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Choices In Learning Elementary Charter School

Student Handbook

2020-2021

Dear CIL School Family:

Welcome to Choices In Learning Elementary Charter School. We are thrilled that you

have made the choice to join our CIL Family! Our school continues to strive to provide

the best educational experience possible for our children and their families, and we have

been very successful over the years as evidenced by our state scores and results.

Choices In Learning continues to implement the “Success for All” curriculum in reading,

researched and designed by Johns Hopkins University. The ability to read is of vital

importance and it is our goal that every child successfully reads and comprehends by the

end of the third grade. This can be achieved as parents, teachers and administrators all

work together for the benefit of each child to reach his/her full potential in school. It is

important that students work with their teachers and parents to meet quarterly and yearly

academic and behavior goals. Goal setting is one way to help your child be successful at

school.

Choices In Learning Elementary Charter School will focus on learning for highest student

achievement. We have high expectations for our students in all academic areas and for

their behavior. Our students are required to wear uniforms, follow the Seminole County

School’s Code of Conduct, know all school-wide expectations, and come ready to focus

on learning every day. Daily attendance is important for your child’s academic success.

As we work together, your children will receive the best education possible. If we can be

of any assistance, feel free to call the school office at 407-302-1005.

We look forward to a very successful year.

Cheetah Pride,

Dr. Janet Kearney

Principal

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MISSION STATEMENT It is the mission of Choices In Learning Elementary Charter School to inspire and educate

lifelong learners through a cooperative learning community.

SCHOOL HOURS FOR STUDENTS Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday – 8:45 a.m. until 3:15 p.m.

Wednesday – 8:45 a.m. until 2:15 p.m.

School begins promptly at 8:45 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Students are welcome in the building at 8:15 a.m.

Children that come before 8:15 a.m. must be assigned to the extended-day program (fee

charged) or a teacher-sponsored morning club.

The school is not able to provide free before-school or after-school supervision.

Parents must make arrangements for their child to be picked up promptly at the end of

each school day or register their child and pay for our CIL extended-day program.

Before- and after-school care is available for a fee.

The Extended Day Program is from 7:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

Wednesday 2:15 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

Extended Day Phone Number 407-619-8330

Please refer to our Extended Day Handbook for general information, registration

information and policies.

The only way an early check-out will be excused is to provide a physician’s note.

If possible, please provide the note at the time of check-out.

SCHOOL OFFICE HOURS Monday – Thursday - 7:30 a.m. until 4:00pm

Friday 7:30 a.m. until 3:30pm

SCHOOL WEB SITE

www.choicesinlearning.org

VISITORS ON CAMPUS All parents, guardians, or visitors must report to the office first to have their driver’s

license scanned and to get a visitor badge/sticker. Please have your driver’s license

available upon arrival every time you visit the school. The visitor badge/sticker must be

worn and visible while on campus. The school office will provide instructions, directions

or a map for your visit. The office needs to know your location and time you are on

campus. If you plan to volunteer and spend time on campus you must sign in at the

office before going anywhere on campus and be a registered Volunteer/VIP. You must

re-register each year to be a VIP! This can be done in the school office or online at

www.scps.k12.fl.us. Please make arrangements for your other children who do not

attend CIL (or who are out sick for the day) as they will not be able to accompany you

while you visit the school. Thank you for your cooperation as we maintain a safe and

secure educational environment. As policies change due to school safety legislation, CIL

will follow the SCPS guidelines for visitors on school campuses.

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COMMUNICATION PROCEDURE FOR CIL Choices In Learning abides by open, honest and caring communication. Please contact

your classroom teacher with any academic or behavior problems or general

questions/concerns. The following flowchart gives options for whom to contact in order

to have questions/concerns addressed. We are happy to provide support and to help you

with any concerns. The school phone number is 407-302-1005 or Fax 407-542-5553.

1. Teacher or Staff Member

2. Curriculum Questions 2. Discipline Concerns 2. ESE Requests, Gifted Qualification

Instructional Coach Dean School Counselor

3. Principal Dr. Janet Kearney

4. Choices In Learning – Board of Directors

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Choices In Learning Elementary Charter School board of Directors is made up of elected,

volunteer members who serve a minimum of a two-year term. They are the governing

body of our charter school and review all personnel contracts, budgets, and school

policies. All board meetings are open to the public, and time is allowed for public input at

the beginning and end of each meeting. Board meetings are held a minimum of four times

per year, with all board meetings posted on the school calendar found on the website.

Board meetings are scheduled for July, October, February, and May with other meetings

called as needed. Meetings are usually held in the school cafeteria and typically begin

promptly at 5:30 unless otherwise announced. Because a quorum is needed, meeting

dates are subject to change. Board meeting dates and times will be posted on the school

calendar.

Please check the school website for the CIL Board of Directors link under "About Us".

There you will find more information on the board members, including contact

information. You will also find a copy of the previous meeting minutes. For more

information about how board members are elected and how board meetings operate,

please view the bylaws available on the school’s website.

COMMUNICATION/REPORTS Grade Level / Teacher Newsletter - Each teacher or grade level team will keep parents

informed of units of study and classroom events as well as classroom needs.

P.T.O. Newsletter – The Parent/Teacher Organization will publish a newsletter which

will update our CIL families about school activities and events. You can also check out

our CIL PTO Facebook page!

Student Planners – Student planners are used by teachers to communicate regarding

homework, assignments and projects as well as upcoming events, special announcements

or discipline issues. The planner is to be signed nightly by a parent/guardian and used for

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communicating with the teacher(s). The planner is ultimately the student’s responsibility,

and if the planner is lost, it must be replaced. The first planner is given to grades 1-5 at

no charge. If your child loses the planner it will cost $5.00 to replace it. Grades Pre-K

and Kindergarten do not use planners.

Grade Reports – Progress reports and report cards are sent home to provide regular

updates on students’ academic and behavioral performance. Other notices will be sent

home as needed. Please sign and return report card and progress report envelopes. Only

one envelope will be used all year.

Parent Conferences – Conferences may be requested at any time by parents, teachers,

guidance, or administration.

Other Concerns – For families that have concerns regarding topics covered in the

reading classroom due to religious or other belief systems, please be aware that you will

need to contact the reading teacher to receive a list of the books that will be shared with

your child during that quarter. Once you have that list, you may wish to read/review the

books and let the teacher know, in advance, of any concerns you might have. Should you

have any questions, please feel free to contact the homeroom teacher, the reading teacher,

or the instructional coach.

If a parent or legal guardian wishes to request a classroom transfer, the request should be

made, preferably in writing, to the principal. The situation will be discussed and a

decision will be made about the classroom transfer request. These requests may be made

if there is not a conflict with the master schedule, class size limits, and student needs.

Every student has the right not to participate in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance upon

receipt of a written request from the child’s parent or legal guardian. These requests

should be submitted to the principal who will then alert the classroom teacher. We

appreciate your help with these situations in order to best meet your family’s needs!

COMMUNICATION FOLDERS Every Monday a folder will be sent home with students in grades 1-5 containing various

items including student work or papers that need to be signed or filled out. Please look

for that folder, sign it and return it the next day. If Monday is a holiday, the folder will

be sent the next school day. CIL will utilize the Skyward email system and Remind101

texting system to communicate as much as possible. Thanks for helping us stay “green”!

SCHOOL CLOSING In the event of inclement weather or other emergency situations Choices In Learning will

follow Seminole County Public Schools’ schedule. Please tune into the local network

stations or the SCPS website for official word on school closings.

SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL (S.A.C.) The Choices In Learning School Advisory Council is a committee comprised of teachers,

staff, parents and administration. The S.A.C. advises the principal on school policy and

operations. The S.A.C. also writes and implements a School Improvement Plan (as

needed) based on surveys, statistics, and parent and staff input. The S.A.C. committee

typically meets once per month, and progress of the School Improvement Plan is

evaluated throughout the year. If you would like to volunteer to be on S.A.C. please

contact the S.A.C. chairperson.

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PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION (PTO) The Choices in Learning Parent and Teacher Organization represents the parents and staff

of the school. The organization is made of volunteer board members and a membership

body of teachers and parents. Contact PTO at PTO@choicesinlearning.org for more

information.

The purpose of the PTO includes the following:

To promote the welfare of children in home, school and community.

To create a closer relationship between the parents, teachers and

administrators, with the intent of securing for each student their maximum

potential in all aspects of school life.

To provide fundraising opportunities for the school, offer activities to

boost student and teacher enthusiasm, and assist the school administration

to promote the school.

To organize school events in an effort to promote school pride.

SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS/VIP PROGRAM

Choices In Learning has earned the Florida Department of Education Golden School

Award for more than seven years for our Volunteer Information Program (previously

called the Dividends program). VIPs are parent volunteers at Choices In Learning. Each

family is encouraged to donate a minimum of 10 - 20 hours of volunteer time at the

school and to get these hours in early in the school year. All hours are tracked by signing

in and out on the computer in the lobby. Opportunities may include being a room parent,

supervising the students at lunch, fundraising, helping with family events/ field trips,

tutoring, mentoring, being a business partner, and more.

To be a VIP, you must first register and be approved before you will be permitted to

volunteer, attend field trips, or be in the classroom for any reason (to help, watch a

performance, etc.). You may register online at www.scps.k12.fl.us using the “Parent”

and “Get Involved” tabs, or by signing up in the school lobby. You must reregister at the

beginning of each school year. Please make arrangements for your other children who do

not attend CIL (or your CIL student who is out sick for the day) as they will not be able

to accompany you while you visit the school. If you have any questions, contact the front

office for more information.

Camera/Phone Use by Volunteers

For many reasons (various copyrighted materials on walls, children who are involved in

custody cases or are under some type of legal protective order, and other situations), we

will not be able to permit parents to use phones or cameras when students are present

(this includes classrooms, cafeteria, field trips, etc). We ask that, if you must use your

phone, you please step out of the classroom and/or away from any students (or outside) to

do so. Thank you, as always, for helping to keep our students safe!

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Equitable Volunteer Process

To ensure that every parent/volunteer has an equal opportunity to help at parties/events or

volunteer for field trips, the following guidelines have been established:

Field Trips

Volunteers will indicate an interest in attending a field trip by the due date listed on the

permission slip. The due date should be at least one calendar week before the field trip.

Names will then be randomly selected after the due date if there are more applicants than

available space. Those who have already chaperoned during the current school year will

not be part of the lottery unless there are not enough volunteers for the field trip, in which

case names will be randomly selected for any remaining spots. If you cannot chaperone

after being selected, please let the teacher know ASAP! Please do not send someone else

in your place without first checking with the teacher.

Parties/Events

Room parent(s) will always have first priority to volunteer for classroom parties or

events. A week prior to the event, all interested parents/volunteers must contact the

teacher via note, email, or phone call to express an interest in assisting with the event and

request to be included in the random selection. The room parent may collect names but

the random selection must be done by the teacher. Kindergarten may have up to 4

volunteers per room and grades 1-5 may have up to 3 volunteers per room.

Once volunteers are selected, the teacher must notify the office of the names of the

volunteers at least 3 school days in advance of the event/field trip. Please do not send

someone else in your place if you cannot help as planned without checking with the

teacher first!

Birthday celebrations are limited to the class lunch time. Please ONLY send in store

bought items that are pre-portioned into individual servings with enough for everyone in

the class (i.e. brownies, cookies, or cupcakes). Please DO NOT send in homemade items

and items that require cutting (i.e. entire cakes, cookie cakes, pies, etc.). Additionally,

please DO NOT bring or send in balloons, flowers, or other props since there is not room

in the cafeteria or classroom for these items. Thank you for your help with making these

celebrations a success!

Reminder: ALL volunteers for classroom events and for field trips MUST be

registered Dividends/VIPs!

SAFETY AND SECURITY Maintaining a safe and secure learning environment is a priority at Choices In Learning

Elementary Charter School. To ensure the safety and security of your child(ren), parents

must keep the enrollment, clinic and emergency card information up-to-date. Report

changes to the office staff. It is the parent’s responsibility to report any changes. Your

child’s medical card must be kept current and changes should be reported to the clinic

staff. If there is a medical emergency, it is imperative that we are able to provide as much

information about your child to the emergency response team as possible!

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Family Pin Number

At CIL we use a four-digit family PIN number which is mainly used to ensure that callers

requesting information from office staff are authorized to obtain this information. When

you complete your child’s new Emergency Card, please add a four-digit PIN to the upper

right corner of the card. You will be asked to provide this number when you call the

school to ask questions about your child(ren), change their mode of transportation, etc.

You should only give the number to people who you authorize to access information

regarding your child(ren)!

Civility and Conduct of Parents, Other Visitors to Schools and

School District Facilities, and District Employees

The school board recognizes that education of children is a process that involves a

partnership between a child’s parents, teacher, school administrators, and other schools

and school board personnel. The school board recognizes that parental participation in

their child’s educational process through parent/teacher conferences, classroom visitation,

serving as a school volunteer. (VIP), serving as a field trip chaperone, PTO participation,

and other such service is critical to a child’s educational success. For that reason the

school board welcomes and encourages parental participation in their child’s school.

However, from time to time parents and other visitors to schools and district facilities

sometimes act in a manner that is disruptive to a school activity and which is threatening

and/or intimidating to school employees.

The purpose of this policy is to provide rules of conduct for parents, other visitors to

schools, and CIL employees which permit and encourage communication between

parents, other persons, and CIL personnel concerning students or other matters and to

encourage participation in school activities, while at the same time enabling the school

board to identify and deal with those behaviors which are inappropriate and disruptive to

the operation of a school or their CIL facility.

It is the intent of the school board to promote mutual respect, civility, and orderly

conduct among CIL employees, parents, and the public. It is not the intent of the school

board to deprive any person of his or her right to freedom of expression. The intent of

this policy is to maintain, to the greatest extent reasonably possible, a safe, harassment-

free workplace for teachers, students, administrators, other staff, and parents and other

members of the community. In the interest of presenting teachers and other employees as

positive role models, the school board encourages positive communication and

discourages disruptive, volatile, hostile, or aggressive communication or actions.

I. Expected Level of Behavior

A. School board members and CIL personnel will treat parents and other members of

the public with courtesy and respect.

B. Parents and other visitors to CIL and school functions will treat school personnel

and CIL school board members with courtesy and respect.

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II. Unacceptable/Disruptive Behavior

A. Behavior which interferes with or threatens to interfere with the operation of a

classroom, an employee’s office and or office area, areas of a school facility open

to parents/guardians and the general public and areas of a school or facility which

are not open to parents/guardians and the general public;

B. Using loud and/or offensive language, swearing, cursing, using profane language,

or displaying temper.

