Parent Handbook

Dear Bay View Families:

On behalf of the entire Bay View Elementary School staff, we would like to welcome you to our school. We are anxiously looking forward to the 2008-2009 school year and have planned many exciting educational activities for our students. Our primary goal each year is to provide our students with the skills necessary for them to be successful and productive members of society. We sincerely believe in the individual worth of each of our students and are committed to uncovering their unique potential for learning. We will need your assistance as we strive to attain this goal. Together we can create a positive learning environment for your child that will help them to be successful in school.

We hope this handbook will be helpful to you on many occasions and that it is a worthwhile effort in establishing effective communications with you – our partners in education.

Best wishes to you and your children for a successful school year.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Edwards
Principal

Regina Roberts
Assistant Principal

Academic Achievement & Perfect Attendance

Bay View Elementary recognizes students for Outstanding Academic Achievement (in secondary schools it is referred to as "Honor Roll") four times per year, at each marking period. The criteria for this award is a 3.0 grade point average in grades two through five, (all A’s and B’s with no more than one C). Students earning Outstanding Academic Achievement and all A’s will be recognized. Students with perfect attendance for the marking period will receive recognition.

The Principal’s List is unique to Bay View Elementary. To earn this recognition, your child must receive more A’s than B’s and no C’s. Students making the Principal’s list will be honored with a special treat.

Attendance

Regular attendance is essential to a student's success in school. Most subjects are taught in sequence, requiring the understanding of each concept in the order of its presentation. Persistent absenteeism creates a genuine hardship for a student and is regarded as a very serious problem.

Please read the County policy on attendance and tardiness included in the first day packet.
STUDENTS WHO MISS 5.5 OR MORE UNEXCUSED DAYS OF SCHOOL PER MARKING PERIOD WILL FAIL DUE TO ATTENDANCE.
Please DO NOT drop your child off prior to 8:45 a.m. as there are no staff members to receive them and ensure their safety.
We cannot be responsible for their safety if we are unaware they are being dropped off. Please call the office if an occasion arises that you must drop your child(ren) off early and we will work with you for that day.

Included in the "First Day Packet" is a complete policy on attendance and tardiness. Please read it carefully as we do not want you to be misinformed regarding the Cecil County Public Schools’ Attendance Policy.

Tardiness is reported. Should you send your child to school after the 9:00 a.m. bell s/he is considered tardy until 10:30 a.m. In the morning, parents are expected to report to the school office and "sign-in" their child. If you pick your child up from school between 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., a PM tardy will be recorded. In order for a child to receive a perfect attendance award, they must have no absences and no tardies.

When your child is absent, please call the school to report your child’s absence.

Any student not attending school on the day of any extra curricular activity, such as Winter/Spring Concerts, various evening presentations/activities, etc., will not be permitted to participate without a doctor's note.

Birthday Celebrations

Birthdays are celebrated on a monthly basis during lunch times. Each student will be recognized with a cupcake and card courtesy of the office. These cupcakes are prepackaged and purchased through our cafeteria. Please do not send in food to celebrate your child’s birthday without making prior arrangements with the teacher. All food must be store bought and arrive in the original packaging which includes a listing of all ingredients. This new policy is for the safety of all children, including those with severe food allergies.

Students are not permitted to receive flowers, balloons or other types of deliveries during the school day. This practice will help us to minimize disruptions in the school day as well as ensuring safety on the buses.

Breakfast and Lunch Programs

Bay View Elementary is proud to participate in a school-wide FREE breakfast program for the 2008-2009 school year. All students will receive their breakfast in their classroom upon arrival each day free of cost. Research shows that students perform substantially better when they have had the opportunity to eat breakfast. The brain can think, read, and write better on a full stomach. Hurray for Breakfast!

A well-balanced hot lunch is available each day at a cost of $1.85. Milk is included in the hot lunch or sold separately at a cost of 40¢.

The federally sponsored free and/or reduced lunch program is available to all eligible pupils in grades Pre-School to 5th (pre-school students are also included -morning session may eat breakfast and the afternoon session may eat lunch). Applications are distributed to each family in the opening day packets and are also available upon request throughout the school year. Only one application per family is needed with all family members listed. If your family income should change at any time throughout the school year, feel free to submit an updated application for possible eligibility. A Spanish language version of the application is available.

