Welcome New Parents!

1. Welcome New Parents! What every new parent needs to know about Serene Hills Elementary and the Lake Travis Independent School District!

2. School Hours 7:30-3:30 Office Hours Monday-Friday

3. School Hours 7:30-4:00 Office Hours Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m.Students may enter building.

4. School Hours 7:30-4:00 Office Hours Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m.Students may enter building. 7:45 a.m. Classes begin.

5. School Hours 7:30-4:00 Office Hours Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m.Students may enter building. 7:45 a.m. Classes begin. 7:50 a.m.Tardy Bell rings. Students must pick up a tardy slip in the office.

6. School Hours 7:30-4:00 Office Hours Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m.Students may enter building. 7:45 a.m. Classes begin. 7:50 a.m.Tardy Bell rings. Students must pick up a tardy slip in the office. 10:00 a.m. Attendance is taken.

7. School Hours 7:30-4:00 Office Hours Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m.Students may enter building. 7:45 a.m. Classes begin. 7:50 a.m.Tardy Bell rings. Students must pick up a tardy slip in the office. 10:00 a.m. Attendance is taken. 2:45 p.m.Students are dismissed.

8. School Hours 7:30-4:00 Office Hours Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m.Students may enter building. 7:45 a.m. Classes begin. 7:50 a.m.Tardy Bell rings. Students must pick up a tardy slip in the office. 10:00 a.m. Attendance is taken. 2:45 p.m.Students are dismissed. 3:00 p.m. Students must be picked up by this time. Extended Care is an after school child care option at Serene Hills. You may contact the Office of Community Programs or the school office for information regarding registration for this program.

9. Attendance We can provide an exceptional educational experience for your child, but he/she must be here on time and stay all day for us to do so.

10. Attendance We can provide an exceptional educational experience for your child, but he/she must be here on time and stay all day for us to do so. Arrive before 7:45 and stay until 2:45 every day.

11. Attendance However… they can’t learn if they are ill, and others will miss learning opportunities if your child is contagious.

12. Attendance Do not send your child to school if he/she: • Is under doctor’s orders to stay home. • Has had a fever over 100 degrees in the last 24 hours. • Has had diarrhea in the last 24 hours. • Has pink eye. If you’re not sure, you may call our school nurse for advice.

13. Medication Prescription and non-prescription drugs to be administered at school must: • Be dropped off and picked up by a parent/guardian. • Be in the original container. • Be accompanied by a note if dosage differs from what is on the original non-prescription container. • Must remain in the nurse’s office, not with the student (except for asthma medication and epi pens with written permission).

14. Injury A written excuse is required if a child is not to participate in physical education. If a child is excused from p.e. participation, he/she will also be excused from recess.

15. Absences If your child is unable to attend school, please call the front office.  If you are unable to call, a handwritten note will be required upon the return of the student stating the date(s) of the absence(s) and the reason for the absence(s), per district policy.     When you take your student to the doctor, please provide a doctor’s note stating they had an appointment.

16. Morning Drop-Off • You may drop off your child/children as early as 7:00. • Students are allowed to go to their classes at 7:25 (Mondays-Thursdays) or assembly in the gym (Fridays). • School begins at 7:45. • Students are counted tardy at 7:50.

17. Morning Drop Off

18. Morning Drop-Off Efficiency Issues • Please have your child/children ready to exit the car prior to entering the drive. • Pull all the way up to the sign that says, “Pull Up to Here” in a single line near the sidewalk to drop off your child/children. • Allow your child to exit anywhere on the sidewalk, rather than waiting until you are directly in front of the doors. • Stay in your vehicle once you enter either drive, just as your would at the airport. • Please allow enough time for morning traffic (especially on rainy days).

19. Morning Drop-Off Location Options • K-2nd graders will be dropped off in the front drive. • 3rd-5th graders will be dropped off in the South side lot. • Carpools or cars with siblings should drop off in the lot of the youngest rider in the car.

20. Morning Drop-Off Safety Issues • All car riders should be dropped off from the car rider lane only. • For the safety of your child, do not let your child exit your car and walk between parked vehicles, as this is not a safe option. • The front car loops are one way at all times, both morning and afternoon. • Please avoid the lot near Trophy Drive and the back drive.

21. Morning Drop-Off Entrances • Car riders, walkers, and bicycle riders will enter the building through the main front doors. • Bus riders will be dropped off at the back entrance.

22. Morning Drop-Off • State law requires students to be in attendance, and a tardy is considered a partial day absence. • Remember, you have a 45 minute window to get your child here on time. • Being on time allows your child to begin their school day without feeling rushed. It is also important to model being on time.

23. Afternoon Dismissal 2:45 p.m. There are 5 dismissal options: • School Bus, • Car Rider, • Escorted Walker/Bike Rider/Daycare Bus, • Unescorted Walker/Bike Rider, and • Extended Care.

24. Afternoon Dismissal for Bus Riders • ONLY buses pick up at the back of the school building. • Please do not enter the bus lane at the back of the school. • Bus riders will exit the back doors of the main hallway. • Buses will transport ONLY eligible riders. • They will no longer transport additional students for sleepovers, scouts, parties, etc. due to lack of available seats.

