In order to insure that our instructional day moves along as smoothly as possible, we have instituted several procedures to allow for regular school business operation without unnecessarily disturbing the classroom instruction. Among the most common are the following:

Given the importance of the regular instructional day, Buladean School strongly discourages any parent/guardian from picking up a student early except in the case of an emergency. The regular school day concludes around 2:15pm. Each minute of our school day is important and necessary in order to provide the maximum educational opportunity for our student body. Thus, frequent checkouts may well lead to the student missing valuable instructional time. We suggest that parents attempt to make medical and dental appointments for students after the school day has concluded. However, this may not always be possible. Thus, in the event that a student will be leaving school early, we respectfully request that the parent notify the school as early as possible. This will give us time to have our instructors prepare out-of-class assignments for the student, lessening the potential damage that missing instruction may cause. For security and insurance purposes, only parents or official guardians will be allowed to check out students early or pick up students after school. This must also be done through the OAA in the office. Again, parents must come to the office to sign the student out of school. Students are not allowed to sign him/herself out nor will they be allowed to leave campus until the parent/guardian has completed the sign out procedure. Parents should contact the OAA to allow for any other individual to have permission to pick up a student. This will be prohibited without specific parental permission. Again, security regulations dictate that parents refrain from going into the classroom.

7:00-7:30am Students Arrive and Breakfast is Served

7:15-7:30am Homeroom

7:30-8:20am 1^st Period - tardy bell 7:35am

8:20-9:10am 2^nd Period – tardy bell 8:25am

9:10- 10:00am 3^rd Period – tardy bell 9:15am

10:00am-10:50am 4^th Period – tardy bell 10:05am

10:50am-12:10pm 5^th Period and lunches – tardy bell 10:55am

12:10- 1pm 6^th Period – tardy bell 12:15pm

1-2:15pm 7^th Period – tardy bell 1:05pm

2:15pm LOAD BUSES

No student is allowed to be at Buladean School at any time without supervision. Students should not be dropped off at the school until after 6:45am. Classes will begin promptly at 7:30am. Any student arriving late should report to the office for an admission slip. Unexcited trades will result in disciplinary action so it is imperative to be at school on time each day.

All K-8 students receive a computer-generated report card. And all students will receive a Citizenship grade. The standardized grading system for students at Buladean School in grades K-2 include the following:

Letter grade Definition

S Satisfactory

N Needs Improvement

U Unsatisfactory

The standardized grading system for Buladean School students in grades 3-8 is as follows:

A = 93-100

B = 85-92

C = 78-84

D = 70-77

F = 69 and below

In order to keep parents adequately informed of a child’s standing; Buladean School will produce progress reports at the mid-point of each 9-week grading period. These are in addition to the regular report cards distributed at the end of each grading period and both these documents will be sent home by your child. Parents may also pick up copies of these documents at school from their childs teacher during their planning between 2:15-3:00pm.

In order to place an even greater emphasis on academic achievement and success, Buladean School has a regular system of acknowledging these successes. Academic success serves as it’s own motivation and we re convinced that acknowledgment of achievement is essential to continued growth and improvement. Thus, at the conclusion of each grading period, four times per year, Buladean School will release the names of the students who have been found to achieve a high degree of academic success. These specific designations are the Principal’s List, the "A" Honor Roll and the "B" Honor Roll. The specifics for qualifying for each are as follows:

Principal’s List – Any student who maintains an overall average of 95 or above in the academic classes (Reading, Writing, Grammar, Science, Social Studies and Math) for the entire grading period.

"A" Honor Roll – Any student who maintains an overall average of 93 or above with no single grade lower than 85 in academic classes.

"B" Honor Roll – Any student who maintains an overall average of 85 or above with no single grade lower than 77 in academic classes.

Each of these lists will be sent to the local newspaper for quarterly publication. Certificates will only be presented at the end of the school year.

The administration, faculty and staff of Buladean School are committed to providing all of our student body with the optimal educational experience. As such, our regular course of instruction will follow carefully prescribed guidelines as enumerated by the NC Standard Course of Study for each grade level. Their classroom instructors will assess all students periodically in order to establish content mastery. In our view, this remains the most effective, efficient method of determining the needs for your child. In addition, each student in grades 3-8 will be given standardized tests in the areas of Reading and Mathematics, with 4^th and 7^th grade students additionally assessed in Writing. These standardized tests record results at four levels, designated Levels 1-4. Brief definitions of these levels are as follows:

Level 1: Student has not achieved mastery of this subject area. Remediation is required.

