Sinclair Handbook
Lee Mashburn - Principal
Brenda Munoz - Assistant Principal
Nicole Perez – Assistant Principal
6410 Grovewood Lane
Houston, Texas 77008
713-867-5160 main office
713-867-5162 fax
- This handbook is intended to serve as a guide to our school. It should be used in conjunction with the Code of Student Conduct, the policies of the Board of Education, Elementary Guidelines, and the Texas Education Agency. The content of this handbook is subject to change; families will be notified of any changes in a timely manner.
This handbook describes expectations, responsibilities, and procedures for parents and students. Within the handbook, the term parent(s) is used to refer to the primary guardian(s) of the student. Please sit down with your child to read and review the contents of this handbook together. All parents, guardian and students attending Sinclair are attending with the understanding that they have read and will adhere to the contents of the Family Handbook. The acknowledgement form must be signed and returned to your child’s teacher. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Information in this handbook may be changed with or without notice based upon policy changes from Sinclair Elementary School’s Shared-Decision Making Committee, the Houston Independent School District’s Board of Trustees, the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Legislature, or the Congress of the United States.
Note: It is the policy of the Houston Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of age, color, handicap or disability, ancestry, national origin, marital status, race, religion, sex, veteran status, or political affiliation in its educational or employment programs and activities.
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Topic |
Starting page |
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Daily Schedule/Important Dates |
4 |
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Arrival/Dismissal |
5 |
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Early Departure |
5 |
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After School Programs |
8 |
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Attendance Policy |
9 |
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Tardy Policy |
10 |
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Enrollment Forms |
11 |
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School Supplies |
11 |
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Student Dress Code |
11 |
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Report Cards |
12 |
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Grading Policy |
13 |
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Communicating Grades |
14 |
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Progress Reports |
14 |
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Power School/HISD Connect |
14 |
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Parent/Teacher Conferences |
14 |
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Homework |
15 |
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Curriculum and Online Resources |
15 |
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Library Books |
15 |
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Textbooks |
16 |
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Conduct |
16 |
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Discipline |
16 |
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Bus Information |
17 |
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Cafeteria |
17 |
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Parent Lunch Schedule |
17 |
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Lost and Found |
18 |
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Birthday Treats |
18 |
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Field Trips |
19 |
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Chaperones for Field Trips |
19 |
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Regulations Concerning Care of Illness |
19 |
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Immunizations |
20 |
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Head Lice |
20 |
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Restroom Accidents |
20 |
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PTO |
21 |
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Parking |
21 |
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School Telephone and Cell Phone Use |
21 |
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Classroom Visitation |
21 |
7:00 AM Drop off begins. No staff will be on site to monitor and supervise students prior to 7:00 AM.
7:20 AM Students are released to go to their homerooms.
7:30 AM All students should be in their homerooms when the tardy bell rings at 7:30; Instructional day begins.
7:35 AM Last breakfast is served.
3:00 PM. Dismissal
September 1 Labor Day
September 2 No School Staff Professional
Development
October 2 No School Staff Professional
Development
October 4 Fall Holiday
November 7 No School Staff Professional Development
November 24 - 28 Thanksgiving Break
December 22 – January 5 Winter Break
January 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
February 13 No School Staff Professional Development
February 16 President’s Day
March 9-13 Spring Break
March 30 Chavez/Huerta Day
April 3 Spring Holiday
May 25 Memorial Day
June 4th Last Day
September 26
November 10
January 9
February 27
April 24
June 4
The school building opens at 7:00 AM. For the safety of all students, please adhere to this policy. Students are not allowed in the building, or allowed to wait outside the building without parental supervision. Staff will not be on hand to supervise prior to 7:00 AM. We encourage students to arrive at school between 7:00-7:25 AM.
From 7:00-7:20 AM, first-fifth grade students are held in the cafeteria. At 7:20 AM, a bell will ring dismissing these students to their classrooms. School breakfasts will be consumed in the classroom; outside food should not be brought to school for breakfast.
