F. E. Burleson Elementary

 PARENT HAND

School Numbers

          256-773-2411(Office)        256-751-5655(Fax)                                  

 Website: www.hartselletigers.org

Facebook:  @FEBSCHOOLINFO

Twitter:  @SchoolBurleson

Welcome to F. E. Burleson

F. E. Burleson is one of six schools in the Hartselle City Schools District with traditions dating back to 1916.  F. E. B. is recognized as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, Lighthouse School, Alabama Green Ribbon School, 2014 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School, and a 2015 CLAS Banner School. F. E. Burleson is also a Cognia Certified STEM school and Title 1 School.

Title I

Title 1 is a federally funded program that provides additional reading support for Burleson students.  Reading Intervention is explicit and direct reading instruction in a small group setting.  Students have specific goals that are attained through the collaboration of students, classroom teachers, parents, administration, and the interventionist.  A scientific approach to reading aides in closing academic gaps.  Students have the structure to attain their educational goals.  

School Day
The school day is from 7:45 A.M. to 2:45 P.M.  

• Doors are open at 7:15 A.M.  
• Students should be in their classrooms by 7:45 A.M.  Students arriving after 7:45 a.m. will be considered tardy.  Parents of tardy students should come into the building and sign the student in.
• Bus and car riders are dismissed at 2:45 P.M.
• Students must be picked up by 3:00 P.M. every day.  Students not picked up by 3:00 P.M. will be sent to the after school program and charged a fee.

As we establish procedures for the new year, parents will be allowed to walk students to class for the first 4 days of school only.  After that period, all students are expected to walk from the entry area of the building to their appropriate classroom on their own.

Attendance

Regular attendance at every level is essential for a student’s successful progress in the instructional program.

• Students are expected to arrive at school on time.
• Students should be in their classrooms by 7:45 A.M.
• Students arriving after 7:45 A.M. will be considered tardy.  Parents of tardy students should come into the office and sign the student in.
• A note for each absence or tardy must be sent to school within 3 school days.
• Tardy slips are issued to each student not in the appropriate classroom when the bell rings.

In accordance with Hartselle City Schools Code of Conduct and state law, only the following absences shall be considered excused absences, provided that for each absence a parent sends a note listing the reason for the absence.

• Illness
• Legal requirements
• Emergencies approved by the principal
• Special circumstances with prior approval by the principal

In order for students to be eligible for perfect attendance they may not have any absences or tardies (including check-ins and check-outs). A full explanation of the attendance policy and Early Warning Program is listed in the Hartselle City Schools Code of Conduct.

Checking In and Checking Out of School

• Students who check out prior to 11:30 A.M. and who do not return to school are considered absent for the day.
• Students who check in after 11:30 A.M. are considered absent for the day. Early check out from school interferes with learning and students are working on assignments through the end of the day.  Please arrange appointments outside of school hours if at all possible.

Visitors

Visitors are always welcome at FEB!  To help keep your child safe, there are guidelines that we ask you to follow when you come to school:

• All visitors must report to the office and sign in prior to visiting any location on campus.
• Visitors with a valid reason for visiting our campus will be issued a visitor’s pass, which must be worn in a visible location.
• Visitors should go only to the location noted on the sign-in sheet.
• Parents may walk their children to the classrooms the first 3 days of school.
• If lunch is the purpose of your visit, please go directly to the cafeteria and please say your goodbyes in the cafeteria.  We ask that you not accompany your child back to their classroom in order to protect instructional time and maintain routines.
• No unscheduled visitors will be allowed in classrooms without an administrator’s approval in order to protect the learning environment.

Free and Reduced Lunch Information

• Students that were exempt last year have until September 19th to turn in a new form before their Free and reduced status expires.
• After 30 days you  are responsible for any balance your student accumulates.

Easily pay for school meals at MySchoolBucks.com

• Our accounting machines will help keep track of the money as it is being used.
• If you receive a white slip from the lunchroom, this indicates a negative balance on your child’s account.
• Should your child forget their lunch or lunch money we will let them borrow money for lunch, however, borrowed lunch money needs to be returned the day after it is borrowed. 
• Administration intervention will occur for students borrowing lunch money that accrues to $10.00 or more.

Breakfast 
Breakfast is served from 7:15 – 7:30 A.M. 
We also offer “Breakfast to Go” beginning at 7:30. A breakfast cart will be in the hallway and students may purchase from the cart (payment remains the same as it would be as if they were eating in the cafeteria). They go directly to their classroom after purchasing.

Pricing

• Ala Carte snack .60 cents

Breakfast

• Student: $1.50
• Reduced Student Price: .30 cents
• Visitor: $2.25

Lunch

• Student: $2.35
• Reduced Student Price: .40 cents
• Visitor: $3.25 visitor

The lunch menu is subject to change depending on availability of items from suppliers.  

