Kincaid Policies and Procedures

Absences – The day your child returns to school after an absence, he/she must have a written excuse signed by a parent or guardian. Excused absences are those for personal illness, death in the family and recognized religious holidays. The procedure is established by Georgia State law. Please be aware that any student who checks in after 11:15 a.m. or checks out before 11:15 a.m. is considered absent for that day. For detailed information on absences and tardies, visit the Cobb County website at www.cobbk12.org under Board Policies.

Absences from School Grounds – Children may not leave the school grounds during regular school hours unless called for from the office. Unless the school has been notified otherwise in writing, children will be released only to their parents or legal guardians, or those individuals authorized on the registration card. The adult picking up a child must sign him/her out on the sign-out sheet in the front office. (Photo ID may be required.) DO NOT go directly to your child’s classroom as the teacher cannot release him/her. Our main concern is for your child’s safety and we ask your cooperation in following this procedure.

Accidents and Illnesses – If a child becomes ill during the day, parents will be notified. If head lice are detected, you will be called to pick up your child. Your child will be re-admitted to school upon proof of treatment. If an accident should occur requiring medical attention, 911 will be called if parents cannot be contacted. Judgment in such cases is at the discretion of the school authorities and parents assume financial responsibility. Please make sure phone numbers are updated and on file in the office and the clinic. It is essential that we know how to reach you at all times.

After School Program – ASP is childcare provided for any Kincaid student from the time school ends until 6:00 p.m. It operates under the guidelines as established by the Cobb County Board of Education and is available every day that school is in session, including Conference Week and Early Release days. It is not available on student holidays. If school closes early because of inclement weather, there will be no ASP. Please monitor radio/TV weather reports for updates and have other contingency plans available.

All students enrolled at Kincaid are encouraged to register for ASP. This will allow a student to use the program in the event an emergency arises and the child cannot go home unsupervised.

ASP is a prepaid program. Fees are $35.00 per week or $7.00 per day for each child. There is also a $10.00 registration fee for each child, payable the first day the child stays in the program. Payment is due on Monday morning for the week the student stays, or on the day the student stays as a drop-in. Payment envelopes are provided for your use and should include the child’s name in order that correct posting of payment to the child’s account may be made. If payment was not received prior to 2:30 p.m., then payment must be made at the time the child is signed out. Failure to do so may result in denial of services.

The parent or an authorized person may sign your child out any time between 2:35 and 6:00. Picture identification (i.e. driver’s license) may be required to ensure that only authorized people will be signing the child out. A late fee will be charged for pick up after the 6:00 p.m. bell rings. The fee is $1.00 per minute per child.

All ASP students will be expected to maintain appropriate behavior. ASP is an extension of Kincaid’s school day and all behavioral expectations and guidelines apply. Failure to maintain appropriate behavior will result in a formal discipline write up. The ASP director will meet with the parent if this occurs.

Attendance Awards - Attendance awards play important roles within the student recognition program. It is our belief that in order to receive the best instruction possible, students must be here, and be here on time! A Certificate of Superior Attendance may be earned when there have been no absences and no tardies. A Certificate of Attendance may be earned when there have been no more than one or two absences or tardies, or any combination thereof. The following criteria would qualify a student for this certificate: one absence; one tardy; two absences; two tardies; or one absence and one tardy.

Buses – See Transportation and Bus Conduct

Bus Lanes and Parking – Bus lanes are clearly defined. Parents and visitors are asked to use the ‘visitor parking area’, and are not allowed to use the area marked ‘buses only.’ Parts of this area are used for physical education classes and instructional activities. Students also cross this area to use the playground. There is ample parking in our upper parking lot. Under no circumstances should students be dropped off in the morning or picked up in the afternoon in the bus area. Also remember that all handicap access ramps must be accessible at all times – they cannot be blocked for any reason.

Cafeteria – See Lunch Program

Car Riders – Parents who choose to pick their students up by car must do so by 2:35 p.m. Any student not picked up at this time will be put in the after school program at a cost of $7.00 per student per day.

