TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Principal’s Message . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
1 |
| Philosophy – Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
2 |
| PTO – School Councils . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
3 |
| School Calendar – Student Records . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
4 |
| Parent-Teacher Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
4 |
| School Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
4 |
| Lost and Found . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 4 |
| Students Drop-Off and Pick-Up . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
5 |
| Safety & Transportation . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
7 |
| School Cancellation/Delayed Openings . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 8 |
| School Visitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 8 |
| Student Absences/Early Dismissal . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 8 |
| School Lunches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 9 |
| Pupil Conduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 9 |
| Homework Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 11 |
| Progress Reporting/Insurance/Student Information | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 11 |
| Special Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 12 |
| Health Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 12 |
| Family Life/Section Education Policy . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 14 |
Principal’s Message
Dear
Mapleshade Students and Parents,
Here we are
beginning a new school year! This
will be my first at Mapleshade but my sixth in East Longmeadow.
It is great to be back and have the opportunity to welcome you all to
Mapleshade School. The Staff joins
me in these wishes. We have a
terrific family here and we are happy that you will be part of it.
I look forward to a fabulous year working together!
This
handbook is filled with important information and I hope you find it useful as I
did during this first summer. I
encourage parents and students to read the handbook together, talk about the
various information, and, feel free to call us or ask a staff member if you need
an explanation or clarification.
When there is an understanding of the expectations, the year will go smoothly
and our children will feel happy and safe.
Lastly, I
invite you to become part of the Mapleshade family.
Let us work together to create a vibrant, exciting, and respectful place,
a place where people like to come, where there are a variety of activities for
all of us, and, above all, a welcoming atmosphere.
Here we go!
Brenda S.
Houle
Page 1
PHILOSOPHY
The
purpose of our statement of educational philosophy is to articulate clearly the
overall beliefs of our school system and school to the community. The school system has two roles: 1) to reflect the values and to respond to
the needs and desires of the community and 2) to challenge the students to
greater accomplishments and aspirations.
A
basic underlying theme of our educational system is that everyone (students,
staff and community) can learn from one another. The understanding of and the respect for the diversity of ethnic,
cultural, intellectual, and physical differences permeate all aspects of the
school system.
Professional
staff recognize and respond to the intellectual capacity and learning style of
each individual student. Individuals
grow intellectually at different rates and in different ways. A complete education exposes all students to
a wide range of learning opportunities.
Learning
is viewed as the primary focus of each student's experience. Students are provided opportunities to
continually develop their intellectual, physical, social and emotional
potential. It is recognized that the
student's self-esteem is of paramount importance in this process. Opportunities for development are nurtured
in all learning situations. In order to
maximize the attainment of these goals, student-centered experiences are
provided by all staff.
In
keeping with the desire to place the student at the center of learning, the
teacher will be viewed as facilitator and coach. All staff will establish an appropriate learning environment and
provide feedback to allow each student the opportunity to master appropriate
academic, social and emotional skills for which the student is ready.
Mapleshade
is committed to educational excellence.
Teachers are at the center of this process and are supported in their
efforts to provide their students with a quality education.
VISION
The
purpose of an educational vision is to provide direction to the school
system. As educators, we believe that
it is our responsibility to prepare the youth of our community for an
increasingly complex society. In order
to fulfill that responsibility, we place the student at the center of the
learning process. It is important that
the educator's role become one of facilitator and coach.
In
keeping with this mission, we provide our educators with the following
guidelines to serve as the template for the learning environment.
A.
Learning
occurs when teacher's expectations are that all students can be successful and
that all students can learn.
B.
Learning
is best facilitated by instructors who have a command of content knowledge as
well as awareness of the individual student's abilities and learning style.
C.
Learning
is characterized by active, engaged, collaborative and integrated exploration
with the student at the center of all activities.
D.
Learning
optimally occurs through interactive and cooperative experiences among
teachers, students, parents and the community.
E.