C. Threatening to do bodily or physical harm to a teacher, school administrator,

school employee, or student regardless of whether or not the behavior constitutes

or may constitute a criminal violation.

D. Damaging or destroying school or school board property;

E. Any other behavior which disrupts the orderly operation of a school classroom, or

any other school board facility; or school function.

F. Abusive, threatening, or obscene email or voice mail messages.

G. Inappropriate use of the school’s technology.

III. Parent Recourse

Any parent/community member who believes he/she was subject to

unacceptable/disruptive behavior on the part of a staff member should notify the staff

member’s immediate supervisor or CIL Board of Directors.

IV. Authority of School Personnel:

Authority to Direct Persons to Leave School or School Board Premises

Any individual who displays the following behavior may be directed to leave the

school or school board premises by the school’s principal or dean, or in their absence

a person who is lawfully in charge of the school:

1. Disrupting or threatening to disrupt school operations

2. Physically harming, threatening, or attempting to harm CIL school board

personnel, students, or others lawfully on school premises;

3. Threatening the health or safety of students, CIL school board personnel,

or others lawfully on school premises;

4. Intentionally causing damage to school or school board property, or

property of others lawfully on school campus or CIL premises;

5. Using loud or offensive language; or

6. Entering a CIL facility without authorization.

If the person refuses to leave the premises as directed, the administrator or other

authorized personnel shall seek the assistance of law enforcement and request that

law enforcement take such action as is deemed necessary. If the offender

threatens personal harm, the employee may contact law enforcement.

Authority to Deal with Persons Who Are Verbally Abusive

If any member of the public uses obscenities or speaks in a demanding, loud,

insulting, and/or demeaning manner, the employee to whom the remarks are directed

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shall calmly and politely warn the speaker to communicate civilly. If the verbal

abuse continues, the employee to whom the remarks are directed may, after giving

appropriate notice to the speaker, terminate the meeting, conference, or telephone

conversation. If the meeting or conference is on school or school board premises, any

employee may request that an administrator or other authorized personnel direct the

speaker to promptly leave the premises. If the person refuses to leave the premises as

directed, the administrator or other authorized personnel shall seek the assistance of

law enforcement and request that law enforcement take such action as is deemed

necessary. If the employee is threatened with personal harm, the employee may

contact law enforcement.

Abusive, Threatening, or Obscene Email or Voice Mail Messages

If any CIL employee receives an email or voice mail message which is abusive,

threatening, or obscene, the employee is not obligated to respond to the email or

return the telephone call. The employee may save the message and contact the school

administration. If the message threatens personal harm, the employee may contact

law enforcement.

Intent of this Policy It is the intent of the CIL School Board to promote mutual respect, civility, and

orderly conduct among CIL employees, parents, and the public. The intent of this

policy is to maintain, to the greatest extent reasonably possible, a safe and

pleasant workplace for teachers, students, administrators, other staff, and parents

and other members of the community. In the interest of presenting teachers and

other employees as positive role models, the school board encourages positive

communication and discourages disruptive, volatile, hostile, or aggressive

communications or actions.

Adopted by CIL School Board, School Year 2006/2007.

Procedures for Grievances

Choices In Learning values open and proactive communication among and between the

members of the school community, including parents, students, faculty, staff,

administration, and the Board. As adults we must model for our students a willingness to

address conflict directly. As such, Choices In Learning’s procedures (outlined below) for

settling differences are designed to support prompt and equitable resolution of

disagreements at the lowest possible faculty or administrative level.

Step 1: Address Issue With Those Directly Involved

The grievant will bring the situation or concern to the attention of those directly

involved first. Should the grievant fail to begin the process at the lowest possible

level, and instead go directly to an administrator or member of the Choices In

Learning Board, the grievant will be re-directed to the appropriate level in the

process.

Step 2: Address Issue With Appropriate Supervising School Director

If satisfactory resolution is not realized after a direct conversation between the

conflicted parties, the situation must be brought to the attention of the school

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Principal. If the grievance is in regard to the school Principal, the grievant should

contact the human resources representative (if a member of the school staff) or, if

a parent, the Chair of the Board (see CIL website for email address).

It is the Principal’s responsibility to manage the resolution of conflicts among

parents, students, faculty and staff.

Step 3: Written Grievance to Chair of the Board

If the grievant is not satisfied with the response in steps one and two, the grievant shall

prepare a written grievance. A grievance is a formal written complaint by a parent or

employee following a final administrative decision only when one of the following

situations has occurred: a. a violation of a specified federal law, state law, FL Board of

Education policy, state rule, or Choices In Learning policy. The term “grievance” does

not apply to any matter for which the method of review is otherwise specifically

prescribed by law, Choices In Learning policy, or upon which the Board of Education is

without authority to act. Grievances will not be accepted for the following: a.

Recommended decisions; b. A final decision made by the Choices In Learning Board of

Education.

A written grievance should:

o Describe the incident, decision or practice that gave rise to the complaint

o Cite the contract, policy, law, or procedure that has been violated and/or

rationale for concern

o Describe what conflict resolution strategies were attempted via steps 1 and

2; and

o Explain what corrective action is being requested.

The Chair of the Board will then oversee the next steps. The Chair will review the

above process with the grievant and ensure that the proper steps were taken. If

needed, the Chair will redirect the grievant to the proper step. The Chair may also

add the issue to a board meeting agenda.

Grievances will not be brought to the Choices In Learning Board without first following

the above procedures and submitting the grievance in writing, e.g., as a matter of Public

Comment, as this does not give the members sufficient time to consider the issue(s). The

Choices In Learning Board will not hear matters that do not follow this grievance

process.

DISCIPLINARY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Choices In Learning is proud of the positive learning environment and general tone of

good discipline that exists in our school. This has been achieved through a cooperative

effort among students, school personnel and parents to establish an orderly and

purposeful educational atmosphere.

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Choices In Learning will adhere to most of the Seminole County Public Schools Student

Conduct and Discipline Code but CIL is not able to provide all the same consequences.

A copy of the Code of Conduct is available on the SCPS website.

Discipline Purpose

The purpose of the discipline procedure is to create consistency and reflect a sense of

justice (right and wrong) to the student. Discipline is designed to show a student the

positive and negative consequences of their behavior, lead him/her to trust the faculty and

to become a self-disciplined person who wants to follow all school rules.

Responsible Students Make the Difference

The goal of our discipline policy is to develop character traits that will enable the student

to:

Arrive to class with all materials

Stay organized with the planner and in general

Have respect for property and assignments

Be prompt and regular with regard to attendance and assignments

Show respect to adults and peers

Be responsible in completing assigned or expected tasks

Exhibit good conduct in respect to recreation, social relationships and language

Develop respect for others as shown by sensitivity to their needs and feelings

Demonstrate respect and responsibility to all students

Follow guidelines for student dress code

Students are expected and required to follow the requests and directives of all teachers,

school staff members, school volunteers and chaperones when on school property or at

other places where they are under the supervision of school personnel.

Teachers shall make every reasonable effort to control classroom disruptions or

misbehavior by students. If a disruption or misbehavior persists or if the disruption is

severe or physical in nature, the teacher shall direct the student to the principal or the

designee with a description of the incident written on a discipline referral form. The

principal or the designee will determine the consequence.