All 1st – 5th grade students will enter through the Manville Blue Doors (cafeteria side). Students may be dropped off in the car line, walk up, ride their bikes or parents may park and walk with their child to the Blue Doors.
All Pre-K and Kinder students will enter through the Grovewood White Doors. Parents must park and walk with their child to the White Doors. Please DO NOT park in the staff parking lot.
From 7:00 – 7:20 AM, Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students all gather in the kinder hallway. At 7:20 AM, a bell will ring dismissing these students to their classrooms. School breakfasts will be consumed in the classroom; outside food should not be brought to school for breakfast.
All students with Special Needs and students arriving by bus will enter through the Grovewood Green Doors (circle drive).
We welcome parents to walk their children to class during the first two days of school. If you choose to do so, please be prepared to say goodbye at the classroom door and allow you child to cross the threshold on their own. Parents will not be allowed to enter the classrooms. After the first two days, all students will enter the building on their own.
Car rider drop off – Manville entrance: Please enter through the north gate and exit through the south gate. Please note that only a right turn out of the lot will be allowed. Gates are marked with entrance and exit signs. Pull forward as close as possible to the south exit; cars should utilize the entire sidewalk for drop off.
Note – This is a drop off lane. Should you need to help your child out of the car, assist your child with a project, etc., please park your car.
Bus/special needs students drop off – Grovewood entrance (circle drive): This drop off zone is reserved for buses and students with special needs being dropped off by car. Parents of these students will receive a hanging tag to display in the car’s rearview mirror from their child’s teacher. All vehicles will enter through the east gate and exit through the west gate, making a right turn upon exit. Gates are marked with entrance and exit signs.
Walkers/Bikers: Students who walk to school or ride their bike will enter through the Blue Doors facing Manville. Bike racks are located in the front of the school near the intersection of Grovewood and Clovis and at the side of the school that faces Manville St.
Late Arrival – the Manville entrance is locked at 7:30 AM. All students arriving late should use the Grovewood Green Door entrance. Students arriving after 7:30 am must be accompanied by their parent/guardian inside the building and sign in at the office window.
The school day ends at 3:00 PM. Please arrange for prompt pick up of your child daily.
Car rider pick up – Manville entrance:
ALL 1st – 5th grade students for CAR RIDER pick up will be released through the white STAR cafeteria doors.
Please enter through the north gate and exit through the south gate, making a right turn only to exit the gate. Gates are marked entrance and exit. Pull forward as close as possible to the south exit; cars should utilize the entire sidewalk for pickup. Teachers will be on hand to help with safety and traffic. Please follow their instructions. Parents need to display your child’s/children’s name(s) on the provided hanging tag. Students will be held in the cafeteria and called to meet their cars outside. Parents/guardians must have a white dismissal tag displayed on their dash or sun visor to receive their student. Dismissal tags will be given to all families. One tag per family-additional dismissal tags are available for $5. Lost Tags can be replaced for $5.
Bus/special needs student pick up – Grovewood entrance (circle drive): All school, transportation, and daycare buses will pick up in this lane. Special needs students with the appropriate hanging tag will also be dismissed from this area. All vehicles will enter through the east gate and exit through the west gate, making a right turn only as you exit the gate.
Walk Up Pick Up: This is for all parents who choose to park their car and walk up to pick up their child.
All 1st – 2nd grade walk up pickup students are held in the interior hallway at the Manville Blue Door entrance. Parents/guardians will line up in front of the appropriate sign by grade level under the breezeway. As you approach the door, your child will be called. Third-fifth grade walkers are dismissed by their supervising teachers from the shaded area just off the breezeway. All students walking or riding bikes independently will be dismissed from the Blue Doors. Parents/guardians must have a white dismissal tag to receive their student. Dismissal tags will be given to all families. One tag per family-additional dismissal tags are available for $5. Lost Tags can be replaced for $5.
