Policies and Procedures

The School System Strategic Plan calls for a written document that helps ensure uniform, high quality instructional resources across the school system. St Tammany Parish developed a curriculum that is taken directly from the Louisiana State Standards. The document is locally developed and constantly reviewed and revised, from the classroom to the district level. One of the most useful aspects of the document is that teachers can access information online, from school or from home. The electronic, “living” document is correlated to district adopted texts, available materials and online resources. The Louisiana State Standards serves as a guide to what teachers should teach and what students should know and be able to do. In day-to-day lesson planning, teachers have full discretion to modify, adjust, adapt or adopt the suggested activities found in the Louisiana State Standards in order to meet the needs of the students in their classrooms.

Report cards are designed to inform you of your child’s level of instruction, academic progress, and growth in desirable habits and conduct. The report card provides a means of communication between you and your child’s teacher which is very important to his/her success and happiness in school. You are encouraged to request conferences as needed. Interim reports, if applicable, are sent home in the middle of each grading period.

GRADING PERIODS

End of first nine weeks: October 11, 2024

End of second nine weeks: December 20, 2024

End of third nine weeks: March 14, 2025

End of fourth nine weeks: May 22, 2025

School hours are 8:50 a.m. – 3:46 p.m.

Morning carline begins at 8:20 a.m.

SCHOOL WIDE (Madisonville Elementary School): For your convenience, important dates can be found on our website, and a monthly calendar will be sent home with students at the beginning of each month. Weekly class newsletters are also a great source for upcoming dates and information. All calendars are subject to change.

PARISH WIDE: A district calendar can be found in the St. Tammany Parish Public Schools district handbook or on www.stpsb.org.

While on campus, please understand that all information you see or hear pertaining to any student is STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. Please respect our students’ right to privacy after your visit by not sharing anything with others that may violate this right.

While attending school events and activities, we understand that taking pictures of your child is a big part of preserving the memories. However, parents are prohibited from taking pictures of other students. Also, please be mindful of placing school pictures on social media websites.

While on campus, please refrain from the use of cellphones, except in the case of emergency.

NO SMOKING ALLOWED. The St. Tammany Parish School Board policy on smoking is as follows: “The St. Tammany Parish School System prohibits smoking by faculty, staff, students, employees, or visitors in all buildings, centers, offices, vehicles, schools, or other property under the jurisdiction of this board during the work day.”

Every person entering our campus must check-in at the main office with a valid driver's license or state issued photo I.D.

Events and activities offered at Madisonville Elementary School are planned with your child in mind. Students in other grade levels will not be taken out of their instructional day to attend a sibling’s play or program. Siblings are not allowed in classrooms during the instructional day or to attend class parties, functions, or field trips.

Visitor parking is located on C.S. Owens near main office. Additional long-term parking in the rear of the school can be accessed via Galatas Rd. Any parking over 15 minutes should utilize the long-term lots.

Passing cars on C.S. Owens that are waiting in carline is a driving offense that can be ticketed by law enforcement once carline has started moving. We ask for the safety of the children that you refrain from using your CELL PHONE during pick-up/drop-off. (It would also be appreciated if all drivers would leave an opening in the car line at neighboring streets, and neighborhoods in the event that residents need to exit. Please do not use driveways to turn around.)

**Please see TRANSPORTATION section for an in-depth description of CARLINE PROCEDURES.**

TOPS:

COLOR - Navy/White

• Navy blue polo style with a collar (with or without school logo)

• White polo style with a collar (with or without school logo)

• Navy Madisonville Elementary School t-shirt

• On Fridays, spirit shirts are allowed to be worn with uniform bottoms

BOTTOMS:

COLOR - Khaki STYLE

Pants, Skorts, Skirts, Shorts,and Jumpers

*NO navy shorts, dresses, or jumpers or full khaki dresses.

SHOES:

Tennis shoes are the preferred shoe type for school attendance and MUST be worn on the days the student attends P.E. class.

OTHER NOTES CONCERNING DRESS:

Uniforms must be worn at all times, unless otherwise specified for special events, etc. It is highly recommended that all clothing such as jackets, sweaters, and coats are permanently marked with the student’s first and last name, in the event items are lost. Lost and found will be emptied at winter and summer breaks.

School supply lists will be posted on our website and copies can be obtained in the office.

To ensure safety, rolling book bags are not permitted.

All valuable items are to be left at home. These items include any and all games, electronics, collectibles, jewelry, and other personal items that are not part of the school supply list and uniform.

Students are responsible for their Chromebook, chargers, all textbooks, and library books issued to them during the school year. Parents are responsible for the cost of all lost or damaged items.

