Teacher/Parent Communication:
We will communicate with each other through your child’s daily folder. Your child will bring home a burgundy folder in his/her backpack. Please take time to check this each day for notes, child’s work, school news, parent conference information, community events, and updated classroom information.
Students are responsible for bringing me any notes, information from you, etc. Your child needs to be responsible to give important paperwork, notes, homework, etc.
I will communicate with you personally by notes placed in your child’s folder, or by phone calls. Please feel free to do the same. You may call between 3:05 and 3:45 in the afternoons. The phone number at school is 828-697-4782. You can also e-mail me at school at mbjohnson@hcpsnc.org I check my e-mail at least once every school day.
Attendance:
Your child is expected to come to school each day unless they are ill. If your child misses school due to illness, please send a note upon returning explaining the absence. Otherwise, the absence may be considered “unexcused”. If your child gets sick at school we will call using the phone numbers you have provided to the school. If any of these numbers change during the year, please notify us immediately.
Tardies:
Children are tardy if they arrive after 8:15 am. If your child does arrive late, your child will have to go to the office to get a tardy slip. Tardies will go on your child’s attendance record. Please try to avoid tardiness, because it can be upsetting to your child, and it may interfere with planned activities.
Changes in Transportation:
If your child has any change in his/her transportation, we must have it in writing. If your child is going home with another child, we must have a note in order to release him/her to another parent.
Leaving School Early:
If your child will be leaving school early, please send a note in your child’s folder. If we receive a note, we will try to have your child ready to go when you arrive. Upon your arrival to pick up your child, it is mandatory that you sign your child out at the office. The office will then call for your child.
Conferences:
Conferences can be scheduled as often as necessary. Conferences will be scheduled before or after school, or during a workday or pull out time, so as not to interfere with the instructional day. You may schedule a conference any other time by sending a note in your child’s folder.
Breakfast:
Breakfast is offered free of charge to each student daily. Breakfast is not served after 8:15, so if your student needs to eat breakfast, please make sure s/he is here before 8:15.
Snack:
We have snack everyday at 2:15. Please provide your child with a nutritious snack every day. Also, please only send in water bottles. Fruit juices and other drinks contain a lot of sugar. This can interfere with their learning.
Lunch:
School lunches cost $2.30 per day for students. You may prepay with a check made out to Hillandale Elementary or go to the HCPS site and pay online. If your child brings a lunch from home milk can be purchased, if needed, in the cafeteria for $0.60. Please send in your child’s lunch or milk money in an envelope with your child’s name and amount on the envelope and place in your child’s homework folder. You can also directly give the money to the cafeteria staff so they can right away put in your child’s lunch account. If you send in extra money over the amount of your child’s purchase, it will be applied as a credit to your child’s lunch account. The school discourages charges. Our lunch time is 11:30-11:55.
Birthdays:
Birthdays are special days! We will be happy to celebrate with a special snack that you send in. This snack needs to be store bought. We look forward to celebrating with your child. However, if you are planning a party at home, we will only pass out party invitations at school if there is one for every child in the class. We want to make every effort to avoid hurt feelings.
Some Helpful Hints:
- Send your child in clothes for learning.
- Send all messages to school in writing. TRANSPORTATION CHANGES MUST BE IN WRITING.
- Children sometimes forget jackets, lunch boxes, etc at school. Please print your child’s name on his/her possessions.
- Have an early bedtime and keep a regular schedule.
- Get involved! Volunteer to help at school, join PTO, and most importantly talk to your child about school