Family Handbook - Mayfield Central School District

Mayfield Elementary Student & Family Handbook

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 strive to provide a comfortable and respectful learning environment for all of our students at Mayfield Elementary

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 parental signature each night. If a student misplaces their agenda, a replacement agenda will cost $4.00.

Attendance/Excuses

All students arriving after 8:45 am are considered tardy. Students leaving before 3:15 pm will be marked absent for the portion of the day they were absent. If you are in attendance for a classroom or school event and choose to take your child home before 3:15 pm your child will be marked absent for the portion of the day they are not in school. 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 or we can send it home with a sibling or friend. 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. Attendance letters will be sent home as necessary to inform you of their attendance record and potential consequences to their education..

Awards

Each year we recognize many students at the Awards Assembly in June. If your child is the recipient of one of our awards, a teacher will notify you and invite you to attend.

Bell Schedule/Dismissal

The school day begins at 8:45 am. All students will be dismissed at 3:15 pm. Children who are riding bikes, walking, or being picked up by a parent will report to the cafeteria when their grade level is called. Parents who are picking up students should wait in their cars until all buses have left our parking lot and then they may enter our front entrance to sign out their children. After our sign out is complete we will dismiss all students who are walking or riding bikes home. 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 Principal by the bus driver in writing or in person. The Principal or detention aide 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 Principal 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.

Code of Conduct

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.

Contact Information:

John J. Pierce, Principal
Phone: 518-661-8222
Email: pierce.john@mayfieldcsd.org

Teri Lowe, Dean of Students
Phone: 518-661-8222
Email: lowe.teri@mayfieldcsd.org

Phone: 518-661-8222, Option 3 || Fax: 518-661-6590

If you are calling to speak with your child’s teacher between 8:45 am and 3:15 pm, 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.

Discipline- Classroom

(As per the Code of Conduct, adopted June 2001)
POLICY: It is the responsibility of all students to contribute to a safe 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.

Dignity for All Students (DASA)

The Board of Education recognizes that teaching students respect, civility, and understanding toward others, as well as the practice and reinforcement of appropriate behavior and values is an important function of the school system. The district wishes to foster an environment where students exhibit behavior that promotes positive educational practices, allows students to grow academically and socially, and encourages healthy dialogue in respectful ways. By presenting teachers and staff as positive role models, the district stresses positive communication and discourages disrespectful treatment. Our Character Education Program will instruct students on the principles of honesty, tolerance, responsibility, respect, awareness and sensitivity to discrimination and harassment, civility, observance of laws and rules, and courtesy. As part of the policy, the district will investigate all complaints of harassment and discrimination and take prompt corrective measures as necessary. (P-4316)

Acts of discrimination and harassment including bullying, taunting, or intimidation are detrimental to student learning and achievement. Harassment can include, among other things, the use, both on and off school property of information technology, including but not limited to email, instant messaging, blogs, chat rooms, pagers, cell phones, gaming systems, and social media websites to deliberately harass or threaten others. This type of harassment is referred to as cyberbullying.

Such behavior affects not only the students who are the target, but also the individuals who participate in and witness such acts. The Dignity Act defines harassment as the creation of a hostile environment by conduct or verbal threats, intimidation or abuse that interfere with a student’s educational performance, opportunities or benefits, or mental, emotional, or physical well being, and conduct, verbal threats, intimidation or abuse that reasonably cause or would be expected to cause a student to fear for his or her safety. Bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves real or perceived power imbalance.

The Dignity Act expects parents to help by teaching their children respect and dignity for themselves and other students. Please send your child(ren) to school, ready to learn! Help your child(ren) understand that rules are required to maintain a safe school, be supportive towards education and the District, work with our school to maintain open and respectful communication, help your child(ren) deal effectively with peer pressure, provide a safe place for study where homework assignments can be completed, and lastly, please inform the school if there is a change in your home that may affect your child’s conduct or performance.
We are expecting our teachers to maintain a climate of mutual respect in their classrooms, be familiar with our school policies and rules and enforce them in a fair and consistent manner, communicate to parents and students, confront issues of discrimination and harassment and report incidents to the building administrator or DAC. Our teachers will be prepared to teach, are enthusiastic to work with your child(ren) and want your child(ren) to be successful in school.

Mayfield Elementary has established clear school-wide and classroom rules about bullying and discrimination. We will continue to raise awareness among school staff through training and will provide adequate supervision in less structured areas. Students will participate in a character education program offered by Catholic Charities once per week for 15-20 weeks. We will also host a word of the month program, assemblies, and Student of the Month Awards for positive behavior.

