1. Welcome to Fall Creek Elementary School
Where Learning Takes Flight
Parent Orientation Presentation

2. Our mission:
In partnership with families and community, Fall Creek Elementary provides quality learning experiences challenging students to meet their full potential while becoming responsible well-rounded citizens prepared to contribute in a global society.

3. Our Vision:
We believe that the most promising strategy for achieving the mission at Fall Creek Elementary is to develop our capacity to function as a professional learning community.
We will focus on the whole child through:
Uniting to achieve a common purpose and clear goals
Planning and working collaboratively
Planning and designing instruction that meets the needs of all students
Knowing each student’s strengths and weaknesses through the use of data
Monitoring each student’s progress
As professionals we will continue to challenge ourselves and each other in order to create an exceptional campus with exceptional students.

4. ADMINISTRATION/Office staff:
Yvonne Stroud – Principal
Sloan Simmons – Assistant Principal
Natalie Wilkes– Assistant Principal
Laura King – Counselor
Andrea Jean - Counselor
Stacy Brown - Nurse
Maggie Holcombe – Secretary
Jennifer Lopez– Registrar
Rachelle Meza – Office Aide

5. School Wide Expectations
The Cardinal Creed:
Be Safe
Be Respectful
Be Responsible

6. Mornings Our goal is to greet every child every day with a smile!
Student drop off begins at 7:30 a.m.
Students can eat breakfast or wait in grade level lines in the cafeteria until students are dismissed to class.
NO SUPERVISION is provided before 7:30 a.m. Parents needing supervision prior to 7:30 a.m. should contact area day cares who provide transportation to Fall Creek Elementary. Please DO NOT drop your children off before 7:30 a.m.
Class begins at 7:50 a.m.
Tardy bell rings at 8:05 a.m. Tardy students report to front office for tardy slip. Parents of students with excessive/ consistent tardies will be contacted by an administrator.

7. Arrival
Students should enter each morning through the front, rear, or cafeteria side door.
The main car rider line goes through the front parking lot and is open beginning at 7:30 a.m. Supervised unloading ends at 8:00.
When dropping off students, please pull up as close to the curb by the school as possible. Students should not be released from vehicles in the passing lane or parking lot.
Students MAY NOT be dropped off in the front parking lot. This is a major safety concern. Please drive through the line to drop students off safely in front of the school .
When exiting the school by car, we have two turning lanes—one for turning left, the other for turning right. Please make sure that you are in one of these two lanes to help expedite departure.
The side car rider line (by the cafeteria) opens at 7:45 or after the buses have dropped off students and closes at 8:05.
Bike racks are located behind the school on either side of the building for student convenience.

8. Dismissal
Dismissal
Students will be escorted to dismissal areas by teachers at the following times:
Car Riders – 3:20 p.m.
Bus/Daycare/YMCA – 3:25 p.m.
Walker/Bike Rider – 3:30 p.m.
Parents must send written documentation to change a child’s dismissal in advance if there needs to be a change.
All car riders must be picked up in a vehicle going through the car rider line. Students MAY NOT be removed from the car rider line to walk with a parent/guardian. In the case of an emergency dismissal change, a student must be signed out through the office.

9. Notes on Arrival/Dismissal:
Parents should not park on neighboring streets or in front of Fall Creek residents homes.
Please be courteous and follow traffic patterns with drop off and dismissal. Please be patient the first couple of weeks of school as arrival and dismissal routines are ironed out.

10. Important dates to remember:
9/19 Boosterthon Fundraiser Kickoff
10/ Fall Pictures
9/20 Early noon &
10/14 Cardinal County Fair!
Tutti Fruti and Chick Fil A Spirit Night (revised)
10/25 Early noon
10/26 Early noon/College Shirt Day
9/21 College Shirt Day
9/22 Grandparent’s Day Lunch
Please refer to the weekly Cardinal Courier for more information.
9/28 Boosterthon Fun Run
10/4 Early 12:00 noon
Chick Fil A Spirit Night
10/5 Spring Creek BBQ Spirit Night
10/11 K-2 Fall Pictures

11. Early Release
Students are released at 12:00 noon on early release days.
9/20
10/4
10/25
10/26
11/8
12/15
1/31
4/18
6/1
Lunch on Early Release days:
A sack lunch is served on Early Release Days with the exception of 12/15 and 6/1.

12. Attendance
Policy:
In determining if a student’s absence will be excused by the school, the reason for each absence must be stated in writing, signed by the parent/guardian or heath care professional, and submitted to the school upon the student’s return to school. If a student is absent from school for health reasons after the District has issued a Compulsory Attendance Warning Notice, the school may require a written note from a professional health care provider in order for the absence to be excused. If a student fails to bring a note on the date the student returns to school, a temporary admission slip will be issued. The student has two days (48 hours) after his/her return to school to bring an absence excuse. If no excuse is submitted, the absence will be regarded as truancy. You may refer to the truancy policy for academic and disciplinary consequences in the Humble ISD Parent/Student handbook.

