Parents and Students

Welcome back to another wonderful year of school at Crossnore Elementary.  I’m excited about what this year will hold as we begin our journey of growing and learning.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.  We are your partners in education and student success cannot be achieved without you.

Sincerely,

Matthew Bentley, Principal

Doors Open 7:30AM

7:30AM Breakfast pick up and go to homeroom

7:30AM Earliest Student Drop-off

8:00AM Tardy Bell Rings & Student Day Begins

7:30AM-3:30PM Office Hours

TARDIES

Students are expected to arrive on time and be in the classroom at 8:00am.  Please allow a few extra minutes for traffic flow if you bring your child to school.  Students arriving after 8:00am are tardy and must pick up a tardy slip from the office.  

PARENT SIGN-IN

Any parent arriving after 8:00 must sign their child in in the front office.

VISITORS     

All visitors must report to the school office, sign in and receive a visitor’s pass.  Staff members have been instructed to ask any person without a visitor’s pass, to go to the office to get one.  

CAFETERIA                                                          Students are encouraged to eat a hot lunch provided by our cafeteria.   Lunch is free this year when students get whole meals.  Single items must be paid for.   Ice Cream will be $1.25.  Parents are welcome to eat with their children.

TELEPHONES/CELL PHONES & ELECTRONIC DEVICES 

The school’s telephone is a business phone.  To reduce the interruptions in the classroom, teachers cannot respond to phone calls during instructional time.        

Cell phones or electronic devices are not permitted at school.  Please do not allow students to bring electronic devices to school as they create distractions.  Cell phones or electronic devices brought to school will be confiscated and must be picked up by a parent.  

PROHIBITED ITEMS:  Glassware, Soft Drinks & Energy Drinks.  Due to the safety hazard of glass please do not pack lunches and snacks in glass.  Soft drinks should not be brought for breakfast, snacks, or lunch in accordance with Avery County Schools Student Wellness Policy.

MEDICINE                                                                           Board Policy requires a "Permission to Medicate" form for prescription and non-prescription medicines.  It must be signed by the parent and doctor and returned to the school office before medication can be given.  Medication forms can be picked up in the office.

ILLNESS RETURN POLICY

To keep all students healthy and well, students must be fever, throw-up, and diarrhea free without medication for 24hrs before returning to school.

TOBACCO POLICY

School policy prohibits use of tobacco products of any kind on school property.

STUDENT SCREENINGS

Health screenings provided at your child’s school include vision, hearing, dental as well as height and weight.  These screenings are not diagnostic.  School health screenings provide a process that allows for detection of health conditions that might negatively impact a child’s learning.  Parents/Guardians will be notified of any abnormal screening results.

If you have any questions or wish for your child not to participate in any of these health screenings throughout the year, please contact the school nurse.  

Student Handbook 2025-2026

Matthew Bentley, Principal  mattbentley@averyschools.net

Phone  828-737-7204        Fax  828-737-7209

SCHOOL HOURS     8:00AM -2:45PM

DISCIPLINE EXPECTATIONS

Teachers will share their classroom expectations with parents at the beginning of the school year.  To promote success, we will: emphasize the need for responsibility, help children resolve conflicts and solve problems, teach good social skills, and encourage students to work cooperatively with their peers and adults.  

STUDENT DRESS CODE

Students’ dress should be comfortable and in good taste.  Clothing advertising alcoholic beverages and tobacco products or containing inappropriate language and/or messages should not be worn.  Private body parts are to be covered. No undergarments shall be shown. Shirts or blouses must extend beyond belt level (front and back). Shorts must extend to mid-thigh, Rips in pants must be below mid-thigh, no sweatshirts or shirts shall extend further than shorts.  Items that shall not be worn: cut off shirts, Tube/Strapless/Halter/Backless/One-strap tops. No Hats/toboggans/ hoods or head coverings can be worn except for special occasions.

PROGRESS REPORTS                                                      Students will be given weekly/bi-weekly progress reports.   

GRADING/REPORT CARDS                                    Parent conferences will occur at the end of the first nine weeks.  Parents will receive report cards at those conferences.  Report cards will be sent home four times during the school year.  Report cards will be available by the seventh school day following the end of the grading period. 

PARENT CONFERENCES

Conferences may be scheduled by calling your child’s teacher after 3:00PM when students are gone for the day.  

Conferences during the school day may be scheduled during a classroom teacher’s planning period.  We do not have “extra” people to cover classes to allow classroom teachers to have conferences other than their planning time during the school day.  If you must meet during the school day, we must know in advance.  Teachers will schedule mandatory conferences with parents at the end of each grading period if needed.

BRINGING THINGS TO SCHOOL

To prevent misunderstandings about purchases, students may not buy, sell or trade personal items at school.  The only time students may bring toys, games, etc., to school is when their teachers instruct them to do so.  The students will assume full responsibility for any items brought to school.  No weapons of any type, including toy weapons, are permitted.

RIDING THE BUS

Riding the bus is a privilege.  Students failing to follow the bus conduct policy may lose this privilege.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

A student must be in school until 11:45AM or 3 hours and 45 minutes to be counted present for the day.

  Absence letters

      Absence notification letters are sent home on

      Absences 3,6, & 10 absences per NC policy.  

  Excused Absences- Each student is granted a total of 5 excused absences if a note is presented to your child’s teacher within three days of each absence explaining the reason for the absences.   Educational Opportunities must be requested, and form submitted two weeks prior to departing for principal approval.  If an educational opportunity is granted all make-up work must be turned in within three days of returning from your trip for final approval.  If the make-up work is not completed within three days of returning from your trip the days will be changed to unexcused absences.  

   Unexcused Absences

           Mediation- After 7 unexcused absences  

                 Parents will meet with Principal.

           Truancy- Truancy charges maybe filed after

                 10 unexcused absences per NC General  

                 Statute 115C-378.

SCHOOL BOOKS AND MATERIALS

Students are responsible for care and safekeeping of textbooks, library books and iPads.  Students will be required to pay for lost or damaged items.  Personal items found at school are placed in a lost and found barrel.  Items not reclaimed at the end of each grading period will be donated to charity.

SCHOOL PROPERTY

Students are expected to have respect for all school property and take good care of books, desks, computers, and other furniture, etc.

Evening Carpool line & Pick up.

School dismisses at 2:45PM.  Please do not line up for pick up prior to 2:15PM for safety reasons.  Please make the school accessible for children being picked up for doctor/dentist appointments. For safety reasons we discourage changing the way a child goes home, but if you must do so, please send a note with your child that morning.  Notes must be received from both taking and receiving parents.  In emergency situations changes to pick up need to be made before 1:30pm. Anyone picking up students must be on the students’ approved pick-up sheet kept in the office.

Field Trip Pick Up.

During Field Trips students must ride the bus back to the school unless written permission from both parties has been given and approved prior to the Field Trip departing the building.  Once the Field Trip leaves the building only the legal parent/guardian may pick up the student.

EARLY DISMISSAL/BAD WEATHER

When school is canceled or dismissed early because of inclement weather or other emergencies, School Messenger messages will be sent to all.  Announcements will also be posted on the ACS website, and ACS Facebook page.  

CROSSNORE

“A COMMUNITY OF CARING”