Highland-Goffes Falls Student Handbook
School Hours
Kindergarten
• First Bell: 8:20 AM
• Late Bell: 8:35 AM
• Dismissal: 2:20 PM
Grades 1 - 5
• First Bell 8:20 A.M.
• Late Bell: 8:35 A.M.
• Dismissal: 2:35 P.M.
Arrival
Children should not arrive at school before 8:05 a.m. This is very important because there is no playground supervision before that time. All children should go to the playground side of the building in the morning, the side opposite the parking lot. Once the children arrive at school they are not to leave the playground for any reason.
Rainy Weather
If the weather is rainy or very cold, a red flag will be displayed in front of the building to indicate that all children are to go to the gymnasium. They should enter the gym directly from the side entrance.
Dismissal
Children are dismissed from their classrooms by destination and method of transportation. Riders are dismissed first.
Children who ride buses or day care vans are notified on the intercom when their transportation arrives, and at that time walk to their bus or van.
Children who walk home are dismissed last.
Please send in a written, dated and signed note if your child is going home a different way. For example: If your child is normally a rider and they will be walking that day please send in a note to your child's teacher notifying them of the change.
Important Note:
No parents are allowed in the building at dismissal. This is another safety issue. We cannot possibly know every parent by sight and do not want strangers walking through the building. As indicated above, you are to meet your child at the back door if you are driving or walking him/her home. If you are picking your child up early, come to the school office. All children leaving early must be signed out by the adult who comes to get them.
AFTER SCHOOL CARE
This year the Boys and Girls Club of Manchester is running an after school program at Highland-Goffes Falls 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. This program has been approved by the Manchester School Board. Parents who are interested in the program should contact the Boys and Girls Club directly at 625-5982. Please click
here to learn more information about this program.
SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAM
Cost (2011-2012 School Year) :
Breakfast $1.20 a day (*Reduced - .30 cents)
Lunch $1.90 a day (*Reduced - .40 cents)
Milk .35 cents a day
Children may either bring a lunch from home, or purchase a lunch at school. the cost of school lunches is $1.90 per day or $9.50 per week. Each child has a debit card where prepayments can be made in any amount. Lunch money is collected on Fridays. Children must be prepaid for at least one week in advance. Those children that bring cold lunch may purchase milk for .35 cents a day. Milk is included in all hot lunch.
*Free lunches and reduced price lunches are available if your family income falls within certain guidelines. Applications forms are sent home to every family on the first day of school. Please complete those forms and return them to the school as soon as possible. Forms are also available throughout the school year if your income status changes.
If you are paying by check make the check out to SNFS (Schools Foods and Nutrition Service).
ATTENDANCE
Regular attendance is important if a child is going to succeed in school. It's next to impossible for a child to follow what's being taught in a classroom if he or she misses school frequently.
School is important to your child's social development as well. While your son or daughter is learning reading, writing, and arithmetic, the child is also learning to get along with other children, to interact with adults, to understand and follow rules, and to be a successful school citizen.
Regular attendance is required by state law for any child over six years old.
Regular Day
8:05 students allowed at school
8:20 students enter the building
8:35 students must be in class
After 8:35 you are late
*The last few weeks we have seen a steady increase in students arriving to school late. This causes a huge disruption to the school day and affects the limited instructional time teachers have. Classroom teachers are working to get students who are Tardy caught up instead of moving forward with the class. Please make every effort to get your children to school on time. Studies show that assessment scores and student progress are lower in students who are habitually late or absent. We are also finding that many students are being dismissed at the end of the school day before teachers have finished his/her lessons. Again, this has a negative impact on what your son or daughter receives in instructional time. The end of the school day is as vitally important as the beginning in terms of having time to review homework assignments and pack up what is needed for the night.
EXCUSED ABSENCES/SCHOOL NOTIFICATION
If a child is sick or for some other reason cannot attend school, it is the parents' responsibility to do both of the following:
1. Notify the school on the morning of the absence either by telephoning or by sending a note with a brother or sister.
2. Send a note explaining the reason for the absence when your child returns to school.
SCHOOL CANCELATION/DELAYED OPENING
If school is to be canceled because of bad weather, announcements will be made over the following local radio and television stations: WGIR WZID WFEA WMUR-TV9
The same will be true for delayed openings. If there is a delayed opening everything will start 2 hours later than usual.
Buses will also run 2 hours late.
2 hour Delay
10:05 students allowed at school
10:20 students enter building
10:35 students must be in class
After 10:35 you are late
DROP OFF
When the weather is good and the students are on the playground parents are to drive up Goffes Falls Drive. There will be two orange cones along the curb and a staff person between the cones. If your car is between the cones please have your child(ren) exit the car and step to the sidewalk. This will allow up to five cars at a time to drop off children, moving the line a little quicker. This is for drop off only. Parents are not to exit their car, only the students. Parents who want to drop off students and assist them out of the car must drive to the visitor parking lot, park their car, and escort their children to the crosswalk.
