Texas City Independent School District

Calvin Vincent Early Childhood Center

Parent Handbook2018-2019

From small beginnings come great things

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Welcome to Calvin Vincent Early Childhood Pre-K/ Head Start Program!

As parents, you serve as your child’s first and most important teachers and role models. We

encourage you to take advantage of every opportunity to become involved in your child’s school by

attending parent training programs, school activities and functions, volunteering, and participating in the

governance of the program.

Parent Involvement is the process of engaging parents in collaboration with staff and other

members of the community in order to improve conditions which affect the lives of children and

families. These conditions might include economic, social, psychological, and physical factors which

shape the nature and quality of human relations with the family, within our center, and within the larger

community of Texas City ISD.

TCISD Mission Statement

The mission of Texas City Independent School District is to develop students to their fullest potential so

they may become responsible, productive citizens in a rapidly changing multicultural society.

Inherent within this mission is the belief that all students will learn. The District recognizes the need for

a cooperative effort among parents, students, educators, and community. Such shared commitment will

make a difference in the lives of students.

Calvin Vincent Mission Statement

To increase school readiness, in a cooperative effort with home and community, through the provision

of services designed to enhance the development of the whole child.

This handbook has been prepared to provide you with basic information about the Calvin Vincent Early

Childhood Program. If you have further questions, please contact us at 409-916-0512.

Thank you for sharing your child with us, and we look forward to a great 2018-2019 school year!

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What can the Head Start Program Offer Your Child and Family?

Education Head Start’s education program is designed to meet each child’s individual needs. Children receive

a variety of learning experiences to encourage physical, health, intellectual, social and emotional growth. The students work in learning centers such as art, blocks, dramatic play, table games, science, etc. They participate in indoor and outdoor activities and are introduced to many concepts that provide the foundation for skills such as reading, math, and writing. They are taught to recognize their feelings and to develop the ability to get along with others.

Health Services Head Start will provide assistance to insure that each Head Start child’s primary health needs are

met. Health and dental lessons are taught in every classroom. Head Start students are also taught to brush their teeth to develop good oral health habits and will brush after meals while at school.

We depend on you to make sure that your Head Start child has a full physical exam including lab work, dental exams each six months, and that he/she is up-to-date on all immunizations. Any required treatments must be followed-up and completed. We also ask that you let us know when your child receives any medical/dental treatment so that we can update your child’s record. Official forms can be obtained from Nurse Bailey in the clinic.

Physical and dental exams will also be scheduled by our contracted providers. We will take students to the dentist for check-ups in October with parent permission. We also have physicals and lab work done on campus by a contracted provider for all students with parent permission. The school nurse will notify all parents prior to any appointments and/or exams.

These physical exams, lab work, and dental exams, along with all follow-up work being completed are federal requirements for our program to be able to receive our Head Start grant each year. When parents do not follow through with these requirements, we risk losing our program. If you need assistance making appointments, please contact Nurse Bailey at 409-916-0354.

Home Visits Home visits will be made by the Head Start staff in compliance with Head Start policy. During this

visit your child’s educational progress will be discussed and any pertinent information may be obtained. Home activities will be provided to each family. Pre-K staff will hold parent conferences twice per year on campus.

Mental Health Services Head Start seeks to promote mental health by encouraging emotional and social development. A

mental health consultant is available to the program to conduct classroom observations and provide training and consultation to staff and parents to help them with issues and concerns regarding students.

Nutrition All students will receive a nutritious breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria each day. Children will be

introduced to new foods and will be encouraged to try them. Students will never be forced to eat or be told what order they must eat each item. Staff members are not allowed, by federal law, to choose a child’s foods or to place any food items on a child’s tray. Students are responsible for making their own choices and selecting the items they wish to eat. Nutrition lessons are also taught in the classroom.

Students may bring a lunch from home instead of eating the cafeteria lunch. However, we do not 3

allow fast food items, including sodas, to be brought into the building for student lunches. These items may not be brought in even if disguised in different packaging. You are welcome to eat with your child beginning the third week of school, but will need to either pack a nutritious sack lunch from home or eat what is being served in the cafeteria that day. You will eat with your child at one of the back round tables, and may only eat with your own child unless we have written permission from the parent or legal guardian of another child for whom you are on the authorized contact list. There will be no exceptions to these rules. Please relay this information to anyone who might visit your child at lunch time throughout the school year.