In addition to the aforementioned requirements, students in grades 3,5 & 8 are required to pass what has been termed "gateways" in order to be considered for promotion. Simply put, any student who fails to achieve a level 3 or 4 designation must, by state mandate, receive remediation and then be re-tested. This process is to insure the students are prepared for the next level. All students, no matter the grade, will be scheduled for remediation during the next school year if they did not reach level 3 or 4. We focus our remediation efforts on all students who have demonstrated some degree of difficulty in specified areas of Reading, Writing and Math. Our remedial program will serve to supplement our regular instruction, giving each student additional materials and time to work toward mastery. Buladean School integrates the remedial program into the regular school day and may, should the need arise, organize an after school remedial program. At this point, students qualifying for additional assistance will be placed with a remedial tutor at various times during the week. Tutorial sessions will take place between the late morning and early afternoon hours; with variations depending upon the schedule of the tutor in question. We are confident this will lead to continued success for our student body. These sessions may interfere with other enrichment-type classes, such as PE or Computers, but it is imperative that we prepare our students to succeed once standardized testing takes place. During these tutorial sessions, students will be given "mock tests" and be re-enforced in terms of proper test-taking skills. They will also review regular classroom materials, spending additional time as needed to insure a more complete understanding of the material.

Students are expected to complete any and all assignments in a neat manner and timely fashion. All assignments should be completed by the due date assigned. Students should expect a certain degree of homework during each given week. This work is not "busy work," but rather further practice that is designed to lead to content mastery. Homework will not be used as a disciplinary action unless the student is required to do additional work because he or she neglected to complete and turn in the assigned work on time. Failure to complete this work on schedule may lead to additional assignments as well as lessening the credit for the assignment. Should students be absent, he or she should make arrangements with the instructor in regard to making up the work. It is important to note that while instructors will always allow for additional time to make up for excused absences, unexcused absences are considerably more difficult in terms of being granted additional time. Students have 3 days to turn in any missed assignment if their absence is excused. Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration.

Buladean School strictly adheres to the mandates North Carolina Compulsory Attendance law, which requires all children in the state to attend school until age 16. In addition, we believe that regular attendance is absolutely necessary to successfully complete our program of study. NC designates the following as "excused absences."

Parents should notify Buladean School of the reason for an absence so it may be properly coded. Without notification, the absence will be coded as unexcused. Also, an important stipulation to note is that should a student miss 3 consecutive days of school, a physician’s note is required in order for the absences to be considered excused. Students are responsible for all work missed while absent and should check with each teacher as soon as they return as to missing assignments. Again, a student will have 3 days to make up any missing work for an excused absence. Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration for extended time needed for missing assignments. In general, no additional time will be allowed for an unexcused absence. Unexcused absences automatically result in a "0" for all missed assignments.

Students with excessive absences may be required to attend summer school as well as after school sessions for promotion consideration. Also, it is important to note that students must arrive to class in an orderly, timely fashion fully prepared for each class. Students must be in each class before the tardy bell rings, which is 5 minutes after the class-changing bell. Students arriving late to class will not be allowed entrance into the class without a note form the office. Should tardiness become a major issue, the student will be subject to disciplinary action. After the 3^rd UNEXCUSED tardy, the student will receive a punch on their punch card.

While it is our hope that all students will succeed, Buladean School does have a retention policy. In regard to retention, the principal will consider the following factors:

The principal of the school is the final authority in terms of granting promotion or requiring retention. Although the aforementioned factors are used to make this determination, other factors may also be utilized in making the final decision.

It is our contentions that appropriate behavior heightens the likelihood of success just as inappropriate behavior lessens it. To that, Buladean School has established a designated Code of Conduct. The essential elements include, but are not limited to the following:

Buladean School has adopted a "Tobacco Free Campus" policy. This policy dictates that tobacco, in all forms, is forbidden 24 hours per day, 7 days per week at any point on our campus. This policy includes all visitors and all activities taking place on campus, including field trips, outdoor and weekend events.

The Mitchell County Board of Education believes that the dress and personal appearance of students greatly affects their academic performance and interaction with other students. The Board requests that parents outfit their children in clothing that will be conductive to learning. All students are asked to dress appropriately for K-12 educational environment. Any clothing that is inappropriate or disrupts the educational environment is unacceptable.

Inappropriate dress includes (but is not limited to):

Students may wear shorts or skirts of an appropriate length. When students stand with their hands extended by their side, shorts or skirts much reach their fingertips or below. Pants, shorts, and skirts must be worn appropriately at the waist. Pants should be of appropriate length (should not drag on floor surface).

Sleeveless tops may be worn provided the fabric at the shoulder is the width of the student’s palm.

Shoes must be worn at all times.

The Board recognized the need to guide and instruct young students regarding appropriate school attire for grades K-2. Principals in these grades are encouraged to exercise flexibility in this process. Students in these grades will be instructed in-group settings and individually as needed by counselors and teachers regarding school attire.

Students not in compliance with this dress code will be asked to cover noncompliant clothing, change clothes, wait for parents to bring a change of clothing or go home. Repeated infractions will result in disciplinary action.

The dress code applies to all school sponsored events and activities.

There have been 2 separate discipline policies adopted for this school year. One for students in grades K-3 and one for students in grades 4-8. All K-8 students and parents, please see the attached form for both of you to sign. Then students are to return them to their homeroom teacher.

