Please schedule all conferences through the secretaries in the office (626-8238). If you are concerned for any reason about your child’s progress in school, please schedule a conference with your child’s teacher right away. Teachers are available to conference with parents before school daily unless they have duty, a faculty meeting, or an in-service.
Magnolia Trace PTA meets 4 times a year. Parents in our PTA are very active and enthusiastic. The PTA makes many contributions to the school that benefit all students. PTA dues are $5.00 per membership at this time. You will be notified of meeting times. Parent involvement is an important contributing factor for student success. Please join the PTA and be an active volunteer. Without PTA support, many of our special programs and events would not be possible.
The active involvement of parents at Magnolia Trace Elementary is an integral part of our day to day operation. This includes the active involvement of parents in the classroom, and the participation of parents in regular two-way communication regarding student academic learning, school schedules, and school activities.
Magnolia Trace believes that parents play an integral role in their child's learning. Weekly overviews are sent home by each classroom teacher to inform parents of academic learning, and to involve parents in the learning process. A weekly school-wide flyer and a monthly newsletter insure regular communication to parents. Parents are encouraged to volunteer regularly in the classroom, in the art program, in the outdoor classroom program, in the Reading Counts program, and for special events. All students benefit from the time given at school by volunteer parents and grandparents.
Parents are encouraged to be full partners in their child's education. Parents are encouraged to be involved in decision making through various committees such as School Building Level Committee, PTA Board, Discipline Committee, I.E.P. committees, School Improvement Plan Committee, The SACS-CASI Committee, and Positive Behavior Support meetings for individual students. Parents are encouraged to conference with their child's teacher on a regular basis. When parents and the school work closely together toward a common goal, all children benefit.
Kindergarten - The kindergarten report card is a checklist of skills. Letter grades are not given. It will not be issued during the 1st reporting period. It will be issued for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th nine weeks. Skill areas will be checked as satisfactory, needs more time, or not assessed at this time.
Transitional First - The T-1 report card is a checklist of skills (no letter grades). It will be issued for all 4 nine week periods. Skill areas will be checked as satisfactory, needs time, or not assessed at this time.
First Grade - The first grade report card will be sent home for each of the 4 nine week grading periods. During the first 9 week grading period, ONLY work habits and conduct will be graded.
The grading key will be:
E= Excellent progress
S= Satisfactory progress
N= Needs improvement
NA= Not assessed at this time
At the 4th grading period, your child's independent reading level will be indicated on the report card denoting BL (below level), OL (on level), or AL (above level). The fourth nine weeks grade determines promotion in first grade.
Second Grade - The second grade report card will be issued for all four grading periods. The grades E. S. N, and U will be used for work habits, conduct, handwriting, social studies, and science:
E= Excellent progress
S= Satisfactory progress
N= Needs improvement
U= Unsatisfactory progress
The following grades will be used for reading, language, math, and spelling:
A= 92-100 Excellent
B= 83-91 High Quality Work
C= 74-82 Satisfactory
D= 65-73 Needs improvement
F= 0-64 Unsatisfactory
At the first and fourth quarter marking period, your child's independent reading level will be indicated on the report card denoting BL (below level), OL (on level), and AL (above level).
Third Grade - Third graders will receive a report card for each of the 4 nine week grading periods. The grades E, S, N, and U will be used for work habits, conduct, and handwriting (see second grade key). The grades A, B, C, D, and F will be used for reading, math, spelling, social studies, and science. The independent reading level will be marked at the first and fourth quarter marking periods.
Grades will not be given in art, P.E., and music. Your child has satisfactorily participated in these classes unless otherwise noted in the comment section. There will be no honor rolls in grades K-3.
The Magnolia Trace Inclusion Plan is designed to provide all students, including those with special needs, the opportunity to learn in the least restrictive environment. Inclusive education is the education of all students in regular education settings, with extra support from special education teachers and paraprofessionals. It allows all students to reach their maximum potential educationally and socially to ensure full and valued membership in society. Inclusion is required by law, and is fully supported by the faculty and staff.
Magnolia Trace has a thorough crisis plan to be used during emergency situations. Should an emergency arise that requires children to be picked up early, all children will be signed out by parents in a designated area at the front of the school.
