Theresa L. Ball, Principal
Becky DuPree, Assistant Principal

The mission of Carrolltowne Elementary School is to support and motivate students
to become confident and responsible learners.

PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK (ONLINE EDITION)

The Carrolltowne Elementary School community welcomes you to our school. The staff is committed to providing quality instruction for all students. The home/school relationship plays a crucial role in achieving this commitment. Honest and open communication contributes to a positive school experience for all our students and their families. If questions or concerns regarding the classroom or instruction should arise throughout the year, parents/guardians are encouraged to contact the teacher directly.

Emergency Procedure Cards

Each student must have Emergency Procedure Cards on file in the school. A card is sent home on the first day of school. This card needs to be completed and returned to school the next day. Throughout the school year, any changes to the emergency card must be submitted in writing to the office. A written note from the parent/guardian must be sent to school if a child is to be dismissed to someone other than the parent or legal guardian (even if the name of the person is listed on the emergency card). This note must include the date or time period to allow this requested dismissal.

Medications

It is a violation of the Carroll County Board of Education Policy for students to transport medications of any kind to or from school. Medications must be brought to school by an adult. Students transporting medications are subject to suspension. The complete Drug and Alcohol Policy can be found in the Student Services Handbook.

School Hours

The school day begins at 9:15 a.m. and ends at 3:45 p.m. Students may begin entering the building at 8:45 a.m. when buses begin arriving. Students are expected to be in their classrooms by 9:15 a.m. when classroom instruction begins. Classroom instruction ends at 3:40 p.m. to prepare for dismissal which begins at 3:45 p.m.

Morning Drop Off Zone and Afternoon Parent Pick Up

If you are picking up your child early, you must park in the visitor's parking lot on the side of the school. You cannot park in the bus lane at the front of the school at any time. When pulling into the car rider lane, which runs through the visitor's/staff parking lot and along the curb on the side of the school (walkway), you will need to follow the procedures in place and the directions of staff on duty in the morning. Staff members are on duty from 8:45 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. for arrivals.   Parents must pick up their child(ren) from the Parent Pick-Up area in the cafeteria in the afternoon.

Attendance

Students are required to be in school every day except in the event of personal illness, serious family illness, death in the family or quarantine. Absences due to these reasons will be excused once a note is submitted by the parent/guardian stating the reason for the absence. The Absence/Dismissal/Late Arrival form is available online by clicking HERE. Unexcused absences will be recorded on the student's permanent records. Attendance data is monitored by the school and the Student Services Department. If a student's absences or late arrivals for school approach the 15% level, the following steps will be taken:

1 - Parent/Legal Guardian will be contacted by the teacher.
2 - Parent/Legal Guardian will be contacted by an administrator.
3 - Parent/Legal Guardian will be contacted by a Student Service Worker.

Any student arriving at or after 9:15 a.m. must report directly to the office and be accompanied by a parent or guardian to be signed in and to receive a "late" pass. A note explaining the reason for the tardiness must be provided by the parent. (Late arrivals, at or after 9:15 a.m. and early dismissals prior to 3:40 p.m. will be reported on the Student's Progress Report as a tardy). If a student is to be dismissed early, a note signed by the parent should be sent or faxed to the office prior to 3:30 stating the time that the parent/guardian should arrive to pick up the child and the reason for the dismissal. If someone other than the parent/guardian will be picking up the child, the parent must provide the name and relationship of this person in the note. This individual must be prepared to show proper identification to the office staff prior to signing out the student. Students will not be called from class until the appropriate person arrives in the school office. Phone calls to change dismissal procedures for a student will not be accepted.

2 hour and 45 minute Early Dismissals

There are eleven 2 hour and 45 minute early dismissals scheduled throughout the year for elementary schools. Eight of the eleven 2 hour and 45 minute early dismissal days are system wide dismissals. A list of the dates for these early dismissals can be found in your Carroll County Public Schools Calendar as well as HERE. On the dates of the 2 hour and 45 minute early dismissals, Carrolltowne Elementary will begin dismissal at 1:00 p.m. Students in Early Childhood Special Needs (E.C.S.N.) classrooms will not attend school on the 2 hour and 45 minute early dismissal days.

