Hilburn Drive Elementary School |
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Principal: Gregory Ford Asst. Principal: Cheryl Fenner |
Phone: 919-571-6800 |
Welcome Hawks! This page contains details about Hilburn's policies and procedures for a variety of subjects, updated for the 2009-2010 school year. Scroll further and you will find contact information and important calendar events! Please contact the school should you have any questions. Download your own copy HERE! A Message from the Principal The purpose of this handbook is to provide you with helpful answers about Hilburn Drive Elementary School and to establish common procedures for all of us to follow. We have tried to provide as much information as possible. However, should you have any questions that have not been answered here, please call your child’s teacher or the school office.
Sincerely, Gregory D. Ford Principal Mission Statement Hilburn Drive Elementary School strives for academic excellence by providing opportunities for each child to learn and grow in a nurturing atmosphere. Through mutual respect within the total school community, our children will develop into responsible and productive citizens.
All students in grades 3, 4 and 5 will use agendas (classroom calendars/ planners) to develop essential planning skills related to learning and academic success. These booklets will also provide a means of daily home/school communication. Cost for each student agenda is $1.00. The school will subsidize the remaining cost of the agendas. Arrivals and Departures Please also see Attendance Hilburn’s instructional day begins at 9:05 and on the following days it ends at 3:45 p.m (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays). On Wednesday afternoons, the instructional day ends at 2:45 p.m, unless otherwise noted for an Early Release Day. Children should be dropped off and picked up in the front of the school. In order to facilitate the smooth and efficient flow of traffic, please make sure your child is ready to get out of the car when you stop to drop-off in the morning. Prolonged stopping or parking in the circle is not permitted. Please remember that the bus circle is only for buses. For safety reasons, please do not drop off your child prior to 8:45 a.m. as there will be no adult supervision. It is imperative that students are present for the entire day. In those rare instances where a student arrives late or must leave early, parents are asked to sign students in when entering the building after the tardy bell rings at 9:05 a.m. and sign them out when leaving before 3:45 p.m. Please use the Ident-A-Kid kiosk when signing in and out of school. An ID with your signature may be requested before a child is released. Children will not be released without appropriate signatures and identification. It is extremely important that each parent/guardian sign his/her name on the locator card for this reason. Locator cards are given out at the beginning of the school year. All students must have an updated locator card in the front office. If you move, change phone numbers, change doctors, etc. it is vital to change the information on your locator card. Wake County Board Policy (6000.2) states “Parents must ensure that students attend and remain in school daily. To be considered present, a student must be in attendance at least one half of the student school day.” Based on our school hours, Hilburn Drive Elementary’s half day is at 12:30 p.m. Your child must arrive at school by 12:30 to be considered present for that day. If a parent/guardian chooses to pick up their child prior to 12:30 p.m., and does not return to school that day, the student will be considered absent. Students entering school after 12:30 p.m. will also be considered absent. Children who are habitually tardy in the morning or signed out early in the afternoons will be referred to the attendance committee. For the purposes of safety, security, and fostering student independence, parents may drop off and pick up students in the main office only and not at the classroom doors.
Students have many items at home that often prove to be disruptive to instruction or school procedures. The following items deemed to be possible safety hazards should not be brought to school: diskmans, mp3 players, virtual pets, dolls, collectable cards, yo-yos, toys, paging devices, cell phones, hand-held video games, etc. If any of these items are seen by a staff member, they will be confiscated and turned into the office and must be picked up by the child’s parent/guardian.
