Policies and Procedures

Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome to Little Pearl Elementary School! We are thrilled about the upcoming school year. We have planned a fun, educational, productive and exciting year for everyone.  This handbook has been prepared to encourage better understanding and communication between school, parents and students.  We ask for your cooperation and support so that we may provide your child with a rewarding and successful educational experience.  Please take time to read the handbook pages thoroughly and go over appropriate sections with your child. While it does not contain all details for every situation, it should serve as a general guideline. Be aware that individual building procedures may differ as needed. Please complete the separate Handbook Acknowledgement Page, sign it and return to school.

On behalf of the faculty and staff, I would like to extend an invitation to you to come and visit our school, attend your child’s programs, and become an active member of our PTA. Whether you work at home or outside the home, there are many ways in which you can become involved with your child’s education. Children benefit greatly from seeing their parents involved at school.

We are extremely happy to have you and your child with us at Little Pearl Elementary School.  I look forward to working with all of you this year.  Together we make Little Pearl a wonderful school for our children.  If I can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Sincerely,

Sabrina DesHotel Parish, M.Ed.
Principal
 

PLEASE KEEP THIS HANDBOOK FOR LATER REFERENCE.
Please complete the separate Student Handbook Acknowledgement Form and return to your child’s teacher. Thank you!

To develop lifelong learners who contribute to their community by being respectful, confident and responsible citizens who aspire to achieve their full potential

Provide a safe, nurturing early childhood environment in which all individuals are empowered, valued and respected for their diverse capabilities

The Little Pearl Elementary family believes:

• All members of our learning community share in the responsibility of nurturing good moral values and promoting patriotism and good citizenship.
• A positive engaging learning environment will be provided to all students.
• Students will be challenged to be problem solvers.
• Students will be challenged to be team players in working toward a common goal.
• Technology skills are essential and will be integrated in all areas of the curriculum.
• Communication is vital between home and school for maximized student success.
• Everyone will be treated with respect and kindness.
• Each student will be provided with an educationally engaging and inclusive environment that develops the whole child.

In order to build consistent and effective communication between the home and school, ongoing communication will be provided to parents that provides information about the school’s curriculum, how progress is measured, Title I program and students’ academic progress. Examples of methods used to communicate are as follows:

• Meet and Greet
• Open House
• Robo Calls
• JCampus/JPams
• Student-Parent Handbook
• Classroom Newsletters
• Conference (in person, phone, letter)
• Educational Materials (books, at home learning packets, home-connect activities)
• Meetings (at varied times)
• PTA meetings
• Teacher Newsletters (weekly)
• Principal Newsletters (monthly)
• Phone Calls
• Test Paper Folders
• Progress Reports
• Report Cards
• Parent-Teacher Conferences- (minimum of 2) will be held to discuss with parents the progress of their child, individual student assessments, proficiency level, and the expectations for the grade level
• School-Parent Compact- outlines how parents, school staff and students share the responsibility for improving learning. The compact will be reviewed annually and updated as needed

Each school day begins with Morning Meeting where sharing takes place, successes are recognized, birthdays are honored, the Pledge of Allegiance is recited and songs are sung.  Morning Meeting is the place where all members of our learning community come together to start each day in our positive learning environment.

Emergency cards will be sent home the first day of school.  Please return to school the following day.  We NEED at least TWO local phone numbers to call in case of an emergency.  THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! If any phone numbers change during the year, please notify the office immediately.  These are the phone numbers that will be entered into our JPams data system and will be used to send auto-calls from time to time to disseminate information to parents.  Please include information pertaining to allergies or specific health problems.  It is essential for all students to have an emergency card on file.

Visitors are welcome at Little Pearl, but for the safety of your child, all visitors must come directly to the office, obtain and wear a visitor pass. The Louisiana Legislature passed an act about visitor access on public school grounds and the St. Tammany Parish School Board adopted rules regarding visitors at our school facilities.  Therefore, we ask that you adhere to the following policies at Little Pearl:

• All visitors and volunteers must report to the office immediately upon arrival at school.
• All visitors and volunteers must show their Driver’s License which will be scanned.  You will then receive an official visitor identification tag to wear.