Learning
reflects a focus on thinking, reasoning and higher order questioning as well as
the understanding of the learner's own thinking processes.
F.
Learning
is driven by a search for meaningful answers or alternative solutions to
problems. Learning is maximized when
the student's work is thought-provoking and when content is viewed as a means
to a larger end.
Page 2
The Mapleshade PTO is dedicated to enriching the educational experience of every child at Mapleshade School through a variety of activities. All parents are automatically members and are invited to actively join in. Yearly fundraisers allow the PTO to fund enrichment programs, field trips and to purchase school equipment. The PTO also runs annual book fairs, a Jog-A-Long, a Family Night, a Holiday Shop and a Teacher Appreciation Week. Our scheduled meetings keep parents informed of school and system related matters. Remember, we are working for our children. Your ideas are welcomed and your participation is appreciated.
SCHOOL
COUNCILS (Chapter 71, Section 59C:)
At
each public elementary school in the Commonwealth there shall be a school
council consisting of the school principal, who shall co-chair the council;
parents of students attending the school, who shall be selected by the parents
of students attending such school, who will be chosen in elections held by the
local recognized Parent Teacher Organization under the direction of the
principal. Said parents shall have
parity with professional personnel on the school councils; teachers who shall
be selected by the teachers in such school; other persons, not parents or
teachers of students at the school, drawn from such groups or entities as
municipal government, business and labor organizations, institutions of higher
education, human services, agencies or other interested groups, however, that
not more than fifty percent of the council shall be non-school members. The principal shall have the responsibility
of defining the composition of and forming the group. School councils should be broadly representative of the racial
and ethnic diversity of the school building and community.
The
school council shall meet regularly with the principal of the school and shall
assist in the identification of the educational needs of the students attending
the school, in the review of the annual school budget and in the formation of a
school improvement plan.
Page 3
| Opening bell | 8:15 A.M. |
| School in session | 8:20 A.M. |
| First lunch | 11:50 A.M. |
| Second lunch | 12:20 P.M. |
| School day ends | 2:30 P.M. |
The
School Calendar, which is sent home with your child at the beginning of the
school year, contains information such as dates of marking periods,
distribution of report cards, parent conferences and curriculum days, vacation
periods, school hours, etc. By making
reference to the calendar, many answers to school related questions may be
quickly obtained
STUDENT
RECORDS
Federal
Regulations and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Education
Regulations require that all records pertaining to an individual student be
made available for inspection by the parents.
If you wish to review your child's records, please contact the school
for information regarding the procedure to be followed.
Parent-Teacher
conferences are regularly scheduled during the year as noted on the school
calendar. Parents will receive
notification of their specific conference dates and times. Parents are encouraged to call the school at
any time and ask about their child's progress.
Cooperation between parents and teachers results in benefits for the
child.
School
pictures are annually taken in the Fall.
Although every child is photographed, this does not obligate the parents
or guardian in any way to make a purchase.
Articles
which have been found in the building or on school grounds are turned in to the
office, where they may be claimed by their owners. It is suggested that articles of clothing, lunch boxes
and
other personal items be labeled with the child’s name. This enables us to
return lost items to the
rightful owner. Losses should be
reported and the “Lost and Found” box should be checked
periodically whenever losses occur. At midyear, and again at the end of the year, unclaimed clothing is donated to a local shelter.
Page 4
IMPORTANT NOTE: The main parking lot and fire lane (yellow curbing area) are reserved for busses from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Cars should not enter this area during these times. If a parent needs to drop off or pick up a child between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., they should park their car in the parking lot and escort the child to or from the building.
Parents dropping off
students before school and picking up students at the end of the school day
should use the new drive-thru road. The
purpose of the drive-thru is to provide safer conditions for students traveling
to and from school by car. However, the
safety of each child still depends upon the patience and caution of adults
using the drive-thru. Town officials
have given considerable time and thought in planning the traffic flow of the
drive-thru. There are ample signs and
pavement markings clearly indicating how vehicles should proceed through the
drive-thru area. There will be staff on
duty to assist parents and students in learning the proper procedures. If we all work together, we will improve
student safety at Mapleshade.
