Welcome to school year 2009 - 2010! Education is a team effort, and we know that students, parents, teachers, and other staff members all working together can make this a wonderfully successful year for our students.

 

ARRIVAL - Students are not to arrive at school before 7:25 a.m. Supervision is provided from 7:25 a.m. until 7:45 a.m.  Students (PK – 2nd grade) that do not eat breakfast may be dropped off at the northwest side door.  All students that eat breakfast and 3rd – 6th grade students will be supervised in the cafeteria until it is time to go to the classrooms at 7:45 a.m. 

 

AFTERNOON ARRIVAL - PK afternoon students ONLY– Students are not to arrive at school before 12:20 p.m.

 

TARDY - Students who arrive after 8:00 a.m. will be counted tardy.  Students arriving after 8:00 a.m. must report to the principal’s office along with his/her parent or legal guardian for an admission permit.  Repeated tardiness is a form of truancy and will be reviewed by the attendance committee or referred to juvenile authorities.

 

MORNING DISMISSAL - PK morning students ONLY– Students will be dismissed at 11:00 a.m. each school day.

 

DISMISSAL - Students will be dismissed at 3:22 each school day.

 

Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade

Please pick this age group up at the northeast side of the building.  Please park in a parking space and walk over to the sidewalk to pick up your child.

 

Second Grade through Fifth Grade

Please pick up these students behind the gym, on the southeast corner of the campus.  Please park in a parking space if you need to leave your vehicle.  Otherwise, once you have your child, traffic will flow around the building back to FM 1897.

 

Bus Loading

Buses will load on the northwest side of the building.  (This area will be closed to all other traffic from 2:30 to 3:35.)  Buses will exit the campus on Scott Road and will travel to the high school for student pickup on FM 1897. High school and junior high students will load the bus on the half circle in front of the building.

 

Beginning of the School Year Information

Today your child is bringing home information that students and parents are likely to need to ensure a successful school year.  Please read and go over the information with your child.  There are also several forms that will need to be filled out and returned to your child’s teacher.

 

1. Please fill out and return the Bells ISD Student Registration Form for the 2009-2010 school year by Tuesday, August 25th.  Please keep the school updated on any informational changes through out the school year.
2. To apply for free or reduced price meals, please fill out the Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application for 2009-2010 that was sent home with your child.  This application is a multiple child application so only one application is needed for the family. Please return the application as soon as possible to your child’s teacher or mail it to Kathy Robertson - P.O. Box 7 - Bells, Texas 75414.
3. Please read and review the Bells Elementary Student Handbook with your child.  If you have questions or concerns regarding the Student Handbook, please call the elementary principal. (903-965-7725) Parent, please sign the Bells Elementary Student Handbook Acknowledgement page and return it to your child’s teacher. (One handbook will be provided per family.)
4. Students and parents need to be familiar with the Bells ISD Student Code of Conduct, which sets out the consequences for inappropriate behavior.  The Student Code of Conduct is required by state law, and is intended to promote school safety and an atmosphere for learning.  Parent, please sign and return the Student Code of Conduct Acknowledgment page and return it to your child’s teacher.
5. Bells Elementary has been designated as a Title 1 school-wide program for the 2009 – 2010 school year.  Our purpose is to help all children succeed academically and to improve the effectiveness of the entire school.  Parent and student, please sign and return the Title 1 Academic Excellence Compact.  Your child’s teacher has already signed the teacher agreement portion of the compact.
6. Please sign and return the Release of Directory Information handout to your child’s teacher.
7. Our Bells Elementary computers have a filtered internet that is designed to screen access to inappropriate web sites. Please sign and return the Internet User Contract to your child’s teacher so that your child may be allowed to use the internet for research, reports, etc.
8. All students and parents need to be familiar with school bus rules and regulations.  Please sign and return the Bells ISD School Bus Procedures handout to your child’s teacher.
9. Migrant Education is a national program that provides educational and support services to eligible migrant children each year.  These services help children of migrant workers overcome the disadvantages they face, including disruption to their education.  Please complete the Migrant Identification / Recruitment Survey and return it to your child’s teacher.  The school will contact parents of eligible students.
10. To avoid the risk of intrusive and imprecise subjective assessments, Bells I.S.D. has adopted a Student Residency Questionnaire to identify students who lack a permanent address.  Information gathered help determine which services the identified students may be eligible to receive.  Please complete the questionnaire and return it to your child’s teacher.  The school will contact parents of eligible students.
11. Please fill out the Physical Education Health Form and return it to your child’s teacher.
12. Public schools in Texas are under legislative mandate to deny credit for the year to any child not in attendance a minimum of 90% of the school days in the term.  Please sign and return the Student Attendance Requirement page and return it to your child’s teacher.  If you have any questions regarding attendance requirements, please contact the elementary principal. (903) 965-7725.
13. Please sign and return the Use of Student Work for Display and in District Publications form to your child's teacher. This form gives the district parental consent before displaying student artwork, special projects, photographs taken by students, and the like on the district's Web site, in printed material, by video, or by any other means of mass communication.

 

You will be receiving a weekly newsletter from your child’s classroom teacher that will provide you with information regarding what your child will be studying that week.  This information will help you reinforce what is being studied at school.  It will also keep you updated on events and activities.

 

Our school is dedicated to the education of your child. We look forward to the coming school year and are enthusiastic about working with you toward providing the best possible education for the children of our community.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Rebeckah Pritchard
Bells Elementary School Principal
903-965-7725