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Family Handbook



 

Parent/Student Handbook

2024-2025

 

Our mission is to provide authentic, challenging, creative experiences in a supportive, equitable and engaging environment in order to develop global leaders with strong character who are ready to serve their communities.

 

 

Ashley Dorsey, Principal

Robert Ledford, Assistant Principal

Graylon Trammell, Assistant Principal

Holly Price, Instructional Coach

Ashley Pomposelli, Math Coach

Allison Papadopoulos, Guidance Counselor

Katie Perron, Data Specialist

Janet Irby, Secretary/Bookkeeper

Patti Blackstock, General Clerk

 

 

 

ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL 

7:00AM Car rider drop-off begins. Students should not exit vehicles before 7am. Follow all directions provided by our staff and SRO.  Please be aware of pedestrians and other cars (no cell phones) and pull all the way forward as quickly and safely as possible. Do not block the entrance to the Kindergarten annex parking lot. Stay in the line (do not pull out of the line once your child has exited your car). Have your child ready to open their door and jump out (backpacks on, etc). Do not park and walk your child up to the school. Once buses have cleared the bus loop, groups of cars will be waved in intermittently. 

 

7:00AM Bus riders enter via the southside entrance.

  • Bus riders alleviate car rider traffic and arrive in time to get breakfast! Please consider this option for your family. 

  • Riding the school bus is a privilege that can be revoked if rules are not followed. Unfortunately, parents are often more inconvenienced than children when bus-riding privileges have been revoked. Please review the rules below with your child:  be at the bus stop on time, 10 minutes before your assigned bus route, act appropriately on the bus (do not push, fight, or use unacceptable language), and listen to and follow the bus driver's directions.

  • JBE Bus Rider Parents, Steps for First Student Bus Rider Success:

  1. Have your current address on student paperwork and entered into the Powerschool system.  

  2. Find the closest bus stop to your address. Bus routes and stops are located at https://www.ccsdschools.com/transportation  Or: https://firststudentinc.com/

  3. Sign up for the delayed bus notification sign up using the Firstview App.  This is located at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jWGGNUeGXl0D1Gf_QdTrRSrQ-ooQKHvmVmFjNyA9C8k/edit  The School Code is : GF8G

  4. If the parent gives permission for a younger sibling (younger than 1st grade) to walk home with a 2nd grader or older child, you must print, complete, and turn in the “The Red Tag Sibling Permission Form.”  Located:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g2vTdae3wCeNTC6QLcQS4GeQhtz0TL04/view

  5. Any bus complaints are entered by the parent at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdBFA497ScWPMjIkVhZH5Siyjno6VrRaACSmL5OIMzttLj3bw/viewform

 

7:00AM Walkers & bike riders. 

Students are encouraged to ride bicycles to school. Students must dismount and walk their bike as soon as they reach the campus for safety: to avoid possible injury to themselves and others. Bikes are to remain in the racks until students have been dismissed for the day. A bike rack has been added at the front of the school. Bike rack locations are behind the 5th grade pod and in front of the white fence by northside sidewalk. The school cannot be responsible for lost bicycles. Locks and other precautionary measures are the responsibility of parents and students. The gate to the neighborhood behind the school will be open until 7:20. Walkers & bike riders enter via the southside entrance by the bus lane or via the northside sidewalk. Parents must leave students at the end of the sidewalk when walking to school from Von Kolnitz. Students are not allowed to enter classrooms directly via back doors. Only students may enter the hallway entrances. All adults must enter via the front office door.

 

7:25AM 

Tardy bell rings and all doors close. Any student arriving after the bell rings must enter via the front office door with a parent and get a tardy pass. Please work to help your child have a stress free morning by arriving in plenty of time to be in their seat ready to learn by 7:25. 

 

Arrival & Dismissal Traffic Flow
Do not pass stopped traffic and drive on the wrong side of the road. Mt. Pleasant Police will patrol for this dangerous action routinely.

