Dayton Oaks
Elementary School
Parent/Student Handbook
4691 Ten Oaks Road
Dayton, Maryland 21036
Main Office: 410-313-1571
FAX: 410-313-1572
http://www2.hcpss.org/does/
Principal: Mrs. Carol DeBord
Assistant Principal: Ms. Heather Tracy
Welcome to Dayton Oaks Elementary School
Contents
Message to Students
Mission Statement
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Attendance
Banking
Birthdays
Bus Safety
Cafeteria Information
Calendar
Communication
Counselor
Dolphin Dive Expectations
Drugs, Tobacco, Alcohol, Weapons
E-mail Guidelines
Emergency Cards
Health Suite Information
Hours
Lost and Found
Media/Technology Information
Middle School Information
PTA Executive Board Members
Policy 9270-PR
Reporting Acts of Bullying, Harassment of Intimidation
School Improvement Team
Supply Lists
Toys
Visitors/Parking/Sign-in Procedures
Volunteers
Message to Students
Dear Students,
It is a pleasure to welcome you to a new school year at Dayton Oaks
Elementary. Our theme is “Islands of Imagination.” Your teachers have
many exciting things planned for you this year and with the support of your
parents and teachers you will be a huge success. Don’t forget to work hard
and follow the Dayton Oak’s Expectations. Many of you will use your
Agenda Books to record your assignments and assist you in staying
organized. Often, your agenda book and take home folder will have
important information that you will need to share with your parents as
well. We hope you have a wonderful year at DOES. We look forward to
greeting all of you in August.
Mrs. DeBord and Ms. Tracy
Mission Statement
The Dayton Oaks School Community will provide a safe, nurturing environment that fosters
individual potential through academic excellence, appreciation of diversity, commitment to college and
career readiness, and life-long learning.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Students should be in their homeroom class and ready for
morning announcements by 9:00 AM. Classes will begin at 9:10.
Students should arrive no earlier than 8:50, unless it is for a
scheduled activity supervised by an adult. Students that are
dropped off at the school should remain in their car with an
adult, until the 8:50 bell rings. All car-riders must be dropped
off in the carpool loop. For safety reasons, parents parking in
the lot must escort their children across the crosswalk. When
using the carpool loop, students should be ready to depart as
cars pull to the curb and must exit curbside. Please maintain a
single line of traffic as passing is extremely unsafe and is not
allowed.
Dismissal
Car riders are dismissed to the carpool loop at 3:20. They are walked to
the loop with an instructional assistant.
Bus Riders are dismissed from 3:22-3:30. Students may not ride an
unassigned bus for a play date. Any changes in dismissal procedures must be
submitted in writing. We cannot take the word of a child to change their
dismissal routine. In cases where there is no note from the parent
requesting a change, a child will be sent home following his/her normal
dismissal routine.
Additionally, we will require a written, parental consent if your child is to
be picked up by someone other than a parent or guardian. A legal
document will be required if a child is NOT to be released to a parent due
to custody issues.
Students attending the after-care program at DOES will be dismissed to the
cafeteria at 3:20. Before and After-care can be arranged by contacting the
Howard County Department of Parks and Recreation. If there is an
unscheduled closing, the aftercare programs will NOT be held. You will
need to make arrangements for your child(ren).
Attendance
Students are expected to attend school daily. On the first day
back to school after an absence, please send a note with the
reason for the absence, the date, and the student’s full name
to your child’s teacher. Include any activities in which
students should not participate due to recuperation time.
Parents of students with excessive absences or tardiness will
receive a phone call and/or a written notice from the school.
Good attendance is directly related to school success and
academic achievement.
Banking
Dayton Oaks is pleased to announce its partnership with Sandy Springs
Bank. Your children are given the opportunity to open a savings account
and deposit money right here at the school. Information is presented at the
beginning of the school year for those students who have established
accounts or are interested in starting a savings club account.
Birthdays
Birthdays are celebrated in various ways by individual teams.
(Information will be sent home from each team) Due to the
school system’s Food and Nutrition policy, homemade foods
are not permitted during these monthly celebrations. Birthday
and other party invitations may not be distributed at school.
Because we value equity, it is important that feelings are not
hurt because some children receive invitations while others do
not. All private party arrangements must be made outside of
school. School cannot release private information regarding
names, phone numbers or addresses of students. Our PTA
publishes a Student Directory that is distributed to all
families. This is a great resource for contacting classmates.
Bus Safety
Specific student behavioral expectations are established for the safe and
efficient operation of the school district transportation system. School bus
drivers may present a bus referral to the Assistant Principal for further
investigation if bus expectations are not being met.
1.
2.
3.
4.
All students must remain seated while the bus is in motion.
Follow directions from the driver the first time they are given.
Keep all body parts inside the bus and out of the aisle.
