Student Handbook

Telephone: 703-924-4500
Attendance Line: 703-924-4545
FAX: 703-924-4597
Website: http://www.fcps.edu/HayfieldES/

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE:

Our student handbook is designed to answer most of the questions about the operation of Hayfield Elementary School. Please keep it available to refer to during the school year. If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to call the school office at 703-924-4500. We are here to work with you to provide the best educational opportunities for your children. Positive communication between home and school is extremely important in reaching this goal. Please thoroughly read and discuss the contents of our handbook as a family. It is important for your child to understand school expectations and procedures. We look forward to an enjoyable and productive year for everyone.

PTA’S MESSAGE:

Schools that are effective for all children result from a strong partnership of parents, teachers, and administrators who communicate freely. It is the goal of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at Hayfield Elementary to serve as a network of communication between parents and school personnel, to support the faculty in their educational endeavors. See the PTA website at http://www.hayfieldpta.org for more information about our PTA.

STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITIES:

Every day at Hayfield Elementary, we learn and make the world a better place. We accomplish this by following the H.A.W.K.S. Pledge.

SCHOOL CALENDAR for 2010-2011

School Begins	September 6
Back-to-School Night	September 15
Columbus Day Holiday	October 10
First Grading Period Ends	November 4
*Teacher Workdays	November 7 & 8
Second Grading Period Begins	November 9
2-Hour Early Release Day	November 23
Thanksgiving Break	November 24n & 25
Winter Vacation starts	December 23, 2011
Winter Vacation ends	January 2, 2012
Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday	January 16
Second Grading Period Ends	January 27
*Teacher Workdays	January 30 & 31
Third Grading Period Begins	February 1
Presidents’ Day Holiday	February 20
Third Grading Period Ends	March 30
Spring Vacation	April 2-6
*Teacher Workday	April 9
Fourth Grading Period Begins	April 5
Memorial Day Holiday	May 28
Last Day of School	June 19
*No school for students

SCHOOL HOURS

Below you will find handbook topics. They are listed alphabetically. Just click on the appropriate letter for a topic to locate each piece of information.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

ABSENCES

When a student is absent or tardy, an excuse is required from the parents. It is the parent’s responsibility to notify the school of the reason for the child’s absence/tardy. If your child is absent, please call the school before 9:00 a.m. on the attendance line at 703-924-4545. In addition, it is important for the school to know if your child has contracted a communicable disease such as chicken pox, conjunctivitis, or strep throat. Absences are excused in situations of: illness; death in the family; medical appointments; or observance of a religious holiday. Unexcused absences and tardies include: family trips; child care problems; oversleeping; nonschool-related activities; traffic; or missed buses. School attendance is required by law, as outlined by the Code of Virginia Section 22.1-254. Absences and tardies will be addressed through individual interventions with progressive consequences. These consequences may include required doctor’s notes and referrals to the truancy officer. Families are expected to make travel plans for days students are not required to be in school. Parents should seriously consider the educational implication of disrupting educational progress for family vacations.

ADMISSION

Students are required to enter kindergarten in the state of Virginia if they are five years old on/or before September 30. Those students entering Fairfax County schools for the first time MUST present proof of residency, original birth certificate, a physical examination, and a certificate of immunization or other acceptable medical evidence that the child has been immunized against:

ADVANCED ACADEMICS PROGRAM (Formerly GT)

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) offers a continuum of advanced academic services for all students in grades K-8. Learning experiences are designed to develop higher-level thinking through enrichment, acceleration, and extension of the Program of Studies. Teachers, administrators, and Advanced Academic Resource Teachers (AARTs) work together to provide the following Levels of Service:

Multiple criteria are reviewed to determine eligibility for all FCPS Advanced Academic Programs. Formal identification begins with Level III services. The local school AAP committee determines student eligibility for school-based services. The countywide AAP Central Selection Committee determines eligibility for full-time AAP (Level IV) placement. Each fall all FCPS second grade students, as well as students in third through sixth grades who do not have ability test scores, are administered the Cognitive Abilities Test and/or the Naglieri Nonverbal Test. A second grade screening pool is established using these test results. Students in the second grade pool are automatically screened for full-time AAP (Level IV) placement. Parents/guardians may exercise their one-time retest option during the September-October testing cycle. Parents/guardians of students not in the second grade screening pool may initiate the full-time AAP (Level IV) screening process by completing and submitting an AAP Level IV Referral Form to the local school principal no later than the district determined deadline. No late referrals will be accepted. Second graders not in the pool and all third through sixth graders are screened only by referral. Forms are available on the AAP website and in the Parent Information Packet available at the local school. For additional information, please go to the following website: http://www.fcps.edu/is/aap/ or contact our Advanced Academics Resource Teacher at (703)-924-4500.

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Certain programs are organized by our PTA to provide enrichment opportunities for our students. If your child is accepted into one of these activities, please notify your child’s classroom teacher in writing of his/her participation and pick up arrangements.

BEHAVIOR

All students are expected to model HAWK behavior. The Fairfax County Public School Student Rights and Responsibilities Regulation (SR&R-2601) will be discussed with all students during the first week of school.

Certain types of behavior will not be tolerated. Violations in the following areas will result in disciplinary action:

BICYCLES

On a yearly basis, only students in grades 4-6 will be given permission to ride their bikes to school. ONLY students who live in Hayfield Farm will be allowed to ride their bikes. These decisions are based on safety. A student who wishes to ride a bike to school must bring a note from a parent giving permission and is required to follow all bicycle safety laws (i.e. wearing a helmet). Students observed not following these safety procedures will be given a warning and then lose bicycle riding privileges. Students should bring an appropriate lock to secure the bike in the stand provided at the school. The school is not responsible for lost/stolen/ damaged bicycles.

BIRTHDAYS

If your child wishes to bring a class treat for his/her birthday, we ask that arrangements be made with the classroom teacher in advance. Treats should be single-serving items that are store bought. Birthday treats will be distributed in the cafeteria during your child’s lunch time. If classmates are to be invited to private parties, invitations must be sent through the U.S. Postal Service and will not be distributed at school. You may utilize the student directory that is distributed in the fall for address information.

BREAKFAST

Hayfield has a breakfast program. FCPS menus are published showing breakfast items. Breakfast will be served in our cafeteria daily from 7:55-8:25 a.m.

C

CAFETERIA BEHAVIOR SYSTEM

Orange Cup – Class as a whole is following cafeteria expectations. No yellow reminder cards were handed out.

An orange hawk will be placed on the class graph. Each orange hawk equals one chance in the weekly drawing to win a class pizza party.

Blue Cup – The majority of the class is doing what is expected. 1-2 reminder cards may have been distributed.

Yellow Cup- The class receives several warnings for their behavior. Behavior improvement can earn a blue cup.

CAFETERIA EXPECTATIONS

Cell Phones

A student may possess a cell phone on school property, including a school bus, during the school day and while in after-school activities; however, the cell phone must be OUT OF SIGHT AND TURNED OFF. Only the principal or the principal’s designee can give a student permission to use the phone during the school day. This includes during school sponsored events. Students may not use cell phone cameras at school or on field trips. FCPS does not assume responsibility for any personal items brought to school, including cell phones, except for those that the school confiscates. CELL PHONES CANNOT BE USED ON SCHOOL BUSES WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION!

CODE FOR SUCCESS:

CONFERENCES

Conferences are an important part of our communicating information to parents. The request for one may come from the parent/guardian or the teacher. Early morning is a busy time for our teachers and students as they settle in for their daily routine. This is not an appropriate time for a conference unless prior arrangements have been made with the teacher. We ask that you please make an appointment; teachers can always be contacted through the school office. Teachers will contact all parents/guardians for a conference at the end of the first grading period.

