Oxford, PA 19363

Phone: (610) 932-8998

Fax: (610) 932-8798

E-mail: erindudleyforbes@aol.com

Website: www.edfcs.net

Dr. Lenetta Raysha Lee               Mrs. Wendy Smith                 Ms. Mary Faush 

            Founder/CAO                           School Nurse                     Special Education     

THIS STUDENT PLANNER BELONGS TO:

Name______________________________________________________

Phone______________________________________________________

Address____________________________________________________

Grade______________________________________________________

Dear Parent/Guardian:

We ask that you review the Student Handbook with your child. Please complete the information below when completing your review.

My child, ___________________________ and I have reviewed and understand the Student Handbook for the 2007-2008 school year.

________________________________

Student Signature

________________________________

Parent Signature

FOUNDER’S MESSAGE

Dear Erin Dudley Forbes Charter School Parents and Students:

            Welcome to Erin Dudley Forbes Charter School (EDFCS). You are going to find that the teachers and staff of Erin Dudley Forbes are totally dedicated and committed to providing a quality education while making each of you feel at home. We need to work together to accomplish our goal to improve the academic and social achievement of all students.

            This handbook is designed to provide you with information that you and your child will need to know to understand your role as a student or parent at EDFCS. Please review it carefully and refer to it throughout the school year.

             Erin Dudley Forbes Charter School is a great place to learn. Please join us as we work cooperatively to build a solid foundation on which “our children” can grow socially, emotionally, creatively, and academically. I am looking forward to an exciting and productive year.

             Please plan to join the Parent Organization and volunteer to help with one (or more) of the exciting activities that are planned for our students this year.

Sincerely,

Lenetta Raysha Lee, Ph.D.

CAO/Founder

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to provide the very best early childhood education, K-6. We will build on what our learners already know, prior knowledge. Our academic foundation or focus is children’s literature. We intend to use children’s literature to teach all subjects. Moreover, time will be given to our students to experience reading and writing as academic tools. Our desire is to heavily involve our parents and community in their role as primary educators of their children. We plan to create a supportive learning atmosphere for all invested parties.

ABOUT OUR SYMBOL

The official symbol for The Erin Dudley Forbes Charter School is the “Sankofa Bird.” The Sankofa Bird has the ability to glance back while in flight. The Sankofa Bird reminds our learners and staff that we must know where we have been before we shall ever know where we are going. Also, in keeping with our mission and vision, our symbol represents knowing ourselves as people, learners, and valued community member as well as the learning of real people and situations. The Sankofa Bird is an image we want our learners and staff to emulate.

E.D.F.C.S STUDENT HANDBOOK

FIVE GUIDELINES

1.     BE RESPONSIBLE- All through your life you must decide how you will act. Therefore, we expect you to do what is right whether anyone is watching you or not. This is called “being responsible”. It isn’t always easy to make responsible choices, especially if someone else is not being responsible. It is important for you to remember that you are in charge of yourself. You can do what is right.

2.     BE COURTEOUS TO OTHERS- Courtesy means being polite to other at all times (home and school). Examples of being courteous are greeting teachers and fellow classmates by name and using the words please, thank you, and excuse me.

3.     DO YOUR BEST- When you do a job or an assignment, do your very best. While you are working on something, ask yourself, “Is this the best I can do?” If you give a job your best, you learn more and feel more responsible than if you just slide through the job. If you make mistakes, but did your best, your teacher can help you learn from your mistakes.

4.     COOPERATE WITH OTHERS- Try to say or do a kind thing for someone everyday. Remember to be a good friend and to help your fellow classmates at all times. Cooperate with your teacher and classmates. We all have a common purpose and that is to learn as much as we possibly can.

5.     TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT- Everyone must know that The Erin Dudley Forbes Charter School is a safe and supportive place to be. Through your positive behavior we hope to create an environment where courtesy and kindness prevail and where there is respect for differences in other people, customs and cultures. The staff at The Erin Dudley Forbes Charter School will help you achieve success at school. We will do this by helping you solve problems and by protecting your right to learn. We look forward to a great year, and are happy to have an opportunity to work with you. 

SCHOOL HOURS

School hours are from 8:45 a.m. until 3:15p.m. each day. Children should NOT arrive earlier than 8:15 a.m. or remain on the campus later than 3:15 p.m unless they have permission to do so or they are participating in a supervised activity. SCHOOL DOORS WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL 8:15 a.m. These procedures are designed for the safety and well-being of your children.

VISITORS

To ensure the safety of all of our students and staff, all visitors must sign in at the front office and receive a visitor’s pass.

ABSENCES

Parents please note that there is anew state mandated absentee policy established by the county.  If your child is absence three times unlawfully you will be fined.  More information will come home the first week of school on this policy. Absences will be excused for student illness, death of a family member and observance of religious days. Written explanations from the parent must be submitted within five days for an absence to be excused. The school may request a doctor’s excuse when the student’s attendance record shows 10 accumulated absences. After three consecutive days of absence, a doctor’s excuse is required. If a doctor’s excuse is not received, the absences will be considered unexcused. Students accumulating three unexcused absences may be prosecuted as provided in the Public School Code of Pennsylvania.

