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Forest Heights STEM Academy
K-8 2016-2017
Parent/Student Handbook
Dr. Maurecia Robinson
Principal
5901 Evergreen Drive Little Rock AR 72205
Forest Heights STEM Academy
K-8 School
Inspire***Innovate***Ignite
Main Office 501-447-2700
Fax Number 501-447-2701
For more information or for a specific department,
please call the school office at (501) 447-2700
Little Rock School District Main Number…………... (501) 447-1000
SCHOOL MISSION
The mission of Forest Heights STEM Academy is to prepare students to compete in our
global economy by equipping them with skills that are not confined and isolated within
one discipline, but are found between and across the disciplines of Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math.
FOREST HEIGHTS STEM ACADEMY…
WHERE IMAGINATION SOARS!!!
A MESSAGE FROM THE INTERIM PRINCIPAL DR. MAURECIA ROBINSON
Dear Parents and Students,
It is my pleasure to welcome you and your
family to the Forest Heights STEM Academy
2016-2017 school year. The staff and I look
forward to providing your child with a quality
education and a variety of extra-curricular experiences. This handbook contains rules,
procedures, and other important information
that will help us meet our goals as we embark
on this exciting journey together.
The Forest Heights STEM Academy handbook
was designed to assist your child in organizing
his/her daily, weekly, and long-term
assignments. In addition, we feel that the
handbook will serve as a helpful reference for
parents as they seek to provide academic support at home.
Respectfully,
Maurecia Robinson, Principal
LRSD Mission Statement The mission of the LRSD is to equip all students
with the skills and knowledge to realize their
aspirations, think crucially and independently, learn continuously and face the future as
productive, contributing citizens. This mission
is accomplished through open access to a
diverse, innovative and challenging curriculum
in a secure environment with a staff dedicated to excellence and empowered with the trust and
support of our community.
Our Mission Statement
The mission of Forest Heights STEM Academy is
to prepare students to compete in our global economy by equipping them with skills that are
not confined and isolated within one discipline,
but are found between and across the
disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Math.
Our Goals
The goals of Forest Height’s rigorous STEM-
infused academic structure are to: 1) create
student interest in education and careers,
specifically in STEM-related fields, and 2) develop a school culture focused on active
learning, problem solving, and academic
success at Forest Heights STEM Academy.
The Leadership Team The Leadership Team is comprised of
administrators, teachers, parents, and Partners
in Education. The (Campus Leadership Team)
CLT Program is site-based decision making that provides each school with a framework to attain
the District’s mission.
Office Hours The school office is open Monday through
Friday, 7:10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Students are not
permitted on school grounds prior to 7:10 a.m.,
unless transported by a LRSD bus or enrolled in the Little Rock School District CARE Program.
If you are transporting your child, he/she must
be picked up by 2:55 p.m. If your child needs
supervision before 7:10 a.m. or after 2:55 p.m.,
you may enroll your child in the after school
CARE program. You may contact the CARE Program at (501) 447-1880 for registration
information.
Phone Calls & Student Messages
It is important that students be informed of
afterschool activities and transportation before they leave home. If you need to leave a message
for your child or your child’s teacher, please do
so before 1:45 P.M. In case of emergency, the
office will deliver messages to students.
Students may use the office phone for personal calls in case of emergencies only and with staff
permission. (We need current telephone
numbers at all times.)
Pupil Information Form (PIF)/Change
of Address/Phone Numbers One of the greatest problems schools may have
during the day is locating parents in the event of
an emergency. This may occur due to changes
in phone numbers or work places, or authorized individuals and parents forgetting to notify the
office in the event of changes. The importance
of maintaining updated information cannot be
overemphasized. During registration you will
receive a Pupil Information Form (PIF) to complete. Having this information returned
correctly is of the utmost importance. A copy of
this record is kept in the school office in case
you need to be contacted. Please make sure
your home telephone, cell numbers, and
addresses are accurate and clearly written. Remember to list the names and addresses of
several people who can be contacted in case you
cannot be reached. Only persons listed on the
form will be allowed to checkout your
child/children. Doctors/emergency rooms will not treat children without their parents’
consent, and in the event of an emergency we
must be able to reach parents.