HAYFIELD ELEMENTARY CORE VALUES & BELIEFS

Core Commitments about How We Shall Operate as Professionals
As professionals we agree…

Core Beliefs about the Conditions of Learning
As an inclusive school community we will create an environment where…

Our community includes students, staff, parents, and all others who contribute to the educational growth and well-being of our students.

DELAYED OPENING/EARLY CLOSING

Inclement weather, snow, extreme heat, etc. may result in a school closing, delayed opening, or early dismissal. Radio and television stations carry this news when such decisions are made. Channel 21 is the official channel for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) information, and carries continuous messages throughout the day. Parents and students are urged not to call Hayfield Elementary for this information. Families are strongly encouraged to sign up for “Keep in Touch” on the FCPS website, www.fcps.edu, (click on Keep in Touch email) to receive all FCPS emergencies, and reminders addressed to your website.
Please be aware that on days with delays there will not be staff to supervise students. Parents should make advance arrangements for child supervision in the event of a late opening or an early closing, and make sure your child understands these arrangements.

DISMISSAL AND CLOSING

School dismisses at 12:20 p.m. on Monday and 2:50 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. There is no supervision for students after school hours. All changes to transportation need to be made before your child leaves for school in the morning and submitted in writing to the school. Emergencies happen and parents are encouraged to make arrangements and plan for this with friends and neighbors. If you need the support of the school, however, changes to a student’s dismissal procedures need to be made prior to 2:30 p.m. and require administrative approval. Without a written request or administrative approval, your child will be sent home in their usual manner. Once the dismissal process begins, students cannot be called to the office or pulled off the school bus for safety reasons. To ensure students are released to the proper individual, all request changes must be in writing and include a parent/ guardian signature giving consent to release. If the parent authorizes another individual to pick his/her child up, students will be dismissed to the front office. The person authorized to pick up the student will need to present a valid photo ID for verification purposes.

DRESS CODE

The current version of School Board Regulation 2601 requires that all students are to dress appropriately for a K-12 educational environment. Any clothing that interferes with or disrupts the educational environment is unacceptable. Clothing with language or images that are vulgar, discriminatory or obscene, or clothing that promotes illegal or violent conduct, such as gang symbols, the unlawful use of weapons, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or drug paraphernalia, or clothing that contains threats such as gang symbols is prohibited. Clothing should fit, be neat and clean, and conform to standards of safety, good taste, and decency. Clothing that exposes cleavage, private parts, the midriff, undergarments, or that is otherwise sexually provocative, is prohibited. Examples of prohibited clothing include, but are not limited to: sagging or low-cut pants, low-cut necklines that show cleavage, tube tops, halter tops, backless blouses or blouses with only ties in the back, studded belts, chain belts, clothing constructed of see-through materials, and head coverings unless required for religious or medical purposes. Parents of students requiring accommodations for religious beliefs, disabilities, or other valid reasons should contact the principal. Students not complying with this code will be asked to cover the non-complying clothing, change clothes, or go home. Repeated infractions will result in disciplinary action. The current version of Regulation 2613 provides additional details. Students are not allowed to wear sneakers with wheels or any other shoe that is deemed unsafe by the principal. If your child wears a pair of shoes that are not safe or appropriate for an activity, you will be called and asked to bring him/her an appropriate pair of shoes.

DROP-OFF POLICY FOR EVENING/PTA EVENTS

We offer school and PTA events in the evening for families and encourage you to enjoy the activities with your children. Sufficient staff is not available to supervise children in the evening. The drop-off policy is as follows:
All students must be accompanied and supervised by an adult (21 or older). An adult may sign in up to 5 students. Sign in will be at the nearest entrance to the activity location.

