Policies

Arrival & Dismissal Procedures

Arrival

School begins at 8:30 a.m.
No student should arrive before 8:00 a.m. No supervision is provided before 8:00 a.m.
Upon arrival, students should report to their assigned classroom or breakfast.
Parents will be allowed to walk students to class the first week only.

Car Riders – Drop students off only in areas where staff members are located to assist students. Encourage child to be ready with bookbag, books, lunch money, jacket, etc. to exit the car quickly.
Bicycle Riders – A rack is provided to lock student bikes. The school can not assume the responsibility for lost or stolen bicycles. Please provide your child with a lock for his/her bike.

Dismissal

School ends at 3:00 p.m.
Students should be picked up no later than 3:15. Staff members will open car doors after identifying the drivers. A sign with child(ren)’s name and grade (teacher optional) should be visible for faster identification.

Boy’s and Girl’s Club – Students dismissed to cafeteria at 3:00.

Bus Riders – Individual busses will be dismissed beginning at 3:00. Bus students remain in their classroom until their bus wave is called over the intercom/displayed on TV system.

Change in Transportation Routine

If there is a change in a student’s routine, send written notification to the school. SLC Transportation must approve any bus change. All notes will be verified per a telephone call to the parent. No changes may be made in your child’s transportation arrangement after 2:00 p.m.

Tardies

Any student arriving after 8:30 a.m. must report to the office with a parent/guardian for a late pass. Tardies will be marked on the report card and will be counted against a student for Perfect Attendance. Consistent tardies are turned over to the Guidance Office for further action.

Picking Students Up Early

Students lose valuable instructional time when picked up early from school. This will be counted against a student for Perfect Attendance. A parent, guardian, or designee must show proper identification before signing the student out in the Main Office. No student will be released from class until the parent has arrived in the office. Students will not be released after 2:00 p.m.

Bus Information

The St. Lucie County School System provides bus transportation for students living more than two (2) miles from school. However, if a student’s behavior creates a safety hazard on the bus, it will become the Administration’s duty to deprive the student of the bus riding privilege for a number of days. Parents will be notified. Bus suspensions do not excuse a student from attending school. The following rules are to be observed on a bus (including Field trips):

Stay on Task
· Sit in your seat.

Take Responsibility
· Arrive at the bus stop five (5) minutes ahead of the scheduled time
· Keep bus clean
· Look, listen, talk quietly

Act Safely
· Keep everything inside the bus
· Wait to bus to stop before moving
· Remain in the loading area – not the street

Respect Others
· Keep hands to yourself
· Listen to driver/aides

Homework

Homework is assigned Monday – Thursday. Amount of work is dependent on grade level and increases each year. In addition, all students should read every night and discuss what they have read with a parent/guardian. Homework, quiz/test dates, and projects should be written in this Planner.

Homework Suggestions:
· Create a quiet place to work.
· Designate a daily time for homework.
· Have necessary supplies in the homework area.
· Review the completed assignment.
· Organize all materials for the following morning.

Progress Reports

Parents may review their child’s progress at anytime by logging in to the Skyward Family Access. If you have not yet registered for an account, please do so by visiting our front office and asking for assistance with this.

Code of Conduct

The School Board issues the Student Code of Conduct to each family for thorough review and understanding of the guidelines effecting student behavior in school. This document is to be read with your child. The back page should be signed and returned to your child’s teacher.

Zero Tolerance

When it comes to students who are making poor choices concerning alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and/or weapons, Manatee
Academy has a Zero Tolerance Policy. None of the above items are ever allowed on campus for any reason, by any person, including adults. Manatee Academy, as all other Public Schools, is a Drug Free Zone and carries all legal protection of that designation.

Unauthorized Items

Do not bring any toys and/or electronic devices including but not limited to:
Radio/CD, DVD Players/Walkman, CDs/DVDs/Cassettes, IPOD’s/MP3 Players, Gameboys

Heelies, Collectible Cards, Nonessential Money, Beepers, Laser Pointers are not permitted.

These items are disruptive to the classroom and will be confiscated by the Administration. Any items confiscated will only be released to a parent/guardian. Manatee Academy is not responsible for any unauthorized items which are lost or stolen. Neither the Administration nor our SRO will conduct a search or an investigation if this occurs. This includes incidents on the bus.

Cell Phones

If a student brings a cell phone to school it must be turned off and kept in his/her bookbag during the school day.
Any cell phone that is not turned off or is visible will be confiscated by the Administration and only released to a parent/guardian. Manatee Academy is not responsible for lost or stolen cell phones and will not investigate if this occurs.