All Pre- K and Kinder students will be released through the White Doors facing Grovewood. Parents must park their cars and walk up to receive their child. Parents/guardians must have a white dismissal tag to receive their student. Dismissal tags will be given to all families. One tag per family-additional dismissal tags are available for $5. Lost Tags can be replaced for $5.
Siblings will be released together following the older sibling release point.
After3: Sinclair is proud to offer site-based afterschool care through After3. These students will report to designated locations at the end of the school day. Dismissal from the After3 afterschool program will be according to their policy. Dismissal from After3 will begin until 3:30pm. For more information or to register your child, please contact After3 at www.after3asp.com or 713-269-5936
Important note – We understand that dismissal arrangements may occasionally change; however, we request that you keep your dismissal method consistent. Consistency helps to ensure safety for all and allows teachers and staff to monitor who is picking up students, and to have students grouped according to their dismissal method. Should you need to change the way your child will get home, call the main office by 1:00 PM.
The HISD Police Department may be contacted on behalf those students who are not picked up by 4:15 PM. If you are late picking up your child, you will be required to come into the building and sign the sign-out log.
Please keep early departure requests to a minimum. The last minutes of a class day are as important as the first minutes of the day. Teachers use this time to summarize and recap what was learned during the day. They also use the time to organize information for homework. It is very important that children complete a full day, each and every day with their classes.
Early Departure
Should you need to take your child out of school early, you will need to come to the office to check him/her out. Only the persons identified on the enrollment card for pick up will be allowed to take a child from school during regular school hours. Teachers are not permitted to release students unless this procedure has been followed. When possible, please notify your child’s teacher in advance concerning your child’s early departure.
In order allow the school staff to account for the safety and security of our children, students will not be dismissed early after 1:30 PM. This is so that we can account for all students present prior to dismissal
Sinclair’s school day ends at 3:00 PM. Children must be picked up immediately following dismissal. The teachers and administration are not responsible for the supervision of students after 3:20 PM. unless they are enrolled in tutorial or enrichment programs. Tutoring and enrichment programs end by 4:15 PM. Our school’s office closes at 4:30 PM.
Teachers and staff are not available to stay with children after 3:20 PM, unless the child is participating in an after-school program and/or tutorial. Please be considerate of our staff by picking up your child on time. Three late pick-ups will result in removal from after school programs.
The HISD Police Department will be called if you’re excessively late in picking up your child.
In addition to the information present here, please also refer to the Compulsory School Attendance Laws posted on our website (Parents-Parent Resources).
Students are expected to be on time and present each school day. The school day officially begins at 7:30 AM. Students are marked absent if they are not in school by 9:15 AM (see exception below). Please monitor your child’s attendance and ensure that your student attend school.
Parents must submit a written excuse note to the office within three days in order to excuse absences. The excuse note must contain the student’s name, date(s) of absence(s), reason for absence(s), and parent’s signature. Return to school slips from a doctor are also accepted. Failure to submit an excuse note will result in an unexcused absence.
Students with medical or dental appointments in the morning should bring a return to school slip from the doctor or dentist. If they arrive at school after 9:15 AM, the student will not be considered absent with the appropriate medical excuse.
If the student observes a religious holiday, the parent must notify the school of the absence in writing, following the procedures outlined above. Under these circumstances, a student will not be counted as absent.
Please be aware that the attendance office assigned to the school may investigate any absence. Also, please note that sufficient attendance is a district promotion standard. Sufficient attendance is defined as a student’s total number of unexcused absences not exceeding ten percent of class meetings. Multiple absences, excused and/or unexcused, are subject to investigation by the school and/or attendance officer.
The only excuses for tardiness and absences are:
· Personal illness.
· Illness or death in the family.
· Quarantine.
· Weather or road conditions making travel dangerous.
· Participation in school activities with permission of the principal
· Emergencies or any unusual circumstances recognized by the principal or
person designated.
· Any cause acceptable to the teacher, principal, or superintendent of the
school in which the person is enrolled.