All address changes must be completed at the
Student Registration office at 501 Sherman
Street.
Medication
School Board policy expressly states that school personnel cannot dispense medications to
students unless it is a long-term requirement
and unless all forms from the Health
Department and/or doctor are completed and
on file at the school. Under no circumstances will a K-5th Grade child be permitted to carry
any type of medication in school. This includes
all types of medication such as aspirin, Tylenol,
cough drops, eye drops and the like. With
approval from the nurse, 6th-8th Grade students
are allowed to carry over-the-counter medication in the original container.
Lost and Found PLEASE BE SURE YOUR CHILD’S
BELONGINGS ARE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED WITH
FIRST AND LAST NAMES. Proper identification can assure the return of lost items. “Found”
items should be taken to the dining room where
“Lost & Found” is maintained. Periodically, lost
items are turned over to charitable
organizations if not claimed.
Toys and Other Personal Belongings Pets, toys and other personal belongings may
not be brought to school or on class field trips unless they have been approved in advance.
Students may not trade, sell, or purchase items,
such as cards, from other students at school.
(The school will not be held responsible if this
rule is broken.)
Visitors Policy The school’s security plan requires all visitors to the campus, including parents, to sign in at the
desk in the front foyer, receive a visitor’s sticker
and check in with the front office before entering
the building. The school’s security plan has
been established to protect the students and
staff from the danger of an unauthorized person on the campus. For the safety of all students
and staff, please comply with this plan.
If entering the school to drop off items for your
child, please come to the front office. In most cases, your child will be called out of class to
come to the front office during the next class
break. Student learning time is a priority and
classroom interruptions must be kept to a
minimum. Please take time to ensure your child
has his/her lunch, backpacks and/or homework prior to leaving home. When students
are contacted in their room for these items, it can be a distraction to the entire classroom.
Volunteers We need you to help by volunteering at FHSA.
You can volunteer in the classrooms, dining
room, library, and playground. Even if it is only 15 minutes, our school will benefit from your
dedication. Please make sure to sign in at the
office. Thank you!
Attendance Attendance is taken through the last day of school. Please be sure your child is in school.
All children are expected to be in attendance
each day unless they are ill or a family
emergency arises. A student arriving after 11:00
a.m. will be marked with a half day absence. Any student checking out by 11:00 a.m. will
also be marked with a half day absence. The parent/guardian is to notify the school
attendance office at (501) 447-2700 by noon
when a student is absent.
ACADEMIC POLICY
Specific skills and concepts from various subject
areas are stressed at each grade level. To be
eligible for academic promotion students must:
Perform daily activities.
Spend a minimum time each night on
assigned homework.
Master targeted skills and concepts
based on Common Core Curriculum.
Forest Heights STEM Academy students
are expected to make their best effort in
all areas of the school curriculum. Our
staff believes that effort and achievement
by students should be recognized as
follows:
o Honor Roll Incentives each nine-
week period.
o Each semester students will be
rewarded for earning the Honor
Roll, Perfect Attendance, and
Citizenship.
Anti-Bullying
Bullying of any type has no place in a school
setting. The Little Rock School District will
endeavor to maintain a learning and working
environment free of bullying. (Please refer to the LRSD Student Handbook for more
details).
REPORTING GUIDELINES
Edline Interim Reports & Report Cards
Interim reports are posted to Edline during the
5th week of each 9 week period for children
working below their capacity and/or below 70%.
Report cards are posted to Edline every 9 weeks.
Report cards indicate to students and parents
progress made toward mastering required
curriculum, citizenship and social skills.
Parents may request a copy of the report card
through the front office.
Grading Scale
90 - 100% = A
80 - 89% = B
70 - 79% = C
60 - 69% = D
59 - Below = F
A parent conference is required after every
unfavorable interim report and when a “D” or
“F” is recorded on the report card.
Homework Policy
Grade Level Approximate Time Involved
K 20 minutes per day
1-2 30 minutes per day
3-4 40 minutes per day
5 50 minutes per day
6-8 20 minutes per core subject
School Rules
1. Respect others
a. Language – no cursing, teasing,
arguing, name calling or threatening
– either spoken or written
b. Keep hands and feet to self
c. Use your own materials
d. Do not destroy school property or
property of others
e. No fighting
2. Follow the directions of all school personnel
3. Walk quietly on the right side of the halls
Dining Room Rules
Follow directions of all adults in the lunchroom.