Change in Transportation at Dismissal – A written notice is required any time a student wishes to ride a different bus, go home with a friend or change his/her normal routine for getting home from school. This should be given to the classroom teacher and then taken to the office for a pass. The note is critical and is for your child’s protection. Changes in dismissal procedures during the day are on an emergency basis only.

Clinic - The clinic is staffed by a registered nurse from 8:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Children who become ill or injured at school are given medical treatment if injuries are minor. Parents are contacted when the injury or illness is of a more serious nature or if the child makes frequent visits to the clinic. A sick child does not belong in school. Please do not send your child to school if they have a fever, if they are vomiting or if they have a contagious condition. Students will not be allowed to stay at school if they have conjunctivitis (pink eye) or lice. We do not have the facility or personnel to allow children to sleep in the clinic. Parents MUST have an emergency number on file so that the school can reach you if your child needs to be picked up. Everyone’s cooperation is appreciated.

Conferences - Two parent-teacher conferences are scheduled during the school year. Conference dates are October 17-21 and March 20-24. Students are dismissed two hours early and the After School Program will be available beginning at 12:30 during these two week periods. Conferences are scheduled to discuss each child’s academic progress and social growth. Conferences may also be scheduled at any other time during the year that the teacher or parent deems necessary to ensure student success.

Counseling Program - The elementary guidance program is developmental and preventative in nature. A counselor works with students, consults with parents, and coordinates with teachers to meet students’ needs. You may contact the counselors by calling the school office at 770-578-7238.

Custody of Children - School personnel are bound by law to release children to either of their natural parents unless we have on file a copy of a court order which grants custody to one parent or the other, or to a third party. We cannot enter into cases of court litigation unless subpoenaed by a court to appear as a witness.

Discipline – Kincaid strives to build an atmosphere of respect. The classroom teacher, with the cooperation of the parents, is expected to assume primary responsibility for correcting repeated behavior problems. Please note that students will be automatically suspended for the following offenses: inappropriate physical contact, explicit language (especially of a sexual nature), possession of a weapon (or a look-alike weapon), blatant disrespect towards adults, and bullying.

Students under suspension shall not participate in or attend school activities on or off any Cobb County campus. Students violating this policy are subject to additional penalties.

Dress Code – All students shall maintain an acceptable standard of dress. The following guidelines will be enforced.

Shoes shall be worn at all times.
Caps, hats, bandanas or scarves are not to be worn in the school building during the school day unless there is a special activity during which they are deemed appropriate by the administration.
Clothing or ornamentation displaying or advertising activities or substances illegal for minors is prohibited.
Shorts must be fingertip length and no bike shorts will be worn.
No spaghetti straps, halter tops, or clothing exposing midriffs shall be worn.
No intentionally torn or sagging (low-riding) jeans are to be worn.
Students shall not wear any clothing or ornamentation, or alter their appearance in any way that is determined by the administration to disrupt instruction.

Drop Off and Pick Up – The driveway from Kincaid Road to the flag pole entrance will be for drop-off and pick-up only. There will be NO CURB PARKING on either side of the driveway. Parents dropping off or picking up children should never leave their car unattended in the drive-through area. Please use the VISITOR spaces in the adjacent parking lot or the upper parking lot. Dropping off students by private cars in the bus area or in the rear of the building, including the E wing and the K building, is STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

Early Release Days - The Cobb County Board of Education has approved five Wednesdays during the school year to be early release days for local school staff development. Students will be released from school two hours early on the following days: September 21^st, October 5^th, November 2^nd, January 25^th, and March 1^st. The After School Program will be available beginning at 12:30 p.m.

EIP (Early Intervention Program) - The purpose of the Early Intervention Program is to assist children who are developmentally delayed and need additional support to perform on grade level.

Entrance Requirements - Entrance requirements for admission to Cobb County Schools are established in accordance with the laws of the State of Georgia and policies of the Cobb County School System.