EARLY CHECKOUTS

Consistent early checkouts are detrimental to a student’s success in school. Please try to make sure that your child starts the day on time and stays the entire day. A written request should be sent to the teacher by a parent/ guardian for a student to be excused from school during the day. The parent MUST come to the office with photo ID to SIGN OUT the student. Children will not be called to the office until the parent/ guardian has arrived in the office to pick them up. If someone other than a parent is to pick up a student, a note or phone call is necessary to verify the person has parental permission. No one under the age of 18 is allowed to sign out a student.

ELEMENTARY ACADEMIC REPORTING SYSTEM

Progress reports are issued four times a year at the end of each nine-week period: November, February, April and June. Interim reports are sent home in the middle of a grading period. A parent conference is held when the first report card is issued and as necessary. Grades are determined by:

EMERGENCY CARE INFORMATION FORMS

All parents are asked to fill out a school emergency information form on the first day of school. THIS FORM IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT and should be returned to school immediately. It provides the school with phone numbers in case of an emergency, and gives permission to admit a student to the hospital, if necessary. If your child has specialized medical needs, it should be noted on the form. Emergency contacts listed on a child’s Emergency Care Card may be contacted by the school to come pick up your child in the case of an emergency. Emergency contacts may not, however, contact the school to change a child’s transportation method or request release of a child during the school day. These decisions must be made by a legal guardian. It is very important that these emergency forms are kept up-to-date. If you change phone numbers or need to change emergency contact information, the office should be notified immediately or you can make changes online at http://www.fcps.edu/it/forms/se3.pdf. If you move, you must notify the office, complete a new registration form and present proof of residency for your new address.

ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (ESOL)

This program is designed to assist students who speak another language in the home and who need extra support for acquiring English language proficiency. ESOL students may be permanent residents, temporary residents, native-born, or refugees. Classroom teachers, specialists, and the ESOL teacher work together on academic, social, and cultural issues essential to the student’s progress. Classroom teachers and specialists are responsible for providing content instruction. ESOL teachers provide instruction in language arts and/or social studies and sometimes math, and serve as a resource on linguistic and cultural diversity issues for the entire staff. All elementary ESOL students in grades 1-6 are assigned to age appropriate grade level classrooms. Placement with peers provides language minority children with appropriate models for language and social development. ESOL students participate to some degree in additional language arts enrichment lessons as well as all content area lessons and classroom activities. Kindergarten language minority students do not receive direct instruction from an ESOL teacher. Their language acquisition needs are met through the hands-on, language-rich, interactive and participatory nature of their respective programs. Kindergarten teachers are encouraged to collaborate with the school’s ESOL teacher.

FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION

FCPS provides a comprehensive, sequential Family Life Education (FLE) program for kindergarten through grade twelve. The FLE program is designed to provide students with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to make healthy, responsible, respectful, and life-enhancing decisions related to human growth and development, relationships, substance abuse, and emotional and social health. Instruction is seen as a partnership among parents and guardians, the school, and the community in supporting the learning essential to the development of strong families, positive relationships, and a healthy community. Descriptions of grade level FLE lessons are available for review at any time. Contact the school office if you are interested in reviewing these materials. These lessons will routinely be taught to all students unless the parent specifically requests that the child be excluded. Parents/guardians may choose to opt out their child of all or part of the Family Life Education program. Students opted out are provided with an age-appropriate alternative health instruction, and every effort is made to foster respect for family choices. If you wish to opt your child out of all or part of FLE for this school year or would like more detailed information about grade level programs, please access the opt out forms, opt out letter, and program descriptions for each grade level at http://www.fcps.edu/is/hpe/fle.shtml. If you want to opt your child out of any or all FLE instruction, please download the opt out form, fill in the appropriate information, and return it to your child’s teacher by the end of September or prior to Family Life Education instruction.

FIELD TRIPS

Field trips are taken to reinforce lessons learned in the classroom. The school and the PTA, through a variety of fundraising activities, provide funds to expand the opportunities for students to go on field trips. Field trips are considered an important part of the school curriculum. Teachers need parental support and assistance on field trips. Look for these opportunities when field trip information is sent home.