1. Speak using your inside voices
2. Stay in assigned seats until dismissed
3. Sodas or drinks in cans or glass bottles are
not to be brought to school.
4. Remove all trays and trash from your table
Playground Rules
1. Follow directions of supervisors
2. Students will walk quietly to and from the
building
3. Students will not fight or participate in any
activities which might be so interpreted
4. The school is not responsible for sports equipment that students bring to use on the
playground (students may not use sports
equipment in the buildings or in between
classes).
5. Students will display courtesy to other students as well as adults
6. Students will not pick up, throw, or carry
rocks on the playground.
7. Abusive language will not be tolerated.
8. Rough playing and play fighting are not
allowed. 9. Under no circumstances should any student
leave school grounds to retrieve a ball during
physical activity.
10. Everyone must play respectfully.
Bus Conduct Students are assigned to ride school buses that
will transport them to and from school. Parents
must provide transportation for those children who live less than one mile from school.
Students are not allowed to ride a bus other
than their assigned bus without a bus pass
issued by an administrator or the transportation
advisor. Bus rules are strictly enforced. Please read over the rules with your child. They can be
found in the LRSD Student Handbook.
1. Use only the bus stop assigned
2. Orderly behavior is required at the bus stop
3. Remain seated, facing forward, when the
bus is in motion 4. Talk quietly and make no unnecessary noise
5. Do not talk to the driver unless it is
necessary
6. Keep head and arms inside the bus
7. Do not litter on the bus or throw anything out of the window
8. Be quiet when the bus is crossing railroad
tracks
Infractions of the above rules will be brought to
the attention of parents. Continual abuse of the
bus privileges will result in the denial of transportation. Please refer to the bus schedule
for pick up points and time schedule.
NOTE: Please be at the bus stop 10 minutes
prior to the designated pick up time.
SAFETY AND SECURITY
The LRSD is committed to providing safe and
secure schools. Full-time Security Officers and
an LRPD School Resource Officer are employed
to ensure the safety of all students.
Discipline The primary objective of discipline is to teach
students to be responsible for their own
behavior. Positive and negative consequences are given based on behavior displayed by
students. Students who choose to disobey the
rules will receive consequences according to the
LRSD Student Handbook.
Positive Consequences for Appropriate
Behavior May Include:
Verbal Praise/Stickers/Happy Notes
Special Rewards/ Incentives/ Special
Activities
Negative Consequences for Inappropriate
Behavior
Warning/classroom discipline
continuum
Referral to buddy teacher (same grade)
Student/teacher conference, parent
contact
Behavior Document to parent (up to 3
allowed)/loss of privileges
Parent Conference
Office Referral/ Follow LRSD Discipline
Handbook
Suspensions
Suspensions from school will be given by the
principal or assistant principals as indicated in
the LRSD Student Handbook. Parents must
meet with an administrator before a student can
be reinstated to school.
Possession/Use of Paging Devices,
Cellular Phones and/or Other Electronic Communication Devices (Rule 24: Please refer to the LRSD Student
Handbook for more details)
The use or possession of an Electronic Device,
as hereafter defined, on a school campus, on a
school bus or at a school‐related activity, during
the regular school day, is prohibited unless
prior written authorization for the possession of
the Electronic Device has been obtained by the
student in possession of the Electronic Device.