Disciplinary Plan

Our discipline approach will put an emphasis on the student’s responsibility in choosing

how he/she will behave. Consequences are not seen as a punishment, but rather a result

of the choice made by the student in regard to behavior. When assigning a consequence,

or a combination of consequences for misconduct, the principal or the designee shall give

consideration to factors such as the nature of the infraction, the student’s past disciplinary

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record, the student’s attitude, the student’s age and grade level, and the severity of the

problem that may exist at CIL. The principal or the designee reviews all items to

determine the student’s consequence. Your child’s discipline infractions will be logged

into the Skyward database as mandated by the state of Florida. The Skyward discipline

record will follow the student for the remainder of the K-12 educational experience,

however, discipline referrals do not move on in the student’s file but are kept at CIL for 5

years.

Discipline at Choices In Learning falls into several different categories:

Minor Offenses

Classroom rules and consequences are determined within each class.

Minor offenses are concerns that deal directly with academics and

classroom expectations and are typically handled by the classroom

teacher. Teachers must have contacted parents about these concerns

before a discipline referral is written and the child is sent to the principal

or the designee. Examples include: inability to follow school-wide

expectations or directions, dress code infractions, accidental damage to

property, littering, horseplay, etc.

* Choices In Learning promotes several school-wide programs that will

help our students build good character and cooperation. These include:

weekly class council meetings, Getting Along Together, School Solution

Team Meetings, Peace Path and/or Conflict Resolution. The school will

help all children with the hope that they will be successful with the school-

wide expectations and above programs.

Serious Offenses For offenses involving physical aggression/contact, horseplay that ends

with physical contact, violence, blatant or repeated disrespect, defiance or

argumentativeness, weapons, theft, cheating, bullying, harassment or

repeated lower level offenses students may be sent to the office

immediately. A discipline referral will be written by a school adult and

will be turned in to the principal or the designee. The principal or the

designee will investigate the incident by speaking to the referred child and

all other children directly involved in the incident. Other witnesses may be

questioned in order to get the clearest picture possible of what occurred.

The principal or the designee will assign appropriate consequences up to

and including possible expulsion from the school abiding by the same

policies as Seminole County Public Schools for the most part (see the

SCPS Matrix for the possible sanctions that may be assigned). Once the

investigation and determination of consequence(s) has been completed,

the principal or the designee will contact the parent of the referred child to

explain what has been learned and what the consequence(s) will be for the

incident. Serious offenses may result in a suspension from school.

Occasionally, a “reverse suspension” (parent would be required to attend

school with their child for the entire school day) may be used in lieu of the

more typical out-of-school suspension.

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Bullying, Hazing and Harassment Prohibited

CIL will follow the SCPS Bullying, Hazing and Harassment policies and procedures.

(Please see CIL’s Website or SCPS’s website for more information) As a

parent/guardian, I agree that it is my responsibility to read the SCPS policies that are

outside of this handbook.

*It is the policy of Choices In Learning that all of its students, volunteers, and

school employees have an educational setting that is safe, secure and free from

harassment and bullying of any kind. The school will not tolerate bullying and

harassment of any type.

SCHOOL WIDE EXPECTATIONS Choices In Learning staff award students coupons known as Cheetah Prides for meeting

or exceeding school-wide expectations. Students that earn 20 Cheetah Pride Awards will

earn a trip to the front office to shop at the Cheetah Pride store.

Expectations, Positive Attitude

Respect others

Involve others in cooperative manner

Do the right thing

Exhibit safe behavior

Hallway

Have a positive attitude

Be courteous always

Respect others and their personal space

Involve others in a cooperative manner

Be a good role model

Do the right thing

Always use walking feet!

Exhibit safe behavior, walk on the right side of the hallway

Cafeteria

Have a positive attitude

Use good manners

Respect others

Keep hands, feet and food to yourself. Do not share or trade food with others.

Clean up after yourself

Exhibit safe behavior, remain seated, and always walk in the lunchroom

Restroom

Have a positive attitude

Clean up after yourself and return to class quickly

Respect others, respect each other’s privacy

Involve others in a cooperative manner

Be a good role model and use quiet voices

Do the right thing

Use paper, soap, and water wisely

Wash hands before leaving

Exhibit safe behavior – always walk

Use facilities properly and report problems to your teacher

Playground

Have a positive attitude

Use kind words and actions

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Respect others

Follow adult directions

Use self-control

Involve others in a cooperative manner

Play nicely and include everyone

Do the right thing, use equipment appropriately

Exhibit safe behavior

Classroom

Created by classroom teacher

Team Cooperation Goals

Practice active listening

Help and encourage others

Everyone participates

Explain your ideas and tell why

Complete tasks

At all times, please keep your hands and feet to yourself!

ATTENDANCE

Florida Statutes require that children between the ages of 6 and 16 must be in regular full

time attendance at school. It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure that their child(ren)

attend school each day, arrive on time, and remain for the entire instructional day. It is

the responsibility of the parent to notify the school when their child is absent. If a child is

absent for five or more consecutive days a written doctor’s excuse must be provided to

the office. Excessive absences, tardies (arriving late to school or leaving school early) or

time out of school will result in a referral to a SCPS social worker, the SCPS nurse and

the school intervention team and could ultimately result in a referral to the SCPS School

Board attorney. All absences and tardies will be logged in Skyward. CIL will follow the

SCPS Attendance and Truancy Policies with minimal exceptions.

Excessive tardiness due to negligence could result in disciplinary action (unexcused

tardies may become unexcused absence(s) depending on the number accumulated). To

earn perfect attendance for the quarter your child must have no more than 3 tardies or 3

early check-outs (excused or unexcused). To earn perfect attendance for the year, the

child must have no absences and no tardies or early check-outs. A tardy is excused if a

student has a physician’s note or a reason deemed valid by administration.

All students should be in class no later than 8:40 a.m. to benefit from direct instruction

and our school cooperative learning model. The instructional day begins at 8:45 a.m. and

it is important your child is on time. The record keeping for attendance and lunch is done

early in the morning. Students arriving after 8:45 a.m. will be marked tardy and must

report to the office for a tardy pass. All students arriving after 8:45 a.m. must be

escorted into the school office by a parent/guardian. Parents will also need to provide

their child’s lunch when arriving at 9:00 a.m. or later. We appreciate your cooperation as

we keep our children safe!

Students who need to be picked up before regular dismissal must be checked out

first in the office. Students will only be released to individuals listed on the emergency

card and who show photo identification. You may also bring the current year’s car sign to

pick up a child, but CIL always reserves the right to check a photo ID!

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Students need to be at school on time and for the entire instructional day. Students will

not have an excused early check-out unless the parent has a written notice of a doctor’s

appointment when the child is checked out. The early check-outs will be unexcused until

written verification can be given to the office. Written excuses from parents or doctors

must be received within 48 hours following the absence in order to be excused.

If your child’s regular transportation arrangements must be changed, a note must be sent

in to the office that morning. A note written in the child’s planner and signed by the

parent/guardian will also be acceptable. If an emergency change must take place for your

child’s transportation, the office must be notified by 2:15 p.m. (1:15 p.m. on

Wednesdays). Students MAY NOT be checked out of CIL after 2:30 p.m. on Monday,

Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday or after 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Parents wishing to

check out their child(ren) from school must do so by 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday,

Thursday, and Friday or before 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Any changes to transportation

or pick up on Early Release Days at 11:30am MUST be made before 10:45am. We

appreciate your cooperation with this policy!

