Parker Elementary School

Carol Selig, Principal

Bulletin #1 August 25, 2008

Welcome to Parker Elementary for the 2008-2009 school year. We look forward to working with you and your children this year.

Many thanks to all of our hard working, dedicated volunteers who helped us, not only today but also through the summer, to make our first day run very smoothly.

SCHOOL HOURS

Grades PK-5 Regular Hours 7:55 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Grades K-5 All HISD Bus, Strings and Band (1^st-5^th) Students 7:55 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Piano Magnet Students NOT RIDING HISD BUSES 7:55 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Kindergarten Magnet Students NOT RIDING HISD BUSES 7:55 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Please help your child learn his/her bus route number and bus stop.

FOR YOUR CHILD’S SAFETY: Please read attached Traffic Alert

Please do not drop any child off at school before 7:30 a.m., as there is no one on duty before 7:30 a.m. to supervise children arriving earlier.

Children must be picked up promptly at dismissal time. Any child waiting for more than 10 minutes for their ride home will be brought into the school and assigned to an After School Care class to ensure safety. Daily After School Care rates will be applied. Your child’s safety is our primary concern. Please support us in our efforts to keep your child safe. Call the main office for additional information on After School Care. (See additional information on our After School Care Program on page 3.)

SCHOOL-WIDE OPEN HOUSE Thusday, September 11

6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m PreK through 5^th grade class

7:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m. Magnet Open House

Please plan to attend our school-wide Open House on Tuesday, September 11, beginning promptly at 6:00 p.m. Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade classroom teachers and all ancillary teachers will be here to meet with parents in their classrooms from 6:00 p.m. through 7:00 p.m. Magnet Open House will begin immediately after classroom visits have concluded, from 7:00-8:00 p.m.

PARENT HANDBOOK

Please keep and carefully read this convenient blue Parker Lion’s folder containing these papers. This handbook contains important information for you, as a Parker parent. The Parker Lions folder will answer many questions about our school. This will be a good place to keep all important papers (like our school calendar and future bulletins) to assist you in making this school year a successful one for your child.

IMPORTANT – INFORMATION TO BE COMPLETED AND RETURNED TO SCHOOL TOMORROW

Enrollment Card – Please remember to notify school personnel of all address / phone number changes (during the school year) and if there are special custody situations that the school needs to be aware of (legal documents are required for custodial arrangements).

· Emergency Plan Sheet

Application for Free or Reduced Meals – A NEW APPLICATION IS DUE EACH YEAR. If your child was on free or reduced meals last year, OCTOBER 6 is the last day he/she can eat free or reduced. A new application must be processed before that time or your child will be required to purchase lunch at the regular price starting on OCTOBER 7.

Media Release Form – All students must have a signed media release on file every year if they are to be in any pictures or videotaped performances. All students have opportunities to perform at Parker sometime during the school year. Your child will NOT be allowed to perform when our performances are being videotaped UNLESS this Media Release Form is signed and returned.

Westbury Park Permission Form – Students who do not return this form will not be allowed to go to Westbury Park for class activities such as recess or P.E.

PARKER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CALENDAR (attached)

Please mark your calendar now and make arrangements for our holidays and Teacher Inservice Days. No early dismissal days are scheduled for this school year.

HISD INCLEMENT WEATHER HOTLINE-(713) 267-1704

HISD has provided a weather alert line for any district-wide schedule changes that may occur because of weather.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

School supply packets for all grade levels are available in the mini-gym from 7:45 a.m. – 8:05 a.m. through the end of this school week.

After School Care

Parker offers a wonderful after school care program supervised by our loving and caring teachers and faculty. Children receive a snack, get help with their homework, and play with their friends. You can choose what satisfies your needs:

5-Day Program= $180 per month

3 -Day Program = $145 per month

1 -Day Program = $60 per month

The above is until 6:00 p.m. There is a late fee of $10 for the first 10 minutes and $1 for each minute after.

5 Day pick up by 4:15 p.m. sharp = $80 per month

Sibling discount 25% after first child

Registration fee=$50 per family per year

Drop –in fee=$20 per day

Keep your eyes open for our Enrichment Class schedule! We will be offering ballet, karate, Mad Science, Spanish, and Mandarin! Registration for Enrichment Classes will go out on September 2.

ATTENDANCE

Your child’s education depends upon a punctual arrival to school and good attendance. Parents are required to send a note documenting all absences.

Trophies will be awarded to our students who have perfect attendance for the school year. Students with perfect attendance each grading period will have their names posted on the bulletin board in the main hallway.

Parker Elementary School Hours are 7:55 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Good attendance in school and punctuality are two critical components toward success in school. Students with more than 5 tardies a grading period will not be eligible for perfect attendance incentives (trophies, ribbons, etc.).

Punctuality is important! More than 10 tardies a grading period will result in the lowering of a child’s conduct grade by 1 letter. An additional 10 tardies in the same grading period will lower the conduct grade another level.

