Little Ridge

Intermediate School

 

Parent/Student Handbook

 

Little Ridge

Intermediate School

 

Parent/Student Handbook

 

2024-25

 

Principal

Mrs. Jennifer List

 

Assistant Principal

Mr. Stormy Stevens

 

Counselor

Mrs. Teresa Barksdale

 

Secretary

Savannah Williams

 

Bookkeeper

Mrs. Rachel Todd

 

________________________________

 

Little Ridge Intermediate School

5200 Gault Avenue N.

Fort Payne, AL 35967

256-845-7706

REPORTING STUDENT PROGRESS

• Mid-term reports are sent home with students every 4 1/2 weeks. Grades are derived from test scores, daily work, homework and participation. Report cards are sent home every nine weeks. Parents/guardians may use PowerSchool as a means of monitoring student progress in the areas of academics, discipline, and attendance. For more information, you may contact the school office. 

PROMOTIONS

• Third-fifth grade students having two semester F’s in reading or 2 semester F’s in math during the school year may not be promoted.   

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

• Little Ridge Intermediate will provide parent individual student academic achievement results and interpretation of results in a language the parent(s) can understand. If a parent needs assistance to better understand the results, please contact the office and an interpreter will assist you.  

• If your child becomes ill or injured at school, we will contact you immediately. If we cannot reach you, we will contact one of the emergency contacts on the list you provided at the start of the year. Please make sure to update emergency contact information throughout the year via the online portal, if changes need to be made.  

MORNING ARRIVAL TIMES

• Students should arrive to school no earlier than 7:10 am. Students must be in the building by 7:45 am or they will be considered tardy. The school doors will open at 7:10 am. Students may not be dropped off until 7:10 am at which time school personnel will be available to monitor students. 

MORNING DROP OFF FOR CAR RIDERS

• Our primary concern with regard to traffic flow during drop off is the safety of our students, with this in mind, please review the following procedures.
• Parents who are dropping off students should pull up to the grade level specific loops under awnings at the front of Little Ridge Intermediate School.
  • 3^rd Grade: 49^th Street Entrance
  • 4^th Grade: Main Entrance near Little Ridge Sign off Gault Ave. North
  • 5^th Grade: Gym Entrance (2^nd Drive) off Gault Ave. North

• Students should exit the vehicle on the passenger side onto the covered sidewalk. (the side closest to the school). Please pull forward as far as possible so multiple vehicles can unload at the same time. Staff members will be available to monitor and assist students as needed. Please do not drop off students in other areas causing them to cross or be in the traffic flow. 
• All students will be permitted to eat breakfast in the cafeteria upon arrival.

MORNING BUS RIDERS/CAR RIDER ROUTINES

• ALL Students will report to the hallway outside of their classrooms upon arrival OR following breakfast. (**Fifth grade car riders will report to the gym each morning and sit in the bleachers.) Each day of the week a different grade will be permitted to report to the gym for Wildcat WALK following breakfast and purchasing snack. (additional directions provided by classroom teacher)
• Students will sit in a straight line near wall facing forward and should have something quiet to do while waiting for bell to ring to report to class (read a book, study spelling words, review fact cards, draw, etc.)
• The first bell rings at 7:40, and the tardy bell rings at 7:45. Classes begin at 7:45 A.M. 

AFTERNOON DISMISSAL TIMES

• Early bus riders-3:00 pm.
• Car riders- 3:05 pm (following the exit of early buses)
• Late bus riders-3:15 pm (according to bus arrivals)

AFTERNOON BUS RIDERS

• Students who ride early buses will be dismissed at 3:00 pm and report to bus loading area at the end of each hallway at the rear of the building and board their assigned bus. Late bus riders will report to their designated hallway at 3:10 pm. to board assigned bus at the bus loading area at the rear of the building. Staff and administration will monitor students exiting building and boarding buses to assist with locating buses and to ensure safety.
• Parents cannot wait outside on the bus loop to pick up a child that is in line to ride the bus. This is for your child’s safety. Bus drivers and supervising teachers do not have the authority to allow you to take your child off the bus or out of the bus line. Once a child has gotten in the bus line, they must ride the bus home. 

AFTERNOON CAR RIDERS

• Our primary concern with regard to traffic flow during drop off is the safety of our students, with this in mind, please review the following procedures.
• Car riders will load at designated grade level loops at the front of Little Ridge on Gault Avenue North under the awnings.
  • • 3^rd Grade: 49^th Street Entrance
    • 4^th Grade: Main Entrance near Little Ridge Sign off Gault Ave. North
    • 5^th Grade: Gym Entrance (2^nd Drive) off Gault Ave. North
• Parents who are picking up students should not arrive at the school prior to 2:30 PM.
• Parents should drive up to the covered awning and pull forward as far as possible to designated numbered cone/pole for pick up.
• Please display the PAW PASS in the lower right area of the windshield.
• Students (3^rd & 4^th Grade) will be called in the order cars arrive. 5^th Grade students will watch for guardian vehicle and will enter. Staff members will be supervising all students at each loop as they are being picked up from school.
• Parents cannot wait on school to dismiss inside the building. You must stay in your vehicle until all children are in their assigned space. Please do not wait outside the building because it blocks the entrance.
• Parents are not permitted to walk up to pick up students. This is for the safety of our students.
• If you do not have this pass, you will have to report to the main office to with a photo ID. This will allow us to ensure you are on the student’s contact list.