FIRE, TORNADO, AND SAFETY DRILL PROCEDURES

During the school year, fire drills are held weekly the first month of school and monthly thereafter. During a fire drill, all persons are to evacuate the building immediately and may not stop to pick up personal items (i.e. coats, gloves, hats). There will also be tornado and lockdown drills. If you visit the school during a safety drill, you will have to wait until the end of the drill to enter or exit the building. By practicing these drills, we better equip our staff and students to be prepared in the event of an emergency.

FORGOTTEN ITEMS

If a student forgets their instrument or homework and the parent/guardian brings that item to school, the item will be placed on the table in the office. Forgotten lunches that are brought to school will be given to the cafeteria hostess for proper distribution. It is the responsibility of the student to check in the office or with the cafeteria hostess for forgotten items. If a student forgets his homework at the end of the day and a parent/guardian brings the student back, the office will call the student’s classroom. If the teacher is still in the classroom the student will be allowed to go and get their homework. If the teacher has left for the day, the student will not be allowed to go to the classroom. Please encourage and work with your child to become responsible in making sure all necessary items are packed prior to leaving the classroom.

GIFTED AND TALENTED (GT)

GIFTS

Students often want to recognize teachers through the giving of gifts. This practice is prohibited by School Board policy and is discouraged by the school. The greatest gift that any student can give a teacher is the reward that comes from being a part of the growth that takes place through hard work and success in the classroom.

HALLWAY PROCEDURES

HEALTH ROOM

Our school health room is staffed by Jennifer Bowen, health room aide (HRA), on Monday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. and on Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. Our school is also assigned a Public Health Nurse (PHN), Jeanne Vogt.
The school health room is not a medical clinic, therefore, only basic health care is provided for your child. If your child becomes sick or has an injury, you will be contacted according to guidelines. If your child needs to go home, he or she must be picked up as soon as possible. It is very important that the names of local emergency contact persons be listed on your child’s emergency care information sheet. They will be contacted to pick up your child if you cannot be reached.

Please do not send children to school if they are sick. It is difficult for them to concentrate and perform tasks when not feeling well, and it also puts other children at risk. Your child needs to stay home for 24 hours after he or she is fever free without the support of fever reducing medicine and/or vomiting is gone. If your child has a health concern that may affect his or her school day, please provide information on the health information form. Due to changing health concerns of each student, health information needs to be updated annually. This information will be held in confidence. If you wish to speak to the PHN in regards to a specific health related issue, please call the school health room at 703-924-4510, or our public health nurse at 703-704-6121. The school does NOT provide medications. If your child needs to have medication during the school day, a parent or guardian must bring the child’s medication to school along with a completed school medication form filled out by the parent or guardian, and the child’s doctor. These medication forms are available in the school health room, school office or online at http://www.fcps.edu/DIT/forms/se63.pdf.

DO NOT SEND MEDICATIONS TO SCHOOL WITH YOUR CHILD. A PARENT OR GUARDIAN MUST TRANSPORT MEDICATIONS TO AND FROM SCHOOL. This is to assure that medications are not lost or damaged or that other students do not have access to them. All prescription medications received in school are required to be counted. The HRA or school designee and the parent/ guardian will count medication. We ask for your patience and cooperation as we comply with this policy. Students are responsible for coming to the health room to take their medication. Due to the volume of medication dispensed, it is difficult to send reminders to all students who miss their medication. One final reminder: all medications left in the health room are destroyed by 11:00 a.m. on the last day of school. If there are extenuating circumstances that prohibit a parent/ guardian from picking up unused medication by this designated time, please contact the health room or main office.

