APOLLO-RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SCHOOL RULES for

PICKING UP & DROPPING OFF STUDENTS

***MORNING  ARRIVAL***

Arrival time is 8:15 until 8:45 ...students are considered tardy after the 8:45am bell.

· The front doors will be locked at all times, except during bus arrivals while staff  is on duty from 8:15am – 8:45am.  Students will not be permitted to enter any part of the building until 8:15am.  Students are not permitted to wait outside the building due to liability issues.  If your child walks to school or is dropped off in the morning, you will need to make sure that he/she does not arrive until 8:15am. THE INSTRUCTIONAL DAY BEGINS AT 8:45am AND CONTINUES UNTIL 3:15pm.

· If  there is a two hour delay, the doors will open at 10:15am.  The tardy bell rings at 10:45am.

· If you are dropping your child prior to the tardy bell and will be walking your child to the elementary door, you will need to park in one of the parking spaces (double parking is not permitted) in the parking lot.  If your child will be walking into the building, prior to the tardy bell, you may pull in the inner circle to drop off your child.  No stopping and getting out of your car in the inner circle.  The traffic in the inner circle must be a continual flow. 

· For the safety and security of all our students, parents are not to accompany their children into the building unless they have an appointment with the child’s teacher ...please say your goodbyes either curbside or at the entrance to the building.

· If you have an appointment with school personnel and will be accompanying your child into the building, please park your vehicle in the visitor lot (not the circle drive) in a designated parking spot … parking in the circle drive for more than 5 minutes is not permitted.

Note: If you drop your child off after 8:45 am, please pull into the circle drive and escort your child into the school … children not properly signed in will be marked absent for the day.

***EARLY  DISMISSAL***

When a student wishes to leave school early, that student must present a written request from his/her parents (or guardian)

to the classroom teacher prior to the beginning of opening exercises. Please come in to the office and sign out your child. 

THE ONLY REASON A STUDENT SHOULD BE LEAVING SCHOOL EARLY IS FOR A MEDICAL/LEGAL APPOINTMENT, NURSE RELEASE, OR PRE-APPROVED VACATION. A medical/legal excuse must be received in the office the day upon return for a medical/legal appointment or the release will be unexcused and count towards the Violation of School Attendance Law.

***STUDENTS  BEING  PICKED  UP  EVERY  DAY

AT  THE  END OF THE SCHOOL  DAY***

· Individual(s) picking up a student(s) every day of the school year will follow the End-of-Day Dismissal procedures listed below.

· The parent/guardian will sign a form at the beginning of the school year stating that there will be no deviation from this end-of-day release. 

· Only individuals listed on the every-day walker permission form will be permitted to sign a student out at the end of the day unless a note is received in the office the day of the dismissal.

***END -OF -DAY  DISMISSAL***

· If you are picking up your child to ride home, you will need to park in one of the parking spaces in the large parking  lot.  Do not park so you are blocking other cars from leaving – double parking.  There are usually always parking spaces available at this time of the day.  PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS ADDITIONAL PARKING VIA THE BUS LANE IN THE BACK OF THE BUILDING.

· After all the buses have left the elementary parking lot, you will need to come in to the office/lobby

and sign out your child.  Once you sign out your child, he/she will be released to you.  Identification

will be required if  someone other  than a parent is picking up a student.

· No student will be released from school between 3:05pm and 3:30pm to ensure the safety of the

children riding the buses home.

· Buses are loaded beginning at approximately 3:20.

All parents or authorized persons must come into the school office when picking up students for early dismissals or dropping students off in the morning after the 8:45am bell.

If you have someone, other than yourself, taking care of your child(ren) in the morning and/or afternoon, please make sure they are aware of these procedures.

Please remember that the entrance and exit of the parking lot must be available for traffic at all times.

Thank you for your cooperation to make our arrivals and departures safe and efficient!

Attendance Procedures

PURPOSE OF ATTENDANCE

The Board of Education requires that school-aged pupils enrolled in the schools of this district attend school regularly in

accordance with the laws of the State.  The educational program offered by this district is predicated upon the presence of the pupil and requires continuity of instruction and classroom participation.  The regular contact of pupils with one another in the classroom and participation in a well-planned instructional activity under the tutelage of a teacher are vital to this purpose.

STUDENT REGISTRATION

To register a student within the Apollo-Ridge School District, the student’s parent/guardian must provide the following:

Proof of immunizatons, Proof of Residency (at least 3) Deed of Ownership, Current Utility Bill, Current Driver’s License, tax statements, Social Security Information, Lease Agreement, Public Assistance Identification, Automobile Registration, Court-Ordered custodial Agreement.  Parent/Guardian must present photo identification at registration.

COMPULSORY SCHOOL AGE

The term “compulsory school age” shall mean the period of a child’s life from the time the child’s parents elect to have

 the child enter school, which shall not be later than at the age of eight years, until the age of 17 years.  Attendance shall be

required of all students enrolled in the schools during the days and hours that the school is in session, except that a principal may excuse a student for temporary absences, when he/she receives satisfactory evidence of such mental, physical, or other urgent conditions which may reasonably cause the student’s absence.  Parents must submit a written request.

ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL

“Absence” is the nonattendance of a pupil on those days and half-days in which the school was in session.

PROCEDURE FOR RETURN TO SCHOOL AFTER AN ABSENCE

The reporting and recording of an absence and tardiness is an important function.  It is required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and is important in order to maintain control within the school.

  1.  It is necessary for a student to bring an excuse from his/her physician, parent, or guardian when returning to

school  after being absent or having an early release the previous day. The excuse must be presented to the

classroom teacher immediately upon returning to school.  Action will be taken if a student fails to comply with

the procedure.  All excuses will be filed.  If no written excuse is submitted within three days of return, the

  absence is unexcused.

