Student/Parent Handbook
Attendance
A student must be present at least half of the school day in order to be recorded present for that day. The student must arrive at school by 10:45 am or not leave school before
10:45 am.
Early Dismissal – An early dismissal occurs any time a student is signed out before the final bell rings at 2:15 pm and does not return that day. Parents are reminded that classroom instruction is missed when students are signed out early. Please make every effort to minimize early dismissals.
 Come by the office and notify the secretary or someone in the office that you need to pick up your child. Your child will be called to the office or a staff member will go to the room to get the child.
 Sign the child out on the clipboard that is provided and list the reason for leaving early.
 When a child is returned to school from an appointment, etc. he/she must be recorded as returned (time back in) on the same sheet.
 For safety’s sake, children will not be allowed to wait outside for you.
 Students will continue working in the classroom until parents arrive to check them out.
When it is the judgment of school officials that the health and/or safety of a child is at issue, the school will not release the child to either parent requesting physical custody of a child. In such an instance, the principal or designee will notify the Department of Social Services.
Tardiness – Tardy students disrupt the instructional program, thus cheating themselves and others of classroom instruction. Students are considered tardy if not in the classroom when the
7:30 am bell rings. Any student coming to school tardy must be signed in at the office by a parent or guardian. If your child is a car rider and eats breakfast please bring them by
7:15 so they can eat and not be tardy.
The Iredell-Statesville School Board has adopted an elementary attendance policy. Under this policy, all absences will be considered either “lawful” or “unlawful”. The only absences that will be considered lawful are:
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4. personal illness or injury which makes the student physically unable to attend; isolation ordered by the State Board of Health; death in the immediate family; (mother, father, grandparent, sibling) medical or dental appointment;
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6. participation under subpoena as a witness in a court proceeding; observance of a religious event with prior approval by the principal.
Under the board policy, after 6 unlawful absences, the school social worker will be asked to work with the family. Any student who misses more than ten (10) total days shall be referred to the principal for possible retention. Ten (10) tardies and/or early dismissals
will equal one day’s absence. New perfect attendance policy: A student will receive perfect attendance for the year if they have 0 absences and no more than 10 lates or
early dismissals. Please keep all of this in mind as you plan for the school year. It is the responsibility of the student to make up missed work when absent from school. Teachers will work with students and parents on a reasonable deadline for completing missed work. If at all possible, missed assignments should be collected on the day of the absence after 2:30p.m. Students missing more than 10 days will need to make up time after school.

Bringing Items to School
Students should not bring cell phones, toys, games, trading cards (Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh, etc.), computer games, laser pointers, yo-yo’s, radios, CD players, iPods, DVD players, or
any other item that could prove to be distracting or unsafe. Show-and-tell items may be brought to school if prior arrangements have been made with the teacher. The principal and staff have the authority to collect from students any item that is disruptive, dangerous, or
inappropriate and keep in the school office until a parent comes to pick up the item.
Bus Procedures
Bus safety is a priority at Sharon School. No student is to be out of his/her seat as long as the bus is in motion.
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Sit facing forward
Speak with low volume
Stay in your seat except when exiting
Keep hands, feet, and other objects to yourself
Remain silent when driver is backing up
1. Wait quietly – do not play in the roadway.
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2. As the bus approaches, stand back from the road and give the bus room to stop. (The bus is required to stop 15 feet from where students are standing.)
3. Students need to be at the stop 10 minutes prior to the given time and may need to wait 10 minutes past the time. Drivers are not permitted to wait for students to leave their homes.
1. If a student must cross the road, wait until the bus driver stops the bus and opens the door.
Check traffic both directions and then walk in front of the bus.
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Form a single line and don’t crowd or push.
Use the front door only.
Use the handrail and take the steps one at a time.
Go directly to your seat.
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Stay seated until the bus stops.
Don’t push or shove, but move quickly.
Exit by the front door only.
Use the handrail and take one step at a time.
If you do not have to cross the road, walk immediately away from the bus.
If you must cross the road:
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Walk far enough in front of the bus to see the driver.
Stop when you are even with the bus and look in both directions.
Cross quickly, but do not run.
Help smaller children to cross the road safely.
Never stop in front of the bus. If you drop something, get the driver’s attention before you try to pick it up.