Attendance Prompt, regular attendance at school is one of the best ways to help insure student success. It is very important for students to be on time so they don’t miss or disrupt the instructional time. We ask that parents respect the instructional day and schedule doctor appointments, etc. outside of the instructional day, whenever possible. Students need ample time in the morning to prepare for their day and review the days’ objectives/activities. Parents are requested to have children at school by 9:00 a.m. in order for them to be prepared for instruction to begin when the final bell rings at 9:05. When your child misses school, please send a note to your child’s teacher explaining the reason for the absence. If a student is tardy, he/she needs to check in at the office for an admission slip to class. You may also pick up a Request for Excused Absence form from the office if the absence will be due to religious or educational reasons. The form must be completed two weeks prior to the absence. Students are discouraged from taking family vacations during the school year. Due to the loss of instruction, the administration will be reluctant to excuse such absences during the academic calendar year. We ask that you complete a Student Locator Card at the beginning of the year in the event that your child becomes ill and parent contact must be made. It is very important that we have more than one telephone number on file in order to locate parents in case of an emergency. If information on this card changes during the year, it is vital that you notify the school office to make the necessary changes. Only persons designated on the locator card will be allowed to pick up your child/children from school. Before and After School Hilburn Drive Elementary offers an early arrival program through the Finley YMCA. The program operates from 7:00 a.m. until the first bell rings at 8:45. The program is housed at Leesville Elementary School. Parents may register children for this program at any time during the school year if space is available. Registration forms are available in the office. The after school program, also operated by the Finley YMCA, begins at the end of the school day and runs until 6:00 p.m. The after school program is also housed at Leesville Elementary School. For more information about this program and to register, contact the Finley YMCA at 848-9622. Behavioral Expectations & Student Code of Conduct The Hilburn Drive Elementary staff teaches independence, respect for self and others, and other character traits in addition to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCS). Maintaining a safe, orderly environment for our students is an important part of providing quality education, since we know that learning cannot occur without order. The classroom teacher will maintain classroom discipline to protect the school day and deter behavioral interruptions. Teachers and students will collectively construct their classroom rules, routines and consequences. Students will be sent to administration for disciplinary action after the teacher has taken steps to change and/or stop the inappropriate behavior. Any student involved in a fight or threatening another student will be sent to administration immediately. Students should always adhere to Hilburn’s School Rules:
All students are responsible for complying with and are expected to be familiar with WCPSS Code of Student Conduct and school board policies governing student behavior and conduct. All Code of Student Conduct policies are contained in the WCPSS Student/Parent Handbook, which is distributed to all students and parents at the beginning of each school year or upon enrollment in the WCPSS. If there is a conflict between the rules expressed in this handbook/agenda/planner and the Code of Student Conduct policies, the WCPSS Code of Student conduct policies shall take precedence. Todas las politicas del Codigo de Conducta Estudiantil se encuentran en el manual de WCPSS de Estudiantes/Padres, el cual se distribuye a todos los padres y estudiantes al principio de cada ano escolar o al matricularse en el WCPSS. Si hay un conflicto entre las reglas expresadas en este manual de Estu diantes/Padres y el manual/agenda/planificador de la escuela de su hijo (a) las reglas expresadas en est e manual deben tomar prioridad.
Birthdays
Birthday invitations for private parties should be mailed from a child’s home. Birthday snacks must be store-bought and shared in the cafeteria during scheduled lunch times. Prior teacher notification is expected. As mentioned above, please note that balloons are not allowed at Hilburn, as they are potential safety hazards to students with latex allergies.
Buses
The Wake County Public School System provides bus transportation for students who live in our base area. Our foremost concern with student transportation is SAFETY. In order for students to have a safe bus trip to and from school, bus safety rules must be followed. This service is a privilege, which may be revoked if children exhibit inappropriate behavior or violate safety rules. Violation of safety rules or inappropriate behavior may result in bus suspensions for either short term or the remainder of the school year. When students are suspended off of the bus, parents/guardians are responsible for transporting them to and from school. At Hilburn, the safety of all our students comes first in school and on the school bus; therefore, compliance of the following rules is absolutely necessary:
Cooperate with and obey the bus driver at all times. It is necessary that a supervising adult (parent/guardian) is at the bus stop for the drop off and pick up of small children. In addition, this significantly increases the safety of all children and reduces the likelihood of inappropriate behavior at the bus stop. Parents/guardians assume responsibility for transportation to and from school for students on a school transfer and for those students who have been suspended off the bus. Failure to bring the student to school will be treated as truancy. If a child requests to ride another bus other than the bus to which he/she was assigned, the child must bring a note from home requesting the change. Due to space and liability concerns, the request might not be granted by the administrator. If a bus leaves campus after 4:15, a message will be posted on the school’s voice mail detailing the time of the departure. Issues relating to bus stops and bus drivers should be directed to our Sanderson transportation department at 508-9064. However, issues relating to student behavior can be addressed by the school bus driver and/or the school administrator. Café
