Welcome to Mayfield Elementary!
We are excited to work with you and your children in order to make this an enjoyable school year. We would like to take this opportunity to make you and your children aware of the rules and policies of the school. We ask that you review these rules with your children. Thank you in advance for your support and cooperation. We are only interested in continuing to work together to provide a comfortable and respectful learning environment for all of our students at Mayfield Elementary School.
Sincerely,
Mr. Nicholas Criscone, Principal
Mrs. Abbey North, Elementary Supervisor
Mission Statement
Education is a partnership between home, school, and the community. Our mission is to guide students to reach their full potential by providing a nurturing environment, recognizing each student’s abilities, and by granting opportunities for success.
The school community’s resolve is to model and encourage accountability and responsibility though a commitment to life long learning. As partners, we are dedicated to working together harmoniously and supporting each other in a professional and respectful atmosphere. At Mayfield Elementary School, our students come first!
General Rules and Procedures
Agendas
Students in grades 2-6 will receive agendas on the first day of school. Agendas are used to teach responsibility and should be used for students to write down homework, weekly spelling words, and for teachers and parents to communicate. Parents should check agendas daily. Please contact your child’s teacher to see if they require a parent signature each night. If a student misplaces their agenda, a replacement agenda will cost $4.00.
Attendance/Excuses
All students arriving after 8:50 a.m. are considered tardy. Students leaving before 3:00 p.m. will be marked absent for the portion of the day they were absent. If you know your child will be out, please call the office at 661-8251by 9:00 a.m. and we can have homework waiting for you in the office at the end of the school day. If your child is going to be absent for more than one day, a 24 hour notice is required for requested homework. For safety reasons, the office will call each time your child is absent to confirm they are home. When your child returns to school, you must send an excuse with him/her. Blank excuse notes can be found in the back of the handbook or located in the Main Office. If students are absent more than five days in one quarter, you will receive an attendance letter from the office. Making sure that your child attends school regularly is an important part of ensuring that your child receives the education that he/she is entitled to. New York State Education Law demands that children attend school on a daily basis
Awards
Each year we recognize many students at the Awards Assembly in June. Students who have Perfect Attendance (no absences or tardies)) or Outstanding Attendance (Less than two absences or 4 tardies) will be recognized. In addition, each classroom will honor its two best citizens. Lastly, the Ryan Topliff Scholarship will be awarded to a selected student in grades 4, 5, & 6. If your child will be receiving an award, their teacher will contact you the week of the assembly.
Bell Schedule/Dismissal
The school day begins at 8:50. At dismissal, the Pre-K and Kindergarten students will load the busses first at 2:55 p.m. All students will be dismissed at 3:00 p.m. Children who are riding bikes, walking, or being picked up by parent should report to the cafeteria on the first bell from all grade levels. Parents who are picking up students should use the side parking lot by the nurse’s office and be sure not to park in the handicap parking or loading zone. Parents should exit and enter the building through the right side doors. For safety reasons, nobody will be allowed to walk through the bus line up. Students who are walking to and from school will walk on the sidewalk and cross in the crosswalk. Students riding bikes to and from school must wear a helmet. Bikers must walk their bike through the crosswalk and up the sidewalk. Bikers can get on their bikes once they have reached the end of the driveway.
Bus Discipline
The following are guidelines for discipline with regard to bus problems. Each problem or incident will be handled on an individual basis based upon the age of the student and the offense. Students who are involved in a severe one time incident or who show chronic disregard for bus rules will be reported to the Elementary Supervisor by the bus driver in writing or in person. The Elementary Supervisor will make contact with parents either in writing or by phone to explain the events of the incident and any disciplinary action taken. After a severe incident or three bus referrals, the Elementary Supervisor may suspend students from riding the bus for a period of days. In the event of a bus suspension, parents will be responsible for transporting their child to and from school. If a student continues to show chronic disregard for bus rules and has already been suspended more than once from the bus; it is possible the student may be suspended from the bus for the remainder of the school year.
Drivers and Aides are expected to refrain from allowing students to get off the bus and re-enter the school for forgotten items. Also, students will NEVER be released to anyone without making contact with the office first.
Calendar
2007-2008 Academic Calendar is attached.
Contact Information
Elementary Main Office; Mrs. Prumo and Mrs. Hime 661-8251
Elementary Fax 661-6590
If you wish to speak with Mr. Criscone or Mrs. North, please call the Main Office to set up an appointment, email, or stop in!