We will use every available opportunity to lead by example, teach positive behavior choices, and create a positive school climate. The Dignity Act Coordinator in our building is Mrs. Lauren Lozier, School Psychologist. They can be reached at 518-661-8251.

STUDENT BILL OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

With every right comes a responsibility.
It is the student’s right: It is the student’s responsibility:

To attend school in the district in which one’s parent or legal guardian resides.
To attend school daily, regularly, and on time, complete assignments, and to do the highest quality work possible.
To expect that school will be a safe place for all students to learn and to be treated fairly.
To be aware of all rules and expectations regulating student’s behavior and conduct oneself in accordance with these guidelines.
To be respected as an individual.
To respect one another and to treat others in the manner that one would want to be treated.
To express one’s opinions verbally or in writing.
To express opinions and ideas in a respectful manner so as not to offend, slander, or restrict, the rights and privileges of others.
To dress in such a way as to express one’s personality.
To dress appropriately in accordance with the dress code, so as not to endanger physical health, safety, limit participation in school activities or be unduly distracting.
To be given equal opportunities.
To be aware of available educational programs in order to use and develop one’s capabilities to their maximum.
To take part in all school activities on an equal basis regardless of race, color, creed, religion, religious practice, sex, sexual orientation, gender, national origin, ethnic group, political affiliation, age, marital status, or disability.
To work to the best of one’s ability in all academic and extracurricular activities, as well as being fair and supportive of others.
To have access to information concerning drug and alcohol abuse, as well as access to individuals or agencies capable of providing direct assistance to students with serious personal problems.
To seek assistance when dealing with personal problems,
when appropriate.
To be protected from intimidation, harassment, or discrimination based on actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, or religious practice, sex, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability, by employees or students on school property or at a school-sponsored event, function or activity.
To respect one another and treat others fairly in accordance with the District Code of Conduct and the provisions of the Dignity Act. To conduct themselves in a manner that fosters an environment that is free from intimidation, harassment, or discrimination. To report and encourage others, to report any incidents of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

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. The difficult scenarios regarding dress occur mostly in warmer weather and usually involve the definition of appropriate which will vary depending on age, physical development, and gender. 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. 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.

Field Trips

Each grade level will be participating in different activities and field trips throughout the 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.

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.

Lost and Found

The lost and found items will be located on a table in the back of the cafeteria. Check the table regularly because quarterly items are donated to charity.

Lunch Schedule/procedures

All students enrolled in Mayfield Central School District for the 2024-25 school year will receive FREE breakfast and lunch. Extra meals cost $1.25, extra milk costs $.65. Breakfast is served everyday between 8:15-9:00 am. Parents should ask their child’s teacher what their policy is regarding snacks and ice cream at lunch. If you have questions, please contact the office at 518-661-8257.

New York State Testing Dates and Information

The NYS tests are designed to measure how well students have mastered the NYS Common Core Curriculum and necessary grade level skills and also to monitor the effectiveness of instructional programs. Please make every effort to have your child attend school on testing dates. The results of these tests are extremely important for our teachers and for our school. Parents will receive a parent report from NYS in early fall, indicating what level (1-4) your child scored.

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. 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! If you would like to become involved in the PTA, call the main office!

Parent Teacher Conferences

Generally, Parent-Teacher Conferences will be scheduled in November. It is strongly recommended that you meet with your child’s teacher at this time. Your child’s first quarter report card will be given out at conference 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. Each grade level will have recess daily for thirty minutes. 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 sent to the nurse’s office. 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 and cannot play in the snow.

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 cars, 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.

Prohibited: 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, jumping off the steps,
skateboarding, tag on the bark chip area, playing piggyback or lifting smaller friends, walking or standing on the parallel bars…etc.

Most importantly, students 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 the Assistant Principal 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.

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. There will be no throwing of any balls during inside recess for safety reasons. 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. 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.

Playground- 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. If the child is warned again for the same behavior, they will be given 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 Principal 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 – Kindergartners 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.

Kindergartners 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.

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. If you need to make a permanent change, you will need to call the Transportation Office at 518-661-8217. You cannot make changes daily to your transportation preferences. Please refer to the Board of Education’s Transportation Policy.

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. Buses will not be released from the parking lot until each student is accounted for.

Visitors

All Visitors to the school should come and leave through our side entrance near our nurse’s office.

You will use the buzzer system to request access to the school. Our office will ask that you let us know your purpose for coming so that we can verify the information. Please be ready to show us ID if you are a new or unfamiliar face. Please do not hold the door for other families so that we properly survey each visitor requesting access to your child’s school.

All visitors must then report to the Main Office. You 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. You must sign into the office even if you are walking your child down to his/her classroom. It is our responsibility to be sure all visitors are known to the office staff for the safety of your child (ren) and our school.