All traffic coming from Highway 17 will enter Von Kolnitz Rd. via Hospital Drive.
All traffic coming from Whipple Rd. and North Mathis Ferry Rd. will enter Von Kolnitz Rd. via Hospital Dr.
All traffic coming from South Mathis Ferry Rd. will enter Von Kolnitz Dr. directly from Mathis  Ferry Rd.
There should be no school traffic making a left hand turn onto Von Kolnitz Dr. from Mathis Ferry Rd.


All car line traffic must enter through the front loop of the school. 

Visitor parking spots in front of the school are only for parking to volunteer, attend a conference, or sign a student out. 

Do not use these spots for morning drop off as parents are not allowed to park and walk their students up to the building.

 

DISMISSAL 

2:25PM   Dismissal begins:  

  • CD-K students will have a red bus tag with their street address and subdivision name attached to their bookbag. Red tag students sit in the front of the bus and are only allowed to get off the bus with a sibling if there is no adult present and parents have signed the waiver, otherwise, students are brought back to the school. If a red tag student has an older sibling, they are allowed to sit together.  

  • For information regarding bus schedules, visit CCSD Transportation and use the code GF8G 

  • During car rider dismissal, students are at voice level 0 and actively listen to announcements and watch the display board in the media for their number/name and cone number.

    • We have ‘buckle up’ parking spots alongside the exit of the car rider line. Please pull over there if your child needs help getting buckled in, rather than getting out of your car in the line. 

    • Talking on the patio distracts students from their task, slows down the car rider line, and causes adults to have to raise their voices. Please do not park and walk to the car rider patio area and ask to get your child or chat with teachers.

  • Walkers & bike riders that use the rear gate are dismissed via the bus entrance (by the bike rack). Walkers & bike riders that use the northside sidewalk will be escorted to the kindergarten annex gate.

  • During afternoon car rider pick-up, you must have an official JBE car tag.These will be available when paying student fees etc., but could also be requested anytime later. The car tag will have a number for your family.  Each sibling will have their own car tag. If you do not have  your car tag, you will be pulled out of line to check your identification against your child’s emergency/ Powerschool information in the front office. 

  • If your child’s dismissal will be different than normal, please do not send in a note (which can get lost) or an email to the teacher (which might not be read during the school day) with the change in dismissal, but instead submit the transportation change form by 1:30 the day of the change. This link can also be found on the school's website (under the “parents” tab).

  • Students are not allowed to be signed-out past 2:00 p.m.

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY
In order for your child to reach their fullest potential, they need to be at school and in their seat on time each day by 7:25 a.m. so that they do not miss crucial instruction. Charleston County has Attendance and Truancy Policies which are clearly written. The district has a Truancy Officer who assesses schools to determine if all absences are documented. We are accountable for following up on student attendance and tardiness issues.

 

Important facts about CCSD’s Attendance and Truancy Policy:

  • All absences are classified as either lawful or unlawful and all absences, regardless of the classification, must be documented.

  • Lawful excused absences include: student illness, serious illness of immediate family member, death of a family member, religious holidays, and suspension.

  • Lawful unexcused absences include: absence as a result of an extracurricular activity that’s not approved or requested by the administration, those suspended from the bus and do not report to school, those who go to appointments that could be made outside of school hours, and student illnesses in excess of ten days that are not substantiated by medical statement.

  • Unlawful absences include: students who are absent from school without acceptable cause with the knowledge of the parents (example- vacations and accompanying parents on business trips) and those willfully absent without the knowledge of parents. Unlawful absences are ALWAYS unexcused.

  • Teachers are not required to allow students to make up work missed during an unexcused absence.

  • A written and signed excuse (not email) is required for all absences in all of the categories mentioned above. There are no exceptions. Failure to submit proper documentation will require the school to recommend the intervention of a truancy officer.  

  • If a truancy conference is scheduled, failure to meet and adhere to the attendance improvement plan will result in a referral to the Department of Alternative Program and Services social worker.  