A hot breakfast and lunch are served each day by our wonderful cafeteria staff. Meals can be purchased daily, but it is recommended that students deposit funds into their individual accounts to cover meals for the week or month. Milk, snacks, and desserts can be purchased separately. Parents can specify that funds in the account be used to purchase lunch only or lunch and snacks. Deposits are made in the cafeteria. Please include your child’s or children’s ID# on all checks. Parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to have lunch with their children during the school year. Please send a note to your child’s teacher when you plan to visit in case there is a schedule change. Students are not allowed to charge breakfast or lunch in the cafeteria. If students’ funds have been depleted, the school system allows them to choose unlimited fruits and vegetables (excluding potatoes) for lunch. If lunch money is borrowed from the office, it must be paid back prior to borrowing again. Café Meal Prices Breakfast Full Price K-5 .80
Adult A la Carte Lunch Full Price K-5 1.75 Reduced Price .40 Adult A la Carte Milk .50 Snacks .25-.75
Care of School Property We have a beautiful campus! Everyone should take pride in the facilities at Hilburn Drive Elementary. Our goal is to keep our school tidy and clean year round. Students and staff are asked to do everything possible to help keep Hilburn clean and attractive. Students will be expected to clean up after themselves in the cafeteria daily. Good table manners start at home and are reinforced at school. Students will be held accountable for any damage or vandalism to school property. Students who witness vandalism should report it to a teacher or the office. As good citizens, we are all responsible for maintaining Hilburn Drive Elementary. Car Pool, Bicycle and Walking Procedures
Carpool students should be dropped off We ask that parents utilize carpool when picking up your child at dismissal. This process is essential for the protection of our students and it helps ensure a smooth dismissal. If you need to pick up your child for an appointment, please do so prior to 3:15. When picking up your child in carpool, you must display the issued carpool tag on your rear view mirror. Carpool tags will be available during Open House in August. One carpool tag is provided by the school; however, additional ones must be ordered for $2.00 each. Please make sure that each person designated to pick up your child will have an original carpool tag. The school will only release students in carpool to cars that have tags. For the protection of all students, unidentified individuals will be asked to check students out in the front office by showing proper identification. The name must be on the locator card for the student to be released. For morning drop off and afternoon pick up, parents should drive one way through the parking lot and through the car pool lane in a single line. For safety reasons, cones will be set up daily to prevent cars from driving straight into the car pool circle. Morning Drop Off : Students may be released from carpool at 8:45 when a staff member is stationed on duty outside. Students must exit a vehicle on the right side for safety purposes. Vehicles should remain in a single file line and exit the carpool loop. To expedite the process please do not block the carpool lane. After the first few weeks of school, student Hawk Helpers will assist with opening carpool doors for students. Carpool students wishing to eat breakfast should be dropped off no later than 8:45. If your child arrives after the 9:05 tardy bell there will not be any adults on carpool duty. Therefore, a parent/guardian will need to escort your child to the front office and sign him/her in for the day. An adult is required to sign students in /out once the school day has begun. Late students are not admitted to class without a tardy slip from the front office.
Afternoon Pick up: Carpool riders will be sent to the multipurpose room to wait for their carpool number to be called. Students will be called by their assigned number when their vehicle approaches the building. Staff members will supervise as students walk around to board their vehicles. Students will board from the passenger side only. School age children should be able to safely open car doors and buckle their seatbelts without the assistance of an adult. Parents are to remain in their cars at all times to ensure safety and efficiency of the procedure. Please refrain from parking and walking up to the school to pick up your child during carpool. To ensure the safety of our students, carpool students WILL NOT be dismissed from the front office between 3:15-3:45 (M, T, Th, & F) and 2:15-2:45 (W). Entering the bus loop for drop off or pick up is not allowed.
Students may change modes of transportation or able to ride with friends or neighbors only with written permission from the parent/guardian. Students will not be allowed to use the school phone to make transportation arrangements unless it is an emergency. This is for the safety of our students. Children may walk or ride bicycles to school if they have written permission from their parents. These notes are to be filed with the child’s classroom teacher. If your child walks or rides a bike to school, please help them select the safest route. Please provide a safety helmet and a lock and chain to ensure the safety of the rider and the security of the bike. WCPSS is not responsible for stolen bicycles. No skateboards are allowed.