For safety reasons, please park in a space in the front parking lot and enter school through the front door.  Please do not block the front drive, entrances or exits to the parking lots and respect the “No Parking” zones. Please keep the Handicapped Parking areas clear for those who need those spots.

The PTA makes many contributions to our school that benefits all students. You will be notified of meeting times through teacher and principal newsletters.  Parent involvement is an important contributing factor for student success. Please join the PTA and be an active volunteer.  There will be numerous opportunities for you to volunteer and get involved around school. We greatly appreciate the PTA and all the wonderful volunteers!

The active involvement of parents at Little Pearl Elementary is an integral part of our day to day operation.  This includes involvement of parents in the classroom, and the participation of parents in regular two-way communication regarding academic learning, school schedules and school activities. Little Pearl believes that parents play an integral role in their child’s learning. Weekly newsletters are sent home by each classroom teacher to inform parents of academic learning and to involve parents in the learning process.

Ongoing communication between the parents and the teacher is highly suggested.  A minimum of two (2) conferences will be scheduled for parents of students during the school year. Parents are encouraged to schedule a conference with their child’s teacher on a regular basis.  Please call the office and the secretary will be happy to leave a message for the teacher and/or schedule a conference appointment for the teacher according to their availability as provided to the office.

All money should be sent to school in a sealed envelope with the following information on the outside: 

• Your Child’s Name
• Teacher’s Name
• Purpose of the Money 

We cannot be responsible for money being sent to school with our young students.  If you do need to send a large amount of money, please bring it to the office so it can be processed with our bookkeeper and you can receive a receipt immediately.

Most items can be paid via My Payments Plus.  You may access the website via stpsb.org/Parents.  The icon is located on the right.  Instructions for setup are available from the school, and also will be mailed to the parents after school begins.

School begins at 8:10 a.m. and ends at 3:21 p.m.  Dismissal on half days begins at 12:21 p.m.  Please adhere to the following procedures concerning arrival and dismissal policy:

• Students may not arrive before 7:40 a.m.
• Car riders are to be dropped off and dismissed from the car line which forms in front of the school. Students and families are greeted in the car line each morning and afternoon.
• Students may only be dropped off when an adult is on duty.  Please get in the regular drop-off and dismissal line. Please wait for a duty teacher to open the car door for your child. This assists us in keeping all students accounted for and safe.
• Late arrivals (after 8:10 a.m.) must report to the office for a tardy slip and be signed in by a parent or guardian.  Duty teachers must get to their classes at the 8:10 a.m. bell. If you arrive late, please pull into a parking space and walk your child into the office to sign in. Please do not send your child into school alone after the morning bell has rung.  There is no supervision available. 
• Students are walked to the front door where an inside duty teacher will assist your child with going to the cafeteria to eat breakfast or to our outside playground, where there are additional duty teachers to ensure the safety of our students.
• Dismissal begins promptly at 3:21 p.m.  Please be prompt in picking your child up at dismissal time.  Do not park your car and walk to get your child. This is a dangerous practice that encourages young students to walk across traffic.  It also slows down the loading process for everyone.  We need all our attention on the children in order to load them safely.  You will be given a car line sign for picking up your child.  Place the sign in the front dashboard of your vehicle.  When it is loading time your child’s name will be called. Extra car line signs can be obtained in the front office.
• Any student who is not picked up by 3:31 p.m. will be brought to the office, and the parent or guardian will be called to pick up the student immediately.  You will be required to come into the office with your identification and sign the student’s check in/check out card. Please make every effort to be on time for dismissal.
• Anyone attempting to pick up a child that does not have a Little Pearl Elementary car line sign will be required to park and report to the office to have his/her ID checked.  Students will only be released to those that have been listed on the child’s emergency card.
• All transportation changes should be sent to school in writing, signed by a parent/guardian, dated and include a contact phone number. To pick up someone else’s child, we must have written permission from the parent/guardian. This is for the safety of your child. Please try to give your child clear directions about their dismissal procedures.  It can be very frightening for a child if they do not know what to do at dismissal.  Your help to ensure your child’s safety and security is appreciated.  If these procedures are the same each day, students will more likely feel secure.  If changes need to be made, please send a note to the school every time there is a change.
• If you need to make a change once your child is already at school, please do so by sending the request in writing to our office prior to 2:30 p.m.  When transportation change requests are received after 2:30 p.m., we cannot guarantee your child and the teacher will get the message.