Courtesy Lunches will be provided for students who arrive without their lunch money. Courtesy lunches consist of a fruit, a vegetable, saltine crackers, and milk. There is no money owed to the cafeteria after a child has received a courtesy meal. We know lunch money is forgotten on the kitchen table on busy mornings, or that lunch is all packed and sitting in the refrigerator!

“Lunch Express System” - This is a prepaid personal account where you can send in money for several days, weeks, or months. The money will be placed in your child’s account which they can access using a personal identification number. When the account dips lower than $9.25 (the cost for one week’s worth of meals) a letter will be sent to you each Monday informing you of your child’s present Lunch Express Account balance. Children who no longer have money in their accounts will be offered a Courtesy Lunch until the money is replenished.

A monthly menu for breakfast and lunch will be sent home with all children.

Our cafeteria has its own phone number. Please call our cafeteria manager, Mrs. Sherry Ayers, 410-996-6232 when you have questions.

School Bus Laws

Please obey the School Bus Laws of the State of Maryland. When a school bus is not in motion and has its lights blinking, remember to stop and remain stopped until the red flashing bus “STOP” lights are turned off as the door of the bus closes.

Private contractors and our school district furnish the buses for our children according to the rules and regulations established by the State Department of Education.

For the safety of all students, we follow a very strict discipline policy at Bay View. It is:
1st Offense - Student will be verbally reprimanded*.
2nd Offense - Riding privileges will be suspended at the discretion of the Principal, Assistant Principal, and bus driver.

If students have multiple incidents of disciplinary problems on the bus, they will receive extended suspensions from the bus for up to 10 days with the possibility of an extension until the end of the school year.

*A bus suspension for a first offense may be given at the discretion of the principal or assistant principal.

PLEASE NOTE: Students serving a bus suspension may not ride any bus during their suspension time. This includes field trips, which may fall during the bus suspension period.

The school is not responsible for student conduct at the bus stop. Parents are strongly encouraged to make arrangements for adult supervision.

Regulations for Conduct of Students on Buses

Bus riders always go home by bus unless the teacher received written instructions otherwise. Bus riders will not be permitted to ride any other bus but their assigned bus. (NO EXCEPTIONS!)
Students must obey the driver cheerfully and promptly and be courteous to the driver and to the other students. The driver is in full charge of the bus and has the authority of a classroom teacher.
It is recommended that students be at their bus stop five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. The bus must operate on a timely schedule and can't wait for students not at the bus stop when they arrive.
Students should never stand or play on the road while waiting for the bus. Students should exhibit good behavior while waiting for the bus to arrive. They must stay on walkways and respect neighboring property owners.
Before boarding bus, students should remain at least 10 feet from the bus doors until the bus comes to a full stop, turns on the flashing red lights, puts out the arm in front of the bus, and motions to the students to board.
Students must look both ways before crossing the street to board or exit the bus, then WALK not run to a safe area so the bus may continue on its route.
Students must not try to get on or off the bus while it is in motion. Students must remain seated while the bus is in motion.
Riding the bus is a privilege, violating the rules WILL result in a suspension from riding the bus.
Students should line up on the side of the road in a safe area prior to entering the bus.
Students should wait at least 20 minutes for the bus if it happens to be running late prior to going home. (weather permitting) If no one is home, the student should call school for a ride to school. Have the school number posted near your telephone for this purpose.
No animals of any kind may be taken on the bus.
No eating or drinking on the bus.
Students must stay seated at all times as there are no seatbelts. Studies have shown that students will be safe in a collision if they are seated properly. The large cushioned seat in front of them will protect them.
Students must remain in their assigned seat on the bus, even as it empties during the bus route.

Bus Routes

Bus routes and stops are planned and established by the Board of Education's Transportation Department. Safety, economy, efficiency, and allocation of resources are some of the considerations, which must be evaluated in determining bus operation policies.

