JIM NED ELEMENTARY
BUFFALO GAP CAMPUS
2014-2015
It’s great to be a Jim Ned Indian!
665 Vine Street
P.O. Box 608
Buffalo Gap, TX 79508
572-3533
Cristi Doty
Principal
Marci Tutt
Secretary
Kami Winter
Counselor
Bobby Easterling
Superintendent
Principal’s Message
Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,
Welcome to Jim Ned Elementary! We are proud of our past accomplishments and especially
proud to be a Texas Education Agency exemplary campus. We will continue to work to ensure that we
continue to be a school to be proud of.
Thank you in advance for your help and support during the 2014-2015 school year. We will use
the theme of 3Rs this year (Respect for self, Respect for others, and taking Responsibility for all your
own actions). Students will need your encouragement and assistance as the learning proceeds. We want
students, parents, and the community to be proud of the Jim Ned District and of our school. By working
together we can help all our students reach their full potential. We will continue to emphasize teamwork
because we know that Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM). Please be a strong member of our
TEAM.
Parent volunteers are always needed. If you can volunteer one or more days per month, please
contact your child’s classroom teacher to arrange a schedule. Also, please try to attend as many PTN
(Parent Teacher Network) meetings as possible. Please be as involved as possible with your child’s
school. To stay current on happenings at Jim Ned Elementary, check the school web site:
http://schools.jimned.esc14.net/preview.aspx?name=jnesbg.home
Use the web site to communicate with your child’s teacher (or any other faculty or staff
member). Newsletter information, school lunch menus, and an activity calendar are also available on
this site.
The pages of this handbook are filled with important information regarding school policy and
procedures. Please become familiar with the contents. If you have any questions, please call the school
office at 572-3533. Open and clear communication between school and home is essential to the success
of our educational program.
I am looking forward to your joining the TEAM.
Sincerely,
Cristi Doty, Principal
Buffalo Gap Elementary
NOTIFICATION TO PARENTS OF TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS
As a parent of a student at Jim Ned Elementary, you have the right to know the professional
qualifications of the classroom teachers who instruct your child, and Federal law requires the school
district to provide you this information in a timely manner if you request it. Specifically, you have the
right to request the following information about each of your child’s classroom teachers:
o Whether the teacher meets the state qualifications and licensing criteria for the grades and
subjects he or she teaches.
o Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or provisional status because of special
circumstances.
o The teacher’s college major, whether the teacher has any advanced degrees, and the field
of discipline of the certification or degree.
o Whether paraprofessionals provide services to your child and, if so, their qualifications.
If you would like to receive any of this information, please contact Cristi Doty at 572-3533.
RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION
If a child is experiencing learning difficulties, the parent may contact the person listed below to
learn about the district’s overall general education referral or screening system for support services. This
system links students to a variety of support options, including referral for a special education
evaluation. Students having difficulty in the regular classroom should be considered for tutorial,
compensatory, and other academic or behavior support services that are available to all students
including a process based on Response to Intervention (RtI). The implementation of RtI has the potential
to have a positive impact on the ability of districts to meet the needs of all struggling students.
At any time, a parent is entitled to request an evaluation for special education services. Within a
reasonable amount of time, the district must decide if the evaluation is needed. If the evaluation is
needed, the parent will be notified and asked to provide informed written consent for the evaluation. The
district must complete the evaluation and the report within 60 calendar days of the date the district
receives the written consent. The district must give a copy of the evaluation report to the parent.
If the district determines that the evaluation is not needed, the district will provide the parent
with prior written notice that explains why the child will not be evaluated. This written notice will
include a statement that informs the parents of their rights, if they disagree with the district. The district
is required to give parents the Notice of Procedural Safeguards – Rights of Parents of Students with
Disabilities. Additional information regarding the IDEA is available from the school district in a
companion document A Guide to the Admission, Review, and Dismissal Process.
The following websites provide information to those who are seeking information and resources
specific to students with disabilities and their families:
o Texas Project First
o Partners Resource Network.