We encourage you to send your child on the bus.  Please talk to your child about the importance of good behavior on the school bus.  Please adhere to the following guidelines concerning bus transportation:

• Students are greeted each morning and afternoon in bus line
• All students must comply with the bus driver’s rules.  Your child may lose bus privileges if he/she does not follow the bus rules. Students repeatedly not following the rules will receive a bus conduct report.
• A student may only ride a different bus home if the parent first receives permission from the bus driver and sends a note to school with the child stating that permission was obtained and if the bus has the capacity to permit additional riders.  It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to call the bus driver in advance to receive permission to ride a different bus than the student’s regular school bus as well as send a note to school.  This note will be approved by the office and the child will be given a transportation change form that afternoon upon dismissal. At times if the bus is at full capacity permission will not be given.
• If a student will ride two different buses consistently during the week or a combination of bus transportation and car rider, please make sure you have discussed the schedule with both bus drivers and send a specific daily schedule to your child’s teacher and the school office.  Any changes to the schedule should be made to the teacher and the school office, in writing, and include the date, address, bus number, and parent/guardian contact phone number.

It is important for all students to be in attendance daily.  Establishing good attendance practices early on lets your child know that you value school, and it is important for them to be here each day. Please be aware and adhere to the following procedures concerning attendance:

• All absences whether excused or unexcused shall be counted as an absence for attendance reporting purposes to the St. Tammany Parish School Central Office.  Elementary students may not be given credit if they are not in attendance 167 days per year.  No more than 10 days may be missed unless extenuating circumstances exist.
• If your child is absent, please send in a written excuse from the doctor and/or a note from home explaining the absence as soon as your child returns to school.
• After your child has accumulated three unexcused absences you may receive a letter from school alerting you and reminding you of the Louisiana Statute relative to your responsibility to have your child at school on time each day.
• After a student has accumulated 3 unexcused absences, tardies, or a combination of the two, a Truancy Notification Letter will be sent home.
• After a student has accumulated 5 unexcused absences or tardies, the student is referred to the Youth Services Bureau.
• If your child is ill, keep them home. Please do not send him/her to school with fever or other symptoms of a contagious illness.  Any child with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or more will be sent home. Parish policy recommends that a student be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school.  If your child is vomiting or has diarrhea before school, please keep him/her home until at least 24 hours after it subsides.  For more information, please see the Medical Tips from the School Nurse at the back of this Handbook.

If you need to check your child out of school before regular dismissal you must check your child out in the office.  For your child’s safety you must present identification.  Students will not be checked out after 3:00 p.m. on whole days and 12:00 p.m. on half days.

The McKinney-Vento Act is a federal law passed in 1987 to help people experiencing homelessness. The Act requires states and school districts to make sure students in homeless situations can attend and succeed in school. The McKinney-Vento Act applies to all children and youth who do not have a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including all children who are living in the following situations:

• Doubled-up housing with other families or friends because they lost their home or their family is having temporary financial problems
• Living in a motel/hotel because of economic hardship or loss of housing
• Living in an emergency or transitional shelter, domestic violence shelter, or in a runaway/homeless youth shelter
• Living in a vehicle of any kind; campground without running water and/or electricity; abandoned building; substandard housing; bus/train station
• Abandoned in a hospital

Children and youth in homeless situations have the right to the following:

• Attend and succeed in school no matter where they live or how long they have lived there
• Enroll in a school despite the lack of a permanent address or lack of school and immunization records or birth certificates and other documents
• Receive services comparable to those offered to non-homeless children and youth
• Get transportation to school, if feasible
• Access educationally related support services

Should you or your child meet these qualifications; please contact your school’s main office or guidance office to complete a form for consideration.