ANTICIPATED ABSENCES

Parents who schedule trips for their child should request approval at least 2 week in advance. Principals may honor requests when they are in the educational interests of the children. Arrangements can be made for these students to complete assignments. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain all missed work. There is a student request for absence form that is to be completed prior to the trip.  The form is available in the office.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS/ NOTIFICATION

Medication

The school recommends that medication be given at home whenever possible. If prescription or non-prescription medication must be taken during school hours, the student must report to the Health Room at the proper time. Students may not keep medication in their classrooms. All medication should be delivered to the Health Room in a properly labeled container. Tylenol and cough drops may be administered to any student whose parent has signed the Emergency Information Card for the current school year.

SCHOOL HEALTHY SNACK AND LUNCH

Children should bring a healthy snack and lunch. Lunch can be heated in the microwave.  Due to the abundance of heat-ups and our class sizes we are asking parents to limit heat-ups to the winter months ONLY.

ASSESSMENTS

At the Erin Dudley Forbes Charter School second and fourth graders take the Terra Nova’s and third and fifth graders take the PSSA’s. All learners are assessed weekly with progress monitoring.

STUDENT PERFORMANCE & EVALUATION

Formal Report Cards and narratives are issued four times per year, every nine weeks for the purpose of helping students and parent/guardians monitor learner proficiency. Based on the learner’s effort and mastery of specific objectives, the Report Cards help guide progress and direct future learning.

CHARTER SCHOOL WEEK

Charter School Week is routinely celebrated the first full week in May.  This week is filled with fun events for the learners and their families.  Some of the weeks special events include a grandparents luncheon and an awards ceremony which is held in the evening to honor our learner’s achievements.

CURRICULUM

The Wright Group is a balanced reading approach, which allows students to read on their own level. It uses a top down approach to teach skills and phonics.

Saxon Math is a progressive, scripted, hands on curriculum. The students use manipulatives and other hands on techniques to learn mathematics concepts. The teacher follows a script to guide him or her through the lesson. There is repetition and guided practice as the skills build upon one another throughout the curriculum.

For specialized instruction we use Horizon Corrective Curriculum.

SPECIALS

The arts are an integral part of the instructional program at Erin Dudley Forbes Charter School. All children will be required to participate in health and physical education, art, music and Spanish. Specials are held from 2-2:30 p.m.

CHANGE IN STUDENT INFORMATION

It is imperative that the school office be notified immediately of a change of address, home or office telephone number or emergency information during the academic school year.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

When severe weather creates hazardous conditions, the regular school schedule may be suspended to ensure students safety. It is the parent’s/guardian’s responsibility to monitor news reports via television and radio stations. Announcements are normally broadcasted between 6:00 a.m. and 6:15 a.m. The following stations will announce school closures: WGAL-TV Channel 8 (Lancaster), WDAC-FM 94.5, Lancaster, WCOJ-AM 1420, Coatesville, WDEL-AM 1150, Wilmington, WNRK-AM 1260, Newark, KYW-AM 1060, Philadelphia (school code 858), WCAU-TV Channel 10, Philadelphia Cable TV Channel 68, www.oxford.k12.pa.us.

Radio Code for Oxford Schools:

5-858        Will open one hour late

6-858        Will open two hours late

   858     Will be closed

PARENT ORGANIZATION

The Parent Organization is a vital part of our school program. We encourage parents to become ACTIVE members. A successful school needs the services of the parents. Meetings are scheduled the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

DISICIPLINE

Each staff member at Erin Dudley Forbes Charter School accepts responsibility for the maintenance of discipline and for the promotion of a program for the development of wholesome human relations. A student’s behavior should conform to acceptable standards of conduct as established by the principal and teachers. The staff requests parental support in helping maintain appropriate conduct in the school. Children’s behavior should reflect self-respect and consideration for the rights, feelings, and property of others.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Erin Dudley Forbes maintains an environment that is free from sexual harassment of any of its students.

Sexual harassment shall consist of unwelcome sexual advances; requests for sexual favors and other inappropriate verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature made by any member of the staff or by another student toward a student. Any act which may be illegal according to local, state, or federal authorities may also be referred to the proper law enforcement authorities.

STANDARDS OF DRESS

The learners at the Erin Dudley Forbes Charter School will wear blue and white uniforms. Black or brown shoes are required, no boots or sneakers. Our young men will wear blue pants, any style, and a white/gray shirt. Our young ladies will wear blue skorts or jumpers and white/gray blouses.  Again it does not matter the style. The internet is an excellent resource for uniform shopping. www.sears.com or www.frenchtoast.com.

The dress code will be strictly enforced.  Parents will be contacted if their child arrives to school not in proper uniform.

SCHOOL BUS TRANSPORTATION

Our learners who reside in the Oxford Area School District will be transported to the Oxford Area Nottingham Elementary School platform. All learners will be transported from the platform to EDFCS. A teacher or parent will be present to assist the children. Your child’s safety is our concern as he/she goes to and from school. Whether your child rides the bus daily or only when going on a field trip, the rules remain the same and are enforced by the teachers, bus drivers, transportation department and district administration.

