The Manchester 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 issues regarding the classroom or instruction arise
throughout the year, parents/guardians are encouraged to contact the
teacher first with their concerns. Staff email addresses can be found on
the school website, http://www.carrollk12.org/man/
Office/School Hours
The school office is open daily from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
The school day begins at 9:15 a.m. and ends at 3:45 p.m. Students are
expected to be in their classrooms at 9:10 a.m. Students will be allowed
to enter the building once the buses start to arrive at 8:50 a.m.
After 4:00, only employees are allowed in the building. Students should
make sure they have all items needed for homework prior to dismissal.
School Visitation
Visitor Entry Protocol
All exterior doors are locked in the morning after student arrival.
All visitors must ring the main entrance buzzer to request entry.
Prior to allowing anyone to enter the building, an office staff member
will ask for the visitor’s:
Full Name, Reason for Visiting, Photo ID (display to camera)
Visitors will then be allowed to come into the main office to sign in.
Visitors, including volunteers, are required to present their photo ID to
sign in on the visitor system.
All visitors must be issued a visitor’s badge. (Except employees with a
CCPS badge)
Visitors must return to the main office to sign out before leaving.
A PHOTO ID IS REQUIRED TO BE ABLE TO VISIT/VOLUNTEER
AT SCHOOL. INDIVIDUALS NOT IN POSSESION OF A PHOTO
ID WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GO PAST THE FRONT OFFICE.
Safety procedures/practices that are in place take extra time to process
visitors to the building. Parent/guardians will no longer be able to walk
their child to classrooms in the morning. A “Kiss and Go” area has been
established in the lobby. Parents/guardians walking their children into
the building will need to stop in the lobby and say goodbye from there.
Staff will be on duty in the lobby to assist any students who may need
some extra support and encouragement getting to their classroom.
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
classroom after reporting to the office. If an emergency arises and it is
necessary to speak with a teacher during this time, parents must report to
the office. Office staff will contact the teacher and see if he/she is able
to meet. Under no circumstances 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.
Emergency Cards
Each student should have emergency contact information on file in the
main office and in the Nurse’s Office. Children will bring an emergency
contact card home the first day of school. This emergency contact
information helps us locate parents when a child is ill or is injured.
Please make corrections and return completed cards to school
immediately. Please keep us informed of telephone number and address
changes. Only parents or legal guardians should be listed in the parent
section of the card. Stepparents who are not legal guardians should be
listed in the emergency contact section. The school may not release a
child to a person unless that person is a custodial parent, OR has the
custodial parent’s written permission or is contacted in an emergency by
the school nurse and/or office staff. Anyone other than a biological
parent or legal guardian CAN NOT sign a child out of school without
written permission from the parent or legal guardian, regardless of
whether or not they are on the emergency card.
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 and given
directly to the school nurse. The nurse is on duty beginning at 8:45
a.m. Office staff are not permitted to accept any medications.
Students transporting medications are subject to suspension. The
complete Drug and Alcohol Policy can be found in the CCPS
Student Handbook.
Transportation
CCPS Transportation Dept. requires that students have one permanent
a.m. and p.m. bus stop. Stops or change in buses may only be approved
in the case of an emergency. Prior approval by a school administrator is
necessary to change a stop or bus. 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.
Attendance
Students are expected to be in school every day. A small number of
circumstances including illness are listed in the CCPS Student Services
Manual as excused absences. Parents must send in a note upon the
student’s return, via email manattendance@carrollk12.org, or through
the link on our school website), fax, 410.751.3439 or phone,
410.751.3410. If an explanation for the absence is not received within
five school days, the absence is automatically coded “unlawful” and will
be recorded on students’ permanent records. Attendance data is
monitored by the school and Student Services Department. If a student’s
absences approach the 15% level, the following steps are taken:
1. Parent/Legal Guardian is contacted by teacher/counselor.
2. Parent/Legal Guardian is contacted by an administrator.
3. Parent/Legal Guardian is contacted by a Pupil Personnel
Worker.
Any student arriving after 9:15 must be signed in at the office. So that
the late arrival can be coded correctly, please provide an explanation.
Please be sure to indicate “Dr or Medical Appt.”. Simply writing,
“Appt.” cannot be excused. Students arriving after 9:15 will be marked
late. Students being dismissed prior to 3:45 will be coded as an early
dismissal. Late arrivals and early dismissals will be reported on student
Progress Reports as a tardy.
If a student is to be dismissed early, a note should be sent to the teacher
stating the time of the dismissal and the reason for the dismissal. The
note must be signed by the parent/legal guardian. If someone other than
the parent/guardian will be picking the child up, their name should be
stated in the note. Students will not be called from class until the
appropriate person arrives in the school office.
Perfect/Exceptional Attendance
Students who have not been absent or tardy the entire school year will
receive a perfect attendance certificate on the last day of school.
Students who have been absent or tardy a combined total of 3 days or
less will receive an excellent attendance award on the last day of school.