[See Arkansas Code Annotated
6‐18‐502(b)(3)(D)]. For purposes of this rule,
“Electronic Device” shall mean a cellular
telephone, pager, music player, video game
player, camera or any other similar device
capable of (1) communicating by voice, text message or email; (2) playing music or video; (3)
recording voice or video images, or (4) otherwise
sending or receiving electronic information. The
regular school day shall commence when the
school campus is opened in the morning, and shall end when the last regular classroom
instructional period is completed. Prior written
authorization for possession of an electronic device may be granted for medical reasons or
other specific compelling reasons as determined by the principal or the principal’s designee at
the campus in question. Any student in
possession of an Electronic Device in violation of
this rule shall immediately surrender possession
of the Electronic Device, without regard to the
ownership of the Electronic Device. *Parent/guardian(s) (or anyone listed on the
student’s Pupil Information Form) must pick‐up
the device on or after the specified date, during
school hours. The Electronic Device
Confiscation Form given to the student at the time of the confiscation must be presented, as
well as identification. The adult picking up the
item must first describe the item and then sign
indicating they have taken possession. Note: If the student refuses to relinquish the electronic device when asked by a person of authority, this will be considered a violation of the following: Category One Offense: Rule 2: Failure or Refusal (insubordination) to Follow Reasonable Directives of School Staff and/or School Rules and Regulations. If a student exhibits other inappropriate behavior, he/she will be sanctioned according to the Student Handbook.
*The district bears no responsibility for lost/stolen electronic devices brought to school by a student.
Public Display of Affection To engage in or attempt to engage in
inappropriate behavior or inappropriate physical
contact on District property or at a
school‐related activity is prohibited.
(Arkansas Code 5‐14‐111) (Rule 30: Please
refer to the LRSD Student Handbook for
more details).
CONSEQUENCES MAY BE ACCELERATED
FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS.
Home-School Communication and
Parental Involvement
At Forest Heights STEM Academy, we are
committed to open and clear communication.
All parents are given the opportunity to participate in their child’s education in the
following ways:
Parent-Teacher-Student Association
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Agenda communication – student agenda
books promote daily communication
between parents and teachers. Watch the
pages of your student’s agenda for daily
communication.
Teacher web pages, e-mail and phone lines
for homework, reminders and more
Parent visits and conferences (upon request)
ParentLink- the LRSD computerized phone
message system which allows FHSA to
deliver personal messages to your home
phone. Phone number changes should be
updated at http://lrsd.parentlink.net
Forest Heights STEM Academy website http://forestheightsstemacademy.weebly.com
FHSA Staff Classroom Telephone
Numbers Each teacher has access to a phone in their
classroom with a direct number. Please learn
your child/children’s teachers’ direct
extensions. Please leave a message and the teacher will return your call during a prep time
or after school. Teachers will not answer the
classroom phones during instruction time. Staff
members try to check voice mail regularly for
messages. If you have an urgent message, contact the office at (501) 447-2700.
PTSA All students, parents, grandparents and other
family members and friends are encouraged to
join the P.T.S.A. You can purchase your
membership during registration or anytime throughout the year. Your membership will
benefit every child at our school.
Dress Code School board policy prohibits students from
attending school attired in such a way as to
endanger his/her own safety or health or
dressed in a manner which is disruptive to the education of others. Students who violate the
above standards of safety, health or disruption
will be expected to change clothing. Students
are expected to wear the required uniforms and
present a neat appearance and parents are
encouraged to help enforce these standards. Please refer to the FHSA and the LRSD Student
Handbook for specific dress code and uniform
guidelines. For safety reasons, closed-toe shoes
are recommended. For additional information
see dress code in the LRSD Student Handbook.
To assist parents the uniform requirements for
Forest Heights STEM Academy are:
Monday-Thursday: Students may wear any
color polo designated by the uniform policy
(forest green, white, yellow, or navy) with navy
or khaki bottoms.
Fridays: Fridays will be an optional day when students can wear the Monday-Thursday
uniform or they may wear a Forest Heights
STEM Academy t-shirt (Spirit, PTSA, Band, Field
Day, etc.) with khaki or navy bottoms.
Special Days--All students are required to have
ONE logo polo and a dress uniform (K-2 boys—
logo shirt/pants; 3-8 boys--white shirt/tie; girls--plaid skirt/jumper, white shirt, and cross tie).
Dress uniforms may be worn ANY day, but may
be required for special days as designated by
administration.
NO hoodies will be allowed in the building.
Students may wear sweat shirts or jackets in any uniform color (forest green, navy, white,
yellow) with a collared shirt beneath.
NO heavy jackets or coats are to be worn in the
classroom.
Car Rider Drop Off and Pick-Up All students in grades Kindergarten through Eighth grade are dropped off and picked up on
the North parking lot at the building entrance.