The designated person to contact regarding options for a child experiencing learning difficulties or a
referral for evaluation for special education services is:
Contact Person: Kami Winter, counselor
Buffalo Gap: 572-3533
ATTENDANCE
Each minute of the school day is a valuable learning experience. With that in mind, we request
that students be in attendance and on time each day. Our school day begins at 7:55 am. Official
attendance is taken each day at 9:30. If your child is ill and unable to attend school, please call the
school secretary (Buffalo Gap: 572-3533) the morning of the absence. Doctor/dentist appointments
within the school day do not count as an absence for state attendance purposes if the child attends
school a portion of the day and brings a note from the doctor. Please help us with this important
documentation because this affects our school funding.
Compulsory attendance: The state compulsory attendance law requires students to attend school and
district required tutorial sessions unless the student is otherwise legally exempted or excused. To receive
credit in a class, a student must be in attendance for at least 90% of the days the class is offered during a
semester. A student who is in attendance less than 90% of the days the class is offered in a semester
shall not be given credit for the class unless the attendance committee finds that the absence(s) are the
result of extenuating circumstances.
Make-up work: Students who have been absent for any reasons are encouraged to make up the work
missed within the time given. Failure to make up work will result in academic penalties. A student will
have the number of days absent to make up the work missed due to the absence. It is the responsibility
of the student, not the teacher, to get assignments and then turn in all make up work when absent.
Tardy: A bell will ring at 7:55 to signal students to move from play areas to the classroom. A second
bell will ring at 8:02 to signal announcements. Any student not seated at 8:02 will be considered
“tardy”. Students coming to class late disrupt classroom routines, and teachers lose valuable class time
getting students back on task. After the third tardy of a six weeks, the student will serve lunch
detention for each subsequent tardy during that six weeks. Please note that “being tardy to class” is
listed as a Level I Offense in the Student Code of Conduct. (If your child is riding a bus that arrives late,
no penalty will be assessed on that day.)
School day: The school day begins at 7:55 and ends at 3:15. Buses will leave at 3:17 p.m. If you need
to take your child early, please sign them out in the office. We will then send for your child or will give
you a signed memo for the teacher to indicate that the student has been signed out in the office. If you
bring your child to school late, please come to the office to sign them in.
ACADEMICS
Homework/Class work: Homework and class work are a part of school. Your child’s teacher will have
some type of homework as a regular part of the program. This may or may not be written work, but it is
assigned as an extension of the classroom. Please monitor your child’s homework. Help when help is
needed, but always encourage the child to do as much of his/her own work as possible. Homework is a
part of the student’s learning experiences. Class room teachers will provide a homework policy for their
grade level. Visit with your child’s teacher about what type of homework to expect and how you can
assist. Any work (homework or class work) not turned in when assigned will be considered “late” and
will result in academic penalties. Students in 4th and 5th grades will be issued a daily planner. Please use
this to stay informed of homework assignments. Use the web site (See address in Principal’s Message.)
for information. If you have an email address, please be sure the office and the teachers have the address
for quick communication. Update new addresses and new phone numbers in the office as soon as
possible. Call the school to schedule a conference with your child’s teacher as needed. Communication
between parents and teachers is essential.
Make up work: Students who have been absent for any reason are encouraged to make up the work
missed within the time given. Failure to make up work will result in academic penalties. A student who
is absent will have the number of days absent to turn in work missed during the absence. It is the
responsibility of the student, not the teacher, to get assignments and then turn in all make up work
when absent.
State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR)
For grades 3-5, STAAR will include assessments in the following grades/subjects:



Mathematics and reading at grades 3, 4, 5.
Writing at grade 4.
Science at grade 5.
DATE
MARCH 30 (MONDAY)
MARCH 31 (TUESDAY)
APRIL 21 (TUESDAY)
APRIL 22 (WEDNESDAY)
STAAR/STAAR-M
Grade 5 mathematics
Grade 4 writing Day 1
Grade 5 reading
Grade 4 writing Day 2
Grade 3, 4 mathematics
Grade 3, 4 reading
Grade 5 science
Textbooks: Students will have a variety of textbooks depending on the grade level. These textbooks
should be covered at all times. Students who lose or damage a textbook during the year must pay to
replace the book or for the damages to the book.
Library books: We are proud of the number of library books that we have in our library. We continue
to add new books each year. Students may check out two books from the library for a one week period.
These books should be returned before others are checked out. Lost or damaged books must be paid
for at the replacement cost.
Honor roll: A student will be recognized on the “A” honor roll if all averages for the six weeks are 90
or above. Students with all six weeks averages of 80 or above, but who do not qualify for the “A” honor
roll will be recognized on the “A-B” honor roll.
