Elementary Orientation
Quick Links
Communication
- We want our teachers to be able to give you their full attention, so if you need to speak to your child’s teacher about a concern, please email them to schedule a time; please avoid trying to conference with your child’s teacher during drop off and pick up times. Thank you!
- Class Newsletters
- Tuesday Folders: graded papers, reminders, announcements, etc.
- Wolf Tracks – Weekly school-wide newsletter
Contact Holly Winchell (hwinchell@rossvillechristian.com) if you are not receiving the Wolf Tracks.
FACTS Family Portal
Check it frequently for lesson plans, homework, and grades. Lesson plans and homework for each week are posted on Friday afternoons for the upcoming week. These are subject to change; the teacher will try to update online with any major changes, but ultimately, it is the student’s responsibility to note changes in their agenda when the teacher announces them in class.
Click here to view the Student Handbook
Email is the most frequently used communication tool. If you have a class-specific question or problem or would like to request a meeting with a teacher, email him/her directly.
Teachers strive to answer communication in a timely manner; they will get back to you within 24 hours, often much sooner. If you email after 3:30 p.m. please do not expect a reply that same day. Thank you for allowing our teachers to maintain a healthy work/life balance by respecting their personal/family time.
Remind
Some teachers may use the “Remind” and/or “Class Dojo” apps, but are not required to do so.
Enrichment Classes
All special classes will be graded with a rubric. Students will receive an E, S, N, or U according to the following:
- Participation
- Following Directions
- Demonstrating Self-Control/Teamwork
- Working Hard/Staying On Task
P.E. - Coach Kevin Rhyan
- All students must have non-marking soles on P.E. shoes. These must be worn with the P.E. uniform on the day your child has P.E.
- P.E. uniforms are ordered online by Wednesday, August 26th.
- Order online here.
- P.E. uniforms may be worn all day on scheduled P.E. day.
- Until PE uniforms come in, appropriate length (no shorter that 2” above the knee) gym shorts and a white, gray, navy, or red t-shirt may be worn.
Art, STEM, & Spanish / Ms. Meshell
Music & Library / Mrs. Penny Ray
Accelerated Reading (AR)
- Progress and goal tracker in your child’s notebook with a quarterly goal
- At end of each nine weeks, there is a celebration in which students are recognized for meeting or exceeding their individual goals and classes compete for overall recognition.
- 1st, 2nd & 3rd compete for Little Spirit
- 4th through 6th compete for Spirit
- Jr. K and Kindergarten will have their own celebrations for the progress they are making in reading.
STAR Testing
- Benchmark testing in Math and Reading
- Fall, Winter, Spring
- Helps teachers with instructional planning and progress monitoring
- Progress and goal tracker in your child’s notebook
Attendance
- If your child is absent or will be checking in late, please contact the office to let us know. Email is preferred because we keep documentation for all absences/tardies.
- Email Mrs. Jennifer in the elementary office: jbailey@rossvillechristian.com
- If your child arrives after 8:05, the building will be locked and parents must come to the office to sign in the child. After 8:05, they will not be admitted to class without a tardy slip.
- For full explanation of attendance policies, see Student Handbook.
Sickness
- If your child is sick, PLEASE keep them home until they are fever-free (without medicine) or have not been vomiting for 24 hours.
- Students will have one day per absent day to make up work.
- Arrangements can be made for extended or severe sicknesses.
- **See COVID-19 Parent Consent form for details on coronavirus procedures.
Homework & Studying
- Homework: amount, frequency, type vary by teacher. Research continues to show that large amounts of homework are not beneficial. Teachers are encouraged to assign homework that is meaningful and reasonable. It may be checked for completion and/or accuracy depending on the assignment and how the information has been covered in class.
- The goal is deep learning/understanding/application, NOT just memorization/regurgitation. Therefore…
- Some teachers may give “study guides” or “review guides,” but they will not give the exact questions students will see on the quiz or test.