Parents and guardians are welcomed and encouraged to eat breakfast or lunch with their children.  PLEASE ALLOW YOUR CHILD THREE WEEKS TO ADJUST TO SCHOOL BEFORE YOU JOIN HIM/HER FOR LUNCH OR BREAKFAST.  (SEPTEMBER 4, 2019)

Be Our Guest Area

We welcome you to eat with your child .  Our special guest area is provided.  

• You must sit in the guest area with your child due to limited space at the lunch tables or go outside.
• You will eat lunch with only your child - they cannot invite a guest to sit with them.

Water Bottles

Water bottles are allowed in class.  F. E. Burleson continuously promotes recycling and sustainability as a part of our green school initiative.  This year we are excited to have a water “filling” station in each commons area. Your student can bring their own water bottle, and we will be offering a school logo water bottle for sale to offset the cost of our water stations and filters.  

Changes in Transportation

All changes in transportation must be made in writing to the school by the custodial parent or guardian.        

• The principal or principal’s designee will approve notes for changes in transportation in advance.
• Please refrain from calling the school concerning a change in transportation unless there is an emergency situation.

Parking and Traffic

         There are two entrances to F.E. Burleson Elementary School from Bethel Road, a north and a south entrance.  The north entrance, or the entrance closest to Bethel Baptist Church, is for bus traffic and Pre K pick up and drop off.  The south entrance is for car traffic to drop-off and pick-up students.

                Traffic is one way through the south parking lot.  All traffic should bear to the right throughout the parking lot and follow the arrows until reaching the exit onto Bethel Road.  The speed limit is 10 MPH while on school property.

                To help traffic flow more smoothly, in the mornings, please pull forward as far as possible according to teacher directions. Staff members will be located in front of the school to direct traffic. They may enter through the gym doors, or the front door.

         After school, students in third and fourth grades will wait for their ride in front of the gym.  Students in second grade and all students with siblings will be in front of the main office. Students in Kindergarten and first grade will be at the last awning.  For safety reasons, we must insist that students should only be allowed to exit and enter automobiles at curbside.  Please do not allow children to cross traffic and do not allow your child to exit in the parking lot and walk to the drop-off point.

Do not park in the high school parking lot.  

                We are a “No Idling” campus. The purpose of the No Idling Campaign is to reduce pollution from idling buses and cars that negatively affect a child’s healthy lung growth and development. This especially affects children who have asthma.  Please turn your engines off!

Custody of Students

If there is a change concerning a child’s custody, court orders or legal documentation must be provided.

Change of Address

It is important that parents notify the school immediately of any change in address and provide proof of residence. Also, when a phone number changes please notify immediately.  Unlisted numbers and other contact numbers should be supplied (these will be held in confidence upon request).

Check Writing Privilege/Money Matters

In compliance with state accounting procedures, only two (2) returned checks per year are allowed before check writing privileges are suspended until the close of the current school year.

• Your phone number has to be on the check. Our school system contracts with NEXCHECK – Merchant Services for the collection of returned checks.  If you realize that you may have inadvertently written a bad check to our school you may contact NEXCHECK at 1-800-639-2435 to arrange payment.
• When sending checks or cash for field trips, lunch money, t-shirts, programs, etc., please place the money in an envelope labeled with your child’s name, the name of the child’s teacher, and state what the money is being used for.
• Exact amounts must be sent, as we are not able to make change.
• Lost textbooks, library books, and cafeteria debt must be paid for through the office before the student’s last report card can be picked up.
• SEPARATE CHECKS SHOULD BE SENT TO EACH CHILD’S TEACHER.  PLEASE DO NOT SEND ONE CHECK FOR MORE THAN ONE CHILD.

My School Bucks-School Payments Simplified

        Go to myschoolbucks.com or download the app

        Visit the school store & add items to your cart

        Check out with your credit/debit card

Early Morning Program (Batter’s Box)

F. E. Burleson offers a before school program.  The “Batter’s Box” is available Monday through Friday beginning at 6:15 A.M.  If you are interested in enrolling in this program, please contact the office at 256-773-2411.

After School Enrichment (Third Base)

F. E. Burleson offers after-school care from 2:45 P.M. to 5:45 P.M. that includes homework help and supervised play.  The fee for this program is $46.00 for the first child.  There is a $25.00 non-refundable registration fee per family.   Information is available online and at the front office.  If you are interested in enrolling in this program, please contact the office at 256-773- 2411.

Student Withdrawal

• Parents should notify the school office of plans for withdrawal as soon as possible, prior to the student’s last day.
• Upon receiving an official request from the child’s new school, the child’s records will be mailed.
• A student’s blue immunization record may be picked up in the school office at the end of the day on the child’s last day of attendance.
• All school property must be turned in and all charges paid prior to the release of a student’s records.

