North Salisbury Elementary Handbook 2023-2024

NORTH SALISBURY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Student Handbook 2023 – 2024 Principal: Mrs. Kimberly Pinhey Assistant Principal: Ms. Breonna Hopkins Dean of Students: Ms. Tiffany Redden Home of the Marvelous Mustangs North Salisbury School is proud to be recognized as a designated school for Excellence in Gifted and Talented Education 1213 Emerson Ave. Salisbury, MD 21801 Website: http://nss.wcboe.org 410-677-5807 Facebook: North Salisbury School

Page | 2 NORTH SALISBURY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOREWORD The staff of North Salisbury Elementary School is pleased to have you as a member of our school family, and we hope your time with us is a pleasant and rewarding experience. This handbook provides information that we think will answer questions you may have about school policies and procedures. We encourage you to read it and file it for future reference. Please note that during this time of uncertainty as it pertains to school opening, some of the information in this handbook is subject to change. MISSION STATEMENT: We are committed to providing a safe and engaging learning environment. Families, educators, students, and community members will work together to ensure our school’s success. BELIEF STATEMENTS: • All students can learn and will be challenged to reach their full potential, becoming confident self-directed, life-long learners. • Education is multicultural. • Students learn in different ways and should be provided with a variety of effective instructional approaches including the integration of emerging technologies to support learning. • Positive relationships and mutual respect should be the norm between students, parents, educators and the community. • A safe and physically comfortable environment promotes student learning. • Students, parents, educators, and the community share the responsibility for advancing the paired school mission.

Page | 3 North Salisbury Elementary School A Brief History North Salisbury School was unique right from the start! When it opened its doors in 1939, it was heralded as the first all-concrete building to be erected on the Eastern Shore. Federal money was used from the depression-fighting Public Works Administration (P.W.A). This upcoming school year marks 82 years since its opening. The January 1939 Opening featured students and staff walking from the two replaced schools, Chestnut Street School and Bell Street School. These 250 North Salisbury students were in the capable hands of a flagship staff of 7 teachers, one of whom was a teaching principal. History repeated itself on April 18, 2006, as students and staff walked to their newly renovated school from Isabella Street to 1213 Emerson Avenue. Construction completed, the school is reoriented so that the front now faces Emerson Avenue and established the most technologically advanced school in the county. Rededication Ceremony held on April 19th, 2006 marked a new page in the proud history of North Salisbury and a look with pride into our future. In February 2013, North Salisbury School became the first school on the entire Eastern Shore of Maryland to earn the prestigious Excellence in Gifted and Talented Education award. (EGATE) North Salisbury School is committed towards excellence in education for all students. In May 2015, North Salisbury School became the first school in Wicomico County and one of only 64 schools in the United States to be named a National School of Character for 2015. North Salisbury is proud to serve students in grades 3 – 5 where high achievement is expected for all. North Salisbury School Vision Statement We will work together to grow academically as respectful, lifelong learners in a positive school community. Academic Excellence • North Salisbury is dedicated to meeting the needs of each student with diverse instruction strategies: o High levels of achievement are accomplished through measurable academic progress aligned with the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards (MDCCRS). o Focus is placed on character development which incorporates; caring, citizenship, respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, and fairness.

Page | 4 o The concept of teamwork through academic and extra-curricular activities is developed Staff • North Salisbury School is committed to hiring and retaining effective and dedicated staff members who: o Encourage colleagues and students in an atmosphere of support and respect o Are enthusiastic towards teaching and learning o Are invested in student improvement through the use of best practices Students • North Salisbury challenges students to be successful through behavior, character, and academic achievement: o Exhibit respectful behavior toward other students and adults o Encourage each other in an atmosphere of support o Accept responsibility for their learning and their actions School Climate o North Salisbury provides opportunities for students to develop and practice the characteristics of our HOUSE SYSTEM: AT North Salisbury WE ARE Respectful, Responsible, Caring, Trustworthy, Fair and Good Citizens. o We keep our building and classrooms conducive for learning o We stimulate thinking with engaging and informative student work Leadership • Effective administrators and staff are the driving force behind any successful endeavor. These leaders have established a clear vision and take steps to ensure that the vision becomes a reality: o We provide a child centered environment which promotes creativity and encourages life-long learning for a changing world. o We establish priorities that provide a guideline for the direction of our school. o We encourage the staff to participate in the decision-making process. o We establish positive relationships between community members, parents, staff, and students.

