The ABCs of Rosemary Hills Primary School

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

As part of the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) system, Rosemary Hills Primary School (RHPS) is one of 199 schools serving approximately 139,000 students—the largest school district in Maryland. RHPS is one of nine schools in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster, the group of schools feeding into, and including, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.

Rosemary Hills Primary School has 625 students enrolled in its four pre-kindergarten classes (two for children with autism), eight kindergarten classes, eight first-grade classes, and eight second-grade classes. Because students attending Rosemary Hills come from a multitude of culturally diverse backgrounds, it is often called "The Rainbow School." The staff has a firm commitment to success for all students with an expectation that "All children under the rainbow can learn."

For more information on RHPS and/or MCPS, go to the system's website at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org, and the school's home page at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rosemaryhillses/.

If there are questions that can't be answered from either the website or the material that follows, please use the telephone numbers and e-mail addresses in this directory to contact PTA board members and liaisons or the appropriate RHPS staff members.

ABSENCES/TARDINESS

Parents are asked to call the school at 301-650-6400 by 10 a.m. if their child will be absent. In addition, a written explanation of each pupil's absence is required from the parent when the student returns to school. Contact the school’s Health Technician in the event your child receives a diagnosis of strep infection, chicken pox, or head lice.

Montgomery County’s policy for recording absences is:

• »» Students are recorded as AM Absent if they arrive at school more than one hour late in the morning or are absent from school for more than an hour in the morning.
• »» Students are recorded as PM Absent if they leave school more than one hour early in the afternoon or are absent from school for more than an hour during the afternoon.
• »» Students are recorded as Absent for All Day if they are present for one hour or less of the school day.

Students arriving after 9:15 will be marked tardy. All students who arrive after this time must report to the office where they will be signed in and receive a pass to class. Please do not walk or send your child directly to the classroom. If a student has more than five tardies in a month, parents will be contacted. NOTE: If a student arrives one hour or more late, then he/she will be marked absent for the morning but will still need to be signed in at the office. Please try to schedule doctor’s appointments after 3:30 p.m. or on early dismissal days.

When reporting to the office to sign a child in or out, use the binder with yellow pages to sign your child in and use the binder with green pages to sign your child out. Unless there is an emergency or a scheduled appointment, please avoid pick-ups between 3:15 and 3:30 p.m. This is an extremely busy time in the office as they are working on the dismissal process and calling buses.

BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

A private provider, Wonders Child Care Center, runs a before and after school program at RHPS. For additional information, contact Jennifer Williams, Director of the Wonders program at RHPS, at 301-588-7494 or jwilliams@wonderschildcare.org.

BREAKFAST

Breakfast will be served at 8:50 a.m. in the cafeteria each day. The price is $1.30. There is also provision for free or reduced-price breakfast (see school office for an application).

CLOTHING

Dress children appropriately for the weather. Students participate in outdoor recess unless there is inclement weather. In cold weather children should have warm jackets, mittens or gloves, hats or hood and, on days when there is snow, boots. Hats are acceptable for outside playground use only and must be removed upon entering the school building. On days that your child has physical education, make sure he/she wears appropriate shoes.

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SCHOOL AND HOME

To facilitate better communication between school and home, important notices will be sent home in your child's backpack, generally on Fridays. However, please check your child's backpack and/or folder daily for dated notices or teacher notes.

Written communication between the school and home is extremely important. If your child's after-school arrangement changes, you must send a note to school. If a play-date has been arranged, both children involved must bring a note to school informing the school and giving any change in transportation information. If there are any unexpected changes in the arrangements for your child on a particular day, the school must be notified by 2:00 p.m., either by phone or fax. If the school does not receive a note, phone call, or fax detailing a change, your child will be sent home according to his/her usual dismissal routine.

COMMUNITY SCHOOL

In addition to being a primary school, RHPS is a community school—offering specialized programs from groups such as the Montgomery County Recreation Department, Department of Adult Education, University of Maryland Extension Service, and other religious and non-profit community organizations. An advisory council plans and monitors the programs, raises funds and solicits volunteer teachers. You can contact the Community Use-of-Schools Coordinator at 301-650-6405.

