Back to School 2017 - General Information

    School Begins on Tuesday, September 5, 2017  

       

    School hours are 9:00 a.m. - 3:25 p.m.

     

    Arrival at School  

    Students should arrive at school no earlier than 8:40 a.m. since supervision cannot be provided until then.  Between 8:40 a.m. and 8:50 a.m., all students will line up in the hallway outside their classrooms.  Students being dropped off in the carpool lane should enter the building through the front entrance doors into the addition and then walk to their classrooms and line up outside their rooms.  Students who either walk to school or ride the bus should enter the building through the main entrance doors by the main office and then proceed to their classrooms.  Students will enter their classrooms beginning at

    8:50 a.m.  After 9:00 a.m., students are marked tardy and must report to the office.  

    Before and After-School Activities  

    The KidsCo Daycare, which is located in the All Purpose Room at Luxmanor, offers before and after school care for students.  Luxmanor's director for the 2017-2018 school year will be Arlin DeLarosa. Please call the KidsCo main office at 301-740-9600 for more information.    

    Birthday Celebrations at School

    Birthday boys and girls will be recognized each day as part of the morning announcements.  Each child will come to the office for a special birthday pencil.  Every month, students with birthdays that month will be invited to a special Birthday Bash to celebrate.  Students will receive an extra recess with the principal and assistant principal.  Birthdays during the summer will also be recognized.  Parents may not bring individual birthday treats for their children's classmates.

    Bus Transportation

    Please see the tentative bus schedule below.  Note that the four-digit route numbers displayed in the windows on the sides of the bus, not the two or three digit numbers painted on the bus, are used to identify which bus a child should ride. Any questions about bus schedules should be directed to the Transportation Office at 301-469-1140.  Adjustments in the routes or times expected for bus arrivals are common over the first week of school as it is difficult to determine the exact time for a stop.  Following the first week, students should arrive at the stop at least 5 minutes before the bus is expected.  Finalized bus schedules will be posted on the Luxmanor website the week before school begins.  

     

    Carpool Lane Procedures

    Student safety is our number one concern.  If you are driving your children to school, please adhere to the following procedures for dropping off and picking up your child during arrival and dismissal.  Our goal is to get you through the line as quickly and safely as possible. 

    Morning Drop-Off

    1. When dropping off your child, follow the drop off lane back to the addition.

    2.  Pull up to the end of the carpool lane , which is located next to the green drop off sign at the end of the building addition.  This will allow several additional cars to pull off Tilden Lane.

    3. Once your child has access to the sidewalk, he/she may exit the car from the passenger's side.  Please have your child ready to exit the car.   One of the largest delays in the carpool lane is when students are not ready to exit the car. 

    4. After your child has exited the car, you may pull into the left lane to exit the carpool lane.

    5. Please do not leave your car unattended in the drop off lane.  Cars which are unattended even for a brief period of time, cause unintended delays for other parents in the carpool lane.    

    6. All cars enter and exit the carpool lane using the same driveway.

    Afternoon Pick-Up

    1.  Pull up to the end of the carpool lane , which is located next to the green drop off sign at the end of the building addition.  This will allow several additional cars to pull off Tilden Lane.

    2. Students will be dismissed to any car that has access to the sidewalk on the passenger side.  Once you have picked up your child, you may pull into the left lane to exit the carpool lane.  Please do not leave your car unattended in the car pool lane.  This will cause delays for other parents who are in the car pool lane and will contribute to the back-up onto Tilden Lane.

    3. Do not remain in the carpool lane once you have picked up your child.  This causes delays in the lane which contribute to the back-up onto Tilden Lane. 

    4. Please talk with your child to ensure they are ready and waiting at the pick-up lane.  

    Dismissal at School

    There are separate exit doors for students who are walkers and car riders. 

    • Kindergarten students who walk home or are being picked up will be dismissed by a staff member from the outside door to Room K2 in the front of the building.  This is the second door to the right of the main entrance doors as you face the building.
    • All other students in grades 1-5 will exit the building from the exit doors next to the gymnasium. 

    If your child has a change in the way they normally go home, please send a note to the teacher informing them of the change.   Without a note, we will send your child home their normally scheduled way.  For example, if your child is normally a bus rider, but they need to begin going home a different way one of the days of the week, please send a note on those days to remind both your child and the teacher.  Teachers have a lot to keep track of during the day and especially at dismissal and we want to make sure that all of our students are safe after school and arrive at the correct destination .  Please do not email changes for dismissal.  Teachers may not see your email until after dismissal.

     

    Early Dismissal Days/Delayed Opening Days

    Students are dismissed from school at 12:55 p.m. on early dismissal days.   This includes days already scheduled on the calendar for early dismissal, such as parent/teacher conference days, as well as early dismissal days for inclement weather.  Students eat lunch at school prior to leaving school on early dismissal days.

    If we have a delayed opening due to inclement weather, the morning schedule is shifted back by two hours and the official school day begins at 11:00 a.m.  Students may arrive to school at 10:40 a.m. and proceed to their regular line-up location.  There is no breakfast served on delayed opening days.  Bus schedules for delayed openings are also shifted back for two hours.  For example, if your child normally gets picked up at 8:30 a.m. by the bus, they will be picked up at 10:30 a.m.  Students will still eat lunch at school.  More information can be found on the MCPS website.

