An Exemplary Campus--
4 Consecutive Years

Village Elementary School opened in August 1998 as the first Kindergarten through fifth grade school in Georgetown ISD. 

• Arrival at school-All students should arrive at school by 7:50 each morning.  Upon arrival, they are to report to the gym or to the cafeteria, if they are eating breakfast.  Students are allowed to go to class when the 7:50 bell rings and should not hang around in the front of the building or in the halls. Monitors are available throughout the building each morning to assist students and help them get to their destination once they enter the building.
• Signing In-Parents will be able to walk their child to class between 7:50 am and 8 am.  Texas law requires all visitors to a school to sign in at the office and this policy will be strictly enforced throughout the day.  Anytime you plan to be on campus after 8 am, you must first come to the office to sign in and obtain a visitors badge which must be worn while on campus.
• All classroom visits and conferences should be prearranged with the teacher.  Lunch, homework or any other kind of delivery will be accepted in the office to minimize disruptions.  Office staff will take items to the classrooms as needed.
• Volunteering at school-State law requires that all public school volunteers complete a background check before volunteering at a school.  If you plan to help during the school year, please complete an application for a background check. These are available on-line at the GISD website or in the office.
• Emergency contacts and change of plans-Please make sure that we have updated information on how to reach you and your emergency contacts throughout the year.  If the information changes, please let the office or your child’s teacher know.  If you need to change the way your child is going home, please call the office by 2:15 p.m.  Teachers will not answer the phone when they have children in classroom and the office cannot guarantee a message will get to your child if the call is made too close to dismissal.  Only individuals designated on your child’s emergency list will be allowed to pick up your child from school unless we have a note or call from you.
• Dismissal-If you are picking up your child from school, please remember that pre-k students are to be picked up at 2:00 and all other students are dismissed at 3:00.  Please remain in your cars or outside the school building while we prepare students for dismissal. 
• Parking is a challenge at Village, but please do not leave an unattended vehicle parked along the front of the building at any time.  This is a fire lane and must be kept clear for emergency vehicles.
• Birthdays are special times for students and we do allow parents to provide a birthday treat for their child’s class during recess.  Because there are no trash cans or access to water on the playground, we request that only cookies, brownies, Rice Krispie treats or items which require no forks or plates be provided.  No cupcakes please!  These are very messy and require a lot of clean-up.
• Attendance-Students are required to attend school every day unless they are sick.  Please call the school if your child will be out sick.  We ask that you keep personal trips to days during the year when children are not in school.  The instruction they miss cannot be made up and by district policy personal trips are considered unexcused absences. The highest grade a child can earn on make-up work from an unexcused absence is a 70.
• Please be familiar with the GISD Code of Conduct.  We expect all students to behave in a responsible manner at school and will discipline according to our district policy when violations occur.  Your understanding and support is greatly appreciated.

• Visitors--Upon arrival, all visitors to Village Elementary School must check in at the school office.  Please bring a photo ID the first time you sign into the office.   

•  Tardies--Although we realize that emergencies occur on occasion, we expect students to arrive at school on time.  The first bell rings at 7:50 a.m.  We expect all students to be in their seat ready to begin their day when the 8:00 bell rings.  All children who arrive after the 8:00 bell will be counted tardy.  It is important for your child to receive all the instruction that is available.  Also, it is disruptive for the class and instruction when a student arrives late.  It is often difficult for children to enter a room when they are late.  Currently, the GISD policy regarding tardiness states the following:

            “Parents are expected to ensure that their child arrives on time.  A student is tardy if he/she is not in the classroom when the tardy bell rings at 8:00 a.m.  Students must report to the office or designated school area when tardy.  Parents will be notified when tardies are excessive.  Perfect attendance awards will be impacted by tardies.  Excessive tardies will be referred to the District Truancy officer (Texas Education Code 25.094) and are subject to disciplinary consequences outlined in the Student Code of Conduct (see pages 6 and 7).”

Our school wide rules of expected behavior are:  1) I will respect others.  2) I will be responsible for my actions.  3) I will make Village a safe place.  Getting to school before the tardy bell rings is part of being responsible.  Therefore, students who are tardy four times in a nine week reporting period will have lunch detention for one day.  For every tardy after the fourth tardy, the student will have after school detention the next day until 3:30 p.m.  Parents will be notified and must provide transportation home. 

• Notes to Students

The office is happy to give your child messages about how they will be getting home.  Please call the office by 2:15, so they can get  the note to your child in time.                    

Before School

Children must NOT arrive at school before 7:30A.M.  There is NO supervision until 7:30A.M.  For parents who go to work early, before school care is available in our cafeteria, from 6:30 A.M. until 7:30A.M. daily.  Please contact the Extended School Enrichment program for details.  For students arriving between 7:30A.M. and 7:50A.M. breakfast in the cafeteria and supervised care in the gym are available.  The school day begins at 7:50A.M. and ends at 3:00P.M.  The tardy bell rings at 8:00 A.M. each morning.  Students coming in after the 8:00 A.M. tardy bell, must check in at the office unless the tardy is due to a late school bus arrival.  Tardy slips will be sent home.  Parents will be notified when excessive tardiness occurs.  Announcements are made at 8:00 A.M. 

After School

The dismissal bell rings at 3:00P.M.  Parents should wait for their children in their car or in the area across the driveway in front of the building, not in the hallways by the classrooms.  Teachers need to be able to release the students in an orderly fashion.  If picking up your child becomes a problem, please make arrangements for childcare after school or for someone else to pick up your child.  After school care is available through the Extended School Enrichment Program located on our campus.

 Bicycle Safety-Students riding their bikes to school should follow all safety rules and wear helmets.  Please see the Safe Biking Tips for Kids and Parents flyer included in today’s Monday Folder. 

Bus Safety and Conduct-Please help us keep your child safe on the bus ride to and from school by reinforcing the rules for safety outlined in the Eagle folder and the Elementary Code of Conduct.  The expectations for behavior on the bus are the same as when students are in school.

 Dress Code-Please read the “Student Expectations for Dress and Grooming” in the Eagle folder.

    ·       Shorts will be permitted if they are not so short or tight as to be inappropriate for school.  In grades 3-5, shorts must be finger-tip length.

·       Hats, caps, and hair bandanas should not be worn during the school day.

·       Tank tops, tube tops, bare midriff or half shirts, halter-type blouses, see through blouses or mesh shirts are not permitted.

·       Shoes must be worn at all times.

Lunch/Breakfast Money-Please go to the cafeteria before school to pay for your lunch and/or breakfast.  You can also pay online through the GISD web site.  PLEASE advise the cafeteria in writing if you do not want your child buying “extras” in the cafeteria.   

Report Cards -Progress reports are sent home once a grading period and report cards at the close of each 9 week period.  Please sign and return the progress reports and report cards.

Conferences -The staff of Village Elementary School welcomes the opportunity to meet and work with parents.  Conference arrangements may be made by calling the office or the teacher at least 24 hours in advance.

COUNSELOR’S CORNER  

Guidance and counseling services are still an active part of the overall progress of each student.  Village is scheduled to have one full time and one part time counselor this year.  Some of the services we will offer this year will include:  facilitating the “I Care” school wide behavior program, conducting 4 or more classroom guidance sessions at each grade level, coordinating the kindergarten screening “EPSF – Early Prevention of School Failure” (and sharing and interpreting results with teachers and parents), consulting and making referrals to outside services available to help students and parents, conferencing with parents and staff about individual needs and concerns, assisting middle school counselors in the transition of students to 6^th grade, coordinating specific programs to determine and meet student needs (Gifted /Talented, SAIL Team, Bilingual/ESL, 504, Project Mentor, PALs) and conducting/ coordinating/assisting with assessments to be conducted during the year.  Wow!  Squeeze in time to help individual and small groups of students when problems get in the way of learning and you have a picture of the guidance and counseling program at Village! Please don’t hesitate to call if you feel we can help your child become a better student.  We are looking forward to a productive and fun year of learning for each student!  

Kelly Kresser, Village Elementary School Counselor can be reached at 943-5140.