ABSENT FROM SCHOOL When a student is absent a written note must be turned in before the absence will be

considered excused. A doctor’s note is required for an absence of five (5) consecutive

days or longer due to a medical condition. The parent/guardian’s note or doctor’s note

must be received within 48 hours of the absence in order for any absence to be excused!

You may send all notes regarding your child’s absence via email so that you have a

record of submitting them within these time guidelines. Please do not call the office about

absences since a written note is required.

DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS If your child’s financial accounts (lunch, extended day, etc.) are not paid in full and kept

current, extended care and field trip privileges will be suspended until the balance is paid.

Families with an outstanding balance for any reason (Extended Day, late pick-up, lunch,

etc.) will NOT be able to sign-up for a club until their account is paid in full! Report

cards will be held . Yearbooks may also be held if an outstanding balance remains at

the time the Yearbooks are distributed. Outstanding balances that are not paid in full after

8 weeks of failed attempts to collect may be sent to a collection agency. If you have any

questions, please contact the business office at 407-302-1005.

EARLY DROP OFF/LATE PICK UP The school is NOT responsible for children dropped off before 8:15 a.m. unless the

family has enrolled and paid for the Extended Day Program. The parent/guardian must

escort and sign the student in to the Extended Day Program. For the safety of all

concerned, please DO NOT drop students off in front of the building! Walk them in to

the cafeteria and make contact with the adult in charge.

All students MUST be picked up no later than 3:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. on Wednesday). Any

student who has not been picked up by that time will be sent to Extended Day Care.

Parents will be charged a late pick-up fine for each family who is not picked up on

time. The fine will be $25 per occurrence/per family for the first 15 minutes and $1

for each additional minute after the first 15 minutes per family. Please note that if

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two or more families carpool, each family will be assessed the late fees. If you have an

emergency and cannot get to school by 3:30 p.m., please call and notify the office. Your

child will still go to extended-day and the above fee(s) will be charged. These late

charges will also apply if you are late to pick up your child from an after school

club/group or from half-day VPK so please make arrangements to be on time!

Please be on time for the safety of your child(ren). The phone number for the extended-

day program is 407-619-8330 and email is Extended.Day@choicesinlearning.org . The

front office closes at 4:00 p.m. Monday – Thursday and 3:30pm on Friday so please call

the number above if you need to get in touch with someone. Extended Day staff are

available by phone until 6:00 p.m.

WITHDRAWAL FROM SCHOOL Choices In Learning provides a unique educational privilege for families in Seminole

County. Our charter school is a school of choice providing an alternative from the

traditional educational setting. Parents have the opportunity to choose the best

educational facility for their child, either within the charter school system or Seminole

County’s other educational opportunities.

If it is necessary to withdraw a student, please notify the office. Copies of a student’s

permanent record must be requested in advance through the front office. Please allow 48

hours for your request to be processed. Records may not be hand-carried to the new

school. CIL will transfer all student records upon written request from the receiving

school. All school property such as textbooks, school accounts and/or library books must

be paid for or returned in order for records to be released from CIL.

SCHOOL CLINIC Students who become ill or suffer a minor injury will be escorted to the school clinic for

care. The clinic is located on the first floor. The student will remain in the office/clinic

until he/she is well enough to return to class or is picked up from school. A student will

only be released to an assigned parent or guardian. A student will be sent home for pink

eye, lice, vomiting or fever. (Please see the document available on the SCPS website

which lists reasons students may be sent home or kept out of school due to illness, etc.).

Important! Choices In Learning Elementary Charter School Emergency and Clinic

Cards must be completely filled out and filed in the office. It is crucial that we have

accurate, up to date information, especially correct telephone numbers and addresses. If

you move or get a new telephone number, please inform the office as soon as possible.

State law requires all students entering the school system from out-of-county, out-of-

state, or out-of-country must have a valid Florida Certificate of Immunization (HRS 680)

before they may enter school.

Reminder! According to 230.22(1), Florida Statutes, medication must not be

transported to and from school by elementary age students. Parents must bring the

medication to school in the original container and sign a medical permission form. A

Student Medication Authorization Statement from the doctor must accompany the

medication as well. This applies to lozenges, aspirin and vitamins. The medical

permission form is to be updated every three months except for emergency and injectable

medications for chronic health problems such as asthma, allergies and diabetes. You can

request this form from the clinic assistant or in the front office. If your child requires

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emergency injectable medication, please call the office for an appointment to plan with

our staff the appropriate emergency procedures. Please adhere to these rules for the

safety of your child and all of our students.

READING It is very important that your child does 30 minutes of reading every day. Students in

grades 1-5 must have a parent sign their planner daily to document their nightly reading.

Examples include: books, parent reading with their child, time on fluency

practice/question stem responses, and magazines.

DRESS CODE/UNIFORMS The intent of the Dress Code policy at Choices In Learning is to promote a safe and

supportive learning environment and improve school safety and discipline. All students

in grades VPK-5 must follow the uniform guidelines. Students are required to wear

Choices In Learning collared shirts Monday through Friday. Students are required to

wear either khaki or navy blue bottoms (shorts, pants, skorts or jumpers) along with the

uniform shirts. Shorts/skirts must be worn at finger-tip length or longer. Students may

wear blue jean bottoms with the Choices Cheetah Spirit shirt or an approved club shirt on

Fridays as an alternative to the collared shirt and khaki bottoms. Accessories such as

long sleeved shirts, leggings and socks/tights should be white, beige, black or navy blue

and should be worn under and match the uniform as closely as possible. Children are

encouraged to tuck in their shirts, wear a belt (when there are belt loops) and maintain

proper grooming. Hair is to be a natural color and cut. All shoes must be closed toe shoes

with rubber soles and either laces or Velcro closures. Tennis shoes must be worn at PE.

Students MAY NOT:

1. Wear denim bottoms Monday through Thursday (unless Administration has

approved this and a message has been sent out).

2. Wear flowered, camouflage or ripped pants at any time.

3. Have mohawks or other extreme hair styles or colors.

4. Wear scarves, knee socks/tights, etc. that are bright colors or designs. Cross

Country knee socks may only be worn on Fridays.

5. Wear sneaker or shoe skates, shoes that light up or play music or other

sounds/noises, Crocs, or knee-high, lace-up shoes or boots.

6. Wear hats or visors unless it is an approved Spirit Week or other event.

7. Wear any type of costume or accessory like cat ear headbands, headbands

with any type of bobble items or holiday items, wigs, etc. Any accessory that

becomes a distraction to or hindrance for learning won’t be permitted and may

have to be removed.

8. Leggings/Tights may not be worn alone as pants.

In cold weather students must wear required uniform sweatshirts and/or heavier

jackets in approved uniform colors. In cold weather a long sleeved shirt matching in

uniform color would be permitted as a layered “look”. You MUST purchase uniform

polo shirts (navy, hunter green, or yellow), spirit shirts (navy Choices Cheetahs), and

approved outer wear (sweatshirts and jackets) at Risse Brothers School Uniforms, 100

Candace Dr. Ste. 120, Maitland 32751. You may purchase items online at

www.rissebrothers.com. Please be aware that uniform shirts and outer wear will not

be sold at CIL. Please plan accordingly!

