School Policies

    School Hours 

    Office Hours:  8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.                   

    School Day:        9:00 a.m. – 3:25 p.m.   

    Early Dismissal: 12:55 p.m. 

    Official school hours for all students K-5 are 9:00 a.m. - 3:25 p.m. (6 hours, 25 minutes, the instructional day for students).  The bell rings at 8:55 a.m., the time at which all students should be present.  Daily attendance and punctuality are very important to school success.  Please make every effort to ensure your child is present and ON TIME every day.  Students arriving at 9:00 a.m. or after will be considered tardy.

    School office hours are 8:15 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  If you need to call other than this time period, please leave a message on the answering machine, giving your child's name and teacher's name.

    STUDENTS SHOULD NOT ARRIVE AT SCHOOL BEFORE 8:40 a.m.  School doors will remain locked until this time.  They should line up at the designated areas where teachers will be on duty.  Kindergarten, grades one, two and LFI will line up in the all-purpose room.  Students in grades 3-5 will line up in designated hallways outside of their clusters and the Media Center. 

     

    Absence Policy

    Daily, consistent attendance at school equates with school success.  We urge students and parents to make school a priority and to schedule vacations around the school calendar.  As always, parents are asked to call the school by 9:00 a.m. if their child/children will be absent or arrive late.  In addition, a written explanation of each student's absence is required from the parent when the student returns to school.  The request for students to leave school at a time other than regular dismissal time must always be made in writing by the parent/guardian.

    In accordance with the Maryland School Performance Program:
    •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.

    If your child will be absent, please call the School Office as soon after 8:00 am as possible.  If you suspect your child has a communicable disease, please note that at the time of your call.  The school will attempt to verify the apparent absence of any student whose parents have not called.
     
    Dated notes, stating the specific reasons for absences, signed by a parent or guardian, are required no later than one day following an absence.  Excused absences from school include:  illness, doctor or dentist appointment, death in the immediate family, observance of a religious holiday, or a court order.

    Late Arrival

    Children who arrive late to school must be signed in at the office by a parent or guardian.  Students should also have a written excuse for tardiness, signed by their parent or legal guardian.

    Delayed Opening/Early Dismissal/Closing of Schools


    If schools open late or dismiss early, the time and instructions regarding kindergarten through grade five will be announced promptly and regularly on radio and television, as soon as this information is available. Please listen to local news and weather stations for updates or log on to:  https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/   Please do not call the school.  Sign up for MCPS Quick notes at https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/quicknotes/ to receive instant email notices regarding school closing and delayed openings.  

    If schools open two hours late, buses will arrive at their pick-up points two hours later than normal. Classes will begin two hours later than their usual beginning time. All day or early closings automatically cancel all afternoon and evening activities in the school. All emergency closings, late openings, or early dismissals are announced promptly and regularly on radio and television. Parents should plan to make arrangements for their children to cover emergency dismissal, etc. when no one is home to receive students. Following these procedures will keep your child from feeling anxious or upset.

    Safety and Transportation


    Students may not ride buses other than the bus to which they are assigned.  Non-bus students (walkers) are not permitted to ride the buses.  For your child's safety, we must have a note from you pertaining to after school arrangements.  Students may not change their own dismissal schedule without parental permission. 

    Please be reminded that the front of the school is a PICK-UP/DROP-OFF LOOP ONLY.   Parked cars in this area only serve to disrupt the normal flow of traffic and potentially cause unnecessary accidents.  Please, NO PARKING IN THE PICK-UP/DROP-OFF LOOP!  When picking up students from dismissal, please do not loiter.  For safety reasons, the front area should be cleared promptly.  In addition, please refrain from parking in the staff designated parking lot.  There are a limited amount of parking spots and these are reserved for Stonegate staff members only.

    Please be mindful of the designated bus lane when discharging and picking up students.  If your child is a walker, please assist him/her in selecting a safe, regular route for walking to and from school.  Please encourage the children to walk in groups.