CURRICULUM

Rosemary Hills follows the standard MCPS curriculum for the primary grades. For detailed information on the curriculum, go to the school’s homepage, www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rosemaryhillses/ and to the MCPS website's curriculum page at http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum.aspx.

Curriculum-related points of interest at RHPS include the following:

• »» Reading Initiative—This MCPS reading/language arts initiative for first and second graders consists of daily blocks of time (two hours and twenty minutes long) during which students are engaged in reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and other language arts. The student-teacher ratio is reduced to approximately 15:1 during these blocks, allowing teachers to differentiate instruction and better meet the needs of all students.
• »» Gifted and Talented—Testing to identify students qualified for the gifted and talented program begins during the second semester of second grade. However, RHPS staff take special pride in being able to nurture young learners and to recognize and respond to giftedness prior to formal identification.
• »» Special Needs—When children with special needs are identified, individualized education plans (IEPs) are developed. RHPS uses a home school model whereby special needs are met in the general education setting.
• »» Special Subjects—Students at RHPS take five special subjects, each taught by a dedicated faculty member. These “specials” include art, music, media center, computer technology, and physical education instruction.

DISCIPLINE

See RAINBOW BIG SIX.

EMERGENCY CLOSINGS, DELAYED OPENINGS, AND EARLY DISMISSALS

All emergency closings, delayed openings, or early dismissals are announced promptly and regularly on radio and TV stations, including

• »» WRC (980 AM)
• »» WMAL (630 AM)
• »» WTOP (103.5 FM)
• »» and Montgomery Cable TV Channel 34.

You may also check school closings on the Web at www.Schools-Out.com or call the MCPS information line at 301-279-3673. In order to subscribe to QuickNotes, an email news service, or to subscribe to a MCPS newsfeed which will alert your computer about early dismissals, emergencies, and other news, go to the Montgomery County Public School website at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/emergency/procedures/sources.aspx.

Emergency All-Day Closing: Radio and TV stations are notified no later than 5:00 a.m.

Parents should not call Rosemary Hills for information about delayed openings and emergency closings. This ties up phone lines when they may be needed for emergency school business.

Delayed Opening: Schools may be delayed by one or more hours so that buses can operate under safer conditions and students will not be a part of the morning rush hour. Radio and TV stations are notified of delayed openings no later than 5:00 a.m.

Early Dismissal: When there is an unexpected early dismissal, the dismissal plan will be announced over radio and TV stations, usually by 11:00 a.m. The announcement will include the time differential (“one hour early,” for example) as well as instructions regarding the lunch program and all afternoon and evening activities.

Note—Parents must make childcare arrangements if early dismissal occurs and no one is home to receive students.

ENROLLMENT INFORMATION

To keep school records up to date, please notify the school of any changes in your telephone, address, or employment information. All students must have completed both sides of the MCPS Form 565-2 (yellow form) and returned it to school. All students must maintain three (3) current emergency phone numbers.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

After-school activities such as piano and dance lessons, sports, Mad Science, and FLES (foreign language instruction) are often held at Rosemary Hills and can be important additions to your child's learning experience. Because these programs are sponsored by outside organizations, school staff do not have detailed information and will refer questions to program coordinators.

FIELD TRIPS

Classes may go on field trips throughout the year. Parents will be required to fill out a permission slip and provide a nominal fee to cover transportation and trip activities.

FOOD

Because so many children have allergies to certain ingredients in foods, MCPS policy states that only store-bought food may be sent in to school and it must be sent in its original container. This policy applies to food sent in for class parties and school-wide events. It does not apply to food sent in for an individual child’s lunch. It is crucial that the school be sensitive to the dietary and medical restrictions of the youngsters under its supervision. Contact the school office in the event your child has any dietary concerns or food-related medical restrictions.

GRADING AND REPORTING

MCPS recently instituted a new grading and reporting system, which affects how academic grades are determined, how homework is assigned and evaluated, and how learning skills are assessed. For detailed information on this system, go to the MCPS website, go to the MCPS website at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/grading/.

Report cards: For kindergarten students, report cards are distributed twice a year at the end of each semester. First- and second-grade report cards are distributed four times a year in nine-week cycles.

