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This
handbook is dedicated to bringing closer cooperation between our school and
your home. The information provided
should help parents, students, and teachers coordinate their efforts during
the year. The last page of the
handbook is a blank note page for you to record any concerns that may arise
during the year. Please share them
with us at the end of the school year in order that we may address them for
next year's handbook.
NURTURING THE GROWTH OF
TOMORROW’S LEADERS
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Dear Parents, WELCOME to This handbook is prepared to provide information
for students and parents about school policies and procedures. Please keep this handbook readily available during
the school year. We will update it yearly. Any suggestions or recommendations
for the improvement of this publication will be appreciated. We provide our students every opportunity to be
successful in the school setting. Our professional and dedicated staff is
here to provide a warm, caring, nurturing environment for all children. We
encourage you to join us in giving your child the best possible education. Sincerely, Cheryl
A. Kane
Principal All About
The staff continues to improve instruction by attending workshops and consulting with other professionals. The emphasis has been on improved reading instruction, cultural diversity, character education and challenging our students. CMT instruction is constantly evaluated and revamped to improve our performances. Grades
kindergarten through four are assigned to a computer lab weekly. All of our classrooms have televisions and
a CD ROM computer connected to the Internet.
Every member of our staff volunteers his or her time to serve on a committee that enables our school to develop and implement efficient and effective school policies and procedures. The staff also volunteers their time to assist the PTO at our Fall Festival. Through
the Early Intervention Process, At
During the school year, we have several programs that encourage teacher-parent communication. We have an Open House evening in September when parents come to meet and visit with our staff. In October, our teachers and parents present a Fall Festival program for the children. We have individual parent conferences twice a year. There are a number of activities and programs throughout the year that parents and family members are invited to attend. Our
school motto is "Nurturing the Growth of Tomorrow's Leaders". We are proud of the warm, positive and
friendly atmosphere that exists in our school and of the traditions that we
are building together. Parents and
educators at Maple Hill Staff 2008-2009Administration Cheryl A. Kane, Principal Professional Staff
Support Staff
Insert school calendar on this page
Maple Hill School P.T.O On behalf of the Maple Hill
School P.T.O, we would like to welcome back to school, parents, students,
teachers and staff. Maple Hill School P.T.O is
a non-profit parent-teacher organization that is committed to supporting
quality education through parent volunteer groups, family events and fund
raising. We strive to offer our
students additional educational experiences by funding curriculum related
cultural events and field trips. Our goals are reached by the outstanding
efforts of our supportive members. We look forward to meeting
and working with you and your student in the upcoming school year. Please consider joining us during our
monthly meetings, held the first Wednesday of each month. Diane
Parzyck P.T.O. President
PTO
Board Members Elected Board Members President: Diane Parzyck 1st Vice
President: Sherri Hopkins 2nd Vice
President: Sandy Minasian Treasurer: Shirley Koslowski Recording Secretary: Kim Schulte Corresponding
Secretary: Jeannette Wheeler Executive Board Members Cheryl A. Kane Principal Pamela Fickel Teachers’ Representative Absences (Please
refer to the section on Truancy for additional information.)
Board of Education
Policy 5113.1R “ An absence shall be considered “excused”
when a child does not attend school due to illness or injury, death in the
immediate family, religious obligation, an emergency, or other exceptional
circumstances. Written excuse for such absences should be submitted to school
officials by the child’s parent or guardian. All other absences with or
without written explanation shall be considered unexcused. Parents must call the school (720-5236) on the morning of
the absence and leave the child's name, teacher's name and reason for the
absence with the secretary in order for the absence to be excused. If the school has to initiate the call to
check on the child’s absence, the absence is not excused unless the parent
writes a note to say why the child is not in school. Students attending school who are under
seven and over sixteen years of age, and whose attendance is not required by
law, but who are registered in a public school, must maintain satisfactory
attendance.” The Board policy with respect to unexcused absences states that a “truant” means a child who has four unexcused absences in one month or ten unexcused absences in one year. The school will work with parents to improve attendance rather than impose punitive measures; however, when all options have been exhausted, a referral to legal authorities is required. Progress of your child in school depends on regular attendance and not missing class time. Parents will be contacted by the principal if there are excessive absences and/or tardies. Students are to make up work missed during their absences. They are to check with their teachers on the day they return to find out what work is to be made up. If work is to go home with another student or sibling, the request should be made at the time of the morning call. School vacations are
preset before the year begins. Being absent during other times may impact on
educational progress and is discouraged. Family vacations are not excused
