Welcome to Mount Pleasant Elementary School

1. Welcome to Mount Pleasant Elementary School Parent Forum Agenda Welcome and Introductions Overview of Responsive Classroom Philosophy “A Day in the Life of a Student at MPE” Curriculum Overview Parents As Partners School-Wide Communication Tour of School

2. Responsive Classroom Overview • Combines social and academic curriculums • C.A.R.E.S. Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, Self-Control • ComponentsMorning Meeting, Guided Discovery, Rules and Logical Consequences, Positive Time-Out, Classroom Organization, Academic Choice

3. School Day • Arrival Time is 8:25 a.m. (Doors Open) • Morning Announcements 8:40 a.m. (Tardy time) • Bus Riders Arrive and Depart from the Front of the School Contact BSD Transportation at 762-7181 regarding any questions about bus schedules. • Car Riders – Arrive and Depart from the rear of school (back entrance by the cafeteria) • Breakfast Served from 8:25-8:55 a.m.

4. Attendance Excused absences require a note from a parent or guardian. Reasons to be excused from school: • If you are sick • If you need to go to a doctor • If you have a disease that could make others sick • If you have a death in your family or circle of friends • If you are observing a religious holiday • If you need to get treatments for an illness • If your principal gives your parent or guardian permission to take you some place that will help you grow as a learner. • If you have an emergency and your parent or guardian has spoken to the principal about it. • If you are suspended from school. • If you have legal business Absences for other reasons are classified as “unexcused”. After an absence, the student must present a note to the teacher, written by the parent or legal guardian, within the first 5 days of the student returning to school.

5. All B.S.D. Elementary Schools Have the Following Code of Dress for Students: • Solid color shirts with collars and sleeves • (short or long) and turtleneck shirts are permitted. • Students should not wear sleeveless, tank tops, • or shirts with messages, characters, or pictures. • Sweaters or sweatshirts are permitted. If • sweatshirts have hoods, they are not to be worn • over the head inside of the building. • Black, khaki, and navy blue pants, shorts, skirts, • skorts, dresses and jumpers are permitted. Denim • is not permitted. • Clothes must fit appropriately so as not to expose • the undergarments. Belts must be worn at the waist. • Shoes must be tied, buckled, or velcro-fastened. Clogs, • flip-flops, mules, Crocs, and other backless shoes are not • permitted. Sneakers must be worn on gym day.

6. Special Days • The 1st Wednesday of each month students may wear MPE T-Shirts or shirts in school colors – green and white (the same day as the PTA mtg’s) • The PTA will be selling shirts at the beginning of the school year.

7. Lunch • Lunch $1.50 (2009-2010 price) • Milk $.50 • There are several options for paying for meals: • Prepay with cash or a check. Make checks payable to BSD Food Service (include student name and ID number in the memo section) and have your child take the check to the cafeteria staff. If you pre-pay for 10 lunches you will receive one free lunch. • Use the automatic payment system: www.MySchoolBucks.com • Federally subsidized free and reduced lunch and breakfast programs are provided to income eligible families. Applications for this program are available in the Main Office.

8. Memorize New Student I.D. Number for Lunch Purchases Registers Will track all purchases during meal times, maintain a history of all student transactions, alert cashiers when a student has a food intolerance or allergy, & accept prepayments After your child proceeds through the meal line, he/she should enter his/her Student ID number on a keypad. Your child can practice entering his/her number on the diagram in the family handbook. Your assistance in helping your child memorize the Student ID number will increase the speed of the lunch line. (Food Service should be sending information w/ student I.D.’s in the mail)

9. Every family picking up their child from MPE needs a number card – they will be distributed at the Back-To-School Picnic. Present the number card to the staff on duty to pick up your child. Car Line & Dismissal

10. Car-Line Procedure • All students must be dropped off and picked up at the back entrance (by the Cafeteria) of the school building. For safety reasons, car rider drop-off and pick-up at the front of the building is not permitted. • Beginning this school year, the back driveway of the school will be ONE-WAY at all times. Cars will be permitted to enter the driveway from Brandywine Boulevard only, and must exit through the parking lot onto School House Lane. Cars are to “double-up” using both lanes as they enter the driveway. Pull forward to the “Student Drop-Off Area” by the blue poles near the back entrance of the school.

11. Car Line School staff will be outside to assist children into and out of the building from: • 8:25-8:40AM (Arrival) • 3:20-3:35PM (Dismissal)

12. District Office • The district offices will be making the transition into the back of this building at some point during the school year. • Be prepared for some driveway and parking lot changes

13. “Live By The Code” In an effort to create a positive, respectful, orderly school environment that is welcoming and inclusive, the students at Mount Pleasant Elementary will be asked to follow the Code of Student Conduct developed by the Brandywine Board of Education.  To make the Code of Student Conduct more "child-friendly" the school will be implementing a campaign called "Live By The Code.“

14. Curriculum • High academic and behavioral expectations for student success • High levels of student engagement • DE Standards • DE Recommended Curriculum • Instructional Materials and Resources • Enrichment (Clusters and Field Trips)

15. Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System (DCAS) • The new assessment system will begin this school year. • Computer-based assessment • Students in grades 2-5 will be assessed at several points throughout the school year

16. Standards-Based Grade Reporting • Philosophy The primary goal of a standards-based reporting system is positive communication among students, teachers, and parents through specific feedback about each child’s mastery of learning goals.

17. Standards-Based Grade Reporting(continued) • Marking Period Summary - 1 page document that shows the content and concepts taught during a marking period. • 3 Report Cards per year November, March, June • Interim Reports (mailed mid-marking period) October, January, April • Parent Teacher Conferences October 18-19,February 18,April 4

18. Parents as PartnersA critical component of academic success • PTA (first Wednesday of each month) • 3-for-me (volunteer 3 hours) • Dragon Dads (Over 60 this past year!) • Classroom Helpers • PM Academy • Title I Night • Field Trips • Enrichment Clusters

19. Communication Between Home and School • Agenda Books, P.T. Books, Weekly Folders • Newsletters (Homeroom Classrooms & “Dragon Tales”) • Website http://brandywineschools.org/mpe • Alert Now (update numbers and addresses!) • E-mail • Telephone (762-7120) • Home Access Center • Written Notes (must be handwritten)

20. Welcome to the Mount Pleasant Elementary School Community A Tour of the school is available if you have not already done so. Thank You for Coming!