Pulaski Elementary School

Dear Parents and Students:

Welcome to Pulaski Elementary School. The mission of Pulaski Elementary is to provide and maintain a safe, positive and caring learning environment.

As a faculty, we believe every child can learn and we strive to see that all our students reach their potential. We teach the basics of education but at the same time we include time for enrichment activities. We feel that computers will play a very important role in the world of tomorrow and increased emphasis will be given to computers and computer technology. Thanks to the PTO and other organizations multiple computers are in each classroom with at least one having internet access. In addition to the PTO, the Giles County Board of Education has provided us with much needed upgrades in computer technology.

We invite you as parents to visit our school and to be a part of your child's educational process. Should a problem arise, feel free to come to the school and discuss it with the teachers or myself. We would ask that you call and make an appointment if you need to talk to a teacher so that the teacher will not miss class time. Please take an active part in our P.T.O. organization because they mean so much to our school.

Sincerely,

Bill Holt, Principal

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SCHOOL REACH PHONE SYSTEM

Pulaski Elementary has a phone system called "School Reach" which has the capacity to call all parents at the same time in case of school emergencies. Please make sure the school has your home phone and cell number where you can be reached. PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL IN THESE SITUATIONS SINCE WE WILL BE TRYING TO CALL YOU.

SECURE OUR SCHOOLS HOTLINE---424-7042

Secure Our Schools Hotline (SOS)--Call 24 Hours a day, 7 days a week to anonymously report acts of violence, selling of drugs, possession of weapons or acts of vandalism. A reward will be given for information that leads to the confiscation of a firearm on school property, if in the possession of a student. 2

SCHOOL SEARCHES

Lockers and other storage area, containers, and packages brought into the school by students or visitors are subject to search for drugs, drug paraphernalia, dangerous weapons or any property which is not properly in the possession of the student. Vehicles parked on school property by visitors are also subject to search for drugs or drug paraphernalia or dangerous weapons.

TIME SCHEDULE

7:00-7:50--Breakfast served
7:40---------Outside doors opened
7:45-7:55--Bookstore opens
7:55----------First bell rings; Students should be present and seated by this time
8:00-2:22-- School is in session
10:45-12:18--Lunch is served

SCHOOL CALENDAR 2012-2013

P.T.O. Meetings:  September 18, 2012; November 13, 2012; February 19, 2013; May 17 2013 (There will be more PTO meetings throughout the year. Please watch for the notes sent home for future dates and visit the PTO page of this site. Executive Committee meets at 5:15. Regular meeting at 6:00.

Report Card Dates: These dates may be changed due to days out for bad weather:  Sept. 20; Nov. 7; Jan. 9; Feb. 21; April 17; May 23

VISITORS

Parents and guests are welcome to visit the school at any time. We request that ALL VISITORS first check by the office upon entry into the building and receive a hall pass. All parents who wish to talk with a teacher need to make an appointment to do so during the teacher's planning time to avoid disturbing the classroom. You are welcome to visit and eat lunch with your child, but we ask you to please wait for your child in the hall by the cafeteria rather than disrupting the class. Parents are requested to not accompany their child back to their room unless they are going to sign them out. NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINKS ALLOWED IN THE CAFETERIA. 4

ATTENDANCE

STUDENT SCHOOL POLICIES

1. We find ourselves housed in a very beautiful building. It is expected of us by the tax payers, School Board and County Commission to maintain and preserve the school building in its present condition. It is your responsibility as a student to take pride in your school and help maintain the beauty of the school as it is. Any student found abusing the building will be dealt with severely.

2. School starts promptly at 8:00 a.m. Any student who arrives after this time should go to the office to obtain a permission slip to enter class. AN ADULT SHOULD ACCOMPANY THE CHILD TO THE OFFICE TO PROPERLY SIGN THE STUDENT IN.

3. All outside doors WILL BE LOCKED AT 8:00. All parents and children entering after 8:00 MUST report to the office and enter the building through the front doors.