absences. Requests for release of a student during the school day originating outside the schools must be handled by the administration to ensure maximum provisions for the safety and welfare of the students. AccidentsEvery accidental injury in school or on the grounds, no matter how slight, should be reported immediately to the teacher or aide in charge, to the nurse or to the main office. Animals As referred in BOE Policy 6163.3 Animals may be brought into school for justifiable educational purposes, at the discretion of the principal and the teacher. Appropriate transportation and handling will be the responsibility of the student. Students must have the principal’s permission before bringing in an animal. Appointments Medical and dental appointments for students should be made after school hours when possible to limit time lost from classroom instruction. Books and Supplies These materials
are supplied by the Board of Education along with a reasonable supply of
paper and pencils. These materials remain the property of the school. We
strongly urge care and safekeeping of these materials. Bullying Policy As referred in BOE Policy 5146 In accordance
with state law, it is the policy of the Naugatuck Board of Education that any
form of bullying behavior is expressly forbidden. Under the policy: students
are able to report acts of bullying to teachers and administrators;
parents/guardians may file written reports of suspected bullying; school
faculty and staff are required to report to administrators witnessed acts or
student reported acts; administrators must investigate alleged acts; language
addressing bullying acts must be included in student codes of conduct;
administrators must, with a verified act of bullying, notify both the
parent/guardian of the student committing the act and the victim of the act;
schools must track such acts and maintain records as required by applicable
law(s). The policy defines
bullying as “…any overt acts by a student or group of students directed
against another student with the intent to ridicule, humiliate or intimidate
the other student while on school grounds or at a school-sponsored activity,
which acts are repeated against the same student over time.” As with all Board
Policies, the full policy is available for your review at the Tuttle House
and the schools. Cafeteria Rules Students have a right to an enjoyable, safe and orderly environment. Students have a responsibility to keep the cafe clean and provide an enjoyable place for all children to eat their lunch. 1. Use quiet inside voices. 2. Remain seated - raise hand if you need help, have a question or need to go to the lav. 3. The use of manners and keeping the cafeteria clean is expected of all children. 4. Full attention will be given to the adult in charge when requested. Chaperones Policy: 1. Field trips are a school activity and chaperones will be assigned if the grade needs additional supervision beyond teachers and aides. 2. The number of chaperones needed will be determined by the classroom teacher. 3. Room mothers will be given the option of going first. Any additional chaperones will be drawn by lottery. 4. Any field trips beyond the one regular field trip will be by lottery only. 5. Parents may be a room mother to only one class each year unless there are no volunteers for a particular class. Conferences Days are set aside twice a year for parent-teacher conferences. These are early dismissal days. Other conferences may be arranged by parents or teacher. Dismissal/Early Dismissal Per Board Policy 5113.2, “Parents requesting dismissal before the normal end of the school day must make a written request, come into the school office to pick the student up and sign the student out. Early dismissal should be requested only in emergency or unusual situations.” In an effort to maintain safety and security for all children, we dismiss as follows for those children being picked up from school:
If the schools schedule early dismissal, it will be noted on the monthly calendars, newsletters, and notices which are sent to parents in advance. Any emergency dismissal will be announced over the radio and local TV stations in addition to their websites. No child will be allowed to leave school property without a written request from his or her parent or legal guardian. Any parent or guardian taking a child from school prior to dismissal time must report to the school office to pick up the child, show a picture ID, and sign him/her out. Bus dismissal will be from the cafeteria at the end of the day. A blanket permission slip may be sent in at the beginning of the year for regularly scheduled after school weekly activities. Our experience with Early Dismissal Days
has prompted us to ask parents to have a plan in the event that school is dismissed
early during the school year. On most occasions, early dismissal is a scheduled part of our school calendar. Other times we have to close school early because of conditions beyond our control (weather, utility problems), and these closings can’t always be at a set time. Once we make a decision to close early, we immediately alert the radio and television stations. Unplanned dismissals will start at the high school around 11:30 AM, then continue at the middle schools, intermediate schools, and other elementary schools before coming here. Normally, we dismiss by 1:00 unless weather is very bad and buses arrive earlier. Lunch will be served on all early dismissal days except the last day of school. We would like to offer the following suggestions: 1. Make prior alternate arrangements for your child to go to a neighbor's or friend's house if our school is dismissed early and you are not available or 2. Arrange to have your child go to a neighbor's house until you can pick up your youngster. (Note: Children will not be allowed to change bus assignments for this purpose.) 3. Instruct your child to contact you once he or she has arrived at the designated location. 4. Make sure your child is aware of these alternate arrangements in advance and is comfortable following through with them. You should know
that, in the event of an early dismissal, it is impossible for the children
to use the phone at school. At the same time you are asked not to call the
school so that telephone lines are free for emergency calls. Due to the
number of students at our school, we cannot call parents on an individual
basis to notify them of an unexpected early dismissal. Should an evacuation ever be necessary, our students will
either be bused home or to On days with inclement weather the following sources and their internet sites are the best way to find this information: WRCH 100.5 FM | ||||||||||||||||||||
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