    Food in School

    All food brought to school to be shared with other students must be purchased from a store and a list of ingredients must be on the container.  Many students have allergies to a wide variety of ingredients.  No homemade foods will be served to students.

    Leaving School

    Students are expected to return home directly after school.   Students who are going home with a friend must  have a written note from a parent.  The receiving parent must also write a note to confirm.  Students are not permitted to change after school plans without a written note from their parents.  These precautions are taken to ensure the safety of your child.  Additionally, students may not stay after school at Luxmanor unless they have written parental permission to stay for a school sponsored after-school activity.  Students are not permitted on the Luxmanor playground after school unless they have first returned home and then return to school with parental supervision.   

    Lunch Procedures

    Children may bring lunch or purchase a school lunch.  The SNAP program is used for keeping funds in an account for this purpose.  (Any money left over from last year in a student's account will roll over into his/her account this year).  Even if your child normally brings a lunch to school, it is wise to place a small amount of money in the account for emergency situations.  Because of the SNAP program, there should be no need for the school office to loan money to students. Parents are expected to put money in their child's account for this purpose.  When a child does not have a lunch or money on account with the SNAP program, he/she will call the parent and have the parent bring either a lunch or money to school.  Having a small SNAP account for such occasions is much more convenient!  Guidelines and application forms for free and reduced price lunch will be sent home the first week of school.   

     

    Checks used to pay for school meals must contain an address, phone number and student pin number.  Returned checks are subject to recovery for the face value and Maryland State allowed fee of $25 through an electronic debit or paper draft to the same account.  Your payment by check constitutes your acceptance of these terms.  If you have any questions concerning our check acceptance policy, please call CHECKredi at 1-800-239-1222.

     

    You will find additional information regarding the SNAP program and the first week of school lunch menu attached.

     

    Lunch prices for this school year are:

    Breakfast                                                        Lunch

    Regular Price  $1.30                                       Regular Price  $2.55

    Reduced          No Cost                                   Reduced              .40

        

    Medication at School

    No medication will be administered in school unless the child's parent/guardian and physician have completed an authorization form.  These forms are available in the main office and are required for each medication a child must take during the school day.  If your child will need medication on the first day of school, the completed form and medicine should be brought to school in advance.  Medication, including non-prescription, must not be sent to school with the student under any circumstances.

    Messages

    Emergency messages only  may be delivered to students at school so that instructional time is not interrupted.  Students may use the phone near the office with teacher permission and a hall pass. 

    School Supplies

    Teachers have prepared a list of school supplies that they would like students to have.  Please label all your child's supplies and belongings.  If pocket folders are requested, pockets should be on the bottom rather than at sides. (See attachment for further information)

    We are committed to providing all students, regardless of their economic circumstances, with full access to the instructional program.  If you need assistance for any requested expense, or with providing the organizational tools and personal supplies, please contact your child's teacher, Mrs. Silverberg or Mr. Forkert.

    Security Procedures

    We use an Access Control System (ACS) as part of the initiative to enhance school security in all elementary schools.  The ACS consists of a surveillance camera installed at the main entrance with a second camera installed at the side entrance next to the portable classrooms.  A remote locking system, controlled from the main office, allows entry into the building during the period between students' morning arrival times and afternoon dismissal times.  When a visitor arrives during these times, they will be prompted to press an alert button at the main entrance.  Office staff will provide controlled entry into the school.  Visitors arriving at the side entrance will be instructed to enter only through the main entrance.  In order to ensure the successful implementation of the ACS, all other entrances to the school building will remain secured at all times. All visitors must report to the main office to sign in. 

    Additionally, we use an electronic visitor management system in our school to assist school staff in identifying and verifying the business of visitors to the school.  All visitors will need to provide a driver's license or another form of identification.   Those without an ID card will need to provide information to be entered manually.  A visitor's badge will be generated to be worn while in the building and returned at the end of the visit.  Once your information is in the system, badges will be generated quickly. 

    Student Absences and Tardies

    Parents are asked to call the school office (240-740-0820) in the morning if their child is not going to attend school that day.  For your convenience, an answering machine is turned on when the office is closed so that parents can leave messages about absent students.  If you wish to call the school before 8:00 a.m. to report an absent student, leave your child's name, his/her teacher's name, and the reason for the absence on the recorder.  A written note must be sent to the teacher when your child returns.

     

    In addition to calling school to report an absence, you can also report it on the Luxmanor website.  On the front page of the website, you can click on "Report a Student Absent" on the left hand side, where you are able to fill in the information to report an absence for your child.

     

    PLEASE NOTE: The Maryland State Department of Education attendance policy for all students in Maryland counties are: 

    • Students will be recorded as a.m. absent, if they arrive at school more than two hours late.
    • Students will be recorded as p.m. absent, if they leave school more than two hours early.
    • Students will be recorded as either a.m. absent or p.m. absent, if they are absent from school for more than two hours, but less than four hours during the school day.
    • Students will be recorded as full-day absent, if they are present for less than two hours of the school day.
    • Students will be recorded as full-day present, if they are present for more than four hours of the school day.

    It is vital that your child comes to school on time.  Instruction for students begins promptly at 9:00 a.m.  Students who enter school after 9:00 a.m. are marked as tardy .  Students who report to school after 9:00 a.m. must be accompanied by a parent into the school   to obtain a late slip/admit pass in the main office before reporting to their homerooms.