The faculty and staff of Magnolia Trace Elementary seek to help our students achieve their greatest potential physically, academically, socially and emotionally. In pursuit of that goal, our philosophy on discipline is based on the belief that everyone makes mistakes and that this is a normal part of the growth process. Often children repeat the same mistakes because they have never learned the skills they need to change their behavior. Two important components of our discipline program are accountability and behavior. Two important components of our discipline program are accountability and restitution. We accomplish this by teaching children accountability through effective problem solving skills, coping skills, and effective social interaction.
We believe that children who are dealt with by use of guilt, shame, criticism, and punishment when they make mistakes learn to become defensive and rigid. Instead we want to use mistakes as an educational opportunity to instruct children in a creative, positive, and proactive manner. Such opportunities will help produce capable and responsible individuals who are willing to make changes in their lives. Including parents in this process is an essential element and often becomes an educational opportunity for them as well. When the students, school staff, and parents form an effective network using common goals and language, the result is an environment which fosters positive self esteem, accountability, and ultimately success.
In order to create an atmosphere in which all children may learn comfortably, it is necessary that certain levels of conduct and discipline be maintained. Children need structure to feel secure in school. Appropriate behavior is praised and encouraged at Magnolia Trace. Children are held accountable for inappropriate behavior. Children will be assigned to Think Tank at recess time for significant misbehavior. Official behavior reports will be sent to parents for significant behavior infractions. A child that is not behaving appropriately in school is probably not learning as he should. He may also keep other children from learning. Parents will be expected to work closely with the school if their child is having difficulty with behavior.
The PTA organizes our volunteer parent program. We expect many hours to be logged at our school by terrific parents and grandparents. Our volunteer program allows more individualized instruction and really helps our teachers. If you are interested, the PTA will send out a sign-up letter after school begins. We really appreciate our great volunteers!
Volunteer parents will want to wear comfortable clothing. However, SHORT SHORTS and EXERCISE CLOTHING are NOT appropriate for school. Please refrain from wearing perfume to school due to allergic reactions in children and staff members.
ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST SIGN IN AT THE OFFICE ADN WEAR A VISITOR PASS.
Kindergarten children should come to school each day with a fabric tote bag. All other students should bring a back pack daily. School bags with wheels cause injuries. For safety reason at school and on the buses, wheeled luggage bags will not be allowed at Magnolia Trace. Key chains may not be attached to the school bags. Please do not allow your child to load down his back pack with items that are not needed at school.
Birthday parties are not allowed at school. We ask that birthday invitations be taken care of at home unless the ENTIRE class is getting one. Individual serving items such as cupcakes or cookies may be sent to school for birthdays, to be given out at recess.
We have several holiday parties at school. The room mothers will ask for volunteers to send something to the party. Please be helpful when it is your turn to send in a treat. Only Magnolia Trace students are allowed to participate in our school parties. Siblings may not attend.
For liability purposes, all children must ride the school bus during the field trip. If a parent chooses to remove a child from a field trip site, rather than allow the child to go back to school on the bus, that parent must sign the child out in the office BEFORE the field trip and obtain a permission slip to give to the teacher at the field trip site. Should a parent refuse permission for a child to go on the field trip, that child will be assigned to another class for the duration of the field trip.
Only Magnolia Trace students are allowed to participate in our school field trips.
Siblings may not attend.
Send an excuse note immediately to the teacher if your child is absent. Excuses for absences must be received within 2 days for makeup work and makeup tests to be given. It is important for your child to attend school every day unless he is ill. PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL WITH FEVER OR OTHER SYMPTOMS OF CONTAGIOUS ILLNESS. WE WILL CALL YOU TO PICK UP A SICK CHILD. Please DO NOT CALL the school to notify us if your child is absent, unless it is an extended illness of three days or more. ANY CHILD WITH A TEMPERATURE OF 100 DEGREES OR MORE WILL BE SENT HOME. Parish policy recommends that a student be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school. State law requires notification by mail after a child misses 5 days of school. You will receive a computer generated notice from the school quarterly. The computer does not discriminate between excused and unexcused absences. Louisiana law states that a child who is absent more than 18 days is not considered to have completed a full year of school and should repeat the current grade.
