Fairmont Student Hanbook

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JOHNSON CITY SCHOOLS ATTENDANCE PLAN

Virtually all research indicates a very high correlation between student attendance and student performance. For the benefit of your child’s learning, please make every effort to ensure that he/she is in school. Under the policies of the Johnson City Board of Education, absences are to be excused for only the following reasons and under the following conditions:

• Personal illness, illness of an immediate family member, death in the family, extreme weather conditions, religious observances, and 3 parent/family days. Appointments should be scheduled outside of the school day, when possible, and vacations during the appointed breaks.

Unexcused Tardiness & Early Dismissal

Arriving on time and remaining the entire school day provides students with full academic instruction. Acceptable reasons for tardiness or early dismissal would include medical or dental appointments (doctor's/dentist's excuse required) or death in the family.

Unexcused tardy = a student arriving at school after 8:15 a.m. for unacceptable reasons.

Students must be in their classroom when the 8:15 bell rings.

Unexcused early dismissal = a student leaving school before 3:15 p.m. for unacceptable reasons.

8:15 A.M.

If your child arrives at school after 8:15, please accompany him/her to the office to get a tardy admit.

Upon the third unexcused tardy and/or early dismissal in a nine-week grading period, the student may be subject to disciplinary consequences per district guidelines.

ATTENDANCE

1. It is essential that each student be present every day school is in session. Research indicates there is a direct correlation between school attendance and success in school. We believe it is important to expect and to assist students in being in school and on time. Students who are present at school derive maximum benefit from the instructional program and develop habits of punctuality, self-discipline, and responsibility.
2. Appointments should be scheduled outside of the school day, when possible, and vacations during the appointed JCS breaks.
3. The implementation of the progressive truancy intervention plan will begin after five (5) unexcused absences (see above).
4. A student must be in school for 3 hours and 31 minutes to be considered present for the day.
5. If a student is not feeling well, they are allowed five (5) absences per year, without going to a doctor. A written parent note is required upon the student's return to school.
     a. After the allowed five (5) parent note days, a doctor/dentist note is required for additional absences.
6. Parents should call the school office by 9:00 a.m. when their child will be absent. After an absence, our policy requires that a written excuse from the parent or a doctor's excuse be sent to the office the day the child returns to school.
7. A student is allowed three (3) parent request days per year. The principal must approve parent request days.
8. Johnson City School Board Policy 6.200 states, “Upon recommendation of the principal, students in grades K-8 who are absent more than twenty (20) days may not be promoted to the next grade. All absences, excused or unexcused, are counted in the maximum number of days that may be missed during a session or school year.”

TARDIES

After 3 unexcused tardies or early dismissals in a quarter, students will make up their work while they are at lunch. Tardies and early dismissals are only excused with a note from a physician.

ARRIVAL

1. Buses come to the back of the school at arrival and dismissal. The car line is in the front of the school.
2. Students may arrive each day between 7:45 and 8:15 a.m.
3. Students should not arrive before 7:45 UNLESS they are in Educare. Students who arrive between 7:45 and 8:00 a.m. go to the gym or the cafeteria until 8:00 a.m. Teachers are in the classrooms at 8:00 a.m., and students report to their classes beginning at 8:00 a.m. The tardy bell rings at 8:15 a.m. Students not inside their classrooms at 8:15 a.m. are tardy. Instruction begins promptly at 8:15 a.m.
4. In the morning, the car drop-off line is next to the front of the building in a single lane.
5. Parents may park in the lower lot and walk their child to the front door between 8:00 and 8:15 a.m. Children must NOT walk up to the school without a parent/adult accompanying them.

BREAKFAST AND LUNCH

Students may eat breakfast between 7:45 and 8:10 a.m. The tardy bell rings at 8:15 a.m. Students who arrive on a late bus may eat breakfast upon arrival; all others must be finished by 8:10 a.m. to be in class by 8:15 a.m.

Meal prices (subject to change): Breakfast and Lunch will be FREE at Fairmont during the 2026-2027 school year.