Report cards: Written reports of students’ grades and absences shall be issued to parents at least once
every six weeks. At the end of the first three weeks of a grading period, parents will receive notification
of the student’s average at that time. If a student receives a six weeks grade of less than 70 in any class
or subject, the parent will be requested to schedule a conference with the teacher of that class or subject.
Students of the Month: Each month two students from each grade will be chosen by teachers to be
honored as “students of the month.” These students will be chosen based on the 3Rs (Respect for self,
Respect for others, (taking) Responsibility for all your actions).
Office aides: Fifth grade students will serve as office aides during the year. These students will be
recommended by the teachers based on the student’s responsibility and dependability. Students will
submit an application and be interviewed by the principal and/or counselor.
HEALTH
Medication: Any medication that students must take at school must be sent in the original container
with the child’s name and instructions for times and amounts on the container. If the pill needs to be
halved, this must be done before the pills are sent to school. All medication (including Tylenol, Motrin,
etc.) must be brought to the office and will be dispensed from there. We can only give medication
according to the prescription guidelines.
Physical education: Each child will have physical education class each day. The emphasis will be on
healthy bodies through fitness and nutritional eating. Sneakers must be worn in PE.
Communicable diseases: Parents of students with a communicable or contagious disease are asked to
telephone the school nurse or principal so that other students who have been exposed to the disease can
be alerted. Convalescing students are not allowed to come to school until the disease is no longer
contagious. Students should be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school.
Immunization: All students must be immunized against certain diseases or must present a certificate or
statement that, for medical or religious reasons, the student should not be immunized. The
immunizations required are diphtheria/tetanus, polio, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella). The school
nurse can provide information on the required doses of these vaccines.
LUNCH PROGRAM
Lunches: We will follow the guidelines for school lunches as required by the USDA. These guidelines
eliminate FMNV (foods of minimal nutritional value) from school lunch menus. These eliminated foods
include sodas, chewing gum, and candies. We will work to provide nutritious lunches for your child. For
more information, visit www.squaremeals.org.
Price: Regular price student lunches are $2.25 and breakfasts are $1.00. Guest lunches and adult
lunches are $3.25. Any guest who wishes to eat in the school cafeteria may pay for the lunches in the
cafeteria. Reduced price or free lunches and breakfasts are also available for students whose families
meet income guidelines for the Federal lunch program. Please complete the application for
free/reduced lunches and return to the office as soon as possible.
Lunch payments: Breakfast/lunch charge statements will be sent home each Friday. Students will be
allowed to charge no more than 10 lunches. Please keep your child’s cafeteria account current. When
you send money with your child, please send a check with the child’s name on the memo line or
send cash in an envelope with the amount and the child’s name on the outside. The checks or
envelopes may be given to the homeroom teacher or to the school secretary. Please do not send
loose cash/change. You may also use a service through a web site called MyNutrikids.com to pay
your child’s lunch account. At the end of the six weeks grading period, report cards of students
with lunch charges will be held until payment of the charges.
SAFETY
Before school: Paraprofessionals are on duty each day beginning at 7:15. Please make sure that your
child does not arrive at school before this time. (Please contact me for a special case.) Breakfast will be
served beginning at 7:30. After the 7:55 bell rings to signal the move toward the classrooms, all exterior
doors to the building will be locked, and the only entrance will be through the doors near the office. If
your child is late in arriving to school, please accompany him/her to the office to sign in. This is to
ensure the safety of our students.
Emergency drills: Students, teachers, and other district employees will participate in frequent drills of
emergency procedures. When the alarm is sounded, students must follow the direction of teachers or
staff quickly and in an orderly manner.
Locker: Lockers remain under the jurisdiction of the school, notwithstanding the fact that they are
assigned to individual students. The school reserves the right to inspect all lockers. Students have full
responsibility for the security of lockers. Searches of lockers may be conducted at any time there is a
reasonable cause to do so whether or not the students are present.
Visitors: Visitors are required to check in at the office and to wear a visitors’ badge while on campus.
Visitors will be expected to conduct themselves according to the rules for students. Students absent from
their own school may not visit another. The principal may request identification from any person on
school property and may ask any person not having legitimate business to leave.
