Where Learning Takes Flight WELCOME TO FALL CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Parent Orientation Presentation

OUR MISSION: In partnership with families and community, Fall Creek Elementary provides quality learning experiences challenging students to meet their full potential while becoming responsible well-rounded citizens prepared to contribute in a global society.

OUR VISION: We believe that the most promising strategy for achieving the mission at Fall Creek Elementary is to develop our capacity to function as a professional learning community. We will focus on the whole child through: Uniting to achieve a common purpose and clear goals Planning and working collaboratively Planning and designing instruction that meets the needs of all students Knowing each student’s strengths and weaknesses through the use of data Monitoring each student’s progress As professionals we will continue to challenge ourselves and each other in order to create an exceptional campus with exceptional students.

Yvonne Stroud – Principal Sloan Simmons – Assistant Principal Natalie Wilkes– Assistant Principal Laura King – Counselor Andrea Jean - Counselor Stacy Brown - Nurse Maggie Holcombe – Secretary Patrice Howard– Registrar Sara Graham – Office Aide ADMINISTRATION/OFFICE STAFF:

SCHOOL WIDE EXPECTATIONS The Cardinal Creed: Be Safe Be Respectful Be Responsible

MORNINGS Our goal is to greet every child every day with a smile! Student drop off begins at 7:30 a.m. & students can eat breakfast, or wait in grade level lines in the cafeteria until students are dismissed to class. NO supervision before 7:30 a.m. Parents needing supervision prior to 7:30 a.m. should contact area day cares, who provide transportation to Fall Creek Elementary. Class begins at 7:50 a.m. Tardy bell rings at 8:05 a.m. Tardy students report to front office for tardy slip. Parents of students with excessive/ consistent tardies will be contacted by an administrator.

Arrival Students should enter each morning through the front or cafeteria side door The main car rider line goes through the front parking lot and is open beginning at 7:30 a.m. Supervision unloading ends at 8:00. The side car rider line (by the cafeteria) opens at 7:45 or after the buses have dropped off students and closes at 8:05 Bike racks are located behind the school on either side of the building for student convenience. Dismissal Students will be escorted to dismissal areas by teachers at the following times: Car Riders – 3:15 p.m. Bus/Daycare/YMCA – 3:20 p.m. Walker/Bike Rider – 3:25 p.m. Kindergarten Dismissal will take place at the early childhood wing and begins at 1:50 p.m. ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL

NOTES ON ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL: Parents must send written documentation to change a child’s dismissal in advance if there needs to be a change. Students MAY NOT be removed from the car rider line to walk with a parent/guardian (in case of emergency dismissal change a student must be signed out through the office). Parents should not park on neighboring streets or in front of Fall Creek residents homes. Students MAY NOT be dropped off in the front parking lot. This is a major safety concern. Please drive through the line to drop students off safely in front of the school. Please be courteous and follow traffic patterns with drop off and dismissal and be patient as the first couple of weeks of school.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER: 8/24First Day of School 8/28Early 12:00 noon 9/7 Labor Day Holiday 9/8 Mixed Bag Designs Fundraiser Kick-Off 9/16 Tutti Frutti Spirit Night 9/16Early noon 9/18Grandparent’s Day Lunch 9/22School Pictures 9/22Spring Creek BBQ Spirit Night & Picture Day 9/24 College Shirt Day 9/30Early 12:00 noon 10/7 Chick fil A Spirit Night 10/12 Student Holiday 10/17 Cardinal County Fair! 10/22 College Shirt Day 10/26-10/30 Red Ribbon Week and Book Fair 10/28 Early 12:00 noon 10/28 Tutti Frutti Spirit NIght 10/29 Early 12:00 noon Please refer to the weekly Cardinal Courier for more.

Students are released at 12:00 noon on early release days. Friday, August 28 Wednesday, September 16 Wednesday, September 30 Wednesday, October 28 Thursday, October 29 Wednesday, December 2 Friday, December 18 Wednesday, February 3 Wednesday, March 2 Wednesday, May 18 Thursday, June 2 Lunch on Early Release days:except December 18 and June 2 A sack lunch is served on Early Release Days with the exception of December 18 and June 2. EARLY RELEASE

Policy: ATTENDANCE In determining if a student’s absence will be excused by the school, the reason for each absence must be stated in writing, signed by the parent/guardian or heath care professional, and submitted to the school upon the student’s return to school. If a student is absent from school for health reasons after the District has issued a Compulsory Attendance Warning Notice, the school may require a written note from a professional health care provider in order for the absence to be excused. If a student fails to bring a note on the date the student returns to school, a temporary admission slip will be issued. The student has two days (48 hours) after his/her return to school to bring an absence excuse. If no excuse is submitted, the absence will be regarded as truancy. Refer to the truancy policy for academic and disciplinary consequences on Page 11 of the Humble ISD Parent/Student handbook.