1. Age: Children who are five (5) years of age on or before September 1^st are eligible for kindergarten. Children who are six (6) on or before September 1^st are eligible for first grade.

2. Residence: Children must reside in the Cobb County school district with parents or legal guardians in order to be eligible to attend public schools. This policy will be strictly enforced. Two (2) proofs of residency must be provided for registration.

3. Birth Certificate: A birth certificate with a legal raised seal or other acceptable legal evidence of birth must be presented at registration. A copy of the certificate will be made and the original will be returned.

4. Georgia Certificate of Immunization (Form 3231): It is required by law that your child has a current immunization on file. Immunization may be obtained through your private physician or the Cobb County Health Department.

5. Eye, Ear and Dental Certificate (Form 3300): It is also required by Georgia law that parents furnish this certificate. Vision and hearing examinations for students in 4^th grade and for those students new to Cobb County will be conducted at each school. It is the responsibility of the parents of all students to provide the dental portion. Kindergarteners will be required to present a completed form 3300 at the time of registration. This certificate may be obtained through your private dentist or at the Cobb County Health Department.

6. Social Security Number: A social security card or a signed waiver must be presented when a student enters school.

7. U. S. Citizen Requirement (if applicable).

Field Trips – Teachers are encouraged to schedule field trips to enrich a particular unit of study or class project. To attend, a student must have written permission from his/her parent or legal guardian. This permission slip is sent home along with all information regarding the field trip. The cost of transportation and admissions should be shared by the students participating. Therefore, a donation is requested. If insufficient funds are collected it may be necessary to cancel the trip.

Fund-Raising Activities – Fund-raising activities refers to Cobb County Policy JQE. Fund-raising activities involving students must receive the prior approval of the local school principal. In no case are students permitted to be involved in fund-raising activities during school hours. Students are also prohibited from door-to-door fund-raising.

Homework – The Kincaid faculty and staff believe that homework is an integral part of the learning process. General guidelines are as follows: Primary students – 30 minutes, Intermediate students – 60 minutes

Immunizations - See Entrance Requirements

Inclement Weather – See School Closing

Instructional Time - We solicit your cooperation in guarding valuable instructional time. All visitors must sign in at the school office and wear a visitor’s sticker. Please do not drop in to the classroom unannounced to bring something to your child or to talk to the teacher. If you need something delivered to your child, please bring it by the office. Also, do not go to your child’s classroom at the end of the day. This is a very important time for the teacher to bring closure to the day and to give any last minute instructions. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Remember, your child’s safety is one of our main priorities.

Lost and Found – Please label all clothing and possessions with your child’s name. A lost and found closet is maintained at the school in Pod B. Please check through this collection frequently as clothing left over is donated to a charitable organization.

Lunch Program - A nutritious and well-balanced lunch as prescribed by state and federal standards is served each day in the dining commons. Each school lunch costs $1.60 for Kincaid students and $2.50 for adults and other visitors, including younger siblings. Milk may be purchased for $.50. Student accounts may be established by cash or check on Monday through Friday mornings from 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. A student may also pay on a daily basis. Cobb County School District now offers a system called Mealpay which allows you to make prepayments to your child’s meal account via the telephone at 1-866-210-3679, or on the internet at www.mealpay.com. Lunches may also be brought from home. If you do so, please DO NOT USE GLASS containers or send carbonated drinks of any kind. If your child arrives at school without money for lunch, charges up to $4.80 will be allowed. All charges should be paid back immediately. If your child exceeds the charge limit, he/she will be provided an alternate meal of either a peanut butter sandwich and milk or a cheese sandwich and milk. Parents are cordially invited to join their children for lunch. However, please do not bring in fast food for your child to eat during his/her lunchtime. This creates a problem for the other students and directly conflicts with the school lunch program. We recommend that you sit at the guest table with your child so that other children can sit in their regular places. A copy of the daily menu as well as other important information may be found on the Cobb County Food and Nutrition website at www.cobbk12.org/~foodsvcs.