The Little Pearl Elementary faculty, staff, parents and students share the responsibility for educating the whole child.  Parents are a key component in this process.  Communication between school and home is a vital link to ensure that students understand the importance of academic excellence.  Parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education through the many activities provided by the school, PTA or both.  Parental involvement occurs in the following ways:

• Family School Communication
• Family Engagement Activities
• Special Events Encouraging Family Involvement

Little Pearl Elementary encourages parent participation in all aspects of the school operation. 

Little Pearl receives Title I funds to pay for tutors and instructional items related to our School Advancement Plan.  Little Pearl Elementary School administration, faculty, staff and parents/guardians of students participate in activities, services, and programs funded by Title I.  A number of these programs are designed to give you information about the school, the Title I program, services available to your child, and examples of ways to help your child be a successful student.  There will be postings of Title I information on our website. If you have any questions, contact the school at 863-5906.

We are very proud that all elementary schools in St. Tammany Parish School System have been recognized by the USDA as “Gold Standard” schools for providing outstanding nutritional meals for our students. The cafeteria uses a computer system for school breakfast and lunch.  Each student will be mailed an identification number to sign up on the My Payments Plus computer system. This system allows you to put money on your child’s account online.  All money is to be paid in advance, preferably on Monday of every week or at the 1^st of each month. 

Please check your child’s folder for any bills from the cafeteria.  Bills will be sent out once a week.  When you receive a bill, please send the money back the next day.  Breakfast and lunch money should be sent together.  Checks should be made payable to Little Pearl Elementary Cafeteria. If you have more than one student, you may write one check for everyone.  Make sure the students’ names and are listed on the check and on the envelope. You may also pay your bill online at www.mypaymentsplus.com. Students who do accrue an outstanding balance on their account of $5.00 or more will also receive an individual auto call and/or personal call from Little Pearl reminding them to pay their bill.  It is very important that you keep up with your child’s cafeteria account and pay it in a timely manner as stated above.

2022-2023 school year, all meals are free for Pre-Kindergarten-12^th grade students. For visiting adults, meal prices are as follows:  Breakfast: $2.25, Lunch - $4.75, and milk is .50.

We encourage families to apply for financial assistance for meals at school.  The eligibility process is done online by visiting www.stpsb.org and then clicking on School Food Services tab on the left and then click on Free and Reduced Meals Information in the middle of the page. From there you can click on the online application.  This application is also available at www.littlepearlelementary.stpsb.org under Important Beginning of the Year Information. 

Students may bring their lunch from home and purchase milk at school.  All money for beverages is paid daily to the cafeteria at a cost of 50 cents. Students and visiting lunch guests may not bring soft drinks or fast-food meals for lunch.  Please refrain from sending any lunch items in glass containers.

To help the students become familiar with the cafeteria routines, parents or other visitors may come to school to have lunch with their child as long as you make a reservation with Mrs. Susan Carswell, our Cafeteria Manager.  Please call the cafeteria, 863-6325 by 9:00 a.m. when you are planning to have lunch with your child.  Please have exact change to pay for your lunch.  Parents may not bring any fast food or soft drinks into the cafeteria.

On half days we will provide breakfast and lunch service as usual. Lunch begins at 10:50 on the half day schedule.