4. Any student who leaves the building at any time before 2:22 P.M. must be signed out in the office by a parent or guardian. DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF PARENTS WHO COME EARLY AND WAIT IN LINE FOR THEIR CHILDREN, YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO SIGN CHILDREN OUT IN THE OFFICE AFTER 2:00. IF YOU COME TO THE OFFICE BETWEEN 2:00 AND 2:22 TO SIGN OUT YOUR CHILD, YOU WILL BE ASKED TO GO GET IN THE CAR LINE AND PICK UP YOUR CHILD AT THE APPROPRIATE DISMISSAL LOCATION.

5. Students will be counted absent for the entire school day if they are not at school for 3 hours and 15 minutes. Excessive tardiness and absenteeism will be reported to the attendance supervisor. Early sign outs will count against attendance. 5

6. A student should have a WRITTEN EXCUSE any time he/she is absent from school. The teacher should be notified if the student will be absent for several days at a time. Classroom discussion is used to help determine the final grades and since the dialogue that takes place between the teacher and the students cannot be duplicated, attendance for the entire day is important.

7. DRESS CODE:

a. Net shirts, midriff and backless tops, "spaghetti straps", shirts with alcohol or tobacco advertisements, or obscene pictures or writing ARE NOT to be worn by the students.

b. Students may wear shorts of appropriate length (no short shorts) and it is recommended that shorts be worn under skirts or dresses.

c. No caps or hats are to be worn in the building.

d. Shirts and blouses must be worn inside trousers and slacks unless they are designed to be worn outside.

e. No FLIP-FLOPS OR SANDALS are allowed due to safety reasons. For the safety of your child, all footwear should have enclosed toes and heels. NO OPEN-TOED SHOES PERMITTED!

f. Earrings: For safety sake, long, dangling earrings will not be permitted. Male students WILL NOT wear jewelry in their ears.

g. Trousers must be worn appropriately. Trousers which sag and expose under garments will not be permitted.

8. Students should have their FULL NAMES on all coats, sweaters, jackets, book bags, purses, lunch boxes, toys and any other personal items that are brought to school. If an item is lost, it will be returned to the student, otherwise, if not named, it will be placed in a lost and found box in the front lobby across from the office.

9. All students are required to take Physical Education class. If they are unable to take Physical Education for any reason, they should bring a note from their parents or guardians. It is assumed that in most cases, a child who is unable to take Physical Education is also unable to participate in free play.

10. Any student who cannot take part in Physical Education class over 5 days should provide the school with a DOCTOR’S EXCUSE stating what activities the student should be exempt from and for how long. GYM SHOES MUST BE WORN WHEN TAKING P.E.

11. A student may be corrected by any member of the staff who sees inappropriate behavior. 6

13. If a student has a special problem, he should try to work it out with the teacher. If a solution cannot be reached, then the Principal should be involved. The parents and teacher should be included at all levels.

14. If toys are brought to school, they should be appropriate and played with only during free play. NO TOY GUNS OR TOY WEAPONS ARE TO BE BROUGHT TO SCHOOL.

15. The chewing of gum is not allowed at any time.

16. For safety and order, there will be no running in the halls. Students should also be reasonably quiet in the halls.

17. Because of the danger of falling and injury, students should not climb the trees on the school grounds.

18. Foul language and the drawing of indecent pictures are not acceptable.

19. The throwing of rocks, dirt, sticks, or any other object is prohibited. The throwing of rocks and mulch on the playground is an automatic visit to the office and the offenders could be subject to corporal punishment.

20. Knives, guns, liquor and abusive drugs will not be tolerated on school property and any student guilty of this will be subject to dismissal from school.

21. Fighting is not appropriate at any time. Since play-fighting often leads to real fighting, it will be discouraged and dealt with as fighting if it persists. Fighting could lead to suspension from school.