Page | 5 COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS: Student Agendas On the first day of school, students will receive an agenda. This agenda will be a vital part of communication between home and school. The agenda will include all homework assignments, notes to parents from teachers, and a monthly calendar of upcoming events. Students will be taught how to use their agendas effectively during the first weeks of school. Please take the time to sign your child’s agenda daily to insure good communication between home and school. Organization One of our major goals is to help your child develop good organizational skills. For that reason, we try to be clear, specific, and consistent with our expectations. Students will be told when folders or student purchased organizers, should be cleaned out, so please do not remove papers without their say so. Many papers in the folders can be “works in progress”. Therefore, it is very important that they are not removed. In general, folders may be emptied as designated below but not without prior permission from your child’s teacher:  Math- after completion of unit  Science/Social Studies- after completion of unit  Spelling- Every Friday  Language- after completion of unit  Notebook Paper- should be filled nightly with notebook paper  Take Home Pocket- emptied nightly Weekly Folders These plastic blue folders will be sent home every week and may contain newsletters, completed student work, and general information regarding school events and important dates to remember. We ask that you sign these folders each week and send them back to school with your child the next day.

Page | 6 ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL TIMES 7:45 -- School opens for Magnet students 8:15 -- School opens for Traditional students & instruction begins for Magnet students 8:45 --Instruction begins for Traditional students 2:15 – Magnet students’ dismissal 3:15 – Traditional students’ dismissal Magnet students should not arrive at school before 7:45 and Traditional School students should not arrive before 8:15 a.m. Students may enter the building when the bell rings. Our staff reports at 7:45 and 8:15 and will not be able to provide supervision for your child until the scheduled arrival times. Students being delivered to or picked up from school should use the school driveway in the front of the school building on Emerson Ave. If you prefer to park your car during arrival and dismissal times, we ask that you walk your child to and from the school sidewalk due to the high level of traffic in the car riders’ lane. Students are not to be picked up or dropped off on Union Ave., as that parking lot is reserved for the school buses only. If students must leave early or go home differently from the way (s) he arrived, a note must be sent to the school. IF A CHILD DOES NOT HAVE A NOTE, THE CHILD WILL BE SENT HOME HIS/HER NORMAL WAY. We appreciate your support of ensuring your child’s safe transport to and from school. Phone calls are no longer accepted to make transportation changes. Walkers must cross the street on Union Avenue utilizing the crossing guard. Students are expected to refuse any gifts or rides from strangers. All such incidents should be reported to the office immediately. Students may not travel from school with anyone other than their planned, authorized transportation provider. LATE ARRIVAL Students who arrive late for school must bring a note to the office and be signed in by an adult. They must obtain a late slip before going to the classroom. The late slip must be presented to the classroom teacher before being admitted to the class. EARLY PICK-UP If you are picking up your child, please come to the office and your child’s teacher will be called. You will be asked to wait in the office while we call them for you. ATTENDANCE Coming to school every day is very important. Our goal is to have 100% participation of students attending school every day. We are asking you to help us reach this goal by scheduling trips, appointments, etc. at times when school is not in session. This will allow your son/daughter to come to school every day unless they are ill. BIRTHDAYS Children love to celebrate their birthdays with classmates. Feel free to bring in pencils, stickers, or items of a similar nature to honor your child’s birthday. If you desire to bring in edible birthday treats for your child’s class, they will be distribute at your child’s lunch time in the cafeteria. Individual items, i.e. cupcakes or cookies, are preferred due to the limited time available during lunch. SCHOOL POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND GENERAL INFORMATION