Students are expected to dress appropriately for school and adhere to our uniform policy and procedures as follows:

• The Little Pearl Elementary uniform must be worn every day.
• Our school uniform consists light blue polo style shirts (with or without the LPE logo) and khaki bottoms (pants, capris, shorts, skorts, jumpers, or skirts). 
• Students are asked to wear closed toe shoes, such as tennis shoes, for comfort and safety.  Sandals, backless shoes, Crocs, cowboy boots or flip-flops are not part of the uniform. Students are encouraged to wear tennis shoes or other rubber bottom based shoes. 
• Please remember that our young students are still learning how to manage their bathroom needs so clothing should be child friendly and encourage the student’s independent skills.
• Uniforms may be purchased at most department stores, uniform shops or catalog of your choice. 
• School Spirit Shirts may be purchased from Little Pearl Elementary if you so desire.  Order forms are available in the office.
• Outer wear and raincoats with hoods are suggested in cool and/or inclement weather.  Make sure to label the garment with your child’s name in case it is lost or left behind.
• Elaborate jewelry is discouraged.  Please leave hats, combs, brushes, sunglasses and purses at home. Little Pearl is not responsible for lost or broken jewelry, etc. 
• Please label all your child’s clothing and lunch boxes with your child’s name clearly marked. We will have a Lost and Found box you may check at any time for missing items.  Any items left over at the end of each semester will be donated to local charities.
• Do not send toys, jewelry, or other expensive items that may be lost or damaged. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Students need a secure way to transport items to and from school.  Students should bring a backpack daily, and it should be large enough to fit their Take Home Folder and rest blanket.  For safety reasons at school and on the buses, wheeled book bags are not allowed. Please do not allow your child to load down his/her backpack with items that are not needed at school.

We believe every student is responsible for helping maintain a safe, orderly and educationally efficient learning environment.  We ask that you discuss with your child the importance of having a good attitude, making good choices, and using good behavior while at school.  Teaching behavioral expectations through our school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program and rewarding students for following the expectations is a much more positive approach than waiting for misbehavior to occur before responding.

PBIS is a proven, research and evidence-based discipline program that emphasizes school wide systems of support that include strategies for defining, teaching, modeling and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create positive school environments.  We promote our PBIS program through our GEM Expectations which are derived from the nationally known FISH Philosophy. 

Our GEM Expectations are:

• Good Attitude
• Enjoy Yourself
• Make Somebody’s Day

Little Pearl has intervention practices in place that provide various opportunities for changing inappropriate behaviors to appropriate behavior.  These include classroom and school wide behavior management systems. Parents will be informed of reoccurring inappropriate behaviors in the classroom and other areas around school through Reflection Forms or Minor Incident Reports.  We ask for your support to assist in helping your child find appropriate replacement behaviors.  Students who are continuously having a difficult time making appropriate choices and using “GEM” behavior must complete a Reflection Form. This system is set up to be a positive learning experience. It is a time when students discuss and write about their choices of behavior, other possible choices they could have made and how they can handle the situation next time. Completed Reflection Forms will be sent home for the parent/guardian to sign and return. If behaviors continue to occur, a conference will be requested with the parent/guardian.

Our main goal for making appropriate choices is to keep everyone at school safe while learning.  We will not tolerate fighting, disrespect for others, bullying, obscene language or destruction of property.

Kindergarten students will receive a report card after the completion of each marking period beginning 2^nd nine weeks.  Final Report cards will be mailed out at the close of school following the last day.

• Kindergarten students will receive a grade for Reading, Language Arts, Math, and Conduct using the following letters: Outstanding (O), Satisfactory (S), or Needs more time (N),
• The 1^st nine weeks of Kindergarten is a time for development and learning rules, routines and procedures.  Kindergarten students will not receive a report card during this time.  A letter will be sent home at the end of the 1^st nine weeks about this.
• You may view the parish grading policy at the district website at http://www.stpsb.org.

The inclusion program at Little Pearl is designed to provide all students, including those with exceptionalities or limited physical abilities, the opportunity to reach their maximum potential both academically and socially in the least restrictive environment that can be provided.  All classrooms are inclusive classrooms and have a heterogeneous mix of students.  Classrooms receive direct and indirect services from our Students with Exceptionalities teachers, service providers and paraprofessionals.

