release of records with parental permission will be recorded in a log which
includes the student’s name, date, and the name of the reviewer or person
given access.
Files and records will only be
released after all financial obligations have been met.
The parent/student address list
and directory is also confidential. School policy prohibits
its use or the use of the school name for solicitation or commercial
purposes.
Student Health
Absences
If a child is to learn and progress, regular
attendance is most important. You do not need to call the school office
when your child is absent. However, your child’s absence must
be explained to the teacher in a note stating the specific illness upon your
child’s return to school. Absences will be coded as “unexcused” for
those students returning to school without a note.
Homework for the day of your child’s
absence may be requested by calling the school office before 10:00
a.m. It can be picked up in the office after 3:30 p.m. or
sent home with another student designated by the parent.
Health Suite
 The
health suite will be staffed by our school nurse, Ms. Williams. She
can be reached at 410-866-9315. The nurse will provide first
aid, supervise the administration of all prescribed medications,
and provide assessment of medical and health-related situations
which may require referral to appropriate community resources. (including
screening for vision, hearing, and scoliosis). Although the
nurse is on staff to care for unexpected illnesses, Red House Run
does not have the facilities to function as an infirmary. Therefore,
if your child becomes sick at school and needs to go home, we will
call you. We understand the inconvenience to working parents,
but we have no facility or personnel to care for sick children. Please
prepare a contingency plan well in advance, and let us know how
we can help.
Immunization and Physical Examinations
The American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends yearly physical examinations for all children. Red
House Run Elementary requires a complete physical examination for
all children entering prekindergarten or kindergarten, as well
as all new students entering school. We hope to be kept
abreast of any changes in the health needs of your child, and to
promote the safety of all our children. Red House Run also
follows the State of Maryland’s minimum requirements and
recommendations for immunization. Any child not in compliance
with the required immunizations will be withdrawn from school until
the necessary immunization documentation is provided.
It is essential that you inform
the nurse and homeroom teacher if your child has a serious medical
condition or health problem.
Medications Policy
When a student is taking prescribed
medication, the parents should  make
every effort to arrange for the medication to be taken outside
of the school day. However, when a physician determines that
a child must receive a medication during the school day, either
on a regular schedule, or as needed, the following policy will
be enforced: Before supervising the administration of prescription
medication in any form, the school nurse must have complete written
instructions from the physician including the name of the prescribing
physician, date of order, name of medication, dose, time, circumstances
of administration, length of time the medication is to be continued
and any possible side effects. Without this information,
no medication will be given.
Medication must be in the original
container (a second container should be obtained for the medication
to be taken at home) and labeled with the following: child’s
name, physician, date, medication, dosage, and directions for administration. Parents
must deliver the medication personally to the health suite or school
office in its original container, and wait for the school nurse
to document the number of pills received. Students may NOT
carry medications to school. Every effort will be made to
notify you as the need to refill ongoing medications becomes apparent,
but parents will ultimately be responsible for refilling prescriptions
in a timely fashion.
There will be a limited number
of over the counter medications (such as Tylenol, Benadryl, Advil,
etc.) which, with parental permission, will be offered, as deemed
necessary by the school nurse, in accordance with established protocols
endorsed by a physician. If you wish for your child to receive
any non-prescription medications, you will need to provide the
medication in its original container, and sign an authorization
form (available from the school nurse).
No student will be permitted to
self-medicate during the school day. All medications will
be kept in a locked cabinet at all times. Teachers are not
authorized to store or supervise the taking of any medication.
Circumstances warranting special
consideration should be discussed with the school nurse.
All medications and medical equipment
must be picked up by a parent or an adult parent designee by the
end of the school year. Any medication not picked up by the
end of the school year will be discarded.
Medical Emergencies
In the case of a medical emergency,
we will first call 911 and then the parent or legal guardian. The
ambulance takes children to the most convenient hospital. If
you are unreachable, we will call the person named on your emergency
form. Please be sure to name someone who can be reached
easily.
Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect
Teachers, staff members, and
parent volunteers are legally responsible for reporting suspected
child abuse or neglect to Social Services, and they are legally
protected from lawsuits for false reports as long as evidence indicates
that suspicion of child abuse or neglect was reasonable.
Guidelines for Appropriate Dress
Our Goal
Our school’s major goal is the
education of your child. In order to accomplish this goal
we must provide an atmosphere which is conducive to learning. It
is in this spirit that we have developed the following guidelines
for appropriate dress:
 Students
should wear:
- Clean clothing
- Jeans, slacks, dresses, and shorts of appropriate length
- Shirts, sweaters, and blouses which cover the upper part
of the body
- Safe shoes, tennis shoes.
Students may not wear:
- Floor-length dresses
- Shower sandals, i.e., flip-flops, platform heels
- Short shorts, bathing suits, halter tops or other suggestive
type clothing
- Hats or gloves in school
- Clothing with abusive and/or suggestive language and/or slogans
- Hair dye that is any other color than natural hair color
- Facial make-up and/or tattoos
- Excessive jewelry
- Pants or shorts that fall below the hip.
Recess
All children have outdoor recess,
weather permitting. Please have your child dress appropriately. Children
will not be allowed to remain indoors during this time. If
a child needs to remain indoors to recover from an illness, that
child should be kept at home.
Cafeteria Service
 Debit
Cards
All students will receive a debit card to be used with the computerized
system in the cafeteria. These cards will be kept in the
cafeteria. We encourage parents to prepay at least 5 meals
in their child’s account. The computerized system
allows for prepayment into an account that can only be accessed
by the student’s I.D. number. Any questions can be
directed to the cafeteria manager by calling the main office at
410-887-0506 and ask to be transferred.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served each morning
from 8:25 – 8:45 a.m. Students who receive free or reduced
lunches are entitled to a free or reduced breakfast as well.
Lunch
Proper nutrition makes a big difference in a
child’s performance in school. Students may pack a lunch or purchase
one from the cafeteria. When packing a lunch, please keep in mind that
we cannot refrigerate or heat children’s meals at school. Please
supply forks, spoons, napkins, etc. as needed. Please avoid junk foods
and sugar whenever possible. Parents are discouraged from bringing their
children fast food lunches.
On occasion, you may need to deliver
a forgotten lunch to school. If so, please leave it with
a school secretary. The secretary will see that the child
gets it.
A lunch menu will be sent home
at the beginning of each month. Students will be offered
three choices daily, one of which is a salad box. Students
must sign up for lunch during homeroom.
Free and Reduced Lunch
At the beginning of the school year, you will receive
an application form for free and reduced lunch. If you feel your child
is eligible for free or reduced lunch, please complete the application and
return it to school as soon as possible. As in previous years, students
who were eligible for a free or reduced price lunch at the end of the previous
school year are eligible to receive a free or reduced price lunch until October
1 of the current year. However, even if your child was eligible last
year, you must reapply for the current school year by October 1.
Expectations
We expect our students to be well-mannered, polite,
and orderly in the cafeteria. Students may talk quietly with their immediate
neighbors while they eat. Cafeteria assistants are available to help
students needing assistance. Unacceptable behavior will result in revoking
the privilege of eating in the cafeteria. Parents will be informed when
this occurs.
Students may not bring glass containers
to school, including a glass thermos. There have been cases
in which the thermos has exploded, causing a safety hazard to many
children. In addition, children may not purchase sodas at
school; please do not send carbonated beverages to school.
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