Conferences: Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for each student at the end of the first marking period. All appointments for other conferences with the teacher or the principal should be made in advance.

GUIDANCE COUNSELOR

At RHPS, one full-time counselor works with individual students, small groups, and entire classes. Please feel free to contact the school counselor concerning your child at any time.

HOMEWORK

Homework reinforces and extends skills and concepts addressed during the instructional day. It is designed to collect evidence of student understanding and application of what has been taught, and students should complete it on time. Please contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions or concerns about homework.

The amount, frequency, and difficulty of homework is flexible, but the maximum amount of time spent on doing homework should be as follows:

»» Kindergarten: 10-15 minutes, 2-3 times weekly »»First grade: 15-20 minutes, 3-4 times weekly »»Second grade: 20-30 minutes, 4 times weekly.

In addition, children should be read to or read independently for at least 15 minutes a night.

ILLNESS

If there are any signs of illness in your child, please do not send him/her to school. It is not fair to your child, or to the children or teachers that he/she will be in contact with during the course of the day. Some of the signs of illness are:

• A temperature of more than 99.8 degrees
• Nausea
• Stomachache
• Earache
• Bad cough
• Sore throat
• Rash
• Red or pink eyes
• Flushed face

If your child is diagnosed with strep, chicken pox or head lice, please contact the Health Technician and inform her of the condition so that others in the same classroom may be alerted.

Health Room: RHPS has a health room staffed by a Health Technician. The office staff has also been trained to administer emergency first aid when needed. If your child complains of being sick after arriving at school, he/she may go to the health room and you will be contacted. It is very important that you provide the school with up-to-date information and phone numbers so that you may be reached in case of an emergency.

Lice: If lice or their nits are found on your child while at school, he/she must be removed from the school promptly and treated with an approved medicated shampoo before returning. If you encounter lice on your child, please notify the Health Technician.

Medication: The school cannot administer medication until the parent or guardians and the physician complete Maryland State form #525-13 for each illness and for each medication ordered. Forms are available in the office. Parents must bring all medication to the school. Do not send any medication in with your child.

IMMUNIZATIONS

All children entering grades K–12 must be able to show proof they have received the following immunizations: four diphtheria, four pertussis (whooping cough), four tetanus, three polio, two measles, one mumps, one rubella (German measles), one varicella (chicken pox), and three Hepatitis B. Children must have received their measles, mumps, and rubella immunizations after their first birthday. The varicella immunization is waived if the child has had chicken pox.

LOST AND FOUND

If your child should lose an article of clothing, please notify his/her classroom teacher. Your child may check the Lost and Found items in the All Purpose Room. Unclaimed clothing will be donated to a local charity at the end of the school year. To minimize losses, please label your child's clothing on the inside (boots, jackets, mittens, hats, etc.).

LUNCH AND RECESS

Buying Lunch: Lunch can be purchased daily and includes milk. Lunch costs $2.40; buying milk separately costs 60 cents. There is also provision for free or reduced-price lunch (contact the school office for an application). Five times a year, a menu newsletter providing two monthly menus will be sent home with each student.

The cafeteria uses a computerized cash register system. Each student is assigned an account which is accessed by a Personal Identification Number (PIN). It is a debit system in which parents choose to make deposits into their child's account. At mealtime, the computer records food purchases and deducts them from the account when the PIN is entered. Parents can deposit money weekly or monthly into the student's account by sending a check (made out to RHPS with their child’s name and teacher written in the MEMO line) to the school cafeteria, which eliminates the need for students to carry money every day. The PIN is confidential and should not be shared with others. Students should learn their own PIN. The system is programmed to know which students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. The student's status is always confidential. Students who choose not to pay in advance still enter their PIN and then pay in cash. Parents will receive a notice when a child’s account is low. Students coming to school without lunch or sufficient funds to purchase lunch will be given a cheese sandwich. The cafeteria manager will submit a monthly statement and a list of students who were given a cheese sandwich to the school office. Initially, the student’s lunch account will not be charged the $0.25 for this option; however parents will be billed on a monthly basis from the main office for charges their child has accrued. The PIN account carries over from year to year and from school to school (within Montgomery County Public Schools).