Carpool Do’s
Carpool Don’ts
Change of Address/Phone Numbers Please report all changes in home, work and mobile phone numbers and addresses immediately to the school. We must be able to get in contact with parents/guardians, or authorized individuals in the event of an emergency. A child can not be treated by a doctor or emergency personnel without permission from a parent/guardian. The importance of maintaining updated information cannot be overemphasized. Character Education Traits Hilburn strongly promotes the values and character education traits listed: Kindness, Integrity, Perseverance, Respect, Courage, Responsibility, Good Judgment, and Self-Discipline. Each month a trait is highlighted throughout the school. Communication All communication will be made available in the following ways:
The best way to communicate often with teachers is through email. All staff email addresses can be found on our website. www.hilburnes.wcpss.net Conferences
Conferences are an excellent way of keeping you informed of the overall progress of your child’s schoolwork. Your child’s teacher will contact you to schedule a conference at least twice during the year. You may also request a conference at any time if you have questions or concerns. Counseling The counseling program is designed to help students with a variety of educational, social, behavioral and academic concerns. The counselor works with individuals, small groups, and whole classes. Custody Issues We comply with legal documentation only. If we do not have legal documentation of custodial rights, then we can not comply with parent/guardian directives. Please notify the office as soon as you have a court order or decree issued or updated. Early Release Days The following days have been designated as Early Release days for our students. The staff will participate in staff development on these days. YMCA will operate on an early schedule to accommodate students in their program on these days. School will end and students will be dismissed at 12:40 p.m. on: September 23 October 21 December 2 February 3 March 10 April 21 Any student picked up prior to 12:40 PM will be considered absent on these days. Early Dismissal Early dismissal from school must always be cleared in the office first. The parent/guardian is asked to sign the student out so we have a record of his/her leaving. Please do not go directly to the classroom to pick up your child. You are encourages to schedule regular medical and dental, etc. appointments before or after school hours. For safety purposes, students will not be dismissed between 3:15-3:45 pm. If you need to make alternate pick-up arrangements for your child, please send a note to the teacher in advance. If you forget to do so, please call the office on the day of prior to 2:15.
Field Trips
P roperly supervised and planned educational field trips are an important part of the instructional program. Students are given a Hilburn tag to wear while on field trips. This will help identify them as part of Hilburn Drive Elementary School. A signed permission form from a parent/guardian is required for all field trips. Transportation for field trips will be provided by school buses or chartered buses. Private cars are not allowed for transporting students. Parents are encouraged to chaperone; however, for liability purposes you are not permitted to ride a WCPSS bus. All chaperones are required to have a Level 3 or 4 volunteer status. (See Volunteer section.) Forgotten Items Any item a child has left at home may be brought to the office. School personnel will make sure the item is delivered to the student. In order to protect instructional time, visitors are not permitted to go directly to the classrooms. Homework Plan Homework is an integral part of the learning experience. It should be given the same professional attention as class work. The teacher will introduce a concept or skill and provide guided practice before making a homework assignment. Homework is provided to:
Parents should provide their child the time and location for uninterrupted study. It is recommended that the location be free of distractions such as T.V., music, etc.
Parents may request homework and other assignments for their child who has been absent at least 2 consecutive days. Requests should be made before noon in order to provide ample time for the teacher to prepare the homework packet. These items will be available after 4 PM on the day the request is made. Inclement Weather In case of snow and other dangerous weather or emergency situations, a decision may be made to close or delay school. These decisions are made by WCPSS after the National Weather Service and local weather bureaus have been consulted. As soon as a decision is made, local radio and television stations are notified and a notice is posted on the system’s web page at http://www.wcpss.net. Please do not call the school because telephone lines must be kept open so that we can receive updated information. Refer to the WCPSS calendar for make up day information. In the event school closes early due to inclement weather, the same procedures are followed. Lost and Found Lost and found items will be placed in the entrance of the custodial room. Mascot and School Colors
Our school mascot is the Hawk and our school colors are purple and gold. Medical Matters When students become sick or injured during the school day, if necessary, the teacher will send the student to the health room. If office personnel deem the problem to be minor, then first aid will be administered and the child will return back to class. If the problem is more serious, the child’s temperature will be taken. If their temperature is 100.6 or greater, and/or vomiting or a serious injury, a parent/guardian will be called to pick him/her up. Children must stay home until they have been fever free for at least 24 hours without medication. Please also keep your child home if they have vomited within a 24-hour period.
