Data Clerk: Jordan White 

ABSENCES 

• Regular school attendance is essential for a student to make the most of his/her education to benefit from teacher-led lessons and school activities, to build each day’s learning on the previous day’s, and to grow as an individual. Absences from class may result in serious disruption of a student’s mastery of the instructional materials; therefore, the student and parent should make every effort to avoid unnecessary absences.
• Students who are not physically in the classroom at 10:00 a.m. must be marked absent.
• If a student arrives at school after 8:20 a.m. and leaves before 3:20 p.m., then the student will be marked partially absent.  
• Lack of consistent attendance can result in a student’s serious disruption of mastery of instructional information.  Unnecessary absences and tardies should be avoided.
• When a student is absent from school, the student—upon arrival or return to school—must bring a note signed by the parent that describes the reason for the absence. Parent notes must be turned in within three days of the student’s return to school to be accepted. Parents may write six notes per semester before a doctor’s note will be required.
• Upon return to school, a student who is absent for three or more consecutive days because of a personal illness must bring a statement from a doctor or health clinic verifying the illness or condition that caused the student’s extended absence from school.
• Contact Mrs. White, our data clerk, for any attendance matters.

• Consequences for Non-Attendance:
  • 3 Unexcused Absences = Warning Letter
  • 5 Unexcused Absences = Parent Conference with Administration
  • 10  or more Unexcused Absences = Possible Truancy Court Filing

Grooming

• Hair – Students shall wear their hair above the eyes, well groomed, and clean at all times. Extreme modes of hair design and color will not be allowed. Bandanas, scarves, sweatbands, curlers, or hairnets are not to be worn on campus.
• Permanent or temporary tattoos are not allowed.
• Body piercing is not allowed.

Dress code

• All clothing must be of appropriate size and fit.
• Torn or ragged-edged clothing is not permitted.
• All clothing must be clean.
• Hats/Caps – Hats and caps worn for protection from the weather may be worn on campus but not in the building.
• Thursdays are College Thursdays. Students may wear a college shirt with jeans.
• Fridays are School Spirit days. School spirit shirts may be worn with jeans (blue jeans may not be ripped or torn) or with standardized pants, slacks, trousers, capris, shorts, skirts, or skorts. Team and cheerleading shirts are not included as school spirit shirts.
• You have one week after enrollment to conform to the standardized dress policy.

Clothing description

• Shirts – red, navy, or white polo-style knit shirts with collars, long or short sleeves. No stripes or logos. Undershirts, if showing at the neckline, must be white. Undershirts may not hang out from under sleeves. Turtlenecks are NOT part of the dress code. Some stores sell polo-style shirts for girls with a small decorative scalloped edge on the collar. Shirts with this collar are allowed as long as the edge is the same color as the shirt.
• Pants/Slacks/Trousers/Capris – navy or khaki traditional-style (no pipe pants, no jeans, no oversized pants, no pockets on the legs, etc.). No stripes or logos.
• Shorts – navy or khaki, approximately knee-length, finished hemline, traditional style (same as for pants). No stripes or logos.
• Sweatshirts or Sweaters – when worn inside the school building to stay warm they must be solid red, navy, or white pull over, zip-up, or button up style with long sleeves. No stripes or logos. The sweater or sweatshirt must be worn over the polo-style shirt.
• Skirts/Skorts/Jumpers – navy, khaki or plaid. The plaid should be a red/blue combination. Skirt, skort, or jumper should be approximately knee-length.
• Shoes and Socks – footwear includes socks with tennis shoes, loafers, dress shoes or other closed-toe shoes. Tennis shoes or sneakers will be necessary for P.E.; no sandals or flip-flops will be allowed on P.E. days. Taps, metal plates or cleats on shoes will not be permitted. Crocs will not be permitted. 
• Belts – preferred but not required.
• The final decision in determining appropriate dress and appearance shall rest with the teacher and the principal or assistant principal.
• Failure to adhere to established grooming and dress codes may result in a parent phone call. Parents will need to provide appropriate dress code attire.

 

School Spirit/College Days - Students will have College Day on Thursday and School Spirit Dress on Fridays. Jeans are allowed. 

Morning arrival 

Procedures are in place to ensure students are welcomed in a safe and positive school environment. 

• Front doors open at 7:30 a.m.
• Parents are not permitted to walk students to the classrooms for security reasons.
• Please know that if you arrive on campus before 7:30 a.m, there is no staff available to monitor students. Please do not leave your student unattended before 7:30 a.m.  
• Students who arrive between 7:30-7:50 a.m. will wait in the cafeteria or gym. At 7:50 a.m. their teachers will pick them up from their assigned area. They will be offered breakfast in the classroom (PK-2) and third through 5th will eat in the cafeteria. If you want your child to have breakfast at school, please make sure your student is at school by 8:00 a.m.

Tardies 

• Repeated tardiness could result in disciplinary action as outlined in the Garland ISD Student Code of Conduct and Handbooks.  
• Students arriving between 8:11 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. will be marked tardy by the front office staff. 
• Please escort your student to the main entrance and walk them into the office- do not send them to the door by themselves.

• Students should turn in an absence note to the school attendance office within three days of returning to school.  Parents are notified when a child has absences through Skyward.

Afternoon dismissal

Please be flexible and patient, especially in the first weeks of school, as we implement the system.  

