Web Publishing: Berkeley Heights Public School District

Mountain Park School

Berkeley Heights, New Jersey

Principal: Mr. Jonathan Morisseau Secretary: Mrs. Diane Tomkins

School Telephone: (908) 464-1713

FAX: (908) 665-0969

Mountain Park School

is to provide an environment fostering academic excellence and creativity, where children are free to express themselves. Students are challenged to develop responsibility, self-esteem, physical well-being, a joy of learning, resourcefulness, a spirit of cooperation and respect, along with the skills and ambition to do their best throughout their lives.

Our School Community

The school day begins at 8:25 a.m. and ends at 2:50 p.m. At 8:20 a.m., the first bell rings, and the children form lines behind the painted numbers on the blacktop surface for their classroom.At 8:23 a.m., the second bell rings, and the children enter the building under the supervision of the teacher on duty. There will be a teacher outside “on duty” beginning at 8:10 a.m., each school day. Al1 students, whether they arrive by bus or on foot, will wait outside until 8:23 a.m. If the weather is inclement (as determined by the teacher on duty), students will be permitted inside the building beginning at 8:10 a.m. Exceptions will be made for students arriving earlier at the specific request of a teacher. For the safety of your child, as there is no supervision prior to 8:10 a.m., please make sure your child does not arrive on school grounds before 8:10 a.m

Coming To and From School

All students who walk to school are to cross the street where there are crossing guards. In special cases, exceptions may be made provided a parent is available to see the child safely across the street. Please discuss an arrangement with your child regarding transportation on rainy days. Your child should know ahead of time whether you intend to pick him or her up on rainy days, and if so, where he or she should look for your car. Please do not block the driveways at any time. School buses must be able to pass through the driveways.

Students who are transported by bus receive special instructions regarding bus policies. However, everyone should know that only those students who are authorized to have bus transportation may ride the school bus. Should a “non-bus” child be invited to the home of a friend (who normally is transported by bus) after school, alternate transportation will have to be arranged by the parents.

Students in grades 4 and 5 are permitted to ride their bicycles to school. After successfully completing the bicycle road-eo in the spring, students in grade 3 may ride their bicycles to school. Parents are asked to please stress correct, proper and safe riding habits with their child. State law requires children to wear bicycle helmets when riding bicycles. Please remind your child that bicycles are not to be ridden on school property during the hours of 8:10 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. Upon reaching school grounds, your child must dismount and walk his or her bicycle to the bike rack. This rule is important for the safety of all students. Any student disregarding this rule or who is observed to be riding in an unsafe manner can have his or her riding privilege suspended.

Parents who transport their children to and from school need to be aware and follow the driveway procedures that were developed by a committee of parents and school personnel. Please review Procedures for Arrival and Dismissal and the accompanying schematic diagram, included at the end of this booklet. Contact the school office if you have any questions.

Parking at School

Parking at Mountain Park School is permitted only in the designated spaces directly in front of the school or in the parking lot on the Mountain Avenue side of the building. Please observe the no parking signs and fire lane along the driveway.

Early Dismissals

If a student is to be excused from school early for an appointment, he or she must bring a note from home and must be picked up in the school office. If the appointment is of an emergency nature, the parent may call the office to ask that the child be notified that he or she is to be picked up at a given time. Parents must sign out their child at the office at the time he or she is picked up.~ Office staff will call the classroom and have the child come to the office. At no time is the parent permitted to go directly to the child’s classroom. In order to minimize disruptions to their child’s education and the rest of the children in the classroom, we request parents make every effort to schedule appointments during non-school hours.

School Visitations

We invite parents to visit Mountain Park School. We request that parents and other visitors call the office and schedule classroom visitations in advance of the actual visit. For the safety and welfare of our students and staff, all visitors (non-school employees) must sign in and out in the school office. All non-school employees must wear a visitor badge while in the building. Persons not wearing a badge will be escorted to the school office.

