School Hours:
School begins promptly at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 3:10
p.m.
Early Arrivals:
For safety
reasons, students are not permitted on the premises until 8:50 a.m. There will
be no supervision prior to this time.
Tardy Arrival:
Students are
considered tardy after 9:00 a.m. Students should bring a letter to the office
when they arrive to school late.
Early Dismissal:
For the safe and orderly process of student release, early
dismissal ends at 2:45 p.m. Only persons listed on the 'Permissions to
Release Child/Family Card' form will be authorized to pick-up
student(s). Without exception, valid
government issued ID. is required
for everyone picking up a student.
Dismissal Changes:
All requested
changes to afternoon dismissal must come from a parent/guardian and must be
submitted in writing to the office. Parents/guardians may not make changes to the bus assignments of
students under any circumstances. Bus changes must go through the Front Office. Any
permit changes to dismissal must be done at the front office by completing the Transportation Form.
Absences
Excessive student
absences have a negative impact on student's instructional progress, therefore
consistent attendance is critical to the success of all students and the
school. If a student is absent they should provide a note to their teacher
explaining the absence.
Guests/Visitors
Per Prince George's County policy, prior to conducting any
business in the schoolhouse, all guests
and visitors must report to the Office and present a government issued
identification that will be recorded in our Raptor system.
Administrative Procedure 0500: Classroom Visits and Conferences by
Parents/Guardians of Current Students:
The process to arrange a classroom visit or conference by
parents/guardians of current students will be available from each school. Such visits are at the discretion of the
principal but will not be permitted during testing. Classroom visits and/or
conferences by parents/guardians must be arranged at least 24 hours in advance.
Classroom visits and conferences must be
conducted in such a manner that the visits and/or conferences do not interfere
with the classroom activities of any student in class.
Mandatory School
Uniform:
Shirts-Black Polo
or Black Oxford Button Up; Bottoms-Khaki slacks, shorts or skirt (no jeans or sweatpants);
Shoes-must be solid colored black.
Parents will be contacted if your child is not in uniform.
School Lunch Program:
All families are expected to complete a 'Lunch Application every
year. This application is completed online at the website listed below. https://www.myschoolapps.com/Home/Pick District
SchoolMax Parent Portal
Prince George's
County Public School's System utilizes the SchoolMax Parent Portal as a way for
families to monitor student's weekly academic
progress. Please utilize this site to receive real-time information regarding
grades, attendance and discipline. Please contact the school should you have
any issues logging onto the site.
Grading
All students will receive grades in the following three areas:
Assessments, Classwork, and Homework. The percentage for each category will
differ depending upon the subject. If you have any questions, please contact
your child's teacher for the specific grading policy.
Detention
The After School Detention Program is
designed to address the potential implications for future harm while keeping
the student in school to avoid the risk of falling behind academically.
While in detention, students will have an opportunity to reflect on their
behavior and discover ways to make more responsible decisions. Per the
Students Rights and Responsibilities Handbook, a student may be referred to
After School Detention for, but not limited to, the violations listed below.
Detailed descriptions of the violations can be found on pages 21-23
of the Students Rights & Responsibilities Handbook. Please note that
the number of warnings will vary depending on the severity of the violation. After School Detention will be held on
Wednesday’s from 3:20 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Parents are responsible for picking up
a student who is assigned after school detention.
ClassDojo
ClassDojo is the
primary means by which Samuel Chase Elementary School communicates with
families. It is used to progress-monitor student behavior as well as contact
parents & relay important information, dates & upcoming events. It is a
free application available for all smartphones & computers. You will
receive information on how to connect to your child's classroom the first week
of school. For more information, visit: www.classdojo.com
Birthday Celebrations
With a focus on providing students with a quality educational
program, all classroom time is designated for instruction. It is for this
reason that there all birthday celebrations
will take place during lunch. All arrangements need to be arrange with the
classroom teacher at least 24 hours in advance. All items must be store bought
items such as cupcakes and juice.
Chaperones/Volunteers Administrative
procedure 4216.6
All volunteers
must undergo a fingerprint background
check and child protective services (CPS) clearance at least 14 days in advance
of the volunteering event. All parents are eligible for free fingerprinting.
You must go to the Food and Nutrition Office located at 13300 Old Marlboro
Pike, Room 8, Upper Marlboro MD to pick up your letter stating that your
child/children receive free food services. Once your receive that letter you
will then going to the Fingerprinting Office located inside of the Sasscer
Building Room 128. (14201 School Lane, Upper Marlboro MD)
Fingerprint
background checks must be handled by the PGCPS Fingerprinting Office—CPS
clearance must be handled by the Human Resources Employee Services Center.
Volunteers must
provide a copy of the stamped
background check receipt to the school office.
Transportation
Issues/Concerns
All questions related to transportation, please contact the Transportation Office at 301-952-6570. Remember
to have your bus routing number. The school will always refer parent/guardians
to this number.
Responsibilities of a Bus
Rider
Per Prince
George's County Public Schools, buses are considered mobile classrooms.
Therefore, all school policies, procedures, and expectations apply. Here are a
few tips to keep in mind if you are a bus rider: Arrive at the bus-stop
approximately 15 minutes before the schedule pick-up time. Bus stops are not
monitored by PGCPS.
Remain off
private property while waiting at the bus stop. Students may only ride their
assigned bus, no exceptions, Always remain seated on the bus; talk in quiet
voice. Keep all parts of your body and all possessions inside the bus and to
yourself. No eating or drinking on the bus. No non-school items on the bus. Always
follow the bus driver's directions. Follow all policies & procedures from
the PGCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.
Responsibilities of a
Walker
Students must abide by the following policies with regards to
walking to and from school: Always walk on the sidewalk. If there is no
sidewalk, walk close to the curb and not in the middle of the street. Look both
ways before crossing any street. Stay off private property. Walk directly home
or to daycare.
Student Drop-off and
Pick-Up
Arrival:
School doors will open for all students at 8:50 a.m. Please be aware that there
is no adult supervision for students who arrive at Samuel Chase before 8:50
A.M.
Dismissal: Afternoon Announcements begin at 3:05 PM.
All students will walk out of the building at 3:10PM. Students
Pre-K-Kindergarten that are Walkers, Daycare Providers, and Bus Riders will be
dismissed from the Front Door of the school. 1st Grade students that
are Bus Riders will be dismissed from the side door of the school building. 2nd-5th
Grade students will be escorted to the Cafeteria and BUS RIDERS ONLY will be
dismissed through the side door. Walkers and Daycare Providers for students in
the 1st -5th Grade will be dismissed from the Media
Center to go out the Front Door.
Prince George's County Public Schools
Please visit www.pgcps.org to access important
information, updates and resources such as school websites, inclement weather
updates, and SchoolMax.