Car Tags - Two (2) car tags will be provided to EVERY family.  If additional ones are needed, let us know. These are updated every year. Please, for the safety of our students, do not use old car tags. 

• If changes to how the child gets home need to be made, please call the front office and ClassDojo the teacher. Often, the teacher may not have time to check ClassDojo during the day.  Changes on how the child gets home must be made before 2:00 p.m. to ensure information can be delivered to the teacher and student. If a child leaves before 3:20 p.m., it is considered a partial absence. Please refrain from picking your child up early. 

In order to dismiss car riders, Parent Walk-Up, Car Riders, Independent Walkers, and Bus Riders in a safe manner, we will implement four different systems.

Parent Walk-Up - Students whose parents or guardians walk to school or park their cars and then come up to the building to pick up their child.

• Parent Walk-Ups parents need to complete a M. D. Williams Dismissal Permission Form, and if it is signed, the student will be allowed to leave the building by themselves.
• Bring your child’s car tag sign to show school personnel. This is required. 
• If you do not have the car tag, you will be asked to go to the office to check out your child. A legal form of identification will be required, no exceptions, and he/she must be on the child’s Skyward as parent/guardian or emergency contact.

CAR RIDERS - Students whose families drive a vehicle through the car line and do not leave their vehicles. Car riders will be dismissed from the building once they are announced. 

• Please place the cards on your dashboard. This will make it easier to see and read, saving time.
  • If you do not have a car tag, you will be asked to park and go into the office to sign out your student from the front office.  A picture ID will be required.
• A staff member will call for your student’s name using a walkie-talkie.
• Drive all the way to the end of the lane in the back of the school to allow others to pull up behind you for pick up.
• A staff member will help get your student to the vehicle. (Pre K-1st). Please do not get out of your car. 
• Be patient, please.  The process will speed up after the first two weeks of school.
• Keep your eyes on the car in front of you; looking for your child, honking, and waving can result in accidents.  Staff and safety patrol will safely escort him/her to your car.
• Never be on your phone in a school zone; it is against the law. 
• If you do not have the car tag, you will be asked to go to the office to check out your child. A legal form of identification will be required, no exceptions, and he/she must be on the child’s Skyward as parent/guardian or emergency contact. 

INDEPENDENT WALKERS - Students who have written permission from parents to walk home alone or with siblings.

• Only independent walkers whose parents have completed a M. D. Williams Dismissal Permission Form and signed it will be allowed to leave the building by themselves. (See appendix A)
• These students will exit via the gym hall at 3:25. If they have a younger sibling, they will retrieve them from the field next to the garden.
• Late walkers will have to wait until car line is over to be called
• Students are to leave the campus immediately.
• Students must comply with the expectations for Independent Walker/Bike Rider Students. 

BUS RIDERS AND DAYCARES - Students who have been assigned a bus route by the Garland ISD transportation department.  Daycares are arranged by the parent/family. 

• Bus riders and daycare riders will be dismissed from the cafeteria.
• Students will be escorted to the cafeteria by grade-level teachers.
• Route supervisors check students on rosters before boarding the vehicle.
• Students will be escorted to the bus/daycare van by school staff.

Frequently Asked Questions about Dismissal

• How can I change my student’s normal pick-up method?
  • If you want to change how your student gets home, please provide a written note including the student’s ID, to the teacher. We will not change the students’ pick-up method without written permission or a parent phone call to the office before 3:00 PM.  Please know that due to the safety of our students, we will not allow students to make transportation changes. The communication must come from the child's guardian. 
• What if the student dismissal is not consistent? 
  • We understand that emergencies happen, but please make a consistent daily schedule for your child to get home. This allows the students a sense of safety and security. It also ensures that the student adheres to the proper procedures. 
• What if I lose or misplace my student’s car tag/placard?
  • The school will provide 2 car tags for the 26-27 school year.  If you do not have your car tag when you are here to pick up your student, you will be directed to the front office to show your picture ID and sign your student out. There will be a $1.00 charge for every car tag that needs to be replaced. 
  • The person requesting a tag must be on the child’s Skyward as a parent/guardian. If they are not, they will be denied unless court documentation is provided. 
• What if my student’s dismissal arrangements change?
  • You can delegate pick-up to another individual, or you can change how the student will be picked up. (Example: car rider instead of bus) This MUST be completed before 2:30 p.m.  If you miss the cut off time, you will need to call the office no later than 3:00 p.m.  Call the office and ClassDojo the teacher. Please remember that while teachers are teaching, they do not have time to check ClassDojo very often during the day.
• Can my student meet me outside?
  • Only students who have permission to be independent walkers will be allowed to leave the building without some type of supervision.  The permission form will be sent home at the beginning of the year and will be available in the front office.  It is also attached to this handbook as Appendix A.  All other students (car riders and accompanied walkers will leave the building after parents/guardians have shown the school-provided car tag/placard to school personnel.

Students who are not picked up by 3:50 p.m. parents must come inside and sign the students out. If you are unable to pick your child up by 3:30 p.m., please make other arrangements. Our front office can also share a list of daycares that pick up at our school.  We do not have staff available after 3:50 p.m. to watch students. If students are not picked up by 4:20 p.m. Garland Police will be called. 

 

The Campus Improvemnt Plan explains how our campus supports the important role of parents in the education of their children.