Related Documents: SCHOOL REGISTRATION INFORMATION 09-10 STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT ATTENDANCE POLICY

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First Day for Teachers: Aug. 5, 2009
First Day for Students: Aug. 10, 2009
 

Q.  How and where do I enroll my child?

A.  Parents/guardians must bring all necessary documents to the school office for each child they wish to enroll.  The counselor or the registrar at each school is responsible for student enrollment; please call the school to make an appointment with the appropriate person before arriving.

All students, whether new to the school system or previously enrolled, are required to take part in any pre-registration activities the school may offer.  A complete listing of ALL REGISTRATION ACTIVITIES ARE POSTED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS PAGE.  During pre-registration, students may purchase P.E. uniforms, pay course fees, buy school yearbooks, rent lockers, pick up schedules, and visit classrooms.  This list also includes events such as "Meet Your Teacher" Days, which is an opportunity for parents and students to meet the teacher prior to the opening of school.

Q.  How important is it to attend Open House events?

A.  Education is a collaborative effort between schools, parents, and the community at large.  Open House events provide an opportunity for your child's teachers to share with you information specific to their grade level or course.  Your presence is extremely important; you will learn exactly what is expected of your child in each setting and be shown ways you can help them achieve success.

Q.  When is summer registration?

A.  Once you have determined which school your child should attend, it is recommended that you visit that school's website.  Each school sets dates for each grade level in order to best accommodate the needs of the community they serve.  A list for all schools and their websites can be found by clicking here.  If you are unable to determine registration dates from the school website, please call the local school office.

Q.  What information will I need to bring in order to register my child?

A.  Please bring the following documents with you for each child you wish to enroll:

1. Birth certificate
2. Social Security card
3. Two proofs of residence
   One of these must be a recent utility bill with your Baldwin County address.
4. Withdrawal papers from last school attended, including transcript
5. Immunization form
   All students are required by Alabama State Law to have an original certificate of immunization (IMM-50); copies are unacceptable.  These certificates may be obtained from your local physician or Baldwin County Health Department in Robertsdale.  The Health Department may be reached at (251) 947-1410.

You will be required to complete an enrollment form for each student.  These will be made available by the registrar or counselor when you visit the school.  A copy of this form is provided here for your convenience in preparing the information to transfer to the enrollment card.

Q.  What if I am not the legal guardian/custodian for a child?  What do I need to do?

A.  To enroll a student in the Baldwin County School System you must have legal custody of the student.  Delegations of parental authority or powers of attorney will not be accepted. The enrolling guardian/custodian shall reside in the attendance zone in which enrollment is sought.  The student being enrolled must actually reside with his/her guardian/custodian.

In addition to the matters noted in the preceding paragraph, it shall be the sole duty and responsibility of the enrolling guardian/custodian to provide all documentation otherwise required by the Baldwin County Board of Education as a prerequisite to enrollment.

Please see the School Guardianship Guidelines for complete details.

Q.  How can I be certain which school my child should attend? 

A.  Click here to see the schools in the feeder pattern for your area, or the schools in your area that a student attends from K-12th grade. The web-based school locator page is provided as a fast-reference service. It is very important that you contact the schools it lists to ensure that the information is indeed accurate.

Q.  Do you allow a student to attend a school out of zone?

A.  In order to adequately project school facility needs in our rapidly growing county, currently the Board of Education only allows a zone variance - the ability to attend a school outside one's own zone - in the case of extreme hardship, which is usually mostly medical in nature.  Zone variances are not granted for the sake of convenience.  If you believe you are eligible for a zone variance due to extreme hardship, please contact the principal of the school you wish your child to attend first.

If the principal agrees that the student meets the requirements for eligibility for a zone variance, the parent must complete a Zone Variance Request Form provided by the school they are requesting to attend and attach a statement as to the necessity of the zone variance. 

For additional information, please review the Zone Variance Guidelines before submitting your request. 

*Please note:  If a student has a zone variance, it is the responsibility of the parent to provide transportation for the child.