  • To receive the “Perfect Attendance” award, students must have 0 absences and no more than 3 tardies. 

  • katie_perron@charleston.k12.sc.us  is the contact person for JBE attendance.

Additional information concerning the Charleston County School District attendance policy is included in the CCSD Code of Conduct.

 

EARLY SIGN OUT
Parents are discouraged from making appointments for students during school hours; however, if your child must leave school early due to extenuating circumstances, please send a completed JBE Attendance Form to school that morning. Students will only be released to parents, legal guardians, or contacts listed on the emergency card. Picture identification will be required to sign a student out of school.

Parents are not allowed to sign students out after 2:00pm.

 

BREAKFAST & LUNCH & SNACKS

Breakfast begins at 7:00 AM and ends at 7:25am.

Each classroom has a daily snack time.  Please send a small, healthy snack and water bottle with your child every day. Please visit ccsdschoolmeals.com to set up an account or to apply for free/reduced meal benefits.

 

PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY & PROPERTY

Cell Phones, Smart Watches, Gizmos & Gadgets for Communication
Cell phones, smart watches, etc. are not permitted to be used during school hours, and it is highly recommended that children not bring them to school. Student communication to parents should not happen during the instructional day (including email) unless it is approved by teachers beforehand. Should a student need to contact a parent during school hours, the regular school phone lines will be used. 

If a parent sends a child to school with a phone, it must be stored in the bookbag and in the “off mode” during school hours (this is also CCSD’s policy). Teachers are instructed to collect cell phones/devices that are seen or heard during school hours, and parents will be required to come to the school and personally retrieve the items. The school staff and administration will not be responsible for the loss, damage, or theft of a student’s personal property. To help eliminate loss of or damage to toys, iPods, iPads, or valuables, students are not to bring these items to school - even for show and tell.

 

BIRTHDAYS
Parents are allowed to send in a treat on their child’s birthday. Please communicate with your child’s teacher to coordinate the treat. Students must be able to carry their treats on their own. Office staff will not deliver birthday treats to classrooms. Your child will hear their name and a happy birthday wish on the morning announcements, receive a special birthday pencil, and we encourage you to honor your student by purchasing a “Birthday Book Club” book for our library. A gift plate with your child’s name and birthdate will be placed on the inside cover of the book and placed in the library for others to enjoy. Look for order forms to come home during the first quarter.

 

EXCEPTIONAL EGRETS
The Global Leadership Program focuses on three pillars: Knowledge, Citizenship, and Character. These will be embedded throughout our PBIS program known as Exceptional Egret Expectations.

  • JBE supports Charleston County School District’s use of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS). 

  • We acknowledge our students through compliments and shoutouts for positive behaviors.                               

Be sure to read the Code of Conduct and if you have any questions or concerns or need a hard copy, please contact Ms. Dorsey.

 

BOOKS, FEES, and SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Each grade level creates a school supply list of materials needed for the year. Instructional fees are due at the beginning of the school year. We encourage you to take advantage of the RevTrack link on the website to pay these instructional fees. This money is used to buy consumable supplies not included in (or to refill items from) the school supply list and might include items such as desk name plates, construction paper, extra pencils, special workbooks, etc. If a student transfers out of JBE, all state textbooks and library books must be returned. All lost book fees must be paid. Separate checks must be written for each child in a family for fees and lost books.
 

VOLUNTEERS & VISITORS
We welcome parents as volunteers in several capacities. In order to ensure a safe environment for JBE students, all individuals serving as volunteers must complete an online application process, which includes a criminal background check, every three years. Please visit CCSD’s Volunteer website to complete this process. Field trip chaperones will serve in a supervision role for James B. Edwards students and this will require your utmost attention to students; please stay off cell phones. Students may not be signed out from field trips by chaperones. Please check the school’s newsletter for the most up-to-date volunteer opportunities. 

All  adults in the building ( staff, visitors, volunteers, substitutes, etc.) must wear identification badges. 

  • All non-staff members must check in with the office and receive an identification badge.