**Commercial fast food may NOT be brought in during parent visits or at any time in the cafeteria or classroom. This includes breakfast AND/OR lunch. Students may NOT bring soda or carbonated drinks in cans or bottles with their lunch. This is part of the National, State, and Johnson City Schools' “Healthy Schools” program.

BULLYING

The Johnson City Board of Education has determined that a safe, civil, and supportive environment in school is necessary for students to learn and achieve high academic standards. In order to maintain that environment, acts of bullying, cyber-bullying, discrimination (including the definition of antisemitism found in policy 4.100), harassment, hazing, or any other victimization of students, based on any actual or perceived traits or characteristics, are prohibited. This policy shall be disseminated annually to all school staff, students, and parents.

This policy shall cover employees, employees' behaviors, students, and students' behaviors while on school property, at any school-sponsored activity, on school-provided equipment or transportation, or at any official school bus stop. If the act takes place off school property or outside of a school-sponsored activity, this policy is in effect only if the conduct is directed specifically at a student or students and has the effect of creating a hostile educational environment or otherwise creating a substantial disruption to the educational environment or learning process.

Building administrators and the school counselor are responsible for educating and training their respective staff and students as to the definition and recognition of discrimination/harassment.

DEFINITIONS

Students should be provided with a safe learning environment. It shall be a violation of this policy for any student to bully, intimidate, or create a hostile educational environment for another student. Bullying is when someone repeatedly and on purpose says or does mean or hurtful things to another person who has a hard time defending themselves.

Bullying/Intimidation/Harassment – can take the form of an act that substantially interferes with a student’s educational benefits, opportunities, or performance, and the act has the effect of:

• Physically harming a student or damaging a student’s property;
• Knowingly placing a student or students in reasonable fear of physical harm to the student or damage to the student’s property;
• Causing emotional distress to a student or students; or
• Creating a hostile educational environment.

Bullying, intimidation, or harassment may also be unwelcome conduct based on a protected class (race, color, religion, sex, gender, disabilities, national origin, or age) that is severe, pervasive, or persistent and creates a hostile environment.

Cyber-bullying - A form of bullying undertaken through the use of electronic devices. Electronic devices include, but are not limited to, telephones, cellular phones or other wireless telecommunication devices, text messaging, emails, social networking sites, instant messaging, videos, websites, or fake profiles.

Hazing - An intentional or reckless act by a student or group of students that is directed against any other student(s) that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of the student(s) or that induces or coerces a student to endanger his/her mental or physical health or safety. Coaches and other employees of the school district shall not encourage, permit, condone or tolerate hazing activities.

“Hazing” does not include customary athletic events or similar contests or competitions and is limited to those actions taken and situations created in connection with initiation into or affiliation with any organization.”

Students who bully receive the following consequences:

• 1st Offense: Both students will separately write a reflection about what happened. The teacher will contact the parents of both students. Students with bullying behavior will have a week of silent lunch in the office. The school counselor will check in with both students.
• 2nd Offense: Both students will separately write a reflection about what happened. The teacher will contact both students’ parents. Students with bullying behavior will have a week of silent lunch in the office with work supplied by the teacher. The school counselor will meet with the student showing bullying behavior to work on strategies to help the student make better choices.
• 3rd Offense: Both students will separately write a reflection about what happened. The school counselor or school administration will contact the parent of the student showing bullying behavior. The teacher will contact the parents of the victim. A parent meeting conference will be mandated with the teacher, school administration, and school counselor. The school counselor will begin a bullying prevention program for four weeks (one-on-one counseling).
• 4th Offense: Both students will separately write a reflection about what happened. The school counselor or school administration will contact the parent of the student showing bullying behavior. The teacher will contact the parents of the victim. In or out-of-school suspension will be assigned to the student showing bullying behavior. The school counselor will meet weekly with the student until dismissed.

Note: In the event a student continues to bully after all steps/interventions have been given, a special meeting will be called involving all stakeholders.