Page | 7 **ALL food must be store-bought and include nutrition and ingredient labels on the package. Homemade food may not be distributed at school. Please understand that this school policy is a safety measure for our children due to the number of children with various food allergies. BREAKFAST Breakfast is offered free of charge to all students as a “grab and go” option. Students will have the choice as to whether they eat the food that is provided. BUS NOTES Students who come to school by bus should return home the same way, unless they have notes verifying, they are to go home in a different way. These notes should be shown to the bus drivers and given to the children's teachers. Teachers will send these notes to the office in the morning. We do not accept verbal messages from students regarding changes in their dismissal. Parents are asked to not call the office with the phone requests to change a student’s dismissal procedure. BUS RULES/BUS SAFETY Riding a school bus is a privilege. With this privilege comes responsibility for good conduct, proper care of the bus and respect for the rights of others. Parents can best assist teachers and bus drivers by being familiar with the bus rules:  Your driver has absolute control of the bus and of the conduct of those on it. You are expected to obey your driver.  If you must cross the street when boarding of leaving the bus, WALK IN FRONT OF THE BUS. Look both ways before crossing the road.  Enter and leave by the front door. The rear door is for emergency use only. Do not touch it except in the case of an emergency.  Promptly take the seat assigned to you.  Sit facing forward. Keep your hands, arms, legs, and head away from the window. Keep feet, legs, and books out of the aisle.  Do not eat on the bus.  Help your driver keep the bus clean.  Cooperate during a bus emergency drill.  Ordinary conversation is permissible.  Students who fail to abide by the bus rules will be disciplined. Bus drivers have the right to suspend a student from riding the bus for a period of one day. Administration may suspend students for additional days. Parents will be notified of suspensions before they go into effect. Discipline procedures are as follows:  1st offense: Referral to principal’s office. Discipline at the discretion of the principal or designee.  2nd offense: Referral to principal’s office. Discipline at the discretion of the principal or designee.

Page | 8  3rd Offense: Referral to the Transportation office. Conference with supervisor of transportation, parent, student, and driver if deemed necessary.  4th offense: Automatic 30 school days off the bus.  5th offense: Automatic removal for the remainder of the year. EMERGENCY INFORMATION Personal Data/Emergency Information sheets will be sent home with the back-toschool letter that is mailed to each student in August. It is imperative that all sheets be returned and fully completed. Emergency situations can arise rather frequently in a school this size. For your child’s health and safety, it is CRUCIAL that we have CURRENT emergency contact information. Please remember that it is imperative that a new form be completed with each family/household change. FAMILY TRIPS Please try to schedule trips during times when school is not in session. These absences interfere with the students’ learning process and hurt the school in our attempt to achieve our required attendance percentage for the school and state. The county guideline for elementary students is as follows: While it is necessary that a trip cannot be considered a legal reason to be absent from school. It is felt that under the following circumstances, no punitive actions would be taken:  Parents should complete and submit the “Non-Emergency Absence” form well in advance of the trip, designating the length of the absence. These forms can be found in the main office.  All arrangements for homework, tests, quizzes, etc. should be worked out with the individual teacher a week in advance. Students are expected to complete all make-up work within a reasonable length of time, which will be determined by the teacher.  Principals are authorized to approve up to 3 days as excused for approved family trips per school year.  The trip should have an apparent and defined educational value for the student. HOMEWORK A good homework assignment is one that makes use of the creative potential of the student. It should vary from one grade level to the next in the amount of time required. To be meaningful, the assignment must be consistent with the attention span of the learner. Homework is an extension of work introduced by the classroom teacher. When your child does have a homework assignment, you can assist by doing the following:  Provide a quiet workspace with all necessary supplies.  Set a time and routine for doing homework each night.