A.  Baldwin County Schools offer After School Childcare at elementary, intermediate and some middle schools in the county. After School Childcare Programs serve students ages 5-12 at elementary and up to 14 at middle schools. All students must attend the After School Childcare Program on the campus of their day school if the program is available. Busing of students is not an option. A complete list of ASCC locations and a registration form are available by clicking here.

Students may participate in the After School Childcare Program on a full- or part-time basis. Full-time students are those who attend the program every school day; the fee for full-time is $35 weekly. For those who attend part-time, the cost is $7 per day. Parents must select the days when their children will attend at the time of Registration in order to assist the After School Department in ensuring appropriate levels of staffing. Part-time students may attend only on those days the parents have pre-selected as attendance days. The program operates from 3-5:30 p.m. and follows the school calendar.

Parents must complete a registration form and pay the $20 non-refundable registration fee no fewer than three (3) days prior to the first day of attendance in the program. Payments may be made online once a child is registered in the program. Registration cannot be paid online.  However, payments made online must be made by Thursday midnight for the coming week. Payments not made by Thursday midnight must be paid on Friday at the site of attendance. 

During the school year, parents should contact the school their child attends after 3 p.m. to register for the ASCC program. Parents may register their child for the After School Childcare Program at Early Registration/Meet the Teacher day at their child's school. Questions during the summer may be directed to the After School Childcare Department, (251) 972-8518.

Q.  How can I find out what school supplies are necessary?

A.  Required materials vary from school to school and from grade level to grade level.  Many schools have supply lists posted on their websites.  You may also find lists conveniently placed in the school supply aisles at local stores such as Walmart and Target.  Supply lists are also available in each school's office.

A.  Each school sets its own policies regarding book bags; please contact your local school for complete information, or visit the school's website.

A.  In order to ensure quality instruction for our students at all times, student use of cell phones is prohibited. 

Q.  What about the dress code? How strictly is it enforced?

A.  Baldwin County students are required to wear approved uniforms to school daily.  For complete guidelines, see the Uniform Policy.

Q.  What about lunches? Can I pay for lunches online? What can my child take from home for lunch?

A.  Baldwin County Schools' cafeterias adhere to guidelines set forth in Baldwin County's Wellness Policy on Nutrition and Physical Activity.  Nutritious meals are provided to students daily at nominal cost to the parents.  Each student is assigned an account number to use in the cafeteria; parents may pay in advance in order to allow their child to pay for their lunch by debiting from their account.  Checks made payable to the school may be sent by your child for this purpose.  This provides an additional measure of safety for your child by alleviating the need to bring money to school for daily lunch.

If you prefer, you may use the Parent Account Management System (PAMS) online to have funds credited to your child's cafeteria account.  Additional information will be sent home at the beginning of the school year to assist you in setting up a PAMS account.

Finally, children may bring a sack lunch from home to eat during their designated lunch time.  Food is not allowed in the classrooms.  Please inform the school administration if your child has special health needs.

The cost for school meals is as follows: Breakfast - Students, $1.00; Visitors/Employees, $1.25; Reduced-cost, $0.30. Lunch - K-6th grade, $1.75; 7th-12th grade, $2.00; Employees, $2.75; Visitors (adult and child), $3.25; reduced-cost, $0.40. Milk is $0.30.

Q.  Is bus service available in my neighborhood?  What do I need to do to allow my child to ride the bus?

A.  The Transportation Department for Baldwin County Schools oversees the daily operation of 270 bus routes.  All Baldwin County students are provided transportation to and from school daily, regardless of their proximity to their local school.

There is one person at each school responsible for managing student transportation.  Maps of each bus route are available to assist in determining which bus will be designated to transport your child.  Please contact your local school prior to the beginning of school if you have additional questions.

A.  Again, please contact your local school prior to the beginning of school to determine where you may safely drop off and pick up your child.  Each school has very specific traffic flow patterns for the safety of all of our students.  You will also learn what time students may enter the building and when they will be deemed tardy to school. 

A.  The Early Warning Truancy Prevention program provides guidelines which are followed by all Baldwin County schools for acceptable reasons for absences.  They include:

1. Pupil is too ill to attend school. A physician’s certificate may be required after four consecutive absences due to illness.
2. Inclement weather as announced by local news media that makes it dangerous for students to attend school.
3. Legal quarantine.
4. Death in the immediate family.
5. Emergency conditions determined by superintendent or principal.
6. Absence to observe traditional religious holidays of local, national, or international origin, when verified by the student's minister or religious leader.