Field trips are planned by teachers to enrich the basic curriculum.  The information and cost of trips will be sent home throughout the school year prior to any trip. For liability purposes, all students must ride the school bus to and from field trips.  Parents wishing to check their student out from a field trip must return to school and sign the student out in the school office after the field trip. Parents who volunteer to be chaperones for the field trip may not bring siblings.  Students not attending a field trip should attend school that day and will be instructed in another class for the duration of the field trip.

Long term medication cannot be administered by the school without the appropriate forms completed by a doctor.  These forms are available in the office. All medicine must be kept in the office.  Any change in medication will require a new form.  All medicine must be brought in by a parent or guardian and must be kept in a prescription bottle that matches the prescription information on the form.  Please pick up any remaining medicine at the end of the school year.  It will be disposed of if not picked up.  Children are not to transport or have any medicine with them at any time.

Your child’s safety is of the utmost importance to us.  We are always striving to implement procedures that ensure safety of our students.  The Louisiana legislature enacted Act 50 of Louisiana Law R.S. 17:416.16 which states that “all classrooms shall remain locked during instructional time.”  Our classrooms will be locked during instructional times throughout the school day.

Little Pearl has a thorough crisis plan to be used during emergency situations.  Should an emergency arise that requires children to be picked up early, all children will be signed out by parents/guardians in a designated area at the front of school.  During the school year, practice drills will be held for severe weather, fire, and lock-down situations.  By practicing ahead of time, our students will be calm and confident should an actual emergency occur.

Kindergarten students will begin checking out library books in September.  Students are responsible for all books issued to them during the year.  Students must pay for any lost or damaged book.  If a lost book is found, the money will be refunded. The following are links for the State Library of Louisiana and St. Tammany Parish Library.

State Library of Louisiana

St. Tammany Parish Library

When invitations are sent from students for events outside of school, such as birthday parties, an invitation must be given to each child in the class.

You may send cupcakes or some other sweet treat to celebrate your child’s birthday at school.  Please coordinate this with your child’s teacher ahead of time so they will be prepared.  If you are dropping off snacks of any kind once school has started for the day, please check in at the office, and we will be glad to get them to the classroom.  Parents are not permitted down the hall with deliveries once the instructional day has begun.

We will celebrate many special events at school during the year.  Teachers will ask for volunteers to send something in for the celebration.  All celebrations will include fun, educational centers/stations or activities that stimulate and extend learning for the students.  Each day at school will be an important learning opportunity and attendance will be highly encouraged and expected. Parents are invited to become involved with our celebrations.  If you are coming to help with a celebration or event in the classroom, it is recommended that parents focus on their Little Pearl student for that event and not bring siblings.  If siblings must attend, parents must remember to help the little ones follow the school and classroom rules while at Little Pearl.

According to the St. Tammany Parish School District handbook:  The St. Tammany Parish School Board is committed to providing a safe and stable climate free from sexual harassment by students, Board Members, Superintendent, Administrators, teachers, or other employees who contract with or provide services for the Board or any other personnel associated with the Board and over whom the Board can exercise influence.

Sexual harassment is a violation of the law and School Board policy and will not be tolerated, condoned or overlooked. The Board requests and encourages persons associated with the School System who believe that they have been sexually harassed as a result of their association with the School System to report such harassment to specified Sexual Harassment Investigating Officers or school principals. 

The Board through its designee(s), will promptly, thoroughly and fairly investigate reports of sexual harassment and take appropriate action that is consistent with the results of the investigation and the legal requirements afforded by law. Inappropriate behavior by students will be handled according to the school’s discipline procedures.

The School System and Board will not tolerate retaliation by anyone associated with the School System against one who files a complaint of sexual harassment. Some acts of sexual harassment are considered criminal and are subject to prosecution. The Board and School System will fully cooperate with law enforcement agencies and the District Attorney in investigation and prosecuting such criminal offences.