HOMEWORK(See also Forgotten Items section):

Homework may be assigned to all students. As a general rule, the amount of work will increase as the student advances in school. If this work consistently exceeds one hour a night, you should contact your child’s teacher. Please encourage your child to read nightly. This may be done independently or with a parent or guardian. Requests for homework when your child is absent should be made directly with your child’s classroom teacher. Attempts to fill homework requests will be made, but cannot be guaranteed, as teachers are instructing throughout the day. If you made a homework request with your child’s classroom teacher, you may call the front office after 3:15 p.m. to verify if the request was able to be filled.

INSTRUCTIONAL TIME

Every effort is made to protect instructional time from outside interruptions. Emergency telephone calls and personal visits with students are permitted if approved by an administrator. Reviewing after school plans with your child PRIOR to them coming to school will help to safeguard your child’s learning time. The teacher has a responsibility to all children in the classroom from the time of their arrival to the end of the day and cannot stop instruction to talk with parents or visitors (see Conferences section).

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

FCPS offers students an opportunity to participate in an instrumental music program. There are two types of classes: band and strings. Band classes cover percussion, woodwind, and brass instruments and are offered to children in grades five and six. String classes cover violin, viola, cello, and bass. They are offered to children in grades four through six. Band and string classes meet once a week for approximately 45 minutes with the instructor. Both programs offer participation in area level band and orchestra for advanced students. Students participating in these programs are expected to maintain their classroom assignments while in the programs. Teachers will assist them with their assignments, but it is the student’s responsibility to complete all assigned lessons. Participating in these programs also requires commitment from the student to follow up on the classroom instruction with at-home practice. Their success will be directly related to the amount of time and effort they are willing to put into the at-home practice.

ITEMS BROUGHT TO SCHOOL

Please ensure students do not bring toys, including electronic games and game cards, to school or on the school bus. The school cannot be responsible for the safety and security of items brought from home. Parents are asked to make sure they know what their child brings to school. Be sure to monitor what your child selects for sharing time. Items for sharing should be of interest and value to the class and in connection with some phase of study. Items causing disruption will be collected for parents to pick up from the main office.

LOST AND FOUND

Please label all belongings. All items that are found in the school are placed in the Lost and Found located in the cafeteria. Students should check there first if they have misplaced something. Parents are welcome to come and check as well. Many items still go unclaimed each year and are donated to local charities.

LUNCH

School lunch menus will be sent home every month listing the lunches to be served by our cafeteria. Parents are welcome to eat with their children. Cost of lunch varies from year to year and will be included in the Back-to-School letter. No a la carte items are sold on Mondays. We are always happy to see a parent, grandparent, or sibling come to eat with a student. Visitors typically either purchase lunch from the cafeteria or bring a bag lunch from home. It is nice for students to see that grownups also eat nutritious lunches. We ask that you do not bring in soft drinks or “fast-food” lunches. The sale of soft drinks to students is prohibited in all Fairfax County Public Schools, from elementary through high school, during the school day. You may send in money for your child’s lunch account or you can go online to mylunchmoney.com and automatically pay for your child’s lunch. The account can be checked any time, and it’s a fast, easy way to make sure your child has lunch money.

MISSION AND VISION STATEMENTS

FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MISSION STATEMENT:

Fairfax County Public Schools, a world-class school system, inspires, enables,
and empowers students to meet high academic standards, lead ethical lives,
and demonstrate responsible citizenship.

FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS VISION STATEMENT:

Looking to the Future

Commitment to Opportunity

Community Support

Achievement

Accountability

HAYFIELD ELEMENTARY VISION STATEMENT:

HAYFIELD ELEMENTARY MISSION STATEMENT:

MOMENT OF SILENCE

OFFICE HOURS

ORGANIZATION

Hayfield Elementary School is organized by grade levels (K-6). Students are assigned to homerooms by grade level based on chronological age. Teachers at each grade level work as teams. Students may be flexibly grouped according to their skills for reading, language arts, and math, however, our goal is to maintain heterogeneous classes as much as possible. Research shows classes with mixed abilities create a positive learning environment for all students. Students attend art, music, physical education, and lunch with their homeroom.

PARKING AND PICKING UP OF STUDENTS

Parents driving students to school are required by Virginia State law to stop or wait for school buses with blinking red lights. County police are now requiring bus drivers to report license numbers of cars who pass their buses on school property when RED LIGHTS ARE BLINKING. To avoid this problem, parents should pick up their children in the school’s Kiss-and-Ride area marked by the blue curbs. Please do not park along the curb by Kiss-and-Ride loop during the school day. All students should be dropped off at KISS- AND-RIDE only. To ensure the safety of our students, parents may not drop off students behind or on the side of the building. When Kiss-and-Ride is closed, parents or guardians MUST park and walk their children into the school office. Please see our school website for our Kiss-and-Ride guideline video.

PATROLS

Hayfield Elementary has an outstanding Safety Patrol program. Children in grades five and six are eligible to be patrols. Patrols are expected to lead by example, so good citizenship is a requirement for participation. Patrols can be identified by the bright yellow or white belt that they always wear. They help to ensure that all safety rules are followed in the school, on the playground, walking to and from school, at the bus stop and while on the bus. Cooperation with the patrols will make Hayfield a safer place for everyone.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

RECESS PROCEDURES

During recess students participate in physical activity and are expected to follow safety rules.

Teachers will provide a variety of activities for students (kickball, playground equipment, jump rope, basketball, etc.) and encourage them to participate. Equipment and play activity ideas are available from the physical education teachers. In order for children to play in any area, there MUST be a teacher present. These areas are: blacktop, playground (wood chips), baseball diamond and grass area between playground and diamond. There will be no running in the wood chips and students are not allowed to chase each other.

SECURITY

In order to provide the most secure and comfortable setting for students, the following procedures will apply:

SPECIAL CLASSES

Children at Hayfield Elementary have special classes in physical education (PE), music, art, and library skills. Each homeroom attends all of these classes on a regularly scheduled basis. The physical education classes are held in the gym and on the athletic fields. Students should dress appropriately for vigorous physical activity in PE classes. Sandals, flip flops, Crocs, open-back shoes or any foot attire that are deemed unsafe by the principal are NOT allowed. Clothing should be loose fitting to allow for unrestricted movement. Dresses/skirts are not appropriate. All students must participate unless excused by a note from a doctor or parent. The music, PE, and art teachers, in addition to meeting with each class, assist with all of the grade level programs and work closely with the classroom teachers to integrate content areas. The librarian meets with all classes to reinforce SOL, library and reference skills and to foster a life-long love of reading. The librarian and SBTS (School Based Technology Specialist) meet with each grade level (K-6) on an ongoing basis to integrate library and technology skills with curriculum related activities.

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PROGRAM

All Fairfax County Public Schools offer programs for speech and language development. All kindergarten children and children in grades 1-3 new to the system are screened to identify any need for this service. Children must be found eligible through the Local Screening Committee to receive special education services in order to participate in this program. Those children found eligible meet with the speech and language pathologist according to the goals established in their Individual Educational Plan (IEP). The teacher, speech clinician and parent mutually agree to this plan. If you have any concerns regarding your child’s speech and language skills, please contact our school’s speech/language pathologist.

STUDENT COUNCIL ASSOCIATION (SCA)

Hayfield Elementary has an excellent SCA. All students in the school participate in the SCA general activities. The SCA gives students the opportunity to accept responsibility and use leadership skills. The objectives of the SCA are:

STUDENT RECORDS

All records maintained by the school are open for review by parents or guardians. These records may not be released to anyone outside the school system without written permission from the parent or guardian. If you wish to review your child’s records, please submit a request in writing to the school to schedule an appointment.

STUDENT SERVICES

All Fairfax County schools are served by a psychologist and a social worker. They are responsible for testing children referred for special programs, serving on the school’s local screening committee, reporting results of testing to parents and teachers, and counseling both children and parents. More information on these services can be obtained through the school office.