School Safety
School safety is a priority at Manchester. Please refer to the Board of
Education’s Violent Act and Threats of Serious Violence Policies found
in the CCPS Student Handbook, Informational Calendar and on the
CCPS Website.
Forgotten Items
Students will occasionally forget items such as lunches, instruments,
homework etc. in the morning. Forgotten items are to be brought to the
office. Office staff will ensure students receive the items.
Field Trips
Field trips are planned as extensions of various units of study.
Chaperones must attend a Volunteer Training at least seven school days
prior to the field trip and be approved in order to be eligible to
chaperone trips. Only parents, legal guardians, step-parents or
grandparents can serve as chaperones on field trips.
Car Riders
Students are encouraged to ride the bus to and from school each day.
When it is necessary for a student to be transported to or from school by
car, drivers must follow the directions of staff members on duty. For
safety reasons, students should exit vehicles on the passenger side. If
transporting children by car in the morning, please be sure they arrive at
school by 9:10. If your child is going home by car, please send a note
that morning indicating who will be picking them up. Feel free to use the
preprinted Parent Pick Up notes. You will need to park and come into
the building at the gym entrance. Car riders will be dismissed from the
gym. The adult picking up the child must have a photo I.D.
Celebrations/Invitations
Due to many food allergies food items may not be brought to school to
celebrate birthdays, etc. Invitations to student parties may not be given
out at school. Non-edible items such as pencils, stickers, etc. may be
sent to school to remember a student’s birthday.
Late Starts/ Early Closings
There are 6 - two hour and forty-five minute early dismissal days
scheduled throughout the year.. The dates can be found in the table
below. Dismissal on these days will begin at 1:00 p.m. All of these
days are also early dismissal days for middle and high schools.
Pre-K students do not attend school on early dismissal days.
October 5
March 8
November 6
April 12
November 25
June 15
If schools need to start late or close early due to emergencies or
inclement weather, opening and closing times can be found in the chart
below. When it is necessary for schools to open late or close early, a
Connect5 call will go out to the primary phone number of each guardian.
Announcements will be made on radio, television and cable channel 21.
Please do not call the school.
2 Hours
1 hour
2 Hour
3 Hour
Late
Early
Early
Early
Opening
Dismissal Dismissal Dismissal
Dismiss
Dismiss
Dismiss
Schedule
K-5
11:15-3:45
At 2:45
at 1:45
at 12:45
No
Dismiss
Dismiss
Dismiss
Pre-K
School
at 11:45
at 11:00
at 10:00
Custody
Parents should keep the school updated in regard to custody documents.
It is the parents’ responsibility to produce legal documents, signed by a
judge to the school. When in doubt about custody issues and how the
school will respond, please contact an administrator.
Cafeteria
Students may purchase breakfast and lunch from the cafeteria. Breakfast
is $1.50 and lunch is $2.50, milk $.60 and ice cream $.75. Students may
purchase only one ice-cream per day and ice cream may not be available
every day or to all grade levels. Menus are sent home at the beginning of
each month. The sharing of food or loaning of money between students
is prohibited. If a child forgets his/her lunch or lunch money, a charge
will be written by the cafeteria staff. Please, make every effort to pay
the charge the following school day. Parents can prepay for meals by
sending a check made out to Manchester Elem. Cafeteria or by logging
onto myschoolbucks.com. to set up an account. You will need your
child’s five digit cafeteria PIN.
MANCHESTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
“Where Learning Never Ends”
3224 YORK STREET
Manchester, Maryland 21102
410-751-3410
Fax – 410-751-3439
Parent Teacher Organization
Manchester has a very supportive PTA. All families of the Manchester
Community are encouraged to participate in school activities. Please
consider joining the PTA. Dues support educational initiatives for
students.
Dress Code
Students must follow the CCPS Dress Policy. This policy can be found
in the CCPS Student Handbook, Informational Calendar and on the
CCPS Website. Students are encouraged to not wear flip flops or
strapless sandals as they are a safety hazard.
General Information
Valuables such as extra money, sports equipment, radios, video games
etc. are not to be brought to school.
The school cannot give out student names, addresses, and telephone
numbers. Party invitations may not be distributed at school.
Toys, dolls, etc. are restricted to specific occasions designated by the
teacher. When the item is not in use, it is to be stored in the child’s
locker/cubby.
For students in PreK through Gr 2, electronic gadgets/toys should not be
brought to school. This includes CD or tape players. For students in
grades 3-5, please refer to the Bring Your Own Device policy in the
CCPS handbook.
“Make a Buzz 4 the Bees”
Manchester Elementary is an active participant in the Positive Behavior
Intervention Strategies Program. School wide behavior expectations are
described in the Four Bees Program. Our “Four Bees” are as follows:
“Be Responsible”
“Be Respectful”
“Be Prepared”
“Be Safe”
PARENT HANDBOOK
2015-2016
The mission of Manchester Elementary School is to
teach children to become successful learners in school
and in life.