Additional Parent Information

Absences

Attendance is extremely important in all education settings.  According the Prodedures for District Application Programs (page 30) students must attend school daily, arrive promptly to class and remain throughout the scheduled hours.  Families are strongly discouraged from taking planned vacations and are not valid reasons for excused absences.  If your child is absent please use the "Report Absence" link on our website, which is located under the 'About Us' section.  You may also send a note or email to our data management technician (williamscarl@pcsb.org).  A doctor's note is required for more than (5) consecutive absences.  After (3) unexcused absences per attendance period, a letter will be sent to the parent.   Class work is required to be made up during or after an excused absence according to arrangements made with the teacher.  Absences for trips are unexcused absences. 

 

Students are expected to be in class by 8:05.  Students who arrive after the final bell, 8:05 a.m., must report with a parent to the front office to receive a pass.  Tardies are only excuesed with a doctor's note.  Students who are not picked up by 2:45 will also be considered tardy.  Students who receive four (4) tardies within same grading period will receive a letter.  Two (2) additional tardies within the same grading epriod will result in a Fundamental warning.

 

Parent Volunteers

Parents are encouraged to volunteer in the classroom.  Please call or make arrangements either with your student's teacher or through the school office before volunteering.  It is important that we know who is in our building at all times and the purpose for the visit.  It is not permissible for preschool children to visit classrooms during the regular school day or to be with the parent at school while the parent is volunteering.  All visitors MUST check in at the front office with a valid driver's license in order to be issued a visitor's badge.

 

Volunteers are an important asset to TSFES.  By volunteering, we strengthen our abilities to help students.  We appreciate any volunteer hours you can offer throughout the year.  If you would like to volunteer, please submit a Volunteer Registration Form along with a government issued ID.  All volunteers must be registered volunteers and must check-in at the front office.  Level II Volunteer registration is required for driving on field trips and for other specific volunteer opportunities.  Please ask the volunteer coordinator for more information on this requirement.  An office-issued identification sticker or ID badge must be worn when volunteering on or off campus.  Please adhere to th PCSB dress code when on campus.  No bare midriffs, short shorts, "spaghetti straps", sleeveless shirts and visible undergarments.   Younger siblings and non-TSFES students cannot accompany a volunteer.

 

Contact the Family and Community Liaison with any questions.

 

Parent/PTA Meetings

Active parental involvement is a core principle at Tarpon Springs Fundamental Elementary. As such, parents are required to attend all scheduled PTA/Parent meetings.

• Meeting Schedule: Most meetings begin at 6:00 p.m. and last approximately one hour. Parents must stay for the entire meeting until the PTA president adjourns.
• Sign-In Requirement: Parents must sign in at the meeting and may be asked to scan a QR code provided during the session.
• Tardiness & Early Departures: Arriving more than 15 minutes late, leaving early, or failing to sign in will result in the meeting being counted as “unattended.”
• Children at Meetings: If your child must attend, they must remain with you at all times. Some meetings are designed for adults only; details will be provided in the monthly PTA newsletter.
• Schedule Changes: Any changes in meeting dates, times, or locations will be announced in the school newsletter.

 

If a parent cannot attend a required meeting, a representative (18 years or older) may attend only if approved by the principal in advance.

• The representative cannot be a TSFES parent or staff member.
• A representative may only attend two meetings per year and may represent only one family.
• Once a student is placed on probation, representatives are no longer allowed.
• Representatives must arrive on time, stay until the meeting ends, and sign in.

Attendance Consequences
• 1 missed meeting: A reminder letter will be sent home.
• 2 missed meetings: The student will be placed on probation.
• 3 missed meetings: The family will be referred to the Intervention and Appeals Committee and may be considered for reassignment by the Student Assignment Office.

Alternative Option: If you cannot attend a PTA meeting, you may choose one of the following for no more than 2 meetings per year:
• Attend a SAC (School Advisory Council) meeting during the same month as a substitute. 
• Volunteer 2 hours at an approved event during the same month of missed meeting
 

Appointments

If a student must leave school before dismissal, the parent must pick the student up from the front office prior to 1:45 p.m..  No student is to leave the school grounds at any time without permission from the office staff.

 

Lockdowns

When certain safety issues arise, the school will be put in a lockdown, during which time no one may leave or enter the building.  This is an unusual circumstance and is only used to ensure everyone's safety.  If such a lockdown is in place during dismissal, no parent may enter the school and no students will be dismissed until the lockdown is lifted by local law enforcement officials.

 

Severe Weather

Each school in Pinellas County is equipped with a Plectron unit & weather radio which relay information from the district's weather center.  All students wear emergency tags during a tornado watch.  If a watch becomes a warning, we will normally go to the duck and cover locations.

 

Due to the imminent danger, students will not be dismissed during a tornado warning.  If a parent comes to school while students are in duck and cover positions, he or she must stay in the main office.  If you wish to take your child with you, you must sign them out in the office.  You may not take any child but your own.  You may not pick up students in your car pool unless you are listed on the child's office card.  

 

Field Trips

Each student must return a permission form signed by his/her parent or guardian in order to go on the trip. Only Registered volunteers may chaperone field trips. No other student, including siblings, may attend. Students and chaperones must ride 
the bus to participate in the field trip. Chaperones must adhere to PCSB policies. Do not post field trip pictures of students other than your own on social media. Students whose parents sign permission allowing them to participate must leave from and return to TSFES as a part of the class group. 

 

All money for field trips should be turned in by the class due date. If you are asked to donate an amount of money for a trip and have a financial hardship, please contact the principal at least ten days in advance.

Parties

Two parties will be planned for students during the school year.  Food must be "store bought," not home made.  Parties should offer educational and social experiences for the students.  Individual student birthdays are not celebrated with a class party at school.  Only registered volunteers may attend parties.

 

Birthdays

A Florida law was passed to encourage schools to assist with nutritional health issues facing our students.  Therefore, we no longer acknowledge students' birthdays with food.  As per Florida State Law, NO birthday invitations may be distributed at school.  We provide a school directory that may be used to mail invitations.  Parents are requested not to bring food items, flowers, balloons, or other gifts for birthday celebrations.

 

Permanent Records

An active record of each student's progress is kept at school.  The student's records remain after he/she graduates.  The major items found in the permanent record include the following: