Policies and Procedures

Before and After Care is available to MTE second and third grade students through the Marigny Elementary Before and After Care program. Students attending Before Care will ride a bus to MTE during morning arrival times, 8:15-8:45 am. Breakfast is available at MTE with breakfast fees applying. Students attending After Care will ride a bus to Marigny in the afternoon. Students must be pre-registered for the program to attend. Before and After Care information and registration forms can be found on the Marigny website. For additional information, please contact Patty Cerise (985)674-3011 or patricia.cerise@stpsb.org.

As mandated by the St. Tammany Parish School Board, students in grades K – 8 will receive instruction on the topic of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention, Education, and Reporting. All materials used in the instruction may be previewed by contacting the school administration. We encourage you to talk with your child about this topic as well as other general safety issues.

In order to comply with current laws, St. Tammany Parish School Board ensures that:

1. All homeless students will be enrolled in school.
2. The civil and constitutional rights of students with disabilities will be protected.
3. Students and employees shall be protected from sexual harassment.
4. Students and employees shall be protected from discrimination of the basis of race, color, national origin, religion or sex.

Our school guidance counselor and MHP (Mental Health Provider) provide counseling services to students via whole class, small group, and individual counseling. Parents may arrange conferences with the counselor by emailing the counselor at Kristi.Gassen@stpsb.org or calling the school office to schedule an appointment.

Magnolia Trace maintains a Crisis Plan to be used in the event of an emergency. During the school year we will practice each drill – Evacuation, Shelter in Place, and Lockdown – several times as required by law. We work closely with our local law enforcement, fire department, and school district liaison to constantly evaluate and make adjustments to the plans as necessary.

** During crisis situations such as Shelter in Place, Evacuation, or Lockdown, students will remain in their safe locations and visiting parents will be asked to Shelter in Place, Evacuate, or Lockdown. For the safety of our students, checkouts will not be processed during the immediate crisis. **

Magnolia Trace Elementary is a drug free school. The drug free zone that encompasses our school requires maximum fines and imprisonment for drug violation within that zone. Please refer to the STPSB Student Handbook 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.

It is essential that the school has up-to-date information for each child. Please notify the school immediately if you have any changes including phone numbers, addresses, contact names, custody, or any changes in before care or after care arrangements. Parents or guardians must contact the school office to make changes to the emergency card such as emergency contact information and who is allowed to check students in/out of school or pick up students in car line. This information cannot be changed over the phone, a new emergency card will be sent home for changes to be made. This information is essential in helping us provide for your child promptly and efficiently during an emergency.

A monthly calendar of lunch and breakfast menus is posted on the school website. The menu is subject to change due to availability of food items.

For more information, please contact Mrs. Melissa Singletary, Cafeteria Manager at (985) 674-0958.

If a student arrives to school without a lunch from home, a school lunch will be ordered for that day.

Students will receive report cards each nine week grading period. The final quarter report card will be mailed.

Our grading policy is as follows for reading, language, math, science, and social studies:
A = 93-100
B = 85-92
C = 75-84
D = 67-74
F = 66 and below

Conduct and work habits will be reported using the following:
O- Outstanding
S-Satisfactory
N- Needs Improvement
U- Unsatisfactory

Student grades are entered in JPAMS by the teachers. Using the access information (username and password) mailed, parents can access JPAMS to monitor student grades. Parents are encouraged to check grades weekly.

JPAMS automated system also calls the student’s primary number in the event of a school absence. JPAMS is used periodically to call students’ homes in the event of emergencies, bus breakdowns, school events, etc. Please notify the office of changes in phone numbers to ensure you receive school information. We encourage you to monitor your child’s grades on JPAMS weekly.

If you should find head lice or nits on your child at home, please notify the school or your child’s teacher. School personnel must check students for readmission to school. Please see the St. Tammany Parish School Board policy for more information.

Please refer to the STPPS website for COVID updates. All students and adults will practice social distancing to the greatest extent possible across all areas of the campus. Everyone will practice hand washing and use hand sanitizer to reduce the spread of germs. MTE will implement the cleaning and disinfecting surfaces throughout the campus during the school day.

Education of Children and Youth in Homeless Situations

The McKinney-Vento Act is a federal law passed in 1987 to help people experiencing homelessness. The Act
requires states and school districts to make sure students in homeless situations can attend and succeed in
school. The McKinney-Vento Act applies to all children and youth who do not have a fixed, regular, and
adequate nighttime residence, including all children who are living in the following situations:

• Doubled-up housing with other families or friends because they lost their home or their family is having temporary financial problems
• Living in a motel/hotel because of economic hardship or loss of housing
• Living in an emergency or transitional shelter, domestic violence shelter, or in a runaway/homeless youth shelter
• Living in a vehicle of any kind; campground without running water and/or electricity; abandoned building; substandard housing; bus/train station
• Abandoned in a hospital

Children and youth in homeless situations have the right to the following:

• Attend and succeed in school no matter where they live or how long they have lived there
• Enroll in a school despite the lack of a permanent address or lack of school and immunization records or birth certificates and other documents 
• Receive services comparable to those offered to non-homeless children and youth
• Get transportation to school, if feasible
• Access educationally related support services

Should you or your child meet these qualifications; please contact your school’s main office or contact our
school counselor at Kristi.gassen@stpsb.org to complete a form for consideration.

If your child has medication to be administered at school, please contact the school nurse, Michelle.Weber@stpsb.org or (985)626-8238 to make an appointment to check in medication. 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 this includes cough drops.

Several holiday parties and celebrations are held at school. The classroom teachers will work with their assigned room parents once these parties are scheduled. Please contact classroom teacher for approval prior to sending snacks.

