-1Southmont Elementary
Student/Parent Handbook
Instructional Hours
The instructional hours will be 7:55-2:30. Students can arrive between 7:30-8:00 each
morning. Students will be counted tardy at 8:00 if they are not present in the classroom.
Excessive tardies and absences will be dealt with by the principal and the social worker.
Students will be dismissed at 2:30.
Student Fees
An instructional fee of $7.00 is required for all students in Kindergarten – 5th grade. This
fee helps cover the costs of library books, instructional supplies/materials, and physical
education and first aid supplies and should be paid as soon as possible.
Dress Code
The Davidson County Board of Education respects a student’s right to choose his or her
style of dress or appearance. However, students are expected to adhere to standards of
cleanliness and dress that are compatible with the requirements and expectations of a
school learning environment. The policy adopted by the Davidson County Board of
Education states K- 5 students should not wear:
 Clothing that is disruptive to the teaching/learning process and is revealing,
indecent, vulgar, or obscene.
 Clothing which promotes alcoholic beverages or the use of controlled substances
by words or symbols, or is of a disruptive nature.
 Clothing that contains profanity, nudity, depicts violence or is sexual in nature by
words or symbols.
 Hats, sweatbands, bandanas, or sunglasses inside school buildings.
 Clothing that is sheer or mesh. Undergarments that are visible.
 Sagging pants which cause undergarments to be visible.
 Footwear that may present a hazard to health and safety.
The following are not acceptable:
 Tank tops or muscle shirts without a tee shirt.
 Biker shorts, short shorts or very short skirts.
 Halter tops and/or tops showing the midsection.
 Chains hanging from pockets.
 Body piercings
If a student is wearing inappropriate or disruptive clothing, parents will be called to bring
a change of clothing for the student.
-2Student Attendance
NC Public School Law General Statute 115C-378: “Every parent, guardian or other
person in this state having charge or control of a child between the ages of 7 and 16 years
(or under age 7) who is enrolled in a public school in grades K-12…shall cause such
child to attend school continuously for a period equal to the time when the public school
to which the child is assigned shall be in session…”
Lawful Absences:
 When an illness/injury occurs which prevents the student from being physically
able to attend school
 When quarantine is ordered by the local health officer or the State Board of
Health to isolate a student from the general population.
 When there is a death in the immediate family.
 When the absence is due to a medical or dental appointment.
 When the student is a part of a court proceeding.
 When the student participates in a religious observance in accordance with the
local board policy and has prior approval of the principal or guidance counselor.
 When the student is involved in a valid educational opportunity and receives prior
approval from the principal or guidance counselor at least 2 days before the trip.
Reminder: These days are NOT waived, just excused.
Upon the student’s return, the parent must send a note within 3 school days as to the
reason for the absence. If a note is not sent, the absence is coded as unlawful on the
fourth day. Students should make up missed work during the first 5 school days after
their return. If a parent wants to come after 2:30 to pick up missed work while a child is
sick at home, the parent is to call the office before 9:30 a.m. so the teacher will have time
to prepare it. To be counted present for a day, a child must be in attendance in the
classroom for a maximum of one-half day (8:00-11:15 AM)
2
A doctor’s note will be an EXCUSED reason, but will not be a WAIVED absence
unless it is of an extraordinary nature.
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Attendance Policy
Students may miss a MAXIMUM of 16 days for the entire school year. Students
who miss 16 or more days will not be promoted to the next grade unless:
1. They are granted a waiver from the attendance policy by the principal
for extenuating or emergency circumstances.
2. They make up hours (5 hrs. = 1 day) during tutoring and at other times
as scheduled by the school for this particular purpose.
 A student may apply to the principal for a waiver for lawful
absences due to extenuating circumstances after the student has
reached 12 absences.
 Suspension days will not be considered.
 The principal will consider each request, and then reply in
writing to the parent.
-3Student Arrivals by Vehicle
Students brought by cars before 7:30 are to remain in the car with the driver
until the school opens at 7:30. DO NOT LEAVE A CHILD AND DRIVE
OFF BEFORE 7:30.
Please follow the arrows and signs, watch for carefully placed cones, and follow
our staff’s directions when delivering/picking up students.
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Departures
Students remain in class until called to the office to depart from school
Only a parent, guardian, or legal custodial parent may pick up a student unless
request is made by the above named for the student to leave school with someone
else.
They must come to the office and sign out the student.
The adult may be asked to show an ID or verify certain information.
A student who is to ride home on a different bus, MUST have a note EACH
TIME he/she is to change buses.
A student going home with another student: BOTH MUST HAVE NOTES
verifying this. This particular issue frequently takes up valuable time out of a
school day.
