Student Parent Handbook

Gaston County Policy states that “ALL” visitors must check into the front lobby, register with a valid photo ID, and pick up a VISITOR BADGE before entering the building. You may be subject to metal detection. Visitors are not permitted in areas other than the main lobby without express permission per NCGS 14.159.12(a). Please check out in the front lobby before leaving. Please keep us updated with written permissions on family members or contacts who can pick your child up from school. Parents with custody or other legal paperwork through the court system need to provide a copy to the principal.  

*It is necessary for the school to have updated and correct home address, email and working phone numbers where someone can be reached at all times for emergencies. Please submit in writing to the front office and your child’s teacher when information changes. If you move, TWO (2) proofs of current address received within the last 30 days are necessary to verify residence (power, gas, water, cable, landline phone bills and/or lease or mortgage records) must be turned in to the front office or GCS Student Assignment as soon as the change occurs. If the address change is to a different school in the district, you will be required to change schools or apply for a transfer to remain at Sherwood.  

All students are expected to be in class, in their seat, by 7:30am. When tardy, you must park your vehicle and come into the front lobby to check in your child. Early dismissals occur in the front lobby and the office will notify the teacher that a student has been checked out for dismissal. Students who leave before 11:00am are counted absent; students checked out after 11:00am are marked as an early dismissal. Both are coded as instructional time lost. Signed written notes should be sent if someone other than the custodial parent is checking a student out and this person should be added to the child’s contact list. ALL adults must present a valid driver’s license or photo ID when checking someone out. *No check outs after 1:50pm as it interferes with safety and the dismissal process (exceptions only for SERIOUS emergencies with administration).

A written excuse is required for ALL absences and should state the exact reason a student is absent. This note should be written or emailed to the student’s teacher with the specific date of the absence within three instructional days after the absence. Any absence remains unexcused per GCS policy after 3 days. An absence is excusable for the following reasons: personal illness/accident of the student, death of immediate family member with obituary, court appointment or suspension. Gaston County Schools Policy limits student absences to no more than 12 per year. Absences are monitored by the school social worker, and letters informing parents of unexcused absences are sent throughout the year. An automated call is sent at 10:00am for all absences. 

Sherwood asks that your child’s method of transportation only be changed in extreme emergencies. The office can only take transportation changes the following ways: 1) Signed and dated handwritten note from parent/guardian.   Student gives note to teacher upon arrival at school. 2) *Send message via class app or email to the teacher.  3) *A faxed note to the front office at (704) 866-6617. 4) *A note e-mailed to one of the front office staff. Email Debbie Lingerfeldt (djlingerfeldt@gaston.k12.nc.us) or Melissa Knox (mhknox@gaston.k12.nc.us) for changes. *With these changes, the parent must call the front office to verify the transportation changes have been received. 

No student is permitted to leave campus or ride the bus home with a friend without written permission from both sets of parents. This includes students riding the same bus. 

Students are not allowed to be dropped off before 6:50am. The cafeteria opens at 6:50am for all students, the building opens for those not eating at 7:00am. Staff members will load and unload car riders from the yellow painted sidewalk at the front of the school. Do not drop off or pick up students from other parking lots or on the side of the road. Pull down to the first available cone (1-9) and display your car tag with the student’s name, grade and teacher. Please do not pull around another car to ensure the safety of all pedestrians. 

Lunch and breakfast is served daily. Breakfast is served 6:50am7:30am and lunch is served 10:00am-12:40pm. If your child is still eating after 7:30am, they will be marked tardy to class. All  students are eligible for free breakfast and lunch. Students bringing lunch will not have access to a microwave to heat food. 

Gaston County Schools recommends a child stay home if they:

• Have a fever of 100.0+ degrees. Students must be 24 hours fever free WITHOUT medication. If your child is sent home with a fever, they cannot return to school the next day.
• Have vomiting or diarrhea. Keep children home for 24 hours after the LAST time they vomited or had diarrhea.
• Have symptoms such as: (1) Very tired or poor appetite (2) Uncontrollable cough or sneezing (spreads sickness) (3) Headache, body aches, or earache (4) Sore throat with symptoms of headache, upset stomach, or rash.  
• Notify the health tech if your child tests positive for a communicable disease.
• Children may return to school 12 hours after the FIRST dose of antibiotics and is fever free for 24 hours.
• Students must report injuries and illness at school, to their teacher ASAP. 

No prescription or over-the-counter medicine can be administrated by school personnel until a “Medication Authorization Form” has been signed by a physician and parent, and returned to school. The health tech and school nurse will finalize the form. Students are not permitted to carry medications, and a parent must bring all medication in its original container to the office to be counted with staff. Students with health plans for chronic illnesses or life-threatening allergies should be renewed yearly with the health tech with documentation from a medical provider. 

Parent/teacher communication folders are sent home each night with student work, flyers, and teacher letters. Parent Link Notify is a telephone program that gives parents and staff a reminder of upcoming events. Channel 21 is a Spectrum Cable TV station which posts info. GCS website can be accessed at www.gaston.k12.nc.us, Sherwood has a great webpage at https://sherwood.gaston.k12.nc.us. Sherwood Facebook can be accessed at https:// www.facebook.com/SherwoodElementarySchool Mr. Beam, the principal, has an open door policy.  Please visit or call Mr. Beam if you have any questions or concerns. 

Parent conferences will be on Thursday, October 15, and Thursday, March 11. Forms will be sent home to set up a time for a conference. 

The Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) is a process to provide interventions for students who are academically below grade level. Progress is documented and data is discussed with professionals to find the best support for each student. MTSS meets weekly and parents are contacted if their child is on a tier plan. 

Checks are welcome. If a checking account is overdrawn, funds will be collected using Envision payment solutions by mail or phone to make payment arrangements. Service fees will apply.

At the midpoint of the grading period, an interim report will be sent to parents.  Report cards will be sent home each nine weeks. Parents are asked to carefully review these reports and return the report card to the school. *Report Card Dates:  Oct. 22,  Jan. 7, Mar. 18, and May 26. 

HB 950 ensures every student reads at or above grade level by the end of the 3rd grade. This requires all students to pass either: mClass, beginning of the year exam, or end of grade exam to progress to the 4th grade. Summer camp and other interventions are offered to all 3rd graders who do not meet read to achieve.

Promotion policies for students attending Gaston County Schools are set by the Gaston County Board of Education and NC Law.  Teachers will notify parents of academic problems and will work together to develop a plan of corrective action. Students will have multiple opportunities to demonstrate their academic skills through assessments, portfolios, projects, and formal/informal testing. Final promotion/retention is determined by the principal. 

Sherwood is a Title One School, and you have the right to know the following information. Whether the: (1)teacher meets state qualifications and licensing criteria for grades and subjects taught (2)teacher is under emergency or provisional status because of special circumstances (3)teacher has an advanced degree and the field of discipline of the teacher’s certification or degree (4)child receives special services from a paraprofessional. Sherwood’s School Improvement Plan (SIP) and school finances are open to the public. Information about our (SIP) on our website at https:// sherwood.gaston.k12.nc.us/about-us/school-improvement-team.

Maintaining a safe environment and being prepared to meet emergency situations are important processes.  We will conduct fire, tornado, and lockdown drills frequently and at different times so that teachers and students will be prepared in the event of an actual emergency. We will conduct random metal detection screenings for students and visitors.  We also have an asbestos plan on file in the front office should anyone have questions. 

In case of severe weather, please do not call the school.  Our phones must be kept open for emergencies. Please refer to the GCS website (www.gaston.k12.nc.us) for updates. 

Gaston County Board Policy mandates that all school grounds and facilities remain tobacco and vape free at all times. This includes smoking in a vehicle while parked on campus. 

To celebrate special events, individually wrapped “Little Debbie” type treats must be brought and must contain a complete ingredient label adhered to the package to protect students with allergies. All treats will be shared only at lunch time, and treat bags should not be provided. Please coordinate treats with your child’s teacher. Students with medical conditions may request modifications to school meals by completing a Diet Order Form.  These may be obtained through the cafeteria manager, health tech, or Gaston County School Nutrition. Diet orders must be signed by a physician and parent, and returned to the cafeteria manager. Sodas and sugar drinks are NOT allowed on school campus for students.

Students have access to a Chromebook. They sign an acceptable use policy the first time they log into the school network. In the enrollment packet, parents can opt their child out of access to the internet if desired. If a Chromebook is damaged, the student/ parent is responsible for paying to have it repaired. Another Chromebook will not be provided until the fee has been paid except for mandated on-line testing. 

Kindergarten through fifth grade students have standards-based report cards with ratings that show their progress towards meeting each standard. The grading codes are as follows:

• 4 Exceeds requirements for grade level work
• 3.5 Meets requirements for level 3 and partially meets requirements for level 4
• 3 Meets requirements for grade level work
• 2.5 Meets requirements for level 2 and partially meets requirements for level 3
• 2 Approaching requirements for grade level work 1.5 With teacher support, partially meets requirements for level 2
• 1 Not yet meets requirements for grade level work NE Not evaluated at this time 

Bus transportation is a privilege and all students are expected to follow the bus rules outlined in the GCS Student Code of Conduct. Students are not permitted to get off the bus at a stop other  than their regular stop unless we receive written, signed and dated parent notification from both sets of parents.  If you have any questions regarding  bus transportation, please contact the school. 

For safety reasons, visitors are not invited to eat breakfast or lunch with students.  

We implement a positive reward system to help motivate students to make the right decision. This means we focus on clearly defined expectations, rewards for positive behaviors, and students making good choices. Both your involvement and support is key in keeping our students in a safe and positive environment. Our plan protects the rights and dignity of the child and teacher. It allows the child to assume responsibility for solving the problem before corrective action is taken, and it provides a support system for children, parents and  teachers. During  the first week of school, the teachers will take time to practice and model expected Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) with their class.  School rules are based on the principles of safety and consideration of others. Our discipline plan is patterned from the Gaston County Schools Code of Student Conduct which is furnished on the first day of school.  Please make sure that you and your child are familiar with these policies. All teachers will implement a discipline plan in their classrooms including the PBIS model listed on the back page. 

Cell phones and valuables should be left at home where they are secure. The school is not responsible for valuables that are lost or stolen. Cell phones have the following consequences:

1. Warning. Teacher keeps phone until the end of the day.
2. Phone given to principal. Parent/guardian must pick up phone. Only parent/guardian can get the phone. 
3. Phone given to principal. Parent/guardian and student meet with principal to discuss the phone. Step repeated each  additional time phone is taken.  The following items are not allowed at school: (1) knives, guns, or other dangerous objects, including lighters and fireworks. (2) money, unless used for a school-sponsored event (3) live animals (4) chewing gum, candy, sodas (5) toys, including trading cards (6) electronic devices of any kind. *Administration will hold these items until they are picked up by a parent/guardian.