A parent must be at the bus stop in order for the driver to let a Kindergarten, 1 st , or 2 nd grade child off the bus due to safety concerns. If you would like your K-2 child to be allowed to walk home from the stop without a parent present, you will need to write a note. The note needs to be signed and dated and indicate you allow the driver to drop the child off without a parent present.

Students who ride buses are assigned to a particular bus and ride only that bus.
Students may be taken off the bus for the following reasons:
1. Delaying the bus schedule. (Driver is not to wait or blow the horn for a child who is not at their bus stop.)
2. Fighting, use of tobacco, using profanity, or refusing to obey instructions of school authority or bus driver while on the school bus.
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Tampering with the bus.
Refusing to meet the bus at designated stop.
Unauthorized leaving of the bus when enroute from home to school or vice versa.
Playing, throwing trash or other objects, yelling or otherwise distracting the bus driver’s
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Failure to observe established safety rules and regulations.
Possession of weapons.
9. Standing or changing seats while the bus is moving
No one is allowed to board a school bus except school personnel and students.
Failure to observe this rule will be considered trespassing and is punishable by law.
Car Riders
The building will be open to students/parents at 7:10am daily. Parents bringing students to school each morning for car rider drop-off must enter from the Island Ford Road entrance. Follow the arrows in the right hand lane only and drive around the semi-circle until you pull up to the
Number 1 labeled on the sidewalk at the end of the awning beside the media center (there is to be no drop off at the front door). Students must remain in the car until the car supervisor(s)
arrive at the curb area. The supervisor(s) will monitor students as they exit the vehicles and walk into the school. No child should walk from the parking area by themselves. This is for the safety of the children. If you (parents) walk students into the building we will need you to sign in when you walk into the media center and sign out when you leave at 7:30 am.
Car Rider Pick Up - Students are dismissed at 2:15pm. Please pull into both lanes as you enter the school parking lot. We will park in two lanes for dismissal each day. Please follow the
arrows. The first car in the line should park at number 1. We will load curb side cars first.
When all of the students in the curb side line are in their cars, the supervisor will signal those cars to pull away and exit the parking area. Next, students will be called to the correct number and wait for a supervisor to help them cross to their parked car in the second lane
. Then the next group of cars will pull into position to repeat the process. The pick-up process moves quickly when all parents remain in their cars and let the supervisor bring your child to your
vehicle. Also due to safety there will be no parent pick-up in the building after 1:55p.m. as we must now monitor who is in the building when all students are moving for
dismissal. After 2 weeks of school, the children and adults have learned our dismissal procedure and the wait time will be much shorter. Please be patient with us as our concern is for the safety of our students. Please note that students who show a pattern of not being picked up by 2:40p.m. on a consistent basis will cause us to contact the social worker and then after that social services, unless you contact the office to let us know that you will be late (this should occur no more than once per nine weeks).
*When lining up please do not block the entrance to the school due to fire safety regulations and courier service.

TRANSPORTATION CHANGES -
Parents of car or bus riders must call the school office by 1:30 pm to make a change in your child’s transportation for that day. No changes should need to be made after
1:30 pm unless it is an emergency. (An emergency constitutes family illness, family death, or car accident.) This policy is to ensure that all students are being sent home correctly by school personnel and to communicate the changes to all necessary individuals before dismissal. Please send notes with students for transportation changes as this is the best method for communication.
Communication – Sending Notes to School
It is important that parents keep the school informed of changes in their children’s normal routines or if personal information changes. Please send notes to school explaining situations such as:
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1. If anyone is not permitted to pick up a student (court documentation needed if it is another
parent
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Requests for early dismissals,
Absences and tardies,
Changes in transportation,
Medication required by a doctor,
Restriction of PE (Doctor’s note required)
Car pool (give name of person with whom your child may ride),
Someone other than parent picking up your child (we will need an ID).
9. Change in phone number/address
All notes should include the current date and parent’s signature.
Contacting Teachers
Classroom instruction will not be interrupted for telephone calls except in the case of an emergency.
Office staff will gladly take messages and teachers will return calls when instructional time is not taken from students. (This should occur within 24-48 hours as should all emails)
Daily Schedule
Doors will be locked until 7:10am each day.