Parents who wish to make permanent requests for changes in routes or stops should contact the Transportation Department at 410-996-5414. Requests of a temporary nature are to be made through the school office and will only be granted for necessary daycare arrangements.

Bus Notes

Bus notes need to include the following information and should be written. Student’s name, student’s teacher’s name, date note is coming in. Include the dates the note is effective. The note must include the address where the student will be dropped off and the number of the bus that goes to the location. Bus notes are only for changes in busing due to daycare. Due to safety and identity of all passengers on buses we can not honor bus notes for play dates, parties, club meetings, sleepovers, etc.

Calendar

Included in the “First Day Packet” is a copy of the 2007-2008 School Calendar for Cecil County Public Schools. Please attach it to your bulletin board or refrigerator for future use. In September, you will receive a wall calendar from CCPS with more detailed information about the school system. The first page of the glossy CCPS wall calendar must be signed by you and your child and returned to his/her homeroom teacher. This calendar contains most of the county’s policies and regulations. A monthly calendar for the upcoming events at Bay View Elementary will accompany each newsletter.

We hope that you will be able to participate in many of the upcoming events given such advance notice!

Cancellation of School

Cancellation of school takes place only during extraordinary circumstances such as extreme weather, equipment failure, or public crisis. The school board and administrators are aware of the hardship, which can be caused by an abrupt cancellation. Therefore, school will not be canceled unless a significant safety risk has been created by unusual circumstances.

Every practical means is used to notify parents of an impending cancellation, including the internet, radio, television and our telephone calling system. Parents, please make sure you have developed a plan with your child to cover late starts and early dismissals. Please do not let your child be caught unaware of what s/he is to do. Make your child well aware of where they should go in case of an early dismissal when you are at work. Students who are permanent car riders and who have never ridden a bus will not be placed on a bus. They will remain at school until you make arrangements for them to be picked up.

Please do not call the school to see if we are dismissing early or opening late. The volume of phone calls inhibits important phone calls from getting through to us.

Should the decision be made to close school, the official announcement of the closing will be placed on the internet website and made over the radio and television stations. The Cecil County Public Schools’ web page will carry the message at www.ccps.org.

WSER 1550 AM Elkton, MD
WASA 1330 AM Havre de Grace, MD
WAMD 970 AM Aberdeen, MD
WBAL 1090 AM Baltimore, MD
WDEL 1150 AM Wilmington, DE
WTUX 1290 AM Wilmington, DE
WNRK 1260 AM Newark, DE
WPOC FM 93.1 Baltimore, MD
WXCY FM 103.7 Havre De Grace, MD
WJZTV Channel 13 Baltimore, MD
WBAL TV Channel 11 Baltimore, MD
WMAR TV Channel 2 Baltimore, MD

These stations will announce delays or closings.

Pre-School and Pre-Kindergarten (referred to on the television and radio announcements as Modified Pre-School - Pre-Kindergarten Schedule)

Schools opening two-hours late:
On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday both the morning and afternoon sessions will be 1 hour and 50 minutes long with an hour in between. For example, if school opens two hours late, the morning session would be 11:00 a.m. - 12:50 p.m.; and the afternoon session would be 1:50 - 3:35 p.m.). A two-hour delay on Wednesday will result in no morning session.

Change of Address/Phone Number

It is very important, for emergency and administrative reasons, that every student maintains an up-to-date address record at the school office. (Proof of residency is required with any address change.) The same applies to telephone numbers. Please notify the office immediately of any changes. We require a minimum of three (3) working emergency phone numbers. If you are new to the area, you will need to send them in as soon as possible.

Conferences

The value of parent/teacher conferences cannot be overstated. Every effort should be made to attend the first one in November so policies such as grading and homework can be explained as they relate to the grades your child received on his or her report card. You will receive an invitation to attend a parent/teacher conference to be held on November 3 or 5, 2008. School will be closed for students both days. Mark your calendars!

All students’ families will receive a conference time and date. If you are unable to meet at the time and date offered, please reschedule. You or the classroom teacher may request a conference anytime throughout the school year. Call the school, or email the teacher, to let him/her know of your request.