When the weather is poor, and the students are going to the gym, parents are to drive up to the visitor parking lot, park their cars and walk their students to the crosswalk where a staff person will be located. Parents are not to stop at the entrance to the parking lot because cars and busses are getting blocked. It is in the best interest of our students for parents to find a parking space and walk their children to the crosswalk.
During morning drop off and afternoon pick up no one is allowed to stop or park directly in front of the main entrance. There are several cones with No Parking signs. Please make note of this.
PICK UP
If you are parking in the visitor lot and are not in a parking space you are parked illegally. You may be subject to a ticket if the police are present and are parking at your own risk. If you choose to do this please move your car as far in as possible to allow others space. Please keep in mind if you block the busses from exiting the lot they will contact the police for assistance. The highway department has already installed no parking signs along the street to assist the busses. Parking in these spots blocks the busses and our drivers contact the police for assistance.
As a school community we need to work together to ensure the safety of our students, parents, and faculty. Please make every effort to follow these changes and be patient while everyone becomes familiar with theses new procedures. If you have a concern or questions please feel free to give me a call.
James Adams, Principal, Highland-Goffes Falls Elementary School
There are six regular buses and one special needs bus that transport children to Highland-Goffes Falls School. Each bus has a numbered card in the window, and the number on this card is what children should use to identify their bus. Please see the bus route page for more details.
Afternoon transportation is also provided to the YMCA, the Boys and Girls' Club, and the various day cares. Parents must make their own arrangements with these organizations.
Children are expected to behave properly while on the school bus. This means staying seated, not picking on other children, and following the instructions of the driver. More specific rules will be explained to all bus children at the beginning of the school year. Children who continually misbehave will be suspended from riding the bus.
IMPORTANT:
Children frequently bring notes to school asking permission to ride the bus home with a friend. This is not possible because on most days the buses are filled to capacity.
TRAFFIC
Traffic around the school at arrival and dismissal times is a major problem. Parents can help by being patient.
If you are driving your child to school in the morning, please drop him or her off and leave or, as mentioned earlier, don't arrive until after 8:20 if you are waiting with your child. If you are picking up your child in the afternoon, please park in the area near the gym and leave promptly so that all cars will be gone before the walkers are dismissed at 2:35.
Do not block the street in front of the school or the bus lanes. Please park in only designated areas. It is also important that traffic moves through the parking lot in a counter clockwise pattern in the afternoon.
VISITORS
All visitors to the school must report to the office before going elsewhere in the building. This includes parents who are picking up their children for appointments or wish to contact their children for any other reason. All volunteers must also sign in at the office and remain in the area of the building relevant to the volunteer activity. All visitors to the building who go beyond the office area must wear name tags indicating their purpose for being in the building - volunteer, maintenance, guest, etc.
MEDICATION
If any type of medication is to be taken at school, that medication must be delivered to the school nurse in its original container.
The school must also have a signed statement from the physician who prescribed the medication (forms are available for this), as well as a note from the child's parents giving the nurse or other school personnel permission to administer the medication.
SCHOOL INSURANCE
Applications for school insurance are sent home the first week of school. This insurance is available throughout the school year.
REPORT CARDS & PROGRESS REPORT CARDS
Primary & Intermediate Trimester Dates 2011-2012 can be found on the Manchester School District home page or by clicking here.
First Trimester Parent Conference Schedule
Thursday, October 13, 2011 Progress Reports go home
October 27, 2011 Parent Conferences - (3:00-6:00 pm)
October 28, 2011 Parent Conferences - (11:50-2:50 pm)
HOMEWORK POLICY
Homework is an important part of the educational process. To be effective it requires an integrated effort among teachers, parents, and students. Homework is used to practice learned skills, to develop independent study habits, and to provide a connection between home and school environments.
Assignment Guidelines
- Homework should be assigned to all students from kindergarten through grade five.
- There should be allowances for the teacher's discretion relative to the type and length of assignments.
- In order to build responsible study habits concrete assignments that require the student to return something to school should be given several times each week.
- Most homework should be credited, but not necessarily graded.
- Long range projects may be assigned as homework and assessed through the grading process. Teachers should check on the progress of long range projects on a regular basis.
- Homework should be meaningful and relate to work in the classroom. It should not be busy work.
Suggested Time Frames
The following are recommended as maximum nightly time limits on homework for each grade:
- Kindergarten 5 to 10 minutes
- Grade One 15 to 20 minutes
- Grade Two 30 minutes
- Grade Three 30 minutes
- Grade Four 60 minutes
- Grade Five 60 minutes
Parental Involvement
Parents should be encouraged to give their children guidance with their homework efforts. This guidance might include:
- Checking the child's work for neatness and to see that it is completed.
- Signing the homework paper or an assignment book.
- Communicating regularly with the teacher.
- Agreeing to a homework contract with the child and the teacher.
*This policy is meant to build on the Manchester School District policy - not to replace it.