- Some teachers may expect students to study by the notes they have taken in class.
Make-up Work (Student Handbook)
- Unplanned absences due to sickness or other unpreventable/unexpected circumstances: It is the responsibility of the parent/student to contact the teacher to make-up all missed work/tests. All missed work/tests must be made up in a timely manner. A typical time frame would be one day for each day missed. Additional time may be given for special circumstances (such as extended sickness) at the teacher’s discretion and approved by the Director of Education and/or School Counselor.
- Planned absences due to appointments, travel, etc.: Students should communicate with the teacher prior to the absence to determine what he/she will be missing and turn it in and/or be prepared to make up the test upon the day he/she returns. If it is an extended absence, the due date will be set by the teacher.
- Students are not allowed to make up work if the absence is UNexcused.
Late Work (Student Handbook)
- It is the STUDENT’S responsibility to turn in work; the teacher may remind the student, but they will not repeatedly beg them to turn in missing work.
- Late Work Policy If a student is present at school but does not turn in an assignment (homework, classwork, essay, project, etc.) on the day it is due at the appointed class time, the student may turn in the work up to two days late and the following penalties will be assessed.
- 1 day late: the highest possible grade that may be earned is (85).
- 2 days late: the highest possible grade that may be earned is (70).
- No work will be accepted more than two (2) days late, and a zero (0) will be posted.
Discipline
- Each teacher is encouraged to handle minor discipline issues within his/her class; teacher will email/call parent if there is a problem.
- For major and/or recurring issues, the teacher will submit issue to Dean of Students.
- If/when a behavior issue is referred to the office, parents will be contacted, and the event and consequences are recorded in FACTS and are viewable in your Family Portal.
Electronics
- NO personal electronics will be allowed in the elementary classrooms or cafeteria from 7:30-3:00.
- Includes cell phones, iPads, 3DS, Kindles, etc.
- If in use, devices will be taken up and given to Dean of Students to hold until the end of the day.
Social Media & Bullying
- Text, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, etc.
- Be aware of who and what!
- Review Bullying Policy in Student Handbook.
- Review Technology/Internet/Social Media Policy in Student Handbook.
- We do not go out “hunting” for offenses, but if it is brought to the attention of an RCA teacher or administrator we must and will act on it.
- Consequences can include suspension and/or expulsion.
- TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT KINDNESS.
Dress Code
Please refer to your Student Handbook or click here for proper school uniform attire specifics.
Click here to visit our Spirit Store for Wolf Gear!
Drop Off & Pick Up
- AM: Students may be dropped off beginning at 7:30 a.m. The building will not be open before 7:30. Students will go directly to their teacher’s classroom hallway area to wait with supervision. Students can enter classrooms at 7:45.
- PM: Car line begins at 2:45 p.m. If students are not picked up by 3:05, they will be placed in after-care and a fee will apply.
- There are three spaces to stop in front of the building. Look for the numbered signs on the posts and the paw prints on the sidewalk. Please pull all the way up to the first spot, so we can fill all three spaces.
- Please do not block the entrance and exit.
- Please do not park and come in to get your child unless you are checking them out early for an appointment.
Lunch/Snack Ordering Online through Family Portal
- Menu Daily Specials change quarterly.
- Orders must be place by 11:00 p.m. the night before. You can order as far in advance as you would like for the quarter.
- Two options for payment: 1) Load an amount into your child’s account / 2) Pay at time of order
- Jr. K-2nd grade are not permitted to purchase candy, soft drinks, or sweet tea due to the high sugar content and the way that affects their academic focus.
- Instructions for ordering available in Family Portal; in left-hand menu, click “School,” then click “Resource Documents.”
Lockers - 5th & 6th Grade
- No lock necessary; if a lock is used, office must have combination or key.
- May decorate the inside (no sticky liners), but not the outside.
- Shelves, magnets, pictures, notepad, dry erase board, etc.
- Nothing may be stored on top of the lockers.