Rice Elementary school handbook

Rice Elementary School

An International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme World School

409 Carriage Tyler, TX 75703 Phone: 903.262.2555 Fax: 903.262.2556
Principal: Vicki Neill

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Bell Schedule
First Bell rings at 7:45 School Begins at 8:00 Dismissal begins at 2:50

Your child’s safety and education are our primary concerns at Rice Elementary. We strive to create an environment that supports and nurtures all aspects of student growth – emotional, physical, and academic. Our goal is for students to internalize and demonstrate the qualities in the PYP Student Learner Profile in all their thoughts and actions. The Learner Profile represents the qualities of internationalism which the PYP hopes will characterize its graduates. PYP students are Inquirers, Thinkers, Communicators, Risk-Takers, Knowledgeable, Principled, Caring, Open-minded, Well-balanced, and Reflective.

Visitors: All visitors must sign in at the front office and must wear a visitor badge before continuing on to other parts of the building. Certain doors are kept locked for safety reasons. Please do not ask teachers or students to open a locked door.

conferences: Communication is essential! A general conference will be scheduled at the beginning of the school year. To schedule an additional conference with the teacher or any other school personnel, please call, write a note in the agenda, or send an e-mail. Parents are encouraged to visit with the teacher prior to requesting a conference with the administrative staff.

Medication: TISD Policy states that only prescription medications can be given at school and must be kept in the clinic. Medications must be in the original container and brought to the clinic by the parent. A medication form must be signed by the parent/guardian.

Illness or Injury: Rice has a full-time registered nurse on duty daily. If your child is injured or becomes ill at school, she will contact you immediately. If you cannot be reached she will use the emergency contact information you have provided on the health card. Please be certain that this information is current and correct. TISD policy requires that students who have a fever of over 100 degrees, who vomit, have diarrhea or exhibit signs of a communicable disease be sent home from school. If your child exhibits any of these symptoms, please do not send them to school. You would not want your child exposed to possible illness; please extend the same courtesy to others.

School Hours: 7:45 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Students are welcome to come into the building at 7:30 a.m. but must go straight to their grade’s designated area where they will be supervised until they can go to their classroom at 7:45. Students should be picked up no later than 3:00 p.m. each day. Team planning, staff development and conferences begin at 3:15 for our Rice staff.

Attendance: Please call the school before 9:00 a.m. each day that your child is absent. Please send a note to the office upon your child’s return.

Tardy: Instruction begins at 8:00 a.m. Students arriving after 8:00 a.m. will be counted tardy. If your child arrives after 8:00 a.m., please park, escort your child in and sign them in at the desk. Students arriving later than 9:30 without a doctor’s excuse will be counted absent.

Morning Drop Off: To drop students off in the morning, please pull into the circle drive on Carriage, using both lanes. Students must remain in their cars until parents drive past the flagpole, and must exit onto the sidewalks where school personnel are ready to assist. Please pull all the way down.

Afternoon Pick Up: Car riders will be picked up from the supervised sidewalk area at the end of the circle. Please pull all the way down. Parents should keep the sign with their child’s name and grade in their front window until their child is in the car. Walkers, bus and daycare van riders will be escorted to their designated areas.

Appointments: Please schedule all medical and dental appointments after school hours. If it is necessary to pick up your child before 2:45 p.m. you must sign them out through the school office. The office will call for your student to meet you in the office. Please do not go to your child’s classroom.

Toys on Campus: Toys, especially toy knives, toy guns, trading cards, and electronic equipment may not be brought to school. These will be confiscated and held until the end of the school year.

CELL PHONES: Students bringing cell phones must keep them turned off and in their backpack. Cell phones that are seen or heard will be confiscated and held for parents to pick up.

Changes in pick up plans should be called in to the office before 2:00 p.m. so that there is time to alert your student of the change in plans.

Lunch: A hot lunch tray is available for $1.50. No charges are allowed. Phone calls interrupt instructional time and will not be allowed for forgotten lunches. Free and reduced lunch forms are sent home at the beginning of the school year and are available in the office. A menu will be sent home each month.

Lunch Debit Cards: All parents are encouraged to pre-pay lunches by using the cafeteria debit card system. Payments on debit accounts must be made to the cafeteria manager before the start of the school day, not during lunch times. You may also access your child’s cafeteria account online at:

Deliveries: Forgotten lunches, books, etc. must be taken to the office for delivery to classrooms. Please do not take any items to the classroom. Do not send flowers, balloons, etc. to school.

Progress Reports: Progress reports will be sent home at the end of the 3^rd week of the six weeks grading period in grades K-5. Parents need to sign and return progress reports.

Report Cards: Report cards are sent home each six weeks on the Thursday following the close of the six weeks grading period.

To view student grades online, access the Parent Gradebook viewer online at: https://grades.tylerisd.org . Student ID and Pin # can be found on the student report card.

Agenda: The school will provide one agenda per student each school year. This is a great communication tool between school and home. The agenda must be treated like a textbook and will need to be turned in if a student withdraws from Rice. Lost or damaged agendas can be replaced for $5.00.

School Closing Due to Weather: Occasionally the threat of severe weather, such as freezing rain and hazardous road conditions make it necessary to dismiss school early. The decision is made at the Central Administration Office by the Superintendent. Please listen to local radio and TV stations for announcements. Please do not call the school. If an emergency does occur during the school day, parents are assured that the safest place for their children is at school. Students take part in regularly scheduled disaster and fire drills.

Dress Code: Students who dress appropriately tend to perform better academically. Students’ appearance is important and is a part of the high expectations we have for them at Rice. The administration, faculty and staff enforce regulations governing campus dress and grooming standards. Any distracting or disturbing attire will not be permitted on school property. In accordance with campus and district policy, students should refrain from wearing:

· Tank tops, low cut clothing (neck or underarm), and/or clothing that exposes stomachs or backs.

· Dresses, skirts, all split garments, and shorts that are not long enough to maintain dignity and modesty.

· Unhemmed shorts and jeans, cutoffs, wind shorts, short shorts, boxer shorts, PE, athletic, or jogging shorts, bicycling shorts or pants.

· See through, provocative, or excessively tight clothing, i.e., spandex tights, shorts, or pants and excessively tight dresses and skirts.

· Clothing worn in a manner for which it was not intended, i.e., backwards, inside out.

· Gang symbols, words, numbers, or slogans cut into hair (provocative and inappropriate).

· Obscene language or symbols, provocative pictures, advertising of tobacco, alcohol, or narcotics on clothing, jewelry, or exposed body parts.

· Any accessory, clothing, haircut or style deemed gang related as determined by the school administration.