Make-up Work – Students who miss school (excused absences) have the opportunity to make up class work and/or homework within a specified period of time following the student’s return to school. If your child is ill and absent for one or two days, the work can be made up upon his/her return to school. If the absence is for three or more days and you would like work sent home, please call the office before 9:00 a.m. Work can be picked up after 3:00 p.m. The teacher is under no obligation to provide lesson plans and/or work for students who have unexcused absences. (This includes extended vacations or trips.)

Medication – If it is necessary for a child to take medication during school hours, the following guidelines MUST be followed: All medication is to be brought to the clinic BY THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN OR OTHER DESIGNATED ADULT. (Exceptions include asthma inhalers and medication to treat allergic reactions.) Prescription or over-the-counter medication must be maintained in the original container. A copy of the medical form found in this handbook must be filled out for each medication. ALL MEDICATION MUST BE HANDLED IN THIS MANNER BEFORE IT CAN BE ADMINISTERED TO STUDENTS.

Messages - Messages for students and staff will be handled through the office. Preservation of instructional time is of the utmost importance and we therefore ask you not to interrupt classes to talk to staff or students. It is also important that your child knows how he/she is to get home each day and limit changes in transportation to emergency situations only.

Non-custodial Parent - Prior to the enrollment of a student not living with both natural parents, proof of custody may be provided to the local school principal. In those instances where a court order or some other legally binding document exists that modifies or restricts this policy, it shall be the responsibility of the custodial parent to provide a bona fide copy of the document to the local school principal.

Parties - School Board Policy limits social functions to ONE party per year during the school day. At Kincaid it is held the day before the last day prior to the winter holiday break. Individual birthday parties for students CANNOT be held at school. Cookies or cupcakes only may be sent to school on your child’s birthday to be enjoyed by the entire class during regularly scheduled snack or lunchtime. Please coordinate bringing cookies/cupcakes with your child’s teacher. PLEASE do not send a cake or cookie cake. This requires additional time for cutting and wastes valuable instructional time. Drinks are not allowed. Students are not allowed to give out private birthday party invitations at school.

PE Dress Code – Students should wear proper shoes and clothing in order to participate in their Physical Education classes. During the first week of school your student should bring home a schedule of their PE days. The following guidelines will be enforced:

Girls who are wearing a dress or skirt should bring a pair of shorts to wear underneath.
Tennis shoes are required. (No boots, sandals, flip flops, platforms, clogs, backless tennis shoes or any kind of dress shoe will be permitted as these are not safe for physical activity.)

Personal Items - In order to preserve instructional time and avoid distractions, students are not to bring any personal playthings, novelties, equipment, etc. to school unless given permission by a member of the staff for a specific purpose.

Pictures - Individual pictures will be taken during the fall of each school year. Individual and class pictures will be taken each spring. All profits are used to purchase additional materials, supplies, and educational equipment.

Records - In cases of transfer, records will be forwarded when requested by the child’s new school. Please notify Kincaid at least two days in advance of a move so that paperwork can be completed. Student records are available for inspection by parents or guardians upon request.

Registration – Registration for NEW STUDENTS ONLY is held in July. Pre-registration for incoming kindergarten and new first year students is held annually in the spring. Toward the end of the school year, information to be updated will be sent home with current students who will be advancing to 1^st through 5^th grades. This information must be returned before a student can be placed on a class list for the following year. See also Entrance Requirements.

Report Cards – Report cards describing a student’s progress are sent to parents and/or guardians at the end of each nine-week period for grades 1 through 5, and every twelve weeks for kindergarten students. Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled twice during the school year. Elementary students will be dismissed two hours early during conference weeks. You may also request a conference at any time during the year as needed.

Returning to Classrooms After School Hours – No student or parent will be allowed back in the classroom after 3:30 p.m.