ATTENDANCE NOTES Please remember that student attendance is a key factor in student success! Compulsory attendance requires that students between the ages of 6-18 attend school (exemptions include religious holy days, required court appearances, etc…) State law requires that to receive final grade in a class (promotion) a student must attend at least 90% of the days the class is offered (equating to less than 18 excused or unexcused absences for the school year). Please remember that documentation for an absence must be recorded within 48 hours upon the student’s return to school

LUNCH TIME! Student Breakfast / Adult Breakfast 2:00 = $1.40 (served 7:30-7:55 a.m.) Student Lunch = $2.20 / Adult lunch $3.50 Milk = $0.60 Frozen Treats - $0.75 ($0.50 if purchased for the class to celebrate a birthday) Send check/cash to school OR set up online account through the Humble ISD website. Students without money in their account will be given a sandwich and milk for lunch. Menu? Check weekly Cardinal Courier or monthly menus may be printed from the Humble ISD website. Parents are welcome to join students for lunch! Visitors must first check in at the front office. Tables on the stage are reserved for visitors eating lunch with students. Parents are allowed to bring in outside food for their child only. It can not be shared with other children. (Texas FMNV Law) Forgotten lunches may be dropped off and placed on the designated shelf in the commons.

NOTES FROM THE HANDBOOK Dress and Grooming Code is found on page of the Humble ISD Parent/Student Handbook. Highlights for elementary students include: Hair should be neat, clean, & non-disruptive. NO hats, sunglasses, makeup, tattoos, excessively loose or tight clothing. For boys: NO earrings, sleeveless shirts. For girls: No “spaghetti” straps NO “short shorts” (must be at least to mid-thigh) Jeans should be free from holes Make-up is not permitted at the elementary level. Foot wear should be appropriate for physical activity (recess etc…). Tennis shoes are required on P.E. days.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES Students are permitted to have cell phones for the purpose of communicating with their parents after school, but they must be turned OFF and stored in backpacks during the school day. Students not following these guidelines may have their phones taken and held for parent pick up. Students are not permitted to bring iPods, iPads, handheld games, etc. to school. The use of Kindles at school for silent reading is left to the discretion of the classroom teacher. Any phones or electronics brought to school is at the risk of the student/parent. FCE is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

HUMBLE’S MOBILE APP

OTHER THINGS TO NOTE: FRIDAY IS SPIRIT DAY!!! Show your school spirit by wearing red or an FCE spirit shirt. Wear your favorite college shirt on the fourth Thursday of each month. FCE students are college bound! LABEL ALL JACKETS, LUNCH KITS, ETC. with student name. Helpful Hint: Keep a jacket or sweater in your backpack. Sometimes it is chilly in the classrooms. Lost and Found is located in the back of the main hallway (although small items such as glasses are kept in the office). Please check in at the office if you’d like to check the lost and found. Items will be sent to charity if not claimed.

SAFETY The safety of students and staff is our highest priority. Some of the safety measures we implement are: All visitors are required to show I.D. and wear identification in the building. Check-out and dismissal procedures are strictly followed. Monthly emergency drills are held. Any suspicious activity is immediately investigated. Anti-bullying lessons are presented to students. Walkers/bikers are not released during severe weather. Security cameras monitor the front office, cafeteria, entrances, and playgrounds at all times.

ENRICHMENT: Fall Creek students enjoy a range of enrichment activities that include: Junior Achievement – (Volunteers Needed) Cultural Arts performances (sponsored by the PTO) Including Day of Drumming, Storybook opera, Dance of Brazil and more Robotics (5 th grade) Fall Creek News Network (4 th and 5 th grade students) Math Olympiads Choir Student Musical Performances at each grade level Turkey Trot Run Super Kids Day Gifted and Talented Programs for qualifying students

VOLUNTEERS AT FCE Fall Creek Elementary PTO Fall Creek has an AMAZING Parent Teacher Organization. Please consider volunteering to become a part of this organization and helping in various capacities throughout our school.

It’s going to be a great year! THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US Please Check the Cardinal Courier weekly for news etc…