Parent Involvement Parent involvement is essential for the success of our Head Start Program. Parents are the first and

most important influence on a child’s development. Parents have a significant input into all aspects of the program through their involvement in parent groups and the Policy Council. The Policy Council is comprised of current Head Start parents and community members and makes decisions regarding goals and objectives, written plans, and has financial oversight of the program. The Policy Council members are approved by the Parent Committee at the first Parent Committee meeting each year. All parents are strongly encouraged to participate as volunteers. Class schedules and lesson plans are posted weekly for comments and input into our program.

Services to Children with Disabilities Program staff will provide for the identification of children who are developmentally delayed by

licensed, certified professionals. A diagnostic evaluation will be made of the children referred if deemed necessary and parental permission is given. Developmental hearing, vision, height, weight, academic, and speech screenings are completed on every child within 45 calendar days after enrollment in order to identify at-risk students.

Social Services The Family Advocate Team will assist Head Start families in getting the services they may need.

Parents should feel free to talk with advocates about any problems they may be having or a crisis situation they may have experienced. Each family will receive a current Community Resource Directory for self-guidance. Upon request, consultants will be contacted to talk with you or the staff about problems that may arise.

Program Information

Attendance Although Pre-K is not a required grade in the state of Texas, once a child is enrolled in the program,

Texas attendance laws go into effect. This means students are required by law to attend school every day once they have been enrolled. All students are expected to be at school every day unless they are ill. To report your child’s absence, please call the school at (409) 916-0512.

School starts at 8:00 AM. Any student, including morning PPCD students, arriving after 8:15 must stop and obtain a tardy pass before being taken to class. Afternoon PPCD students are considered tardy after 11:45 and must obtain a tardy pass. The person bringing the child to school must be an approved contact for the child and show a photo ID in order to walk the child to class. Otherwise a staff member will need to take the child to their classroom. Siblings are not considered authorized contacts unless they are of driving age and can show a government issued photo ID and are listed as an authorized contact in the child’s paperwork.

If a child arrives at school after 10:00, they will be counted absent for the day, even if they stay at

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school, unless they were at the doctor’s office and bring a note from the doctor that day confirming the appointment was held that same day. PPCD half day students will be counted absent after 9:30 in the AM and after 1:00 in the PM.

Each child who is absent, must return to school with a written excuse that explains the reason for being absent as well as the date of the absence and the teacher’s name. If a note is not sent, or if the note is received after the third day your child has returned back to school, the absence will automatically be considered “unexcused”. If the note is from a doctor’s office, the absence will be considered “excused”. Some absences followed by a parent written note within three days will be coded as just an “absence”. However, some parent notes, even if sent within three days, will result in an “unexcused” absence depending upon the reason given and per principal discretion.

If your child is not going to be at school, please call Ms. Hernandez at (409) 916-0512 to let her know. We must contact the parent or guardian of each Head Start student who is not in class by 9:00 each morning. This will save us from making so many calls.

An absence is an absence, regardless of whether it is excused or unexcused. All absences count when considering the following steps.

o If your child is absent three days in any four-week period, they will be placed on a behavior intervention plan for attendance, and a parent or guardian will need to come to the school for a parent meeting with the attendance clerk and teacher. Failure to attend the training will result in a required conference with an administrator.

o If your child accrues four absences in a four-week period, parents will be required to attend an attendance warning information meeting in court with a judge.

o If your child accrues six absences, parents will be contacted.o If your child is absent ten days, the parent or guardian will be contacted by the school. o More than ten absences will result in a parent or guardian meeting with the district truancy

officer and/or facing truancy charges in front of a judge.

There will be positive incentives such as prizes given out by the attendance fairies and certificates for students with zero tardies and zero absences each month of school as well as incentives each nine week grading period that a student has zero tardies and zero absences.

Students with zero tardies and zero absences for the entire school year will receive a trophy during their end of year ceremony.

Birthday Treats If you would like to bring a treat for your child’s birthday, please check with the child’s teacher in

advance. We have students with severe allergies and some foods are not allowed in those classrooms. Treats must be packaged from a commercial vendor; homemade items are not allowed. Cookies or small cupcakes are preferred. We are unable to accommodate full birthday parties during the school day so balloons, gifts, party hats, blowers, and other birthday items should be left at home. Treats must arrive prior to 1:15 in order to be served the same day. Treats arriving at school after that time will be saved until the following day.

Conferences Parent conferences will be scheduled individually by each teacher. Parents are encouraged

to visit the program and conference with their child’s teacher on a regular basis. The Pre-K/ Head Start teachers’ official conference period is from 2:30 – 3:30 on Monday, Thursday, and Friday. PPCD parents, please contact your child’s teacher for their official conference times. Conferences can be requested by a parent, administrator, teacher, or staff member.