Our school is following the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Students from The Leader in Me Program:

1. Be Proactive
2. Begin with the End in Mind
3. Put First Things First
4. Think Win-Wi
5. Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood
6. Synergize
7. Sharpen the Saw

The Release of Student Information Consent Forms are for students who newly register. All previously signed forms will remain in the student’s cumulative file and follow the students year to year; therefore, students enrolled in school last year will not be asked to sign the form again. Students may only be photographed, video-taped, etc. for publication if this form is signed and on file in the school office. If for any reason you do not want your child photographed, we would appreciate you calling this to our attention verbally in addition to noting this on the Release Clarification Form.

All students should bring a back pack daily. School bags with wheels cause injuries and are not allowed at MTE. Excessive amounts of key chains may not be attached to the school bags. Please check school bags nightly for important school to home communication.

The purpose of the St. Tammany Parish School Board is to provide public education for the school aged children of St. Tammany Parish, LA. Sexual harassment is a violation of the law and school board policy and will not be tolerated, condoned, or overlooked. The board requests and encourages persons associated with the school system who believe there are acts of harassment to report them to the school principal or designee. The board through the school principal shall promptly, thoroughly, and fairly investigate reports of sexual harassment and take appropriate action that is consistent with the results of the investigation and the legal requirements afforded by law. Inappropriate behavior will be handled according to the school’s discipline procedures. The school system and board will not tolerate retaliation by anyone associated with the school system against one who files a complaint of sexual harassment. Some acts of sexual harassment are considered criminal and are subject to prosecution. The board and school system will fully cooperate with law enforcement agencies and the district attorney in investigating and prosecuting such criminal offenses. Reporting of incidents need to be made to the principal at your child’s school. A copy of the policy is available in every school’s library.

Do not send to school toys, jewelry, electronic games, trading cards, or other expensive items that may be lost or damaged. Children are not allowed to bring electronic devices, including electronic watches, to school. Cell phones and smart watches, if brought to school, must be in the off position and stowed away out of sight.

Please ensure your child knows how they are getting home prior to arriving to school. Mark the method of transportation in their daily folder. Change in transportation must be provided through a handwritten note signed by parent/guardian. An email with a picture of the parent/guardian’s license will be accepted in the event of an emergency. Changes in transportation must be made through the office and will not be accepted after 1pm unless it is an extreme emergency. Car riders are picked up and dropped off in front of school. Bus riders are dropped off and picked up on the side of school in the bus ramp. There is no parking on the bus ramp side of school.

**School uniforms must be worn daily, Monday – Friday.**

BOTTOMS

• Plain tan cotton twill khaki long pants or capri
• Plain tan cotton twill khaki walking shorts (fingertip length)
• Plain tan cotton twill khaki jumper or dress
• Plain tan cotton twill khaki skort or skirt

TOPS

• Navy polo type knit collared shirt, long or short sleeve with no logo or emblem
• White polo type knit collared shirt, long or short sleeve with no logo or emblem
• Navy or white turtleneck may be layered under shirt or sweatshirt
• MTE navy T-shirt or plain navy T-shirt
• MTE navy sweatshirt or plain navy sweatshirt or sweater
• MTE navy polo shirt • MTE white polo shirt
• MTE white spirit shirt with MTE emblem to be worn on Fridays.
• MTE navy dri fit shirt with MTE letters.

Outerwear (coats, sweatshirts and jackets) that does not comply with the uniform policy must be removed when children enter the classrooms. Only plain navy or MTE navy sweaters and sweatshirts may be worn inside the classrooms.

Uniforms may be purchased at any department store, chain store, uniform shop or catalog of your choice. Shirts with the school logo may be purchased in the school office if you so desire. (This is optional.)

Magnolia Trace Elementary’s official school uniform complies with the St. Tammany Parish School Board dress code.

We work and play hard at school, so expect your child’s clothes to get dirty. For safety reasons we ask the following:

• Wear athletic / tennis shoes.
• Open backed shoes, shoes with high heels, shoes with cleats, hard boots such as cowboy boots, or flip-flops are not allowed.
• Bandanas and hats should not be worn to school.
• Shorts are encouraged as long as they meet the length requirement of fingertip length when the child is standing upright.
• Umbrellas are dangerous at this age! Please opt for raincoats with hoods or rain hats instead.
• Elaborate jewelry that can be distracting in the classroom is not allowed.
• Please leave items such hats, combs, brushes, watches, sunglasses and purses at home to minimize classroom distractions.
• Please label your children’s clothing and items with their first and last names.

Students found using, possessing and/or concealing a knife, firearm, weapon capable of discharging a projectile, or other dangerous instruments capable of causing bodily harm shall be immediately suspended and recommended for expulsion. Police notification will be made immediately. Students using, possessing and/or concealing any look-alike object that may have the appearance of a weapon or dangerous instrument shall be immediately suspended from school and recommended for expulsion. Upon the recommendation for the expulsion, a hearing shall be conducted by the Superintendent or his/her designee. Students in grade five or lower who have been found in the hearing process of using, possessing and/or concealing a weapon, or look-alike weapon shall be disciplined in accordance with the decision made by the Superintendent or his/her designee. Any case involving a student in grade five or lower found in possession of a firearm on school property shall be referred to the School Board through a recommendation for action from the Superintendent.

School closing due to weather emergencies will be posted on the local news or the school board website, www.stpsb.org. All STPSB severe weather guidelines will be adhered to in case of emergency conditions during school hours. To stay current on the official weather alerts effecting schools, sign up for Emergency & News Alerts on the School Board website, www.stpsb.org. Instant messages may be sent to you directly from the school system in the form of text messages, phone calls, and/or e-mail.