Health Room

Mrs. Wendy Crawford is our school nurse.    

• The nurse notifies parents in the event that the child has a fever, is vomiting, has head lice, or is injured on the playground.
• In the event that your child becomes ill at school, parents, guardians or an emergency contact will be notified that the child needs to be picked-up from school.
• Students who are vomiting or have a fever are considered contagious and will be sent home. We ask that your child be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school.

Medication

Medication administered by the school nurse, health room aide, or principal’s designee should meet the following requirements:  

• All medication (prescription and non-prescription, such as over the counter), must be in the original container and be accompanied by a signed statement from the parent/legal guardian with the following:
  

Prescription Medication

• Name of the doctor
• Name of the student
• Name of the medication with dosage and route (oral, topical, etc.)
• Frequency and time of administration

Non-Prescription Medication: Over-the-Counter

• Name of the student
• Name of the medication with dosage and route (oral, topical, etc.)
• Frequency and time of administration

Inclement Weather

In order to provide a safe environment for all students, monthly fire and severe weather drills will be held.  Lockdown drills will be conducted once per semester.

• Hartselle City Schools has a rapid notification system, to enhance communication, especially during severe weather, to notify parents of school closings, late openings, or early departures.
• It is the responsibility of the parents/guardians to keep information current, such as phone numbers, email addresses.  Contact the office of any changes.
• Please understand that primary and secondary numbers will be used should such notification be necessary.
• Please refrain from calling the school regarding early closings, etc.  School phone lines should remain open in the event of an emergency and to ensure contact with the proper authorities. Remember, look for Hartselle City Schools closure (not Morgan County).
• In the event that school is released early, Hartselle City Schools After School program will be canceled for the day.

Tornado Warning:

• In the event of a tornado warning, all students will be moved to a secure area.
• If checking out a student during a tornado warning, it is suggested that parents remain on campus with their children until such time as Morgan County is no longer under a tornado warning.

Academic Information

Hartselle City Schools follow the Alabama Course of Study requirements issued by the Alabama State Department of Education.

Report Cards

• Report cards will be issued every nine weeks and are the official grading document that will be placed in a child’s cumulative folder at the end of the year.
• Records of individual students are available to parents/legal guardians and authorized personnel only.

Textbooks

• Textbooks are furnished by the State of Alabama and become the responsibility of the student to whom they are assigned.  
• Parents or guardians will be expected to pay for textbooks that are lost or damaged while issued to their child. 

Field Trips

As part of our students’ educational experience, they will have the opportunity to attend field trips with their classes.  Field trips are designed for the purpose of enhancing instruction and to provide students with desirable learning experiences.

• All students are expected to participate in scheduled field trips as these events hold comparable value to classwork.  Students not participating on field trips will be expected to complete an assignment related to the field trip.
• If a student does not attend a field trip and stays at home, they will be considered absent.
• Before any trip, a signed parental permission form is required for each student.
• All students are required to travel together by the method of travel approved for the trip.
• Throughout the year we may take part in a field trip to the high school.  You will be notified when your child will participate in a “walking” field trip to the high school.
• Private vehicles are not permitted for transporting students on field trips.
• Due to safety and liability issues, students’ siblings, friends, or relatives (birth – 18 years) may not attend or accompany field trips.  Violating this policy may result in the loss of future field trip privileges for the parent.
• Payments for field trips are non-refundable.  
• POOR STUDENT CONDUCT MAY RESULT IN THE LOSS OF FIELD TRIP PRIVILEGES.

Physical Education

F. E. Burleson students shall participate in a daily physical education program under the direction of a certified teacher.

• A student will be excused from PE only upon the teacher’s receiving a written excuse from the child’s parent or legal guardian.
• A doctor’s statement must be presented for students who have conditions that prohibit regular participation.
• Children are asked to wear tennis shoes and appropriate clothing for physical education for safety, comfort, freedom of movement, modesty, and protection of the gym floors.
• Shorts need to be worn under dresses.

Student Make-Up Work

Upon return to school from an excused absence, a student will be allowed a reasonable amount of time to complete any make-up work.  (This may include classwork, homework, or tests that may have been missed while the student was absent).

• The student should make arrangements with his/her teacher for completing assignments immediately upon the return to school.
• Make-up work will not be given the day of a student absence.  Parents or guardians may request make up work for students who are absent for three or more consecutive days of school.  This request should be made a day in advance of picking up the student’s work.
• An absence prior to a test date does not necessarily mean the student will be allowed to make-up the test on a later date.  Notification of the test date is vital, for example:  Test notice given on Monday for a test on Friday – if the student is absent on Thursday and returns to school on Friday and no new material pertaining to this test was given on Thursday, then the student will be expected to take the test on Friday.
• Students will not be given a grade for work assigned during an unexcused absence.  The parent or  guardian must notify the principal’s office and obtain permission in advance of a planned student absence.
• Suspension is an unexcused absence; therefore, make-up work will not be accepted.