22. Bus students MUST obey the driver. It is the driver's responsibility to maintain an environment that meets the safety regulations set up by the state and local authorities. A student who continues to abuse the rules and regulations may lose the right to ride the bus. The driver is to bring any major problems to the office. Students who misbehave on the school bus will be given a bus violation report. This form will be sent to parents and the parents are requested to sign and return it to the driver the next morning. Further violations of bus rules could result in complete dismissal from the bus. RIDING THE BUS IS A PRIVILEGE—IT SHOULD NOT BE ABUSED.

23. All car riders should be picked up by 2:45. Pre-K dismissal is at 1:45. If you are after 2:00, pre-K parents must get in the regular dismissal line that lets out at 2:22.

DISMISSAL SCHEDULE

BELL TIME
1st. 2:22 Walkers and car riders (second grade- south end; K and 1st.--north end)
Buses (load on Cedar Lane) 35, 28, 19, and 27
Line up in gym—36, 25, 95, 01

PARKING AND TRAFFIC FLOW

If you have a kindergarten child and another child in first or second grade, the older child will walk to the kindergarten end to be picked up with the younger child on the north end. They will also be dropped off in this manner in the mornings,

As previously stated on page 4, rule 4, students will not be allowed to sign out after 2:00. You will be asked to get in the pickup lines and pick your child up after the 2:22 dismissal bell.

EARLY DISMISSAL IN EMERGENCIES

In the event of inclement weather or other emergencies and the school is dismissed early:

1. DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL. Listen to the radio (WKSR, 98.3 FM) for advice on school closings. 2. Be sure to have an emergency phone number to call in case we cannot reach the parent.
3. The school will contact you by phone only through our computer generated School Reach program in case of emergencies or unusual situations at school. Please do not call the school in these situations. We must have an accurate and working phone number to enter into this program. Individual teachers will not call you unless in an emergency.
4. DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF PROBLEMS WE HAVE HAD DUE TO CUSTODY CASES AND FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL OUR STUDENTS, IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES IN THE WAY YOUR CHILD IS TO GO HOME, WE MUST HAVE A WRITTEN NOTE SENT TO THE TEACHER. We are no longer going to accept transportation changes via phone calls or on the school answering machine. This must be done in writing and given to the classroom teacher. We will accept a fax message explaining the changes if it reaches the school before 2:00.

ILLNESS

When a student becomes ill or hurt during the school day, the parent will be immediately notified and requested to pick up the child. Parents are requested to be sure to leave a phone number where they, or other responsible persons, can be reached during the school day. NO INTERNAL MEDICINES WILL BE PROVIDED TO THE STUDENTS. 9

If the parent wishes the student to take any type internal medicine, the parent must come to the office and sign a permission form with specific instructions on how to administer the medicine. All medicines are kept locked in the nurse’s office and will be administered by the school nurse or her designee. PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL IF THEY ARE RUNNING A FEVER OR HAVE VOMITING OR DIARRHEA. Your child should be fever free without medication for 24 hours before returning to school.

MEDICAL-DENTAL APPOINTMENTS; Parents are asked to try to schedule all doctor-dental appointments after school, if possible. If this is not possible, please schedule them after 10:30 so that morning instructional time will not be interrupted.

KINDERGARTEN

Requirements to enter:

1. Be five years old by September 30.
2. Have a certified birth certificate (mother's copy will not be accepted).
3. Have an immunization form issued by the health department or family doctor with the State seal on it.
4. Have a record of a physical examination.
5. Have a Social Security number.

Pre-kindergarten class will start at 8:15 and be dismissed at 1:45. No bus transportation is provided for pre-kindergarten classes. If you do not pick the child up by 2:00 in pre-k, you must get in the traffic lane and the child will be picked up through the kindergarten pick up doors. PRE-K PARENTS ARE ASKED TO PLEASE NOT COME ON CAMPUS UNTIL AT LEAST 8:05 IN THE MORNINGS AND 1:30 IN THE AFTERNOON IN ORDER TO NOT HINDER THE TRAFFIC FLOW OF OTHER GRADES.