In order to do this, we need to keep accurate directory information at all times. Please keep your child’s teacher and the school office informed of any changes that occur in addresses, phone numbers and emergency contact persons. If you are called to pick up a sick or injured child at school, please come quickly. Ring worm, head lice and “pink eye” are very contagious. If you discover that your child has developed either condition, please seek immediate medical attention before sending your child to school. A letter with information about treatment will be sent home if head lice or chicken pox is found in your child’s classroom. Please notify the school when your child has a contagious illness such as chicken pox or lice. For the safety of all students, and the comfort of the sick child, we require that students return to school only after the child is well again. Office staff may request a written note from the child’s pediatrician granting permission for the child’s readmission to school. If your child has a special health condition that the school needs to be aware of and prepared to handle, it is the parent’s responsibility to provide written documentation of this need. We will send home forms for you to complete at the beginning of the school year to gather this information. The school nurse will work with staff to ensure that your child’s medical needs are met. School personnel are prohibited from giving children any medication without Form 1702 signed by the child’s doctor. This form is available in the school office and most pediatricians’ offices. The medicine and completed form must be taken to the office by an adult for medication to be administered by the office staff. All prescription medication must be in a pill container with proper labeling form the pharmacy. Parking Please park in designated parking spaces only when visiting the school. Exits, entrances, and fire lanes should remain open for emergency vehicles at all times. Double parking is prohibited. Positive Behavior Support Program Hilburn’s number one priority is to have a safe and orderly school environment where teaching and learning can take place. Schools which are most effective have structure, order and high expectations for student behavior and academic performance. Therefore, Hilburn is a Positive Behavior Support (PBS) school. PBS describes a positive approach for addressing student behavior. The following principles are stressed in PBS:
For more information about this program, please visit the PBS page on the WCPSS website. School Insurance School accident and dental insurance information will be sent home during the first several days of school. If you wish to purchase dental insurance, please mail the application directly to the company. Accident insurance envelopes should be returned to your child’s teacher as soon as possible. School Pictures Lifetouch Studios will take individual school pictures in the fall and full body pictures and classroom pictures in the spring. School-Wide Drill s
Special Education Services A referral to the special education program may be initiated by a parent or a staff member. Once a referral is received, the IEP team including the parent/guardian will meet to discuss the process. Student Dress Code Parents and guardians are asked to use good judgment with regard to proper school dress. In order to maintain a proper educational learning environment, appropriate student attire is required. Short shorts, bare midriffs (boys and girls), spaghetti straps, halter tops and other distracting clothing are not considered acceptable attire. To test whether shorts are too short, the general rule is to stand up straight and put your arms by your side. If hands are longer than the shorts, then they are too short. Students will be expected to keep their pants pulled to their waist. “Sagging” is not acceptable at Hilburn Drive Elementary. Hats and other head gear may not be worn in the building at any time. Wearing flip flops is strongly discouraged because of the accidents that can occur. These guidelines are designed to help provide an instructional atmosphere and assist with security measures. Telephone Messages Parents/guardians are asked to make after- school arrangements with their children before they leave home. Changes in transportation should be in writing and submitted to your child’s teacher. Messages for students will be delivered at the end of the instructional day in order to protect teachers’ instructional time. Messages for teachers will be placed in their mailboxes. Calls will be returned within 48 hours. Textbooks
Textbooks and library books are furnished to your child by the school system on a loan basis and should be treated as borrowed property. Students must pay for the loss or abuse of textbooks and library books. Title I Program Title I is a federally-funded program that provided additional staff and resources to a school for the purpose of helping qualifying students reach proficiency in reading and/or math. Visitors/Volunteers Parents are always welcome at our school, and there are many opportunities for volunteering! Please note that district policy requires that all school visitors report to the office and sign in when entering the building and wear a Visitor’s badge. The staff of Hilburn Drive is committed to ensuring and protecting the instructional workday; therefore, spontaneous classroom visits are not permitted because they disrupt the instructional program. Please do not just “show up” at your child’s classroom to talk with the teacher, expect a conference, or to observe your child. These interruptions interfere with teaching and learning. Our teachers want to meet with you. Please send a note, email or call the school to schedule an appointment. We appreciate your willingness to adhere to these policies and procedures. WCPSS has organized volunteer services in the schools to improve student safety. Therefore, they have grouped activities based on a volunteer’s contact with students and supervision by school staff. There are 4 levels of volunteers. Levels 1 & 2 are activities that have no solitary time with students. Levels 3 & 4 are activities involving direct contact with students under limited supervision. Levels 3 & 4 both require a criminal background check. You must register on line at any Wake County Public School in order to volunteer. It usually takes about 2 weeks for clearance to be denied or approved. Personal volunteer badges will be given out at the front office once you have been cleared. The badges must be returned to the front office after volunteering.
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Agendas/Calendars 
Articles Not Allowed in School 
Glass bottles or canned drinks are not permitted in school. These items are potential safety hazards also. Students who wish to bring a beverage from home for lunch may bring juice boxes. Balloons are not allowed at Hilburn because of the potential safety hazard to students with latex allergies. 
Keep head, hands and arms inside the bus at all times. 
Reduced Price .30 
In addition, children should be kept home when they have any of the following symptoms: 
Every precaution is taken to insure the safety of your child during school hours. Monthly fire drills and periodic severe weather and emergency lockdown drills are performed to make certain students learn proper safety procedures and adhere to all safety guidelines. 