No students are to be dropped off at school before 7:10 am. Teachers are scheduled to arrive at school by 7:05 am. The cafeteria staff begins serving breakfast at 7:10 am when the doors open. A bell will ring at 7:25 am to let students know that they have 5 minutes to get to class. The tardy bell rings at 7:30 am and any arrivals to the classrooms after the 7:30 bell will be marked tardy for the day. Students that are tardy must report to the office to sign in and pick up a tardy slip to give to their teacher. Dismissal is at 2:15 pm daily for car riders and bus riders. Remember all parents must enter/exit through the media center between 7:10 -7:30a.m. if you are walking your student into the school. If you come to school after 7:30a.m. you will need to be checked through the office door.
Discipline Policy
At Sharon Elementary School, we want all of our students to enjoy their educational experience while feeling safe and comfortable in the school environment. Disciplinary matters will be handled in accordance with Iredell-Statesville Policy.
The following are rules students will need to follow:
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Arson – Students shall not burn or attempt to burn any material or property on the school grounds.
Assault on another student – Students shall not assault, attack, or cause physical harm to another person.
Assault on a school employee – Students shall not physically or verbally assault any school employee.

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Bus rules- Students shall follow all school rules and directions of the bus driver
Classroom rules- Students shall follow all class rules
Disrespect and insubordination – Students shall not demonstrate gross disrespect to staff members and shall not refuse to follow the reasonable and legal directions of staff members
Disruption of school – Students shall not engage in conduct which results in the disruption of the classroom and/or schools.
Drugs, alcohol, and tobacco – Students shall not possess, use, transmit or sell drugs, alcohol or tobacco products at school, at any time on the school grounds, on school buses or activity buses or at activities sponsored by the school. Also included are offenses that occur at any time off school premises and occur at any time around or adjacent to school buses off school premises if the offense will adversely affect good order and discipline in the schools.
Gum Chewing- Students are not allowed to chew gum in the school. While the act of chewing gum is not a problem, what students do with gum makes it undesirable.
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Offensive Language- Students shall not use profanity, vulgarity, or offensive language
Personal Selling or Trading – Personal selling or trading of any items by students at school is not permitted.
Property damage – Students shall not intentionally damage or deface school or private property.
Repeated violation of school rules – Students shall not repeatedly violate classroom or school rules.
Theft – Students shall not knowingly steal any property or be in possession of stolen property.
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Weapons and dangerous objects- Students shall not bring weapons, replicas of weapons (toy guns), and/or dangerous objects to school. Pocket Knives are considered weapons.
Any conduct on the part of the student which would be a felony or a general misdemeanor under the North Carolina General Statutes in affect at the time of the student action.
Consequences for rules violations could vary depending on the severity of the offense:
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Verbal reminder to the student by the teacher or principal
Conference with the student
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Isolation within classroom
Withhold privileges
Supervised isolation in another classroom
Behavior improvement contract
Parent conference
Conference with Guidance Counselor
Conference with the Principal
Time out
In-school suspension
Suspension from school for the remainder of the day
Suspension from school for a period up to 10 days (Possible required assignment to
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Long-term suspension or removal for the rest of the school year (Possible required assignment to alternative school)
Suspension from the school bus
Notification of law enforcement agencies when needed or required
Bullying Policy – Iredell-Statesville Schools recognizes its responsibility to promote and maintain a healthy, safe, orderly and caring environment.
Bullying behavior is defined as unwanted physical/verbal physical activities that are intentional, imbalanced and repeated.
Intentional – a purposeful or hurtful act/behavior;
Imbalanced – imbalance of power, ganging up, racial, age, name calling, gender, size, etc.
Repeated – the intentional behavior is repeated over time.

The five types of bullying behaviors are:
Physical: – intentional, imbalanced, and repeated hitting, punching, pinching, etc.
Verbal/Social Relational Bullying: – direct insults, put downs, name-calling, spreading rumors/lies about someone to damage their reputation or punish them socially.
Sexual Harassment/Verbal: – continued, unwanted attention of a sexual nature
Sexual Harassment/Physical: - continued, unwanted attention of a sexual nature - includes physical contact.