Buses: The Jim Ned District operates a number of buses for the convenience of those pupils who live
more than two miles from the school. Certain laws and regulations govern the operation of the buses.
The school authorities make every effort to provide safe, punctual, comfortable, and orderly
transportation for every pupil entitled to transportation. Safety on the buses is our first consideration.
Therefore, an important safety factor is the disciplinary order maintained on the bus. Cameras have been
mounted on all route buses to help with discipline on the buses. Pupils are considered at school when
they get on the bus in the morning and until they get off in the afternoon. Bus drivers have the same
authority as classroom teachers to correct and discipline bus riders. Pupil disorders on a bus could be the
cause of a tragedy. Parents are therefore requested to give their fullest cooperation. Students who fail to
obey the rules will be dealt with in the following manner:
1)
2)
3)
4)
Driver to complete a bus conduct report, change seat, and detention issued by the principal.
Punishment as a Level II offense or lose bus privileges up to five days.
Removal from the bus for up to ten days.
Removal from the bus for the remainder of the year (or other options at the discretion of the
principal).
CONDUCT
Students are responsible for conducting themselves properly, in a manner appropriate to their age
and level of maturity. Student responsibilities for achieving a positive learning environment at school or
school related activities shall include:
1) Attending all classes daily and arriving on time.
2) Being prepared for each class with appropriate materials and assignments.
3) Being properly dressed.
4) Showing respect for others.
5) Behaving in a responsible manner.
6) Paying required fees and fines, unless they are waived.
7) Refraining from violations of the Student Code of Conduct.
8) Obeying all school rules, including safety rules.
Discipline: Most discipline problems will be handled by the teachers. Each teacher has a classroom
discipline plan. After the student has moved through the classroom discipline plan, he/she will be sent to
the office. The following steps will be used in the office:
1) Lunch detention (1 to 5 days depending on age)
2) ½ day in school suspension (ISS) or 1 swat
3) 1 day ISS or 2 swats
4) 2 days ISS and parent conference
5) 3 days ISS and parent conference
6) 5 days ISS and parent conference
7) 10 days ISS and parent conference
8) Suspension or Discipline Alternative Education Program (DAEP)
This discipline ladder is a general guideline. Please understand that each incidence of misbehavior will
be judged based on severity and number of occurrences. The principal will use her professional
judgment and discretion to determine what type of discipline is necessary to maintain a safe and orderly
environment for all students. Continued discipline problems in the cafeteria or on the playground will
also count toward steps on the discipline ladder. Discipline is also discussed in the Student Code of
Conduct.
Dress code:
The Jim Ned CISD dress code is established to teach grooming and hygiene, instill discipline, prevent
disruption, avoid safety hazards, and teach respect for authority. Students should be dressed and
groomed in a manner that is clean and neat and that will not be a health or safety hazard to themselves or
others. The District prohibits any clothing or grooming that in the principal’s judgment may reasonably
be expected to cause disruption of or interference with normal school operations. The District prohibits
pictures, emblems, or writings that are lewd, offensive, vulgar, or obscene, or that advertises or depicts
tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, drugs, or any other substance prohibited under policy FNCF(L).
The student and parent may determine the students’ personal dress and grooming standards, provided
they comply with these general guidelines and the District’s dress code for students in the student
handbook.
If the principal determines that a student’s grooming violates the dress code, the student shall be given
an opportunity to correct the problem at school. If not corrected, the student shall be assigned to inschool suspension for the remainder of the day or until remedied. Repeated offenses may result in more
serious disciplinary action. Appropriate disciplinary procedures shall be followed in all cases. Students
attending scheduled trips are expected to comply with current dress code regulations. The principal, in
cooperation with the sponsor, coach, or other person in charge of an extracurricular activity, may
regulate the dress and grooming of students who participate in the activity. The dress code will also be
enforced at extra-curricular activities. Students who violate these standards may be removed or excluded
from the activity for a period determined by the principal or sponsor and may be subject to other
disciplinary action.
GIRLS
1. Length of clothing shall preclude indecent exposure when the student is sitting, standing, or
performing any normal school activity. Garments worn must be hemmed and within 3.25 inches (credit
card length) from the top of the knee cap. Biker shorts, wind shorts, or frayed clothing are not allowed.
Pants must be worn in an appropriate manner (maintained at the waistline).