The teachers or school staff will send home a uniform violation notice if your child is not

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following the school uniform dress code for the first two infractions. The third time a

student is not in uniform a school discipline referral to the school administration for non-

compliance with the school dress code will be written. Any time a student is in violation

of the dress code, the administration may decide to require someone to bring a change of

clothes to meet the uniform expectations. Students who wear their uniform correctly will

have opportunities to earn “Cheetah Pride” Awards. Students who need accommodations

based on medical conditions, religious beliefs, or a disability should meet with the school

principal or his/her designee.

AFTER-SCHOOL CLUBS One of the goals at CIL is to provide children with the best opportunities to become well-

rounded citizens. Our staff hopes that we can accomplish this goal by offering various

clubs in which students may participate. The following guidelines will be used for ALL

after-school clubs:

1. Participating students are expected to be present each week.

2. 2 unexcused absences will result in a dismissal from the after school club without

a refund.

3. Students may bring a snack from home to eat in the cafeteria between 3:15 and

3:45. Snacks will not be provided by the school.

4. Students will receive one warning for behavior concerns. The parent of the child

will be notified (either at dismissal or via phone call/e-mail). If the behavior

continues a 2nd time, the student will be dismissed from the after school club

without a refund.

5. At dismissal, students will only be dismissed as car riders. Please do not get out of

your cars to retrieve your child. We will begin dismissing when all classes are

seated and quiet. Dismissal for clubs typically begins at 4:45pm. Please do not

expect to pick up your child before 5:05 – 5:10pm since the dismissal process and

carline tend to take about 20 minutes.

6. Students who typically go to Extended Day will be sent there AFTER carline

dismissal is completed. This will typically occur between 5:10 and 5:15pm.

Please do not expect to pick up your child from Extended Day until after this

time.

7. Please do NOT block lane 3 (the farthest car lane from the school)! This lane

must remain clear so that staff and other families may leave safely and

successfully.

8. Only 1 late pick-up will be permitted and a fee will be charged (Early Drop

Off/Late Pick Up). If a parent is late for pick-up a 2nd time, the student will be

dismissed from the after school club without a refund.

9. All regular school rules are in effect throughout the after school club.

10. There will be no refunds issued once the after school club has started.

11. Families with an outstanding balance for any reason (Extended Day, Late Pick-

Ups, Lunch, etc.) will NOT be able to sign up for a club until their account is paid

in full! The teacher sponsor will check with the Business Office to determine if

this is a concern before enrolling the child in the club. 12. Parents are welcome to watch their child participate in outdoor clubs from the

picnic tables under the trees (for fencing, please stand back a bit from the covered

patio). When the club is over, parents must return to their vehicles and pick up

their child through the carline or wait until the child is dismissed to Extended Day

after carline is completed. Unfortunately, we will not be able to have parents

observe indoor clubs.

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13. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in your child being dismissed from

the club without a refund. Thank you for your understanding and help with these

procedures and expectations!

LUNCHES Students may order lunch daily in their homeroom classes no later than 9:00 a.m. All

lunches are prepared at the local high school. No lunches can be ordered after 9:00 a.m.

because the lunch order will be given to the high school by this time. This ensures proper

processing and delivery of lunches.

Lunch fees will be available on our CIL website, so please check there for the most

current information. To determine if your family qualifies for free or reduced lunch, you

must complete the appropriate paperwork online each year. The link to this paperwork is

available on our school website. Processing takes approximately 10 business days. While

waiting for approval, parents will have to pay for lunch. Once your family qualifies for

reduced-price lunches, please contact the kitchen manager for the cost per day per child.

Lunch accounts MUST be paid in advance. Delinquent accounts will result in your child

not being served his/her choice of food. If a child forgets his/her lunch, it must be

ordered during the homeroom and the account will be charged. Please see our website for

information regarding our lunch program, to set up your account and to prepay.

If you wish to eat lunch with your child(ren) you will be asked to sign your child out at

the front office. You may choose to eat at one of our picnic tables or you may go off

campus. When you bring your child back to school, you will sign him/her back in at the

front office. Your child will not be marked tardy unless the amount of time out of the

building exceeds 35 minutes. Unfortunately, due to school safety procedures, we will no

longer be able to allow parents to eat lunch with their children in the cafeteria. We

apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your cooperation and

understanding with this policy.

OFF-CAMPUS BIRTHDAY AND OTHER PARTIES Teachers will only distribute invitations for birthday parties if every child in the class

receives an invitation. Electronic invitations to birthday parties will not be able to be sent

out unfortunately due to possible confidentiality issues. CIL will assist with distribution

of the 5th grade party information that is planned and sponsored by parents.

LOST AND FOUND Please put your child’s name on all of his/her clothing. The Lost and Found box is

located in the cafeteria. If a student loses an item, he/she can check the lost and found

box. The school does not accept responsibility for the personal items of students but will

do its best to help find the items when they are lost if a name is on it. Items remaining in

the lost and found for more than nine weeks will be donated to charity or to our clinic.

NO BACKPACKS OR BAGS

Classroom space is limited and students are not to bring backpacks. Students can keep all

school materials in a trapper keeper that is organized with their planner, folders, paper

and pencil. Pre-K and Kindergarten students will use what the individual grades have

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listed on their supply list. If a backpack is needed for after school sports or a personal

reason, the student must have permission from the office and the backpack will be kept in

the office or in a teacher’s room during school hours. Check supply lists on the school

website for approved grade-level supplies.

NO GUM OR GLASS BOTTLES AT SCHOOL Students are not allowed to chew gum at school. Gum has been found on furniture and is

very difficult to remove. Please do not send your child with a drink in a glass container.

Thank you for your help with this!

STUDENT TELEPHONE USAGE Students may only use the office telephone for emergency purposes. Please make sure

that your child knows how he/she will be getting home from school each day and has all

assignments and lunches.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES Please only send in approved electronic devices! A permission form MUST be filled out

prior to the device being sent in to school with a child. Your child’s homeroom teacher

can help you with this process. At the current time, CIL allows 4th and 5th graders to bring

eReaders to school once a permission form is on file. Keep all other electronic devices at

home (this includes Smart Watches of all types, FitBit type devices, etc). If it is

necessary to have a cell phone, it must be off and out of sight at all times while on the

bus, field trips or on campus. Please do not use electronic devices on the school bus! If a

device is confiscated at school, a parent may be required to come and pick up the device

at the front office.

EARBUD/HEADPHONE/EARPLUG USAGE Students may NOT wear or use earbuds/headphones/earplugs or any other item that could

hinder the individual from hearing announcements during the school day, after school

clubs, field trips, bus trips, etc. Students will only be permitted to use these items as

directed by the classroom teacher for specific assignments or assessments. (MSDHS

Public Safety Commission, Initial Report, p. 347)

ANIMALS ON CAMPUS Animals are NOT allowed on campus unless it is for a specific educational purpose and

prior permission has been granted by administration.

Animals may only remain on campus for the duration of the assignment, project or

presentation and then must be removed. This must be carefully monitored and restricted

for the health and safety of our students and staff. Please contact the principal at least 24

hours in advance if you have a special request to bring an animal to school.

REPORT CARDS Report Cards come out quarterly. If a school account has not been paid in full the report

card will be held until the account is paid. Your Skyward access may also be turned off

until your account is current.

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HONOR ROLL CRITERIA A Principal’s all “A” Honor Roll (2nd-5th)

Must have an “S” in all SPAMM classes

No “X” in citizenship

A/B Honor Roll A/B (2nd-5th)

Must have an “S” in SPAMM classes

No “X” in citizenship Quarterly Perfect Attendance – no absences and only 3 tardies or early check-outs

School-wide grading scale can be found on the report card.