The following are
important guidelines for the use of the drive-thru (refer to the accompanying
diagram):
·
The drive-thru is
designed for ONE-WAY TRAFFIC ONLY.
Traffic should flow only from WEST to EAST. All traffic will enter at the point designated “A” on the
diagram. This is the end furthest from
the school.
·
Cars must proceed
slowly at all times.
·
Cars are not to park on
the yellow hashmarks (marked as “B” on the diagram). These hashmarks are found at the beginning and the end of the
drive-thru. There is also a 2-foot wide
hashmark zone along the adjoining sidewalk.
The purpose of this safety zone is to prevent car doors from opening
into the sidewalk area.
·
Cars coming into the
drive-thru should pull up as far as possible and to the right of the white line
indicating the drop-off/pick-up zone.
Once the student passengers have been dropped off or picked up, the
driver should pull out to the left into the thru-traffic lane. Drivers must be alert to other drivers
pulling out and to those already in the thru-traffic lane. It is critical that no one park beyond the
point designated “C” on the diagram.
The drive-thru narrows near the exit and cars parked beyond “C” will
block other cars from exiting.
·
Note: The drive-thru area is NOT A PARKING
LOT. Drivers must not leave their cars.
Please be aware that teacher supervision before school does not begin until 8:05 a.m. Therefore, no student should be dropped off before 8:05 a.m.
Page 5
Alerting
children to the need for being “safety conscious” at all times is a
never-ending responsibility. Children
should learn the need for rules and recognize the importance of obeying
them. The following are safety
guidelines to be shared with your child.
A.
Walking
1.
Walk
on sidewalks (no more than two abreast), when they are available.
2.
Walk
on the left side of the road if there are no sidewalks.
3.
Walk
in an orderly manner, keeping alert to any dangers. Do not stop for strangers.
4.
Come
directly to school and go directly home.
5.
Look
in all directions before crossing any street.
6.
Cross
streets at proper corners.
7.
Respect
all public and private property.
8.
When
possible, children should walk home in groups of at least 2 children.
B.
Bicycling
1.
Use
a bicycle helmet and hand signals. This
is the law.
2.
Never
ride two on a bicycle.
3.
Keep
bicycle under control and in good repair at all times.
4.
Look
in all directions before crossing a street.
5.
Ride
your bicycle on the right-hand side of the street.
6.
Be
careful of walkers and especially automobiles.
C.
Bussing
1.
Stay
out of the street while waiting for the bus.
2.
Refrain
from pushing or otherwise endangering yourself and friends while waiting at the
bus stop.
3.
Wait
until the bus comes to a full stop before going near it.
4.
Take
a seat in the bus and remain orderly while the bus is in motion.
5.
Keep
head, arms and hands inside the bus window.
The
school authorities, the bus operators and the police work closely to insure
safe operations of all busses. Parental
cooperation plays a large part in the success of this phase of the school
program. If a pupil’s actions are
dangerous to himself or the safety of others, the privilege of riding a bus
will be withdrawn.
At
present, a system of bus warning slips is in operation. When a ticket is issued by a bus driver, it
is to be signed by the parent or guardian and then returned to the school
office for disposition.
Bus pupils are assigned to a specific bus. Children may not ride a bus other than the one to which they are assigned.
Crossing
in front of busses is permitted by State Law.
Extreme care must be exercised in crossing. Look both ways and then cross when no vehicles are moving. The East Longmeadow Public Schools specific
“Rules of Conduct” on busses will be handed out to each student rider at the
beginning of the school year.