A student is considered to have an unexcused absence if he/she does not present a written excuse within three days for one of the reasons stated earlier or is away from school participating in an activity not approved by the district as excusable. Vacations taken during non-specified school holidays are considered unexcused. When questions regarding unexcused absences arise, the final decision rests with the school attendance committee or principal.
Unexcused absences may be reviewed by the school attendance committee or principal in determining whether or not to grant a student credit for a class in which the student failed to meet the attendance requirement while still meeting all other academic requirements for passing.
Our school will attempt to notify parents/guardians of all unexcused absences immediately. Any unexcused absences are subject to be investigated by the attendance officer assigned to Sinclair Elementary School. The student database automatically informs the attendance officer of excessive tardiness or absences.
Unexcused absences may not be made up, and the student may not receive credit for the daily assignments. See HISD Attendance Policy for more information on unexcused absences. Additionally, students on a transfer are subject to having their transfer non-renewed if the number of unexcused absences is deemed excessive.
School begins promptly at 7:30 AM each day. Students are considered tardy if they are not in the classroom when the bell rings at 7:30 AM. School officials understand that occasionally traffic, weather, or oversleeping may cause a student to be late; however, persistent tardiness will require the parent to meet with the teachers and administrative team.
· When a child reaches his fourth tardy, a warning letter will be sent home indicating the days and times of arrival.
· At the accumulation of the sixth tardy, a conference will be scheduled.
· By the end of this conference, a plan will be developed to support the student’s timely arrival at school on a daily basis.
The administrative team will have the option of:
· Placing a transfer student on a growth plan that will be monitored. This may result in a student being unable to renew their transfer in the upcoming school year.
· Requiring a student to make up lost time in an after-school study program.
· Implementing other methods as deemed appropriate during the conference.
Please notify the office and your child’s teacher if you need to update your contact information. It is also important to keep the contact information for all emergency contacts current.
Please send your child to school with the requested supplies. Supply lists are available by grade level on our school website, or your child’s teacher can provide you with a list.
Please remember that supplies may need to be replenished during the year.
Bottoms:
· School appropriate pants, shorts, skirts, skorts, jumpers or jeans.
· Must be worn at waist level
· Shorts, skirts and skorts length must be school appropriate as judged by school staff.
· Leggings or jeggings may not be worn alone. They must be worn with shorts, skirts, skorts or dresses.
· Oversized, undersized, torn, cut, or frayed pants are not permitted
Shirts, sweaters, and sweatshirts:
· School appropriate shirts, sweaters, hoodies and jackets.
· Official Sinclair T-shirts are mandatory for all field trips
· Spaghetti straps, muscle shirts, sleeveless shirts and tank tops are not permitted.
· Hats and hoods are not permitted in the building.
· Oversized hoodies are not permitted
Shoes:
· Safe shoes must be worn at all times and must be appropriate for all school activities
· For safety reasons, platform shoes, spiked heels, combat boots, steel-toed boots, or any backless shoes including clogs, crocs, shoes with wheels, house shoes, sandals, open-toed shoes, flip-flops, or water socks are not permitted
· Students who are unable to tie their shoes independently should wear shoes that do not require being tied.
Additional guidelines:
· All clothing items, including jewelry and watches, may not distract from the educational process
o For safety reasons, earrings should be studs
· Any items depicting the occult, gang membership, death, suicide, violence, drugs, sex, race, gender obscenities, alcohol, items with double meanings, or anything else deemed inappropriate are not allowed
· Hair color and style may not be disruptive to the educational process
· Hats or caps may not be worn inside the school building
· Make-up may not be worn or carried on campus
o Color and style of nail polish should be school appropriate
Dress codes are implemented to promote school safety and minimize distractions. Please see the Student Code of Conduct for actions that may be taken for disregarding the school dress code.