All children must:

a.       Be seated on the bus at all times

b.      Use quiet voices

c.       Keep all objects and body parts away from windows

d.      Keep their hands, feet and materials to themselves

FIRE/EMERGENCY/BUS DRILLS

We pride ourselves on the safe secure atmosphere at Erin Dudley Forbes School. One reason this exists is because we have emergency drills to teach children what to do in case of a natural disaster or fire. Fire/emergency drills are held once per month. Bus evacuation drills are held two times throughout the year. Please remind your child to always listen carefully to adults during any drill. 

HOMEWORK

Regular homework is an important part of helping students to become proficient and successful in learning. We believe that proper study habits must be encouraged at home as well as at school. Homework is assigned on a regular basis for all students at EDFCS. Parents and guardians are asked to monitor homework each night. Assigned homework will vary in length and kind depending upon grade. All assigned work is significant for student learning and must be completed well and on time.

It is the student’s responsibility to complete all homework assignments. A zero for the missing homework will be recorded in the grade book. If a student is absent one day, he/she is given one day to turn in assignments, two days absent, two days to turn in assignments, etc. Make-up work will be allowed for all absences. However, work made up for unexcused absences can merit no grade higher than a “C”. It is the responsibility of the student to pick up make-up assignments on the day he/she returns to class. There shall be one day allowed for make-up work for each day of absence. A building administrator may make exceptions to any provision of this paragraph when unusual circumstances arise.

The teacher will notify parents when failure to turn in work becomes a problem. A conference will be held with the teacher, parents, student and the head teacher if this continues.

Recommended Time Allotment For Homework

Grades K, 1          20-30     minutes each school evening

Grades 2, 3           30-45     minutes each school evening

Grades 4,5,6         45-90     minutes each school evening

TEXTBOOKS

Textbooks belong to EDFCS. They are loaned to students who are responsible for their care. Textbooks are to be returned at the end of the school year. Books should be covered and well cared for throughout the school year. Fees are charged when textbooks are lost or damaged.

CLASS PREPARATION

Successful students are those students who come to class prepared with the necessary tools. You will need a notebook, notebook paper, pencils and erasers, ballpoint pens and your textbooks for each of your classes. Some teachers may require additional school supplies for their class. Make sure you understand what is required of you for each class and make every effort to be prepared.

PLAYGROUND

The students at EDFCS will follow the following rules while playing outside:

·        No hitting

·        No pushing or shoving

·        No kicking or biting

As a family we will focus on following all the rules, sharing and enjoying one another while participating in individual or group activities at all times. 

PERSONAL POSSESSIONS

Cell Phones, ipods, walkmans, cd players, radios, pagers, game systems, toys, or any other electronic devices are not permitted in school.  Heelys are also not permitted in school.  If your child brings any of the listed items to school, it will be confiscated. 

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES

Formal conferences are scheduled with parents/guardians and the classroom teacher every nine weeks. These conferences are essential to home-school communication and attendance at these conferences is expected. Parents/guardians, who wish to meet with teachers at any other time, are encouraged to call the school office to set up an appointment or call your child’s teacher directly.

VOLUNTEER PARENT HOURS

Parents are encouraged to participate in the school on all levels.  Awards are given to parents that accrue 100 hours during the school year. Hours may be earned for helping in the classroom, donating school supplies, attending conferences and special programs.  

7 R’s

At EDFCS we embrace and believe in the seven R’s.  We desire to teach, model and instill the 7 R’s in all staff, students, and parents.

·         Respect

·         Responsibility

·         Restraint

·         Reverence

·         Reciprocity

·         Reason

·         Reconciliation

STUDENT’S CREED

I WILL make education my number one priority.

I WILL be the best that I can and achieve at my highest level.

I WILL be honest and fair.

I WILL set a good example for myself and others.

I WILL come to school on time and be well prepared.

I WILL treat all people and myself with respect and dignity.

I WILL solve challenges without arguing or fighting.

I WILL treat my school and my home with care and pride.

I WILL make a contribution to my school, community and country.

I WILL believe in myself and my dreams.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOUR CHILD LEARN

A.     Start each day right; a calm beginning at home makes the school day much better.

B.     Encourage your child to have a good breakfast and lunch. Make certain that your child sleeps at least 9 ½ hours each night.

C.     Praise your child each day for something he/she has done. Have a special place to put school work or things brought home.

D.    Laugh and talk with your child about school experiences and listen to what is said about your child’s school day experiences.

E.     Stress attendance. If the child is ill, home is the best place; otherwise, your child needs to be at school every school day.

F.      Keep the lines of communication open between yourself and your child’s teacher. Inform the teacher of any family situation which could influence your child’s behavior.  Also, if he/she is reluctant to go to school, let the teacher know so that together you can find the reason.

G.    Take your child to the library and encourage reading for pleasure.

H.    Stress organization of school notebooks, materials, etc.

I.        Provide pencils, glue scissors, paper and all other required school supplies for your child to use.

J.       Work at home with the skills taught.