    SAFETY CROSSING GUARDS

    An adult crossing guard is located at the intersection of Fieldstone Road and Notley Road to ensure the safety of pedestrians during the school’s arrival and dismissal process.  It is state law to obey the commands of all official county crossing guards. 

    SAFETY PATROLS

    Patrols have been assigned their posts and should be on duty the first day of school. Patrols should report at 8:30 a.m.  Patrols should follow the same procedures that they used during the last week of school.  There will be no patrol meeting prior to the opening of school.  Once school has started there will be an opportunity to add new patrols as needed.

    SAFETY:  BUSES

    At the elementary level, parents are responsible for student safety at bus stops (school safety patrols assist).  Students who wish to go home with a classmate after school (either by car or riding a different bus) must bring a signed note to the office in the morning for verification.  The bus drivers will not allow students on buses without written parent/school permission.  Teachers must sign the parent permission note before child is to go home on a different bus.

    Release of Children

    For the safety of all children, it is requested that parents who wish to pick up their children to attend after-school appointments do so before 3:10 p.m.  Students will not be released between 3:10 p.m. - 3:25 p.m.  When picking up students prior to dismissal, parents must sign them out in the office.  The student will be called from the classroom to the office.  For safety reasons no student will be dismissed directly from the classroom.  Students will not be released to unknown parties.

     

    If there are any changes to your child’s regular p.m. schedule, please have all arrangements made before the start of the school day.  If it is necessary for a student to be picked up by someone other than the parent, the school must receive written permission from the parent.  Identification must be provided at the time of pickup. If in a special circumstance, a student who normally walks, must ride a bus, or vice versa, the student must bring in a note from the parents to be signed by a member of the administration or classroom teacher.  If an emergency should arise during the day which changes the dismissal plan for your child, please call the school as soon as possible, but no later than 3:00 p.m., to ensure adequate notice for your child.  Please review with your child that he/she is never to leave school during the day without the permission from the office and the teacher. 

    Breakfast/Lunch/Recess

    Breakfast is served every day in the cafeteria. Breakfast hours will be from 8:40 a.m.- 8:55 a.m.  We will make concessions for those students who arrive late due to bus issues.  The cost of school breakfast is $1.30, lunch is $2.55, and milk will be 60 cents. The lunch/recess period is one hour.  Menus are sent home on the first day of each month and can be found on the school’s website.  Hot lunches are served daily with alternate choices.  Lunch is $2.55 including milk.  Milk may be purchased separately for 60 cents. Parents are highly encouraged to start a SNAP (Student Nutrition Accountability Program-computerized cash register system) account for their child.  This will eliminate lost or forgotten lunch money.  The price of lunch or a snack will be subtracted from the account.  Low-balance letters will be sent home once a week, from the cafeteria manager, when a child’s account is lower than $20.00.  Cheese sandwiches will be offered to children who have forgotten a lunch or have exhausted funds from their SNAP account.   The maximum negative amount allowed on a SNAP account is $10.00.  Once this negative balance is reached, students will receive cheese sandwiches instead of a meal.  Money deposited on the student’s account by the parent/adult will be applied to the negative balance.   Checks should be made payable to Stonegate School Cafeteria.  A prepayment form can be found in this mailing.  Please also check out myLunchMoney.com.  

    Free or reduced lunches are available to eligible students.  Guidelines and application forms will be sent home the first week of school. The application process for the Free and Reduced-price Meals System (FARMS) is a household application. Parents and guardians will need to submit just one application that is pre-printed listing all the children in the household who attend Montgomery County Public Schools.  Please be sure that the names, ID numbers, birthdate, and schools of the children for whom you are applying are listed. (Parents/guardians are reminded that student identification numbers can be found on report cards.)  Since all students from a household will apply on one application, only the youngest child in the household will receive an application the first week of school. If you believe your child may be eligible for free or reduced meals, please complete and mail the application form as indicated.  Those approved for free/reduced lunch during the 2015-2016 school year must reapply.

    School policy states that students will go outside for recess when it is 32 degrees or warmer.  (Wind chill temperatures may be factored into decisions made.)  You should make sure your child comes to school with appropriate winter clothing, hats and gloves, etc., as they will be going outside for recess on most days.