Keep hands, feel, legs, arms, and personal property to themselves.
5. Keep voice level to a minimum.
6. Please keep all toys, ipods, and GAMEBOYS at home.
Cafeteria/Lunch/Recess Information
The Board of Education approved the following prices for
School Meals and Milk for the Elementary level 2008/09 school
year.
Lunch
$2.75
Milk
$0.50
Adult Regular Lunch:
$4.50
Reduced Lunch
$0.40
Menus are sent home monthly and can also be accessed on the
school system’s website at www.hcpss.org. Some ala carte
items are also available and include: milk, juice, snacks, and ice
cream. Our cafeteria manager is Mrs. Carol Isenstadt.
Calendar
Each August, students receive a copy of the Howard County Public School
System’s Calendar and Handbook. The Calendar and Handbook contain
many useful and important facts about the school system’s policies and
procedures, programs, services and supports, student’s rights and
responsibilities. It should be used as a reference if questions arise during
the school year.
Please visit the Howard County Public School System website for a
complete showing of all calendar dates: www.hcpss.org
Communication
We encourage open, honest, and respectful communication
and appreciate your input and ideas. If you have a concern, we
encourage you to first discuss it with your child’s teacher. The
administrative team is also available as an additional resource.
We have an open door policy and welcome your comments and
suggestions.
The Weekly Wave is our newsletter that highlights school and
community activities. These newsletters are sent via HCPSS
news and can be accessed on our school’s website.
(http://does.hcpss.org) A hard copy is sent home if requested.
Classroom work and school-wide information will be sent home
in the student’s THURSDAY folder. All class-work will be
saved until Thursday except for Kindergarteners. They will
bring their class-work home daily.
HCPSSNews emails will be sent throughout the year as
information becomes available and needs to be presented to
the community. (We will send an alert if a bus is running late as
soon as we receive any information)
Our school’s website address is http://does.hcpss.org
Counselor
The school counselor is available to support children at school to be
successful in their daily routines. Our counselor, Mrs. Jodi Enzman,
provides a variety of services and activities working with individual students,
small groups, parents, teachers, and lunch bunches. She presents lessons
throughout the school year that reinforce our school-wide expectations
and good citizenship. Mrs. Enzman also serves as a resource for and
provides referral assistance to other programs and services in our
community. She can be reached at 410-313-1571 or
(jodi_enzman@hcpss.org).
Dolphin Dive Expectations
Dayton Oaks Elementary follows the DIVE expectations for
school-wide behavior.
D- Be Dependable
I- Be Involved and Organized
V- Be Very Respectful
E- Everyone Succeeds
School Psychologist
The school psychologist is also available to support children at school and
to help develop their social and academic skills. Our school psychologist is
Ms. Jill Schindler. Ms. Schindler leads our Instructional Intervention Team
and is an integral part of our Special Education Team as well. Ms. Schindler
serves as a resource for the students that may need emotional and
academic support throughout the school year. You may reach her by calling
the school’s office or emailing her at jill_schindler@hcpss.org.
Drugs, Tobacco, Alcohol, Weapons
According to state law, schools are drug-free zones and the
use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco is prohibited on school
property. Firearms or any kind of weapon, including pin knives,
are strictly prohibited. Look a-like weapons, such as toy guns
or knives are also prohibited. Please review this policy with
your child(ren.)
E-mail Guidelines
The Howard County Public School System believes that communication
between home and school is an important component to student success.
The HCPSSS Collaborative Learning Community or CLC is an email system
that school system employees can access and it is often a preferred, form
of communication. The school system has provided staff members the
following guidelines. (This is just a partial listing)
Some General E-Mail guidelines
 Staff members should respond to e-mails in a timely fashion, just as
they would to a phone call or handwritten message, but the response
does not have to be by e-mail. One may choose to respond in other
ways (e.g., e-mail, telephone call, note, conference).
 E-mail should not be used to discuss contentious, emotional or highly
confidential issues. These issues should be dealt with face-to-face of
by phone. E-mails should be brief and must be civil.
 When appropriate, include the sender’s original message for clarity of
content.
Acceptable Staff/Parent E-Mail
 Informing parents about their child’s academic performance (e.g.,
grades, improved performance and/or class participation, missing
assignments)
 Informing parents about class activities (e.g., curriculum, homework,
special events, assignments, and important dates)
 Disseminating class/school announcements to a parent e-mail group
maintained at the school level.
 Arranging a meeting/telephone call regarding a student issue including
a general description of the issue (e.g., “I would like to arrange a
meeting to discuss your son’s attendance.”)