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Child Protective Services Reporting (CPS) Every staff member who has cause to believe that a child’s physical or mental health or welfare has

been adversely affected by abuse or neglect by any person shall immediately make a report as required by law. Family Code 261.101(a)

If a staff member has any suspicion that a child has been or may be abused or neglected or is a victim of indecency with a child, as described in Penal Code 21.11, and the person has cause to believe that child has been abused as defined by Family Code 261.001, that person must make a report within 48 hours after the hour the staff member first suspects that the child has been or may be abused or neglected, or is a victim of indecency with a child, as described in Penal Code 21.11. Staff may not delegate, or rely on another person to make the report. Family Code 261.101(b)

Failure of program staff to follow-up on suspected abuse or neglect can result in the loss of their certification and termination of employment. They are required by law to report all suspicions.

Curriculum The Calvin Vincent Early Childhood Program has adopted the Frog Street Press Pre-Kindergarten

Curriculum. Developmental areas integrated with math, reading, writing, science, and social studies include:

Gross Motor Development: Large muscle coordination and control

Fine Motor Development: Eye-hand coordination, dexterity, and small muscle control

Receptive Language: The ability to understand, discriminate and integrate spoken language

Expressive Language: The ability to make appropriate and intelligible responses to verbal, visual, or tactile stimuli

Perception: Ability to receive, discriminate, associate and classify auditory, visual or tactile stimuli

Self-Help: The ability to care for one’s own personal and bodily functions

Socialization: The ability to get along cooperatively with other children and adults, to engage in independent play, and to follow rules and directions

Dismissal After school, students riding the bus will be dismissed first, starting at 2:00. The front doors will be

unlocked at the 2:15 bell, and parents will be allowed into the building to pick up students not riding buses.

Please do not park in the Kohfeldt car lane, in front areas designated for staff, in parking spots reserved for day care vehicles, in striped no-parking areas, or in fire lanes. Any parent parking in the handicapped parking spaces must have proper credentials displayed on or in the vehicle at all times. All parents must park in our designated parking lot.

Parents wishing to pick up children that usually ride the bus must call the office before 2:00 p.m. If a parent wishes to pick up a child before the 2:15 bell, they must arrive prior to 2:00 and obtain an “Early Dismissal” slip from the main office. No early dismissals or changes in transportation

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home will be honored after 2 p.m. This is for the safety of our students. At 2:00 our students and staff begin transitioning to different areas of the building and are often much harder to track down. Safety is our priority, and we never want to lose a child or send them home the wrong way. This takes collaboration, cooperation, and much concentration.

Any parent arriving after 2:30 to pick up their child from school will need to sign them out in the main office through an administrator.

School district liaison officers will be contacted when students are left at school for extended periods of time.

Dress Code Please dress your child in comfortable clothing so that the torso (shoulders, back, and stomach) is

covered. We ask that girls wear shorts under dresses and skirts.

All students should wear panties/ underwear every day. If wearing tennis shoes, socks must be worn. This is for your child’s comfort and hygiene.

Please do not send students in school in tops with spaghetti straps, muscle shirts, or tank tops. Shoulders must be covered.

Clothing must fit properly and not be too big or too tight.

Clothing must not portray profanity, contain reference to drugs, gangs, weapons, alcohol, or contain images that could be frightening to three and four year olds. Students who come dressed in these items will be changed by our nurse and a note will be sent home.

Tennis shoes, closed-toe shoes, or sandals with a back strap must be worn. Flip flops, sandals without a back, or cowboy boots will not be allowed due to safety reasons. Students who wear flip flops, sandals without a back, or cowboy boots will not be allowed to play on the playground or in the gross motor room because of safety reasons. Tennis shoes are preferred as daily footwear.

Be sure that your child wears clothing that can be removed without teacher assistance when going to the bathroom. Students will be expected to be able to take care of toileting needs on their own. Teachers and staff will not enter the restroom with a student to assist with wiping, dressing, or other toileting needs. Please practice wiping with your child at home so they are comfortable doing so while at school.

Because we are a school district campus and not a day care, we do not have adequate changing facilities available to change diapers or pull-ups. Please send your child to school in regular underwear with plenty of extra clothes in case of accidents if they are still potty training. Let your child’s teacher know if this is the case so she can work with your child.

Label all clothing such as sweaters, jackets, coats, hats, etc. Please send at least one extra set of clothes, including socks and underwear, to keep in the backpack and replace as needed, just in case your child has a toileting accident or drink spill during the day. As the weather changes, please switch out the extra clothing to match the season.