DISMISSAL: Kindergarten classes will be a full school day. Children who do not ride the bus will be dismissed at the north end of the Kindergarten wing beginning at 2:22. When parents come to pick up the children, please get in the left lane and drive though the canopy to the proper stop. Teachers will bring the children to the outside doors. Please do not get out of your vehicles and leave them blocking the traffic lanes.

CAFETERIA

The cafeteria provides a nourishing and well prepared breakfast and lunch daily. Mrs. Julie Walls is the cafeteria manager and you can call her at 363-6743 if you have questions concerning the cafeteria.

Cafeteria prices:

Breakfast-Daily, students, no charge; Adult breakfast -$ 1.25; Visitor breakfast- $1.50; milk-.50 Lunch--$1.50; Employee lunch-- $2.75; Visitor lunch--$ 3. 00; Holiday visitor-- $4. 00.

The cafeteria does not cash checks or make change other than paying for items sold in the cafeteria. CHECKS WRITTEN TO THE CAFETERIA TO PAY BILLS SHOULD HAVE THE CHILD’S NAME AND HOMEROOM TEACHER’S NAME WRITTEN ON THE CHECK.

Free or reduced meals--Parents may apply for free or reduced meals in the school cafeteria either the first day of school or at a later date by filling out an application form. Parents should bring a check stub or other proof of income when making application.

MEAL PAYMENTS—we will no longer use meal tickets. Each student will be assigned a number which they will enter into a computer keypad to keep track of meals eaten in the cafeteria.

Soft drinks--No soft drinks in cans or bottles are allowed to be consumed in the cafeteria. It is recommended that students who bring their lunches bring their drinks in thermos bottles.

Charging meals—Students are allowed to charge lunches or breakfast. All charges should be paid as soon as possible. Parents will be notified if charges reach $10.00.

Parent Visitation--Parents may have lunch with their children at any time. Please wait for your child in the old front lobby after receiving a pass from the office if eating to avoid disturbing your child's classroom. A special "guest table" will be provided for parents who come to eat with their child.

BOOKSTORE

Pulaski Elementary provides a bookstore in which students may purchase school supplies daily. The bookstore is open from 7:45 to 8:00 a.m.

PARTIES

Halloween and Valentine parties are given to each class by room mothers/fathers and are to be scheduled by each home room teacher. Christmas parties by the teachers are held the last morning before the class leaves for Christmas holidays.

A birthday party may be given for a student by a parent if it is permissible with the teacher. Parents should bring the birthday treats to the office and they will be sent to the room for the teacher to have the party. Parents are also requested to keep in mind the Wellness Policy for Giles County when planning the parties. The policy states that refreshments served at parties should provide 50 percent or more of the items that are from the nutrient dense foods list.

REPORT CARDS

Report cards indicate the student's progress and will be sent to parents six times during the school year. It is important that parents thoroughly understand every grade and level on the report cards, and are encouraged to communicate with teachers if they have any questions or doubts about the student's progress or grades. Please plan to attend the Parent/Teacher conferences in September and February.

FIELD TRIPS

Field trips are an important part of the educational program and parents are encouraged to allow their children to participate. Parents will be asked to sign a permission form at the beginning of the school year that will cover all field trips. You will be notified in advance when a field trip is planned in your child’s room.

SCHOOL FEES AND WORKBOOKS

Students are asked to pay a school fee. These fees are requested but not required to be paid. No student will be denied from participating in any school activity if the parents choose not to pay the fee. The fee is $ 20 for all grades. The fees are used for educational supplies, workbooks, and copy machine expenses to help enhance the learning environment of the students. The fees are requested to be paid at the beginning of the school year. Students who are financially indebted to the school will not be allowed to participate in field trips, purchase school pictures or yearbooks, or receive their final report card until the debt is cleared up.