2. See-through blouses, bare midriffs, or low-cut attire are not permitted, and there will be No visible
cleavage.
3. Jeans will not have any holes and must be worn in an appropriate manner (maintained at the
waistline).
4. Shirttails are to be worn according to design.
5. Footwear shall be a part of the regular attire. House shoes are not allowed.
6. Strapless or spaghetti strap garments, tank tops, Racer-back, muscle shirts, mesh tops or altered
dresses or pants with slits, and any other garments revealing the midriff is not permitted.
7. Girls’ hair shall be styled and worn so that the eyes are visible. Excessive or distracting make-up or
hair color is not permitted. Hair color must be of naturally occurring color in the human genome. Other
hair color such as purple, green, etc. are distracting and a violation of the dress code.
8. Makeup and jewelry shall be in good taste and not disruptive. They shall not constitute a safety
hazard or distraction to others. Visible body- piercing adornments are allowed on the ears only. Ear
gauging in not permitted.
9. Explicit or insinuative apparel that is distracting, vulgar, or that advertises alcoholic beverages,
tobacco, drugs, sex, or violence is prohibited.
10. Wearing hats/caps in any school building during school is prohibited.
BOYS
1. Length of clothing shall preclude indecent exposure when the student is sitting, standing, or
performing any normal school activity. Garments worn must be hemmed and must be within 3.25 inches
(credit card length) from the top of the knee cap. Biker shorts, wind shorts, or frayed clothing are not
allowed. Pants must be worn in an appropriate manner (maintained at the waistline).
2. Jeans will not have any holes and must be worn in an appropriate manner (maintained at the
waistline).
3. Shirttails are to be worn according to design.
4. Tank tops, muscle shirts, or mesh shirts are not to be worn.
5. Neck opening on any type shirt may not exceed the 1st button below the collar button of a dress shirt.
6. Earring(s) and/or visible body-piercing adornments are prohibited at school or school sponsored
activities.
7. The hair shall be neat, clean, well-groomed and shall not exceed the base of the collar on a regular
dress shirt, or may not extend below the base of the ear (hair and/or side burns), not below the eye brows
in front. Hair shall not be tucked, tied, braided or cut in a Mohawk. Hair style shall not be distracting by
style and/or color. Hair color must be of naturally occurring color in the human genome. Other hair
color such as purple, green, etc. are distracting and a violation of the dress code.
8. Beards and mustaches (facial hair) are not permitted, and regular shaving is a must.
9. Explicit or insinuative apparel that is distracting, vulgar, or that advertises alcoholic beverages,
tobacco, drugs, sex, or violence is prohibited.
10. Footwear shall be a part of regular attire. House shoes are not allowed.
11. Wearing hats/caps in any school building during school is prohibited.
At the campus level, we have also found that sneakers with “rollers” are a distraction in the
classroom and a safety issue in the gym. Please do not let your child wear these shoes to school.
Because of our tight schedule, all students should wear sneakers to school each day to be prepared
for PE.
MISCELLANEOUS
Lost and found: Each year students misplace coats, lunch boxes, etc. on a regular basis. Please put the
student’s name in these items so that the lost item can be returned to the owner. Items not claimed at the
end of the school year will be donated to charity.
Toys: Please do not allow your child to bring toys to school without the written invitation from the
teacher (for show-and-tell or other projects).
Procedures for Reporting Allegations of Bullying
Jim Ned CISD
The district prohibits bullying on school property, at school-sponsored or school-related activities, or in
any vehicle operated by the district. Bullying may be verbal or written expression or expression through
electronic means, or physical conduct. Bullying is not tolerated by the district and any student or parent
of a student who believes that the student or another student has experienced bullying or that a student
has engaged in bullying is encouraged to immediately report the incident. Retaliation against anyone
involved in the complaint process is a violation of district policy and is prohibited. Students or parents
may report an alleged incident of bullying, orally or in writing, to a teacher, counselor, principal or other
district employee. Students or parents may contact the district to obtain an incident report form that may
be used to submit the complaint. Please note that after submission of the complaint to the district
employee, the district may assign the complaint to a campus administrator to follow up on the submitted
complaint and any other important matters pertaining to the complaint. We encourage you to
communicate with your designated campus administrator during this time. More information about the
district’s bullying policy can be found at www.jimned.esc14.net or the campus administration office.