Drop-Off Procedures If your child does not ride the bus to school, please park in the designated Calvin Vincent parking lot

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and walk your child into the building to his/her classroom after the 7:45 bell rings.

Parents and guardians dropping off students and/or visiting the campus are expected to follow appropriate attire guidelines. Please do not wear sleepwear, excessively low cut or revealing clothing, shorts, skirts, or dresses that are too short, sagging pants, see through garments, or have nude or scary tattoos showing.

School starts at 8:00 AM. Any student, including morning PPCD students, arriving after 8:15 must stop and obtain a tardy pass before being taken to class. Afternoon PPCD students are considered tardy after 11:45 and must obtain a tardy pass. The person bringing the child to school must be an approved contact for the child and show a photo ID in order to walk the child to class. Otherwise a staff member will need to take the child to their classroom. Siblings are not considered authorized contacts unless they are of driving age and can show a government issued photo ID and are listed as an authorized contact in the child’s paperwork.

It is important that your child be on time each day. If they arrive late, they have missed morning routines and possibly breakfast with their class.

Regular or habitual tardies will result in lower learning rates and increased behavior concerns for your child.

Even one tardy will disqualify your child from monthly, nine-week, and/or yearly attendance incentives and rewards.

Please be on time every day. Remember, this is not a drop-in day care, but a district campus school.

Emergency Information and Approved Contacts Emergency phone numbers are very important in case your child becomes ill or has an accident

while in our care. An emergency information form is provided at registration. Please keep the school informed of any changes throughout the year.

Please remember to list every person who might be asked to pick up your child from school, or receive them off the bus, on any given day. Students will not be released to anyone who is not on the list of approved contacts and this will delay getting the child home.

Email Email is an easy way to communicate with your child’s teacher. However, teachers are not allowed

to use email during the instructional day, so you will not receive a response until after the school day has ended. If you have important information to relay to the teacher, please call the main office at 409-916-0512 and leave a message to be given to the teacher during the school day.

Field Trips You will be asked to sign a permission slip allowing staff to take your child on each field trip. Strict

precautions are taken on the trips. Rules for safe travel on the bus or on foot are established and the staff is responsible for the children’s adherence to the rules at all times. You will be notified in advance of all trips that your child will take.

It is possible that you will be asked to accompany your child on field trips if the teacher has safety concerns.

Any parents or family members who volunteer to serve as chaperones for field trips must have a 8

cleared criminal background check on file with the school. These must be updated annually. If you do not have an approved form on file with the school, you will not be allowed to serve as a chaperone, be responsible for a group of students, including your own, or ride the bus with students.

Because all of our field trips are instructional in nature and not rewards, all students are expected to attend. If you wish for your child not to attend, you should keep them home from school on the day of the field trip and it will be counted as an unexcused absence.

Illnesses In order to protect your child and other students from contagious diseases and conditions that can

spread, please use the following guide when making a decision to keep your child home. Should your child exhibit any of these symptoms while at school, the nurse will contact a parent or guardian to pick up your child. The expectation is that they are picked up within 30 minutes of the phone call. The decision to send a child home is made by our medical expert, Nurse Bailey, and is non-negotiable.

o A fever over 100.0 (When your child has been free of fever (98.6) for 24 hours, without the assistance of medication, they may return to school)

o Fresh colds, yellow or green nasal discharge, a continuous cougho Unexplained rasheso Weeping soreso Head liceo Ringworms that are untreated and/or too large to covero Earaches, draining earso Red crusty eyelids o Vomiting (Child should be free from vomiting for 24 hours before coming back to school)o Diarrhea (Child should be free from diarrhea for 24 hours before coming back to school)o When extremely irritable or out of sorts

By using these guidelines, you will often save yourself the inconvenience of an extra trip to school to pick up an ill child. If you know your child is exposed to, or contracts any contagious disease, please notify Nurse Bailey at (409) 916-0554 as to the time and type of disease.

Parent Committee All parents are invited to be a part of the Parent Committee. This committee typically meets on the

second Tuesday of each month at 5:00 unless a special family event is planned that month. Attending parent meetings is essential. You will learn more about the program, be able to have input in planning activities, and be a better-informed parent. Your child will benefit from your active participation in school planning and activities. A variety of parent trainings will take place during these meetings.