K-5th students arriving before 7:35 a.m. should
report to their assigned area and 6th-8th Grade
students should report to the courtyard or the cafeteria. Supervision before school is provided
beginning at 7:10 a.m. in the cafeteria.
Tardies/Early Check Outs A student receives a tardy when he/she fails
to be in the classroom or other assigned
location by 7:40 a.m.
Tardy to School: Any student arriving at school following the 7:40 a.m. ringing bell, chime, or
other audible signal intended to indicate the
start of the school day is tardy. Any student
who is on school property but is not in his or
her classroom or other authorized area following
the bell, chime, or other audible signal will be considered tardy to school.
Tardy to Class: A student is “tardy to class”
when he/she arrives to class following the 7:40
a.m. ringing bell, chime or other audible signal
indicating the beginning of instructional time. Students in grades K-5 arriving after 7:40
a.m. should be accompanied by his/her
parent who must sign the child in at the school office. Students in grades 6-8 arriving
after 7:40 a.m. must request a late slip from
the front office. Parents and students should
make every effort to always be punctual to
school and class. The Little Rock School District Tardy Policy is included in the LRSD Student
Handbook.
Early Check Outs Early Check-out is considered leaving school
prior to the end of instructional time and/or the end of the official school day. Early check-outs
should be prior to 1:45 p.m. since office
personnel are busy with the end of day
activities, making transportation calls to
classrooms, bus announcements, and end of
day school messages. Please do not call the office and ask that students be called out of
class and waiting in the office for parents to
arrive. This interrupts valuable instruction time.
Parents need to allow time for their child to be
called out of class and arrive at the office. Parents must sign their child out through the
office on the appropriate form. Good
communication between the home and school
can improve the chance that students do not
accumulate excessive tardies or lose learning
opportunities because of early checkouts. Please do not check your child out early unless it is an
emergency.
Care of School Property Students are expected to take care of school
property, including the building, equipment,
and books. A student who deliberately or
repeatedly damages school property is subject to
disciplinary action. Parents/guardians are liable for damages.
Edline Edline is Little Rock School District’s online
communication tool between school and home.
Edline is a safe and easy way for educators, parents, and students to share information via
the Internet. Teachers can use Edline to post
assignments, class policies, links to websites,
tests and assignments, due dates and much
more. Once you are given your activation code to activate your account you can use Edline to:
Check your child’s latest grades
Receive e-mail alerts when new grades are posted
Blackboard (formerly known as ParentLink) Communication System Blackboard (formerly known as ParentLink) is
the communication system that the LRSD uses
to accomplish rapid, mass communication
(phone, text and email) with parents regarding both general district announcements and
information particular to individual schools and
students. You may access your Blackboard code
or ID at http://lrsd.parentlink.net, with your
access information provided by Forest Heights STEM Academy. Adding information to your
Blackboard account DOES NOT update the
primary (legal) LRSD records for parents and
students. You MUST contact the Student
Registration office at 501 Sherman Street and
Forest Heights STEM Academy to update your main phone number and mailing address.
Bus Transportation
Students may ride only the bus to which they
have been assigned.
Main Number………….. (501) 447-4130
Late Bus Information … (501) 447-4160
Bus Stop Changes….…. (501) 447-4162 When calling First Student regarding your
child’s bus, please know the run number and
pick up location.
To ensure student safety, we have designated a
bus loading zone, which is in the back of the building near the playground. There is NO
PARKING in the bus zones at any time, and
children MAY NOT be dropped off in the bus
zone from a private vehicle.
School buses are an extension of the school. Students who ride the bus must follow all rules
and regulations of the school district.
For a complete list of transportation regulations,
please refer to the LRSD Student Handbook.
Disciplinary action taken is in a range from
minimum to maximum. Parents will be given a written report informing them of any
disciplinary incident involving a student on the
school bus or while waiting at the bus stop,
which may jeopardize the safety and wellbeing
of all students or himself/herself. Parents are urged to both appreciate action taken by the
bus driver and to cooperate with the corrective
action initiated by the school district. Parents
should refrain from discussing bus matters
with drivers at bus stops. They should call the
transportation office at (501) 447-4130 to discuss the issue.
For the safety of all students, parents should
not step onto a school bus for any reason,
unless invited to do so by school personnel.