Mrs. Abbey North, Elementary Supervisor north.abbey@mayfieldcsd.org
If you are calling to speak with your child’s teacher between 8:30 and 3 p.m., please be advised that they will be teaching and most likely will not be available. The secretaries will take a message and relay it to the teacher. If your child has forgotten items at home, you may leave the items in the office and we will make sure your child receives what he/she needs.
Code of Conduct (Abstract)
The Mayfield Central School District Board of Education has adopted Codes of Conduct that comply with New York State’s Project SAVE (Safe Schools Against Violence in Education). The Codes of Conduct govern the behavior of students and all persons when on school grounds and at school sponsored functions, including general public spectators and audience members. Copies of the complete Code of Conduct are available upon request at the Superintendent’s Office and at the school library. Topics covered in the Code of Conduct include;
Disruptive Behavior
A student who is substantially disruptive of the educational process or interferes with the teacher’s authority over the classroom will be removed from the classroom.
School officials are authorized to conduct searches and question students without any type of “Miranda” warning. School officials are not required to contact a student’s parents before questioning the student.
Student Responsibilities
Students are expected to behave in a manner that is based on the principles of civility, mutual respect, citizenship, character, tolerance, and honesty.
Student Dress Code
Students are expected to give proper attention to cleanliness and to dress appropriately for school and school functions. Dress should be safe, and not disrupt or interfere with the educational process. Please see Dress Code section in this manual.
Prohibited Student Conduct/Public Conduct on School Property
Students, spectators, and visitors may not engage in conduct that is disorderly, insubordinate, disruptive, violent, or that endangers the safety, morals, health, or welfare of others.
Disciplinary Penalties
Disciplinary actions will be progressive, firm, fair, and consistent so as to the most effective in changing student behavior.
Discipline of Students with Disabilities
The procedures followed for disciplinary action for students with disabilities are consistent with the procedural safeguards required by applicable laws and regulations.
Visitors to the School
All Visitors to the school must report to the Main Office upon arrival at the school. They will be required to sign the visitor’s log and will be issued an identification badge which must be worn at all times while in school or on school grounds. The visitor must return the badge to the Main Office before leaving the building and signing out.
Discipline- Classroom
(As per the Code of Conduct, adopted June 2001)
POLICY: It is the responsibility of all students to contribute to a save and orderly school environment that is conducive to learning, and to show respect to other persons and property. Students who are in violation of this may be subject to disciplinary actions.
Dress Code
Each year many teachers and parents ask us to share our guidelines for appropriate attire for students. We call them guidelines because in most cases, it is a judgment call. By having guidelines in place, it tends to clarify our expectations and it will hopefully help parents to support our position. Again, we thank you in advance for your cooperation.
The difficult scenarios regarding dress occur mostly in warmer weather and usually involve the definition of appropriate because it will vary depending on age, physical development, and gender. For instance, a loose spaghetti strap top may be perfectly fine for a first grade girl, but it is a possibility that the same garment may disrupt learning if an older female student were to wear it. We ask that you discourage your child from wearing a top that exposes the stomach area or exposes undergarments, so no one is put in an awkward situation. Clothing worn with offensive language or inappropriate comments is strongly prohibited.
Heelies are not allowed in school. These sneakers with built in roller-skates are extremely unsafe for school.
The minimum length for shorts and skirts is another difficult area. A quick helpful reference is to have your child stand with his/her hands at their side. The bottom of their shorts/skirt should not be any higher than the tip of their fingers.
If you have any suspicions that what your child is wearing may not be suitable for school, you can rest assured that we would most likely agree and we would encourage you to persuade your child to choose something different to wear. We would ask that you discuss this situation with your child, review what he/she is wearing to school and make a decision accordingly. We hope that you understand our position and don’t find our guidelines to be intrusive.
Emergency Procedures (Drills/Weather Conditions)
In the event of a snow delay or weather emergency where the school will need to close, please listen closely to the radio or television. In the event that the school practices a fire drill, the campus will be closed and visitors will not be allowed to enter school grounds until each child is accounted for and students and staff have returned to the building. In a case where we practice a lockdown/lockout drill, similar rules apply. You will also be notified in writing the day of a lockout/lockdown drill.
Facilities Use
The Cafeteria, Gym, and classrooms may be reserved for special events. Please submit a Facilities Use form at least two weeks in advance for these events. Events should not interfere with the regular school day. Forms are available in the office.