Please plan family trips during school holidays. It is important for your child to be in school daily. School that is missed due to a vacation or family trip will not be excused. Work and tests can not be made up for unexcused absences.
When a child comes in late, the teacher must stop the lesson, change the roll, change the lunch count, and get the tardy child settled and caught up before the lesson can continue. Valuable instruction time is wasted for the entire class.
Please be sure your child arrives on time for school. The first few minutes of the day are very important for learning.
All children arriving after the bell rings must be checked in at the office by the parent in order to receive an admit slip.
Please talk to your child about the importance of good behavior on the school bus. All children must comply with the bus driver's rules. Your child may lose bus privileges if he/she does not behave on the bus. Children not following the rules for safe bus riding will receive a bus conduct report. A CHILD MAY ONLY RIDE A DIFFERENT BUS IF THE PARENT FIRST GETS PERMISSION FROM THE BUS DRIVER, THEN SENDS A NOTE TO SCHOOL WITH THE CHILD STATING THAT PERMISSION WAS OBTAINED. This note will be approved and initialed by the teacher or the office. The child will give the approved note to the bus driver.
Before and After Care will be offered beginning the first day of school. The times and rates are as follows:
Before School Care: Begins at 7:00 a.m. until 8:25 a.m.
Children are sent to the playground when the bell rings. Fees are $50.00 per month for each child for full time regular attendees (due on the first school day of each month). Drop-in is available on an as-needed basis and is $5.00 per day(due on the day the child attends).
After School Care: 3:51 p.m. and ends at 6:00 p.m.**
Children are sent from their classroom to after school care. Fees are $100.00 per month for each child for full time regular attendees (due on the first school day of the month). Drop-in is available on an as-needed basis and is $8.00 per day (due on the day the child attends).
** $1.00 per minute will be charged per child for minutes past 6:00 p.m. until your child is picked up. This is to be paid in cash, or made out to "cash" to the after care worker who stayed with your child.
Please read the MTE Before and After School Care Parent Handbook for full details.
For security reasons and to avoid disruption in the classrooms all children leaving school early must be signed out in the office. FOR SAFETY REASONS, CHILDREN WILL NOT BE CHECKED OUT AFTER 3:25 p.m. Teachers are not allowed to dismiss children from the classroom until the office verifies that they have been properly signed out. PLEASE DO NOT CHECK OUT CHILDREN EXCEPT FOR EMERGENCIES. When a child is checked out early, the learning of the entire class is interrupted as the teacher gets that child ready to go home. The end of the school is a very important learning time for your child.
Medicine cannot be administered by the school without proper forms completed by a doctor. These forms are available in the office. To ensure children's safety, medicine may not be transported on a school bus. Children are never allowed to bring medicine of ANY kind to school.
If your should find nits on your child at home, please notify the school or your child's teacher. The child must have a note from the school nurse to be readmitted to school. The St. Tammany Parish School Board policy states that if there are any nits remaining on the hair, the child will not be allowed back in school until they are removed. A school nurse will be available for recheck at the Covington School Board Annex, 406 East Boston Street, between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. Otherwise you will need to call for an appointment.
Our school has a good selection of books for parents on child development, parenting skills, sibling rivalry, school success, etc. We are constantly adding books for parents. Please call for information about a special problem you may have. If you would like to check out one of these books, please come to the school library. The school counselor also has books, videos, and articles of interest to parents.
Should you move or change your phone number during the school year, please let the office and your child's teacher know immediately in writing. Should your emergency phone numbers change during the year, please notify us at once. These emergency numbers are extremely important. Be sure they are current. Parent work numbers should be updated immediately when there is a change. These numbers are vital if your child is ill or injured.
If you move to another school during the school year you must officially withdraw your child through the office so records may be sent to your new school.
l visitors to our school must go directly to the office to sign in and receive a visitor's pass. Your cooperation is appreciated. We ask that you not wear perfume to school due to the health risk it poses to young children and staff members.
Magnolia Trace is a drug free school. The drug free zone that encompasses our school requires maximum fines and imprisonment for drug violators within the zone. Please refer to the Handbook on Discipline for consequences for student use of illicit drugs.
A resource list of available drug and alcohol counseling programs may be obtained in the school office. All St. Tammany Parish Schools are smoke-free workplaces. No smoking is allowed on school grounds.
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