BUS RULES

Riding the bus to and from school is a privilege that can be revoked by Johnson City Transit. All school rules identified in the Code of Conduct and this handbook apply on the bus and at the bus stop. Students who do not obey bus rules will not be allowed to ride the bus. When rules are not followed, a student is issued a bus “write-up” from the driver. Parents are called to discuss the problems and the consequences. The school supports the efforts of all the bus officials in helping keep our students safe while coming to and from school. Please support this by discussing bus behaviors with your child. Students suspended from the bus may not be able to ride the bus for field trips during their suspension.

Students should be supervised by an adult at the bus stop. The bus driver will not allow kindergarten, first, and second-grade students to exit the bus unless an adult is waiting at the bus stop to receive the student. If an adult is not at the bus stop for the students, the bus driver will transport the students back to school, and parents will be notified so they can pick up their student at school. Please read, sign, and return the Johnson City Transit Disciplinary Code.

CELL PHONES

Student use of wireless communication devices, including cell phones, smartwatches, ear buds, Apple tags, Google glasses, etc., on school property is prohibited during school hours. Wireless communication devices may NOT be out or used at school. This is a Tennessee law (T.C.A. 49-6-4002) and Johnson City School policy. If a student has a wireless communication device out, or being used at school, it will be collected, sent to the office, and picked up ONLY by the parent. The student will be given one warning. After one warning, the student will have in-school suspension.

CHANGE OF PLANS

Students do well when their routines are established and communicated from the start. If your child has a change in his/her usual dismissal plan, you must write a note to the teacher and put it in your child’s communication folder or planner/tracker. Please do NOT rely on the student to tell us. We will do the usual dismissal plan unless there is a note in the communication folder or planner/tracker. On the rare occasion that changes are made during the school day, please call the office BEFORE 2:30 p.m. We cannot get the change-of-day messages delivered after 2:30 p.m.

COMMUNICATION

Each grade level and classroom teacher uses daily communication folders or student planners/trackers. Please check these daily and use this to correspond with your child’s teacher. Arrival and dismissal are not the time to confer with the teacher. Students require the teacher’s full attention during these times. Teachers will utilize ParentSquare for parent/family classroom communication. Please keep in mind that teachers will respond only as necessary within 48-72 hours. They will not respond daily. School-wide communications are through ParentSquare and the monthly newsletter, “The Beeline.” School-wide notes, as reminders, may be sent periodically.

CONFERENCES

Conferences are scheduled formally with each parent once a year and with each parent individually as requested or as needed. If needed, parents should put a note in the child’s folder or planner/tracker requesting a conference either by phone or in person. Please give the teacher at least 48 hours notice so that he/she can schedule the time. Teachers are not available to meet every day and will not be able to meet while their classes are in session. Calls cannot be put through to the classroom except during the teacher’s planning time. If you wish to speak to a teacher, please make an appointment. Our school-wide calendar and schedule changes can be found at www.jcschools.org.

DISCIPLINE

Fairmont has school rules (listed below) that all students are expected to follow every day. Following school rules keeps everyone safe and helps make the school and classroom conducive to learning for ALL students.

Fairmont is the Place to B.E.E.
B.E.E. Excellent Every Day Expectations

• Be respectful:
  • Treat classmates, teachers, and staff with kindness.
  • Listen, take turns, and speak respectfully.
• Engage in Learning:
  • Stay focused.
  • Participate actively.
  • Always try your best.
  • Never give up.
• Exhibit Responsibility:
  • Be prepared.
  • Follow directions.
  • Take care of yourself, your belongings, and school property.

Consequences:

1. Teacher warning
2. Mark on calendar/clipboard
3. Silent lunch and/or missing related arts and/or in-zone recess
4. Teacher phone call home
5. Parent conference with the teacher and the school administrator

Each classroom teacher and related arts teacher establishes behavior guidelines for their students and classes. The Johnson City Schools’ Code of Conduct is strictly enforced at Fairmont. Each student has the right to an education in a learning environment free of disruption. Students who continue to be disruptive, disrespectful, disobedient, or defiant will be removed from class. Students will not have privileges if class work, homework, or behaviors are unacceptable. The privileges that will be taken include related arts classes, class events, eating with a student’s class, and playing at recess in a separate designated zone from other students. Students who do not follow rules may have silent lunch in the cafeteria or office supervised by adults.