Parking All Calvin Vincent visitors must use the designated parking lot. Please do not use the Kohfeldt drive

that is designated for Kohfeldt drop-offs/pick-ups only. Doing so could result in you getting stuck in the line of traffic until 3:15 when other cars begin to move. Do not park in the front lot reserved for staff and handicapped vehicles without the proper credentials or in areas labeled for day care use only. Also, parking is not allowed along the red fire lane. Parking in this area could result in a citation being issued to the driver of the vehicle. You will be asked by an administrator or other staff member to move your vehicle if you are improperly parked.

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Party Policies We are allowed to have two classroom parties each year. Right now they are scheduled for

Christmas and End of the Year. Only nutritious, pre-packaged foods may be served at parties.

Parties are to take place the last hour of instruction (12:45-1:45). PPCD parents please speak with your child’s teacher regarding party times.

There will be two treat days selected when parents will be allowed to bring candy, sodas, and other items of minimal nutritional value. Those will be selected at a later time by the district. They are usually Halloween and Valentine’s Day. Those treats will be sent home in student backpacks at the end of the day. Please make sure they are packaged to make it home safety in backpacks. Since these are not approved party days, treats may not be served during school hours.

All foods brought in from outside the school must be purchased from a store and sealed. We are not allowed to serve homemade items to students during classroom parties.

Policy Council Head Start parents will have the opportunity to participate on the Policy Council. The Policy Council

is Head Start’s governing and decision-making committee, composed of parent and community representatives elected by the Parent Committee. The Policy Council meets monthly and is responsible for approving the budget, written plans, staffing, and goals and objectives for the program.

Report Cards Report cards are sent home at the end of each nine week grading period; in October, January, April,

and May. Teachers will report on-going progress during parent conferences and home visits. You are welcome to contact your child’s teacher at any time to discuss your child’s progress at school.

Schedule Every teacher’s daily schedule varies due to assigned meal, playground, and gross motor room

times. However, the following activities are consistent in each classroom, although the order of events may differ:

o Meet and Greet in the classroomo Breakfast in the cafeteriao Circle time/Large group instructiono Small groups (teacher and assistant) literacy, math, and/or science lessonso Read aloud stories, re-enacting stories, telling stories, independent “reading”o Lunch in the cafeteriao Learning centerso Tooth brushing (Only in Head Start classrooms)o Large motor activities (playground, gross motor room, movement to music) o Closing circle/prepare for dismissal

School Phones Teachers are not available to take phone calls during the instructional day. Please contact the front

office to leave a message if your child’s teacher will need the information prior to the end of the school day.

We are able to take a message for you in the main office and relay it to the teacher or connect you to the teacher’s voicemail. This voicemail may not be checked until after school is out.

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The classroom phones do not ring in the classroom during the instructional day to avoid disruptions.

If you are contacting the teacher with important information that they will need prior to the

end of the day, please be sure to call the main office at 409-916-0512 and let us know that the message needs to be given to the teacher before the end of the school day.

Texas Pest Control Act (135B-6) This school periodically applies pesticides. Information concerning these applications may be

obtained from Marian Godeaux at 409-916-0602.

Signs will be posted on exterior doors 24 hours prior to application.

Application will not take place with students or staff present.

Tobacco Usage The district has a tobacco free policy.

The use of all tobacco products including, but not limited to, snuff, dip, chewing tobacco, cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, E-cigs, vaporizers, etc. shall be prohibited on all district property, including school parking lots.

Visitors You must check in with a staff member anytime you visit the campus. A driver’s license and/or

government issued photo identification must be presented during check-in. Please carry your photo ID with you each time you visit the campus.

If a substitute is in the classroom, or the front office is staffed by someone who is not familiar with you, access to the campus will not be granted and your child will not be released to you until a photo ID is shown. It is easier to always bring it with you the first time than to have to go back out to your car to retrieve it.

Only approved contacts may visit students on campus. If someone comes to the campus to visit a classroom or see a student and they are not listed as an approved contact, they will not be granted access.

Volunteers All volunteers must complete a criminal history background check and be cleared by the TCISD

Human Resource Department prior to volunteering on campus or on field trips. Volunteers are an essential part of the program and are utilized in many different ways. Your time as a volunteer always directly benefits your child and the time you spend helping the program counts as non-federal share for the Head Start grant. Some of the things our volunteers do include:

o Working in the classroom by reading stories, playing games, engaging in cooking activitieso Assisting with playground activitieso Helping in the cafeteriao Pre-cut materials for class projects, staple and collate papers, make copies, change bulletin

boardso Helping with campus wide special events

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Discipline Management Plan

Campus Wide Student Expectations Be safe

Be kind

Be helpful

Behavior Management Plan Verbal reminder of safe behavior

Student will be given the option to utilize the designated classroom “safe place” to refocus and think about safe choices

If a student is unable to refocus, teacher directed refocusing may be needed

Administrator assistance will be requested when students are unable to refocus and maintain safe behavior

Severe disruptive behaviors such as destroying property, fighting, continued defiance, or aggression such as hitting, kicking, or biting, will be taken to the office and the parent will be contacted either in writing or by phone. Multiple incidents may require a parent to come to the school to speak with the child.

