Policies & procedures

Arrival and dismissal

  • The school day is from 8:10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

  • Students may not arrive or be dropped off prior to 7:30 a.m.  

  • Breakfast will be eaten in the classroom from 8:00 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. All students have access to free breakfast.

  • Students who arrive at 8:10 a.m. or after must sign in at the attendance office and receive a pass before proceeding to class. 

Arrival and dismissal procedures 

  • Car tags must be visible at all times during arrival and dismissal.

  • Move all the way up the car line. Students may exit vehicles only at curbside. Students must walk only on the sidewalk.

  • All 1st through 5th grade students gets dropped off and picked up at the front of the school.

  • All of Pre-K and Kinder with older siblings get dropped off and picked up on the side of the school by the PreK/Kinder playground.

  • Bus riders and students in day care get dropped off and dismissed from the cafeteria.

Dismissal changes

Contact the office at 972-475-1884 for dismissal changes for students. 

A student ID number (lunch number) is required when calling to change the way a student will go home.  Many parents place this number in their phone contacts.

If there is a change in how a student goes home, parents/guardians must send the teacher a message. Parents may also call the office to communicate a change in after school transportation before 2:00 p.m. 

Students will not be allowed to change their dismissal procedures without a phone call from a parent/guardian.

Early dismissal

Students who leave the building during normal school hours must sign out through the attendance office. Only a parent, legal guardian, or emergency contact may sign out a student. Photo identification (valid driver's license) is required. Please pick up early dismissal students by 3:00 p.m.

Parking

Parents wishing to park may use the visitor spaces, non-labeled parking spaces, or the yellow curb areas. Please do not park in the labeled parking spaces or along the red curb areas. The parking lot by the cafeteria is for school bus drop off, daycare vans, and staff vehicles.

Bus Transportation  

Parents may use the StopFinder Parent App for bus tracking and bus assignment details. Look for an email from no-reply@stopfinder.com to set up your password and access the StopFinder Parent App. See more about this exciting improvement to our system in the Preview to StopFinder Parent App video. For more information visit the GISD Bus Transportation webpage.

After logging into Skyward Family Access, click on Online Forms to find transportation information. The information updates frequently as route times or locations change. Bus tracking is not available in Skyward Family Access. 

Attendance, absences and tardies

Late arrivals are partial day absences. A student is considered late at 8:10 a.m. Students who arrive at 8:10 a.m. or after must sign in at the attendance office, and receive a pass before proceeding to class.  Students arriving between 8:10-8:19 a.m. are marked tardy and students arriving at or after 8:20 a.m. will receive a partial day absence. Students who are checked out early, before 10:00 a.m., will receive an all day absence.

  • Arrival by 8:09 a.m. - on time
  • Arrival 8:10-8:19 a.m. - tardy
  • Arrival 8:20 a.m. or after - partial day absence

For the purpose of state accounting, students are either present or absent at the times the official attendance is taken at the campus. Excused absences may be considered for illness, death in the immediate family, or other circumstances approved in advance by the principal.

In the event of an absence, students are required to bring a note stating the student's name, teacher, date, and reason for the absence with a signature of the parent/guardian. Or, parents/guardians may sign in to their child's Skyward account and leave an absence note in lieu of writing a note. Failure to provide a note within the required time period will result in an unexcused absence. A parent note should contain the child's name, student ID number, dates of absence, reason for absence, a contact number and a parent/guardian signature.

In the event of absences exceeding three days, a doctor's excuse must be obtained.   A doctor's note should contain the child's student ID number.

Late arrivals may be considered as excused or unexcused based on a determination of the principal or her designee. In addition, late arrivals are considered partial day absences and are subject to court filings.

Birthdays

Student birthdays may be celebrated by providing individually wrapped treats for your child and their class to enjoy at the end of the day. Please send the birthday treats with the child in the morning, when they are dropped off at school.  We do not interrupt instructional time for birthday celebrations.  Please check with your child's teacher regarding possible food allergies in the classroom.   We do not deliver special items such as balloons, flowers, stuffed animals, and gifts. 

Campus improvement plan

A Campus Improvement Plan serves as the blueprint for how a campus will address performance objectives and other campus needs that have been identified from a Campus Needs Assessment.

Communication

Back Elementary offers many ways to keep parents and the community informed.  Please call our office at 972-475-1884 for more information.

Dress code

Back Elementary follows the district's standardized dress code.

Please remember that:

  • standardized dress colors include navy or khaki skirts, shorts, or pants, and red, navy or white collared shirts
  • all jackets or sweaters are to be red, white, or navy with no logos or graphics of any kind
  • girls should wear shorts underneath dresses or skirts
  • tennis shoes are required daily for students 
  • students are not allowed to wear flip-flop sandals or heels at any time

Fridays are casual dress. Jeans and t-shirts are permitted as long as the logo is in compliance with school policy. On calendar designated days students are allowed to wear the announced dress for that day, you can find this information under school spirit days.

Enrolling

We would love to have you join the Back Bulldog family! For more information about enrollment, transfers, withdrawals, and required documents and prekindergarten eligibility requirements, see the district Enrollment page.

Parties

Two class parties are held each school year to recognize Valentine's Day and the Winter Holiday break.  Please check the online Calendar or your child's take-home information for dates, times on school holiday parties.  If your child is unable to participate in a school-wide party for any reason, we will happily provide alternative activities.  Please inform your child's teacher so we can make arrangements.

Security

We ensure the safety of students, staff, visitors and property 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We have an assigned police officer at Back Elementary.  Our School Resource Officer (SRO) visits our campus regularly to provide a positive presence in our school, interact with students and provide safety education.

For more information visit the district Safety & security page.

Student emergency information 

It is vital to keep emergency contact information current. If any information changes during the year, please call the office at 972-475-1884. We must be able to contact you if your child has an emergency.

Student identification number

The student identification (ID) number is a number assigned to your child upon entering GISD.  This number is needed when leaving a message for your child over the phone, picking your child up early from school, and other purposes.  Please memorize or write down your child's student ID Number in a safe place where it will be available to refer to when necessary.  You can find this information in your student's Skyward account.

Title I

The Campus Parent Involvement Policy explains how our campus supports the important role of parents in the education of their children. We offer a Parent Compact to establish a partnership among parents, school staff, and students for improving student academic achievement.  

Visitors

A valid picture ID is required to enter the school.  

Register at the front office

To ensure the safety of our students and staff, visitors must register with the front office before accessing the building. The GISD currently uses the Raptor System to check the federal offender databases. A current, valid picture ID is required.

Make an appointment

To ensure the person you wish to meet with is available, please schedule an appointment at 972-475-1884.  Teacher conference times can be found under schedules, and you are always welcome to send a message or email.

Online Student Services requests

Do you need to enroll your child, request a transfer, or request a transcript? It's easy to start common processes at home. Visit the Online Student Services page to get started. 

If you have additional questions, please contact the campus data clerk.

District policies

To support our mission of providing an exceptional education to all students, we have created policies designed to help your student have the best possible education experience.

Visit the Policies page on the district website for additional polices and related information.