Emergency Closing of School

In the event that school must remain closed because of inclement weather or because of an emergency situation at the school, the district will contact all homes by telephone. Every effort will be made to contact families well in advance of the time when the children would normally leave for school.

Emergency Early Dismissal

There have been occasions in the past when the children have been sent home from school before the regular closing time due to an emergency situation in the school or because of inclement weather conditions. For early dismissals, a district approved emergency school closing procedure will go into effect. The district will make every effort to contact parents (or their designee) at home or at work.

All parents must make plans for their children in the event an early dismissal is called. Your child must be aware and knowledgeable of where to go and what to do. This requires that you sit down with your child and develop a definite plan of action. Set up a procedure for him or her to follow if you will not be home on such days, i.e., arrange with a friend and/or neighbor to have a place for your child to go should you not be home. Your child’s class parent will contact you with further information on early closing procedures. In the absence of written or verbal instructions, and if the persons listed on the emergency card are not available, it is our practice at Mountain Park that, in the event of an emergency closing of school, children will remain supervised at the school until they have been picked up by a parent, guardian, or designee.

Children are not permitted to go home for lunch. All children eat their lunches in the school cafeteria. They may buy lunch in the cafeteria or bring lunch from home. Lunches brought from home should not contain glass bottles or containers or have food that requires refrigeration or cooking preparation (e.g. microwave re-heating). Children who bring their lunch from home may purchase milk in the cafeteria.

Lunch menus are posted on the Mountain Park website.

Parents dropping off forgotten lunches should bring them to the school office before 11:30 a.m. We strongly request that parents not purchase fast food or pizza and bring it to the school for their child to eat.

Medication and Medical Policy

The following is the policy of the school district regarding the administration of medication to pupils at school:

Staff members are not to give or administer medication to students at any time. All medications for students are to be administered by the school nurse in accordance with the following procedures and regulations established by the Board of Education.

Medication will be administered to students after the following criteria are met:

1. A written statement has been received from the parents authorizing the administration of the medication prescribed by the family physician together with a written statement from said family physician, which identifies the type, dosage, and purpose of the medication. This statement shall be required, and there will be no deviation from this requirement.

2. All statements and medications are to be given directly to the school nurse or principal. Medications must be in a labeled pharmacy bottle that identifies the pupil, the medication, and prescribed dosage. Medications will be kept under lock and key in the medical room. No teacher shall give medications at any time.

3. No medication, including over-the-counter medication, can be administered without a specific order from a physician. This includes aspirin or Tylenol, or cough drops.

4. Diagnosis or treatment beyond first aid procedures is not the responsibility of the school.

Medical Restriction

If a child is restricted from physical education for medical or other reasons, he or she is not permitted to go out on the playground for recess as well. Other arrangements will be made for the student on days when there is outside recess. Any student who is restricted for medical reasons must have a note from home. If the condition is to continue for more than one week, a note must be obtained from the doctor stating the reason and the expected duration of the restriction.

If your child is absent from school:

1. Please call the school office at 464-1713. Follow the message prompt and press #1 to report a student absence. Give your child’s name, grade, teacher’s name, and reason for absence. If possible, indicate the number of days the child will be out of school. If you wish to speak directly with the school nurse, please follow prompt and press #3.

2. The nurse will check attendance each day and contact the family of any absent child for whom a call has not been received.

3. Parents will be notified, in writing, when a child’s absenteeism or tardiness becomes excessive. Depending upon the circumstances, the district’s attendance officer may be notified.

4. Any student who has been absent from school or tardy must present a note from a parent explaining the absence or tardiness upon his or her return. Please include the current date, student’s first and last name, the date(s) of absence(s), and your signature as parent or guardian.

5. Any student arriving to school after 8:30 a.m. must first report to the office to receive a tardy slip. The student shall present the slip to his or her teacher. Students arriving to school late due to a dental or physician appointment must present a doctors note for an excused tardy.