Field Trips
Each grade level will be participating in different activities and field trips throughout the school year. In the beginning of the year, your child will receive a field trip permission form. The form should be returned to your child’s teacher as soon as possible so your child can participate. This form is for the entire school year. You will receive advanced notification of each trip by your child’s classroom teacher and if there will be a cost. Depending on the needs of the trip, parents are welcome to chaperone and should contact the classroom teacher. Parents will not be allowed to bring siblings or friends of the student participating in the trip for safety reasons. Parents may NOT drive their children to/from a field trip. Parents are encouraged to ride the bus with the class. The chaperone must be a parent or grandparent of the student or the individual must be approved by the Board of Education prior to the trip.
Lunch Schedule/procedures
Each class will have 25 minutes for lunch. Students can buy and pay for lunch daily, weekly, or monthly. For grades K-3 lunch will be $1.35. For students in grades 4-6, lunch will be $1.65. Milk will cost $0.30. Breakfast is generally served from 8:15-8:45 and will cost $0.60. There is no borrowing. Parents should ask their child’s teacher what their policy is regarding snacks and ice cream at lunch. Applications for free & reduced lunch will be handed out to students on the first day of school. If you have questions, did not receive a form, or feel you are eligible, please contact the office at 661-8251.
Homework
In most grade levels, homework will be assigned daily. Homework is used to practice skills taught that day in class. Depending on the grade level of the child, the time homework should take, the subject areas of the homework, and the type of homework will vary. We recommend that you contact your child’s teacher to discuss their homework policy. Homework completion is critical in order to help your child succeed. If your child comes to school without homework completed, they will be at a disadvantage. Your child’s agenda is also a useful tool to communicate about homework or any other topic.
Health Office- See attachment in the back of the handbook.
Lost and Found
The lost and found items will be located on a table in the back of the cafeteria. Check regularly, several times a year, the items are cleaned and donated to charity.
New York State Testing Dates and Information
Please be sure your child is to school on time on the mornings of these tests. Scheduling make-ups is extremely difficult. Be sure your child gets a good nights rest and eats a healthy breakfast the morning of the test.
The NYS tests are designed to measure how well students have mastered necessary skills and to monitor the effectiveness of instructional programs. If you want to know more about specific topics related to grades 3-8 testing, check out http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/3-9/home/html.
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Examination |
Administration Dates |
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Grades 3, 4 & 5 English Language Arts |
Monday, January 7-
Friday, January 11 |
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Grades 6 English Language Arts |
Monday, January 14-
Friday, January 18 |
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Grades 3, 4 & 5 Mathematics |
Monday, March 3-
Friday, March 7 |
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Grades 6 Mathematics |
Thursday, March 6- Wednesday, March 12 |
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Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Written Test And Performance Test |
Wednesday, April 2 -
Wednesday, May 7 |
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Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies |
Wednesday, November 14- Part 1
Thursday, November 15- Part 2 |
Parent Involvement & the PTA (Parent Teacher Association)
We welcome parent involvement in our classrooms and at school events. If you would like to be a classroom volunteer, please see your child’s teacher. If you would like to get involved in the PTA please contact one of the officers listed below. The PTA brings many wonderful programs and opportunities for our students that include but are not limited to; Book Fairs, Breakfast with Santa, school photos, Operation Safe Child, the Health and Safety Fair, Bingo Nights, Spring Fling, the Spring Carnival, the yearbook, BBQ’s, bake sales…and so much more!
Co-Presidents- Teresia Davis teresiamarie@yahoo.com
Lori Bumpus lori.bumpus@mayfieldcsd.org
Treasurer- Maureen McGrath maureen.mcgrath@mayfieldcsd.org
Recording Secretary Jennifer Garrigan
Correspondence Secretary Corinna Ellis
Parent Teacher Conferences
Generally, Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for November. It is strongly recommended that you meet with your child’s teacher at this time. Your child’s teacher will be responsible for setting a conference schedule. It is important that we are all on the same page regarding your child’s success. Of course, you may arrange a meeting to meet with your child’s teacher whenever you feel necessary.
Playground Rules
The playground is closed to the general public during school hours. There is no skateboarding or biking allowed on the playground at anytime.
Listening to and following the playground supervisor’s directions is the first rule. When exiting the building, students should walk and act appropriately. They should act in a respectful manner to others including playground supervisors and playmates. Students should be using language that is appropriate for school. No cell phones, game-boys, I-pods, CD-players, remote control cards, or any sort of electronic toy will be allowed on the playground. The school will not be held responsible for lost or stolen toys. Students will not chew gym, food, or drink anything other than water (no glass containers) on the playground for safety reasons.
Acceptable Activities for the playground; kickball, basketball, soccer, football (no touch/no tackling), swinging (one at a time, sitting down), K-3 riding on spring toys only, sliding feet- first down the slide, sitting or playing under the trees in the shade, sitting on the wooden merry-go-round, playing in the sandbox, running in the grassy areas, walking in the equipment area.