Court Order

If you are in possession of a court order prohibiting another person from seeing your child or taking him/her from school, we must have a copy in your child's folder/record in order to honor it. A judge must sign the court order and it must state that the person in question (seeing or taking) is not allowed at school. If the court order does not specifically state that it prohibits another person from performing the act in question at school, we cannot honor it. Our goal is to keep all children safe while they are in our care at Bay View Elementary. We will do whatever it takes to contact you should another party come to the school to pick up your child if we know there are domestic/legal circumstances pending. Please keep us informed of any custody issues.

Dismissals

Permanent Car Riders - Parents choosing to transport their children on a regular, daily basis to and from school will need to specify such on the "Student Mode of Transportation" notification form located in the first day packet. The parent drop off area will be at the main entrance. Staff will be available to monitor the arrival and dismissal of students at the "car loop". Parents must display the issued student identification card while picking up their child in the car loop.

Other Dismissals - If you are going to pick up your child from school on an infrequent basis, please send a note to school requesting that he/she be a car rider that day and be sent to the car loop at dismissal. You will remain in your car, in the loop, and do not need to come in and sign your child out. The note you send in with your child in the morning will suffice. The adults monitoring the car loop will ask for your driver’s license to make a positive identification if they do not know you. This is for the safety of your child.

NEW – Please do not call the school to change your child’s afternoon dismissal plan. Follow the procedure outlined in the paragraph above and send a note with your child in the morning. We will no longer dismiss students after 3:15 p.m. All car loop students will be dismissed AFTER the buses for the 08-09 school year.

Should you decide to pick up your child at dismissal and have not notified the school, you will need to come to the office to sign your child out. He/She will be called to the office during the afternoon announcements to be dismissed to you.

Special Note: Please be advised that we will not release your child to anyone who has not been authorized to pick up your child. Anyone picking up students must be listed on the office information sheet completed by you in the “First Day Packet.” ALL unknown persons to our office staff will be asked to provide picture identification prior to receiving your child. Please call us or send a note in with your child explaining who will be picking your child up if it is someone other than mom or dad.

Dress Code

The Cecil County Public Schools have instituted a dress code policy. Our school will closely follow the dress code, which will be available to you in the glossy CCPS wall calendar as well as other publications.

For the safety of our students at Bay View Elementary and to minimize distractions from instructions, we have included the following in our dress code. The following items will not be permitted at school:

·Clothing with inappropriate slogans or advertising (i.e. alcohol, drugs, tobacco products, foul language, inappropriate hand gestures, etc. )
·Pants that drag on the floor
·Shorts, skirts, or pants worn below the undergarment waist line exposing undergarments or midriffs
·Flip-flops, open heeled sandals, or heelies
·High-heeled shoes
·Long artificial fingernails (interferes with writing)
·Colored hair (sprayed)
·Body piercing (other than ears)
·Shorts and skirts short enough to show undergarments
·Other clothing/accessories that are deemed inappropriate by the Principal or Assistant Principal

This code is intended to help students focus on learning. If a student does not comply with the dress code, we will call you requesting a change of clothes. Please assist your child in planning his/her school clothes for each day. It is very important that students wear tennis shoes on gym days and sturdy safe shoes for the playground, stairs, and buses each day.

Drinks/Sodas

Milk is provided for students to drink at breakfast and lunchtime. Occasionally, some students have an intolerance to milk. In these instances, documented by medical note, our cafeteria will provide juice. Sodas are not permitted. Should students bring them to school for lunch they will be confiscated and returned at the end of the day to take home. The student will be given milk or water. At special times sodas will be permitted, such as class trips and parties, and in those instances you will be notified.

Field Trips

All classes take one or more field trips during the school year to enhance curriculum and to broaden students' knowledge. Parents are invited to chaperone these trips. Space is limited to the number of seats on a bus. Chaperones will be chosen in a way that is fair to all interested persons.

At times parents may not be able to afford the price of a field trip. We have "scholarships" available to pay the way for children who may find it difficult to afford the trip. Please do not keep your child from participating on an outing if the fee is the reason. If you feel you qualify for a "scholarship" for class trips, please call or send a note to your child’s teacher or Mr. Edwards. We must always have a signed permission slip.