We do understand that medical appointments are necessary and often lengthy. According to Texas Senate Bill I, students with medical appointments who are out of class when the attendance is taken at 9:45 a.m., will be counted as present provided the following conditions are met:

1. Students must be in attendance sometime during the school day.

2. A medical excuse or note from the examining physician must be shown to the front office and then given to the teacher upon returning to school.

MAGNET PROGRAM

Please make a note of the Magnet phone number: (713) 726-2122.

A. Magnet classes for Band and Strings will begin the first day of school, Monday, August 25 from 3:00 p.m.-3:45 p.m. Advanced Guitar will start Wednesday, August 27. Information on Magnet classes for Piano, Advanced Chorus, and Beginning Guitar will be sent home at a later date.

B. All students who ride an HISD school bus will be dismissed at 3:45 p.m.

C. Magnet students who had an instrument checked out for the summer are to return the instrument to Parker on Thursday, August 28.

CAFETERIA AND MEAL CARDS

Breakfast 7:30 a.m. – 7:55 a.m. Free

Lunch $1.60

Milk $0.50

Each student at Parker will be issued a plastic bar-coded Meal Card to be used throughout the school year. Unless your child participates in the free/reduced meal program, meals must be purchased in the office.

Lunch cards are available for purchase in the office on school days from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and again from 2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. ONLY (to allow time for purchases to be credited to each student’s account before the next mealtime). At least three meals must be purchased at a time, with no maximum limit. Please send cash only (checks CANNOT be accepted).

The Texas Department of Agriculture policy regarding birthday treats allows a child to share birthday cupcakes or cookies with classmates in the classroom, after 1:00 p.m., at a time decided by the teacher. (No other type of birthday celebration is permitted at school.)

PERSONAL CLOTHING AND BELONGINGS

Please label your child’s coat, sweaters, umbrellas, raincoats, lunch kits, school supplies, and other belongings. This is the only way the office can return items to your child. Our Lost and Found is cleared out on a regular basis. If items are not labeled, we cannot return them to your child. (Unfortunately, children rarely recognize their own lost items in the Lost and Found area.)

UNIFORMS/DRESS CODE-REQUIRED

The required Parker Elementary Standard Mode of Dress is:

Tops-Red, white, or blue solid, one color shirts or a shirt with the Parker logo (collared or not). Sweaters, jackets, etc. that are worn during the day must comply with the color scheme of red, white, or blue.

Bottoms-khaki, black, or blue pants, jeans, shorts, skirts, or jumpers.

Friday will be spirit day and students may chose to wear a shirt with a college logo or the above standard mode of dress.

Non-uniform days for all students will be picture day(s) in the fall and spring.

SECURITY

All visitors to Parker must register in the front office and sign in to receive a visitors’ badge. We need your help to keep our school safe.

Look under Quick Links for the VIPS Login. A background check is also required of all volunteers wishing to assist in any school function. This form is available in the front office or can be completed during Open House night, September 11. Attend Open House for registration information.

If you have official documents granting you, as parent, custodial arrangements for your child(ren), the school must have a copy of the official papers. If you have not provided the school with a copy of these documents, please do so no later than Tuesday, Sept. 2.

Please take note: We have taught our children to be careful around strangers, but parents should determine whether your child knows with whom they can leave school with or whom they cannot leave school with during the day.

Children need to know which parent has authority to pick them up, to visit them for lunch, etc. They also must know if a parent, relative, etc. is not authorized to pick him/her up.

Please notify the office if any information regarding your child changes: phone number, address, custodial information, etc.

Please help us keep your child safe.

DROP-OFF/PICK UP PROCEDURES

Additional information may be found on the attached Traffic Alert. Please read carefully.

Please do not drop any child off at school before 7:30 a.m., as there is no one on duty before 7:30 a.m. to supervise children arriving earlier.

Children must be picked up promptly at dismissal time (3:00 p.m. for children who are not participating in band or strings). Any child waiting for more than 10 minutes for their ride home will be brought into the school. Your child’s safety is our primary concern. Please support us in our efforts to keep your child safe.

Where do I safely drop my child off in the morning?

Stillbrooke by the first gate, remain in your car and wait patiently for Parent Patrol to help your child out of the car.

Willowbend, remain in your car and wait patiently for Parent Patrol to help your child out of the car.

It is not safe to drop off your child anywhere along Atwell, across the street from the school or in the bus zone.

Where do I safely pick up my child after school?

Write your child’s first and last name BOLDLY on a sign and hold it up as you drive through the carpool line.

PreK, Kindergarten and 1^st grades-Stillbrooke first gate

Wait in line patiently, remain in your car and hold up the sign with your child’s name on it.

2^nd and 3^rd grades-Stillbrooke second gate

Wait in line patiently, remain in your car and hold up the sign with your child’s name on it.

4^th and 5^th grades-Willowbend

Wait in line patiently, remain in your car and hold up the sign with your child’s name on it.

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