Page 7
SCHOOL
CANCELLATIONS OR DELAYED OPENING
It
is the policy of the East Longmeadow Public Schools to remain open whenever the
buildings are in operating order and the busses can run. In doubtful cases, the final decision
whether or not school will be in session is not made until 6:30 a.m. If the decision is to cancel school or delay
the starting time, then the local radio stations will carry a "No
School" or "Delayed Starting Time" announcement. In addition,
the Superintendent’s office will call each household via a community outreach
program called “Connect Ed” to give updates on closings and delays.
In
the interest of maintaining good building security, all visitors are requested
to stop at the school office upon entering the building. Visitors are also urged to use the
designated parking areas and to be conscious of keeping bus loading areas and
fire lanes clear of automobiles.
It
is the desire of our schools to encourage good school attendance. We also realize that from time to time
students are absent for various reasons.
It is always helpful to your child's teacher if a note accompanies your
child on his/her return to school following any absence.
Pupils who are to be dismissed before the end of the school day should bring a written request signed by a parent/guardian. The written request is given to the homeroom teacher and sent to the office. Only is case of illness or emergency will dismissals be granted during the day without a note from home. Students will be dismissed from the school office to the parent, guardian or an individual designated by the parent.
Page 8
A
well-balanced lunch is available at nominal cost. The menus for each month are distributed by the schools and also
published in local newspapers. Milk may
be purchased by those who bring their own lunches. Lunch and milk are paid for on a daily basis.
We
understand that students occasionally forget to bring their cold lunch or hot
lunch money to school. We have set up a
system where our students may borrow funds for lunch. (Loans are not made for the purchase of ice cream).
As
our petty cash box has a limited amount of money, we would appreciate repayment
of the lunch loan the following school day.
Should any student forget to pay back the loan within a reasonable
amount of time, a reminder will be issued.
Should that notice go unanswered, a phone call may be made to inform the
parents or guardians of the outstanding debt.
If
you wish to purchase tickets in advance, you may do one of the following:
1.
Mail
a check payable to the East Longmeadow School Department along with an enclosed
self-addressed stamped envelope to:
School Lunch Department, 180 Maple Street, East Longmeadow, MA 01028
2.
Buy
tickets at Mapleshade Elementary School in the cafeteria daily from 11:20 to
11:35 a.m. or
3.
Buy
tickets at the High School lunch office daily from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Establishing
and maintaining standards of good conduct for young people are responsibilities
mutually shared by the home and school system.
Conduct that reflects self-respect and a concern for others is a
desirable lifetime goal.
The
East Longmeadow Public School’s Character Committee has determined that the
following character traits should be promoted in all of the activities of the East
Longmeadow Public Schools: Kindness,
Perserverance, Respect, Responsibility, Caring, Courage, Empathy, Honesty, and
Inclusive.
A.
Behavior
on school grounds
B.
Behavior
during indoor recess
C.
Building
and Classroom behavior
D.
Behavior
in the lunchroom - students will:
E.
Care
of textbooks and other school property
Page 9
Regular
homework is assigned each Monday through Thursday. Grade 3 will have 30 minutes, Grade 4 will have 35 minutes and
Grade 5 will have 40 minutes. At times,
in addition to regular
homework,
projects, book reports and study time will also be assigned. Assignments are recorded in students'
assignment pads and should be acknowledged by a parent each night.
The
purpose of this policy is to develop good home study habits. We suggest that the student have a quiet
study place away from the family activity.
It is encouraging when the parents become involved in the homework
program and check over the assignment to see that it is completed and ready on
time. Refer to Code of Conduct for
details.
Students
who forget homework materials will not be allowed back in the building to get
their work after 4:00 p.m.
Report
cards are issued on a regularly scheduled basis as indicated on the School
Calendar. The report card should be
signed by a parent or guardian and returned to the student's teacher.
INSURANCE
A
student accident insurance policy is available to all children. Application
forms must be signed and returned to the teacher whether they are taking the
insurance or not.