If you feel your child is eligible for free or reduced meals, please submit the application on the school board website. If you need a paper copy, please inform your child's teacher.

Breakfast is served daily, beginning at 8:20. Students eating breakfast at school must report to the cafeteria immediately upon arrival. Car riders having breakfast in the cafeteria must be finished by the time the morning bell rings. In the event that a bus is late, students will be allowed to eat breakfast before reporting to class.

A monthly calendar with breakfast and lunch menus will be posted on our website each month. Students are allowed to choose between a Hot or “Grab-N-Go” lunch.  The menu is subject to change due to the availability of food items.

 

 

Madisonville Elementary School & Attendance Policies

ABSENCES

Louisiana State Law states that elementary students may not miss more than ten (10) days of school for the entire year unless the absences are Excused (see below).

Categories of absences:

• Excused: This type of absence is when a student is ill and a doctor’s note or parent note is provided within 48 hours of the absence. 

• Unexcused: This type of absence is when a student is absent and a note is not provided within 48 hours stating a valid reason for this absence. 

• Suspension/Expulsion: This type of absence is when a student is suspended or expelled from school. 

Notes About Absences:

The school does not have to be notified daily if a child will be out sick. The office should be called only when a child has been out for 3 consecutive days. Parents may call the school to arrange a pick-up time for missed work.

When sending a parent note for absences, please include the student’s full name and date of the absence. Teachers send these notes to the office, and this helps our secretaries enter the information into JPAMS accurately. 

If you email your child’s teacher to alert them of an absence, a doctor’s note or parent note is still needed within 48 hours for that absence to be considered Excused. Our secretaries will date stamp all doctor’s notes and parent notes as they are received. 

Cumulative unexcused tardies and unexcused check-outs may be counted toward unexcused absences. 

We would like to stress the importance of attending school to ensure your child’s success. We strongly encourage you to schedule medical and dental appointments, vacations, etc. during school holidays or after school hours.

SEAT TIME

For all absences over the ten day limit, except for Excused, students must make up seat time. Four hours of seat time must be made up to equal one day of absence. Seat time will be scheduled by administration when absences accrue over the ten day limit. Madisonville Elementary staff will work with students on grade level appropriate assignments during seat time. Students who exceed the attendance regulation and fail to make up seat time will be at risk to be retained for that grade level the following year, and parents will be required to attend an SBLC (School Building Level Committee) meeting with administration. 

 

TARDIES 

Our carline and our buses begin unloading at 8:20 a.m. Our instructional day begins at 8:50 a.m. If you plan to utilize our car line the students must be out of the car by 8:50 a.m. Please plan accordingly. Students arriving after 8:50 a.m. are considered tardy. Any student arriving after 8:50 a.m. must report to the main office WITH AN ADULT in order to be marked present for the day. The student MUST be signed in by an adult in order for the student to receive credit for their attendance. At no time should a child be let out in the parking lot to walk into school. A doctor’s note can be presented at the time of check-in or within 48 hours to have the tardy excused. Five (5) combined tardies and check-outs per nine weeks will result in a Family Reflection Session. 

 

EARLY CHECK-OUTS

If your child has an appointment during school hours, please report to the main office to sign the student(s) out. Unless the appointment takes the entire school day, students are expected to attend class both before and after the appointment. If a doctor’s note is provided within 48 hours, the check-out will be excused. Checking students out just before dismissal causes safety concerns; therefore, we ask that you refrain from checking out students after 3:15 p.m. except in the case of an emergency.

Please do not be offended when we ask for identification when checking students out. It is merely a protective measure. If the student is to be picked up by anyone other than the legal custodial guardian listed on the student’s records, the person picking up/checking out the child must be listed on the Emergency Card. Anyone checking out a student must show acceptable identification. Five (5) combined tardies and check-outs per nine weeks will result in a Family Reflection Session. 

Notes About Tardies and Check-Outs:

Arriving at school late and leaving school early causes a disruption in the learning day. 

Louisiana Law states that a student shall be considered habitually tardy after the fifth unexcused check in or check-out per semester.  At Madisonville Elementary, once a student reaches five (5) combined tardies or check-outs per nine-week period, a Family Reflection Session will be scheduled. This allows more wiggle room for our young learners while still upholding an expectation of consistent attendance and punctuality. 

 

FAMILY REFLECTION SESSIONS:

If a student accrues five (5) combined tardies or check-outs in a nine-week period, they will be assigned a Family Reflection Session. These will be held before school from 7:45-8:15a.m. A parent/guardian will attend this session with the student and work through a family assignment together related to our Leader in Me Habits. Failure to report to these sessions will result in disciplinary action.

