ANSWERS PROVIDED BELOW ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DEPENDING ON COUNTY AND STATE GUIDANCE.
ANSWERS PROVIDED BELOW ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DEPENDING ON COUNTY AND STATE GUIDANCE.
What vaccinations are required by law in North Carolina to remain enrolled in kindergarten?
You can find a list of vaccinations that are required for kindergarten here.
How long can my student stay in school without having their required vaccinations?
Please contact our data manager, Ghenet Lennon (glennon@wcpss.net) for questions about vaccines.
How do I know what school my student will be assigned to next year?
You can look up what your base school will be here.
How do I enroll my student at Swift Creek Elementary School?
To enroll your student at Swift Creek, contact our data manager, Ghenet Lennon (glennon@wcpss.net).
What is staggered entry?
Staggered entry is held at the beginning of the school year. Students will come in on a scheduled day to meet the teachers, complete some beginning of the year assessments, and transition into their new learning environment.
When is staggered entry for the 2021 - 2022 school year?
Come back for more information as we get closer to the beginning of the school year!
How do I stay up to date on important WCPSS information?
The district uses the SchoolMessenger notification service to send important information to families through phone calls, email, and text messages. General school news is shared by email and text message. Phone calls are used for urgent school news. For directions on how to opt-in to these messages after you've enrolled your student, follow this link.
I would like to volunteer at Swift Creek. How can I make this happen?
State law (N.C. General Statute 95-28.3) provides parents up to four hours of unpaid leave each year to volunteer in your child’s school. All school volunteers must register and pass a criminal background check. To register as a volunteer, visit your child's school during school hours and bring your photo identification. See Board Policy regarding School Volunteers. Please note that, as of right now, outside visitors are restricted in WCPSS schools.
Can I come and read with students in the classroom?
Come back for more information as we get closer to the beginning of the school year!
What time do the kindergarteners eat lunch?
Come back for more information as we get closer to the beginning of the school year!
How much is school lunch?
In the 2019-2020 school year, breakfast was $1.25 and lunch was $2.75 without any support from the free and reduced-price lunch program.
Where do I apply for free and reduced lunch?
You can apply for free and reduced-price lunch here.
How do I get money into my child's lunch account?
Please visit this website for how to enroll in a program that allows you to put money into your students lunch account online.
How do I request transportation for my student for the 2021 - 2022 school year?
To request transportation for your student to get to and from Swift Creek, contact our data manager, Ghenet Lennon (glennon@wcpss.net).
I have transportation questions. Who do I get in contact with to get my questions answered?
For all other transportation questions, please reach out to our assistant principal, ShaRhonda Smith (ssmith18@wcpss.net).
For all WCPSS school policies, please see the Student/Parent Handbook. All answers are based off of the previous school year and are subject to change with new guidance from the county and state.
For more information, please visit the WCPSS website.
What counts as an excused absence?
For an absence to be considered excused, your student must bring in a note within two days clarifying the reason for the absence. If the absence falls under any of the following circumstances, the absence will be considered excused:
illness or injury
a death in the family
health care appointments
court appearances
religious observance
natural disasters
outside educational opportunities (if approved)
My student is going to be absent because of an outside educational opportunity. How do I get this excused?
To excuse an absent that was caused by an outside educational opportunity, please fill out this form and submit it to the front office.
How long do I have to send in a note for my student's absence to be considered excused?
A note must be sent with the student within two days of the absence to be considered excused.
For more information, please visit the WCPSS website.
Where can I find if WCPSS has been cancelled or delayed?
As soon as the decision is made to cancel or delay school, WCPSS will:
notify local radio and television stations
update our website's front page
notify our schools, which will typically update their own websites and main phone lines
If the weather is bad enough to make a decision the day or night before, we will do so in time for the 11 p.m. newscasts. Otherwise, a decision will be made at 4:45 a.m.
How will my student go home if WCPSS closes early due to inclement weather?
We will always send students home according to what is indicated on the inclement weather transportation form you will out at the beginning of the year unless otherwise noted by a guardian. If we do not hear from you, we will assume your student is going home according to what was written on that form.
Please contact our school nurse Tammy McGugan (tmcgugan@wcpss.net) to develop a health/medication plan or to have any of your questions answered.
My student has medication. What are my responsibilities as the guardian and how do I inform the school?
It is the parent's responsibility to inform the child's teacher or principal if there are medical conditions that require special measures such as dietary or activity restrictions at school for the student. School Nurses are available for health consultation, but are not present at the school on a daily basis.
School staff may administer medication to students only when the Parent and Physician Order for Medication form (Form 1702 - found here) is completed by the parent and physician and present at the school. Form 1702 is also available from the school. No medication will be given by a school official unless it is in a container dispensed by a pharmacy with the student’s name, name of medication, date prescription was filled, and directions clearly marked. A new medication form must be completed if there are changes in medication directions. Parents or guardians are responsible for monitoring medication expiration dates and replacing medication when expired.
If there is no medication on hand in the event of an emergency, the school will call 911.
At the beginning of each school year, an adult will need to bring the medicine along with the completed form 1702 to the school. The school cannot give medicine to your child without this form.
What is WCPSS's recommendations and policies for head lice?
Please check your child's scalp often for nits and live lice. Instruct family members not to share combs, brushes, hats and other personal items.
Children may come back to school after being treated for lice. Only nits that are within 1/4" from the scalp must be removed
My student has diabetes. What do I do?
The following procedures were adopted regarding the management of children with diabetes in the school setting:
A parental request to initiate an Individual Diabetes Care Plan
Parent/guardian(s) responsibilities for the Individual Diabetes Care Plan
The Individual Diabetes Care Plan – which includes the emergency action plan for conditions of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), as well as information on the individual’s blood sugar monitoring, insulin and oral medications, and food/exercise requirements
School responsibilities for the Individual Diabetes Care Plan
Information and training will be made available to teachers and other school personnel in order to appropriately support and assist students with diabetes.
How does medication get administered at the elementary level?
Only emergency medications may be self-carried and administered at the elementary level, if approved.
Sunscreen products and insect repellent products are considered medication and must be accompanied by a completed medication form. These products should be in the original container and labeled with the student’s name. Lip balm does not require a medication form and is for self-use and self-carry.
An adult is responsible for transporting all medicines at the elementary school level unless the medication is an emergency medication that the child has permission to keep with them.
How does my student get approved to self-medicate?
At all school levels, students may self-medicate with emergency prescription medication if they have permission to do so documented on their Parent and Physician Order for Medication form.
State law allows students who have met certain conditions to carry and self-administer emergency medication during the school day and at all school-sponsored after-school events, including transportation to and from the event, for asthma and severe, life-threatening allergies (anaphylaxis). Medication includes asthma inhalers and injectable epinephrine.
The parent or guardian must provide the school with a completed Parent and Physician Order for Medication form.
The student must be observed and certified by the school nurse to be able to self-administer the medication.
My student has severe, life-threatening allergies. What do I do?
There is increasing frequency and intensity of allergic reactions that impact students in the educational environment. Parents of a student with a life-threatening allergy must provide the school with documentation from a licensed healthcare provider. This information should include the specific allergy and medical requirements needed for the student. Staff who will work in partnership with the parents to develop an emergency medical plan may include but are not limited to the principal, school nurse, student’s teachers, after school care coordinator, First Aid Response teams and the cafeteria manager if appropriate. The school system takes seriously its responsibility to take reasonable steps to protect the safety of its students. The goal is to increase awareness & communication, to prevent possible exposure to identified allergens, and to create an emergency procedure for allergic reactions.