Page | 9  Check to see if assignments are completed in a neat and conscientious manner  Help when necessary but do not take over the assignment. HOMEWORK FOR ABSENCES For absences of one day we ask you to let your children get the assignments they miss. Upon returning to school the following day after an absence, teachers will try to get the assignments upon request. Please remember that for most of the day teachers are involved with the direct instruction of students and cannot stop to prepare work. We ask that you make your request for homework before lunch so that teachers have time to get it together for you to pick up at the school office between 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Also, if you wish to have another student bring the work home for your child, it will be necessary for you to make those arrangements with that child and his/her family. MEDICINE FOR STUDENTS North Salisbury has a full-time nurse on duty. All prescriptions and non-prescription medication must be brought to the school by an adult and dispensed by the school nurse. A doctor’s order for the medication must accompany all medication, including overthe-counter medications, for the nurse to dispense it. Students may not carry medications in school without proper authorization from the school nurse and prescribing physician. A note from the student’s parent is not sufficient for the nurse to dispense either prescription or over-the-counter medication. RECESS/PLAYGROUND EXPECTATIONS Weather permitting; students enjoy a time to release the energy of youth on our school playground each day. Teachers monitor this structured play time and enforce the playground rules which are reviewed with the students during the first month of school and periodically throughout the year. Behavior expectations:  Good sportsmanship must be displayed in all game activities.  Body contact games (wrestling, karate, tackle football, etc.) are prohibited.  Climbing on the backstop, swing support, and sliding support is prohibited.  Playing with or throwing sticks, stones, or dirt is prohibited.  There should be no playing in water puddles or wet areas. Individual Home & School Group PROJECTS In class groups and pairs will be assigned or agreed upon by the teacher. Remember: We are teams and must work together with everyone. Rubrics will be given for the scoring of projects.

Page | 10 Equipment Safety: Swings - The following behaviors are encouraged on the swings:  The swings are to be used in a seated position only.  Students are to swing forwards and backwards.  Students are to stand clear of the swings that are in use.  Only one person is to use a swing at a time.  Refrain from pushing students on the swings. Sliding Board – Practice the following behaviors:  Only one person may slide at a time.  Sliding in a sitting position is expected.  Use the steps for climbing up the sliding board. SCHOOL CLOSINGS/CANCELLATIONS Occasionally school must open late, close early or be cancelled. Announcements concerning any changes in the regular school schedules will be made from our school messaging system called Thrillshare, the Wicomico County Public Schools’ website (www.wcboe.org), the WCBOE Facebook page (www.facebook.com/wcboe/) and the following radio and television stations. WBOC 102.5 FM WICO 1320 WDIH 90.3 FM WICO 94 FM WSBY 98 FM (Y99) WKHI 95.9 FM WOCQ 104 FM WQHQ 104.7 FM WOLC 102.5 FM WLVW 105.5 FM WMYJ 106.5 FM WMDT-TV CH47 SCHOOL DELAYS There may be delays throughout the school year due to weather conditions such as fog, snow, ice, & etc. Please understand that there is no adult supervision available prior to the delayed openings so we ask that students be brought at the assigned times. Any and all delays will be 90 minutes from the regularly scheduled times. Magnet Traditional 9:15 9:45 SCHOOL MESSENGER AUTOMATED CALLING You may receive messages and alerts from our school messaging system called Thrillshare. STUDENT LUNCHES A nutritional lunch is prepared and served in our cafeteria to ensure that your child will have a daily balanced meal. Milk is served with each platter or can be purchased separately. Ice cream may also be purchased. A lunch menu and prices are sent home each month.