Pre-schoolers and middle or high school students are not permitted to accompany elementary school students on field trips.

Children must ride the school bus to and from field trip locations if they are to be counted present for the school day. Parents not chaperoning the trip but arriving at the location via their car, may not take their child from the trip and transport them home in their own vehicle unless special arrangements and permission from Mr. Edwards or Mr. Petinga has been prearranged prior to the day of the trip.

Fighting and/or Aggressive Behavior

Aggressive behavior will not be tolerated at school. Any student exhibiting aggression towards another student will be subject to consequences, which could include suspension from school. This also applies to students who retaliate and hit back. The school does not consider "self-defense" hitting back. Self-defense is protecting one-self and removing one-self from the aggressive situation.

Food

All food that is provided for classroom parties or any type of school function must be store purchased and arrive in original store packaging that contains listing of all ingredients. No homemade foods will be served.

Health and Medications

Please monitor your child’s health each day before s/he leaves for school. Children gain little from being in school when they are ill and they may infect others. If your child has red eyes, a sore throat, a fever, a severe cold, or an upset stomach, it is better to keep him/her home until they feel better. Please call the school nurse, Mrs. Jan Diehl, RN, at 410-996-6230 to discuss any questions you may have regarding your child’s health.

Children who become ill while at school will be sent to the office. In most cases oral temperature will be taken to determine the extent of the illness. Parents will be notified by phone as to their child’s condition and may choose which course of action they wish to take.

Please report to the school any health conditions that may affect your child while at school. Be sure to let us know if your child has any contagious illness so that we can protect the other students. All medical information is kept strictly confidential and is released to no one except the nurse and principal.

Before a child can take or receive any medication, including so called "over the counter" (OTC) drugs, a doctor's authorization called a “Physician’s Medication Order Form” must be signed by the doctor and parent and be on file in the nurse’s office. Authorization forms are available from the school office. ALL MEDICATIONS MUST BE KEPT IN THE SCHOOL OFFICE. This includes cough drops, aspirin, Tylenol, and the like.

Please be sure the school is notified in writing if your child is allergic to bee stings or any other sources of serious allergic reactions. Any other serious medical problem should also be brought to the school and teacher's attention. Cecil County Public Schools has developed a policy in conjunction with the Emergency Medical Management System. This procedure is available through the school office.

Homework

It is the belief of Bay View Elementary School that homework plays an important role in the development of students. This kind of learning will better prepare students for continued learning through the grades, in college, and adult life. At Bay View Elementary School it will be graduated from an assignment of ten minutes in the first grade to a maximum of one hour for all subjects at night in grade five. If your child is spending more time than you feel is appropriate each evening, please call the teacher and set up a conference to determine if modifications are necessary. Please make time to review your child’s homework prior to them returning it to school. Remember, you are your child’s best teacher!

Hours

Office: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Students admitted to building:
If a student is transported by you they will need to wait with you in the car until 8:45 a.m. No student should be on the school grounds prior to this time unless accompanied by a parent.

Grades Kindergarten-5:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday              9:00 a.m. to 3:35 p.m.
Wednesday (early dismissal)                              9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Pre-School and Pre-Kindergarten:
Mornings:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday     9:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.
Wednesday (early dismissal)                     9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Afternoons:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday     12:50 p.m. to 3:35 p.m.
Wednesday (early dismissal)                     12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Tardy and Absent:
                                    Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
                                    From 9:05 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.       Tardy
                                    After 10:30 a.m.                          Absent ½ day
                                    After 2:00 p.m.                           Tardy
                                    Wednesday
                                    From 9:05 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.       Tardy
                                    After 10:30 a.m                           Absent ½ day
                                    After 12:30 p.m.                         Tardy
**Tardy students must be signed in or out at the office! If you are returning from a doctor’s appointment, please bring a note from the doctor’s office in order for it to be coded as an excused absence.