Buladean School strongly encourages each student to ride the bus to and from school. The money our school receives for bus allotment and maintenance is based upon occupancy, so the more persons riding the bus, the better our funding will be. Bus drivers will pick up and return students to their respective homes. For some reason, a parent wish a child to be taken to an alternate location, the parent should notify the school in advance so arrangements can be made. Should parents opt to transport their children, the front parking area is designated as the drop off and pick up point. Parents are discouraged from blocking bus lanes in either the mornings or afternoons.

Riding the bus is a privilege, not a state mandate. Students are expected to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner at all times. All school rules apply equally to time spent on the bus. Bus drivers may return to school if behavior becomes an issue and a suspension of bus riding privileges are very likely should this misbehavior continue. In order to insure the greatest degree of safety, all students will be assigned seats on their respective buses. Should students be out of their seats for any reason, a suspension becomes even more likely. Also, it is absolutely essential to remember that all students should remain in their seats until the bus has come to a complete stop, stop sign extended and the driver has opened the door. Safety is our primary concern here, so these rules must be followed closely. Should bus riding privileges be suspended, parents will be required to transport their children to and from school for the length of the suspension, which will generally be on week at the minimum, all year at the maximum.

The Mitchell County Nutrition Service operates the Buladean School cafeteria, and provides both breakfast and lunch each day. All students are encouraged to participate in the student meals program. Obviously, all appropriate school rules apply while in the lunchroom. Students may certainly converse, buy no to the point of distraction. A subsequent "silent lunch" period is the most likely disciplinary measure for those unable or unwilling to abide by the lunchroom regulations. Applications for free and/or reduced lunch fees are available and will be distributed at the beginning of each school year. Meal prices are as follows:

Breakfast $0.75

Reduced Breakfast $0.30

Lunch (K-5) $1.50 (6-8) $1.75

Reduced Lunch $0.40

Adults $2.75

We hear a lot about "Title I", so what is Title I? Title I provides federal funding for schools to help students who are behind academically or at the risk of falling behind. Funding is based on the number of low-income children I a school, generally those eligible for the free lunch program. Services can include: hiring teachers to reduce class size, tutoring, computer labs, parental involvement activities, professional development, purchase of materials and supplies, pre-kindergarten programs, and hiring teacher assistants or others. About half the schools in NC receive Title I funding. Some of the schools operate as Schoolwide Programs, as others operate as Targeted Assistance Programs depending on the level of poverty in the school and how the school wants to function. This is why it is very important for each family to fill out the Free and Reduced Lunch form that is distributed at the beginning of each school year.

Buladean School insurance is optional, but we strongly suggest that each parent at least consider purchasing this policy for your child. Detailed information will be distributed to each parent at the beginning of the year. Any students participating in any Buladean School athletics must show proof of insurance coverage before he or she will be allowed to participate in any athletic event. An important note here is that while Mitchell County Recreation (MCR) utilizes our facilities, Buladean School is not liable in terms of occurrences during MCR activities.

Buladean School offers young people the opportunity to participate in athletic competition. The school itself sponsors boys and girls basketball, baseball and softball programs, as well as cheerleading for young ladies. Students in grades 7 & 8 may participate. We believe that honest athletic competition teaches discipline and affords our students the opportunity to visit and become acquainted with students from other schools. Students who are interested are strongly encouraged to participate in the football program at nearby Bowman Middle School. Any young man wishing to participate will be given the opportunity. Students can also participate in various sports for various ages with MCR. The school will pass on any information on any MCR sports when we receive them.

During the course of the school year, Buladean School along with the PTO sponsors certain special events that we believe assist us in making our school a more intricate, important part of our community. These events include the following:

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that Mitchell County Schools, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child’s education records. However, Mitchell County Schools may disclose appropriately designated "directory information" without written consent, unless you have advised the District to the contrary in accordance with District procedures. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the Mitchell County Schools to include this type of information from your child’s education records in certain school publications. Examples include:

Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks. In addition, two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to provide military recruiters, upon request, with three director information categories – names, addresses and telephone listings – unless parents have advised the LEA that they don’t want their student’s information disclosed to without their prior written consent.

If you don’t not want Mitchell County Schools to disclose directory information from your child’s education records without your written prior consent, you must notify the district in writing by September 1 each year. Mitchell County Schools has designed the following information as directory information.

- Student’s name & grade level - Participation in officially recognized activities & sports

- Address, including e-mail address - Weight & height of members on athletic teams

- Telephone listing - Degrees, honors and awards received

- Photograph, date & place of birth - The most recent educational agency or institution attended

- Major field of study & dates of attendance

The following will serve as official documentation that you have read the handbook with your young person, that you understand it’s contents, and that you as well as your child agree to abide by all the regulations and rules written therein. Please keep this handbook, as you may need to refer to it throughout the school year. Please sign below and return to your child’s homeroom teacher as quickly as possible.

I have read and understand the Buladean School Parent/Student Handbook along with my child. We agree, by signing below, to follow the policies within this handbook.

Signature of Parent Date

Signature of Student Date