It is important to note that Seat Time and Family Reflection Sessions are two separate events. Seat Time is related to excessive unexcused absences and allows students to make up their instructional minutes. Our Family Reflection Sessions are related to excessive tardies and check-outs and are intended to help families work together to make a better plan for punctuality and consistent attendance. 

 

COMMUNICATION:

Attendance Notification Letters will be sent home by administration quarterly. These letters will notify families if their student is coming close to or has exceeded the absence, tardy, or check-out limit. Families may also log into JPAMS and click the “Attendance” tab to see the most up to date attendance information for their child using this link: https://jpams.stpsb.org/progress/ 

 

General bus information including bus routes, rules, and regulations can be found on the St. Tammany Parish schools website.

STPPS Bus Transportation Information

Specific student behavior expectations are established for the safe and efficient operation of the school district transportation system in accordance with state laws and regulations. Administration reserves the right to suspend a student from riding the bus on any offense depending on the severity of the offense. Any questions or concerns pertaining to the district’s transportation system should be directed to the school board transportation department at 985.898.3373.

Our school day begins at 8:50 a.m. Students arriving in cars must arrive between 8:20 a.m. and 8:50 a.m. Teachers are not on duty until 8:20 a.m. Car riders eating breakfast at school must arrive in the cafeteria no later than 8:35 a.m. and be finished by the time the morning bell rings.

Please display the tag on your rear-view mirror and write the student’s name in BOLD, BLACK MARKER. Please refer to the maps and diagrams for more information as well. We ask for the safety of the children that you refrain from using your CELL PHONE during pick-up/drop-off. The carline is a HANDS-FREE zone.

Carline procedures will be a little different now that we have our new entrance completed, and we appreciate your patience and understanding in advance as we work through the beginning of the year as everyone settles into the new procedures. Please display the NEW tag on your rearview mirror and write all of the students’ name(s) in BOLD BLACK MARKER.  FAMILIES CAN ALL GO ON THE SAME TAG.  Please refer to the maps, diagrams, and video on our school website for more information as well.  There will no longer be a PK carline in the front of the school.

 

Morning Carline All traffic will enter from Dummyline Road to Galatas Road then turn into the new entrance on Galatas Road. (See map) Cars will only be permitted to turn right into the parking lot. Please do not enter from HWY 1077. (Please DO NOT turn around in driveways on Galatas Road.) Cars will then flow into the parking lot and into the stacking lanes.

 

PK/Kindergarten (and siblings)/ALL breakfast students – after entering the parking lot, continue across CS Owens to the little minnow side of the campus to unload your student(s). All children will unload from the passenger side of the vehicle ONLY for the safety of the child. After unloading you will turn right and exit on CS Owens towards HWY 1077.

 

1^st and 2^nd Grade ONLY (NOT eating breakfast) – after entering the parking lot you will snake through the parking lot on the big fish side and proceed to the unloading area under the long awning. All children will unload from the driver’s side of the vehicle ONLY for the safety of the child. After unloading your child, you will turn left and exit on CS Owens towards HWY 1077.

 

Afternoon Carline

All traffic will enter from Dummyline Road to Galatas Road then turn into the new entrance on Galatas Road. (See map) Cars will only be permitted to turn right into the parking lot. Please do not enter from HWY 1077. (Please DO NOT turn around in driveways on Galatas Road.) Cars will then flow into the parking lot and into the stacking lanes.

 

PK, PK siblings and other designated students with Orange Tags - After entering the parking lot, continue across CS Owens to the little minnow side of the campus to load your student(s). All children will load from the passenger side of the vehicle ONLY for the safety of the children. After loading you will turn right and exit on CS Owens towards HWY 1077.  A buckle up zone is designated for Orange Tag students only on the gravel as you turn out of the parking lot. Please utilize this area to quickly buckle your child and exit down CS Owens to HWY 1077.

 

Kindergarten, First and Second grades ONLY (without PK siblings) Blue Tags – After entering the parking lot you will snake through the parking lot on the big fish side and proceed to the loading area under the long awning. All children will load from the driver’s side of the vehicle ONLY for the safety of the child. There will be 9 designated loading spots, please pull up to the next available numbered spot. (There is a buckle up zone with signs designated for Kindergarten, 1^st and 2^nd grade students on the right (next to the bus loop) side past visitor parking.) After loading your child, you will turn left and exit on CS Owens towards HWY 1077 and utilize the buckle up zone if necessary. Please parallel park temporarily in this area for extra time needed for buckling when necessary before pulling onto the highway. 

 

REMINDER: Carline is a hands free zone – this means NO CELLPHONES are to be utilized unless you are in a hands free mode. This is extremely important for the safety of all students.  Your child should also remain completely in the vehicle at all times without any body parts hanging out of a window or sunroof for the safety of all.