  • Teachers will not permit parents or other visitors to enter their classroom without required identification.

  • Staff members are expected to ask any adult without identification to please check in with the office. 

 

CONCERNS & QUESTIONS
In order to ensure your child’s academic and social growth, open parent-staff communication is essential. 

  • If you have concerns about any aspect of your child’s education or classroom environment, please communicate with the teacher. 

  • To speak to a teacher in person between 7:00am -2:45pm, you must schedule a meeting with the teacher.

  • For general JBE concerns, not pertaining to your child’s classroom, please email Ms. Dorsey at ashley_dorsey@charleston.k12.sc.us

 

CURRICULUM

JBE follows CCSD’s curriculum that has been developed by district instructional specialists and is aligned to the SCCCR standards and supports research based instructional practices. 

 

CD ELA: Creative Curriculum  

CD Phonemic Awareness: Heggerty 

CD-5 Math: Bridges  

CD-5 Social Emotional Learning:  Second Step. 

K-2 Phonics & Word Analysis: Orton Gillingham  

K-5 ELA: CKLA

French - French is offered as one of the Special Area classes.  Research shows that learning another language increases cognitive skills and helps students (regardless of academic ability or demographics) improve in other academic areas. French is the official language of the Olympics and the United Nations. Learning French helps broaden our students’ horizons and reduces prejudice toward people who are different. 

 

Adaptive Digital Content: iReady

 

EMERGENCIES
It is essential that the office can reach you in an emergency. Please make sure your information is current in your PowerSchool Parent Portal. Should there be a school emergency requiring early dismissal, your child will be dismissed following their normal routine (bus, car, etc.)

 

“KALEIDOSCOPE” AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
The Kaleidoscope After School Program will again be offered to our students through CCSD’s Office of Expanded Learning. Enrollment is based on availability. The fee schedule and registration packets are available in the Kaleidoscope office. Daily hours are from 2:25 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. The program will begin on the first day of school. This program is not run by JBE administration. Please contact their director, Austin Smith at austin_smith@charleston.k12.sc.us.

 

HEALTH INFORMATION

The staff at JBE work to maintain a healthy environment to decrease transmission of communicable disease by frequent, thorough hand-washing, by cleaning/sanitizing surfaces, and by assessing children who appear ill. We follow sickness guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, MUSC, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). A full time RN, Nancy O’Donoghue, attends to the immediate needs of sick and injured children. Proof of immunizations must be provided to the school, and forgetting to schedule vaccinations may prevent your student from returning to school on time at the beginning of the year. If your child has any ongoing medical conditions (asthma, seizures, allergies, diabetes), please submit a Care Plan completed by his/her healthcare provider.

Allergies
At JBE, our first priority is the safety of our children.  Because we know that an undiagnosed allergy can present for the first time while a student is at school, and because we are unable to confidently assess the allergen content of lunches brought from home, JBE is an “Allergy Aware School.” We expect all staff and all students to be alert and take care of each other.

  • The school nurse trains all staff members in how to detect an allergic reaction and what to do in the event of one, including how to use an EpiPen.

  • The school nurse visits all classrooms to teach students about what an allergy is, how to detect an allergic reaction, and how to keep friends safe (no food sharing is allowed). 

  • Tables are cleaned between each class by a member of our custodial team.

  • Students are instructed to wash their hands after lunch.

  • We encourage students to be advocates for their health and to recognize and report any symptoms of an allergic reaction. Please contact Nurse Nancy if your child has a notable allergy. An Allergy Care Plan completed by your child’s healthcare provider will be kept on file at school.

 

Health Screenings
JBE’s school nurse conducts routine health screenings, which include vision and hearing screenings.

 

Lice

Head lice is a nuisance, not a medical emergency and should not disrupt a student’s educational process. Students diagnosed with head lice will not be sent home early from school, however a parent must accompany the child to school and provide proof of treatment. If live lice are still present, the parent must take the child home for further treatment/removal. The CCSD protocol follows the guidelines of the National Association of School Nurses, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC. One thing to remember is that a louse is unable to live more than 48 hours without a host, so each Monday morning, our building is lice-free. 