THREATS

Any written, verbal, or physical communication or concerning behavior that conveys an intent to harm someone else or commit an act of school violence, as determined by the school/district Threat Assessment Team, may result in disciplinary action. Per Tennessee Code Annotated, a School Resource Officer will be a member of the school and district threat assessment teams. T.C.A. § 49-6-2701(b).

DISMISSAL

1. Buses come to the back of the school at arrival and dismissal. Car lines are in the front of the school.
2. The afternoon car lines are called the yellow line and the blue line. They both have established routes through the parking areas to help ease the traffic on the adjoining streets.
3. Parents/guardians must stay in their cars to pick up in the afternoon. Parents/guardians cannot park their vehicle and walk up to the front of the school to get their child.
4. During dismissal, horseplay, running, and other hazardous behaviors are not allowed at any time for safety reasons. Students with repeated problems during these times will have to be picked up by their parents in the office.
5. If you live within walking distance of the school, you may walk up to get your child. Please wait in the grassy area on the other side of the crosswalk, and we will send your child to you. You may NOT get your child at the front door, any of the kindergarten doors, or at the front porch of the school.
6. Pets are not allowed at Fairmont.
7. When students are with their parents, yet still on school property, school rules still apply. Parents should control their children for safety.

DROP OFF AND PICK UP PROCEDURES/TARDIES AND EARLY DISMISSALS

Students who are picked up early are checked out through the office. An early dismissal without a note for a doctor’s visit is unexcused. ONLY persons listed in PowerSchool as emergency contacts are allowed to pick up students, and they will be required to show a state-issued photo ID.

School safety rules and procedures are established by the principal. Tennessee law and board policy give the principal the right to request law enforcement support as needed to provide a safe school environment, which includes following the school’s arrival, pick-up, and drop-off procedures. See Johnson City Schools Board Policy 3.201.

Animals are NOT allowed on school property during school or immediately before or after school.

DRESS CODE

We expect Fairmont students to dress modestly and appropriately for their age. A student's appearance is the responsibility of the parents and the student. It reflects his/her conduct, his/her work, and the quality of the school. We expect all students and adults to maintain an appearance that does not distract from the learning process.
If the principal, counselor, or a teacher judges that a student’s attire is offensive or immodest, the student will be required to change and will be provided with appropriate clothes for the clinic, or parents will be expected to bring a change of clothing.

The following are NOT allowed at Fairmont Elementary:

• Clothing with offensive words, messages, and/or pictures
• Short tops that show the midriff or spaghetti straps
• Shorts or skirts that are shorter than mid-thigh (arms straight down, fingertips to the side to test length)
• Sleepwear items
• Hats, visors, bandanas, or any head coverings in the building or classrooms
• Hoodies worn over the head in the building or classrooms
• Face paint, including face or temporary body tattoos or make-up
• Shoes that are a safety hazard, including in-line skate shoes or wheelies
• Large chains as jewelry or attached to clothing
• Also, NO gum, toys (including cards such as Pokemon), or electronic games are allowed at any time at school.

In matters of opinion, the judgment of teachers and administrators will prevail.

FEES

A voluntary instructional fee of $25.00 per student helps us provide classroom consumables for instruction. We purchase instructional materials and a variety of classroom supplies with these funds. Please make a check payable to Fairmont Elementary School and send it with your child to his/her teacher the first week of school.

FIELD TRIPS

Field trips are planned by our grade-level teams to enhance the curriculum at that particular grade. Teachers will communicate and determine the parent participation for each field trip. Students are not allowed to attend field trips without written parental permission. Students are
under the direction of their teachers during field trips. If a student has lost the privilege to ride the bus, he/she will not be allowed to ride the bus for a field trip.