TARDINESS

• Class instruction begins promptly at 7:45 A.M.  Students who are tardy will miss valuable instructional time. Tardies will be excused when a student presents a doctor’s excuse, legal excuse, or has permission from the principal.  Tardy students must sign in at the office prior to going to class.   

CHECK-OUTS

• The school day ends at 3:00 P.M.  A student who checks out will be excused if he/she presents a doctor’s excuse, legal excuse, or has permission from the principal.  All students must be checked out through the office. THERE WILL BE NO CHECKOUTS AFTER 2:30. Anyone checking a student out must present identification and be listed on the student’s checkout list in PowerSchool. 

 

PARENT NOTES

• Each student will receive 10 excused absences in the form of parent notes to be used throughout the school year. Parents must submit the excuse in writing or via email following or in advance of an absence to be excused. Parent notes would apply to any absence not excused by a doctor’s note, legal excuse, death in the family, field trip, etc. Parent notes should be used for vacations taken during the school year and illnesses not requiring a doctor visit.

MAKEUP WORK FOLLOWING AN EXCUSED ABSENCE

• Work may be made up only when an absence has been excused. Parents may pick up assignments at the school office.  Requests for make-up work should be made in advance so as to give the teacher ample time to prepare the lessons and not interrupt classroom instruction.  Teachers will provide students who have been absent for excused reasons, an opportunity to make up missed assignments. It is the student’s responsibility to request make up work within three (3) days of returning to school and following the determination by the principal that the absence was excused. The work must be completed within five (5) school days after returning to school. Any incomplete assignments will be entered as a “0” in the grade book. Excessive absences (18 days or more) result in missed instruction causing learning gaps, deficits in grade level reading and math skills, and failing grades.  

BREAKFAST

• Breakfast will be served each day from 7:05–7:40 am in the cafeteria. We encourage each student to eat breakfast to insure their best daily performance. Please have your child at school by 7:30 am if you want them to eat breakfast. Breakfast is not served after 7:40 am.  

LUNCH

• The CNP staff serves a well-balanced and nourishing lunch each day. Each student will have a lunchroom account which enables him/her to deposit money for future meals. Lunch may be paid for on a daily basis or in advance by the week, month or year.  Each student has a lunch account identified by an individual lunch number. This allows each students account to be tracked carefully. Please do not combine lunch money with any other payments. 
• No commercially prepared foods, glass containers, or carbonated drinks are allowed in our cafeteria.  Menus will be posted on the school website, in the school and sent home with students.
• LRIS has a closed lunch policy for the 2024-25 school year. Parents and family are not permitted to eat with students in the cafeteria.  

SNACK

• Snack time varies according to the classroom schedule. Children should bring a nutritious snack from home or may purchase one from the school. Candy, Cokes/soft drinks, and Energy drinks, such as Monster, Redbull, etc. are not permitted at LRIS. 
• Third grade students may purchase snacks/drinks from the snack cart each morning in 3rd grade hall. Fourth and fifth grade students should purchase snacks/drinks may each morning at school from the cafeteria or school store beginning at 7:30 am. Students MAY NOT go to snack store unless they have money to make a purchase. 
• Students may bring a plastic water bottle to school to keep with them. ALL large isolated cups such as Yetis and Stanley cups will be stored in the student’s locker and accessed during snack and following PE, as needed.  

3 RULES AT LRIS

• We follow our system-wide code of conduct closely. Little Ridge Intermediate School has 3 overall rules to be followed by staff and students: Respect Self, Respect Others, Respect Property. ALL behaviors fall under these 3 rules. 

CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR

• Specific classroom behavior rules are set by grade level teachers. The rules and the consequences of violating these rules are discussed initially with the students. The individual teacher takes disciplinary action. The principal handles reoccurring violations that threaten the education, welfare and safety of others. Behavior that causes a disruption in the classroom and in the child’s own education will be reported to the parents.  

DISCIPLINE

• Disciplinary actions are recorded and kept on file with the teacher and the principal. All students are disciplined in accordance with the Fort Payne City Schools Student Code of Conduct. No student is exempt from corporal punishment as a response to a violation of the code of conduct unless otherwise stated in an IEP or requested by parent /guardian in writing to the principal.  
  

 

AUTHORITY OF SCHOOL OFFICIALS

• Alabama statutes delegate specific authority and responsibility to school officials concerning the control and discipline of students. A school principal or his/her designee has the authority, by law, to administer corporal punishment to students. School principals also have the authority to suspend students from school and/or from riding the school bus, and to recommend for expulsion those students who seriously disrupt the school environment.
• Students of the Fort Payne City School System are subject to the Code of Student Conduct during the time that they are being transported to or from school or a school sponsored activity, during the time that they are attending school, and during the time that they are on school premises. 