IMPORTANT ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL INFORMATION!!

ARRIVAL OPTION FOR FIRST TWO DAYS ONLY For the first two (2) days of

school, parents may park in the grass “overflow parking lot” across the street from the

school and walk in with their student(s). Please only enter / exit where the gates to the

field are located. ONLY park in designated parking spots. You will not be able to park in

the lot in front of the building due to the car line. Please be aware of signage indicating

no parking times/spots as your car will be towed if parked inappropriately.

Once parked, walk across Hicks Ave. at the designated crosswalk ONLY and enter the

building at the doors closest to the playground and bike rack. We ask that you plan to

arrive BEFORE 8:40 a.m. if you’d like to walk with your child to his/her classroom.

School begins promptly at 8:45 a.m., and we do request that you plan to exit the building

so that we may begin our day! This option will only be available August 10th and 11th,

2020! Beginning August 12th, you will need to drop students off in the car line. Please

DO NOT park in the grass “overflow lot” after August 11th for arrival. CIL is not

permitted to use the grass lot for daily dismissal, so please do not park in the grassy lot

unless signage indicates that you may! Also, parents will need to drop students off at the

back door closest to the playground and will NOT be permitted to walk students to class

beginning on August 12th. This is for everyone’s safety and is due to the Jessica Lunsford

Act. Thank you for your cooperation with this!

The car line will be open for arrival and dismissal beginning the first day of the

school year (August 10, 2020) so please feel free to choose it as an option!

Car Riders

For dismissal, car riders will wait in the cafeteria. Parents MUST designate which

way the student will go home in writing or call the office before 2:15 p.m. Monday,

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday. To change dismissal

transportation for your child, you MUST call/notify the office before 2:15 p.m. (1:15

p.m. on Wednesday)! Parents wishing to checkout their child(ren) from school must do

so by 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday or before 1:30 p.m. on

Wednesday.

The car line/parking area in front of the school is for drop-off/pick-up in vehicles only!

The parking lot is not a pedestrian area and student safety may be compromised when

parents attempt to park and walk up to pick up their children. To ensure everyone’s

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safety, please remain in your vehicle and follow the established procedures. Once you

are in the car line you MUST go through the process in order to exit.

**CELL PHONE USE AND SMOKING ARE NOT PERMITTED IN THE CAR

LINE **

Car Line Morning Drop Off Procedures

1. Enter from SR 434 and then turn left onto Hicks Avenue. You MUST go past the

school entrance on the left. DO NOT make a left into the school parking lot!

2. At the end of the road, make a left into the "turnaround loop". Stay in the "parking

lane" against the sidewalk. This is the car staging area, and you should not block Hicks

Avenue.

3. As you turn right into the school parking lot, DO NOT block the bus/van entrance

marked with stripes. The single lane will split into 2 lanes as you curve around the

parking lot and then split again into 4 lanes. For everyone's safety, ALL vehicles must

proceed in the same direction the entire way around the car line.

4. Either pull up and park behind a cone (if you are the first car) or park behind the car in

front of you and wait. To ensure that the car line functions effectively, place your vehicle

in PARK and make sure that your CIL car sign for the current school year is visible on

the dashboard. (Please print in all capital letters with a wide-tipped marker and place

the child’s grade next to his/her name).

5. When directed, pull up to the school entrance directly behind the car in front of you.

WAIT until the traffic director says to "UNLOAD AND CROSS" before allowing

students to exit the vehicle. Please remain in your vehicle as school personnel will assist

the children as they unload.

6. Please give the staff member walking between vehicles a "thumbs up" once you are

ready to exit the car line.

7. When the traffic director indicates, pull out and turn right around the building to exit

the car line and parking lot. Turn RIGHT onto Hicks Ave. Note that left turns onto Hicks

Ave. are not allowed.

8. If you are dropping children off any time before 8:15 a.m. (for Safety Patrol, Chorus,

etc.), please loop around and continue through the entire car line! For everyone’s safety,

DO NOT cut through the parking spaces! Please use LANE 4 when dropping children off

BEFORE 8:15 a.m.! This will be the lane closest to the parking spots and it is numbered

to assist you. Once you have pulled through the entire car line in lane 4, you may place

your car in “park” and have children exit the car through the door closest to the school.

Please remain in your car and DO NOT remain parked in Lane 4! Lane 4 is to remain

open for those needing to pull through and exit. Therefore, please do not pull into Lane 4

to wait for the morning car line to begin!

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Car Line Afternoon Pick Up Procedures

1. Enter from SR 434 and then turn left onto Hicks Avenue. You MUST go past the

school entrance on the left. DO NOT make a left into the school parking lot!

2. At the end of the road, make a left into the "turnaround loop". Stay in the "parking

lane" against the sidewalk. This is the car staging area and you should not block Hicks

Avenue.

3. As you turn right into the school parking lot, DO NOT block the bus/van entrance

marked with stripes. The single lane will split into 2 lanes as you curve around the

parking lot and then split again into 4 lanes. For everyone's safety, ALL vehicles must

proceed in the same direction the entire way around the car line.

4. Either pull up and park behind a cone (if you are the first car) or park behind the car in

front of you and wait. To ensure that the car line functions effectively, place your vehicle

in PARK and make sure that your CIL car sign for the current school year is visible on

the dashboard! (Please print in all capital letters with a wide-tipped marker and place

the child’s grade next to his/her name).

5. When directed, pull up to the school entrance directly behind the vehicle in front of

you. Please remain in your vehicle as school personnel will bring students to load once

all cars have stopped.

6. When you are ready to exit, give the staff member walking between vehicles a "thumbs

up". Once the “all clear” has been given and the cars have moved out of the student

loading area, the next set of vehicles will be directed to pull forward into a lane and stop.

The process will repeat until dismissal is complete.

7. When the traffic director indicates, pull out and turn right around the building to exit

the car line and parking lot. Turn RIGHT onto Hicks Ave. Note that left turns onto Hicks

Ave. are not allowed.

8. Please be patient during the first 2-3 weeks of the school year as the car line will take

MUCH longer than it will after this time frame!! We have more than 100 new

Kindergarten students and parents who are learning our routines for the first time, so

things take longer during these weeks.

When the car line procedures are followed appropriately, we will be able to safely

process several hundred cars within 20-25 minutes. We appreciate your help in order

to keep everyone safe!

________________________________________________________________

Walkers and Bike Riders

• Complete the required form in person in the front office with identification before

requesting that your child(ren) be released as walkers/bicycle riders. A new form MUST

be completed for each school year, and this MUST be done in person and witnessed by a

CIL staff member!

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•If you plan to walk or bike ride home with a walker/bicycle rider, arrange to meet at the

bike rack near the playground behind the building on Hicks Avenue. Running is

prohibited in or around the bike rack area or on the sidewalk alongside the school

property. Children will NOT be permitted to cross Hicks Ave. alone to arrive at

school or to get into a car to leave. Please DO NOT park in the grass parking lot

across the street from the school, and DO NOT drive up and stop along Hicks Ave.

to pick up a walker! Please DO NOT drop children off near or in the paved parking

area and allow them to walk over to CIL alone.

• Skateboards/rollerblades/wheelies, etc. are never permitted on school grounds. All

bicycle riders & passengers should wear protective head gear.

• All bikes/scooters should be secured with a lock during the day. Only siblings planning

to leave together may lock their bicycle/scooters together.