Page | 11 LUNCH MONEY All students are eligible to receive free lunch this year. If a la carte items become an option, you can use My Payments Plus service, found at www.mypaymentsplus.com to add money and monitor your student’s lunch account. LUNCH NUMBERS Every student will receive an identification number to be used when purchasing lunch or breakfast. Please make sure that these numbers are practiced and memorized by children. This will really help with the speed and flow of students moving through the lines. LUNCH PROCEDURES CAFETERIA EXPECTATIONS  Good table manners are to be displayed at all times.  Conversations will be conducted quietly.  Students are to sit in assigned areas and move through the serving line in an orderly manner.  Students are responsible for the cleanliness of their areas and should place all trash in the receptacles provided.  Students should raise their hands and ask permission to get up from their seat.  Sodas and glass containers are not permitted. TRANSPORTATION CHANGES If you require a change in transportation for your child, please send a note to the school notifying your child’s teacher. *In order to ensure your child’s safety, phone calls will not be accepted as a means to change transportation for your child. VISITORS TO SCHOOL When entering schools in Wicomico County, guests must first stop and check in at the school office. When requesting to visit a child’s classroom, notification and permission is required to ensure the class can accommodate a visitor at that time as some activities such as testing do not allow visitors. All visitors must enter through the school office to gain entrance into the school building. All visitors must have a driver’s license or state issued identification. Doors and/or gates around the building will not be opened to allow anyone entrance; you will be directed to the front of the building to enter. This is most important for the protection and safety of all students. This reminder is posted on each entrance door of our school. Remember that the education and safety of children are our first concerns. Admitted visitors will receive a pass after signing in at the office. We ask that you wear your Visitor Pass in a visible location throughout the duration of your visit to the school. In order to keep potential interruptions to instruction at a minimum, we will not allow small children in the classroom setting. If it is necessary to see a student throughout the course of the instructional day and younger

Page | 12 siblings are with you, we will gladly call the student to meet you in the office. Finally, we ask that you turn off all cell phones and refrain from using them during your visit. BE THE BEST PERSON YOU CAN BE! #6Houses1School

Page | 13 Family Portal We will provide parents an opportunity to monitor their child’s grades through the Family Portal capacity of our student information management system. They will need to include an active phone number on the student information form to access the system as we encourage them to view the gradebook. Progress Reports and Report Cards will now be posted on Family Portal. For security reasons, passwords are reset at the end of each school year. Log in instructions for Family Portal are as follows: Login ID: student’s full last name (all lower case, special characters and spaces removed, not to exceed 14 characters) + first initial of student first name + the last 4 digits of the student’s Social Security Number. Password: Student’s 5-digit lunch number (available from your student or call the school). This is temporary; the parent will choose a new password the first time they log on. Example: Your student is John A. Smith-Jones with the social security number xxx-xx-1234. John’s lunch number is 98765. The login id will be smithjonesj1234 and the temporary password is 98765. Dress Code *Wicomico County Public Schools will no longer participate in the Consistent Attire Program for the 20232024 School Year. See the Dress Code in the Wicomico County Code of Conduct section. Consequences for Violation (Adopted from WCBOE Dress Code Policy): First Offense:  Student conference with administrator to discuss the violation and review the Consistent Attire Program.  Parent contact by the administrator to discuss the violation of the policy and subsequent consequences should more violations occur.  Change of clothing by student to rectify the violation (provided by the student or parent). Student will be placed in ISS until appropriate clothing is secured. Second Offense:  Student conference with an administrator to discuss the violation and review the Consistent Attire Program.  Parent contact by the administrator to discuss the violation of the policy and subsequent consequences should more violations occur.  Change of clothing by student to rectify the violation (provided by the student or parent).

Page | 14  Student discipline disposition at the discretion of the administrator.  Student will be placed in ISS until appropriate clothing is secured. Third and Additional Offenses:  Student conference with an administrator to discuss the violation and review the Consistent Attire Program.  Parent contact by the administrator to discuss the violation of the policy and subsequent consequences should more violations occur.  Change of clothing by student to rectify the violation (provided by the student or parent).  Student assignment to in-school or out-of-school suspension: day(s) (at the discretion of the administrator while utilizing progressive discipline).  Students may be placed in ISS until appropriate clothing is secured. Student Code of Conduct **The Student Code of Conduct has been revised by WCPS. Please visit the WCPS website to review.

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