Infectious Diseases

Pediculosis (Head Lice) – A nation-wide epidemic of Pediculosis seems to be overtaking our country in recent years. This scourge knows no bounds; nor does it respect social or economic boundaries. Head lice are parasitic insects, which make their home in human hair. They lay nits (eggs) which are attached to the base of individual hair shafts.

We know this condition is not caused from unclean conditions and that it can happen to anyone, but prompt treatment is essential to rid these pests quickly. It is most often found among school-age children with particular emphasis among the lower grades. Transmission is by direct contact with an infected person of their personal items such as combs, brushes, towels, pillowcases, hats, ribbons, and other clothing. Using the same chair, church pew, or theater seat of an infected person may also spread them.

Tell tale signs of persistent itching, especially behind the ears and at the rear of the scalp where small silvery nits are usually attached to the individual hairs. Dandruff is easily removed, but nits are glued and very difficult to remove.

Once infestation is suspected, it is best to secure medical assistance for diagnosis and advice. Whatever medication is prescribed, either prescriptive or non-prescriptive it is most important to follow all directions faithfully. All family members should use the medical shampoo. A repeat treatment is usually needed. Follow your health care professional’s advice on ridding the lice from your linens, furniture, carpets, etc. Please instruct your child not to borrow or lend hair care and clothing items.

Our school would appreciate being notified by a parent if a child is being treated for these pests so that we may assist in their control. This information will be kept confidential to the nurse and the principal. If a nit/lice problem is suspected or confirmed, we will screen all children in that particular classroom or grade level and notify the parents if nits are presently active or if a child’s scalp shows signs of the remnants of these pests. All children screened will bring notification of the screening home to inform the parents of the screening.

If a child has evidence of lice or nits, they must be excluded from school. Once a child is treated and all nits are removed, a parent or guardian must transport the child to school to be examined by the school nurse in the nurse’s office. A parent or guardian must be present for the re-examination. If the nurse does not find any evidence of the lice/nits, then the child may stay for the school day. Children returning without a parent or guardian will not be readmitted to class and contact will be made with the parents to report to the school. This procedure has been implemented by the Cecil County Public Schools to protect all children and families.

Insurance

School insurance will be offered at the beginning of each school year. The cost is minimal compared to the potential cost of medical care and parents are encouraged to take advantage of this service if no other family policy is held for the child. You should find a special envelope in your "First Day " materials explaining the policy offered and the various plans and prices. If your family is not able to pay for medical insurance, contact the school counselor, Mrs. Christie Edelson, and she will assist you in applying for the CHIPS program, which serves economically disadvantaged Maryland children with medical insurance.

Items (Miscellaneous) Brought To School

Many times children want to bring various items to school, which are better off left at home. Such things as pets and toys require teacher permission. Also, such things as radios, tape/cd players need to have teacher permission. Too many times, these items disappear and the result is a very sad student. Baseball gloves may be brought to school but please make sure your child's name is clearly marked on it in permanent marker. Bats, baseballs, softballs, and footballs may not be brought from home. Students must use tennis balls for playing catch with their gloves or “Nerf” type footballs. No Gameboys, YuGiOh cards, Pokemon cards, etc!

Lost and Found

We strongly urge you to make sure that your child(ren)'s belongings are labeled with his or her name in permanent marker. This applies to coats as well as book bags, lunch boxes, and the like. Many items are turned into the office lost and found. Lost and found items are displayed in the cafeteria during lunch. If your child lost anything, s/he should check in the cafeteria. Lost and found articles will only be held for a brief period. After this time, they will be given to charity.

Newsletters

The school produces a newsletter bi-monthly. It has articles on various topics of school news. Please read the newsletter, as it is our main way of notifying you of upcoming events. The newsletter will be posted on our website, too. We will send the newsletter home with the youngest child in each family to conserve paper.

Notes

Notes are requested for many, many things. To make an entire list is impossible. As a rule of thumb, if in doubt, send in a note. We require them to avoid any confusion and for the health and safety of your children. Please do not phone the school requesting that we do things for you, which must be done by note unless it is an emergency that arose after your child left for school. We do NOT know you by phone. Below are a few examples:

1. Your child needs to ride another bus for daycare arrangements--a note is required listing the exact address. Too often the bus drivers must guess where to let a child off the bus.