  2.  It is the responsibility of the parent(s) to make sure the excuse is turned in upon the student’s return to  school.  If you have any questions or wish to make sure the excuse is turned in, you can call the

elementary office during business hours.

  3.  Pupils receiving an excused absence will be permitted to make up any class work missed during their absence.

  4.  Students receiving an unexcused absence will not be permitted to make up assigned work for that day.

  5.  Absence excuses must be returned within 3 days upon returning to school.  Back-dated excuses, including

doctor’s excuses, will not be accepted under any circumstances.  It is the student’s/parent(s) responsibility to

ensure that all excuses are turned in a timely manner.

EXCUSED ABSENCE

“Excused Absence” refers to absence for any one of a number of legal reasons.  All absences under this category may be

classified into two groups namely, nonattendance due to unpreventable causes and nonattendance due to other legal reasons.  Attendance shall be required of all students enrolled in the schools during the days and hours that the school is in session, except that a principal may excuse a student for temporary absences when he/she receives satisfactory evidence of such mental, physical, or other urgent conditions which may reasonably cause the student’s absence.  Parents must submit a written request.

The Board considers the following conditions to constitute reasonable cause for absences from school:  illness, quarantine, recovery from accident, required court attendance, death in a family, family educational trips (prior approval by principal is required), educational tours and trips (prior approval by principal is required), exceptionally urgent reasons as determined by the principal.  Note:  When possible, emergency situations should have prior approval by the principal. 

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

Unexpected absences are coded as follows:

  A.  Under seventeen (17) years of age, the unexcused absence is recorded as unlawful.

  B.  Over seventeen (17) years of age, the unexcused absence is not recorded as unlawful because the

    individual no longer comes under the Compulsory Attendance Law.

TARDINESS

Tardiness is absence of a pupil at the time the school day begins, provided the pupil is in attendance before the close of the

morning session.  When a child is illegally absent for a portion of a day, such portion will be considered cumulative and

translated into equivalent days.  Five unexcused tardy absences will be equivalent to a ½ day unexcused absence.  The student must submit a written excuse explaining the reason (medical/legal are excused) for his/her tardiness. 

ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES

If a student arrives at school between 8:45am to/including 9:15am, the absence is considered a tardy.

If a student arrives at school between 9:16am and 2:00pm, this is considered a ½ day absence.

If a student arrives at school from 2:01pm on, this is considered to be a whole day absence.

(A note must be received by a physician or parent in order for the absence to be excused – signing in the student does

  not qualify as an excuse).

If a student leaves school between 8:45am and 9:15am, this is considered a whole day absence.

If a student leaves school between 9:15am and 2:00pm, this is considered a ½ day absence.

(A note must be received by the office from the parent/guardian in the morning of the dismissal.)

If a student leaves school after 2:00pm, the absence is considered an early release. 

***Please Note:  For late arrivals or early releases, calling the school or signing your child in or out does not

constitute an excuse. (Any early dismissal is considered unexcused unless a medical/legal excuse is provided to the office within three days of the absence.)

EXCESSIVE ABSENTEEISM

It is the policy of the Apollo Ridge School District to require a physician’s excuse for a child’s absence when it is

determined that a child’s school absenteeism is excessive.  The parents shall be notified by mail that a physician’s excuse will be required for each day of absence after this has been determined.  Failure to comply with this policy by the parents shall cause each day of absence to be recorded as unexcused.

The following guideline will be followed to determine when a child’s absenteeism is excessive.

Excessive Absenteeism is defined when a child has been absent a total of ten (10) days without a medical excuse from a licensed practitioner.  A letter will be sent requiring a physician’s excuse for future absences.

In addition, a physician’s excuse may be required in the following situations:

  A.  Anytime a child has accumulated three (3) or more days of

    unexcused absences.

B.  Anytime there is suspected abuse of the school attendance laws.

FAMILY/EDUCATION TRIPS

Students are encouraged to take vacation time during non-school days.  Compulsory School Attendance laws and No Child Left Behind legislation discourage the approval of vacations during the school year.  The Apollo-Ridge School District school calendar provides vacation time for holidays and family excursions.  It is important that students attend school on scheduled days.

Students that plan to be absent from school for any kind of family or educational trip, even if for one (1) day, are required to obtain written permission from the principal at least ten (10) school days prior to the trip.  A (Family/Educational Trip Request Form) must be completed and approved prior to the absence.  This form can be found in the back of the handbook and on the elementary school’s website for your convenience.  Any day(s) missed for trips not approved by the principal prior to the absence will be unexcused (unlawful). Students on approved vacation must complete make-up work within the number of school days equal to the number of school days missed.  Homework not completed within this time frame will be graded as a “zero”.

Approval for these requests will be at the discretion of the principal based upon compulsory school attendance guidelines (Excessive Absenteeism, Page 36).

No requests will be approved from two weeks prior to and during the dates of the Pennsylvania State Assessments in grades 3 (Reading and Math), 4, (Reading, Math, and Science), 5 (Reading, Math, and Writing).  No requests will be approved during the Stanford 10 Achievement testing in grades 2, and the Otis-Lennon School Ability testing in grades 2 and 4.

PLEASE NOTE:  Extended vacations during the school year may have a negative impact on children’s academic progress; therefore, it is suggested that vacations during school days be kept to a minimum.

Bring Your Child to Work Day (Typically held in April)

Bring Your Child(ren) to Work Day is typically scheduled sometime in April.  If, as a parent, you desire to remove your child from school on this day to go to work with you, the same procedure as for requesting a family/educational trip must be followed in order for this day to be excused.