Lunch & Recess Schedules:

• Second Grade 11:25 p.m. - 11:55 p.m.; 11:55 a.m. - 12:25 p.m.
• First Grade 12:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.; 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
• Kindergarten 12:35 p.m. - 1:05 p.m.; 1:05 p.m. - 1:35 p.m.

Recess:Children have supervised play either outside on the playground or, if the weather is bad, indoors.

OPEN HOUSES

RHPS staff present several Open Houses for those parents with children who will begin kindergarten the following year. These short sessions begin at 10:00 a.m. in the All Purpose Room. Contact the office for more information.

An Open House for current students’ families is held each fall, so that parents can come and observe their children in the classroom environment.

PRE-KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS

There are two pre-K programs at RHPS. The first program is designed to promote the total development of 3- and 4-year-old children to enable them to be successful in school and in life. Families in this program receive support through health and social services, as well as training in safety, nutrition, and other areas affecting child development. Major emphasis is placed on parent involvement.

Now in its fourth year is an autism pre-K program. This program is designed to teach language through physical and interactive play. Each of the two classrooms is set up with a 1:1 ratio to provide the maximum support necessary for a successful early intervention program. Each child is provided with an individual schedule and program based on his or her needs.

RAINBOW BIG SIX

For students to be successful, they need the best educational setting possible. RHPS seeks to create an open and trusting environment that nurtures children’s emotional, creative, physical, and intellectual growth. To meet these goals, the school has created a set of school-wide expectations called the Rainbow Big 6:

Students at RHPS are expected to know, understand, and follow these expectations in the classroom, cafeteria, and halls, as well as on the bus and on the playground. RHPS will work through the Rainbow Big 6 to implement discipline as a positive force.

Consequences: The goal of any disciplinary action taken is to change inappropriate behavior, and to get the child back into the educational process. Actions include preventative measures, such as helping children identify and avoid potential problem situations. For minor disciplinary problems, the teacher, paraeducator, or bus driver will confer with the student regarding behavior expectations. Continued problem behavior involving the same student requires additional conferring by the teacher/paraeducator, parent, and possibly the school counselor. Unsuccessful efforts to resolve a problem will be referred to the administration and/or counselor and will require parent contact.

Disciplinary consequences may include time-outs; temporary removal from the classroom, cafeteria, or playground; or lost recess time. Denial of school bus privileges may occur in some instances. Students who pose a serious threat will be brought to the immediate attention of the administration, with possible consequences ranging from a parent conference to in-house suspension, regular suspension, and expulsion. All consequences are to be fair and appropriate, emphasizing communication with the student and the student’s understanding of his/her role in changing the inappropriate behavior.

ROOM PARENTS

Each class at RHPS is encouraged to have two room parents. These parents help with the class's emergency telephone tree, serve as liaisons to the PTA, and organize parties and other celebrations during the school year. Other duties may include recruiting volunteers for school events and activities, as well as organizing the class's “class basket" for the annual silent auction fundraiser.

SAFETY/SECURITY

One of the watchwords at RHPS is safety. If your child walks to and from school, please assist him/her in selecting a safe, regular route and teach him/her to cross streets at the following places: Lanier Drive and Porter Road, Leonard Drive and Porter Road, Leonard Drive and Spencer Road, Porter Road and Sundale Drive.

To reduce the traffic in the halls in the mornings, parents are asked to have their children enter the school and walk to class alone. The school cannot monitor hundreds of adults in different areas of the building at once.

To ensure safety during the school day, all outside doors will remain locked. Access to the building is by the front door only. State laws, safety regulations, and insurance policies require that all persons in the building be identified. Visitors to the school during the day must check into the office before proceeding to other parts of the building or school grounds. Please be sure to sign in at the office upon your arrival to the school, pick up a visitor's badge, and inform the office staff of your intended destination. Please sign out at your departure.

For students in the QUAD, a key swipe system was installed at both the main building and the QUAD doors. Students will go to the bathroom in pairs and when a child needs to go to the health room, he/she will be escorted by two students so those students will have a partner for the return trip. The QUAD has access to our regular public address system and each teacher in the QUAD has a cell phone for use in an emergency.