2. Your child needs to stay inside due to a cold or cannot participate in gym.

3. Your child needs to wait after school for you to pick them up.

4. A person other than the one listed on the emergency sheet is to pick up your child.

5. Your child is to ride the same bus but get off at a different stop--a note please with the entire address to assist the bus driver in getting your child to the correct stop.

Parent Involvement

Parents will be given many opportunities to become involved in their child’s education at Bay View Elementary School. Together we will strive to:

Help all parents learn ways to support children as students.
Have effective communications between parents and the school about student progress and school programs.
Provide volunteer opportunities so parents can help and support students and activities.
Include parents in school decision making.
Work with community services and resources to strengthen programs for students, parents, and the school.

Bay View Elementary School will work throughout the school year to build parent and community involvement. Our Title 1 Parent Involvement Plan booklet gives more specific details about building this involvement.

The policy above was developed by a committee of parents, the Family Involvement Advisor, and school staff. This policy will be reviewed annually. Bay View Elementary School accepts the Cecil County Public School’s Parent Involvement Policy and has designed our school-level parent involvement policy and plan accordingly.

Parent Teacher Organization

Bay View Elementary’s P.T.O. is alive and well! Many activities are planned throughout the school year to allow parents, teachers and students the opportunity to participate in worthwhile adventures. Join the P.T.O. at the annual Ice Cream Social or the September Open House evenings.

Parking

Signs have been installed in the parking lot to designate “Student Drop Off/Pick Up.” Please park in a designated parking spot when picking up or dropping off your child if you are coming in with them. Please DO NOT PARK in the car loop. It is designated as a continually moving car loop. When parents park in the car loop, the entire car-loop dismissal routine comes to a halt and creates a dangerous situation.

Student Services

Behavioral Specialist
Mrs. Ami-Jo Parker is our full time behavior specialist. Mrs. Parker is available to work with students to develop behavior plans, student success plans and academic intervention programs. Mrs. Parker can assist families in developing behavior intervention programs to help reinforce skills learned in school.

Counselor
Mrs. Christie Edelson is our full time school counselor. Mrs. Edelson is available to assist and support students with personal/social concerns, academic concerns and crisis intervention. Mrs. Edelson provides consultation with teachers, parents and outside agencies. Her main focus is to provide proactive classroom guidance lessons on various topics. She also provides group and individual counseling.

Family Outreach Worker
Mrs. Kim Chiominto is our Family Outreach Worker from the Department of Social Services. Mrs. Chiominto is available to students and families to provide assistance to families in accessing community based services, counseling services and crisis intervention. She may also provide in home services to families in need of assistance.

Visitors

All visitors must report to the main office upon entering the building. No one may walk the grounds without registering in the office. Visitor stickers will be issued to each visitor who is permitted to partake in the activity to which he or she has come for. All employees wear badges and this lets the students know they are safe people to be in our building, therefore they will look for visitor stickers on all adults in our building. If you are interested in visiting your child’s classroom, please contact the teacher to determine an appropriate time and let the office know upon your arrival that you have set up a visitation time with your child’s teacher. Visitors in the classroom distract many children and the teacher will choose a time, which will be the least disruptive for the learning environment.

Web Page

We also have a Bay View Web Page, address, that is full of useful information. It contains e-mail addresses for our staff members, school wide and grade level specific information, and many other items. Our webmaster is fifth grade teacher, Mr. Mark Barczewski.

Withdraws/Transfers

If you need to withdraw your child during the school year, please notify the school office. We will give you important papers to take with you to your new school. Should the transfer occur over the summer months, your child's birth certificate, last report card, and shot record will serve as admission documents to a new school. If you can register in your new school early and they notify us, we will mail your child's records so they will be there in time for the new school year.

Yearbook

An annual Bay View Elementary Yearbook will be produced. All fourth and fifth graders and their parent(s) are encouraged to join in the design and creation of the yearbook. Mrs. Joan Frampton, Home School Advisor, will lead the committee. Check the newsletter for the meeting schedule.