Prohibited Activities: hard balls, bats, pushing, shoving, running when exiting the building, kicking, tripping, fighting, spitting, name calling, hurting others, standing & twisting on the swings, climbing up the slide, throwing rocks, sand, chips, snow, ice, toys…etc, hanging from the basketball rims, swearing, climbing trees or pulling bark off of them, hanging head, arms, lets off or under the merry-go-round, jumping off the steps, skateboarding, tag on the bark chip area, playing piggyback or lifting smaller friends, walking or standing on the parallel bars.
Most importantly, student should not leave the playground without a supervisor’s permission! While students are on the playground, there is close communication between the nurse, teacher, teacher aides, Principal, and Elementary Supervisor concerning injuries, social problems, and playground conditions. Persistent discipline problems can be solved by a cooperative effort of all staff involved working with home and child. A significant improvement on a child’s playground behavior is noted when a teacher takes an active and supportive interest.
Recess Discipline
First, the recess supervisor will discuss the inappropriate behavior/action with the student and usually issue a warning, unless the incident is severe. The supervisor will also notify the child’s teacher of the situation. If the child is warned again for the same behavior, they will be sent to the wall for a timeout. Depending on the severity of the incident, the child may be sent directly to the office. They will be assigned consequences appropriate for their actions. Students who are fighting, swearing, leaving the playground without permission, or throwing objects will receive at least two days of recess detention.
Any child may be sent to the Elementary Supervisor if the child is either involved in a severe one time incident or shows chronic disregard for the playground rules. A copy of the discipline notice, letter, or other form of communication will be sent home to the student’s parents and to the classroom teacher.
Kindergarten Policy- Kindergarteners may lose the sense of why they are being punished if they are kept in for a long period of time. A short punishment is quite a punishment for a student at this age. Kindergarteners who are sent to the office from the playground will remain in the office for the remainder of recess. In some cases, more than fifteen minutes are assigned to Kindergarten students who are sent to the office repeatedly for inappropriate behavior.
Recess, In & Out Schedule
Each grade level will be dismissed and return from the playground at the same time. Recess will be thirty minutes each day for all students in grades K-6. Supervision will be provided by the aides on the playground. Aides will also walk students to and from recess. In case of injuries on the playground, the child will be taken to the nurse’s office. Children will be encouraged by their teachers to use the lavatories before going on the playground. Children may stay off the playground due to health reasons. School policy allows a child to stay in up to three days, and then a doctor’s note will be needed. In the winter, students should be dressed to go outside with a coat, snow pants, boots, a hat, and mittens. If students do not have boots or snow pants, they will remain on the blacktop outside, but cannot play in the snow.
In case of inclement weather, the children will be kept inside. In general wet falling snow, rain, high winds, wet ground, or a temperature below twenty degrees are all reasons for keeping children inside. Although the school believes that outdoor exercise is beneficial, student safety is our main concern.
Rules for In-Day Recess
Students will not be allowed to play the piano or play any games that involve running or throwing objects. There will be no playing musical instruments, listening to I-pods or personal CD-players, no cell phones, game-boys, or remote control cars. Students must get permission from the aide to leave the room. Television and or music from the classroom teacher’s CD-player are only allowed if approved by the classroom teacher. Teachers will make available a variety of activities that allow students to become engaged at recess.
Report Card Dates
Quarter Dates Report Cards Go Home
September 5-November 7 November 14
November 8- January 25 January 31
January 28-April 4 April 10
April 7-June 26 June 26
Transportation Policy
All students are assigned a bus number/animal and are expected to ride that bus to and from school for the remainder of the school year. If you choose to make a change to the normal dismissal procedure, such as deciding to pick your child up at dismissal or to have them take the bus home when they normally get picked up, you must make those changes by noon that day or earlier by calling the main office or sending in a note of permission with your child. You cannot make changes daily to your transportation preferences. Please refer to the Board of Education’s Transportation Policy attached.
Teachers and bus drivers will not release a child to anyone without authorization from the office. Children being picked up must be dismissed by office personnel, usually from the hallway by the nurse’s office. Students are not allowed to be signed out in classrooms (with the exception of Pre-K). Parents or “designated adults” who pick children up from school must sign the daily dismissal list before leaving with the child. This policy is intended to protect all our students and although nothing is foolproof, it does provide an orderly procedure that may prevent an unfortunate incident from happening. For the safety of all children, we ask for your full cooperation in this matter. Busses will not be released from the parking lot until each student is accounted for.