25. Afternoon Dismissal Parking • Due to minimal parking area on the streets surrounding Serene Hills and concern for student safety, parents are discouraged from parking to pick up students. • If you choose to park, you will need to do so on Trophy Lane. Please use caution when crossing the road, as it can be dangerous. • If your child will be riding home in a car please make arrangements to classify your child as a car-rider and pick him/her up in one of the two drives.

26. Afternoon Dismissal for Pedestrians • Parents who walk or ride their bike to campus to pick up their child/children may pick up outside the North side (facing Trophy Dr.) of the building, which is where the students exit. • Please do not call a child to cross the street when the parent is on one side and the child is on the other. • Crossing guards are stationed at the corner of Trophy and Highlands Drive and again at Highlands Drive and Lakeway Blvd. • All pedestrian and bicycle traffic should take these routes to and from school.

27. Afternoon Dismissal for Car Riders • Please have your numbered car tag hanging from your rear view mirror when you enter the drive. • Please remember that cell phones at pick-up is a violation of law and a distraction that could be harmful or deadly.

28. Afternoon Dismissal for Car Riders(K-2nd Graders and Siblings) • Enter the front circular drive and ensure your numbered car tag is hanging from your rearview mirror. • As soon as you veer right, form two lines. • Please remain in your vehicle at all times. Once your child is placed safely in your vehicle, stay in the far right lane and merge into one lane to exit. • Your car will be loaded once you arrive at the loading zone. • If you are picking up children who are not outside, pull forward to the far right and wait near the bike racks.

29. Afternoon Dismissal for Grades 3-5 • Third, fourth and fifth grade parents will enter the school drive on the South side of the building (near the gym/playscapes) and merge into the far right lane next to the sidewalk. • Please move all the way forward to the sign that says, “Pull Up to Here.” This is where students will load. • Please remain in your vehicle at all times. • Please do not park in the lot and call your child to your car for the safety of your child. You must enter the line. Once your child is in your vehicle, stay in the far right lane and circle around until you reach the exit to the street.

30. Change in Transportation • If your child will be going home an alternate way, please send a note with your child on or before the day of the transportation change. • You may also email your request to our receptionist, Heather Kenley, at kenleyh@ltisdschools.org. Her email is also available on our website. If you do not receive a confirmation email reply, please contact the front office. • Please understand that the safety of your child is of vital importance to us. To avoid errors and confusion, transportation changes cannot be accepted after 1:00 p.m. the day of the change.

31. Cafeteria Procedures • Students will deposit lunch money prior to 9:00 a.m. This ensures that the lunch lines run smoothly and are not slowed by students making deposits into their accounts. • Students may pay by the day, week, month or year. • Payments will also be accepted online at www.myschoolbucks.com. • A food allergy form is available on the district website if your child has an allergy that restricts them from certain foods.

32. Snack Permission Form On the district website, parents can access a Student Snack Permission Form which allows them to choose how often students can purchase snacks. The options are: • no restrictions, • only purchase on certain days, or • make no purchase at all for your child. Fill in the blanks on the form, save it to your computer, then e-mail to your student's Cafe Manager as indicated at the bottom of the form. Without this form, students can purchase at their discretion.

33. Messages & Deliveries for Students Messages from parents and deliveries of forgotten items to students should be limited to emergencies only so that important instructional time is not interrupted. All items should be left at the front desk with the child’s first name, last name, teacher name, and grade level clearly written on the item.

34. Field Trips Field trips are a good example of memorable school activities that students deeply enjoy. They do, however, require a significant concerted effort on the part of the teacher to ensure our children are safe in a somewhat foreign environment. Having children take private transportation to or from a field trip increases the likelihood that a safety error will be made. Therefore, district policy states that students must ride the bus to and from the field trip.

35. Items That Do Not Belong at School • Weapons, including pocket knives • Toy or virtual weapons • Tobacco, tobacco products, and electronic cigarettes • Drugs, alcohol, or drug paraphernalia • Skateboards, rollerblades, or shoes with wheels For a more detailed list, see the district Student/Parent Handbook and the Student Code of Conduct.

36. District Dress Code Restrictions • Un-natural colored shades of hair • Bare midriffs • Backless or strapless tops/dresses • Beach wear • Spandex, biker, or short shorts ( shorter than fingertip length) • Muscle shirts • Baggy pants or shorts • Trench coats or dusters • Hats

37. Visitors It is our priority to keep students and staff safe and focused on high quality education. Therefore, we respectfully request that all visitors sign-in at the office upon entering through the front doors and wear a visitor’s badge while in the building. The badge verifies that you have checked in the office, presented proper identification and made clear the purpose for your visit. Please see the district Student/Parent Handbook for more detailed information.

38. PTO • Our President for the 2014-2015 school year is Dustin Ferrell. • Visit the PTO website at http://www.she.my-pto.org. • Register for Site News. • Earn money for the school by clicking on the Amazon link on the website page prior to shopping on Amazon.

39. Stay Informed • Visit the school website at http://www.ltisdschools.org. • Click on Subscribe to E-News on the right side of our webpage. • Sign up for your teacher’s Remind 101 updates. See the teacher website for information on how to join. • Join my Remind 101 user group by testing the message @ca9d7 to (424)543-6344 or send an email to ca9d7@mail.remind.com.

40. Mark Your Calendar August 25 First Day of School September 4 Curriculum Night for Parents 5:30-6:30 (3-5) 6:30-7:30(K-2) Visit our school and district website for additional information.