If a parent is called to the school because of a severe or critical behavior issue, the child will not be put on the bus or day care van until the parent arrives at the school.

School to Home Communication Your child’s home to school communication journal will be sent home daily in his/her backpack

starting October 30, 2018. Please remember to check this journal daily so you can have any necessary conversations with your child.

Communication journals are not sent home before this time because we will be introducing your child to our campus and classroom expectations and will be teaching appropriate behaviors. It is expected that a child of this age will need numerous reminders and much practice in order to become compliant with all school and classroom rules and expectations.

Once you begin to receive your child’s communication journal, there may not be documentation of behavior logged each day. If an incident occurs, a note will be added to the journal. However, if nothing is written or checked, it means your child was not involved in any behavior disruptions that day.

If your child’s behavior was extreme or critical that day, the teacher will call to explain the situation in addition to documenting it in the journal.

Continuous unsafe behavior will require a parent conference with the teacher and/or administrator and a behavior reinforcement plan may be developed

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Parent Rights

To take part in major policy decisions affecting the planning and the operation of the program, including the budget, by serving on the Head Start Policy Council

To help develop adult programs which will improve daily living for me and my family To participate in activities in and out of the classroom To feel welcome in the classroom and on campus To choose whether or not to participate without fear of endangering my child’s right to be in the

program To be informed regularly about my child’s progress To always be treated with respect and dignity To expect guidance for my child from teachers and staff to help his/her total development To be able to give input into the curriculum and activities offered to my child To be informed about all of my community resources concerned with health, education, and the

improvement of family life

Parent Responsibilities

To learn as much as possible about the program To accept Head Start as an opportunity to improve my life and the life of my child To work with the staff and parents in a cooperative way To meet with Head Start Family Advocates to formulate a Family Partnership agreement To make every effort to reach short-term goals, as stated in the Head Start Family Partnership To seek the assistance of Head Start Family Advocates as the need arises To keep Head Start Family Advocates updated of the progress I have made in reaching my goals To keep my child’s attendance as regular as possible and eliminate tardies To escort my child to his/her classroom each day if they do not ride the bus To pick up my child on time or make other arrangements to do so Understand that I am encouraged to attend Parent meetings or activities monthly To keep my child’s immunizations current without delay To provide Nurse Bailey with a completed Head Start form following the required physical with lab

work and dental exam within 90 days of enrollment To follow up with my child’s physician and/or dentist so that my child receives all required

treatments and provide proof of those visits to Nurse Bailey in a timely manner To notify the office of all telephone or address changes, emergency contact changes, and pick-up or

drop-off changes (These changes will be relayed to bus drivers and monitors as well as teachers) To return all requested paperwork on or before the given due dates

Transportation Procedures

All children will be offered transportation to and from school. All questions regarding bus transportation should be directed to the Transportation department at (409) 916-0702, (409) 916-0704, or (409) 916 –0703.

Daily and weekly changes for bus pick-up and drop-offs are not acceptable. Only permanent changes will be permitted.

Each child will be picked up and dropped off at a pre-determined bus stop. An approved adult will be required to meet the bus both ways. That adult must be the parent/ guardian or a pre-authorized

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emergency contact person with proper identification.

Nobody will be allowed to receive your child off the bus unless they are an approved contact for your child and they have proper identification with them. Every adult will be asked for photo ID the first two weeks of school or until the driver and monitor begin to recognize you.

Older siblings will not be able to take your child unless they are over 13 years of age and arrangements have been made prior to that day. Those siblings will need to show their school ID as proof of identity.

If there is not an approved contact waiting to receive your child off the bus, they will be returned to school until an approved contact or parent picks them up.

School district liaison officers will be contacted when students are left at school for extended periods of time.

Discipline Issues Students will be expected to follow all bus rules as stated on the bus contract form. Parents will be

notified by the transportation department when a student violates a rule.

1 st Offense: Student is warned; parent receives notification in writing

2 nd Offense: Student is placed on bus probation; parent is contacted and notified in writing

3 rd Offense: Parent conference with Director of Transportation; student is suspended from riding the bus for three (3) days

4 th Offense: Parent conference with Director of Transportation; student is suspended from riding the bus for five (5) days

Misconduct: Gross or continuous misconduct that endangers others’ safety may cause a student to be suspended from riding the bus for up to the remainder of the school year with written notification to the parent.

