SCHOOL DAY 

Our school day begins promptly at 7:40 a.m.  Instruction begins at 7:40 a.m. Students should be present in school each day in order for optimum learning to take place. Please make sure your child arrives at school in time to begin work at 7:40 a.m. We strive to protect your child’s instructional time at school. Therefore, we try to keep classroom interruptions to a minimum. Every minute of instructional time is valuable. Please try to avoid dismissing your child from school early unless it is absolutely necessary.

STUDENT TARDINESS  

All students are expected to be in class at 7:40 a.m. each morning that school is in session (180 days a year). Your child will be considered tardy after 7:40 a.m. and must report to the main office to obtain a tardy pass. Parents must accompany their child to the office.

STUDENT DISMISSAL

Early dismissal of students is handled in the main office. If a parent wishes to pick up his/her child during the day, he/she must come in to the office to properly sign the child out of school. The parent will be asked to provide the last four digits of the child’s social security number and/or show identification. Should the parent send another adult to pick up his/her child, written authorization from the parent is required. DEPARTURE PROCEDURES OF STUDENTS WILL NOT BE ALTERED WITHOUT WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS FROM PARENTS.

MAKE-UP WORK

Students will be given an opportunity to make up work during the first week following the return to school after an absence. Except in extreme circumstances, this make-up work must be completed within that week. The student is responsible for finding out what assignments need to be made up and for completing them within the deadline. For students who have missed more than 2 or 3 days, teachers will be glad to assemble make-up work after school as requested by parents. Before you come by the office to pick up your child’s work, make sure the teacher has had time to put everything together. If you have a planned absence and want work, you must request this in writing to the teacher at least 2 days notice.

CHANGE OF FAMILY INFORMATION

Parents are asked to keep mailing addresses, ALL phone numbers, place of employment, legal custody rights, and emergency contact information up to date and accurate at all times. Please notify the school office immediately in the event of any changes in these important family information issues.

VISITORS  

For the safety of our students, we require that all parents and visitors report to our front area upon entering the building. Each visitor will be asked to present a driver’s license to be scanned. All visitors will be given a visitor’s badge to wear while on the school campus.

Also, for the safety of our children, you will be asked to tell the office personnel the last four digits of your child’s social security number when you pick up your child early from school or when you call the school to give a message to your child. We appreciate your assistance in helping us provide a safe learning environment for our students.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND MOMENT OF SILENCE

Teachers will involve students in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and observing a moment of silence each day. This is required by South Carolina law. Our Principal’s Cabinet voted to recite the pledge to South Carolina along with the Pledge of Allegiance.

HOME/SCHOOL COMMUNICATION

Weekly communication will be sent home from school. This communication may be in the form of teacher newsletters, weekly homework assignments, flyers, etc. In addition, the school encourages parent/teacher conferences as often as needed to ensure that effective communication will occur throughout the year.

Regular conferences between parents and teachers provide an excellent opportunity to discuss many details about the child’s school experiences that cannot be conveyed on the nine weeks report card. These conferences may be requested by either teacher or parent, in order to share knowledge about the child and gain a better understanding of his/her needs and interests. Regular contact between the home and school will help the child see that both his/her parents and teachers care about his/her academic progress and that they have confidence in him/her.

Please call the school office (821-0300) if you would like assistance in scheduling a conference with your child’s teacher(s). Teachers are usually available for conferences during their planning time and at the end of the school day.

SCHOOLMESSENGER®  

Lexington County School District One uses a communication tool called SchoolMessenger®. SchoolMessenger®  is a telephone messaging system that will allow the district and school to notify you immediately by telephone of special announcements, emergencies, your child’s absences, and important information. It can also be used to get an emergency message to our staff, students, and student’s parents/guardians quickly by telephone.

LexConnect

Lexington County School District One believes in regular, high-quality communication between home, school and community.  In fact, research shows that students with informed and involved parents do better academically.  In an effort to improve the way we communicate with you, Lexington One will continue to implement a web-based communications package called Lex-Connect. Through Lex-Connect, parents and students can get information about school activities, class activities, class assignments, class projects and resource materials. You may check your student’s attendance records, grades, and other important information through the Internet.  Of course, only those people who have your permission to view your student’s private information can have access.

SNACKS AT SCHOOL AND CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS

The SC Student Health and Fitness Act of 2005 prohibits foods of minimal nutritional value and certain carbonated beverages from being sold or given away on school premises by the school, school and non-school organizations, teachers, parents, or any other person or group during the school day.

We do want to celebrate students birthdays at school, and we want students to feel special and recognized. However, we also want our children to be healthy and physically fit. Therefore, we are asking parents to send nutritious treats if they desire to send a snack for their child’s birthday celebration. Items such as pencils, crayons, etc. can also be given as birthday treats. You may purchase individually wrapped cupcakes from our cafeteria manager that meet the nutritional standards. Please contact your child’s teacher before sending snacks to school for the class.

The following foods and similar food items are on the approval list of snacks for District One Cafeterias. These items meet Nutrition Standards set forth in the SC Students Health and Fitness Act of 2005 for K-5 and Lexington One Schools and Nutrition Standards set forth in Lexington County School District One’s Wellness Policy 2006.

Guidelines for Approved Snacks

• Baked Chips, Crackers, Popcorn, Cereal, Trail Mix, Nuts, Seeds, Dried Fruits, Jerky and other like snacks not to exceed: 1.25 ounces
• Cookies or Cereal Bars not to exceed: 2 ounces
• Other bakery items including Sweet Rolls, Muffins and other like bakery items not to exceed: 3 ounces
• Frozen desserts including ice cream, ice cream bars, and other like frozen desserts not to exceed: 4 ounces
• Yogurt (not frozen) not to exceed: 8 ounces

We are a healthy school and allow 10 or fewer fundraising days for food and beverages exempt from the Smart Snacks standards.

TEACHER-LED COLLABORATIVE PLANNING/EARLY RELEASE DAYS

During Teacher-Led Collaborative Planning, teachers get together to creatively discuss and solve educational issues, find solutions and plan instruction. The focus is on improving teaching and learning. Teachers will work in grade level or subject area groups. They will review instructional materials, plan for specific instructional interventions for students, plan detailed academic teaching strategies, or, if requested by teachers, receive training on an instructional concept, instructional materials, or instructional equipment.

Teachers will participate in Teacher-Led Collaborative Planning seven times. Lunch will be served on these days. Elementary students will be dismissed at 11:40 AM on these days.

Buses will take students home at 11:40 AM on Teacher-Led Collaborative Planning days. If you cannot pick up your child from school at 11:40 on these days, the school will provide supervised child care until the regular dismissal time. You must pick up your child by 2:25.

SMOKE-FREE CAMPUS

Midway Elementary School, like all schools in Lexington School District One, is a smoke-free campus. Parents, visitors, and staff members are not permitted to smoke on this campus.

SCHOOL STORE   

(Available for 1st through 5th grade) Midway Elementary School has a school store that will be located close to the main entrance.  Hours of operation are 7:15 – 7:35 a.m. Monday through Friday.  Students may not spend more than $2.00 at the time and no bills larger than $1.00 are accepted.  Only items that are needed at school are sold in the school store.  Examples include glue sticks, pencils, notebook paper, erasers, and markers.