TARDINESS

A good start is the most important part of every day. Students who are late for school should report to the office. Consistent tardiness and/or early checkouts are detrimental to a student’s success in school. Please try to make sure that your child starts the day on time and remains for the entire day. Any student brought to school after 8:10 a.m. MUST be accompanied to the front office by a parent or guardian for check-in.

TECHNOLOGY

Elementary schools in the Hayfield Pyramid are proactively investigating best practices for student use of personally owned technology tools for instructional purposes. Once a protocol for personal technology use is put in place, elementary students in the Hayfield Pyramid schools will be allowed to use personal technology in the schools. Thank you for your understanding and commitment to the Hayfield Pyramid.

TELEPHONE USAGE

Students are permitted to use the telephone only when it appears absolutely essential for health and safety reasons. If a parent brings lunches, homework, or instruments for their child to the office, the child will not be notified that they are here. It is the child’s responsibility to stop by the office to collect his/her items.

TESTING

All Fairfax County schools participate in countywide testing programs conducted through the Office of Student Testing (571-423-1330). There are several different types of tests given to children in Fairfax County. The testing calendar for the year is distributed to parents through our school newsletter.

THURSDAY FOLDERS

Good communication between home and school is vital to a successful school experience for each child. Thursday is designated as take-home day when announcements, menus, student folders, interims, progress reports (four times during the year) and any handouts will be sent to parents. Periodically sending home communications on other daysmay be necessary. A school calendar is sent home monthly with our electronic School House News publication. The calendar and special events are updated weekly. Our School House News is now available via the Keep-in-Touch e-mail system and is linked to our school website. To receive this information online, please indicate your e-mail address on the Emergency Care Form (See Emergency Care Information Forms).

VANDALISM

Fairfax County citizens pay a great deal of money every year to keep schools attractive places for children to learn. If you are aware of any acts of vandalism, you should contact school security at 703-764-2400 or call the Fairfax County Police at 703-691-2131.

VISITING OTHER HOMES AFTER SCHOOL

Parents/guardians MUST send a note to the school if children are visiting another classmate’s home immediately after school. A note is needed from both sets of parents or legal guardians to verify the requested change. Arrangements are to be made at home that indicate the specifics of the arrangement to include transportation methods. If a visit requires a student to get off the bus at a different stop or to ride a different bus, permission will be given through the office. Bus drivers will not take children on the bus without permission from the school. A child will be sent home on his or her usual manner of transportation unless a written note is sent to school from the parent or guardian. Parents are highly encouraged to schedule and implement play-date and sleepover exchanges of children outside of school hours. During the busy school day, we do not have the human resources to support verifying the volume of requests that are made on a day to day basis.

VISITORS

Hayfield Elementary encourages parents/guardians to volunteer in their children’s classrooms and dine with their children during lunch. The school is open to parents at all times. Please call the school to find out if your child’s class is on their regular daily schedule so your visit will be meaningful. FCPS policy requires all visitors to report to the office when entering any public school building, show a photo ID and wear a visitor’s badge while in the school building.

WALKING

The Transportation Office has guidelines for establishing bus service for all students. Regulation 7103, III.A. states that “Transportation shall be provided for all elementary students living more than one mile from school.” Section III.B. says that “Regardless of the distance from home to school, bus transportation shall be provided if there is not a walking route free of… safety hazards. Evaluations shall consider such factors as walking surface, visibility, street crossings and special features.” Using these guidelines, the transportation office has determined that all students in Hayfield Elementary School boundaries, with the exception of students living in Hayfield Farm, will be provided bus service. Therefore, only students living in Hayfield Farm will be permitted to walk to and from school. To ensure our primary students meet up with their siblings or parents that walk them home, they are to meet up at the exit by the library (10/11). Crossing or walking down Telegraph Road is unsafe for elementary aged students, so most of our students are transported to school by bus.