School Closing – When the Cobb County School System is going to be closed because of inclement weather, the decision to close schools is usually made and given to WSB and other radio and television stations by 6:00 a.m. Most metro area radio stations will announce school closings right after the headlines on the hour and at frequent intervals. If a decision to close is made during the working hours of the school day, the statement will be given to the media. Please make sure you discuss procedures with your child should this happen. You will be asked to complete an “Inclement Weather” form early in the school year with instructions as to what your child should do in case of an early school closing. It is imperative that we have this information as it would be logistically impossible for teachers or students to make phone calls.

Sexual Harassment - See Sexual Harassment in the Policy section of the Cobb County Parent Information packet distributed at the beginning of each school year. Information is also available on the Cobb County web site at www.cobbk12.org.

Social Security Numbers – Social Security cards or a signed waiver must be presented at registration.

Student Insurance – Two accident insurance plans are available for students through the Cobb County Board of Education. The school-day plan covers the students at school. The 24-hour plan covers them at all times. More detailed information may be found in the Cobb County Parent Information packet distributed at the beginning of each school year.

Student Support Team (SST) - The function of the Student Support Team is to review information about individual students who are experiencing academic and/or behavioral difficulties in school and to provide suggestions, recommendations, and alternative instructional strategies. Parental input is an important component of this process.

Student Use of Telephone – Students will be allowed to use the telephone in the front office only in cases of emergency. Students must have a permission slip from his/her teacher.

Suspension from School - The power of suspension, both in school and out of school, is vested in the school administration. This action will never be taken lightly. In every case involving suspension, parents will be notified. It is the belief of the administration that children cannot learn in an environment that lacks order and respect. Every effort will be made to address concerns in a positive manner with the goal of replacing negative behaviors with appropriate behaviors. Good manners and respectful behavior are expected at all times.

Tardies – School begins PROMPTLY at 7:55 a.m. A child who is tardy loses valuable instructional time and disrupts the classroom routine. If your child is tardy, a parent MUST come into the office to sign their child in so that that he/she may receive a tardy pass prior to going to the classroom. (Please remember that cars are not permitted to drop off or pick up in the bus area.) We encourage you to take advantage of the free bus service provided by the Cobb County School System. This will ensure that your student is not marked tardy.

Textbooks - Textbooks are issued to all students. Students are expected to take care of the books assigned to them. If textbooks are lost or damaged, fees will be assessed for the damage or loss.

Tobacco Free Campus - Cobb County School Board policy prohibits the use of tobacco products by employees or visitors in school system buildings, offices, vehicles, or on school property. Employees and visitors are prohibited from using tobacco products in the presence or view of students or while supervising student activities or school sponsored events.

Transfers - Request for transfer from one school to another within the county must be cleared through Local Administration at the central office. Request for Transfer forms are available at the local school.

Transportation and Bus Conduct - Bus transportation shall be provided for elementary students who live more than one-half (1/2) mile from the school in their attendance area. Parents of students approved for a transfer to another school outside their school attendance area are responsible for the student’s transportation. Bus rules may be found in the Cobb County Parent Information packet distributed at the beginning of each school year.

Vandalism - Respect for property is expected at all times. Deliberate and willful destruction of school property will not be tolerated. Parents are responsible for property maliciously destroyed by a student.

Visitors – A warm welcome is extended to parents and interested persons who visit the school. For the safety of the students, all visitors are required to sign in at the front office upon arrival and wear a visitor’s badge while in the building.

Volunteers - Volunteers are used in many ways to supplement and enrich our school programs. Volunteers are very important to the school and your time and efforts are greatly appreciated!

Weapons - See Weapons in the Policy section of the Cobb County Parent Information packet distributed at the beginning of each school year.

Withdrawal Procedures - When a student is going to withdraw from school, he/she should bring a note from the parent or guardian at least two days in advance of the withdrawal date. The note should give the last day the student will be in attendance, the area to which the family is moving, and the name of the school the student will be attending (if known). The student should give the note to his/her teacher who will send the information to the office. The teacher will give the student a copy of a withdrawal form to take to his/her new school.

KINCAID POLICIES AND PROCEDURES