 

If you need additional carline tags at any time, please see one of our secretaries for assistance.

All students will receive a CARLINE NAME TAG during meet & greet and/or the first days of school. Your carline tag is only needed during PM Carline.  Write your child’s name in BIG, BLACK, BOLD letters, and place it on your rear view mirror with the name facing out. This identification keeps the line moving smoothly. Please use the carline name tag all year because duty teams rotate. If the name tag is not displayed, you will be asked to park and go to the main office to verify the party picking up your child so that the car line can continue moving. If additional carline name tags are needed, notify the office.

Your child’s safety is our top priority; the following guidelines must be enforced:

• If your child needs to use a different form of transportation, inform the teacher in writing at least 48 hours before the change when possible.
• For your child’s safety, we CANNOT rely on verbal notification from the child.
• Students who are going to another student’s home MUST also bring written permission from the other child’s parent.
• We WILL NOT accept transportation changes via fax, email or telephone.

Transportation change notification must include the following:

• Child’s Full Name
• Teacher’s Name
• Grade
• Bus Driver’s Name
• Bus Number
• Parent/Guardian’s Signature

Morning Arrival: PreK, Kindergarten, & ALL Students NEEDING Breakfast

ArMapPKandBreakfastforallMorning.png

Morning Arrival- 1st & 2nd Grade- NO BREAKFAST NEEDED

ArMapAMfor1stand2ndOnlynobreakfast_1.jpg

Afternoon Dismissal- PreK, PreK Siblings, & SWE Students (Orange Tags)

ArMapPMPKPKsiblingsandSWE-orangetags.jpg

Afternoon Dismissal- Kindergarten, 1st, & 2nd Grade (Blue Tags)

PMMAPforK12.jpg

 

 

 

Conferences are a time when parents and teachers gain a better insight into the child’s needs, interests, potential and growth, as well as any particular difficulties he/she may have. If at any time a child would benefit from a parent/teacher conference, the faculty is available before and after school by appointment only. It is not the proper time to conference during parties or other school programs.

Madisonville Elementary School has a very active PTA. The Parent-Teacher Association provides an excellent opportunity for establishing better communication between parents and teachers. This is a great opportunity for parents to learn about campus life and to support our school. We encourage you to join our Parent-Teacher Association. Look for information to be sent home at the beginning of the school year. You can also view a current list of PTA officers, committees, committee chair people, and upcoming events and opportunities on our school PTA website, www.madisonvillepta.org.

Parents may be asked to help chaperone for a field trip. You will receive a Parent Chaperone Responsibility Form to sign and return to school before the field trip. We ask that you abide by these rules. Many factors will decide the number of chaperones needed. In accordance with the school board policy, there will be no smoking on school grounds or while chaperoning on school related field trips. While on a field trip, we ask that chaperones follow the school policy noted in this handbook under GUIDE FOR CAMPUS VISITS. In addition, please refrain from cell phone use while chaperoning field trips, except in the case of an emergency.

The purpose of the chaperone is to supervise a class group of 4-6 students. Parents who are not attending a particular field trip want to feel assured that their child is being well supervised. We ask that chaperones give their total attention to the students.

School policy is that students must ride on the bus to and from a field trip. If a child is going to be checked out after a field trip, your child MUST be checked out from the main office. Any printed badges that were given to parents by the office should be returned to the office, either directly or by a teacher.

The need for expanding school counseling programs has become more acute due to the teaching profession’s increased understanding of how non-academic forces impact the school’s learning environment. We have these services available as needed or requested by parents for individuals.

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 used in the instruction 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.

In an effort to maintain a safe and healthy environment in school, the following guidelines should be followed 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. If your child is exhibiting signs of an illness, please ensure they are symptom free for 24 hours before returning.

If your child has any health conditions that require additional information or special directions, you MUST have a doctor’s note indicating the condition and the procedure to be followed. Oftentimes, parents tell us that their child has allergies, but we have no doctor’s note indicating such. In order for us to withhold food products, (i.e. dairy products) or give medication, we MUST have a doctor’s order. THIS MUST BE UPDATED EVERY SCHOOL YEAR.

The St. Tammany Parish School System has strict guidelines for administering medications at school. If your child is taking medication, you may request a St. Tammany Parish medication form from the school’s office and have it completed by your physician. The medication will then be administered through the office by trained staff. If there are any changes in medication, a new form must be completed by the parent and doctor before a new medicine or dosage is given. Any medicines not claimed by the end of the school year will be discarded. Do not send cough syrup, cough drops, aspirin, or any over-the-counter medication to school with any child.

Parents may come to school, sign a “Medical Note” form, and administer medicine if necessary. Please contact our school nurse with any questions.