 

Medication

Over-the-counter medication can be administered to students with parental permission. The permission form can be downloaded and printed from the Nursing Services  section of the district website. OTC medications shall be sent to school in the original manufacturer’s container. The manufacturer’s label must include the name of the medication (brand or generic), strength of medication and instructions for use. Prescription medications must be brought to school in the original container labeled with the student’s name, date, name of medication, name of prescribing physician, dosage, time(s) the medication is to be given, and name of pharmacy filling the prescription, and the doctor’s orders must be on file.  

 

Sickness Guidelines:

Please keep your child home if they exhibit the following symptoms:

  • Fever of 100℉ or higher

  • Diarrhea

  • Vomiting

  • Severe Coughing

  • Eye discharge- mucus or pus draining from the eye or pink eye

  • Change in behavior- lethargy, inability to focus

 

Sun Safety:

Thankfully, JBE has many beautiful oak trees which provide a good amount of shade and we have a Sunshade on the CD/K playground, however, we encourage families to follow sun safety guidelines. 

  • Apply a “broad-spectrum” sunscreen of at least 15 SPF before coming to school (teachers won’t be able to apply during the day). 

  • Wear a hat with a 3-inch brim to shield the face, ears, and back of the neck during recess (students are not allowed to wear hats inside the building). 

  • Wear sunglasses with at least 99% UV protection at recess. 

 

HOMEWORK

The purpose of homework is to help students become disciplined, organized and able to set priorities as well as to practice and use what they have learned. If your child is unable to complete the homework in the time outlined, please write the teacher a note. 

 

Time guidelines:

Grade Maximum Nightly Minutes

Kindergarten: 15 minutes

1st & 2nd grade: 20 minutes

3rd grade: 30 minutes

4th grade: 40 minutes

5th grade: 50 minutes

 

INTERRUPTIONS & DELIVERIES
Please give your child all necessary instructions and items at home. The office will only interrupt a class during instructional time for emergency situations. Telephone messages other than those of an urgent or emergency nature, cannot be delivered to students. Forgotten water bottles, books, etc. will  not be accepted by the front office for delivery to the classroom. We will not deliver forgotten lunchboxes and will not accept meals delivered through Door Dash, Uber Eats, etc. 

 

LOST & FOUND
Label all clothing and possessions. JBE has a Lost and Found area in the cafeteria; please encourage your child to check there if he/she has lost any item, or you may sign in at the office and visit the Lost and Found. Unclaimed items will be donated to charity on the last day of the month.

 

MEDIA RELEASE
If you grant permission for your child’s picture to appear in the media (yearbook, JBE News Show, JBE website, social media, newspaper, TV, videos, etc.) as part of positive media coverage for our school, please check yes on the emergency card. If you need to deny media, please mark no and we will send an “Opt Out of Media” form home for you to sign.

 

MTSS

MTSS is a multi-tiered system of support that helps JBE evaluate the need for and provide the necessary support for all students to be successful in all areas (academic, social-emotional learning, and mental health).  The MTSS team consists of administrators, school counselor, school psychologist, instructional coaches, and classroom teachers. Find out more about MTSS by clicking here. 

 

REPORTING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT & GROWTH

Progress Reports and Report Cards will be sent home quarterly.  Please refer to CCSD’s Academic Calendar for this year’s Family Data Conferences. 

 

SAFETY DRILLS
Fire drills, severe weather drills, and lockdown drills are an important safety precaution. Students should remain on volume level 0.  It is essential that when the signal is given, everyone is able to hear directions and obey promptly. Volunteers and visitors must comply with all directions from school staff.

 

TRANSFERS
If a student will be transferring to another school, the parent must notify the teacher and the office in writing. The new school is responsible for requesting permanent records.

 

UNIFORM DRESS CODE
The dress code for JBE can be found here.