Return of a Bus Student to Schoo l The bus contract states, “If no one is at the bus stop to receive your child after school, the bus will

take the child back to school. Repeated non-compliance may result in termination of bus privileges.”

It is important for your child’s safety and well-being that an approved adult meet your child at his/her bus stop. If your child is brought back to school, a parent/guardian/approved contact will be required to come to school to pick-up your child and sign-out in the office. The buses will NOT take a child back home if they have been brought back to the campus.

o 1st Offense - The parent will receive written notification about the violation

o 2nd Offense - The parent will receive written notification and a conference with an administrator

o 3rd Offense - The parent will receive written notification, conference with an administrator and the child will be suspended from the bus for three (3) days

o 4th Offense - The parent will receive written notification, conference with an administrator and 14

the child will be suspended from the bus for five (5) days.

Texas Department of Agriculture’s Prohibited Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value

Elementary school campuses including all grades up to 6th may not serve or provide access for students to any foods with minimal nutritional value, and all other forms of candy, at any time anywhere on school premises until the end of the last scheduled class. Such foods and beverages may not be sold or given away to students on school premises by school administrators or staff (principals, coaches, teachers, etc.), students or student groups, parents or parent groups, guest speakers or any other person, company or organization.

o Soda Water : Any carbonated beverage. No exceptions.

o Water Ices : Any frozen, sweetened water such as “…sicles” and flavored ice. Exception: 100% fruit juice products

o Chewing Gum: Any product natural or synthetic

o Candies: Hard candy such as sour balls, star mints, cinnamon candies, War Heads, lollipops including breath mints and cough drops. Soft candies including gum drops, jelly beans, Sour Punch straws, Skittles, Starburst or fruit-flavored slices, marshmallow candy, fondant like candy, candy corn or soft mints, licorice, spun candy like cotton candy, and candy coated popcorn.

For a detailed list of the Texas Nutrition Policy visit our TCISD website under Meals. Also visit www.squaremeals.com for more information.

TCISD Emergency Preparedness Procedures

The Texas City Independent School District has a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan that is designed to minimize danger to anyone occupying a school should an emergency occur. Our main objective is to attend to the health and welfare of your child/children in the event of a crisis and to see that he/she gets home safely. It is the responsibility of school personnel to keep the public, particularly parents of our students, informed of emergency procedures.

Our safety education program includes the training of students to develop alertness and obedience to emergency drills. The more these drills become a matter of routine for the students, the less apt they are to panic if or when a disaster occurs.

It shall be a continuing policy to hold students at all schools during a disaster until clearance for their dismissal has been obtained from the superintendent's office.

Disaster Drills The principal shall arrange for periodic disaster drills in which all students and staff is required to

participate (bus, fire, duck-and-cover, lock-down, and shelter-in-place). The more these drills become a matter of routine for the students, the less apt they are to panic if or when a disaster occurs.

The principal is responsible for the establishment of an emergency preparedness team and a plan of action in his/her building that would be activated during a disaster.

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The emergency preparedness team should meet periodically and discuss types of disasters that could happen in their area and then develop plans to protect their building and occupants. Specific plans need to be made for alerting yard crews, delivery men, maintenance men, etc., who may be working when a disaster occurs.

The principal and their emergency preparedness team shall evaluate communications, including

emergency back-up communication procedures, emergency equipment and supplies, transportation requirements, evacuation and shelter procedures, security and general duties of campus personnel for emergency preparedness.

Announcement of Closed Schools This plan goes into effect upon the occurrence of any disaster or severe weather condition occurring

when the schools are not in session and the emergency prevents the normal operation of the schools. When severe weather conditions or other factors pose a threat to the normal operations of the schools, the superintendent shall evaluate the hazards and, prior to 6:00 a.m. of the school day, determine if school is to be held. If school is not going to be held, the following policy will be put into place. In the event of a hurricane, flooding, or other severe weather conditions or emergency situation, area radio and television stations and local newspapers will receive updated information from TCISD school officials concerning school closings or altered schedules.