• Special snacks for school parties (i.e. Valentine’s Day, Christmas, etc.) will be purchased through the Child Nutrition Program. The parties will be planned and coordinated by teachers and principal. 
• No food may be brought in from outside sources and served to other children. Parents may order treats for birthday parties through the school lunchroom program at a cost. This includes candy or baked treats for holiday parties. This procedure is in accordance with the Fort Payne City Schools Wellness Policy. Please see student code of conduct for further information. 

• • When the superintendent sends out a message that Fort Payne City Schools (NOT DeKalb County Schools) will be delayed, this is the schedule that we will follow at Little Ridge Intermediate School. ANYTIME SCHOOL IS DELAYED, BREAKFAST WILL NOT BE SERVED.  

  School Delay Schedule

  1 Hour Delay

  Teachers on Duty          8:05 AM

  Doors Open                  8:10 AM

  Teachers                       8:30 AM

  School Starts                8:45 AM

  **Students must be in the building at this time or they are considered late

  ***Buses will run 1 ½ hours later than normal

  2 Hour Delay

  Teachers on Duty          9:05 AM

  Door Open                    9:10 AM

  Teachers                       9:30 AM

  School Starts                9:45 AM

  **Students must be in the building at this time or they are considered late

  ***Buses will run 2 ½ hours later than normal

   

  2 ½ Hour Delay

  Teachers on Duty          9:35 AM

  Doors Open                  9:40 AM

  Teachers                       10:00 AM

  School Starts                10:15 AM

  **Students must be in the building at this time or they are considered late

  ***Buses will run 3 hours later than normal

   

  3 Hour Delay

  Teachers on Duty          10:05 AM

  Doors Open                  10:10 AM

  Teachers                       10:30 AM

  School Starts                10:45 AM

  **Students must be in the building at this time or they are considered late

  ***Buses will run 3 ½ hours later than normal

• Little Ridge Intermediate will not accept special occasion gifts, flowers, or balloon deliveries for students from flower shops, stores, parents, etc.

CLOTHING

• All students will be expected to be clean and neat in appearance. Students should not wear anything that would attract undue attention, disrupt the learning process or be hazardous to the health and safety of students and/or teachers. The teachers and principal have the authority to determine whether or not a student’s attire is disruptive.  
• Any of the following will be a violation of the dress code and are NOT PERMITTED:  
  
  • Garments which expose midriff
  • Jeans with holes above the knee, have openings or flaps showing exposed skin.
  • Tank tops and garments with spaghetti straps, see-through tops, or one-shoulder garments, or sundresses
  • Garments advertising drugs, alcoholic beverages, cigarettes or any other suggestive, vulgar or profane words
  • Short shorts, dresses, or athletic, ruffled, mini-skirts/skorts (Shorts, dress, and skirts should come to the end of the fingertips when hands are held at the side and MUST be longer than shirt/sweatshirt being worn.) 
  • Hats, hoodies, and bandanas are not to be worn during the school day OR on the bus. (Unless there is a medical reason or “hat day” occasion). On “hat days”, hats must be stored in backpacks when riding the bus.  
  • Comfortable shoes or sandals should be worn at all times for safety, health, and appearance purposes. No shoes with lights or wheels are permitted.  

HAIR/GROOMING

• Hair should be neat and clean and should be worn in such a way that does not impair vision. 
• Hair color that is not natural in color is NOT PERMITTED (examples: pink, blue, green, orange, purple) OR that draws unnecessary attention. 

• The superintendent of schools has the authority to temporarily close schools or dismiss early in the event of severe weather or other conditions which threaten the safety and well-being of students.   
• When a decision is made to close schools, an announcement will be made on local radio stations and television as early as possible.  In the event that school closes early, parents should have an alternative plan. The superintendent will send out a message using the school notification system. This system will be used to inform parents and/or guardians of important information via a home, work, or cell phone. An early dismissal plan will be sent home at the beginning of the year for you to fill out and send back.   

• Most of our field trips are conducted within the Fort Payne City limits. Field trips cannot be taken the first two weeks or the last two weeks of school. A permission form must be completed and signed by a parent or legal guardian before a child will be allowed to participate in any field trip.  

• A school accident insurance policy is available for all students. Students are able to sign up for the policy at the beginning of the school year. Students have an option of two forms of school insurance. They are as follows:
  • School-time coverage
  • Round the clock coverage 
• If you wish to purchase the insurance, checks should be made payable to the insurance company. Please read the policy benefits carefully. If you do not have family health coverage, you may want to consider this service. 

• Weekly classes are scheduled in the library for all grades. Students may check out one book weekly and it may be renewed for any additional week if the student brings the book in on the date due. Students who have an overdue book may not check out another book until the overdue book has been returned. Fines will be charged for overdue or lost books, parents are asked to help us encourage your children to return their books on time.