At John Adams Elementary we are committed to the continued focus on student engagement where: 

Students:

• Set learning goals and track progress
• Demonstrate perseverance and stamina in all settings (i.e. whole group, small group, independent).
• Work productively in cooperative groups through inquiry, exploration, evaluation, and discussion.

Educators:

• Create a safe environment, both physically and emotionally, and academically, through the consistent use of school-wide expectations.
• Use appropriate classroom management techniques and set procedures to ensure student success.
• Provide cooperative opportunities that support learning and allow for productive struggle as a means to deepen student understanding.
• Assess progress, provide feedback and evaluate overall results through a systematic goal-setting process .

The School:

• Administration provides continuing education opportunities for all educators.
• Administration collaborates with educators to strategically determine classroom placement and schedules appropriate support to meet the needs of all learners.
• Culture fosters an environment of belonging, acceptance and community for students, educators and families.

The Parents/Guardians:

• Bring children to school on time and ready to learn.
• Ensure the academic and behavioral needs of their child(ren) are met through open and on-going communication with educators.   
• Consistently and regularly support the academic and behavioral decisions made by faculty and staff for all students.

Parents should call the school by 9:00 am to report a student absent (423-378-1400). Please remember calling in to report your child absent does not excuse him/her from school for the day.  Only a parent note or doctor’s note can excuse an absence.

On the first day following an absence, a written document signed by the parent, guardian, or doctor is required.  The note must state the date(s) absent. We can only accept 3 (three) parent notes per semester for your child’s absences.  Doctors’ excuses may be faxed to the school at 423-378-1424.  It is the responsibility of the parent to make sure the fax was received. 

Students will be recognized at PRIDE Assemblies at the end of each 9 weeks for Perfect Attendance (no absences, no tardies, no early dismissals) and Outstanding Attendance (no absences, fewer than 3 tardies, or early dismissals). Various prize drawings will be held throughout the school year for students who have Perfect or Outstanding Attendance. 

• Transportation Changes

ALL PARENTS/GUARDIANS: We ask that all transportation changes are received in our office before 2:00pm to insure timely delivery to students/teachers.  Please do not call the front office or the classroom teacher in order to make last minute changes. This procedure should only be done in case of an emergency.  Any person picking up a student prior to dismissal time must come to the school office to sign out the student.  

• Bus Rider Procedures

1. Bus route assignments are based on the students' legal residence. 
2. Parents/Guardians are responsible for the supervision of students until such time as the child boards the bus in the morning and after the child is dropped off the bus at the end of the school day. 

• Car Rider Procedures

Driving into and out of the “Car Rider Safety Zone” marked with numbers 1-10

1. We ask that individuals providing transportation remain in vehicles and not wait on the school grounds thereby creating a back up in the flow of traffic at car dismissal time.
2. Students may not cross the student car loading safety zone to load/unload in the parking lot.
3. Vehicles may not cross lanes (pass another vehicle) in the safety loading/unloading zone.
4. Individuals providing transportation need to listen for any instructions delivered by school personnel.
5. Traffic violations may result in a citation. Tennessee law prohibits the use of handheld electronic devices while driving.

• Morning Arrival 

1. The school day officially begins at 8:15 a.m. Students who report to school or class after this time are considered tardy. Late arriving students must report to the school office; students will not be admitted to class without a tardy slip from the office.  It is important that students arrive to school on time. We begin teaching at 8:15 a.m. and students miss out on valuable learning when they arrive late. 
2. The school building will be opened promptly at 7:30 a.m. Students are to arrive on campus no earlier than 7:30 a.m.
3. All students arriving between 7:30 a.m. and 8:05 a.m. are to go directly to the gym or cafeteria for breakfast.
4. Teacher parking area, visitor parking area, side or bus parking area, and bus lane are not to be used for student drop off.
5. The car rider area is located in the front of the building; designated, numbered squares (blue) mark this area.  Individuals who are providing transportation are asked to drive through the car rider area and ensure students exit the vehicles at the designated squares marked 1-10.  Letting students exit a vehicle before this point is neither safe nor permitted.
6. Drivers should pull up directly behind the vehicle in front of them to maximize the use of available space.
7. Individuals who are providing transportation must remain in their vehicles at all times for continuous flow of traffic.
8. School personnel will be on duty to assist students who are being dropped off.
9. Vehicles must stay in line, parallel to the curb. No vehicle should pull around or pass another vehicle in this line to help promote student safety. 
10. Please adhere to a 15-mile per hour speed limit while driving on the school grounds. 

Student Dismissal Procedures

• Early Dismissal 

1. State issued photo identification is required from any person signing a student out of school. We cannot release a child to any person other than a parent or guardian without a written authorization from the legal guardian.
2. The student will be called from the classroom to meet the designated person in the school office area.