     

    School Store

    The Shark Shack is open on THURSDAYS from 8:40 to 9:05 am.

    Report Cards and Conferences

    Report cards for Grades K-5 are distributed four times each year in nine week cycles - November, January, April and June.

    Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled at the end of the first nine week period for each student in Grades K-5 in November.   November Conference sign up will begin during Back to School Night.  It is requested that appointments for other conferences with teachers or the principal be scheduled in advance.  We can spend more time for your conference if we have prior notice to arrange our schedules.

    Meeting With Teachers Throughout The School Year

    hould you require a time to meet with a staff member, please email or call for an appointment.  Please   do not plan to stop by before, during, or after school for unannounced conferencing, this includes when dropping off and picking up students from daycare.  Teachers are often in meetings or are using planning time to prepare for upcoming lessons.  ALL visitors and volunteers are required to sign in at the main office and to wear a visitor’s badge.  We appreciate your cooperation.

    Classroom Observations

    We welcome parents into our building and our classrooms!  Should you have an interest to visit and observe, rather than volunteer, we respectfully request that you arrange your visit in advance.  Visits to classrooms should be arranged with the classroom teacher and confirmed in the main office with at least

    24 hour’s notice given.  Visits should NOT be a surprise to the teacher.  When visiting, it is important to respect the learning environment and the confidentiality of student performance within the classroom.  Classroom visits are not a time to conference with the teacher.  If a parent-teacher conference is desired, please contact the teacher to arrange a mutually convenient time. 

    Correspondence “24 Rule”

    The staff has agreed to guidelines that include a 24-hour turn-around rule for parent communication.  This includes email, letters, phone calls, etc.  Parents should understand that staff are extremely busy and may not be able to answer or address all concerns and needs in a moment’s notice.  Some form of a response can be expected by parents within 24 hours of initial contact. 

    Lost & Found

    Found articles of clothing, hats, gloves, lunch boxes, and other items are stored and periodically displayed in our back lower hallway.  Children should check the lost and found for missing possessions.  PLEASE LABEL ALL CLOTHING.  Clothing not claimed is donated to local charities.

    Cell Phones

    Elementary school students are not permitted to have cell phones or other portable communication devices at school during the school day unless a written request from a parent is approved by the principal. Exceptions may be granted based on factors such as safety or medical concern.   Other factors may be considered at the discretion of the principal.  This also means that cell phones are not permitted even if they are turned off.  If you have an extenuating circumstance, where your child needs a cell phone due to safety concerns, we ask that you contact one of the administrators and provide a written request.  If a cell phone is found in school, the administrative team will hold the cell phone until a parent or guardian comes to the school to retrieve it. If you have any questions or concerns about this policy, please contact one of the administrators.

    Student Dress Code

    All clothing worn on school property should reflect the fact that school is a respectable place where students and adults do important work.  Clothing worn at school should not cause disruption, nor endanger health or safety.  Guidelines are as follows:
    •Short shorts, short skirts, halter-tops, crop tops, muscle shirts, spaghetti straps should not be worn to school.
    •Flip-flop sandals are not permitted to be worn in the building or on the playground.  (Secured sandals are not considered flip-flops.)
    •Bandanas, hoods, hats, scarves, sweatbands, knitted hats, or other head coverings are not allowed except as part of religious observances.
    •T-Shirts with inappropriate messages are not to be worn to school.
    •The school principal, or assigned designee, makes final judgment regarding individual dress code issues.

     

    School Facilities

    Telephone: Please use the phone located in the hallway in front of the office. Local calls only.  Dial 9 for an outside line.

    What Else Is in the Front Office?

    • Staff mailboxes
    • PTA committee mailboxes
    • Toner cartridge recycling box
    • Extra copies of flyers
    • Box Tops/Labels for Education deposit box
    • Pencils for kids celebrating a birthday
    • Logs: Visitors, Student Sign-Out, Volunteer Sign-In