Students must know their bus route number, their home address, and a cell/home telephone
number. Such information should be written
and taped into backpacks.
Late Bus Information Contact First Student at (501) 447-4160 to
inquire on the status of a late bus. The dispatch
has radio contact with each bus and will have access to drivers. You will be required to know
the bus number and route stop when contacting
the dispatcher.
Bus Passes
Parents must submit a written request for
student permission to ride another bus. A bus
pass must then be obtained from a school official to ride any other bus or to get off at a
location other than the regular stop. Non-bus
riders, who wish to ride home with a friend,
must have a written request from parents
providing permission. Students must provide
the written note to the front office prior to the end of the day in order to receive their bus pass.
Non-bus riders are required to have a bus pass
provided by the school office, before they will be
allowed access to a school bus.
Changes in Transportation Home Do not leave voicemail with your teacher for
changes in transportation. If you have a midday change in transportation home, call the front
office at (501) 447-2700 and the office will relay
your message to the student and teacher.
Messages regarding students’ transportation
need to be received by the office no later than
1:45 p.m. If you are aware of the change prior to school, please send a note with complete details
to your student’s teacher and ensure a phone
number is included in case of questions
regarding your request.
School Dismissal Parents are asked to wait for their child in the
foyer or pavilion area during dismissal time.
Please do not go to the classrooms, because teachers will be preparing students for
dismissal. They are responsible for their
students until they are dismissed. Should you
need your child, please stop in the office. They
will call them to the office. We want to make
sure that whoever might pick your child up is authorized to do so by you on the Pupil
Information Form on the contact list which is
kept in the office.
Withdrawal from School As soon as parents/guardians know their child/children will be moving from Forest
Heights STEM Academy, they should notify the
office to ensure that all bills are paid and books
are returned. In order to make a smooth
transition to your new school, parents are
invited to come by the office to complete the withdrawal of their child/children.
Inclement Weather A decision concerning the closing of the Forest
Heights STEM Academy due to inclement
weather will be made by the Little Rock School District superintendent. You may check the
Little Rock School District website
(www.lrsd.org) for school closings and current
weather conditions. Notices of any changes in
school schedule will be provided to area television and radio stations.
KARK Channel 4
KATV Channel 7
KTHV Channel 11
KLRT Channel 16
KARN Radio
KSSN Radio You may also tune to Comcast Cable Channel 4.
LRSD-TV posts the most recent updates on
school closings in the Little Rock School
District.
Emergency Closings During an emergency, it might be necessary to close school rapidly and without previous
notice. Please discuss with your child where he
is to go and what to do in the event you are not
at home. Local radio and TV stations are
notified as soon as the decision is made to close
early. Listen to your radio or TV for information about Little Rock School District Schools.
PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE OFFICE BECAUSE
WE NEED OUR PHONE LINES TO
COMMUNICATE WITH THE DISTRICT. When
weather or road conditions are poor but expected to improve, the opening of school may
be delayed or emergency snow routes may be
run by busses. Radio and TV stations will be
notified. When the school opens late, the
students will be dismissed at the regular time,
unless early closing is necessary.
Safety Drills Fire drills are practiced at least nine times each
year. Correct practices make the process of
evacuation automatic should we ever have a real emergency. We encourage all families to practice
fire drills in their homes. Take-cover drills are
practiced in the fall and spring and students are
instructed on safety practices during tornado
watches and warnings.
Recess One recess a day is scheduled at lunch.
Students and parents should consider weather conditions when dressing for school. Please
label outerwear (coats, boots, gloves, hats, etc.)
with your child’s name. If a child needs to stay
indoors for medical reasons, please send a note
from a physician to the Health office.
Medication Protocol Prescription Medication If it becomes necessary for a student to take prescription medication at school, the
following steps must be taken:
A parent must bring the medication to school where it is counted with the
nurse or nurse’s assistant. We cannot
accept medication from students.
Medication must be in the original prescription bottle labeled with the
student’s name, the dosage to be
administered, and the reason for the
medication.
A parent must fill out and sign a Medication Authorization and Release
form.
A parent must pick up any unused portion of the medication by the end of
the school year or it will be disposed.
