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Academic Excellence

McBride’s primary purpose is to provide your child with a quality education. You play a vital part in this endeavor. You can assist your child in achieving academic success by:

1. Staying in contact with your child’s teacher about school projects, homework, daily assignments and academic/behavior concerns.
2. Helping your child be responsible to complete and return on time any homework.
3. Making sure your child is at school, on time, each day.
4. Helping to reinforce at home the curriculum being taught in school.
5. Making school a priority over soccer, ballet, football, bike riding, etc.

Attendance

One of the most important prerequisites for success in school is regular attendance. Students are EXPECTED to be in school everyday unless they are ill, there is a family emergency, or observance of a religious holiday. Parents should phone the school by 9:30 a.m with the reason for the absence. Our attendance data is computerized and we must enter a reason for the absence. This is also a safety procedure for your child. The school phone number is 523-4550. Please remember that tardies and early picks-ups also count against a child’s attendance.

Bicycles, Skateboards, Scooters, and Skate Shoes

Students in grades 3-5 may choose to ride their bicycles to school. Bicycles ridden to school should be locked to a bike rack on the east side of McBride. Students in grades K-2 should not ride their bicycles to school. Skateboards, roller skates/blades, skate shoes and scooters should not be ridden or brought to school.

Birthdays

Birthdays may be observed by sending simple treats to school for class members. Only commercially prepared snacks with listed ingredients will be accepted, and a healthy alternative should be provided when bringing sweets. For those students who have a birthday occurring during summer vacation, an “un-birthday” may be selected for bringing treats. Please arrange a time to bring treats for birthday parties through your child’s teacher. Invitations for parties should not be given out at school. This might cause hurt feelings for those children who are not invited.

Classroom Placement

Students are assigned a teacher for the next year based on balances of gender, academic levels, learning styles, and input from parents, teachers, counselor, and principal. Students entering during the school year are assigned a teacher on a rotating basis with consideration given to the number of students already enrolled.

Conferences

A parent-teacher conference is scheduled for the end of the first quarter at which time the report card will be issued. Parents and teachers may also request a conference at anytime during the school year.

Communication

It is imperative that the lines of communication between home and school are open. You may contact the school at 523-4550 or fax 523-4595. You may also find school information on our web page at http://sps.k12.mo.us/mcbride/ . School supply lists and a calendar of McBride events are among some of the items included. Teachers will be sending home a class newsletter. If you have a concern about your child’s school experience, please contact his or her teacher first. You should call the school to set up a time to conference with your child’s teacher. Just “dropping by” to discuss a concern is not always the most productive way to handle a situation. All teachers are also using email as a way to keep in contact with parents.

Deliveries

Parents/guardians delivering forgotten items to students may leave them at the office. Please label the item with the student’s name. Deliveries will be made at appropriate times depending on the type of delivery. Glass items are not permitted on the bus.

Directory Information

Directory Information is information contained in an education record of a student that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. The following items are considered Directory Information: student’s name; parent/guardian’s name; telephone number; grade level; participation in officially recognized activities including audiovisual or photographic records of the openly visible activities thereof (e.g., artistic performances, sporting contests, assemblies, service projects, awards ceremonies, etc.); honors and awards received; and photographs of regular school activities and video tape that does not disclose specific academic information about the child and/or would not be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy.

Parents have ten school days after receiving the student handbook information to provide notice in writing to the school district that they choose not to have this information or any portion of the “Directory Information” released. For questions about this, call the school office at 523-4550.

Discipline

Each classroom teacher will have established classroom rules which will be communicated with students at the beginning of the school year. All discipline will be handled in accordance with the Springfield School District’s elementary handbook. A copy of the handbook is provided to each student at the beginning of the school year.

Dismissal Procedures/ Late Arrival

• If your child arrives at school after 8:35 a.m., he or she needs to check in at the office and get a pink tardy slip to be admitted to class.
• If your child needs to be picked up from school before 3:20 p.m., you must sign the check-out sheet at the office and wait until the secretary calls the student from his or her classroom. For security reasons, we ask you wait until the student comes to the lobby area.
• Only persons listed on the child’s enrollment card will be allowed to pick up a child unless the office has been notified in writing or by phone that other arrangements have been made.
• If you change a previously established “get-home” arrangement, please let the teacher know in writing about that change, or call the school office BEFORE 2:30 p.m. if possible.
• If you are picking your child up at the end of the school day, PLEASE be on time. Students who are still here after 3:30 p.m. will be sent to an alternate location in the building, and you will have to come into the building and sign-out your child.
• No student will be allowed to go home with another student unless there is a note or call from that student’s parent.
• Late arrivals and early dismissals will count against a student’s attendance.

Early Arrival of Students

Students should not arrive at school before 8:00 a.m. Prime Time is available for students who need to arrive before 8:00 a.m. Please contact the YMCA for information on the Prime Time program at 862-8962.

Field Trips

Students must have a field trip permission form signed by parents before they will be allowed to attend. Parents/guardians attending a field trip at the same time and considered official chaperones must have completed a background check. Chaperones supervising students on the field trip will not be able to take other siblings due to the level of responsibility necessary to safely supervise a group of students. Chaperone assignments will be made by the teacher.

Fire, Intruder/Lock Down, and Duck and Cover Drills

McBride is required to have the following number of fire, intruder/lock down, and duck and cover drills each year:

• Fire: 10 drills
• Intruder/Lock Down: 3 drills
• Duck and Cover: 4 drills

Food Service (523-1106)

Full Price Breakfast $1.00
Reduced Breakfast $0.30

Full Price Lunch $2.05
Reduced Lunch $0.40

Snack Milk $0.40

If a student has three or more unpaid charges, that student will receive an alternate lunch and/or breakfast until the charges have been paid. Parents are encouraged to purchase lunches by the week or longer. This helps gets the kids through the lunch line quicker and reduces the incidents of lost lunch money. If you pay by check, please write your child’s name on the memo line of the check.

Fundraising

Student participation in PTA or school fundraising is strictly voluntary. Fundraising by other organizations such as ball teams, Girl Scouts, etc. or individuals is prohibited on school property. District policy prohibits students from selling fund raising items door-to-door.

Health Services

• The district has a no nit policy concerning head lice. If a student has live head lice or even nits (lice eggs), he/she must be excluded from school until he is “nit free”.
• If a child has a temperature of 100 degrees or greater, is vomiting or has severe diarrhea, that student should remain home. A child must be temperature free for 24 hours before returning to school.
• Any symptoms of a communicable disease (skin rash, redness of eyes, swollen glands, etc.) warrant a child’s staying home.
• Any student who must have a limited physical education program must have a doctor’s written statement.

Inclement Weather/School Cancellations

In the event school is closed due to inclement weather, information regarding the closing will be available on all radio/television stations in Springfield and an Alert Now message will be sent. You may also check the district’s website at: http://springfieldpublicschoolsmo.org/

Leaving School

If it is necessary for a student to leave school early, he/she must be checked out through the office. Please come to the office and the secretary will call your child.

Library

Students are permitted to check out books as needed. Lost or damaged books must be paid for before grade cards are issued.

Lost and Found

Lost and found articles should be taken to the office. All clothing should be labeled. Articles are displayed so students can claim them. Unclaimed clothing is sent to the Clothing Bank.