TCISD is part of the Emergency Communication System based in Houston. In the event of a power failure in our immediate area, KTRH Radio Station (740 AM) and the city of Texas City's emergency station (530 AM) will broadcast emergency information to assist factories, governmental agencies, schools, hospitals and other major employers in the Houston/Galveston area, in anticipation of emergency weather conditions. Monitor the following media sources for emergency news of Texas City schools:

o KTRH (740 AM) -- Houston

o Texas City (530 AM) o Texas City ISD Cable Station - Stingaree TV - Channel 18

o All Houston television stations and The Daily News will be notified

Evacuation Emergency situations may require the evacuation of buildings. The decision to evacuate and the

destination of the evacuees will be made by the designated emergency situation manager. TCISD has sufficient buses available to transport approximately 2,200 students at one time. The nature of the emergency will determine allocation of buses.

Internal Situations Internal situations will normally affect only one school and are directed by the respective principal.

If it is determined that the facility is not safe to continue operation, the District will provide all available buses to transport students to another district facility for supervised custody until arrangements can be made for appropriate transportation to their residence.

External Situations External Situations which could trigger an evacuation of one or more schools will normally be

related to chemical spills.

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Chemical Spills and Toxic Fumes Shelter-in-place or evacuation will depend on whether the chemical is toxic, producing toxic

fumes, or flammable as well as the direction and strength of the wind. If the source of the emergency situation is on the leeward side of a District facility, and there are no other complicating factors, the emergency would warrant close monitoring and no other response. A predicted change in wind direction or an emergency situation site on the windward side of a District facility would require shelter-in-place or evacuation of all facilities which could be affected.

Following the decision of the emergency coordinator relative to the need to evacuate and priorities, bus transportation will be mobilized immediately as drivers become available. Depending on the hour, some buses will be in route without delay with the remaining units following within 15 minutes.

Explosion(s) The response to an explosion is identical to the response to chemical spills and toxic fumes except

that consideration should be given to the possibility of additional explosion(s) and the risk of toxic fume releases which may not be existing in the original. Physical damage to school structures and streets may complicate evacuation of students and should be considered by the emergency coordinator in determining priorities.

Destination of Evacuees The destination of evacuees will be dependent on the primary wind direction. Wind direction

permitting, the primary site is the College of the Mainland; the secondary site is Bay Colony Elementary School, Dickinson ISD, just off FM 646. Parents may meet their children at these locations.

Shelter-In-Place Situations such as hazardous chemical leaks at industrial sites could call for measures to keep all

building occupants inside the building. The shelter-in-place plan will be implemented to accommodate these short term emergencies. The Emergency Coordinator will declare an emergency based on the facts available at the time. If the emergency situation appears to be spreading or reaching District facilities very quickly (within 30 minutes), the decision should probably be to order that all facility occupants remain in the building.

If Weather Conditions Worsen During School Day If schools do open, and weather conditions worsen during the course of the day, schools will not be

closed early since the vast majority of TCISD students come from households where both parents work. If school were to be dismissed early, those children would go home to empty houses during a dangerous weather situation. They are much safer at school where they will be supervised.

Whenever road conditions allow for the buses to run safely, drivers will deliver students to the established bus stops. If buses cannot enter a subdivision because of road conditions, parents may meet the bus at the main roads and escort their children home. If weather conditions make all roads impassable, the students will remain in the schools and will be well supervised, warm and dry, and fed until they can be transported home, or until their parents come for them. Parents may, of course, come to pick up their children at any time during a bad weather situation in accordance with district procedures.

Important Phone Numbers

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Calvin Vincent Main Office Melissa Hernandez 409-916-0512

Attendance Clerk Sarai Veliz 409-916-0512 EXT: 2313

Nurse’s Office Bailey Martin 409-916-0512 EXT: 2354

Lead Family Advocate Michelle Dillon 409-916-0512 EXT: 2346

Family Advocate Assistant Sandra Aldridge 409-916-0512 EXT: 2373

Parent Involvement Coordinator Jeanie Brooks 409-916-0512 EXT: 2311

Principal/ Head Start Director Susan Wilson 409-916-0512 EXT: 2310

School Coordinator Rebeca Troconis 409-916-0512 EXT: 2360

Transportation Department Nicole Johnson 409-916-0702

Nutrition Services Department Jon VanDever 409-916-0139

Administration Building Vera Robinson (Receptionist) 409-916-0100

Texas City Independent School District does not discriminate against any student, employee, volunteer or applicant because of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital or veteran status or disability. Assistance for special needs as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act may be requested by persons accessing TCISD programs and services by calling (409) 916-0106 at least 3 days before the aid or service is needed. Inquiries regarding this policy should be directed to Mr. Marcus Higgs, Director of Human Resources, at the Simpson Education Support Center, 1700 Ninth Avenue North, Texas City, TX 77590 or call (409) 916-0107.

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