Counseling Services

The guidance program is an integral part of the education of students in helping them gain essential skills to become healthy and productive citizens.  

• Students are assisted in areas such as communication, listening, decision-making, responsibility, social skills, problem solving, and self-awareness.  
• The counselor plans to meet with every student this year to offer encouragement or educational support.
• Parents are encouraged to contact the school guidance counselor, Leah Turner, for help concerning their child’s educational needs.

F. E. BURLESON GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

The Hartselle City School System Code of Conduct applies to all students when they are at school, attending a school function, or while using the school’s transportation system.  A complete description of offenses and consequences can be found in the Code of Conduct.

Campus Procedures and Expectations

Children learn best in a structured environment with a positive approach to discipline.

• Teachers have individual instructional styles and classroom management plans.  It is the responsibility of the student to follow the classroom rules and procedures and school rules.  
• Each teacher has their classroom management plan posted in their classroom and will explain it during their parent orientation meeting.  
• Your support and cooperation is encouraged in helping students follow these procedures.
• Students may not have electronic communication devices (pagers or cell phones) on at school.
• Should a student have a need to bring a phone to school, it should remain off and in the child’s book bag, which is stored in a locker.

Dress Code

• A dress code has been established in order to maintain a safe and appropriate atmosphere conducive to learning.
• Students must adhere to the guidelines that pertain to their cleanliness, attire, ornamentation, and appearance.
• The full board policy is listed in the Hartselle City Schools Code of Conduct.

Volunteers

Volunteer Orientation will be held throughout the year.

School Parties/Celebrations

School Parties 

Parties are allowed at the discretion of the grade level.  The homeroom parent(s) of your child’s room will coordinate snacks for these parties.        

• Snacks must meet the state mandated nutritional guidelines.
• Homeroom parents must always check with the teacher for any students with food allergies, and plan accordingly.

Invitations
Invitations to private parties may not be handed out at school unless they are given to everyone in the child’s whole class or all boys or girls in that class.  Invitations may not be passed out in other classes.

Deliveries for Special Occasions/Gifts

Deliveries such as flowers, gifts, and balloons are not accepted.

State Nutritional Guidelines

                In order to be in compliance with the State Department of Education Nutrition Policies that are now in effect, please remember that foods or beverages that have sugar or high fructose corn syrup listed as the first ingredient are prohibited from being served at school parties. These are all types of candy (including sugar-free), marshmallows, licorice, cotton candy, candy-coated popcorn, or chewing gum.

The Student Health Initiative provided the following as recommendations for party treats:

• Beverages
  Water (plain or flavored), 100% Fruit Juice, Fruit Smoothies, and milk (non-fat or low fat, plain or flavored)
  
• Snack Items 
  1 to 1.5 ounces of the following snack foods that have less than 30 grams of carbohydrate and less than 360 mg or sodium, such as pretzels, animal or graham crackers, baked chips or baked tortilla chips, low fat fruit or grain muffins, fat-free popcorn (94% fat free), peanut butter and crackers, fruit nut and/or grain trail mixes, and cookies, cupcakes or other baked items that do not have sugar or high fructose corn syrup as the first ingredient, if the item is a prepackaged product.

Buses

Hartselle City Schools provides bus service for students in Hartselle City.  

• Students are to obey all instructions of the driver.  
• Students are subject to suspension for inappropriate behavior.  
• Students riding the bus receive a copy of the bus rules each year.  Please review these rules with your child and return the signed portion of the bus rules to your child’s bus driver.
• No balloons or any other large or glass objects may be taken on the bus.  
• No food, drinks, chewing gum, smoking or any other form of tobacco are permitted on the bus.

 F. E. Burleson Parent Teacher Organization

Burleson’s PTO officers and volunteers are an important part of helping FEB be a Great Place to Learn.

• Parent membership in the PTO is encouraged of all Burleson parents each year.
• There is a membership fee of $10.00 for each family, which should be paid at the time of application for membership.
  

PTO Officers for the 2019-2020 School Year

President: Lisa Bennich;  Vice-President: Patti Wright;  Secretary: Tee Jay Mitchell

Treasurer: Amber Balew ;  Volunteer Coordinator: Jama Howell

PTO Information Found on Facebook: search  FE Burleson PTO 2019-2020

Signing the welcome sign in sheet acknowledges you have received the F. E. Burleson Elementary School Parent Handbook.

Welcome to Burleson - we are glad you are here!