For your child's safety, please send in a note if he/she is to be picked up by someone other than the parent or if there is any change to his/her dismissal routine due to a playdate or after-school activity.

SCHOOL HOURS

The school day begins at 9:15 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m. Students arriving at school before 8:55 a.m. will wait in the front hallway. Walkers and car riders should not arrive at school earlier than 8:45 a.m. All students will be dismissed to the classroom at 8:55 a.m. Children who choose to eat breakfast at school will be escorted to the All Purpose Room at 8:50 a.m.

TRANSPORTATION

Bus transportation is available for those students who live too far away to walk. The school system attempts to have buses pick up students as close to home as possible. Please have your child outside and ready to board the bus at his/her appointed time. Please note that from 8:00 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. and from 3:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., the driveway in front of the building is to be used by buses only. Any other vehicles in the driveway or blocking the entrance to the driveway present a serious safety concern.

Bus riders are dismissed starting at 3:30 p.m. or as the bus arrives at school. There are six buses in a cycle. The number and symbol for the buses are called to signal dismissal for those students who ride those buses. Once the buses in the cycle have been loaded, a new cycle of buses is called. This system continues until all students who ride buses have been dismissed. In our attempt to assure that students are dismissed to the correct bus, the number and symbol are called twice. All bus riders are dismissed to the bus through the main entrance to the school.

Children driven to school should be dropped off or picked up at the "car riders' door" closest to the front parking lot. School staff is there to direct your child into the building. Car riders are dismissed at 3:28 p.m., before the first set of buses is called. Car riders exit the school by the doors closest to the parking lot. They are met at the door by two staff members who escort them to the cars waiting on line in the parking lot. As a reminder, it is a state law that all children younger than eight years of age be secured in a federally approved child safety seat according to the safety seat and vehicle manufacturers’ instructions, unless the child is 4 feet 9 inches or taller, or weighs more than 65 pounds.

Walkers are dismissed in much the same fashion. The children are dismissed by grade and exit the school by the doors closest to the gym. Night Owls and kindergarten walkers are dismissed at 3:28 p.m. and the first and second grade walkers are dismissed as their classes are called.

On early release days, school is dismissed at 1:00 p.m. If your child is a car rider or walker, please make arrangements so that he/she is picked up on time. School bus riders follow their regular dismissal routine at 1:00 p.m.

VOLUNTEERS

All volunteers are welcome at school. Thank you for volunteering! The school values and appreciates your willingness to help out. Here are some guidelines to assist you:

• Please sign in at the office and get a visitors badge. This includes your attendance at assemblies and parties as well as visits to the classroom.
• Please leave other siblings at home in order to give your full attention to the job at hand. This includes class parties, field trips, and assemblies.
• Try to help all the students follow the classroom rules and model them yourself. For example, if it is "quiet time,” please do not talk with the children.
• Consider volunteering in a class other than your child's class, or for a “special,” such as media center, computers, art, or music.
• If you are unable to make your scheduled time, please let the teacher know in advance.
• Although your natural inclination may be to spend time with your own child, please share your time and attention with all the children.
• Respect the confidentiality of your relationship with the school. Your knowledge of its students is privileged information and should only be shared with responsible staff at RHPS. If a child shares anything involving concerns about personal safety, please see an administrator at once.
• Make any constructive criticisms of the school, staff, or procedures only to the principal.
• Most of all, remember how much the school values your assistance and appreciates the example you are setting for your child.

WELLNESS POLICY

Nutrition and physical activity are essential for students to achieve their academic and physical potential. Montgomery County Public Schools is committed to creating a school culture that promotes and protects children’s health, well being and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity.

A wellness policy workgroup consisting of administrative staff, students, parents, community members, health and wellness professionals met to draft a policy addressing the creation of a healthy learning environment by providing nutrition education, physical education, physical activity and a variety of healthy food and beverage options.

In 2006, the Board of Education officially adopted a wellness policy supporting a school environment that provides opportunities for students to engage in healthy eating habits and physical activity and to provide instruction to support a healthy lifestyle.

 

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