A report card is issued to the parent or guardian at the close of each six-week grading period. Grades obtained during the days of attendance and/or current transferred grades will be the basis for the report card grades. When a student has transferred from one or more schools within the grading period, grades on the checkout sheet or latest report card are considered as the basis for report card grades.
Report card grades will be reported as follows:
Academic Subjects
Excellent 90-100 (A)
Good 80-89 (B)
Satisfactory 75-79 (C)
Passing 70-74 (D)
Failing 50-69 (F)
Conduct
E Excellent quality of behavior
S Satisfactory quality of behavior
P Poor quality of behavior
U Unsatisfactory quality of behavior
First-Fifth grade classes:
Number of grades per subject area: Math, Reading, and Language Arts will have a minimum of 2 grades recorded per week during each 6-week cycle. Science and Social Studies will have a minimum of 1 grade recorded per week during the 6-week cycle.
Make-up assignments: If a student is absent from school, and the absence is excused, he or she will have either:
· The number of days the child was absent or
· Five days after returning to make up missed assignments
The time period needed to make up the missed work will be at the discretion of the teacher.
Reassessment plan: If a student does not pass a test (score 69 or below), the teacher will reteach the tested objectives. The student will then have an opportunity to retake the test.
Incomplete projects: Incomplete projects will be assessed a penalty of ten points per day.
Weighing of grades: Each subject at each grade level will have two categories: Classwork/Quizzes and Tests/Projects. Classwork/Quizzes will count for 40% of the average, and Test/Projects will count for 60% of the average.
Definitions of assignments:
Classwork – daily learning assignments completed in the classroom.
Quiz – a brief assessment covering a few learning objectives.
Test – an assessment covering multiple objectives.
Project – a long-term assignment comprised of multiple steps. Often times some steps will be completed at school while other steps will be completed outside of school.
Entering grades: Teachers will input grades within 3 days of the assignment being completed and turned into the teacher.
Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten classes:
Grades for all subject areas in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten are marked according to the scale listed on the report card.
Graded papers will be sent home on Wednesdays. Your child’s homeroom teacher will attach a form that is to be signed by a parent and returned on Thursday along with the graded paper. This procedure will be followed by kinder-fifth grade classrooms.
The Notice of Progress will be sent to parents via students during the fourth week of the reporting period. Additional reports may be sent at the discretion of the teacher. Parents are asked to sign and return the report card. A conference may be scheduled with the teacher to address questions or concerns.
HISD uses a web-based grading system. The user-friendly tool will be accessible to parents to allow them to monitor their child’s academic progress throughout the school year. To register for these services, go to www.houstonisd.org, and click on the Students & Parents tab. From here you can register as a first-time user, log-in, or seek help. To register, you will need to have the following information: Student ID number, Access ID and Access Password. Please call the school for this information
During the school year, your child’s teacher may request a conference to discuss your child’s academic or behavioral progress. Parents may also request a conference. To schedule a conference, email your child’s teacher(s) or call the school. The teacher will return your call during his/her conference period or after school.
The following are some ideas to help conferences run smoothly:
- Please be on time. At the end of the teacher’s conference period, he/she needs to pick up his/her class on time.
- Please write down your questions or concerns and bring them with you. If possible, consider providing these questions ahead of time to your child’s teacher so he/she can gather the proper documents to fully address your question or concern.
- Bring any paperwork you might have to show the teacher.
- Please be open to suggestions or comments from the teacher.
Homework is an opportunity for students to extend and reinforce learning. Additionally, homework builds a student’s sense of responsibility and provides a connection between home and school. This also helps parents to stay abreast of the curriculum students are currently learning.
Each teacher may assign homework on a daily or weekly basis. Please review these assignments with your student, and ensure they are returned on the assigned due date. If you have questions regarding specific assignments, please contact your child’s teacher.
If homework is taking an excessive amount of time at your home, please contact your child’s teacher. If you feel you would like your child to spend additional time at home learning, some sources for workbooks and other learning materials may be discussed with your classroom teacher or the administrative team.