Student medication cannot be stored in
the Health Room over the summer
months.
According to the Clinical Guidelines used within the LRSD for K-5th Grades, “using OTC (over the
counter) medications is not in the best interest
of students, nor in keeping with best pediatric
practice standards. Teaching students other
strategies for managing common health complaints is fundamental to quality practice.”
We do not give OTC medications, (Tylenol,
Motrin, etc.) unless they are ordered by a
physician. We will try to help them find relief
using alternate methods. No medications may
be carried by students in K-5th Grade or by 6th-8th Grade students without the nurse’s
permission. This includes Tylenol, cough drops,
eye drops and the like. The only exception to
this is asthma inhalers. However, all health
records must be on file and the nurse and parents must mutually agree that this is safe for
the student and a form to self-carry will need to
be filled out by a parent and nurse. Any child
with a known diagnosis, such as asthma,
diabetes, sickle cell, seizures, etc., must have an
individual health care plan filled out by a physician on file in the health room.
Student Illness If your child is absent due to illness, please
notify the school before Noon by calling (501) 447-2700 and leave a message with the front
office. If your child has had a fever of 100.4
or more, the child must stay home for 24
hours after the temperature has returned to
normal without medication. If your child has
vomited or had diarrhea, the child must also stay home until 24 hours after the last
episode. All communicable conditions (i.e.
chicken pox, strep throat, head lice) need to be reported to the school.
Physical Examinations Arkansas State Law requires all students
entering school for the first time (transfer to
LRSD or kindergarten) to have a physical
examination by a physician. The results of this
exam are to be recorded on a form and returned to the nurse. Forms for this physical are
provided in the health room.
Wellness-School Nutrition & Birthdays The Arkansas State Nutrition Standard (ACT
1220) states that students may be given food or beverage items for up to nine different school
events to be determined and approved by school
officials. Forest Heights STEM Academy will not
use food as student rewards, except in the nine
designated school events.
No edible treats are allowed for birthday
celebrations. Also balloons and flowers may
NOT be delivered to students on campus.
DELIVERIES FOR STUDENTS Please do not deliver flowers, balloons or other
large gifts to your student at school. The gifts
are not allowed in the class, where they would
disrupt the class, nor are they allowed on the
bus for the trip home, where they constitute a safety hazard.
Food Service Breakfast
Adults $2.25
Extra Milk .40
Lunch
Adults $3.50
Extra Milk or Juice .40
Forest Heights STEM Academy is one of thirty-
three schools in the LRSD participating in the Provision 2-Universal Lunch and School
Breakfast Program. Breakfast and lunch is
available at no charge to all students. Breakfast
is served to 6th-8th Graders in the cafeteria from
7:15 a.m. until 7:35 a.m. Kindergarten-5th
Grade students will have Breakfast in the Classroom beginning at 7:40. All students may
participate in the hot lunch program with meals
prepared in the school kitchen.
Parent/Visitor Lunch: Parents are welcome to eat lunch with their
child. However, all visitors, including parents,
must sign in at the office before proceeding to other areas of the building. A special parent
table is located by the stage in the cafeteria
where parents may sit with their children. All
food brought by adults from outside the building
(fast food, etc.) must be consumed at that table. Due to allergies and other considerations,
parents may not bring food for another child or
invite them to sit with them at the parent table
unless they are on the child’s Pupil Information
Form in the office or have received permission
from the child’s parents using the Lunch Visitor Permission Form. Thank you for adhering to
this rule to ensure safety for all.
Animals on School Grounds
Animals may not be brought into school
without prior approval from the administration and may not be transported by the school bus. Lost and Found Your child’s name should be on all articles of
clothing, school supplies, or other possessions
brought from home. The school assumes no
responsibility for a child’s personal belongings.
Any clothing item or lunch box found by students should be turned in to the lost and
found located in the cafeteria. Parents and
students are urged to check in the lost and
found regularly. Clothing items left unclaimed at
the end of each school term will be sent to a local clothing donation center. Money, jewelry or
any other articles of value are turned in to the
office. Students may claim them after proper
identification.