CHAPERONE REQUIREMENTS
All volunteer chaperones, which includes all parents/guardians, who attend field trips and will be supervising students other than their own, are required to submit to a TBI background check through IdentoGo fingerprinting service.

• Chaperones must be registered through Centegix at the school site prior to departure.
• Chaperones must receive a favorable background check prior to departure.
• Persons with criminal convictions are not allowed to chaperone.

HOMEWORK/CLASSWORK

Homework is assigned to enhance and reinforce the concepts taught at school. All classes require that students read every night for a set amount of time. Each grade level has specific homework guidelines. Sometimes students may bring work home that was assigned as class work but not completed during school. Your child’s teacher will communicate this to you in the planner/tracker or folder.

Students who do not meet their reading goals, have incomplete homework, or incomplete classwork assignments will take work to lunch to get their work completed. Students who continuously refuse to complete reading goals, class work, and homework will have all privileges taken away, including related arts and special class opportunities.

IN-SCHOOL SUSPENSION, OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSION, LUNCH DETENTION

Order and self-control are essential to an effective learning environment. Students who are unable to follow the rules set out in the Johnson City Schools’ Code of Conduct and the rules and procedures of the school and classroom will have in-school suspension. This means students will have schoolwork delivered to the principal’s office and work there during this time. Lunch detention, missing related arts, or playing at recess in a separate designated zone from others may be assigned for continuous tardies, unwillingness to do assignments, unruly lunch behavior, other disruptive behaviors, or bullying. Students will eat in the office or in the cafeteria at a booth by themselves as a consequence. Out-of-school suspension is referenced in the JCS Code of Conduct for more serious or continuous behaviors. The appeal process for out-of-school suspension is outlined in the JCS Code of Conduct. Please make sure you read it carefully and review it with your child.

LICE POLICY

Students found to have lice will be brought to the clinic, and parents will be called. Students will be re-admitted to class after being examined by the school nurse upon arriving back at school after treatment. Students have two days of excused absence time to be treated and cleared.

Make-Up Work

When a student is absent, it is important that missed work is made up so learning can continue.

1. Time to Complete Work: Students will have one day for each day absent to finish and turn in their assignments. Example: 3 days absent = 3 school days to complete work.
2. Responsibility: It is the student’s and parent’s responsibility to ask for missed work and ensure it is completed at home. Class time cannot be used for make-up work since new lessons must continue.
3. Planned Absences: If you know your child will be absent (vacation, surgery, etc.), please request work at least 48 hours in advance. This allows teachers time to gather materials.

MEDICATION

At times, students may need to take prescribed medication during school hours. Authorization forms MUST accompany all prescriptions, even over-the-counter medications. Forms are on the JCS website or can be picked up in the clinic. They must be completed by the doctor, signed by the parents, and returned to school. All medications must be kept in the clinic with proper paperwork on file, and they must be in the original container. Medications will only be administered in the school clinic, and all remaining medications must be picked up by parents. This includes over-the-counter medications such as cough drops, throat sprays, inhalers, and ointments. Do not send any medications to school with students. Parents/guardians must bring the medication to the nurse at the school clinic. When at all possible, please administer medications at home.

PARTIES/SNACKS

Fairmont students participate in two class celebrations each year-Winter Holiday and Valentine’s Day. Other class reward incentives may be scheduled throughout the year by teachers or school personnel.

Johnson City Schools and Fairmont adhere to JCS healthy food guidelines. Only snacks that are store-bought will be accepted. NO homemade snacks are allowed. Do NOT send snacks or bring any treats for the class that contain peanuts or peanut products. When possible, please send healthy snacks such as fruits, cheese, crackers, popcorn, and/or vegetables. No carbonated drinks, such as soda, should be served at any time. Water may accompany all snacks, parties, or celebrations. Avoid sugar snacks like candy, cookies, and cakes.