Cyber: - verbal, social, and sexual harassment using social media/technology
Anyone who has witnessed acts of bullying behavior (to, from, or during school) is strongly encouraged to become a part of the “caring majority” and report the details to a teacher, a counselor or an administrator. Retaliation against any person who reports bullying behavior is strictly prohibited.
Dress Code Policy
We believe that the question of appearance is a shared responsibility of the home and school. Students should wear clothing that is appropriate. School board regulations forbid the wearing of apparel that advertises DRUGS, ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, or
PROFANITY. Any student who wears such an article of clothing will be asked to call their parents to bring another set of clothes for the child to wear that day or turn clothes inside out.
No undergarments showing
Tops must cover the waistband of your pants and be above the chest area.
Sleeves/Straps must be 3 fingertips in length
Shorts, skorts, dresses, jumpers and skirts must be at or below fingertip length.
Pants must be worn at the waist. No baggy pants that hang below the waist are permitted.
No shoes with roller blades are allowed. For safety’s sake, tennis shoes must be worn for PE. Students should not wear hats or sunglasses in the building unless for a special event.
Field Trips
Classes will take field trips during the course of the school year. Field trips are considered an extension of the classroom. We reserve the right to deny students the privilege of taking a field trip if they have been severe behavioral problems in the classroom or if they have exhibited inappropriate behavior on a previous field trip. A parent may be asked to attend with the child under certain circumstances. There will be a charge to cover expenses pertaining to field trips.
Grading Policy
Each student’s grade reflects his/her performance in attempting to accomplish tasks he/she has been required to complete. Our school philosophy emphasizes the individual student, recognizing his/her uniqueness, strengths, and weaknesses. In keeping with our philosophy, our grading policy reflects our perspective of the individual child.
Kindergarten through 2 nd grade will use a leveled scale for Math, Reading, and Writing.
In the areas of Science/Social Studies, Work Habits, Social Development, and Healthful Living, K
2 students will be rated using the following scale:
S=Satisfactory N=Needs Improvement U=Unsatisfactory
Grades 3-5 will be given grades every nine weeks using the following scale:
A=90-100
F=0-59
B=80-90
S=Satisfactory
C=70-80
N=Needs Improvement
D=60-69
U=Unsatisfactory
Students in grades 3-5 will be graded in the areas of Reading, Creative Writing, Language Arts,
Math, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education, Conduct and Effort.

Health Policies
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No medication of any type can be given to students until both the parents and the doctor have filled out the Request for Medication Form.
No student will be moved if there is any possibility of a broken bone or internal injury that could cause serious injury except by emergency personnel.
Since our area is so susceptible to spotted fever, the following procedure will be used when removing a tick: Unless the parent has notified us in writing that we are not to remove a tick, a tick will be removed using tweezers and the area will be cleaned with soap and water.
A note will be sent home with the child.
In the event of a serious and/or potentially life threatening situation, we will do whatever is judged to be in the best interest of the child.
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The school must have one or more emergency telephone numbers for every child so that someone can be reached in case of emergency. Parents are responsible for making arrangements for picking up their child in the event that he/she needs to go home.
In the event that a child is hypersensitive to insect bites and/or stings and we are authorized to give an injection, exact instructions are to be communicated to the teacher each year. It is expected that we have a letter of authorization from the parent and a doctor.
We will make every effort to notify parents any time a child is sick or hurt.
Please notify the school if you have a change of address, phone number or job.
If your child has a special need or problem that we should know about in order to adequately deal with him/her, let us know immediately. This information should be included on the blue personal data sheet. Feel free to contact the school or teacher in such a case.
Any condition necessitating special care is to be verified by a doctor or other qualified health provider.
While school attendance is very important, sick children should not come to school for their own sake and the sake of other children.
Lice
“Pediculosis (head lice) is transmitted from person to person and indirectly by shared hats, coats or combs. The high incidence among young children is attributed to the close physical contact common at those ages.” The recommended procedure for treating head lice in the Iredell-Statesville Schools is as follows:
When a case of head lice is verified, the student is to be sent home with two letters from the Iredell
County Health Department.