 Following up on a non-sensitive issue that has previously been
discussed via e-mail (e.g., status of homework)
Unacceptable Staff/Parent E-Mail
 Any discussion of or information related to other students
 Any sensitive student information that would normally be discussed
face-to face or by phone
 Any negative discussion related to other staff, parents or community
members
 Any information not related to school system business
Emergency Cards
Each child is required to have an emergency card on file in the
front office and health room. This information is used in case
parents need to be contacted at any time. Please make sure all
telephone numbers and addresses are accurate and clearly
written. Remember to put the name of a person who can be
contacted in case you cannot be reached. Please notify the
school throughout the year if there are any phone number or
address changes. All information on the emergency card must
be filled in to assure that we can reach a responsible party in
case of an emergency. Current and accurate information is
essential if an emergency arises and the school must locate the
parent due to injury, sickness, or emergency event. A copy of
custody agreements must be filed with the school if there are
any special custodial arrangements.
Health Suite Information
Mrs. Kim Watts, Health Assistant, works under the direction of a cluster
nurse,
Ms. Donna Lyman. Health Assistants will help students in case of an
accident or illness. Students leaving early due to an illness must be signed
out by their parent or guardian in the main office.
Hours
The school hours are 9:00 through 3:30 daily. Children are not
permitted in the building, unsupervised, until the 8:50 bell
rings. Children must remain with an adult until school begins.
In the afternoon, dismissal begins at 3:20. It is extremely
important to notify the office of any transportation changes
before 2:50 in the afternoon. This alleviates any confusion for
your child and the child’s teacher.
Lost and Found
If you lose something, you may find it in the “Lost and Found”
container located in the cafetorium closet. Please put your child’s name on
all clothing, jackets, hats, lunch boxes, etc. that are brought to school.
Unclaimed items will be donated to charity.
Media/Technology Information
The Media Center is open daily from 8:50am to 3:20 each
school day. The media center provides many services/activities
for the parents, staff, and students. When visiting the media
center Mrs. Jane Slattery Mrs. Jean Huber, and Mrs. Kathy
Boeckl may greet you:
Ms. Lori Jones and Ms. Rachel Gelinas our the Technology
Resource Teachers. The Technology Resource Teachers will
address six main goals throughout the year: To develop
foundations in the understanding and uses of technology
systems; to demonstrate an understanding of the history of
technology and its impact on society, and practice ethical,
legal, and responsible uses of technology to assure safety; to
use a variety of technologies for learning and collaboration; to
use technology to communicate information and express ideas
using various media formats; to use technology to locate,
evaluate, gather, and organize information and data; and, to
demonstrate the ability to use technology and develop
strategies to solve problems and make informed decisions. All
students, grades K-5, will receive direct instruction to meet
these goals through curriculum-integrated lessons on a weekly
basis.
Middle School Information
Dayton Oaks feeds into the following middle schools:
Folly Quarter Middle School:
Lime Kiln Middle School:
13500 Triadelphia Road
11650 Scaggsville Road
Ellicott City MD 21042
Fulton MD 20759
410-313-1506
410-880-5988
PTA Executive Board Members
President
Name: Kristi DeIuliis
e-mail: president @daytonoakspta.org
1st Vice President
Name: Angie Norris
e-mail: firstvicepresident@daytonoakspta.org
2nd Vice President
Name: Kathi Estes
e-mail: secondvicepresident@daytonoakspta.org
Recording Secretary
Name: Stephanie Dapko
e-mail: recordingsecretary@daytonoakspta.org
Corresponding Secretary
Name: Kim Miller
e-mail: correspondingsecretary@daytonoakspta.org
Treasurer
Name: Linda Peletski
e-mail: treasurer@daytonoakspta.org
PTAC Delegates
Names: Diane A. Minni and Cindy Baker
e-mail: delegates@daytonoakspta.org
PTA Website
www.daytonoakspta.org
Policy 9270
Policy Statement
The Board of Education recognizes the need for a school environment that is safe, secure,
and nurturing. This environment must allow staff to be free from any assault and/or battery
by students. Therefore, any assault and/or battery by a student directed towards a staff
member or service provider is strictly forbidden.
II. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to help ensure a safe and secure environment for all staff
members by outlining the process that administrators must use if a student engages in assault
and/or battery directed towards a staff member or service provider.
III. Definitions
Within the context of this policy, the following definitions apply:
A. Assault – Any willful attempt or threat to inflict harm upon another person or any display
of force or expression that would give the victim reasonable fear of harm. An assault may be
physical, oral, or written.
B. Battery I – The unlawful touching of another person by the aggressor or by some
substance or force put in motion by the aggressor, which is not consented to by the other
person.
C. Battery II – Battery I accompanied by circumstances which reflect the student’s blatant
disregard for the safety of staff members or other persons evidenced by, but not limited to,
the student’s intentional conduct, disregard of directions, or the fact that the battery resulted
in serious bodily harm.
D. Extracurricular Activities – School-sponsored activities other than regular class activities
in which the student represents the school.