• Afternoon Car Dismissal

All vehicles must have a CAR DISMISSAL TAG from John Adams.  Hang the tag from your rear view mirror with student number facing the windshield.  If card is not displayed, you will be asked to park and go into the office to sign your student out of school for the day.

1. Dismissal begins at 3:15 p.m. All students will be dismissed to the car line holding area through the school intercom system.
2. Only the “Car Rider Lane” is used to pick up students.  Drivers should not park or leave their vehicles in the “Load/Unload Safety Zone”.  
3. Drivers should proceed slowly toward the “Load/Unload Safety Zone”.  Drivers should proceed to the end of the first numbered square in the circular drive. 
4. Students will only be loaded once all vehicles within the “Loaded/Unloaded Safety Zone” have stopped.
5. Teachers/staff will call and direct students to enter designated cars on the curbside of the circular drive. 
6. When all cars are filled an attendant will direct the cars to leave the loading zone, the next set of cars will be directed to move up and so on until all students have been dismissed.  
7. Teacher parking area, side or bus parking area, and bus lane are not to be used for student pickup.
8. Please do not block faculty/staff cars in the parking lot since staff members may need to depart for meetings.  
9. All students must be picked up by 3:30 p.m. unless prior arrangements have been made.

•    Students Waiting for Ride

1. Students will wait for their rides by grade levels.
2. Students may not leave their grade level area until their vehicle arrives and their number has been called.
3. Students must listen for their number to be called.
4. If a student is not in the car dismissal area or fails to respond to the call, parent/guardian will be required to exit the safety zone with other vehicles, follow the traffic flow, and re-enter the loading process at the start point. 
5. Unacceptable student behavior during car rider dismissal – such as being loud and horseplaying - will result in detention.

• After-School Events

When school activities are held after school or in the evening, students will be supervised during the designated time announced by the supervising school personnel.  It is the responsibility of the student to let the parent/guardian know the time announced, and it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to pick up the student by this designated time.

Student cell phones should remain OFF when students are present at John Adams.  Cell phones will be confiscated and parents will be contacted to pick up the cell phone if students violate this rule.

Deliveries for students (flowers, cookie bouquets, etc.) cannot be accepted at John Adams. 

1. Conference with the student(s)

Teachers/Administrators will take time to discuss the situation and choices with the student.  Redirection of behavior is the goal. This is implemented as quickly after the infraction as possible in a private manner.  This method is used from the first minor infraction through more serious infractions.

2. Contacting the parent

Parents will be contacted if the student persists to the level of disruption of teaching and learning.  Parents will also be notified for trip demerits, detention, in-school suspension (ISS) or out-of-school suspension (OSS).

3. Detention

A student may be kept after school for the disciplinary reasons listed below if parents/guardians have been given at least one day of advance notice regarding the transportation arrangement needed for the student.  Detention Hall is from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Students will exit the front doors at the main entrance at 4:15 p.m. for pick up from detention.  If a student does not report to a Detention Hall session without prior notice to office personnel and a note or call from the parent/guardian explaining the reason, an additional Detention Hall session will be assigned and a trip demerit will be issued.  Three (3) trips to detention hall will result in a trip demerit.  Reasons for detention may include but are not limited to:

• A total of 3 missed homework assignments in each class

• Bus misbehavior

• Misbehavior for a substitute teacher

• School administrator’s decision based on student misbehavior.

• Students who receive Detention Hall, ISS, or OSS during a 9 week grading period will not be allowed to attend the PRIDE celebration for that 9 week period. 

Detention Hall Procedures

1. Detention will be assigned at the discretion of the teacher/administrator. 
2. Detention will meet in the office.  However, teachers may feel free to move students to their room.
3. Students should report to detention with paper, pencil, and assignments.  If a student does not have any work, the detention teacher will assign the student work.  
4. While in detention, students may not talk or move about the room.
5. Students will need to bring all materials and belongings to go home that evening, going back to classrooms is prohibited.
6. If a student does not report to a Detention Hall session without prior notice to office personnel and a note or call from the parent explaining the reason, student will serve an additional Detention Hall Session. Failure to show for detention on the second time will result in increased consequences.

Each student is released from school supervision at 4:15 p.m.  Failure to pick up student on time from Detention Hall may result in additional consequences.

If a student does not arrive to Detention Hall on time, fails to meet a detention guideline, or leaves early at any point in the detention, the detention will be considered unsuccessful.  Failure to comply will result in one additional day per violation. Unsuccessful detentions will result in more stringent punishments.

Detention Hall will NOT be rescheduled nor will an alternative be available because of after school events or activities.