HISD's Library Services Department makes a variety of resources available. Now teachers, staff, students, and parents can access these resources from home.
To access the online resources from home, a login ID and password are required. For login ID and password information, please contact our school librarian.
When these resources are accessed from a computer located on an HISD network, you will not need a login ID or password.
You will be able to access magazine articles, maps, timelines, graphs, photos, charts, and all sorts of other educational materials to help students get the most from their coursework.
To access online resources:
1. Go to http://www.houstonisd.org/.
2. Click on Students & Parents.
3. Locate the Helpful Information banner on the right side of the page.
4. Click on Online resources.
You may also visit Sinclair’s website for additional online resources:
1. Go to http://www.houstonisd.org/sinclaires.
2. Place your curser over the Students tab, then click on Computer Lab.
Our students make weekly visits to the library to check out books. We encourage you to read books with your children several times throughout the week. Books are due back at school by each scheduled library day. Your child’s teacher will communicate with you regarding library days. Students are responsible for their library books. A fine will be issued if library books are not returned.
All computers and electronic devices are owned by HISD and must be paid for when lost or paid for when broken through negligence. Laptops and other devices will be issued to students and must remain on campus at all times unless specific permission is given by the principal.
Classroom behavior plays a major role in instruction. In order to maximize learning time, it is essential that the classroom environment is focused on academics. At Sinclair, our goal is to have our students learn to manage their own behavior. To communicate with parents about your student’s behavior at school, a weekly conduct grade will be sent home with your student. Please look for this in the Wednesday communication folder. Please sign the included documentation sheet in the folder each Wednesday and return it with your student on Thursday.
The following is our conduct grading system:
E= excellent behavior P= poor behavior
S= satisfactory behavior U= unsatisfactory behavior
Parents and students will have a paper copy of the Code of Student Conduct: Your Rights and Responsibilities made available should they request it. An electronic version is available and accessible through the HISD and Sinclair website. This book details the expectations for student behavior and the consequences for misbehavior. Both parents and teachers are expected to assume responsibility for the teaching and management of positive classroom behavior with assistance from the administrative team as needed. Students will be addressed fairly and with patience, but persistent misconduct will not be tolerated as it is a distraction for all from the instructional goal. Parents will be contacted promptly by the teacher if a student exhibits consistent disregard for school or classroom rules and expectations. It is our goal to work together in order to resolve any issues or concerns.
If a student earns an unsatisfactory conduct grade (U), attendance at certain extracurricular activities (field trips, certain assemblies, or other special activities) will be in jeopardy.
Students are not permitted on campus prior to 7:00 AM or past 3:00 PM unless they are formally attending a planned before or after school activity; however, this in no way affects the authority of administrators, teachers, and/or other school staff to address discipline concerns with students while on campus outside of instructional hours.
Riding a bus is a privilege that may be enjoyed as long as rules and regulations are followed. Bus transportation is provided for students on a magnet transfer who live outside a two-mile radius.
Listed below are the bus rules followed by all Sinclair students:
1. Respect the bus driver. Be courteous and polite at all times.
2. All parts of the body must remain inside the bus.
3. No items are to be thrown out of the bus windows.
4. Talk quietly when the bus is in motion.
5. Remain in your seat unless entering or exiting the bus.
6. Wear a seat belt when available.
The bus driver is responsible for safety on the bus; misbehavior is not allowed. Students who misbehave are to be reported to the administrative team who will act in accordance with the following policies:
· First Offense: Student is given adequate warning. Parent is informed in writing or by telephone that the child is not adhering to the bus rules.
· Second Offense: A two- or three-day suspension from the bus.
· Third Offense: A five to seven-day suspension from riding the bus.
· Fourth Offense: Exclusion from riding the bus for the remainder of the semester.
Parents will be kept informed in writing and/or by telephone concerning each offense. If a student is suspended from the bus, the parent must make other transportation arrangements.
Each classroom will be assigned specific tables and times for lunch. Your child’s teacher will let you know when his/her class is scheduled to eat lunch.