North Carolina K-5 promotion Standards/Davidson County Accountability Policy
The student must have an average of 70 in the teacher’s classroom in each area of
language arts/communication skills, reading, and math. The student must not miss more
than 16 days during the school year. The student must also meet K-2 criteria and make a
Level 3, 4 or 5 on the End-of Grade Test for students in grades 3-5.
Procedures When Standards Are Not Met
Students who fail to meet the Teacher Standards will repeat the same grade unless
waived by the Principal.
Students who fail to meet the Attendance Standard will be provided opportunities to
correct their attendance deficiency through one or both of the following:
 Making up each day missed over 16 hour for hour
 An attendance policy waiver granted by the principal due to emergency
circumstances
Students who fail to meet the Test Standard will have the option to:
 Retest with/without remediation
 Attend Summer Academy
 Be retained in the same grade another year
-4Medicines
Davidson County Schools Board Policy 6.29.3 governs all medication use,
distribution, and carrying. The policy will be sent home with all students.
Weapons Policy
A law that became effective December 1, 1993, declares it illegal for firearms, knives,
and other items classified as weapons to be at school. Specifically the law states it is a
felony to have a firearm or explosive on education property and a misdemeanor to posses
any BB gun, air fire, air pistol, bowie knife, dirk, dagger, slingshot, leaded cane,
switchblade, knife, blackjack, metallic knuckles, razor blades, any sharp pointed or edged
instrument ( except instructional supplies), and unaltered nail files and clips.
Law enforcement personnel will be called and students will be suspended. We are asking
parents to take all precautions for your child not to possess knives, firearms, or weapons
of any type at school. It is also illegal for parents and others to have on their person or in
their car knives, firearms, or weapons on school premises. A second law requires the
principal to report all violators to enforcement officials. We must maintain a safe school.
Suspensions
In extreme situations, suspension of elementary students from school may be required.
We will notify you by telephone and/or letter of the suspension or ask you to come to the
school. When students cause problems on the school bus, they will be suspended from
riding the bus 1 to 5 days depending upon the severity of the action.
The following are possibilities for giving suspensions:
 Repeated use of profanity.
 Students intentionally hurting other students or staff members
 Repeated threats.
 Vandalizing school property or private property (as writing on bathroom walls).
 Fighting; defending oneself does not mean hitting back.
 Weapons
Lice
Occasionally, we have cases of head lice throughout the school year. Anyone, child or
adult, can get head lice. It has nothing to do with cleanliness and does not reflect poorly
on parenting or the home environment. However, we must follow the Davidson County
School Board Policy Number 6.36 which states:
 All students having head lice will use a lice-killing treatment and remove all live
bugs and nits (eggs) from the hair before returning to school. The attendance
policy allows no more than 2 days for this.
 Students will be excluded from all school activities until such treatment and
removal of bugs and nits have been completed.
-5
School principals will be responsible for facilitating and enforcing this policy in
their school.
A parent must accompany the child back to the school office to be checked upon
return to school. The child may NOT be sent back on the bus.
Visitors / Protecting Students / Utilizing Instructional Time
Schools are safe only as long as each of us do our part to keep them safe.
All visitors are to sign in and wear a visitor’s tag while in the building or while on
school grounds during outdoor school day activities.
When you need to get or give information from the teachers, please leave a message and
number on their voicemail.
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Teachers WILL NOT be called out of classrooms to talk with parents during time
of student supervision (7:50 a.m. – 2:30p.m.).
Parents ARE NOT to bypass the office and go to classrooms during the school
day. Do not automatically sign in, and then go to a classroom. If you do, an
administrator may ask you to leave. This continues to be a safety issue.
Breakfast and Lunch for Elementary Students
Breakfast is served from 7:35 – 8:00 each morning. Students riding in cars should be in
the cafeteria between 7:35 – 7:50 to eat breakfast. Bus students arrive at 7:50 to eat.
The cost of meals in the elementary schools this year are:
Paid student breakfast:
$1.25
Reduced breakfast:
Paid student lunch:
$2.50
Reduced lunch:
Adult breakfast:
$1.75
Adult lunch:
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$.30
$.40
$3.25
Commercial foods may not be brought into the cafeteria for lunch for your
child, some examples being McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Hardees. Parents also
should not bring in or share items from home with students that are not your own.
Items that are not bakery/store bought with a store label are not allowed to be
given for a child’s birthday or other special occasion.
Please wait in the hall area near the cafeteria rather than go to the classroom when
you come to eat lunch with your child.
After lunch is over, students are to return to class to continue the regular
instruction. Visitors should not return to the classroom.
If you wish to apply for free or reduced lunch and breakfast, the applications need
to be filled out completely and returned to school as soon as possible.
Board Policy 6.20-Meal Charge Policy
-6The Davidson County School System participates in the National School Lunch Program
sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) which permits the school
system to offer free and reduced priced meals to students who qualify. Due to reporting
requirements, the child nutrition program cannot permit excessive and reoccurring charges of
meals. Customers may, however, pay for meals in advance.