STUDENT
INFORMATION
The
school is allowed to release for publication certain information concerning
your child without first obtaining your consent. Examples of the type of information released would be the
student's name, class participation in officially recognized activities, and
honors and awards.
If
a parent does not wish that certain or all of this information be released for
publication, the office of the school principal must be contacted so they may
obtain a form that would restrict the school from releasing such information.
Page 11
Special
programs are available for elementary school children who have specific
learning and emotional problems standing in the way of learning. Careful evaluations are made by members of
the Guidance and Special Services' team to better serve the special needs of
the children. Specialists in
counseling, speech, reading and special education are involved in the program.
All
students are expected to meet the requirements for behavior as set forth in
this handbook. Chapter 71B of the
Massachusetts General Laws, known as Chapter 766, requires that additional
provisions be made for students who have been found by an evaluation TEAM to
have special needs and whose program is described in an Individual Educational
Plan (IEP).
The
following requirements apply to the discipline of special needs students:
1.
The
IEP will indicate whether the student can be expected to meet the regular
discipline code. Any modification of
the rules set forth in this handbook will be described in the IEP.
2.
The
Principal or Head Teacher will notify the Special Education Department Chairman
of the suspendable offense of a special needs students and a record will be
kept of such notices.
3.
When
it is known that the suspension of a special needs student will accumulate to
ten days in a school year, a review of the IEP as provided in Section 333 of
the Chapter 766 Regulations will be held to determine the appropriateness of
the student's placement or program. The
TEAM will make a finding as to the relationship between the student's
misconduct and his/her handicapping condition and either; (a) design a modified program for the
student or (b) write an amendment to provide for the delivery of special
education services during the suspension and any needed modification of the IEP
relative to discipline code expectations.
Every
effort is made to care for your child's physical, mental and emotional
well-being. Sick and injured children
are given emergency care but the responsibility for treatment rests with the
family.
An "Emergency Information Card" will be sent home to the parents. This card requests information as to the address and place of employment of the parents, the address and telephone number of at least two relatives or close friends who would be willing to care for your child if you are unavailable. It also requests your permission to secure medical attention for your child in case we can't reach you.
Illness and First Aid
Pupils
should not come to school when they are ill.
Injuries, skin irritations, etc., which arise outside of school, should
be cared for at home or through the family doctor. School related accidents and injuries must be reported to the
teacher in charge who will then report them to the school office.
Administration of Prescribed
Medication
The
policy for prescribed medication and the forms which must be filled out by
parents or guardians and the physician are available from the school nurse.
Every
attempt should be made so that medication is given when the child is not in
school. We will cooperate in the
administration of medication when a chronic or emergency condition exists and
medication must be administered in school.
To administer medication, the following conditions must be met:
a)
the
name of the child and the prescribing physician.
b)
the
name and strength of the medication.
c)
the
amount of each dose and schedule for administration of the medication.
Non-Prescribed Medication
Tylenol
(for students 10 years of age and older), Benadryl, Benadryl Cream, and
Polysporin ointment are available in the school nurse's office for students
with written parental permission. All
other non-prescription medication must be accompanied by a written order from
the physician and written parental permission.
Page 12
FAMILY
LIFE/SEX EDUCATION POLICY
EAST
LONGMEADOW PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The
East Longmeadow School Committee officially adopts the following policy regarding
Family Life/Sex Education in the East Longmeadow Public Schools:
1.
Parents
will be notified every year regarding the instruction of the Family Life/Sex
Education classes.
2.
Parents
will be given the opportunity to exempt their child/children from any portion
of the said cirriculum.
3.
No
student shall be penalized by reason of such exemption.
4.
Each
year all principals will be informed on such policy by the Health Education
Coordinator.
5.
Program
instruction materials for said curriculum shall be made reasonably accessible
to parents, guardians, educators, school administrators and others for
inspection and review.
6.
The
Department of Education shall promulgate regulations for adjudicatory
proceedings to resolve any and all disputes arising under this section.