Kiss and Go Zone

Teachers have many responsibilities in the morning as the students are arriving. If a parent has a scheduled appointment with the teacher or is helping the teacher/school with a project, he/she may go to the suite after signing in in the front office visitor/volunteer log. If an emergency arises and it is necessary to speak with a teacher during morning arrival, parents must report to the office. Office staff will contact the teacher and see if he/she is able to meet with the parent at that time.

The Kiss and Go Zone will again be enforced this year. Students are to walk to their classroom without the assistance of parents. This school policy allows us to monitor the safety of the halls, decrease disruptions to the start of the school day, and decrease disruptions to morning duties and routines for both students and staff. There are staff members on duty throughout the building to monitor students and to assist them if needed. Staff members will gladly walk with your child if they need assistance to find a classroom or carry extra belongings or projects.

Visitors

School administrators must be accountable for the whereabouts of all visitors in the building. All parents, volunteers, and visitors must report immediately to the office upon entering the building.

All parents and visitors must follow the procedures outlined below when visiting the school:

1 - Visitors must report to the front office to sign in. Visitors must list all areas of the building that will be visited.

2 - After signing in, Visitors must obtain a Visitor's Badge from the office and the badge must be worn and visible at all times while visiting the building.

3 - Visitors must sign out in the office when leaving and turn in their Visitor's Badge.

Under no circumstance will anyone be permitted in the building or instructional areas without permission. Visiting classrooms for extended periods of time is permitted only with prior approval of the administration. If such a visit is deemed to be disruptive to the instructional program for the children, permission will not be granted. Teachers should be contacted in advance to schedule a visit.

Volunteers

Carrolltowne welcomes the support of volunteers. Level II Volunteers (classroom helpers, tutors, chaperones, etc.) are required to attend an annual training session at least seven (7) school days prior to volunteering. Volunteer training, obtained during the 2006-2007 school year, is only valid through September 30, 2007. Attending required volunteer training prior to October 1, 2007 will maintain your eligibility to volunteer and alleviate gaps in your volunteer service. A schedule of volunteer training dates can be obtained by clicking HERE. Once your volunteer training has been completed and processed into the system (7 school days from your training date), you may begin your volunteer duties at Carrolltowne. Volunteers must follow the procedures outlined below prior to reporting to any volunteer duties:

1 - Volunteers must report to the office to sign in in the Visitor's Sign-In book as well as logging into the Volunteer Training Program on the computer in the front office.

2 - Volunteers must obtain a "Volunteer" badge from the front office and the badge must be worn and visible at all times while in the building.

3 - Volunteers must sign out in the office when leaving and return their volunteer badge.

Dress Code

Students must follow the CCPS Dress Policy. This policy can be found in the Student Services Handbook, CCPS Calendar, and on the CCPS Website by clicking HERE. Students may NOT wear flip flops or strapless sandals to school (these are a safety hazard). For a complete list of items/clothing, please refer to the above resources.

Personal Possessions

Valuables such as extra money, sports equipment, iPods, video games, etc. are not to be brought to school. Toys of any kind may not be brought to school.

Celebrations

Student birthdays are acknowledged during announcements. Due to the number of severe allergies of students, no food items may be sent into school to celebrate a student's birthday. If a parent wants to acknowledge their child's birthday, a non-edible gift such as stickers, pencils, etc. may be sent in for the entire class.

Cafeteria

Breakfast may be purchased every morning for $1.00 ($.30 for Free and Reduced). A student lunch can be purchased for $1.75 (includes Milk), milk for 40 cents, and ice cream for 60 cents. Due to the number of students who have severe food allergies, students may not purchase ice cream or snack items for other students or share their food items with other students. Also, if a parent/guardian brings food into the cafeteria for their child/children, this food may not be shared with other students. Loaning of money among students is prohibited. Menus are available on the Carrolltowne Elementary Website by clicking HERE.