E. Regular Class Activities – Activities which are countywide expectations for a particular
class and in which all students in the class must participate as a part of their grade.
F. Service Provider – An individual who provides services to the Howard County Public
School System (HCPSS) through contract or volunteer service, including student teachers
and interns.
G. Suspension – The denial of a student’s right to attend regular classes or school (including
extracurricular activities) for a specified period of time for cause.
IV. Standards
A. Information regarding assault and/or battery by a student on staff or service provider will
be made known to students, parents/guardians, and staff members at the beginning of the
school year and when deemed necessary by the principal.
B. It is a violation of this policy for any student to assault and/or batter a staff member or
service provider at any time or any place.
C. Any student who violates this policy will be suspended from school and may be subject to
transfer or expulsion.
D. If a student receives special education services or has a 504 plan, procedures consistent
with COMAR 13A.08.01.11 and HCPSS Policy 9200 Discipline Implementation Procedure
VIII. must be followed.
V. Compliance
A. The Superintendent/Designee is responsible for publishing information on the standards
and penalties of this policy.
B. Principals are responsible for disseminating information on the standards and penalties of
this policy at their school.
VI. Delegation of Authority
The Superintendent is authorized to develop appropriate procedures to implement this policy.
VII. Reference
A. Legal
The Annotated Code of Maryland, Criminal Law Article, Section 3-202
The Annotated Code of Maryland, Criminal Law Article, Section 3-303
The Annotated Code of Maryland, Education Article, Section 26-101
COMAR 13A.08.01.11
B. Other Board Policies
Policy 1000 Civility
Policy 1040 Safe School Environments
Policy 1060 Bullying, Cyberbulling, Harassment, or Intimidation
Policy 9200 Discipline
C. Other
Student Code of Conduct
ADOPTED: June 14, 1990
AMENDED: September 6, 1996
August 27, 1998
June 10, 2010
EFFECTIVE: July 1, 2010
Reporting Acts of Bulling, Harassment or Intimidation
As a result of legislation passed in 2008, the Board of Education
has developed Policy 1060, Bullying, Cyber bullying, harassment
or Intimidation, which establishes expectations for maintaining a
safe and respectful school climate where bullying, harassment, or
intimidation are not tolerated. Policy 1060 requires compliance
with the Maryland Safe Schools Reporting Act of 2005 which
provides for any student, staff member, parent/guardian or close
adult relative of a student to report any incident of bullying,
harassment or intimidation that occurs on school property, on a
school bus, or at a school-sponsored activity or event off school
property. Reporting forms are available in all HCPSS front and
guidance offices as well as on the HCPSS website.
RECESS before LUNCH
As Dayton Oaks Elementary school focuses on Goal 2: Each
school will provide a safe and nurturing environment that values
diversity and commonality, we have implemented the procedure
of participating in recess before eating lunch. We have found the
health room referrals have decreased, discipline referrals have
decreased, and healthy, hardy appetites and water consumption
has increased! Schools that schedule recess before lunch find that
children come to lunch less distracted and ready to eat!
School Improvement Team
Dayton Oaks has a School Improvement Plan that contains
school-wide goals and lists strategies used to address these
goals. The School Improvement Team is composed of team
leaders, parent representatives, classroom teachers, and
administrators.
Supply Lists
Supply lists are sent home at the end of each school year with your child’s
report card. If you did not receive a copy of this year’s supply list, please
call the front office to receive another copy. Lists are also posted on the
school website, http://www2.hcpss.org/does/
Toys
All students love toys. They are fun and interesting, but they
are not allowed at school. Please enjoy toys at home unless
there is a special day or activity in which the teacher permits
students to bring them to school. Examples of toys include
cards, balls, games, GAME BOYS, Ipods, etc.
Visitors/ Parking/ Sign-in procedures
Visitors:
For the safety of our students and in order to create a safe environment,
any parent or visitor coming into the school building for any reason is
required, by law, to report to the office and sign in to the building. If a
parent wishes to pick a child up from school, the office will call the student
from the classroom. Please be sure to use our computerized check-in to
make this process easier and quicker and put on a visitors badge. If you are
seen in the building without a badge, you will be asked to report back to
the office.
Parking:
We are fortunate at Dayton Oaks to have adequate parking for our student
population. If there is little parking left when you arrive to an event, feel
free to park on the grass between the lot and Ten Oaks Road. Be careful of
the white piping.
Please remember that our bus loop must be cleared between
8:40 and 9:00 daily. The buses also need access at the end of the
day between 2:45-3:30.
Volunteers
We appreciate our volunteers and look forward to working
with you this year. Please sign in at the office whenever
entering the building and obtain a Volunteer badge. These are
located next to the computer sign-in. We value our partnership
and collaboration with our parents and guests. Together, we
can provide our children with an outstanding education and a
wonderful school environment.