Parents may eat lunch with their child according to our Parent Lunch Schedule. When coming to eat lunch, please sign in at the front desk, and wait for your student to arrive in the foyer. Please sit at the table provided for visitors, parents are not allowed to sit at the student tables during lunch. You may bring outside food for yourself and your child only. Parents may not offer or share food with any other students. Students other than your child may not join you for lunch.
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PreK, Kinder and 2nd |
1st Friday of the month |
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3rd and 5th |
2nd Friday of the month |
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1st and 4th |
3rd Friday of the month |
No lunch deliveries for students will be accepted at any time.
While in the cafeteria, students are expected to practice acceptable table manners. Only one trip will be allowed through the lunch line. Students may purchase one additional snack item.
The following expectations are taught to our students and posted in the cafeteria:
1. Use a quiet inside voice with others beside you or across from you.
2. Leave your area neat and clean.
3. Remain seated. Raise your hand if you need something.
4. Keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourself.
5. No sharing or trading of food items.
6. Voices off when lining up.
If you child forgets their lunch, jacket, water bottle, or homework, parents will not be allowed to drop off these forgotten items past 8:00AM. School lunch is free and will be provided to any student who needs a lunch.
All articles of clothing, as well as other belongings such as backpacks and lunch kits, should be clearly and securely labeled with the child’s first and last name to prevent loss. The lost and found cabinet is located in the hallway adjacent to the cafeteria. Unclaimed items are given to charity periodically during the year.
Prior to sending or bringing in Birthday treats, you must contact your homeroom teacher and receive approval for the day you plan to bring the treats & must be dropped off in the front office no later than 8:00 am. If you choose to send a snack to school in honor of your child’s birthday, please know that all treats must be store bought/pre-packaged. Any treats prepared at home will not be allowed. Items must contain a label outlining the ingredients, as many students have various food allergies. While healthy snacks are encouraged (store prepared fruit or vegetable trays, granola bars, etc.), store bought cupcakes or cookies are permitted. Cakes are not permitted, as many materials are required to cut and serve the cake.
To maintain our instructional focus, teachers will determine when to distribute the treats after the students’ lunch period. Food items MUST be dropped off by 8 AM at the front office.
If you choose to send birthday invitations for a home party, please consider the feelings of your child’s classmates. If you choose to only invite a few classmates, please allow the teacher to discretely place the invitation in the students’ backpacks.
Field trips are designed to be instructional extensions of our magnet and/or core academic program. Parents/guardians may be asked to contribute to the cost of field trips. If you are unable to pay the requested fee, please speak with your child’s teacher to request a waiver. For any field trip, parent approval forms will be sent home by the teacher to be signed and returned. No student will be permitted to go on a trip without written permission on the appropriate form. This signed permission form must be returned to the teacher by the designated return date prior to the scheduled trip. Telephone and fax confirmations cannot be accepted.
Safety of our children is foremost. All Sinclair students are required to purchase and wear the official Sinclair t-shirt, regulation dress code bottoms and shoes on all school sponsored field trips. Students without official Sinclair t-shirts, regulation dress code bottoms and shoes will not be allowed to attend the field trip.
Adults who have been pre-approved through the HISD VIPS Program may chaperone our students on field trips. Volunteers may register online through the HISD VIPS link found at www.houstonisd.org. Once a volunteer has registered online, the volunteer will provide a copy of his/her driver’s license to the main office and complete a short information form.
If a sack lunch is required for a field trip, please make sure that all items are disposable (no lunch kits or reusable containers).
When volunteering for a field trip, please be aware that:
- All volunteers MUST be VIPS approved and wear a special “Sinclair Volunteer” badge.
- You will need to provide your own transportation.
- Siblings may not attend field trips.
- Students will not wear nametags. This would allow a stranger to “know” our child.