Special individual birthday parties are not allowed. If you want to send a special snack to be shared at snack time or recess for a student’s birthday, this should be arranged in advance with the teacher and brought to the office. Unless the entire class is invited, individual invitations cannot be given out at school. Any flower or balloon arrangements sent to school will remain in the office until the end of the school day, since they are a distraction to classroom learning. Siblings' birthdays cannot be celebrated. Individual celebrations should not interrupt the learning environment.

REPORT CARDS/MID-TERM PROGRESS REPORTS

The evaluation of student progress and achievement is an important function of the teacher. Report cards are issued each quarter for grades K-5. Mid-term grades are sent after four/five weeks into each quarter. Kindergarten, first, and second-grade students receive grade-level skill reports in the format of a standards-based checklist, while third through fifth-grade students receive letter grades. Conduct grades are also given by each teacher. Student conduct is included in the related arts grades for P.E., music, and art. Parents are asked to review and sign both the mid-term reports and the report cards.

The grading scale for grades K-2 is as follows:
4=Always exceeds expectations of standard
3=Meets expectation of standard
2=Beginning to understand standard
1=Limited or no understanding of standard
*Standards not assessed will be left blank.

The grading scale for grades 3-5 is as follows:
A= 90-100
B= 80-89
C= 70-79
D= 60-69
F= 0-59

Circled grades indicate an adjusted program provided to show student success and may mean that his/her work is adjusted to the student’s instructional level, which is below grade level. According to Tennessee and Johnson City Schools’ policy, students in grades 3 through 8 will have 15% of their final grade for the fourth nine weeks determined by their TCAP score. Students in grades 2 through 5 will have major test grades determined by their quarterly district checkpoint assessments.

TITLE I

Fairmont is a federally funded Title I school. This funding provides for additional teachers and funding for students based on our population of students who receive free or reduced lunch support. Our Title I status provides Fairmont with advantages for our families, including an active parent volunteer/participation program, Title I Parent Informational Meetings, additional parent involvement activities, such as Reading Night, Math Night, STEM Night, and small classes that are rich with additional technology and learning materials.

If you did not respond to the Household Income Survey during your online registration, please complete the survey via paper and return to the school. This information helps us monitor and keep our Title I status.

A Title I parent meeting will be held in the fall to provide information to parents about Title I.

VISITORS

All visitors must comply with the Johnson City Schools Visitor Code of Conduct at all times.

Johnson City Schools has a district-wide check-in system for all visitors. A state-issued photo ID is required. Your photo ID will be scanned into the check-in system. Visitors must report directly to the office to present a photo ID and obtain a visitor’s pass. The visitor’s pass should be worn visibly on the upper torso by the visitor. All visitors are approved by the principal. All visitors must check in at the office. The visit must be scheduled in advance if you wish to speak with a school administrator and/or the teacher.

If you wish to speak with a school administrator and/or the teacher, you must schedule a visit. You cannot come to the office without an appointment and expect to speak with an administrator or teacher.

VOLUNTEERS

Parent volunteers are coordinated through our PTA. However, all parents should also coordinate their visits and volunteer sessions with each teacher. Volunteers and all visitors are approved by the principal. All volunteers must check in at the office, and they must be scheduled in advance with the principal and the teacher. A confidentiality agreement must be completed before volunteer work can begin.

WATER BOTTLES

Students may bring water bottles to school. Water bottles should only contain water, not flavored water or any other beverages. Water bottles may be kept in a student’s cubby, in his/her backpack, and/or near the student’s desk.

WEATHER CLOSINGS AND DELAY PROCEDURES

Snow and weather-related school changes are communicated through ParentSquare, social media platforms (Facebook), JCS website, and television broadcasts. Parents are urged not to call the school. Typically, if there is not an announcement by 6:30 a.m., school will be in session.
On the delayed schedule, school will begin at 10:15 a.m., and students can begin arriving at 10:00 a.m. Social media platforms and television broadcasts will specify “Johnson City Schools” for all weather-related announcements. If the weather necessitates closing school early, parents will be alerted by ParentSquare, social media platforms, JCS website, and television broadcasts.