For complete information on Baldwin County's attendance policy, please click here.

A.  Parents or guardians must check their child out through the front office of the school.  No child will be allowed to leave campus without the express consent of their parent or guardian.  Early checkouts are discouraged; however, in the case of a medical necessity, it is requested that a doctor's note is submitted to the office the next day.

Q:  My child requires a special medical procedure to attend school.  Is there a nurse at my child's school? If not, where can I find assistance?

A:  Baldwin County Public Schools have a Registered School Nurse Team Leader assigned to each school.  In many of our schools there is a Licensed Practical Nurse assigned to the health room.  You may contact the school office personnel at your child's assigned school and they will provide you the name and number of your assigned school nurse.  Mrs. Martha Holloway, Supervisor of Health Services, may also be contacted for assistance at (251) 625-1414.  If your child requires a special medical procedure, please contact Mrs. Holloway or your assigned school nurse before the planned date of enrollment.  This will allow the nurse adequate time to plan for your child's arrival and ensure a smooth transition to your new school. For more information, please review the Health Services Section of this website.

Q:  My child receives medication daily.  Will there be someone at school to safely assist with his or her medication?

A:  Your child will receive medication daily from a licensed nurse or a trained medication assistant.  All medication assistants receive a maximum of 12 hours medication training before permission is granted to assist with medication.  The medication curriculum was designed by the Alabama Board of Nursing and the Alabama State Department of Education and is monitored periodically by the registered school nurse.  A parent authorization/physician prescriber form must be signed before a child may receive prescription medication.  If your child receives medication only three times a day, we request that medication be given at home.

Q.  What about fees?  How do I pay them?

A.  Fees are set by your local school.  Please contact your local school or check the school's registration information (attached above, right). Fees can also be paid online. Please check this site regularly for ever-expanding services.

Q.  How can I check my child's grades online?

All Baldwin County schools use the STI system of recording grades and attendance.  At the beginning of the school year, you will be provided with a user id and password for each of your children who are enrolled in school.  You may then access the STI Home system by going to the website for your child's school, clicking on the STI Home icon in the upper left panel, and entering the user id and password.  You will be able to view your child's grades for each course, along with attendance and discipline records.

Please protect this confidential information.  Should you misplace it, you must request it in person from the school registrar.  No passwords will be provided over the phone.

Q.  Who should I contact if I have a problem? 

A.  If you feel that your child is having difficulty in any particular class, please contact the teacher to schedule an appointment.  If the problem is occurring outside the bounds of a particular classroom, e.g., on the bus or in the cafeteria, please contact the principal.

A.  A list of all Baldwin County Schools is available here.  This list provides phone numbers, principal's name, and links to each school's website.

Q.  How do I get a copy of the school's calendar? 

A.  The official calendar may be downloaded here.  All schools in the system follow this schedule for holidays, grading periods, and exam schedules.

Q.  What about summers and holidays? What programs are available for my child?

A.  Summer activity opportunities abound for students all over the county.  Our school facilities are used for athletic clinics, conditioning exercise classes, and summer music and art instruction; you can find dates for these activities on this website or on the local school's website.  Academic programs such as Camp Invention are also hosted by our schools. 

Baldwin County Schools work in conjunction with YMCA of South Alabama to make summer activities readily available.  There are two branches of the YMCA in Baldwin County.  The Bounds Family YMCA is located in Daphne at 8051 Whispering Pines Road.  They may be reached at (251) 626-0888.  The Snook Family YMCA is located in Foley at 2560 South Pine Street.  They may be reached at (251) 970-3003.

Every school works closely with its surrounding community to help ensure that children continue to grow and learn during their summer vacation and holiday breaks.  City libraries sponsor summer reading programs and computer classes, while city recreation departments provide swimming, tennis, softball, soccer, and basketball activities.  Competitive city leagues also offer students the opportunity to compete throughout the school year in a wide variety of sporting events.  For your convenience, here are some helpful links to guide you in finding appropriate activities for your child.