It is not the function of public-school personnel to administer medical treatment or medication, including over-the-counter drugs. HISD policy is based upon the following rationale expressed by the American Medical Association:
Since treatment is not a function of school health programs, no drugs should be included in school first aid supplies. Even the simplest and safest drugs sometimes cause reactions. When they mask pain or other symptoms, they may be a factor in delaying correct diagnosis and treatment.
Teachers and other school personnel are expected to limit themselves to the usual and accepted practices of first aid in managing emergencies due to sickness or accident. They cannot diagnose illness nor administer medication of any sort except as outlined below. First aid materials are not to be used for subsequent treatment of injury and illness or as a substitute for the care of a physician.
Pupils who are: not contagious and on long-term medications, preventive medication, or medication for a prolonged period of time, which cannot under any arrangement be administered other than during school hours, may take medication in school under the following restrictions:
- a. A physician must state in writing that a pupil should have a certain medication during school hours. He/she should describe the type of preparation, color, quantity, and time of administration. Form #40.3740 must be signed by the physician and renewed at the beginning of each year.
- b. Parent consent signature must also appear on Form #40.3740.
- c. Physician’s orders may not be altered in any way by school personnel without written permission of the physician. Discontinuation of the medication is permissible upon verbal order of the doctor.
- d. The school principal will designate the person to administer medication in the absence of the nurse; the assigned school nurse must in-service those persons as to the specific mode of administration and toxicity of the drug.
- e. A record of administration of each dose by school personnel must be documented and on file.
The law requires that students be fully immunized against specific diseases in accordance with the Texas Department of Health Immunization Schedule (25 TAC §97.63) and shall show acceptable proof of vaccination prior to entry, attendance, or transfer to a school Texas.
Students who are infested with head lice must be treated immediately. Absences due to head lice will be excused. A child may not attend school if there are any visible signs of lice or nits. The nurse must examine your child before he/she may return to the classroom.
Occasionally elementary school students experience restroom accidents. You are welcome to send a change of clothes to remain in your child’s backpack. Our staff is unable to help students change clothes, so if your child requires assistance dressing, our nurse or the classroom teacher will give you a call. If an accident involves feces, you will be notified to come to school to pick up your child.
Sinclair offers parents and other adults who wish to support our school the opportunity to become involved in the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). There are many ways you can volunteer your time and talents. We encourage all parents to participate in some way. For further information, please contact the school office.
Parking spaces in the parking lots on Manville and Grovewood (with the exception of the handicapped parking spaces) are reserved for Sinclair staff during normal school hours. Please do not park in the fire lanes in both the circle drive and Manville lot; this is a safety issue. All Sinclair parents are asked to be considerate of our residential neighbors and not block driveways, mailboxes or prevent trash pick-up as a result of their parking.
If a situation arises where a child needs to speak with his/her parent, the student’s teacher or administration must grant permission before the child will be permitted to use the phone in the main office. If you need to get a message to your child, please relay the information to office personnel; students will not be called from class in order to take phone calls.
Students with cell phones on campus must turn their phones off prior to entering school. Cell phones are to remain in backpacks and not be seen during the school day. Please see the Code of Student Conduct for additional information regarding unauthorized use of communication devices on campus. If cell phones are used during the school day, they will be confiscated. Confiscated cell phones will not be returned directly to the student; a parent or designee (at least 18 years old) must collect the device from the school and pay a $15.00 fee.
We welcome all visitors to come and observe Sinclair in action. We are very proud of our teachers and our students. Certain guidelines are in place to ensure that visits do not interfere with the delivery of instruction or disrupt our school environment. All visitors must sign in at the front desk and receive a name tag which will need to be worn while you are in the school. We ask that our visitors merely observe the class and not interact with any of the students or the teacher as he/she interacts with his/her class.
If you would like to observe, contact your child’s teacher to schedule a mutually agreed upon time. Observations are limited to 30 minutes, and it is not to be used as a conference time with the teacher. We appreciate your cooperation with these guidelines.
Handbook Revised 7/2024