RETURNED CHECKS

When writing a check to the school, please make sure you have the proper funds in the bank to cover the check. We have entirely too many checks returned to the school for insufficient funds or closed accounts. BECAUSE OF THIS, THE SCHOOL WILL CHARGE A $30 SERVICE CHARGE FOR RETURNED CHECKS.

SPECIAL SCHOOL SERVICES

Title 1--Title I is a federally funded program that offers students extra help in reading and or math. These small group classes are thirty minutes each day and reinforce what the child is doing in the classroom. Students for Title I are selected from an assessment based on the previous year’s work in grades 1 and 2. The scores from a readiness test given at the beginning of kindergarten are used to select the kindergarten students.

Foster Grandparents Program--The South Central Human Resource Agency sponsors a Foster Grandparent program which provides elderly paid volunteers to help students who need special assistance in academic performance, emotional support, or perceptual training.

Resource--The resource program provides supplemental assistance to students in the areas of Reading, Language Arts, Spelling, and Math for grades K-2.

Speech and Hearing--The program offers instruction in articulation, fluency, and voice problems for people from age 4 up to age 22. Instruction is offered for the hearing impaired.

SCHOOL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS

Parent/Teacher Organization--(PTO)

The Pulaski Elementary PTO is composed of all parents and guardians, and faculty, of Pulaski Elementary students. Each classroom teacher selects a parent to be Executive Room Mother/Father and represents the parents in that class on the PTO Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is also composed of the PTO officers and the principal, and meets before each regular PTO meeting to transact the business of the organization, which is then reported to, and voted on, at the regular PTO meeting. The Executive meetings began at 5:15 with the regular meeting starting at 6:00. 13

PTO OFFICERS 2012-2013
President—Greg Pickett
Vice-president—Jeanette O’Connor
Secretary—Shana Hibdon
Treasurer—Tarra Callahan
Cub Run Chair—Jodi Gaines
Carnival Chair—Dawn Lugert

ROOM MOTHERS/FATHERS

Each classroom teacher requests parents/guardians to volunteer to be Room Mothers/Fathers to assist with activities related to the PTO, and, and to help with class parties and other activities. One of the Room Mothers/Fathers will be selected to be the Executive Room Mother/Father.

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

Parent/Teacher Conferences are held twice during the school year to discuss the students' progress. Parents are urged to attend each conference. The dates for the 2012-2013 school term are Sept. 20 from 3-6:00 and Sept. 21 from 8:00 to 11:00 and Feb. 21 from 3 to 6:00 and Feb. 22 from 8 to 11:00.

ADOPT-A-SCHOOL PROGRAM (PARTNERS IN EDUCATION)

The Giles County Adopt-a School Program (Partners in Education) provides a business or industry an opportunity to work cooperatively with a school to enhance a school's program. McDonalds and Johnson Controls have adopted Pulaski Elementary and have worked cooperatively with the school in assisting with many of the school's programs and projects.

PTO FUND RAISING PROJECTS

The PTO sponsors several fund raising projects during the year with the Cub Run in the fall being the main project. The funds are used to purchase equipment, provide additional supplies and services for the students, improve the school grounds, and provide additional field trips for the students. All parents are urged to heartily support this effort.

SCHOOL FUND RAISING PROJECT

The school will have a school-wide fund raising project in October to raise funds for additional school needs. (Copy machine expenses, additional instructional materials, items not covered by funds from the state or county). This will be from October 18 to Nov. 2. Products will be at school Dec. 5 for pickup.

ATTENTION: Parents will not be allowed to stay in your child’s classroom from 8:00 until dismissal. Parents in the classroom interrupts teacher/student schedules and violates federal and state privacy laws. Meetings with teachers should be scheduled after school or at the teacher’s convenience to ensure every child an equal opportunity for a proper 14

education. Special activities such as parties and other special events will be excluded for the length of the activity.

Complaints of discrimination under Title IX should be directed to the compliant manager of the particular school or the Officer of the Director of Schools, 270 Richland Drive, Pulaski, Tennessee 38478, 931-363-4558.