Toys and Other Personal Belongings Toys and other personal belongings such as radios, CD and tape players, electronic games,
baseball cards, Pokémon cards and cameras
may not be brought to school or on class field
trips unless they have been approved as part of
a class assignment. If such items are brought to school, they may be taken up and kept in the
school office until parents come to claim them.
Breaking this rule repeatedly will result in
disciplinary actions.
Visitor Policy The school’s security plan requires all visitors to
the campus, including parents, to immediately
proceed to the security desk and sign in and
receive a visitor’s tag to visit the school or
communicate with any student or staff. The
school’s security plan has been established to protect the students and staff from the danger
of an unauthorized person on the campus. For
the safety of all students and staff, please
comply. All parents or visitors entering the
school building to drop off items for their child must first report in at the office. In most cases,
your child will be called out of class to come to
the front office. Student learning time is a
priority. Classroom interruptions must be kept
to a minimum. Please take time to ensure your
child has their lunch, backpacks and/or homework prior to leaving home. When students
are contacted in their room for these items, it is
a distraction to the entire classroom.
School Supplies/Textbooks A list of the supplies your child will need at
school is provided by the teacher on the FHSA
website: (www.forestheightsstemacdemy.weebly.com).
All regular textbooks for classroom use are
provided by the school district at no charge.
However, improper care, loss or deliberate
damage to a district book will result in a fine to cover replacement costs.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Conferences are an excellent way of keeping you
informed on the overall progress of your child in
school. You will be contacted at least twice
during the school year by your child’s teacher to
schedule a conference. You may also request a conference any time you have questions or
concerns. Please remember to schedule a
conference in advance so a time that is
convenient for all can be established.
Messages
Every teacher has a telephone in his/her
classroom. There are times when you might see
the school’s phone number (447-????) on your caller-ID; in most cases your child’s teacher has
left a message. Please check your voicemail before phoning the school. There is no way for
the office staff to know who has phoned you.
END OF SCHOOL YEAR PROCEDURES
Personal Check Policy
No personal checks will be accepted by Forest
Heights STEM Academy.
Monies Owed To the School All fees for lost books and school property,
including library books and calculators, must be paid in full prior to May 20, 2017.
The school provides an on-line monthly calendar for your information on the school’s
Weebly page. Please check the calendar and
refer to it daily to keep abreast of school
events.
August 1 & 2 Check in for all students (10 am – 7 pm)
August 14 Eagle Extravaganza
(2:30 – 4:30 pm)
August 15 First Day of School for
Students
September 5 Labor Day (No School)
September 6-9 Scholastic Book Fair
September 6 Grandparents’ Day (K-2)
September 7 Grandparents’ Day (3-5)
September 8 Grandparents’ Day (6-8)
October 10-12 Check Us Out (All Schools)
(9 am – 1:30 pm)
October 13 Parent Teacher Conferences
(2:55-5:55 pm-AFTER school)
October 14 Parent Teacher Conferences
(8 am-1 pm NO SCHOOL)
October 17 Staff Development
(No School)
October 24-28 Red Ribbon Week
November 11 1st Nine Weeks’ Honors
Assemblies
November 21-25 Thanksgiving Holiday
(No School)
December 19 Classroom Parties
1:15-2:15 p.m.
December 20 Student Winter Vacation
Staff Development
(No School)
January 3 Classes Resume – Students
Return!
January 16 M.L. King, Jr. Holiday
(Staff/Students Out)
January 20 2nd Nine Weeks’ Honors
Assemblies
January 26 100th Day of School
January 27 Staff Development
(No School)
February BLACK HISTORY MONTH
February 14 Classroom Valentine Parties
1:15-2:15 p.m.
February 17 Staff Development
(No School)
February 20 Parent Teacher Conferences
(8 am-1 pm NO SCHOOL)
February 21 Parent Teacher Conferences
(2:55-5:55 pm-AFTER school)
March 20-24 Spring Vacation (No School)
March 27 Classes Resume
April School Library Month
April 21 3rd Nine Weeks’ Honors
Assemblies
May 3 Teacher Appreciation Day
May 26 Students’ Last Day
May 29 Memorial Day Holiday
(No School)
May 30 Teacher Record Day/
Teachers’ Last Day
*Dates are subject to change
Inclement Weather Days –
May 30-June 5, 2017 (if needed)