Inclement Weather/Announcement Policy

When it is necessary for schools to close, open late, or close early due to inclement weather or other unforeseen emergency, please tune into your local television news stations or your local radio station (a list of stations is available on page 20 of the CCPS School Calendar) for announcements. Parents who sign up with eschoolnewsletter will receive email notifications from the Carroll County Public Schools Central Office and/or Carrolltowne Elementary when schools will be closed, delayed or dismissed early. Carrolltowne encourages parents to use this notification tool. Eschoolnewsletter allows the school to provide information to parents that may be of a time sensitive manner. When schools are closed due to inclement weather, all activities shall be cancelled. All activities scheduled for weekends and/or holidays shall be cancelled if the snow emergency plan is in effect at any time the day of or still in effect at 6:00 p.m. the day prior to the scheduled event. Parents are urged not to call the school to inquire about closings, delays or early dismissals.

School Safety

School safety is a priority at Carrolltowne. We are now a pilot school for a Buzzer/Intercom entry system. Front entry doors will be locked at 9:30 a.m. and will remain locked throughout the day. Visitors must ring the buzzer to announce their arrival. A member of the office staff will answer and inquire to the reason they wish to enter. All visitors will be directed to the front office to sign in and receive a visitor's badge prior to visiting any area of the school. Please refer to the Board of Education's Violent Act and Threats of Serious Violence Policies found in the Student Services Handbook, located online HERE.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

Carrolltowne has a very supportive PTA. All families of the Carrolltowne Community are encouraged to participate in school activities. Dues support educational initiatives for students. Please consider joining the PTA. For more information, please click HERE.

Student Absences

If you wish to report your child's absence, you may do so by calling the school's Absence Hotline at 410.795.5673. Please call prior to 8:45 a.m. to report the absence and leave a message with the following information: The date, your child's name, and their homeroom teacher. All absences will still require a written note signed by the parent with the reason for the absence. You can obtain this form by clicking HERE.

Transportation

CCPS Transportation Department requires that students have one permanent a.m. and p.m. bus stop. Stops may only be changed in case of an extreme emergency. Changes in bus stops will not be approved to accommodate social events (i.e. parties, playtimes, etc.). Prior approval by a school administrator is necessary to change a stop. Parents/Guardians are responsible for the behavior of students at bus stops. Inappropriate behavior while on the bus may result in a suspension from the bus. Parents will be notified if their child is displaying inappropriate behavior on the bus.

Car Riders

Many students are transported to school by car each day. For the safety of our students, staff, and community, drivers entering the car rider route and side parking lot must follow the directions of staff members on duty when dropping off students by car.

Once vehicles have stopped along the drop off area (within the yellow painted curb) students must exit the vehicles from the passenger side only and immediately proceed to the building. Drivers are not permitted to wait in this area until students get to the building.

Beginning Monday, October 22, 2007, “car rider” students will no longer be dismissed to the sidewalk along the drive for ‘pick-up’ by parents. Parents will need to park their car in the lot and pick-up their child from the parent pick-up area in the cafeteria. There will be a teacher and assistant on duty to monitor students until they are picked up. Until staff begins to match parents and students, parents may be asked for identification. Students remaining in the cafeteria at 4 will be brought to the office for pick-up. Due to concerns about safety, staff will no longer be in the driveways to direct and monitor traffic. Please drive safely and slowly as you enter the driveways and parking lot. Be aware of the buses entering and departing and, of students and adults crossing in the crosswalks. Thank you!

Walkers

Students walking home will no longer dismiss from the back entrances. Students walking home will be dismissed from the front entrance with third Wave bus dismissal students. Students going to Slacks Road and MacBeth Way may use the paved walker paths.  Staff will supervise from the top of the paths only.