• Students must walk bicycles on the sidewalk next to the playground and only

mount/ride on the opposite side of SR 434 or after crossing over to the trail. When

walking bicycles, both feet should be on the ground (no coasting or cruising on the bike

or pedal).

• Mark/Etch your child’s name on his/her belongings and be sure to record serial numbers

as appropriate!

• Do not congregate at or around the bicycles rack or adjacent sidewalk in order to allow

others to safely pick up children and exit the area.

Bus and Van Riders

Buses and vans drop off / pick up in the back of the building along Hicks Avenue and

MUST be given the right-of-way. Do NOT park in parking spots along the back of the

building at times indicated on the signage! Please allow buses and vans to pull out in

front of you when they signal that they are prepared to exit and do NOT block the striped

area upon entering the school parking lot. You MUST fill out the required forms

(found on our website) before your child will be permitted to ride home in a bus or

van.

Extended Day Care (A.M. and P.M.)

Extended Day Care will be held in the cafeteria both AM and PM. When dropping off or

picking up, please park in a visitor or other parking spot without time or personnel

constraints (staff spots are not reserved until 7:45 a.m.) After parking, walk to the

cafeteria to check in with a staff member. Children should never be permitted to walk

into or out of Extended Day without a parent/guardian!

Parking in front of the building will be closed during car line (8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. and

2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.). DO NOT pull up in the car lanes and park. This is for everyone’s

safety and we appreciate your help!

Thank you for planning ahead and following these procedures!

*During excessively heavy rain or lightning storms,

dismissal may be delayed and NO students will be released.

*Car line may get backed-up.

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Please stay in your car and wait.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation with this procedure for

everyone’s safety.

INSERT CARLINE MAP HERE

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CHOICES IN LEARNING BUS TRANSPORTATION

Choices In Learning contracts with a private bus company that is not affiliated with Seminole

County Public Schools to provide transportation for our students. All drivers have completed 40

hours of training provided by a Florida Department of Education approved instructor and

curriculum. All drivers have been drug tested, fingerprinted, and have had background checks.

State Department of Education certified inspectors inspect the buses each month to ensure they

exceed all State requirements. Evacuation drills are conducted twice each year.

All students must have a completed registration form on file in the school office before they will

be allowed to ride the bus. Forms are available in the school office and on the website. If it

becomes necessary to change your child’s information, the school must be contacted at least 24

hours in advance. This must be done in writing to document your request.

Because we think of our school as a family, we treat your child(ren) as if they are our own. All

drivers will know each child by name. Roll is taken by the drivers and also by school personnel

upon arrival and departure each day. We ask that you walk your children to the bus in the

morning and meet them at the bus when picking them up at the end of the day. The drivers will

become familiar with you and ensure that your children are going home with the proper person.

If someone other than you will be picking up your child, please include him or her on your

registration form. Under no circumstance should a parent take home another child without

written permission from that child’s parent or guardian.

If you are late or unable to meet your child, your child will be returned to school. Your child

will be waiting for you in extended day and you will be charged for the care. The third time your

child is returned to school, your child will be suspended from the bus for the remainder of the

quarter. If the problem persists, they may be suspended for the entire year.

In order to provide a safe experience, rules and regulations must be followed. It is the driver’s

responsibility to transport your child safely to school. You are responsible for your child’s

behavior. Please discuss these rules with your child. Rules are also posted in each bus.

1. Parents are responsible for the behavior of their children at the bus stop.

2. No child may ride a bus other than the one to which they are assigned.

3. Students must be on time. Allow 10 minutes prior to and 10 minutes after the

scheduled time to allow for delays.

4. The driver is in full charge of the bus including safety, security, and discipline. Any

students not obeying the driver and/or following the rules will receive a bus referral,

which will be sent to the school office for administrative action. Repeated infractions

will result in bus suspension. Suspension is determined by level of infraction and

may occur at any time as determined by school administration.

5. Students are expected to remain seated with seatbelts fastened (if provided) at all

times and keep arms, legs, and head inside the bus.

6. Food, drinks or gum will not be permitted.

7. No loud or unusual noises.

8. Conversations should be at a reasonable level. Profane language or gestures will

constitute a referral.

9. Nothing can be hung or thrown out bus windows.

10. Parents are not allowed to discipline other students on the bus or at the stop. Please

contact the school office with your questions or concerns. Do not enter the bus.

11. Students must be silent at all railroad crossings and must not distract the driver.

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CHOICES IN LEARNING ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL

STUDENT CALENDAR

2020-2021

August 3-7 - Teacher Workdays

August 10 - First Day of Student Attendance – Start of 1st Quarter/ 1st Semester

September 7 - School Closed

October 9 - End of 1st Quarter

October 12 - School Closed for Students / Teacher Workday/ Student Make-up Day #1

October 13 - School Closed for Students / Teacher Workday/ Student Make-up Day #2

October 14 - Start of 2nd Quarter

November 23 - 27 - School Closed

December 16 - 17 – Full Student Attendance Days

December 18 - Early Dismissal for Students at 11:30am

December 18 - End of 2nd Quarter/1st Semester

December 21 - January 4 - School Closed

January 4 - School Closed for Students/Teacher Workday/ Student Make-up Day #3

January 5 - Classes Resume - Start of 3rd Quarter/2nd Semester

January 18 - School Closed

February 15 - School Closed

March 12 - End of 3rd Quarter

March 15 - 19 - School Closed

March 22 - School Closed for Students / Teacher Workday/ Student Make-up Day #4

March 23 - Classes Resume - Start of 4th Quarter

May 21 - Early Dismissal for Students at 11:30am

May 24 - Early Dismissal for Students at 11:30am

May 25 - Last Day of Student Attendance/ Early Dismissal for Students at 11:30am

May 26 – School Closed for Students/ Teacher Workday/Student Make-up Day #5

May 27 – School Closed for Students/ Teacher Workday

* Choices In Learning is monitored by the Florida Department of Education for attendance

during the months of October and February. It is very important that your child or children

attend school during this time. Our school funding depends on your child’s attendance so

please do not plan vacations during these windows of time.

SUBJECT TO CHANGE

PLEASE KEEP CHECKING WEBSITE FOR UPDATES

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CHOICES IN LEARNING CHARTER SCHOOL’S

STUDENT HANDBOOK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND AGREEMENT

2020-2021

Student Name

(PRINT):_____________________________________________________________

Parent Name

(PRINT):_____________________________________________________________

Homeroom Teacher ___________________________ Grade __________________

Choices In Learning, Inc.

Receipt and Acknowledgement Agreement

I have received my copy of the Student Handbook (2020-2021) for Choices In Learning

Charter School. I agree that I (1) have read the handbook in its entirety, (2) will fully

comply with all requirements contained in the handbook, (3) will keep the handbook for

future reference and (4) will adhere to present and future school policies, procedures and

rules. I further agree that, if I have an unpaid balance for any of my child’s accounts,

such debt may be turned over to a collection agency for resolution. I understand that

enrollment at CIL is a choice and if I or my child am unable or unwilling to adhere to the

guidelines set forth by this handbook, I may choose to enroll my child in his/her zoned

Seminole County Public School.

Parent Signature: ________________________________ DATE: __________________

Please return this signed form to your child’s homeroom teacher by August 17, 2020.

If you have any questions regarding technology use at your child’s school, please contact

the school directly (407.302.1005).