Letter 1 – Letter to parents of an infested child entitled Control of Head Lice
Letter 2 – Letter for confirmation of treatment
Children sent home should receive treatment #1 that same day and may return to school the following day. Treatment #2 should not affect school attendance. Information provided to the school by the Iredell County Health Department and the N.C. Department of Health and Human
Services will be given to parents for treatment instructions. If NIX is used, only one treatment is sufficient. Fumigating or using bug spray in the home, school and school buses is not recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service.
Your child may return to school after he or she has been treated with a head lice shampoo. A parent must accompany the student to the office to be checked before the student may return to class.
Neither lice nor nits (eggs) can live on books, furniture, carpet, etc. Since the school does not serve as a continuous dwelling place for students, it cannot harbor lice or nits; therefore, it is not necessary to check the entire school or school buses if lice are found with one or more children.
Lost and Found

Students are strongly encouraged not to bring valuable items to school. Articles that are found on the school premises should be turned in to the office. The item will be returned to the owner when properly identified. Students are asked to put their names on all personal items. The lost and found area will be located in the hallway outside the kindergarten area.
Lunch Policies
Parents of students on free/reduced meals are reminded that they are required by law to notify the school if their financial situation changes. If anyone claims no income, regulations require that monthly applications be filed. You must file or refile each year for free and reduced lunch.
Board policy states that after the 5 th charged lunch, students will receive an alternative lunch. It is important lunch bills are paid on time to avoid any alternate meals.
Money or Checks
Money sent to school for payment of school pictures, student insurance, field trips, etc. should be sent separately from lunch money. It should be placed in an envelope with the child’s name and teacher name on the outside of the envelope. Money that is sent for lunch, breakfast, or any extra items in the cafeteria can be sent by the week or by the month. Please place lunch money in an envelope with the child’s name, lunch number, amount enclosed, and how the money is to be used. When sending money to school for any other items, please send the correct change. We do not have means to make change in the school office.
Please remember when sending checks to be sure you have a current phone number listed on the check.
Severe Weather
If a TORNADO WARNING in our school area is in effect at dismissal time, buses will not leave the school. A WARNING means that a tornado has actually been sighted in the area. A WATCH means that conditions are favorable for a tornado to develop. If we are having a thunder storm at dismissal time, we will use our best judgment as to when we would send the buses home.
If severe winter weather develops during the school day causing school to be dismissed early, children will be sent home using their normal dismissal procedure. Parents of car riders should come to school immediately to pick up their children.
School will be closed if severe winter weather happens overnight. When possible, the announcement will be on the radio or TV the night before, but that isn’t always possible. Please do not call the principal or other school staff members. When possible, a Connect-Ed phone message will go out to all students and staff informing them of delays or closings. Here is the procedure used by Iredell-
Statesville school officials:
Schools will operate as usual - No announcement will be made
Schools will not be open - Announcement will be made as early as possible, but
One hour delay -
Two hour delay - no later than 6:00 a.m.
School will open one hour later and breakfast will be served.
School will open two hours later and breakfast will be served
VISITORS ON CAMPUS
We want all parents and students to feel welcome at Sharon School! However we need all visitors to enter at the front door by the office area. All other outside doors will
remain locked at all times for security purposes. We ask visitors not to go directly to a

classroom without checking in at the office first. After signing in, visitor passes will be issued and each visitor must return to the office to sign out before they leave.
VOLUNTEERS
We have been blessed with people who are willing to give of their time and talent to help our students. Our parents are encouraged to consider volunteering for the school in some manner.
There are many ways in which parents may assist. We ask that our volunteers finish their day by
2:00 in order to have time to sign out and exit the building before dismissal. Please feel free to call the school office if you are interested in volunteering at 704-872-3401.
LOST LIBRARY BOOKS OR LOST TEXTBOOKS:
If a student loses a library book or textbook, the school will issue a statement with the amount owed in order to replace the lost book. In the event, the fine is paid and you find the lost book refunds will only be issued if the lost book is returned within 30 days from the date you paid for the fine. The school has to pay to order replacement books and the money collected is what is used to order the book replacement.
FOOD BROUGHT TO SCHOOL BY PARENTS FOR CLASSROOM PARTIES/CELEBRATIONS:
All food brought to school to be shared with others should be commercially prepared (ex.
Food Lion, Walmart, etc) and ingredients listed on package. Because we have so many children with food allergies this policy must be followed to ensure the health of our students.