Family Vacations

Consistent attendance is necessary so that each child receives the maximum benefit from regular, daily, and sequential instruction.

District Policy for students leaving on vacation states that teachers are not to provide work for students to do while on vacation. The student should be given ample time to make up the work on his or her return to school. The District discourages family vacations while school is in session.

Homework is considered an important component of a student’s educational program. The student is responsible for its timely completion. Parent or guardian involvement and/or monitoring is essential. The cooperation of the parent or guardian toward homework is critical in the development and reinforcement of responsibility, self-direction, self-discipline and sense of pride in the student’s accomplishments. Homework may take many forms. It may be written or verbal and may involve the use of various materials. It may require independent completion or require interaction with a family member or other individuals. It may be completed in one evening or be part of a long-range assignment. Homework is never used to introduce new learning.

Parents are requested to:

1. provide an environment conducive for home study;

2.encourage the use of the school media centers, public libraries and other resources;

3. monitor the timely and appropriate completion of daily and long term assignments; and,

4. communicate with the classroom teacher if there are any concerns.

1. To reinforce what has been learned in school by providing practice, integration and application of skills;

2. To supplement and enrich school experiences through activities which can be done at home or at other locations;

3. To promote transition of school activities into life-long behaviors.

General guidelines have been established for nightly assignments although actual time may vary from student to student. Students in grades 2 and 3 may complete 15 minutes of homework per evening, and students in grades 4 and 5 may complete 30 minutes of homework per evening.

Parent Requests For Homework

If a child is to be out of school for MORE than ONE day for a legitimate absence, parents are encouraged to contact the teacher thru email to arrange for homework assignments. Homework is not provided when a child is out of school for only one day. In order for the teacher to have sufficient time to prepare the materials, requests for homework should be called into the school office no later than 9:00 a.m. The homework will be available in the school office after 2:50 p.m. Teachers are not required, nor encouraged, to provide homework for students who are absent from school for a non-excused reason, i.e., family vacations when school is in session.

Parent Conferences

A scheduled parent-teacher conference will be held during the school year. Parents will be sent information concerning the conference through the mail in advance of the conference date. Parents may arrange for a conference with his or her child’s teacher at any time simply by sending a note to the teacher or by calling the school office and leaving a message for the teacher. Parents may arrange for a conference with the principal any time by calling the school office.

Enrichment Program

QUEST – GRADES 4 & 5

Students who meet district-established criteria for “giftedness” will participate in this program which differentiates from the regular classroom in content and level of difficulty. The QUEST program challenges students with exceptional abilities to become more self-reliant and independent while working toward a final product that impacts an authentic audience within their community. QUEST heightens student awareness of real-world problems and the possibility that one individual can effect change.

Inquiry Program—Grades 3, 4, and 5

The Inquiry program provides enrichment opportunities to all students in grades three, four, and five. Through the program, students participate in one or more workshops that are presented in a format designed to incorporate higher-level thinking skills and the utilization of multiple intelligences.

At Mountain Park School, students’ class placement for the next grade is arrived at through a careful and thoughtful process involving a team composed of the school’s professional staff.

Disciplinary Procedures

Mountain Park School is a school where all students have the opportunity to learn and grow in an enjoyable atmosphere filled with pride and respect for others. To function in our society, students must develop an understanding of their self-worth and respect for other people and property. Children feel secure when they function with a set of rules and guidelines. In all schools, it is necessary that rules and regulations be established and enforced for the safety and well being of all.

Parent Teacher Organization - PTO

Parents are urged to join and support the Mountain Park PTO. Helping and joining the PTO is an excellent way to meet new people and help your child. The dates of the PTO meetings are included in your child’s first day packet and also on the monthly school menu. Jot them down and join us.

Volunteers are welcomed, and needed, at all times in the media center and classrooms. This is an ideal way to get to know your child’s school and also to have a most rewarding experience.~ Just give us a call at school or get in touch with one of the PTO officers. We are most grateful to all the volunteers who have helped in the past. Thank you!