13. Attendance Notes
Please remember that student attendance is a key factor in student success!
Compulsory attendance requires that students between the ages of 6-18 attend school (exemptions include religious holy days, required court appearances, etc…)
A court complaint may be filed against parent if the student is absent without excuse for 10 or more days within a six-month period.
State law requires that to receive final grade in a class (promotion) a student must attend at least 90% of the days the class is offered (equating less than 18 excused or unexcused absences for the school year).
Please remember that documentation for an absence must be recorded within 48 hours upon the student’s return to school

14. FCE Grading Procedures
K-2: Students in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first and second grades will be evaluated using a developmental continuum using a 4, 3, 2, 1 scale.
3-5: The grading procedures will be posted on the FCE website. The following grading scale is used to assess reading, composition, grammar, spelling, mathematics, science and social studies:
A= 90 – 100
B= 80 – 89
C= 75 – 79
D=70 – 74
F= 0 – 69

15. Lunch TIME! Breakfast = $1.50 (served 7:30-7:55 a.m.) Lunch = $2.65
Milk = $0.60
Frozen Treats - $0.75 ($0.60 if purchased for the class to celebrate a birthday)
Send check/cash to school OR set up online account through the Humble ISD website.
Menu? Check weekly Cardinal Courier or monthly menus may be printed from the Humble ISD website.
Parents are welcome to join students for lunch! Visitors must first check in at the front office. Tables in the main hallway are reserved for visitors eating lunch with their student. This is a special time for the visitor and student. Kindergarten parents will be permitted to join their child for lunch beginning October 2nd . Parents are welcome to join students in grades 1st through 5th for lunch beginning September 25th.
Parents are allowed to bring in outside food for their child only. It can not be shared with other children. (Texas FMNV Law)
Forgotten lunches may be dropped off and placed on the designated table in the foyer.

16. Notes from the handbook
Dress and Grooming Code is found in the Humble ISD Parent/Student Handbook.
Highlights for elementary students include:
Hair should be neat, clean, & non-disruptive
NO hats, sunglasses, makeup, tattoos, excessively loose or tight clothing
For boys: NO earrings, sleeveless shirts
For girls: No “spaghetti” straps
NO “short shorts” (must be at least to mid-thigh, finger tip rule)
Jeans should be free from holes
Foot wear should be appropriate for physical activity (recess, etc…). Tennis shoes are required on P.E. days

17. Electronic Devices
Students are permitted to have cell phones and other electronic devices for the purpose of communicating with their parents after school, but they must be turned OFF and stored in backpacks during the school day. This includes smart watches. Students not following these guidelines may have their phones or other electronic devices taken and held for parent pick up.
The use of Kindles at school for silent reading is left to the discretion of the classroom teacher.
Any phones or electronics brought to school is at the risk of the student/parent. FCE is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

18. Other Things to note:
FRIDAY IS SPIRIT DAY!!! Show your school spirit by wearing red or an FCE spirit shirt.
Wear your favorite college shirt on the fourth Thursday of each month. FCE students are college bound!
LABEL ALL JACKETS, LUNCH KITS, ETC. with student name.
Helpful Hint: Keep a jacket or sweater in your backpack. Sometimes it is chilly in the classrooms.
Lost and Found is located in the back of the main hallway (although small items such as glasses are kept in the office). Please check in at the office if you’d like to check the lost and found. Items will be sent to charity if not claimed.

19. Safety
The safety of students and staff is our highest priority. Some of the safety measures we implement are:
All visitors are required to show I.D. and wear identification in the building.
Check-out and dismissal procedures are strictly followed.
Monthly emergency drills are held.
Any suspicious activity is immediately investigated.
Anti-bullying lessons are presented to students.
Walkers/bikers are not released during severe weather.
Security cameras monitor the front office, cafeteria, entrances, and playgrounds at all times.

20. Enrichment:
Fall Creek students enjoy a range of enrichment activities that include:
Junior Achievement (Volunteers Needed)
Cultural Arts performances (sponsored by the PTO)
Examples include: Day of Drumming, Storybook opera, Dance of Brazil and more
Robotics (5th grade)
Fall Creek News Network (4th and 5th grade students)
Math Olympiads
Choir
Student Musical Performances at each grade level
Turkey Trot Run
Super Kids Day
Gifted and Talented Programs for qualifying students

21. Fall Creek Elementary PTO
Volunteers at FCE
Fall Creek has an AMAZING Parent Teacher Organization.
Please consider volunteering to become a part of this organization and helping in various capacities throughout our school. See our website for details.

22. Thank you for supporting us
It’s going to be a great year!
Please Check the Cardinal Courier weekly for news etc…