Families who wish to apply for free or reduce meals must complete an application each year. The
family of any DCS student may submit an application at any time during the school year.
Applications are available in each school's cafeteria, main office, or on the DCS website.
Applicants are responsible for meals until a free or reduced application is completed and
approved.
Meal and item charges are permitted as follows for ALL Davidson County School students:
• For all elementary and middle school students, including but not limited to reduced meal benefit
students, up to three breakfasts and three lunches may be charged($11.25).
• NO charges will be allowed for high school students.
• After the student has incurred charges of $11.25, the student will have a lunch meal choice of
peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fresh fruit with white milk or cheese sandwich, fresh fruit with
white milk and a breakfast meal choice of cereal, toast, fresh fruit and white milk. This will meet
the reimbursable meal option.
• When the student's meal charge reaches $37.50, the account balance charge may then be turned
over to a collection agency selected and approved by the Superintendent of the Davidson County
Schools and the breakfast and lunch sandwich meal option will continue until the total
outstanding charges are reduced below $11.25.
• NO supplemental sales items, such as milk, cookies, ice cream or potato chips, may be charged
at any time.
• NO supplemental items will be allowed for purchase until all outstanding charges are paid in
full. Any money given to the cafeteria will be applied towards any outstanding charge balance.
• Child Nutrition Services will call all parents every Wednesday for any meal charge and will call
every day for charges over $11.25.
• If the student's charge balance exceeds $75.00, at the discretion of the school principal and
social worker, Davidson County Social Services (DSS) may be contacted in relation to potential
student neglect.
• Our Child Nutrition Department allows parents to prepay for meals and put money on their
child's account at www.lunchprepay.com. This website allows parents to get a detailed report of
purchases made by their child.
School Closing Due to Weather Conditions
During extremely bad weather, it sometimes becomes necessary for a decision to be made
concerning the closing of schools. A decision to close or delay early will usually be
announced by 6:30 a.m. Announcements will reach you as soon as they reach school
personnel. No announcement means that schools will open as usual.
Listen to area radio stations (WBUY-Lexington; WGWR-Asheboro; WGLD, WMFR,
WHPE, WGOS –High Point; WTNC –Thomasville; WRQK- Greensboro; WSJS, WSEZ,
WTOB- Winston-Salem) and TV stations (2, 8, 12).
Health Screenings
Each year as part of the N. C. School Health Program, students in selected grades receive health
screening by the Davidson County Health Department at their school. Screenings include:
-7height, weight, dental, vision and hearing. Parents are notified if a follow up screening by a
physician is recommended. If a parent does not want their child to receive the screening, they
should inform the school office in writing at the beginning of the school year by September
1st. High school students enrolled in Allied Health Science programs may be assisting school
nurses. All students will be under the direct supervision of their Allied Health Science
instructor. All information about your student is confidential
Title IX and Student Grievances
Title IX: Equal Opportunity Policy of Students and Staff
The Davidson County Board of Education believes all students and employees should be free of unlawful
discrimination, bullying and harassment, including sexual harassment, as part of safe, orderly, and
inviting learning/working environments. The Board is committed to nondiscrimination in all educational
and employment activities and expressly prohibits unlawful discrimination and harassment on the basis
of race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, veteran status, age or disability. The Board prohibits
retaliation against a student or employee exercising rights made available through state or federal law,
and also prohibits retaliation for reporting such violations. Policy violation is serious; appropriate action
will be taken, up to and including suspension (for students) and termination (for employees).
Title IX coordinator: Julie Hamilton, Executive Director of Human Resources
Section 504/ADA coordinator: Lorrie Varner
Davidson County Schools ~ P.O. Box 2057, Lexington, NC 27293 ~ Telephone: 336-249-8181
Davidson County Schools Policy Links:
DCS Board Policy 1.7 Prohibition Against Discrimination, Harassment Including Sexual
Harassment And Bullying
DCS Board Policy 4.13 Employee Grievance Procedure
DCS Board Policy 4.19 Sexual Harassment
DCS Board Policy 6.39 Student And Parent Grievance Procedures
Hiring Employment and Student Placement Practices
The Davidson County Schools do not engage in any employment practice that discriminates against any
employee or applicant based on sex or disability. The Davidson County Schools do not engage in any
employment or placement practice that discriminates on the basis of race, color, or national origin as such
discrimination tends to result in segregation, exclusion, or discrimination against students. Any student
who files a grievance or reports an issue of harassment should put the concern in writing to the school
principal. If the student finds it inappropriate to file the grievance with the principal, he/she may submit
the concern to the Office of the Superintendent. Anyone who feels their rights as a citizen, student, or
employee has been violated in relation to the above statements should contact:
Dr. Lory Morrow, Superintendent
Davidson County Schools
P O Box 2057
Lexington NC 27293