Reporting of incidents need to be made to Ms. Sabrina DesHotel Parish.  A copy of the policy is available in our school’s library.

Little Pearl has a mental health provider who is on campus daily.  The purpose of the school counseling program is to ensure that all students are well adjusted and learning at school. Our MHP conducts whole class lessons on social skills, coping strategies and peer relationships. Parental permission is needed for students to see a counselor or MHP on a recurring individual basis.

CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION EDUCATION AND REPORTING PROGRAM   

As mandated by the St. Tammany Parish School Board, students in grades K-8 will receive instruction on the topic of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention, Education and Reporting. All materials may be previewed by contacting the school administration. We would also like to encourage you to talk to your child about this topic as well as other general safety issues.

The St. Tammany School district handbook gives you additional information about district policies and procedures. It can be accessed online by visiting the St. Tammany Parish School System website at www.stpsb.org.  A printed copy of the handbook can be requested by calling the office.

We have rules and student expectations to protect your child and help make school a safe, fun learning environment.  We take the safety of your child very seriously. Your cooperation will help us all have a wonderful and safe, productive school year!

We have a school nurse that is on campus daily. The school nurse program is designed to maintain a safe and healthy environment at school.  Please review the following guidelines regarding student illness. The guidelines are meant to provide simple and effective precautions against the transmission of disease and/or infection as well as decrease the risk of exposure for all students and school personnel. 

• Students should remain home and be fever (100.4 degrees or higher) free for 24 hours.
• If your child is vomiting or has diarrhea before school, please keep him/her home until at least 24 hours after it subsides.
• All persistent rashes should be seen by a doctor for proper diagnosis in order to determine the communicability of the rash.  Nurses cannot diagnose the various rashes.
• If your child has a discolored (yellow to green) nasal discharge, this may indicate an infection, thus your child may need to see a physician.
• All ringworms must be covered while at school. Ringworm in the scalp must be seen by a doctor.
• Report all communicable diseases to the school – i.e. Chickenpox (Varicella), Fifths disease, etc.
• All Chickenpox (Varicella) sores should be completely dry before the student returns to school.

St. Tammany Parish Public Schools
Title I
Parents’ Right to Know
Parent and Family Engagement Best Practices

PARENTS' RIGHT TO KNOW

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires districts to inform parents and families about their right to receive information on the professional qualifications of their children's teachers.

Parents and families have the right to know:

• Whether all employed personnel have met state qualification and licensing criteria for the position they hold within the school
• If any personnel are employed under provisional status where state qualification or licensing criteria have been waived
• All college degrees and general areas of certification held by teachers and qualifications of paraprofessionals
• Whether their child receives services by paraprofessionals and their qualifications

Teacher Certification/Degree Information can be verified at teachlouisiana.net.

PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES

St. Tammany Parish Public School System believes that Parent and Family Engagement (PFE) is important for children to achieve success.  Parents and families are key partners with the schools.  PFE includes programs, services, and activities at the school and district level.

District Responsibilities

• Involve families in developing and reviewing the district's PFE Plan
• Hold yearly Federal Programs, PFE Stakeholders', and PFE activity planning meetings
• Support STPPS Title I schools in planning and carrying out their PFE activities
• Annually review and monitor PFE activities and school-wide programs outlined in the School Advancement Plans
• Provide a Title I PFE resource page and presentations for school personnel use
• Develop Title I PFE survey to evaluate PFE plans and use results to plan future PFE programs and adjust PFE policies and procedures

School Responsibilities

• Invite parents to a school meeting highlighting their school's educational programs, curriculum, and PFE opportunities
• Offer PFE activities at various times which support learning goals at home
• Involve parents in the planning, review, and implementation of PFE programs
• Provide parents with timely information about the school PFE policy
• Provide families with opportunities to volunteer, participate, and observe in the school and classroom
• Maintain 2-way communication with families
• Provide each student with the Compact for Student Success outlining responsibilities of students, parents, and teachers in the educational process
• Support all students in their effort to achieve success