Pickup and Drop-off Procedure

Please refer to the attached map indicating lettered areas.

In all situations, children should exit/enter car on the passenger side of the vehicle. For safety reasons, they should never enter on the driver’s side of the vehicle.~ There is to be no parking along the driveway (A) during the hours of 8:00am – 8:35 am and 2:45pm – 3:30pm.

DROP OFF PROCEDURE

There is to be NO entering the school through the front main entrance door . The children should ONLY enter through the rear door . During inclement weather, children may enter through the door that leads to the second grade hallway (far right of building) and proceed directly to the gym.

Approach school in one of two ways:

A. Turn off Park Ave onto Windsor Way, make right onto Tudor Lane, and turn left onto Windsor Way.~ Drop off children along the right curb between the corner of Tudor/Windsor and the driveway that enters the blacktop in the rear of the building . In good weather, the children will line up outside. In inclement weather, they will enter through the rear door and line up in the gym. Once children are clear of the car, proceed straight on Windsor Way all the way to Park Ave.

B. Turn off of Park Ave onto Fairfax Drive. Turn right into the school driveway . Proceed around the outside driveway (DO NOT use the center cut through which is FOR BUSES ONLY). Drop off zone begins at the door that leads to the second grade hallway (far right of building) . There is to be no drop off in front of or beyond the main entrance. In good weather, children are to walk on the sidewalk, pass the front door entrance, and then proceed around the path leading to the left side of the school to enter through the rear doors. Drivers will proceed to the stop sign and turn LEFT onto Fairfax Drive. Please DO NOT TURN RIGHT causing you to cross the crosswalk during drop off/pick up times. It is a danger to the children.

Walkers – Children who walk to school via Fairfax Drive, must turn at the first sidewalk to the right of the building and walk on the sidewalk, cross the small street that leads to the teachers’ parking lot, pass the front doors, and turn at the left side of the building to enter school through the rear doors. Children must not cross the driveway entrance or exit towards the crossing guard. The crossing guard is responsible for crossing the children walking from Tudor Lane/Windsor Way.

PICK UP PROCEDURE

(Children MUST enter vehicle from the passenger side only and MUST NOT walk onto the driveway or enter from the driver’s side of the car.)

Pick up in one of two ways:

A. Park on Tudor Lane or Windsor Way. The children can get to the cars by following the sidewalk along Windsor Way or crossing with the crossing guard at the crosswalk to walk the sidewalk along Tudor Lane.

B. From Fairfax Drive, enter the school driveway and wait (DO NOT PARK) along the right side of sidewalk. When the bell rings, WAIT until you see your child to avoid a backlog. When you see your child, you may proceed forward to the pick up zone if there is a spot available or wait until your child reaches your car Pick up zone is along the sidewalk from the far right side of the building (2^nd grade hallway door) up to the cones. The area to the left of the cones (from the front door to the stop sign) must be left open at all times for the buses. There is NO parking along the right side of the driveway. In this manner, the left side of the driveway will be kept open for buses and/or emergency vehicles that can then use the center cut through reserved only for them. Even if the vehicle in front of you has not loaded, your loaded car can then turn into the left side of the driveway and since it is clear, pull away up to the stop sign and turn left on Fairfax Dr. to exit the school. As children exit the building, if they see their vehicle at the end of the driveway, they can walk to that vehicle by using the sidewalk. The right side of the driveway is for the children to load, the left side is the pull out lane available to keep cars moving. If a bus comes through the center cut through, the cars must STOP and allow the bus to enter the coned pickup area. You may only proceed around the left side of the bus when the bus warning signals are not on.

Walkers – Children who walk home via Fairfax Drive, must follow the sidewalk to the right of the building. Children must not cross the driveway entrance or exit near the crossing guard. The crossing guard is responsible for crossing the children walking to Tudor Lane/Windsor Way.