Parent Handbook

465 Choate Road
Salisbury, NC 28146

(704)639-3046 (office)
(704)603-6886 (fax)

Mission Statement:
To provide and sustain a safe school environment that promotes many opportunities for discovery and learning.

Vision:
Nurturing, preparing, and empowering lifelong learners to explore the possibilities and responsibilities of their future.

We have Bobcat PRIDE

Polite
Respect
Involved
Determined
Excellent

School Hours -- 7:30 am-2:30 pm (*Tardy bell will ring at 7:30 am) Office Hours -- 7:00 am-3:45 pm

Morning/Afternoon Procedures

• Students may arrive at 7:10 am, enter the cafeteria for breakfast and then report to their classroom. NO student will be admitted prior to 7:10 am, as there will be no adult supervision.
• Students who arrive after the 7:30AM tardy bell must be accompanied to the school office by a parent/guardian for admittance into the school.
• Students will not be dismissed from classrooms for checkout after 2:00PM (no exceptions). All afternoon early checkouts must occur prior to 2:00 pm. Students checking out of school early without presentation of a valid medical appointment card will be issued a tardy.
• In order to change your child’s afternoon transportation, a parent/guardian must send a signed note to their child’s teacher. Phone calls for transportation changes will only be accepted in case of an emergency. No phone transportation changes will be made after 2:00PM.

North Carolina law requires school attendance for school aged children. When a child is absent from school the absence will be recorded as “lawful” or “unlawful.” A written note must be sent to the teacher following your child’s absence. Children cannot stay in school if they have a fever of 100 degrees or above, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or any undiagnosed rash. If a child leaves school for a fever of 100 degrees they will be asked to not return the student to school until they have been fever free for up to 24 hours. Please refer to the Rowan-Salisbury Schools Student Code of Conduct Manual for additional information.

Tardy Policy

• Parent must accompany and sign in student at front office after 7:30AM tardy bell and for any early dismissal.
• Students arriving past 7:30AM and/or checking out of school before 2:30PM will be counted as tardy.

Late Arrivals
When students arrive at school late, this disrupts their class and decreases their opportunity for instructional time. Students are considered to be tardy if they are not in their assigned classroom at the 7:30AM bell. Students that ride the school bus will not be considered tardy if the bus arrives after the start of school. If your child is late to school, an adult must sign the student in at the main office. The child will receive an “admit to class” note to give to their teacher. Please do not drop your child off in front of the school alone after 7:30AM.

Early Dismissals
There will be no student dismissal 30 minutes before the end of the day (between 2:00 and 2:30) unless approved, in advance, by the Principal. If possible please schedule appointments outside of this window. This procedure was implemented at all elementary schools beginning August 2017, to better ensure student safety during dismissal time. If you are picking up your child within the early dismissal window, please wait in the designated area outside of the office until your child is dismissed. Please help us maximize instructional time by keeping early dismissals to a minimum throughout the school year.

• All visitors must ring the doorbell, show ID and report to the front office to sign in.
• Parents are permitted to eat lunch with their child(ren) in cafeteria. Parents must first sign in at the office and receive a visitor’s pass. Parents may not return with their child to the classroom upon conclusion of lunch.
• In order for a family member to eat with your child, their name must be listed on the Student Emergency Information Sheet.
• All parents/visitors are to sit in the assigned areas in the cafeteria when eating lunch with their child. 
• Parents are permitted to observe in classrooms during the school day. Prior to the observation, parents must make arrangements with the classroom teacher and/or administrators.

We know that birthday celebration are important and we welcome the opportunity for you to celebrate your child’s special day at school. In order to make sure that we maximize the school day, all lunch celebrations will be held during lunch (unless otherwise stated). Parents are welcome to bring a light snack for classmates to celebrate with such as cupcakes and punch.

Please be sure that contact your child’s teacher ahead of time to make arrangements.

• Please have your identification ready to be scanned for entry.
• Please meet your child in the cafeteria area. Do not go to the classroom to meet.
• Please sit in the designated areas for parent/child lunch times.
• When lunch is complete, please return back to the Main Office to drop off your ID badge and check out . We ask that you do not linger after lunch as this interferes with instructional time.
• No balloons will be permitted on premises, as well as “party decorations” Parent Contact Information . In case of emergency, please make sure the front office and your child’s teacher have a current working number.
• Please make address changes through the front office with our Data Manager 

If you are interested in chaperoning a class field trip, serving as a classroom volunteer or as a student mentor, you will need to contact our Communities in School Site Coordinator. Volunteers need completed application, RSSS school board approval and a criminal background check prior to any interaction with students. The safety of our children is our priority so we appreciate your understanding of this process to volunteer. 

Uniforms
The school uniform policy is approved by the RSSS Board of Education and is strictly implemented at Hanford-Dole Elementary School. In the event a student reports to school out of uniform, the parent/guardian will be notified by the child’s teacher to bring the appropriate uniform clothing to school as soon as possible. Please see the uniform brochure or click here.

Backpacks
Children should have a backpack labeled with (his/her name in permanent marker inside) large letters. This book bag will be used to transport finished work and other school items back and forth on a daily basis. Please make sure the book bag can carry the child’s work, a lunch box (optional) and a large library book. A bag that is too small is difficult for a child to pack and increases the chance of notes/work being lost. Please check your child's backpack on a daily basis. 

Classroom Managed Offenses (to be handled by teacher)

1. Warning
2. Privilege Loss
3. Parent Notification (written/phone call)

Parent Conference with teacher

Office Referral Major Offenses – (as defined in the RSSS Student Code of Conduct) warrant immediate office referral

Bus Offenses

1. Verbal Warning (Driver)
2. Warning letter to parent (Driver initiated)
3. Office Referral (Bus suspension)
4. Conference with parent after 3 bus referrals

Check the school calendar on the website for updated information on upcoming events at HDES. Click here also.