4. Restriction of Activities

Special student activities, such as but not limited to, field day, etc. could be restricted at teacher/administrator’s discretion based on misbehavior of a student.

5. Writing an Office Referral

Teachers will refer a student to the office for major misbehaviors which require further discipline such as detention, in school suspension, out of school suspension, expulsion, etc.

6. In School Suspension (ISS)

Students who have repeated offenses or 3 office referrals will be given ISS.  Students will be issued ISS for the following offenses: pushing, grabbing/kicking, spitting, abusing school property (minor), insolence (blatant, bold, defiant attitude toward authority; a hostile deliberate confrontation to an adult’s authority) and/or at the principal’s discretion for a behavior incident.  Students will report to their homeroom teacher upon arrival to be marked present for attendance and then receive work for the day. Once work is gathered, the student will report to the office for ISS.

Trip Demerits/Automatic Loss of Field Trip

 A trip demerit is a penalty issued to a student by a teacher or school administrator for non-academic behavior, and has reference to class trips and class events only.  A student with three or more trip demerits will not be eligible for a class trip or other special activities which serve as student rewards. Trip demerits will be given, when deserved, along with other disciplinary actions.  However, no student shall be penalized with more than one demerit for related incidents on the same day.

Automatic trip demerits will be issued for any of the following:

1. Profanity
2. Obscene gestures
3. Suspension from John Adams Elementary School (ISS) (OSS)
4. 3 Detention Halls
5. And/or at the principal’s discretion for a behavior incident.   

No trip demerit may be issued for any other offenses except by the school principal, assistant principal or principal designee.

1. Homework is assigned as needed to help students further their learning.  Failure at any time to prepare homework and/or to deliver it to the teacher on schedule will result in penalties for the student.  A student not turning in homework for a total of three times in any class will result in a detention hall. 
2. When a student is absent they should request missed work from their teacher when they return to school.  Please reach out to your child’s homeroom teacher if you have additional homework questions.

John Adams PRIDE (Personal best, Respect, Integrity, Determination, Extraordinary) is our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Initiative (PBIS).  Our school-wide approach addresses all students while teaching, encouraging and acknowledging appropriate behaviors.  We continuously strive to recognize as many students as possible who are showing John Adams PRIDE.

We will do this through the following strategies:

PRIDE Families:

• At the beginning of the school year, ALL students and staff will be assigned to a PRIDE Family: Personal Best, Respect, Integrity, Determination, or Extraordinary.
• Each family will also be associated with a color (tbd)
• Teachers will have a mix of families in their homerooms
• We will strive to put biological families/families that live together in the same PRIDE Family
• If a student is “caught” showing ANY PRIDE trait he/she will be sent to the office for a token (ping pong ball in her family color) to be added to his/her Family tube in the stand outside the office.
• He/She will then return to class.
• At the end of the day, the Principal, or designee, will announce the students who received a PRIDE token during that day.
• When one family’s tokens have reached the top of the tube (mark determined by administration), we will celebrate that Family on the next day by:
• Having ALL students/faculty/staff wear the Family color for the WINNER
• Asking that teachers make an effort to celebrate those students from the winning family in their classrooms, i.e. line leader, special helper for the day, lunch with the teacher.
• Once a PRIDE Family has won, we will start over on the following day.

PRIDE Nominations for Celebration Assemblies:

• Teachers will be asked to nominate one student from their homeroom each 9-weeks for our PRIDE Celebration Assembly.  This should be a student who shows PRIDE in all areas of school.
• The student will receive a certificate and a small token of appreciation.

PRIDE Recognition for Attendance:

• Students will be recognized for perfect attendance and outstanding attendance with a certificate AND a special gold token for their family tube outside the office
• Perfect Attendance = no tardies, no early dismissals, and no absences
• Outstanding Attendance = fewer than 3 tardies/early dismissals AND no absences

PRIDE Celebration Events:

• Students who receive no office referrals and meet classroom behavior expectations (as communicated by the homeroom teacher) during a 9-weeks will be invited to attend a PRIDE Celebration Event.  These events will be connected to PRIDE Assemblies to best use our time on those days.

Off campus party invitations can only be handed out at school if all students of the host’s classroom are invited.  

In order to limit disruptions and preserve educational time, each class (if the teacher chooses) may have a monthly birthday party for students who have a birthday that month. Because of food safety procedures, all snacks and party items must be store bought and in original packages. It is also highly suggested that items be healthy snacks.

Parents/guardians are most welcome at the school!  For safety purposes, all parents/guardians and visitors must enter through the front doors and register in the School Office upon arrival.  A visitor’s pass must be issued to anyone visiting the school campus. The first time you enter the school, you will be required to have your driver’s license scanned thru Raptor, our security verification system.